Chapter 131: Uncompromising

After Xue Rui left, Madame Wu pondered for a long time. She mused that Xue Rui was never one to act without a clear objective; he certainly had some deeper motive for undertaking such a thankless task. She even speculated that perhaps Xue Rui had foreseen something and was acting with such determination because of it. Since that was the case, she had to follow his lead—not necessarily to reap any benefits, but simply to ensure nothing went awry. Following her orders, several managers of the British Duke’s estate grain shops began to keep a close eye on the Liu family’s grain store.

Xue Rui could never have imagined that his simple desire to do something within his power for the impoverished commoners would lead Madame Wu to such elaborate conjectures.

Six men accompanied Xue Rui. They were all over forty, veteran soldiers who had truly seen blood on the battlefield. Although they now served only as guards for the Duke’s estate, the chilling, lethal aura they carried had never faded, making it impossible for others to feel any sense of intimacy toward them. These veterans had heard rumors about Xue Rui; Li Qingyun had inadvertently revealed during a drinking session that Zhang Zhong being held firmly under Madame Wu’s thumb had everything to do with Xue Rui. These veterans held the Duke’s eldest son, Zhang Zhong, in total contempt. A man who was physically disabled and hollowed out by wine and debauchery was simply unworthy of inheriting the title. If he were to succeed, there was no telling how far the British Duke’s line would fall. In contrast, although Zhang Mao was young, he possessed the spirit of his father, leading the old subordinates of Zhang Fu to pin their high hopes on him. Consequently, these veterans felt a sense of gratitude toward Xue Rui for orchestrating all of this. After all, their own children and nephews would eventually serve as retainers for the estate, and Zhang Mao inheriting the title was a good thing for them as well.

...

When Xue Rui arrived with the men, the Liu family’s grain shop was tightly shuttered. Inside, Liu Ren was busy soothing the manager and two assistants. That morning, a group of ruffians had come to cause trouble and beaten the three of them severely; only because they ran quickly had they avoided serious injury. However, the staff were still shaken and afraid to continue working, having already submitted their resignations to Liu Ren. Only after Liu Ren promised repeatedly that he would find a way to deal with the troublemakers did they hesitantly agree to stay.

Hearing Xue Rui knock, Liu Ren quickly had the door panels removed. Seeing the middle-aged men behind Xue Rui, Liu Ren pulled his nephew aside and whispered, "Rui'er, what do these people do?"

Xue Rui introduced them: "These are good men from the military. Let them guard our shop this month. If those ruffians dare to harass us again, just leave them to be dealt with by these men."

Liu Ren looked the men up and down. They wore coarse cloth garments, but their eyes were incredibly sharp. Some had knife scars on their faces and arms, and their palms were calloused—they were clearly seasoned military veterans with real skills.

"I, Liu Ren, greet you heroes. From now on, I entrust the safety of my shop to you all," Liu Ren said, quickly bowing to them. He had previously considered fighting fire with fire, but he was unfamiliar with the local thugs and hadn't had the chance to act. Now, with these capable veterans, dealing with those ruffians should be a simple matter.

Afterward, in front of Liu Ren, Xue Rui negotiated the terms with the veterans. Although they were retainers of the Duke’s estate, they were currently working for the Liu family, and this was not a matter that would be resolved in a day or two. It wouldn't be right to have them risk their lives without offering them some compensation. In the Duke’s estate, these veterans received a monthly pay of two taels of silver. Xue Rui, generous at his uncle's expense, took the initiative to promise them four taels of silver as a hardship allowance. Seeing such a straightforward employer, the veterans patted their chests, promising they would handle the job well and not let the thugs affect the shop's business.

With this settled, Xue Rui finally felt at ease. Before the Tumu Crisis, rice prices were about 300 wen per shi (calculated at 150 jin), or two wen per jin. Now, the price had risen significantly, reaching as high as seven wen for two jin—a hike of over seventy percent. This time, the Liu shop reopened at the price Xue Rui had set: three wen per jin, making it the cheapest grain on the market. Because of the fair pricing, commoners had been waiting outside for the shop to open. As soon as the assistants removed the door panels, a crowd surged in. Seeing that the price on the sign hadn't increased, the people were overjoyed and clamored to buy grain.

