Transmigrating to the Qi Family - Chapter 157

As the saying goes, ‘Know yourself and know your enemy, and you’ll never lose a hundred battles.’ Over the past couple of days, Pei Che sends people to investigate the background of this merchant caravan. According to reports from his spies, the head of this caravan not only organizes merchants from the south to come and sell goods while purchasing mountain produce once a year, but he also establishes a mountain goods collection shop and a separate grain store in Cangzhou.

These two stores sit side-by-side, so the townsfolk typically sell their mountain goods with their left hand to earn silver and then turn around with their right hand to spend that silver buying grain to take home. Over time, it essentially becomes an exchange of mountain produce for grain.

At first glance, this business might seem reasonable, but in reality, the price difference is so vast that nearly a whole sack of mountain produce only exchanges for less than five pounds of rice or flour—and of the poorest quality at that.

The townsfolk are angry but don’t dare to voice their discontent. They grow insufficient food on their own, and this is the only grain store in town. If they don’t buy from here, what can they do? After all, all the local grain shops in Cangzhou have been driven out of business.

It starts with this out-of-town grain shop luring customers with low prices while the local shops are still open, leaving the local shops with no patrons and large quantities of grain unsold and piling up in their warehouses.

Later, somehow, the warehouses of several local grain shops are sabotaged. After a heavy rain, the grain stored inside gets soaked, causing it to either sprout or mold. Less than ten percent remains fit for consumption.

Everyone knows who is behind it, and the local grain shopkeepers file a joint complaint against the out-of-town grain shop. Unfortunately, the local magistrate at the time dismisses it for lack of evidence, and eventually, he refuses to accept any more complaints.

Those local grain shops suffer a severe blow and never recover. They later shut down and switched to other trades, abandoning the grain business entirely.

After this incident, the out-of-town grain shop became the only place in Cangzhou where people could buy grain.

Initially, the townsfolk don’t realize the problem. But slowly, the grain shop begins to raise its prices, hiking them three times in just one month, quickly surpassing the average price of the previous local shops—and the prices keep rising.

Seeing the public’s growing outrage, the grain shopkeeper comes forward to “mediate,” claiming that if they sell their mountain produce to the newly opened shop next door, they can not only earn money but also receive a discount on grain prices—a win-win situation, isn’t it?

The townsfolk think so, too; if they can earn money and get a discount, it doesn’t matter where they sell their mountain produce. And so, the tragedy repeats itself, and the other mountain produce collection shops in Cangzhou are forced out of business one after another.

As all competitors are eliminated, that grain shop finally reveals its true nature. The grain prices keep climbing, while the price for purchasing mountain goods is continuously suppressed. After several years, the exchange rate for mountain goods to grain becomes five to one—about five pounds of dried mountain goods for one pound of grain.

During this period, a few try to reopen grain shops or mountain goods stores, but they rarely last long. For one reason or another, they soon face ruin, and over time, no one dares to involve themselves in these trades anymore.

When the annual merchant caravan arrives each year, the grain prices drop a bit, and the buying price for mountain goods increases slightly. Over time, the townsfolk begin to eagerly anticipate the caravan’s arrival.

After hearing all this, Jiang Miao can’t help but feel a bit impressed. The chief of that merchant caravan is evidently highly skilled in ruthless business tactics and manipulating people’s expectations. Of course, the local government’s inaction is also a major factor. According to what he knows, anyone with a connection to the local officials can buy grain at standard prices.

When they first arrive, the local bailiff leads them to the grain shop, which now seems like a way to signal to those involved that they are in a position of authority.

…

“My Lord, that man has been waiting outside for an hour. Should I…?” The bailiff, who has come to report, is silenced by Pei Che’s cold gaze, swallowing his words of persuasion immediately.

“If he can’t wait, he’s free to leave. I am occupied with official duties and cannot spare the time.” Pei Che lowers his head and continues working on his official duties.

“Understood. I’ll go dismiss him,” the bailiff replies hastily, backing out and making his way to the receiving hall outside.

Waiting there sits a middle-aged man with a goatee—the chief of the merchant caravan. He looks anxious, no longer the calm and self-assured figure he’d been when standing on the high platform earlier.

“My Lord Bailiff, did the Magistrate mention when he will see me?” Upon seeing the returning bailiff, the chief merchant immediately rises to greet him, his face filled with eager anticipation.

