In Hongwu, we started as rebels

Chapter 963: One wave comes after another

"I've never been to such a far place before,"

I've heard that Daning is very cold in winter.
They also said that barbarians from that area frequently raided, which made them somewhat uneasy.

As he spoke, a hint of youthful trepidation appeared on his face.
I had previously heard the eunuchs in the palace talk about various things concerning Da Ning.
Some say the grasslands are magnificent, others say the border regions are harsh and cold; the more I listened, the less confident I became.

So he specifically asked his mother to come and find out the truth.

Seeing his nervous expression, Lu Yunyi smiled and said:
"Your Highness, there is no need to panic. Da Ning is a good place."

Although it cannot compare to the wealth of the capital, it possesses a grandeur that the capital lacks.

Winter is cold, and the snow can be knee-deep.
But most people's homes have heated kang beds, which are made of pine wood and are warm inside.

As for the barbarians, they dare not invade; Your Highness can rest assured.

"Really?"

The unease in Zhu Quan's eyes lessened somewhat, and he pressed on,

"What are the people of Da Ning like? Are they easy to get along with?"

"The people are very simple and honest."

A slight smile appeared on Lu Yunyi's lips.
"In earlier years, there was some chaos in the city, but now the Commander-in-Chief has invested a large sum of money in road repairs, house construction, and workshop openings."

With people able to make a living, things gradually settled down.

When granaries are full, people know etiquette; when food and clothing are plentiful, people know honor and shame.

People are easier to get along with once they've had a full meal.

Zhu Quan's eyes lit up as he listened, and his tense shoulders relaxed a little.
"How is the government office in Da Ning? What should I do after I get there?"

According to rumors circulating in the palace, he was to be sent to the frontier to defend against enemies.

But no matter how hard he racked his brains, he didn't know where to start, and he felt uncertain.

Lu Yunyi pondered for a moment, then said:
"The government offices in Da Ning were newly built a few years ago. Although they are not luxurious, they are still neat and tidy."

If it is indeed decided that His Highness will be granted the title of Da Ning,

The commander will build a palace for His Highness, and His Highness will live there.

Once you arrive, don't rush to do anything important. Take your time to look around.
Look at the lives of ordinary people and listen to the thoughts of officials.

After all, that's outside the Great Wall, and there are many soldiers there.
If Your Highness did not possess some meritorious service, you might not be able to command the respect of the people.

After he finished speaking, Lu Yunyi asked again:
"How are Your Highness's archery, horsemanship, and archery skills?"

Prince Ning pursed his lips and nodded slightly:
"My father praised me for my robust physique and some talent, which is why he sent me to the border region."

At this point, Prince Ning, Zhu Quan, couldn't help but lower his voice.

If one can stay inside the pass, why would one go outside?
Although King Seraphim holds power, he cannot consider so many things at the moment.

Seeing this, Lu Yunyi laughed:

"If Your Highness does not wish to go beyond the Great Wall, where would you like to go?"

There are no outsiders here; you can speak with me."

"Jiangxi!"

Prince Ning's eyes shone brightly.
"There are many colorful porcelain pieces in the palace, all made in Jiangxi. They are so beautiful. I heard that Jiangxi was the most prosperous place in the Ming Dynasty."

Lu Yunyi's expression suddenly turned strange, and he nodded in realization:
Jiangxi is indeed a wonderful place.
But Your Highness, as His Majesty's own son, should serve the country and defend its borders.

"When the Yuan people come in the future, Your Highness must mount your horse and fight them, thus displaying the might of our nation."

The joy on Prince Ning's face gradually faded, and he returned to reality.

"Lord Lu, with you here in Daning, would the people from the northern grasslands still dare to come?"

"Of course not, those people all rely on Da Ning for their livelihood now."

If war breaks out, countless of them will starve or freeze to death.
But Your Highness, the situation is constantly changing and people are unpredictable; no one can guarantee what will happen in the future.

The grassland people dare not come now, but that may not be the case in the future.

Prince Ning nodded:

"Lord Lu, I understand. My father has told me this many times."
"You must protect your own kingdom; you can't rely on others."

Perhaps feeling it was inappropriate to say this in front of outsiders, he abruptly covered his mouth and quickly shook his head.
No, no, that's not what I meant.

"Hahahahaha."

Lu Yunyi didn't seem to mind, and instead burst into laughter:
"Your Majesty is right. I will remain in the capital for the time being."

If Your Highness has any questions or would like to know anything...
Although someone was sent to inquire, I will answer all questions to the best of my knowledge.

