Volume One, Chapter 15: Another Rise in Grain Prices

Wu City, Imperial Palace, Hall of Mental Cultivation.

Between handling memorials, Jiang Zhiwan rubbed her brow, intending to rest for a moment.

In recent years, the Great Wu realm had been plagued by incessant natural disasters, leaving the entire nation weary and worn.

Though Jiang Zhiwan was determined to change the situation, beset by both internal troubles and external threats, she often felt powerless despite her resolve.

Just then, the voice of a eunuch messenger came from outside the Hall of Mental Cultivation.

“Your Majesty, the magistrate of Jiang County has submitted an urgent memorial, expedited across eight hundred miles.”

Hearing news from Jiang County, Jiang Zhiwan’s interest was immediately piqued.

She was eager to see what Zhang Yan had been up to during his past two days there.

“Bring it forward,” Jiang Zhiwan commanded, taking the memorial.

But as she unfolded it and skimmed its contents, a trace of anger darkened her expression.

She had hoped Zhang Yan could suppress the grain prices to a satisfactory level, yet the memorial plainly stated that grain prices had soared to two hundred wen per dou.

With a sharp bang, Jiang Zhiwan slammed the memorial onto the desk in fury.

“Misappropriating tax silver? Grain priced at an exorbitant two hundred wen per dou? And sold through the county office?”

Her chest heaved with rising indignation, her brows knitting tightly, as if on the verge of explosion.

Yet something felt off. From Zhang Yan’s prior handling of the national debt and wool affairs, it was clear he was no simpleton.

Moreover, he was the very man who had penned the line, “Wine and meat rot in the wealthy mansions, while frozen bones lie by the roadside,” revealing his compassion for the common folk.

So Jiang Zhiwan reread Xu Mu’s memorial twice but found no clue to explain the anomaly.

Rubbing her forehead, she sighed softly and murmured, “Tomorrow’s court session will no doubt be filled with endless disputes.”

Just as Jiang Zhiwan anticipated, on the morning of the next day’s court session, the first to rise was Lin Zheng from the Censorate.

“Your Majesty, yesterday I heard that Zhang Yan, the supervising censor of Jiang City, has raised the grain price to a staggering two hundred wen per dou—a price fit to be called sky-high grain—and is selling it through the county office, preying upon the people. Such a crime demands capital punishment!”

Lin Zheng, like Elder Yang, was a veteran official who had served three reigns.

But unlike Elder Yang, Lin Zheng was known for his uncompromising integrity. Whether it was Zhang Yan or even Emperor Jiang Zhiwan herself, if wrongdoing was found, Lin Zheng would not hesitate to submit impeachment memorials.

As Lin Zheng spoke, those ministers who had been wronged by Zhang Yan in recent days immediately stood up.

“Your Majesty, I have also heard the rumors. This man knows nothing of the hardships faced by the people, raising grain prices arbitrarily and amassing wealth at the expense of the city’s populace. This is a grave offense!”

“I second that!”

The funds for the wool project were not insignificant. Though Jiang Zhiwan did not require all the ministers to pay the full amount, each contributed a fair sum.

Now they had caught Zhang Yan at a fault and would not let him off so easily.

At this, General Zhang Wu scowled, puffing out his whiskers and glaring, “Damn it! Yan might have a plan. You all just know how to kick someone when they're down.”

“Oh? Then, Lord Zhang, do enlighten us. Let us see what plan the young master has for this sky-high grain price of two hundred wen,” a minister sneered, directing his gaze at Zhang Wu.

Caught off guard, Zhang Wu was momentarily at a loss for words.

He himself did not know what Zhang Yan’s plan was. The brat hadn’t even sent a letter. Out of loyalty, he had only exchanged a few harsh words with those ministers.

Helplessly, Zhang Wu turned to Jiang Zhiwan and knelt with a thud. “Your Majesty, please see clearly—Yan would never exploit the people.”

From the dragon throne, Jiang Zhiwan glanced over the assembled ministers, her gaze lingering briefly on Zhang Wu.

Then, in a cold tone, she said, “Since I have granted them two weeks, esteemed ministers, let us wait together. After half a month, those who succeed shall be rewarded, and those who fail shall be punished.”

With Jiang Zhiwan’s words, the ministers fell silent.

...

Jiang County, County Office.

Outside the county office gates, a throng of commoners had gathered—not to buy grain, but to plead for a reduction in grain prices.

“Please, sir, have mercy. At two hundred and fifty wen per dou, even if we sell everything we own, we cannot afford it.”

“Yes, sir, I haven’t eaten for two days. I beg you on my knees.”

“Sir, please save my entire family.”

Inside the county office, Xu Mu paced back and forth, several times attempting to open the door and dispatch grain.

“Where is that wretched official Zhang Yan?” Xu Mu barked angrily, addressing a clerk nearby.

Zhang Yan’s absence had led Xu Mu to openly call him a despicable official.

He was simply infuriated.

In the past two days, Zhang Yan had neither shown any intent to lower grain prices nor to ease the burden. Instead, he raised the price to two hundred and fifty wen per dou—more than double the hundred wen price from two days prior.

Xu Mu did not understand Zhang Yan’s intentions: the grain purchased by the imperial guards was all returned to the county granary, while silver was continuously paid to the guards, who then posed as commoners to buy grain.

Such meaningless actions baffled Xu Mu completely.

Moreover, Xu Mu had learned yesterday that Zhang Yan was widely regarded in Wu City as a foolish young master.

This further irked Xu Mu—how could the court appoint such a fool as supervising censor, and allow such absurdities?

“He’s probably visiting those wealthy gentry again,” the clerk sighed in response.

Hearing this, Xu Mu snorted coldly. “These past days, he’s either at this gentry’s mansion or that one. Does he love silver so much that he’s willing to disregard the lives of the people?”

“Well...”

The clerk opened his mouth but said nothing. After all, he was just a clerk of the county office, unqualified to judge a supervising censor.

At that moment, the county office door creaked open, and the three major grain merchants entered together, faces alight with smiles.

The three heads immediately searched for Zhang Yan.

“Where is the honorable censor?” Master Zhao scanned the office but found no sign of Zhang Yan, then inquired.

Seeing the trio of grain merchants, Xu Mu’s expression darkened further, his voice growing cold. “What brings you here?”

Master Zhao chuckled. “Naturally, we come to discuss with the censor the sale of the second batch of grain.”

In these two days, they had watched the grain prices soar, prices that did not obey market laws; if Zhang Yan wished to raise prices, he could do so at will.

Who among the three grain merchants was not envious of the two hundred and fifty wen per dou price?

But Zhang Yan forbade them from selling privately, so they had to come to the county office to negotiate the second batch.

This second batch, even if it could not fetch two hundred and fifty wen per dou, must not be sold below one hundred and fifty wen.

Upon hearing that the grain merchants wished to sell more grain, Xu Mu snorted coldly. “We won’t buy!”

The ten thousand taels of tax silver had already been spent by Zhang Yan; the county office had no silver left to purchase grain. Even if it did, Xu Mu would never partake in such a pointless endeavor.