diymy Chapter 11 Grain Price Collapse - New
Chapter 11 Grain Price Collapse - New
On the fifteenth day of the tenth month of the fifteenth year of Chongzhen's reign, at the beginning of noon.
Cheng Guogong Mansion, East Warm Pavilion.
Zhu Chunchen sat in the armchair, clutching a newly delivered urgent report in his hand, his knuckles turning white from gripping it so tightly.
The paper contained a market price list copied by one of their own in the Ministry of Revenue:
"On the fifteenth of October, at the hour of Si (9-11 AM), the prices listed at grain shops throughout the capital are as follows—"
"Japonica rice: 1.48 taels."
Brown rice: 1.32 taels.
Wheat: 1.26 taels.
Prices are still falling.
The price has fallen from "one and a half taels" when he started selling three days ago to this level. And judging by the trend, it will drop further after noon.
Sixty thousand shi of grain.
I bought it at a cost of 1.5 taels, and now I want to sell it for 1.4 taels, but I can't find enough buyers.
The accountant stood hunched over, his voice trembling, "My lord... Manager Liu from 'Yongfeng' shop at Xizhimen just sent someone to ask if he's still going to sell his two thousand shi of grain... He said if he doesn't make a decision soon, he'll have to sell it for one or three taels, otherwise... otherwise he won't even be able to pay the rent for the shop..."
Zhu Chunchen remained silent.
He looked out the window. The autumn sun was shining brightly, streaming in through the carved window and casting dappled light and shadow on the floor tiles.
The warm room was filled with the finest ambergris, and on the sandalwood table sat a celadon vase from the imperial kiln of the previous dynasty, with several late-blooming chrysanthemums in full bloom.
Everything is the same as it was three days ago.
But he knew that everything had changed.
"Where is Manager Wang of the 'Rishengchang' bank in Shanxi?" Zhu Chunchen asked, his voice hoarse. "We agreed yesterday that he would send 50,000 taels of silver over before noon today for working capital."
The accountant lowered his head even further: "Manager Wang... didn't come. He sent a young clerk to deliver a message, saying... saying that the head office has ordered a halt to business in the capital, and all loans have a three-day deadline. If the loans are not repaid within three days, all mortgaged land... will be confiscated."
boom!
Zhu Chunchen smashed the teacup in his hand on the ground, shards of porcelain and tea splashing everywhere.
"Three days?!" He jumped to his feet, his face contorted with rage. "When he begged me for a loan, what did he say? 'You can trust the Duke of Cheng's business completely!' And now he's telling me it'll only take three days?!"
The accountant was so frightened that he knelt down on the ground.
Zhu Chunchen's chest heaved as he breathed heavily. He knew that the money exchange houses were the most snobbish places. The moment the tide turned, they'd be the first to flee.
But there's something even worse.
"Jiangnan... what about the Shen family in Jiangnan?" He stared at the accounting office. "Has the 50,000 taels deposit that Shen Maocai promised to pay after the matter is completed been delivered?"
The accountant, his face ashen, pulled a crumpled letter from his robes and presented it with both hands:
"Just...just arrived. It was a message sent by carrier pigeon, intercepted at the Tongzhou dock...It was supposed to be a secret letter for Shen Maocai, but Shen Maocai has disappeared, and the letter ended up in the hands of our people at the dock..."
Zhu Chunchen snatched the letter and unfolded it.
The handwriting belonged to the second manager of the Shen family; it was very messy and clearly written in a hurry.
"Brother Maocai, if you are well: The capital has been defeated, the sea route is now open, and grain ships have arrived in Tianjin. The master has ordered that the original deposit of 50,000 taels will no longer be paid, and the 30,000 taels already paid must be recovered."
The petition jointly submitted by various prefectures in Jiangnan has been temporarily suspended in order to wait and see.
Brother, while you are in the capital, you must remain hidden and absolutely refrain from any further contact with the Duke of Cheng's mansion, lest you be implicated. Beware!
