Yiyin Port is an inlet near the river in the north of Xiangzhou.
At the dawn of dawn, the ships were moored quietly on the water. Hundreds of masts pointed straight into the sky like a forest of guns, and there was a faint smoke. It was the people guarding the ship making breakfast, and more of them were sailors.
They were all exhausted from the journey, so they all went to the dock area to have some breakfast, or stayed overnight at a prostitute's house without waking up. Fortunately, the dangerous and dangerous life on the water made them need to vent.
As the most important trading port in Yishui County, this place is backed by the Xiangzhou granary. It is famous for its unique rice market in the north. It gathers rice from Yishui County and even neighboring counties. It is traded all year round, but the business is slow in the spring.
These are not as prosperous as in summer and autumn.
Especially in the past two years, rice prices in Northland have soared to the highest level in ten years.
The harvest in the prefecture is not bad. Smart farmers are taking advantage of the high price to sell rice, keeping only some rations and surplus. Otherwise, the price of labor and daily goods driven by the price of rice, a livelihood resource, will no longer be worth the original money.
Can afford it.
The various stores gathering rare goods, the rice market's warehouses, and the government warehouses in Changping have all approached the limit of the design capacity... This is certainly a huge profit, but the red line of countless historical experiences shows that the boiling water in heaven is prohibited.
The moment is now, the water government system is about to fully intervene, and the rise in food prices has almost reached its final limit and is about to fall.
As a result, the rice market, which was once bustling in autumn and winter last year, has cooled down since the beginning of spring. Local sellers in Xiangzhou have already shipped a lot of goods. However, because food prices have risen too quickly than in previous years, they have not been able to react in time. At least half of them are still sitting there and are eager to sell.
But buyers from out of state were unanimously silent.
No one is stupid and just waits for food prices to plummet after Taiping Lake Dragon Palace intervenes.
But at this time, the sky was bright and the cold wind of early spring was blowing. Ten large merchant ships entered the harbor, lowered their sails, and fluttered the flag of the Lingzhou Yun family on their flags.
The draft of these boats was very shallow, and they obviously did not carry much heavy cargo. The dozen or so waiters who were watching on the dock had poisonous eyes. They knew the purpose of the boats at a glance, and they all ran back to the rice shops in the rice market. Zhang Huai
It was one of them who was so excited that he rushed into the innermost courtyard of the rice market: "Shopkeeper, there is another big business in Hong Kong."
"Ten ships? Are they the Yun family, not the Lu family?"
Zhang Liang, the shopkeeper, glared at this distant nephew, suspecting that he had gone to Yiqingyuan to sleep with a woman last night, and had lost his energy and was dazzled by the sight.
"It is indeed the Yun family, a third-class merchant ship, with such a big flag." The young waiter danced and gestured, and when he woke up under his uncle's glare, he said again: "It's definitely not dazzling... The waiters in each shop are also surprised.
, but I didn’t think much about it, I ran back the fastest.”
"Well, you did a good job..."
Zhang Liang pondered to himself. Yesterday he just delivered seven shipments of rice to the Lu family. Due to the large volume of contracted shipments, he agreed on a 20% lower price. According to the contract, it will come today. If he receives more goods from the Yun family, he is afraid that the inventory behind the shop will be a little low.
insufficient……
Several deputies in the shop outside didn't even think about it. They rushed over after hearing the news, their eyes shining with golden light: "Big shopkeeper, the Yun family has given a letter to sign for half a month, why don't you sell the inventory first?"
"No one else can afford such a large order. We can ship the goods first, and the Lu family's goods will be shipped urgently from the main warehouse. If there is a gap, we will split the order and transfer the goods from the same industry, and deal with the first batch first."
"Looking at the situation, it's not that simple. Bulk trade should not be wasted. The Lu family signed a half-month contract first and has already calculated our inventory. If the Yun family also signs a long-term contract, if someone else eats the goods from the same company, where will we adjust the food? Note
I'm in jail... These wealthy shipping families have huge amounts of money and are usually well-behaved. In troubled times, they eat people without spitting out their bones, but our family can't afford to break the contract and fall into other people's traps."
Zhang Liang thought for a while and decided to be cautious. He went out and shouted: "Get your horses ready, I will show you to the master of the family."
The Zhang family itself is the county magistrate. They have scattered properties in several counties, with a total of 170,000 acres of fertile land. The rice shop mainly sells grain from the family and the vassal families. The magistrates of other counties also want to give the Zhang family face in the rice market here.
