Generals of the Great Song Dynasty.

Summary

The chapter describes the rapid growth of a bank in Pingxian, where the Cao family amassed a fortune of over 10 million coins. The bank attracted a huge influx of customers and wealth, dwarfing the Cao family's own resources. Cao Guojiao was concerned about the conspicuous wealth and discussed the opportunity with Wang Ning An, who saw it as a chance to "turn stone into gold." . The chapter also includes a discussion between Fan Zhongyan and Yan Shu about the role of scholars versus common people. Fan Zhongyan argues that scholars have positioned themselves above others and enjoy the fruits of others' labor, while the common people like farmers, artisans, and merchants are the true contributors to society. He expresses regret that this imbalance has become entrenched, and that the future must be entrusted to the younger generation.

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