Inside the mountain villa outside Yuezhou City, Zhou Yun'an stood by the window, toying with a copper coin in his hand.
The copper coins danced between his fingers, appearing and disappearing intermittently.
"Master, the first batch of grain has been purchased." Xiao Cheng appeared silently behind him, handing him an account book. "As you instructed, it was purchased in batches through different merchants, so it won't attract attention."
Zhou Yun'an didn't turn around, but flicked the copper coin into the air and caught it steadily: "Over at the Yuezhou government office?"
"Registrar Zhang has already made the arrangements; he will suppress all reports regarding abnormal grain prices." Xiao Cheng sneered. "That corrupt official forgets his own name when he sees money."
The copper coin suddenly stopped spinning, and Zhou Yun'an's eyes sharpened: "Not enough. Bribing a mere clerk won't accomplish anything significant."
He turned and walked to his desk, unfolding a map of Yuezhou. "Yuezhou is surrounded by mountains on three sides, connected to the outside world only by a single canal. What I want is—to completely sever Yuezhou's food supply."
Xiao Cheng followed his finger and saw that the slender fingertip was pointing at Qingyan Gorge, the only vital waterway in Yuezhou.
"What does the master mean..."
"Whether it's the imperial court providing disaster relief or merchants transporting grain, they all have to pass through here." Zhou Yun'an's voice was eerily calm. "The grain I need from outside will never reach Yuezhou."
Xiao Cheng's heart skipped a beat, but he quickly regained his composure: "I understand, but... if we cause too much of a commotion, it might attract the attention of the imperial court."
Zhou Yun'an chuckled softly: "So we need a 'natural disaster'."
"A landslide!" Xiao Cheng suddenly realized.
"Natural disasters and man-made calamities—who can say for sure? Remember, when you take action, leave a few survivors so they can report the horrific scene of the landslide back to Yuezhou."
Xiao Cheng bowed and accepted the order, about to leave, when Zhou Yun'an stopped him: "Also, tomorrow, in the name of 'Young Master Chen,' host a banquet for the three major grain merchants of Yuezhou, and tell them... there's a severe drought in the north, and grain will be more expensive than gold."
"Our master is brilliant. Once the rumors start, grain merchants will naturally hoard grain, causing prices to skyrocket."
Zhou Yun'an gazed out the window towards Yuezhou City, a cold glint in his eyes: "I want Wang Xiuxiu and Lu Jingze to know that some games... are not for them to play."
---
Within Yuezhou City, grain prices rose three times in a single day.
In front of the rice shop in the south of the city, the crowd was restless and uneasy.
A frail old woman clutched a few copper coins, her voice trembling: "Yesterday I could buy three liters of rice, but today I can only buy one?"
The rice shop assistant waved his hand impatiently: "Take it or leave it! There's a severe drought in the north, and grain can't be transported in. Prices will probably rise even more tomorrow!"
An angry uproar erupted from the crowd.
Some people started pushing and shoving, some cried out, and some even rushed towards the rice bag to try and snatch it.
The men grabbed wooden sticks and fiercely fought off the people who were trying to steal the grain, creating a chaotic scene.
Not far away, inside an inconspicuous carriage, Zhou Yun'an coldly observed everything through the gauze curtain.
He had disguised himself today, wearing an ordinary human skin mask, so much so that even Xiao Cheng almost didn't recognize him.
"Master, just as you predicted, as soon as news of the 'landslide' in Qingyan Gorge spread, grain merchants closed their markets and began hoarding their produce," Xiao Cheng said in a low voice. "The prefect has ordered the stabilization of grain prices, but those grain merchants are paying lip service while secretly inflating prices tenfold in private transactions."
Zhou Yun'an gently stroked the jade thumb ring on his hand: "That's not enough. What I need is panic, despair, and the complete loss of faith in the imperial court by the people of Yuezhou."
He lowered the curtain. "Go tell Registrar Zhang that I need to see the keys to the Yuezhou granary tonight."
"Grain warehouses? Those are the imperial reserves..."
"It is precisely because of the imperial reserves that they are so valuable," Zhou Yun'an's voice was as cold as a venomous snake. "When the people discover that even the official granaries are empty... that's when the real show begins."
The carriage slowly drove away from the chaotic rice shop and turned into a quiet alley.
Deep in the alley, a middle-aged man in official robes paced anxiously, and immediately came to greet the carriage.
"Young Master Chen! You've finally arrived!" Registrar Zhang's forehead was beaded with sweat, his voice barely audible. "The Prefect has already sent men to investigate the soaring grain prices; I'm afraid I can't keep this a secret for long..."
Zhou Yun'an lifted a corner of the carriage curtain and handed over a heavy brocade pouch: "Lord Zhang, there's no need to worry. The severe drought in the north is a fact, and rising grain prices are to be expected. As for the landslide at Qingyan Gorge... that's a natural disaster, what does it have to do with you, sir?"
Registrar Zhang took the brocade pouch, weighed it in his hand, and his expression softened slightly: "Is this from the official granary..."
"The official granaries are stockpiled with grain. According to the law, they can be opened to release the grain and stabilize public morale," Zhou Yun'an patiently advised. "Why don't you suggest to the prefect that the granaries be opened to release the grain? This would both appease the people and demonstrate the benevolence of the imperial court."
Registrar Zhang was taken aback: "This...Young Master didn't mean to..."
"I'm just a businessman, what could I possibly want?" Zhou Yun'an chuckled. "I'm just thinking that if the official granaries release grain, the market price will inevitably fall. By then, the disaster will be over, and no one will bother to investigate your manipulation of grain prices for profit, sir."
Seeing the greedy look on Zhang Zhubu's face as if he had just realized something, Zhou Yun'an knew that the fish had taken the bait.
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