Qiang Jin Jiu (Author : Tang Jiuqing 唐酒卿)

Chapter 139 : The Price of Grain

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Knowing that he had humiliated Shen Zechuan with his rebuff, Kong Ling barely approached him over the next few days. Instead, he focused his attention on inspecting the goods in the respective stores, too busy to even pause. On the other hand, Shen Zechuan behaved as he always did and continued to greet him as Mister Chengfeng whenever he saw him. This filled Kong Ling with even more dread, and he deferred to Shen Zechuan in every matter. 

Just as they had expected, Cai Yu’s low-priced grain did not impress the smaller bandits. With Luo Mu in the midst acting as a go-between and pulling the strings, several parties gradually started developing feelings of dissatisfaction towards Cai Yu. Cai Yu had a taste for extravagance in recent years, and each year when he celebrated his birthday, he would surely receive rare and priceless gifts. He would also rank his friends and relatives close and far according to the presents they gifted him, and this subsequently stirred up a great deal of unhappiness among a great number of them in private. At the same time, news that Cai Yu was distributing cheap grains suddenly spread outside the city, and with the price falling lower and lower, the starving commoners outside the city grew more and more outraged.   

Cai Yu used to consider himself a respected elder of Chazhou, and yet he was ignoring them all with the city gates shut, leaving them to fend for themselves. Shen Zechuan was right; it wasn’t that he did not understand, but that he was in a predicament with no way to back down. 

The grain in Chazhou was presently supplied by Hezhou and subsidized by the Yan Clan. By taking all these grains, Cai Yu had to pay back interest to the Yan Clan, and the portion he could not pay back had to be paid out from his own pockets. Lowering the price would only disadvantage himself, and as he was unwilling to make a loss, he could only force himself to push on ahead. He had already sent multiple letters in succession to Hezhou to enquire about the situation. 

This was what Shen Zechuan had been waiting for. 

Cai Yu could never imagine that over one night, the entire city would be in discussion over the price of grain. 

“Where did these people come from?” Cai Yu called for the maidservant to help him put on his clothes, and asked his trusted aide, “Why have I heard nothing about Cizhou’s grain wagons entering our territory!”

His aide replied, “They took the public road and suppressed the news of their arrival outside of the city; it never managed to reach us.” 

Cai Yu’s expression was somber as he put on his boots and took a few steps. “I’d found it strange when Kong Ling entered the city. What would Cizhou be doing here for no rhyme or reason? Turns out it’s to steal our business! They’ve prepared so thoroughly, all to challenge me! What did they say?”

His trusted aide picked up the hem of Cai Yu’s robe from behind. “I’ve sent someone to make inquiries this morning. The price of the merchants from Cizhou is one tael for seven dou of rice.”

On hearing this, Cai Yu promptly sneered. “I thought they were here to play Bodhisattva and save the people, but they are also just here to profit from others’ misfortune. Has there been any reply from Hezhou?” 

The aide estimated the time and answered, “At this point in time, the letter hasn’t been delivered yet.” 

Cai Yu stood by the door and contemplated it in silence alongside the murmuring stream in the courtyard and the clear, melodious chirps of the birds under the covered walkway. He had spent a huge sum of money on this compound with the intent to pass it down to the younger generations as a family residence. He still had a few sons who were waiting to take over the family business and properties from their old man, and there were more than a thousand people in his family whose livelihoods depended on his sale of grains. He did not dare to lose this business.