In the county office, the county magistrate and the county official all frowned and did not say a word.

"It's coming, it's coming, it's all back."

The master let a group of officials in, but the majestic officials on weekdays were unbearable at this time, and the official uniforms on their bodies were stained with mud and snow, dirty, and even their hair was muddy.

The county magistrate didn't accuse him of damaging official etiquette, and asked in a deep voice, "How?" ”

The former official fell to the ground, his face ashamed: "My lord, my subordinates have acted separately, and they have only visited the surrounding 16 villages since the morning, it's not that the brothers are lazy, the snow is too thick, and some sections of the road are too dangerous..."

For example, a certain section of mountain road, it is really hanging on your waist.

The county commander raised his hand: "This official is considerate of everyone, Wang Zhutou will talk about the visit first." ”

On the one hand, Wang Zhutou breathed a sigh of relief, and on the other hand, his mood became heavy: "Back to my lord, 16 villages, rough statistics, a total of 51 houses were crushed by heavy snow, two people died, and more than 30 people were injured... According to your instructions, find the old farmer to dig up the wheat seedlings, the roots are already frozen and rotten... In the eight villages near the mountain, wolves and other wild beasts were found after the snow stopped, and five families were broken into their homes by wild beasts and ate domestic animals... I have asked the most experienced headhunters, I am afraid that I will cause a wolf harm... My lord, please come up with an idea. ”

Don't look at his majestic and fierce face, children don't dare to cry when they see it, but he is not a bad person, and he is uncomfortable if the villagers are not doing well.

The county commander Junxiu's eyebrows furrowed, motioned for him to get up, and looked at the master again.

The master stepped forward and bowed his head slightly: "Dozens of shantytowns in the city collapsed, and more than a dozen people froze to death... It's already very thin... The price of grain released by the grain merchants today has risen by five cents..."

"Wuwen?" The county official sneered: "This official remembers well, it's already three times the price of grain before winter, right?" ”

The master nodded: "I'm afraid that the price will be higher tomorrow..."

The county official sneered: "It's all up together?" Is this all collusion? This is not to take the imperial court into account. ”

The silent county man suddenly spoke: "Businessmen are originally pursuing profit over righteousness, how can the government force the price to be lowered?" Otherwise, you'll be detained in the country—"

"Township? Lord County, how can you watch those people make a fortune? ”

The county doesn't dare to speak, a national disaster? He couldn't take the big hat, and he couldn't. However, all grain merchants are united, and they have their own backings, which can be interfered with by a small county official?

The county magistrate is still too young, young and vigorous, thinking that a warm blood can smooth out the injustices in the world, but unfortunately, often blood is the most useless thing.

The corner of the young county commander's eyes swept over the county man who drooped his eyes slightly, sneered in his heart, and groaned slightly: "Let the grain merchants go to the county office tomorrow before the price is released," Seeing the corners of the county Cheng's upturned mouth, he said coldly: "If any of them don't come, they will be closed for three days in the name of tax inspection." ”

Three days? How much silver can be sold in a day, and those who only recognize silver are willing to delay?

"Master summoned the people to clean up the streets in the city, Lord County, you and Wang Zhutou together gathered people to clean up the official roads. At the same time, the number of dead and wounded is counted. ”

Personally receiving the order, Wang Zhutou asked, "The wolf plague..."

The county commander groaned: "Think again." ”

When everyone retreated, the county commander sighed: "Alas, I still can't escape... That's it, do things for the people, what do you need to do with personal face? ”

Grind and lay paper, pick up the pen and write down.

Early in the morning, eight grain merchants in the county gathered in the county Yahua Hall.

"Ahh

"Hey, it's so cold, you're silent, you can't see it? This is to give us a horse, you take care of your mouth, don't annoy the adults of the small county order, and freeze us. ”

"Hmph, he is an official and I am a citizen, but I am innocent in business, what else can he do to me? A little county order, I'm also-"

"Yo, Brother Cao, which ship are you on? Tell us about it. ”

"Don't make any noise, tell me, what is the little county commander looking for us?"

"What else can I do, what else can I do but food?"

"It's... Shouldn't you want us to lower the price? I've been waiting for years for this opportunity. ”

"What is falling? We are business, isn't business just for profit? It's too high, open the granary, even if you give it away for nothing, we can't care about it, and I also took my family to kowtow to the old man Qingtian to thank you. ”

Hmph, a small county order, but you can't be the master of the granary of the government.

