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Jinghan Eleventh Year, the first day of the tenth month, Cold Clothes Festival. Search: \(¨Complete¨Book¨God¨Station¨) to read high-quality literature for free.

The Beginning of Winter had just passed, and the temperature of autumn had not completely dropped, but the scenery of late autumn was becoming increasingly bleak. The rice in the fields had long been harvested, and the trees were shedding their last leaves. The mountains and ridges had also shed their magnificent autumn coats, turning their colors gray and solemn. The great river roared, and the roads and villages along the river also had a dilapidated appearance at this time. A fleet of ships was traveling down the Huai River.

The fleet consisted of six ships. Perhaps because they had official backing, each ship was guarded by soldiers. And because the cargo being transported was heavy, the ships' draft lines were quite deep. On the foremost large ship, a group of wealthy young men were looking at the shore from the ship's side, while another young man was talking to them.

"Not far ahead, everyone will be able to see that village. There is a statue of Guanyin Bodhisattva by the village. This year's floods inundated the village, and the Guanyin statue also fell. But later, because there was no food, many people still came to worship Guanyin, and the government distributed porridge there every day. I returned from here a few days ago and saw many people..."

The great river flowed forward, and after turning a small bend ahead, they saw the broken walls and ruins. The original village was now destroyed, with only sections of low walls remaining. The Guanyin statue by the village was broken in two, with one section buried in the mud. There were many people inside and outside the village, dressed in rags and extremely thin. Some carried large and small packages with them. There was a platform by the river, where porridge was being distributed at this time, and an official ship was parked beside it.

A suffocating noise came from over there.

Hunger is an unbearable pain, but when it is reflected, it does not make people hysterical, because the strength for hysteria is gone. At this time, it was not yet time to distribute porridge, and these starving people gathered inside and outside the village, either sitting or lying down. Adults hugged their children, husbands embraced their wives, and families often huddled together, not even having the strength to speak. But because the crowd gathered, a few children still cried, and a few adults also cried out. The atmosphere formed in this crowd was enough to make one's scalp tingle.

The young nobles on the boat looked at this scene, some were silent, and some whispered: "We also had a famine in our place two years ago..."

"Everyone doesn't need to be too sad about this situation. Although the government's disaster relief grain is not much at this time, few of these people have starved to death. It's just difficult to eat their fill." The young man opened his mouth to comfort them appropriately, and then said, "It's just that the weather is about to turn cold, and the grain price nearby has risen to thirty-six taels per stone..."

"Humph, if it snows, it will rise to three hundred and sixty taels! How many people can survive this winter!" Someone grunted in a rough voice. It was a man with a honest appearance in the crowd. Although his clothes were good, he looked like someone who often worked in the fields, a man with a lot of strength. Speaking of this, his eyebrows were somewhat gloomy.

Most people could also think of this. At this time, a rather elegant young master who was originally standing by the ship's side came over: "This time, the Puyang family has transported a total of five hundred stones of grain. I am willing to donate three hundred stones to help these people. The other two hundred stones will be sold at a low price to recover the cost. After that, the Puyang family is purchasing another one thousand five hundred stones of grain, and will handle it according to this example." The person who spoke was Puyang Yi, the successor of the Puyang family in Jiangning.

As soon as he said this, someone in the crowd immediately said: "My family will donate all of it!"

At this time, someone still wanted to follow suit. The young man who spoke earlier quickly waved his hand: "Everyone! Everyone! Please listen to me. The disaster-stricken people must be grateful for your kindness, but listen to me, you can't donate."

Seeing that everyone was looking at him, he continued: "When we were about to leave this time, my master repeatedly emphasized that the key to this disaster relief is not how much grain to give to the government, but to really lower the grain price. The more grain that is transported this time, the better, and it can only be sold, and the price can't be too low. This matter is decided by Master He in the city, but I think that the grain price is thirty-six taels, and we can only reduce it to about thirty taels. We can only continue to lower it after it reaches thirty taels. If you sell the grain at a price of a few taels per stone, I guarantee that within a day, 90% of it will be eaten by the grain hoarding merchants and large households. Not only will it not help, but it will fuel their arrogance."

Everyone could also understand this reasoning. The young man paused: "However, everyone, there are some things that Master He will probably ask you to help with this time. The disaster has expanded this time, and the city's disaster relief grain and personnel are quite insufficient. Several times, it almost caused chaos and injuries. During these days when you young masters are here, you might as well go outside the city to help distribute porridge and rice. Master He and my master have both said that since you are here, it is meaningful to do it yourself. Master He will also guarantee your safety, so you can rest assured."

