Chapter 21 Chapter Twenty-One

Knowing that it was the King of Wei and his party who had arrived, the prefect Deng hurriedly welcomed them into the city. Naturally, there was no honor guard in such a situation, so he just asked someone to bring his green sedan chair, and King Wei sat in the sedan chair. , accompanied by others on foot, fortunately this place is not far from Sizhou City, these people have been on a boat for a few days, their bones are already itchy, so it is right to take a walk to let the wind go. Facing the Huai River, Sizhou City is two miles away from Xushan Mountain. It is a rammed earth building. The circumference of the city is nine miles, and the height of the city wall is about two feet and five feet.There are five gates on the city wall, and you need to pass the suspension bridge to enter and exit the city.Because this is an important point of water and land, where merchants gather, it is quite prosperous. Once you enter the city, you can see beautiful buildings such as temples, temples, towers, buildings, temples, nunneries, ancestral halls, and altars everywhere. There are bridges all over it, like the Venice of the East.

Sizhou Mansion Yamen was also very grand. When he arrived at the mansion, Deng Zuyang ordered the middle door to be opened wide, and Wei Wang and his party were respectfully welcomed into the living room. They served tea first, and then confessed their crimes, and hurried down to change their clothes.Due to the hot weather, there was no need to prepare hot water. Deng Zuyang rinsed with cold water in a hurry, changed into official clothes, and rushed to the living room to formally meet Wei Wang Qiansui. When Deng Zuyang was on the embankment with his rumpled clothes covered with mud, he couldn't see the appearance of an official at all. At this time, he dressed up hastily, put on the official clothes and hat, and relying on the clothes, he immediately became a party. The grace and demeanor of a senior official.Deng Zuyang hurriedly met with Zhao Dezhao, king of Wei, and Chu Zhaofu, the third envoy of the Wei Dynasty.

Zhao Dezhao praised him for his visit to the wharf to supervise the construction of the dam, and then asked about Deng Zuyang's official experience and the situation in Sizhou. After reporting back, Zhao Dezhao asked about the progress of stockpiling grain and grass here. Deng Zuyang said: "Qiantui, as soon as the imperial court's decree came, the subordinate officials immediately deployed troops to rush to buy grain. A batch of grain and grass have been purchased a few days ago. In addition to the original grain in the treasury, the required amount of grain has been requisitioned. Originally, there should be a certain amount of grain in the treasury to prevent disasters, but now that the autumn harvest is approaching, if there are no major changes, this grain can also be turned over to the imperial court. Make another plan."

After talking with Zhao Dezhao for a while, Deng Zuyang's tense expression gradually calmed down. He drank a sip of tea to moisten his throat, and said: "However, the grain merchants are all very alert, and I only bought it for two days. With an unusual gesture, such a large-scale purchase of grain still made them aware of the abnormal situation. Grain merchants closed their warehouses and stopped selling, and inquired about the news. Immediately after that, the news of the lack of grain in Kaifeng Mansion came out. Collecting food can be difficult." Zhao Dezhao couldn't help becoming nervous when he heard this: "Prefect Deng, the imperial government's purchase of grain and grass this time is different from the normal grain collection in ordinary years, which can be done slowly. Merchants are only looking for profit, and it was expected by the imperial court to take advantage of the opportunity to increase prices. Therefore, the imperial court authorized Governments in various places raise prices at their own discretion, but grain merchants cannot be allowed to ask for prices, otherwise the imperial treasury will not be able to afford it. In this case, local governments need to plan in many ways. Deng Zhifu personally went to the wharf to supervise the construction of the river embankment, so he did his duty , this king is very appreciative of it. However, the repair of the river channel still requires food to be transported. Since the food and grass cannot be harvested, what countermeasures can prefect Deng have?"

Deng Zuyang heard that he blamed himself for abandoning the basics and chasing after the waste, not rushing to solve the purchase of grain and grass, but went to build dikes and dams, and quickly explained: "My lord, the reason why the officials rushed to the wharf to supervise the construction of the dikes and dams is because Sizhou overlooks the Huai River in the south. To control the Bianliu, this dam and sluice is not only related to our Sizhou area, the grain and grass from all over the Jianghuai River are transported to the capital through my Sishui wharf, so if this dam is not repaired, it will affect the speed of grain and grass transported to the capital from all over the place As for Sizhou's local purchase of grain and grass, Xiaguan has also adopted several countermeasures, but they have only just been implemented, and we don't know how effective they will be."

Zhao Dezhao turned from anger to joy and said, "Prefect Deng already has countermeasures? I don't know what countermeasures they have taken, and please tell me one by one." Deng Zuyang cupped his hands and said, "Yes!" He looked around and saw that there was no one else in the hall except for the high-ranking officials in Beijing, so he waved his hand and drove out the servants of his mansion, and then said: "Your Majesty, stubborn merchants, when floods and droughts occur, In insect pests and plagues, or when there is a major military event, they take advantage of the opportunity to rely on grain, and at the top they store grain without selling it, blackmailing the court; at the bottom they barter grain and annex people's fields. Great righteousness is also unwilling to give up huge profits to share the country's worries.

