183: Chapter 183 Finalized

This response from Pei Tianlin seemed to be for Xu Weian's benefit, but in reality, it was an ambiguous answer.

Hearing this, Xu Weian could only say helplessly, "Then I will wait for Brother Tianlin's good news."

After seeing Xu Weian off, Xu Jianye and Xu Jianhua finished their conversation.

"Tianlin, you were right. Xu Jianye truly came here to invest in the Jinhuai Branch. Don't make things too difficult for yourself regarding this matter. If it's not feasible, you can directly refuse Xu Jianye. Anyway, within this Xu Clan, Xu Jianye cannot make things difficult for me and Yingfang because of this," said Xu Jianhua.

"I will consider this matter carefully," Pei Tianlin said slowly, naturally understanding his father-in-law's meaning.

As a member of the Xu Clan, Xu Jianhua had to consider the Family's interests to some extent. Pei Tianlin understood this point.

As long as it did not harm the interests of the Wuyang Pei Clan, there was no harm in Pei Tianlin agreeing. However, this matter was indeed outside his jurisdiction. Thinking of this, Pei Tianlin felt a headache coming on.

On the other side. The Family Head's courtyard, private study.

"Weian, did Pei Tianlin agree to you?" Xu Jianye asked with a serious expression.

"Not yet. I am not sure how much credibility his words hold," said Xu Weian. Immediately after, Xu Weian briefly described the process of their conversation.

"Then we will wait patiently. If we can enter the Jinhuai Branch of the Yuanhang Trade Caravan, our Xu Clan will have the opportunity to move up a level. However, if Pei Tianlin intends to help our Xu Clan, he will take action within these few days. I will also spend more time with Jianhua; we cannot miss this opportunity," Xu Jianye said in a deep voice.

"Alright," Xu Weian nodded. ... The next day, early in the morning. After finishing breakfast, Pei Tianlin took a carriage to the Wenxianglai Restaurant.

As soon as he got off the carriage and entered the inn, a man dressed in a fine-patterned purple robe strode over to greet him.

"Second Brother, why are you here? Didn't you go back to visit your wife's Family with Second Sister-in-law?" the purple-robed man asked in surprise.

"Tianquan, I haven't seen you in a few years, and you've already forgotten that your sister-in-law comes from the Jinhuai Xu Clan," Pei Tianlin said with feigned anger.

"Look at my memory, I deserve to be punished. Second Brother, why don't we go in and have a few drinks? I will punish myself with three cups," Pei Tianquan laughed, not caring at all.

"Let's skip it this time. I came here on business. Once things are settled, we can have a few drinks then," Pei Tianlin shook his head and refused.

"Second Brother, what is the matter? Do you need my help?" Pei Tianquan asked confusedly.

Pei Tianlin said, "I have something to discuss with the Old Ancestor."

"The Old Ancestor went out a long time ago and hasn't returned for several days. Before leaving, the Old Ancestor didn't mention a return date. Second Brother, if you have any urgent matters, you might as well tell me. When the Old Ancestor returns, I will pass it on," Pei Tianquan said slowly.

"Since that's the case, there's nothing to be done. Recently, the Family has been building the Jinhuai Branch. The Jinhuai Xu Clan intends to invest, and I wanted to seek the Old Ancestor's opinion on whether it is feasible."

"So that's what it is. Second Brother, you should have said so earlier. Don't bother the Old Ancestor with this matter. The Old Ancestor has already handed full responsibility for the Jinhuai Branch to me," Pei Tianquan said, his voice full of confidence.

"Good lad, in the blink of an eye, you've become the person in charge of the Jinhuai Branch. This makes your older brother very envious," Pei Tianlin laughed. Not having to Face Pei Qingyun caused the pressure on him to immediately dissipate.

In the Pei Clan, even the Family Head, Pei Tianrong, feels great pressure when seeing Pei Qingyun. What's more, this time there was a suspicion of handling private affairs.

"Second Brother, stop joking. This time, the Old Ancestor handed the Jinhuai Branch to me, which is a sign of his trust in me. I must not let his old man's expectations down," Pei Tianquan said in a deep voice. Ever since taking over the Jinhuai Branch, Pei Tianquan felt that the burden on his shoulders was much heavier.

"Tianquan, you don't need to worry too much. The Old Ancestor's judgment has never been wrong. Since the Old Ancestor is confident enough to hand it to you, you will definitely be able to do it." Pei Tianlin felt the same way about this situation and immediately comforted him.

"By the way, Second Brother, didn't you say the Xu Clan wants to invest in our Yuanhang Trade Caravan Jinhuai Branch? Then how much do they intend to invest?" Pei Tianquan asked.

"Tianquan, are you sure there's no problem with the Xu Clan investing?" Pei Tianlin asked.