, in a sense, the leader of the rice guild.
To be appointed as shopkeeper here is not only about having strong connections, but also about ability. The Yun family, who usually do not compete with the Lu family for this water transport share, took action. With Zhang Liang's many years of experience in the rice trade in Yiyin County, he immediately realized that something was unusual.
…
The carriage quickly arrived at the Xichen Garden of the Zhang family. The scenery inside was beautiful, the layout was cheerful, and the smell of poetry and calligraphy was evident among the people coming and going.
Zhang Liang met the current head of the family, Zhang Yuntian, in the study. After explaining the whole story, he reminded: "...head of the family, a merchant ship from the Lu family in Yingzhou arrived last night. It was strange to leave in the middle of the night. Now the Yun family has another
That’s it, it’s true…”
"Um."
Zhang Yuntian nodded slightly. Although he was concentrating on literary affairs, he was not indifferent to his family's livelihood. He knew that the weather had been unpredictable recently, and that overnight sailing was not only risky, but at least there was no need to take it.
When a third-level giant ship capsizes, thousands of stones of rice are lost, and the ship itself suffers huge losses. This is indeed unusual.
Zhang Liang was encouraged by this, and even more firmly judged: "Not long after the Lu family's fleet left, the Yun family's fleet came again early in the morning. This is no coincidence. There are predators behind the scenes, and even a shipping fleet came overnight.
We don’t even have enough ships. This kind of power can disrupt the rice trade, even manipulate prices, and bloodbath the entire Northland grain trading market. We have to be careful when shipping."
"No...this is not an ordinary business war."
Zhang Yuntian stood up, paced and pondered, and concluded: "Ordinary predators dare not go against the flow of grain prices, or have high-ranking officials intervene. Only if they can consume the grain internally, they will not worry about it rotting in their hands, and at least they can limit the losses to
On the books, the actual situation will not waver at all..."
"If there are still princes who intervene and use it as military ration, these people's valuation is not money, but competition for luck. The loss of food price is only regarded as a necessary cost."
He frowned and gradually sketched out the outline of the enemy's actions. He was about to write a letter in front of his desk when he suddenly stopped and sighed: "You guys think... should I write to the Prince of Qing who is about to come to join the vassal state, or should I write to him?"
What about the newly-emerged Marquis of Xiang?"
Zhang Liang was startled when he heard this, and he lowered his head and dared not speak.
Zhang Weicun's title has not yet come down, so he is already respectfully called Xianghou in the aristocratic family circle...because those who are not respectfully called him have died of illness, falls, or accidents many times.
In the heart of the aristocratic family, they were actually more afraid of the Marquis of Xiang. It turned out that this man relied on the natives and was very weak. The governor of Xiangzhou and the hero of the aristocratic family, Qi Shihai, had the highest expectations, but they were defeated in the last round of melee and were beheaded by this man.
He slaughtered thousands of people on earth.
His methods are much more ruthless than the one in Yingzhou.
The Zhang family surrendered late, and they surrendered at the end of the last round. They were tied to a chariot and worshiped the new Emperor Xiatu for more than ten years.
It is said that they have been monarchs and ministers for many years, and they will give strong support when they come back, just like the situation in Yingzhou in the north. However, the arrival of the Qing County Prince made things change, and the hearts of the people in the state were divided - the orthodox power of the Cai Dynasty has also been deeply rooted in the hearts of the people for a long time.
This is not a question of reporting abnormalities in the grain market, but a question of who to report to...
As soon as the report was given, it became clearer who would stand. Between the king and the princes, who could be sure who would be the final winner? Dragons have their own ways, rats have their own ways. If they are not part of the core group, or have a precise vision, for the most part, it would be safer to be a mere outsider.
…
"That's all, leave a way so that we can meet each other easily in the future."
Several close aides looked at each other in shock when they saw Zhang Yuntian stopped writing and entered the inner courtyard alone in low spirits.
Zhang Liang quickly asked: "Master, shall we sell today's grain or not?"
"Sell it, the water government is about to fully intervene. Since it is definitely not a business war trap and there are princes who are willing to pay unjustly, why don't we make a profit? This will be the money to buy our lives in the future..."
That night, the Yun family's grain-carrying ships quickly arrived at Sanshui County. Before them, three batches of grain-carrying ships had already returned from up and down the Changhe River.
This is not the end yet, but the starting point of Yingzhou Waterway...