The bailiff shoots him a glance, snorts in irritation, and says, “Our Prefect is busy with official matters. Do you think just anyone can meet him whenever they please? If you can wait, then wait; if not, then leave. Don’t drag me into any trouble again.”

The bailiff’s words make the chief merchant’s heart sink. When he hands over the silver earlier, this bailiff had been all smiles, saying the Prefect was known for his kindness and would certainly not make things difficult. But after coming back from his visit inside, the bailiff’s attitude has completely changed, even warning him not to drag him into trouble. It seems that this newly appointed Prefect isn’t as lenient as they’ve claimed.

The chief merchant lowers himself humbly, repeatedly apologizing to the bailiff and promising he will wait patiently, finally appeasing the bailiff’s irritation.

“My advice is to think carefully about how you might have offended our Prefect, and come back to apologize,” the bailiff suggests, with a hint of sympathy in his voice as he pockets another two taels of silver.

The chief merchant smiles and agrees, but as soon as the bailiff leaves, his face falls, and even the faint smile on his lips vanishes. Initially, he thought he hadn’t given enough in bribes, so he brought silver notes today to show his sincerity. Yet he hadn’t expected that he wouldn’t even be allowed through the door.

How exactly has he offended this new Prefect?

Even after spending the whole day cooling his heels at the government office, the chief merchant still ponders this question on his way home.

After a long while, his eyes light up, and he immediately calls in several of his assistants to question them. 

They, too, are completely in the dark, unsure of what might have gone wrong.

Finally, one of them cautiously suggests, “Could it be that the Prefect’s wife came to buy something, and we forgot to give her the lowest price?”

The Prefect’s wife? They had accounted for all the families of previous officials but had completely overlooked the disposition of the new official’s family. By now, it’s too late to try and make amends.

For two days in a row, the chief merchant goes to the government office, waiting for Pei Che to summon him, but he still hasn’t managed to see him.

“This can’t go on. If the Magistrate refuses to meet me and lets people disrupt my business once we start, I need to come up with a solution today!” The chief merchant is visibly agitated, silently cursing himself for jumping into business as soon as he arrived this year without making the proper arrangements. Now he’s stuck in a dilemma, losing big by focusing on small gains.

If this had happened in another region, it would have been easier to handle. The Prefect has superiors, after all—just keep his higher-ups happy, and what could he do even if he was displeased?

But Cangzhou is isolated, accessible only by a narrow mountain road. Word has it that the Prefect has already ordered a checkpoint set up a hundred meters from the entrance of the mountain road, so his people would be noticed as soon as they try to leave—forget about finding help to file a complaint.

Since one approach won’t work and neither will another, someone suggests focusing on the Prefect’s spouse. If they can make his spouse happy, surely a little pillow talk will get the Prefect to soften his stance.

The one who tied the knot must untie it, as the saying goes, and this suggestion quickly gains everyone’s support.

They immediately split up to gather information. Half an hour later, they reconvene to share what they’ve found.

“The Prefect’s spouse is a man!” The most shocking news is shared first. After the initial surprise, they quickly accept it. So what if he’s a man? Pillow talk will still work just the same, won’t it?

“I’ve heard that this ‘Madam’ also comes from a humble vendor background and has a great love for money,” someone notes.

“And he loves fresh, tasty food. Apparently, he’s gone up the mountains several times on his own to pick mountain goods, all for the chance to eat the freshest and tastiest treats,” another adds.

They each share the information they’ve gathered, piecing together a profile to better strategize. Before long, they conclude that the Prefect’s spouse is a money-loving, gluttonous, petty, and jealous man.

The group exchanges skeptical glances, unsure whether to doubt this conclusion, but at the same time, it feels plausible.

After a brief discussion, they select a few choice items from their goods, wrap them up, and send the gift to the Prefect’s quarters that very afternoon.

When Jiang Miao receives the note, he chuckles. It seems Pei Che is right—unable to get through the front, they’ve come around to the back. He has someone invite the visitor into the parlor, then changes into a more formal outfit that will command authority, and strides in confidently.

“Your humble servant, Xu Youdao, greets Madam. This modest gift is merely a token of respect; I hope Madam will accept it with a smile.” Xu Youdao respectfully presents the gift list, taking a quick glance at the Prefect’s spouse before quickly averting his gaze. For some reason, he feels the man before him looks vaguely familiar.

Jiang Miao accepts the list and takes a look. It’s rather extravagant, with all sorts of luxuries included, especially a large glass mirror—a costly item.

