Great Qing Dynasty talker

Chapter 428: One stone of rice is sold for 6 taels. It’s not my fault, it’s the Qing Dynasty’s fault!
18st century,

The transportation was slow, there were many illiterate people, and most people had never left their homes more than 50 miles away in their entire lives.

Information is a valuable resource that only a very few people can access.

Although the Wu army and the Qing army fought fiercely, for the people in the non-war zones, their lives did not change at all, and the sky above their heads was still the sky of the Qing Dynasty.

The masters will not tell them what happened hundreds or thousands of miles away.

The latest news of the Qing-Wu War circulated only among government offices at all levels and a small number of gentry and merchants.

Through official documents and reports and their own speculations, they roughly figured out how long it would take for this war to affect their own interests and how they could seek benefits and avoid harm!
……

For hundreds of millions of people who are completely in the dark, the biggest feeling is that food prices have skyrocketed!

The Wu State strictly controlled the export of grain, and no rice was allowed to leave the country. Anyone who smuggled rice out of the country would be beheaded on the spot if discovered.

Jiangxi has always been a war zone.

Last year only four out of ten grain crops survived.

The channel for importing Siamese rice by sea was also cut off.

South China Sea,

The Dutch fleet and the Saxon fleet launched a frenzied revenge, sinking every rice ship they saw and demanding huge compensation from the Tatars.

Huguang, one of the few major grain-producing areas under the actual control of the Qing government, received a strict order from Emperor Qianlong that surplus grain should be supplied first to the army and the capital.

The Yangtze River-Grand Canal route is blocked.

Just take the Nanyang-Xuzhou-Beiyunhe route. No matter how high the cost is, we have to transport it.

……

In the north, food prices are soaring.

Strangely, the capital is more expensive than Zhili.
This is the first time in about 500 years that the men in Beijing have experienced low treatment.

Many people were queuing in front of a rice shop in Xisi Tiao Hutong with empty bags.

Three poles in the sun,

The guys unloaded the boards and started business.

The shopkeeper was a Shanxi native with average financial resources, and had nothing to do with the famous Shanxi merchants.

After the original Shanxi merchant group was wiped out by the imperial court and the businesses they controlled in the capital went bankrupt and shrank one after another, he gradually made his way to the fore.

As the saying goes:
Only when the big trees fall can the grass absorb the sunlight and rain.

……

The rice shop clerk hung up a wooden sign, and the people in the queue immediately went crazy.

"1 wen per jin of old rice?"

"Are you crazy? Who can afford to eat such expensive rice?"

All kinds of curses were heard everywhere.

Among those in line was a member of the Bordered Yellow Banner, a member of the imperial family with no family background, Jueluo Fushou.

Roll up your sleeves and settle the accounts loudly:
"A pound of rice costs 50 wen, and a stone of rice costs 6000 wen, which means that a stone of rice costs 1 taels of silver. No, I just want to ask, what kind of war is the court fighting in the south? Did we win or lose?"

……

The scholar, who was waiting in Beijing for the title of Juren, opened his arms and caught a glimpse of the red belt that was inadvertently exposed around the gentleman's waist.

Then he stepped forward and said with a flattering smile:

"Master Jueluo, of course we won."

"If I win, I'll eat 6 taels of rice per stone! If I lose, I don't even dare to think about it. Will I have to eat 60 taels of old rice per stone?"

"Hush, we won, we won. Lord Jueluo, you can't say that. The emperor is wise and the Eight Banners are brave. We are definitely the winner."

Zhang Kaihuai's face turned pale with fright.

……

"You are a poor candidate and you want to curry favor with the powerful. Take a look at yourself. Do you think you are worthy? In the city of Beijing, there are many fifth-rank officials and fourth-rank officials everywhere. Who do you think you are? Do you have any character? Do you have any difference?"

Fushou speaks in a sarcastic and harsh manner.

Zhang Kaihuai's face turned red and he wished he could find a crack in the ground to crawl into.

This is really the most painful thing.
It’s uncomfortable.

