Chapter 122: Don't Get It on Your Shoes! (Doubled, Seeking Monthly Tickets!)

Xizi Lake pier.

Zhou Quanrong, dressed in fine silk robes, was currently frowning, pacing back and forth on the deck, his expression filled with deep hesitation and anxiety.

"Sigh!"

Walking to the edge of the deck, he slapped the wooden railing hard, looking somewhat exasperated.

Just then.

A servant was seen sprinting from the pier, standing on the shore not far from the ship, shouting loudly.

"Master, Master~"

"How is it!"

Hearing the servant's call, Zhou Quanrong hurriedly went to meet him.

Across the ship's side, the servant stood on the shore and said loudly: "The Official Market and Jin's have lowered prices again. Now Coarse Grain is 370 wen, Fine Grain is 420 wen, and top-grade Bran is 110 wen..."

The servant was panting heavily.

Before he could finish.

Another servant ran over from the neighboring boat, shouting loudly to the equally anxious Shopkeeper of that ship: "Master, the latest market prices: Coarse Grain 350 wen, Bran 90 wen, Fine Grain 400 wen. Several firms have already followed suit and lowered prices. The Local Grain Association's Liao's, Fugui Firm, and others have all lowered them successively, though they are still much higher than the Official Market and Jin's!"

The entire pier was almost in total chaos.

Countless ships drifted at the lake's edge, and an endless stream of servants moved back and forth, weaving through the pier.

They were all reporting prices to their respective Shopkeepers.

Of course.

There was no shortage of speculators, currently weaving among the various Shopkeepers to lobby them.

"Boss Zhou, 350 wen, I'll take all your goods. If you miss this village, you won't find this shop anymore!"

At this moment.

Lao Zhangtou, standing beside Zhou Quanrong, had already changed into fine silk robes and was still holding a tobacco pipe in his hand. At a glance, he really looked the part; he looked like a wealthy man.

Zhou Quanrong was startled upon hearing this.

"Boss Zhang, it was just 370 wen a moment ago, why is it 350 wen now?" Zhou Quanrong asked, unwilling to accept it.

Those shrewd, squinting eyes were full of frustration and resentment.

Lao Zhang tapped his pipe nonchalantly and said calmly: "You heard it too, the people reporting prices back and forth are endless. In just a short while, it has already dropped from 500 wen to 350 wen. If you ask me, it might have already dropped below 300 wen by now. Give me all the grain on your ship, whether it's Coarse Grain, Fine Grain, or Bran, and I will purchase it at the price of 350 wen. This is already the best price at the moment. If you delay any longer, I'm afraid your capital will all be lost here!"

Zhou Quanrong felt a chill in his heart upon hearing this.

He knew that what Lao Zhang said was the truth.

Since the authorities dared to step out and take the initiative to lower prices and control the grain market, they must have been prepared long ago.

Under the impact of a large amount of official grain, the only path left for these Grain Merchants, besides dumping their goods, was one other.

To rot in this Xizi Lake! Transport it back? Don't be ridiculous!

At the current price, being able to cover the shipping costs to get it here is already considered not bad.

If they transport it back, they would likely lose everything they own!

"Old Zhou, what do you plan to do!"

Just then.

A pot-bellied middle-aged man, holding two Iron Walnuts in his hand and wearing a Big Thumb Ring, looking imposing and wealthy, walked over from the deck.

His name was Kou Qinglin, and like Zhou Quanrong, he was a Grain Merchant from Huaxi County, Yunmeng Prefecture, far from Yonghang.

"The current market price is clearly a trap set up by someone. In my opinion, damn it, I'd rather throw the grain into this Xizi Lake to feed the fish than let those bastards get a bargain!"

Kou Qinglin's face was gloomy, and he cursed in a low, angry voice.

He was no fool.

On the contrary, at this moment, whether it was him, Zhou Quanrong, or other Grain Merchants—known or unknown—who had rushed from all directions to get a piece of the pie, most had already realized that they had become the biggest victims of this disaster in Yonghang Prefecture! The problem now was no longer how much they could earn! It was to ensure, as much as possible, that they didn't lose too miserably on this trip!

