However, the current situation was truly a bit strange.
The shopkeepers all wore beaming smiles and their words were warm and sincere, as if they were afraid she wouldn't borrow.
This left Li Wanming a bit confused for a moment. She couldn't figure out whether she was the one borrowing money or the one being asked to lend...
Wasn't it said that the commercial firms in the capital were like wolves that devoured people without spitting out the bones? Why did they seem so kind?
Could this be a trap set by Chen Jinde?
Doubts welled up in Li Wanming's mind.
"Gentlemen, my shop is just a small - scale business. I really don't need this much money."
"How could you not need it? A pawnshop requires a large amount of capital investment. Mrs. Cheng is in great need of money right now..."
"I do need money, but not to such an extreme extent. How about... I'll make some inquiries first. I appreciate your kind intentions."
Hearing this, Shopkeeper Lin got anxious. A look of uneasiness appeared on his otherwise calm face.
Gritting his teeth, he said, "If Mrs. Cheng is not satisfied with the interest rate, we can discuss it further. We... we'll only charge you a half - percent interest rate!"
...
Li Wanming could hardly believe her ears.
A half - percent interest rate?
The largest bank in the capital was offering her a half - percent interest rate?
This was bad...
There must be a conspiracy here. She was even more reluctant to take the money!
After several rounds of refusal, the more Li Wanming refused to accept the money, the more insistent the two shopkeepers were to give it. And the more they insisted, the more hesitant Li Wanming became... It even made the two seasoned shopkeepers break out in a cold sweat.
Seeing their pitiful state, Xiao Jingnan stepped forward and said, "Gentlemen, you might as well state your intentions clearly."
"We're all in business to make money. You're doing this at a loss and claiming it's just to help Wanming. It makes anyone feel uneasy."
"In my opinion, let's be straightforward. What do you really want in return for lending money to Wanming?"
Shopkeepers Lin and Wu exchanged a confused look: What did they want...
Xiao Jingnan coughed and reminded them again, "The most valuable asset my wife has is the Li Family Wine Shop. Do you want to use it as collateral?"
The two shopkeepers suddenly realized and quickly replied, "Exactly! We do want the Li Family Wine Shop!"
"The Li Family Wine Shop is currently the most profitable shop in the capital. As long as Mrs. Cheng is willing to use the wine shop as collateral, we're willing to lend the money even without any interest!"
Ah, so that's how it was.
After hearing their explanation, Li Wanming felt relieved.
After all, it was normal for merchants to have their own interests.
The Li Family Wine Shop was like a golden - egg - laying chicken now. No wonder some people were eyeing it.
However, she wasn't afraid.
She had confidence in her own abilities. At most, the three shops would just break even. She wouldn't lose her Li Family Wine Shop.
"Since you gentlemen have made your intentions clear, I now know what to do and I can borrow the money with peace of mind. But the interest still has to be paid."
Li Wanming smiled and said, "Just as you said before, a one - percent interest rate for three months. Anyway, the amount I'm borrowing won't be too large. I can afford the interest."
After saying that, she asked someone to fetch writing brushes and ink. Then she said to Shopkeepers Lin and Wu, "Gentlemen, since we've reached an agreement, we might as well draw up the contract today. It will be more convenient when we go to the Ministry of Revenue for the official seal later."
This deal was too big for her. She didn't dare not to ask the Ministry of Revenue to act as a witness.
"Of course." The two shopkeepers wiped the sweat off their foreheads and nodded eagerly.
Shopkeeper Lin picked up the pen and quickly drafted the contract. But when it came to writing down the amount of silver to be lent, he paused and asked, "Mrs. Cheng, Mr. Cheng, may I ask how much silver you'd like to borrow?"
Li Wanming replied, "I've calculated that the three shops will probably need twenty or thirty thousand taels of silver. To be on the safe side, please write thirty thousand taels..."
"No, one hundred thousand taels."
Xiao Jingnan's voice was calm.
"We want to borrow one hundred thousand taels."
...
Li Wanming stared at him in shock, her mouth wide open.
One hundred thousand taels!
Was he out of his mind?
Did it really take one hundred thousand taels to open three small shops?
What if they couldn't make any money? What if they suffered losses?
Would they really have to lose the Li Family Wine Shop?
Moreover, even if she combined her academy, the wine shop, the mansion in Pingkangfang and the Li family's ancestral house, it still wouldn't add up to one hundred thousand taels!
At this moment, Li Wanming felt as if she had been struck by lightning. Her mind was in a complete mess and she couldn't think straight.
