The gentry in Kaifeng Prefecture was very resistant to Chen Xi coming to preside over the disaster relief, but because the identities of each other were too great, they could not confront each other and could only adopt a passive response method, striving not to take out food or take less.

At the same time, news spread among the merchants in the city.

The Chamber of Commerce gathered the big merchants from Kaifeng Prefecture to discuss the matter of raising food and food.

Unlike the resistance held by the gentry, merchants did not have much opinion on collecting grain from Chenxi.

The Central Plains region had developed transportation, and the improvement of business environment in the Ming Dynasty since the Hongzhi Dynasty, made private trade gradually develop. In recent years, local merchants learned how to join forces from the Western Fujian Chamber of Commerce, and the chamber of commerce in Henan also emerged.

Kaifeng Prefecture is an ancient capital. Many Henan merchants set up branch signs in Kaifeng Prefecture. After the flood, some merchants who wanted to make money from the national crisis organized supplies early, including grain, medicinal materials, etc., to arrive in Kaifeng Prefecture, just in time for Chenxi to come to provide disaster relief.

The president of the Kaifeng local chamber of commerce was named Lu Lianglin. In his early years, he often went to Liaodong to do fur and ginseng business. After he became a fortune, he started a medicinal shop, fur shop and grain shop in Kaifeng. Although he did not have the most shops under his name, he had a wide connection and was elected as the president of the Kaifeng Chamber of commerce.

This time he gathered the merchants and gathered them in the backyard of the mansion to discuss the matter of raising grain.

"Danger Lu, how dare you ask Lord Shen to come, will I have the chance to visit?" a businessman asked enthusiastically.

Someone immediately agreed next to him: "Yes, Lord Shen is a top-ranking senior official in the court, and he is also known as Wenquxing and Wuquxing. If we have the opportunity to meet, we will be lucky in our three lives."

“Yes, yes.”

Many people have the same idea.

Lu Lianglin shook his head and said, "How did I know if I have the honor to visit Lord Shen? However, this time, Lord Shen sent someone to communicate with the local chamber of commerce and told me that as long as I help raise food, the imperial court will repaid food one by one after the disaster relief food is allocated in place, and there will be tax exemptions."

"This relationship is good..."

A group of businessmen discussed it privately, feeling that this matter was not a loss to them.

A 50-year-old man walked out of the crowd, with his surname Feng, and asked directly: "But I wonder if we have the opportunity to involve the sale of Jiangnan goods?"

Many people's eyes became more and more eager, and they looked at Lu Lianglin with eager eyes, as if there was a huge wealth waiting for them.

Lu Lianglin frowned: "Mr. Shen hasn't arrived, so I don't know what exactly is going on. How do I answer you? What we are discussing now is just to borrow food to the court, so I have to give us part of the transaction in Jiangnan to us. Is this a starting price?"

The merchant surnamed Feng sighed very much: "I heard that the Jiangnan region is prosperous, especially the newly built city by the sea, is brightly lit and never sleeps all night, and is no less prosperous than Nanjing and Suzhou. Especially the cement, glass, steel ingots, bone porcelain, perfume, soap and so on produced are popular all over the world. We must seize this opportunity to get familiar with Lord Shen in order to get a share of the new city's commodity trading..."

"How much money can only be earned for grain? Even if it is three times or five times, it is only a few hundred or thousands of taels of silver, and you still make money in a bad way, you will feel uneasy... But if you have a good relationship with Lord Shen, you may be rich for a lifetime... Do you think so?"

A young businessman next to him said, "I'm afraid that Lord Shen won't give him a chance... If we do this little business, people may not be able to like it..."

"Yes." Someone said, "There are no big merchants in Kaifeng Prefecture, and our wealth is not in the eyes of others. To put it bluntly, Lord Shen will make a hair thicker than our waist, so we can use disaster relief... If the court allocates it in time, why should we use us to feed the food? Perhaps this is really an opportunity to change our destiny..."

Lu Lianglin said: "In this way, you all agree to lend food to Lord Shen?"

The businessman surnamed Feng asked: "Now someone is here to ventilate. Is it accurate? Or will you discuss it after Lord Shen comes?"

A group of people looked at Lu Lianglin again, their eyes full of anticipation.

Lu Lianglin said in a difficult situation: "I'm afraid that after Lord Shen arrives, the prefect's office will hold a banquet and the gentry will line up to entertain him. We will not have the chance to meet him... No one here dares to promise."

"If you have the opportunity, you can get involved in the new city transactions, let alone borrowing some food, even if you donate your wealth." Someone shouted loudly from behind the crowd.

"hehe."

Some people are laughing, maybe mocking, or maybe from the heart, the scene becomes much lighter.

