A Good Landlord in the Tang Dynasty: Starting from the Village Chief

Chapter 777 The Thousand Merchants' Feast

At the entrance of the Governor's Mansion of Luozhou
A long table was set up, and the clerks of the Governor's Office sat at the back.

Merchants went there to register using their invitations.

"Which city and which trade in Luoyang? What's your name?" The clerk, dressed in a crimson official robe with a sheepskin robe over it, glanced at the merchants lined up in front of him and asked in a completely emotionless voice.

“From the East Market,” Manager Liu was interrupted as soon as he began to speak.

"In the three markets of Luoyang in my Great Tang Dynasty, there is no East Market, only West Market, North Market and South Market," the clerk sneered.

Manager Liu quickly clasped his hands in a gesture of apology and said, "It was just a slip of the tongue. It was Fengdu City, Nanshi."

The Sui Dynasty did not have a West Market, and the Tang Dynasty did not have an East Market.

Although the three markets still exist, their names have changed. Manager Liu is used to calling it the East Market.

"Which city is it in?"

"The youngest is the head of the Nanshi Rice Shop and also the manager of the Tongri Zeng Rice Shop. His name is Liu Risheng."

Actually, all of this was clearly on the invitation he had just handed over.

But the clerk deliberately asked the same question again.

"Liu Risheng, the head of the rice shops in Nanshi and the manager of the rice shop on the same day," the middle-aged clerk looked up, "According to the instructions from above, I'm asking you..."
What kinds of grains do you sell in your store? What are the prices for the three grades (fine, second, and coarse)? How much grain do you have in stock? Also, what is your purchase price for grains?
Please report and register truthfully.

Liu Risheng hesitated for a moment, then the clerk shouted, "This was ordered by Minister Li. Are you trying to deceive me?"

"What a courageous dog!"

Liu Risheng quickly apologized, "I'm sorry, I was just distracted."

"Speak quickly, it's not just you who's here today, there are thousands of merchants!"

In addition to the 220 business leaders from the three cities, there were also several hundred large merchants, and a total of thousands of merchants were invited to the banquet.

This is a grand banquet for thousands of merchants.

Liu Risheng honestly told the clerk everything he asked, and finally pressed his fingerprint on the document.

After registering, Liu Risheng was told to go inside, but his son, who had come with him, was left behind because there was no place for him inside and he had to be arranged outside.

Inside the Governor's Mansion,

It was crowded with merchants.
Many of them were acquaintances, so they gathered in small groups, whispering among themselves, each with a hint of unease.

The backyard of the Governor's Mansion.

Li Yi was the host of the banquet.
But they were still looking at the price reports they had collected.

Millet costs 1,200 coins per shi (a unit of dry measure), wheat costs 1,800 coins per shi, and some unscrupulous merchants have even raised the price of rice to 2,400 coins per shi.

Even the shop where he bought rice yesterday, which cost 120 coins per dou (a unit of dry measure), has doubled in price to 240 coins per dou in just one night.

It’s simply outrageous to open the door for outrageous things. It’s so outrageous.

One liter of rice costs twenty-four coins, which is the Kaiyuan Tongbao coin. If it were exchanged for the Bai Wuzhu coin from the end of the Sui Dynasty, it would be seven or eight hundred coins for one dou of rice.

"When Wang Shichong was besieged, he was no better off than this."

"These guys are utterly depraved and incredibly audacious."

Li Yi threw the stack of price lists onto the table, rubbing his forehead. "Qu Tutong is really getting old. Prices in the three cities of Luoyang have risen so much, and he still hasn't reacted."

Time passed little by little.

At noon,

All the merchants arrived.

But after they entered the governor's mansion, they were placed in the courtyard.

Although this winter hasn't been cold, it's still late November.

There was no stove, and no shelter whatsoever.
Even if today is a sunny day,

But the sun wasn't very warm.

All four sides were guarded by heavily armed imperial guards; once inside, one was not allowed to leave.

But no one greeted them, and no one paid them any attention.

