Guangzong Yaoming

Chapter 134: The Ten Major Business Gangs, a Dilemma
The battlefield was not in Nanjing, but in Beijing.

The Changming Grain Store seemed to have an endless supply of grain. Even though the amount of grain released each day was increased, it still insisted on charging thirteen cents of silver per stone of grain.

The Ming Dynasty measured 16 coins for one dan of grain. The prices at other rice shops were already about 30% higher than those at Changming Grain Shop.

The emperor's words spread, and the scale of grain release was expanded. Now it was even difficult to queue up to buy the low-priced grain from Changming Grain Store.

Qin Yongning finally couldn't help it and found Kong Shangxian.

"My Lord, what are we going to do?"

He had no way to make the decision and had to get Kong Shangxian to give a clear attitude.

"…Now, what is the actual situation of the grain market?"

Kong Shangxian also had to learn some real-time information from them so that he could respond accordingly.

This is the special effect of the emperor suddenly intervening directly in the business of merchants: in the past, a high-ranking figure like Kong Shangxian did not need to care about these specific businesses.
Qin Yongning had to introduce himself to Kong Shangxian in detail.

The eight stores of Changming Grain Store initially released a total of about 4,000 shi of grain every day.

This kind of situation lasted for about half a month, during which a total of about 60,000 shi of grain were released.

With so much grain, except for the first day when the major grain merchants in the capital were caught off guard, about 85% of the remaining grain released every day was purchased by the major grain merchants.

According to Qin Yongning's data, only about 20% of the purchased grain has been sold due to their hype, and the remaining 80% is hidden in their hands.

On the one hand, they continued to create a food shortage situation in the capital, and on the other hand...the price of food had to be higher in order to make a profit, as the price was 13 coins per stone and labor and storage costs had to be added.

"My Lord, if we don't continue to rush to buy their grain now, they can release several thousand dan every day, and each dan costs 13 coins. Then the people in the capital will not have to worry about the grain market for two or three months!" Qin Yongning said with a headache, "If we continue to rush to buy, and the price of grain in the capital does not rise by more than one or two or three coins in the end, we will not make much money at all!"

If the source of Changming Grain Store selling grain to the people in the capital is not blocked, the people in the capital can buy grain at 13 coins per dan. Given the scale of grain storage of Changming Grain Store, the grain price in the capital will definitely be set at 13 coins per dan, and will remain stable for at least two or three months.

Because the food everyone bought this time and the food stored previously are enough to last for so long.

"You didn't make any profit from the price difference of six cents of silver?" Kong Shangxian looked at him.

"Oh, my Lord, that was in the past!" Qin Yongning cried out in grievance, "Nowadays, the deed tax for the store cannot be sloppy at all! Although it was the same in the past, I will still pay tribute to the Lord later, and the income and expenditure can be calculated. Can these tributes be counted now? Besides, the situation is different, and those clerks can't bear the Lord's kindness, so how can I not take care of it?"

Kong Shangxian didn't care about that and just said, "If you buy a stone for thirteen coins and sell it for fourteen or fifteen coins, it's not a loss at all."

Qin Yongning's heart sank: "My Lord, are you serious? Do you want to admit defeat?"

Doesn't this mean that he no longer expects to make a fortune in this grain market? Then all his previous efforts would be in vain.

As long as the grain prices of other rice shops drop, the people in the capital will be stabilized. Are they really in a hurry to buy so much grain to take home?

Since it can be reduced back to fourteen or fifteen cents, why can't it be reduced to thirteen or even twelve cents like Changming Grain Store?
Kong Shangxian has charisma, but does not have much talent or experience in officialdom, and remains silent.

Qin Yongning said anxiously, "Even if we admit defeat, Changming Grain Store is willing to make less profit or even lose money, is it just to stabilize the grain price? Who should they ask for compensation for their losses? Lord, we can't lose this battle! If we lose, the people of Beijing will recognize Changming Grain Store in the future!"

He emphasized the seriousness of the consequences, but Kong Shangxian was horrified.

Yes, no one wants to suffer a real loss.

"What is the price of grain at Changming Grain Store? Do you have any idea about it?"

"...Brother sent a message saying that they bought a lot of grain from Linqing and transported it to Tongzhou by horse-drawn carriages." Qin Yongning gritted his teeth and said truthfully, "Brother said that the grain transport troops would not suffer such a big loss no matter what. The purchase price of grain transported to the north will never be lower than 7 or 8 coins per stone. Add to that the transportation, storage, deed tax, and labor costs. Given the situation of Changming Grain Store, selling grain at 13 coins per stone is definitely a loss!"

The more Qin Yongning said this, the more frightened Kong Shangxian felt.

The meritorious officials already had many complaints. If Changming Grain Store, which had the support of the duke and the marquis behind it, was willing to sell grain at a loss, it would be unless it was following the emperor's order.

The profit or loss of a mere one or two coins per stone of grain, even if there are 100,000 or 1 million stones, is not a big number in the eyes of the emperor.

He dared not neglect it any longer: "Tomorrow, you will start selling it at 13 coins per stone."

"My Lord!" Qin Yongning was shocked. He didn't expect it to have the opposite effect. "How can that be possible? If that happens, not to mention our original grain, we will lose at least 1.5 silver coins for every dan of grain we collect! We still have nearly 9,000 dan of new grain from Changming Grain Store. This is a loss of more than 800 taels of silver."