The letter slipped from Zhu Chunchen's hand and fluttered to the ground.
He stood there, motionless, like a clay sculpture.
It’s over.
It's all over.
The sea freight was a success. Shen Maocai disappeared. Jiangnan turned against them. The banks started pressing for repayment. Grain prices collapsed.
He's stuck with these 60,000 shi of grain.
Based on current market prices, the net loss is... 240,000 taels.
This doesn't even include the twelve estates and eight shops he mortgaged to stockpile grain. If the bank really takes them over, his two-hundred-year-old legacy as the Duke of Cheng's mansion will be nothing but an empty shell.
"My lord..." the accountant cautiously looked up, "There's...there's one more thing..."
"Speak," Zhu Chunchen said hollowly.
"The owner of the 'Drunken Immortal Pavilion' at Andingmen... just sent someone to say that the Embroidered Uniform Guard went to investigate this morning, asking which officials had been to the private rooms in the past few days. He couldn't hold back and told... told them the dates when Masters Li Guozhen and Xu Yunzhen had been there."
Zhu Chunchen's eyelids twitched.
Zuixianlou was his brother-in-law's business, and also their usual meeting place. The fact that the Imperial Guards investigated meant that Li Ruolian had already gotten close to them.
No, it wasn't touching the line.
The operation has concluded.
From Zhou Yanru's arrest to the failure of the Ma Ke coup, to the success of maritime transport, and now to the collapse of grain prices... the emperor has calculated ahead of him at every step.
When did that young emperor, who was in his early twenties and whose courtiers couldn't even control him when he ascended the throne, become so... terrifying?
"My lord, what... what do we do?" the accountant cried, his face contorted with despair. "We can't sell the grain, we can't pay our debts, and the Embroidered Uniform Guard is investigating again..."
Zhu Chunchen slowly sat back down in his chair.
He closed his eyes, his mind racing.
There is another way.
Inside the palace.
Empress Zhou was his distant cousin; although their relationship wasn't close, they were still relatives. Perhaps he could ask the Empress to put in a good word for him with the Emperor…
"Prepare the sedan chair." He opened his eyes, his voice returning to calm, even carrying a hint of his usual arrogance. "I am going to the palace to meet the Emperor."
The accountant was taken aback: "Now? My lord, what about the Embroidered Uniform Guard...?"
"So what if he's a member of the Embroidered Uniform Guard?" Zhu Chunchen sneered. "I am the Duke of Cheng of the Great Ming Dynasty, a hereditary title, my fate intertwined with the fate of the nation! Without an imperial edict, would Li Ruolian dare to trespass into my Duke's mansion? Would he dare to lay a finger on me?"
He stood up and straightened his python robe:
"Go, bring out the pair of jade discs from the previous dynasty from the treasury and put them in a brocade box. I'm going to pay my respects to the Emperor."
At the same time, in the signing room of the Northern Garrison Command.
Li Ruolian stood in front of the table, with three account books spread out in front of her.
One of them was an inventory list that had just been returned from the twelve granaries of the Duke of Cheng's mansion; the ink was still wet.
"Fifty-eight thousand shi," Deputy Commander Gao Wencai reported in a low voice. "It's two thousand shi less than the estimated sixty thousand shi. It must have been sold off in the last three days. The location and stock of the granaries match the intelligence we gathered earlier perfectly."
Li Ruolian nodded and turned to the second book.
It is a summary of the accounts of the eight pawnshops and three money shops that were seized.
"We discovered eleven financial transactions with the Shen family of Jiangnan, totaling 187,000 taels. The most recent transaction was three months ago, handled by Shen Maocai, who paid 30,000 taels with the note 'Deposit for Northern Affairs'."