An ordinary bannerman next to him laughed and said:
"Master Jueluo, you dare to say this. We dare not say it, but we dare to listen."

Fushou is very arrogant:
"What are you afraid of? Do we have to give a thumbs up and applaud while eating this expensive old rice?"

Everyone cheered, although complaining is useless in current life, it is always good to vent some anger. The uncles in the city of Beijing collectively held a breath of frustration!

……

The rice shop owner pretended not to hear and lowered his head to calculate the bill.

He knew why these people outside were so resentful.

According to the ancestral system of the imperial court, bannermen had fixed crops, and the lowest level received 1 taels of silver per month, and 22 shi of old rice per year.

Let's do some calculations.

If only staple food is relied on, a strong laborer would need at least 2 kilograms of food per day.

Based on a family of six, including two strong laborers, two young laborers, and two women and children, they would need less than 2 shi of grain a year.

of course,

If there were more side dishes and meat, food consumption would drop significantly.

Due to the current shortage of grain,

After discussion with Prince Jia Yongyan and the military minister Chu Minzhong and others, they decided to cancel the rice subsidy for iron-clad crops and distribute it in silver instead.

1 shi of rice is converted into 2 taels.

The difference in price shall be borne by the Bannermen themselves!
……

Yongyan is not stupid, and Yu Minzhong is even less stupid.

They knew the consequences of doing so, but there was nothing they could do.

With the loss of Jiangnan and the Grand Canal, the water transport system existed in name only, and the imperial court could no longer support the huge amount of rice subsidies.

The bottom line now is that we must ensure the food supply for the Beijing Army and the front-line troops!
In fact, before Qianlong left Beijing, the Grand Council had discussed the matter many times, but due to various reasons, it was not announced for implementation until after the emperor left Beijing.

I won’t take the blame, I’ll let my son do it!
In Qianlong's view, this can be regarded as a test of obedience, to see whether Yongyan can take on responsibilities and endure grievances!

If you want to wear the crown, you must bear its weight.

If Yongyan is unwilling to take even this little blame, he is definitely not fit to be the crown prince.

……

There is a reason why Red Belt Fu Shou is so crazy.

Not long ago, when the price of rice in the capital rose to 4 liang, he decisively sold all the thousands of dan of grain he had in stock for cash, thinking that he would buy at a bargain price when the price of rice dropped!

As a result, it was copied on the mountainside.

He felt that his anger was justified because on the surface he was betting on the price of rice, but in reality he was betting on the fate of the country.

As the Qing Dynasty prospers, the price of rice will surely fall.

As the Qing Dynasty's fortunes declined, rice prices soared.

Fu Shou insisted that it was not his fault that one stone of rice was sold for 6 taels, but the Qing Dynasty’s fault!

……

"Hey, Master Jueluo, why are you here to buy rice in person? What would you like to order? Rice from Huguang, rice from Henan, or rice from the imperial farm in the suburbs of Beijing?"

Fushou took out a few ingots of silver from his sleeves and pointed at Henan rice unhappily:

"Give me 20 pounds."

"okay."

Fushou walked away leisurely carrying the bag of rice.

When I went around to the alley, I saw two servants and five thugs from the street waiting there.

"Are you all ready?"

"Sir, just hold it."

There is still a long queue in front of the rice shop.

The shopkeeper was grinning so hard that his teeth were not visible, and the good fortune that was coming was unstoppable.

In the autumn of the year before last, he and several local rich men from Baoding in Zhili jointly stockpiled 8 shi of rice. Their bet paid off and they made a fortune!

……

"Hey, young and old men in Beijing, this is a shady shop. They are shortchanging people and selling inferior goods as good ones."

The leading servant threw the rice bag on the ground.
Wow~
The rice was scattered all over the ground.

"How dare the Shanxi guy open a shady shop in Beijing? Men, smash the hell out of him and recover our losses."

One call and a hundred responses.

The guests, each with their own ulterior motives, instantly started purchasing at zero dollar price!

