Mochou Lake.

"Report to Your Majesty, as of yesterday, there were five rice shops in Yingtian Prefecture, and there were 16 rice shops that voluntarily closed. The price of grain has risen to 20 yuan per dollar silver coins, but the market is still very short of food."

Yingtian Governor Chen Qiyu reported to Zhu Youxiao.

"The patrol camp has arrested, smashed, robbed, burned rice shops, and robbed grain and rice. Now the prison is overcrowded, but public security is still getting worse. Many people lose their respect for the morality of the king because of the urgent need for grain and rice, and are therefore anxious. In addition, the number of suicides has also increased, and some people who have fallen into the river because they cannot tolerate this situation."

Zhou Yuji also reported to Zhu Youxiao about the public security situation in Yingtian Prefecture.

He had to admit that maintaining internal political affairs is much more difficult than fighting. Although he was dealing with some unarmed unruly people, the culprit who really caused the unruly people was behind the scenes. Even if he had a knife, he could not cut it. Even if he knew who was doing this, he was helpless.

Therefore, Zhou Yuji's teeth were clenched tightly after reporting, and he had to forcibly suppress this unreleased anger.

"Because of the sharp rise in grain prices, merchants who borrowed silver coins from the Ming Bank had to use the silver coins they borrowed to buy grain. The imperial court spent a huge sum of 15 million yuan to help the scholars and people in Jiangnan resume work and production, but the purpose of not only was it not achieved, but instead caused the silver coins to flow into the hands of major grain producers, namely, the vassal kings such as Huguang and Henan, as well as local nobles and gentry, especially local nobles. Most of the land in Yingtian Prefecture is in their hands, with the majority of the Duke of Wei's Mansion;

According to Your Majesty's holy wish, he wanted to bring the silver hair copied from salt merchants and rebel gentry into the hands of ordinary people, so as to narrow the gap between the rich and the poor in Jiangnan and stimulate the scale of consumption and sales in Jiangnan;

But now things are contrary to their wishes. The money collected has not only not flowed into the hands of ordinary people, but has become increasingly concentrated in the hands of a smaller number of people, that is, in the hands of the wealthy families covering an area of ​​tens of thousands of hectares or even hundreds of thousands of hectares.”

Li Zhizao had to frown and report the situation truthfully.

Because the Ming Dynasty cleared Nanzhili last year, there was a very detailed data and information about the distribution of the fields in Tianfu, and Li Zhizao dared to say that the local nobles, namely the nobles in Nanjing, controlled most of the fields in Yingtianfu.

"What about Dongchang? How is the grain sales situation of Dongchang's business? In addition, how has the public opinion investigated recently?"

Zhu Youxiao sat upright, looked at the frowning ministers in front of him, and only asked this question.

Wei Zhongxian stood up, "Back to the emperor, all the affordable grain sold by the Dongchang merchants have been sold out, and even several Dongchang merchants have been smashed because there is no grain to sell. The Dongchang investigation found that recently, the scholars and people in Yingtianfu began to increase their grievances towards the government, especially the patrol battalion. From the previous love for the patrol battalion to punish evil, it has made Jiangnan more peaceful, and now many scholars and people think that the patrol battalion is just a minion of the government, and only know how to catch them, the people who cannot survive, but are indifferent to the large grain-bearing households."

Zhu Youxiao nodded, "It seems that the reason for all this is that the fields in this area are too concentrated in the hands of nobles and nobles. Now, because a large amount of silver coins flow into the market, the silver price has fallen and the grain price has risen. They will naturally stock up on the grain and release silver. In order to maintain the rules and regulations and protect personal personal wealth, the court has unknowingly become the people who guard the houses and the hospitals of these nobles and nobles, so that they can stock up on the food behind their backs with confidence!"

"Your Majesty is wise! These nobles and nobles only know how to hoard grain for profit, regardless of the imperial edicts, or even the safety of the country. This is really hateful. However, the land is in their hands, and the grain is also owned. If they don't sell it themselves, we can't say that they are hoarding grain. After all, they have not bought grain from abroad for a large amount."

Xiong Tingbi said.

Zhu Youxiao looked at Han: "Han Aiqing, please summon these nobles and the large tribes that occupy a large area in Yingtian Prefecture for me. I advise them to take the initiative to invest grain on the market, or they can lend grain to the court and let the court use it to stabilize the price of grain. If they find reasons to shirk it, come back and tell me."

"I obey the order!"

Han Du replied.

...

"Hahaha! Just one day yesterday, the price of a dou of rice increased by five yuan silver coins compared to the day before yesterday. The 20,000 stone of grain that the Marquis had newly harvested this fall has increased by another 100,000 silver coins! This is more cost-effective than opening a brothel!"

At this time, Funing Hou started talking to the nobles such as Xu Hongji and Gu Mingjiao.

"Isn't it? Nowadays, grain is worth more than silver! I have already sent a message that the grain in the mansion is not allowed to be sold to the grain merchants below, and all the people in the mansion buy food in the future. In this way, the more fierce the grain price will rise, the richer we have the most!"

Gu Mingjiao laughed.

"What should I do if the old grain that is about to become moldy? If I don't sell it, it will break down. After all, this grain is not silver and cannot be stored for a long time."

Zhu Guobi asked.

Xu Hongji sneered and said, "Then burn it! I would rather burn it than flow to the market and burn the farmland!"

"The court issued an edict to ban the stockpile of wealthy families from stockpile. What's the use of this edict? If I don't sell my own food, is it considered to stockpile grain? Haha!"

Zhu Guobi laughed at the recent edict of Zhu Youjiao banning grain hoarding.

"Of course it doesn't count. The food from the princes and marquises' own family. Not to mention not selling it, even if it is burned, it will not hinder the law of the king. The imperial edict can only intimidate the grain merchants below. Whoever cares about this is the real big family is just waste paper! At this time, it is obviously unwise to take out the grain and sell the silver coins of the court in your hands. If you do this, the imperial court will take away our private property without bloodshed by distributing silver coins. Only in this way can we hold the grain and put the silver coins in our hands!"

The disciple Dou Ding started talking.

"That's right, then you will just starve some grass-like untouchables to death, or another riot! At that time, we don't have to do anything. The court will help us to quell the rioters and kill another group of untouchables. The food price may be stable at the highest price, and then we will sell grain to make profits."

Xu Hongji said with a smile.

"Father! A man from Mochou Lake came, saying that Mr. Han was ordered to meet the honors of Nanjing and the officials of the Yingtian Prefecture."

Xu Wenjue came over and reported to Xu Hongji who was talking.

After hearing this, Xu Hongji nodded and smiled: "It seems that the court is coming to ask us!"

Zhu Guobi immediately stood up excitedly and said, "I don't know what to ask for! Why, don't they know that they sent troops to confiscate our home directly?!"

"How do you copy it? We don't sell our own food, so we are guilty? Then what's the use of His Majesty's king's law? We are also citizens of the Ming Dynasty, and our family's wealth must be protected by the king's law!"

Gu Mingjiao also stood up and replied with a smile.
Chapter completed!