MLMD -Chapter 375 Selling Rice!

“Yes—there really isn’t a princess of marriageable age who can be given away right now,” Chongzhen said, his face creasing into a frown once more.

To be fair, Zhu Youjian had inherited the Old Zhu family tradition—he was quite prolific. Up to now he had fathered twelve children in total: six sons and six daughters. But medical and sanitary conditions of the era were extremely poor, and five of those twelve had died young. As of now, Zhu Youjian had only two daughters left. The elder, Zhu Meichuo, was just eleven years old. Because she was still so young, Zhu Youjian hadn’t given the matter much thought—but even if he hadn’t, there was still Empress Zhou beside him.

After thinking for a moment, Empress Zhou gritted her teeth and asked her husband, “Your Majesty… what about Meichuo?”

“What… Meichuo?”

Chongzhen was startled at once. He stared wide-eyed at Empress Zhou, his face full of shock.

“Zitong, Meichuo is only eleven years old! How could you even bear to suggest that? Besides, that Yue Yang is already married—he already has a principal wife. How could a daughter of our imperial house be made into someone’s concubine? Absolutely not!”

Because four of his daughters had died one after another, Zhu Youjian doted deeply on the two he had left—especially the clever and lively Zhu Meichuo, who was the apple of his eye. There was no way he would let his daughter suffer such humiliation.

“Oh my… Your Majesty, what are you thinking?” Seeing her husband’s displeasure, Empress Zhou couldn’t help but laugh. She gently patted his hand and said coyly, “Although Meichuo is not my biological daughter, I have always treated her as my own flesh and blood. How could I bear to let her be wronged?”

With that, Empress Zhou turned her body away, ignoring Chongzhen.

Seeing the ever-virtuous Empress Zhou actually sulking, Zhu Youjian gave an awkward smile. Feeling a little embarrassed, he took her hand and coaxed her, saying, “All right, all right—it was my fault for speaking out of turn. You’re the mother of several children already, yet you’re still throwing childish tantrums. Aren’t you afraid people will laugh at you?”

Only then did Empress Zhou’s anger melt into amusement. She shot her husband a sideways glance and said, “Your Majesty really should think this through. That Yue Zhenghong does have a principal wife, yes—but who is that principal wife? She’s merely a Mongolian barbarian woman. How could she possibly be worthy of the status of our Great Ming’s Loyal and Brave Marquis? Of course, we can’t force Yue Zhenghong to divorce his wife and marry our daughter, but we can make Meichuo his co-wife. Think about it—if Meichuo were to bear him a son or daughter in the future, would the title of Loyal and Brave Marquis be passed to the Mongolian woman’s child, or to Meichuo’s?”

“Well… that’s true,” Chongzhen mused.

When he thought about it, it did make sense. He knew Yue Yang’s temperament well—decisive and forceful. Forcing him to bow his head, divorce his wife, and remarry was probably impossible. The Zhu family wouldn’t do something so disgraceful either—it would be laughed at for generations. But letting his daughter become a co-wife was still acceptable. And even if Meichuo’s child couldn’t inherit the marquisate, he could simply grant another title himself. After all, the power to bestow titles lay in his hands. Though the Zhu family had always been stingy with noble ranks, they were generous when it came to their own kin.

More importantly, if Yue Yang were willing to marry his daughter, they would become relatives by marriage. Yue Yang surely wouldn’t oppose his own father-in-law, would he? And then there would be Yue Yang’s battle-hardened elite army, and his vast stores of money and grain…

Thinking of this, Chongzhen felt moisture gathering at the corner of his mouth.

“Your Majesty… Your Majesty…”

Empress Zhou’s voice suddenly rang in his ear. Chongzhen snapped back to reality and realized, to his embarrassment, that his lips were indeed wet. He quickly made an excuse to wipe his mouth, then said with forced composure, “This is no trivial matter. Let us first have someone test the waters and inquire into Yue Yang’s intentions.”

Empress Zhou understood his feelings well. Though the initiative came from the Zhu family, the imperial house still had its dignity. If the emperor personally proposed and was rejected by a subject, where would the royal face be? Thus, she nodded in agreement. “That is indeed the proper course.”

After chatting for a while longer, the two retired to bed together, and the matter was set aside.

---

Early the next morning, the capital greeted another brand-new day.

In the Inner City, where officials and nobles resided, the mansions of ministers and aristocrats remained quiet and serene. But in the Outer City, where commoners and refugees lived, people had already crawled out of their bedding to begin another day of toil.

Some citizens whose households had run out of grain slung rice sacks over their backs and headed for rice shops throughout the city. But when they saw the near-astronomical prices written on the wooden boards outside the shops, despair nearly overwhelmed them.

A middle-aged man in his forties, with an honest-looking face, angrily questioned the shopkeeper. “Shopkeeper! Just a few days ago, rice was selling at two taels and eight qian per dan. Today it’s jumped to four taels! Is this how you sell rice? Are you selling rice, or gold?”

