In Hongwu, we started as rebels

Chapter 955 Moisturizing things silently

Three days later, on a cold morning, a fine drizzle fell over the capital.

The water splashed onto the bluestone slabs of the dental clinic, creating tiny, scattered droplets.

The entrance to Yuxing Pawnshop was crowded with people holding oil-paper umbrellas, and everyone's face was full of worry.

The land price, which was 1.6 taels yesterday, has dropped by 2 mace overnight, and is now only 1.4 taels.

"I can't live this life!"

Old Wang, dressed in a coarse cloth shirt, clutched the land deed, his knuckles white, his voice trembling with tears.

“My three acres of paddy fields could be sold for five taels of silver a few days ago, but now they can’t even be sold for four taels!”
If it falls any further, it'll be a complete loss!

A merchant dressed in silk next to him also sighed, his abacus clicking away rapidly.
"That's right! I harvested ten acres of land last month."

Selling now would result in a 50% loss.
This isn't doing business, it's throwing money into a fire!

Inside the brokerage firm, the manager was leaning over the counter.

Looking at the densely packed "for sale" entries in the ledger, he sighed with worry.

The waiter rushed in, his clothes half-soaked by the rain:
"Manager, the Taihe Brokerage Firm in the west of the city..."

Land prices have also fallen to 1.4 taels, and many people are saying they won't sell; they'd rather grow their own grain.

The shopkeeper rubbed his temples.

"Not selling? Then just wait for the price to keep falling."
Land that cost ten taels of silver per mu eventually dropped to one tael or one mace; it was impossible to sell it.

Just as the capital was filled with wails of grief, shortly after 9:00 AM,
A group of men suddenly burst into Tongfu Pawnshop in the east of the city, followed by a carriage. As soon as they entered, they shouted:
"Shopkeeper, we want all the land for sale!"

Regardless of the area, it's 1.4 taels, cash payment!

The shopkeeper thought he had misheard, so he looked up and saw...
Three carriages were parked outside the gate. The curtains were lifted, revealing inside piles of gleaming silver, so bright it made one's eyes dizzy.
"How many do you want?"

The leader slammed his hand on the table:
"We want as many as you can! Hurry up and bring us the land deeds, we're in a hurry, we need to go to the next brokerage firm."

The surrounding commoners and merchants were stunned, and some whispered among themselves:
"Where did this rich man come from?"

Someone reacted quickly and pulled out the land deed:

"I have five acres of land here, and it costs 1.4 taels of silver. I'll sell it now!"

In less than an hour, all the land belonging to the five brokerage firms in the east of the city was cleared out.

Immediately afterwards, the same group arrived from the pawnshop in the west of the city.
The money in my hand was spent like water.

When it got dark, Hou Xian took the accounts to see Lu Yunyi, his voice still tinged with excitement:
"Sir, we harvested a total of 22,000 mu of land today, and spent 40,000 taels of silver!"
The real estate brokers in the east and west of the city don't even have a single land deed left!

Lu Yunyi was looking at a map of the capital region. He simply nodded and drew a circle with his finger in the area between the east and west of the city.

"Understood. Let the brothers rest. We'll go check out the county town outside the city tomorrow."

Hou Xian was taken aback: "County town? Sir, I'm afraid there aren't many people selling there."

Those who sell land in the city now have some wealth and don't have to worry about going hungry.
The county seat, however, is mostly inhabited by poor people.
Those few acres of land are their livelihood; they're unlikely to sell them.

Lu Yunyi looked up at him:
"No problem, buy as much as you can, at market price, the sooner the better."

Hou Xian agreed and left, though he was also a little uneasy.
Is Your Excellency planning to take over all the land in the capital region?

The next morning, the locals and merchants who had heard the news the day before were all waiting for land prices to rise.

Sell ​​all the land at once to cut your losses.

But what followed was even worse news.
Land prices in the east and west of the city not only did not rise, but actually fell to one or two taels.

"What's going on? Wasn't someone buying up the land yesterday? Why is the price still falling?"

Old Wang stood at the entrance of the brokerage firm, stamping his feet in frustration.

Even the merchants dressed in silk frowned:
"Could it be that those wealthy landowners have changed their minds and are going to sell their land again?"

At this point, the broker's clerk gave them the answer:

"Those people came and went quickly last time."

The customers were all focused on selling the land quickly; they weren't hoping for a price increase, just wanting to maintain the status quo.