However, the manager said: "Everyone, please be patient. As our store's stock is limited, to ensure that everyone can buy affordable grain, we will limit the quantity per person to twenty jin!"

This requirement was proposed by Xue Rui. He had previously cashed in a favor with Yu Qian to get his grandfather's carts and horses back, which gave his grandfather the opportunity to transport all the grain into the city. Now that prices were skyrocketing, if he were to hoard grain and profit from the national crisis, he wouldn't have the face to see Yu Qian in the future. Selling grain below market price was a good deed that benefited the country and the people; if Yu Qian ever found out, he would have a reasonable explanation. Xue Rui's idea was supported by his grandfather and uncles.

With grain prices up by fifty percent, selling all the grain the Liu family had brought into the city would at best result in breaking even. The greatest credit for achieving this belonged to Xue Rui. He was now working as an aide under Yu Qian and would surely have a bright future. The Liu family were sensible people; ruining Xue Rui's reputation for a little silver would be a loss that outweighed the gain. Therefore, after Xue Rui proposed the limit, the Liu family agreed to enforce it strictly, lest the cheap grain be bought up by speculators, leaving those truly in need to go hungry.

After arranging everything, Xue Rui returned to the estate. What he did not know was that after the Liu family’s shop reopened, several other shops in the city also lowered their prices and announced similar purchase limits.

In Beijing, the largest grain merchants were the Xu, Zhou, Wang, Sun, and He families. These five businesses operated inside and outside the capital, accounting for sixty to seventy percent of the industry's annual sales. The current grain guild was controlled by these five families, and its leader was Xu Weichang, known as "Hundred-Granary Xu."

Xu Weichang was not a native of Beijing. It was said that his ancestral home was in Jiangsu, and twenty years ago, due to poverty, he had traveled the country as a peddler. He was truly a business talent. After a few years in Jiangsu, he saved enough to venture into large-scale grain trading, using the convenience of the Grand Canal to transport grain from Jiangnan to the capital. After more than a decade of growth, he had become a leader among grain merchants. It was said he owned no fewer than a hundred granaries, hence his nickname. During the previous martial law in the capital, Xu Weichang had united with other big merchants to raise prices, hoping for a windfall. Who knew that after Esen defeated the twenty-thousand-strong capital battalion, he would not press his advantage but instead return home? The siege was lifted in less than ten days, and grain prices plummeted, leaving the merchants with empty hands.

This time, with Esen invading again, Xu Weichang and the others figured there was room to maneuver. They joined forces to inflate prices, causing a sixty to seventy percent increase across the city in just a few days. Of the 127 grain shops in the capital, all followed the big merchants' lead—except for one.

One shop refused to raise prices beyond fifty percent. The big merchants had plenty of ways to deal with such ignorant small-time traders. When they learned the Liu shop was being uncooperative, the merchant Sun He patted his chest, claiming he would handle it. For a shop with less than three thousand shi of grain, the big merchants had a hundred ways to solve the problem. Since Sun He volunteered, the others had no interest in arguing and told him to get on with it. As long as one shop sold grain at a low price, countless people would continue to wait and watch. Only when all shops maintained the same high level would the people accept the reality and begin buying.

Sun He’s solution was simple and effective: after a group of thugs smashed the Liu shop, it indeed closed down. If all went as expected, once it reopened, the prices would surely rise by another twenty percent. Having finished the task, Sun He returned to the Taibai Restaurant. The big merchants had been meeting there recently, secretly controlling the capital’s grain trade.

Entering the private room, Sun He was about to claim credit when he looked around and realized Xu Weichang was missing. He asked, "Gentlemen, why is Brother Xu not here?"

In the corner, Wang Guiqing was playing with a jade pendant. He didn't even look up as he replied, "He said his thirteenth concubine is about to give birth, so he rushed back to hold his son. He told us to handle everything else."

