Yu You's expression changed suddenly, and he scolded: "It is inconvenient to buy and sell grain, and it is not only the people who are injured? In short, the present situation is very bad, and I suggest that the grain must be levied immediately at market prices. ”

Xu Jingchang frowned slightly, "The market price is the same every day, it changes a lot, and the financial resources of the imperial court are limited, so you always have to make a move at the right juncture...... Do you think it's the right time? ”

Yu Yu was stunned for a moment, and he was responsible for speaking casually, but he still nodded and said: "Dingguo Gong, I thought that we should immediately order the collection of grain to prevent food prices from continuing to fall." ”

Xu Jingchang thought about it seriously, and then looked at Jian Yi again, "Tianguan, what do you think of this?" ”

Jian Yi said: "Several Shangshu have a point, if the court can come up with the remaining money, it seems that it should take action to save the people." ”

When Xu Jingchang heard this, he said with a smile: "Since Jian Tianguan said it, then let's evaluate it comprehensively and see how much money we can come up with...... After all, none of us are serious about managing money, and it will not be good if we waste the national funds and people's wealth beyond the scope of the imperial court. Later, I will write to Xia Shangshu and ask for his opinion. ”

After speaking, Xu Jingchang said to Hu Yan again: "Master Hu, have you recorded it properly?" ”

Hu Yan nodded hurriedly and said, "It's all right." ”

Xu Jingchang said with a smile: "In that case, let's all sign it, and I will hand over the record to His Royal Highness the Crown Prince when I go back." ”

Everyone looked at each other, and there was nothing to say, the rules of the court were like this.

It's just that after everyone finished writing, they were all in a trance...... Is this Xu Jingchang's style?

When did the surnamed Xu become indecisive and inactive? You must know that no matter how big things have been over the years, Xu Jingchang has always been decisive and has no stagnation.

Even if he doesn't understand the problem of food, he doesn't know how much money the court can come up with?

It stands to reason that the Ming Dynasty has someone who understands the treasury better than Xia Yuanji, so it must be Xu Jingchang! After all, Lao Xia was only in charge of the treasury, and Xu Jingchang was once in charge of the internal treasury.

Now that he is in a hurry to use the money, he can transfer it from within, Xu Jingchang can't do it!

Could it be that after this is the new general envoy, he is cautious again?

In short, a person who has never played cards according to common sense, at this moment, he actually acts in accordance with the rules of the Ming Dynasty everywhere, no matter how you look at it, something is wrong.

Could it be that Xu Jingchang intends to watch food prices plummet?

After thinking about it, the important ministers couldn't make up their minds.

Including Jianyi, I am a little confused...... He had the heart to persuade Xu Jingchang again, but after thinking about it, he dispelled his thoughts again, and decided to meet Yao Guangxiao instead.

It's time to ask the Buddha.

Xu Jingchang said goodbye to everyone, and as soon as he turned his head, he saw Zhu Gaochi coming in a hurry.

"Cousin, I understand a little bit now, the boy really doesn't have any good intentions." Zhu Gaochi said: "Say, who do you want to harm?" ”

Xu Jingchang stiffened his face and warned: "First, I have never harmed anyone, and second, this matter was provoked by His Majesty, and it has nothing to do with me." If you dare to slander me, I'll tell my aunt. ”

Zhu Gaochi was not threatened at all, "Okay, you still act!" I'm not a who doesn't know anything. Zhu Gaochi came to Xu Jingchang's side and said in a low voice: "The crown princess's family has postponed the purchase of grain, and now a bunch of grain merchants are on fire, what do you say we should do?" ”

Hearing Zhu Dazhuang say this, Xu Jingchang paused, and said quietly: "Why do we want to come up with a way?" What can we do? Didn't I tell you, just follow the four-stage strategy. ”

Zhu Gaochi couldn't cry or laugh, "You are procrastinating!" ”

Xu Jingchang smiled: "Isn't it good to delay?" If you don't drag, how can you shuffle the cards? ”

"Shuffle?" Zhu Gaochi was puzzled: "What are you calculating?" ”

Xu Jingchang smiled and said, "Don't worry, we will see the results soon." ”

No matter how Zhu Gaochi asked, Xu Jingchang was indifferent, and Zhu Gaochi couldn't insist, so let's watch!

In the next few days, many merchants who purchased grain appeared in the Yingtian market, and the rapidly falling grain prices actually stopped, and even had a tendency to rise.

Zhu Gaochi came to inquire about the news again, but Xu Jingchang was still indifferent.

made Zhu Gaochi think that he would deal with wood carving clay sculptures again...... What's going on with my little cousin?

But at this time, news came from Beiping, after preliminary calculations, this year's grain harvest in Beiping, together with the direction of Liaodong, can be transferred to the south of the million-stone grain...... Enrich the regular closing positions, provide relief to the victims, and ensure that everyone is well fed and does not go hungry.

When this news came, Yingtian's grain prices fell sharply, even faster than before.

At this point, Zhu Gaochi finally tasted it, "I understand it, my father also intends to suppress food prices, and you are also pushing the boat along the water...... But I can't figure it out, the price of food has come down, and it doesn't seem to be a good thing for the people? ”

Xu Jingchang's smile did not decrease, "Your Highness, if you think about it carefully, is this really no good?" ”

Zhu Gaochi muttered silently, thought about it again and again, and said in a low voice: "The one who is in control of the grain business right now is actually a big household in the south of the Yangtze River, right?" ”

Xu Jingchang nodded with a smile, "Actually, we are no strangers to these big families, the Han King changed rice to mulberry and jumped out to sing against him, it was these people." ”

"So it's the second revenge?"