"The dealings with the Fan family, who were merchants from Shanxi, were even closer," Gao Wencai added. "There were transactions almost every month, mainly involving the payment of bills of exchange in Yanzhou and Datong. The most recent one was ten days ago, when Fan Yongdou personally signed a bill for 20,000 taels of silver, with the note 'for fur goods.' But we checked, and there were no fur goods coming in or out during that period."
Li Ruolian didn't say anything and turned to the third book.
This is the thinnest book, with only a few pages, but the paper is specially made mulberry bark paper, and the ink is top-quality pine soot ink—it is a private account taken from a secret box in Zhu Chunchen's study.
There were a few lines of text written on it:
"On July 15th, I received 30,000 taels of silver from Shen Maocai, with another 50,000 taels to be paid upon completion of the matter. The matter: to disrupt the grain transport, rob maritime transport, and incite a mutiny."
On the third day of the eighth month, Ma Ke’s trusted lieutenant, Zhang Qianzong, was given five thousand taels of silver and ordered to incite the border troops.
"On September 20th, Wang Xiong and Liu Liangzuo were each given three thousand taels of silver, and ordered to build up their strength in the Beijing garrison."
"On the tenth day of the tenth month, we collected 10,000 taels each from Xu Yunzhen and Li Guozhen to conspire to hoard grain."
The handwriting is Zhu Chunchen's, strong and bold, exuding an arrogant air.
Li Ruolian looked at those few lines of text, her face expressionless, but her eyes were as cold as ice.
"The evidence is complete," he said. "What about the witnesses?"
"Wang Xiong and Liu Liangzuo were arrested by General Zhang this morning and are currently in the imperial prison. The two confessed readily, revealing everything about how Zhu Chunchen gave them money, made promises, and planned to control Deshengmen."
Gao Wencai paused for a moment, then added, "Those whom Ma Ke recruited in Changping also gave statements and signed their names."
Li Ruolian closed the ledger.
"Has the confiscated property been inventoried?"
"They're still counting. The cash alone exceeds four hundred thousand taels, and that doesn't even include the gold, silver artifacts, antiques, and paintings. The land deeds fill three boxes." Gao Wencai hesitated for a moment. "My lord, so much…should we consult the Emperor first?"
"His Majesty already knows." Li Ruolian stood up. "This morning, after the rebellion was quelled, His Majesty gave me an imperial edict: 'You have full authority to handle Zhu Chunchen's matter; there is no need to report it again.'"
Gao Wencai felt a chill run down his spine.
This is an immense trust, but also an immense pressure.
"Then...shall we go get them now?"
"No rush." Li Ruolian looked out the window. "There's been some activity at the Duke of Cheng's residence. Zhu Chunchen is preparing a sedan chair to go to the palace. Let him go."
"Go to the palace?!" Gao Wencai exclaimed anxiously, "What if he goes to the Empress to plead for him..."
"The Emperor is waiting for him in the Qianqing Palace," Li Ruolian said calmly. "We should investigate what needs to be investigated, seal what needs to be sealed, and detain those who need to be detained. We'll wait until he comes out of the palace—"
He paused:
"The Duke of Cheng's Mansion should have its signboard changed."
At noon, in the West Warm Pavilion of Qianqing Palace.
Li Ce sat behind his desk, holding a newly delivered report in his hand.
It was a report from the Prefect of Shuntian Prefecture, stating that grain prices in the capital had stabilized, grain shops had resumed normal sales, and people were queuing up to buy grain in an orderly manner. A detailed list was attached, outlining the prices of grain in each district, with the lowest price having dropped to one or three taels.
Wang Chengen tiptoed in: "Your Majesty, Duke Zhu Chunchen of Chengguo is requesting an audience outside the palace, saying... saying he wants to pay his respects to the Emperor."
Li Ce didn't even look up: "Let him in."
"Yes."
A moment later, Zhu Chunchen entered the hall.
He was dressed in the court robes of a duke, with a jade belt at his waist, and carrying a brocade box in his hands. His steps were steady, and his face even bore his usual reserved smile. He entered the hall, knelt, and bowed.
