At the beginning of the Qing Dynasty, according to Chen Qitian's textual research on Shanxi Puzhuang, and quoted from China Economic Encyclopedia, "The theory began with Shanxi Kangshi. When Li Zicheng was defeated, all the gold was inconvenient to carry, so he put all the military treasures in Kang's yard, and Kang (Kang) picked up eight million and two thousand at once. As a result, he changed Shanxi's foreign exchange sideline business, which has always been convenient for ordinary people, into his own business, and created a special ticket number. Even local giants were named after Kang. " Close friend Tsui Hark's "Clear Bi Chao" said: "It is said that in the next season, Li Zicheng died with a huge sum of money, and Shanxi people got their money to set up a ticket number."
Kang Xichao said that Professor Li Hua thought: "Shanxi banks had been produced during the Kangxi period, but the number of banks at that time was as small as the morning star, and certainly not too much." Professor Li Hua has two reasons: First, according to He Chao's Collected Works of Mr. He Yimen, when He Chao was at home at the end of Kangxi, he said that "winter clothes are suitable, because money is especially heavy." If it can't be redeemed, the family remitted 920 taels of silver from their hometown Suzhou to Beijing Tianhui, asking him to "redeem the fur coat first". According to the forty years of Kangxi's "The Secret of Kangxi's Southern Tour", "When Jinan's draft bank is suitable for silver disputes, it must be handled by Shimin himself."
During the period of Ganjia, the book "The Rise and Fall of Shanxi Merchants" published in the Republic of China 12 said: Ticket dealer management is a very famous business in Shanxi, "founded before the middle of Qing Dynasty, between Qianlong and Jiaqing". Li Hongling's On the Success or Failure of Ticket Dealers in Shanxi said: "Tracing back to my ticket dealer industry, it was founded in the Kanggan era before the Qing Dynasty." Fan Chunnian's "Organization and Evolution of Shanxi Banks" records: "Lei Lvtai and Li Zhenghua founded Rishengchang Banks in the second year of Jiaqing".
Chen Qitian's Textual Research on Shanxi Piaozhuang in the early years of Daoguang said: "Probably Lei Lvtai, the manager of Tianjin Rishengchang Pigment Store in the early years of Daoguang. Because that place is not peaceful, it is difficult to transport now, so he settled it in a distant place with a draft. At first, it seemed to be between Chongqing, Hankou and Tianjin, and Rishengchang's attempt at trading was very effective. The second step is to run bills of exchange for others with Tianjin Rishengchang Pigment Store as the backing. In the third step, in the eleventh year of Daoguang (183 1), Beijing Rishengchang Pigment Store was changed to Rishengchang Bank, specializing in foreign exchange. "
The author believes that promissory notes (drafts) appeared in the late Ming and early Qing dynasties. Gu Rizhilu said: "The reason why the banknote law flourished is because the previous generation did not use silver as currency and money was heavy. This law was established, which is Tang Xianzong's flying money, which is the current ticket. " The so-called "flying money" is a way of exchanging money in different places, which originated in Tang Xianzong. At that time, commerce was developed, coins were inconvenient to carry, and money was prohibited from leaving the country. Businessmen from all over the country deliver the money they sell to various institutions, military embassies and other institutions in Beijing in the capital, or to wealthy businessmen with joint numbers in various places. Institutions and firms issue semi-joint tickets, and other semi-joint tickets are issued to relevant institutions and firms. Businessmen relapse and withdraw money from coupons, which is called "flying money" It seems that there were tickets similar to "flying money" in the late Ming and early Qing dynasties, and they began to write "coupons" and later wrote bills of exchange. Mr. Juxian Wei said, "A bill of exchange is also called a coupon." (Juxian Wei's History of Shanxi Merchants' Banks) There is still a promissory note when we arrive in Qianlong. According to Records of the Qing Dynasty (1068), in November of the forty-second year of Qianlong (1777), Zhang Luan, a Shanxi merchant, trafficked jade from Aksu, Xinjiang to Suzhou for sale, and in the forty-third year of Qianlong (1777), Records of the Qing Dynasty (Volume/kloc-0) The development of promissory notes shows that the exchange business at that time has developed considerably. However, judging from Gu's Record of the Day and this historical material, it is not clear whether there was a bank specializing in foreign exchange business at that time. Before the emergence of banks, it