Chapter 354 Ji You will definitely lose!
"Why is the price of Taiping Building constantly rising?!"
"Vegetables are more expensive than gold, how can we survive?!"
The Wulv Company was boycotted by the aristocratic families, but the restaurant business was extremely popular, with a constant stream of cultivators coming and going.
But not long after, the restaurant, which originally had affordable prices, began to raise its prices rapidly.
Such examples are everywhere in the six states of Qingyun.
As the price of that cheap restaurant rose to the same level as other restaurants, suddenly one restaurant announced a price cut.
Shiweixian, which closed down earlier, is one of them.
However, although the price was reduced, it was not as exaggerated as that of Taipinglou. Based on the conversion of raw materials, the prices of those dishes were almost the same as those of Wuliu Restaurant, but they were indeed lower than those of other restaurants in the same industry.
As a result, the number of customers who prioritize food began to surge.
After the price of Shiweixian went back up, more than ten days passed when the price of vegetables was higher than gold. Then Hongdingxuan began to lower its prices, which instantly set off an even bigger craze.
As the sun sets in Shengjing City, the night is dim and the lights are bright.
In the private room on the second floor of Hongdingxuan, some young men from Beijing couldn't help cursing at the price of vegetables.
Fang Jincheng couldn't help but sneer after hearing this: "He'll eat even if the price goes up, but he won't buy Ji You's grain. Let it rot in the warehouse. Let's see how he'll explain it to his people!"
"Brother Fang is right, eat!"
The several invited disciples from Tianshu Academy immediately began to feast on the food, turning their grief and anger into appetite.
Seeing this scene, Yu Shiliu at the table couldn't help but look up slightly: "Brother Fang, have you ever thought about where the things in the restaurant come from?"
"What?"
"There's a food shortage all over the world right now. Do you think the food in this restaurant just appeared out of thin air?"
Fang Jincheng frowned after hearing this. After thinking for a while, he threw away the chopsticks in his hand: "You mean to say that the food I eat is still from Fengzhou?"
Yu Shiliu looked at him coldly: "You are not too stupid."
“More than just ingredients.”
"?"
Yu Shiliu was slightly startled after hearing this, and turned to look at Princess Changle Zhao Yunyue at the other table: "Not only?"
Zhao Yunyue gently lifted her wine glass. "Taipinglou's reckless price cuts a few days ago nearly caused several restaurants in Shengjing City to close down. Ji You bought up the bargains with grain, and now, of the restaurants still operating, whether it's Hongdingxuan or Shiweixian, they're all his."
"How did Princess Changle learn about this?"
"My father has shares in these restaurants in the capital. He is naturally aware of the change of ownership, but you are not sensitive to it."
In the eyes of immortal cultivators, it is a gratifying thing that Wuliu Company is boycotted and neglected by the aristocratic families.
But few people know that the hottest restaurant industry in the entire Qingyun had actually changed hands quietly and quickly made him a lot of money.
Yu Shiliu pondered for a moment before speaking, "He went to all this trouble, just for a few restaurants?"
"All restaurants in Qingyuntianxia that are qualified to host immortal banquets are run by descendants of the aristocratic families. They collect taxes from the people in the hands of the aristocratic families, and after making a profit, they return it to their own families and the immortal families that have invested in them. Resources have always been circulated among the immortal cultivators, but now that these industries have been taken over by Ji You, things are different."
"The goods of the people of Fengzhou will continue to flow into the channels of the Immortal Banquet, and then be sold to the immortal cultivators at a marked-up price by the restaurant, and the profits will flow back to Fengzhou."
Zhao Yunyue looked into the brightly lit building and said, "The aristocratic families of Qingyun have always been over-taxed. They can never use up all the money they have. It used to be circulated, but in the future it will probably rot in their hands. As long as Fengzhou's grain production remains high and prices don't fall, the money will continue to be sucked back to the lower levels."
"They are just a few restaurants. How much can they earn?" Fang Jincheng was silent for a long time and then grinned.
"It's the entire Qingyun restaurant."
"?"
"And all the freight stations. Wuyou Trading Company has been increasing its investment. As more industries are integrated in this transformation, resources will automatically flow to them. They can raise freight prices, causing other industries' costs to rise rapidly, and even take a cut from the taxes and transportation fees."
Zhao Yunyue's eyelashes trembled slightly. "When he has the final say on many things, he can increase the value of anything he wants, increase the price of anything he wants, and the entire economy will be subject to his plan."
In fact, this kind of business model has not been thought of by anyone. Her father is an expert in this field, otherwise he would not have exchanged road rights for shares in the Lingshi Chamber of Commerce.
But according to his father, this matter will not go to the end.
Because even if the business has its own logic, this logic ultimately serves the cultivators and will never shake their interests.
