Chapter 477: The Ai Family…

The Suzhou Prefecture Office stands in the city center, a three‑gate courtyard; at the gate sit two stone lions, polished to a glossy shine.

The Prefect, surnamed Zhao, is a man in his early forties, plump, dressed in fifth‑rank official robes, pale and clean, looking rather like a kindly old gentleman.

He heard that the Prince had arrived, hurried out to greet him, and knelt on the ground to kowtow.

"I, Zhao Wenjin, Prefect of Suzhou, request an audience with His Highness the Prince."

Zhu Yong did not look at him, and strode into the Prefecture Office.

Zhao Wenjin scrambled to his feet, followed behind, beads of sweat rolling down his forehead.

"Prefect Zhao, the grain price in Suzhou has risen by thirty percent; are you aware?" Zhu Yong sat down in the main hall, looking at Zhao Wenjin.

Zhao Wenjin dabbed the sweat from his forehead and cautiously said, "I know; I have already reported to the Ministry of Revenue, requesting the opening of granaries to release grain."

"Has the Ministry's approval arrived?"

"It…has arrived, but those grain merchants won't listen and still raise prices."

Zhu Yong said lightly, "If the grain merchants won't listen, are you powerless?"

Zhao Wenjin opened his mouth, but could not speak.

Zhu Yong stared at him, saying nothing.

Zhao Wenjin has been Prefect of Suzhou for three years; with grain prices soaring like this, he could not be unaware of the hidden tricks.

Is it that he cannot manage, or that he dares not intervene?

"Prefect Zhao, do you know the Ai family?" Zhu Yong asked suddenly.

Zhao Wenjin's complexion changed, his lips trembled, and what he wanted to say was swallowed back.

"Know them or not?" Zhu Yong asked again.

"Know…know."

"What businesses does the Ai family have in Suzhou?"

The sweat on Zhao Wenjin's forehead increased, streaming down his cheeks.

"Grain shops, cloth warehouses, pawnshops, money houses…all of them."

"What is the head of the Ai family called?"

"Ai…Ai Sa Ke."

Zhu Yong nodded.

"Prefect Zhao, go back and draft a notice: starting tomorrow, the grain price in Suzhou City shall be reduced to its original level, the grain will be allocated by the court, the Ai family's granary has been sealed by this Prince, and the grain inside will be sold to the people at a fair price.

Tell those grain merchants, who dares to raise prices? Don't blame this Prince for being unkind."

Zhao Wenjin nodded repeatedly, "I…I obey."

Leaving the Prefecture Office, Zhu Yong went to a grain shop in the city.

A long queue formed at the grain shop's entrance, townsfolk holding money bags, waiting to buy rice.

An old man emerged from the shop, carrying a small sack of rice, his expression grim.

"Sir, how much per jin?" Zhu Yong asked.

The old man sighed, "Thirty wen per jin; it used to be only twenty wen, a fifty‑percent increase."

Zhu Yong said nothing and entered the grain shop.

The shopkeeper saw him, first startled, then his face changed.

"Your…Your Lord…"

"Why is the grain price so high?" Zhu Yong asked.

The shopkeeper stammered, "The…the purchase price is high, so the selling price is high too."

"What is the purchase price?"

"Two…twenty‑five wen."

"Selling at thirty wen, how much profit do you make per shi of grain?"

The shopkeeper fell silent.

Zhu Yong looked at him, was silent for a moment, then said, "Starting tomorrow, the grain price will drop back to twenty wen per jin; the court will bring grain over and sell it at a fair price.

If you still dare to raise prices, this Prince will seal your shop."

The shopkeeper nodded repeatedly, his legs went weak.

Leaving the grain shop, the sky had already grown dark.

Zhu Yong found an inn in Suzhou City and took lodging.

At night, he sat by the window, watching the darkness outside.

The Suzhou night was quiet, faint sounds of silk and bamboo instruments drifting from afar.

Liu Zhen entered from outside, clasped his fists and said, "Prince, the Imperial Guards have obtained news that the head of the Ai family, Ai Sa Ke, is at a manor outside the city; shall we go capture him?"

Zhu Yong thought for a moment, shook his head, and said, "Not urgent; we'll discuss it tomorrow."

Liu Zhen replied, and stepped back out.

Early the next morning, Zhu Yong led the Imperial Guards to the manor outside the city.

The manor lay west of Suzhou City, nestled by hills and water, covering a vast area.

At the gate stood several long‑robe‑clad Jews, sporting large beards and black hats; upon seeing this entourage, their faces changed.

A man looking like a steward stepped forward, speaking halting Chinese, "Sir, this is the private residence of the Ai family, you…"

"Enter and report that the Prince has arrived," Liu Zhen interrupted.

The steward's expression shifted, and he hurried inside.

After a short while, a man in his fifties emerged from within.

He wore a black long robe, a thick beard, deep‑set eyes, a high nose bridge, and a black hat.

He walked up to Zhu Yong, bowed deeply, and in Mandarin said, "Humble servant Ai Sa Ke, may I have audience with the Prince."

Zhu Yong looked at him and said lightly, "Ai Sa Ke, do you know why I, the Prince, have come to find you?"

Ai Sa Ke lowered his head, his expression unreadable.

"Humble servant… humble servant does not know."

