In the autumn of the ninth year of Guangxu, the silk of that year was listed, this year's silk is a bumper harvest, a literati who lived on a street in Shanghai silk trading house recorded in his private notes: "This year's silk Dafeng, from Suzhou, Huzhou, from Wusong River to Lujiazui, silk boats are endless, day and night, the street is full of pure white silk balls, full of this street." Pen | fun | pavilion www. ｂｉｑｕｇｅ。 infoThe price of silk purchased by various commercial banks every day is more than 10,000 gold. ”

At the time of the harvest, a war without gunpowder began quietly, the French took the lead in the deterrence of the Vietnam War, and the British businessmen announced that the purchase price of new silk should not exceed three dollars per kilogram (this price is made up by me, please don't take it seriously), otherwise it will never be purchased, and if there is a violation of this price to sell foreign trade silk, the banks of Britain and France will not provide corresponding loans, as soon as the news comes out, the silk industry is in an uproar, and the export price of silk in the eighth year of Guangxu is still four dollars, This year, it has fallen by one penny, and I don't know how many silkworm farmers' food and clothing have become a problem, and I don't know how many small-scale silk merchants will go bankrupt because of this. Many people are full of righteous indignation, but more people have been racing to the French business house in Shanghai secretly ran, hurriedly put their backlog of silk in their hands to sell, some people imitated, rumors spread, people panicked, only after the Double Ninth Festival, the price of silk has fallen to two money three, not even three money.

Most people are still waiting, but if it is a long time, the silk in their hands, if it falls to two dollars, I am afraid that all the merchants will sell the silk, in the final analysis, there is no return and a little loss, people still have to learn to cut meat.

The French are naturally very happy, the price of raw materials here is lower, the cost of silk is lower, so that not only the local silk in France has a price competitiveness, and even in all parts of Europe, there will be a price advantage not far from Chinese silk, so that it is a very effective stimulus for the French economy, the general manager of the French Wallace firm, even after a dinner, shouted, "Let the French silk be exported to China in turn!" ”

Although the city of Shanghai is big, but the silk industry is too much of an impact, beyond the scope of Shanghai, not only let the city of Shanghai have some bleak appearance, and even affected the economy of Hangjiahu Suzhou and Nanjing, a large number of silk is also backlogged in the hands of farmers, silk is not eaten as food, if a year's harvest can not be exchanged for silver, I am afraid that it will happen in a moment, the Jiangnan area, the planting industry here, has not planted rice for many years, if the economic plant can not be exchanged for silver, such a prospect, I can't imagine it. Liu Kunyi, the governor of Liangjiang, had not disregarded the unspoken rule that Jiang Chen was not allowed to visit everywhere, and personally took a boat from Jiangning to Shanghai several times, and discussed with the governor of Shanghai how to deal with this matter, but there was no way to do it, and by October, the price of silk had fallen below two yuan, and the French were still unwilling to buy, and there were rumors that the French merchants had united, at least until the price of silk was one and a half yuan, and then they would eat silk.

At the time of the crisis, Hu Xueyan, who had been ready for a long time, stood up, and he announced one thing through the Silk Association, the Silk Association will purchase silk, as for the price, according to the average price of Guangxu's exports in the eight years of Guangxu last year, four dollars for purchase! As soon as this news came out, Shanghai was shocked, and the silk sales and flow channels that had been stagnant were running rapidly, and countless white silk balls rushed like snowflakes into the warehouse behind the most imposing and largest building next to the Huangpu River in Lujiazui, and the true purpose of Hu Xueyan's establishment of this chamber of commerce was finally revealed.

Prince Gong seemed to understand something, "The sale of this goods, generally speaking, is the final say of the buyer, why, this Hu Xueyan wants to take the pricing power of silk export into his own hands?" ”

"That's what it means," Bao Jun closed the folding fan he held in his right hand and hit it on the palm of his left hand, "He established this chamber of commerce in order to unify the silk market, he himself is called the silkworm god, and he is the largest silk exporter, but he can't order all the merchants, this price has fallen a little bit, for him, the loss of silver is the amount of the car, how can he endure this breath?" Moreover, he dragged on for so long to make a move, and he also had the idea of rectifying the silk market, squeezing out those bankrupt small businessmen, and subduing foreigners in the future, I am afraid that the price of this silk is up to him alone, so at that time, the silkworm god is the real silkworm god. ”

"I haven't seen this account, but it's still clear," Prince Gong frowned slightly, "He bought it himself, and this silver cost is only a terrifying figure that is difficult to calculate, where does his silver come from?" If you have silk by yourself, you can't take it down without gold and silver. ”

"Hu Xueyan has contacted several Hui merchants and Jin merchants, and has invested a lot of money to buy silk; In addition, the Silk Chamber of Commerce is not only Hu Xueyan alone, most people still want to fight with the French, and the silk weaving businessmen also have to participate, after all, if the French silk is cheaper, they will naturally export less silk. ”

This is a combination of two benefits, two injuries of the division, silk silk was originally a family, now the union is nothing, foreigners to export the price of silk is too low, it is not a good thing for them, silk has fallen, the price of silk will naturally fall. "These two are just small money," Bao Jun said, "It's just a gimmick to prove that Hu Xueyan's method is a gimmick that has won the hearts of the people and is supported by countless people, and the most important thing is the ticket number in Hu Xueyan's name." ”

The ticket number is the most popular financial institution in the Ming and Qing dynasties, and it is also the prototype of the contemporary banking industry, "Hu Xueyan is all over the ticket number in Liangjiang, Zhejiang, Fujian, and Shanghai, and the local people have deposited the money in him, which is the safest and proper A few years ago, the taxes of Zhejiang and Shanghai were deposited into his ticket number, and then the household department withdrew from his ticket number in Beijing, although it was not made in it, but the prince, do you know, there is a large amount of silver money that can be turned! ”

"What do you mean," Prince Gong said slowly, "he took the money that the big guy had stored in the ticket number and took it out to buy silk?" (To be continued.) )