The slanting sun in the distance is like a ripe persimmon, which is about to land.

Walking on the street, Xiao Feng was a little hesitant, and thought to himself: "When I entered the palace today, then Zhu Yuzhen must have seen it in his eyes." If you tell her that, I'm afraid it's not appropriate. Alas, let's delay it for a while. After making up his mind, he didn't prepare to go back to Fengwu Mansion, so he walked to the royal street and enjoyed the scenery here.

This Lin'an City is worthy of the feet of the Son of Heaven, it is obviously close to evening, but those people have not returned home yet, and they are still playing on this wide street.

The merchants of the shops on both sides of the street also hung lanterns in front of the shops early, and the slightly dim candlelight illuminated the streets, which also added a bit of joy to the faces of those people, and the whole city was full of magnificent colors.

However, Xiao Feng came through after all, and he was already tired of the color of the night scene, so it was not surprising.

However, in addition to the alliance with the Song Dynasty, the most important thing in this trip was whether they could open trade routes from here and obtain important materials such as food, cloth, and salt that the Red Feng Army urgently needed.

I saw Xiao Feng walk to the grain shop on the side, pointed to the corn, and asked, "Merchant, how much is this rice a catty?"

"Eighty-one pounds!" the merchant said.

The eldest lady on the side was a little surprised and asked, "Eighty, wasn't it still seventy-five yesterday?"

"There's no way, now that food is in short supply, everyone is raising prices, if I don't raise prices, I'm afraid I'll be scolded to death by those governors." The merchant shook his head and complained.

The eldest lady was anxious, and hurriedly said: "What are you talking about the shortage of food? I saw yesterday that you transported ten carts of grain to the shop." In a word, seventy-five, sell or not?"

"Seventy-five, you go and see other shops, who is not eighty-one pounds? If I don't rise, how can I live?" the merchant waved his hand and motioned for the lady to leave.

The eldest lady was also annoyed, and shouted: "Eighty-one pounds? Do you think my money is in the pawnshop? I think you just drink blood with the intention of drinking, do you still have a conscience?"

But the merchant insisted on it and retorted: "Who doesn't know that Zhang's grain store is the largest, and his family is also eighty-one catties." If you let me sell it for seventy-five? Wouldn't I be looking for death? One word, eighty-one pounds, either buy it or get out. ”

"Isn't this Turbid River Dragon King who should be killed burying people? Eighty-one pounds, and I don't know how it happened. Although the lady was thinking about it in pieces, people still had to eat after all, so she had to take out the money from her pocket, and after paying the money, she handed over her own rice bag, and let the merchant weigh it and leave from here.

Xiao Feng looked strange from the side, and when he saw that the eldest lady was about to leave, he hurriedly stopped and asked, "Who do you say is the Dragon King of the Turbid River?"

"You're not a local?" the lady looked Xiao Feng up and down and asked.

Xiao Feng replied: "It's a newcomer, so I don't understand it very well." ”

"Hmph. Zhang's rice, Yue's tea, and the Zhao family's salt are untouched, and the Zhu family's cloth is not daring to wear it. The shop sneered suddenly, and said sarcastically: "You don't even know about these four?"

Xiao Feng was suddenly curious and asked, "Oh?

"Hmph! This Zhang family is Zhang Wei, the king of Qinghe County. As for the Yue family, it was Yue Ke's old bastard. Their ancestors were fierce, but they hated these guys for living in Lin'an for a long time, and they had long forgotten the majesty of their ancestors in the battlefield, and the rest was just to oppress the common people. ”

The merchant seemed to think of the sore spot, and immediately gritted his teeth and scolded: "But if you talk about the ability to exploit, these two are still subservient." And who doesn't know that the younger brother of today's official family, that is, Zhao and Rui of the Rongwang Mansion, directly occupy the entire salt lead! One salt lead 100,000 yuan, and easily take away the century-old foundation of others. As for the Zhu family, its ancestor Zhu Xi is also a little prestigious, but it is a pity that the inheritance has also degenerated, and he has taken the cloth shop by official means, and this guy also has a hand. ”

"So that's the case?" Xiao Feng understood.

As the so-called monopoly creates corruption, she has seen it many times in her previous life, and she only needs to think about this kind of thing for a moment to know what it is.

"That's right. The eldest lady let out a long sigh and lamented: "Who doesn't know that in this Lin'an City, more than half of the grain shops belong to the mansion of Zhang Wei, the king of Qinghe County?"

"King of Qinghe County, I see! No wonder you call him the Dragon King of Turbidity. ”

Xiao Feng nodded thoughtfully, this Turbidity River Dragon King is a contemptuous name, it is completely similar to those nicknames, and it is not a good reputation.

