His clothes are always ironed and he has very few hobbies. He never drinks alcohol and is not lewd. He eats on time and goes to bed on time every day. Even his love for his wife is just right, neither more nor less and not salty.
Not bland.
The same goes for his attitude towards outsiders. You can never see him being enthusiastic or excited. Of course, conversely, no matter how much he dislikes a person, he will never show his emotions on his face.
Even he couldn't remember when he developed this habit of self-discipline. Maybe it was when he was injured while studying scriptures under the candlelight, or maybe it started on the day when his future with the woman he loved was forcibly separated by his elders.
In short, at just over thirty years old, his heart has already been buried in the soil. The so-called "self-discipline" is probably the breath he exerts through the soil of the grave.
Wang Shifu led his troops on patrol in Bingzhou City.
The city has not been peaceful these past few days. As the governor of the governor's office, Wang Shifu is responsible for his duties and has not had a full night's sleep for a long time.
Walking in the familiar Bingzhou City, Wang Shifu looked ahead expressionlessly.
A policeman behind him couldn't help but said: "Wang Farewell, I heard that Bingzhou can't hold on anymore. If Governor Li doesn't get food, the whole city will be in chaos. Is this true?"
Wang Shifu said coldly: "Be good at your job and don't spread unreasonable things. From ancient times to the present, the word 'heard' is the sword used to destroy the country and kill people. The sword should be hidden in the sheath."
The officer said with a sad face: "Chaos has begun in the city. The officers of the governor's office are really unable to cope. Wang Biejia, you patrol the streets with us every day. You should know our hard work. Didn't Governor Li ask for the transfer of Governor Ning Shuo?"
The frontier troops of the government? Why not allocate some of the border troops to Bingzhou City..."
Wang Shifu said calmly: "Every matter in the city is decided by the governor. How the governor acts has his own reasons. You just have to do your job with your heart. I will report your difficulties to the governor truthfully."
The officer showed joy and hurriedly thanked him: "Wang Biejia is still considerate of his subordinates. If you follow Wang Biejia on the job, I will feel at ease."
There was a commotion at the end of the street ahead. Wang Shifu squinted and saw that the place where the crowd was making noise was a grain store.
Wang Shifu's heart tightened, and he unconsciously grasped the iron ruler at his waist and said in a deep voice: "Something happened ahead, go and have a look!"
After saying this, Wang Shifu quickened his pace and took the lead in rushing forward.
…………
In the evening, when Li Qinzai was drinking and drinking in the Governor's Mansion, enjoying the quiet time, the officer of the Governor's Mansion hurriedly came to report that Wang Shifu, who was driving Wang Shifu, was stabbed on the street and was seriously injured.
Li Qinzai was startled and hurriedly walked towards the atrium.
Wang Shifu was covered in blood. He was carried back. Li Qinzai leaned over and saw that his eyes were closed and his face was pale. There were two cuts on his arms and back. It seemed that he had been stabbed in the back without warning.
"What's going on?" Li Qinzai asked the officer with a stern face.
The officer's eyes were red, and he said with grief and anger: "Wang Biejia personally patrolled the streets with the villain. We encountered people in the grain store in the west of the city making trouble. Wang Biejia led us forward to mediate and suppress the crowd. As soon as we separated the crowd, the bastards burst out from behind.
Launch a surprise attack, if the king is injured, please leave..."
"Has the murderer been captured?"
The guard said guiltily: "The murderer ran away. There were too many people at the time and the scene was too chaotic. We couldn't rush out of the crowd, so we could only watch him run out."
Li Qinzai hummed and said, "Go and ask for the doctor quickly. Also, send someone to Wang Biejia's house to ask for his family members..."
At this time Wang Shifu opened his eyes and said weakly: "Li Cishi..."
Li Qinzai said hurriedly: "Wang Biejia is injured. Don't waste your energy. Live and recuperate. I am still here in Bingzhou City."
Wang Shifu shook his head: "Prince Li... the thieves who assassinated Xianguan today are definitely not ordinary people. They were decisive and had good timing. There are dangers in the city, so Li should be careful."
Li Qinzai said with a smile: "Don't worry, Wang, I have always cherished my life."
Wang Shifu smiled bitterly: "It is a difficult time in Bingzhou. I wanted to spend the hard time with the governor, but I didn't expect..."
"You have done your best. Don't think too much. Recuperate well and leave the rest to me."
Wang Shifu sighed and fell asleep tiredly.
Watching Wang Shifu being carried away, Li Qinzai stood in the yard and pondered.
Liu Asi said worriedly: "Fifth Young Master, the old master assigned you two hundred steps, but now there are only about thirty people to guard you, and the rest have been assigned other errands by you. I suggest you
, please mobilize the border troops who dug the canals into the city."
Li Qinzai shook his head: "The border troops cannot enter the city at this time."
"Why?"
"The situation has been set. If the border troops enter the city, they will scare the fish that are about to take the bait. If we hold on for a few more days, we will probably be able to close the net."
Liu Asi sighed helplessly, looked towards the door, and said softly: "Fortunately, this man in Bingzhou City is a good driver. I can see that he is a good official..."
Li Qinzai smiled: "Yes, he is indeed a good official."
…………
Three days later, a convoy loaded with food slowly drove into Bingzhou City.
As soon as the grain truck entered the city gate, the people already knew about it and were immediately surprised. They spread the news to tens and hundreds, and came out to watch the excitement.
There was not much food, only a few thousand kilograms, but the people still cheered.
For them, it is a good thing that a grain merchant is willing to come to the city, which means that things have turned around.
The grain merchants mixed in the convoy seemed to be frightened by the enthusiasm of the people in Bingzhou. As soon as they entered the city gate, they were greeted by people on both sides of the street. They have been doing business for half their life and have been treated with contempt and humiliation. How have they ever received such preferential treatment?
