Shanxi draft banks also suffered from great loss in the invasion. Not only were their silver stolen, but also their bank books were burned.
Without bankbooks, nobody knew who deposited how much money in the bank. So it would have been reasonable for Shanxi merchants to decline the redeeming requests, or to wait until the banking records were cleared up. However, Rishengchang, as well as other Shanxi draft banks, paid all the guests with exact requested amount of taels.
Undoubtedly, Shanxi draft banks assumed high risks for their action. Their action revealed the supreme importance of faith and honesty in the bank industry. Because the guests were royal relatives and aristocrats, Rishengchang believed that these people's political and economic background were still unparallel despite the invasion; therefore, risks might bring back more opportunities in the future.
Rishengchang was right. After the chaos caused by the war, their franchise bank in Beijing not only received considerable deposits from common people, but also official money from the government.
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