Chapter 66: The Capital's Wrath, Officials' Dispute, Jiangning Prefecture Pacifies the Rebellion, the Emperor's Great Pleasure

Inside the State Duke's mansion.

Gu Qianzhou wore a gloomy expression; although the Gu family was large and prosperous, they could not tolerate Gu Jin Nian's constant uproar.

Killing Confucian scholars and imprisoning literati—this is absolutely no small matter.

Moreover, he offended three thousand scholars all at once.

How many forces lie behind those three thousand scholars? The Gu family has no need to offend so many people.

Grandfather Gu, I know you dote on Jin Nian, but you shouldn't indulge him so much. This matter has someone stirring trouble behind the scenes, yet Jin Nian has gone too far. The best course is to settle it quietly, causing no loss to either side.

If you keep intervening like this, Jin Nian will only become more lawless in the future, and the Gu family will gain endless enemies. While I'm around, I can look after Jin Nian a bit, but he will eventually become the head of the Gu family—offending so many people is unacceptable.

"Why is that?"

Gu Qianzhou was anxiously concerned; although those people were at fault for first causing trouble for Jin Nian, he also hated them.

One cannot act like this; it's too extreme. Offending three thousand scholars at once—if you really wanted to mortally offend them, it would still be fine while Grandfather Gu is alive, and fine while he's around.

But what if they're not around? Sending people to prison on charges of rebellion—if His Majesty investigates, it won't be a case of 'the law does not blame the many'; there will surely be a stain on one's record, ruining their future prospects.

That is a deadly feud.

Without seeking redress in the future, who could swallow this anger?

So he thought: for now, let's settle it quietly, step forward to smooth things over—this isn't about groveling, just release the people, then make a trip to the Six Ministries to clarify the matter, and that should be enough.

Once the matter is settled, aside from the thirty who deserved death, everyone else suffers no loss—you're fine, I'm fine, we're all fine.

That is Gu Qianzhou's idea.

Just listening to Gu Qianzhou ramble on, Grandfather Gu's eyes filled with displeasure.

"Stupid."

I thought you would understand things, but I didn't expect that upon entering officialdom you'd learn nothing else, only how to navigate human relations.

"Are you still my son?"

Grandfather Gu cursed, rebuking Gu Qianzhou.

Hearing those words, Gu Qianzhou lowered his head and stayed silent, but his expression remained unchanged; he still clung to his idea.

"Foolish."

"Don't you see that Jin Nian is doing this on purpose?"

"You haven't figured out what Jin Nian really wants to do?"

"Do you really think Jin Nian is just venting his anger?"

At this point, Grandfather Gu was genuinely angry—not for any other reason, but because his eldest son, in whom he had placed great hopes, was so foolish, even less capable than his own grandson.

No, it's not that he's merely inferior; he is completely inferior.

"What does Jin Nian mean?"

Now Gu Qianzhou truly felt confused, not understanding what meaning lay within this.

Gu Qianzhou looked doubtful, gazing at Grandfather Gu; he didn't think there was any scheme here, but rather felt that Grandfather Gu was doing this to favor Gu Jin Nian.

"Sigh."

"All of a sudden, three thousand scholars gathered in the capital to cause trouble for Jin Nian—this matter could be big or small."

"Although Jin Nian is somewhat impulsive, could someone capable of writing timeless works really be oblivious to the times?"

"Do you really think Jin Nian doesn't know the consequences of offending these three thousand people?"

"He knows, and even better than you, but why does he still do this?"

"You really can't think of it?"

Grandfather Gu lowered his voice, his eyes icy.

In that instant, Gu Qianzhou froze.

Afterward, a possibility arose in his mind; he then looked toward his father and couldn't help but swallow.

"Dad, do you mean that Jin Nian's offending so many forces was intentional?"

"Does he intend to walk the path of a lone loyal official?"

Gu Qianzhou suddenly understood, but still couldn't be certain, so he looked toward his father.

Grandfather Gu gazed outward, his eyes calm, and nodded.

"Jin Nian has already chosen his own path."

"In your view, he is rash and impulsive, a moment's anger, acting recklessly."

"But that reaction is exactly what he wants— the entire capital, even the officials of the Six Ministries, consider him reckless."

"Because no one wants to offend so many scholars, yet Jin Nian did."

"His approach is meant to place him opposite those aristocratic clans and civil officials; only then will His Majesty feel assured, and only then will the future emperor feel assured."

"Though he has not entered officialdom, he already grasps the core of bureaucratic intrigue."

"Look at you, then look at my grandson— they are worlds apart."

"You're still here shouting left and right."

Grandfather Gu almost instantly perceived all of Gu Jin Nian's thoughts.

Gu Jin Nian clearly intended to blow the matter up.

Why blow it up?

The reason is simple: standing opposite the powerful, offending them brings only being targeted and suppressed everywhere.

If one is a commoner with no backing, it's basically a dead end— unless they possess astonishing talent.

But if one is oneself powerful, it's different: offending many forces is fine as long as you don't offend the truly major powers.