Upon hearing this, Zhu Quan's face showed gratitude, and he stood up and bowed deeply to Lu Yunyi:
"Thank you, Lord Lu! After hearing what you said today, I feel much more at ease."

At this moment, Zhu Quan's guard quietly walked in and whispered a few words in his ear.

Zhu Quan then realized that it was getting late and quickly got up:
"Lord Lu, it's getting late. I should return to the palace, or my mother will worry."

Lu Yunyi also stood up to see them off:
"Your Highness, please take care on your journey."

Watching Zhu Quan's carriage gradually disappear into the distance, Hou Xiancai stepped forward and said with a smile:

"My lord, His Highness Prince Ning is an honest and kind-hearted boy, and he has a good reputation in the palace."

The sun gradually sank below the horizon at dusk.
The market administration office was dyed orange-red.

The old locust tree in the courtyard cast dappled shadows, and the cicadas' chirping grew much quieter.
Only the clattering of the clerks tidying up their abacuses remained, conveying a sense of relaxation after a busy day.

Lu Yunyi had just finished sorting out the preparatory documents for the Beiping branch when...

Then a young man dressed in a blue official's uniform stumbled into the main hall, his face pale and his breath coming in gasps.

"My lord! Something terrible has happened! Grain prices in the capital... grain prices have gone up!"

The junior official leaned against the doorframe, his chest heaving, his voice trembling.

"I just went to West Street to buy rice. The unpolished rice, which used to cost fifteen coins a dou, now costs eighteen coins, and the refined rice has gone up from twenty-two coins to twenty-five coins."

Moreover, many grain shops raised their prices at the same time.

Moreover, informants in various regions reported that many grain shops had closed down.

They said they'd sell it again tomorrow!

Lu Yunyi paused, holding the pen.
He glanced up at the clerk, his eyes instantly turning cold. He truly admired these people's audacity.
Having just suffered a setback in land prices, they dare to tamper with grain prices right away.

Hou Xian, who was listening intently, also darkened his expression:
"Is this really true? The granaries in the capital are full, how could prices suddenly rise?"

"It's those grain merchants!"

The clerk swallowed hard and spoke rapidly.
"I heard from the grain shop clerk that several major grain merchants met up overnight."

They also invited the managers of several large grain shops in Beijing.
They say prices will follow market trends, and will rise again tomorrow!

Hou Xian immediately became anxious, his face turning extremely pale.

Grain can be different from land.
Ordinary people don't sell land; those who do are usually wealthy families with some assets.

Even with extreme fluctuations, there might only be some panic.

But grain is different.
In Beijing, with a population of one million, ordinary people make up 99% of the population. A 10% increase in grain prices will cause a stir.
If prices fluctuate like land prices, then things could really get chaotic.

Lu Yunyi put down his pen, got up and walked to the window, gazing at the streets and alleys that were gradually darkening in the distance.

Lu Yunyi's expression was grave. He recalled what Du Pingping had mentioned yesterday about the unusual activity of the grain merchants.

I thought they were just joking, but I didn't expect them to actually dare to do it!
It seems those people are determined to make up for their losses elsewhere.

Food is a matter of vital importance to people's livelihoods, yet they dare to cross even this bottom line.

"Hou Xian".

Lu Yunyi's voice was calm, yet carried an undeniable determination.
"Draft a document to inform all grain merchants in the capital."
Grain prices must return to their original levels within three days.

Each bushel of unpolished rice shall not exceed fifteen coins, and each bushel of refined rice shall not exceed twenty-two coins.

Those who dare to hoard goods and drive up prices
"This will be considered a crime of disrupting people's livelihoods; the Market and Commerce Bureau will join forces with the capital government to confiscate the granaries!"

"Yes!"

Hou Xian quickly agreed and turned to go to the accounting office to draft the document, but was stopped by Lu Yunyi:
"and many more."

"One more thing: anyone who voluntarily opens their granaries to sell grain and supplies it at the original price will be rewarded by the Market and Exchange Bureau, and they will never be allowed to suffer a loss!"

Hou Xian understood that this was to both deter unscrupulous merchants and appease honest grain merchants, so as not to condemn everyone indiscriminately.

"Send fast horses to deliver the documents to all grain merchants, large and small, in the capital, including those who have opened granaries outside the city."

Lu Yunyi instructed,

"Send someone to the capital's government office to inform them as well."
"Have them send their yamen runners to keep an eye on the grain shops, so that the people don't actually run out of rice."

