In addition to Shen Yourong with thirty soft-sail warships, he also stayed in Edo Bay, preparing to purchase a batch of wind goods as goods for selling overseas specialties in various shops in the West Factory, and planned to return abroad when the monsoon changed in November.

Because Zhang Gui led a large fleet, dozens of Daifuku ships, with guns and guns, and thousands of officers and soldiers, the pirates along the way did not dare to offend Zhang Gui's fleet, and the return voyage was as smooth as when they came.

At this time, according to the practice of previous years, all the grain should have arrived in Beijing at the beginning of June, but in September of the fourth year of the Apocalypse, it has not yet arrived in Beijing.

Some of the ships were even misappropriated by the powerful bureaucrats as ships to transport their own goods, instead of transporting 4 million stone grains at the same time, and carrying a part of their own goods as commodities to the north.

In addition, because the grain has not been shipped one after another, many workers who rely on the transportation to survive have starved to death on a large scale, and even fled, grabbed grain, and even rebelled.

As a result, food prices in various parts of Gyeonggi and the border towns began to skyrocket, and some border troops began to riot due to food shortages.

As a result, urgent documents from all over the canal and border towns also flew into Beijing like snowflakes.

After seeing these emergency documents, Tianqi was also a little anxious, and couldn't help but say to Wei Zhongxian: "Wei Zhongxian, I can't help it, if Zhang Gui can't bring back the food, then I can only wronged you, don't complain about me then, I can't help it, if you don't let Zhang Gui try, just admit defeat to the ministers and doctors under heaven, I really can't do it!" However, don't worry, I won't let you be like Liu Jin, you are a good slave, I will let you leave decently. ”

Wei Zhongxian said with tears in his eyes: "The slave understands! No matter what the emperor does, the slave and maid are willing, even if it is to sacrifice half of their bodies! If you want to complain, the slaves and maids only complain about those scholars, all of them are disloyal traitors, and they really cut off the food for those troublemakers, they all deserve to die! ”

"I hope that Zhang Gui can really raise food, at least this year, so that before the end of this year, the first batch of students who graduated from the Wubei Academy can complete their respective soldiers and horses training, so that they can add another soldier and horse that really belongs to the imperial court, and this army can go south to ensure the grain, not only to ensure the grain, but also to recover the tax while clearing the acres of land. Back then, Taishi Zhang was able to do this in the early years of Wanli because Qi Jiguang was on his side, and the most warlike soldiers and horses in the north and south at that time were all trained and controlled by Qi Jiguang. The imperial court now wants to continue to do this, and it is difficult to complete the Qingzhang without a reliable army and horses sent to the south. ”

Apocalypse muttered to himself.

Wei Zhongxian nodded: "The slave maid also hopes that Uncle Guo will quickly raise food, but I just don't know how he is raising it now, the people in the West Factory are very tight, and now they can't find any news about him, the slave and maid are thinking, is he running away and not daring to come back?" ”

Apocalypse replied, "It is precisely because I am worried that he will leave us all behind, so I vouch for your head. ”

Saying that, Tianqi sighed again and said, "We have to find a way to do something ourselves, we can't just count on him, unless we have to, I won't use my own lives to appease the anger of the world's gentry!" Let's cut the amount of money in the palace by half first, and save some food to use it for the border army first. In addition, if you can buy as much food as you can with your domestic money, no matter how high the price is. This amount of silver is not as much as food. ”

"Yes!"

Next, the inner court really reduced its expenses, and Apocalypse took the initiative to reduce his share of meals, in order to be able to save more food.

Wei Zhongxian asked Han Jue to come: "Little Pavilion Elder, how are you purchasing grain?" ”

Han Jue drooped his head and said: "Don't dare to hide it from my father-in-law, I have only raised more than 50,000 stone grains until now, and these grains still have to be used by tens of thousands of craftsmen on the Xishan side. ”

"Why is it so much!"

Wei Zhongxian said very depressedly.

"It cost more than 120,000 taels of silver to buy it. Now in the market around Gyeonggi, the price of grain has risen to more than two taels and one stone of rice! ”

Han Jue replied.

