Zhuang Wenxuan hurriedly instructed the miscellaneous servants to invite the Tongzhi Zhang Shunzhang, the state judge Zou Bingzhi, the Xuezheng Fei Fei, the instructor Chen Jinchen and other officials, as well as the six-room officials and other officials to come to visit.

Liang Wensheng said: "Don't be so troublesome, I already know about the situation of the officials in this state, and I am not in a hurry to summon them." The order went down, and the hall was promoted early tomorrow morning, except for the Zhuang officials, who needed to hand over the official documents of the state government, the other officials were gone. ”

Zhuang Wenxuan was secretly happy in his heart, it seems that this Lord Liang is very strategic, and he has not yet taken office, and the situation of the officials of the state government has already made him understand. When Weifu came, he must have clearly understood the recent food shortage in the city. These days, there are rumors in the state government that Lord Zhizhou is about to take office, and they are all preparing how to welcome Lord Zhizhou, and it seems that these tasks have been done in vain.

But this is a good thing for Zhuang Wenxuan. Taking advantage of the handover of official documents, you can mention to him the information he has mastered.

Thinking of this, he asked Lord Liang: "Lord Liang, I don't know where the family members are now, I will send someone to clean the back hall again to welcome the family members of the adults." ”

"Let my guards do these things. Prepare your official books and come to me in the third hall in a moment. ”

"The subordinate obeys!"

Zhuang Wenxuan returned to the duty room and packed up the official account books that had been prepared a long time ago. He also put the fake account book of Qi Yu's house, which Ji Jiude gave him, in his sleeve, and entered the third hall with the official account book.

After Zhuang Wenxuan went in to salute and sit down, Liang Wensheng didn't ask any government affairs, but asked: "Which department is Zhuang Zhimu the person who lifts people?" ”

"Xiaguan is a member of the nineteenth year of Chenghua."

"Oh, then I'm three years ahead of you, I'm in the middle of the first day of the tenth year of Chenghua."

Zhuang Wenxuan hurriedly stood up and saluted: "That adult is my senior." ”

"There is no need to be polite, you and I are both from the same background, so we naturally have to help each other and support each other. In the fourteenth year of Chenghua, I had several encounters with Lord Wailanglin, a member of the household department in Nanjing, and had a very pleasant conversation, and later we often exchanged letters. Now I have become friends, and I have been very helpful in my career. Before I took office, he wrote to you recommending you, saying that you are thoughtful and resolute, and that you are a rare and capable talent. ”

"Lord Lin is my boss, during his reign in Juzhou, he has promoted and cared for the lower officials, and has the grace of knowing the lower officials, but I didn't expect that more than six years have passed, he still remembers the lower officials, so that the lower officials are grateful." Zhuang Wenxuan said gratefully: "The adult is not only a friend of Lord Lin, but also my boss, and his subordinates must do their best to serve the adult, share the disturbance for the adult, and help the adult to rise again." ”

Zhuang Wenxuan's subtext is that since you have identified yourself and are friends of Lord Lin, you are a brother in one camp. Then I also show my attitude, stand with you, help you make achievements in Juzhou, and help you get promoted.

After hearing this, Liang Wensheng smiled slightly: "Zhuang Zhimu, you have been in politics in Juzhou for more than ten years, and you are naturally very familiar with various government affairs in the state. This official has just arrived, and he is in great need of an official like you to assist, and I hope that Zhuang will give more suggestions on the government affairs of Juzhou and participate more in various government affairs in the state. If you make political achievements, the official will definitely ask the court for promotion. ”

"Thank you Lord Liang for your trust, and the officials will definitely say more about the big and small government affairs they know."

In just a few words, through the former predecessor Zhizhou Lin Xuan as a medium, the two formed an alliance.

