LIGHTNOVELONLINE Chapter 21
The price of grain in Linjiang City has dropped to 90 wen per dou!"
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In the county government office, Gao Yang was sipping tea.
One after another, the yamen runners rushed in, they knelt on the ground, their faces full of excitement, and almost shouted at the top of their voices.
When the voices resounded throughout the lobby of the government office, the yamen runners in the entire Linjiang County government office were all in disbelief.
Then, their eyes suddenly turned to Gao Yang, who was indifferent in the middle of the county government office.
The grain price that they had tried their best to reduce had plummeted in one day under Gao Yang's hands!
Not to mention the sharp drop from more than 200 wen today, even the high price of 100 wen per bucket seven days ago had dropped by 25 wen!
75 wen per bucket will greatly relieve the pressure on the people of Linjiang City.
Du Jiang was even more unbelievable.
Although he had a premonition that the four major grain merchants would have differences after Gao Yang finished speaking, he did not expect it to happen so quickly.
It was only a few hours before the sell-off began!
Gao Yang took a sip of tea and said, "This tea is good."
Du Jiang said sensibly, "When you return to Chang'an, I will prepare some of this tea for you."
"Of course, I will pay for it out of my own pocket, just a favor."
Du Jiang glanced at Shangguan Wan'er while speaking.
Shangguan Wan'er's expression remained unchanged. Even if Du Jiang didn't explain it specifically, she would just pretend she didn't see it.
When water is too clear, there will be no fish.
It's normal for officials to have some personal connections, not to mention that Du Jiang only gave a little worthless tea.
"No need for tea, just give it in cash. I don't like these vulgar things the most, so be direct."
Gao Yang put down the teacup and looked at Du Jiang.
Shangguan Wan'er: "..."
Du Jiang: "..."
"Censor Gao!"
Shangguan Wan'er raised her voice and reminded him.
In front of her, Shangguan Wan'er, this is a bit too rampant.
Even if it was said in private, she would just pretend she didn't know.
"Ahem."
"Shangguan, look at you, you're a bit too nervous. Do I look like that kind of person? It's just a joke!"
Gao Yang hurriedly said.
Shangguan Wan'er didn't say anything, but her eyes said it all.
Du Jiang changed the subject and said, "Mr. Gao, I am still curious, why are the four major grain merchants so aggressive?"
"If it weren't for their selling, the grain price wouldn't have fallen so fast just relying on these foreign grain merchants."
Gao Yang glanced at Du Jiang. Although he himself was not a good person, he still admired Du Jiang as a good official.
So he didn't mind giving more advice.
"The four major grain merchants are united by profit, and they are destined to fall apart because of profit. This has been human nature since ancient times."
"Compared with grain merchants from other places, their costs are low enough, and they save on transportation, labor and other costs."
"But this does not mean that they are not panicking."
"The current female emperor is a man of great talent and strategy, and Daqian has been in a bad situation for three consecutive years. From a single year, the good and bad are 50-50, but if you look at four years together, in their eyes, the probability of a good situation next year will be greater than the probability of a bad situation."
"Once the grain price in Linjiang City stabilizes, they will not be able to sell the accumulated grain, and the risk next year will be extremely high. Once the harvest is good next year, the new grain is still enough, not to mention the old grain, and the grain price is as low as 30 wen a dou."
"They would rather cut their losses and leave, rather than gamble on the possible next year. They lost everything. If you think about this clearly, their behavior is not surprising. "
"If you act first, you live and others die. If you act later, others live and you die."
Shangguan Wan'er said: "What if they unite and make an agreement with each other and don't sell at all?"
Gao Yang laughed, "Verbal agreement is just a joke."
"Everyone will think, if I don't sell, will they sell secretly? Once they sell, won't I be finished? With such a mentality, there will always be one family that sells first. Linjiang City is a small place, and they are local snakes. It is impossible to hide it from the other three families, so trampling is inevitable. "
"But I didn't expect that they would smash it so hard. This is to kill each other."