Facing the man, who was furious to the point of losing control, the fat shopkeeper lifted a large tea mug, took a sip of hot water, and only then replied unhurriedly, “I say, do you even know the rules? We sell rice, you buy rice. One willing seller, one willing buyer. If you think our rice is too expensive, then don’t buy it—no one’s forcing you.”

The man’s face instantly turned purple. He was so angry he could barely speak, stammering as he pointed at the shopkeeper. “You… what kind of talk is that? If we don’t buy rice, what are we supposed to eat?”

“Oh? You want to eat?” The fat shopkeeper deliberately dragged out his words, sneering mockingly. “So you know you need to eat. But… what you eat is none of my business, is it? Should we just give you rice for free because you need to eat? If everyone were like you, we might as well stop selling rice altogether and just hand it out for nothing! Let me tell you plainly—this rice is priced exactly like this. Buy it if you want, don’t if you don’t. If you’re not buying, then get lost!”

“How can you talk like that? That’s outright bullying!”

“How can this be… this is daylight robbery!”

“Damn profiteers… the silver I brought can barely buy a few jin of rice!”

Wails erupted from the surrounding crowd. As people cursed the unscrupulous merchants, they also counted the copper coins and scraps of silver in their pockets, calculating how much rice they could afford.

Though emotions ran high, the fat shopkeeper wasn’t worried in the slightest. He folded his fat arms across his chest and looked askance at the ragged commoners, contempt and greed undisguised in his eyes. In his view, there were only so many rice shops in the capital, all with prices set in unison. These rabble had nowhere else to buy grain. Aside from obediently handing over their silver and letting themselves be fleeced, they had no other choice.

But the fat shopkeeper celebrated too soon.

Just then, a lean young boy in a short jacket suddenly ran over from the distance and shouted loudly to the crowd waiting to buy rice, “Folks—uncles, aunties, elders—over ten new rice shops have opened in the capital! They’re selling rice for just one tael and two qian per dan! Hurry and go—if you’re late, there’ll be none left!”

“What? One tael and two qian per dan?”

“Is that true? Kid, you’re not messing with us, are you?”

“Where did this brat come from, daring to toy with your elders? Are you looking to die?”

Naturally, the crowd didn’t believe him at first. One tael and two qian per dan—that was a price from ancient history. Could rice really be that cheap nowadays? Wasn’t this kid just mocking them?

Seeing their suspicious looks, the boy panicked. He stamped his foot, nearly swearing an oath. “Uncles, sirs, who’s lying to you? If I’m lying, may I die a horrible death! There really is a rice shop next to the tea shop just past the left turn at Qianmen. The grain really is that price! If you don’t believe me, go see for yourselves!”

The crowd exchanged glances. At first, they didn’t believe it—but the boy sounded so earnest. And if he were telling the truth, then buying rice here at four taels per dan would make them utter fools.

Finally, the same middle-aged man from before spoke up hesitantly. “Enough. I know this kid—he’s Old Wei’s boy from next door to my place. He wouldn’t dare lie about something like this. Let’s go to Qianmen and take a look. If it’s really as he says, we might be able to buy cheap grain today.”

“Right… checking won’t cost us any flesh. Let’s all go have a look!”

People are herd creatures. Seeing others agree, the rest were tempted as well. They turned around and rushed toward Qianmen. In no time at all, the once-crowded rice shop was left with only two or three stragglers.

Staring at the deserted entrance, the fat shopkeeper rubbed his eyes hard. Only after confirming that no one remained did he jump up in fury, cursing, “Damn it! Which cursed bastard doesn’t know the rules and dares sell grain at a flat price? Doesn’t he fear being boycotted by all the merchants?”

---

At that very moment, beside a tea shop near Qianmen, a newly opened rice shop stood wide open. Its signboard bore four bold black characters: “Xinglong Rice Shop.” A kindly-looking middle-aged man stood at the entrance with more than ten clerks, smiling as they welcomed the incoming crowd. Behind them, a black-painted wooden board clearly displayed a single line of large characters:

“Today’s rice price: one tael, two qian per dan.”

The shopfront was packed with onlookers. Seeing the dozen or so clerks dressed in dark short jackets, many people felt uneasy. Several shouted from the crowd, “Shopkeeper, is the price written there really true? Selling rice at a fair price these days—am I dreaming?”

The shopkeeper smiled warmly and cupped his hands. “Everyone… everyone… I am the shopkeeper of Xinglong Rice Shop. The price is written clearly—absolutely honest, old and young alike. Anyone who wants to buy should do so early.”

The crowd was stunned. One man cautiously said, “Shopkeeper, I have three taels of silver here. Please exchange all of it for grain.”

“Sorry!” The shopkeeper smiled again. “Since our shop just opened, the owner has set a new rule: each person may buy only ten jin of rice. Any more, and we won’t sell it. So, I’m afraid I can’t take all your silver.”