There wasn't even a cup of hot water, let alone a charcoal stove.

Fortunately, there were many people.

When they're piled up together, they can block out some of the wind.

One hour, then another.

The sun is setting in the west.

The sun sets,

The sky was getting dark.
The chill intensified.

The grand banquet for a thousand merchants has not yet begun.
All everyone wants right now is a cup of hot water to warm them up.

Liu Risheng was also enduring it, but what could he do? He had been mentally prepared before he entered the room; he was like meat on a chopping board.

He wondered to himself how that Situ would deal with everyone.

Should we ask everyone to donate money and food, or to subscribe to bonds, or to restore prices?
He recalled that a few years ago, Li Yi was concurrently serving as Attendant-in-Ordinary, Pacification Commissioner of Henan and Hebei, Governor and Prefect of Luozhou.

At that time, Li Yi governed Luoyang for a period of time, although it was not long, and later he went to Hebei.

But during that period,
Luoyang recovered quite quickly after the war, and his rice merchant business was also doing well.

Even the bonds that were forced to be purchased at the time have all been redeemed. Not only did they get their principal back, but they also received the promised interest.

As it got dark,
Liu Risheng was starving and even had a runny nose from the cold.

But no one dared to be disrespectful to Li Situ's reputation.

In particular, the armored soldiers surrounded them like iron towers, and the sharpness of their spears made them afraid to speak loudly.

Just when they were almost in despair,
Li Yi came out.

Qu Tutong, the governor of Luozhou and Duke of Jiang, accompanied the young Minister of Works.

"Sorry to keep everyone waiting."

"I had planned to treat everyone to a good meal today, but something unexpected happened."

"But good things come to those who wait."

Li Yi gazed at the uneasy faces in the twilight.

"Yesterday, as soon as I arrived in Luoyang, I went to the South Market. I was shocked by what I found."

Steamed buns cost twenty coins each, and millet wine costs two hundred coins a cup!

“A few years ago, I also served as the governor of Luozhou. At that time, Wang Shichong had just been defeated. After the great battle, supplies were scarce, but steamed cakes and millet wine were not selling for such high prices.” “I asked the cake seller, and he said that the price of grain had gone up and firewood had gone up, so he could only follow suit.”

When asked, the wine seller said that the prices of millet, yeast, and firewood used for brewing had all increased, so he had no choice but to raise prices as well.

"Today, all the leaders of the three markets and two hundred and twenty trades in Chang'an have arrived. Let's take advantage of this banquet and give it a try!"

try what?
The merchants were puzzled.

Li Yi then asked, "Shall we try these steamed buns first? Has the head of the Luoyang wheat flour shop arrived yet?"

Someone below quickly stood up to respond.

"How much does your wheat flour sell for per liter? And what is your purchase price?"

After asking him, I asked the miller, who was in charge of grinding flour. Then I asked the wheat merchant, who was in charge of selling wheat.

Then he asked the firewood dealer about the selling price and purchase price of the firewood.

"Okay, we've asked about everything. Now let's calculate how much it costs to make these steamed buns: flour, firewood, labor, even the yeast starter, plus the labor costs."

"One pound of flour can make twelve cross-shaped steamed buns, the same size and quantity as those sold in Nanshi."

Watching the Minister of Works calculate costs and profits with them, the merchants couldn't help but break out in a sweat.

Everyone could tell.
They raised the purchase price too much.

If you only add a small profit margin to the purchase price, a steamed bun will cost at most one coin.

This was even after the price of various raw materials had risen significantly after autumn arrived. Before that, selling two steamed buns for one coin would have been quite profitable.

The prices of firewood, flour, and cakes have all increased too much.

Twenty times—this number was quite jarring when it was announced.

“You completely disregard the three-tiered market system of the Luozhou Governor’s Office, arbitrarily raise prices, disrupt the market, and maliciously overcharge customers.”