Once the disaster expands, the city gates will inevitably be closed. Distributing porridge outside the city is somewhat dangerous. Everyone was originally a little hesitant, but when they heard the young man mention this, someone immediately said: "If we can come to help, how can we worry about that kind of thing!"

The young man smiled: "Of course, the porridge and rice that you distribute outside the city these few days will have to come from the grain you brought this time."

Someone in the crowd laughed: "Then I'll stay a few more days and give away all the grain I brought!"

Puyang Yi said: "In that case, my agreement of three hundred stones remains unchanged. I will buy the six percent of the selling price these few times into grain or winter clothes after I return to Jiangning. The grain will be sold back here, and the winter clothes will be donated. I think they need this because of the weather."

His words caused a discussion among the crowd, and the atmosphere on the deck was slightly more active at this time. The young man stopped talking and quietly retreated to the side. Puyang Yi quietly followed him with the corner of his eye in the crowd, watching him take out a book on the side of the ship's side and take a few moments to read it. For Puyang Yi, this grain transport was just a simple commercial activity, without much excitement. In fact, a small number of people in the crowd were like this. How much money he could earn on this trip to Huainan was not very important to him. On the contrary, this young man was the one who had been paying attention to him along the way.

In this disaster relief operation led by the government and facilitated by the Princess Chengguo's mansion, there was a force that was always active and manipulating behind the scenes. As the number one wealthy merchant in Jiangning, Puyang Yi knew that all of this came from the Right Chancellor's mansion in the north. And deeper down, he saw the shadow of that Ning Liheng who calculated every ten steps.

Contacting everyone to gather, arranging the itinerary and accommodation, coordinating various matters with everyone along the way, talking about everything, although a large part of it was arranged in advance by Kang Xian, it was this young man named Tang Wen who had been in contact with everyone all along. In the few days of contact, he had become one with everyone, and in the conversation, intentionally or unintentionally, the other party was always influencing other people's sympathy and resentment.

Of course, before everyone left Jiangning, Princess Chengguo and Kang Xian had received these people, rendering the idea of everyone doing good deeds. And along the way, the young man was also cleverly driving everyone's mood, on the one hand confirming that they could make money, and on the other hand stirring up everyone's compassion, repeatedly telling them that this trip was doing good deeds. Telling them how those unscrupulous merchants were harming people, how many people would starve to death, telling them how miserable the people who starved to death were, and occasionally telling several stories about poor people and stories about rich people planting good causes and getting good results.

A large part of the people who came were just the children of small and medium-sized landlords in the countryside. Their families may have grain, but their knowledge is not much. Some have read books, but in the end failed to enter the officialdom. Kang Xian's reception told them about the disaster and praised them greatly, which had made them so honored that they couldn't find the north. Then there was a series of guidance and rendering here. If it weren't for this interlocking series of methods, they might not have said that they wanted to donate all the grain at this time. Puyang Yi even suspected that the disaster relief location that he had just passed was deliberately arranged by the other party.

The reason why he said to donate 60% of the grain to disaster relief was just to join in the fun. Along the way, he watched the young man's actions, watching him occasionally hide to the side to take time to read and silently recite, which was just a book of enlightenment when students in the academy were learning the Four Books. He was really curious, if the hand in the north was really manipulating all of this from afar, then... how exactly did he cultivate such a young man...

While Puyang Yi was observing all of this, in the window on the second floor of the ship, which was slightly ajar, a pair of eyes were also looking down. That was the real noble person carried on the ship, and a big reason why Puyang Yi was willing to help was because of her existence.

Behind the window was the face of a noble girl. In these few days, she had also been silently observing all the changes.

"This person sent from the north is doing a good job." Perhaps because of the severity of the disaster, Zhou Pei's brows were slightly melancholy, but at this time, she still smiled gently.

On this day, the price of grain in Huainan was thirty-six taels per stone, and there was mourning everywhere.

The south was like this, and the north, which was opposite to it, also had a similar situation. After the Beginning of Winter, the tense atmosphere in the disaster area had become a string. Half a month ago, Ning Yi, who was stationed in the capital, had manipulated the entry of the first batch of grain, but the subsequent changes were not something that ordinary people could feel much. Beggars and refugees began to gather in the city, and more and more people could not afford to eat. Everyone was looking for food. In such a situation, there were still kind people.

Fenzhou, Hedong Road, Xiaoyi County, outside the mansion of the large Guo family, thousands of people gathered. Ten large pots were lined up in a row, giving hot porridge to the starving people who came. The starving people who got the porridge drank it quickly, and half of them would thank them before leaving.

