"Song Chi, how should this end?" Feng Yuan in the county government office couldn't help but feel nervous when he heard the scolding coming from outside.
Wildly rising food prices, enraged people, and irrational businessmen.
The impact of this incident was so great that it was completely out of control. Ji County was now like a powder keg that was about to explode. If they were not careful, they would be blown to pieces!
From the beginning to the end, Feng Yuan had no idea what Song Chi's plan was, let alone how it would end.
Everyone in the county government office, including himself, began to panic, except Song Chi, who acted as if nothing had happened.
Feng Yuandu admired Song Chi a little.
His teacher, Lu Taiyuan, the second-in-command of the court, once said that those who have thunder in their chests but a face as calm as a lake can be appointed as generals.
This is the situation with Song Chi now. If this boy had not died young, he would have become a great man in the future.
Feng Yuan sighed deeply as he reflected on this. "Before I took office, I was filled with lofty ambitions. I thought I was the head of a county, a marquis of a hundred miles, free to unleash my might and help the world. I never imagined that local tycoons would be everywhere, controlling all six branches of the government. One wrong move from me would ruin my reputation!"
This was his deepest feeling when he first entered the officialdom.
Song Chi asked, "Master Feng, there are rumors out there that I, the legal advisor, am in charge of the county government, and all government orders come from my mouth. Now that things have come to this, aren't you worried that I'm using you to help them?"
"Don't worry." Short and powerful, just like Feng Yuan's style.
This unconditional trust made Song Chi feel a little "touched."
At this moment, Su Dahai walked over quickly and said, "It's almost out of control. The people are furious and are about to storm the county government office. If this continues, there will be a civil uprising!"
He looked anxious, his thick brows furrowed, and his face was full of worry.
It is really hard to imagine that such a thing would happen. If a civil uprising really happens, there will be no end to it. Not only will they be dismissed from office, they may even lose their heads!
"Sir, Master Song..."
Ma Cheng, the head of the Ministry of Personnel, hurried over. "Just now, the head of the Criminal Department, the head of the Rites Department... and more than ten officials came to see me... and left."
Song Chi smiled faintly.
A gentleman does not stand under a dangerous wall. When he sees that the situation is getting out of control, he starts to run away.
Feng Yuan was about to speak when Yuan Wen, the head secretary of the household department, came trotting over. "Sir, this is bad! Those grain merchants outside have threatened to destroy the county government if it doesn't accept their grain in two days!"
"Ha ha."
Song Chi smiled and said, "Everyone who should come has come!"
"Mr. Song, how can you still laugh?" Ma Cheng asked in disbelief, "Can't you hear the shouting outside? We're all doomed!"
"Mr. Song, you have caused us so much trouble!" The head secretary of the household department also echoed.
"Shut up!"
Feng Yuan directly scolded: "If you feel it is difficult, you can just follow those people and leave now."
The two men stopped talking immediately. They were now stuck in the quagmire and couldn't leave even if they wanted to.
Feng Yuan turned to Song Chi and asked, "Tell me, what should we do?"
"Things have come to this point, it's time to close the net."
Song Chi took a deep breath. "County Magistrate Feng, remember the Qinghe Grain Shop I told you about? They have nearly 3,000 dan of grain stored there. I've already made all the necessary arrangements. They'll be selling at a reduced price after this afternoon. I want you to send runners there to maintain order."
"Three thousand dan of stored grain?" Yuan Wen said hurriedly, "I'm afraid this amount of grain is not enough to stabilize the grain price."
"Ji County is like a powder keg right now. It only takes a spark to completely ignite it. Three thousand dan of grain isn't much, but it's enough to act as a fuse."
Several people looked at each other, obviously not understanding.
Song Chi asked again: "Do you think the current grain prices are normal?"
"It's definitely not normal. It's reached a sky-high price of 400 wen per dou. There has never been such a high price since the founding of the Great Zhou Dynasty." They said in unison.
"That's right."
Song Chi explained, "Right now, grain prices are extremely inflated, far exceeding their true value. However, Ji County is a wealthy place, and most people don't lack food at all. Since the grain price increase, have anyone starved to death?"
"No." Yuan Wen, the head secretary of the household department, shook his head.
"The rise in grain prices is due to hoarding, and a large number of grain merchants have continuously poured into Ji County, pushing up grain prices and thus forming a bubble..."
Song Chi added: "The so-called bubble is like something that expands rapidly. When the price of grain is far higher than its actual value, the bubble is on the verge of collapse, and then it will rebound..."
The others were ambivalent, but Yuan Wen understood a little better. "Are you saying that food prices will plummet?"
"That's right."
Yuan Wen asked again, "But the grain is in the hands of grain merchants. They are hoarding it and making a profit. What else can we do if they don't lower the price?"
"It's not up to them..."
Song Chi looked up at the sky and said, "It's going to rain."
"rain?"
Some people were even more confused. They didn't understand what the relationship was between the rise and fall of food prices and the rain, and they didn't understand why it rained when it looked like a sunny day?
Song Chi did not explain further.
He then asked, "Where is County Magistrate Dong?"
"I don't know. He hasn't shown up since the food prices started going up." Ma Cheng asked, "What do you want to see County Magistrate Dong for?"
Song Chi smiled faintly and said, "I want County Magistrate Dong to take me to the banquet..."
Several people looked dazed.
"Old Mo."
Song Chi shouted, and Lao Mo came over from a few steps away.
"Follow me to the banquet..."
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