Chapter 165

The Crown Prince asked how it was possible to make more money if the man had already lost everything and couldn't even pay back his debts. I put on an air of profound mystery and said, "That is where you don't understand. When we lend him money, we state that the interest is ten taels a day, calculated on a principal of 100 taels. By the second day, the interest is eleven taels. By the third day, the principal and interest combined become 122 taels, and the interest on that becomes 1.2 taels. This interest compounds and rolls over; the longer it goes, the higher it gets. Within five or six days, those 100 taels turn into over 200." "When these gamblers lose, they go home and sell their property, assets, or any precious resources they have to pay us back. Don't we make money that way?" As I spoke, I stood there, looking quite smug and pleased with myself. "Isn't this a brilliant strategy?"