The clerk and Hou Xian quickly went off to handle the matter separately.
Lu Yunyi was the only one left in the main hall.

He picked up the list of traitors again, his eyes scanning each name.
These people lost a lot of money on land.
They even dared to meddle with grain; they were truly blinded by greed.

That night, the grain shops in the capital were unusually quiet.

Many people, hearing that grain prices were about to rise, rushed to the grain shops before curfew with bags of rice, only to be told to "come back tomorrow."

In the backyard of Yufeng Grain Store in the south of the city, Zhou Tong was sitting around a round table with several grain merchants. There were dishes and wine on the table, but no one was interested in eating them.

"Have you received all the documents from the Market and Exchange Bureau?"

Zhou Tong held his wine glass, his fingers tracing the rim of the glass.
"He noticed it as soon as it started to rise. It seems this Lord Lu is no ordinary man."

A thin-faced grain merchant next to him sneered:
"He beat us on land prices, and now he wants to suppress us on grain prices?"

Although there are many granaries in Beijing, we control nearly half of them.

He wants us to lower the price? Not so easy!
Let's raise the price again tomorrow, and I'll see what they can do to me!
He can't possibly use the money from the Market and Exchange Bureau to buy grain everywhere and sell it at a low price, can he?

Are there really such fools in the world?

Everyone echoed this sentiment, their previous frustration over land prices now transformed into an obsession with grain prices!
They were certain that Lu Yunyi wouldn't dare to make a move.
Grain merchants are involved in a wide range of activities.

If there is any major fluctuation, everyone will panic!

The next day at dawn, grain prices in the capital rose again.

Brown rice costs twenty coins, and polished rice costs twenty-five coins.

When the news reached the Markets and Exchanges Bureau,

Lu Yunyi was reviewing the grain depot inspection documents sent by the capital government.

He slammed the document down on the table, his eyes as cold as ice:

"Damn it, they won't shed a tear until they see the coffin."

Hou Xian, go to the Central Military Commander's Office to find Xu Zengshou and ask him to mobilize five hundred soldiers.
Then go to the government office in the capital and ask him to send some yamen runners to assist you.

"Arrest all grain merchants in the capital who are hoarding and driving up grain prices today, and confiscate their granaries!"

Hou Xian felt a chill run down his spine.
"Sir... are you... going to arrest someone? Won't this cause a big fuss?"

"They've already come knocking on our door, what are we still worried about?"
Playing around with land prices is one thing, but instead of running away after suffering losses, you're causing trouble over grain prices. Do you think my knife isn't sharp enough?

Inform the Embroidered Uniform Guard about this, and have Mao Xiang send men over as well, saying they are there to arrest traitors.

If he doesn't send someone, he can expect to be impeached!

Hou Xian saw that the master was so fierce,
He instinctively shrank back and quickly responded, leaving.

In less than an hour, the soldiers of the Central Military Command entered the imperial city in a blatant manner!

Xu Zengshou, clad in full armor and with a long sword at his waist, strode into the Market Exchange Office.

"Sir, who are you arresting! The brothers are all waiting."

Xu Zengshou has matured a lot compared to three years ago.
He was incredibly sharp and already possessed the authority of a military commander.

Lu Yunyi handed over the list.

The top was covered with the names and addresses of more than twenty grain merchants:

"These people all gathered yesterday and are the masterminds behind this price increase."

The focus of the investigation was on Yufeng Grain Store and Dongsheng Grain Shop.
There are also three large granaries outside the city; I suspect they have stockpiled a considerable amount of grain.

Prefect Gao Shou of the capital also arrived quickly.

He was wearing an official robe and holding an official seal in his hand.

"Lord Lu, the yamen runners of the capital are all ready and can be mobilized at any time."

However, these grain merchants had extensive connections, and some were even related to officials of the Six Ministries.
Arresting someone would likely draw criticism.

Lu Yunyi looked at Gao Shou, his tone firm:

"Lord Gao, food is the lifeblood of the people."

If we allow them to raise prices, within three days, people in the capital will be full of complaints.

The resulting unrest would be far more serious than simply arresting people.

As for criticism, don't worry, I'll take it.

Seeing the resolute look in Lu Yunyi's eyes, Gao Shou sighed inwardly and said no more.

"My lord, how can we let you take the blame for something that happened within the capital's territory? The capital also bears responsibility for this matter!"

"Alright, let's get started!"

Lu Yunyi glanced around, looked at the entrance of the yamen, and asked:

"Didn't the Embroidered Uniform Guard send anyone?"