"Well, I'm still young. It's clear that you want to make political achievements. The small county commander is also pitiful, he only arrived in the spring, and in the winter, he encountered a heavy snowstorm that has not been encountered for decades. Do you hear that? There are a lot of shantytowns, people are dead, and those who are still alive have nothing to eat. It's in a hurry. ”

"What's the matter with us? It's not that we let it snow, it's so cold, my family bought more than a dozen tons of charcoal this year, which costs a lot of silver. ”

"Ouch, brother, you are really a big family, if my brother is frozen, you have to give some charcoal."

"Hmph, those lazy bones didn't work hard to earn money when they were in good times, and now they are suffering and have no way to live, and they want others to help? And what did they do? No matter when, none of us get up early and work hard to make our family live better. It doesn't make sense that at this time, diligent people give lazy bones to the stall, and the Bodhisattva can't look at it. ”

"It's, it's..."

The county magistrate listened to it next door for a while, went to the study with his sleeves brushed up, fried a thick hot tea soup and drank it, and slowly ate the plate and small buns, and then came to the flower hall in full clothes.

The grain merchants were so cold that their teeth trembled, and they had no interest in talking, and when they saw him coming, they were angry and expectant, and they hurriedly said something, and after they finished speaking, they went home and drilled the bed. The two taels of meat that were finally raised were shivering again.

The county magistrate listened to the corner before, and although he looked kind to the people at this time, he was actually angry in his heart. The original plan was to talk hello, hello, hello, everyone, the smoke disappeared, and the smile opened directly: "The bosses have worked hard to leave, but my county suffered a snow disaster this year, and the people are in dire straits." They are all people of the heavenly family, and since there is support from all parties in difficulty, I don't know if you think what this official said is right? ”

It's not easy to take this, that's right, okay, give away food for nothing? No, no matter how small the person standing opposite is, he is also an official. The people do not fight with the officials.

"What the adults said is that we ordinary people are also powerless to deal with such natural disasters, why don't you come forward to seek the court?"

The county commander smiled: "This is inevitable." It's just that at this moment, we also need the help of the grain merchants. ”

The grain merchant suddenly made a sincere and frightened appearance: "This is nature, this is nature, although the small people have a meager background, they are also willing to do their best." My lord, the small people are willing to donate ten taels of silver, and the New Year will pass with gritted teeth. ”

The county commander was furious, and his face was still silent, only looking at this person, who was the person who said before to buy more than a dozen tons of charcoal.

The others also shouted eight taels and ten taels.

The county order is too lazy to be vain and wronged, this is the case with these people, if you show them kindness, they will deceive them. But if you are tough and cold, they will hold back.

No wonder someone is like an iceberg all year round. It's better to learn on your own.

"Keep your money." The county magistrate had a cold face and said lightly: "I invite you to come today, just to remind you that the law of the imperial court is cloudy, if there are merchants who manipulate prices, such as grain, cloth, wine, etc., which exceed the regular price by more than three times, the local officials can deal with it at their discretion, and they will be imprisoned and punished or even beheaded, and there is no need to report it." ”

Glancing coldly: "Coincidentally, the price code released by you yesterday is exactly three times." I don't know what your price is today? ”

Everyone was shocked and broke out in a cold sweat, is there this rule? How did they not know?

A simple-looking, dressed and ordinary grain merchant in his forties frowned, trying to think.

Others also looked at him faintly, apparently with him at the head.

The county magistrate glanced at him and said in his heart.

"My lord, is this a threat to me? Could it be that today we are waiting for the head of the item? My lord, we are businessmen, and you are officials. We don't want to tarnish your performance. Adults only arrived in our county this year, and the official road is still long. ”

The fat man who spoke had something to say, but he didn't believe it, and with this yellow-mouthed child, he dared to make any waves. In these years, which business has started and there are fewer people behind it?

The county order was not afraid, picked up the teacup on the side, the tea was already cold, and put it down.

"What I said is that the official journey is long, and if you don't make some achievements, I'm afraid it will be difficult to get ahead."

What the? This is a naked threat.