“Heh… such a rule? That’s something new!” The crowd chuckled. Limiting sales—this rice shop really was different.

Though they still harbored doubts, there was never a shortage of pioneers. Soon, the same middle-aged man stepped forward. “Shopkeeper, here are 120 copper coins. Give me ten jin of rice!”

Seeing the coins, the shopkeeper immediately put on his practiced smile. “All right! Ten jin of rice for this customer!”

As he spoke, a young clerk took the coins, counted them carefully, then accepted the man’s sack. He scooped several ladles of rice, quickly weighed it, and handed the sack back. “Here’s ten jin of rice. Take it well. If you doubt the weight, you may weigh it again—but once you leave the shop, we won’t acknowledge any claims.”

The man opened the sack and beamed at the gleaming white rice. He hefted it and laughed. “Hahaha! No need—this is close enough. Even if it’s not exactly ten jin, it can’t be off by much.”

The clerk curled his lips, thinking, What kind of fellow talks like that?

With the first buyer done, there was no need for further prompting. The crowd surged forward.

“Ten jin for me—hurry up!”

“Damn it—don’t shove, or I’ll fight you!”

Just as chaos threatened to break out, the clerks at the door rushed in.

“Line up, everyone! Damn it, stop pushing—push again and we won’t sell! Line up properly, hurry!”

Scenes like this played out at over a dozen newly opened Xinglong Rice Shops throughout the capital. Beijing was vast, but news traveled fast. In less than two or three hours, word had spread through more than half the city.

---

Smack!

A loud slap echoed in a study, accompanied by a furious roar.

“Insolent brat—!”

A middle-aged man in a crimson python robe stood before a fat shopkeeper, bellowing. Spittle sprayed onto the man’s face, while the poor shopkeeper kept his head bowed, not daring to utter a word.

The man was of average build, about thirty-seven or thirty-eight years old, with a square face that exuded authority at a glance. Now, in his rage, he looked downright terrifying.

This imposing figure was none other than Zhu Chunzhen, the twelfth-generation Duke Cheng, and current commander of the capital garrison.

The first Duke Cheng was Zhu Neng, who had followed Zhu Di in rebellion against the Jianwen Emperor Zhu Yunwen. After the rebellion succeeded, he was granted the title of Duke Cheng, which had been passed down generation by generation to Zhu Chunzhen.

The Ming state policy emphasized civil officials over military men. The founding generals were formidable indeed, but by the late Ming, their descendants were degenerate—each generation worse than the last. Today’s nobles had long since lost their ancestors’ skills and cared only about squeezing silver from the people.

Grain in the capital was largely controlled by these nobles. Holding vast stores of grain, they tacitly colluded to raise prices and bleed the commoners dry. Officially, the state price was one tael and two qian per dan, but everyone in the capital knew that government rice shops hadn’t opened for sale in years. All functioning rice shops belonged to these nobles—and selling grain was one of their primary sources of income.

As Duke Cheng, Zhu Chunzhen naturally had a share in this. He alone owned over a dozen rice shops in the city. He’d planned to rake in silver during the famine—but that dream had just been shattered.

“You’re telling me… those Xinglong Rice Shops really belong to that person?” Zhu Chunzhen’s voice was dark and heavy, his face black enough to devour someone.

The fat shopkeeper—the same one who’d been selling rice at exorbitant prices—nodded furiously. “Reporting to Your Grace, I’ve already looked into it. Those shops really are his. The clerks and shopkeepers all speak with Shanxi accents.”

“Good, very good, Tang Hu!” Zhu Chunzhen snarled. “Last time I tried to buy your grain and you refused, I let it go out of respect for the man backing you. But now you dare push your luck and step on my face? If I don’t show some anger, do you think I’m a sick cat you can bully?”

The shopkeeper didn’t dare respond, standing respectfully to receive orders.

After venting his fury, Zhu Chunzhen waved him away and summoned an elderly steward in a blue robe. “Steward Three, take my token to the barracks at once. Tell Wang Yun to bring some men and smash all those so-called Xinglong Rice Shops. Don’t be afraid to make a scene—if anything happens, I’ll take responsibility!”

“Your Grace… is that appropriate?” The old man hesitated. “You know who stands behind those shops. If he finds out, we might be in trouble. Perhaps we should discuss this further—”

“Trouble my ass!” Zhu Chunzhen’s face twisted with ferocity. “Cutting off a man’s livelihood is like killing his parents. That brat dares cut off my money—I’ll make him know what pain is! Next time he tries this, he’ll think twice. Otherwise, without income, how is my entire Duke Cheng household supposed to survive—drink the northwest wind?”

“Yes!”

Seeing that Zhu Chunzhen’s mind was made up, the steward could only sigh inwardly and turn to leave.

But neither Zhu Chunzhen nor anyone else present could have imagined that once this matter spiraled out of control, the consequences would far exceed anything they had anticipated…