Grain merchants from other places offered increasingly lower prices for rice than the government's official price of eighty coins.
"One bushel costs seventy-eight coins!"
"My family only needs seventy-five coins!"
"Seventy-three coins..."
"Seventy coins..."
The Bai, Liu, and Meng families, the five major clans, couldn't sit still. They had stockpiled too much, and in order to monopolize the market, they almost always bought it at high prices.
While there were still seventy coins left to sell, the Bai family secretly broke their alliance and set the price at sixty-eight coins.
The Meng family is pressing hard; in the marketplace, there are no fathers and sons, let alone such a plastic alliance! Since you're not keeping your promise, I'll lower my grain prices too.
"The Meng family's rice is 65 dou!"
"The Liu family's rice is sixty coins a bushel..."
Grain prices plummeted, dropping to 55 coins in just three days.
Ling Xun returned from his patrol of the streets and immediately reported to Gu Shaoyu, saying, "Sir, the price of rice has dropped to fifty-five coins. I think it cannot be lowered any further."
While processing the memorials sent from other places, Gu Shaoyu listened to Ling Xun's report that the sharp drop in rice prices was exactly what he had expected.
That's how people are. Once they create a sense of panic, rationality is hard to maintain. So-called alliances will naturally break down, and they may even turn against each other and try to devour one another.
First it was the small-scale merchants, then it was these large grain merchants.
However, a continuous drop in prices is not a good thing. If the decline continues, merchants will not be able to make a profit, and no one will be willing to continue. Baiyang County will once again run out of grain to buy.
"Fifty-five coins, no lowering allowed. Anyone who offers less than fifty-five coins will be killed without mercy."
The magistrate of Qin County immediately posted a notice.
The government has ordered that the price of grain must not be lower than 55 wen per dou (a unit of dry measure), and anyone who dares to maliciously lower the price will be executed without mercy!
Xie Yu and Ling Xun, including Magistrate Qin, all understood that the lower the rice price, the better. Stabilizing it at 55 wen per dou, which was 5 wen higher than before the natural disaster, was just right.
The Wei and Wu families could no longer resist and began secretly selling grain as well.
If prices are forcibly stabilized, it means they have no chance of turning things around. They should hurry up and sell their grain; the more they sell, the less they lose.
Otherwise, the other three major grain merchants would be able to devour them.
Gu Shaoyu was waiting for this moment. At first, they sold small quantities secretly, so he turned a blind eye. But when they sold grain openly, he immediately ordered Hongying to lead troops to arrest them.
Produce the original contract, which states, "The amount shall not exceed or fall below three hundred coins; any violation will result in execution."
Arrest them, kill them!
The Bai, Liu, and Meng families now understand that during natural disasters and wars, they took advantage of the situation to inflate grain prices, profiting from the national crisis and nearly instigating a popular uprising. They offended the emperor and defied his authority! His Majesty sent Gu Shaoyu to Zizhou in person, showing he had no intention of letting them go. Whether or not there was that contract, they were all going to die!
The three family heads, along with their entire families, knelt before the yamen, pleading with Gu Shaoyu to donate all their assets (including grain) to the people of Zizhou, asking only to be spared their lives.
The Wei and Wu families, relying on their powerful backgrounds, boasted that even a powerful dragon cannot suppress a local snake, and led their troops to confront the government.
Gu Shaoyu mobilized two thousand troops from the garrison to surround the two mansions. He first killed the people, then confiscated their property, and exiled them!
Although Magistrate Qin submitted a memorial impeaching Gu Shaoyu, Gu Shaoyu felt that the man was upright and cared about the people, so he was acceptable.
"His Majesty has granted me the power to make decisions independently. Li Hailong has been found guilty of corruption and abuse of power. He has been dismissed from his post as prefect and sent to the capital. Magistrate Qin will serve as acting prefect. After I return to the capital, I will immediately report to His Majesty and have the Ministry of Personnel issue the necessary documents."
Magistrate Qin was overjoyed, yet also deeply ashamed, and said, "Lord Gu, I was so ignorant that I mistook you for a great villain. I deserve to die..."
"Your ability to defy authority and care for the people is admirable. As for your insults against me and your impeachment of me,"
The cunning Grand Secretary said calmly, "Then get up from where you fell. From now on, you can clear my name in the court and among the people."
**
Wei Shuyun, Shen Su, and Jin Feng have been operating behind closed doors since they arrived in Baiyang County.
Before Shen Su came, Princess Yu Rong repeatedly instructed her not to let anyone know about Ding Fengqi's existence, not even Wei Shuyun.
Princess Yu Rong was unaware that her new shadow guard, "Xi Luo," was actually Xi Luo, one of the secret guards "Moonfall Stardust" from Qingpu Garden, and had been sent there by Xie Zhaozhao.
Wei Jingzhong harbored murderous intentions towards Princess Yurong, and Princess Yurong also began to be fully wary of the Wei family. She suspected that the original guards and secret agents had all been bribed by Wei Jingzhong and were being replaced with a new batch of people.
Upon learning this information, Xie Zhaozhao immediately dispatched Xiluo to become a new concubine of Princess Yurong.
Xi Luo never shows himself in public, making him perfect for an undercover job.
As for the men in black who fought with Xiluo that day, well, it was all an act.
During her visit to Zizhou, Xiluo overheard Princess Yurong repeatedly instructing Shensu to check on Ding Fengqi. Only then did she learn that Ding Fengqi was also Princess Yurong's male favorite and one of her hideouts for stockpiling grain and horses. She immediately sent a message to Gu Shaoyu.
When Shen Su arrived in Zizhou, Nan Xing followed him.
Nanxing was originally a secret guard, so tracking someone like Shen Su was too easy for him.
As expected, Shen Su and Jin Feng worked together to get Wei Shuyun away and secretly went to see Ding Fengqi.
Unaware that she was being followed, Shen Su diligently went through the process of taking stock of the accounts and inventory, carefully verifying the grain and horses.
Everything was observed by Nanxing.
They were incredibly accurate in their raids. Xie Yu and Ling Xun not only confiscated all of Ding Fengqi's grain, silver, and horses, but they also acted first and reported later.
"Ding Fengqi, a scholar from Zizhou, has been hoarding grain and troops, and has countless amounts of silver in his home. He is secretly colluding with Prince Rong and plotting a rebellion..."
Acting Prefect Qin happily submitted his memorial, but Ding Fengqi accused him of "treacherous intentions and plotting rebellion" and ordered his execution!
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