“Thank you, Steward Xu, for your generosity. Please, take a seat,” Jiang Miao says with a faint smile, sitting down and motioning Xu Youdao to sit as well.

“No need for thanks, Madam. We’ve been in Cangzhou for three or four days now, and I feel quite uneasy, thinking we haven’t yet paid our respects to the Prefect. I feel it’s time to come and pay my respects,” Xu Youdao sighs, looking genuinely regretful, as though this matter weighs heavily on his mind.

Jiang Miao laughs politely. “You’re too kind, Steward Xu. The Prefect is very busy with official duties and wouldn’t be bothered by such a minor thing. Besides, so many people come to Cangzhou; if he met with every single one, he’d never finish his work.”

“Indeed, indeed,” Xu Youdao replies quickly. “It was presumptuous of me to come unannounced, disturbing the Prefect’s peace. However, I came out of helplessness, hoping neither the Prefect nor Madam would take offense.”

Seeing that Xu Youdao is getting to the point, Jiang Miao feigns ignorance and replies, “If you have a reason, Steward Xu, why not go ahead and tell me?”

“Of course,” Xu Youdao says. “I organized a merchant caravan to come to Cangzhou for business, but for some reason, the bailiffs have been concentrated on those two streets over the past few days, making the locals too scared to come by. Naturally, business has come to a standstill. With no other option, I thought to pay a visit to the Prefect to see if he needs our assistance in resolving this matter quickly.”

As he speaks, he downplays his concerns, but anyone can catch the discontent in his tone.

Jiang Miao smirks inwardly but outwardly feigns a look of confusion. “Since it’s an official investigation, naturally, it can’t be resolved quickly. Why not be patient, Steward Xu, and wait a few days? Once the case is closed, the people will come back and resume their business with you. Don’t you agree?”

Steward Xu forces a smile. “Madam is right. Delays in other business wouldn’t matter so much. But if the rice and flour we brought from the south aren’t sold promptly to the people of Cangzhou, it may leave them with empty stomachs. Wouldn’t that be our fault?”

Seeing him frame the issue in noble terms, Jiang Miao’s smile grows cooler. “That’s easy enough to solve. Since you’re selling it anyway, why not sell it directly to the local granaries? That way, the people get their grain, and you don’t have to worry about your business. Isn’t it the best of both worlds?”

Xu Youdao is caught off guard by this suggestion, unsure of how to respond. After a pause, he says, “You jest, Madam. We brought a large supply, far more than the local granaries could handle. Selling directly to the people is simpler and avoids extra transactions. Might the Prefect be available this evening? I’ve arranged a banquet at Drunken Tea Fragrance Pavilion and would be grateful if you could kindly extend the invitation to him so we can discuss further.”

He deliberately changes the subject, obviously not wanting to continue to communicate about the grain issue.

Jiang Miao takes the hint, nodding with a smile. “I’ll pass the message along.”

“Thank you, Madam. It’s getting late, so I won’t bother you. I’ll take my leave.” Xu Youdao bows, and after Jiang Miao nods, he stands up and leaves.

After he leaves, Jiang Miao opens the gift list again and instructs Chan Yi and Wen Jing, who stand nearby, “Store this list and the gifts he sent.”

“Yes.”

That evening, Pei Che and Jiang Miao dress simply and go together to Drunken Tea Fragrance Pavilion. Xu Youdao has already instructed staff to greet them, and as soon as they arrive, they are ushered into a reserved private room.

“I greet the prefect. Your presence truly brings glory to our humble establishment!” Xu Youdao hurries forward, pulling out chairs for them, his words dripping with flattery.

Pei Che wears a stern expression, clearly displeased, and merely responds with a cold snort. Jiang Miao nudges his arm, prompting Pei Che to restrain his scowl and glance at Xu Youdao. “What business do you have with me?” he asks.

Xu Youdao replies, “Prefect, it was my lack of foresight. I was so focused on business that I failed to pay respects to the office first. It was thoughtless of me, and I beg your forgiveness. Please, don’t let my mistake ruin things for us.” With that, he downs three cups of wine to apologize to Pei Che.

Pei Che picks up his cup and chuckles. “Steward Xu, what an odd thing to say. You do your business; what does that have to do with the government?” He drains his cup in one gulp. “If there’s nothing else, I won’t keep you company.”

Xu Youdao is dumbfounded, not understanding why Pei Che would want to leave after saying just a few words. Could it be that failing to extend his respects initially is enough to offend the prefect so deeply?