Gao Yang's voice was not loud, but it fell into the ears of everyone present like a muffled thunder.
Du Jiang bent down again,
He bowed and said: "Thank you for your advice, sir."
He looked at Gao Yang with a calm face and was completely convinced.
You know, Gao Yang had anticipated all of this seven days ago.
From the moment the notice was posted, everything went according to Gao Yang's idea.
From the foreign grain merchants, the reaction of the people, the greed of the four major grain merchants, to opening the warehouse to release grain, bursting the bubble of grain prices, and forcing the four major grain merchants to sell grain by trampling!
All of this was destined from the moment Gao Yang stepped into Linjiang City seven days ago.
Dingguo Mansion has produced an extraordinary unicorn.
Du Jiang was amazed.
Shangguan Wan'er also had a complicated face.
It is hard to imagine that these strategies were said by the lecher who had to look at his legs when he got on the carriage.
Gao Yang continued, "Officials are responsible for the people of a city, and should not care about the gains and losses of one person."
"During this surge and plunge, there will definitely be merchants who go bankrupt, but there will also be merchants who stop in time and make a lot of money. Officials only need to grasp the overall situation."
When Du Jiang heard this, he knew that Gao Yang was reminding him.
"Thank you for your advice, sir!" Du Jiang said respectfully.
Gao Yang nodded, knowing that Du Jiang had taken his words to heart.
"Next, act according to the plan, step by step, and soon, Linjiang City will be stable."
Du Jiang asked, "Are you talking about renovating the government office and holding large-scale events?"
Gao Yang nodded.
When he saw the puzzled eyes of Du Jiang and Shangguan Wan'er, he said lightly, "The crisis of Linjiang City is not just the skyrocketing grain prices."
"What is the root cause?"
Du Jiang said without hesitation: "Heavy rains washed away the fields, and the grain harvest was poor!"
"During the disaster years, the people lost their source of income, which is the root cause of the rise in grain prices."
"Therefore, after lowering grain prices, we must urgently solve the income problem of the people. Only by making the people earn money can they survive this disaster."
"Otherwise, for the people, there is not much difference between the price of grain of 50 wen per dou and 250 wen per dou. They can't afford it anyway."
As soon as these words came out, Du Jiang's pupils shrank suddenly.
Gao Yang's words pointed directly to the essence of the disaster.
Behind the high grain prices, the people can't afford it at all.
The lowest group of people have long been penniless, but it is difficult to find a job to support their families.
Du Jiang seemed to have a flash of light in his mind.
Renovate the government office, hold large-scale events, and solve the essence of the disaster!
Du Jiang's eyes became brighter and brighter, and suddenly, he was stunned.
Got it.
He understood everything.
"Your Excellency has the talent of a king's assistant, and I admire you. If Your Majesty can get your assistance, you will definitely create a prosperous era of Daqian!"
Gao Yang smiled and said, "Your Excellency Du is too kind. What I did was just going with the flow and just for self-protection."
Du Jiang heard the implication and thought of the situation of the Duke Dingguo's Mansion.
His eyes became a little serious.
"Report!"
"The latest news is that the four major grain merchants Qian, Zhao, Han and Lin have completely torn their faces, and the head of the Qian family took the lead in lowering the grain price to 70 wen a dou!"
Shangguan Wan'er's face was full of disbelief.
It has only been a short time since then, and the grain price in Linjiang City has dropped by another 5 wen!
She looked at Gao Yang with a complicated expression.
Seventy wen per dou, which is twelve wen lower than the eighty-two wen per dou in Qingshui City!
Gao Yang stood up and patted the dust off his robe.
"The grain price in Linjiang City has fallen. My mission is completed and I will return to Chang'an. The rest will be handed over to Lord Du."
Du Jiang was stunned, "Lord Gao is leaving now?"