Xiaoyi County was named after Guo Xing's filial piety and righteousness during the Zhenguan period. It is difficult to say whether the Guo family at this time was inherited from the Tang Dynasty, but the Guo family's kindness was indeed well-known in the surrounding villages.

Inside and outside the courtyard were two different worlds.

The high courtyard walls blocked the noise. Li Pin sat in the hall, drinking tea and waiting for Guo Mingli, the head of the Guo family, to come out. After a while, the more than fifty-year-old head of the Guo family came to pay his respects to the newly appointed Vice Transport Envoy. Li Pin expressed his gratitude for his good deeds outside, and the other party also humbly said a few words.

"To be honest, Master Guo, I came here this time because of the grain price outside."

Li Pin spoke gently, and the other party smiled along: "Uh, I don't know what this matter has to do with Guo."

"Master Guo also knows that the imperial court cannot let the grain price rise like this. We are already transporting grain over. We suppressed the grain price outside some time ago, and you saw it. It was suppressed at thirty taels, and we have to continue to suppress it. In the next round, we hope that the grain price will be twenty-five taels. At that time, we hope that the Guo family's grain will also be sold like this. Master Guo, a grain price of twenty-five taels per stone is ten times the usual price. That's enough to earn, what do you think?"

The old man panicked: "Sir, sir, sir, I... I don't understand. I... I have to give out hundreds of stones of grain every month for disaster relief and porridge. There are still several months of winter, and the grain price... What does it have to do with me?"

Li Pin took a sip of tea and cupped his hands with a smile: "The Guo family has always been kind and has a reputation for filial piety. Li has always admired you. The Guo family can take out so much grain for this disaster. Once this matter is over, I will definitely present a plaque, beat gongs and drums, and personally send it to your mansion. But the grain price is also related to the Guo family. I know that the Guo family has grain. The Guo family is the leader in the Fenzhou area. If you don't sell it, everyone is watching. This is not very good."

"Sir, I am wronged. What does it have to do with me that they don't sell it? Sir, you... I have already given out so much grain. Sir, you... There is no reason for this."

"The reason depends on how you say it. You are generous in giving porridge, but you never sell grain. The state has laws against hoarding goods and raising prices privately. I can deal with you, but I see that the Guo family has a kind heart, and I have always respected kind-hearted people, so I have to come and say it in person."

Li Pin's eyes were warm. The old man hesitated for a long time, and finally gritted his teeth: "Sir, this... This is unreasonable. What is hoarding goods and raising prices privately? Sir, I have not put the grain outside to sell at high prices, so it doesn't count as raising prices privately. Moreover, the grain... My family is big and my business is big, and many people follow me to eat. Keeping some grain at home is to prepare for famine years, and this grain also has shares of the shareholders and clansmen in the family. How dare I take it out to sell privately without everyone's nod. Sir, please understand... There has never been a government that forced people to sell grain in previous disasters, sir, I am willing to donate grain, donate grain..."

It is forbidden to hoard goods and raise prices, which is actually a law that exists in every dynasty. However, what exists in the world has never been a problem with laws, but whether the laws can leave the capital and whether they can be implemented. For example, for disaster relief, most people know that as long as the laws are strictly enforced and all the guys who are corrupt and pervert the law are dealt with and killed, or even just deal with a batch and kill a batch, it can also kill the chicken to warn the monkey. The problem is that no one dares to do this kind of thing that offends public anger.

The Wu Dynasty encourages commercial affairs, so the market is relatively free, and price fluctuations are often left to market regulation. At this time, the government often has no way to deal with hoarding. Of course, the most essential problem is not that there is no way, but that when the government also becomes a link in the chain of interests, it is basically impossible to curb this kind of thing by strict investigation and severe crackdown. This is also the reason why Qin Si Yuan and others know that this famine cannot be solved by the means of cruel officials.

However... it is impossible to curb the whole, but Li Pin still has the power to move one or two of them.

"I don't want you to donate grain. I am not here to beg for food, and it is not good to damage your interests." Li Pin picked up the teacup, "What I want is a win-win situation. It doesn't matter if the price is a little more expensive. The important thing is that there must be grain to sell. Twenty-five taels per stone, ten times the price. You earn a lot, and I am happy. After all, officials want to enrich the people..."

"Sir, I am willing to donate five hundred stones..."