Lu Lianglin said: "How about this, please go back and prepare first. In addition to the daily expenses, prepare all the surplus grains. Lord Shen led the army to quell the war in the Central Plains last year, which has great kindness to us. After Lord Shen arrives, you can visit me with me. It is best to see Lord Shen. If you can't see him... I can only say regret."

Someone said: "What's the use of just asking for a visit like this? It's better to make a reservation for the welcome early... The government can greet you, can't we come out? Besides, we are going to give you generous gifts. If Lord Shen can take care of the merchants in our Kaifeng Prefecture in the future, even if we let us drink some soup, it will be enough to keep our wealth for several lifetimes."

"That's, that's!"

A businessman named He said, "Mr. Shen has achieved great results in governing the local area, especially supporting the development of industry and commerce. Wherever he goes, all industries are prosperous. Who doesn't want to curry favor with it? Master Shen's ability to come to Kaifeng is said to be the glory of all of us."

Lu Lianglin frowned: "You are all willing to pay for food, but are you just talking about it? This is a big deal. You don't brag about it casually and don't draft it, but you have to take practical actions."

The merchant surnamed He said: "The grain can be given out, or Lu Dangjia directly sets the number, and each company will make a little calculation when going back, and tomorrow each company will hand over the list of grains that can be raised... What do you think?"

Lu Lianglin nodded: "It's okay, let's settle the matter before Lord Shen comes. If Lord Shen really wants to see him after he arrives, the more grain he lends, the more he will be in the front. Lord Shen may look up to him, and Jiangnan's business will naturally fall on him."

The surname Feng said: "How much food is appropriate to borrow?"

"Look at it and give it to yourself... Even if you don't want to give it to you, will there be someone who will force you?" someone ridiculed.

The merchant surnamed Feng said angrily: "Who is talking nonsense? I have always spared no effort in disaster relief. Who will be stingy?"

Someone said, "Whether you are stingy or not. If Lord Shen had not come in person, would you think about borrowing food? Don't think about raising prices, it's good to make huge profits... Kaifeng Prefecture issued a notice to raise food, and you know the best in your heart how you responded."

Lu Lianglin waved his hand: "Don't argue with everyone. Since everyone is willing to borrow food, I will decide here first. I will count the numbers tomorrow morning and report them based on their actual information. If there is any false report, don't blame the court for holding the matter accountable later!"

...

...

Before the people of Chenxi arrived, Kaifeng Prefecture City had already had a dispute over whether to borrow food.

The group with landlords and gentry as the main body basically chose to resist, including the businesses they invested in and opened; while the merchants at the bottom of the society were prepared and even took the initiative to seek borrowing, seeking to participate in the construction of the new city and join the new trade system led by Chenxi.

While Chen Xi was actively preparing for disaster relief, the work of the disaster relief organization in the capital was progressing extremely slowly.

Even though Xie Qian is very determined, due to his limitations of his thinking and his old-fashioned and stubborn behavior, it makes it very difficult to advance disaster relief.

"Old Xie, now I learned that the treasury in the northwest is empty, and even this year, Xuanfu and Sanbian have applied for subsequent military ration subsidies from the court. At this time, the recruitment will probably cause strong dissatisfaction among the army... If we force ourselves to follow, the northwest will inevitably find ways to delay until the matter is left unresolved..."

When Yang Yiqing reported to Xie Qian alone, he did not hide anything and directly explained the difficulties he faced to Xie Qian.

Xie Qian sighed: "After years of war, the plan to cultivate land in the northwest has been repeatedly destroyed, and the original plan to use troops to support soldiers has basically gone bankrupt... Alas, there are too many holes in the Ming Dynasty."

Yang Yiqing quickly asked for instructions: "Zhihou's memorial has arrived in the capital. Based on what he saw, the court should seconded the silver to Henan as soon as possible. The best strategy is to use silver to provide disaster relief!"

"What?"

Xie Qian was surprised, "He reported to the capital so soon?"

Yang Yiqing nodded: "Not only that, after hearing that he had received the imperial edict, he set off immediately. He has now arrived in Guide Prefecture, Henan, actively organized disaster relief, and has initially stabilized the situation there. The next step is to Kaifeng Prefecture, which is the worst-hit."

Xie Qian thought about it and sighed: "He is very quick in his army. Perhaps it is related to the fact that he is on the way north and turning around... This is also the main reason why His Majesty appointed him to provide disaster relief."

Yang Yiqing thought to himself: "I'm still thinking about Shen Zhihou's actions at this moment? Shouldn't we think about how to eliminate the disaster first?"

At this time, Yang Yiqing's tone became much more cautious, because he knew that the next words would probably touch Xie Qian Nilin, and said softly: "Old Xie, in his memorial, Zhihou mentioned that the imperial court silver was exchanged for local gentry to preserve grain, and at the same time raised clothes and medicinal materials from merchants, and suggested that the imperial court was inappropriate to allocate grain from various prefectures across the country to the disaster area, so..."