Now the lower officials can only send subordinate staff to inspect various places. It is strictly forbidden for grain merchants to take advantage of the opportunity to raise prices to disturb the people's hearts. Those who violate it will be severely punished; Use heavy taxes and tax adjustments to prevent the outflow of grain and grass.Then he entrusted the subordinate's wife and uncle to help raise the matter. Xiaguan's wife-in-law is a grain gentry. Every year, the shipping department, transshipment department, and purchase department are responsible for purchasing local grain and grass. He has always come forward to help negotiate and assist. Let him also follow the example of those gentry merchants who hoard grain and buy grain secretly. As for the lower official himself, he temporarily puts on the appearance of stopping grain purchases and focuses on building barrages and water conservancy projects. "

He let out a sigh of relief and said, "Fortunately, this year's weather is smooth and there are few pests and diseases, which is a sign of a good harvest. As long as there are no major floods in summer and autumn, there must be plenty of new grain." Zhao Dezhao learned the policies of Jingguo, so after all, he was lacking in these things. Hearing the words, he said anxiously: "Autumn harvest? I'm afraid that after the autumn harvest, the grain is harvested, and then the rice is harvested and put into the warehouse. It will be too late to transport the full amount to the capital."

Chu Zhaofu said in a rough voice: "Qiantui, what Deng Zhifu means is that those black-hearted grain merchants suppressed the grain and did not sell it. It was out of the desire to stockpile grain, and persuasion was impossible. But autumn grain If there is a bumper harvest, the old grain they put in the warehouse will not be able to be sold. This place has a lot of rain and is very humid, so the stored grain cannot be sold, and it will become moldy after a long time. Although our court will not have enough time to buy enough food, but their black-hearted profiteers will not get the slightest benefit, so it will be a lose-lose situation.Therefore, now it depends on who can hold their breath. If those grain merchants can't resist, seeing that the old grain is hard to sell and the new grain has arrived, they have to give in to the government. "

Zhao Dezhao blushed tenderly, and said embarrassingly: "I see." Deng Zuyang glanced at Chu Zhaofu, with a smile in his eyes, nodded and said: "The third envoy is right, the officials first blocked their export road with heavy taxes, and then suppressed their expectations of price increases with heavy laws. At the same time, the officials rushed to build a dam on the embankment, and ignored the purchase of grain for the time being. Those grain merchants did not know how much grain the government needed to collect, nor did they know the minimum limit for the government to allow the Sizhou government to raise prices. Seeing that the lower officials don't pay attention, and they have accumulated a mountain of grain and grass in their treasury, how can they not panic?

