Chapter 134: Beset by Crises

Zhao Hengyi had long since sensed the steady rise in the prices of raw materials required for weaving. Through his connections with Song San, he had even identified the agitators behind this inflation. To his slight surprise, every major cloth merchant in Jiangling City was involved. Did these people, who relied on weaving, actually intend to sabotage their own interests by driving up the cost of raw materials?

In truth, their strategy was not particularly clever; it relied entirely on the advantage of foresight. Before the price hikes, these large merchants had hoarded significant quantities of raw materials and then proceeded to artificially inflate market prices. In reality, the situation had spiraled beyond their original expectations. Although the efficiency of the Yushu Bay textile workshop was high, its initial output had not been staggering. The merchants’ actions were intended as a show of force—a way to weigh the capabilities of this new entrant and see if it had any real strength. Those without substance would naturally be intimidated, and for the established merchants, having one less competitor was always a benefit.

However, as the Yushu Bay workshop continued to expand and its output surged, the merchants found themselves unable to sustain the pressure. Their stockpiled materials had long since been exhausted, yet the inflated prices refused to drop. Because those merchants found the costs prohibitive, Yushu Bay and Zhao Hengyi simply did not care! Since they could fetch high prices for their finished goods, the raw material suppliers had no incentive to lower their rates, and when other merchants tried to pressure them, they found themselves completely ignored. Consequently, the entire textile industry fell into a predicament from which they could not easily extricate themselves.

The cloth produced in Yushu Bay was already priced competitively, and this time, Zhao Hengyi adamantly refused to raise his prices. The other merchants, unable to follow the raw material suppliers in hiking costs, found their "show of force" transformed into a fight for survival. Now, the higher their production volume, the greater their losses. Yet, if they ceased production, Yushu Bay would seize their market share. Caught between a rock and a hard place, the merchants were filled with resentment.

The Liang family, once the most vocal instigators, now dared not utter a sound. If their fellow merchants were to discover the history between the Liang family, Zhao Hengyi, and Yushu Bay, their fate would be unpredictable. The situation had not needed to reach this point; it was the Liang family’s meddling that had driven the merchants of Jiangling into a battle of financial attrition, testing who could afford to lose more money.

Zhao Hengyi remained indifferent to the price war. After all, his costs were lower, his efficiency higher, and he had the new business of silver-backed mirrors providing a steady stream of capital. He would not stop until he had pushed the Jiangling merchants to their breaking point. As for the Liang family, he intended to let them taste the same bitterness they had once inflicted upon the Miao family in Dangyang County before finally exacting his revenge. This was not something to be rushed; it required time to ensure they felt the full extent of the agony.

He felt no guilt for the other merchants dragged down by the Liang family’s schemes. It was as if a murderous thug, brandishing a blade, tripped and slit his own throat; one could hardly hold the innocent passerby responsible for the thug’s demise.

The persistent rain, however, caused Zhao Hengyi genuine concern. It was not heavy, but it never ceased. Had Yushu Bay not been almost entirely rebuilt with pre-dug drainage channels during the construction of the workshops, the entire village would have been unable to operate. The villagers of Yushu Bay were now well-fed, warmly clothed, and housed in sturdy brick buildings, no longer needing to pray to the heavens from within flimsy shacks. Employees from other villages were less fortunate; many had begun applying for the village’s temporary housing. Though these were only wooden huts with thatched roofs, they were at least watertight, providing some security for their elderly and children. It was fortunate that it was midsummer; had such weather occurred in winter, countless would have frozen to death. Even so, everyone was deeply grateful to their employer; without his protection, they might not have lost their lives, but suffering would have been unavoidable.

The weather had become increasingly anomalous. Since the end of last year, they had endured a severe drought followed by this endless, gloomy rain. The elders believed it was evolving into a disaster. Should it truly lead to widespread flooding, countless people in Jiangling Prefecture would be displaced, and the loss of life would be immeasurable. The times were dark, and even the heavens seemed to be joining in the cruelty, leaving no path for the common people to survive.

Outside the walls of Jiangling City, a large number of refugees had gathered to escape the ravages of war. Although Su Shenchang was dead, his decree forbidding refugees from entering the city remained in force. These destitute people could only huddle at the base of the city walls, hoping for porridge from the government or the wealthy families within. Logically, Jiangling lay in the heart of the Great Yan Dynasty; far from the frontiers bordering the barbarians, it should not have been a destination for war refugees.

Upon inquiry, it was revealed that refugees were being barred from the capital. These wretched people, having fled the hooves and blades of the barbarians, had traveled long distances seeking survival, only to be driven away by the imperial court at every turn. The newly appointed Prefect of Jiangling, Zhang Qicheng, had yet to take office, and the Ningwu Army Commissioner, Prince Qi (Zhao Hong), had been confined to his home for reflection after being reprimanded by the court for negligence. Jiangling was now leaderless. The combination of refugees—who had no business being outside the city walls—and the relentless rain created a precarious, volatile situation.

With the city unstable and the outskirts increasingly dangerous, those driven to desperation by hunger were capable of anything, especially the refugees whose true identities could not be verified. Already, villages outside Jiangling had been pillaged, resulting in skirmishes and over a dozen deaths. Wealthy families and officials within the city had begun to propose sealing the gates to prevent the refugees from turning into roving bandits.

Upon receiving this intelligence, Zhao Hengyi acted swiftly. He sent word to withdraw most of his personnel from the city and, using Miao Xiaoyu’s name, invited Wei Linglan to stay at Yushu Bay. This was a measure of necessity. Even with Zhao Hengyi’s foresight in maintaining grain reserves, the amount was merely a drop in the ocean compared to the vast number of refugees outside the city. Only the government could save these people and prevent them from turning into outlaws.

For nearly a month, the rain had continued, with only three or five days of respite, and never a clear sky. The water levels of the rivers were rising steadily. It was clear that a flood was imminent; should the levees break, the devastation would far exceed the threat of a refugee uprising.

It was against this backdrop that the carriage procession of Wei Linglan, the Lady of Xiangcheng, arrived at Yushu Bay. No sooner had she arrived than a messenger from Magistrate Liu Rui followed. Zhao Hengyi was forced to entrust the placement of Wei Linglan and her "Daughter Army" to Miao Xiaoyu, while he attended to the Magistrate’s envoy. The reason for this urgency was Magistrate Liu’s fear that the Liu River in Dangyang County would breach its banks. Zhao Hengyi had been monitoring the vicinity of Yushu Bay, fearing flash floods, but upon meeting the messenger, he realized the true danger lay at the distant Liu River. Yushu Bay had originally remained unoccupied and was only settled by migrants and refugees because, should the Liu River burst, the entire surrounding region would inevitably be submerged.