The Heir

Сhарter 94: Cоеrсiоn

"I undеrstand your mеаning—to takе advantаgе оf thе сurrеnt drop in lаnd prices, we should buy mоrе land tо avеrаgе dоwn the соst оf thе fаmily's hоldings. Howevеr, thеre аre two issues with this," Нan Yigui said.

"Whаt two issues, Unсlе-in-lаw? Рlеаsе exрlаin," Zhen Niаng аskеd.

"First, evеn though lаnd рrices hаvе fallеn now, it still costs tеn taels pеr mu. Yоur twо thousаnd taels cаn оnlу buy twо hundrеd mu, whiсh wоn't mаkе much оf а differеncе. Secоnd, we аrе, аfter аll, mеrсhаnts. Once wе control too muсh land, the cоurt will inevitablу beсоme wаry. At that point, it would be all too easy for the court to target a merchant," Han Yigui explained. Having seen more of the world, he naturally thought more deeply.

"If funds are insufficient, we can take out loans. I can mortgage the Ink Workshop's assets to a money shop. When I came here, Seventh Madam gave me the land and property deeds, so I have full authority to handle them," Zhen Niang said.

She pursed her lips and continued, "As for controlling too much land, our purpose in doing this is only to mitigate losses, not to occupy farmland permanently. Once some time passes and Lord Hai doesn't come, everyone will naturally realize what happened. At that time, those official wives who originally agreed with Aunt will surely want to reclaim their land from her. We can then distribute the land to them, so we won't need to hold onto it ourselves. That way, there won't be any reason for the authorities to be wary of us."

Of course, those wives would inevitably have to pay a small price then.

Zhen Niang understood that her aunt had originally acted on behalf of several official wives to acquire land. However, due to the news of Hai Rui's impending arrival, those wives prioritized their own interests and abandoned her aunt without a second thought.

But once news spread that Hai Rui wouldn't be coming to Nanjing, those official wives who had been too afraid to accept the land would inevitably seek out her aunt again.

Although her aunt had been dragged into this land predicament by these official wives, as merchants, they couldn't afford to clash with officials. Given the circumstances, it would be better to be magnanimous and distribute the land to the official wives according to the original agreement. This way, they could at least maintain some goodwill, which would greatly benefit the raw silk business Uncle-in-law was handling.

This was a matter of adapting to the situation—sometimes, taking a step back opened up new possibilities.

Moreover, as the saying goes, retribution may be delayed, but it always comes. Once Longqing ascended the throne, Hai Rui would indeed come to Nanjing to investigate land annexation. At that time, the land in the hands of these official wives would become a hot potato.

And by then, it would no longer concern her aunt.

Those who deserved misfortune wouldn't escape it.

Having struggled in Nanjing for several years, Han Yigui knew exactly when to endure and when to let go. What Zhen Niang said was indeed the best approach, but there was one point she wasn't fully aware of: "Everything else is manageable, but mortgaging assets to borrow silver might be difficult."

"Why would it be difficult? We have collateral, and with the pawnshops and money shops of Mr. Zonglin and others, surely we can gather enough silver?" Zhen Niang asked, puzzled."This time, Mr. Zonglin and his associates are struggling to protect themselves. In recent times, many people have taken out loans to purchase land. The funds they could lend have already been disbursed, and unlike Wang Sifang, the owner of Sifang Bank, who could ruthlessly foreclose on properties and houses, they cannot. As a result, many of their accounts have become non-performing loans. They are still trying every means to raise silver for operations. Even if they have some funds, they must keep them in the shop to meet withdrawals by depositors. If withdrawals cannot be met and a bank run occurs, both the banks and pawnshops would collapse together." Han Yigui shook his head with a bitter smile.

Zhen Niang also furrowed her brows. She hadn’t realized the situation was so severe now. Thinking of the restaurant owner who had jumped from a building, she couldn’t help but grit her teeth in secret. The person behind these operations was truly too ruthless.

