Chapter Seventeen Datong Pharmacy
In the spring of the twenty-fourth year of the Zhenguan era, a brand-new shop called "Datong Pharmacy" quietly opened at the most bustling intersection of the East Market in Chang'an. There was no fanfare or crowds of guests, but the imperial plaque with the words "Diligent Merchant" hanging high above the door, as well as the various rumors circulating about the "Silk Road Gold Vouchers," had already made this newly opened pharmacy the focus of attention in the entire Chang'an business community.
With a capital of 50,000 strings of cash—a figure that ranks among the top in the Tang Dynasty's pawnshop industry. What's even more remarkable is that the Cui, Lu, and Zheng families are behind this.
Liu Bao'er sat in a private room on the second floor of the pawn shop, looking down at the bustling crowd through the bamboo curtain. Now fourteen, she still wore a simple dress and had her hair styled simply, but the maturity beyond her years in her eyes commanded respect. The grand pawn shop, which she had personally designed, was quietly coming online this spring.
Standardized tickets: Assets such as salt certificates, tea certificates, and high-quality silk are packaged at a fixed value and made into anti-counterfeiting tickets using special processes.
Feiqian Exchange Network: Relying on three forces, it has established branches in Dunhuang, Liangzhou, and Yangzhou to realize cross-regional payment.
Margin system: A margin must be deposited when trading securities to cope with price fluctuations.
Covert hedging: Directly directed by her, reverse operations are carried out between different markets to smooth out risks.
"Market Opening—"
As the shopkeeper called out in response, the shop doors slowly opened. Merchants who had been waiting outside filed in. The foreign merchants, speaking in broken Mandarin, eagerly inquired about the exchange rules for the Silk Road Gold Certificates; the tea merchants from Jiangnan carefully checked the anti-counterfeiting marks on the certificates; even a few seemingly ordinary women were asking about the safekeeping of small denominations of flying money.
"Is this the 'Silk Road Gold Certificate'?" A Sogdian merchant held up the newly exchanged certificate, examining it closely in the sunlight. The subtle patterns printed with special ink on the certificate appeared and disappeared in the light, and the serial number on the edge was unique.
The shopkeeper explained with a smile, "With this voucher, you can directly redeem goods of equal value from the Western Regions at our Dunhuang branch, saving you the trouble and risk of carrying cash."
"Wonderful! Wonderful!" the Sogdian merchant exclaimed repeatedly, and immediately bought another five hundred strings of cash.
Similar scenes unfolded at various counters. For merchants traveling the Silk Road, this convenient and secure method of settlement was undoubtedly a revolution. There was no longer a need to organize massive camel caravans to transport money, nor to worry about bandits along the way; transaction efficiency increased by more than tenfold.
In just one morning, the shop was bustling with activity. The crisp sound of abacus beads clattered incessantly, like a sudden downpour pattering on the eaves. The clerks, well-trained, received merchants from all directions, while the accountants scribbled down transactions with lightning speed.
Cui Jiulang appeared silently in the private room on the second floor. Looking down at the bustling scene below, he said with a complex tone, "In just half a day since opening, the turnover has exceeded five thousand strings of cash. Madam Dou, you've created a monster."
Liu Bao'er's gaze remained fixed on the area downstairs: "Jiulang, are you saying that this monster will turn against its master?"
"It's keeping many people up at night." Cui Jiulang sat down opposite her. "Yesterday at court, an imperial censor already mentioned the 'proliferation of private funds' among the people."
"Flying coins aren't private funds," Liu Bao'er said calmly. "Each flying coin is backed by an equivalent value of silk or salt certificates as collateral. Jiulang should know this best."
"Of course I know," Cui Jiulang leaned forward slightly, "but others may not be willing to find out."
Just then, Hu Liu hurried upstairs and whispered a few words in Liu Bao'er's ear. Liu Bao'er's eyes flickered slightly, and she said to Cui Jiulang, "A letter came from the Liangzhou branch. The first batch of 'salt and silk mixed certificates' has been dispatched by the Weiyuan Escort Agency and is expected to arrive in Dunhuang in half a month."
She unfolded a route map, which detailed the escort team's itinerary, personnel configuration, and even the location of each rest stop. Everything seemed perfectly arranged.
After carefully examining the route, Cui Jiulang nodded in approval: "The arrangements are very meticulous. Weiyuan Escort Agency is a long-established company; they know this route very well."
However, Liu Bao'er's fingertips lightly traced the winding westward route, her brows furrowing slightly: "Too smooth."
"Wouldn't it be better if things went smoothly?"
"Too much success is unsettling." She looked up at the window. "Our competitors won't stand idly by and watch Datong Pawnshop grow stronger. This first batch of goods is the perfect target."
A commotion suddenly arose downstairs. A Persian merchant was gesturing excitedly, claiming he wanted to buy a "special voucher" for a thousand strings of gold—an option that would guarantee him to buy spices at a fixed price three months later.
The shopkeeper hurriedly went upstairs to ask for instructions. After listening to the report, Liu Bao'er thought for a moment and said, "We can accept it, but the deposit must be increased to 30%, and the risks must be clearly explained."
Cui Jiulang raised an eyebrow: "You even anticipated this?"
"The needs of merchants always come first," Liu Bao'er said calmly. "We're just going with the flow."
As dusk fell, the pawnshop closed for the day. The accountants began taking stock, the clatter of abacuses still ringing in the air. Preliminary calculations showed that the first day's turnover had reached a staggering eight thousand strings of cash, a figure that even moved Cui Jiulang.
Liu Bao'er stood by the window, gazing at the last rays of sunset in the west. Distant palaces loomed in the twilight, while nearby streets gradually lit up with lights.
"Tomorrow," she said softly, "I should go and make some arrangements with the brothel."
Cui Jiulang was slightly taken aback, then understood. At this crucial moment, she still remembered the original intention that had supported her to this day—her mother who was still suffering in the brothel.
As night deepened, the golden signboard of Datong Pawnshop gleamed under the lanterns. But beneath this brilliance, undercurrents were quietly surging. The unease in Liu Bao'er's heart, like a pebble thrown into a still lake, was slowly spreading its ripples.
She knew that beneath the calm surface often lay the most dangerous undercurrents. And this financial behemoth had only just awakened; the real test was yet to come.
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