Please ask me to be the emperor

Although Zhang Shun's plan was good, Zhang Shenyan was quite suspicious of it. He couldn't help but responded: "As far as I know, the five northern provinces of Beizhili, Shandong, Shanxi, Henan, and Shaanxi have a total annual tax of not less than 10 million dan, and the national tax is more than 20 million dan. The reason why my lord buys grain is It’s only a million stones. If ten of them are not equal to one, how can they be useful?”

When Zhang Shun heard this, he couldn't help but take a breath. If the Ming Dynasty pays 20 million dan in taxes and grains next year, I'm afraid it will kill itself. What's the point of talking about a food war?

Although Zhang Shun did not understand the actual situation of the Ming Dynasty, Lady Hong was originally from a remote area, so she knew very well how good the Ming Dynasty was.

She couldn't help laughing when she heard this: "Don't talk about the data in the account, Mr. Zhang. If the Ming Dynasty court can really implement it according to the account, why will thieves invade the border areas and the people will not live in peace? I dare not say anything else, but about Yansui One place. Not to mention that it is not a big deal to owe wages for half a year and ten months, so what if we are paid some silver?"

"Every time wages are paid out, food prices rise, and the food purchased is less than half of normal times. What's the use?"

"I think what the master said makes sense. You can neither eat nor drink the free money. It is only right to save food and grass."

"If the court is unruly, it can be a small gain to make a profit without losing money; if the court can still survive, now that troubled times are about to arise, the food collected will be worth the money. Since there is such a good opportunity, why not give it a try? Woolen cloth?"

Zhang Shun and Zhang Shenyan couldn't help but look at the Red Lady in surprise when they heard this. Originally, Zhang Shun was worried that the Red Lady, as a woman, would not let him buy food because she felt sorry for the money in her bank account. But he never expected that the red lady would be open-minded.

The red lady was embarrassed to be seen by Zhang Shun. She couldn't help but look at herself quickly and asked strangely: "What's wrong?"

"It's nothing!" Zhang Shun couldn't help but laugh, "I've got a wife like this, what else do I want?"

"Is it true?" Lady Hong could not help but be overjoyed and said quickly, "In that case, please ask the head of the family to divorce Li Sanniang, Li Xiang and others in the family as soon as possible, so as not to disturb the relationship between us husband and wife!"

"Ahem!" Zhang Shun shrugged, pretending I didn't say anything.

Zhang Shenyan was so uncomfortable that he almost laughed out loud on the spot. After a long while, Zhang Shenyan continued: "Madam, what you said makes sense."

Zhang Shun couldn't help but stare, how could it be reasonable?

"Ahem!" I don't want to get involved in your family's bad affairs. My own family's affairs haven't been settled yet. He had no choice but to pretend he didn't know and continued: "Since ancient times, those who have started to fight have only lacked money, food, soldiers and weapons."

"Soldiers with few can be re-recruited, weapons with few can be reforged, but food cannot be obtained suddenly. Planting in spring and harvesting in autumn, going out early and returning late, a family of five, working hard for a year, can only cultivate ten or twenty acres, and the income can't be more than ten or twenty acres. stone."

"If the year is a little better, there may be a surplus of food. If the year is bad, there will not be enough tax and food to eat, let alone other things."

"Even if my lord follows Wei Wu's advice on farming, he still needs to occupy a piece of land, rest with the people, rent cattle, farm tools, seeds, and have acres of land to cultivate. It will take one year to complete the project, and it will take three years to have a surplus for troops."

"In the past, Li Mi of Wagangzhai occupied the three major granaries of the Sui Dynasty, Huiluocang, Luokoucang and Liyangcang, and obtained millions of stones of grain. He recruited more than 200,000 people to surrender, and he became a powerful force."

"Although there is no such a large granary near Luoyang now. But my lord lured it with silver. If he can really buy millions of dan of grain, it will be no less than the old Wagang!"

When Zhang Shun heard this, he said, I know this. The peasant uprising in the late Sui Dynasty has been studied in textbooks. However, after all these years, he has long given himself a history teacher.