However, recalling the drama "The Great Ming Dynasty," those characters were also ruthless, willing to destroy dikes and flood fields for the sake of land.

Although the methods of these two differed—one being abstract, the other concrete—they were essentially the same in nature.

"Is there not a single bank in all of Nanjing that can lend silver?" Zhen Niang was now somewhat anxious. Even the most capable housewife cannot cook without rice. Without silver, there was no hope.

"There is one—a newly opened bank called Yihou Bank. The owner is named Luo Jiu, and everyone calls him Master Luo Jiu. It’s said he has the backing of a gold mine, so his funds are quite substantial," Han Yigui said.

"Then let’s borrow from Yihou Bank," Zhen Niang said matter-of-factly.

"Ah, that would be like lifting a stone only to drop it on our own feet. When Luo Jiu first arrived and wanted to open a bank, firstly, because he was too young, and secondly, because he seemed to have some connections with the Shanxi Merchants—you know, recently the Shanxi Merchants have been suppressing the Huizhou Merchants quite fiercely—so the Huizhou Merchants made things difficult for him and didn’t give him a warm welcome. Now, if we go to him, wouldn’t we become a laughingstock in his eyes?" Han Yigui explained. He added, "Besides, several banks on the Shanxi Merchants’ side have also suffered heavy losses. They might need to borrow from him as well, so it’s likely he won’t be able to lend to us either."

"Uncle-in-law, in business, we speak of business. We have collateral, and borrowing money with interest is a legitimate transaction. Who would turn away money? Regardless of other matters, let’s approach him directly. We’ll borrow as much as we can. If that doesn’t work, we can travel to places like Wuxi and Suzhou. We’ll surely be able to raise the funds somehow," Zhen Niang said with determination.

Seeing Zhen Niang’s resolve, Han Yigui suddenly recalled his own youth. The older one gets in the world, the more timid one becomes. Thinking of how he, Han Yigui, had ventured through life for half a lifetime, he now found himself outdone in courage by a young girl.

"Haha, well said! Let’s follow your plan. We’ll first visit Yihou Bank. If we can’t get a loan there, we’ll go to Wuxi, then Suzhou. I refuse to believe we can’t secure the silver," Han Yigui laughed heartily.

Zhen Niang’s words had ignited Han Yigui’s fighting spirit, and so the plan was settled.

When the two stepped out, Madam Han Li noticed that Han Yigui seemed in good spirits and quickly asked if they had found a solution.

"Don’t worry about it. Stay at home these days and leave the rest to me. Perhaps the Lu family will manage to turn things around this time," Han Yigui comforted Madam Han Li.

Zhen Niang stood to the side, giggling softly. She then bid farewell and returned home, as there were still many preparations to be made.

That evening, Zhen Niang explained the situation to her second aunt."Zhen Niang, isn't this too risky?" Huang Shi asked with some concern. After all, preserving these Nanjing properties had not been easy. Zhen Niang and the others predicted that Hai Rui would not come, but what if he actually did?

If the eldest aunt's side goes under, the seventh branch's Nanjing properties will also be dragged down.

"Yes, there is some risk. But fortune favors the bold, and great endeavors require great courage," Zhen Niang replied. When she came to Nanjing, Seventh Grandmother had spoken with her, and from her tone, Zhen Niang understood that Seventh Grandmother's wish now was to see Li Mo restored to glory and regain the Tribute Ink Privilege before she passed away.

Even her own grandfather deeply regretted how her father had caused Li Mo to lose the Tribute Ink Privilege.

It could be said that this Tribute Ink Privilege was a source of pain for the Li family.

But to regain the Tribute Ink Privilege, skill alone was not enough. Back when the Tian family obtained the privilege, it was partly because the Luo Family had originally held it, so the Tians essentially inherited the Luo Family's ink workshop—an advantage. Combined with their earlier arrangements, they ultimately secured the privilege by bribing Taoist Yunsong.

The expenses involved were no small matter. The Tian family essentially poured all the wealth they had accumulated from the timber business into it, though the profits were substantial as well.

