"My lord, the Green Forest League has sent a total of 1,378 mountain people this time, most of them are women, children and old people, and there are only 150 men; The lowly has all placed them in the city. ”

"Yiming has worked hard; Did they buy anything when they left? ”

"My lord, they mainly bought some grain, grass, cloth, and medicinal herbs; According to the king's orders, all of them were given to them at cost price. ”

"That's good, the bandit matter has finally been resolved." Guo Qi said happily.

"My lord, I don't understand anything about my humble position, and I ask my lord to teach me."

"If there's anything you don't understand, you can say it!"

"Lord, since the Green Forest Alliance has been submitted, it is the people under the rule of the lord, and the lord also let them pay for the grain and grass baggage, isn't it a little too stingy."

"Yiming, you only know one thing but you don't know the other!" Guo Qi said with a smile: "They are all habitual bandits, and they have made a lot of gold, silver and jewelry by robbing houses and houses over the years, and these things can't be eaten as food in their hands, and they can't spend it, isn't it a waste!" It's not that they are going to take it out and buy food;

This money is different when it comes to us, we can use this money to go to Jingzhao Mansion and Hanzhong to buy grain, cloth, tea, salt and other materials......"

"The lord is wise."

"By the way, speaking of which, what did you do with the more than three million taels of silver?"

"My lord, the humble post has already put them all in storage."

"That's it?"

"Yes! What does the lord think? ”

"I said Yiming, why are you confused when it comes to the critical moment!" Guo Qi was very unhappy with Song Yiming; "Fifth son, go and Ling Jing will find this king."

"Ling respects the lord." Ling Jing soon arrived and saluted Guo Qi.

"Excuse me, how much grain does Ling Jing have in Cangcheng now?"

"My lord, there are still more than 50,000 stones of grain, and I heard that my lord brought a batch of silver from Baili City, and I am about to ask my lord for instructions to see if he has allocated a sum of money to buy grain, cloth, tea, salt and other materials."

"Didn't the lord already allocate 50,000 taels of silver to sell grain in Jingzhao Mansion before? Why do you want more? Song Yiming asked Ling Jing.

"Lord Song, this is what the humble post is going to say next, the 50,000 taels of silver have already sent people to buy more than 50,000 stone grain and grass from all over Guanzhong, and they are on the way to Yongcheng for transportation, it is estimated that it will be almost there in three or four days, but even if you add the 50,000 stones in Cangcheng, there are only 100,000 stones, which is enough for more than 100,000 people for a month, and it will not last next year's wheat harvest!"

"Why did 50,000 taels of silver only sell for 50,000 stones?" Guo Qi frowned and asked.

"My lord, now the price of grain in Guanzhong has risen to one tael of silver and one stone, and although Hanzhong is cheaper, there are also eight coins of silver (Note 1), which does not count the consumption on the road, and the price will be even higher if it is transported to Yongcheng."

"Shhh Guo Qi took a breath of cool air; "How much grain do you need for next year's wheat harvest?"

"Your lord, it is already the beginning of October, and there are still eight months left until the wheat harvest in late spring next year; Now the people's homes have almost a month's worth of grain, and when the 50,000 stone grain and grass arrive, it can last for another month; We need at least six months' worth of food, and at least 500,000 stones. ”

"So much food? How much money does that cost? Song Yiming said with a painful face.

"Lord, in fact, what Yongzhou lacks now is not only food, but also a lot of cloth, tea, salt, fur, etc., this winter is cold, if the people are still wearing single clothes, it is easy to freeze to death." Ling Jingyan said. (Note 2)

"In this way, this king will first allocate you a million taels of silver, and use it to buy these urgently needed grains and grasses, and if the money is not enough, you will come directly to this king."

"Thank you, lord, with this million taels, it's almost there." Ling Jing said happily.

——————

Just when Guo Qi was about to buy grain and grass in large quantities, a major event was happening in Jingzhao Mansion, hundreds of miles away, and Guanzhong Daotai Rong Zheng and Guanzhong Daotai officials at all levels, as well as officials at all levels in Jingzhao Mansion, were waiting nervously outside the West Gate.

"Newspaper, newspaper, newspaper...... Your Excellency, you have already seen the car of the Yellow Gate Envoy (note 3). A spy came on horseback to report.

"Quick, play music to greet the envoy." Rong Zheng ordered.

"Toot, toot, toot......"

Amid the noisy music, a carriage slowly came to the city gate.

Rong Zheng took all the officials and immediately saluted forward: "Xiaguan Guanzhong Daotai Rong Zheng, lead the officials at all levels of Guanzhong Daotai and Jingzhao Mansion to meet your lordship." ”

A eunuch dressed in eunuch clothes stepped down from the carriage and said very arrogantly: "Lord Rong is exempt, how dare our family be a great gift to Lord Daotai!" ”

"The envoy is laughing, the lower officials have already prepared the wine and food, and please ask the envoy to enter the city first!" Rong Zheng said very politely.

"Then Lord Lao Rong will lead the way." The Yellow Gate envoy said in a sharp voice.

After the Yellow Gate envoy got into the carriage, Rong Zheng looked behind him and found that the Yellow Gate envoy who came this time was a little strange, in addition to these two carriages, there were more than 1,000 soldiers of the forbidden army and dozens of carriages behind him; In the past, although the envoys of the Yellow Gate would also bring people with them, they did not bring many people, at most a dozen people.

Rong Zheng led the way in front, and the envoy of the Yellow Gate greeted him in front of the Daotai Yamen and said: "Your Excellency, the lower officials have already ordered the preparation of wine and food, and these forbidden army soldiers have also been arranged, do you think you should let them go to the barracks to rest first?" ”

The Yellow Gate envoy's attitude suddenly changed and said, "No need, Lord Rong, you should prepare to receive the order first!" ”

"No! The lower official arranged for the preparation of incense cases to meet the holy decree. Rong Zheng still said very respectfully.

In the lobby of the Daotai Yamen, the envoy of the Yellow Gate stood in front of the incense case, respectfully invited the holy decree out, and said loudly: "The holy decree is Dao, and the officials at all levels of the Daotai in Guanzhong listen to the decree. ”

"Chen Rongzheng led officials at all levels of Guanzhong Daotai to listen to the order." Rong Zheng led officials at all levels to kneel down.

The Huangmen squire opened the holy decree and read it: "His Majesty the Emperor of Great Qi Shengyu: Check the Guanzhong Daotai Rongzheng, Tian Ji, Hao Song...... and so on, 30 subordinate officials at all levels, corrupt and bend the law, communicate with foreign countries, and sell ordnance...... The evidence is conclusive, and he was immediately escorted back to Beijing to be interrogated by the Criminal Department, Dali Temple, and Yushitai. ”

Rong Zheng was stunned, and the thirty officials whose names were read were also stunned, without any warning in advance, this blow came too quickly, this holy decree is basically equivalent to sentencing these people, and the trial of the three divisions is just a procedure.

"If all the people who come are escorted, they can be escorted back to Beijing ......," the special envoy of the Yellow Gate said coldly.

"No!"

"Wronged! Wronged! Your Majesty, the minister has been wronged! Thirty officials at all levels were dragged out in the midst of injustice, and were directly escorted to the prison car and sent to Jingshi Luodu.

The news of the arrest of thirty officials in Guanzhong Dao immediately spread all over the world, and the entire Daqi officialdom was shaken, and the Daqi Emperor, who had been silent for many years, finally showed his tough methods again; For the envoy of the Yellow Gate, the matter of Jingzhao Mansion is just a small matter, and the next trip to Yongzhou is the real big thing.