The rainstorm came and went quickly, and in less than an hour, the storm turned into a drizzling rain.

As the news spread that the bank mansion was making every effort to save the tea market, the speculative tea merchants moved when they heard the wind and went to various tea shops in the rain to rush to buy, and the tea market, which had been deserted for two days, instantly became lively, and the price of tea rose in response, rebounding from 12 and 13 taels to 15 and 16 in an instant.

This price is also priceless, because the large and small tea shops have been reluctant to sell, unwilling to sell, now there is no money to force repayment, and the bank mansion is lending at a rare low interest, everyone knows that the price of tea will rise all the way, who is willing to sell easily with tea in their hands?

Speculators with a lot of silver tickets could not buy tea, so naturally they repeatedly raised the price, so the price of tea rose all the way, and before it was dark, it had rebounded to 18 taels and 11 quintals.

However, at this price, a group of speculators have become cautious, although the price of tea is rising, but the volume is not too large, on the one hand, the tea shop is reluctant to sell, on the other hand, the speculator Jia Shen buys, no one knows what price the price of tea can rebound to, both sides are cautiously wait-and-see.

The shopkeeper of the Fulixing Tea Shop, Xue Qigui, who was in his early forties with a pockmarked face, straightened his waist, and walked around the tea shops of all sizes without his feet, frequently making moves, but if the price did not exceed 19 taels and one quintals, he collected as much as he sold, but because the tea shops were reluctant to sell, although he carried more than 500,000 silver tickets, he only bought more than 5,000 quintals.

Yi Zhizhi didn't return home until dark, and when he entered the East Cross Courtyard, the little maid came up to report that the old man and the eldest young master had been waiting in the courtyard for a long time.

Listening to the report, Yi Zhishu felt a little strange, why did the old man and the eldest brother come back so early? Didn't you go to join in the fun and rush to buy tea? In the past few days, a group of small and medium-sized businessmen in the thirteenth bank have borrowed 200,000 yuan from Yuanqi Bank, and the shareholders were only allowed to borrow 100,000 yuan, but a group of businessmen took advantage of the loopholes and used the two places of guarantee to lend another 100,000 yuan, and obtained a loan of 200,000 yuan in disguise.

There was a table of wine in the hall of the main room, Yi Yunchang and Yi Zhishu were drinking and whispering, and when they saw Yi Zhishu coming in, Yi Yunchang smiled and said, "Why did you come back at this time?" Come and have a few drinks with your father. ”

Yi Zhizu walked up to him, and saw that his face was a little flushed, obviously he had drunk a lot, so he smiled and said, "What makes my father so happy?" ”

"Naturally, it's making money." Yi Zhishu said with a little drunkenness: "It's rare that my father is so happy, and the third brother accompanies him to drink a few more glasses." ”

Got money? In this current situation, what else can make money except tea? Yi Zhizhi sat down at the bottom and said tentatively: "Fu Tai Xing bought tea at a low price? ”

Yi Yunchang stretched out a pair of fingers and gestured in front of Yi Zhifen, and said proudly: "The whole 10,000 quintals are all collected at the price of thirteen or fourteen taels." ”

10,000 quintals? Still such a low price! Yi Zhi's heart sank, poured a glass of wine, and said quietly: "Futai Bank started to acquire in the morning?" ”

The reason why he asked so was because when he and Wu Bingjian, Wu Shaorong, Pan Zhengwei, and Lu Jiguang drew up a plan for the collapse of tea, they asked the Thirteen Banks to cooperate with them to suppress the price of tea to cause panic to the greatest extent.

Seeing his face, Yi Yunchang knew what he was worried about, and said disapprerovitously at the moment: "The price of tea fell below fifteen, and a group of merchants began to quietly buy it, but it was not just our Fu Tai Bank that did this. ”

Hearing this, Yi Zhifen was very surprised, a group of merchants made a move, even if it was a quiet acquisition, it was not a small movement, he couldn't help but say: "Then why didn't it cause a rebound in tea prices?" ”

"That's not clear to you." Yi Yunchang said with a smile: "Which business house doesn't have a few familiar tea merchants and tea shops?" Qian Zhuang urged loans, forced tea merchants and tea shops to sell tea to repay loans, and tea merchants and tea shops who had no way to borrow saw that the price of tea continued to fall, so they had no choice but to take the initiative to beg us to buy tea, how would this trigger a rebound in tea prices? ”

Hearing this, Yi Zhi's face softened slightly, Yi Yunchang took a sip of wine, and continued: "The Thirteen Banks can make a lot of money this time, if Yuanqi Bank doesn't lend to tea merchants at low interest, we can collect more." ”

"In general, leave a way for tea merchants to live." Yi Zhizhi said that he dried up the wine in one gulp, put down the wine glass and said: "If all the tea merchants are wiped out, I am afraid that the tea trade will be difficult to recover in three or five years, and it will be worth the loss." ”

Yi Zhishu said with a smile: "The third brother has a long-term vision, don't blame Old Man Wu for praising you, come, I will give you a cup for my brother." After drying the wine in one gulp, he said: "The third brother has a unique vision, according to the third brother, how much can the price of tea rebound?" ”

Yi Zhixiang didn't answer, but asked rhetorically: "What is the purpose of the English increase in the import tax on tea?" ”

"Naturally, it is to suppress the price of tea." Yi Zhishu said without thinking: "It is unprofitable for British merchants to sell tea, so they will naturally lower the purchase price of tea ......." Speaking of this, he had already reacted, "What does the third brother mean, the price of tea will rebound to the price when the East India Company did not go bankrupt, twenty taels and one quintals?" ”

"Nowadays, both the bank mansion and Yuanqi are lending a lot of money, and there is plenty of silver in the market." Yi Zhishu groaned: "Moreover, the price of tea has fallen from thirty-two taels, and the tea merchants have higher expectations for the rebound of tea prices. ”

"That's enough." Yi Yunchang said with a smile: "In just two or three days, you can make a profit of eighty or ninety thousand, what is not satisfied, with this profit, plus a low-interest loan of 200,000 yuan, Futai Bank is expected to repay half of the debt this year, which is enough." ”

Hearing him say this, Yi Zhizhi knew that the two did not know the overall plan, he and Wu Bingjian, Wu Shaorong, Pan Zhengwei, Lu Jiguang planned the tea collapse is not so simple, Yuan Qi wants to take this opportunity to dominate in Guangzhou, and the Thirteen Banks want to take this opportunity to re-monopolize foreign trade, especially the foreign trade of tea is not allowed to be touched by foreign businessmen, and the tea market will become a meat grinder, squeezing out the financial resources of the money village and foreign businessmen.

Since the three families have something to hide, he naturally won't talk much, under the pretext of being hungry, burying his head in eating and drinking, Yi Zhishu is unwilling to let go of this opportunity easily, on weekdays, the third brother is busy all day and night and can't see anyone, it is rare to have the opportunity to sit down with him to communicate, and when Yi Zhizhi puts down the bowl, he said with a smile: "The tea business is not good this year, what good suggestions does the third brother have?" ”

"Tea can't be given up." Yi Zhizhi said without thinking: "The tea collapse is a rare opportunity to reshuffle, this opportunity, Fu Tai Xing must grasp well, in addition, I have noticed that the trade volume of raw silk has increased year by year, and has increased six times in more than ten years, you may wish to concentrate on the operation of tea and raw silk, silk fabrics, homespun cloth, white copper, etc., you may wish to give up." ”