This is the responsibility of the Ministry of Revenue!
And now, when the court is spending large amounts of money and grain, the Ministry of Revenue stays silent, allowing the court to keep causing trouble until a problem arises, then they just spread their hands: "See, I already warned you this would cause chaos, but you wouldn’t believe me. Now you understand the consequences, right?"
This trick isn’t complicated, but it’s effective and deadly against Zhao Hong, a new sovereign who is still unfamiliar with governmental affairs...
And it’s also difficult to catch them red-handed, after all, they are executing the emperor’s orders.
Fang Ke listened, half-understanding, and after racking his brains for a moment, he asked, utterly puzzled, "But what’s the point of them doing this? As soon as the grain supply is restored, the shortage will be relieved... Are they setting up such a big game just to spite His Majesty?"
"Well said!"
Yang Ge furrowed his brow: "If they’re playing such a big game, it’s definitely not just to spite the emperor... There must be something that follows!"
Just as he finished speaking, Liu Mang pushed open the courtyard door and walked in.
Seeing Yang Ge and Fang Ke in the courtyard, he came over with hardly concealed joy: "Good news, we have grain!"
"From where?"
Yang Ge looked at Liu Mang: "Has the grain route opened?"
"It should have opened..."
Liu Mang walked halfway, turned on his heel, entered the main hall, grabbed a chair and brought it outside: "The large grain firm we often deal with in the capital just sent someone to give us a heads up, said they have grain now and can supply us a batch, it’ll arrive in no later than five days... But the price, it’s only ten percent lower than the market rate in the capital."
He said somewhat discontentedly to Yang Ge: "This deal, I’m afraid our house will lose money!"
"The capital?"
Yang Ge furrowed his brow: "When did this person arrive? Did they come by horse or by carriage?"
Liu Mang was taken aback: "Just now..."
He thought carefully: "It must’ve been by horse, there was the smell of horse sweat on them."
Yang Ge turned to Fang Ke: "When did you arrive?"
Fang Ke obviously understood what he was getting at, and said with resignation: "Before noon... I was careless!"
Yang Ge shook his head: "I don’t blame you, at first we didn’t know this was the situation, and besides, I reckon these people have been planning against me for more than a day or two."
Liu Mang glared: "What do you mean? Who is that good-for-nothing planning against you?"
Yang Ge smiled: "You don’t need to worry about that... Have they left yet?"
Liu Mang: "Not yet, I just sent them to rest at the inn..."
Yang Ge: "Later, tell them the grain price is to be based on the regular season’s buying price, and whatever amount we want, they have to supply, otherwise there’s no deal!"
Liu Mang: "Ah?"
Yang Ge smiled and said: "These people are doing a dirty business behind the scenes, afraid that I’ll spill the beans, so they bring grain to shut me up..."
"Damn it!"
Liu Mang slapped his thigh and stood up: "Then there’s no use talking, let’s just go and break their damn legs!"
"No need."
Yang Ge quickly held him back: "We’re buying grain with real silver, not taking any advantage of them, and when it’s time for me to settle the score with them, I’ll do so in kind!"
Liu Mang stared at him for two seconds then nodded: "Alright, just give me a shout if anything comes up. Business is trivial; we don’t need to take this kind of crap."
Yang Ge nodded: "I’ve got it under control. By the way, Liu, you’re in this trade, where does the grain that circulates in the market mainly come from?"
Without any hesitation, Liu Mang replied: "Jiangzhe, the two lakes!"
Yang Ge held the teacup in his hands, bowing his head in deep thought.
Seeing this, Fang Ke took the initiative to say, "My lord, let me take a trip to Jiangzhe."
Yang Ge looked up at him, "This is the first year after your wedding, and you’re absent for the New Year... Can your family handle that?"
Fang Ke laughed, "Look at what you’re saying, it’s part of my duty, who do I need to explain it to? Besides, she went back to her parent’s home for the new year..."
Yang Ge smiled as well, "You have to take care of official business, but family matters are important too. Here’s what you’ll do: First, stop by your father-in-law’s place and say hello to your younger brother and sister-in-law, then head over to the Northern Pacification Commission to make necessary personnel arrangements. Come back later, and I’ll send you to Lianhuan Fort to borrow some men, best to take care of business upfront!"