"Don't play tricks with me again! I don't want your grain!" Li Pin increased his tone, and then dropped it, "I have only recently taken office, and I am not very familiar with the local area, but it is still possible to investigate one or two people. You are manipulating the grain price to rise, and you have been hoarding it. I am not not letting you make money, but don't earn so excessively! I know that your backer is the Zuo family, but they can't protect you if I want to deal with you!"

The old man's face turned pale, and then he suddenly knelt down: "Sir! Sir, since you know, why do you still have to force me like this! I, I, I have been doing good deeds all my life, but grain is a matter of doing business. I have shareholders and clansmen in my family, and I can't mess around. And you also know the Zuo family, and the others on this Hedong Road. If I really give out grain, I will offend public anger, and the Guo family will be finished, sir..."

Li Pin put down the teacup, took a breath and stood up: "Yes, you are doing good deeds, I know. There are more than twice as many people waiting for porridge outside the Zuo family's house than your family's. I have a friend who said a lot, you are all great philanthropists, you never want people to die, because if people die, they will rush into your home, kill your people! Rob your things! You don't want people to die, you just want to turn everyone in the world into that kind of appearance outside, and then you are willing to give porridge and rice, raising them, keeping them alive! You are really great! Good! people!"

His words contained anger, but also some powerlessness: "My power is only that I can't deal with the Zuo family, but it is more than enough to deal with you. There are still a few days left, Master Guo, think about it, I know you are afraid of the Zuo family, but you will soon learn to fear me! Because in a few days, if you don't sell grain, I will confiscate your family. Master Guo, goodbye."

"Sir, don't do this! Sir, we can discuss it! Sir..."

The old man shouted, but Li Pin had already gotten up and strode out. When he came out, the carriage gradually drove away. He lifted the curtain of the car and looked back at the scene of the disaster victims gathering, and then took back his gaze and opened his mouth in a low voice.

"Keep an eye on this place, don't let any trouble happen..."

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

After Li Pin left, Guo Mingli also quickly left home and went to the Zuo family's residence in Jinzhou. The carriage sped away. The next day, the old man, who was still in good health, arrived at the Zuo family's residence. However, the person he was looking for was not the great Confucian Zuo Duanyou, who was the head of the Zuo family. Zuo Duanyou might know about hoarding grain, but his attitude was not favorable, but the family was big and the business was big, so he couldn't manage so much.

The person who was really above Guo Mingli was Zuo Jilan, the third young master of the Zuo family.

The Zuo family is a large clan. In addition to Zuo Duanyou controlling the overall situation, there are also many clansmen, uncles, and brothers. Zuo Jilan is Zuo Duanyou's biological son. If nothing unexpected happens, the future head of the Zuo family will be born between him and the second young master Zuo Jiyun. In recent years, Zuo Jilan has taken charge of many businesses of the Zuo family and made money for many clansmen. The rise of this famine is exactly when he is preparing to do a big business.

After listening to Guo Mingli's explanation, Zuo Jilan, who was thirty-one years old this year, stared at the old man in front of him with a cold gaze for a long time: "Uncle Guo, you know, this matter is very important to me."

"Yes."

"He can make you die, and I can too. Moreover, he is an iron camp with running water officials. You will survive this period of time, and he will not be able to move you, but my Zuo family has been living here for generations. You understand, right?"

"But..." Guo Mingli's face showed a look of wanting to cry, "He, he is not joking. Second Young Master, you, you have to find a way."

"I know that this new Transport Deputy Envoy is Qin Si Yuan's man from the capital..." Zuo Jilan thought for a while, "I will settle him, but you are not allowed to let go, understand?"

"...Yes."

"No matter what, it is not easy for him to do things in the officialdom. You stay here tonight first, I will think of a way for you, and then you go back... Go to rest now, Uncle Guo, it's okay, it's okay, relax..."

After letting Guo Mingli leave like this, Zuo Jilan called in the two helpers around him. One of them was a clan uncle from the family. Because of his low status before, he was generally called Zuo Si. The other was a middle-aged scholar in his forties, named Wang Zhizhen, who was also the most powerful adviser around Zuo Jilan. After briefly talking about this matter, Zuo Jilan slapped the table.

"At this time, if Old Guo dares to tear me down, I will let him die!" He gritted his teeth, and then said, "As for what Li Pin said, what ideas do you have?"

Zuo Si looked at Wang Zhizhen. Seeing that the other party was thinking, he had to say first: "I think, can we move him..."