Xie Qian said with a straight face: "Before he was a Ming family, he began to accuse his colleagues of what he did?"

These words made Yang Yiqing feel uncomfortable and thought to himself: "I am now the home of the Ming Dynasty, and you will still be influenced by your thoughts. You can't even have your own opinions... Who is the Minister of the Ministry of Revenue?"

Yang Yiqing asked tentatively: "After all, the man is already in the disaster area. If you understand the local situation, maybe the money is really useful... Why not listen to him?"

Xie Qian said: "He found so much money from the Ming Dynasty, and traded with Folang Ji people. He exchanged the silver that could not be eaten or drunk for so much silk cloth, tea, etc. in the Ming Dynasty. He thought he had made a profit, but he was competing for profit with the people, but the people in the court were still waving flags and shouting for him."

Yang Yiqing's face was full of wry smiles: "That's to reject his memorial?"

Xie Qian shook his head and said, "How can I decide on major disaster relief matters privately? I still have to ask Your Majesty for instructions... and send his memorial to Linqing so that Your Majesty can know what he means."

"this……"

Yang Yiqing became more and more embarrassed, thinking: "Old Xie was clearly asking Shen Zhihou a problem. It took more than a day to send the report to the capital, and then sent it to Linqing in one or two days. Your Majesty gave the instructions and sent it back to the capital, and then replied to Shen Zhihou. If you go back and forth, the matter will basically be ruined. Even if it is realized, the disaster relief work will be seriously lagging behind."

Yang Yiqing said: "Mr. Xie, disaster relief work is urgent, look..."

"Then transfer the food to the disaster area as soon as possible!"

Xie Qian said angrily, "Last year, there were many places in various places that showed their achievements. Did the treasury be full? How much grain has been shipped on the road now?"

Yang Yiqing lowered his head: "There are only a few hundred stones, and they were all recruited from the surrounding areas of the capital."

Xie Qian widened his eyes: "What? Only a few hundred stones? Now there are 300,000 or 500,000 people in various places who have been affected. How can this little food be enough?"

"so……"

Yang Yiqing's face became increasingly ugly. All of this was caused by Xie Qian's stubbornness, but the other party thought that everything was under control. He didn't want to argue now, and he was powerless in many things.

Xie Qian sat there without saying a long time, feeling extremely pessimistic about the current situation and murmured: "It took four or five days to raise only a few hundred stones of food, and he was not on the road in the capital. He was sent to the disaster area. It would probably take half a month later... I don't know how many people starved to death."

Yang Yiqing looked at Xie Qian without saying a word.

Xie Qian thought about it and sighed, "You might as well as follow what he said, temporarily reimburse 50,000 taels of silver for disaster relief. This matter will be decided directly by me without asking your Majesty in advance, and I will bear the responsibility for any incident."

Yang Yiqing breathed a sigh of relief and thought to himself: "Although fifty thousand taels are not too much, if the delivery is timely, it can solve the urgent problem. Now it depends on whether Shen Zhihou can use the fifty thousand taels of silver to buy emergency food."

Yang Yiqing said: "Then Master Xie, please do you still ask Your Majesty for this matter?"

Xie Qian shook his head: "You still have to ask for instructions. The rules cannot be changed. As a minister, although you can adapt to the situation, you will still have to obtain your Majesty's permission in the end! If your Majesty is not satisfied with the handling, you have to apologize for the crime. This is the way to be a minister!"

...

...

Capital City, Shouning Hou Mansion.

Zhang Heling looked annoyed and looked at his younger brother who was drinking tea leisurely, as if he was watching his enemies.

Zhang Yanling took a sip of tea and smiled: "Brother, the news I received from the palace this time has not been gone. Shen Zhihou went to the disaster area and heard that the court had no food to provide him with disaster relief. I guess in a few days, I will go to the most severely affected place, and something might happen."

"What do you have to do with me?"

Zhang Heling asked with a dark face.

Zhang Yanling smiled and said, "You still can't understand this? Now all parties are trying to make him unable to return to the capital. Didn't my sister send someone to tell us before that as long as His Majesty comes back this time, our brothers can be restored to their posts. By then, our brothers will be a famous hero again."

Zhang Heling looked at his younger brother in anger, "Shen Zhihou was just going to provide disaster relief, not saying that he would die in the disaster area. Do you think that you and my brothers could gain the trust of Your Majesty again with the arrangements of the Empress Dowager? Now Shen Zhihou is full of His Majesty's favor, and Your Majesty sent him to the disaster area, not to be suspicious, but to accomplish great things with practical work."

"Tsk tsk."
To be continued...