If they were to do it, this matter would probably have died in the cradle at the price increase stage.
But there is an exception, that is, the person who did this is powerful enough, so powerful that even a thousand-year-old family has to consider his attitude. They can resist but cannot suppress him.
When she thought of this, her thoughts couldn't help but go back to five years ago.
When Ji You was first admitted to the hospital, he was so small that people couldn't remember whether he was born in Yuyang or Yuyang.
But today, he is already trying to control the world.
To be honest, if you ask these people who have been sitting in the mountains practicing Taoism to think about the operation of resources in the whole world, they probably won’t be able to come up with anything even if they are given a whole year.
After all, these are all mundane things, and what is required in cultivating immortals is to make their minds clear about the Tao.
Zhao Yunyue's explanation was straightforward and comprehensive.
Hearing these speculations, everyone at the table opened their mouths slightly, as if they could see Ji You sitting quietly in a room in Fengzhou, spying on the operation of the entire world.
After the dinner, Zhao Yunyue took a carriage back to Prince Chong’s Mansion and saw people coming in and out of the mansion.
Her father was pacing back and forth in the middle of the yard, holding an account book in his hand.
"Father."
"Are you back?"
Zhao Yunyue nodded and looked at the people coming in and out: "What strange faces are you looking for?"
Upon hearing this, Prince Chong closed the account book and said, "The He, Huang, Qiu, and other prominent families from Zhongzhou have come to borrow grain."
"The elders from the Daodao Sect came yesterday and borrowed a batch, and someone else came to borrow it today. There aren't many left of the ones you stockpiled in advance."
"It's just a drop in the bucket. The real conflict lies with Ji You."
Zhao Yunyue pondered for a long time after hearing this: "What are those noble families waiting for?"
"Waiting for relief food."
Prince Chong spoke softly, "Winter is coming soon. Whether he's acquiring businesses or draining the noble families of their wealth with exorbitant grain prices, he can't avoid the issue of food relief. Just imagine how the people can afford such high grain prices, and how can he ignore it? This is his greatest weakness."
Back then, for the sake of thousands of spirit stones, Ji You risked his life and death, and escorted the human delegation to the Snow Region with his Tongxuan realm cultivation, which attracted countless ridicules.
Some people say that even if he defeated Chu He, he was still a poor and selfish cultivator at heart, and it was too cheap for him to sell his life for a few spirit stones.
But Zuo Qiuyang said at the time that a weakness that is too obvious is often not a real weakness, but a way to cover up the most fatal thing to him.
It turned out that what he said was right.
During the snowstorm last year, Ji You stood against all the immortal cultivators in the world and stopped the transportation of spiritual stones and started transporting disaster relief grain instead.
So everyone knows that his biggest weakness is not money, but those ordinary people at the bottom of society.
There are even some people who go to the disaster area specifically to monitor the situation a little after the season and know more accurately, confirming that they cannot bear to see those poor children die prematurely.
So there will definitely be relief food, and it will be large-scale relief food for the entire Qingyun.
Immortal cultivators can go on a fast and wait, but as winter approaches, mortals without food will surely die in the snow.
So even if Ji You is strong enough and has many means, he will still have to make concessions out of helplessness.
"Your Majesty!"
"?"
Prince Chong turned his head to look towards the palace gate, and saw the inner palace steward hurried over: "What's wrong?"
The butler took a few breaths and said, "Dozens of elders from prominent families are now gathered in the Winter Garden, inviting His Majesty to meet them."
"Go tell them that the palace has no more food..."
"It doesn't seem to be about borrowing food."
King Chong was slightly startled: "What is that?"
The butler shook his head. "I don't know, but the immortal masters told you, Your Highness, to call Minister Dou along, and to bring the tax collection list."
"?"
Prince Chong showed a thoughtful expression, then put on a winter fur coat and walked out of the mansion.
Seeing this scene, Zhao Yunyue felt a little strange. She didn't know why these people from aristocratic families came here, nor did she know why they wanted the list.
You must know that this year, except for Fengzhou, all the grain in the world has been cut off. The people of Daxia are now struggling to feed themselves, and they have no choice but to not even collect taxes. What use is the list of names?
Princess Changle was puzzled, so she turned back to her room, took a bath with the help of her maid, and then began to practice with her eyes closed.
The next morning, the weather was gloomy and there was a cold wind.
Zhao Yunyue got up early and practiced swordsmanship in the pavilion when he saw his father returning in a carriage, which made him look surprised.
"Father, did not return home last night?"
"No, I came back at midnight, and I went out again this morning."
Prince Chong replied hurriedly and then stepped into the study.
Not long after, he left the palace again and left in a carriage as hurriedly as when he returned.