was normal for enterprises to run foreign exchange business concurrently. So, when did banks specializing in exchange and deposit appear? The above theories in the late Ming and early Qing dynasties are based on legends, and it is difficult to have a basis. Mr. Li Hua's theory of Kangxi Dynasty deserves attention. However, during the nearly one hundred years from Kangxi to Daoguang-year, there are few historical materials about the activities of the banks, and some are only about the encounter of the banks, while the specific activities of the banks contained in the Secret of Kangxi's Southern Tour are more general. As for Gan Jia's theory, it is also a close guess. Daoguang's early theory is rich in historical materials. In the banking sector, there is generally no objection that Rishengchang Bank is the originator of Shanxi Bank. Moreover, after the establishment of Rishengchang Bank, everyone followed suit, and Shanxi Bank developed like mushrooms after rain, eventually becoming an important force in the financial sector. The author thinks that the Kangxi dynasty mentioned by Mr. Li Hua can be doubted for the time being. However, Daoguang's early theory is the relationship from production to development. Therefore, from the formation and development of Shanxi draft bank as a franchise exchange industry, it is more appropriate that Shanxi draft bank was born in the early years of Daoguang. Rishengchang Bank was opened by Li of Dapu Village, Pingyao, Shanxi. Li Zu was born in Hanzhong, Shaanxi, and settled in Tai Po after Guanshan in Yuan Dynasty. It is said that Li started to run a pigment shop in Yongzheng period. Li did not have a workshop to make pigments in Dapu Village, but set up a pigment company outside Chengxi Street in Pingyao, Shanxi and Chongwenmen in Beijing. Rishengchang Bank was formerly known as Xiyucheng Pigment Village run by Lee, and its general manager in the later Jiaqing period was Lei Lvtai. At that time, the An Baili Uprising took place, and the society was very unstable due to natural disasters. Transporting cash between companies protected by escort banks is not only time-consuming but also very unsafe. Schleswig-Holstein used conference tickets instead of cash delivery in his firm, and later engaged in exchange business, and reorganized Sisheng Pigment Village into Rishengchang Bank specializing in exchange. Named Rishengchang, it means that banks are thriving like the rising sun. Today, Pingyao County still has Rishengchang's couplets:
Sunny essence of Zhongtian Wanbao.
Ascend to the blessed land and live alone in all directions
About the establishment time of Rishengchang, it may be the early years of Daoguang. According to the list of silver donation firms in the inscription of Rebuilding Xianweng Temple in Pingyao Pigment Hall outside Qianmen, Beijing in the 24th year of Jiaqing (18 19), Xiyucheng Pigment Village donated silver.
120, ranking first. (Selected Inscriptions of Beijing Chamber of Commerce and Industry since Ming and Qing Dynasties by Li Hua, Rebuilding the Inscriptions of Xianweng Temple, Cultural Relics Publishing House, version 1980). However, in the eighteenth year of Daoguang (version 1838), Xiyucheng Pigment Village was no longer listed in the list of donors of the inscriptions of Beijing Qianmen Pigment Club. In the 25th year of Jiaqing, that is to say, Xiyucheng Pigment Village was reorganized into Rishengchang Bank, which can only happen after the 24th year of Jiaqing (18 19) and before the 18th year of Daoguang (1838). According to Tao Shu, governor of Jiangsu Province in the eighth year of Daoguang (1828), Suzhou is a place where department stores gather, and merchants from Shanxi, Shandong, Henan and Shaanxi sell goods in Suzhou, amounting to millions of yuan, "all related to ticket exchange". (Qing Party, played by Governor Tao Shu Daoguang of Jiangsu Province on April 8, 8, 8) shows that there were bills of exchange in Suzhou market at that time, and most of the ticket holders were northern businessmen, which shows that there were banks in the north. Furthermore, Lei Lvtai, general manager of Xiyucheng Pigment Village, was born in the thirty-fifth year of Qianlong (1770), and there is still a monument erected in the Confucian Temple in Pingyao County in the twenty-fourth year of Daoguang (1844). Inscription donors are "Rishengchang donates silver 152 Liang, and Lei Lvtai donates silver 420 Liang". (History of Jinshang Bank) It can be seen that Lei is still alive at this time, but he is 74 years old. Eight years before Daoguang (1828), Lei was in his fifties, young and experienced. At this point, it is entirely possible for Lei to reorganize Xiyucheng Pigment Village into Rishengchang Bank. Therefore, the Shanxi draft bank was born at the latest in the early years of Daoguang.