Kays Translations
Just another Isekai Lover~
Chapter 218: The Bank
When news from various regions converged in Anyang, the newly established Anyang Daily had already become a best-seller. For just two copper coins, people could access a wealth of interesting information, along with official announcements of laws and policies, making it extremely popular.
However, what people were even more eager to know was this: in this situation, or rather, in the upcoming struggle among the fragmented regimes of the Great Xia Kingdom, how would Anyang act?
It wasn’t just outsiders who were curious—even Xu Ren and the others had gathered around Li Xian, eager to hear his next move.
“A commercial empire!” Li Xian’s eyes shone brightly. “I’ve said it before—my goal is a new kind of empire, a form that has never existed before.
Traditional nations develop by treating the country as a body, prefectures as its organs, cities as acupoints, national power as its true essence, and national will as its guiding principle.
But a commercial empire will be entirely different. We will use wealth as our blood and gold, silver, and copper as vessels to absorb the fortune of the Celestial Realm.
Our body will be the entire commerce of the Celestial Realm. We will build our structure through trade, wealth, commercial routes, and concessions, while defending everything we own with force.
When others wage war, we will sell weapons!
When others enjoy peace, we will sell everyday goods!
This is my first goal.
The next step will be to trade in nations, emperors, and even opportunities for immortality. Through these methods, we will expand our commercial empire.
In the future, an emperor seeking to ascend the throne will have to seek our approval! An immortal aiming to ascend will need our consent! A nation wishing to prosper must rely on us! A conqueror with ambitions of dominance will have to look to us!
One day, we will emulate the Heavenly Dao, becoming an omnipresent force, bringing the entire world under our control!
Hahaha! I’ve wanted to say this for so long—today, I finally have! In the future, we will ascend collectively, and our goal will not be mere immortals, but the Great Dao itself!
Heaven and earth treat all things as mere straw dogs, but we will rule the world through commerce!
During this Great Xia civil unrest, there is only one thing we must do—sell our goods to all sides. From airplanes to locomotives, from cannons to crossbows—everything except our core technological products will be available for sale!”
When Li Xian revealed his ambitions, even Xu Ren was stunned for a long while—So this is your commercial empire? Wait, you used to call it a commercial kingdom, but now it’s an empire!
The difference between a kingdom and an empire was clear—an empire was centralized. More precisely, the term “commercial kingdom” was merely a public facade, a smokescreen.
Seeing the astonishment in everyone’s eyes, Li Xian paused briefly before continuing, “Actually, my thinking has been evolving and adjusting over time. Nothing in this world is set in stone, and future policies may also change.
Now that we have achieved multiple key technological breakthroughs, it is time to establish our commercial empire.
However, there is still one crucial component missing—a financial institution that operates independently. I plan to call it a ‘bank.’
Through this bank, we will gather the world’s wealth into our hands. And by facilitating the constant circulation of gold and silver, we will gradually accumulate the world’s fortune for ourselves!”
“Why not call it a money house, gold firm, money firm, or spirit stone firm?” Xu Ren asked.
Li Xian felt a headache coming—he had expected this question. “Because among the three metals—gold, silver, and copper—silver is the most widely circulated. Furthermore, a money house is an isolated entity, whereas a bank is a concept that spans the entire Celestial Realm. Besides, doesn’t ‘bank’ just sound better? Alright, alright, let’s not get caught up in trivial details.
The bank will become another key pillar of Anyang, alongside our military, administration, commerce, technology, and industry. Unlike other sectors, the bank doesn’t rely on strategy but rather on meticulous calculations and cautious management. That’s why I’ve found an excellent general manager for our bank—none other than… He Lin!”
He Lin stood up, holding a thick black notebook. “Young Master, I have recorded everything. There should be no problem.”
It turned out that the notebook Li Xian had given He Lin back then contained notes on various banking matters.
Everyone looked at He Lin in astonishment. Who would have thought that a former textile worker would rise to such a position? The title “General Manager”—judging by Li Xian’s tone—was equivalent to a first-rank official.
Li Xian nodded at He Lin. “Aunt He, please give a general overview of the bank’s plans and objectives.”
“Alright.” Standing in the center, He Lin spoke confidently, “The foundation of commerce lies in the circulation of wealth. However, carrying large amounts of gold and silver is not only unsafe but also logistically challenging.
The first function of a bank is to solve this problem.
For example, if I were to take 100,000 taels of gold to Ding Mountain City for business, just the transportation cost alone would be over a hundred taels of gold.
But if I deposit this 100,000 taels of gold in a bank in Anyang and carry a certificate issued by the bank, I can travel freely. Upon arrival in Ding Mountain City, I can use this certificate to withdraw the same 100,000 taels of gold from the local bank.”
“Does that mean we are responsible for transporting the 100,000 taels of gold?” Liu Leigang asked straightforwardly.
“Idiot!” Admiral Chang Lin scorned Liu Leigang’s intelligence.
“How is that stupid?” Liu Leigang still hadn’t figured it out.
He Lin quickly explained, “There are gold deposits in Anyang, and there will be gold deposits in Ding Mountain City as well. We don’t need to physically transfer reserves between locations—only minor adjustments if necessary.
In fact, merchants can trade directly using our issued certificates. I call this: Jiaozi (promissory notes).
Once Jiaozi has been in circulation for some time and we have built sufficient credibility, we will be able to issue banknotes backed by trust, gold reserves, and Anyang’s reputation.
The development of the bank will proceed in three phases.
The first phase is simply serving as transporters of gold and silver wealth, charging a handling fee of 0.5%. This alone is enough to generate enormous profits. However, the most important aspect of this phase is not making money but building trust. The handling fee will remain fixed at 0.5% for both deposits and withdrawals, with no other charges. According to the Young Master’s approach, simplicity is key—no need to calculate distance, time, or other factors.
The second phase is eliminating handling fees altogether. Instead, we will generate profits by reinvesting funds, providing loans, and engaging in other financial activities. This phase will also focus on further establishing trust.
The third phase is the mature stage, where we issue banknotes and offer interest on deposits. At this point, by controlling the value of banknotes, we will be able to regulate the market.
That is the overall plan…”
He Lin then elaborated on the detailed banking strategy. When she finally mentioned that the bank could also accept “mortgage loans,” everyone broke into a cold sweat—it was ruthless! Because according to Li Xian’s plan, in the future, they might even accept “national mortgages”—loans backed by entire nations! That would essentially mean “buying and selling countries.”
Ad
This commercial plan was so overwhelming that even Xu Ren felt his mind go numb, his intelligence struggling to keep up. For the first time, Mr. Xu felt a sense of powerlessness.
In the end, Li Xian concluded, “In the past, we lacked the foundation and environment to establish a bank, and we did not want to reveal this plan prematurely. But now, with wars raging everywhere, this is our greatest opportunity!”