In Hongwu, we started as rebels

Chapter 796 Losing Both Money and People: The Merchant's Site Selection
Three days passed quickly, and the capital city did not return to its former tranquility.

Instead, due to several major events that have occurred recently, the situation has become unpredictable and turbulent.

Beneath the calm surface of the lake, a massive whirlpool seems to lurk, ready to swallow anyone who strays into it.

Yuan Tai, the Right Vice Censor-in-Chief of the Censorate, possessed a ledger of smuggling activities.
While not enough to cause a major upheaval, some minor impeachments and power struggles could certainly stir up some trouble.

In less than five days, the Censorate had submitted twenty-one memorials.
The impeachments targeted insignificant minor officials in the capital, and the reasons given were varied and numerous.

It's either dereliction of duty or abuse of power.

These charges are not serious.

But once imprisoned in the Censorate's prison...
What they say is beyond their control.

Inside the Governor's Mansion, many military officers from both the North and South were arguing fiercely about whether to continue the northern expedition.

They had a minor argument every day and a major argument every three days, and the conflict even spread to the court assembly.

Both sides stuck to their own versions of events and refused to concede.

At the same time, they are making every effort to win over the generals in Beijing, hoping that they will speak up for them.

As for the general public, the market was more active than ever before due to the sale of land by northern generals.

The various dental clinics were bustling with activity, but also filled with a chaotic and unpleasant atmosphere.

Some powerful and influential people who came to Beijing competed with each other based on their own abilities, presenting a seemingly vibrant scene.

In the palace, some progress has been made in the investigation of the imperial estates.

Using Chunhua Horse Ranch as a breakthrough point, all the eunuchs of the Imperial Horse Administration with rank or above were arrested and brought to justice.

Some eunuchs who confessed early on were punished according to family rules.

Without the interference of these eunuchs, Prince Yan Zhu Di's investigation of the imperial estates proceeded much faster.

Now he spends all his time at the Imperial Stables settling accounts.

In the sweltering August heat, everyone—in the imperial court, the military, among the common people, and within the palace—had their own endless tasks.

Even within the Embroidered Uniform Guard, a scene of bustling activity unfolded.

After receiving orders from their superiors, some Jinyiwei (Imperial Guards) who had been entrenched in various parts of Zhili and concealed their identities rushed to the capital to take up their posts, fearing that their superiors might change their minds.

However, after joining the force, they were surprised to find that life was not easy for the Imperial Guards in the capital.

The intense scrutiny from the imperial court, the military, and the palace put immense pressure on them.

Moreover, the workload is heavy, and the pay is low.

Those who deal with him are either treacherous and cunning individuals or people with powerful backgrounds.

Within a few days, these newly arrived Imperial Guards were exhausted and said they wanted to go home.

Inside the underground government office of Miaoyinfang,

Mao Xiang sat upright behind his desk, looking at the numerous documents that had been compiled that day, his face extremely gloomy.

The top document was, in fact, the monthly expenditure budget sent by the government's accountant.
The striking numbers above gave Mao Xiang a splitting headache.

He took a deep breath, trying to suppress his anger, and looked up at the honest-looking accountant in his forties, saying:

"Qu Yingjie, come and tell me, you made a mistake in this account."

Qu Yingjie, a veteran official, had worked in the Ministry of Revenue, the Ministry of War, and the Ministry of Works, and considered himself an expert in accounting.

Hearing Mao Xiang say this, he felt somewhat indignant, but still spoke in a normal voice:
"Lord Mao, I have checked the accounts six times and there are no errors."

Upon hearing this, Mao Xiang's brow twitched violently, and he felt his whole body trembling.

"Didn't I just give you ten thousand taels of silver four days ago?"
"How could it be gone so quickly? And I still owe three thousand taels of silver!!"

Qu Yingjie remained calm and spoke indifferently:
"Lord Mao, last September the yamen didn't have enough money to pay salaries."
They borrowed eight thousand taels of silver from Miaoyinfang, agreeing to repay the loan in June.
It has now been delayed for five months, and the interest has reached nearly one thousand taels.