As for her coming to Nanjing, two thousand taels of silver might seem like a lot, but it would be spent quickly. There were various connections to be maintained, and necessary expenses, such as taxes, were unavoidable. Add to that the costs of visiting past connections and reopening the ink manor—expenses would flow out steadily. Two thousand taels wouldn't last long.

So, Zhen Niang also wanted to seize this opportunity to raise some funds, lay a solid foundation for the Li Family Ink Manor, and accelerate its future growth. Moreover, with the Tian family still engaged in a price war, having funds would allow them to keep up.

Thus, this risk had to be taken. Of course, with her knowledge from the future, Zhen Niang was quite confident.

"Alright. When you came here, Seventh Grandmother said you have full authority over matters concerning the ink manor. As long as you've thought it through," Huang Shi said. She wasn't very clear about these matters herself.

"Mhm," Zhen Niang nodded in acknowledgment.

Early the next morning, while the thin mist over Nanjing had yet to disperse, Zhen Niang tucked away the property deeds and silver notes, then called Zheng Fuli, Er Gou, and Xiao Ya to head straight to her uncle-in-law's house.

Zheng Fuli would be the manager of the ink manor and also assisted the main branch with accounting, so such matters could not be kept from him.

"Miss Zhen, regarding this matter, I reserve my opinion," Zheng Fuli finally said. In his view, for the main branch, which had only just begun to recover, to engage in such a high-stakes gamble was unwise.

"Mhm, I will personally explain this to Seventh Grandmother later," Zhen Niang nodded solemnly, clearly taking full responsibility for the consequences of this venture.

"Miss Zhen, you jest. Although I reserve my opinion, I was present and involved, so I will not shirk the responsibility that falls on me," Zheng Fuli said, glancing at her.

Zhen Niang turned her head slightly to look at him, then smiled. "Thank you, Elder Brother Zheng." After a pause, she pursed her lips and added, "If Elder Brother Zheng has some spare money, you might consider joining in. Perhaps you could make a small fortune."Listening to Zhen Niang's words, Zheng Fuli couldn't help but shake his head: "Miss Zhen is truly confident."

Thus, while speaking, they arrived at the Han residence.

Unexpectedly, the Han residence was in an uproar. It turned out that Wang Sifang from Sifang Bank had come to repossess the house.

"Vice President Wang, our contract has not yet expired. Isn't it unreasonable for you to come to repossess the house so early?" Han Yigui said coldly.

"Circumstances demand flexibility. Given your family's situation, if we wait until the house's term expires, it will be too late. We are not repossessing it outright, just freezing the property as a precaution," said Wang Sifang, his large belly protruding, squinting his eyes.

"President Wang, we are all fellow townsmen from Huizhou. Must you be so ruthless?" Madam Han Li said angrily from the side. Back when she wanted to borrow money, it was this Wang Sifang who eagerly offered it to her, but now he was turning his back on her.

"There's no other way. I am doing this for the development of our Sifang Bank. Please understand, Madam Han," Wang Sifang said with a seemingly troubled expression, though his words were actually quite provoking.

Wang Sifang didn't actually need to rush to repossess the house. He was doing this to show those in the Merchant Guild who sided with Hu Zonglin.

"Our Li family will guarantee for them," Zhen Niang stepped forward and said.

President Wang glanced sideways at Zhen Niang: "If the old lady said this, it would naturally be acceptable. But you, a mere girl, cannot."

"I will guarantee for Brother Han," Hu Zonglin stepped forward at that moment.

Wang Sifang suddenly stared at Hu Zonglin: "Once spoken..."

"A team of four horses cannot chase it back!" Hu Zonglin affirmed.

"Good, I will give President Hu face today," Wang Sifang said, then left with his men. Thus, Hu Zonglin was now in his grasp. Once the Han family's loan term expired, Hu Zonglin would inevitably bear the responsibility. By then, what would he have left to defend his position as president?