Hou Xian rushed over and replied:

"My lord, Commander Mao of the Embroidered Uniform Guard is not here, and the commander left behind does not dare to make decisions on his own."

"You damned Mao Xiang, you're fast enough to run!"

Lu Yunyi snorted coldly and waved his hand:

"action!"

"Yes!"

Five hundred imperial guards and two hundred yamen runners were divided into twenty groups.
Heading towards grain shops and granaries throughout the capital!

Xu Zengshou personally led a team to Yufeng Grain Store.

Upon arriving at the entrance, they found the grain shop's doors tightly shut.
The workers were busy loading sacks of grain onto the wagon, and the price increase sign was still hanging nearby.
"stop!"

Xu Zengshou shouted, and his soldiers immediately surrounded the grain merchant and took control of him.

The grain shop owner rushed out and, seeing the soldiers charging towards him, his face instantly changed:
"Sir, what are you doing?"
My Yufeng Grain Store is operating legally and hasn't done anything wrong!

"Legitimate business operation?"

Xu Zengshou sneered and took out the document drafted by Lu Yunyi from his pocket.
"Lord Lu issued a document yesterday, ordering you to adjust grain prices."
And you've gone even further, raising prices today!
"Guards, open the door! We need to check the grain warehouse accounts!"

The soldiers kicked open the grain store door.

The backyard granary was piled high with grain sacks, and several cellars were hidden in the corner.

Upon opening it, they found it was filled with newly harvested brown rice, totaling three thousand bushels.

Upon seeing this, the shopkeeper's legs went weak, and he collapsed to the ground, muttering to himself:

"You can't arrest me. I know Lord Wang from the Ministry of Revenue."

But no one paid any attention. The soldiers lifted him up, put him in shackles, and escorted him to the capital's government office!

The people on the street clapped and cheered when they saw the grain merchant being arrested.
Some people even followed behind carrying bags of rice, hoping to see if the price would drop.

Meanwhile, the other routes also went very smoothly.

All accounts and rice reserves were seized!

In just one morning, more than twenty grain merchants in Beijing were arrested.

Seeing this, other grain merchants also abandoned their plans to make a quick profit and adjusted their grain prices back up!
News of this behavior quickly spread throughout the capital.

The Six Ministries, Three Departments, and Five Military Commissions were aware of the Imperial Guards' actions even before they took action.

Everyone was caught off guard.
The Market and Trade Bureau... do they really dare to make a move?
Just after noon, impeachment memorials were sent to the palace like snowflakes!
In the memorial submitted by Wang Chen, the chief clerk of the Ministry of Revenue,

They accused Lu Yunyi of abusing his power, arbitrarily arresting merchants, disrupting the order in the capital, and competing with the people for profit!

Several censors jointly submitted a memorial impeaching Lu Yunyi for disregarding the people's livelihood and only knowing how to use force.

This could cause panic among merchants and affect the imperial tax revenue!

Even several officials from the Ministry of Rites submitted memorials.

It is said that the Market Exchange Bureau acted rashly and disgraced the imperial court.

Inside the Wuying Hall, Zhu Yuanzhang looked at the mountain of memorials piled up and tapped his fingers lightly on the table.

The head eunuch beside him dared not breathe too loudly; he secretly glanced at the Emperor's expression.

Seeing that Zhu Yuanzhang's face was expressionless,
His gaze was fixed on the memorial, and it was unclear what he was thinking.

"What do you think of these memorials?" Zhu Yuanzhang suddenly asked, his voice calm.

The chief eunuch immediately bowed:
"Your subject dares not presume to discuss state affairs."

I only heard from people in the palace yesterday that after Lord Lu arrested people today, grain prices dropped, and the people are all applauding.

Upon hearing this, Zhu Yuanzhang's lips curled into a very faint smile.

He picked up the topmost memorial, written by Wang Chen.
Every word in it defends the grain merchants, even mentioning that grain merchants have a difficult life and should be treated leniently.

Zhu Yuanzhang sneered and threw the memorial back onto the table.
"A bunch of traitors and rebels!"

"Throw all these impeachment memorials out!"

The head eunuch was startled; such a blatant attitude was unprecedented in recent years. He quickly replied:
"The minister obeys the order!"

"Where is Mao Xiang? Where the hell has he gone? Tell him to come and see me!"

Zhu Yuanzhang's face was grim, his eyes were cold, and his voice was like ice, making even the chief eunuch tremble.
"Your Majesty, I will immediately order someone to search for him."

(End of this chapter)