The blue waves rippled, and a black canopy boat floated on the river.

"Guest officer, this is the rice shop."

The old man who was holding the boat pointed to the pier ahead.

Near the wharf, there are rickshaws walking with heavy bags of rice.

"Hmm."

There was an indifferent response from the cabin.

Jiang Xinghuo was still in the disguise of a cold and noble son, stepping on the stone steps covered with moss and walking ashore, and the awning boat behind him suddenly crushed the spring in the water with the light touch of the penny.

He didn't rush into the rice shop, but sat down with Wang Bin at a tea stall along the river not far away.

Two middle-aged men sat across from him, chatting at this time.

"You said that you carry rice in every day, when will the price of rice come down? Although we know that there is rice, even if it is reluctant to sell, we are not panicked, it is better than no rice in a disaster year, but after all, it is a little too expensive. ”

"Who knows, but the people in the city, who have eaten the bowl of rice in the city over the years, have some surplus at home, and the price of rice is more expensive, so they will not starve to death, but I heard that many relatives in the countryside are starving to death!"

"How is that possible? Don't you go to the countryside to transport grain? Besides, what about the grain in the countryside itself? ”

"At the beginning of the rainstorm, I heard that it will rain for two days, and now the major grain merchants are rushing to the city by water to transport grain and sell it at a high price, so how can they waste their capacity to transport it to the countryside by land? The grain is not to be sold. ”

The two middle-aged men checked out and left, leaving only the two of them at the huge tea stall.

Jiang Xinghuo shook the folding fan clearly, this is the money in the countryside that can afford to buy expensive grain, most of the families do not lack food and do not lack the way to go into the city to buy it, and the people in the countryside who are in urgent need of food can't afford to buy expensive grain, and they have no way to go into the city to buy food, so they can only wait for death.

In other words, these rural peasants, these original grain producers, are not the target customers of the big grain merchants in the city.

This is also why, in the villages near Qingpingbo that he passed by before, there will be a tragic situation of lack of food to eat the mustaches.

"Still not right."

Wang Bin lowered his voice and asked suspiciously: "What about the relief grain that the government often closes?" What about the grain in the countryside? ”

"That's what I mean by cattle."

The two of them sit near the water, and they can clearly see that the entire prosperous waterway presents a spindle-shaped outline, and it is precisely because in order to meet the needs of more buildings built near the river, the buildings along the river are generally narrower, and the street is facing the river, forming a 'street-house-river' layout, so they are actually quite hidden here, in the middle of the back door of the rice store and the river.

As if a normal conversation, Jiang Xinghuo said softly.

Emperor Taizu Gao stipulated that in the event of a disaster year, at the expense of land transportation costs, the government must open a position to stabilize grain prices or lend grain to farmers."

"If you starve to death, it means that the regular closing position is invalid, why is it invalid?"

Jiang Xinghuo sneered.

"There are only two answers, either the government is inefficient and has not had time to make a tragedy, or the food in it is greedy and cannot be distributed at all."

Recalling all the tragic things he saw in the countryside, holding a folding fan, Jiang Xinghuo said the most ruthless words in the softest voice.

"If it is the latter, the national division will definitely want the officialdom of Changzhou Mansion, and the blood will flow like a river."

Wang Bin's expression was grim, he believed that the national teacher must have done what he said, but Wang Bin thought of another point.

"What about the grain in the countryside? Last year was not a disaster year, and the Jianwen Dynasty did reduce taxes in Jiangnan, so it stands to reason that there should be grain in the tun, and if you have food, you won't starve to death. ”

"If it is the former, then it may be that the gentry and grain merchants took it away at a slightly higher price when the price of autumn grain was low, and hoarded it and sold it at a higher price in the disaster year."

"If it's the latter, then it's a hole that has been expropriated by the government to make up for the regular liquidation."

"Exactly what kind of one, you will find out at a glance."

After that, Jiang Xinghuo got up, paid the tea money to the tea doctor at the tea stall, and then walked into the main entrance of the rice shop.

This is a large rice shop, with three shops, and the front face is connected together.

Next to this rice shop, there are also several large rice shops, and the whole street sells grain.

Jiang Xinghuo stood at the door of the store, looked up, and saw that the door of the internal warehouse was open, and it was full of rice bags, the top of which had been worn out, revealing white rice.

The shopkeeper of the rice shop surnamed Chen, saw a moon-white brocade robe suddenly appearing at the door, and then estimated the value of the pendant on this noble son, and immediately walked up quickly.

"Hey, what a rare guest, what kind of wind blew you here today?"

Although he didn't know him at all, for the sake of this outfit, Shopkeeper Chen still politely invited Jiang Xinghuo to enter the inner hall of the rice store.

The inner hall of the rice shop is spacious and simple, the tables, chairs and benches are all wiped clean, and there is a landscape painting hanging on the wall, which is obviously the work of the master.

In addition to Shopkeeper Chen, there were several guys who were busy, and when they saw Jiang Xinghuo, they stopped what they were doing and saluted Jiang Xinghuo, and they were very polite.

"I take the liberty of bothering, and I hope it won't disturb the shopkeeper's business."

Jiang Xinghuo clenched his fists and arched his hand slightly, and said softly.

Shopkeeper Chen hurriedly waved his hand and said, "Oh, where is this to say, my surname is Chen, it is a great honor for you to patronize our store." ”

Jiang Xinghuo got straight to the point and said: "I am from Ning Guofu, and my father asked me to come here to explore the road and do business." ”

Shopkeeper Chen took a closer look, and saw that Jiang Xinghuo had an extraordinary bearing, and became more and more careful in his speech: "Can you hear it, what business are you going to do?" ”

With a "snap", Jiang Xinghuo folded his fan and said calmly.

