Chapter 110: She Can Have As Many Banknotes As She Wants!

The next day, before dawn had fully broken.

When Xingnong woke up, Chu Tiankuo was no longer in the study, and she had no idea when he had left.

Soon, Songbai came to call her for breakfast: “Xingnong, hurry up, that group downstairs is also awake. They’re probably trying to leave early while it’s still dark and no one’s around. Let’s hurry and confront her, I want to see her expression when she pays.”

Xingnong’s eyes curved into a smile: “Okay.”

So, they quickly finished their breakfast and went downstairs to check out.

It was still early, and most people were indeed not up yet.

Downstairs, Zhao Luran and her group were checking out.

The shopkeeper said with an impassive face: “That will be 200,000 taels.”

Yang Xie was about to have his attendant pay when he was stunned: “How much?”

He thought he heard 200,000 taels?

He must have misheard!

200,000 taels would be enough to buy ten of these restaurants!

It must be 20 taels, right?

Zhao Luran and the others also suspected that they had misheard.

He must have added an extra “hundred thousand”!

“20 taels?” Zhao Luran replied.

Hearing Zhao Luran’s words, Yang Xie thought he really had misheard: “Here’s 20 taels. I didn’t expect your Welcome Inn to have such reasonable prices in Tian’an City, Chu State. It’s ridiculously expensive in Zhao!”

He thought, this isn’t the imperial palace!

How could it be 100,000 taels for one night?

He took out 20 taels and placed it on the table.

The shopkeeper smiled and said respectfully: “You two are joking. 20 taels? A pot of tea here costs that much. It’s 200,000 taels! Because you booked the entire third floor’s ‘Tian’ character private rooms, each room costs 10,000 taels per night, so the total is 200,000 taels!!”

The shopkeeper deliberately emphasized the words “200,000 taels.”

Everyone: “…”

He might as well just rob them!

Yang Xie: “200,000 taels? Are you deliberately trying to bully us? 10,000 taels per night for a private room! Why don’t you just rob us? Are you running an inn or an imperial palace?”

Hearing this, the shopkeeper pointed to a signboard not far away: “The prices are clearly marked. Didn’t you check the prices when you came in? You are all people of status, you wouldn’t be trying to dine and dash, would you? I haven’t even charged you for the meals!”

Zhao Luran sneered: “We’ve been staying at Welcome Inns all along our journey, and it’s never been more than a few hundred taels per night! You’re clearly trying to rip us off. Why didn’t you tell us the price when we checked in?”

The shopkeeper: “You didn’t ask! Besides, it’s all written on the signboard. Didn’t you see it?”

When they arrived the night before last, the inn was closed, and the shop was pitch black with only one oil lamp lit. The shopkeeper was certain that they hadn’t noticed the signboard.

Yang Xie said angrily: “This is a black shop! You’re clearly trying to scam us! What signboard? I didn’t see anything! I’m only paying 20 taels today, take it or leave it!”

At this moment, Chu Tiankuo and Xingnong came downstairs.

Songbai took out a stack of banknotes, slapped them hard on the table in front of Zhao Luran and the others, then pushed them forward, revealing the denomination of each banknote!

Each banknote had a face value of 10,000 taels.

“Shopkeeper, settle the bill. Here are 180,000 taels in banknotes. It’s for the six ‘Tian’ character private rooms on the fourth floor!”

After finishing, Songbai looked at them disdainfully: “If you don’t have the money, don’t try to book an entire floor of private rooms. You could have squeezed into one room and saved money! The inn clearly marked the prices, and you’re still trying to dine and dash! You tried to welch on your bet yesterday, you’re trying to skip out on your bill today, what will you try to cheat on next? The Formation Master competition? Claiming your opponent cheated and demanding the first place back?”

Xingnong shook her folding fan and smiled contemptuously: “I didn’t expect the esteemed Zhao Kingdom Princess, a genius Formation Master, to be unable to afford a room! But even if you don’t have the money,”

Xingnong turned to Xu Yan: “Old Master Xu is renowned throughout the land, surely he wouldn’t try to”

Xu Yan’s face darkened, and he said to his steward: “Pay the bill!”

The old steward: “…”

His master had only brought 100 taels of banknotes when they left, as he thought that with his two disciples, there would be no need for him to pay.

✿✿✿

Bringing 100 taels of banknotes was just a precaution.

After all, the Princess’s maternal grandfather’s family owned a bank, and they were never short of money.

“Master, I’ll handle it! Shaoyao, pay the bill!” Zhao Luran felt a surge of anger at the sight of Xingnong. She had suffered a great humiliation yesterday, a humiliation she had never experienced in her life, all thanks to this person!

They had checked out early this morning precisely to avoid running into them.

She didn’t expect them to come down so early as well.

She even suspected that they had colluded with the shopkeeper of Welcome Inn to deliberately swindle her money!

If this Welcome Inn wasn’t owned by someone from Jin Kingdom, she would have suspected as much.

Hmph, one day, she would get her revenge!

She would make them pay back a hundredfold, a thousandfold for what they had taken from her!

The people of Chu wanted to participate in the Formation Master competition, right? Then they would see each other in the final competition! In Zhao Kingdom!

Shaoyao immediately opened a wicker basket filled with banknotes and took out a large stack to count.

Zhao Luran didn’t feel any heartache. Her maternal grandfather’s family was the owner of Qian Family Bank, and Qian Family Bank had branches all over the four kingdoms!

To her, these banknotes were just printed paper!

She could have as many banknotes as she wanted!

Her uncle had said that nowadays, merchants from various countries used Qian Family Bank’s banknotes for large transactions, and very few people actually traded with hundreds of thousands or even millions of taels of silver in cash.

Very few people would go to their bank to exchange large amounts of silver.

Therefore, their banknotes were as good as silver! She could have as many as she wanted. If she asked her uncle for them, he would give them to her.

Zhao Luran looked at Xingnong triumphantly.

Xingnong smiled: “Princess Zhao is indeed wealthy and powerful!”

Zhao Luran’s maid couldn’t help but speak up at this moment: “My Princess is not only of noble birth, but her maternal grandfather’s family also owns a bank! The Qian Family Bank that spans the four kingdoms belongs to my Princess’s maternal grandfather’s family!”

Xingnong glanced at the basket full of banknotes and smiled: “Really? No wonder you’re so wealthy and powerful!”

After finishing, Xingnong said to Chu Tiankuo: “Let’s go!”

They left the inn.

~

Inside the carriage, Xingnong had a thoughtful look on her face.

Chu Tiankuo poured her a cup of tea: “What are you thinking about?”

“I’m thinking, just because your maternal grandfather’s family owns a bank, does that mean you can carry baskets of banknotes around? It’s as if those banknotes can be printed at will. I’m just a little worried, hmm, I think I should withdraw all my money from Qian Family Bank! I can’t keep my money there anymore, who knows what kind of trouble might happen in the future.”

She had to discuss this with her business partner.

Chu Tiankuo’s heart skipped a beat upon hearing this.

Of course, banks can’t just print banknotes at will.

The number of banknotes in circulation must correspond to the actual amount of silver and gold.

Qian Family Bank was the royal bank of Zhao Kingdom, which meant that it was backed by the treasury of Zhao Kingdom.

That’s why people from the four kingdoms felt secure using Qian Family Bank’s banknotes for trade and commerce.

If

Hehe!

A bloodthirsty ruthlessness flashed in Chu Tiankuo’s eyes.