Chapter 28: Gao Yang's true intention, the net begins to close

Once these words were spoken, Du Jiang was stunned.

"What?"

He did not expect that this Gao Yang was really not just playing around.

He really wanted to renovate the Yamen on a large scale and hold a grand event!

But this was clearly a disaster year; the commoners were already unable to survive, and yet he was still squeezing them like this—wasn't this trying to make the commoners die?

"Your subordinate will do as you say, but Censor Gao, even if you are the grandson of the Duke of the State, if you cause such a great disaster, you will not be able to bear the consequences!"

Du Jiang was full of anger.

Beside him, Shangguan Wan'er looked at Gao Yang with a complex expression. She smiled bitterly. "Young Master Gao, what exactly do you want to do?"

"Otherwise, I can only take over Jiangcheng on your behalf!"

Shangguan Wan'er's expression was serious, her eyes filled with endless solemnity.

The situation was already somewhat uncontrollable.

She had to know Gao Yang's intentions.

Du Jiang's eyes suddenly ignited with hope, and he bowed directly. "Lord Shangguan, take action quickly."

"Otherwise, once the commoners riot, it will lead to an irreversible disaster!"

Shangguan Wan'er looked at Gao Yang, her beautiful eyes filled with doubt. "You clearly don't like Buddha. There are many believers in Changancheng; I have seen them, and there is an incredible fanaticism in their eyes. But you don't have it."

"In other words, visiting temples everywhere these past few days is not your original intention, and renovating the Yamen is even more unbelievable. You will return to Changancheng in a while, but why do you want to renovate the Yamen?"

"Bearing the infamy of a city and causing grain prices in Jiangcheng to soar—all this, Young Master Gao must give me the bottom line!"

Du Jiang was also stunned.

He was not a fool either. After Shangguan Wan'er said this.

He also noticed something was wrong.

All these behaviors were very abnormal. Even if he believed in Buddha, it was impossible to go to the temple to burn incense and worship every day.

Renovating the Yamen was even more thankless. Gao Yang would eventually return to Changancheng; even if he was a playboy, he wouldn't do such a thankless thing.

Could it be that Gao Yang really had other ideas?

Gao Yang stood outside the temple, and from his view, he could overlook the entire Jiangcheng.

He said faintly, "Magistrate Du, do you remember a sentence I said to you seven days ago?"

Du Jiang frowned and answered subconsciously.

"Is it the one about how if you want to lower grain prices, you don't necessarily have to desperately suppress them?"

"But grain prices are soaring, and merchants are greedy. If they don't harvest a wave ruthlessly, how will they stop?"

Gao Yang said faintly, "Magistrate Du, I want to ask you one thing: if the four major grain merchants unite, even if suppressed by force, how much can they lower it?"

"Eight wen, or eighteen wen? Even at a grain price of eighty wen per dou, how many commoners can afford it?"

Du Jiang's tone paused, and Shangguan Wan'er was also speechless.

"Unless you raise the butcher's knife and kill them all. But once killed, all the merchants in the city will be terrified."

"And for ordinary commoners, whether it is one hundred wen per dou, one hundred and fifty wen per dou, or two hundred wen per dou, there is no big difference. They can't afford it anyway."

"But grain prices in Jiangcheng are soaring, and the government has ordered that grain must not be sold for less than one hundred and fifty wen per dou. What will this attract?"

Once these words were spoken.

Hum!

Almost instantly, Du Jiang's brain felt like it had been struck by lightning.

Grain prices soared to sky-high prices, and ordinary commoners couldn't afford it, but who would this attract?

In the minds of Du Jiang and Shangguan Wan'er, a word almost simultaneously appeared.

Outside grain merchants!

Could it be, could it be...

Du Jiang looked at Gao Yang in shock, his eyes filled with disbelief.

Shangguan Wan'er's heart also set off a monstrous wave!

Even the pretty Lv Luo felt her full chest rising and falling.

Gao Yang said coldly, "The four major grain merchants—Qian, Zhao, Han, and Lin—greedily swept up local grain and raised prices, and small local grain merchants followed suit and hoarded grain, hoping to sell at a sky-high price."

"Greed is human nature. No merchant in the world is not greedy. But at the same time, the news of soaring grain prices in Jiangcheng will also spread to the surrounding areas at a terrifying speed!"

"These past few days, at the city gates and by the docks, the number of carriages and cargo ships transporting grain has been increasing every day!"

"This Jiangcheng has long been not short of grain. The number of outside grain merchants in Jiangcheng is rising every day."

"The current grain price in Jiangcheng will be a huge balloon; it looks big, but it will burst with one prick!"

"These merchants want to make a fortune from the national disaster. This time, I will make them lose their families and lives!"

A coldness appeared in Gao Yang's eyes. His voice was not loud, but it made Du Jiang and Shangguan Wan'er hear it very clearly.

This light tone swept through the hearts of Du Jiang and Shangguan Wan'er.

Their eyes were like they had seen a ghost!

If it were as Gao Yang said, these grain merchants would face a great disaster, but there was no pity in Du Jiang's heart, only pleasure.

These merchants who made a fortune from the national disaster all deserved to die.

"Then why does the Lord want to renovate the Yamen and hold some dragon boat race? What is the intention of this?" Du Jiang asked in confusion.

Gao Yang did not explain this.

He just said, "Magistrate Du will know in a while. For the commoners, a grain price of fifty wen per dou also requires silver to buy."

Hearing this, Du Jiang's eyes rarely showed no contempt.

He fell into thought.

A grain price of fifty wen per dou also requires silver for the commoners to buy.

This sentence made him have some realization in his heart, but he couldn't grasp it.

Du Jiang knelt down directly. "My Lord, your subordinate is guilty. Not only is your subordinate stupid, but I even impeached you!"

Gao Yang said faintly, "The four major grain merchants are deeply rooted, and I don't know how many of their people are in the Yamen, so I didn't say anything."

"The impeachment of a few days ago is not worth mentioning; you don't have to take it to heart."

But Du Jiang said with a sweaty face, "My Lord, just an hour ago, before your subordinate came to find the Censor, I wrote another one, and the wording was more intense, and the tone was more excited."

Gao Yang: "..."

He looked at Du Jiang, his mouth twitching.

This Du Jiang's hand was really fast!

Wouldn't this make Changancheng explode?

Shangguan Wan'er said, "I will write a letter immediately and send it to Changancheng by fast horse. Young Master Gao, don't worry."

Gao Yang nodded.

Meeting him, these grain merchants were truly unlucky!

Gao Yang looked at Shangguan Wan'er and said, "Lord Shangguan, tonight, please trouble yourself to fill sandbags with soil and sand from outside the city. Remember not to let the news leak; I have great use for them." ===== CHAPTER 30 =====