Why do you think merchants did not want to appear richer than the king?

Likely, they would become a much bigger target for the likes of thieves and others that are looking for some sort of personal gain. They would also like to apease the king, staying on his good side in order to secure a better life for themselves and or their buisness

Explanation:

I don't know if this was a MC question, but this is one of the only logical answers I could come up with.

by creating a labor shortage that pushed the continent toward a market economy