Zuo Jilan shook his head: "He just came, and he is Qin Si Yuan's man, of course he can't be moved for a while! I'm not worried about Guo Mingli either. Giving him the courage, he may not dare to give out grain, and even if he gives out grain, the impact is limited. But that Li Pin said that the imperial court has already taken action. Recently, the grain price suddenly dropped to thirty taels. Did they really do it?"

"The grain price is inherently volatile now, and it's just a random shout. It's not that he said it's thirty taels, it's thirty taels. But some time ago..." Wang Zhizhen opened his mouth, frowned and thought for a while, "When it was almost the Beginning of Winter, the grain price was rising. Now it suddenly dropped. During that time, the price almost rose to forty taels. Suddenly, a large amount of grain entered the market. I originally thought it was some short-sighted merchants. We swallowed it smoothly, but there has been a constant supply there. We swallowed nearly five thousand stones. The price was thirty-seven taels and four cents, and then the price dropped."

"Thirty-seven taels and four cents." Zuo Jilan blinked his eyes, "Eat five thousand stones, which is more than one hundred thousand taels of silver. If it is really thirty taels now, it means that I lost more than thirty thousand taels at once?"

"That's not how it is said." Wang Zhizhen said, "Winter is coming, and it will definitely rise next. It is said to be thirty taels per stone, but there is not much grain outside. We just have to wait."

Zuo Jilan thought for a while: "If someone uses land to抵押, thirty taels is fine, it's fine."

"This is natural... The Qi family should also know about this. Second Young Master, do you want to talk to them?"

"Um... it's okay."

Saying this, the next day, a few people met with Qi Fanghou, the young master of the Qi family. The adviser around Qi Fanghou was named Xu Mai. This person was similar to Wang Zhizhen. Most of the scholars and celebrities who can be advisers in this kind of family are proficient in various things. After the two sides discussed, they found a common point.

"Some time ago, because I heard that the imperial court was organizing people to sell grain, the people below wanted to explore the truth. The first batch swallowed four thousand stones, and the second batch two thousand stones, for a total of six thousand stones." Qi Fanghou said, "I don't care about money, but it doesn't make sense to keep swallowing it like this, so I took a look first, and then the government released the news that the grain price had fallen. They are selling it for thirty taels. I estimate that there is not much, but I don't know how much there will be next."

Xu Mai is quite famous in the Hedong area. He has always been holding a feather fan and wearing a scarf. At this time, he shook the fan: "It seems that they have capable people behind them who understand this very well."

"What can officials understand?" Zuo Jilan sneered, "Aren't they just finding a group of people to kill, and then finding another group of people to kill? There has been no movement this time..."

"They have also killed a few, but this time the movement is indeed not big. All the movement is on this grain price. So, there are people who understand this over there."

Xu Mai tapped the fan, and Qi Fanghou smiled and said: "Then, Mr. Xu, do you have a countermeasure?"

"Most of those who can be appreciated in the capital are not simple. We haven't figured it out yet, so we can't underestimate the enemy." Xu Mai said, "But in my opinion, most of the officials who mention business are also thinking about it, deceiving those officials in the capital. Of course, no matter how things are, in the Hedong area, with the financial resources of the Zuo family and the Qi family, with my shallow knowledge and Wang's ability to plan, I believe that no matter who it is, they will not be able to get any good on this matter, what do you say, Brother Wang?"

Wang Zhizhen smiled: "I didn't pay attention to it before. Now that I have made preparations, no matter who is behind it... I will teach him how to behave."

In a moment, everyone laughed.

Next, the grain price on the entire Hedong Road began to fight back. At the same time, with a little discussion on the matter of Guo Mingli, a difficult plan was born. Not long after, Guo Mingli returned home, ready to give Li Pin a dangerous warning.

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

In the capital, winter has arrived. Ning Yi is busy in the Xiangfu. Every day, a large amount of intelligence and data are summarized here through the intelligence network of the Michengsi, and at the same time, various judgments and responses to grain price fluctuations are transmitted as quickly as possible. At this time, the intelligence network has a large amount of delay and error. Many things often have to rely on prediction, and Ning Yi is also correcting his steps. While he is doing things with ease, sometimes even humming songs, Wen Ren Er, who is currently helping him, feels quite miserable, and is often dizzy by these data and judgments, completely unable to understand the basis for his decisions.

But soon after, he also gradually saw the shadow and fluctuations of Ning Yi's battle with the grain hoarding gentry in half of the country.

In the first ten days of the month, everything was still relatively calm for them, because the battle only took place outside the capital. And in this beginning, due to Ning Yi's intervention in the north and south, the counterattacks launched by both sides after realizing it were quite fierce...

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