These two subordinates were just chatting, but they didn't take this matter too seriously.

However, when they saw the head of the family coming to ask, the two subordinates who were talking in private hurriedly lowered their heads.

"Yes, Lang Jun, the price of food in Xiangping has risen."

They hurriedly replied.

"How much has it gone up?"

Liu Yi was a little anxious.

"It's up more than one percent, and it's about to become two."

"Soon?"

Liu Yi felt that something was not right.

Grain prices in eastern Liaoning have been very stable for several years, and the Central Plains has survived several natural disasters without danger under Guo Peng's rule, and grain output has not decreased, so grain prices in eastern Liaoning will naturally not fluctuate.

And now it has suddenly risen, could it be that there is a natural disaster in the Central Plains?

Flood? Drought? Locusts?

Liu Yi was very worried, and immediately called the housekeeper who managed the procurement at home to inquire about this matter.

After careful inquiry, Liu Yi learned that the price of grain in Xiangping City was indeed rising recently, rising by almost two percent, but the housekeeper felt that these increases were not a big deal, so he didn't care.

"Isn't it too much if it's gone up by two percent?"

Liu Yi was very angry: "Then how much do you think is too much?" Doubled? ”

"No, Lang Jun, in recent years, our family's income and expenditure are actually quite generous, and not to mention our family, even those farmers who grow medicinal herbs outside, have a lot of five baht in their hands, this increase is really nothing, and no one talks about it."

The housekeeper looked nervous and hurriedly said.

"It's not okay if no one talks about it, food is fundamental, how can you not care? Inexplicably, it rose by two percent, did there be famine and disaster in the Central Plains? ”

"I haven't heard of that."

The butler shook his head.

Liu Yi felt that something was wrong, so he spoke: "Go out and investigate this matter immediately, how can the price of food increase for no reason?" Check it out and come back and tell me. ”

"Yes."

The housekeeper had no choice but to go out and ask around about what was going on.

After inquiring for a few days, the housekeeper inquired about some definite news, saying that a grain store in Xiangping City was closed.

The reason for the closure of this shop was that an old man in the grain merchant behind the shop had died, and he had to return home to handle the funeral, and planned to return to the Central Plains to take care of his remaining elder family nearby, and did not want to continue to do business in Liaodong.

Seven days ago, the grain merchant sailed back to Qingzhou.

It is said that there will be other grain merchants to take over this grain merchant, so people don't feel worried and go about their lives as usual.

Liu Yi thought about it for a while, and felt that this matter might be too much for himself, people are born, old, sick and die, and there is no way to predict this matter, if it really happens, there is no way.

So he relaxed a little and didn't care too much.

In the middle of July, the Wei Empire suddenly came to the envoy, saying that he would read out the edict of Wei Tianzi, and Wei Tianzi made Gongsun Du the Marquis of Yan, Pingzhou Mu, 3,000 households, and added the rank of hussar general.

The implication is that he hopes that Gongsun Du will surrender to the Wei Empire, accept the gift of the Wei Empire, and stop being stubborn.

The previous reward was still awarded in the name of Emperor Han, and then there was another time when the content of the reward in the name of the Wei Empire was ignored by Gongsun Du, and this time, Guo Peng came to reward again.

Gongsun Du, who was ill, laughed when he heard this, and even his condition was reduced a lot.

"Guo Zifeng is still afraid of the military might of my Liaodong army, and wants to be gentle with me, hmph, I have already done this in Liaodong, is there still a Yanhou for him?"

Gongsun Du talked and laughed in front of the courtiers who came to visit him, and tried his best to ridicule Guo Peng's weakness and weakness after annexing Jingzhou and Yizhou in one go.

Then, Gongsun Du pondered for a moment and came up with a bold idea.

"I'm in Liaodong, if you want to be a king, then the king, it's not uncommon for him to be the Marquis of Yan, and now that he Guo Zifeng is the emperor, how can I give me a King of Yan, and allow me to build a feudal state, so that I can be regarded as worthy of my identity!

As far as what he gives me now, Han has already given it to me, I already have it, do I still need to change the court? I won't accept this reward, unless Guo Zifeng confers me King Yan, maybe I can consider it. ”

Gongsun Du laughed arrogantly, and then asked people to drive Wei Envoy away.