Wei Zhongxian said: "No matter how expensive it is, you have to buy it!" If our family really loses their lives, your Han family won't be able to please it! ”

"Father-in-law, you don't have to be angry, our Han family naturally doesn't want your father-in-law to have any three strengths and two weaknesses, now the key is to give no matter how high the price is, you can't buy food, and if it goes on like this, I'm afraid that the world will really be in chaos."

Han Qi said.

"This is all caused by Uncle Guo!"

Wei Zhongxian complained, and said: "Let's try to raise some food, the emperor's meaning, first stabilize the border army, until the last resort, do not surrender to the outside court, but now the emperor has begun to reduce his share, and the style of each meal is far less than before, and those of us who are slaves and maids look distressed." ”

……

"Now the price of grain in the Gyeonggi area has soared to almost three taels of silver and one stone of rice, and I heard that the people in the palace and the Han family's small pavilion are willing to accept even the price of five taels of silver and one stone!"

Zuo Guangdou also smiled at Zhao Nanxing, Gao Panlong and other civil officials and talked about the soaring food prices.

"It's September, and the grain hasn't entered Beijing yet, so this will naturally happen."

Zhao Nanxing said a word, and then said with a smile: "Presumably, Uncle Guo has not raised grain, otherwise it would not have been almost a year, and I haven't heard of the news that a large amount of grain has entered Beijing." ”

"In this way, the possibility that Your Majesty will surrender to the world in the next way of Wei Eunuch and Uncle Guo returning to his hometown is certain."

Gao Panlong also said with a smug smile.

Zuo Guangdou smiled coldly: "No matter what, the younger brother and the thousands of people who used to speak out for Mr. Xiuwu and others can't die in vain!" In my opinion, we must not only persuade the gentry of the world not to hand over grain to the government, but also to write letters to persuade the gentry of the world not to sell grain to the palace and the Han family because of the high price of grain! Tell them that the price of grain will rise again, don't rush to sell, and how far the price of grain will rise next, the decision is also in the hands of our gentry, instead of focusing on the current profits, it is better to focus on the future, wait for the price of grain to be higher, and force the palace to spit out all the tens of millions of taels of money that were confiscated before! ”

"It's a brilliant idea! We should write to our relatives and friends as soon as possible. ”

Zhao Nanxing said.

Gao Panlong also nodded.

As a result, the officials and landlords of the Ming Dynasty were not only satisfied with realizing political interests by cutting off grain, but also began to seek economic benefits, and wanted to force the emperor to spit out all the silver that had been confiscated before to buy grain, so they continued to raise the price of grain.

As a result, food prices continue to soar.

For the time being, the border troops and factory guards also had some of the food that the emperor had taken out of the reduced expenses of the court.

The craftsmen in Xishan also have tens of thousands of stone grain raised by Han Jue for the time being.

However, the lives of many low-level officials and ordinary people in the capital have become more and more difficult, and hunger has surged, and many wealthy families in the city have become hungry because they cannot buy food.

"Take out some of the food stored in the palace to give relief to Shuntianfu, you can't starve the people to death!"

Apocalypse knew that he had to make such a will.

Wei Zhongxian couldn't help but say: "Emperor! There is not enough food in the palace, and if you take out another part, then I am afraid that everyone in the palace will have to drink porridge. ”

After hearing this, Tianqi said helplessly: "This can't be helped, let everyone insist on it, and when Uncle Guo's food arrives, it's fine, and I will also drink porridge!" ”

"Emperor!"

Wei Zhongxian was busy trying to dissuade him.

Tianqi glanced at him: "No need to discuss it anymore, do you want me to use your head to show weakness and submission to those ministers of the outer court now?!" ”

Wei Zhongxian heard what Tianqi said so he had to agree to say yes, and also said: "However, even if all the porridge is drunk in the palace, I am afraid that the little food saved is not enough, those black-hearted traitors and profiteers are now determined to make the price of grain soar, and from the perspective of slaves and maids, they are only afraid that they still want to force the emperor to take out all the internal money and buy the high-priced grain in their hands before they will give up!" ”

"I can see it, too!"

After saying a word, Tianqi gritted his teeth and said: "The human heart is not enough to swallow the elephant, but I hate that I have no way to deal with them now!" ”

At this moment, Han Yi hurriedly took a rush and came in: "Your Majesty!" There is news of Uncle Guo! ”