The eldest lady wailed and complained: "If only the Zhang family could be kind and charitable." But after they relied on being the king of the county, they not only bought a wide range of land, but now there are more than one million acres. The annual rent of rice alone is as high as nearly one million stones. If only such a large amount of food could be used to relieve the victims. However, they used this to bully the market, not only contacting other rice shops, but also shrinking grain if the price of rice decreased, in order to raise the price of rice. If anyone does not comply, they will collude with the government and punish us. I had no choice but to buy with them. In this way, in this Lin'an City, the price of rice remains high, how can we still live. ”

"In this way, this Zhang family is worthy of being the Dragon King of the Turbid River. Xiao Feng couldn't help frowning, but he was a little wary of that Zhang Wei.

When I first saw this person, I thought that this person was some kind of polite person, but now that I look at his treatment of the people in this city, I know that this person is also a person who is good at disguise.

The merchant also complained bitterly, saying, "You should too." But do you know how much I can get for this rice?"

"How much?" Xiao Feng looked.

The man gestured with one hand: "Eighty-thirty-one pounds!"

"There are more people who buy than they sell?" Xiao Feng raised his eyebrows slightly, and complained: "So, that guy is deliberately suppressing you?"

"That's right. Who let his Zhang family monopolize the entire grain channel in Lin'an City? Our rice shop has no other purchase channels, and if we want to survive, we can only buy goods from him. It's just that if it goes on like this, I'm going to have to play sooner or later. Shaking his head, the merchant seemed to feel upset, and after weighing Nami and handing it to the eldest lady, he sat directly on the stool, sulking to himself.

The lady also looked sad and complained, "Alas. If your house also goes out of business, then will it be difficult for me to get to that Zhangjia rice shop?"

"What's wrong? Could it be that there is a problem with this rice shop?" Xiao Feng continued to ask.

"That's right. Those bastards know that Wangmi is mixed with sand, and it will be nine points at most if you buy it back for a catty. Alas, these days are getting harder and harder. Shaking her head, the eldest lady took the rice bag and went back to her house.

Xiao Feng shook his head, but took out a silver ingot from his bosom, handed it to the eldest lady, and complained: "These are considered thank you for talking to me." Then, ignoring the surprise of the two of them, he left from here, and walked into the distance again, looking at the situation on both sides as he went.

"I didn't notice much before. But looking at it this way, it's really lonely here. ”

Xiao Feng then understood, and looked sideways at those shops, but felt that these shops were much more sparse.

Occasionally, the shop was closed, and there was no light on in it, and it was obvious that the owner was afraid that it would be difficult to operate, so he had to abandon the shop.

I don't know what is going on, probably because I read what the eldest lady said, but by mistake, Xiao Feng came to a grain shop again, and saw the hanging "Zhang" mark, which was obviously the grain shop under the name of the Zhang family.

This grain shop is also atmospheric, and the guests in it are far more than the previous rice shop.

It's just that those people are all angry, but they just can't bear it.

As soon as Xiao Feng stepped in, the eyes of the busy merchant lit up, and he already greeted it, and said: "This guest officer, are you here today to buy rice?" Seeing Xiao Feng's eyes falling on the rice in the hall, he hurriedly said: "But these rice are ordinary rice, and they must not be suitable for objective taste." And there's the best rice in the middle, so why don't you come with me?"

"Then you lead the way. ”

Xiao Feng's expression did not move, nodded slightly and motioned for the other party to lead the way, and then glanced sideways over the rice grains placed in the rice warehouse, and sure enough, there was some dust and gravel in them.

After entering the inner hall, Xiao Feng stared at it again, and saw that there were also some people in the inner hall, but these people were much less than outside, and the clothes they were wearing were not coarse cloth clothes, they were all the same exquisite silk as her.

"I see. Do you know who I am by the clothes? No wonder you are so affectionate to me?"

Looking sideways at the merchant, Xiao Feng knew it in his heart.

If you use this ability to observe words and colors, this one will naturally surpass the previous one, not only did not complain about the helplessness in her heart, but always maintained a smile, even if this smile was only for her, and even understood differentiated sales!

"How much is your rice?"

Xiao Feng walked to the rice barns and stretched out his hand to grab a handful.

The grains were full and crystalline, and the rice was, as the merchant had said, the best rice, much more than the one before him.

"This rice is tribute rice from Ninghua, which is only available in Da Nei, and it is not of the same grade as those Champa rice outside. So the price is not cheap, three hundred per catty!" the merchant nodded hurriedly.

Xiao Feng replied: "It's really not expensive." His brows furrowed slightly, and he looked sideways again, and asked, "But what is the matter with the Champa rice you are talking about?"

"Champa rice?"

The merchant was surprised for a moment, and immediately complained: "This Champa rice is promoted by Zhenzong, and it is widely cultivated because of its high yield, drought tolerance, and early maturity. But there is also a problem with this Champa rice, that is, the rice it produces is very shriveled, not very full, and it tastes particularly gritty, so it is only eaten by ordinary people, for people like you who are not rich or noble, only this kind of tribute rice is your best choice. ”