In May, a bumper harvest in Shandong Province made Su Lingao, who was then the political envoy of Shandong Province, very happy, since the death of Fan Wenliang, the situation in the DPRK and China changed, Zheng Tong went into the wilderness, and his master Dou Deren resigned and went into hiding, and his life was not too good.

First, since Si Shengnan left, Shanmen has completely let go of his hands and feet, and from time to time he thinks about interfering in Shandong's government affairs, either to buy land, or to let the people plant spiritual grass. Second, now that he has no one in the DPRK, there are people who call small reports from time to time. Every step he takes, he walks on thin ice. But when the news of the harvest came, Su Lin was very happy, and finally, he didn't do this official in vain.

The imperial court wants to print food stamps, which has already been known from the arrival report, and Su Lingao also feels that it is indeed time to print it, after all, the people everywhere have grain in their hands, and it is no longer appropriate to barter.

Although he was also worried, he was relieved to see the steady rise in prices in recent months, as long as the price did not explode every day, everything would be safe.

"My lord, this year's taxes and grain are all in order. The officials on the side were busy reading Su Lingao, who was writing in various places.

Su Lingao took it and looked at it, and frowned: "How can this year's imperial grain be harvested so quickly? Aren't there still many counties that have not received it? And it is not so easy for a cart of grain to be transported into the warehouse!"

The official, dressed in a green robe, said with a smile: "Someone below has given an idea, you can use grain stamps to replace the imperial grain, and now that there is a shortage of food stamps all over the world, how can anyone use grain stamps to pay the imperial grain! But it is strange that this year, many peasant households have collectively paid grain stamps from village to village." ”

When Su Lingao heard this, he felt that something was wrong, and he asked with a frown

"At what price did they pay for it?"

The official said bluntly: "According to the market price of one tael of grain stamps for eight taels of grain, my lord, is there any problem?"

Su Lingao also frowned, it seemed that everything was normal, but he always felt that there was something unusual in this matter. But he couldn't feel exactly where.

In the evening, when he returned to the back house, Su Lingao was about to go to bed after dinner, but found that the millet porridge at night on weekdays was still there, but the steamed buns seemed to be smaller. He ate three times, but he was not full, his family background was poor, and he was also a clean official, so his life was not easy. And his master is Dou Deren, and now the situation in the court is becoming more and more incomprehensible, so he is even more careful, and he doesn't even dare to accept the specialties of his hometown fathers.

"Today's steamed buns?" Su Lingao frowned, and the three of them were not full.

Mrs. Su said: "You are not at home, I don't know firewood, rice, oil and salt, I don't know how to increase the price of everything recently, the price of the steamed buns in the steamed bun shop has risen, and the steamed buns have not risen, but they are small." ”

"But this year is a bumper harvest year!" Su Lingao didn't know why: "Tomorrow I will ask the government to check if there are any businessmen hoarding Juqi." Now these businessmen are becoming more and more lawless. ”

Speaking of the affairs of the government, Mrs. Su stopped talking, just cleaned up the dishes and chopsticks, and asked the maid to prepare the water for washing her feet.

Early the next morning, Su Lingao summoned officials of all sizes in Linhai City and began to inquire about the reasons for the recent price increases.

The news was very fast, and it didn't take long to find out that there were traders from the capital buying grain in Shandong Road.

"Merchant, is it an imperial merchant?" Su Lingao did not act, but just pondered the origin of the merchant.

"How much grain did they buy? It's a good year. When Su Lingao asked, his subordinates' faces were a little ugly, but no one spoke.

In the side hall of the lobby, in the signing room, Su Lingao looked at the officials under him and frowned, and asked, I'm afraid I can't ask. There is only one answer to this, they took the money.

"Let's go!"

Su Lingao is also insightful, if the situation is not right, then scatter the stalls and check by yourself.

As soon as he got off the job, Su Lingao changed into civilian clothes, left the house through the back door, and went straight to Wang Sihai's mansion. If you talk about the entire Shandong Province, he can still have half of the trust, probably Wang Sihai, the commander of the Shandong Provincial garrison, who was the number one military attache left by Zhou Zhe. Over the years, I have helped him a lot.

"Master Su?" Wang Sihai's servant guarding the door recognized him as soon as he saw the person.

Entering the inner hall, Wang Sihai clasped his fists and shouted to Su Lin: "Rare guests, rare guests! ”

Su Lingao waved his hand: "What are you and I polite about." I'm here because I want your help. ”

"What's the matter?" Wang Sihai didn't know why, and then asked: "Could it be that the group of people in the Mountain League is uneasy?" My people, although there are 5,000 people, can only support the scene, and they really want to make trouble, so they will make trouble. Right now... Alas!" Wang Sihai shook his head, since the internal guard system was restructured and the Great Internal Guard, as well as the merger of the New Army into the Golden Sword Guard, he felt that life was becoming more and more difficult.

Originally, many of the new soldiers were disciples of the Shandong Sect, although they were subdued by Zhou Zhe, but it was Zhou Zhe after all. Now that Zhou Zheren is gone, the golden sword guards who have entered the internal guard system are not as peaceful as before. What does it mean to take advantage of the vacation to go back to Shandong Province for a festival and visit relatives? It is for them to show the officials of Shandong Province, there are people in the DPRK and China!

The accompanying reaction is that the law and order environment around the various sects has deteriorated. There was even a lawsuit that came to him, you must know that when Si Shengnan was in the Mountain League, Zhang Zhenhai cleaned up the Shandong sect cooking, and if he was a traitor, he dealt with it internally.

"The prices in Shandong Province are soaring, I just came all the way and asked around, everything is rising, and the price of grain has risen to one or two food stamps and five taels of grain. Su Lingao's face was worried.