The shopkeeper and his assistant were hit and thrown out of the shop with blood all over their heads.
Fushou looked at the chaos and hummed "Yu Tang Chun" with pride:
"There are no good people in Jiehongdong County~"

The servant complimented:
"Master Jueluo is right. There are no good people in this world."

The rice shop owner who suffered heavy losses tried many things and asked for help from people everywhere, but in the end, everything went to waste.

Instead, he wasted that little bit of money on government affairs and was forced to leave Beijing in disgrace, shouting on the way that there were no good people in this city.

……

Inside Zhengyang Gate,

A rice shop.

When Jueluo Fushou tried to use the same trick again, he encountered a tough opponent.

The rice shop had obviously made some preparations, removing only four door panels to allow one person to enter and exit. Two burly waiters were guarding the door, allowing only three customers to enter at a time.

Only when one player is out can another one be allowed in.

During this period, Fushou smashed two rice shops and recovered about half of his losses.

Seeing that Shuntian Prefecture was unwilling to get involved in such matters, he and a group of like-minded people repeated the same old tricks.

However, this time I encountered a hard problem.

Several big men armed with copper sticks rushed out of the rice shop and beat anyone they saw.

When Fushou saw a big man coming towards him, he quickly opened his gown, revealing a red belt around his waist that was 70% new.

"Look carefully, under the emperor's feet, in broad daylight, how dare you hit me~"

The voice has not fallen,

Bang, a stick hit him right on the forehead.

……

When Fushou woke up, he found himself lying on his own bed.

My forehead was wrapped in gauze and the pain was excruciating.

"Oh my god, this is a rebellion. A businessman dares to attack a royal family member. Quick, take my letter to Shuntian Prefecture and the Infantry Commander's Office and ask them to arrest him."

"Master, I've been there, and it doesn't work."

"What? What's the story?"

"I don't know. Anyway, it's very mysterious. The people in the Infantry Commander's Office said it has something to do with the Grand Council and you, so they suggest we just be patient."

Fu Shou was startled and asked quickly:

"what relationship?"

"The shopkeeper is his second uncle, the brother-in-law of the housekeeper of the He Mansion."

"Fuck him, this is a cold relationship that is even further away than the Tianqiao to Gaobeidian, and I have to tolerate this?"

……

Fu Shou cursed for a long time, but he couldn't swallow this anger.

A group of Eight Banners descendants gathered together and prepared to come to ask for an explanation.

As for whether to smash the store or ask for compensation, it depends on the attitude of the shopkeeper.
Heshen was a favorite of the emperor and could not be provoked.

Although the chief steward Liu Quan had no rank, he was equivalent to the third rank, and he could not afford to offend him.

but,

What is a relative who has gone through four twists and turns?
In order to boost his morale, Fu Shou also invited the martial arts troupe from the capital to help out at his own expense. There were a total of 8 men, all of whom were painted like dragons and phoenixes.

A group of more than 30 people rushed to the door of the rice shop in a mighty manner.

The guests who were queuing immediately made way for him and watched the fun from the side.

No one was afraid, and their eyes were full of excitement.

"It's been a while since the capital city has been so lively."

"The situation today is so fierce that even the fighting team has been hired."

……

In order to show his status, Fushou deliberately did not wear a jacket, and the bright red belt around his waist was particularly eye-catching.

It demonstrates the tyranny of the royal family's children.

In the shop,
The thugs were a little nervous.

"Boss, I accidentally hit a Jueluo last time."

"Just beat him up, now it's Emperor Qianlong's world. If a Jueluo without any official position dares to interfere with our business, we will beat him up! But we are businessmen after all, so let's give him 50 taels of silver and see if we can settle it."

result,

The shopkeeper's show of weakness caused Fushou to misjudge.

He was unyielding and wanted to beat the man when he was down. His arrogant attitude misled the Beijing bannermen who were watching around.

Hundreds of people gathered at once.
I plan to follow Fu Shou and do some free shopping to supplement the family income.

No one was afraid of being investigated by the government afterwards, because they had the red belt in front of them.

