In the next few days, rumors spread throughout Liangzhou City.
Some people say that the fighting on the front line is stalemate, and the army keeps requisitioning food from the city; some people say that the southern trade routes are blocked, and food cannot be transported into the city; some even say that Tibetan roving horses have appeared in Guzang and other places, working in farmland and
Most of the granaries were set on fire, causing numerous losses.
If it were just a rumor, it would be fine. There was very little food in the Liangzhou market, and the price of food kept rising. Even in the past, no one cared about it, and all the wheat bran and other omnivorous foods that were fed to livestock were sold out.
As a result, the people in Liangzhou City became more and more panicked.
Every household rushed to buy grain. People took bags, barrels and other items to go to rice shops and markets to stock up on grain. In the past, japonica rice cost ten yuan a dou, but now it is sold to fifty yuan a dou, and it is often still valuable.
No market.
Rice prices are like this, and wheat, millet, meat, fish and other commodities are no exception. The prices keep rising again and again.
On this day, Zhou Jun, as the market supervisor of Liangzhou City, went to the Dudu Mansion and found Chang Shi and Sima to discuss the price of grain in the city.
Sima, whose surname was Xue, came from a prominent family in Guanzhong. He was over sixty years old, deaf and blind. He worked in Liangzhou City with only an official position and no involvement in political affairs. He had no business at all.
Chang Shi, whose surname is Li, is a branch of Emperor Gaozong's Prince Yong's Palace. He has been serving in Liangzhou City for five years and can be considered a dignitary with roots in the local area.
Zhou Jun took out the Kanlu from the Exchange Bureau from his arms, handed it to Chang Shi and Sima, and said, "The recent rise in food prices in Liangzhou City is really strange."
Li Changshi took the Kan Lu without looking at it carefully, but asked Zhou Jun: "What's strange?"
Zhou Jun: "Please look at the grain prices in Kanlu. The day when grain prices began to rise rapidly happened to be just after the Chishui and Dadu armies marched westward."
Li Changshi said calmly: "The three armies have not moved, so food and grass go first. The armies in Hexi have insufficient food reserves, so they take food from the public. Therefore, the price of food in Liangzhou City rises. This is not surprising."
After Zhou Jun heard this, his heart skipped a beat.
Li Changshi's remarks were about the Hexi armies, but he was implicitly blaming Wang Duhu for the rise in food prices.
Zhou Jun added: "If the military markets in Hexi were to collect civilian food to supply the army, then the army should have started to purchase food for the army a few months ago, and the price of food should have started to rise a few months ago. It is impossible to do what has happened in recent days.
It rose so suddenly."
Li Changshi frowned and asked, "What exactly does Zhou Jiancheng want to say?"
Zhou Jun: "What I want to say is that the rise in food prices this time is probably due to someone maliciously hoarding food and deliberately driving up prices."
Li Changshi shook his head and said: "Don't make false claims without evidence."
Zhou Jun cupped his hands and said: "Chang Shi only needs to send people to the major merchants in the city, collect the incoming and outgoing warehouse receipts, and then compare them with the Kan books to know whether what someone said is true."
Li Changshi said righteously: "This is disturbing the people! Liangzhou merchants are the foundation of the city's stability. Offending them will only make things get out of hand. Can you bear this responsibility?"
After hearing this, Zhou Jun already understood something.
This Li Changshi, as an old official with roots in Liangzhou City, is probably involved in the bureau. He may even have known about the food shortage in Liangzhou in advance. Therefore, he not only defended the merchants in the city in every way, but even talked about dirty water.
Deliberately throwing it at Wang Duhu.
In desperation, Zhou Jun could only turn his gaze to Xue Sima, hoping that the latter would stand up and say something.
What he didn't expect was that the old and frail Xue Sima actually closed his eyes and fell asleep, and even snored slightly.
Zhou Jun gritted his teeth, turned to Li Changshi and said, "If the warehouse cannot be inspected, please ask Changshi to make preparations in advance in case there is a food shortage in the city and the situation becomes worse."
Li Changshi: "A certain society will persuade the merchants in the city to let each family contribute some food money to supply the residents in the city to alleviate the food shortage."
Zhou Jun: "That's it, I'm afraid it's not enough."
Li Changshi: “What else can be done?”
Zhou Jun: "Wang Duhu is the governor of Hexi Province. Everything in the city should be reported to him as soon as possible."
Li Changshi: "Of course."
Zhou Jun: "Post notices to restrict the sale and price of grain, but merchants found to be collecting grain and driving up prices will be severely punished."
Li Changshi: "This move...is also the right thing to do."
Zhou Jun: "In the name of the Governor's Office, I contacted the neighboring prefectures through official letters to urgently transport grain and suppress the price of grain in Liangzhou."
Li Changshi showed hesitation: "I can't decide how to transport grain. I need to ask for instructions from my superiors."
Zhou Jun knew in his heart that as the governor of Liang, the other party was unwilling to make too much publicity about the food shortage, so as not to affect the annual examination of officials.
Zhou Jun could only clarify the pros and cons and tried hard to persuade Li Changshi.
After hearing this, the latter reluctantly agreed to the matter.
Zhou Jun: "There is one last thing."
Li Changshi: "What else?"
Zhou Jun: "The neighboring state has high mountains and long roads to carry out grain distribution. I'm afraid we won't be able to catch up in time. If there is a serious grain shortage in the city, relief warehouses may be opened to help the people..."
Li Changshi stood up suddenly and shouted: "Open a relief warehouse?! This is not allowed!"
Zhou Jun asked curiously: "Why not?"
