Gao Yang and Jin Ping rode on their horses and hurried back to the guild hall of the grain store. The companions of the two were also on horses, a group of seven or eight people, and their faces looked ugly.

Gao Yang had just drunk a jar of Jinye Bai. Because it was the best wine given by Yan Sibai, the most miserly stingy shopkeeper of Wu Lou on weekdays, he drank very happily. It's just that now on the horse, rushing back, the whole person is shaking upside down, and the wine in the stomach is gushing up and down the throat.

It wasn't until there were more people in front of him that he had to slow down his horse, and Gao Yang's stomach that had been churning felt better, but the blockage in his heart did not decrease at all.

The cronies who came to report the news followed closely behind, and the sound of horses' hooves rang in their ears at the slightest moment. Just now he ran up from downstairs, and Gao Yang and Jin Ping were drinking happily. When he heard it, he just raised his eyes and casually asked what was wrong.

"Horse-drawn carriages, the shipping division uses horse-drawn carriages to transport grain on the river! Yesterday I arrived in Nanjing! ”

When the panicked words came into his ears, Gao Yang wanted to wake up the son of the family who was talking nonsense with a slap. But Jin Ping, who was next to him, changed his face when he heard it, "Isn't it a sleigh!?" ”

Gao Yang's drunkenness also woke up at once, and then, a chill spread throughout his body.

When Hou Shui's four ice boats were squeezed into pieces of wood in the Yellow River, which grain merchant didn't want to watch Wang Anshi's second trick joke? It was only in order to be prepared that the guild sent people to Nanjing Yingtianfu [Shangqiu] to investigate-sitting by the Bianhe River and guarding, he could always get the news first. Originally, Gao Yang only thought that he had made a manpower for nothing, but he never thought that this sleigh car would really be done for Xue Xiang.

Gao Yang panicked in his heart, even in the bustling crowd, he felt panicked. He turned his head to look at Jinping next to him, the head of the guild had a gloomy old face at this time, he died of his own mother and son, and Gao Yang didn't see him like this.

Money is more important than mom and dad – at least in the eyes of Gao Yang and Jin Ping. In order to make a big profit next year, they and the entire guild not only deliberately reduced the amount of grain sold in the past two months, but even used most of the family property to buy the grain stocks in the hands of large households in the Gyeonggi area at a high price.

Prices have risen sharply this winter, but they are taking advantage of the people's will to force the imperial court to close the position to stabilize grain prices. When the most reluctant means available to the imperial court are cut off, in the spring and summer of next year, it will be the time for the grain merchants to make a windfall and save money for their children and grandchildren for the rest of their lives. As long as you distribute part of the money you earn to your in-laws, are you afraid that the court will be able to raid your home? At that time, Wang Anshi was definitely going to fall, and any sin could be pushed on him!

But when the sleigh truck grain into Beijing, this wishful thinking will come to naught.

"What to do?!" Gao Yang asked dejectedly, sitting in the chair with no energy.

Mi Xing has its own clubhouse. Including Gao Yang and Jin Ping, the heads of the nine major banks gathered together. They had all been informed before, and now they are still looking at each other. No one expected that Wang Anshi, Han Gang, and Xue Xiang, the three of them together would actually transport grain to the capital in winter.

However, Jin Ping, the head of the big bank, had regained his calm at this time, and the hidden worry in his heart was only on the confidence that the grain entering Beijing had increased for the people, "What are you panicking about!" I haven't entered Beijing yet. Even if you really enter Beijing, there won't be much food that can be transported! I don't believe that the sleigh can still compare to the Tsunama?! If there is really such a capacity, it has already spread all over the world! …… A winter's maximum is only two or three hundred thousand stones! ”

As soon as the backbone of De Jinping said this, the faces of the leaders suddenly improved a lot, if it was only the number of hundreds of thousands of stones, they really wouldn't take it to heart.

One of them said, "Even if it is doubled, it will only be 500,000 stones." If the imperial court wants to use this to sell, we will buy as much as it will come out when the time comes. ”

Gao Ping smiled viciously: "The imperial court will stabilize the price of grain, it must be sixty or seventy Wen, find a way to buy it, and you will make money in the future." ”

In a burst of echoing laughter, Jin Ping remained calm: "Try not to take too many risks, just a few hundred thousand stones, it is a drop in the bucket for millions of soldiers and civilians in the capital, and it can be sold out in a blink of an eye." When the time comes, the imperial court will still have to open a warehouse to release grain! ”

……………………

At this time, Wang Anshi was in the middle book, arguing with Feng Jing about whether to open a regular position and release grain.

"The grain outline of the northward transportation of the Sixth Route Shipping Division has arrived in Nanjing, what is the need to open a regular position?!"

Grain merchants can receive the news, and of course Wang Anshi in the political hall has already received it. Wang Anshi has always been in contact with Xue Xiang and knows the progress of the Sixth Route Shipping Division well. It is only recently that after the recent failure of the ice boat, he deliberately restrained his tough attitude, which made the opinion of opening a regular position to close the position very loud in the DPRK and China. It's just that at present, the grain from Suzhou has finally arrived in Yingtianfu, Nanjing, and the grain storage from Sizhou has also been smoothly transferred to Suzhou. This matter could no longer be concealed, and Wang Anshi's attitude became decisive again.

