When he returned to the Yamen, Xu Gang summoned Li Tongju and Meng Changqing to the second hall and put forward the idea of opening the granary of the government, selling them at a low price, and suppressing prices, but they were opposed by Li Tongju.

"No adults! If the barbarians besiege the city again, we can't even supply military rations, and the consequences will be unimaginable!" Li Desheng's face changed, and he hurriedly persuaded.

"Why not? What are we doing to defend the city? Isn't it for the sake of the people of this city? If the people run out of food, and there is another riot in the city, will you resist this responsibility? Xu Gang glanced at him silently, and asked in a non-hurried tone.

Belch!! Li Desheng was speechless for a moment, he couldn't risk the world's greatness and ignore the lives of the people!

"If the country has no external troubles, there will be internal troubles. External worries can be prevented, but treacherous and evil have no form, if it is an internal trouble, it is deeply terrifying! Xu Gang suddenly mentioned a sentence that Emperor Taizong once said, and then asked Li Desheng and others: "If the people in the city have different intentions with us, we only need a word from the barbarians, and we will be defeated!" ”

"Are brutes so powerful? You can take the city in one sentence! Li Desheng complained softly.

"Humph!" Xu Gang snorted coldly, which frightened Li Desheng slightly, and when he saw Xu Gang staring at him, he quickly lowered his head, and his heart suddenly felt a little uneasy.

"If the people in the city are hungry, then the barbarians will say another word, assist the people who opened the city, and give rice and food!" Xu Gang sneered and continued: "You say, with less than 5,000 defenders in the city, can you resist tens of thousands of barbarian troops attacking the city at the same time, and more than 100,000 people rioting?" ”

"This" Cold sweat broke out on Li Desheng's face, and he muttered in his heart: I heard all the things I just said, Lord Zhizhou, why are his ears so smart!

"Li Tongju, what Lord Zhizhou said is very true! As for the issue of military rations, General Xu doesn't have to worry, there are still many in the Luzhou garrison camp! Moreover, his subordinates have sent a message to the king's military master, asking him to report to the imperial court, increase troops to help, and strive to quell the chaos in one fell swoop! Meng Changqing, who was sitting on the side, got up and hugged his fists.

Xu Gang nodded at him slightly, and cast a grateful look.

"Li Tongju, just do what the official says! In the afternoon, a third of the grain will be taken out and sold to the people at the market price, remember, each person is limited to 50 catties! At the same time, a porridge shed was opened to relieve the poor people! Xu Gang glanced at Li Desheng and gave an order.

"Yes, sir!" Li Desheng nodded helplessly, and took the state officials to carry out Xu Gang's order.

There are only Xu Gang and Meng Changqing left in the hall!

"Brother Meng, please continue to send soldiers to patrol, the state government's arresters are usually lazy, and they can't afford to pick up the girders, just let them assist!" Xu Gang got up and waved at Meng Changqing.

Meng Changqing's face tightened, and he quickly got up and returned the salute and said, "Brother Xu doesn't have to be so polite!" Please rest assured, I will arrange for the two capitals to patrol the streets with the yamen catcher in a while. ”

"Thank you, Brother Meng! Let's go out into the streets, too! After Xu Gang finished speaking, he took the lead and walked outside the hall.

Although Li Desheng was a little dissatisfied in his heart, he didn't dare to disobey the yin, although he often did this kind of thing before, but since he saw Xu Gang's methods, he quickly put away those careful thoughts.

Outside the granary of the state government, temporary wooden sheds have been erected, long stalls have been set up, and people are queuing up to buy, everything seems to be in order!

However, Xu Gang stood not far away, but frowned, and whispered something to Meng Changqing, Meng Changqing nodded, and left.

After a while, Meng Changqing came back and whispered a few words in Xu Gang's ear, Xu Gang frowned, and walked towards the wooden shed.

"Your Excellency!" As soon as the officials saw Xu Gang coming, they hurriedly saluted him.

"Stop!" Xu Gang said with a dark face, and said slowly, seeing that the hearts of the people around him were tight, they were very worried that Lord Zhizhou would change his mind and no longer sell food to them!

"You, you, you, and a few of you, come out!" Xu Gang stretched out his hand and pointed to the more than ten people in the queue.

"My lord, you called us out, I don't know what to order!"

"My lord, my old mother is still waiting for me to buy rice and go back to the pot, she has been hungry for several days!"

These people who were called out by Xu Gang suddenly started talking, all kinds of pitiful, all kinds of pleading!

"Grab it!" Xu Gang just said lightly, and then saw Meng Changqing raise his hand and wave, and immediately rushed up a team of soldiers and arrested these people.

"My lord, what crime have we committed, and why are you arresting us?"

"Yes, sir! How can you bear to bully us poor people? ”

"My lord, I have been wronged!"

These people suddenly started a ruckus

At this time, a few old men came over, all of whom were highly respected people in the city, pointed at these people's noses and scolded: "You dogs, you dogs, actually came to buy the cheap grain specially taken out by Lord Zhizhou, and helped those unscrupulous profiteers hoard!" Do you have a conscience, I will kill you! ”

In fact, an old man also raised the cane in his hand, and hit it angrily, if it is solid, his head will definitely bloom! But the old man was too old to keep up, and the stick was empty and hit the ground!

When Xu Gang entered the city yesterday, when he opened the sedan chair, he inadvertently saw a grain store called "Xingwang Rice Shop", which was selling grain at a high price, and all the guys were helping to carry the grain. And those guys are the same people who were pointed out by Xu Gang just now!

"What the official just said in the morning, your shopkeeper should be the wind in your ears, right?" Xu Gang looked at these guys with a gloomy face, and there was a slight anger in his tone.

"My lord, it doesn't matter to us!"

"Yes, my lord, we just do what we are told, otherwise we won't get paid!"

"Your Excellency spares your life!"

When these people were carrying the grain back just now, they saw these old men standing outside the grain store, and they thought it was strange at the time, but now they don't feel strange at all! But he also understands that he and others obeyed the orders of the shopkeeper, and the hoarding of official food has been exposed! So they all hurried to beg for mercy

"You, how can you help the profiteers and cut us off?"

"yes, it's abominable!"

"You must be punished severely, my lord!"

After the surrounding people understood the situation, they were immediately angry, and they hated the profiteers even more, and even hated these guys, hoping that Xu Gang would punish them just like those robbers!

"Brother Xu, these guys are actually poor people, if they don't do what the profiteers want, they will lose their jobs, and their parents, wives and children will go hungry! That's why they help the abuse. Meng Changqing sighed and leaned into Xu Gang's ear to remind.

"Brother Meng, thank you for the reminder!" Xu Gang nodded slightly, and softly thanked Meng Changqing! In fact, he didn't know these truths in his heart! Besides, he didn't think about dealing with these guys in the first place, and it was useless to deal with these guys!

"Commander Meng!" Xu Gang shouted.

"Humble duty!" Meng Changqing was also very compatible, and immediately walked up to Xu Gang, knelt on one knee, and responded loudly with his fists clenched.

"This official ordered you to send someone to Xingwang Rice Shop to arrest the profiteers!"

"Order!" Meng Changqing then got up, took a few soldiers, and personally went to Mipu to get people.

Li Desheng stood under the wooden shed, watching this scene, thoughtful! (To be continued.) )