What is the greatest power in a dynasty?

The emperor.

It is His Majesty.

Gu Jin Nian doing this, the civil and military officials might not like it, but so what? As long as the Emperor values him.

Even the Emperor is delighted to see this scene, for it means you cannot reconcile with your opponent; you can only rely on the Emperor's authority to stand firm in the court.

What the Emperor dislikes most is not a single official, but a group of officials.

But if you are an individual, the Emperor might consider bringing you into his inner circle; if you have a deep grudge against others, the chance of that increases.

Just like the current Marquis of Night Clothes, he is a living example.

The Gu Family is too big.

No matter what the Yongsheng Emperor thinks, the Gu Family must pay attention to one issue.

His achievements threaten the sovereign.

Even if the Yongsheng Emperor is a one-of-a-kind emperor with unparalleled breadth of mind, he also has absolute means.

But can we guard against the next emperor being narrow-minded? The Yongsheng Emperor can suppress the Gu Family, but can the next emperor suppress the Gu Family? The present Yongsheng Emperor does not think about this, but in his later years he will.

Grandfather Gu is also considering this issue.

But now, Gu Jin Nian has perfectly solved this problem; the solution is simple: to be opposed to all forces of Da Xia.

Standing opposed to everyone, all problems are easily solved, as long as the Gu Family harbors no true rebellious intent.

Then the Gu Family will not fall for three generations.

At this moment, Gu Qianzhou is truly silent; he never imagined his son's scheming could be this deep.

This is literally playing everyone in the palm of his hand.

"The way of a lone minister is extremely difficult even for nobles; why would Jin Nian do this?"

Finally, Gu Qianzhou let out a sigh.

He understood Gu Jin Nian's intentions, but as a father he still felt reluctant, not wanting his son to take this path.

This path is destined to contend with the entire court of civil and military officials and the whole of the Great Summer Nobility; every step is extremely arduous.

This is unnecessary.

"Qianzhou, you are mistaken."

"Jin Nian has a childlike heart; he differs from you, and from everyone in the Gu Family."

"But it is exactly like me when I was young."

"However, Jin Nian doing this is indeed somewhat rash; he can do so, but there are some people who do not need to be offended."

"Go check among the detained scholars; if there are any from ducal or marquis households, have their fathers come see me, old man, to give them a warning, then release them."

Compared to Gu Qianzhou's view, Grandfather Gu does not agree.

If you offend, you offend.

Just like in war, when two armies clash, the losing side usually has reservations; only by pressing forward without hesitation can one seize a sliver of survival.

"Good."

Gu Qianzhou nodded, and his worries were halved.

After all, knowing his son has a purpose, he is not overly anxious; he only fears his son might momentarily act in anger and make a grave mistake.

Meanwhile,

Outside the imperial palace.

Officials gathered.

Gu Jin Nian has caused such a big incident; how could these civil officials possibly let it rest?

They have merely been waiting outside for an hour, yet the Emperor refuses to appear.

"Your Excellencies, His Majesty is resting; no matter what happens, we must wait for the next court assembly."

"In four days, the court assembly will convene; I hope you will not make things difficult for us lowly folks."

A eunuch spoke up; he too had unspeakable bitterness, as officials shouted outside while the Emperor unwilling to see them.

He, caught in the middle, really has no temper.

Moreover, this is already the fifth time he has come out to answer.

Not seeing, not seeing, simply not seeing.

Upon receiving this reply, the officials' faces looked somewhat unpleasant.

At this moment, the Minister of Justice's voice sounded involuntarily.

"Come, let's go find the Prime Minister; we cannot possibly let Gu Jin Nian run amok, can we?"

"Killing Confucian scholars and imprisoning literati—such a thing has never occurred in the Da Xia Dynasty; Gu Jin Nian is truly reckless."

"Just because of a verbal clash, killing Confucian scholars and imprisoning literati—today he Gu Jin Nian is still a student; if tomorrow he enters officialdom, would he not slaughter us all?"

"Over a minor conflict, he directly kills; does he not consider punishment—is this Da Xia his Gu Family's?"

The officials shouted in anger.

Many officials were truly angry, especially those of the Ministry of Justice; Gu Jin Nian's actions today are trampling the Ministry of Justice.

If anything happens, the Ministry of Justice can mediate; the Ministry of Justice can resolve it.

Oh, you say kill then kill, you say detain then detain.

What is the Ministry of Justice for?

Are you just eating dry rice? This is a typical case of disregarding the king's law.

How could this not make the Ministry of Justice officials collectively furious? Thus, some officials rushed to the Prime Minister's residence to discuss the outcome.

Meanwhile, another group gathered on their own to discuss this matter.

But no matter what, the entire capital boiled over because of this matter.

More scholars began to denounce Gu Jin Nian's actions, and many twisted the facts, spreading rumors.

What are these scholars going to Da Xia Academy, all polite and courteous, just wanting to ask Gu Jin Nian what proposal he presented, but who knew Gu Jin Nian was so enraged that he rebuked them.