Zhao Yunyue did not ask too many questions, but closed his eyes and continued to practice. He finished his practice at noon and then left home to meet his friends.
The restaurants in Shengjing were still raising their prices, attracting cordial greetings from the ancestors of countless shopkeepers.
The issue of food shortage remains a hot topic of discussion.
The subsequent development was just as Zhao Yunyue had expected. As food prices continued to rise, many buyers and sellers began to actively go to Wuliu Trading Company to seek help.
The situation intensified until the day of Frost's Descent, when it finally began to change.
At noon that day, as the white fog gradually disappeared, a noisy sound suddenly came from the long street.
The cultivators in the restaurants and teahouses couldn't help but look over curiously, and saw a large number of civilians in simple clothes pouring into the city.
They continued to move forward along Yong'an Street, heading towards Xicheng.
Almost in an instant, Shengjing City was in chaos.
The practitioners along the street couldn't help but look a little surprised when they saw this scene.
"What's going on? Why are there so many mortals entering the city?"
"I don't know."
"Look at the direction they're going..."
"?"
Under the watchful eyes of the crowd, all the people rushed to the door of Wuyou Trading Company and fell to their knees with a thud.
Some skinny women even held their children in their arms, moving towards the front of the city on their knees, banging on the door of the Wuyou Shop, which had not yet opened, with sad faces.
From the direction of the city gate, countless refugees who had no food to eat continued to pour in, blocking Changsheng and Yong'an Streets. The noisy clamor instantly filled the entire city.
Zhao Yunyue was surprised when he saw this scene. He quickly turned to look at King Chong who was standing beside him and asked, "Is this what my father was invited to discuss by the Immortal Sect family that day?"
"good."
"Are they here to ask for food?"
"They are here to ask for food on behalf of the Immortal Sect family."
Prince Chong looked at the people kneeling on the long street and said softly, "Ji You is very ambitious, and those noble families will naturally not tolerate it. They are doing this to tell Ji You that no matter how high the price is, they can get the food without paying a penny."
After hearing this, Zhao Yunyue's eyes froze slightly.
Ji You has been jumping around too much these years, and many people have suffered at his hands.
She knew that for those immortal families, the price of food was secondary. What they wanted more was to make Ji You bow his head in front of everyone, and to see him helpless.
Compared with these methods, Ji You's manipulation of grain prices to buy up restaurants at the bottom was like a child playing house.
At the same time, officials from the Sixianjian stationed in various states were rushing into the city, delivering messages to Shengjing.
Except for the two states of Youyun and Fengzhou occupied by the barbaric monsters, civilians continued to pour into countless large cities in the other six states, and the scale was getting bigger and bigger.
Civilians blocked the streets everywhere, causing the entire city to be in chaos.
So within just half a day, countless people focused their attention on the Wuyou Trading Company in their respective cities.
There were convoys of Wuliu Trading Company speeding back and forth everywhere in Jiuzhou, and such scenes would naturally be quickly reported to Ji Village.
"Back then, Ji You risked the wrath of the world by halting the flow of spirit stones to the three states for disaster relief. Now, everyone in Qingyun knows what is truly fatal to him."
"His grain price was recognized and accepted by Lingjian Mountain and Tianshu Academy. Those noble families didn't know why, so they didn't dare to act rashly against Wuyou Trading Company. However, they were never polite to mortals."
"Winter is just a few days away, and this matter can't be delayed any longer."
In Jizhai, Cao Jinsong couldn't help but mutter, making the atmosphere in the courtyard very solemn.
In fact, not only those noble families did not understand why Lingjian Mountain and Tianshu Academy agreed to Ji You's grain price, even the Lu sisters were confused.
Because she felt that it was reasonable for Tianshuyuan to admit it, but Lingjianshan was very puzzling.
However, they also knew that this was not the point. The point was that Ji You's weakness was so obvious that he would definitely lose even if it came to the end.
"In fact, if Junior Brother had set the price lower at the beginning, perhaps the conflict with the aristocratic families would not be so severe." Wen Zhengxin couldn't help but speak.
"He has hated aristocratic families for a long time. If he hadn't been so busy, he would have gone to rob them himself."
Amidst the discussions, Kuang Cheng came slowly from behind.
Wei Rui, who was sitting at the tea table listening to everyone's discussion, couldn't help but brighten up: "Kuang Cheng, how is Master Ji?"
"Inside the house, watching the arraignment."
"Where are you going?"
Kuang Cheng paused slightly after hearing this: "He said he wanted to send the relief food that he had prepared in advance."
Cao Jinsong sighed after hearing this: "Just give it away. After all, we've robbed so many restaurants and post stations, it's not a loss."
"Then everyone take a seat first. I'll go and give the orders."
"Go ahead."
Kuang Cheng nodded, then walked out of the house.
