Gongxi Chou kept his safe in the Kang Kingdom Bank. The bank was still in its trial period, and its main purpose was to make it easier for merchants across the kingdom to settle accounts and trade, sparing them the inconvenience of carrying large quantities of gold, silver, and copper coins, as well as the risk of being robbed on the road. The bank was connected to the National Seal's secondary register, making its financial management relatively secure and transparent, and was overseen by the Ministry of Revenue.
Of course, the most important purpose was to make tax collection easier.
Small merchants were one thing, but these big merchants were all fat sheep.
Xun Zhen wouldn't let them escape paying a single coin in taxes!
Shen De went to the capital's main branch to open the safe, thinking, "Uncle Chou's private stash." Well, calling it a safe wasn't quite right. It was more of a vault, with treasure chests piled high inside. Shen De had people take them out, then noticed something strange.
"Huh? Why are they so light?"
They didn't have the weight of precious metals she'd expected to find in each chest.
The chests weren't exactly light, but their weight was far from what she'd expected. Shen De opened one of them in confusion and fell silent.
"Open the others too."
One chest after another was opened.
Shen De fell silent, and so did the world.
The chests were filled with all kinds of strips of cloth. The material was sumptuous and exquisite, with examples of the finest craftsmanship from every corner of the land. The embroidery was dazzling and so lifelike it could fool the eye, but that was only the most basic kind. Quite a few of the cloth strips were even studded with splendid gemstones.