"Of course. Before the Old Ancestor handed the Jinhuai Branch to me, he had already explained all the circumstances. Apart from the Qian and Lü clans and their related in-law families, any Great Family that wants to invest is welcome. It's just that the Xu Clan's timing is too late, so they can only be placed in the second round," Pei Tianquan explained earnestly.

"Is there any particularity to this second round?" Pei Tianlin asked.

"Naturally. For the Great Families that invested in the first round, except for the Chen Clan, which took a 20% stake for 600,000 taels, the others were calculated at 500,000 taels for a 10% stake. As for the Great Families investing in the second round, if they want to get a 10% stake, they must invest 800,000 taels. Furthermore, the Old Ancestor has stipulated that for these ordinary third-rate families, they can invest a maximum of a 5% stake at one time."

"Currently, there is still 10% of equity left in the Jinhuai Branch that is allowed to be sold. Second Brother, you came just in time. If you had been one step later, even I would have been powerless," Pei Tianquan spoke eloquently.

"So that's it. It seems if the Xu Clan wants to invest this time, they will have to bleed heavily," Pei Tianlin said thoughtfully.

"The funding issue hasn't been decided by the Xu Clan yet. Tianquan, wait for my news."

"Then Second Brother must be quick; there are currently a few other families interested in this matter," Pei Tianquan teased.

"Alright, stop rushing me. Later, don't forget that you need to punish yourself with three cups," Pei Tianlin responded.

"Second Brother, my word has always been as heavy as nine tripods."

After leaving Wenxianglai, Pei Tianlin returned to the Jinhuai Xu Clan. Although both were in the prefecture city, they were not in the same district. The round trip took about an hour and a half.

By the time Pei Tianlin returned to the main residence of the Jinhuai Xu Clan, it was already noon. At the same time, Xu Jianye also received news from Pei Tianlin.

He did not expect Pei Tianlin to act so quickly. It must be that his words had taken effect. If it weren't for Xu Jianhua's efforts, it would have been impossible to be this efficient.

Soon, Pei Tianlin roughly described the situation to Xu Jianye. Of course, exactly how much effort he exerted depended solely on his own words.

What Pei Tianlin did not expect was that Xu Jianye was so bold, willing to invest 400,000 taels to take a 5% stake.

400,000 taels is definitely a huge sum for an ordinary third-rate family. Although the Xu Clan is wealthier than the Wuyang Pei Clan was back then, their annual income would not exceed 200,000 taels.

But in reality, they can only save 40,000 to 50,000 taels a year, so 400,000 taels is equivalent to about ten years of the Xu Clan's savings. In his opinion, Xu Jianye being willing to invest 200,000 taels would have been the limit.

It must be said that he underestimated Xu Jianye's boldness. Of course, this also reflects from another angle that Xu Jianye is very optimistic about the Yuanhang Trade Caravan, even gambling 400,000 taels on it.

"Family Head Xu, there is no time to lose. Let's set off now. The investment quota is tight, and I'm afraid that if we are late, there will be no spots left," said Pei Tianlin.

"Tianlin, wait a moment, I will go prepare the silver," said Xu Jianye.

If 400,000 taels were exchanged for silver, it would be at least dozens of boxes. However, in the Great Jing Dynasty, there are banks, and generally, amounts over 10,000 taels are traded using silver notes. This way, not only is it convenient to carry, but transactions are also not as troublesome.

Not keeping Pei Tianlin waiting long, in just half an hour, Xu Jianye brought the silver notes. Subsequently, the two went to Wenxianglai together.

With the 400,000 taels in hand, Xu Jianye also obtained the 5% stake he wanted. After returning to the Xu Clan residence, Xu Jianye expressed deep gratitude to Pei Tianlin.

For this reason, Xu Jianye even specially hosted a banquet for Xu Jianhua and his wife, and Pei Tianlin's Family of three. Perhaps knowing that others in Xu Youcai's branch did not have a harmonious relationship with Pei Tianlin, this invitation did not include others from Xu Youcai's branch, which was giving Pei Tianlin plenty of Face.

You must know that Xu Youcai is also a direct descendant of the Xu Clan. This kind of differential treatment is likely to cause complaints among the Xu clansmen. But Xu Jianye still chose to do so.

At the banquet. Xu Jianye was full of smiles, and his Face was slightly flushed due to the stimulation of alcohol.

"Nephew Tianlin, this cup of wine is to thank you for speaking up for righteousness." Xu Jianye raised a cup of wine and drank it in one gulp.

"Uncle Xu, you are too polite. We are both in-laws, and I am considered half a son-in-law of the Xu Clan," said Pei Tianlin.

"Tianlin, you are right. We are all one Family, how can there be any distinction? I will punish myself with a cup," Xu Jianye stood up, his Face showing an excited expression. But the wine cup was empty before he knew it.

Thus, Xu Jianye looked at Xu Weian beside him and said with dissatisfaction, "Weian, why haven't you filled it up for your father? Father wants to drink to his heart's content today."

