"Ge Lao, that's not what I said."

Mao Jingzu said with a wry smile: "Didn't the Wang and Hu families take over the business of transporting 600,000 stone of military food to Yunnan last year? Although he lost money in the end, he had a relationship with the Ministry of Internal Affairs and the Water Conservancy Grain Silver Tree, so he could only pay a part of the deposit to buy grain from the Water Conservancy Grain Silver at a low price. ”

Although the Ministry of Internal Affairs has clearly stated that Huguang's grain can only be purchased and sold by the Water Conservancy Grain Silver Account, neither Huguang Grain nor Nanzhi Grain Merchants take it seriously.

In Daming, you can't be a big businessman without a little background.

For example, the Mao family, the Qian family, and the Xu family are all deep-rooted families.

These clans can even force back the commercial taxes ordered by the emperor, so how can they take the ban of the Ministry of Internal Affairs seriously? Gave you face? They did not plan to do business with the Water Conservancy Grain Silver at all, but directly purchased grain from the farmers in Huguang at a low price, and they could take the goods directly from the source, so why should they make the difference in price for the middlemen?

Therefore, Qian Qianyi looks down on the Wang and Hu families in his heart, and they are unable to buy grain directly from the farmers, why are you fighting with us big grain merchants?

"So what?" Qian Qianyi said disdainfully, "They can only buy grain from the Water Conservancy Grain Silver, and in the middle, the Internal Affairs Office earns a price difference, how low can the price be?" Even if you only pay a part of the deposit, how much stone grain can you buy for just one million taels of silver? Two million stones is the top, right? ”

"It's pretty much the same." Xu Er then said, "The grain transported by the two families is almost two million stones. ”

"So what are you guys panicking about?" Qian Qianyi said, "Just two million stone of grain, can't you eat it directly, and you still need to make a special trip to the Mid-Mountain Hall?" ”

"Fourth brother, I'm afraid things are not so simple."

Qian Qianli said: "The fact that the Wang Hu family only transported two million stones does not mean that the two of them only have two million stones in their hands, and there are more than 10 million stones of grain lying in the warehouse of the Water Conservancy Grain Silver Number!" ”

"And there's something even more terrible." Mao Jingzu said in a low voice.

"The grain hegemony of Huguang grain merchants has collapsed, and now the grain price in Huguang has fallen to three coins and one stone, and it is still falling."

"They deserve it." Qian Qianyi snorted and said.

"Who made them eat alone? If we were allowed to get a piece of the pie, how could we have today's situation? You are not allowed to lend them any money, but let them lose all their money. ”

Huguang's grain hegemony, the Qian family, the Mao family and the Xu family also participated at the beginning.

But since the grain merchants in Huguang climbed to Wang Fuzhi, they kicked them away.

Although the three families were very angry, there was nothing they could do, because after all, it was Huguang, and it was someone else's territory.

Mao Jingzu said with a sigh: "Elder Ge, we don't care about the life or death of the grain merchants in Huguang, but we are worried that there will be interference from the Internal Affairs Office behind this matter?" ”

"What do you mean?" Qian Qianyi frowned and asked.

"You mean, it was the people from the Internal Affairs Office who pierced the grain hegemony of the Huguang grain merchants?"

"Probably so." Xu Er said, "Otherwise, who has such great ability?" ”

"That's not right." Qian Qianyi shook his head and said, "Huguang's grain hegemony is the leader of the Wang family, and the backer of the Wang family is Wang Fuzhi, the son of the Qin Wang of Hengshan, who is a cadre of the Shizi battalion. ”

"It's hard to say." Mao Jingzu said, "There are so many scholars in the Shizi camp, and it is inevitable that there will be factions. ”

Qian Qianli said: "If our speculation is true, it is really a good thing done by the Internal Affairs Bureau, then we must also be careful, because after the Internal Affairs Office pierces Huguang's grain hegemony, we can eat Huguang's surplus grain at a very low price, and then we can use Huguang's surplus grain to smash Nanzhi's plate, then the next unlucky one is me waiting." ”

"yes." Xu Er clapped his hands and said, "There are 70 or 80 million stones of surplus grain in Huguang, and as long as the Ministry of Internal Affairs borrows Wang and Hu to transfer 10 or 20 million stones of grain to Nanzhi, we will be difficult to ride a tiger." ”

Qian Qianyi frowned when he heard this, there is really such a possibility.

At that moment, Qian Qianyi asked: "So what do you mean, let the old man go and find out?" ”

"Now, I'm afraid I can only ask you to ask the elder of the pavilion." Mao Jingzu sighed, "The net worth of our three families and more than 100 other families is all bet on this business, and there is really no room for loss." ”

Qian Qianyi asked: "What if the internal affairs government is indeed involved?" ”

"Then you can only stop the loss." Xu Er said, "While there is still a profit to sell the grain, although we will definitely make the price of grain plummet if we sell it on a large scale, but it is better than rotting in our hands." ”

"Is there no other way than to sell and stop loss?" Qian Qianyi was still a little unwilling.