The county commander raised his eyelids and smiled kindly. Seeing a fat sheep waiting to be slaughtered is as kind as a kind.

cooperate, then stop raising the price of food, and he can get political achievements. If he didn't cooperate, he took the grain merchant and took the same political achievements.

The grain merchant saw this meaning in the smile of the county order.

Only, does he dare? It's true that newborn calves are not afraid of tigers. Still too young.

The honest grain merchant looked at the county order thoughtfully, did he have courage or strategy, or did he really rely on it?

The county magistrate looked at the sky, and the people should come out to buy grain, and they couldn't delay. Suddenly looked at the honest grain merchant: "This official heard that Boss Cheng's business is the largest in the county?" ”

"Don't dare." As soon as Boss Cheng lowered his head, no one could only see respect and humility on his face, and no other grain merchant had such a thing... Kung Fu on the face.

"Hehe, I heard that Boss Cheng's wife is the daughter of the Yun family?"

Boss Cheng was not too surprised. The Yun family is the largest grain merchant in the country, and the Yun family is responsible for escorting the military grain. His wife is just a foreign branch daughter of the Yun family who doesn't know how many clothes, but with the name of the Yun family, his business has grown day by day until he ranks first in the county today. It's no secret.

"Then about the old things of the Yun family, Boss Cheng should have heard a thing or two."

For the first time, there was a look of surprise on Boss Cheng's face, what did he mean?

The county commander smiled slightly, raised his hand and coughed on the side of his mouth: "What a coincidence, my surname is Zheng." ”

Zheng? Zheng? Boss Cheng's brain searched hard, Zheng, what does it have to do with the Yun family? There was a flash of blue in his eyes. It's a blue wrench in the county commander's hand, such a color, such a water head... Boss Cheng's mind flashed.

"You, you..."

The county magistrate smiled slightly: "Boss Cheng has a good memory." That's all for today, what sign should be hung, you can discuss. ”

After speaking, he stepped out without the slightest hesitation and pause.

"What do you mean? Lao Cheng, he Xinzheng, what's wrong? Everybody knows that. ”

The surname "Zheng" is not unusual.

"Does it have anything to do with my sister-in-law's mother's family, let us give him face in front of the Yun family?"

Boss Cheng smiled bitterly, was surrounded out of the county office, and hugged into the private room of the teahouse, before he was relieved: "The Yun family has been the biggest grain merchant since the beginning of the dynasty. ”

"We all know that."

"However, one year, Jiangnan suffered a century-old flood, and there was no harvest. The imperial court was in a tight border war, and it was unable to transport relief food in time. Yun Jia... At that time, the person at the helm connived at the grain store to raise the price of grain, which doubled day after day, and soared tenfold..."

"So what? Everyone is in business, and people's livelihood is only thought about by officials..."

"The governor at that time was furious, and rushed into Yunfu with his soldiers, pulled out without asking for guilt, beheaded him on the street, and killed all his stewards and shopkeepers."

"Shhh

Boss Cheng smiled bitterly, people are officials, why don't you dare? Business is always business.

"Indiscriminately killing innocents, the court doesn't care?"

"Anyway, then there was that law, and without the permission of the imperial court, it could not exceed three times the regular price."

"What? That, that, that governor, was not punished? ”

"Punishment? Penalize! What's the use? People are dead. At that time, the Yun family was reprimanded by the imperial court, the branches declined, the side branches seized power, and the first grain merchant was also demoted to the last position. After several ups and downs and several generations of hard work, it has the status it has today. But the children and grandchildren of the man at the helm did not know where they had gone. ”

The room is silent, can they compare with the Yun family?

But-

"The small county order has something to do with the surname Zheng? Is it a descendant of his family? But all these years have passed, and the surname Zheng..."

It's been a long time since then, right?

Boss Cheng sighed, I don't know whether to laugh at them or not, the Yun family can get up.

"There is a Guogong surnamed Zheng in Beijing, and he has to be reused by the Son of Heaven. That governor is the Zheng family. ”

Not only have they not declined, but they have always been beautiful.

"Huh, Guogong? That little county order—"

Boss Cheng sighed again: "Did you see the wrench in the hand of the county commander?" If you sell it, you can't afford it. ”

The sign that had just been put up in the morning was quickly taken down and replaced with the one from yesterday, and it was never changed again until the price of grain fell.