86 Folk Nobles

"What do you mean? Could it be that Jingzhou's grain and rice have been stocked up by some people with ulterior motives? Yu Wenxian asked.

"What Qi Guogong said is right, that's right! Jingzhou is the capital of the state where I produce grain and rice in the Great Zhou, and the grain and rice are not absent, but they are not in the hands of the people. At this time, Changshi Wu Ze added.

"Whose hands is that grain and rice?" Yu Wenxian's tone was already a little unhappy.

"Some of them are in the hands of monks and Taoists in temples and Taoist temples, and some are in ......" At this time, Wu Ze said, glanced at the supervising Shi Cui Liang, Cui Liang had to continue: "There is also a part in the hands of powerful and rich businessmen, these people don't sell, I'll wait ......"

"The dignified officials of the imperial court, who speak in a slur manner, aren't you doing things for the country and the people, but buying and selling?" Yu Wenxian shouted.

Cui Liang and Wu Ze were reprimanded, they both lowered their heads and didn't dare to speak anymore, Yu Wenxian knew in his heart that there were some people in them who the two of them didn't dare to offend, so he spat out helplessly, turned to Zhang Hu and asked, "Since they don't dare to say it, then ask Zhang Mi's envoy to talk about it." ”

"Yes!" Zhang Hu saw Yu Wenxian asking himself, so he stepped forward and said bluntly: "Qi Guogong, most of the grain and rice in Jingzhou are in the hands of temples, temples, and some rich businessmen and magnates, but these people seem to have secretly colluded to bully the market and raise the price of rice, and now the price of rice in Jingzhou is already ten taels of silver and one stone......"

"Ten taels and one stones? Why didn't they rob it? Yu Wenxian was furious.

"This is nothing, the current situation is that the price of rice in Jingzhou is sky-high, and neither the government nor the people can afford to buy it. It is the season for crops to grow in various places, and even if the imperial court transfers grain from other places, plus the time for harvesting, purchasing, and transportation, the fastest time will be a month. Even if we take out all the silver taels that confiscated Ruan Hong and buy grain and rice from those people, the more than one million taels of silver won't be able to buy much, and it won't last a few days. How much more shall we use the river when the rainy season is over, when all the money has been spent? If the river is not repaired well, it will be the same in the coming year, and if such a vicious circle continues, the hole that is owed every year will become bigger and bigger. At this time, Changshi Wu Ze plucked up the courage to say.

"In this way, the most important thing now is to find a way to get food and rice from those people, and no matter what, it will have to survive for more than a month." Yu Wenxian said.

"What Qi Guogong said is that the grain and rice for more than a month must be solved in a way, because there are already small-scale riots in Jingzhou, and if it drags on, the situation will be unstable." Inspector Shi Cui Liang said below.

"It's really hard to do." Yu Wenxian frowned and thought about it, paused for a while, and then said: "In this way, settle everyone to rest first, tomorrow morning, my father will have a will of the court here for everyone." Zhang Mi Envoy, Chang Shi, Supervision History, and the general of the Jingzhou garrison stayed, and everyone else has been running around for a day, so let's go back and rest first. ”

"Yes! Thank you Qi Guogong, the lower officials and others will retire! The officials under the hall, except for the four envoys of Zhang Mi, all retired one after another.

"You four sit down first." Seeing that the rest of the people had gone out, Yu Wenxian asked them to sit down first. Then he glanced at the general who was now in charge of the Jingzhou garrison who had just left, this person was none other than the general he met outside the city and the general named Ji Xin who helped the victims get food from the temple.

"What is the name of this general?" Yu Wenxian asked.

"Song Ting, the deputy general of the Jingzhou garrison camp at the end of the general, has seen His Royal Highness the Emperor of Qi Guogong, the general of Jingzhou!" Song Ting stood under the hall like an iron tower, and said in a loud voice: "Since the Duke of Qi is the general appointed by the imperial court to take charge of the Jingzhou army, the last general is now handing over the military talisman and seal of the 13th battalion of the 13th battalion of Jingzhou and the 100,000 army. After speaking, he took out half a tiger talisman from his body and presented it respectfully.

Seeing this, Yu Wenxian also stood up, walked over and took the talisman with both hands. This is Song Ting and said: "The general Yinxin is still in the barracks, please hand over to the lieutenants in person after arriving at the barracks." ”

"Okay, it turned out that Pan Bao and Ruan Hong, who were in charge of the army, bent the law for personal gain, and now they have been escorted to Chang'an for conviction. General Song is in charge, it is really hard, this father has just arrived, and I hope that General Song will help a lot. Yu Wenxian stood and said.

"Yes! The last general will obey orders! Song Ting said in a resolute tone.

"The situation in Jingzhou, everyone here has a number in their hearts, leaving you behind is to discuss a countermeasure, what should we do in the current situation?" Yu Wenxian put away the talisman and returned to his seat and asked.

The four people in the seat were silent, Wu Ze and Cui Liang shook their heads again and again, Zhang Hu and Song Ting were expressionless and silent...... In the end, it was Zhang Hu who spoke first: "Just now Qi Guogong said, there is also a will of the imperial court, I don't know what the imperial court has to do about it?" ”

"The secret envoy Zhang is really well-informed, and the will of the imperial court is indeed very beneficial to solve the current difficulties." Yu Wenxian looked at Zhang Hu with a smile and said.