Xu Jingchang said with a smile: "If this is the case, Your Majesty will not be involved, in fact, this matter is good for Daming." ”

"Da Ming?" Zhu Gaochi thought silently, and following Xu Jingchang's train of thought, he gradually understood...... In fact, it was none other than the gentry who controlled the grain trade, or to put it simply, the powerful gentry bureaucrats.

They hold the land of the place and have great prestige.

They are the only ones who can get food from the common people and transport it to the city to sell.

"Therefore, it is a deception to say that the grain is cheap and hurts the peasants, and the grain is expensive and hurts the people...... The price of grain is really expensive, and the ordinary people of Jiangzhou can send grain to Yingtian to sell? Obviously not! Xu Jingchang said with a smile.

Zhu Gaochi nodded, "So the people who raise the price can't get benefits, and the people who reduce the price must be unlucky?" ”

Xu Jingchang smiled approvingly, and finally understood.

The matter of grain is a major matter that almost all dynasties and dynasties cannot avoid, and in addition to the financial and tax conscription, there is a more important one...... Take Ying Tian as an example, more than a million people, with so many mouths, need to be fed.

The officials of the court, the soldiers in the army, these are all able to eat the imperial grain.

But there are still so many ordinary people, they need to buy and sell the grain normally from the people, collect the grain from the farmers, and then transfer it to Yingtian, and then sell it through the grain store.

This process is not difficult to understand, the question is who is qualified to control the grain trade?

Ordinary people are definitely not good, whether it is collecting grain, trafficking, or selling, it is not easy to make a profit.

Otherwise, even if you have a million taels of silver in your hand, you will only lose everything.

"Agriculture-oriented, business-oriented!" Zhu Gaochi snorted: "I understand now, this is the foundation of the gentleman's fortune, it's just ...... I don't understand yet, what do you have to do with the gentry and merchants? Are you just looking at the doctor and not pleasing to the eye? ”

Zhu Gaochi looked at Xu Jingchang stupidly.

Xu Jingchang snorted, "I'm not so bored." It's just that I didn't expect King Han to see this step so quickly...... He can still convince His Majesty that King Han is not simple! ”

Listening to Xu Jingchang praise the second child, it was even more uncomfortable than being scolded by himself.

Zhu Gaochi thought about it repeatedly, and finally came to his senses, along with Zhu Di's great victory, he temporarily solved Monan, the opportunity of Beiping, and the opportunity of Daming also came.

There will certainly be a great time for industry and commerce to flourish.

With the development of merchants and the prosperity of industry, the population of the city must increase suddenly.

In fact, when Zhu Gaoxu changed rice to mulberry, one of them was that he needed to ensure the rations of the mulberry farmers.

Otherwise, the little extra money from selling raw silk will be taken away from the grain, how can the big guy be willing to plant mulberry trees? Over the past few years, Zhu Gaoxu also discovered that because he had more and more craftsmen under his command and consumed more and more grain, the more obvious his losses were.

Those big grain merchants, sitting on the ground and raising prices, making a lot of profits, are really hateful.

And with the massive increase in population, it is not enough to rely on these grain merchants alone. They were able to raise the price of food to an unacceptable level.

Either they worked hard for a year and used all the money they earned to fill their stomachs, or the craftsmen couldn't survive and fled the city one after another, and the entire industrial and commercial development suddenly stopped!

After analyzing this, it is also clear why in all dynasties and under agricultural conditions, the citizens can only reach more than one percent, or even less than one percent.

There is no way, no matter how much you can't support.

And tinkering with farms in Peiping is not just as simple as increasing grain output...... The increase in these grains will subvert the entire Ming Dynasty!

"In this way, it is a good thing for the benefit of the country and the people, so why should you keep it secret? Can't you just issue a decree? Zhu Gaochi asked.

"Decree? Are you kidding me? Xu Jingchang snorted: "How much grain can Beiping come up with?" You have issued an edict, and if you want food from all over the country, and if you can't get it, it will be tantamount to ruining the reputation of the court, and it will be difficult to recover it. The current situation is very good, no one knows how much grain there is in the imperial court, it is a good time to allocate thousands of catties, so ah, let's continue to watch! ”

On the fifth day after Xu Jingchang finished saying this, a sign appeared outside the treasure gate, which read, "One stone of grain is three hundred and eighty-five words!"

It's actually less than four hundred!

The whole Yingtian was shaken, but I am afraid that from the beginning of Hongwu to the present, there is no such low price.

Is this the heyday?

The people are abundant, and the price of food has fallen, which is something that cannot be sought, and if it can be reduced a little more, it will be perfect.

At this time, Yang Shiqi suddenly came to see Xu Jingchang.

"Dingguo Gong, there is news from the Jiangxi Guild Hall, and I hope that Dingguo Gong can raise his noble hand and recover the price of grain as soon as possible, otherwise there will be heavy losses, but I am afraid that no one will dare to sell grain next year."

When Xu Jingchang heard this, he smiled faintly, "Bachelor Yang, I am actively studying the matter of grain prices, and I am also raising money with my heart, so the grain merchants in Jiangxi can't wait?" Didn't they buy a lot of grain in private, trying to raise the price? Why not? ”

Yang Shiqi finally smiled bitterly and said, "Dingguo Gong, it is these grains that cause trouble...... Someone has eaten hundreds of thousands of stone grains, and now there is nowhere to store these grains, and in the autumn rain, I am afraid that they will rot and lose all their money! ”

Xu Jingchang smiled faintly, "Yes?" I only know how to buy food, but I don't know how to find a warehouse, why don't you tell me in advance! What am I doing wrong to make them so wary of me? ”

(End of chapter)