When the grain in the south of the Yangtze River reaches the north, the meaning is different.

As the saying goes, "scarcity is precious," and it is precisely because of the severe drought in the north and the scarcity of grain that grain merchants dare to raise the price of grain to a level where only a very small number of people can afford it.

The grain merchants did not worry that no one would buy food, because it was a necessity, and people would starve to death if they did not eat food, and those families with solid family backgrounds would buy food at any cost in the year of the catastrophe, just to survive the famine of this year, even if the assets returned to the pre-liberation period overnight.

From the beginning of the price hike, the target group of grain merchants is not the common people at all, they know that the people cannot afford to eat, but they don't care.

The grain merchants target the middle class and the big families, so they have the spending power.

However, when Jiangnan Province rushed to the north to help the grain into Bingzhou, the grain merchants finally panicked.

If something is no longer rare, can it still be sold for a high price?

I don't know how much grain the Son of Heaven has allocated, and I don't know how much grain has been allocated to Bingzhou, but seeing a cartload of grain from Jiangnan Province entering Bingzhou City is tantamount to throwing a mushroom egg on the heads of grain merchants.

That night, the grain merchants gathered at the inn and discussed countermeasures in disbelief.

Men were sent to the official warehouse to verify the authenticity of the grain, and the men soon came back to report that the grain was real, and after the convoy was escorted to the official warehouse, the messenger of the escort car used a knife to cut open the grain bag, which was golden and bright wheat, and the goods were genuine.

The mood of the grain merchants became heavier and heavier.

Today, there is not much grain entering the state, about 10,000 stones, but this is only the first batch of food entering the state, and there will be a steady stream of food from the south of the Yangtze River in the future.

So, how much more can the grain merchants sell?

Still forty wen a liter? Oh, it's funny, with the grain in Jiangnan, who will care about you.

In the face of the grim situation, the grain merchants finally could not calm down.

"Ladies and gentlemen, it's time for the people behind us to come forward, it's not up to us to call the shots." An elderly grain merchant sighed.

…………

The Lady of Korea's mansion.

There are guests in the house today, the guests are very mysterious, before entering the door, Mrs. Han has retired all the subordinates in the front yard, opened the side door alone, and the guests entered by themselves and sat in the flower hall in the front yard.

Mrs. Han did not hold a banquet today, but prepared tea soup for the guests by hand.

It is very cumbersome for Datang to drink tea, and tea does not belong to the common people, and even the nouveau riche are not qualified to drink it.

It is exclusively for the powerful and literati, I don't know who handed down the truth, saying that the blending of tea soup is secretly in line with Confucianism, all kinds of ginger and garlic oil are mixed into it in strict proportions, and when tasting tea, you can taste the flavors of life, first bitter and then sweet and so on.

Mrs. Korea is not only charming and good at drinking, but also a master of cooking tea.

Grinding tea, roasting, matching, a smooth operation, the tea soup in the iron tripod has boiled.

The wooden spoon scooped up the tea soup and poured it into a delicate porcelain cup, and the Korean lady smiled like a flower and stretched out her hand to invite.

The guest was an elderly man of about 50 years old, with white eyebrows and white beard, a slightly dull complexion, not angry and arrogant, looking forward to a majestic look, like a tiger entrenched in a mountain forest nest, leisurely licking its paws.

"The concubine's craftsmanship is vulgar, and her skills are slight, and she laughs at the Fang family." Mrs. Han smiled modestly.

The guest smiled and took a sip, closed his eyes and tasted it silently for a long time, before he said slowly: "Mrs. is too modest, this tea is lofty, sweet and bitter, just like the vicissitudes of the avenue, up and down and seeking, good." ”

Mrs. Han smiled and bowed slightly: "The head of the Wang family has praised it." ”

The guest's surname is Wang, and it is Wang Xingchen, the patriarch of the Taiyuan Wang clan.

Bingzhou, whose real name is "Taiyuan", is not only the place where the ancestor Li Yuan is prosperous, but also the ancestral source of the Taiyuan Wang family for thousands of years.

The history of the Taiyuan Wang clan can be traced back to the Zhou Dynasty at the earliest, and it is said to be a descendant of Ji Jin, the crown prince of King Ling of Zhou.

Wang Xingchen sat upright, and he was not moved at all in the face of the charming and enchanting style of the Korean lady.

"Madam, I took the liberty to come to the door today, and I want to talk to Madame about something."

Mrs. Han is also very dignified in front of Wang Xingchen, and she also feels pressure in front of the head of the thousand-year-old gate.

"Head of the house, please speak."