"I then took the silver to repay the debt."

Mao Xiang thought about it briefly and remembered the matter, then felt a sudden darkness before his eyes.

He rested his hand on his forehead, remained silent for a long time, and then said:
"Couldn't we have delayed it a little longer?"

"Sir, the debt is too great. If we don't hurry up and pay it back..."
The interest alone could exhaust all the funds and provisions allocated by the palace.

"Ridiculous! Ridiculous! We are a government office under the imperial court; how could we possibly be short of money?!"

Mao Xiang flew into a rage, stood up and paced back and forth, his footsteps loud as if venting his anger.

A short while later, he slumped back into his chair, looking somewhat helpless.

The facts are clear: the Embroidered Uniform Guard is not only short of money, but also in debt.

"How much silver do you still owe Miaoyin Workshop?"

"Reporting to Your Excellency, it is 93,781 taels. With an interest rate of 3%, the monthly interest will be more than 2,000 taels."

Qu Yingjie couldn't help but chuckle as he spoke, and added,
"My lord, Miaoyinfang provides two thousand taels of silver monthly for the yamen's expenses."

These two thousand taels are no longer enough to cover the interest.

Mao Xiang's voice had calmed down, as if he had resigned himself to his fate:
"What about other trading companies?"

Qu Yingjie's face grew even uglier, and his lips twitched slightly. He said:

"My lord, because of the existence of Yingtian Trading Company, other trading companies are not doing well."

Some businesses even needed government subsidies to barely stay afloat.

"Then what's the point of keeping it open? Just close it already!!"

Mao Xiang threw the document in his hand away abruptly.

Qu Yingjie skillfully dodged the flying document.
"My lord, all the trading houses are places where intelligence is gathered and searches are conducted."
Even if it doesn't make money, we can't close down.

Mao Xiang was well aware of this principle.

These merchant guilds, scattered throughout the capital region, received a constant stream of intelligence from the Embroidered Uniform Guard every day.
The fact that the Embroidered Uniform Guard and the palace were able to control the capital region was of paramount importance.

"Qu Yingjie, go and discuss this with Miaoyinfang."
Monthly expenses increased from two thousand taels to three thousand taels—no, four thousand taels!

"I?"

Qu Yingjie pointed to himself, somewhat taken aback.
"My lord, let alone discussing it, I can't even get a glimpse of Manager Mu right now."

"How could I not see her? She's right above my head!"

"Manager Mu was afraid we would borrow money, so he kept hiding from us."

"."

A long silence fell over the yamen.

Mao Xiang angrily slammed his fist on the table:

"Money, money, money, fucking tell Weihua!"

Take money from those recently arrested businessmen involved in the case, pick the two richest ones, and confiscate their properties!

Qu Yingjie lowered his head and remained silent for a long time.

"What? Why aren't you saying anything?!" Mao Xiang was furious.

Qu Yingjie then said:

"My lord, we've already confiscated property three times this month to cover the deficit."

According to previous regulations, a house could only be searched twice a month; any more than that would easily attract attention.

"Sir, everyone's watching us now, we must be careful."

"We have neither money nor people."

We can't even confiscate their property! What do you suggest we do?

Qu Yingjie said:
"My lord, the biggest financial burden on the yamen right now is the interest on those ninety thousand taels of silver."
If these matters could be exempted from government duties, the situation would be much better.

It would have been better if he hadn't said anything; the more he did, the angrier Mao Xiang became. He was well aware of this principle.
But there was no chance in the past, and now we can't even see the person. How can we avoid paying money?

His breathing became increasingly rapid, so he swept all the documents on the table onto the floor and began to curse loudly:
"Get out, all of you!"

Without hesitation, Qu Yingjie bowed and left the yamen.

As soon as he stepped out of the yamen, a dozen or so Imperial Guards waiting outside immediately surrounded him.
They were all talking at once, creating a very noisy environment.

But in the end, all those voices converged into one sentence:

"Lord Qu, will salaries be paid tomorrow?" Qu Yingjie's face was ashen, and he asked in a deep voice:
"Go back and wait for further notice; this matter has not been decided yet."

