Volume One, Chapter Seventeen: Cashing Out After This Deal

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Upon seeing Shen Qiuxue aiming to seize power, Xu Mu immediately grew excited. After enduring so many days, he no longer had to hold back; he had long been displeased with Zhang Yan.

“Lord Shen, on behalf of the people of Jiangcheng, I beseech you to take down this regime!” Xu Mu knelt to the ground with a thud, speaking passionately.

If Zhang Yan were allowed to continue causing havoc, Jiangcheng would inevitably become a living hell.

It was clear that Xu Mu truly wanted Shen Qiuxue to wrest authority from Zhang Yan.

Zhang Yan glanced at the sword mere inches from his throat, its cold gleam unmistakable. Swallowing hard, he recognized it as a fine blade—and saw clearly the intent behind Shen Qiuxue’s grip.

“Young master!” Xiao Huan gasped, her face turning pale with fright.

“Lord Shen, let us speak calmly. Why resort to weapons? Have you finished clearing out the county office’s secret informants as I commanded?” Zhang Yan chuckled, raising two fingers to nudge the sword slightly aside.

But Shen Qiuxue held the sword steady; it remained just three inches from Zhang Yan’s neck. Given Zhang Yan’s slight frame, it was not so easy to move away.

Shen Qiuxue snorted coldly. “Yesterday, as you instructed, the informants were all dealt with. But what does that have to do with your oppression of the people?”

Xu Mu was stunned. No wonder the county office seemed quieter these days—secret informants had been planted all along.

Zhang Yan cleared his throat, a confident smile playing on his lips. “With the informants gone, I can now share my plan with you.”

“The three major grain merchants are deeply entrenched in Jiangcheng. Even with my authority as inspector, I estimate the price of grain can only be pushed down to eighty wen per dou. To the common folk, that is little better than a hundred wen per dou.”

“What I want is for those profiteers who exploit the nation’s misfortune to suffer total ruin!”

As he spoke, an imposing aura burst forth from Zhang Yan’s body, causing both Shen Qiuxue and Xu Mu to pause.

“Then why raise grain prices? Why even plan to raise them to four hundred wen per dou tomorrow?” Shen Qiuxue’s brow furrowed. His initial vigor had waned.

Zhang Yan seized the moment to move the sword aside a little and stepped back with a smile. “Lord Shen, do you still recall what I said on my first day here?”

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“Return every penny to the gentry, and split the rest thirty to seventy?”

“That’s right. The ‘rest’ refers to the grain merchants.”

Zhang Yan’s lips curled into a confident grin as he patted Xu Mu’s shoulder, who looked puzzled. “In these days, I’ve visited various gentry, gathering silver to buy grain. Then, by gradually raising prices—even beyond the so-called sky-high rates—if you were grain merchants, what would you do?”

“Disguise yourselves, buy grain, and profit from the price difference?”

Shen Qiuxue and Xu Mu answered instinctively, their expressions revealing a dawning realization that they could not fully grasp.

Xu Mu was quicker to speak, confusion on his face. “Lord Zhang, are you planning to convert all the silver from the three major grain merchants into grain? But then the merchants would still have stockpiles, and the people would still have to buy grain—nothing changes.”

Zhang Yan laughed softly, putting an arm around Xu Mu’s shoulder. “But what if, at that time, so-called outside grain merchants sell grain at a hundred or even ninety wen per dou?”

“I have already blocked the grain routes in and out, but news of Jiangcheng’s sky-high grain prices has spread to the surrounding areas. Outside merchants will soon arrive. If the imperial guards disguise themselves as some of these outside merchants to lower prices, the real merchants will panic and voluntarily reduce their prices.”

“Lord Xu, human nature is greedy, but excessive greed invites death.”

Both Shen Qiuxue and Xu Mu were stunned. Xu Mu knelt again, exclaiming, “Lord Zhang’s foresight is profound. I wrongfully judged you by my own petty standards. Please punish me.”

Shen Qiuxue sheathed his sword and cupped his hands slightly, his gaze toward Zhang Yan tinged with newfound respect and caution. “I was narrow-minded.”

Manipulating human nature—nothing more.

This was a scheme exploiting the greed of the three major grain merchants and the gentry alike. By taking money from the gentry, Zhang Yan orchestrated the entire trap.

Everything, including blocking the grain routes, was part of Zhang Yan’s plan to force the grain merchants to lower prices.

No wonder the emperor placed such trust in this man.

A flash of understanding crossed Shen Qiuxue’s eyes. Zhang Yan was a master manipulator of hearts and minds, especially skilled in dealing with merchants.

Zhang Yan helped Xu Mu to his feet, patted his shoulder, and smiled casually. “Lord Xu, just don’t impeach me again.”

Hearing this, Xu Mu showed an awkward expression. “Well... just this morning, as grain prices continued to rise, I dispatched an urgent memorial to Wucheng.”

Zhang Yan: ...

You’re a memorial-writing genius, huh?

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Zhang Yan twitched his mouth. Xu Mu was a good official who cared for the people, but a bit too dull-witted.

“No matter. I’ll write an urgent letter directly to His Majesty,” Shen Qiuxue said with a light laugh.

Zhang Yan nodded, then pinched Xiao Huan’s delicate cheek and smiled. “Come, Xiao Huan, follow me back to my chamber.”

“Young master, you’re not going to sell Xiao Huan, are you? She still has to count your money,” Xiao Huan followed anxiously.

Zhang Yan glanced back at her, grinning wickedly. “Then you’d better serve me well, or I can’t guarantee anything.”

With that expression, it genuinely seemed as if he might sell her off.

Xiao Huan gasped, voice trembling with tears, “I will serve you well, young master! Please don’t sell me!”

...

Three days later, grain prices had reached a staggering five hundred wen per dou.

Not only the common folk, but even wealthy landowners and the gentry who hadn’t lent money to Zhang Yan were cursing him as a corrupt official.

At the Zhao family estate, the three heads of household gathered for yet another routine meeting.

Master Li took a sip of wine, worry creasing his brow. “Brother Zhao, grain prices keep rising. I’m really uneasy. Shouldn’t we sell our last stock at the county office now?”

In the past three days, the three major grain merchants had spent nearly all their silver to buy up grain, waiting for prices to rise further so they could sell once more.

But the price increase was too rapid, leaving Master Li and Master Han unsettled.

Master Zhao calmly took a sip and said, “That inspector can only stay in Jiangcheng for half a month at most. Ten days have passed already. Soon, he’ll take the last profit. Gentlemen, let’s go to the county office together.”

“Once we make this last profit, we can call it quits!”