Xu Weichang's strength was unquestionable; everyone respected him as their leader and deferred to his judgment on difficult decisions. Despite his massive success, he had one source of great frustration: at over forty, he had no son. His wives and concubines had only borne him daughters. He was desperate for a male heir to inherit his empire, and with his concubine in labor, he couldn't even bother with business.

Sun He sat down and laughed, "If this one is another girl, I say he should just give up. I have plenty of sons; I’ll just adopt one to him. Otherwise, he’ll work himself to death in a woman’s bed."

Zhou Qi, who was brewing tea by the stove, chimed in, "They say Xu’s third daughter is quite a beauty. If any of you have suitable sons, you might want to find a matchmaker. If Old Xu takes a liking to them, the dowry won't be small."

"Heh, let's wait and see. If he has another daughter, I'll suggest my youngest son marry into the Xu family. Do you think that’s a good deal?" asked He Liujin, a merchant with a very portly figure.

"You may be ugly, but you certainly have beautiful dreams!"

The merchants laughed and cursed. Such jokes were fine in private, but if said to Xu Weichang’s face, he might turn hostile.

While the merchants gossiped, Xu Weichang sat quietly in a pavilion at his estate. In the backyard, the faint, painful cries of his concubine could be heard, yet they caused no emotional response in him. A moment later, the woman's cries suddenly stopped. Then, the wails of an infant echoed from the back—the concubine had given birth. Strangely, Xu Weichang remained unmoved, as if the child were a stranger.

*Tap, tap.* Footsteps echoed on the stone path leading to the pavilion. It was his primary wife, Madame Yuan. She was in her forties and, despite her heavy makeup, could not hide the marks of time. Reaching the pavilion, she curtsied and said with a feigned tone of sorrow, "Master, Lianqing has given birth... it is a daughter..."

Xu Weichang heard her clearly, but he did not respond. After waiting for a long time, just as she was about to ask how to handle the mother and daughter, she heard Xu Weichang say: "Handle the internal affairs of the house as you see fit. You don't need to ask me about everything."

"Yes, Master."

Madame Yuan was secretly delighted. She had failed to bear him any children, and every time a concubine went into labor, she was terrified that one would produce a son and climb above her. It seemed her husband only wanted a son; he wouldn't even look at a daughter. Her position as mistress of the house was secure.

After Madame Yuan left, Xu Weichang's attendant hurried into the pavilion and whispered a few words to him.

"Useless!" Xu Weichang’s brows knit together in rage. "Sun He couldn't even handle this little thing, despite all his boasting! Tell him to go solve it immediately. If he ruins this, he’ll pay the price!"

"Yes, I will go at once."

The attendant left. Xu Weichang sat back down, exhaled, and looked at the distant sky, muttering, "Soon... it will be soon. Just wait a little longer."

At the Taibai Restaurant, the merchants were about to disperse when a servant pushed the door open and whispered to Sun He: "Master Sun, the Liu shop has reopened."

"So soon?" Sun He was slightly surprised but didn't take it to heart. "What are they selling at? Did they raise the price by twenty or thirty percent?"

"The Liu shop... didn't raise it by a single wen," the servant replied, shrinking back.

"What?!" The merchants in the room exclaimed in unison.

The servant added, "The Liu shop is selling at the original price, and they still have a purchase limit—twenty jin per person."

"They're still limiting purchases? This is clearly aimed at us," Wang Guiqing said, his expression turning grave.

Zhou Qi slammed his tea cup on the table and sneered, "A broken-down shop with less than three thousand shi of grain thinks it can target us?"

He Liujin said impatiently, "As long as they don't raise prices, they are our enemy. Old Sun, are you capable or not? If not, let me handle it—I guarantee the Liu family will be on their knees by tomorrow!"

Sun He had boasted earlier, but he hadn't expected the Liu family to be so stubborn. Being smashed once and still daring to sell at a low price was a direct disregard for his warning. If he didn't resolve this properly, he would be the laughingstock of the city.

"Don't worry, brothers. I will have someone take care of it right now. This time, I’ll give everyone a satisfactory result!" Sun He stood up, face dark, and stormed out.