"Ah!" Upon hearing this, cries of lamentation arose from all sides.

"Lord Qu, the rent is due. If my salary isn't paid soon, I'll be kicked out."

"Lord Qu, my child is preparing to go to school, but we haven't yet raised enough for tuition; it's a full three taels of silver."
We don't mind suffering a little, but we can't let the child's development be delayed.

"Yes, yes, my kid doesn't even have a complete set of clothes yet, he's just waiting for his salary."

The cacophony of sounds gathered once more.
Before Qu Yingjie could speak, the door was flung open with a bang.

Mao Xiang stood at the door, his face as black as charcoal, staring coldly at them.

The crowd, which had been indignant, suddenly became dejected and silent.

Mao Xiang, his face dark, said in a deep voice:
"The government has treated you well, but when the government was in trouble, you didn't even try to help."
"To actually cause such a disturbance is utterly absurd!"

Everyone lowered their heads, their expressions subtle.
"Speak up! Where did your arrogance go?"

Mao Xiang was furious at their ability to treat people differently based on their status and rebuked them sternly!

But still no one spoke.

Mao Xiang glanced at the crowd, let out a cold snort, and turned to leave!

After he walked away, the group slowly raised their heads, looked at each other, sighed, and kept grimacing.

"This job is impossible to do."

"Yes, we can't go out on fieldwork, and there's no outside water supply. We live off our salaries every day, and now they haven't even been paid."

A Jinyiwei officer in his thirties kept shaking his head, looking much older than before.

Seeing their expressions, Qu Yingjie pursed his lips slightly and said:

"You have your reasons, and adults have theirs."
Money was extremely scarce in all government departments.

The Six Ministries are often several months behind, but our Embroidered Uniform Guard is at most one month behind, which is already very fortunate.

Don't worry, Lord Mao will eventually find the money.

Instead of making a ruckus here, we should go back and look for the documents.
Look at those rebels; do they have any hidden or unknown wealth?

If we can find a few, wouldn't your salaries be secured?

"But, Lord Qu, the imperial court has strictly prohibited the private possession of confiscated property."

"Why are you still concerned about this at a time like this?"
"Find it first, then we'll talk. If you don't tell and I don't tell, who will know?"

Qu Yingjie spent a lot of time persuading them, and finally convinced them to go back.

He stood there, sighing wearily and shaking his head helplessly.

Money, money, money! We need money everywhere.

A single penny can stump not only heroes, but also the Imperial Guards.

At No. 6 Zhongzheng Street, Zhou Songzheng, the manager of Xinchen Trading Company, was speaking eloquently, pointing to the vacant shops in front of him and talking incessantly:
"Manager Mu, this shop is smaller than the others we looked at before."
However, its location is excellent, serving as the only route to the imperial city and the upper city.

Heading north leads to the imperial city, where some officials pass through daily.

Heading south leads to Yingtian Trading Company, a place many residents of Shangcheng pass through on their way home.

If a business were to open here, it would surely gain immediate recognition, and its business would undoubtedly flourish.

Mu Jinghe stood quietly not far away, her maid Xiaorou holding an umbrella for her.
The sunlight streamed down, making the group of people particularly noticeable on the street.

"Manager Zhou is right, the shop's location is indeed good, but it only has two rooms, front and back."
Furthermore, the storefront is not spacious enough, making it appear rather stingy, which is quite perplexing.

Zhou Song also looked troubled, sighed softly, and said in a low voice:
"Manager Mu, you may not know this, but because of the Yingtian Trading Company..."
Today, with its thriving commerce, countless people from other places come to Yingtian every day.
If they see that there is money to be made, they will stay and open shops.

In less than six months, 80% of the shops in the Jingzhongkong area have already been rented out.

This shop in front of me is the only one still for sale on Zhongzheng Street; it's a rare find.