Some people merely speculated that Gu Jin Nian colluded with officials and merchants, and were executed on the spot; they even produced a golden edict claiming their uncle was the reigning saint, daring anyone to act rashly.

Such remarks could be said to be perfectly penetrating the hearts of people; if continued, they could easily become a book.

Gu Jin Nian's image instantly turned into that of a lawless, reckless aristocrat who tramples lives—a true villain.

But the whole Capital boiled even more over those aristocratic families.

Among those over three thousand people, they are basically their descendants; upon learning their sons were captured, each ran to beg their fathers and grandmothers, insisting on rescuing them first before anything else.

The rest can be discussed later.

After all, Xuan Deng Si has already intervened; once they get involved, even if the person emerges, they will likely be dead.

Thus the entire Capital split into two currents.

One side cursed Gu Jin Nian.

The other side sought connections to rescue people.

And within Da Xia Academy.

In a courtyard, Wang Fugui and others gathered, watching Gu Jin Nian's expression filled with oddity, feeling very conflicted.

On the contrary, Gu Jin Nian sat aside, still interested in brewing tea.

"Uncle Jin Nian."

"You just now looked so incredibly handsome."

However, among these people, Li Ji was the most agitated, after all Gu Jin Nian had rebuked three thousand scholars.

In the boy's eyes, he was practically a god.

"Li Ji."

"Make sure you remember, Uncle."

"If one day you truly ascend the throne, you must firmly guard against these scholars."

"But never be deceived by these scholars; they are the most unreliable under heaven, each claiming to serve the nation and people, but in fact they are a bunch of sour scholars."

"Got it?"

Gu Jin Nian looked at Li Ji, teaching earnestly.

But once these words were spoken, some people fell slightly silent.

Good fellow, what's wrong with teaching this? Li Ji is the great‑grandson, the future emperor after Da Xia; if you instill this idea in him, aren't you dooming the scholars? "Ahem, Gu brother's words are still a bit harsh, but the Grandson understands."

Jiang Yezhou quickly spoke up; this remark was not to be said, for if it spread, he might be labeled with some new tag.

"No, I think Uncle Jin Nian is quite reasonable."

However, Li Ji disagreed, and instead thought Gu Jin Nian was correct.

"It's neither serious nor insignificant."

"It's a fact, great‑nephew; since ancient times, history books have been written by these civil officials."

"If you go along with their wishes, they'll write you favorably; if you don't, they'll portray you as a tyrant."

"Whether you or I, if we don't want to be treated like fish meat, compromising, then we might as well confront them from the start."

"Either we start by compromising, doing whatever they say, or we start by clashing with them."

"Li Ji, Uncle asks you, do you want to be controlled by these people forever? Even if one day you become emperor, just because you spent a silver or two extra or misspoke, they'll keep harassing you?"

Gu Jin Nian wasn't actually angry; he was using the simplest means to brainwash Li Ji.

"Don't want to."

Li Ji shook his head without hesitation.

Gu Jin Nian was pleased.

"Then remember, don't give these people any face; the more face you give them, the more arrogant they become. Since they're being cursed anyway, it's better to disgust them to death, learn from the Great Ancestor's methods—whether they're civil officials or not, if they're noisy, cut them down outright."

"Even the hardest bone, can it be harder than a guillotine blade?"

Gu Jin Nian said earnestly.

Li Ji also memorized the sentence firmly.

You'd think otherwise, but your own grandfather is like that now—clearly holding great power, clearly having done many good deeds, yet still being scolded by all officials, sometimes making him jump in anger.

Think over Gu Jin Nian's words more carefully.

Indeed, since we can't earn a good reputation anyway, we might as well go against them.

We're both aristocrats, both new to power; why should we yield to you?

"Brother Jin Nian, please stop, this can't be said."

"Gu brother, stop, stop."

Wang Fugui and Jiang Yezhou kept speaking, the words becoming more outrageous and terrifying.

Facing the two's persuasion.

Gu Jin Nian didn't continue speaking; after all the grudge was settled, and he had his purpose.

This matter was done for the emperor to see.

The only way to defeat rumors? Killing.

Kill until no one dares to spread rumors.

If we don't give a lesson, do we really think Gu Jin Nian lives off dry rice?

As for offending people? Offending is just offending. I didn't rise to power through these people; I rely on the Gu Family, on my talent.

Moreover, after days of contemplation.

Gu Jin Nian knew in his heart that if he entered officialdom, he must walk the path of a lone minister.

He must never form factions; otherwise he'd just wait for his uncle to cut him down. His uncle is brilliant and fearless of the Gu Family, but whether his descendants can suppress the Gu Family is uncertain; for imperial authority, such restless factors should be eliminated.

He is a bit ruthless, and also a bit merciless.

But the problem is, if the emperor isn't ruthless, can he keep his seat steady?

The answer is no.

"Is the Hanging Lantern Department really that terrifying?"

"Earlier, when I heard Brother Gu Jin Nian talk about the Hanging Lantern Department, those scholars all turned pale one by one. What's going on?"

At that moment, Zhao Siqing's voice rang out.