"I came here after a long journey, naturally because I knew that our Changzhou Mansion is a waterway hub and a cargo distribution center for the five prefectures in the south of the Yangtze River, and the business I want to do is nothing else, but grain, or rice."

"I know the price of rice, and it is precisely because I know it that I came to you first."

Hearing this, Shopkeeper Chen was naturally overjoyed, this is a big deal.

However, joy is joy, he did not let down his vigilance, and asked cautiously: "I don't know how much rice you want to buy?" ”

"The first batch, at least 20,000 stones."

"Hiss——!" Shopkeeper Chen took a breath.

The amount of 20,000 stones, that's really a big order.

You must know that the amount of grain collected by the imperial court in Changzhou every year is only about 650,000 stone (data of the 26th year of Hongwu), and 20,000 stone of grain is really not a small amount.

"Then dare I ask you, how are you going to receive this food? On Ning Guofu's side, you can't completely take the waterway. ”

"Take the water route first, then the land route, I have my own way by land."

Jiang Xinghuo put away the folding fan, stared at him and asked, "I don't know if the shopkeeper will do this business?" ”

"If you don't."

Jiang Xinghuo raised his eyes and looked outside the door, the meaning was obvious, maybe there was a tacit understanding between you rice shops, but at most it was in terms of food prices, but if I could afford the price, I don't think anyone would be able to get along with the money, and they would definitely rush to sell me.

Seeing this, the shopkeeper Chen also knew that the other party had a lot of money in his pocket, so he was naturally hard, so he changed his angle and said: "The situation in Jiangnan is special, grain prices have soared this year, although all rice stores have inventory, but there are so many 20,000 stones, except for my family, I am afraid that no one can make it up in one breath, but you must know that at the moment, there is a price a day, some transactions, if it is a little later, I am afraid it will be too late." ”

Jiang Xinghuo frowned when he heard this, and he didn't seem to agree with Shopkeeper Chen's point of view.

Shopkeeper Chen completed the necessary pull of the negotiation, took a sip of tea and moistened his throat.

Jiang Xinghuo's brows furrowed, and he asked instead.

"How do I know you have so much food?"

"Rest assured, there will be no loss of our food."

Shopkeeper Chen patted his chest and promised.

Jiang Xinghuo's eyebrows raised slightly, this shopkeeper Chen seems to have overreacted, is there a problem here?

"Shopkeeper Chen doesn't need to be excited, I heard that Shopkeeper Chen has a way, so I came to the door, but I just heard it as a vain and saw it as believing, and if I didn't look at it, I was always unsure."

Jiang Xinghuo went straight to the point with a single knife.

"Uh...... Ahem, where are you talking about? I'm just a rice merchant, how can there be any way. ”

Shopkeeper Chen choked and coughed twice, and flatly denied it.

Seeing the other party's performance, the corners of Jiang Xinghuo's mouth outlined a mocking arc: "Shopkeeper Chen, we can be regarded as peers, why hide it from me?" ”

"This ...... I really have no way......" Shopkeeper Chen still insisted on refusing.

Jiang Xinghuo suddenly stood up and looked down at the other party condescendingly, "Shopkeeper Chen, let me ask you one more question, grain, do you have a way to get it for me!" ”

His eyes narrowed slightly, and a sharp essence burst out of his eyes, which made Shopkeeper Chen's heart beat violently.

At this point, it became his home turf.

Shopkeeper Chen's expression changed several times, and finally sighed deeply.

"Alas, I'm not afraid to tell you that there is indeed a way, but this way is not easy for people to see and pay a deposit first, otherwise I won't be able to take you there, and this business is not mine alone."

"That's right, isn't it a deposit?"

Jiang Xinghuo chuckled lightly and untied a heavy money bag from his waist.

Shopkeeper Chen glanced at it, and his eyes lit up.

It's all gold! Sink a bag of golden beans!

"You're atmospheric."

Jiang Xinghuo said lightly.

"Remember, this money is a deposit, you can't be greedy, otherwise you can't afford the consequences."

"I understand! I understand! ”

Looking at Jiang Xinghuo's confident appearance, Shopkeeper Chen was relieved.

Sure enough, there is an official face, otherwise how would he know his way? It's just that I don't know who is behind it, but the civil officials from Jiangnan have a complicated relationship, and it is neither necessary nor difficult to investigate.

But the big man behind the other party, since he pointed him out this way, he is also measured in his thinking, so there are some things that can be vaguely mentioned to the other party.

The two talked a few more words, and Shopkeeper Chen respectfully sent Jiang Xinghuo out of the rice shop.

Out of the rice shop, Jiang Xinghuo made a detour with Wang Bin, and then went straight to a temple.

On the way, Jiang Xinghuo told Wang Bin the information he had just learned.

"Are they crazy? How bold are you?! ”

Wang Bin looked surprised.

There is no other reason, the way of the shopkeeper Chen is even wilder than he imagined.

It's not just that the position is often closed, although what the shopkeeper Chen said is very vague, just lightly clicked. After all, this is a big event that may lose his head, if there is no deposit for Jiang Xinghuo's bag of gold, he will not tell outsiders who have met for the first time, even if he says it very vaguely now, he will not reveal the people and things involved in it at all.

But conclusions are drawn from this key piece of information.

They also involved the military rations that were transferred from Changzhou to Xuzhou Daying, and even the Shandong Beiwei Army!

(End of chapter)