"Zhuang Ranmu, two days before I came to take office, I had already started to visit the city, and I already knew a little about the food shortage that had occurred in the city in the past two days. You've been here for many years, so naturally you know more than I do, so let's talk about it first. ”

"Since the eighth year of Hongzhi, almost every year when there is a shortage of green and yellow, the price of grain in Juzhou will rise. This year is particularly serious, and the reason why this is so is because there are rumors about the shortage of grain this year, and the unscrupulous grain merchants in the city have added fuel to the fire, which has further aggravated the spread of rumors. ”

As a result, the three families of Qi, Liu, and Zhang, among the four major grain merchants in the city, hoarded Juqi, causing the illusion that there was a serious shortage of grain, and the price of grain soared, and the three families profited from it. The people who do not know the truth listen to the rumors and are rushing to buy food, thus creating the current situation. ”

What's more, some officials in the yamen colluded with merchants, not only did not open the regular liquidation to stabilize grain prices, but also stole the grain stored in the permanent liquidation and made a windfall. But the subordinate officials are only a state official, and they have no right to interfere, so they can only secretly conduct some investigations. ”

As he spoke, he took out an account book from his sleeve, handed it to Liang Wensheng, and continued: "This is the evidence of the corruption and illegality of the Qi officials collected by Ji Jiude, the warden of the household, and the theft and sale of the grain stored in the Changping warehouse, and the notes are very clear. ”

"Also, Ji Jiude personally discovered that Changping Wang Jiaping secretly transported the grain in the warehouse to the Qiji Grain Store at a high price at night, and it is estimated that there were nearly 100 truckloads of the night before yesterday alone, which Ji Jiude can testify."

"I also heard about this when I visited the city, but there is no evidence, as long as Ji Jiude can testify, it will be much easier." Lord Liang said: "Do you have any investigation into the smashing of Zhouji Grain Store? ”

"I have also secretly investigated this matter, and all the evidence points to the Qi family. According to my speculation, it was Qi Yuwang, the third son of the Qi family, who instigated the family Ding and bought off the ruffians in the society. ”

"Is there any evidence for this?"

Wei Guixiang, the owner of Guixiang Restaurant, confirmed that on the day the Zhouji Grain Store was smashed, Qi Yuwang had seen the family who took the lead in making trouble twice in the restaurant's box, which can be used as circumstantial evidence. The daughter-in-law of resident Liu Yiyi saw the family exchange the food they bought when they were making trouble, and exposed it on the spot, but they were threatened and intimidated by many ruffians, and this person can be used as an eyewitness. ”

"Okay, as long as there are witnesses, I'm not afraid that he won't admit it."

"My lord, do you want to arrest the people of the Qi family now? Seizure of three grain stores? ”

"No, before that, I'm going to invite them here."

"Guest? What do you mean, sir? ”

"This official will send guards tomorrow to buy the rice from the three grain stores, how can there be a reason not to let them taste it."

"Xia Guan understood. That's what to arrange. Zhuang Wenxuan said with a smile. Then call the official to convey it, and naturally someone will handle it.

Zhuang Wenxuan continued: "The closure of the three grain stores will cause greater panic among the people, and the top priority is to stabilize grain prices. ”

"How to stabilize grain prices now, and how much grain is stored in the warehouses in the state now?"

"Judging from the books, there are more than 11,000 stones of grain in Changping, but the actual grain storage is estimated to be less than 50% of the book, and more than 20,000 stones of grain in the community warehouse. As a matter of fact, the people in the city are not waiting for the rice to be put in the pot, but are just blindly rushing to buy it because of the panic caused by rumors, and as long as the price of grain drops, a notice will be posted to show that the grain stock is sufficient, and the food shortage will be eliminated naturally. ”

Qi Yu's family knew that Lord Liang had arrived at the first time, but Lord Liang ordered all the officials to be gone, he felt that Lord Liang was not good at coming this time, and there was a ghost in his heart, so he left the house and hurried home to discuss countermeasures.