The result is
There were many sellers, but no one bought, so the price dropped again.

Upon hearing this, everyone eagerly awaited the answer.
They were waiting for those big spenders, wondering why they hadn't arrived yet!
Just as everyone was wondering,

In the afternoon, news from the counties outside the city reached the capital.
Someone was buying up large quantities of land at the local brokerage firm in the county town, at a price of one or three taels of silver.
They harvested 6,000 mu in one go, spending nearly 10,000 taels of silver.

"They're buying up all the land in the county seat?"

The manager of Yuxing Brokerage looked at the message that had arrived and muttered to himself.

"What exactly do these people want to do?"
"They've taken over both the city and the surrounding areas; do they intend to take over the entire capital region?"

The news spread like wildfire throughout Beijing, and more and more people are paying attention to it!

By the third day, land prices in Beijing finally began to rebound.
It rose from 1.3 taels to 1.6 taels, then to 1.8 taels, and finally broke through 2 taels.

"It went up! It finally went up!"

Old Wang held the land deed, and the first smile on his face in many days appeared.
"I knew it! With so many wealthy people buying up land, land prices were bound to rise!"

Many merchants also got the idea and took out their silver to buy land at rock-bottom prices, fearing that the land price would return to its original ten taels.

The real estate brokerage firm became lively again, as if it had returned to the days before land prices fell.

The excitement lasted only a day; for the next five days, the capital returned to its deathly silence.
The major land buyers have disappeared, and land prices have stagnated at two taels, neither rising nor falling.

At first, the common people and merchants still held onto hope.

I went to the brokerage every day to inquire about information.
But as the days went by, nothing happened, and unease began to spread again, causing land prices to plummet!

"Oh no, oh no! I bought it for 2.5 ounces, how come it's 1.8 ounces now?"

Some merchants were on the verge of tears, clutching their land deeds tightly in their hands.

Those who hadn't sold their land were secretly slapping their thighs in regret:
"It should have been sold when it weighed a little over two ounces!"

Panic began to spread again.

On the evening of the fifth day, just when everyone was about to despair,
Suddenly, some wealthy clients appeared in the brokerage firm.
It was still a strong, muscular man, and the same carriage was still full of silver.

This time, however, they weren't just focusing on the east and west sides of the city.

Instead, they attacked simultaneously from all four directions: east, west, south, and north.

As long as the brokerage firm has a land deed, whether it's one acre or ten acres, they'll take it all, and the price will be set at two and a half taels!

"My God! They're harvesting land again!"

The manager of Yuxing Real Estate Agency exclaimed in surprise and quickly took out the land deed that was hidden at the bottom of the cabinet.
"I have twenty acres of land left, two and a half ounces each, want to buy it or not?"

The leading man nodded:
"Buy it! Write a contract!"

The people around went crazy; some were pushing and shoving, handing over land deeds.
"Wait for me, I still have some land here."
The brokerage was in complete chaos, and no one even cared about the cold rain outside.

By nightfall, all the real estate agencies in the capital had been emptied.
This time, land prices soared to 30%, recovering to 30% of their original level.

"It's gone up! It's gone up to three taels now!"

Old Wang's hands were trembling as he held the silver he had just received.
"I knew it would go up! It was worth the wait!"

The merchants breathed a sigh of relief, and some of them said with a smile:
"It seems these wealthy people are really planning to buy land; land prices might even rise in the future!"
Even half-recovery would be fine, if not completely restored.

Jingzhong's confidence recovered considerably.
The discussions on the street have changed from complaints to anticipation.

Some merchants who bought at rock-bottom prices were overjoyed, feeling they had gotten a great deal.

They're buying at the bottom! Buying at the bottom!

At this moment, at the Zhao residence!
Zhao Mian sat in the main seat, with several Jiangnan silk merchants dressed in brocade robes standing below him, all with solemn expressions.

"Sir, the land price has risen to three taels. If it continues to rise, the land we acquired before will no longer be competitive!"

A tall, thin businessman said urgently.
"Those people are unknown. If they keep buying up land, land prices will skyrocket."
We spent so much money and effort to drive down land prices,
We sold all those lands for real!
"If those people don't give up their land, we'll suffer a huge loss!"

Zhao Mian tapped his fingers on the table, his face so gloomy it could drip water:
"What's the panic! They're just a bunch of arrogant merchants!"

