In the year of famine, wealthy families distributed porridge. In Xiaoyi County, the Guo family was known for their charity, but they weren't the only ones providing relief. Search: \(¨Complete¨ Book¨ God¨ Station¨) to read quality literature for free. Other families in Xiaoyi County would occasionally offer porridge and rice, including government relief. Although surplus grain was scarce everywhere after the disaster, the government had to ensure the survival of some people, which also aligned with the interests of the wealthy and powerful.

However, this kind of relief couldn't be too plentiful or satisfying, forcing some people to abandon their dignity and struggle desperately to survive. This way, those who still had land wouldn't want to endure too much hardship, forcing them to sell their possessions, allowing the wealthy and powerful to complete land annexation and capital accumulation.

In a sense, prioritizing only profit and survival over dignity is more commonly seen in people after the rampant spread of modern capitalism. In ancient times, especially in rural areas with low productivity, people were quite dignified. Of course, this dignity was expressed in a simple manner: as long as there was food in the house, they wouldn't excessively seek help from others. Those with some possessions were even more concerned about their reputation.

Therefore, when famine struck, most people first used their own grain, then borrowed from relatives and friends. When everyone was empty-handed, they had to sell their land. If pushed further, they would abandon their dignity and beg for charity.

Usually, when the Guo family distributed porridge in the small square in front of their house, the government would occasionally set up their porridge stalls there as well, because the area was large and there were many people. In addition, two carriages would sometimes bring porridge, rice, and coarse grain buns to distribute, supposedly from kind-hearted people from other places who, seeing the hunger and cold, felt compassion and came to provide relief.

The Guo family welcomed these things, as it was happening in their square, and later people would only talk about the Guo family's benevolence. When it came to inciting the crowd today, Guo Mingyi also bribed some yamen runners who were nearby to prevent riots, and after checking that the government wasn't paying too much attention, he began to announce his plan. Who knew that as soon as he finished speaking, someone in the crowd would shout, "He's lying!"

The man's voice was loud and clear, echoing throughout the square, and Guo Mingyi knew something was wrong. He immediately shouted, "Who are you? You're a lackey of that corrupt official!"

He shouted at the top of his lungs, and someone immediately echoed, "Drag him out!" But the man continued, "Fellow villagers, he's deceiving you! The Guo family is being investigated for hoarding grain and deliberately raising prices! Today, he even wants to incite you to attack the government, which is a treasonous crime! Punishable by nine generations! The soldiers are already on their way, and will be here in the time it takes to burn an incense stick! Anyone who believes him will be guilty of the same crime as the Guo family!"

The man tore open his ragged clothes, revealing a tall figure with a bald head, but he wasn't a monk. Some people recognized him as one of the attendants who followed the two carriages that often distributed porridge and rice. Although his appearance was somewhat frightening, he had a kind face and gentle eyes when distributing food. He often treated people's injuries in the crowd and was well-known. Now, he was shouting about "treason," "punishment of nine generations," and "soldiers arriving soon." Although they didn't know if it was true, it was indeed a heavy blow to Guo Mingyi and poured cold water on the crowd.

Guo Mingyi originally wanted to drown him out with his voice, and was still shouting, "This is someone sent by that corrupt official! Everyone, they're trying to frame us! These corrupt officials are greedy and insatiable. They see that my Guo family has grain and want to extort us..."

Someone in the crowd shouted, "Master Guo is a kind man!"

Guo Mingyi had been doing good deeds for many years and had a reputation to back it up. Soon, others echoed, "Master Guo saved my life."

"Yes, the government must be mistaken..."

"Master Guo isn't a bad person..."

At this moment, everyone was chattering, but due to the bald man's words, no one dared to act rashly. Only those who were originally Guo Mingyi's people tried to incite the crowd to help, "Catch that lackey of the corrupt official... drag him out..." Some people shouted and squeezed through the crowd, waving sticks and ropes to capture him, but the big man grabbed a rope and swung it casually. With a loud shout, "Who dares to mess around!" The rope snapped in the air, and the servants who tried to grab him were thrown more than ten feet away.

"Everyone, don't be incited by this old man! The rising grain prices in Xiaoyi County are controlled by these people. It's not that there's no grain, it's just that they're holding onto it tightly and refusing to release it! The new Lord Li from Hedong is about to arrive, and he will give everyone justice. And the thousands of stones of disaster relief grain prepared by the imperial court are now outside the city. If the Guo family doesn't distribute porridge, the government won't abandon you!"

The biggest problem with inciting starving people to riot is that it has to be fast. As long as a few people lose their minds and take extreme actions, the rest will be forced to follow and it will be difficult to turn back. However, the bald man's response was immediate. People didn't know how much of what he said was true, but his simple words had successfully deterred the crowd. Guo Mingyi immediately felt a darkness before his eyes, knowing that the other side must have been preparing for several days to suppress the commotion so quickly. He really didn't expect that as soon as he tried to do something, he would be met with such a thunderous blow.

He collapsed in front of the crowd. After being carried home, he immediately summoned his most trusted son and told him to go to the Zuo family to report and seek protection.

"Lord Li is already prepared. This plan has failed, and our family will be doomed. Hurry to the Zuo family and tell Third Young Master that I, Guo Mingyi, swear I won't give in. Tell him to find a way to save our Guo family... Go! There's no time..."

As the son was about to leave, the old man suddenly opened his eyes and grabbed his hand tightly, "Wait, wait. Don't go to the Zuo family yourself. Send a servant to report, and you find a place to hide. If, if our Guo family can't make it through this, at least we'll have one descendant left..."