"Father, Lord Liang of Zhizhou has quietly arrived early this morning, without any guard of honor, as soon as he arrived at the Yamen, he ordered that there would be no officials today, only the officials of Zhuang were left to hand over official documents, I feel that the comer is not good, we must prepare early."

When Qi Honglie heard this, he was also shocked. It's the first time I've seen it in such a way, and I don't know when Zhizhou arrived in the city. He felt a little bad and ordered: "The top priority now is to stop selling mixed sand rice as soon as possible, and then how to return the rice that is often closed." ”

Qi Yu's family also panicked, how to return it in broad daylight? In the past two days, 3,000 stones have been sold, and even if they can be returned, the gap is also very large. What to do? What to do? Qi Yujia was so anxious that his head began to sweat.

Seeing this, Qi Honglie said: "What are you panicking about, calm down, didn't he just come to take office?" Zhuang Wenxuan didn't dare to say anything. As long as you find a way to delay it for half a month and let him not go to Changping for inspection, the grain in Jiangnan will be replenished as soon as it arrives, and it will be fine. ”

While he was talking, his family came to report: "Master, the new Lord Zhizhou has arrived, and this morning he will have a banquet in the state government to invite merchants and large households in the city. ”

The father and son took the invitation and looked at it, and they were immediately relieved. Qi Honglie laughed and said, "I'll just say it's not a big deal, this Lord Zhizhou is very good." You see, we haven't visited yet, and he's in a hurry to get off the post. He Liang Wensheng is no matter how big his official reputation is, when he goes to the local government, he still has to rely on us businessmen and big households to support. Without our support, he's a fart! I can't do anything. Prepare your gifts, let's go to the feast! ”

However, the Qi Yu family was still a little uneasy, and said, "Father, just now you said that you won't see guests today, why are you in a hurry to invite us to a banquet now?" ”

"It must be Zhuang Wenxuan's idea, the problem of food shortage in this city still depends on us to help him solve it, this is a top priority, can he not be in a hurry?"

Although his father said so, Qi Yu's family was still unsteady in his heart, and he always felt that things were unusual, this Lord Zhizhou was too unconventional, who could know what cards he would play again. Out of caution, he suggested, "Father, I think it's better to stop selling mixed sand rice." The food shortage in the city will definitely be discussed at the banquet today. ”

"Well, you're right." After saying that, he told his family to go to the store to inform.

At noon, the father and son took the invitation sticker and brought the gift to the official canteen in the state office, now it has become a temporary banquet venue, ten large tables are arranged in the hall, and the decent people in the city have received the invitation sticker, and the lord of Zhizhou is invited to the banquet, which is enough to blow the glory of eight lifetimes, how can he not come? Of course, Zhou Xuhai was also invited.

But the strange thing is that everyone has already arrived, and Lord Zhizhou has not arrived for a long time, only Zhuang officials are greeting everyone. At this time, the Qi Yu family was even more uneasy.

After a long time, I heard a handyman shouting: "Lord Zhizhou Liang has arrived!" ”

Everyone stood up one after another, and at this time, a middle-aged man about forty years old walked in from outside the door, wearing a green official robe and a black light gauze official hat. No need to ask, this is the new governor Liang Wensheng.

When everyone saw Zhizhou, they saluted one after another, and said in unison: "I've seen Lord Zhizhou!" ”

After Liang Wensheng returned the salute, he motioned for everyone to sit down, and then began to say: "You are all big households and merchants in Juzhou, please come here today to meet and get to know each other, but the financial situation in the government is tight, and there is a serious shortage of food in the city, so you can only entertain everyone with a bowl of rice." I hope you Haihan. This is the new rice I bought in the city the day before I took office, and I invite you to taste it. ”

After saying that, a group of handymen brought rice and placed it in front of each guest.

Qi Yujia, Qi Honglie, and Liu Ji and Zhang Ji's cadres were stunned when they saw the bowl of rice in front of them......