"Of course there is." Mao Jingzu smiled bitterly and said, "As long as we have enough silver in our hands to eat all the grain transported from Huguang, the price of grain in Nanzhi will always be at a high level, or even higher, we will raise the price of grain to ten taels of silver and one stone, and we still have to buy what we should buy." ”

"Understood." Qian Qianyi said, "The old man will go back to Nanjing." ”

At that moment, Qian Qianyi left the Banshan Hall and came to the Red Bean Pavilion and said to Liu Rushi: "Madam, if your husband has an urgent matter to go back to Nanjing, will you stay in Changshu for a few more days, or will you go back to Nanjing with your husband?" ”

"But for food?" Liu Ru's face changed slightly.

"Master, didn't you say not to mix? You're not going to be involved too, are you? ”

"Madam, I thought it was a surefire business." Qian Qianyi smiled bitterly.

Hearing this, Liu Ru's face became even more embarrassed: "Master, how much silver did you put into it?" ”

Qian Qianyi was still good to Liu Ru, and did not hide it: "A total of one million taels of silver was invested." ”

"What? A million taels? Liu Ruye's pretty face turned pale all of a sudden, "Master, where did you get so much silver?" We don't have that much money in our house, do we? ”

"Borrowed." Qian Qianyi said, "I borrowed money from various silver numbers. ”

"Master, you're so confused." Liu Ru stomped his feet and sighed, "While the price of food has not fallen now, let's withdraw quickly, and then pay back all the borrowed silver." ”

Qian Qianyi couldn't listen to it at all.

"Madam, when this business is completed, our family will be able to have one million taels of income."

"When the time comes, I will build a big garden for you, and move all the precious flowers in the world into this garden, and this big garden will be called 'I smell' garden."

"Sir, I don't want a garden."

"Madame, wait for my good news."

……

On the seventeenth day of the first month, Swallow Rock Wharf.

Chongzhen was standing on the dock watching the new troops line up to board the ship.

Riding a boat on an inland lake is a completely different concept from riding a boat in the middle of the sea.

The sea is rough and windy, and almost everyone will get seasick when they first arrive at sea, so it takes a certain amount of time to adapt to the reaction to avoid seasickness.

Otherwise, when the boat arrives in Liaodong, both legs will be weak.

How can there be a war after the beach-grabbing landing? Take a spit?

"Hooray." Wang Chengen covered Chongzhen's head with an oil-paper umbrella, "It's raining." ”

Chongzhen looked up, and it was really drizzling: "Wang Daban, as of today, how much stone grain has the Wang and Hu families transported to Nanjing?" ”

"About six million stones." Wang Chengen said.

"What about the price of food?" Chongzhen asked with a dark face, "Is it still rising?" ”

Before Chinese New Year's Eve, the price of rice in Nanjing rose to five taels, and even to six taels during the Lantern Festival, which also strengthened the decision to sacrifice the flag of the grain merchants in Nan, and these profiteers really deserved to be killed.

Wang Chengen said: "It's not going up, it's stable at six taels." ”

"It seems that they are also a little scared." Chongzhen said coldly.

After saying this, he said: "But it's too late to be scared now." ”

While he was talking, Gao Qi sneaked over and reported: "Long live Lord, Qian Ge Lao asks to see you." ”

"Wang Daban, you see, this is the tone of the mouth that has come to explore me." Chongzhen was stunned, "In this case, I will give them a reassuring pill to eat for free, so that they can die more completely, Gao Companion, please come over." ”

In less than a moment, Gao Qiqian led Qian Qianyi to the dock and saluted Chongzhen.

After the ceremony, Qian Qianyi said respectfully: "The saint is really a famous king, and he does not forget state affairs when he is resting." ”

"Isn't Qian Ge Lao also running around for the country?" Chongzhen smiled and asked, "By the way, what is the matter with the elder who is anxious to see me?" ”

Qian Qianyi said: "Shengshang, this is the case, because last year there were many farmlands in Nanzhili to plant cotton, mulberry seedlings and tamba mushrooms, resulting in a lot of rice production, the result is that the price of rice is expensive, the year ago it rose to one stone five taels, and the year after the year it rose to one stone six taels, if the price of rice remained high for a long time, the minister was worried that the people in Beijing would not be able to afford to eat, so he took the liberty to ask for a meeting, and implored the Holy Upper and Lower Dao Zhongzhi to transfer grain from Huguang in the name of the Ministry of Internal Affairs to stabilize the price of rice. ”

"The old man is worried about the country and the people, and he is really a model for hundreds of officials." Chongzhen praised.