The old man was clear-headed, knowing that if things failed, the Guo family's situation would be desperate. He hadn't thought about it so carefully before taking action, but the bald man's interruption made him realize these things in an instant. Lord Li was ruthless, and he had walked right into the trap. Sure enough, not long after his son left, the first group of people surrounded the Guo family's gates, and half an hour later, a troop of soldiers stationed outside the city arrived. Li Pin led his troops straight in through the main gate and came to Guo Mingyi's bed.

"Master Guo, you're not being very smart."

Guo Mingyi was already crying his eyes out, "Lord Li, I admit defeat. I was just possessed by a ghost."

"So... you'll release the grain?"

"Lord Li, have mercy! If the Guo family releases the grain, we'll all die! I'm not worth saving, please give the Guo family a way out." He cried, lowering his voice, "Lord Li, Lord Li, I have fifty thousand taels of silver and jewelry, the Guo family's treasure. You won't find it during a search. I'm willing to offer it to Lord Li, please..."

As he continued speaking, Li Pin, who had been listening with a slight bow, straightened up with a blank expression and waved his hand to the rear.

"Seal it."

****************

Li Pin's actions against the Guo family were swift and decisive. He immediately imprisoned them, sealed their doors, confiscated their property, and comforted the victims. The part behind the conspiracy was being orchestrated by Cheng Zhouhai.

Not only that, but five days after the Guo Mingyi family was imprisoned, Cheng Zhouhai successfully pried open the other party's loosening defenses. The five days in prison had worn down Guo Mingyi's toughness. In fact, on the day Guo Mingyi arranged for his son to leave, his whereabouts had already been tracked by the Secret Intelligence Division. Li Pin pretended not to know about this when he advised Guo Mingyi, but after five days, he informed the other party of this news. Soon after, the two sides completed the deal.

Guo Mingyi kept his family's fifty thousand taels of treasure silver. After this, he moved his entire family to Jiangnan, never to return to Hedong, while the Guo family released all their grain and possessions to help with disaster relief.

Although Guo Mingyi also understood that once his family defected, it would inevitably provoke Zuo Jilan's great anger. On the other hand, if he didn't defect, at most he would be killed and his family exiled. But everyone would weigh the options, and the problem was that not everyone was a fearless hero. Once there was a glimmer of hope, he ultimately chose to compromise.

Guo Mingyi's line of retreat created a certain gap in grain prices in the Fen Prefecture area. First of all, it increased the amount of grain resources available to the government by about eight thousand stones. The hidden impact was more than that. The fall of the big family made a small number of small vendors believe that grain prices would fall, and they began to release grain to make a profit. After that, the anger of the Zuo and Qi families came as expected.

Zuo Jilan and Qi Fanghou visited all parties and took frequent actions, and the pressure on the officialdom increased sharply. Many people found Li Pin, outwardly warm and friendly, but secretly advising him: "Leave a line for yourself, so you can meet again in the future." Under the nods of Zuo and Qi, and the operations of Wang Zhizhen and Xu Mai, the two families spent a lot of money, and for a time, the grain near Fen Prefecture was swept away as if by a whale. At this time, what was at stake was not just the price of grain, but also the faces of the two families. Zuo Jilan said in front of people: "I will definitely pursue this matter to the end!"

Merchants with good information sensed this aura. As the weather decreased, grain prices rose again, and then fell under the government's pressure. In this tug-of-war-like fluctuation, both sides fell into a stalemate. Ning Yi in the capital was waiting for an opportunity after the snow fell, but for Wang Zhizhen and Xu Mai, as local bullies, they could not continue to raise grain prices after the weather decreased, which was a big slap in the face. With the increasing intelligence efforts, they finally knew the name of the operator in the capital.

"The person in the Prime Minister's Office responsible for this grain price is named Ning Yi, take a look."

Zuo Jilan handed the intelligence he had brought to the two of them. Xu Mai frowned, "Ning Liheng?"

Wang Zhizhen also glanced at him, "The one who writes good poems?"

"I don't care how well he writes poems, and I don't care how powerful this says he is against a bunch of Liangshan bandits!" Zuo Jilan said with a pale face, "I definitely can't lose this face!"

Qi Fanghou said: "I don't want to lose this face either."

Since realizing that the situation was not simple, the actions of the Zuo and Qi families were still quite commendable. They were swift and decisive, without the dragging and indecisiveness of ordinary wealthy young masters. After saying a few more words at this time, Wang Zhizhen and Xu Mai looked at each other: "Third Young Master, Young Master Qi, the key to grain prices lies in the first snow. If you don't want to lose, things must be done quickly. Before the snow falls, whoever does more will win."

"I naturally understand." Zuo Jilan nodded, "No one is without weaknesses. He goes to the market, I go to people's hearts. Young Master Qi, my cousin is in the capital. I'm going to the capital to talk to Ning Yi in person. You stay here, how about that?"

Qi Fanghou nodded: "My family also has some connections in the capital. I'll write a few letters and Third Young Master can take them up for me. This matter should be done sooner rather than later. I'm waiting for Third Young Master's good news."

"Humph." Zuo Jilan smiled coldly, "When I seize Ning Yi's handle, I'll kill him!"

In the cold tone, the next action was finalized. The next day, Zuo Jilan left his home and went all the way to the capital. At the same time, countless tentacles in the north and south were also making the same plan and spreading towards the capital. When they were in a stalemate in the market, they still had countless powerful methods that could be used in other places. In the past, they had defeated their enemies countless times like this, and this time, it was similar...

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