Jingtai: Making the Ming Dynasty Great Again

On the eighth day of the ninth lunar month, at the Wenhua Hall.

The atmosphere inside the hall was solemn. The Grand Secretary Chen Xun, the Second Grand Secretary Gao Gu, the Ministers and Vice Ministers of the Six Ministries, the Left and Right Censors-in-Chief of the Censorate, the Commissioner of the Court of Judicial Review, and other key officials of the court were all gathered together.

Many people wore solemn or uneasy expressions, clearly having heard about Zhu Qiyu's order to thoroughly investigate grain merchants yesterday.

Zhu Qiyu sat upright on his throne: "Today I have summoned you all here to discuss only one matter: the price of grain in the capital has skyrocketed, unscrupulous merchants are hoarding grain and speculating, and even intend to transport grain out of the capital."

"Do any of you gentlemen have a good plan? What do the relevant government departments, who should be responsible for this matter, have to say?"

Zhu Qiyu directly targeted the "relevant government departments," which made some people uneasy.

After a brief silence, Shen Yi braced himself and stepped forward first: "Your subject, Shen Yi, the Right Vice Minister of the Ministry of Revenue, has a proposal."

Since His Majesty issued a strict decree yesterday ordering the Ministry of Revenue to reopen the government-sold and price-controlled grain sales, we have been working tirelessly day and night to carry out the task.

The order of government-sold grain outlets has been established, and grain prices have stabilized.

However, there are only a limited number of grain sales outlets, and many people still have not been able to purchase grain.

Furthermore, the commerce and trade in the capital city have always been jointly managed by the Shuntian Prefecture and the Maritime Trade Office.

The Ministry of Revenue had no authority to investigate the collusion and clandestine transport of grain by grain merchants, making it difficult to verify the facts.

This was not an attempt by the Ministry of Revenue to shirk responsibility, but rather a limitation imposed by its authority and duties.

Shen Yi's words first boasted of his achievements, then complained about his shortcomings, and finally passed the buck.

I've managed to stabilize grain prices for the time being, but illegal activities by merchants are not within the jurisdiction of my Ministry of Revenue.

They even tried to sow discord between Zhu Qiyu and Zhu Qiyu: "There aren't enough sales points, and you're not allowing grain merchants to sell. You're also limiting our daily sales, so some people can't buy grain."

Zhu Qiyu stared at Shen Yi, who had been so timid and subservient at the official grain sales point yesterday.

Zhu Qiyu only spoke up after Shen Yi became uncomfortable under his gaze: "If there aren't enough sales points, increase them. Make sure to keep accurate records; we can't let the people go hungry!"

After thinking for a moment, Zhu Qiyu looked at Yu Qian and asked, "Minister Yu, how long until Minister Jin arrives in Beijing?"

Upon hearing this, Shen Yi's face turned ashen.

The previous court meeting had basically confirmed that Jin Lian would be reassigned as Minister of Revenue upon his return.

Now that Zhu Qiyu has asked this question, his intention couldn't be clearer.

Yu Qian stepped forward and replied, "Your Majesty, according to the schedule, we are expected to arrive in Beijing in early October."

Esen was about to attack the city in October, and Jin Lian wouldn't be able to enter Beijing even if he returned at that time.

Thinking of this, Zhu Qiyu said, "Send someone to inform Minister Jin not to return to the capital directly, but to go to Shandong first and await my decree."

Yu Qian instantly understood Zhu Qiyu's thoughts: "As you command."

Zhu Qiyu then looked at the Prefect of Shuntian Prefecture: "Shuntian Prefecture is in charge of civil administration and public security in the capital region. Has it noticed any illegal activities by merchants under its jurisdiction?"

The Prefect of Shuntian Prefecture was an old minister nearing sixty years old. Upon hearing this, he stepped forward and said, "Your Majesty is wise. Shuntian Prefecture has been working hard to cooperate with the Ministry of Works and the Ministry of Revenue to resettle refugees and maintain order in the city. We are really short-handed."

Merchants have their own guild rules, and as long as they do not openly violate the law, the Shuntian Prefecture should not interfere too much.

As for transporting grain out of the capital... the guards at each gate inspected and released the grain, and all records are available.

If this were true, how could the guards not know?

You could inquire with the Ministry of War and the eunuch in charge of the Nine Gates.

The ball was once again kicked to the Ministry of War and the eunuchs in the inner court.

The gatekeepers belonged to the Beijing Garrison or the Imperial Guard.

Now it is managed by eunuchs under the Ministry of War and the Imperial Horse Administration and the Directorate of Ceremonial, which are directly under the emperor's jurisdiction.

Zhu Qiyu sneered inwardly; these old foxes were quite adept at shirking responsibility and passing the buck.

He looked at Chen Yi: "Censor Chen, the Censorate is responsible for supervising all officials and maintaining discipline."

Have you ever heard of such unscrupulous merchants' actions that could jeopardize the overall defense of the city?

Is there any censor willing to impeach him?

Chen Yi stepped forward, having recently been recommended by Yu Qian to concurrently serve as the Left Vice Minister of the Ministry of Revenue.

