Chapter Fifteen: The Grain Merchants' Gathering

“How much? Did you say how much?”

Zhu Yuanzhang seemed not to hear Mao Xiang’s words clearly; he pricked up his ears, urging him to repeat it once more.

“Your Majesty, the cost for refining and selling the salt this time amounts to five thousand taels!”

Mao Xiang raised his voice and repeated the figure again.

“Five thousand taels?”

Old Zhu’s emotions flared up again.

This was practically no cost at all—earning a solid five million taels in pure profit!

“Inform the Ministry of Works to send more personnel and refine more salt for us. We must extract a hefty sum from those wealthy households!”

“Yes, Your Majesty!”

Mao Xiang took the order and immediately went to carry it out.

...

That very night, the Lü family, grain merchants, were exceptionally lively.

Almost every well-known grain merchant in Yingtian Prefecture had gathered there.

On the surface, the Lü family was hosting a banquet, but in truth, it was to discuss the grain prices.

Only by uniting as one could the business be conducted smoothly!

The major grain merchants all understood this without needing to be told.

Within a single day, they had all received news of the disaster in Henan Prefecture.

Each one was rubbing their hands in anticipation, ready to make a big profit!

But how much should the grain price rise? And by how much? That was the question.

With all the dishes prepared, more than twenty people sat around the Lü family dining hall, while a dozen maidservants stood behind them, holding wine pots and attending to them.

Lü Mo, the head of the Lü family, raised his wine cup with a beaming smile and stood to propose a toast.

“Today, I am honored to have everyone grace Lü with your presence. Let me be the first to toast!”

He tilted his head back and drained the cup in one go.

“Master Lü, you are too polite! Being invited to your esteemed residence today is our honor!”

“Indeed! Throughout Yingtian Prefecture, who doesn’t know that the Lü family is the largest grain merchant? And with many relatives serving in the court?”

“Yes! Your niece is the Crown Princess, destined to be the Empress who will lead the nation! We are truly fortunate to attend today!”

“We’ll drink to that…”

As the merchants flattered him, they each drained their cups.

The maidservants promptly refilled them.

It was obvious that these flattering words pleased Lü Mo greatly, and he let out a hearty laugh.

“Hahaha! Largest grain merchant? Everyone’s just being polite!”

“Master Lü, we heard that the top grain-producing prefecture, Henan, has suffered from flooding?”

A young manager, unable to contain himself, was the first to speak and inquire.

Lü Mo no longer beat around the bush and nodded directly.

“That’s right! I heard it just this morning!”

The gathered merchants exchanged glances, their eyes gleaming with greed.

“Since Henan’s grain has been completely destroyed, shouldn’t we seize the opportunity to make a profit? Doubling prices seems too modest!”

“Indeed! This is a once-in-a-lifetime chance! If we miss it, making such a fortune again will be difficult!”

“Without Henan’s grain, what we hold will be precious—whether the people want to eat or not, they must consume it...!”

The grain merchants grew increasingly ruthless in their talk, intent on squeezing out a fortune from this disaster.

After sharing their views, all eyes turned to Lü Mo, waiting for his opinion to make the final decision.

“I, Lü, though inexperienced, have been in the grain trade for over thirty years and have weathered many storms! This is indeed a good opportunity. But I have heard that the court plans to open the granaries tomorrow to stabilize grain prices!”

At this, the merchants immediately frowned.

“The price has just started rising, and the court intends to release grain?”

“Does the court have such a large grain reserve?”

“Shouldn’t the Ministry of Revenue’s grain be sent for disaster relief...?”

The merchants assumed the court would only release grain reluctantly if the people’s complaints became overwhelming, to suppress the prices.

After all, the court’s yearly reserves were limited!

They hadn’t expected that just as prices began to rise, the court would open the granaries.

“This news came from my nephew, who serves at the Ministry of Revenue. It is absolutely reliable!”

Lü Mo was very confident.

“Phew... that complicates matters!” The merchants felt disappointed.

“However...” Lü Mo shifted tone, “I believe the court’s reserves may not be sufficient to supply all of Ming. Even if they release grain now, in two or three months, supplies will run short, and the people will have to buy from us again!”

“Hmm! Makes sense!”

The merchants nodded repeatedly in agreement.

“How about this: we raise the grain price threefold for now, letting the people gradually adjust. Once the court can no longer supply, we then push prices up tenfold! At that point, with no grain from the court, they will have no choice but to turn to us! What do you think?”

Lü Mo laid out his plan.

The merchants responded at once.

“Good! I think Master Lü is right! The court cannot maintain low prices forever!”

“Yes! Our families are wealthy and influential; even if we have no business for two months, it doesn’t matter!”

“Exactly! As long as we hold the grain, profit is guaranteed...!”

Smiles spread across their faces as they nodded enthusiastically.

“Good! Then it’s settled for now...!”

With the profit plan set, Lü Mo raised his cup again.

“Come, come! Enjoy the dishes and taste the skills of my household chefs!”

“Haha, thank you, Master Lü...!”

...

With their purpose achieved, the grain merchants drained their cups and began to eat one after another.

Though their fortunes might not be as large as Lü Mo’s, they were respectable men.

Accustomed to delicacies, they were not picky about food!

They picked at the dishes before them.

At first bite, the merchants showed expressions of surprise.

“Indeed, Master Lü’s household hides true talent. This is the most delicious dish I have ever tasted!”

“Yes! It surpasses the Fushun Pavilion’s by tenfold!”

“Neither bitter nor harsh, restoring the original flavor of the ingredients—the chef’s skills here are truly excellent...!”

The merchants lavished praise generously.

This time, their words were sincere.

You could tell by how eagerly their chopsticks moved!

Lü Mo smiled politely, nodding in response.

Yet inside, he cursed them for their naivety.

Though he had paid handsomely to hire the chefs, the dishes were only average; the culinary skills were not as divine as they claimed.

He bit into a stalk of green vegetable and his expression immediately changed.

“Hmm?”

It truly was as those merchants said—not bitter or harsh, with a fresh aroma.

This dish had tasted quite different just a few days ago.

What had changed today?

Trying other dishes, they were all fresh and flavorful, markedly different from before!

While puzzled, his son Lü Manchang puffed out his cheeks, chewing on Dongpo pork, and proudly asked, “Father, how do you find today’s dishes?”

“Not bad.”

“Hehe! I knew you’d like them!”

Encouraged by the praise, Lü Manchang became even more boastful.

“The salt used for cooking today was bought freshly from the street! It came all the way from the Western Regions, pure white as snow, without a trace of impurity! That’s why the dishes are neither bitter nor harsh, and taste very good!”

“Oh? Such miraculous salt exists?”

Lü Mo asked suspiciously.

“Of course! If you don’t believe me, I’ll show it to you!”

With a flourish of his plump hand, a servant was sent to fetch the salt.