Curiosity filled her beautiful eyes, and she also steered the conversation.

So that Gu Jin Nian wouldn't dwell on this, and that anyone with ill intent wouldn't hear and spread it, which wouldn't be good.

As soon as that was said,

Wang Fugui couldn't help but give a wry smile and say.

"The most terrifying thing in Da Xia is the Hanging Lantern Department. Live people go in, living dead come out; basically no one can gain anything there. Miss Zhao, would you say it's scary or not?"

Wang Fugui spoke up; he had never been to the Hanging Lantern Department, but he knew a little about its situation.

Even after those words, Zhao Siqing remained full of curiosity.

And Su Huaiyu's voice followed.

"Inside the Hanging Lantern Department there are forty‑eight tortures, each targeting a different kind of person."

"One of those tortures is called the Tooth Punishment."

"It uses true Qi to break the teeth in the mouth, not shattering them all but breaking half, then drives an iron needle into the teeth."

"A light tap is enough; the prisoner will feel pain so intense his eyes seem to explode, screaming in agony."

Su Huaiyu explained earnestly.

When everyone heard this, their faces changed slightly; although they had never endured such pain, just hearing it sounded somewhat invasive.

"That's only an appetizer. There's another torture called the Foot Punishment: you stand on scorching copper and iron, blisters instantly form on your soles, which are then torn open with bamboo skewers and smeared with all sorts of filthy substances."

"It causes them to fester and swell, then herbal poultices are applied and wrapped with medicated cloth. After three days the cloth adheres to flesh; when forcibly torn, the cloth pulls flesh with it."

"At that point they prepare a canghong medicinal bath, submerging your feet; in an instant you'll know what it means to be worse off than death."

"Moreover, generally the palms of both hands are subjected to the same treatment."

Su Huaiyu mentioned a relatively simple punishment.

In an instant, everyone fully understood why the Hanging Lantern Department was so terrifying.

This is sheer abuse.

The wound ruptures and is then soaked in a canghong bath; canghong is both a filler and a medicine, its flavor pungent, and just its scent is extremely acrid.

When this stuff is dissolved in water, even a couple of drops are unbearable for ordinary people, let alone soaking a wound.

"Actually this is nothing compared to the Insect Punishment: you drink a broth that makes your whole body limp, then you're thrown into a vat filled with snakes and insects, all of which have had their teeth pulled out."

"The vat contains a special medicine that makes those snakes and insects suffer unbearably, forcing them to burrow somewhere, generally…"

Su Huaiyu continued the explanation.

But at this point Gu Jin Nian could no longer bear it, quickly waved his hand and said.

"Stop it, stop it."

It's not pretentious; it's simply psychologically unbearable. The first two were tolerable, but the later ones are just downright disgusting.

The others felt the same.

Just hearing it makes one's scalp tingle, let alone experiencing it firsthand.

Li Ji's complexion turned a bit pale; at his young age, he couldn't stand such things.

"Brother Gu, perhaps we should leave this matter at that point. If those scholars endure such punishments, even if they survive they'll be practically crippled, and that would offend many people later."

Jiang Yezhou spoke up, still trying to plead on behalf of those scholars.

"No."

"Although the Hanging Lantern Department has many punishments, to deal with those scholars my sixth uncle knows the limits; at most he'd give them a beating, nothing too serious."

"If we don't give them a lesson now, today's incident will reappear tomorrow."

"Alright, I'm going back to rest. Thank you all for your help today; I, Gu, will keep this gratitude in my heart."

Gu Jin Nian stood up.

He had no mercy nor a soft hand.

Watching Gu Jin Nian leave, everyone exchanged glances, finally sighed, and said nothing more.

Thus.

Time also drifted slowly.

The entire Da Xia Dynasty, both the capital and Jiang Ning Prefecture, were bustling beyond measure.

Compared to the capital's bustle, Jiang Ning Prefecture's liveliness was merely an adjective.

Since the grain price rose to 260 taels, Jiang Ning Prefecture has gone mad.

The price climbs day after day.

In the morning it was 300 taels per shi, after an hour it became 320 taels.

By night it was even 400 taels per shi.

Such outrageous, inflated prices left many rice merchants completely bewildered.

They made money, indeed, but they also knew prices couldn't be too absurd, otherwise wouldn't the court settle accounts after autumn?

But the problem is, at first it was fine; just sell, there were always some desperados, fearless fellows.

It turned out these people actually sold for two days.

Two days is one thing, but the price kept soaring wildly, and as long as goods were shipped, there were buyers.

Even a clever little ghost went over to their place, queued up, directly bought all the grain, then turned around and sold it off, selling out completely in less than half an hour.

Bought at one hundred taels of silver per stone.

Sold for over three hundred taels, and with a round trip taking just two hours, the net profit reached as high as two thousand taels of silver.

It's mainly because a few big grain merchants are controlling the supply, not allowing them to sell too much all at once, in order to create the illusion for the court that even they have no rice.

Later, when the accounts are really settled, they can still quibble.