"This..."
Fang Ke hesitated, "Lianhuan Fort just had a clash with Li Kun from the left division of the Brocade Guards before New Year’s. Wouldn’t it be inappropriate to trouble them again now?"
"We’re not working for the Brocade Guards or the court..."
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Yang Ge laughed, "Besides, Jin Cheng isn’t as petty as you think. He knows what’s important and what’s personal grudge."
He was aware of last year’s brawl between Lianhuan Fort and the left division of the Brocade Guards.
Li Kun from the left division, who also came from a distinguished background, didn’t know if it was because he saw other government offices troubling Lianhuan Fort without resistance, or he thought that if Yang Ge could suppress Lianhuan Fort with his then-rank as a thousand households, he could do it too.
Anyway, he kicked an iron plate, leading to a furious Li Jincheng exterminating his accompanying guards, breaking their limbs, and tossing them back to the capital right outside the Northern Pacification Commission.
This caused quite a stir at the time, with the Brocade Guards and Lianhuan Fort almost coming to blows, nearly igniting a full-blown conflict.
In the end, it was Fang Ke who, dressed in the embroidered attire of an imperial prisoner, publicly walked shoulder to shoulder with Wu Eryong into Yuelai Inn for a drink, resolving the crisis.
Fang Ke looked at Yang Ge and thought, ’If you show up, Li Jincheng surely won’t hold a grudge. But what if someone else tries? He’d probably break their limbs and toss them back at the Northern Pacification Commission!’
Yang Ge, oblivious to his glance, continued earnestly, "When you get to Jiangzhe, just investigate the grain storage and transport routes there to see if anyone’s undermining efforts. Don’t worry about anything else."
"If you meet with resistance, don’t force it. Send the news and your location to Lianhuan Fort immediately. I’ll visit every three days... If it’s urgent and you can’t wait for me, you can seek assistance from the tripartite envoys of Jiangzhe, the Western Depot, Ming Sect, White Lotus Sect, Five Poisons Cult—I’ll find an opportunity later to repay their favors."
Fang Ke laughed heartily, "Look at what you’re saying. Am I so feeble? When you led us to Jiangzhe, weren’t you just a thousand households too?"
Yang Ge’s expression turned serious, "I’m being serious with you... Anyway, stop by my place later and take the Cold Moon Saber with you. If someone tries to use force, just show them the Cold Moon Saber."
Fang Ke made a playful expression, laughing, "I get it, ’The Imperial Authority’s Sword,’ right?"
Yang Ge got up, scolding with a laugh, "Hurry up and visit your father-in-law to ask for leave from your brother-in-law, and speak nicely, don’t put on your thousand households’ airs. If she comes to me to complain, see if I don’t deal with you then!"
Getting up, Fang Ke muttered under his breath, "Why are you always bending your elbow outwards..."
Yang Ge rolled up his sleeve, and Fang Ke quickly turned to leave, "Liu, Mrs. Liu, I’ll take my leave first!"
Liu Mang saw him out, returned, and fixed his gaze on Yang Ge’s dark circles. "I didn’t want to interrupt just now, but if you ask me, you should help if you can, and if you can’t, don’t force it. The world isn’t owned by your family..."
Yang Ge turned and headed towards the shopkeeper’s room, "But I can help."
Liu Mang followed him into the room, complaining softly, "You’re overexerting yourself and ending up indebted, who helps others like this?"
Yang Ge retorted, "Brother, haven’t you also been running around these days gathering grain?"
Liu Mang replied, "This is our family business. We can’t just make money when it’s there and let so many of our fellow villagers go hungry when it’s not, can we?"
Yang Ge agreed, "Exactly, it’s just how our family is!"
Liu Mang had no response.
Yang Ge approached the bed and checked the shopkeeper’s pulse. He then habitually sent a thread of True Qi into the old man to examine his vitality.
Watching him busy himself until he sat by the bed, Liu Mang sighed softly, "The old man is lucky to have met you in this life..."
In a low voice, Yang Ge replied, "I’m the lucky one to have met the shopkeeper here."