Grain is transported here from various places downstream, and then it is unloaded and loaded into the waterway of the river, and transported back to Nanlian Mountain Cave as quickly as possible.
It has to be said that Dongtian is the best storage center. The climate is self-controlled, the humidity is suitable, and it can even temporarily create sunlight. As long as the Dongtian is not breached by the enemy, there will be no problem in storing grain for decades. Basically, the princes in Dongtian are very happy.
It is difficult to defeat with traditional warfare, and can only be crushed by immortal warfare.
"The grain has been shipped?" Ye Qing was slightly surprised when he heard the news. He stood up and took a few steps. He felt refreshed and looked into the distance. After a long while, he said: "It went well. I went to inspect the transfer at the dock.
Scheduling situation.”
"Yes" someone answered, and after walking a few steps, he was stopped again.
Ye Qing thought about it and said, "Please come with me."
This is an implicit expression of gratitude. Fortunately, the Yun family has joined this grain war, otherwise the transportation capacity will be even more stretched... With the full support of the Yun family, the entire ten downstream states are within the scope of the grain hunt.
The whole journey was speechless, and we soon arrived at the dock. Looking from the high embankment, we could see that there were densely packed white sails below. Second only to the Yujing waterway that Ye Qing had seen, they were all Lu, Yun, and Liang shipping families' fleets that responded to the call.
Come, not far from the pier, there is a big dark hole under the whirlpool in the water, with dots of light shining and floating mysteriously. Farmers push grain trucks one after another, and they enter the black hole from the extended land bridge.
"My lord, you are really prepared for a rainy day." Yun Bexue looked at the densely packed white sails. He was shocked in his heart, but kept a calm expression on his face. He only glanced at some cargo ships under his own flag and stared at the waterway.
Yun Bangxue only learned about Ye Qing's plan a few days ago. He was secretly shocked at that time. Now he watched it quietly for a long time and sighed secretly.
"Heaven, magnanimity, mind, means, and people's hearts... This man is truly a first-class prince. I am afraid that Zhang Weicun is not even half as good as anyone I have seen in my life."
"In terms of strength, I am afraid that only the Northern Wei Dynasty can defeat it...but that is the Hu State, and it is not what I want."
Ye Qing noticed his gaze and said with a leisurely smile: "Compared with water transportation by ship, bulk freight transportation is more convenient and faster. However, although Uncle Taiping has the power to control floods in ten states, the waterway connection outside Yingzhou has not yet been handed over smoothly...
…And the opening of the waterway is too conspicuous, and it will be noticed by the state capitals or princes at once, so it is better to conceal it than merchant ship transportation.”
In fact, before I finished speaking, I also wanted to drag the shipping families from various states to accompany me and serve as chess pieces for future insertion...
Yun Bangxue didn't expose it, and smiled slightly: "The Yun family and the Lu family are married, and they rarely take orders from the state and Xiangzhou across the river. I'm afraid the Marquis of Xiang will notice this time."
"Oh, do you know Zhang Weicun?"
"I met him once years ago. He is not as generous as my lord. It's rare that he came from a poor background and rose to prominence... It's a pity that it was a year and a half too late." Yun Fuxue said calmly, with a little bit of sympathy and regret.
"Believe me, I'm not sorry... and I bet that Zhang Weicun hasn't paid attention to the food aspect yet, he is so worried..."
When Ye Qing said this, he laughed with some schadenfreude and clapped his hands: "Let's go down and have a look."
With that said, a group of people went down. Yun Bixue took a closer look and saw bags of white rice, each bag weighing one stone (one hundred catties). There were probably more than five hundred stones here.
"Rice..." Yun Bexue said softly. He was from the Han clan and had no support from his family. After more than ten years of hard work, he knew the weight of white rice very well.
The densely packed rice bags in this cabin...are all the blood of other states.
But Ye Qing was more intuitive. With the sixth level of the Dayan Divine Technique, he could see that it was a white streak of luck, milky white, shrouding the ship.
One boat is not too much, but hundreds of boats and thousands of boats will form a long river of luck.
Even though it is the lowest level of white energy, once it is absorbed by the system, it can instantly become green energy. Things went so smoothly that Ye Qing was confused. He glanced at Yun Bangxue and thought to himself: "Although everything will change in time."
With the same force, Nuwa turned around smoothly, Yun Bixue, who was carrying the dragon spirit, defected, and there were boatloads of white rice. It was so smooth and unbelievable."
"I also understand luck, how can I explain this situation?"