……

"Smash it, smash it."

Relying on their numerical advantage, Fu Shou's group actually started smashing and looting the rice shop.

Throwing stones and swinging fists, the thugs in the rice shop were forced to retreat step by step.

Fushou was very powerful and thought that this world would still belong to the Aisin-Gioro family.

suddenly,

The people who were watching from afar scattered like birds and beasts.

I saw a group of men in black rushing out of the alley. They were strong and silent, each holding a goose-feather scabbard, revealing their military temperament.

The men in black beat anyone they saw with brutal brutality.

"Which government office are you from?"

No one answered Fushou's stupid question. He was responded with a scabbard, and then kicked hard by a quick boot, knocking him unconscious.
The sun is setting.
Fu Shou woke up. He was covered in blood, 3 ribs were broken, and 2 teeth were missing.
The red belt around the waist is even brighter now.

……

The rice shop owner walked over slowly with his hands behind his back.

Squat down and throw him a rag:
"Master Jueluo, wipe off the blood. It's nothing, I just want to ask, are you convinced?"

"I'm convinced, I'm convinced."

"Are you really convinced and will stop finding fault?"

"Really? I'm really impressed. I was too shallow today and failed to recognize the great man."

"Have you ever noticed that the rice in our shop has a fresh aroma like new rice? Do you know why? It's the new rice directly brought from the Tongzhou warehouse."

The shopkeeper left with a smile and his hands behind his back.

Fu Shou and the servants supported each other and returned to the mansion one by one.

……

"Master, who on earth have we offended?"

"Who is he?" Fu Shou smiled bitterly, pointing his finger to the sky. "He can mobilize troops from the government to help, he can treat the children of the side branches of the royal family like scoundrels, and he can buy goods from the Tongzhou warehouse. Who do you think he is?"

The servant was so frightened that he dared not say a word.

That night,

The pain was unbearable and I couldn't sleep.

Fushou climbed up with difficulty, his forehead covered with sweat.

The maidservant who was serving beside him wiped him quickly and asked distressedly:

"Master, is there any law here? You are beaten like this in broad daylight."

Fu Shou murmured to himself:

"Well done, well done. This beating has woken me up. The fucking Qing Dynasty wants~"

……

The maid shuddered with fear.

Fortunately, there was no one else in the room.

I am a slave born in Lord Juelu's family for three generations. If I am loyal, I would even die for my master.

For the first time, Fushou looked at the Qing Dynasty from the perspective of an outsider!

He studied in Jueluo School for six years and has some basic qualities.

The last time grain was sold at this price in the capital was during the Chongzhen period of the Ming Dynasty.

Is this a coincidence?
Fu Shou put on his clothes and thought quietly under the oil lamp.

What he understood in that day is so profound that I'm afraid that today, there are no more than two handfuls of people in the entire capital who have understood it.

Qing Dynasty, I'm afraid~
……

the next morning,

Fushou, with dark circles under his eyes, was just about to take a nap when he was woken up by the howling sound from next door.

"What's going on? Why are you howling so early in the morning?"

"Sir, you're right. There really is a funeral going on next door."

"what?"

"Mr. Qing is dead. He hanged himself with a hemp rope last night."

"why?"

"Mr. Qing has 12 people in his family, and the burden of food is too heavy. He is just a soldier, and this year he has emptied his family's savings just by buying rice."

"That doesn't mean he would hang himself, does it?"

"The day before yesterday, Mr. Qing took his wife to eat Zheluo behind the restaurant after dark. As a result, they were caught by her family."

"what?"

"My wife's family started to make a scene, splashed water all over Second Master's face, and cursed him nastily. Everyone on the street knew Second Master Qing was so poor that he had to eat only water. You say, Second Master usually wants to be treated with respect, but now he has no face to live? Just~"

……

[Zheluo: refers to the leftovers of the day after the restaurant closes. To put it bluntly, it is actually swill. After all, there are not many wealthy customers who don't pack up the leftover meat and vegetables to take home! ]

(End of this chapter)