Now this bunch of merchants can't sit still.

I sell at one hundred taels, but they're selling at four or five hundred taels of silver per stone.

Moreover, these people have plenty of grain, yet they want to sell however they like, but they're still restricted—only allowed to sell a certain amount per day.

Although they can still make money. But speaking conscientiously, what do merchants hate most?

Isn't it just seeing others make more money than oneself? And they're fellow traders? So a group of grain merchants went to investigate, and as it turned out, the lucky bunch were actually outsiders who came via shortcuts to sell rice.

No wonder they're so lawless.

Moreover, these outsiders are even tougher; they sent someone to negotiate, and it was just one sentence: "I'll sell out and leave—what can you do about it?" That one sentence shut everyone up.

Even if they went to sabotage, saying his rice had problems, it would be utterly useless.

What year is it now? Jiangning Commandery has floods; although silver is scarce, at least they can exchange it for rice to have a meal, right?

Who the hell cares whether there's a problem or not?

Besides, is your rice problem-free? Mixing in sand, using old rice—are you really clean? You'd better not say that; you're actually not wrong.

That's why, big and small, some grain merchants are both aggravated and resentful.

What's more, the first two days were fine, but today there are even more lawless grain merchants, coming from all directions, with prices rising higher and higher.

This time, nobody can sit still.

The timid starve to death, the bold stuff themselves, the higher-ups sit steady on the fishing terrace, but the folks below can't hold out.

Mainly, it's seeing others make money that's harder to bear than losing money oneself.

So, never mind bans or rules—first make the money, then talk.

Thus, almost all grain merchants raised their prices in unison, and it became more and more outrageous.

In just two days, the price had already skyrocketed to six hundred taels of silver per stone; such astronomical prices left the common folk completely bewildered.

Six hundred taels of silver per stone—who would buy? Who would dare to buy?

Before, it was sixty taels per stone, then one hundred twenty taels per stone; just to stay alive, people would grit their teeth and bear it.

But now at six hundred taels per stone, only a ghost would buy.

But then something terrifying happened—people bought, and in large numbers.

When the result came out, all the grain merchants were simply astonished and delighted—astonished that anyone would buy at six hundred taels per stone, which is simply outrageous.

What's delightful is the hundredfold profit—a hundredfold profit on each stone of rice.

Never mind anything else—just sell ten thousand stones, and you'll earn over five million taels of silver.

All the grain merchants in Jiangning Prefecture went mad, and rumors spread everywhere.

No matter how the grain merchant leaders spoke or how strict the orders were, they had no effect, because the profit was too terrifying.

Someone has already sensed the problem, and there's a big hidden problem in this.

But the problem is, most merchants have already been completely drawn in by this huge profit.

Furthermore, the news had already spread to the surrounding prefectures.

As early as seven or eight days ago, someone far-sighted knew that selling rice now could make money, so they came early; after arriving, in less than an hour, they sold all the over one hundred stones of grain they brought.

The price wasn't high either—twenty taels per stone. Compared to the prices inside Jiangning Prefecture, these genuine outsiders really didn't dare to make too much profit, first because their consciences wouldn't allow it, and second because they didn't know the news.

After they found out, some said they regretted it, some said they felt awful, but the first thing they did was rush back to the county to keep bringing grain.

On this return trip, even if it's a bit harder, the worst case is selling at sixty taels per stone, as long as it's cheaper than in Jiangning Prefecture.

Then it's pure profit.

And the conduct of these returning locals instantly attracted even more attention.

One trip earns several hundred taels of silver, equivalent to two or three years' wages for an ordinary person; moreover, the more you transport, the more you earn, and the prefectures, counties, and townships everywhere boiled over.

Thus, the third day of the skyrocketing rice prices.

Outside the whole of Jiangning Prefecture, crowds packed the area—but this time they weren't refugees; they were people coming from all directions to sell grain.

Each of them slept only three or four hours over three days and nights, taking the fastest route via the nearest shortcuts to come sell rice.

When they learned that the rice price inside the prefecture had risen to six or seven hundred taels per stone, these people also became excited and ecstatic.

They were thinking? But also a small minority, acting on conscience, after calculating round-trip expenses and so on, sold at ten taels of silver per stone.

Such people earned the gratitude of the refugees.

Meanwhile, most people held out for a better price, sitting outside the prefecture under guard of officials, putting up a price of four or five hundred taels per stone—just slightly cheaper than inside—and then began to daydream.

It's just a pity that.

At four or five hundred taels per stone, nobody would buy at all; before, at one hundred twenty taels per stone, a group of people would pool their money, barely manage to scrape together some, buy a few stones, and split them—about all they could get.

At four or five hundred taels per stone, it's not that they don't want to live—it's that they have no money to buy.

They can't afford it.

Except for those about to die, it simply won't sell.

And that's exactly when.

Inside Jiangning Prefecture.

Gu Ningya sat in a tavern, and three men before him spoke excitedly.

"Sir, on the hundreds of small roads around, there are nothing but outsiders coming to sell rice; each road is jammed, transporting grain—just on one small road, the amount of grain being moved is probably at least tens of millions of stones."

