Chapter 26

Behind him, the Qingshui City Magistrate asked curiously, "Censor Cui, what happened? Why are the commoners of Jiangcheng miserable?"

Cui Xinghe turned back to look at the Qingshui City Magistrate and said faintly, "Gao Yang, the grandson of the Duke of the State, arrived in Jiangcheng, and the first order he issued was to command the four major grain merchants in Jiangcheng not to sell grain for less than one hundred and fifty wen per dou!"

"One hundred and fifty wen per dou?"

"What?"

The Qingshui City Magistrate was full of shock.

This price was enough to force the commoners to their deaths!

Cui Xinghe continued on his own, "The Duke of the State has monstrous power. Although the Empress has ascended the throne and Da Qian is facing a new reshuffling, regardless, the Duke of the State is a veteran of three reigns, and his prestige is known to all of Da Qian!"

"Gao Yang has the status of the grandson of the Duke of the State, which is even more powerful than my Cui clan, yet he doesn't think about using his power to force the greedy grain merchants to lower prices!"

"On the contrary, he further raises grain prices. He is truly foolish and has wasted this great status."

Cui Xinghe's tone was disdainful.

He thought of the Empress's arrangement and only felt it was laughable.

He, Cui Xinghe, was a descendant of a famous family and the top scholar who had suppressed all the scholars in Da Qian.

How could his knowledge and strategy be compared to a piece of trash who only knew how to play vicious tricks?

The Empress had actually given them similar statuses—one going to Jiangcheng and one going to Qingshui City—which clearly meant they were being compared.

And by comparison, Jiangcheng was much more severe.

But Gao Yang had gone to Jiangcheng.

In Cui Xinghe's eyes, this was a great humiliation!

Gao Yang, a playboy who spent his days in Changancheng's pleasure districts, while he, Cui Xinghe, had been studying the art of governing in the Han Lin Academy, yet in the Empress's heart, she valued Gao Yang more.

This was a humiliation to his entire Cui clan, and even more so a humiliation to him, Cui Xinghe!

Thinking of this, Cui Xinghe's eyes became even colder.

"Pass on my order to these grain merchants: do not be too greedy, otherwise, if you anger me, it won't end well!"

"Grain prices in Qingshui City must be lowered by another eight wen to eighty-two wen per dou. They can still make a profit; know when to stop!"

"If you give me face, when I return to Changancheng and become a Secretariat Drafter before the Empress, I will remember this favor. If you don't, then we will each rely on our own means, but I fear the price will be more than you can bear!"

Hearing this, the Qingshui City Magistrate was surprised. "Young Master Cui wants to lower it by another eight wen?"

In this way, grain prices in Qingshui City would only be eighty-two wen per dou, which, although still much higher than the previous fifty wen per dou, was still...

But if the commoners gritted their teeth and tightened their belts, they could still afford it, and at the very least, it wouldn't be a hellish scene of starvation everywhere.

Of course, in such a year of great disaster, a job to support a family was too precious; for commoners without money, even if it were lowered to fifty wen per dou, they would still starve to death!

In the eyes of the Qingshui City Magistrate, this was already hard-won.

Cui Xinghe nodded. "I have secretly investigated grain prices along the Qingshuihe and made a statistic. The two major grain merchants, Liu and Tian, have been frantically hoarding grain at prices from fifty-three to seventy-one wen, not to mention the old grain they still have from last year in their households!"

"At eighty-two wen per dou, they can still make a profit and won't fight to the death."

"For an official, tension and relaxation, a stick and a carrot—that is the way to govern a country!"

The Qingshui City Magistrate was filled with admiration.

"Censor Cui has great talent. Your subordinate thanks Censor Cui on behalf of the more than fifty thousand commoners of Qingshui City!"

"Having Censor Cui in Da Qian is a blessing for the country!"

After speaking, the Qingshui City Magistrate immediately went down to pass on the message.

When the two major grain merchants of Qingshui City heard Cui Xinghe's message, they both fell silent.

On one side was the friendship of the Cui clan of Changancheng, the top scholar of Da Qian; on the other was a falling out and a battle of means.

But Cui Xinghe had left them a way out.

At a grain price of eighty-two wen, they could still make a big profit.

Under this kind of game.

Soon, grain prices in Qingshui City fell again!

It was just that they fell in a slow form, which allowed them to make more money, but Cui Xinghe did not care about this.

Lowering it by eight wen suddenly would cause grain prices to fluctuate too much; falling slowly allowed the two families to better control grain prices and make more money.