Mu Jinghe frowned slightly. She had been wandering around for almost two days, looking at at least thirty shops. This one in front of her was the best location, but it was just too small.
At this moment, Zhou Song stepped forward and said:

"Manager Mu, you may not know this, but the owner of this shop has a spendthrift son who has racked up a lot of gambling debts, which is why he's in a hurry to sell."
The price could even be negotiated down a bit more; saving a thousand taels of silver shouldn't be a problem.

"Gambling debts?"

Mu Jinghe shook her head, feeling no sympathy whatsoever for such gamblers.

Zhou Song pointed to Liu's Fruit Shop at No. 1 Zhongzheng Street at the end of the street and said:
"Look, Manager Mu, that fruit and melon shop and this one are owned by the same person. They sold one shop last year and now they want to sell another one."

Mu Jinghe's eyes gleamed as she looked at the bustling fruit and melon stall, raising an eyebrow.
She knew the background of the fruit and vegetable business like the back of her hand.

Especially the female shopkeeper who was busy running around, which made people secretly marvel.

The daughter of the Minister of Works

His involvement in commerce caused quite a stir in the capital.

After looking for a long time, Mu Jinghe finally shook her head and said:

"This place won't do; it's not big enough, and the environment isn't quiet enough."

This street is bustling with people, suitable for all kinds of businesses, but not for mine.

Let's go, let's check out the next place.

This doesn’t work either?

Zhou Song was sweating profusely, feeling that the young lady in front of him was far too difficult to please.

But this was something Lord Lu had ordered him to do, and he dared not disobey.

So, after struggling for a long time, he asked:
"Manager Mu, what kind of business are you planning to do?"
Tell me what you think, and I'll be able to find you a place.

If you don't say anything now, the shop assistants will have to find shops according to the standards of ordinary merchants, and they'll only find shops that don't suit your taste.

The weather was hot, and Mu Jinghe was also a little irritable, so she decided not to hide it anymore and answered:
"Sell some rare items."

Seemingly feeling that this wasn't certain enough, she emphasized her words and added:
"I cherish it very much."

Zhou Song was filled with doubt. If he remembered correctly, this was the kind of thing Miaoyinfang sold.

A single basket costs several ounces; it's outrageously expensive.

"Manager Mu, is this place similar to Miaoyin Pavilion?"

"It needs to be more upscale, the place needs to be larger, and there can't be too many people."

Mu Jinghe added

"The goods being sold may amount to several thousand taels."
Therefore, it's essential to have a set standard and ensure guests experience a sense of prestige.

A thousand taels?

Upon hearing this, not only did Zhou Song's eyes widen, but the group of shop assistants following behind him also looked up sharply.

They simply couldn't imagine who would buy something worth a thousand taels of silver.

Zhou Song pondered carefully, and finally his eyes lit up:
"Manager Mu, I've remembered a good place. It's spacious and sparsely populated."
Furthermore, the surrounding area is filled with powerful figures and wealthy merchants from the capital.

It's a bit unlucky, and the price is much higher.

"where?"

"The shop at the intersection of Dagongfang and Zhangde Street has three floors and is elegantly decorated."

Originally a shop belonging to the Marquis of Ji'an's residence, selling cosmetics and face powder.
The shops have now been seized, and according to the capital authorities, they are being prepared to be sold off.
If you don't mind, I can go and ask around for you.

Mu Jinghe was very interested in hearing this and asked:

"Approximately how much money will it cost?"

"This..." Zhou Song hesitated for a moment, then said...
"The shops themselves weren't expensive, but the location alone is worth at least 10,000 taels of silver. I estimate it's worth at least 30,000 taels."

Moreover, many people in the capital are interested in these kinds of shops.
They all hoped to become acquainted with the nobles and wealthy landowners there, so…

"Manager Zhou can't get it?" Mu Jinghe understood the implication in his words.

"To be honest, Manager Mu, Xinchen Trading Company has some connections."
However, compared to other large trading companies, we are somewhat strapped for cash, but I'm willing to give it a try.

Mu Jinghe nodded:
"Let's go take a look first."

If it's a good opportunity, let's work together and see if we can take it down.

"Okay, let's go right now!"

(End of this chapter)