Chapter 36

Linjiang City, County Yamen.

"Report!"

"My lord, among the commoners coming to buy grain, there are many unfamiliar faces. They are competing to buy grain, and they are buying in large quantities. They are even inciting trouble, claiming the granary has no grain, disrupting the public's morale. I ask my lord to make a quick decision."

Private Secretary Bai looked at Du Jiang, saying with panic on his face.

Du Jiang said with a dark face, "This must be the Four Great Grain Merchants causing trouble. The sharp drop in Linjiang City's grain price hits them first, so they are frantically sweeping up the grain, wanting to maintain their monopoly on hoarding!"

"Has the grain price in Linjiang City dropped?"

Private Secretary Bai shook his head, "My lord, this subordinate has been sending people to watch. There is no movement in the shops elsewhere; the price has not dropped yet."

"Not dropped yet?" Du Jiang's expression was stunned.

Du Jiang's gaze was solemn, "What should we do? If they sweep up the grain with the strength of the Four Great Grain Merchants, I fear the grain in the granary will soon be sold out."

"If the commoners find out, it will inevitably trigger a new panic. Pass the order down: throw these people with ulterior motives out, and slow down the speed of selling grain!"

Gao Yang walked over from the back courtyard of the yamen. He said indifferently, "They are dying to trigger a riot; doing this just fulfills their wishes." Gao Yang's gaze was cold, "This official has suddenly changed his mind. They are wealthy and powerful; since they want to sweep it up, then give it to them."

"This official wants to see how much they can eat."

Du Jiang's face was stunned, "What?"

"My lord, if it continues at this speed, I fear it will be swept clean by the Four Great Grain Merchants in less than a day!"

"The other grain merchants in Linjiang City are still watching, and the grain price is still at a sky-high level. With so many commoners and the Four Great Grain Merchants, this won't do."

Gao Yang said indifferently, "Merchants watching from the sidelines is their nature."

"Opening the granaries to release grain is only the first step in the plan."

Gao Yang looked at Shangguan Wan'er, "Immediately blockade the city gates and the wharf. Order the soldiers outside the city to escort 'grain' into the city and enter the granary. Anyone who dares to approach this batch of grain is to be killed on the spot!"

"You must let all the commoners in the city witness that there is a continuous stream of grain entering Linjiang City!"

"Everything is to be done according to the steps. Within one day, the grain price in Linjiang City will definitely drop!"

"As long as we control the grain in the granary within one day and let the grain on the market drop even lower, that counts as a win!"

"They won't be able to sweep up all the grain on the market."

"Do as this official says, release the goods!"

Du Jiang's face was suddenly enlightened.

She and Shangguan Wan'er cupped their hands to accept the order and walked out one after another.

Gao Yang's gaze was cold and sharp.

He could set the rules for the entire Linjiang City. In his previous life, he had never had such a wonderful opening. The Four Great Grain Merchants dared to arm-wrestle with him?

Shangguan Wan'er rode a tall horse, bringing the Imperial Guards from the palace, and arrived at the Linjiang City gate all the way.

She held high the gold-lettered token bestowed by Wu Zhao, her expression cold.

"Seeing this token is like seeing His Majesty in person!"

"From this moment on, blockade the city gates. Not a single grain is allowed to leave the city!"

"Otherwise, kill without mercy!"

The soldiers at the city gate saw the token and knelt down one after another.

"Respectfully obey His Majesty's decree!"

"Take the road and stab; not a single grain is allowed to leave the city!"

Immediately after, Shangguan Wan'er personally led a troop of soldiers escorting an endless line of grain carts into Linjiang City, driving toward the granary.

All the commoners witnessed this scene with their own eyes, and their eyes lit up.

Especially the commoners who were lining up in a line hundreds of meters long in front of the granary were even more moved.

"Grain!"

"This is the court's disaster relief grain that has arrived!"

The commoners were incredibly excited, and Chen Sheng, who was in the crowd, was also shocked.

The disaster relief grain has arrived; the grain price in Linjiang City is really going to drop!

Shangguan Wan'er sent people to transport this batch of "grain" into the granary. She said coldly, "His Majesty has a decree: Guangyang Prefecture has suffered a great disaster, and one hundred thousand carts of grain have been specially approved for disaster relief. This is the first batch of grain transported to Linjiang City. Everyone will have a share; there is as much as you want!"

The commoners were all in tears.