Gao Yang smiled and said, "The grain price in Linjiang City has been finalized. There is not much point for me to stay here."
"This is a handwritten letter I wrote to the abbot of the temple I visited these days. When the government office begins to be renovated, you can send someone to deliver it."
"Lord Du's ability is obvious to all the people in Linjiang City. I am very relieved. This credit is enough for me. It doesn't make much sense to stay any longer. Lord Du needs this achievement."
Gao Yang took out a few letters from his arms and handed them to Du Jiang.
Du Jiang reached out to take the envelope, his eyes were moved.
"Your Excellency has done such a great service to me that I cannot thank you enough."
Gao Yang smiled and said, "Holding a large-scale event is a condition for exemption from commercial taxes for three years. According to the rules of Daqian, I will get your Majesty's nod when I return to Chang'an to handle this matter."
"As for the rest, I am very confident in your ability."
Gao Yang paused and his eyes became serious. "I have only one thing to remind you, Lord Du. You must not increase the wages just because you pity the people during the disaster. This will backfire!"
Du Jiang nodded heavily. "Your Excellency's words will be remembered in my heart."
Gao Yang nodded and stretched out his hand.
Stretch his body.
"Okay, everything in Linjiang City will be handed over to Lord Du."
Du Jiang was shocked, "Lord Gao is in such a hurry to leave? I haven't treated you well these days, why don't you stay for another night..."
Shangguan Wan'er also said, "Your Majesty has not set a deadline."
Gao Yang shook his head and said, "Counting the time on the road, I'm afraid Chang'an is about to explode, and I have to go back in person."
Gao Yang's eyes were deep, and it was hard to tell what he was thinking.
Du Jiang said with some guilt, "It's all my fault that I was stupid and submitted two memorials, which put Lord Gao at the center of the storm. I'll see you off!"
"Please trouble Lord Du." Gao Yang said to Luluo again, "Luluo, follow me to pack my luggage."
Shangguan Wan'er frowned, she always felt something was wrong.
"..."
An hour later.
Linjiang City, the city gate.
Du Jiang, along with officials from the Linjiang County Office, stood on one side of the carriage.
Gao Yang sat in the carriage, lifted the curtain and said, "The news spreads slowly. In the next few days, grain merchants from other places will arrive at the Linjiang dock. We can kill them all and force them to cut their losses."
"But the grain price cannot go down all the way, otherwise the people will think it can go even lower. There must be some ups and downs in the middle. As for how to regulate it, I have written it down. Lord Du, just do it."
Master Bai and others twitched their mouths.
Cruel!
Too cruel!
These merchants who wanted to make huge profits hurried to Linjiang City, thinking it was a gold mine, but it was actually a big pit.
Du Jiang was deeply moved, "I thank you, Mr. Gao."
"This is some local tea from Linjiang City. I hope Mr. Gao will accept it. I will just express my gratitude."
Du Jiang handed a tea box to Gao Yang.
Gao Yang took the box, weighed it, and a bright smile appeared on his face.
"Lord Du is really thoughtful."
"The road is long and the mountains are high. I am waiting for good news from Lord Du in Chang'an."
Du Jiang stood at the city gate, looking at the departing carriage, sighing.
Behind him, Master Bai couldn't help but say, "Lord, that's your three-year salary. There's Lord Shangguan next to you. If His Majesty knew about this..."
Du Jiang's face changed, and he said, "What three-year salary? That's the local tea in Linjiang City! Besides, I am an honest person. I have never oppressed the people, and I didn't ask Mr. Gao to do anything. It's purely gratitude."
"Even if the empress knew, what does it matter?"
Du Jiang waved his sleeves fiercely, "I have twice reported to the emperor and scolded Mr. Gao. As soon as Mr. Gao came to Jiangcheng, he rushed back to Chang'an without stopping. If I don't express my gratitude, am I still a human being?"
"Go back to the mansion, I will report to the empress three times!"