Chapter 420 Money is a Fierce Thing (Part 2)
Wang Yushi's entourage was not grand, with only a dozen or so eunuchs and palace maids serving her. However, her phoenix carriage was extremely magnificent and beautiful. The entire carriage was painted with gilded decorations, and colorful gemstones were inlaid in the exquisite patterns, revealing her royal nobility.
As the imperial carriage approached from afar, all the pedestrians along the street either gave way or bowed in greeting, while the shop assistants and managers of the Huang family's shops all came out of their stores and knelt to welcome it.
Wang Yushi, dressed in a red phoenix robe, stepped down from the chariot. The once valiant female warrior had transformed into a graceful and dignified mother of the nation. Her peerless face became even more majestic and aloof, making it unbearable to look at.
"This humble general, Qin Yumu, pays respects to Your Majesty the Empress!"
"This humble general, Qin Yuanze, pays his respects to Your Majesty the Empress!"
"This humble subject pays respects to Your Majesty the Empress!"
Qin Yumu and Qin Yuanze both held the status of heirs, so they naturally didn't need to kneel. However, they performed their duties with great respect. This had nothing to do with Wang Yushi's status, but rather stemmed from the genuine reverence in their hearts.
"No need for formalities!"
Wang Yushi walked on the red carpet laid out by the eunuchs to the front of Dayuan Money Exchange. She looked up at the plaque that read "Dayuan Money Exchange" for a while before asking Manager Mu, "Was this plaque written by your prince?"
"Your Majesty, it was indeed written by my prince!"
Despite facing the imposing Wang Yushi, Manager Mu remained completely calm and composed, speaking clearly and distinctly.
"Your handwriting is quite good; you've finally made some progress!"
Wang Yushi gave a reluctant compliment and stepped into the Dayuan Money Exchange.
Qin Mo planned to open a money exchange in the capital, so he had to inform Wang Yushi. He originally wanted to open it in the area of the old Duke Heng's mansion, but Wang Yushi was very generous and gave Qin Mo the land deed and the house next to the Huang family's shop.
Qin Mo didn't make a fuss and sent people over for a long period of closed-door renovations. It wasn't until today, when the store opened, that Wang Yushi came to see what Qin Mo had gotten himself into this time.
Wang Yushi was stunned for a moment as soon as she entered the door, because the style inside the store was completely different from the low-key style outside.
Upon entering, you'll find a large hall with rows of exquisitely crafted mahogany chairs arranged in the center, clearly intended for customers.
These chairs face the distinctive luxury counter.
The countertop is made entirely of Nanyang rosewood. Although it has a natural wood tone, the brass trim adds a touch of luxury.
The counter is enclosed, separated from the main hall by large glass panels, with only a few small windows connecting it to the outside. The mahogany chair placed outside the window is exquisitely crafted, clearly intended for customers.
Behind each window, there was a young man or woman, all clean and efficient.
On either side of the main hall are several small rooms resembling private rooms, all decorated with mahogany, and the tables and chairs are even more exquisite, clearly made by a master craftsman.
To a Chinese person, the whole scene would look like the lobby of a bank branch, but to Wang Yushi, it was rather puzzling.
"What exactly is the business of this money exchange run by your prince?"
Manager Mu hurriedly came over and replied, "Your Majesty, the small shop is just a money exchange, but it's a little different from ordinary money exchanges. It mainly helps merchants with depositing, exchanging, and remitting silver!"
"Depositing silver, exchanging silver, remittance? What is remittance for?"
Wang Yushi knew about depositing silver; there were quite a few money shops in the Great Xia territory, all of which did the business of depositing silver and lending money, but she had never heard of foreign exchange.
"Your Majesty, remittance is the process of transferring silver held in the capital to 'Dayuan Banks' elsewhere. Merchants can then withdraw the corresponding amount of silver from 'Dayuan Banks' in other locations by presenting the receipts issued by the banks!"
"Nowadays, our Prince has opened branches of the Dayuan Money Exchange in Fuzhou, Hangzhou, Nanjing, the capital, and even Korea and Japan. Merchants can send money to these places for a small fee and can also designate the recipient."
Mu Zhang quickly explained the specific function of "exchange", and Wang Yushi understood the general idea. Although there were still many things she didn't understand, she believed that she had grasped Qin Mo's business acumen.
The Great Xia Dynasty was vast and rich in resources, which led to a well-developed commercial circulation. Merchants who traveled long distances to sell goods would inevitably have to carry silver. Tens of thousands of taels of silver would require a horse-drawn carriage, which was tiring and inconvenient due to the long journey and the need to guard against bandits.
Qin Mo's Dayuan Money Shop has now solved this problem. He collects the merchants' money and then transports it to its destination, thereby earning so-called remittance fees.
"Today is the day you open for business, so I will remit 10,000 taels of silver to Da Yuan as a congratulatory gift, as a way to bring good luck to your prince!"
Wang Yushi waved her hand, signaling her attendants to fetch the silver. She had brought a gift of ten thousand taels of silver today, not because she didn't want to give more, but because Qin Mo didn't care how much the gift was.
"Your Majesty, before this exchange, the silver must be converted into gold or silver coins. Is your ten thousand taels gold? Official silver or loose silver?"
"Hmm? Isn't the goal to transport my ten thousand taels of silver to Dayuan?"
"Your Highness, it's not like that. We will accept your money here, and then withdraw 10,000 taels of silver from the Da Yuan Bank in Danshui City with the receipt to give to my prince. There is no need to send the money to Da Yuan immediately."
"Because the silver has different purity, in order to avoid misunderstandings with the merchants, we must first exchange all kinds of silver into the silver coins of the taiwan (official currency) before making the remittance."
Manager Mu explained in great detail. He even showed Wang Yushi several different grades of silver, and Wang Yushi quickly understood the purpose of the Dayuan Money Shop.
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