"Brother Tianlin, my father has had too much to drink," Xu Weian laughed it off, looking helpless.

After a round of toasts and clinking glasses, Pei Tianlin ended the banquet. In fact, for Five-Viscera Martial Artists like them, the stimulation of ordinary alcohol could already be neutralized by their Qi and blood. It's just that in this atmosphere, no one would do so.

At the same time, the second round of financing for the Jinhuai Branch was basically completed.

A few days later, Pei Qingyun returned to the room on the second floor in the middle of the night.

"Old Ancestor, this is the situation of the various Great Families investing, as well as the expenditure of the Jinhuai Branch. Please take a look," Pei Tianquan leaned his body slightly and respectfully handed over the account book with both hands.

"Tianquan, you have worked hard during the time I was away." Taking the account book, Pei Qingyun did not rush to look through it, but first expressed affirmation for Pei Tianquan's efforts during this period.

"Thank you for the Old Ancestor's concern. You work tirelessly, running around for the future of the Family; me doing this little bit of work is nothing," Pei Tianquan nodded slightly, saying with a sincere expression.

In fact, this is what Pei Tianquan thought in his heart. The Old Ancestor is so old, yet he still has to worry and work for the development of the Family. He, Pei Tianquan, is only in his thirties; could his body possibly be inferior to the Old Ancestor's? Isn't this age the age to contribute to the development of the Family?

Under Pei Tianquan's gaze, Pei Qingyun slowly opened the account book in his hand.

The first page was clearly the list of the various Great Families that had invested, as well as the investment amounts. Ranking first, naturally, were Chen Yuanba of the Chen Clan and He Yucheng of the He Clan, who occupied 20% and 10% of the shares, respectively.

The second page also contained the Great Families that invested in the first round. Except for a very few top-tier third-rate families, these were basically veteran third-rate families, and they also invested in the Yuanhang Trade Caravan Jinhuai Branch through the introductions of Chen Yuanba and He Yucheng.

The third page included some third-rate families, including the Jinhuai Xu Clan. As for the content that followed, it was the construction expenditure of the Jinhuai Branch during the time he was away.

Pei Qingyun took a rough look and closed the account book. He had basically been in contact with all these Great Families. Only the two families that invested in the second round were handled by Pei Tianquan. Regarding this, Pei Qingyun didn't really care.

Before the plan was implemented, he had already positioned the Wuyang Pei Clan. As for the other Great Families, it didn't matter which Family invested, as long as they brought the money.

But as of now, there are more than ten Great Families that have invested. The Wuyang Pei Clan naturally holds the largest share and also possesses the controlling power over the operation of the Jinhuai Branch. In fact, theoretically, the Great Families only have the right to dividends.

Of course, Pei Qingyun is not completely denying other Great Families a chance. If an investing Great Family wants to participate in the management of the Jinhuai Branch, they must pass the Wuyang Pei Clan's assessment. Only after passing the assessment are their Family members allowed to enter the list of management personnel. This is also one of the conditions Pei Qingyun agreed to for the various Great Families to invest.

"Financing can be considered initially completed..." Pei Qingyun muttered. "Tianquan, there is one more thing that needs you to handle..."

On the other side. Two and a half months flew by. The Yuanhang Trade Caravan Jinhuai Branch was officially completed on Mingshui Street. This was much slower than Pei Qingyun had anticipated.

However, this was only the first step in the plan. In addition to this, Pei Qingyun also needed to buy a large piece of land in each district to serve as a reserve warehouse and temporary transfer station for the Yuanhang Trade Caravan. After all, if it involved large-scale cargo transport transactions, the Yuanhang Trade Caravan would also need a place to temporarily stack the goods.

In the six counties of Jinhuai, Pei Qingyun did the same thing. The difference was that those were all funded by the Pei Clan themselves. But this time, with the fundraising from the various Great Families, there was no need for the Wuyang Pei Clan to pay this expense at all, otherwise, the plan would have needed to be delayed by at least a year. The land in Jinhuai Prefecture City is simply too expensive.

As for leasing, it's not that Pei Qingyun hadn't considered it. But soon, he abandoned the idea of leasing. The short-term investment for leasing would indeed be much smaller, but it is easy to be manipulated by others. Therefore, he would rather have the progress be slower than consider this option.

Fortunately, everything went smoothly. With the official completion of the Jinhuai Branch, the Yuanhang Trade Caravan had also established a firm foothold in the prefecture city.

However, Pei Qingyun decided to hold a grand opening ceremony on the day of the opening, inviting all the investing Great Families to participate. For one thing, it could thoroughly boost the reputation of the Yuanhang Trade Caravan, and for another, he could use this to boost the family luck. As the news of the Jinhuai Branch's opening ceremony spread, it was like a depth charge thrown into a calm lake, shaking the entire Jinhuai Prefecture City.