"Your subject Zhu Chunchen pays his respects to Your Majesty. Long live the Emperor!"
The manners were impeccable and impeccable.
Li Ce then put down the report and looked up at him.
"Why does the Duke of Cheng have time to come to the palace today?"
"I have heard that Your Majesty has been working tirelessly on state affairs day and night, which has troubled me," Zhu Chunchen said earnestly. "I have found a pair of jade discs from the previous dynasty, which are warm and translucent and can calm the mind. I have come to present them to Your Majesty as a token of my sincerity."
As he spoke, he presented the brocade box with both hands.
Wang Chengen took it, opened it, and presented it to the emperor's desk.
It was indeed a fine pair of jade. Made of mutton-fat white jade, carved into a dragon and phoenix symbolizing good fortune, it shimmered with a lustrous sheen under the light in the hall.
Li Ce glanced at it but didn't touch it.
"The Duke of Cheng is very kind," he said, "but I don't lack jade these days, but I do lack something else."
Zhu Chunchen's heart skipped a beat, but his face remained unchanged: "What does Your Majesty lack? If I can serve you, I will gladly die for it."
"There's a food shortage." Li Ce looked at him. "Food prices in the capital have skyrocketed, and people are resorting to cannibalism. Does the Duke of Cheng know about this?"
"Your Majesty...I have heard a little about it." Zhu Chunchen lowered his head. "These are all cases of unscrupulous merchants hoarding and speculating, bringing disaster to the country and its people. Your Majesty deeply resents them."
"Yes, those unscrupulous merchants are despicable." Li Ce nodded. "However, I've heard that the Duke of Cheng's mansion is not short of grain."
Zhu Chunchen broke out in a cold sweat: "I...I have some grain stored in my household, all for the purpose of preparing for famine years and helping my clansmen and neighbors..."
"Sixty thousand shi," Li Ce interrupted him, "is it also for helping clansmen and neighbors?"
Zhu Chunchen trembled and suddenly looked up.
Behind the imperial desk, the young emperor's eyes were calm, but beneath that calm lay a cold, insightful gaze.
"Your Majesty..." Zhu Chunchen's voice began to tremble, "Your Majesty..."
"Zhu Chunchen." Li Ce leaned forward slightly, resting his elbows on the table, staring at him. "Do you want to save face for yourself, or do I want to save face for you?"
These words struck Zhu Chunchen like a thunderbolt.
His last glimmer of hope shattered.
"Your Majesty...Your Majesty..." He knelt on the ground, tears streaming down his face, "I know my crime! I know my crime! I was confused for a moment and was misled by treacherous people! I am willing to offer all my family's wealth to replenish the national treasury! I only beg Your Majesty...to spare my life! To spare the lives of my entire family!"
He kowtowed repeatedly, and blood quickly appeared on his forehead.
Li Ce looked at him, his face expressionless.
After Zhu Chunchen had kowtowed more than a dozen times, until he was dizzy and lightheaded, he slowly spoke:
"Wang Chengen".
"This servant is here."
"Show him the thing."
Wang Chengen took a wooden box from beside the imperial desk, placed it in front of Zhu Chunchen, and opened it.
Inside were three account books.
Zhu Chunchen collapsed to the ground after just one glance.
Those were his accounts. Private accounts, bank accounts, granary accounts.
Everything is here.
"Severing the grain transport, robbing maritime transport, inciting mutiny." Li Ce enunciated each word clearly, "Zhu Chunchen, which of these three offenses is not enough for me to execute your entire clan?"
Zhu Chunchen was unable to speak; he was just trembling.
"Ma Ke confessed in Changping. Wang Xiong and Liu Liangzuo also confessed in the imperial prison." Li Ce stood up, walked down the imperial steps, and stood in front of him. "Shen Maocai has disappeared, but the Embroidered Uniform Guard intercepted his secret letter with you. The Shen family in Jiangnan has turned against us, the banks are demanding repayment, and grain prices have collapsed."