Xue Xiang said in the recital that sledding grain is the first trip, and I don't know if it is possible. Even if it is a fluke, it will never be more than the transportation of the gangship, how can it suppress the price of grain. Nowadays, everything on the market is expensive, and there is no one that does not double the price. Half a month later is the New Year's Festival, but there are not many New Year's goods on the market. As long as the price of food falls, department stores will fall, and the public will be in charge, this is often closed, so that the people can have a stable year! ”

Feng Jing, as the governor of the political affairs, of course knows what Xue Xiang is doing in the Sixth Road Shipping Division, and what the progress is. However, although the private letter written to Wang Anshi and the official document submitted by the Sixth Route Shipping Division said one thing, as long as the words and tone were slightly easier, the understanding would be diametrically opposite, and at the same time, it could not be said that there was a mistake in it. Feng Jing is not optimistic about what Wang Anshi's persistence can bring.

"Can't be opened! The current rise in food prices is not due to a shortage of food at all, but to profiteers. The reserve that is often closed is to prevent famine, not to make up for the profiteers! ”

Wang Anshi will never agree, as long as he nods his head here and reports to the Son of Heaven, the news will spread in a blink of an eye. By the decree, food prices will indeed fall. However, it is impossible to say how much it will fall, and it depends on the attitude of the grain merchants.

The imperial court did not release grain, and the grain merchants had good reasons to keep grain prices high. If the position is often closed, it will not be able to lower the price of grain. Wang Anshi didn't need to think too much, he could guess how many of the officials who presided over the sale of grain at parity had colluded with the grain merchants. I am afraid that one-third of the grain sold from the regular closed positions will be transported to the warehouses of the grain merchants. Only by selling most of the grain reserves in the regular liquidation in one breath can those grain merchants take advantage of the trend to lower the price, but it is not known how much they will take out to sell.

"Do you want to watch the people of the capital eat one hundred and thirty wen a bucket of rice during the New Year's Festival?"

Wang Anshi's stubbornness made Feng Jing angry. not only hated the awkward minister in front of him, but also hated Han Gang, if he hadn't made any sleigh cars, where would Wang Anshi dare to gamble now?!

Feng Jing, as a political counselor, never wanted to see the situation of soaring grain prices, which was related to the stability of the court. In addition, he has to think about the future. At this time, I don't have a comfortable opinion, and when I settle the accounts after the autumn, the three words 'inaction' are my own crimes. Wang Anshi's resignation was a foregone conclusion, and Feng Jing didn't want to lose himself.

"The grain from the south will soon arrive in the capital, and the price of grain will not rise again, but will only fall." Wang Anshi's insistence is still unwavering, "And next year is even more important, and the position must not be closed lightly!" ”

Chang Ping is the last weapon in the hands of the imperial court in addition to raising the butcher knife. As long as the grain stocks that are often closed are still there, grain merchants cannot unscrupulously hoard them. If the disaster situation does not abate next year, and there is no restriction on regular liquidation, these dry grain merchants will be able to act recklessly. At present, the price of grain is only 130 wen, but it can soar to 200 wen.

At that time, the imperial court, which was left with only strong means, had no other way to deal with profiteers. But can the Son of Heaven really deal with his own people? I'm afraid I can only let the courtiers splash all the dirty water on themselves! As long as the grievances of the victims are relied on and the stability of the court is not shaken, the Son of Heaven will not mind sacrificing a prime minister.

"Since Jiefu insists on your opinion, Feng Jing has nothing to say. I will present the recital of opening the warehouse and releasing grain tomorrow, and when the time comes, you will still be tired of telling the Son of Heaven! Feng Jing said that, and then flicked his sleeve robe and left angrily.

In the current political hall, only Wang Anshi continues to insist, although Wang Jue did not come over to fight Wang Anshi, but he also supports Kaichang to close the position. It was only because of Wang Anshi's insistence and the constant arrival of good news from the Sixth Route Shipping Division - somewhat relying on the emperor's confidence in Han Gang's invention - that the Son of Heaven did not have the idea of immediately using Chang Hang.

But Wang Anshi didn't know how long Zhao Ji's will could last. Yesterday, I had heard that Emperor Cao and Empress Dowager Gao had asked the Son of Heaven to inquire about the current disaster and the prices outside, and Wang Anshi could guess what they would say. Maybe tonight will change the situation.

Fortunately, the convoy carrying grain had already arrived in Nanjing, and at the speed of the convoy in the river, it would arrive in Beijing in two days. When this news reached the ears of the Son of Heaven, it should allow him to follow his temperament for the next two days.

It's just that the food hasn't arrived in Beijing yet, and Wang Anshi can't settle down yet. He insisted on not opening a regular position, but he would not sit idly by and watch the people of the capital endure the current prices for a New Year's Day. Now he is looking forward to the grain gang that has arrived in Yingtianfu to arrive in Beijing smoothly.

As long as there are more than 100,000 or 200,000 stone grain into the capital, the people's hearts that are floating now will definitely be able to settle down, and they will be able to deal with the disaster next year smoothly.