Chapter 49: The Great Strategy of Grain Price Reduction

The pent-up frustration that had accumulated in his heart during this period was completely swept away.

She took out a memorial and looked at the assembled officials, "This is an urgent memorial sent by Du Jiang of the Qingshui County Yamen last night!"

"It is clearly written above that two days ago, the grain price in Linjiang City plummeted to seventy wen per dou in a single day, and it is still falling."

"Gao Yang, the grandson of the Duke of Ding, ordered notices to be posted, forbidding sales below one hundred and fifty wen per dou. He is exploiting the greed of merchants to trick out-of-town grain merchants into rushing to Linjiang City!"

"As for the other methods, they are all written down one by one; you may all see for yourselves!"

"A pillar of talent is being frantically impeached by narrow-minded people like you; it truly breaks My heart!"

Wu Zhao threw the memorial down heavily, her voice echoing through the Jin Luan Hall.

Yan Zheng immediately picked up the memorial, and after quickly scanning it, his face turned pale.

Clang!

The memorial fell to the ground.

Seeing Yan Zheng's expression, the officials could not help but be even more horrified.

More officials snatched the memorial, and even Cui Xinghe took it over to look.

Yan Zheng said in utter disbelief, "Raising grain prices to attract out-of-town merchants, and once they enter the city, opening the granaries to release grain to crash the prices!"

"Because of their costs and losses, these out-of-town merchants will scramble to sell off their stock, thereby driving the local grain merchants in Linjiang City to sell their grain as well..."

"The world actually possesses such methods!"

Yan Zheng was inwardly shocked.

The officials were all filled with shock as well.

Song Li and Wang Zhong felt their hearts skip a beat, standing there like wooden chickens.

By utilizing the greedy nature of merchants to lure them in, and then opening the granaries to release grain, one could only imagine how many out-of-town grain merchants would be bankrupted.

And all of this had been destined seven days ago.

In their minds, Gao Yang's figure seemed to appear; just by standing there, planning and strategizing, the grain prices plummeted.

Countless commoners were reborn because of him, and countless grain merchants wailed as they went bankrupt!

This son, how terrifying!

Song Li's expression changed again and again, his face looking extremely ugly.

For a time, the entire Jin Luan Hall was silent.

The officials were all mentally shaken.

They had never imagined that there could be such a method to lower grain prices during a year of great disaster.

Gao Feng snatched the memorial, his face also filled with astonishment.

Yang'er, is he really hiding his true talent?

The grain price in Linjiang City falling as low as seventy wen per dou—this is even more impressive than Cui Xinghe.

Gao Feng's mind flashed back to Gao Yang's words before he left.

A fledgling eagle must spread its wings and soar high, striking across the vast sky!

Cui Xinghe said unwillingly, "But he ordered the renovation of the county yamen and the hosting of large-scale events. To act like this during a year of great disaster, isn't that preying upon the commoners?"

"How is this to be explained?"

Today, he should have been the center of the entire Jin Luan Hall, he should have become famous throughout the world, and received the high regard of the Empress!

But all of this was gone.

Under Gao Yang's method of lowering grain prices, he, Cui Xinghe, was like a joke!

As Cui Xinghe spoke, a young eunuch also came to the Empress's side and whispered.

Wu Zhao said indifferently, "This question, not only is Minister Cui curious, but I am also curious!"

"Summon the Linjiang City Investigating Censor Gao Yang for an audience!"

For a moment, the officials all turned their heads in astonishment, looking toward the gate of the Jin Luan Hall.

Soon, Gao Yang strode in, wearing a long robe, with a piece of fine mutton-fat white jade at his waist.

"Your subject Gao Yang, pays respects to Her Majesty the Empress!"

Swish, swish, swish.

For a time, numerous gazes gathered on Gao Yang, filled with complexity.

Wang Zhong and Song Li had faces that were even more livid.

These past few days, they had once thought they had won.

Who knew that Gao Yang would give them such a huge surprise.

The grain price in Linjiang City plummeted within a single day.

Gao Feng looked at Gao Yang with a satisfied gaze.

Today, this rebellious son actually looked much more pleasing to the eye, and much more handsome.

He actually had three parts of his own demeanor from when he was young!

Wu Zhao spoke, "The sudden drop in grain prices in Linjiang City, I am already aware of. Gao Yang, your methods are indeed superb."

"But Magistrate Du says in the memorial that you want to renovate the yamen and hold a large-scale dragon boat race, and that the winner can even be exempted from three years of commercial taxes. Is this true or false?"

Gao Yang nodded and said, "Reporting to Your Majesty, this is my idea, and I hope for Your Majesty's approval!"

Wu Zhao spoke, "During a year of great disaster, to exploit the commoners, Censor Gao, are you aware that this matter has aroused public anger, and how many people have impeached you?"

Cui Xinghe stood out directly and looked at Gao Yang, "During a year of great disaster, the commoners struggle even for food and drink. For Censor Gao to exploit the commoners like this, is that not inappropriate?"

He had no way out; either he suppressed Gao Yang, or today he would be completely overshadowed by Gao Yang's radiance.

Wang Zhong also followed up, "Censor Gao, bullying the commoners and preying upon them is a great crime. I ask Censor Gao to give the world a convincing reason."

For a moment, Gao Feng felt some worry and could not help but look at Gao Yang.

Gao Yang was completely calm, his gaze looking at Wang Zhong and Cui Xinghe, "I would like to ask General Wang and Scholar Cui, and even all the lords in the court who have impeached me, a question."

"Before I left Linjiang City, the grain price had already fallen to seventy wen per dou. Out-of-town grain merchants flooded in, local merchants sold off their stock, and the grain price could even fall to fifty wen per dou."

"But even at fifty copper coins per peck, while it is considered a low price compared to the grain prices of the entire Guangyang Commandery, can all the commoners really afford it?"

"And does the imperial court have that much grain to provide disaster relief?"

For a moment, the pupils of the officials shrank, and they were speechless.

In fact, every time there is a great disaster in the world, the land is filled with the starving, and the first to die are the commoners who cannot afford grain.

One hundred wen per dou versus fifty wen per dou makes no great difference to these destitute disaster victims at the very bottom.

Because this group of commoners simply has no money to buy it, or not enough money to last through the entire disaster period.

They can only wait for the imperial court to provide disaster relief!

And for the vast number of disaster victims, although the imperial court has issued decrees for relief, where would the national treasury have abundant grain?

They can only let a batch die first, and then provide relief to help the commoners survive.

The national treasury lacks sufficient grain; this is the root cause!

But let alone now, even for hundreds of years, there has been no good method.

This is the cruel reality!

Gao Yang said indifferently, "Blindly opening the granaries to release grain can only delay the death of the disaster victims."

"The commoners cannot find work and cannot earn money; this is the root cause. Furthermore, under blind disaster relief, many commoners will wait every day for relief grain, and the grain in the national treasury is simply not enough."

"The true method should be 'relief through work,' letting the commoners have work to do and money to earn. This is the superior strategy!"