Li Changshi: "Relief warehouses are used to deal with natural disasters and famines. They should not be opened unless absolutely necessary!"
Zhou Jun took a closer look at the expression on Li Changshi's face and saw signs of guilt and nervousness in the latter's expression and movements.
Zhou Jun was suspicious, so he lied to Li Changshi: "Could it be that something happened to the relief warehouse...?"
Li Changshi looked upward unconsciously, and said again: "What's going on? Zhou Jiancheng, don't talk nonsense!"
When Zhou Jun saw this, his heart sank.
After leaving the Dudu's Mansion, Zhou Jun was riding on his horse and saw an endless line of people buying grain on the street. He also saw people in the streets who had no rice in their homes and begged their neighbors to borrow grain. He lamented in his heart.
Back at Jinzhai, Zhou Jun sat in the hall, recalling his conversation with Li Changshi, and his uneasiness slowly grew.
After thinking about it, he first found the map of Liangzhou, and then summoned Jinfeng Niang and Uncle Shen to discuss the food shortage.
Zhou Jun first said: "The food shortage in Liangzhou City is probably caused by someone taking advantage of the army's departure to maliciously stockpile food and deliberately raise the price."
This chapter is not over yet, please click on the next page to continue reading! Jin Fengniang handed Chao Mu in her arms to Xiu Niang beside her, and said: "In the past few days, I have also felt that something is wrong. Whenever there is food for sale in the market,
, no matter how high or low the price is, there will always be someone who buys it all at once.”
Uncle Shen said in a deep voice: "Eighty percent of them are Sogdians."
Zhou Jun vaguely had this idea in his mind. Hearing what Uncle Shen said, he nodded slightly.
Uncle Shen added: "The Sogdians will do whatever it takes to gain profit, and they have no kindness, honor or disgrace in their eyes. They are also xenophobic and treat other people as nothing."
Zhou Jun thought carefully and asked Jin Fengniang and Uncle Shen: "If we send a caravan now to go out of the city to buy grain, when will we be able to return?"
Jin Fengniang pointed at the map and said: "If you want to buy grain, there are three trade routes out of the city, namely heading west to Zhangye, south to Shanzhou and Lanzhou, and east to Huizhou."
"However, it is now the turn of spring and summer, and there is not much food stored in the markets of other state capitals. And Liangzhou City has a population of up to 200,000. The food that can be transported by these three trade routes is very important to Liangzhou City.
It’s just a drop in the bucket.”
"What's more, if the Sogdians were gathering grain, they would definitely send out caravans and tribes to set up roadblocks on these three trade routes, purchasing grain outside the city while preventing people from traveling within the city to purchase grain."
Zhou Jun looked at the map and asked: "Apart from these three trade routes, are there no other routes?"
Goldilocks frowned.
Uncle Shen suddenly said, "Actually, there is another trade route."
Zhou Jun and Jin Fengniang were both stunned when they heard this.
Uncle Shen: "It's just that that trade route was still used by caravans during the Han Dynasty, but now it has been abandoned for many years."
Zhou Jun quickly asked.
Uncle Shen placed his finger on the north side of Liangzhou City. Surrounded by a vast desert, there was an inconspicuous place name - Baiting.
Uncle Shen: "When the Han Dynasty and the Xiongnu traded trade, there was a mutual market town in Baiting in the north of Liangzhou City. Nowadays, the mutual trade between the Tang Dynasty and Mobei is mostly replaced by Xishoujiang City in Shuofang. Therefore, the mutual trade town in Baiting
It has been gradually abandoned and became Baiting Shouchuo."
Zhou Jun: "You mean, from Baiting to the north, we can trade with the tribes in Mobei?"
Uncle Shen nodded.
Jin Fengniang asked: "But that was all many years ago. Baiting is surrounded by desert. How can we find trade routes?"
Uncle Shen: "More than ten years ago, a certain person led the Jin family's caravan through that trade route."
When Zhou Jun heard this, he couldn't help but sigh in his heart. It turned out that the Jin family was also involved in smuggling.
After carefully looking at the Baiting Trading Road in the north of Liangzhou City, Zhou Jun called Hedari over again and asked him: "It is the turn of spring and summer. Is there a surplus of food in the various tribes in Mobei?"
Hedari didn't understand why Zhou Jun asked this, but he answered honestly: "Spring has just passed, and there is plenty of food for the cattle and sheep on the grassland. It is the time to grow meat and fat."
Zhou Jun asked Hedari again: "Where is the closest pasture to Liangzhou in Mobei?"
Hedari looked at the map and pointed to a location, which was south of Hunyi River and east of Xiakou Mountain, about six hundred miles away from Baiting.
Zhou Jun calculated the distance and time, then tapped the map with his fingers, and said to Hedari: "Please help me use Haidongqing to send a letter to the Uighur tribe. The letter said that I am willing to exchange Yun tea for all tribes in Mobei."
The more food the better, and we will not reject anyone who comes."
After Zhou Jun finished speaking, he looked at Uncle Shen again.
The latter said: "I will arrange the caravan and rush to Baiting as soon as possible."
Zhou Jun said to Hedari again: "You go with Uncle Shen and enter Mobei like this, so you can have someone to take care of you."
Hedari scratched his head and said: "Zhou Lang, didn't all the cloud tea in your hand be sold to Shuofang's army? How could you have any spare time to exchange for food?"
Zhou Jun said with a smile: "I don't have it now, but I will always have it in the future. I'll just pay it back gradually if I owe it first. If anyone doesn't believe it, just write it down again. Wang Duhu is willing to vouch for me."
Hedari thought about it and felt it made sense, so he agreed.
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This chapter has been completed!