"Sir, subordinates have investigated clearly; the people of the surrounding prefectures and counties have already harvested their wheat in advance and are all heading to Jiangning Prefecture."

Sir, this time we have already purchased fifteen thousand shi of grain, all transported into the official granary.

The three spoke up, announcing each piece of good news.

Good.

Now withdraw everyone, then go inform the Prefect Sir that we can open the granary and distribute grain.

Also, notify the Night Clothes Marquis that the dragon boats can make their debut.

Upon hearing the news, Gu Ningya was overjoyed, immediately spoke up, and gave the orders.

We respectfully obey your orders, Sir.

The three wasted no words and set out directly.

Soon.

Inside the River Peace Prefecture headquarters.

Upon learning that the granary could be opened and grain distributed, Zhang Yang was somewhat surprised.

After subsequently learning that a large number of out-of-town grain sellers had poured in outside the River Peace Prefecture, Zhang Yang finally understood what this meant.

Good.

Good.

Good.

It turns out to be this scheme, Your Majesty is wise, Your Majesty is wise!

Zhang Yang finally understood exactly what Your Majesty intended to do.

It's not about killing merchants, but about winning hearts with hearts.

This move is wonderful, wonderful, wonderful.

Quickly, convey my order: open the granary and distribute grain, then notify all the commoners outside the city that the imperial court's grain has arrived, providing three meals a day, so the refugees no longer need to buy grain.

Also inform the subordinates: if grain prices exceed six taels, shut down the shops and record it.

Zhang Yang was overjoyed; he had fully understood.

These past days he had worried until his hair turned gray, but upon grasping Your Majesty's meaning, he was overjoyed.

In an instant.

Inside the River Peace Prefecture, the sounds of gongs and drums rose.

Grain has come, grain has come, the imperial court's grain has arrived; the Prefect has ordered the granary opened and grain distributed— all refugees may go to the four gates of the prefecture city to receive relief grain, each person receiving three meals a day, no need to purchase grain.

The sound of gongs and drums rang out, and the soldiers of the River Peace Prefecture were also extremely excited; these past days they had witnessed much hardship and also worried for the refugees.

Now that the granary is opened and grain distributed, they are naturally excited.

And outside the four gates, a thunderous sound also rose.

Grain has come, grain has come, the imperial court's grain has arrived; the Prefect has ordered the granary opened and grain distributed— everyone need not worry about lacking grain, for the grain brought by the court is enough to last three months.

Everyone, hurry to the relief sites; each day you may receive three meals, guaranteeing everyone has food to eat, so no one will starve to death, no one will starve to death.

A group of soldiers rushed out, beating copper gongs, overjoyed to tears, each sprinting through the crowd of refugees to spread the good news.

The next moment.

Countless refugees were stunned.

They stood frozen in place.

They dared not believe what they had heard.

Are you telling the truth? Is it really true?

Has grain really arrived? Has grain arrived?

Has the imperial court really sent grain?

Voices rose one after another; all the refugees had long awaited this day, they yearned for this day.

Now that they heard it, they instead found it hard to believe, not knowing what to say, and could only ask repeatedly.

We are not deceiving you, we are not deceiving you; truly, grain has come, grain has come, everyone will not starve to death, you will not go hungry.

The soldiers cried out shouting, for having rushed out among the refugees, they saw corpse after corpse and could not help but weep.

Just then.

Boom—

Boom—

Boom—

Above the firmament, dragon boats appeared, each like a giant beast, gliding across the heavens.

Thousands of elite troops stood upon the dragon boats, each resembling a heavenly deity.

I, the Night Clothes Marquis, by Your Majesty's decree, have come to deliver grain and open the city gates.

The voice of the Night Clothes Marquis echoed throughout the River Peace Prefecture, above and below.

Thirteen dragon boats, like thirteen giant beasts, glided across the heavens, giving hope to countless lives.

We have grain, truly grain has come, the imperial court has sent grain.

Hahaha, no one will starve to death, no one will starve to death.

Your Majesty is wise, the Emperor is wise, long live the imperial court, long live Your Majesty, long live Da Xia!

Long live Da Xia, long live, long long live.

In that moment, a million refugees rejoiced without end; nearly all the refugees knelt on the ground, weeping bitterly, having endured so long, they never expected to finally await the arrival of grain.

They had almost all despaired.

Yet in the depths of despair, they saw hope— how could this not make them weep with joy?

But still some people, clutching their deceased relatives, pointed at the dragon boats in the heavens and wailed in tears.

Dad, look, the court's grain has come, dad, wake up a bit, open your eyes, we're saved, we won't starve to death.

Wife, wife, look, the grain has come, the grain has come, why won't you hold on a bit longer?

The weeping sound, for some unknown reason, carried a hint of sorrow.

There was an old woman gazing at the dragon boat; her eyes could shed no tears. Her whole family had not died on the road fleeing famine, but had died outside the city.

Because they had no silver, only she had survived to the present.