Whether he anticipated this or not, he found some reasons to stay in the Censorate and has not yet taken up a post in the Ministry of Revenue.

Chen Yi's expression was solemn: "Your Majesty, we have indeed received some reports."

However, rumors must be investigated and verified before impeachment can be carried out.

Currently, no censor has obtained conclusive evidence to prove which merchant firm openly defied the imperial decree on price parity or actually transported grain to supply the enemy.

The Censorate has already dispatched people to conduct a covert investigation. Once the evidence is conclusive, they will be severely punished without exception!

Zhu Qiyu was so angry he almost laughed.

The prices were right there on the street a few days ago, and you're saying there's no evidence?

At this moment, Hu Ying, the Minister of Rites, slowly stepped forward: "Your Majesty, this old minister believes that in this time of crisis, stability is of paramount importance."

Merchants are driven by profit; it is in their nature.

Imposing harsh punishments suddenly might frighten them into closing down or secretly obstructing the market, which would be detrimental to the overall situation.

It would be better for the imperial court to issue a decree, stating the greater good and promising post-war compensation or preferential treatment such as salt permits, to persuade them to sell grain at fair prices and weather the storm together.

In this way, the court can save face while also achieving practical results.

Hu Ying's proposal represented the thinking of a considerable number of "prudent" court officials: to focus on appeasement and persuasion, to avoid using violence as much as possible, to maintain superficial harmony, and to avoid escalating conflicts.

"Minister Hu is mistaken!"

A loud voice rang out, and everyone looked over to see Wang Zhi, the Minister of Personnel.

Although Wang Zhi was also old, he was upright and honest, and having been in charge of the selection of officials, he had a deep understanding of the malpractices in officialdom.

"Your Majesty, if kind advice were effective, why would the price of grain have risen to three taels per shi?"

Why would anyone dare to defy public opinion and transport grain out of the capital at this time?

These people only care about profit; they have never put the greater good of the nation in their hearts.

Without severe punishment, it would be insufficient to deter evildoers, appease public anger, and give an account to the soldiers defending the city!

This old minister believes that the Embroidered Uniform Guard and the Eastern Depot should be ordered to work together with the Shuntian Prefecture and the Ministry of Justice to thoroughly investigate and punish this offender!

As soon as Wang Zhi finished speaking, Yu Shiyue also stepped forward.

He was previously the Vice Minister of the Court of Judicial Review, and after being recommended by Yu Qian, he is now the Right Vice Censor-in-Chief, but still manages affairs related to the Court of Judicial Review.

Yu Shiyue said: "The laws of the Ming Dynasty stipulate that if a merchant sees someone buying or selling something and compares prices with others to confuse them and make a profit, he shall be flogged forty times."

Anyone who sells goods at a low price and considers them valuable, or buys goods at a high price and considers them cheap, shall be punished with eighty strokes of the cane.

These words undoubtedly show full support for Wang Zhi's statement: The laws of the Ming Dynasty stipulate that price gouging is illegal and punishable by law!

The two sides held completely opposite opinions, and a buzzing discussion immediately filled the hall.

Some people echoed Hu Ying's view that stability should be the priority.

Some people supported Wang Zhi, believing that harsh measures were necessary in chaotic times.

Zhu Qiyu listened quietly, and only spoke slowly after the discussion had subsided: "Minister Hu is worried about stability, and Minister Wang advocates severe punishment, both of which have their reasons."

However, if merchants can disregard the survival of the nation for their own selfish interests, where is the dignity of the imperial court?

Who will obey government orders in the future?

If they dare to seize grain today, they will dare to seize weapons tomorrow, and they will dare to collude with the enemy and betray the country the day after!

I received a report yesterday that Yongfeng, Guangyuan, and Shengtai had indeed engaged in large-scale, unusual grain movements, the purpose of which is unclear. Lu Zhong!

Lu Zhong, who had been standing at the corner of the hall, strode forward and announced, "Your subject is here!"

"Report what you have found so far in front of all the ministers. Remember, only report what has been verified."

Lu Zhong clasped his hands and said loudly, "As you command! An investigation has revealed that since the opening of the official granaries and the implementation of price parity, the three grain depots under the Yongfeng Company have sold a total of 28,000 shi of grain."

However, preliminary verification revealed that most of the buyers who received the grain were either fake businesses or people who had already moved south.

The inventory in the Guangyuan warehouse was seriously inconsistent with the accounts, with a shortage of about 15,000 shi (a unit of dry measure).

Three days ago, Shengtai applied for permission to leave the city with fifty wagons under the pretext of transporting silk.

The soldiers who were guarding the city that day have been taken back to the Northern Garrison Command for interrogation.

Yesterday, Zhu Qiyu had already instructed Lu Zhong not to openly involve the inner court.

The hall erupted in uproar, and many ministers' expressions changed drastically.

They realized they had underestimated the new emperor's determination to crack down on unscrupulous merchants.

Hu Ying opened her mouth as if to say something, but in the end it turned into a sigh.

Wang Zhi's spirits lifted, and he exclaimed, "Your Majesty! The evidence is clear. I implore Your Majesty to immediately issue an edict to seal off the three businesses, arrest all those involved, and interrogate them rigorously!"