He tremblingly ordered the convoy to stop. The grain merchant was hesitating whether to leave the city quickly. The people in this city didn't seem to be normal...
The common people seemed to have figured out what the grain merchants were thinking. The crowd quickly opened the city gate, and then... continued to greet him.
With the escape route cut off, the grain merchants became more and more frightened, and the driver and crew members of the convoy also panicked. They gathered together to tremble and hug each other for warmth.
When he was hesitating whether to kneel down and beg for mercy or to fight desperately, the crowd was separated, and Liu Asi came over with several tribesmen.
"Where do you come from?" Liu Asi asked, pointing to the grain merchant.
"The villain is from Fenzhou..." The grain merchant realized that he must be from the government and replied honestly.
"The governor's office wants your food." Liu Asi said without any doubt.
The grain merchant hesitated for a long time and did not dare to say anything.
Liu Asi frowned: "What's wrong? Aren't you just a food seller? Why aren't you happy when someone buys your food?"
The grain merchant said cautiously: "This official, how much do you want to bid?"
"The food in Bingzhou City is sold at a reasonable price, four cents per liter..."
The grain merchant was shocked: "Impossible! The villain won't sell it anymore, so please let me wait for a way out. If I don't sell it, I won't sell it anymore!"
Just as he was about to turn around, Liu Asi grabbed him and said in a rough voice: "What's the matter with you being such a coward? Don't you understand the principle of asking for a high price and then paying back the money on the ground? You're still a businessman."
The grain merchant said with a bitter face: "I really can't open my mouth to pay back the money. The price you gave me is too low. There is a severe drought this year and the price of grain has skyrocketed. Which city in the north of the Tang Dynasty still has grain that costs four cents a liter?"
Sell……"
Liu Asi slapped him in the face and said, "Give me a price!"
The onlookers urged and stared at the grain truck with eager expressions.
The grain merchant gritted his teeth and said, "To be honest with the officials, these carts of grain came from Fenzhou. Counting the cost and expenses along the way, even if they don't make any money, they will cost at least... fifty cash."
Liu Asi was stunned: "Fifty Wen...one liter?"
"right."
Liu Asi was furious: "Why don't you go and grab it!"
The grain merchant said cautiously: "If the business is not successful, don't force yourself. The villain made a mistake and should not have entered this city gate. Brother Guan Cha has done a good job. How about letting the villain go?"
"Why are you so anxious? I'll give you a price of six cents per liter and take your grain. How about that?"
The grain merchant shook his head: "Fifty cents, not a cent is indispensable."
"I'm sorry for you, I'll beat you to death!" Liu Asi was furious.
The grain merchant said stubbornly: "It's easier to beat the villain to death. Just take it away without spending a penny. Anyway, if it's less than fifty cents, you'll lose a lot of money. The villain's family can't live anymore, so let's die."
"Ba Wen!"
"Fifty!"
"Shiwen!"
"Fifty!"
The people watched anxiously as Liu Asi negotiated with the grain merchants. They saw Liu Asi jumping up and down in a rage, and even tried to beat him several times but they resisted.
There were several fierce arguments, during which Liu Asi kept sending people to the governor's office to ask for instructions. After several back and forths, under Liu Asi's threats and the grain merchant's compromise, the two sides finally reached a consensus.
At forty cents per liter, the sky-high price of grain was taken into the official warehouse by the governor's office.
As the deal was settled, the crowd burst into earth-shattering cheers.
A commoner asked anxiously: "Brother, our governor, Li spent 40 cents to buy grain, but how much did he sell it to us people?"
Liu Asi smiled and said: "Li Shi said that we should sell it at a fair price, four cents a liter. In a year of great disaster, the lack of money is the second most important thing. The most important thing is not to starve to death."
As he spoke, Liu Asi puffed up his chest and said proudly: "Our Governor Li is very respected by the Emperor. When he first took office, the Emperor allocated a lot of money to him from the Chang'an treasury..."
"So, although Bingzhou is short of food, it is not short of money! Governor Li will find ways to raise food from various places to buy food, and will never let Bingzhou suffer from famine, so you elders can rest assured."
After a moment of silence, the crowd burst into cheers again.
After cheering, everyone bowed and saluted in the direction of the Governor's Mansion, shouting that Governor Li was benevolent and righteous, and loved the people like a son.
In the noisy crowd, the eyes of Liu Asi and the grain merchant accidentally met, and they separated instantly.
…………
The sky-high price of grain is 40 cents per liter, which is the price given by the governor's office in Bingzhou City.
It was impossible to hide the news, especially since the deal was reached in public, and the bargaining process was watched by the people.
Some unidentified people in the crowd also saw it. After the excitement, they dispersed. The news flew out of the city and was quickly dispatched to various places.
The next day, several cities around Bingzhou, such as Fenzhou, Hengzhou, Xingzhou, etc., all knew that Bingzhou had spent 40 yuan to purchase grain at a high price, and that the governor's office had purchased it, and the money and goods were settled in person.
There is another news that is also quietly spreading in various cities.
Because the governor of Bingzhou, Li, pushed the local grain merchants too far, causing the grain merchants to flee, the governor finally felt the consequences, and chaos appeared in Bingzhou City.
Li Qishi was not calm anymore, so he decided to stabilize the situation in the city at all costs, and he did not hesitate to spend huge sums of money to raise food.
According to Li Shi's original words, "This is no longer a matter of money."
One is the actual grain price of 40 cents per liter, and the other is the governor who is struggling to raise grain.
The combination of the two messages further proves its authenticity.
Grain merchants everywhere finally couldn't sit still.