"I'm ashamed." Qian Qianyi's bones were lighter, "This is all the minister's business." ”

"It's just that the matter of food prices is a little complicated." Chongzhen said, "Elder Ge, you also know that the Internal Affairs Office is also tight now, and even last year's dividends have not been paid. ”

"Yes, yes, the minister also knows about this situation." Qian Qianyi said, "When the cabinet was deliberating a few years ago, the old minister also suggested to the head of the cabinet that he should borrow a sum of silver from the household department to the internal affairs office, but unfortunately there was not much silver at that time, and in the end the matter could only be settled. ”

"Ge Lao's heart is understood."

Chongzhen said: "So that's the matter of food prices." ”

Speaking of which, Qian Qianyi 'understood', daring to love Wang and Hu's family was selling grain at the behest of the saint, and the saint wanted to sell high-priced grain, and did not want the price of grain to fall.

Qian Qianyi's heart has completely relaxed.

However, there is still a high profile on the surface.

"Holy Lord, Lao Chen is worried that the people in Beijing will cause famine."

"No, you also know that the people in Beijing are not short of silver now."

"That's right, so many workshops suddenly popped up last year, and almost every household has someone working in the workshop, and they do earn a lot of wages, and there is no problem in holding on for a while."

"That being the case, the old minister retired." Qian Qianyi retired and left.

Seeing Qian Qianyi's back walking away, Chongzhen suddenly shouted: "Old Qian Ge." ”

"Holy?" Qian Qianyi turned around when he heard the sound and looked at Chongzhen with a blank expression.

Chongzhen said quietly: "I am not greedy, it is enough to sell 10 million stones, but you should not be too ruthless, the price of rice should be maintained at six taels, and it can't go up any further, just at this price." ”

Qian Qianyi's heart sank when he heard this.

It turns out that the Holy One knows everything.

……

Back at home, Qian Qianli, Mao Jingzu and Xu Er were already waiting.

"The old man has just seen the holy driver." Qian Qianyi breathed a sigh of relief and said, "The Wang and Hu families did sell grain to Nanjing by the will of the Holy Lord. ”

"Huh? It's really the Ministry of Internal Affairs. ”

"It's a bit of a problem now."

"Alas, it seems that this time I can only stop the loss."

Mao Jingzu and the three of them couldn't help but stomp their feet and sigh when they heard this.

"The three of them panicked." Qian Qianyi waved his hand and said, "The Wang and Hu families did sell grain directly to the south by the holy order, but the saint did not mean to stabilize the price of grain, because the Internal Affairs Office is also short of silver now. ”

"This ......" Mao Jingzu and the three of them were stunned, this was really unexpected.

After a long time, Qian Qianli asked, "That is, can we continue to eat?" ”

"Eat." Qian Qianyi said, "Eat it all, this is also the urgency of the saint." ”

"What the elder said is extremely true." Mao Jingzu smiled and said, "After all, the Internal Affairs Office is short of silver." ”

"But how much money does the Ministry of Internal Affairs want to raise?" Xu Er then frowned and said, "Huguang's surplus grain is as much as seventy or eighty million stones, can we catch it?" ”

"Seventy or eighty million stones, not all of them can be mobilized."

"The Holy One made it clear that only 10 million stones were trafficked."

"However, the saint also said that the price of rice cannot go up again."

Qian Qianyi said solemnly: "If Xu Xiaoyou is worried, you can withdraw. ”

"No, no, there is no such intention in the late entry." Xu Er shook his head again and again, "Late Jin is just worried." ”

"It's inevitable to worry, and the old man is just as worried." Qian Qianyi said, "After all, all the savings of the old man who has been an official for decades are betting on this business, and if he loses the old man, he should throw himself into the lake." ”

After a pause, he said, "However, what the Holy Lord said is still trustworthy. ”

"What the elder said is extremely true, and the words of the saint are worth believing." Mao Jingzu said, "After the Yangzhou Town Eunuch Office and the Nanjing Town Eunuch Office were confiscated, all the stolen silver that had passed more than ten years was returned. ”

Xu Er then thought that the public promise of the Holy Lord was not the same as the private promise.

But Xu Er didn't say this after all, because the Huating Xu family had no way out.

Not only the Huating Xu family has no way out, but the Rugao Mao family and the Changshu Qian family also have no way out.

The reason is very simple, if they also follow the grain to sell, the price of food in Nanzhi will collapse in an instant, and at that time, not only will the saint be offended, but also lose more than half of the capital.

Because the faster you sell, the harder the price falls, and it's an endless loop.

So the only thing they could do was to continue to eat four million stones.

When the Holy Lord and the Ministry of Internal Affairs have eaten enough meat, they will come back to gnaw on the bones.

[Kneeling for commuter passes, recommended tickets]

(End of chapter)