"It's just over 800 taels of silver!" Kong Shangxian's eyes turned cold, "Didn't we make some money before? In this matter, you do as I say! In this grain price dispute in the capital, His Majesty wants to move Jiangnan. But if we don't obey His Majesty's will, I'm sure you'll move me along with it!"

"... Holy Lord, are you worrying too much?" Qin Yongning didn't understand at all. "No matter what...why would I touch the Holy Lord?"

"The tax and grain prices have already been slashed. Do you think Your Majesty would still be concerned about so many things?" Kong Shangxian was also very upset.

Although the status of the literati is absolutely high, for the Ming Dynasty today, is the Shandong Yansheng Palace more important than the tax-collecting center of Jiangnan?

The emperor has already pointed his sword at Jiangnan. Do you dare to bet that he will give in because of the influence of Duke Yansheng?
At least he stayed at the court meetings every time and felt that Jiangnan had fallen into a passive position.

How could we announce in advance that there might be many floods and a significant reduction in harvests in the south this year?

……

"Lord Shen and Lord Wang are still avoiding us?"

Huizhou merchants are a more closely knit group, all born in the same prefecture. Huizhou is known as "13 Huizhou people are in the county, and 17 are in the world."

Seventy percent of them are busy doing business outside, helping and supporting each other, which is why Huizhou merchants have such a reputation.

Their hometown is located in the southwestern part of Nanzhili, but it is also a very influential branch of the Jiangnan business community.

"No!" One person said with an unpleasant expression, "The Wang family and the Jiang family are worried about the uncertainty of this year's salt policy, and they only advise us not to be stubborn."

"Is this stubbornness? The customs and business tax have to be increased. The grain price is just over one tael per stone. Why is the court making such a fuss?"

"Longyou Wang Family...what do you say?"

"They don't specialize in northern grain... Let's see what the Jiangyou families have to say about this matter." The leader said leisurely, "Among the top ten business groups in the world, the Shanxi merchants are now operating in the shell of Changminghao. As for the rest of their businesses, everyone is planning how to clear them out. We have to find out how much they can and are willing to lose."

Everyone present was silent.

Huizhou is very close to Jiangxi, and the Jiangyou merchant group, whose headquarters is in Jiangxi, is indeed the main force in the grain business of the Ming Dynasty today.

Because they are close to Huguang and Nanzhili.

The land tax pattern of the three provinces in the south of the Yangtze River and Nanzhili has been roughly determined. Over the years, Huguang has been the largest source of incremental production.

After all, the Jiangyou merchant group is rooted in Jiangxi and has close ties with Nanzhili and Nanjing.

After all, traveling merchants are not allowed to be in public. The Jiangyou merchant group, which was already active when the Ming Dynasty was founded, had already formed a complex relationship with Nanjing and Nanzhili, and became the representative of many obvious commercial interests.

The Huizhou merchants were just latecomers.

The Jiangyou merchant group dealt in tea, porcelain, paper, silk, medicine, grain, salt...each of which played an important role in the Ming Dynasty's commercial market.

The Cheng family of Raozhou, whose main business is grain, is now burdened with the heaviest burden.

"...more than 17,400 dan." The shopkeeper reported to his boss Cheng Zhongzhang in the capital, "Many families rushed to buy it, with us at the head. I'm afraid we've been included in the secret registration list..."

Cheng Zhongzhang had just rushed to the capital from Linqing yesterday. Upon hearing this, he tightly grasped the handkerchief in his hand.

"Third Master..." the shopkeeper asked, "After daybreak, we will have to deal with it. Should we continue to hold on or reduce the price to sell at a loss? You have to make a decision."

"Hold on!" Cheng Zhongzhang slapped the table. "You've all become cowards. How can you continue this business in the future?"

The shopkeeper was very worried: "It's just that the news has leaked out from the court..."

"Huguang always tells the truth!" Cheng Zhongzhang said firmly, "The new grain sold to them is the same as the one sold to us! This year, because of their disruption, everyone's purchase price has increased by at least one cent. The price of grain should have risen! How much grain can they have? Two hundred thousand dan? Five hundred thousand dan? One million dan? Even if they have to hold out for one, two, or three years, they have to hold out!"

"Third Master...be careful not to kill the chicken to scare the monkey!"

"If we retreat, we will be killed as a warning to others!" Cheng Zhongzhang said with a grim look on his face. "If we really want to kill a chicken to scare the monkeys, then we will be doomed to fail! No one will be able to profit from grain sales. The price of grain in the capital will not be less than one tael and three coins every year. The price of grain in the nine border areas will suddenly rise to three taels of silver and one stone! How can the court control these things? Can the grain transport army be completely reformed, or can the land north of the Yellow River grow more grain?"

He stood up suddenly and said, "Starting tomorrow, we will close the door to visitors! We will only buy, not sell! If we have no grain to sell, how can you say that we messed up the grain prices?"

In the Yangxin Palace, Wang Xun reported to Zhu Changluo.

"The new grain we have purchased can last for more than 20 days." Wang Xun said solemnly, "However, more and more people are watching us transporting grain from Tongzhou to the capital every day."

"That's great." Zhu Changluo was looking forward to it. "I want to see if there is anyone so bold as to commit banditry under the emperor's feet."

(End of this chapter)