Guo Peng's intention to win over Gongsun Du is obvious, and it also exposes his sense of powerlessness after practicing Jingzhou and Yizhou.

Therefore, Gongsun Du and a group of Liaodong civil and military officers all felt that Guo Peng would not make a move against Liaodong in a short time.

Still, Liu Yi was a little worried.

"Why don't you just take over the appointment, so that Liaodong will be completely safe, and Guo Zifeng will have no excuse to attack Liaodong, Guo Zifeng himself ascended the throne through the King of Wei, and now the prince wants to be the king of Yan, I guess it will make Guo Zifeng unhappy."

"What if he's not happy?"

Gongsun Du pouted: "He did it himself, and he didn't let people say it?" He's clearly a thief! Despicable and shameless arrogance of the emperor, even if you are the emperor, in the end, you still have to whitewash yourself?

Hum! It doesn't matter if you don't do it or not, I just want to embarrass him! Look what he does to me! If he is angry, he might as well send troops against me, and I will see if he can come and attack me!" ”

Gongsun Du thought that he had seen through Guo Peng's current weakness, and felt that if he didn't take advantage of this opportunity, it would be difficult to reap the benefits later.

At this time, if you don't get what you want, and then wait for Guo Peng to slow down and have time to clean up Liaodong, it will not be good.

This is robbery while the fire is burning.

Although Liu Yi felt that it was inappropriate, he also felt that what Gongsun Du said was reasonable, and he didn't know what to say to dissuade Gongsun Du, so he let it go.

When the time came for Liu Zhang to arrive in Luoyang and formally surrender to Guo Peng.

At a very special opportunity, Liu Yi suddenly asked the housekeeper about the recent grain prices in Xiangping City, and was surprised to learn that the price of grain has risen all the way, from less than 20% before to more than 30% now, and there is an upward trend.

"Three?"

Liu Yi was surprised: "What's the matter?" How can food prices go up so much? ”

"It seems that there is a plague somewhere in the Central Plains, and the hometowns of several Central Plains merchants have been affected, and they can't continue to do business in Liaodong, so they have all gone back, so the price of grain has risen a little."

"What's going on? How is it that this didn't happen before, and now it is? ”

Liu Yi felt very angry and surprised, and then immediately asked the housekeeper to investigate the matter again.

After returning from the investigation, Liu Yi felt that the matter was more serious, and asked his subordinates to disperse to various counties to investigate the local food prices.

At the beginning of August, after Liu Yi summarized the grain prices in various counties and places from his subordinates, he was surprised to find that the grain prices of all counties had risen by different ranges, not only in Xiangping.

The lowest is more than 20%, and the highest is more than 40%, which is completely different from previous years.

In this regard, Liu Yi felt bad, and immediately went to Gongsun Du with this data, only to learn that Gongsun Du's condition was repeated, he needed to recuperate, and no one was seen, Liu Yi had no choice but to go to Gongsun Kang.

Gongsun Kang took over some power from Gongsun Du and began to deal with the government affairs of Liaodong, and after seeing Liu Yi's report, he also felt that there was indeed a problem.

"In previous years, the price of grain in different places occasionally varies depending on the arrival time, but it has generally risen by 20 to 40 percent...... This...... The state of Wei has been plagued? ”

Gongsun Kang asked.

"According to some rumors, it is said that there is a plague in some places in Qingzhou, probably because of the influence of these things, so many merchants in Qingzhou have returned, but ......"

"That should be the reason, right?"

Listening to what Liu Yi said, Gongsun Kang interrupted Liu Yi's worries: "Liu Gong, you don't have to worry too much about some things, if it is caused by the plague, then such a thing is normal, we don't have to worry, when the plague of Wei is over, it will naturally pass." ”

"But after all, we didn't see it with our own eyes."

Liu Yi shook his head: "Childe, I suggest that we send someone to explore the truth and see if this matter is true, I always feel unsure."

And if it is true, whether this plague is large or not, whether it lasts for a long time, these are all things we need to know, if it lasts for a long time, our food prices here may not be stable. ”

Gongsun Kang thought for a moment and felt that it made sense, and at the same time, for the first time, he had the idea of "is it wrong for everyone to grow medicinal herbs instead of growing food?"

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