After doing all this, Cui Xinghe looked to the north of Qingshui City, his eyes carrying a chill.

"On one side is the eighteen-wen drop in Qingshui City, and on the other is the one hundred and fifty wen per dou, or even higher, grain price in Jiangcheng."

"I, Cui Xinghe, am destined to shine throughout all of Changancheng!"

Cui Xinghe's eyes carried a strong ambition.

"..."

Jiangcheng.

Outside the County Yamen.

Angry commoners filled the County Yamen, unable to control the anger in their hearts, venting it toward the Yamen.

"One hundred and eighty wen per dou—is this trying to make us live?"

"My Lord, this commoner kneels before you. I beg you to show mercy outside the law and open the granaries to distribute grain quickly, otherwise my whole family will starve to death!"

"Today it's already more than one hundred and eighty wen per dou; it's already broken through two hundred wen per dou, and those damnable grain merchants won't even sell it at two hundred wen per dou!"

"Those beasts who eat human blood buns, they will get their retribution sooner or later!"

Wave after wave of voices spread far away, which made Du Jiang inside the Yamen full of sorrow.

He paced back and forth in the main hall of the Yamen, his brows filled with irritability.

The Private Secretary beside him said, "My Lord, if this continues, with the public anger, I fear it will be difficult to end!"

Du Jiang stopped his steps and looked back at the Private Secretary. "Is this situation something I want to see?"

"Once the Censor's notice is out, can the commoners not be angry? But what can I do? My impeachment memorial was rejected, and the Empress ordered us to listen to the Censor. What can I do!"

The Private Secretary was also full of sorrow and despair.

"Today is the seventh day, but grain prices in Jiangcheng have not only not fallen but have risen to two hundred wen per dou, which is twenty wen per dou more expensive than the one hundred and fifty wen per dou on the notice!"

"The commoners' grain reserves are bottoming out, and the Yamen cannot open the granaries to distribute grain. In a few more days, as the public anger sweeps through, a great chaos will surely arise!"

Du Jiang frowned tightly; how could he not know all this?

"Where is Censor Gao?" Du Jiang asked with bloodshot eyes.

The Private Secretary replied, "He should be at the Huaguo Temple!"

Du Jiang's expression changed. "Gone to the temple again?"

His face was livid.

During these seven days, besides ordering the major grain merchants not to sell grain for less than one hundred and fifty wen per dou, Gao Yang had either gone to the Qingshuihe for sightseeing or gone to the temple to worship Buddha!

He even wanted to renovate the Yamen and hold large-scale events!

With such negligence, could grain prices in Jiangcheng fall?

"The seven-day deadline has arrived. I will go find Young Master Gao now to see how he will lower the grain prices he guaranteed with his life!"

"..."

Outside the Huaguo Temple.

This was the largest temple near Jiangcheng, with countless commoners coming to offer sacrifices, and the incense was flourishing.

In Da Qian, Taoism and Buddhism were prevalent, and the two were on par.

Throughout Da Qian, from high-ranking officials and nobles down to ordinary commoners, there were countless people burning incense and worshipping Buddha.

After Gao Yang offered a few sticks of incense, he was personally sent out by the Abbot of Huaguo Temple.

The two talked happily.

This scene made Du Jiang, who had come to find Gao Yang, gnash his teeth in anger.

He did not believe in Buddha at all. In his heart, if there really were gods and Buddhas in the world who could hear the suffering of the common people.

Then where would there be so many great disasters in this world?

The gods and Buddhas in the sky were all a joke!

When the Abbot entered the temple, Du Jiang could not help but ask, "Censor Gao, a full seven days have passed!"

"But grain prices in Jiangcheng have not only not fallen, but have gone higher and higher. Since your decree was issued, grain prices have soared rapidly to one hundred and fifty wen per dou, and not only that, they are still rising, reaching two hundred wen per dou. Since the Yamen posted the notice, there have been commoners begging outside the Yamen every day!"

"If this continues, the situation will surely get out of control, and by then everything will be too late. Are you really not afraid?"

Du Jiang said in despair.

He had wanted to report to the Empress quickly, hoping the Empress would stop his absurd behavior, but not only did it sink like a stone in the ocean, he even received an order from the Empress to act according to the decree!

And after inquiring, he finally learned of Gao Yang's identity.

The grandson of the Duke of the State, Gao Tianlong, a famous playboy in Changancheng. ===== CHAPTER 28 =====