"Save food?" Shen Rong was startled, then a flattering smile appeared on his face:
"Is His Highness worried about the Shen family's hoarding..."
"Haha, Your Highness is worrying too much. I, the Shen family, follow Your Highness and have already made a lot of money from the glass business."
"Coupled with the old business at home, the money raised is enough to cover expenses. How could..."
"Just tell him how much grain is left in the warehouse. How come there is so much nonsense?" Zhu Su glanced at him. In the past, the Shen family came to Yingtian to report that the censor Xunhe had cut off the Shen family's business and wanted Zhu Su to step in for him.
Zhu Su didn't take this matter into his mind at that time, but now that he thought about it again, he had a bad feeling in his heart.
Although Ru Taisu is annoying, he doesn't seem like someone who would pretend to be a person for personal gain. Otherwise, he would not gain Zhu Biao's trust. Since he had taken action on the Shen family who had Zhu Su's support, could he be trying to suppress the Shen family's early success...
After receiving a sideways look from Zhu Su, Shen Rong's whole body trembled.
Although this young highness was of noble birth, the more we got along with him, the more I realized that he was not an arrogant person, but rather very approachable.
Today was unusual, and Shen Rong suddenly didn't dare to prevaricate. "I dare not deceive Your Highness. My nephew Shen Hai takes care of all affairs in my hometown in Suzhou."
"I'll call him now, I'll call him now..."
Shen Rong knew very well that Zhu Su should not be offended, and he walked quickly even with a crutch. After a while, he found a young man with hollow eyes and a somewhat rich appearance.
When the young man saw Zhu Su sitting at the top, he hesitated for a moment, and finally knelt down under the urging of his uncle Shen Rong: "Chen Hai, a common man, has met His Highness King Wu!"
Zhu Su nodded. "Chen Hai, I want to ask you this."
"How much food is left in your Shen family's granary now?"
"Oh, please reply to Your Highness."
"There are still more than 80,000 stones of grain in my granary. It is enough for His Highness to eat."
"Don't worry, Your Highness, no matter how desolate the city is, you will never be hungry!"
Chen Hai said with a complacent expression on his face. But he didn't see that Shen Rong's face turned green next to him.
"Eighty thousand...more stones?" Zhu Su's eyes widened.
During the Hongwu period of the Ming Dynasty, an ordinary government paid more than one million shi in taxes to the court throughout the year. Even some wealthy state capitals only pay more than two million dan in tax annually. The Shen family is an ordinary wealthy family. Although he is known as the richest man, his family has more than 80,000 shi of food hoarded. What is this concept?
"You... what did you do with so much food? When Censor Ru asked me for food, did you not give it to me?" Shen Rong asked, trembling, squeezing out a few words through his teeth.
"I gave it! I gave it more than two thousand stones!" Shen Hai didn't notice anything unusual about Shen Rong and was still complacent.
"Uncle, disaster years are a good time to buy and sell grain! My nephew has hoarded so much grain because he wants to do a big business, so he can honor His Highness the King of Wu!"
"..." Zhu Su rubbed his eyebrows. No wonder, no wonder Ru Taisu was relegated to Suzhou, but he still dared to lead people to seal down the glass shop in which he had a stake. No wonder his eyes were not eyes and his nose was not a nose when he saw him before.
Dare to be honest, it was my own fault first, and Ru Taisu took advantage of it...
If I were to question Ru Taisu about the glass shop today, I'm afraid that then Ru Taisu would have to question the Shen family about their hoarding in front of everyone.
Everyone in the world knows that the Shen family is now doing business with Wu King Zhu Su. If Ru Taisu asked him on the spot in front of everyone, he would really have nothing to say to refute.
"...Shen Rong. How to deal with this nephew of yours, I will give you face, and it is up to your Shen family to handle it yourself." Zhu Su rubbed his brows with a headache again.
"It's just that I want all the 80,000 shi of food from the Shen family. Do you have any objection?"
Shen Rong was shocked and frightened, and was trembling all over. He was about to answer, but was overtaken by Shen Hai who was kneeling on the ground.
When Shen Hai heard that Zhu Su wanted to take all the 80,000 shi of food from the Shen family, he was shocked and stood up without permission. "What is Your Highness going to do with these 80,000 stone grains?"
"I have spent so much effort to raise these 80,000 stone grains. In a few days, I'm afraid it will be doubled several times!"
"Your Highness is greedy for profit. I, the Shen family, will give you a few percent more. Why are you taking it by force..."
"presumptuous!"
Beside Zhu Su, the dog standing behind saw Shen Hai's sudden surge. He stepped forward fiercely and protected Zhu Su behind him. The sharp knife was instantly placed on Shen Hai's neck.
Shen Hai was horrified, but he still shouted: "Has Your Highness forgotten the kindness of my Shen family in borrowing money to help them out?"
"I am the second wife of the Shen family! Your Highness cannot kill me!"
"Shut up!"
Before Zhu Su could do anything, Shen Rong beside him was already furious. A pair of crutches almost cracked the bluestone on the ground. With a plop, he knelt down in front of Zhu Su with his old body, and said incoherently: "Your Highness, forgive me, Your Highness, forgive me! Our Shen family will never be disrespectful, and our Shen family will never dare to act recklessly..."
Zhu Su looked at Shen Hai and Shen Rong coldly, his eyes flickering. After a while, he raised his hand and said: "Put away the knife. He is just a rich man, and he does not dare to assassinate me."
"Shen Rong, I promised you to leave this person to your Shen family to deal with it, and I will never break my promise again."
"You can take care of it yourself. It's just the more than 80,000 shi of grain that the Shen family has hoarded. Before dark, I want all of it to be escorted to the Suzhou government office's reserve warehouse."
"Do you, the Shen family, have any objections?"
"Don't dare! Don't dare! The Shen family has always followed His Highness's lead!" Old Shen Rong's face was covered in cold sweat.
This is the second time His Highness has called him by his first name. Usually he is called "Shen Yuanwai" or even "Mr. Shen". Has there ever been such a creepy name?
The county magistrate who broke up the family, and the governor who destroyed the family. Although the His Highness in front of you is young, he is a majestic prince of the Ming Dynasty!
Shen Rong felt a chill on his neck.
Zhu Su raised his chin, but Shen Rong did not dare to neglect, and could not stand up tremblingly. Shen Hai glared at Zhu Su angrily, but did not dare to make a mistake, and lowered his head. He turned around and helped Shen Rong up, and went outside the garden.
Behind Zhu Su, Yao Guangxiao looked on coldly at the Shen family's uncle and nephew. After they left, Fang whispered to Zhu Su: "It seems that the Shen family has become arrogant just because they have helped His Highness."
"Your Highness, don't rely too much on that person."
"I know that businessmen pay more attention to profit than righteousness. Businessmen who know righteousness in their hearts are rare after all." Zhu Su knocked on the folding fan in his hand. "Maybe Shen Rong knows the importance, but in a few generations, these old-school businessmen will one day cause trouble."
"After all, the food problem has been temporarily solved." Luo Guanzhong also said, "With those tens of thousands of stones of food, the victims in the west of the city will have more time to live."
"Not enough." Zhu Su shook his head. "It's all in vain. Eighty thousand stones are not enough."
"The Shen family only has 80,000 shi, but what about other wealthy families?"
"These businessmen... can cause trouble to their own three-thirds of an acre of land."
"It's better to draw their attention outside..."
(End of chapter)