And Wang Sihai said with a grin: "Isn't the imperial court printing grain stamps? After speaking, his eyes subconsciously avoided Su Lingao's direct gaze.

After all, Su Lingao is a famous teacher and a high apprentice, and at first glance, he felt that Wang Sihai had something to hide, so he took Wang Sihai's arm and asked, "Wang Sihai, Brother Wang." What the hell is going on? You know for sure. ”

"I don't know. As soon as Wang Sihai turned around, he wanted to avoid facing Su Lingao head-on, but Su Lingao grabbed Wang Sihai's arm.

"Alas!" Wang Sihai was afraid to see Su Lingao's clear eyes, so he blinked: "How can I say this!"

"But it doesn't hurt to say that. ”

Wang Sihai then said: "Actually, since the news of the printing of grain stamps in the capital came out, some people with a background are stockpiling grain. I am also tun, you know, my family has a big business, and a lot of brothers, sisters and sons point to me for dinner. Now that Hou Ye is gone, I can only think of a way. ”

Su Lingao understands that Wang Sihai's family situation is like this, and other officials will also order food because they know the news first.

He nodded, frowned, thought for a while, and said, "How much have you stored?"

"Not much, just a million catties. If you want to put a lot of tun, then you have to have a place to put it!"

As soon as he said this, Su Lingao's brows furrowed even deeper, how could a million catties of grain affect the price of grain?

Wang Sihai looked at Su Lingao and didn't speak, and asked, "I said, Old Su, do you think that I have been blinded by you, or I will show you the account book?"

Su Lingao shook his head: "It's not that I can't believe you, but this thing is strange." Shandong Province is a major grain-producing province, and this year is a bumper harvest year, so even if there is a stockpile of grain, how can it cause the price of grain to skyrocket? Do other officials have a stockpile? Do you know how much it is?

Wang Sihai also frowned and replied thoughtfully: "I don't know how many others have settled, but it's true that every family's granary is full of them." This matter, you can't investigate it, offend people, the above has already been offended by you, and the next one will be done after offending our officials. ”

Su Lin raised his eyebrows: "Are you afraid?"

Wang Sihai waved his hand: "It's not a matter of being afraid or not, you said, Hou Ye is not here." If something happens, who can carry us. Now, one day at a time is a day, and it's rare to get by. Maybe one day, if a noble relative in the capital targets my position, I will have to abdicate my position and give way to Xian. Hehe, have you heard about Du Xiao? He is the hardcore of the Hou Ye, and he was forced to rebel. ”

Su Lingao was silent, what Wang Sihai said was the truth. If Zhou Zhe was here, he would never let Du Xiao be forced like this by a waste relative like Qian Xi.

"Lend me your talisman, you can take a leave of absence these days!" Su Lingao stretched out his hand, with his bookish resoluteness.

Wang Sihai's eyes widened, and he hurriedly comforted: "Lao Su, do you want to play really? You are only in your forties, and if you work hard for a few more years, you will be able to become a scholar in the court, and no matter how bad you are, you will be a waiter. It's obviously deep in here!"

"What do you know? Give me the talisman. Su Lingao's hand was hanging all the time.

Wang Sihai shook his head and sighed: "Let me tell you! Merchants from the capital, with a lot of food stamps, went from village to village. The guards were all from the Royal Foresters, and I saw acquaintances among my men. I didn't wear the armor of the Royal Foresters, but I couldn't go wrong. After speaking, he looked at Su Lingao's outstretched hand and slapped it lightly.

Su Lingao took a deep breath and seemed to suppress his infinite anger. Said to Wang Sihai in a serious tone

"The master treated me like a mountain, he never told me that there was a danger in front of me and took a detour, and he never told me that it was rare to be confused. I, Su Lingao, can't step on their corpses and blood like Hou Ye, but I, Su Lingao, have never been afraid of swords, mountains and fires. Sihai, give me the talisman, this matter has nothing to do with you. ”

Wang Sihai shook his head and sighed, but he didn't give the talisman, just laughed miserably

"I'm not as squishy as you are. I gave you the talisman, and I'm going to have to be unlucky with you. Forget it, it's a knife to raise your head and shrink your head anyway. Looking at the posture, the official couldn't do it for long, so he simply gave him a vote. ”

After Wang Sihai finished speaking, he shouted into the courtyard: "Come on! ”

Su Lingao smiled: "Okay!"

Wang Sihai rolled his eyes and looked at Su Lingao: "What a fart!"

The servant ran fast, and when he began to speak, Wang Sihai's armor was taken out.

And immediately after, it was Wang Sihai's wife who ran out, and before he saw him, a voice came: "Master, what are you wearing here?"

Wang Sihai looked at the door, and when his wife's figure appeared, he sighed: "My wealth is all given by this armor." Back then, Hou Ye chose a set of armor from his demon dragon rider and gave it to me, and he also gave me a rich body. Now it's time for me to do something, and I can't be sorry. ”

Mrs. Wang didn't think much about it, she squinted at Su Lingao and said, "It's just a matter of living a good life at home, and you have to go to someone else's house to dismantle the stage." Unloaded, unloaded. ”

Su Lingao, who said this, touched his nose and was embarrassed.

Wang Sihai waved his hand, which directly made Mrs. Wang almost stand firm and fall down

"Madam, if someone else gives us wealth, we will continue, and if there is danger, we will back down. In the future, who will give us wealth and wealth? I, Wang Sihai, am a rough man, and I only understand these rough truths. ”

In Mrs. Wang's helpless eyes, Wang Sihai changed into black armor and went out with a sword and Su Lingao.