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With Yang Ge’s connection, coupled with Liu Mang’s strategy of slim profits but high turnover, within just one year, the Liu Grain Shop had already secured more than half of Lu Ting’s grain market share, making a large profit every day!
This time, affected by the snow disaster, the price of grain from all channels was climbing. To stabilize the grain prices in Lu Ting, Liu Mang was frequently traveling back and forth between the capital and Lu Ting, so busy he was beside himself; even when the old Shopkeeper was seriously ill and bedridden, he couldn’t afford to stay by the Shopkeeper’s bedside to fulfill his filial duties every day.
"A grain shortage?"
Hearing these two words, Yang Ge reflexively furrowed his brow, his gaze darkening: "Are people hoarding again?"
The word ’again’ caught Liu Mang’s attention, and he immediately snapped back to reality, hesitating before shaking his head: "I’m not sure. I haven’t heard anything. What I do know is that grain isn’t getting through in some places and in others, it’s being transported north... Perhaps our shipments are too small to be noticed by the big players."
Yang Ge: "Are you certain?"
Liu Mang: "Uncertain!"
Yang Ge: "What’s the situation in the capital?"
Liu Mang: "The big grain shops in the capital can still deliver normally, but the prices... they’re changing every day."
Yang Ge: "How long can your grain supply last?"
Liu Mang: "Based on the usual rate of sales, it might last for half a month, but you’ve seen what a real grain shortage is like. If I raise the prices, I’ll be seen as heartless and damage my reputation; if I don’t, everyone will swarm to grab what grain they can... I’ve been worried sick, I didn’t even dare open the shop today."
Yang Ge, with a knit brow, tapped the armrest of his seat lightly and quickly said: "We can’t close the shop, nor can we raise prices. Impose rationing. Use the Lu Ting household registrations for verification, limiting purchases to half a pound of grain per person per day. Also, set up two porridge stalls, cook up extra pots of porridge to distribute... Go to the county government and find Hu Qiang. Have them send someone to work with you. Anyone found exploiting the situation should be dealt with severely!"
Liu Mang was startled: "Is such a large mobilization necessary? Spring has begun; maybe the grain supplies will come through in a few days!"
Yang Ge gave him a look, his voice grave: "In times like these, we must prepare for the worst... What if the grain supplies don’t resume soon? What if you can’t obtain any grain? And what if there really is no grain?"
After considering it, Liu Mang stood up and said: "I understand. I’ll do as you have instructed."
Yang Ge: "Also, stop by the Upper Right Bureau and ask Fang Ke to come here."
Liu Mang: "Understood!"
...
"Where’s the grain?"
Emperor Zhaode, Zhao Hong, in a furious rage, grabbed a teacup and smashed it on the floor of the Jinluan Hall, shattering it: "I am asking you all, where is the grain of the Han Jia Granary?"
It wasn’t a grand imperial court assembly, so there were only a dozen or so members of the Inner Cabinet and red-robed senior officials from the Six Ministries present in the Jinluan Hall. The tea splashed and mixed with the shards of porcelain at their feet, their faces full of shock and alarm, yet beneath their lowered eyelids were pairs of unfathomable eyes, calm as ancient wells.
Zhao Hong scanned the crowd and, seeing no one stepping forward to answer, impatiently slapped the imperial desk and shouted angrily: "Have you all gone mute? Speak!"
After a moment, a dignified-looking official with a three-inch-goatee and a robe featuring the image of a second-rank embroidered golden pheasant stepped forward and respectfully said: "If I may report to Your Majesty, the Han Jia Granary has less than eight hundred thousand bushels left. It’s critical to the stability of the capital, and we must not use it rashly!"
The Han Jia Granary located in Luoyang City was the largest granary of Wei, with a maximum storage capacity of more than five million bushels. At its peak, the granary held half of the empire’s grain reserves!
Zhao Hong looked down at the official, enunciating each word: "What I asked was, where has the grain from the Han Jia Granary gone?"
The official in the hall replied in a forceful tone with ups and downs: "Your Majesty, ever since Chief Counselor Wang Gelao implemented the Single Whip Law, each year we have seen an increase in silver collected and a decrease in actual goods. Expenses outpaced revenue for the Han Jia Granary, which on top of the steep rise in military provisions used at the borders over the past decade and the insufficient disaster relief in previous years... Plus, the previous Emperor established new armies in the capital, which meant feeding an extra one hundred thousand soldiers and their horses. This drained the Han Jia Granary... Your humble servant has repeatedly submitted memorials severely criticizing the ’Single Whip Law’, and warning of the hidden dangers of the increased use of grain at the borders, predicting today’s crisis!"
His voice was hoarse with emotion, expressing his grave concerns, yet every word seemed to shift the blame: ’It has nothing to do with me, it was your father who insisted on going down that path, I warned you, it’s all Wang Jiangling’s fault!’
"Worthy indeed of the Minister of Revenue!"
Zhao Hong laughed angrily: "You really know how to calculate... Yet when my father and I entrusted the Wei’s economy to you, all you’ve done is spend without considering income? Then what use are you to us!"
By the end, his voice had risen, and his angry roar echoed like a lion’s bellow again and again in the empty grand hall.
The official below promptly knelt down and kowtowed: "This old servant admits his guilt and asks for Your Majesty’s punishment!"
The rest of the senior officials also bowed their heads, trembling as if stricken with terror.
Zhao Hong slammed his hand on the desk: "A punishment? Would beheading you produce grain for me?"
"Your servant admits his guilt..."
"I give you three days to come up with a plan to relieve the grain shortage. Otherwise, pray that your neck is tougher than the executioner’s blade!"
"Your Majesty..."
"Get out, all of you useless officials, get out of my sight!"
"We take our leave, long live, long live the Emperor!"
The group of officials bowed and filed out of the hall in succession.
Zhao Hong watched them leave, the fury on his face dissipating with their departure.
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He tapped the imperial desk lightly, his face etched with a dark expression, and muttered hatefully: "What a way to go with the flow!"
He was as clear as a mirror in his mind: these predators had been playing innocent for half a year, and now they couldn’t help but make their move!
And once they struck, it was with a killing move!
Soon, a eunuch bowed as he entered: "Your Majesty, the commander of the Embroidered Uniform Guard, the Lord of Kaifeng, Shen Fa Shen, is outside asking for an audience."
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