He paused, his eyes turning fierce:
"Starting tomorrow, we'll continue to drive down prices; we'll sell as much as we can!"
Whether it's 1.5 taels or 1.3 taels, the point is, we can't let land prices rise any higher!

The tall, thin merchant was stunned: "Sir, if we sell like this, we'll lose a lot of money!"

Zhao Mian sneered:
"Loss? We're not losing money now, but once those people buy the land for five taels, we'll lose even more!"

Drive down land prices and let them know who's in charge in Beijing!
Only when the people are afraid will you have a chance to buy that piece of land worth one or two taels of silver!

The group exchanged glances, though reluctant.
But knowing that Zhao Mian was telling the truth, they all bowed and replied:

“Yes, sir, we will cast it tomorrow!” One of the elders stood up.
His name was Yan Han, and he was over sixty years old. He had been in the silk business in Jiangnan for a century, a lineage that had been passed down through generations in his family.
"Sir, these people are running rampant in the city. The yamen cannot let them act recklessly."

Zhao Mian's face darkened, and he said in a deep voice:
"I'm leading the charge now, what are you afraid of?"
The people involved are already being investigated; they are all merchants from the north.
They came to cooperate with Yingtian Trading Company just in time to buy land when prices were cheap, which is why they bought it recklessly.

But don't worry, their money is limited.
I will also exert pressure on the Yingtian Trading Company!

Yan Han looked enlightened:

"I see. If there are clues, then things will be easier. I hope you will stop it quickly, sir."

Otherwise, we would have suffered heavy losses on the money we had previously invested.

Buy it for ten taels of silver, sell it for one tael of silver.

It would be absurd if someone else benefited from it.

"Don't worry, this kind of unhealthy trend will soon be eliminated!"

Yan Han nodded: "Then, sir, we shall take our leave."

After they left, Zhao Mian looked at the butler who came in and asked:

Has the Market and Exchange Bureau made any moves recently?

The butler said in a deep voice:
"Reporting to Your Excellency, there has been no action. Not a single penny of the money in the back office of the Market and Exchange Bureau has been touched, and Lu Yunyi is also staying at home all day long."

"understood."

Zhao Mian looked thoughtful, a ruthless glint in his eyes.
"Prepare the horses and head to Liu Sili's residence."

"Yes."

The next morning, as soon as the people and merchants in the capital opened their doors...
I was horrified by the sight inside the brokerage firm.
Countless people dressed in brocade robes poured into the brokerage firm, carrying thick land deeds in their hands.
They shouted loudly, "Land for sale at 1.5 taels!", "Land for sale at 1.3 taels!", "Land for sale at 1 tael!"
Prices kept dropping, as if they were free.

"What's going on? Why are so many people suddenly selling land?"

Old Wang was stunned by the scene before him as soon as he reached the entrance of Yuxing Pawnshop.

The merchants standing nearby panicked as well; the land deed in their hands suddenly became unbearable.
"Oh no! I've been scammed again!!"

The real estate brokerage was thrown into chaos, and land prices plummeted like a kite with a broken string.

It dropped from three ounces to two and a half ounces, then back to two ounces.

In less than an hour, the price returned to 1.5 ounces.

"My silver! My land!"

A small-time merchant who had just bought stocks at rock-bottom prices collapsed to the ground.
The land deed in his hand fell into the rain, the words blurred by the wetness.

Old Wang was stunned, clutching the silver in his hand tightly.
I'm so glad I sold the land yesterday, otherwise I would be bankrupt by now.

The atmosphere in the capital city shifted from anticipation back to despair; the cold rain continued to fall.

When it hits a person, it's chillingly cold.

The cold rain drizzled down until evening.

In the study of the Central Military Governor's Mansion, the candlelight flickered slightly due to the draft through the room.

Xu Huizu stood by the window, holding the document that Zhang Gang had just delivered in his hand.

"Brother, the military reports have all been compiled."

The curtain was gently lifted, and Xu Zengshou walked in.
Still damp with raindrops, she shivered slightly as soon as she entered the room.

Seeing Xu Huizu staring intently at the document, he tiptoed over and peeked at it.
The paper was covered with dense notes detailing what had happened at each of the brokerage firms that day.

At the end, a vermilion "急" (urgent) character was drawn.