With each word he spoke, Zhu Chunchen would tremble.
"You've come to the palace now, are you hoping to beg the Empress to speak on your behalf? Or are you hoping to see if I'll spare your life out of consideration for the fate of the nation?"
Zhu Chunchen suddenly looked up, his eyes filled with fear.
The emperor knows everything.
He knew everything from beginning to end.
"I'm giving you some face," Li Ce said, looking at him. "You've been stripped of your title, imprisoned, and your property confiscated. Your son is exiled to Qiongzhou, and your women are enslaved. This is the last bit of face I'm giving to the Duke of Cheng's mansion."
Zhu Chunchen stared blankly at him, then suddenly burst into a hissing laugh:
"Your Majesty...Do you think that killing me and confiscating my property will make the Ming Dynasty better?"
He staggered to his feet, his face blurred with blood and tears, but his eyes revealed a madness:
"The gentry of Jiangnan, the merchants of Shanxi, the military families of the nine border regions, the officials of the court... Your Majesty, can you kill one Zhu Chunchen, can you kill everyone in the world who stands in your way?!"
Li Ce looked at him quietly.
He waited until the other person finished speaking before speaking:
"I will not kill them all."
He turned around, walked back behind his desk, and sat down.
"All I want from them is for them to follow the rules."
Zhu Chunchen was stunned.
"I will have the Three Judicial Offices publish your charges." Li Ce picked up his vermilion pen and began to review the memorials, no longer looking at him. "Colluding with merchants, hoarding goods for profit, inciting a mutiny, and plotting rebellion. The people of the world will know why I killed you."
He paused, then added:
"They will also know that if they follow my rules, they will have food to eat, money to earn, and a way to survive."
Zhu Chunchen stood there, like a skin bag with its bones removed.
After a long while, he gave a bitter laugh, slowly knelt down, and kowtowed one last time:
"Your Majesty, I thank you for your great kindness."
Wang Chengen waved his hand, and two eunuchs stepped forward and carried him out.
The hall returned to silence.
Li Ce continued reviewing the memorials, and only spoke after finishing one:
"How's things going with Li Ruolian's situation?"
Wang Chengen bowed and reported: "Your Majesty, Li Tongzhi has seized all the properties of the Duke of Chengguo's mansion and is currently taking inventory. Zhu Chunchen's family members have been detained and are awaiting their fate."
"Tell him that after the inventory is clear, he should prepare a list. The cash will be deposited into the treasury, the grain will be released to the market, the farmland will temporarily belong to the imperial estate, and the shops will be auctioned off publicly." Li Ce paused, "Of the proceeds, 60% will be used to pay the back wages owed to the nine border garrisons, 30% will be used to recruit new troops, and 10% will be used to repair the Yellow River dikes."
"Yes."
"And one more thing," Li Ce looked up, "How's Zhang Weixian's cleanup of the Beijing garrison going?"
"General Zhang reports that seventeen former subordinate generals of Xun Gui have been purged, and more than thirty meritorious soldiers have been promoted. The atmosphere in the Beijing garrison has been renewed."
"Tell him to hurry. Three days. I'm only giving him three days."
"Yes."
Li Ce put down his pen and looked out the window.
The afternoon sun in autumn is bright and clear.
He knew that Zhu Chunchen had fallen, but the real war had only just begun.
The gentry of Jiangnan, the border generals of Liaodong, the undercurrents of the imperial court... all were waiting for his next move.
But at least he won one game today.
By using food, they won people's hearts.
Using a knife, you win the game of rules.
"Wang Chengen".
"This servant is here."
"Issue an imperial decree to Shuntian Prefecture," Li Ce said. "Starting tomorrow, set up ten soup kitchens in the capital and provide soup for three months. Use Zhu Chunchen's grain to feed the people of the Ming Dynasty."
