Chapter 39

To lower the grain price, you don't necessarily have to desperately press down the grain price!

Posting a notice ordering the big grain merchants of Linjiang City to only sell grain at high prices and not at low prices.

Once the grain price in Linjiang City is raised to a sky-high price, outside merchants, because of their inner greed, will inevitably transport grain here one after another, wanting to make a big profit.

After the outside grain merchants further push up the grain price and enough have entered, then order the yamen to open the granaries to release grain, forcing these outside grain merchants to be the first to dump their stock, and the grain price will follow the trend and plummet!

What Du Jiang admired most was that the price at which Gao Yang opened the granaries to release grain was neither high nor low, giving these outside grain merchants room to make money.

Those who dump first make a big profit, while those who dump later might go bankrupt.

This will make all outside grain merchants compete with each other, all thinking of getting rid of it as quickly as possible.

"My lord, this overt scheme, this subordinate admires!"

Shangguan Wan'er was also filled with amazement.

Gao Yang's methods were unimaginable.

But she asked curiously, "If these outside grain merchants don't panic and dump their stock, how will it end?"

Gao Yang looked at the scene of scrambling before him and shook his head, "This is human nature, it simply cannot be suppressed. In the seven days since Linjiang City, many outside grain merchants have poured in."

"With so many outside grain merchants, their ideas cannot be the same. Everyone faces different dilemmas, so their choices will be very different."

"The grain in the hands of the Four Great Grain Merchants of Linjiang City is mostly old grain from last year, and then grain hoarded when the market price was fifty to seventy wen per dou when the disaster just started this year. Their costs are low enough, so naturally, they are not panicked."

"But these outside grain merchants are different. This year, the entire Guangyang Prefecture is having a hard time, and grain prices have been soaring. Some of them have gone bankrupt wanting to make a big profit, and some have bought grain at high prices, traveling dozens of kilometers wanting to make a price difference. Just the cost of these dozens of miles is a very terrifying number."

"Not to mention that some have spare money to buy grain, and some have gone bankrupt to buy grain. Thus, people's hearts are hard to unite!"

"Their panic dumping is an inevitable thing."

"Furthermore..." Gao Yang paused and looked at Shangguan Wan'er with a half-smile, "If no one really dumps their stock, then this official will apologize with his death, taking this head to apologize to His Majesty."

"If the head is gone, it's just a bowl-sized scar; what does that count for?"

Du Jiang said with admiration, "My lord's mentality of not changing his expression even when Mount Taishan collapses before him, this subordinate admires."

Shangguan Wan'er's mouth twitched, and she said unpleasantly, "Then why has Official Gao, since the day the yamen posted the notice, ordered the palace guards to protect him, and even wore a layer of armor inside?"

"Are you sure this isn't to prevent public anger from being too great, fearing that criminals will assassinate you?"

Shangguan Wan'er stared at the inner lining of Gao Yang's robe, feeling amused.

She had seen people afraid of death, but she had never seen anyone as afraid of death as Gao Yang.

Luoluo nodded, "Not only that, the Young Master also ordered this servant to protect him closely, never leaving his side."

Du Jiang widened his eyes, only feeling that something had shattered.

Gao Yang laughed a few times to cover up his embarrassment.

Shangguan Wan'er was one thing; after all, she was a favorite by the Empress's side, and he couldn't afford to provoke her.

But Luoluo actually dared to expose his background; he must teach her a lesson!

He quickly changed the subject, "The great trend in Linjiang City is set; no need to look anymore, just sit and wait for the grain price to plummet."

After finishing, Gao Yang walked away.

This time, it was the first time in seven days that Gao Yang left first, not sticking closely to the side of his guards.

Shangguan Wan'er watched Gao Yang's back, her cold eyes rippling with little waves.

The grandson of the Dingguo Duke is quite interesting.

She could almost imagine that when the news of today's grain price plunge reached Chang'an, it would definitely cause a shock throughout Chang'an!

Du Jiang on the side was also full of expectation.

As long as the Four Great Grain Merchants—Qian, Zhao, Han, and Lin—follow suit and dump their stock, the grain price in Linjiang City will usher in a new plunge.

Gao Yang's lazy voice sounded in front, "Since the grain price in Linjiang City is as low as ninety-three wen per dou, order people to sweep it up on a large scale!"

"Post another notice: the yamen granary is abundant, lower it by another fifteen wen, just ninety wen per dou!"

Behind him, Du Jiang's eyes lit up.

He was incredibly excited, "This subordinate will do it immediately!"

Gao Yang walked toward the yamen, feeling incredibly moved in his heart.

He now finally understood the black-hearted dealer methods in the stock market of his previous life; this was simply too refreshing.

Dumping at the price of one hundred and five wen per dou, after the outside grain merchants followed the trend and pressed the grain price to ninety-three wen per dou, he then bought in large quantities, continuing to press it down at the price of ninety wen per dou.

Calculating this carefully, he even earned nine wen per dou!

Conversely, whether it was Qian, Zhao, Han, Lin, or the outside grain merchants who wanted to ship out, they had to be lower than ninety wen per dou!

The feeling of a capitalist is truly intoxicating.

"..."

At the same time.

"The grain price has dropped!"

"Have you all heard? It's now as low as ninety-three wen per dou!"

"Many big grain merchants are frantically dumping their stock; the grain price has finally dropped!"

Linjiang City, accompanied by the frantic price-comparing dumping of outside grain merchants, the commoners were all incredibly excited.

There was discussion everywhere.

They had watched the grain price soar all the way for these seven days.

They would never forget that despair in their lives.

Chen Sheng stood among the commoners in line, and he looked at the commoners who came to report the news, a flash of disbelief crossing his face.

Ninety-three wen per dou!

It dropped by a full one hundred and twenty-seven wen!

"Imperial Censor Gao..."

Chen Sheng muttered to himself.

Lin Prefecture.

A panicked report broke the peace inside the Lin Prefecture.

"Lin Lao, something terrible has happened!"

"The grain price in Linjiang City is now as low as ninety-three wen per dou!"

A servant rushed in in a panic.

Hearing the news, Lin Lao and the others' expressions changed suddenly.

"Impossible!"

"We haven't sold, and we spent hundreds of thousands of taels to sweep up goods. How can the grain price in Linjiang City be so cheap?"

"A few small grain merchants cannot affect the overall situation."

"If you dare to talk nonsense again, I will beat you to death!"

Lin Lao's eyes were murderous.

The servant knelt on the ground and said loudly, "It... it's the outside grain merchants. There have been many outside grain merchants in the past few days."

"They don't follow the rules and are dumping their stock on a large scale!"

"According to this downward trend, I fear it will soon drop to ninety wen per dou!"

The head of the Qian family was furious, "Fart! Our four families are the only ones in Linjiang City; where did so many outside grain merchants come from!"

But Lin Lao, hearing these words, was startled.

His pair of cloudy old eyes suddenly widened, as if he had suddenly realized something!