Sweet potatoes are so fragrant, and they keep smelling delicious after you finish eating them.
What about the decency and elegance of scholars? If I, Fang Zheng, don’t tear off your hypocritical faces, do you really think you are perfect people who don’t shit?
You all act like decent human beings, but it won't be long before you lose all your face!
It would be best to fence them off, sell tickets for admission, and promote it in Mid-Levels, maybe you can make some money...
While Fang Zhengyi was working on his own little plan, Emperor Jing had already started talking about serious business.
Zheng Qiao said, "Your Majesty, the Ministry of Revenue reported yesterday that the grain disaster in the south is still expanding. I wonder if Your Majesty has read it."
Emperor Jing said solemnly: "I have read it. I wonder what you think."
Zheng Qiao said, "Your Majesty, I think it is time to issue an order to open the granaries and release the grain in an orderly manner. If we wait until the news spreads throughout the south, it may cause a civil uprising. We just need to hold out until this year's autumn harvest and the situation will ease."
Emperor Jing thought for a while and said: "The flood in Jianjiang is serious. Most of the granaries are flooded. I don't know if we can hold out until the autumn harvest."
Zhang Shi stood up and said, "Your Majesty, there is definitely not enough food. Even if we harvest in autumn... I'm afraid this year's harvest will be greatly reduced. We need to order all places to lower food prices as soon as possible to ensure that the people can afford food."
"In addition, the gentry and wealthy families in various places must have a large amount of grain stored in their homes. We can collect grain and borrow grain from the gentry in various places."
Fang Zheng couldn't help sighing when he heard this.
Some time has passed since someone from Taoyuan County wrote back to me saying that grain prices in the south were not affected by the sweet potato news but had risen sharply.
And the price is getting higher day by day.
I don’t know what went wrong, but this situation was already within Fang Zhengyi’s expectations.
There must be someone in the court who could see through his tricks, but he didn't expect that the person was faster than him.
I don't know who leaked the news.
Now these people are offering suggestions one after another, but Fang Zheng thinks they are basically nonsense.
It is certain that the warehouses will be opened and grain will be released, but the food will definitely not be enough to eat.
Then the only ones they could rely on were the gentry and the wealthy families, but whether they collected grain or borrowed it, they would never get any, or they could only get a little bit.
After all, who wants to cut their own flesh?
If you come to ask for it, I will just say that I don’t have it. Can you, the government, really steal my food?
Fang Zhengyi had imagined the bad idea of engraving on stone to record the merits, but it would be useless if it was brought to the local level.
In years of famine, tangible benefits are more important than anything else.
Furthermore, if the gentry and noble families cared about their reputation, they would never become gentry and noble families.
This group of people can basically be seen as a combination of primary capital and power, and are inherently greedy and selfish.
All in all, it's very difficult.
I don’t know what happened to the people sent out by Taoyuan County. It took more than 20 days for the news to come back....
Emperor Jing noticed Fang Zhengyi's abnormality and asked, "Fang Qing, what do you think?"
Fang Zheng bowed his hands and said loudly: "Your Majesty, I think that grain prices should not be suppressed, but should be left to their own devices. When grain prices reach a high level, grain merchants from all over the world will flock to the disaster area."
"If we just wait for a while, food prices may ease."
But this would eventually lead to some people starving to death, Fang Zhengyi did not say this.
Market problems are regulated by the market. The reaction speed of ancient governments was extremely slow compared to modern times, but the efficiency of the market is beyond doubt.
Even in modern economic regulation, the market must be given priority. After all, it is difficult to reap good results by going against the rules.
The price of grain in the disaster-stricken areas has skyrocketed, and countless wealthy people have rushed to sell their excess grain reserves. By then, they will find that countless families are crowded together, and supply exceeds demand, so the price of grain should fall accordingly.
However, such an approach goes against the common sense of most people, and Fang Zhengyi does not think that Emperor Jing would agree with it.
Sure enough, Zhang Shi expressed dissatisfaction before Emperor Jing even opened his mouth.
"If it is really as Lord Fang said, people all over the world will discuss it, and the government will do nothing. Wouldn't that damage the dignity of the royal family?"
Fang Zheng said, "Master Zhang, ruling by doing nothing is also considered ruling. Local governments only need to do their job well, protecting the peace of the area and preventing the people from being bullied. The people have their own way of survival and do not need others to teach them."
"What's more, if you choose the wrong path, the harder you work, the sadder you will be."
"Your Majesty, I think this method is feasible. Let's give it a try."
Zhang Shi immediately said in a stern voice: "No! If we really leave it alone, won't it allow others to make a fortune from the national crisis?"
Fang Zheng said bluntly: "For the victims, this is a matter of life and death!"
"A dying person has no hope of survival, but the so-called person who made a fortune from the national crisis, as Lord Zhang said, can provide him with an alternative. Even if the standard of this alternative is so high that it is unattainable, it can at least give him hope of survival. Why not?"
Zhang Shi said disdainfully: "According to what you said, where is the moral code? If this continues, won't everyone in the world be trying to gain personal advantage?"
"Wouldn't those who have evil intentions deliberately cause national disaster?"
Fang Zhengyi snorted coldly: "Master Zhang, you are off topic. We are talking about disaster victims now. Which is more important, face or life?"
"Open your mouth to talk about the world, but close your mouth to talk about morality! What's the point of just saying big and empty words? Can you eat them?"
"Your Majesty, I want to impeach the Minister of Finance Zhang Shi! He is just sitting there doing nothing but doing nothing!"
"You!!!" Zhang Shi was dumbfounded. You impeached me just because we disagreed? Why?
The faces of everyone present also darkened.
Fang Zhengyi is a guy who doesn't talk much. If anyone talks to him, he will probably impeach them... He doesn't follow any rules! He just talks nonsense!
How many times has Zhang Shidu been played?
Emperor Jing glanced at Fang Zhengyi and said unhappily, "That's enough! Fang Zhengyi, you're getting more and more outrageous!"
"Master Li, what do you think?"
Li Yansong hesitated and said, "I think what Fang Zhanshi said makes some sense."
Fang Zheng smiled.
Sure enough, the ancients were extremely smart, especially those shrewd people in the court.
They may not understand what economics is, but they must understand what the economic philosophy is. After all, economics is also summarized from laws.
It is impossible for them not to understand such a simple logical relationship as the supply issue.
Li Yansong changed the subject: "But the risk is too great. The whole world will definitely discuss it. I still agree with Mr. Zhang's suggestion."
"I second the motion"
\"I second the motion\"
Emperor Jing nodded and said, "Okay, let's deal with it according to this method. Zhang Shi, please prepare a detailed memorial and submit it to me after you return to the palace."
"Yes, Your Majesty."
Fang Zheng smacked his lips in disdain.
As expected! There is no point in telling others about it. It is a waste of time!
What power fears most is risk, and no one dares to bear the consequences of being blamed by the world.
Everyone understands the truth, but no one can break through this barrier in the human heart.
I am a...difficult...
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