"The heads of the five trades—firewood, wheat, mill, flour, and cake—have not fulfilled their responsibilities whatsoever. Instead, as the largest merchants in their respective trades, they have led the way in price gouging and disrupting the market."
Someone is coming! "

Li Yi shouted loudly.
Immediately, a squad of armored soldiers arrived.

"Take those five men out and execute them!"

No one expected that,
After enduring more than two hours of the northwest wind at this grand banquet, the last five leaders had their heads taken by Minister Li.

They cried out and struggled.
It's too late.

The armored soldiers dragged them outside.

Soon, the struggling and crying stopped.

Five armored soldiers, each carrying a head, entered to report to Li Yi.

Li Yi remained expressionless.
“Hang their heads right here under the eaves; this banquet isn’t over yet.”

"Ladies and gentlemen, we just calculated the cost of steamed buns. Now let's calculate the cost of millet wine."

"By the way, the imperial court had previously issued a decree prohibiting private brewing. However, most of the wine merchants in Luoyang are still brewing and selling privately, openly defying the imperial decree."

Moreover, the wine was sold at an extremely high price; a cup of millet wine, costing no more than ten coins to produce, was sold for two hundred coins.

"Somebody come!"

Before Li Yi could finish speaking...
The heads of the wine shops and wine merchants below had already fallen to the ground.

Li Yi ignored them.

They also asked to borrow their heads for use.

Several more severed heads hung under the eaves.
But it's not over yet.

"Steamed buns and wine are primarily made from grains, and the price of grain in Luoyang..."

Li Yi paused.

The heads of various grain merchants were already kneeling, crying and begging Li Yi for mercy. Some were offering to lower prices immediately, while others went so far as to say they were willing to donate grain to the imperial court.

It's too late.

Today's grand banquet for a thousand merchants

It's about making an example of someone to scare others.
We must use our brains to deter these unscrupulous merchants.

He won't kill everyone, but he has to kill some.

They chopped off the heads of more than thirty gang leaders in succession.

Li Yi finally stopped calculating the accounts.

"The prices in Luoyang have been very chaotic lately, and Chief Administrator Qu Tu is very dissatisfied."

Today, the heads of the 220 trades in the three markets are all present, so let the officials of the three markets work together with you to formulate a reasonable new price.

Once the prices are agreed upon for the latter part of the month, all businesses must strictly adhere to them. Anyone who dares to raise prices without authorization and disrupt the market will face severe punishment from the government.

"Furthermore, the imperial court has issued an edict prohibiting private brewing."
Anyone who dares to brew wine privately again will be severely punished without exception.

In troubled times, heavy codes are used, and strong medicines are used for serious illnesses.

He killed more than thirty gang leaders in one go.
Li Yi had no intention of letting them off the hook. He immediately ordered his men to raid their house and, naturally, their shops and goods were also confiscated.

Since the intention is to make an example of someone,
Then you have to be ruthless enough.

These thirty-odd heads, after being deep-fried, were hung at the gates of the three markets of Luoyang, so that everyone entering and leaving the markets could see them.

Li Yi felt no pity whatsoever.

None of these guys are innocent.

The imperial court had a precedent of the three-market system,
They, however, still wanted to take advantage of the national crisis to make a fortune.

Since he dares to take such a risk, then don't blame him for being impolite.

Li Yi didn't care which powerful figures or influential families stood behind them.

The emperor is about to arrive in Luoyang; he doesn't have much time left.
He had to act decisively and sort things out.

A group of businessmen,
He is not worthy to be his opponent.

Today, we will display the power of thunder.

We are not afraid that they will go back and outwardly comply but inwardly defy us.

As the saying goes, don't say you weren't warned.

If anyone dares to be stubborn, Li Yi doesn't need to be polite. He's not in a hurry to deal with the people behind them, but he won't hesitate to deal with these lowly, greedy, and stupid merchants.

Qu Tutong, the white-haired governor of Luozhou, gazed with his old eyes at the heads hanging under the eaves, swaying in the wind.

They fell into a long silence.

(End of this chapter)