However, since both Zhang Shenyan and Lady Hong agreed to their grain purchase plan, they will not mention this matter for the time being.

So Zhang Shun asked again: "Since everyone has no objection, the key question is, how to purchase so much grain in the shortest possible time?"

Zhang Shun already understood the low transportation capacity of this era, and couldn't help but feel anxious.

The red lady yawned silently. As the saying goes, "One pregnancy makes you stupid for three years." Ever since she lost her pregnancy, her memory has declined and she has become a little careless in doing things.

In the past, in addition to the normal management of logistics and supplies, although I couldn't provide advice to Zhang Shun, it didn't matter.

But now that the "trespasser" has arrived again, the red lady is on tenterhooks all day long, for fear that her whereabouts will be exposed.

After waiting for a long time, there was no movement. The red lady then frowned, turned around and asked, "I wonder what Mr. Zhang thinks?"

Zhang Shenyan stroked his beard and then said slowly: "There is no perfect solution to this matter, but in my opinion, there are a few places to start."

"First, it is better for me to rely on others than on others. In the past, the rebels always sent Li Baishou to buy grain. Today, although grain merchants come to deliver food, it is still insufficient. Why not continue to send Li Baishou to buy grain? ?”

Just as Zhang Shenyan stood up, Zhang Shun couldn't help but interrupt: "I have received news that Li Baihu will return to Luoyang tomorrow with twenty thousand dan of grain. After being recommended by Lu Weiqi, I was going to let him take full responsibility for the purchase of grain in Luoyang City. If he is sent out again, who can take his place?"

Zhang Shenyan didn't expect such changes. He couldn't help but take a deep breath, calm down for a moment, and then continued: "Although I don't understand the business and checking the quality of the grain, there is one person who I don't expect to be the same." question."

"I wonder who he is?" Zhang Shun became interested.

"Song Xiance, Mr. Song!" Zhang Shenyan said with a smile, "This man has traveled all over the country and is well-informed. He will not be easily deceived by others. Although he has no practical experience, he only needs to let Li Baihu show him a few After a few trips, you’ll be familiar with it. It’s hard to say that he’s even smarter and more suitable than Li Baihu!”

When Zhang Shun heard this, he thought it was true. Although this guy is usually very talkative, no matter what he does, he is never unreliable.

"Okay, I will discuss this matter with Li Baihu and Song Xiance later. If it is correct, it will be settled." Zhang Shun responded.

"Secondly, the 'River God' Huang Shoucai was also engaged in purchasing grain. Although he was delayed due to various reasons before. Since he was willing to agree to this matter, he must have other options. In addition, he is a fisherman. , The reputation among the boatmen is quite high, and it is possible that we can even rent ships for transporting grain."

Raise an army for a thousand days, use it for a while. Since Huang Shoucai established the navy, he has not only harassed and blocked Cao Wenzhao's troops. So far, I'm pretty idle. No one has anything to do except practice.

So, Zhang nodded by the way and said: "What Mr. Zhang said is true. With a multi-pronged approach, Huang Shoucai must be able to purchase some grain."

"Thirdly, if the Changping Cang and Fengji Cang in Luoyang City are empty, we can also order the Luoyang County Magistrate to take charge of this matter and try to replenish them in the near future. We can also give instructions and encouragement to the big households in the city to stockpile more grain."

The so-called "Chang Ping Cang" was actually a warehouse set up to adjust grain prices in this era. You can buy when the price of food is low and sell when the price of food is high to keep the price of food stable.

The Fengji Granary is used to store grain in good years to prepare for shortages in disaster years and to provide relief in the city.

Although the design of these two warehouses is good, due to constant natural disasters and corruption in recent years, the warehouses have long been empty, which is almost as good as empty.

Originally, Zhang Shun wanted to borrow these two warehouses to store grain. Since Zhang Shenyan raised this matter, he must have caused bleeding in the two public houses of Henan Prefecture and Luoyang County.

Although the original officials may be a little reluctant, they should be more afraid of Zhang Shun using this matter to investigate the old bad debts in these warehouses.