Her husband died, her three sons died, two of her three daughters-in-law died, and the remaining one was bought into the manor to serve as a maid, for which she was given two dou of rice, just two dou.

Four grandsons died, and three granddaughters also died.

All of them died.

Now that she saw hope of living, she felt not a trace of joy.

In its place came numbness.

It was silence.

Because to her, life and death were no longer that important.

However, for the rice merchants inside the city, their faces were extremely grim.

The court's grain had arrived.

The government granary was opened.

For them, this was not a good thing; it meant their rice could no longer be sold at exorbitant prices.

For a time, these rice merchants gathered together to discuss countermeasures.

But the real trouble was these outsiders.

They had rushed here overnight, just to make a quick profit.

But what they hadn't expected was that the court's grain had arrived, meaning Jiangning Prefecture was no longer short of grain.

And if they now tried to transport the grain away, never mind the exorbitant cost, the loss along the way would not be small either.

Furthermore, what would they do with the grain if they shipped it back? Eat it at home? It's already packed in sacks—would they even eat it?

If they sold it, they'd likely be pressed hard on price by the rice merchants, which would be a losing proposition.

For a time, this group of outsiders began to frantically undercut prices.

What three hundred taels, one hundred taels...

Just ten taels of silver to buy.

Unfortunately, the refugees completely ignored them, having free grain they wouldn't eat, and instead eating your kind of grain?

Ten taels of silver?

They wouldn't even sell for five taels of silver.

However, some people were still cautious, worried that the court's grain might not be enough, so they came forward to buy.

Ten taels of silver per dan.

But when the other outsiders saw this, they certainly wouldn't go along with it.

They simply lowered the price.

Nine taels, eight taels, seven taels, six taels—finally the price dropped to five taels of silver per dan; any lower and nobody would sell, after all it would be a loss.

Five taels of silver was just about right; if normal rice merchants suppressed the price, they would sell at three or four taels per dan.

Now, selling it and turning it into cash would be like making a wasted trip, serving the country, and not losing much.

Moreover, the earlier they sold and left, the better—could they really keep camping out here? The first batch of people who sold the grain immediately packed up and headed back; on the road back, they saw countless people transporting grain, this group wore smiles all over their faces, saying nothing, deliberately creating an atmosphere of huge profit.

It wasn't that they were trying to be malicious; their thinking was simple—just to help the refugees a bit. If they now said they hadn't made a profit and turned back, wouldn't only their own family be losing? Still, some complained they hadn't made a profit, saying the court's grain had arrived.

But what was the result?

All they got was cursing: 'You yourself made silver, yet you won't let us make money?' Normally you didn't seem like this kind of person.

In short, the situation is set; there's simply no way to reverse it.

Inside the residence.

All the rice merchants gathered, each with a worried, grim face.

After Zheng Gong appeared.

Everyone rose to their feet, chatting back and forth, wondering what to do next.

Zheng Gong's angry rebuke rang out.

"Now you know to come find this old man?"

"Where were you before?"

"I told you not to sell so high, not to sell so high; you just listen—now resentment is rising everywhere, and a large number of outsiders have come to sell grain, I'll see how you end up."

Zheng Gong was also furious beyond bearing.

According to his view, the price should stay steady at sixty taels; even if outsiders came to sell grain, they could completely suppress it, then buy low and sell high, forming a virtuous cycle.

But the problem was these people were selling too aggressively.

Lightly, it would be several hundred taels of silver, but in reality they couldn't actually sell for that much—someone was secretly meddling.

Yet these people also raised prices, prompting those outsiders to also set high prices.

Even if they wanted to buy, it's impossible to truly pay three or four hundred taels per dan; if they did, they'd only attract more people. One could say this grain crisis might be completely resolved.

"Zheng Gong, now isn't the time to talk about this—quickly think of an idea for us."

"We know we were wrong, we know we were wrong."

Everyone spoke up, scolding them for accepting, but first coming up with a solution is the right way.

Seeing everyone like this, Zheng Gong also took a deep breath; the deed is done, scolding is indeed useless.

"From now on, listen to me, or else don't even think about getting rich."

"The court bringing in grain is not a bad thing; outsiders dare not come to transport grain."

"Moreover, the small grain merchants outside are now selling at low prices; you should step forward and buy all this grain."

"The main road is completely destroyed; the grain the court brings in will absolutely not be much, at most enough for ten days; adding what's left in the official granaries, it totals about twenty days."

"As long as we wait for these twenty days to pass, we can continue selling grain at high prices."

"But at this time, you should not greedily seek small profits; just stay steady."

"Understand?"

Zheng Gong spoke.

He did not think the court could bring in much grain; as long as we hold out for twenty days, there will be no major problem.

But although that's what was said,

After hearing this, the crowd merely nodded, but inside they still felt much anxiety and resentment.

They keep telling us to stay steady, stay steady.

When will there be an end to this?

You say the court's grain is not much? Why don't you go see how many dragon boats there are? The court even brought out these dragon boats, and you're still here hoping for luck?

This is what everyone thinks.