"A further decree was issued to the Ministry of Revenue: once grain prices have stabilized, begin drafting the 'Price Stabilization Order.' From this day forward, whoever dares to hoard grain or manipulate prices—"
He paused:
"Zhu Chunchen is a role model."
It was late afternoon, outside the residence of the Duke of Cheng.
The plaque reading "Imperial Decree to Build the Duke of Jianguo's Mansion" above the gate had been removed and placed on the ground. The lintel was now bare, like a face with its eyes gouged out.
Inside the mansion, the Imperial Guards were still going in and out, moving boxes and counting valuables.
Li Ruolian stood in the front yard, watching boxes of silver being carried out, gleaming dazzlingly in the setting sun.
Gao Wencai walked over and reported in a low voice:
"My lord, a preliminary inventory shows that there are 420,000 taels of silver, 8,000 taels of gold, jewelry and jade estimated at about 200,000 taels, and land deeds estimated at over 800,000 taels. There are also 58,000 shi of grain, which have been transferred to the Ministry of Revenue."
Li Ruolian nodded.
"What about your family?"
"They are all under centralized guard. Zhu Chunchen has three sons, seven daughters, eleven concubines, and over three hundred servants, all in the back garden." Gao Wencai paused, "According to the law, adult men are exiled, female relatives are confiscated, and servants are sold off."
"Do as the Emperor commands," Li Ruolian said. "Those who are exiled must not be mistreated, those without official positions should be placed in the textile bureau, and those who are sold should be found reliable families."
"Yes."
Gao Wencai hesitated for a moment: "My lord, there's something else..."
"explain."
"While taking inventory of the study, we found an unmailed secret letter." Gao Wencai took out a piece of paper from his pocket. "It was written to an old friend in Nanjing, and it was signed 'Zhao Qichang'."
Li Ruolian's eyes sharpened.
Zhao Qichang.
He recognized the name from Zhou Yanru's confession. Zhou Yanru was the former Right Vice Minister of the Ministry of Personnel and a protégé of Zhou Yanru. After being dismissed from his post in the fourteenth year of the Chongzhen Emperor's reign, he went into seclusion in Nanjing.
Did Zhu Chunchen have contact with him?
He took the secret letter and unfolded it.
The letter was written in a cryptic manner, but a chill permeated every line:
"...Although the situation in the capital has faltered, the foundations in Jiangnan remain unshaken. The current emperor's ruthless actions are not a blessing for the gentry. While you are in Nanjing, you should contact old friends and make preparations early. If things change, you can support the Prince of Fu, ally with the barbarians to quell the rebellion, and rebuild the empire..."
After reading it, Li Ruolian remained silent for a long time.
"Who else has read this letter?"
"Only my subordinates," Gao Wencai said in a low voice. "After discovering it, we sealed it up immediately and did not let a third person handle it."
Li Ruolian folded the letter and put it into her sleeve.
"This matter must not be mentioned again."
"Yes."
Li Ruolian turned around and looked west.
The setting sun, like blood, dyed half of the capital city red.
He knew that Zhu Chunchen had fallen, but an even greater shadow was rising in the south.
Jiangnan.
Zhao Qichang.
Prince Fu.
They joined forces with the enemy to quell the rebellion.
Every word was like a knife hanging over the neck of the Ming Dynasty.
He took a deep breath and said to Gao Wencai:
"You stay here and finish things up. I'm going to the palace."
"Sir, it's so late..."
Some things can't wait.
Li Ruolian mounted her horse, lashed the rump with her whip, and galloped off toward the Forbidden City.
Behind them, the vermilion gates of the Duke of Cheng's mansion slowly closed in the setting sun.
The last glimmer of light disappeared through the crack in the door.
This two-hundred-year-old Duke's mansion has been completely plunged into darkness.
At the beginning of the Xu hour, in the Qianqing Palace.