Xu Huizu turned around and handed him the document, his voice as deep and resonant as rain-soaked iron:

"Look, Zhao Mian has made his move."

Xu Zengshou took the document, and the more he read it, the more his brows furrowed.

"Are these people crazy? They've already reached three ounces, and now they're throwing it down to one ounce? How much money do they have to be so reckless?"

"It's not madness, it's fear."

Xu Huizu walked to the table, picked up the now-cold tea, took a sip, and a sharp glint flashed in his eyes.
Lu Yunyi had been intermittently acquiring land a few days ago.

It may seem like there's no set method, but it's actually a way to temper their temperament.

These merchants are getting impatient and are rushing to sell land at rock-bottom prices, which saves us a lot of trouble.

He paused, looked at Xu Zengshou, and his tone became solemn:
"Go to the Market Bureau now and tell Lu Yunyi that the person he's been waiting for has made a move."

Xu Zengshou was stunned for a moment, then straightened his back:
"Don't worry, brother, I'll go right away!"

He turned to leave, but was stopped by Xu Huizu just as he reached the door.

When Xu Zengshou arrived at the Market and Exchange Office, it was already completely dark.

The imperial guards at the gate, seeing that it was Xu Zengshou, immediately let him pass.

Hou Xianzheng was standing under the eaves inside the gate, holding an oil-paper umbrella. When he saw him coming, he quickly went to greet him.

"Young Master Xu, Lord Lu is waiting in the main hall."

"Lord Lu knew I was coming?" Xu Zengshou asked, somewhat surprised.

Hou Xian smiled and led him inside:

"When the lord was reviewing the documents this afternoon, he said that there should be news from the Central Military Command tonight."

"Please come with me, the rain is heavy, be careful of the slippery flagstones."

The two walked all the way to the main hall.

As soon as the curtain was lifted, Lu Yunyi was seen sitting behind a pearwood table.

He held out a map of the capital region, its surface covered with dense red and blue markings:
"Yun Gong is here? Please have a seat."

Lu Yunyi looked up, pointed to the chair opposite him, and then said to Hou Xian,

"Pour him a cup of hot ginger tea to warm him up."

Xu Zengshou chuckled, and without any hesitation, stepped forward and took out a document from his robes:
"Sir, my elder brother sent me to deliver a message, saying that those people have made a move."

Lu Yunyi picked up the document, read it word by word, chuckled softly, and placed it next to the map:

"Finally I couldn't bear it anymore."

Seeing his confident demeanor, Xu Zengshou's unease subsided considerably.
"So, what does Lord Lu plan to do? Will he start acquiring the land tomorrow?"

"Not only should we accept it, we should accept it openly. How can we refuse money offered to us by others?"

Lu Yunyi raised his eyes, his tone resolute.

"Go back and tell Duke Wei that starting tomorrow, the Market Exchange Bureau will use its reserves to buy up whatever amount is available, until the price reaches five taels!"

These words stunned even Hou Xian, who stood to the side and couldn't help but interject:
"Sir, using the cash from the back room? What if we're discovered?"

"It's about letting them find out."

Lu Yunyi interrupted him, his eyes resolute.
"Tomorrow we must make a grand entrance and let everyone know that the Market and Commerce Bureau is going to acquire the land!"
"Deliver the silver to the brokerage firm tonight, openly and honestly, without any attempt to conceal it."

Hou Xian was startled and quickly bowed in response:

"Yes! I will get on it right away and make sure the silver is delivered to all the brokers by dawn tomorrow!"

Hou Xian acknowledged and hurriedly left.

Xu Zengshou watched Hou Xian's retreating figure, then looked at Lu Yunyi, and couldn't help but ask:

"Sir, this is really spending money like water."

"Hey~ Compared to land, money is worthless. Don't worry, we'll definitely make a fortune this time."

Lu Yunyi picked up his teacup, took a sip of the hot tea, and a faint smile appeared on his lips.
"They're like frightened birds now; if they see we dare to accept the offer, they'll only panic more."
They either continue to dump land and drive down prices, or they dare not make any further moves.

If it's the former, we'll take all the land and make them suffer huge losses.

If it's the latter, land prices in Beijing will naturally stabilize, and half the goal will have been achieved.

He paused, then pointed to the map:

"Next, we'll make sure they lose everything."

Xu Zengshou looked bewildered, unsure of how his superiors intended to proceed, but he was quite confident.

(End of this chapter)