As for angry talk like throwing everything into Xizi Lake to feed the fish, it could only be said casually. Unless the grain price had fallen to a terrifying level, they wouldn't actually throw the grain into the lake!

There would be no need to even sell it.

But clearly, to reach that state, a little bit of grain wouldn't be enough to cause it.

"Old Kou, stop with the angry talk. Everyone knows now that it was a trap set by the Prefect of Yonghang, but what can we do? We can only blame ourselves for being too greedy. There is a merchant here who wants to buy my grain; why don't you join in and sell it all together, and get out early!"

Zhou Quanrong smiled helplessly, glanced at Lao Zhangtou, and said to Kou Qinglin.

"What price can you offer?"

Kou Qinglin's gaze shifted, and he looked at Lao Zhangtou with suspicion.

Could this old man be in league with the Prefect? "350 wen, but if it's both of your stocks, I can only offer 320. The quantity is too large, I can only take so much." Lao Zhang followed the method Ning Mu taught him, shrugged, and said with a helpless face.

Hearing this, Kou Qinglin frowned, a flash in his eyes.

It seemed he wasn't an official.

People from the government would definitely take as much as they could to monopolize the entire grain market, so they could thoroughly drive down the grain price.

This guy in front of them was probably looking to buy at the bottom! Thinking this, Kou Qinglin looked at Zhou Quanrong.

Zhou Quanrong felt a pang of heartache.

It was 350 just a moment ago, but letting Kou Qinglin join in made it drop by 30 wen instantly, which left him very helpless.

But there was no help for it; they were companions and friends after all.

A little less is a little less.

"We want cash, or silver notes from the Yantian Bank!" Zhou Quanrong gritted his teeth and said to Lao Zhang.

Lao Zhang nodded and said: "No problem. Money and goods exchanged at the same time, with a contract as proof. Once the goods arrive, the money is cleared. However, you must arrange for people to send the goods to me. The road isn't very far; it's right inside Yonghang City."

"Brother, should we wait a bit longer?" Kou Qinglin was still unwilling to give up and pulled Zhou Quanrong to the side.

Just then.

Just then, the voice of a Servant reporting news rang out from the shore once again.

"Master, market prices have fallen again. Coarse Grain at the Official Market is 325 wen, Bran is 85 wen, and Fine Grain is 395 wen. The other private Grain Merchants have also been following the trend and lowering their prices one after another..."

325 wen! This is almost hitting rock bottom!

Before the great disaster, grain prices only fluctuated between 200 and 300 wen! "Still waiting? If we keep waiting, we'll really end up as fish feed!"

Zhou Quanrong was suddenly frantic and exasperated. He turned his head to look at Lao Zhangtou and said anxiously, "Boss Zhang, let's go with your price. Let's sign the contract immediately. Whether it rises or falls later is up to fate. I will arrange for Laborers to deliver the goods to you!"

Lao Zhangtou grinned, his mouth, missing a tooth, nearly unable to close.

"No problem. The contract is here; payment upon delivery!"

Lao Zhang took out the contract, which he had already prepared and which bore the official seal of the government, filled in the price, and then signed his name.

Grain Merchants all had plenty of these kinds of contracts on hand.

Therefore, there was no room for suspicion.

After Lao Zhang finished writing, Zhou Quanrong and Kou Qinglin also wrote down their own names respectively.

"However, two Shopkeepers, this old man has one small request that I hope you two can satisfy."

Once the contract was established, Lao Zhangtou suddenly changed the subject.

"What request?" Kou Qinglin felt a tightening in his heart.

"It's nothing major. I just want you two to tip off the local Grain Merchants in Yonghang, saying that someone is buying up the grain from you outside Grain Merchants."

"As for the price, you can report it a bit higher at your discretion."

Kou Qinglin and Zhou Quanrong could not help but look at each other, both feeling a bit strange, but immediately, the two seemed to have grasped the underlying intent.

"Zhang Lao is trying to finish off the local Grain Merchants!"

Zhang Lao only gave a mysterious smile and did not take the bait.

But Kou Qinglin and Zhou Quanrong became increasingly convinced that this was the person behind Zhang Lao preparing to wage war against all the Grain Merchants in Yonghang!

They were not fools.

A careful thought made them understand.