The lower officials stopped with silence, and fought with them for a while, and when the time was right, let out the wind first, saying that the court's food and grass were ready, and then asked his wife and uncle to contact a few grain gentry who had contacts to take the lead in selling grain. Merchants have their own plans, and the alliance is not solid, and they are afraid that someone will seize the opportunity. This long embankment that has stopped selling grain only needs to be destroyed, and other people will rush to sell the old ones at a lower price. grain.Alas, as a parent official of Yizhou, I am really ashamed to use such a strategy, but the situation is compelling, and the lower officials have to do it as a last resort. " Yang Hao had seen this two-ranked Jinshi come to the wharf to direct the construction of a water conservancy project that the imperial court attached great importance to, and felt that such an official who was willing to work hard was really rare.Now listening to his strategy is very feasible, and it has the same effect as my own strategy of baiting grain merchants from all over the world to throw themselves into the net, and it is even more like a bosom friend. But he thought about it carefully, and said with some worry: "Prefect Deng's plan is a good way to deal with these profiteers who eat meat but don't spit out their bones. It's just... the important thing about this plan is not to disclose the news. If the matter is not confidential, let them know the details, then the Sizhou government will have to let these profiteers set prices." Deng Zuyang smiled and said: "What this lord reminds me is that only because of the prince's inquiry, the next official mentioned this matter to Qiantui, the third envoy and all the adults. Before that, the entire Sizhou prefecture, except for this mansion, only this mansion Only the wife and uncle in the mansion knew about it." Yang Hao blurted out: "Your brother-in-law is also a grain merchant, he..." He suddenly thought that it would be impolite to ask such a question, and not all merchants in the world are black-bellied, and there are not all righteous gentry who worry about the country, so he stopped immediately mouth. Deng Zuyang saw that he hesitated to speak, so he laughed and said: "The wife and uncle of the lower officials are absolutely reliable. He built schools and temples in Sizhou, built bridges and roads, set up free crossings, developed water conservancy, donated money, and did good deeds. In the village, every time there is a famine He is a well-known gentry in Sizhou, so he took the lead in donating money, grain, and setting up porridge sheds. This time, the government was able to snap up 40% of the rice grains in time, and he also raised money in the middle and contributed a lot." After hearing this, Yang Hao was relieved, bowed his hands to him, and said with an apologetic smile: "Forgive me, Mr. Yang, it's because Yang is overthinking." Zhao Dezhao said: "Well, that's very good. I will stay in Sizhou for a few days, and then I will learn more details. Please ask Zhifu Deng to arrange accommodation for me." Deng Zuyang said happily: "Since the lord wants to stay in Sizhou, then please make some excuses with the lords and live in the mansion of the lower official temporarily. Because of the heavy rain and humid weather, there are few people living in the posthouse, so the humidity is very high." Strong, not suitable for nobles to live in. The lord and the lords live in the mansion of the lower official, and the lower official can ask the lord nearby for advice and discuss with the lords about raising food." Zhao Dezhao nodded with a smile, Deng Zuyang saw that the prince agreed to come down, and hurriedly ordered Zhang Luo to arrange the houses of the adults.The back house immediately got busy, picking out the good houses and vacating them for the adults to live in. The King of Wei has a high status, and Deng Zuyang even vacated the residence of his husband and wife, cleaned it up, and replaced it with brand new bedding. Wang moved in. When Zhao Dezhao arrived at the residence arranged for him, people from Zhang's house brought several buckets of warm water and people from Prince Wei's house carried them into the room and waited on Zhao Dezhao to take a bath and change clothes. Sitting in the hall drinking tea, he pondered and drank slowly. After drinking a cup of tea, he suddenly ordered: "Come here, call the envoy of Yang Yuan to this king." Not long after, Yang Hao came in a hurry. He had just taken a bath, washed off his sweat, and saluted Zhao Dezhao refreshingly: "Qiantui summoned me, do you have any orders?" Zhao Dezhao said in a deep voice: "I have thought over and over again, and I always feel that the strategy of the prefect Deng to raise food is too risky, and there is a tendency to take the edge of the sword." Yang Hao is also the kind of person who likes to take the edge of the sword and win by surprise. He admires Deng Zuyang's method very much. When he heard Zhao Dezhao's words, he couldn't help being startled, and then gently persuaded him: "Qiantui, according to the officials, Deng Zhifu's method does not seem to be the same. There is nothing wrong with this, there is no other way, as it is often said that Dao soldiers are not tired of deceit, under such circumstances, it seems understandable to use some clever tricks to win." Zhao Dezhao shook his head and said, "Isn't it absurd to govern the country with the way of using soldiers? Govern the country with justice, use troops with wonder, and conquer the world with nothing. You must know that the relationship between the government and the people is the relationship between boats and waters, not the clear barriers on the battlefield. It is related to the country. Jiangshan, thousands of people, ingenious schemes and tricks are ultimately the way to take risks. If they succeed, they will succeed; The importance of Huaijin Bian, the amount of food and grass borne by Sizhou Prefecture is not a small amount. Although Deng Zhifu has a plan in mind, this king is not at ease. I will stay here for a few days, just want to learn more about the situation here If it is not necessary, you should not rely on such a battle of wits with the common people as a bargaining chip." Yang Hao said knowingly: "I don't know what the prince wants to do?" "This king wants you to go around the city and look around to find out what the plan of the grain gentry and wealthy households here is, and whether the prefect Deng's method is likely to work, otherwise this king will always be worried." "Yes, I will obey." Yang Hao bowed and agreed, thinking: "This young Highness has such a steady mind? Or is it his Taifu who often hides behind the scenes to guide him?" Zhao Dezhao stood up with a smile, and said cordially to him: "This king has never been on any errands before. This is the first time he has served as an imperial envoy since he became a king. He patrolled places on behalf of His Majesty. I couldn't help but be careless when I shoulder such a heavy responsibility. Be cautious. Envoy Yang, you came up with the plan to build barrages, dams, sluices, clear waterways, collect food from all directions, and solve the crisis in Bianliang. This king hopes that you can help me. We will work together to accomplish this great event for the court. , when the time comes, this king will ask for credit for you in front of His Majesty!" Among many officials, the Crown Prince, who has taken it for granted, has a tone of reliance and solicitation, but Yang Hao knows that the political situation in the court is complicated, and Zhao Guangyi is not a thing in the pool. If something changed, how dare you just abandon Nan Ya and stand beside him with a clear banner, so you just pretended not to understand, and responded respectfully: "Your Majesty ordered, the next official should obey his orders. If there are no other orders, then The next officer is going to prepare." As soon as I said this, there was a "Zheng" sound, and the lingering sound lingered, and I didn't hear it again for a long time. The two listened for a while in amazement, but when there was no sound, Yang Hao just wanted to step back, and the bright and beautiful sound of the piano slowly rose again, gradually like a breeze. The underflow overflows and fills every space, clearing away the bored mind under the scorching heat. This piece is good, and the piano player's skill is even more excellent. Zhao Dezhao's eyes lit up, and he said happily: "It's a good song 'Wind into the Pine!'"