Soon, countless grain carts carrying the message of releasing grain rushed towards the outside of Fengzhou.
After receiving the summons, Wuliu Grain Company began distributing grain by signing an agreement in the early morning of the next day. As in the past, they agreed to go to Fengzhou to work in exchange for the rations paid in advance by Wuliu Company.
They had used this relief method before, and it had also been officially certified by Xia Luxian Rules.
However, according to the requirements, although these people can cross the border to Fengzhou to work, they need to leave their families in their hometown as guarantees, and they still need to pay the full amount of tribute after the autumn harvest next year.
Although the conditions were harsh and the future was uncertain, it was as precious as a lifeline to those who could not pay taxes at that time.
But this time, many people who came to sign the contract and receive relief food had numb faces, and there was no light in their eyes.
There is a big city in Zhongzhou, which is the county seat of Zhongxing County.
After the human disaster ended, Zhongxing County City has been under repair and has now been mostly restored.
There is also a Wuyou trading company here, and one of their employees is called Tie Niu.
He was the beneficiary of the labor contract in exchange for grain. He had been engaged in animal husbandry in Fengzhou over the years. Later, after continuous efforts, he was finally transferred back to Zhongzhou.
His home is in Zhongzhou, so naturally he wants to be closer to his wife and children.
As the order to distribute relief food was issued, he was busy working, but what puzzled him was that those who received the food were not as moved as he was at the beginning.
"Xiaowu."
"Brother Niu, what's wrong?"
"Please help me for a while. I need to go to the toilet."
"Oh, okay."
Tie Niu handed his grain shovel to his servant Xiao Wu, and then walked to the backyard.
However, he did not go to the toilet, but went out from the back door and came to the street. Then he observed the direction of the migrant workers and followed them quietly.
Putting himself in their shoes, Tie Niu felt that there was something wrong with these refugees.
After walking through the streets and alleys for a long time, he arrived at the grain field where taxes were counted every autumn.
This valley is extremely vast, even as big as half a city.
At this time, the inside of the valley was full of carriages, and next to each carriage stood a proud-looking person.
They wore brocade clothes embroidered with their family crests and looked at the people who kept coming as if they were ants.
The people staggered, threw the rations they had just received onto the cart, and then left numbly, like dry grass that would break when blown by the wind.
"Maybe we can be considered as helping Ji You."
"Help? What does Patriarch Fang mean by that?"
On the high platform on the east side of the granary, Fang Xiang, the head of the Fang family, stroked his long beard. "He must have long thought of gathering a group of people to Fengzhou through this labor contract method, but searching door to door is too time-consuming. Now that we have brought them all here, isn't that a great favor to him?"
He Ye, the head of the He family, shook his head when he heard this. "It's a pity these people have no food. It's hard to say whether they can reach Fengzhou alive. Even if they do, how can they feel like working if their families are starving to death?"
"Master He's stance seems a bit strange."
"strangeness?"
Fang Xiang stared at He Ye for a moment and said, "I heard that Patriarch He was planning to marry Ji You into his family, but now he's standing with us. Isn't he afraid of angering him?"
Hearing this, He Ye's expression instantly became gloomy.
Ji You is alone and has no powerful force to rely on. Even if his combat power is high, it can only be one generation stronger.
He originally thought that Ji You could figure it out, but he never expected that he didn't even get a single response.
It was not until today when he saw that he wanted to exploit all the noble families that he realized that this person had always been naive and ignorant of the immensity of heaven and earth.
The head of the Qiu family was also present at this time. Looking at the gradually overflowing grain carts, he couldn't help but say, "Although Ji You is crazy, he has always been smart. He will see through this matter. Maybe the relief will stop soon."
"No, he won't." He Ye shook his head slightly, "Not only that, he will also speed up the release of grain."
"Why is this?" Patriarch Qiu was somewhat puzzled.
"Because he knows in his heart that if he wants to distribute relief food to the people before winter comes, he must first feed all the noble families in Qingyun. To be honest, the last time I saw the noble families of Jiuzhou so united in their hatred of a common enemy was last time."
"It seems he was doomed to lose from the very beginning."
He Ye raised the corner of his mouth. "He's a bit clever, but unfortunately he's a one-step-at-a-time person. I guess when he was aggressively raising the price, he never thought he'd end up in such a dilemma. But it's not his fault. No matter how talented he is, he comes from the countryside. How can he have the ability to see the overall situation?"
Fang Xiang smiled upon hearing this, then turned to look at the disciples behind him: "Go, follow the Ministry of Revenue's yellow book, and drive the next group of people in to collect food. I want to see how many people Fengzhou can accommodate, and whether he can use Fengzhou to support the entire Qingyun next year!"
"yes!"
(asking for monthly ticket)
(End of this chapter)
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