A Millennium Aristocratic Family Starting from the Shang Dynasty

Chapter 665 Game
Two months ago, the Royal Palace.

Wang Xuanjing said to Li Shimin: "Your Majesty, even if you personally issue the edict, those people will not sell grain cheaply. And if you forcefully issue the edict, you will be criticized. In the end, if you want to save the people, you have to kill everyone." Don’t go away.”

"Why is this?" Li Shimin was a little confused: "Aren't they afraid of death?"

"When the benefits are big enough, they will even sell the sword that killed them to others. The benefits have blinded their eyes and they cannot see the crises." Wang Xuanjing said lightly.

This kind of thing has happened countless times in history.

Li Shimin was silent for a moment, and then said, "What method is Wang Qing planning to use to solve this problem?"

"Commercial matters should be resolved in a commercial way." Wang Xuanjing said with a smile: "These people dare to do this, firstly, relying on the strength of their numbers and their status as a noble; secondly, Relying on the fact that they have enough food in their hands.”

"After they have status and food, if they encounter a disaster, they can take advantage of the money and food in their hands to exploit the people, and the people are naturally no match."

"If the imperial court wants to intervene, the first step is to use more food, and the second step is to kill people."

"It is not advisable to kill people. It is best not to use it unless it is absolutely necessary."

Wang Xuanjing explained the matter briefly. Li Shimin was very smart and immediately understood the operation. The most important thing was to have enough food.

Li Shimin repeatedly praised: "Wang Qing is really a talent of a certain country. With you here, I have nothing to worry about!"

"You have to know that the price of food at this time is not tens of cents, but thousands of cents, or even more. How many aristocratic families can withstand such a torment?"

"A dou of grain is enough to feed a family for five days. If you save some, you can eat for seven or eight days. Naturally, they will try their best to raise the price of grain and reduce sales. If the court starts selling grain at this time, they will If the price of food is raised, people will naturally buy more.”

Moreover, this operation has greatly improved the credibility of the court and his prestige as the emperor. The people will only think that he is benevolent. Even those aristocratic families who have been deceived can only admit defeat and can only Call him sage.

After listening to this, Li Shimin understood the consequences of doing so. If Wang Xuanjing said it was true, then the aristocratic families in Guanzhong and even Hebei would definitely suffer heavy losses this time.

When the news of the severe drought in the north came in May, Li Shimin's eyes flashed with fierceness, and he asked in a deep voice: "How much grain has been transported from the south of the Yangtze River?"

"So the best way is to use food. As long as we have enough food in our hands, the court can take the initiative and even force them to go bankrupt." Wang Xuanjing said with a smile.

The consequences of Wang Xuanjing's actions were even more harmful to those powerful families than the heads Li Shimin killed.

As for the food, Li Shimin transported a lot of it by water transport. In addition, Wang Xuanjing asked the Huai'an Wang family to transport food from overseas. The noble families in Guanzhong simply could not finish it.

It is even very likely that these wealthy families will be brought to a standstill.

"The imperial court only needs to keep releasing food, and those who want to make money will work hard to buy it, or even borrow money to buy it. But as the cost of their investment increases, the less they can give up, because there is still hope of winning if they persist, but If you give up, all these investments will basically be wasted.”

"Half a million shi have been transported to Luoyang, but only a hundred thousand shi have been transported to Chang'an."

"If the imperial court cannot transport grain, those people must have gotten the news immediately and must have taken action." Li Shimin said solemnly.

There are more than 200,000 people in Chang'an City, and they need at least 500,000 dan of food. Plus the surrounding people, the food needed is at least millions of dan. Of course, this is not a one-time request, but a period of two or three months.

"I will issue another edict to persuade those noble families. If they listen to the advice, it will be best. If they don't, then it is as it should be!" Li Shimin said.

Wang Xuanjing returned to Chang'an with Li Shimin's edict, and he sold the grain from the court to the people with purchase restrictions. But he didn't sell out even a single grain of the remaining food.

Purchasers of these restricted grains need to be registered to prevent people from really running out of grain at home.

The scorching sun was scorching the earth, and the insects in Chang'an City also began to perform their own operations.

Wang Xuanjing arranged manpower in Chang'an City and surrounding areas to report food prices at any time. The news soon spread.

The price of food in Chang'an City was the first to break through to a thousand dollars per meter, and the price of food has not stopped and continues to rise sharply.

The people arranged by Wang Xuanjing found that many grain merchants gathered in Changlefang, the highest and most expensive restaurant in Chang'an City. There were businessmen, noble families, and aristocratic families. These people had already begun to join forces with a tacit understanding to continuously improve the grain prices. price.

They ate up all the grain originally sold by some small grain merchants, which cost thousands of dollars for a bushel of rice. There was almost no grain left on the market in Chang'an City.

These people have gone crazy. In less than a month, food prices have increased tenfold, and they will continue to rise.

Wang Xuanjing knew very well that this was done by the big businessmen, powerful men, nobles, and aristocratic families. After all, they had been dissatisfied with the equalization of official land and land promoted by Wang Xuanjing and the imperial examination system promoted by Li Shimin, and now they naturally wanted to take revenge.

I don't know when, in Guanzhong, there was already a gust of dissatisfaction with the imperial court, and now this gust of wind is about to take the opportunity to explode.

Wang Xuanjing recorded today's grain prices and the court's inventory, and then sent a fast horse to Luoyang in the form of a memorial.

When Li Shimin saw the memorial, he was shocked by the current price of grain in Chang'an City. It cost a thousand dollars to fight, and the price of grain in the late Sui Dynasty was no more than this.

"Ten times huge profits, lawlessness!" A cold light flashed in Li Shimin's eyes. Although he was mentally prepared, he never expected that these people would dare to raise the price of food so high.

Li Shimin looked out the window at the scorching sun and sneered: "Such a big sun is really a God-given opportunity!"

"Haha, if that's the case, don't blame me!"

Li Shimin once again issued an edict to let Wang Xuanjing act expediently.

Fang Xuanling and Du Ruhui next to them looked at each other, and then said: "Your Majesty, do you want to issue an edict to let those wealthy families open warehouses to stockpile grain?"

"Your Majesty, in my opinion, we should issue an edict to exterminate the family after the quarrel!" Duan Zhixuan said coldly next to him.

Li Shimin shook his head and said, "No, I'll leave these matters to Wang Qing."

He has now seen the miserable fate of those insects.

(End of this chapter)