Although I guessed it, the problem is that it is difficult to solve. Firstly, the price of food has risen, and even questioning it at this time will not help. Secondly, there is no rule saying that you cannot buy at a high price. Therefore, it is difficult to solve.
It's not easy to solve, but it doesn't mean there's nothing to do. Stenghan was very angry and felt that the old man He Wanming was looking for trouble and didn't want to make things easier for him. So after the grain merchants left, he immediately went to see Cang Cao's bookkeeper.
Shu Luoxian.
At this time, Luo Xian actually wanted to find Siteng Han, because the price of food in the city had risen beyond his expected range. Therefore, when Siteng Han arrived, Luo Xian was very unhappy.
Si Denghan felt more and more aggrieved. It was not his fault, but he had to bear the blame. So he became more and more angry with He Wanming, and he complained about the He family both inside and outside.
"...the three sons of the grass-roots people went to other places to buy grain, but they encountered high prices. The price of grain sold to foreign merchants in various places is basically around eighty copper coins. I have also asked other grain merchants and the grass-roots people, and they are all in the same situation.
As for the reason, everyone has inquired about it. It is because the He family purchased grain at a high price before and raised the price of grain. The reason why the price of grain in the city is so high now is because the He family is deliberately raising the price."
Luo Xian originally thought that these grain merchants were only seeking profit and deliberately raising grain prices to make more money, but he did not expect that there was such a reason behind it, so he immediately sent someone to call He Wanming to question him face to face.
Si Denghan was not afraid of confronting He Wanming, so he also waited.
Soon, He Wanming arrived at the Yamen. After seeing Luo Xian, he bowed respectfully and said hello, and then smiled and said hello to Si Denghan.
Si Tenghan returned the salute perfunctorily, then looked sideways at He Wanming, waiting for Luo Xian to speak.
"He Wanming, do you know why I called you here today?" Luo Xian asked with a solemn face.
He Wanming looked panicked and said, "The common people don't know, please let me know clearly."
"Hmph." Luo Xian slammed the table and said angrily: "What did I tell you back then? Yinzhou suffered from drought this year and grain production decreased. As a member of Yinzhou, you have the ability, so you should work together to help
Yinzhou can get through this."
He Wanming continued: "What you are saying is that the common people also care about the people of Yinzhou, so they bought three million stones of grain back early, and now they have all been put into the market.
The grassroots people also plan to buy another three million stones when this batch of grain is sold out."
Si Denghan was shocked. He originally thought that He Wanming had inherited 1.5 million stones like him, but he didn't expect it to be 3 million. If calculated based on 80 copper coins per catty, this is 2,400.
Ten thousand taels of silver.
Such a sum, even for the Si family, would be difficult to come up with in one breath. Stenghan couldn't help but secretly think that the He family's financial resources were probably much richer than those of the Si family. However, the He family started late and had not as much background as the Si family.
It's just a deep family.
Luo Xian frowned and asked in no uncertain terms: "But why do you want to deliberately raise the price of grain? Do you want to monopolize the grain market in Yinzhou?"
He Wanming waved his hands in fear, "Your Excellency, you have wronged the common people. The He family is just a small family among many grain merchants. How dare the ordinary people think of monopolizing it.
As for deliberately raising prices, the common people are even more unjust. The common people buy grain for 80 coppers per catty, plus three-thirds of transportation costs, and the wages of long-term workers. The common people sell it for 120 coppers per catty. In fact, it is only 120 copper per catty.
I can only earn two copper coins."
Luo Xian didn't listen to him and continued to shout angrily: "Nonsense, the price of local food in other states is less than fifty copper coins, why did you buy it for only eighty copper coins? Didn't you buy it at a high price on purpose?"
He Wanming became more and more anxious, and immediately stood up and knelt down and said: "Sir, the common people are really unjust, why do the common people buy at a high price? What good does this do to the common people? There is no reason for the common people to do such a thing that harms others and does not benefit oneself.
As for the price of food, maybe the states deliberately want to take advantage of the opportunity to make a fortune, or there are other reasons. In short, when ordinary people go to buy it, the price is just that much.
Sir, if you can really buy it at a low price, why would ordinary people not do it?"
Si Denghan couldn't help but frown, and sure enough, Luo Xian looked at him, "Didn't you say that the He family deliberately raised the price of food? Where did you get this news?"
Si Denghan thought for a moment, then stood up and knelt down and said: "This was said by the grain merchants in Yezhou, but the common people really dare not say whether it is true or not.
It's just that all the states treat us Yinzhou grain merchants at high prices, and the common people are really puzzled, so they have to suspect that someone did it deliberately."
But He Wanming caught his words and scolded: "Boss Si, although you and I are very competitive in business, I have never worn small shoes for you. What are your intentions when you wrongly accuse me in front of adults like this?"
Now is the time when we should be united, but you are orchestrating me behind my back like this. Don’t you know what it means to distinguish between public and private matters?”
"I..." Stenghan choked in his throat and couldn't hold up his breath. He clearly felt that this matter was deliberately caused by the He family, but this old man still said it eloquently, and in the end it became his fault.
, but he was angry.
Finally, Stenghan regained his sense and retorted: "The local grain price is only 40 coppers, and I sell it to you for 80 coppers. Boss He, could it be that you picked up your wealth? You have no intention of doing such a loss-making business."
Buy without hesitation?
Didn’t you negotiate the price? When you arrived, the whole city was selling for eighty coppers? They already knew you were going to buy it, so the whole city colluded in advance to sell it to you at a high price?"
He Wanming did not panic at all, "When I bought three million stones, I naturally went to the big grain merchants, and the big grain merchants looked for the small grain merchants. How could I know if they had colluded in advance? All I knew was that I was in a hurry to transport the grain back.
So even if it’s eighty coppers, I’ll accept it.”
"You..." Si Tenghan was speechless for a moment and could only clench his fists in anger.
After hearing what the two said, Luo Xian's face turned as dark as the bottom of a pot.
This year's grain production has been reduced, and Zhou Mu has already given orders to Kusao that he must find ways to survive this food crisis. But now, the autumn harvest has just passed, and when he encounters such a situation, he really doesn't know how to report it to his superiors.
Now the buying price is already higher than the normal grain price level, not to mention the selling price. Even if he does not earn a single copper coin, the price is still high. He cannot force these grain merchants to rebate.
In the end, no useful conclusions were drawn about the rise in food prices, so Luo Xian had to let Si and He go back first. But he also made harsh words. In any case, the price of food must not exceed one yuan and twenty.
copper.
...
After leaving the Yamen, Si Denghan finally couldn't hold back his anger and quarreled with He Wanming at the door.
"I know you must have some idea. Hmm, you are very eloquent in the Yamen, but here, in one word, I don't believe it wasn't you."
He Wanming chuckled and said: "Boss Si, don't be so tempered. Tell me, what's the benefit of this to me? There's no other benefit, so Boss Si has to let go of his prejudices. If you do this, it will appear that you are petty."
Stenghan didn't buy it and snorted coldly, "If it wasn't you, you would have jumped up in such a hurry that you could shake things up, and you would still be so calm? You are simply convinced that there is no evidence for this, and you are not afraid.
But I don’t understand, why are you doing this to the detriment of others and not yourself?”
He Wanming glanced sideways at him, without saying a word, got into his carriage and drove away.