Li Ce finished reading the secret letter presented by Li Ruolian.
The flickering candlelight inside the hall illuminated his serene face.
"Zhao Qichang." He read the name aloud, "Zhou Yanru's protégé, the last representative of the Jiangnan gentry in the imperial court."
Li Ruolian bowed: "Yes. Your Majesty, I have investigated. After being dismissed from his post, this person did not leave the capital, but instead remained in hiding in the capital for half a year, frequently corresponding with people in Jiangnan. He only went south to Nanjing this June, claiming to be 'recuperating.'"
"To recuperate," Li Ce smiled, "but to cultivate a rebellious spirit."
He placed the letter on the candle flame and watched the flame devour the paper and turn it to ashes.
"Your Majesty, this letter is of great importance, should we...?" Li Ruolian hesitated, wanting to say something but stopping herself.
"Should we send someone to Nanjing to arrest him immediately?" Li Ce continued, shaking his head. "No rush."
He looked at the flickering candlelight:
"Zhao Qichang has been operating in Jiangnan for many years and is deeply entrenched. A letter won't touch him. On the contrary, it will alert him."
"That……"
"Let him make the moves," Li Ce said. "Let him make contacts, let him plot, let him think that I don't know anything about it."
He raised his eyes and looked at Li Ruolian:
"Continue your investigation. Investigate his accomplices in the capital, which officials he still associates with, and how many people were involved in his so-called 'supporting the Prince of Fu and allying with the barbarians to quell the rebellion'."
"Yes."
"Remember, investigate secretly," Li Ce emphasized. "Keep it quiet, leave no trace."
"Your subject understands."
After Li Ruolian left, Li Ce stood alone by the window.
Night had fallen, and the Forbidden City stood majestic and silent under the moonlight.
He knew that starting tomorrow, grain prices in the capital would stabilize, public sentiment would turn to him, and the Beijing garrison would be rectified.
But undercurrents are beginning to stir in the south.
Zhao Qichang.
Shen family.
Prince Fu.
And that "alliance with the barbarians to quell the bandits" plan...
In the previous life, it was this plan that led to the demise of the Southern Ming Dynasty amidst internal strife.
In this lifetime, he will not let it happen.
"Wang Chengen".
"This servant is here."
"Send an edict to Han Zanzhou, the eunuch in charge of Nanjing." Li Ce turned around, his voice calm, "Tell him that I will accompany them in their performance of the play in Jiangnan."
"But I sang it terribly—"
He paused:
"It'll cost you your head."
October 15th, night.
Grain prices in the capital city have completely collapsed.
The 58,000 shi of grain transported from Zhu Chunchen's granaries flooded the market like a tide. The prices at various grain shops plummeted, and by the end of the day, unpolished rice had dropped to 1.2 liang and wheat to 1.1 liang.
People lined up to buy grain, and smiles appeared on their faces.
The porridge stalls began to be set up, and the steaming rice porridge emitted a fragrant aroma in the autumn night.
The yamen runners of Shuntian Prefecture beat gongs and announced along the street:
"The Emperor has decreed: Stabilize grain prices and provide relief to disaster victims! Those who hoard grain will be punished, with the Duke of Cheng as an example!"
The sound carried far on the night wind.
Inside the Duke of Cheng's mansion, Zhu Chunchen was escorted onto a prison cart and sent to the imperial prison. He glanced back at the mansion where he had lived for fifty years, his eyes vacant.
On the street, some people spat at him.
"Traitor!"
"Serves you right!"
The prison van slowly drove along Chang'an Avenue and disappeared into the night.
The lights in the Qianqing Palace stayed on all night.
Li Ce sat behind his desk, reviewing the reports sent from various regions with his vermilion pen until dawn.
He knew he had won this economic war.
But the real war has only just begun.
Jiangnan, Liaodong, the imperial court...
Everywhere is a battlefield.
And he had to win.