However, Shopkeeper Lin wasn't surprised at all. With a bold stroke of his pen, he casually wrote "one hundred thousand" on the rice paper, as if he were writing down that he was going to buy two catties of rice when going out today.
Shopkeeper Lin finished drafting the contract and handed it to Xiao Jingnan for review.
Xiao Jingnan read it carefully twice and said there were no objections.
Only then did Shopkeeper Lin heave a long sigh of relief. "Then, Mrs. Cheng, Mr. Cheng, shall we go to the Ministry of Revenue for the official seal early tomorrow morning? After the formalities are completed, I'll send someone to deliver the silver notes in the afternoon."
Xiao Jingnan nodded with a smile. "Thank you."
After the deal was settled, the shopkeepers bid farewell.
After leaving Pingkangfang, Shopkeeper Wu's legs went weak and he almost fell.
Shopkeeper Lin beside him quickly supported him. "Brother Lin, if Mrs. Cheng can't repay the money, shall we really take her Li Family Wine Shop as collateral?"
"Are you crazy!" Shopkeeper Wu quickly covered his mouth and said, "We finally managed to get her to borrow the money today. Do you still want her wine shop? If Princess Chengping gets furious later, can you bear the consequences?"
"Yes, yes, yes..."
Shopkeeper Lin wiped the sweat off his head. His round, red face had now turned a bit pale. "I never thought it would be so difficult to give away silver..."
After thinking for a while, he asked with a worried look on his face, "But what shall we do now?"
Three days ago, Princess Chengping sent an imperial order to them, saying that Li Wanming, the shopkeeper of the Li Family Wine Shop, was in trouble. She asked the two major banks in the capital to help. No matter how much Li Wanming wanted to borrow, they had to agree.
"The princess said that she knew she had no prior dealings with the commercial firms in the capital and that such a request might be difficult for you. However, this time she was acting not on her own behalf, but on behalf of the Prince Ning's Mansion and the Langya Cheng Clan."
The imperial envoy sipped a cup of tea leisurely and spoke unhurriedly.
"I'm sure you're aware of the relationship between Mrs. Cheng's husband's family and the Langya Cheng Clan. I don't need to remind you."
"Although there is such a relationship, this bet involves the Imperial College. The princess is not convenient to intervene directly, so she turned to you."
"The princess's intention is that this loan is not just about lending money. It also concerns the dignity of the Prince Ning's Mansion and the entire Langya Cheng Clan. Therefore, it's necessary to help Mrs. Cheng establish her authority and show that she has the support of the entire commercial community in the capital! No matter how much she borrows, it must be given generously and publicly!"
"Also, the princess specifically instructed not to let Mrs. Cheng know that the princess had approached you, so as not to put pressure on her."
"Oh, by the way, the princess also said that if this matter can't be accomplished, no matter how powerful your backers are, she will drive you out of the capital!"
After saying this, the imperial envoy left lightly, leaving Shopkeepers Lin and Wu extremely worried.
The bet between Zhaoyu Academy and the Imperial College had been a hot topic in the capital. Originally, they didn't want to get involved in this mess.
But now, they had no choice.
The two shopkeepers worried for a long time and finally decided to invite all their peers in the capital to witness the loan to Li Wanming.
Moreover, they offered favorable terms and considerate service, making sure it was a grand and spectacular event, giving Li Wanming both face and substance!
But they never expected that Li Wanming would refuse...
Shopkeeper Lin frowned and said, "Now, although we've lent out the money, the contract says that her wine shop will be used as collateral. If the princess finds out..."
Shopkeeper Wu was also extremely annoyed. His previous elegant and refined appearance had disappeared. His slick hair and beard were all in a mess from his scratching. "What else can we do? She wouldn't borrow the money if we didn't ask for collateral!"
He glanced at the group of commercial shopkeepers following behind and said, "At least we did a good job in making it grand. By the end of today, the whole capital will know that Mrs. Cheng has one hundred thousand taels at her disposal!"
Shopkeeper Lin thought for a moment and said, "I don't think it's enough."
"Now, we should book ten tables at Hongbin Restaurant and discuss this loudly. We must publicize this matter so that even the old, the young, women and children in the capital will know that Mrs. Cheng now has money and support behind her, with the entire Thirteen Hongs in the capital backing her up!"
Shopkeeper Wu hesitated for a moment. "What about the Grand Princess and the Imperial College..."
"Ah, Brother Wu, don't you understand? When Mrs. Cheng is challenging the Imperial College, the Grand Princess has remained silent. That means she doesn't object!"
"As for the Imperial College..."
Shopkeeper Lin waved his sleeve. "Who cares what those pedantic scholars think? Let's serve these important people in front of us first!"