This Zhang Lao was ninety-nine percent likely acting under the instructions of the high-level figures behind the government and the Jin Trading Firm.

It was just that they themselves had been used as pawns.

Kou Qinglin and Zhou Quanrong felt a bit displeased, but as things stood, the contract was already signed, and the other party very likely had official backing. A powerful dragon cannot suppress a local snake; at least this trip wasn't a total loss!...

And situations similar to Lao Zhangtou's were happening all along the Xizi Lake waterfront and in all the major inns.

Besides Lao Zhangtou, Tong Shankuang, the various Shopkeepers of the Jin Family, Jiang Fuling, and others had all set out to secretly buy up the grain held by the outside Grain Merchants! However, they were very precise and did not buy too much; they all sought out small trading firms that had been dragging things out for a long time and were about to be unable to hold on.

It was estimated that at most, it was only about twenty percent.

Of course, there were also those stubborn Grain Merchants who would rather let it rot in their hands than let Yonghang Prefecture get a bargain.

Everyone saw through this overt scheme, but none of them could do anything about it.

Either choose to reduce losses, or... lose everything and end up at the bottom of the lake feeding the fish!

And the commoners guarding the Official Market grain warehouses and in front of the Jin Trading Firm, seeing the constantly falling grain prices, clapped and cheered! "Finally, it's come down, great!" "So brilliant, the Prefect has played a big game of chess; I only just understood it now!"

"Sigh, it's a shame I slandered the Prefect so much before; I, a petty person, truly deserve to die!"

"This is great now, grain prices have returned to normal, and we don't have to worry about running out of food anymore. My boy has been starved thin during this time; I must hurry and buy some grain to go home and make him a good meal!"

"Yes, yes, hurry and buy!"

"..."

Opposite the Jin Trading Firm.

In a private room by the window on the second floor of an inn.

"Damn it, how did they get to take advantage of this?"

"I can't figure it out, I can't figure it out. How could the Prefect join forces with the Jin Family's young daughter? Isn't he on very good terms with Head of Grain Association He?"

"That's what I'm saying! Head of Grain Association He, do you think our prices should be lowered to keep in line with the Official Market and the Jin Trading Firm?"

A Grain Merchant was seen leaning toward He Daqian, asking cautiously.

They could not hold on much longer!

If this trend continued, most of the grain they had hoarded would end up feeding rats in the warehouse.

After all, there was still a large amount of grain piled up at the major inns and docks, transported from surrounding towns and even distant places!

With such a large base, the grain in their hands was already dispensable.

If not dealt with in time, even if they used it to feed rats, I'm afraid the rats would find the grain too stale.

And at this moment, He Daqian's expression was incomparably gloomy!

He did not expect Ning Mu and Pi Taiyu's actions to come so quickly.

But as the Head of Grain Association, He Daqian had to stabilize people's hearts at this moment to remain invincible in this round.

If even the Grain Association abandoned him, then the Tan Family would be finished! He Daqian, with a gloomy face, sneered: "Don't panic! They can't lower prices for long. How much grain is in the official granaries? If others don't know, can we not be clear about it?"

"That's right, that's all coarse grain!"

"That makes sense, but the fear is that they might have been prepared in secret long ago. After all, so much time has passed; even transporting grain from the capital would have been enough for several round trips!"

"This worry is not unreasonable. And there is also the Jin Family. Under the management of that young woman Jin Xiangyu over these years, they still have some foundation!"

"Then what should we do? How about... we lower it a little!"

He Daqian was about to refute this person who was inciting the crowd.

Just at this moment.

A Servant was seen suddenly pushing open the door to the private room.

"Master, the Mistress asks you to return home immediately..."

The Servant said respectfully to He Daqian.

He Daqian frowned, a sense of foreboding welling up in his heart.

"Ahem, since Madam Tan has matters to discuss with the President, we shall take our leave..."

"Farewell, farewell..."

The group of Grain Merchants took their leave one after another and retreated.

They all knew clearly that the person who truly called the shots at Tan Family Grain Store was Madam Tan Ruyi, and President He was merely the figurehead in charge, a Matrimonial Son-in-law after all; when it truly came to such moments, it still had to be Tan Ruyi who stepped forward to make the major decisions.

Almost at the moment He Daqian returned to his residence.