"The grain price in Suzhou has risen; are you behind it?"

Zhu Yong asked directly.

Ai Sa Ke's complexion changed.

He lifted his head, looked at Zhu Yong, opened his mouth, but swallowed whatever he was about to say.

"Humble servant… humble servant only does business; grain price fluctuations are market rules, not something I can control."

Zhu Yong's mouth corner twitched slightly.

Market rules.

These Jews, at least they know how to talk.

"Ai Sa Ke, I ask you, how many grain warehouses does the Ai family have in Suzhou?"

Ai Sa Ke hesitated, then said, "Four… four."

"How much grain?"

"Two… two hundred thousand shi."

"When do you plan to sell this grain?"

Ai Sa Ke was silent for a moment, then said, "Wait… wait for the grain price to rise a bit more."

Zhu Yong looked at him, said nothing.

Ai Sa Ke's forehead began to sweat.

"Ai Sa Ke, I give you two options," Zhu Yong raised a finger.

"First, sell the grain at a fair price to the court, the Ai family's business continues as before, but you may no longer hoard to manipulate prices."

"Second, I will seize your warehouses, audit your accounts, throw you into the great prison, and confiscate all of the Ai family's business."

"Which do you choose…"

Ai Sa Ke's face turned deathly pale, his lips trembled, unable to speak.

After a while, he knelt on the ground, kowtowed and said, "Humble servant… humble servant chooses the first option."

Zhu Yong nodded.

"Fine, within three days deliver the grain to Suzhou Prefecture's warehouses, sell it to the court at a fair price. From now on I will have people watch the Ai family's business; if you dare to cause trouble again, don't blame me for being unkind."

Ai Sa Ke kowtowed repeatedly.

Zhu Yong turned, strode out of the manor.

Liu Zhen followed behind, whispered, "Prince, you let him go like that?"

"Let him go? Not that easy," Zhu Yong flipped onto his horse, "send a few men to keep an eye on him, see what moves he makes."

"Yes…"

Returning to Suzhou City, it was already noon.

Zhu Yong stopped in front of the Prefect's office; Zhao Wenjin had already posted a notice that grain prices had dropped back to the original level.

The townsfolk gathered around the notice, murmuring.

"Has it really dropped to twenty wen?"

"It says so, the Prince's order; who dares not lower it?"

"Great, finally we can eat a full meal."

Zhu Yong walked past the crowd, his steps unceasing.

In the evening, Zhu Yong sat in an inn, with a bowl of rice, a plate of pickles, and two pieces of braised meat before him.

He ate while reading the intelligence delivered by the Brocade Guard.

The Ai family had businesses in Suzhou, Songjiang, and Changzhou prefectures—grain shops, cloth warehouses, pawnshops, money houses—totaling dozens of establishments.

Annual profit was at least several million taels.

These Jews, having been in Great Ming only a few years, have already made that much money.

"Prince, there's movement on Ai Sa Ke's side," Liu Zhen said as she entered from outside.

"Speak…"

"Ai Sa Ke sent people to Songjiang and Changzhou; it seems they are contacting grain merchants there, probably intending to transport the grain elsewhere to sell."

Zhu Yong set down his bowl, thought for a moment.

"Send men to Songjiang and Changzhou, tell the Prefects there to seal the Ai family's warehouses; not a single grain may be shipped out."

Liu Zhen answered, turned and left.

Early the next day, Zhu Yong went to Songjiang with his men.

Songjiang City lies east of Suzhou, near the sea, and is an important grain distribution hub in Jiangnan.

When Zhu Yong arrived, the Prefect of Songjiang had already received the order and was sealing the Ai family's warehouses.

The warehouses are in the north of the city, adjacent to the Huangpu River, rows upon rows of granaries, larger than those in Suzhou.

The overseer was dragged onto the ground, trembling all over.

"Prince, these warehouses also contain two hundred thousand shi of grain," Liu Zhen stepped forward.

Zhu Yong nodded.

Two hundred thousand shi, plus Suzhou's two hundred thousand, plus Changzhou's, makes about six to seven hundred thousand shi.

These Jews have a big appetite.

Sealed; the grain is sold to the court at a fair price.

That afternoon, Zhu Yong went to Changzhou again.

The Prefect of Changzhou also received the order and was sealing the Ai family's granary.

The grain from the three prefectures totals nearly 800,000 shi.

Zhu Yong sat in the main hall of the Changzhou Prefect's office, with the Ai family's ledger laid out before him.

"Prince, the Ai family's ledger has been examined; in recent years they have profited by hoarding and cornering the market, earning at least several million taels of silver."

Zhu Yong nodded and said nothing.

These Jews really know how to do business.

But even if they are good at business, they cannot cause trouble on Great Ming's territory.

At dusk, Zhu Yong returned to Suzhou with the Brocade-Clothed Guard.

Ai Sa Ke knelt at the inn's doorway, trembling all over.

"Prince, the commoner acknowledges his mistake and begs for your mercy."

Zhu Yong looked at him and was silent for a moment.

"The grain has already been sold to the court at a fair price; the Ai family's business may continue, but from now on they must obey Great Ming's rules."

Ai Sa Ke kowtowed repeatedly, "Yes, yes, the commoner will certainly abide by the rules."

Zhu Yong no longer looked at him, turned, and walked into the inn.