But on the surface they dare not say it; they just smile and agree.

Afterward, Zheng Gong left; he still had matters to attend to, and had said what needed to be said.

After Zheng Gong departed, the crowd also left, but in small groups of three or five, each with their own cliques, they began various discussions.

Moreover, on the way home, grain cart after grain cart passed before them, and the common people were extremely excited.

All kinds of voices also rose.

What? There's grain now, no need to worry.

What? These damned merchants will lose everything this time; as soon as the harvest comes, their stored grain will become old rice, and then they'll lose their capital completely.

Such talk is too much.

One or two sentences are fine, but when they say too much, these people also become fearful in their hearts.

Old rice and new rice are completely different concepts, with prices varying greatly; Jiangning Prefecture itself is a land of fish and rice, rice prices actually never get too high—six taels of silver for new rice, normally old rice is three taels, and in good times four taels.

They purchased this grain, so their cost is not just six taels; after all, there had been insider information, and if they really lose, it will be a total loss of capital.

"Damn it, they keep telling us to stay steady, stay steady; he surely doesn't care—he has money and power, and isn't mainly a rice merchant; if he really loses, he still has other income, but if we lose this time, we'll have nothing."

Someone couldn't hold back and spoke out, finally erupting.

"Exactly, exactly."

"I think this is just wanting us to die, and still have us keep purchasing? With what money to purchase?"

"Alright, stop worrying about so much, just sell directly; a big harvest is coming soon, and if we don't sell, we'll truly lose to the point of losing our family's wealth; let's set a price: five taels and five mace per stone, sell as much as we have."

"But don't raise the price; this price already means a loss."

"Fine, let's go with that; consider it doing good and accumulating virtue."

In a moment, these merchants stopped talking and could no longer sit still.

One by one they went back, began lowering prices, and selling grain.

And this news instantly spread outward.

Merchants lowering prices is no small matter; when it reaches the outside, those foreign rice sellers each jump up and curse.

They feel this bunch of rice merchants is utterly ruthless.

But what can be done? We can only hurry to sell.

The price was finally forced down to four taels of silver per stone—just enough not to lose silver, but to say we profit is impossible; we can only say it's truly a wasted effort, working for free.

If it weren't for thinking of it as disaster relief, our hearts would surely feel suffocated to death.

Outside prices dropped, and the vendors inside also began lowering prices.

Four taels is four taels; now it's just a matter of who ships out first.

When the price fell to four taels of silver per stone, the government could no longer sit still and directly sent people to buy.

However, it wasn't done openly; instead they sent some subordinates to purchase heavily, not rushing to transport it, just signing the orders.

Anyway, the grain is within the prefecture; once the order is signed, there's no fear of you fleeing—you couldn't possibly carry tens of thousands of stones of grain away; thus, it only takes a few hours.

Inside the prefectural governor's residence.

Zhang Yang looked at the grain orders piled up like mountains, smiling so broadly he couldn't close his mouth.

Logically, given such a disaster, a grain price of ten taels of silver per stone would be within an acceptable range.

Four taels of silver per stone—this is absolutely a sure-profit deal.

Forty thousand taels equals ten thousand stones.

Four million taels equals one million stones.

The court previously estimated allocating at least several tens of millions of taels, but now at most only twenty million taels of silver are needed to completely solve the grain problem for the next three or four months.

After all, a bountiful harvest is imminent, possibly requiring not even that much silver.

"Divine plan, divine plan, this truly is a divine plan—how could His Majesty be so wise?"

Zhang Yang laughed while also wondering how the emperor could be so wise.

However, he was not idle; as soon as the grain orders arrived, he immediately wrote a memorial, and simultaneously summoned Gu Ningya to ask him to deliver it to the palace for the emperor to see.

At the same time, Zhang Yang, looking at Gu Ningya, continually praised the emperor's sagacity.

But Gu Ningya directly began.

"It's not really related to the emperor; this scheme mainly came from my nephew's idea, of course also inspired by me."

After saying that, Zhang Yang was stunned.

Sir Zhang, you don't think I, Gu Ningya, lack this sort of brain, do you?

Seeing Zhang Yang's reaction, Gu Ningya felt a bit annoyed; he had been running around these past days without a decent meal—claiming some merit isn't too much, right?

No, no, you mean this strategy was written by your nephew Gu Jin Nian? That Gu Jin Nian who wrote those timeless essays?

Zhang Yang was stunned.

This is nonsense, fine, I can't be bothered to waste words on someone as short‑sighted as you.

Now that this is settled, you owe me a big favor; if I come to Jiangning Prefecture again and you receive me like this, don't blame me, Gu the Sixth, for being impolite.

Gu Ningya didn't want to linger, took the memorial and left, hurrying to report back.

And Zhang Yang stood there, completely dumbfounded.

Thus.

All the way until the next day's zi hour.

Gu Ningya had already come running.

Holding a gold token.

Ignoring everything.

He entered the palace directly.

He presented the memorial to the Yongsheng Emperor, who had not yet gone to sleep.

(End of chapter)