"Then dare to ask what the will of the imperial court says, is Your Highness willing to reveal a thing or two to the lower officials?" Zhang Hu pretended not to understand Yu Wenxian's slightly mocking greeting.

"The imperial court had long anticipated the current situation in Jingzhou, so His Majesty and Tsukasa Zai gave Bengong a will before Bengong left, and it was also for all the subjects of Jingzhou. After the Duke arrived in Jingzhou, he called on the local wealthy merchants to donate rice and grain, or borrow from them in the name of the imperial court, and the imperial court would return the principal with interest in the coming year, and at the same time, a separate decree would be issued. "There is no need for Yu Wenxian to hide anything.

After listening to this, the four people below didn't seem to have any obvious reaction, as if they didn't have much hope for the will of the imperial court. Yu Wenxian saw this in his eyes, so he asked:

"What, do you have any thoughts on the will of the imperial court?"

"Uh...... The will of the imperial court is naturally carried out by the ministers to the letter, but whether the local wealthy businessmen are willing or whether they obey the decree without any discount is not guaranteed. "This is,Wu Ze said.

"What is the origin of these powerful and rich businessmen, now you can tell my father-in-law a good story." Yu Wenxian leaned back, ready to listen.

"Let's ask Brother Mingguang to tell me, he has been in Jingzhou for a longer time." Wu Ze called Cui Liang's cousin.

"Okay, then let the lower official tell His Highness." Cui Liang sorted it out in his heart, and then said: "Although this Jingzhou City is thousands of miles away from Chang'an, it can be regarded as a place where the dragon and the tiger are hidden." In the late Han Dynasty, when the Three Kingdoms competed for power, it was already counted by Zhuge Kongming as a place for soldiers to fight, occupying the right time, place and people. There is abundant rain here, the sky is bright, and it is a state of fish and rice. In addition, it extends in all directions, the waterways and dry roads are smooth, and the merchants sit on the merchants, the peddlers and pawns, and the vehicles and boats do not stop all day long. Let's not talk about this time and place, let's talk about this person and people. This land of Jingzhou has been a place of great names and scholars since ancient times. Now we won't talk much about these masters, let's talk about the nobles. ”

"That's right! Let's talk about the nobles today! Yu Wenxian agreed.

"Yes. The nobles of Jingzhou are all in a ballad. Cui Liang said with a smile.

"Ballads?"

"Yes, please listen carefully, Your Highness." Cui Liang smiled and chanted a ballad: "Chang'an in the north, Jinling in the south, the dragon is soaring to the sky, Chu sings, and Shouting returns to the soul." The bookcase is small, the wooden fish is large, the monkeys in the sky can talk, the white rice snows, and the flying fish embroiders. ”

"The first half of this is still understandable, and the second half needs to be explained by you." Yu Wenxian asked.

"This bookcase is small, it is the Mingde Academy outside Jiangling City, although it is said that the bookcase is small, but the reputation of this Mingde Academy is not small at all, this academy has no class, regardless of the rich and poor, whether it is a rich son or a poor child, are included in it, many officials and celebrities in Jingzhou have studied in the academy. Therefore, this protégé student of Mingde Academy is a force to be reckoned with in Jingzhou. Cui Liang said with a smile.

"Your Highness may not know that our Jingzhou supervision history was also a protégé of Mingde Academy." Wu Ze added.

"Oh? Is Cui Inspector a senior apprentice of Centennial College? Yu Wenxian asked with a little surprise.

"Shame! I'm ashamed that Xia Guan is not a good person in the academy. Cui Liang said modestly.

"Cui Inspector should not be humble, the name of Mingde Academy, my father has heard it in Chang'an, the academy is full of talents, since Cui Inspector has this blessing, it is not in vain for a great fortune in life." Yu Wenxian said.

"Thank you Your Highness for your praise, the academy has indeed cultivated a lot of talents, and it is also inextricably linked with the children of the official family, so it is a giant in the territory of Jingzhou." Cui Liang explained.

"What does the big wooden fish mean?"

"This wooden fish is big, it means that the Buddhist temple in Jingzhou is prosperous and spreading, and the monks of the temple do not work hard, but they occupy a large amount of land, grain and rice, and the situation is ...... Qi Guogong came from Chang'an, and he must also know a thing or two, these temples are not surnamed Shi, but Qian. It is also a little difficult for us to touch the grain and rice in the hands of these monks. Cui Liang was a little embarrassed.

"It's okay, the illegal temple in Chang'an was personally led by Tsukasa Zai, and the Imperial Forest Army was used to raid it, which made a good example for the inventory of temples in various parts of the Great Zhou, since this prince has been in Jingzhou, then it is just right to take out the food in those temples for disaster relief!" Yu Wenxian is confident.

"His Royal Highness personally supervises this matter, and we should scramble to live up to the trust of the imperial court." The four people below have expressed their stance that they will do their best.

"Good! Let's move on, what's going on with the lion of Houmen. ”

"Your Highness, this monkey in the sky refers to Ji Anhou Mao'an......"

"But Mrs. Tsukasa's younger brother, Mau'an?" Yu Wenxian immediately straightened up and asked.

"Yes, it is the younger brother of Mrs. Mao, who is now deeply favored by Tsukasa, who has been named the Hou Ye for several years, although he has not become an official, but he eats very openly in Jingzhou, and there are ways for officials and businessmen to be black and white." Zhang Hu further added.