Wang Xingchen pondered for a moment and said: "Yesterday, I heard that about 10,000 stones of grain from Jiangnan Province entered Bingzhou City, and it is said that the Son of Heaven ordered relief, and Mrs. is related to the Heavenly Family, I don't know if this matter is true?" ”

Mrs. Han was stunned, shook her head and said: "The concubine has been living in Bingzhou for half a year, and after returning to Bingzhou, she has little contact with the heavenly family, so I really don't know." ”

Wang Xingchen smiled faintly and said: "Madame, why don't you send someone Pegasus to Chang'an, although this place is thousands of miles away from Chang'an, if you travel eight hundred miles, it will only take a few days to go back and forth, this matter is related to the lives of countless grain merchants in Hedong Province, of course, including Madame's, please send someone to confirm it quickly." ”

Mrs. Han hesitated for a moment, and said in a low voice: "Master Wang, even if the Son of Heaven transfers grain from Jiangnan, it will take at least a few months, and it won't be so fast, the concubine thinks ...... Untrue. ”

Wang Xingchen smiled: "The old man also thinks it's untrue, but the new assassin Li Qinzai is a little bit of a pound, if it's really untrue, why does Li Qinzai dare to collect grain at a high price of forty Wen?" The day before yesterday, he had spent a full 50,000 yuan, and 50,000 yuan was all real money, and everyone saw it given with their own eyes. ”

"The grain was harvested well, why did you suddenly call yourself sick yesterday, saying that you would personally preside over the grain collection after you were cured...... Oh, it's too coincidental, it's too strange. ”

"The head of the Assassin Mansion has just called the disease, and the grain of Jiangnan Province has been transported into the city, and it is said that today a grain merchant asked to see Li Qinzai, but he still avoided it...... Obviously, Li Qinzai had heard the rumors in advance and knew that the grain in Jiangnan was coming soon, and the price of grain would definitely fall sharply. ”

Mrs. Han smiled reluctantly and said, "No matter what the truth is, if the price of grain in Bingzhou falls, we will not lose, it is a big deal to transport the grain out and sell it to other cities." ”

Wang Xingchen frowned and said slowly: "The truth is right, but the old man always feels uneasy, so he needs to use his wife's connections in Chang'an to inquire about the tone of the Son of Heaven, and first of all, to confirm whether the Son of Heaven has issued an order to requisition grain in Jiangnan." ”

Mrs. Han was silent for a long time, and suddenly said, "Master Wang, the matter of selling grain...... The concubine wanted to quit. ”

Wang Xingchen Rao is an old man, and he couldn't help but widen his eyes in surprise: "What? ”

"The concubine said, I won't do it, so I'll stop it."

Wang Xingchen's expression was not happy or angry, but his eyes showed a fine light: "Madame think twice, the matter is about to be done, there is no reason to quit halfway, you and I have invested in it." ”

Mrs. Han said seriously: "The concubine has thought twice, and she can earn it again when the money is gone, but I don't want to lose my life in Bingzhou." ”

"Why did Madame say that?"

Mrs. Han suddenly showed a bitter look on her face, and said in a low voice: "Li Qinzai is this person...... The head of the Wang family is afraid that he underestimated him, and after he took office and merged with the state, his behavior of being virtual and real, real and virtual is by no means a simple person. ”

"If you are an enemy of him, you will have no confidence in the concubine's body, and if you are not careful, you will be in a different place, especially the identity of the concubine ......"

Wang Xingchen's face gradually sank, and he said coldly: "Madame has already been involved in the matter, so I'm afraid it's too late to stop at this time, right?" ”

Mrs. Han's expression gradually became firm: "It is difficult to get rid of the crime at this time, but at least it is a living crime, if you continue to be hostile to Li Qinzai, it is really difficult to know the life and death of the concubine, the lesser of two evils, the concubine only wants to live." ”

Wang Xingchen's tone became colder and colder: "You have stopped, have you ever considered us?" One of your actions will cause countless heads to fall to the ground, but you don't understand. ”

Mrs. Han stretched out her hand to brush her hair and sideburns, and suddenly revealed a familiar charming style, and said with a smile: "The concubine is difficult to protect herself, and she can't take care of other things. ”

Wang Xingchen stared at her face, his eyes suddenly flashed with a hint of murderous intent, and then he quickly regained his composure, and said lightly: "Everyone has their own ambitions, you can't force them, since Madame has made up her mind, the old man is not reluctant." But begging Mrs. to protect herself, don't betray us. ”

Mrs. Han smiled coquettishly: "The concubine has known the head of the Wang family for many years, how could she betray her old friend, the head of the Wang family is too worried." ”

Leaning over to scoop up a spoonful of boiling tea, Mrs. Han smiled and said: "The tea soup is boiling, the heat is just right, the master of the Wang family tastes it again, and the taste is even more different from just now." ”

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