At the same time.

The many Grain Merchants who had just been discussing with him were all invited by the Yamen Runners of the Prefectural Office to the rear office of the Prefectural Office.

"Gentlemen, I presume you have all realized by now that our government has absolute certainty in stabilizing grain prices this time!"

Pi Taiyu sat high in the main seat.

He took a sip of tea.

Only then did he look at the many Grain Merchants in a leisurely manner and say indifferently: "The strategy I have employed this time is aimed at those outside Grain Merchants; I presume that by now, you have all realized this as well."

"And you are all local gentry of Yonghang who have always supported my administration in Yonghang, so I do not wish for you to suffer too great a loss. Those among you who have grain you wish to sell may have it all bought back at the government market price; this is also to minimize your losses for you!"

Hearing this, the eyes of the Grain Merchants lit up one after another.

But there were also those shrewd individuals who reacted immediately.

"I fear it is because the government's grain is no longer enough to sustain things, which is why you are buying it from us, right?"

"That's right, if we were to hold out a bit longer, I fear there might not be no possibility of the grain price rebounding."

Two individuals with illustrious family backgrounds did not fear Pi Taiyu's official authority at all.

Once these words were spoken, they immediately caused the group of Grain Merchants to nod one after another.

Pi Taiyu gave a cold laugh.

"Someone come!"

"Subordinate is here!"

A general, clad in full armor with weapons in hand and looking exceptionally imposing, was seen standing below the steps.

At the same time.

A large number of Soldiers poured in from the entrance, lining up on both sides, standing in battle formation.

Then.

Pi Taiyu stood up directly and walked outside the room, while simultaneously saying to the general: "Captain Li, please have your Soldiers surround this room; without my written order, no one is allowed to leave!"

"Yes!"

"Prefect Pi! Are you going to detain us?"

"Presumptuous, we have not broken any laws; is this action of yours not too abrupt? Are you not afraid that we will jointly report you to the superior government office!"

Pi Taiyu turned his head and looked calmly at the many indignant Grain Merchants.

He said composedly: "The Imperial Court has permitted me to act with discretion for disaster relief. Even if you report me, it is still my act of disaster relief; what fault is there in that?"

"Besides, I have already declared that you only need to sell your grain to the government at market price; you are not losing anything. It is those outside merchants who are losing. Is this action of mine not already showing consideration for you all?"

"I will not speak to you about how miserable the disaster outside is; you all live in luxury, so how could you possibly empathize."

"Enough said; all who are willing to sell to the government at market price may leave this place, but you must keep this secret until the disaster ends. If there is any leak, you will be severely punished without leniency!"

"Gentlemen, think it over carefully!"

Having said that.

Pi Taiyu flicked his sleeve and left without looking back.

He still had to go to the backyard.

To deal with the matter of Yu Ji.

This woman, bewitching as she may be, is ultimately just a demon placed by someone else's side; it is time to deal with her!

And while things were in full swing outside.

As the mastermind behind this incident.

Ning Mu was still in the master bedroom, contentedly enjoying the charms of a beautiful woman.

"Roar~"

Suddenly.

Ning Mu let out a suppressed, low roar.

"Ah!"

Liu Qingmei closed her eyes subconsciously; her legs were numb, and her pretty face was flushed red as if scorched by fire.

Especially.

She felt it on her insteps and calves through the black celestial silk.

It made her heart tremble even more, feeling sore, numb, and burning hot.

Almost at the same moment.

Liu Qingmei was breathing heavily.

A moment later.

"What should I do now~"

"What if I fall?"

Liu Qingmei's moth-like eyebrows, light as smoke, furrowed slightly; her bright and charming face was flushed, and those peach-blossom eyes were filled with lingering affection and shyness, along with a trace of helplessness, as she looked at Ning Mu nervously.

Every step she took, this feeling made a strong sense of discomfort rise in her heart, along with an indescribable shyness!

It's double monthly ticket time, brothers. Those who have tickets, please, please, please~ I have to go out for two days in a few days, so only one chapter today. Let this orange cat save up some drafts to avoid breaking the update streak~ I will resume the 10,000-character explosion mode after May 1st. Please vote for monthly tickets, please vote for monthly tickets!! (End of chapter)