bastard seizes tang

Chapter 259

"You pass it on immediately and tell all the salt shops and shops in Xuyi County that from now on, the price of salt in Xuyi will be set at one hundred and eighty yuan per bucket, and no salt shop should be higher than one yuan, otherwise I will not forgive you lightly." Sun Cong just came out After arriving at the Xuyi County Yamen, he gave instructions to the accountant of the Salt Bank who was waiting outside the Yamen.

The accountant at the Salt Bank was stunned for a moment when he heard Sun Cong's words, thinking he had misunderstood, so he asked, "The owner is talking about lowering the price of salt?"

Sun Cong nodded and said, "That's right, it is precisely to lower the price of salt, 180 Wen, not a single penny."

The waiter looked at Sun Cong's decisive expression, and asked puzzledly: "It has been raining for days recently, and it's hard to find a bucket of fine salt in Xuyi City, even if it's eight hundred or one thousand wen, we can't worry about selling it. At that time, why did the owner suddenly drop to such a low level?"

The price of salt in Xuyi City was raised several times, and it was Sun Cong who received the news from Zhou Dingfang, who informed the people below that he was the one who wanted to raise the price of salt, and now he is the one who wants to lower the price of salt. .

Sun Cong said: "What kind of person is His Royal Highness the King of Chu? Why did you summon us when he first came to Xuyi? It was not for the price of salt. The price of salt in Xuyi City is too high, which has already displeased the King of Chu. It is the meaning of the king of Chu."

The clerk worried and asked Sun Cong: "This matter has a lot to do with it, but we need to send someone to Yangzhou to ask the owner."

Although Sun Cong was in charge of the Xuyi Salt Company, the price of salt was determined by Zhou Dingfang, who was still in Yangzhou. Sun Cong's actions really broke the rules.

But just now the guy was not in the yamen, so how could he know what happened in the yamen? With the current situation, there is no room for Sun Cong to choose.

Sun Cong said to the waiter: "His Royal Highness the King of Chu has already ordered that the price is not guaranteed, and the price is not beheaded. After today, if the price of salt in Xuyi City exceeds 180 renminbi, the King of Chu will take my head. Don't you think so?" Want to kill me?"

From Xuyi to Yangzhou, it will take more than two days at the earliest, the salt price can wait for two days, but how can Sun Cong's head wait.

"My master calm down, the villain dare not." Hearing Sun Cong's words, the man was startled, and repeatedly apologized.

Sun Cong said: "You should do what I want to do with the Yanhang side first. As for the Xingzhu side, I will write to inform you. Today's matter was ordered by the King of Chu himself. Even if you want to come to Xingzhu's side, you will know. No, it won't make things difficult for us."

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"His Royal Highness wants to set the price of salt and grain in the city, so he should directly order the commanders to order. Why should those principals come to the Yamen?"

When the difference in status is large enough, the so-called discussion will completely lose its meaning.When Li Ke talked to the stewards of those salt shops and grain companies, he didn't mean to inquire at all. Even the form was so simple that it was no different from an order. As soon as these chiefs left, Dan'er, who was serving beside Li Ke, asked Li Ke road.

Li Ke didn't answer her directly, but asked instead: "How much do you think they would have listened to with just a document if I hadn't heard it personally from the king?"

After listening to Li Ke's words, Dan'er also showed a thoughtful expression on his face.

The principals of these salt shops and grain companies are all local gentry, and they are somewhat related to Xuyi and even the entire Huainan dignitaries. Under the intertwined interests, it is common to cover up and conceal each other. It is indeed difficult to tell them to be obedient and follow Li Ke's words.

Dan'er said: "The matter of salt and grain has a lot to do with it. Your Highness is worried that they will violate the government's order, so he personally mentioned them?"

Li Ke nodded and said: "That's right, but it's not all like that. The king ordered them to come to see the king, and it also has the meaning of establishing prestige."

Huainan is no better than Guanzhong. The Great Tang won the land of Huainan only ten years ago. As for the people's aspirations of the local tyrants, it is even more unpredictable. Now that the situation is becoming more and more urgent, Li Ke has no time to play Tai Chi with these local tyrants. The power is strong.

Li Ke came to Xuyi here for the purpose of water control, and water control is the most important thing in Huainan's current politics. When Li Ke arrived in Xuyi, he heard that the principals of the salt company and the grain company were firstly for the purpose of lowering prices, and secondly The person who borrowed the salt shop and the grain company should tell the powerful gentry in Xuyi City that now that Xuyi's water is in trouble, Li Ke is here to supervise the water administration.

Li Ke was talking to Dan'er when Wang Xuance entered the room and said, "Your Highness, the principals of these salt shops and grain shops have released news after returning to their residences. Starting tomorrow, the price of salt will be 180 renminbi, and the price of grain will be [-] renminbi." .”

The owners of these salt shops and grain stores are careful about their own heads, and after they left the county government for a while, news spread, for fear that they were slow to do things, and Li Ke would be displeased.

Li Ke heard this, nodded and said: "That's good, as long as the price of salt and grain is stable, even if the people live a little harder, they can survive this summer."

Wang Xuance said: "Your Highness, although the price of pressing salt and grain is good, it can ease the emergency, but this method will not cure the root cause. If the heavy rain continues like this, within half a month, there will be no grain to sell in Xuyi City. "

Half a month later, when Li Ke heard this number from Wang Xuance's mouth, his brows were slightly frowned.

The rain is the number of days, and Li Ke doesn't know when the heavy rain will fall. Whether the fifteen days is long or short is not short, and Li Ke has no idea.

Li Ke thought for a while, and asked Wang Xuance: "If this king orders, maybe the grain from the Shanyang warehouse will be transferred?"

Shanyang warehouse is located in Shanyang, Chuzhou. It was built in the Daye period of the former Sui Dynasty. It is one of the eight largest granaries in the world, storing nearly 80 shi of grain.

However, Wang Xuance shook his head and said to Li Ke: "I'm afraid it's not right. Shanyang warehouse is under the jurisdiction of the household department. Its order is in the court, not in the local area. The use of the warehouse and grain is very important. If your highness orders, I am afraid that the Shanyang warehouse supervisor will not be able to do so." Will buy it."

Most of the granaries in the Tang Dynasty were inherited from the former Sui Dynasty, and the grain stored in the granary was not for civilian use. Although the Shanyang warehouse supervisor was only a seventh-rank official, he was directly under the central government. He spread all over Huainan, and no one could control him. Through him, Shanyang was easily mobilized. Barn of grain.

Moreover, most of the grain stored in the Shanyang Warehouse was used for turnover into the Guanzhong, and the local area used it very little, and it was usually not used. It was naturally not easy for Li Ke to transfer the grain stored in the Shanyang Warehouse.

Li Ke said to Wang Xuance: "In this way, the king and the transfer of the Shanyang warehouse need to inform the provincial government in advance, and even go to write to the emperor?"

"Not bad." Wang Xuance replied.

Li Ke said: "That's the case, but the grain market in Xuyi can be stabilized for the time being. I immediately wrote a letter in hand, ordering people to send it to Chang'an, and asking my father to transfer 30 shi of grain from the Shanyang warehouse for backup."

The figure of 30 shi was considered by Li Ke. It is not too much, and it will not take up the share that should be sent to Beijing, and it is not too small. If it is more compact to survive this summer, there should be no problem.

The settlement of the salt and grain issue in Xuyi City relieved the immediate urgent task in Xuyi City, but outside Xuyi City, there was a bigger crisis waiting for Li Ke, and outside Xuyi City, it would happen at some point. The Huai River burst out of the embankment.

(End of this chapter)