Chapter 134 Moderation or incompetence

Mao Lisen couldn't help but glance at Zhang Buyi again, and then said: "If we just pick up the handicap, let alone a secondary state capital like Luzhou, we should be able to win the whole Huzhou."

"Okay, Pindao knows, you can go down and get ready." Zhang Buyi drank all the tea in the cup and stood up and said.

"Prepare? Prepare for what?" Mao Lisen asked subconsciously.

"I have been talking to you for so long, are you talking nonsense?" Zhang Buyi glanced at Mao Lisen angrily.

Mao Lisen was a young boy in his teens after all. Hearing this, he was stunned for a moment and said: "Take over the Luzhou Grain Market? What about the local grain merchants?"

"Humph, it depends on whether they know how to make money. Since they dare to make a fortune, they must have the consciousness to overturn the situation." Zhang Buyi smiled coldly.

Mao Lisen felt a little cold on his neck and without raising his head, he immediately replied: "Disciple, I understand. I will prepare now and send a letter to inform several uncles."

Zhang Buyi waved his hand and signaled the other party to step back. After Mao Lisen left, he did not sit back again, but directly walked towards the government office.

······

Cheng Zhanping, the Luzhou government office, has been extremely busy these days, with a lot of things going on, especially the food problem, which has become very serious.

The grain merchants in the city all banded together and began to raise prices. He had no other choice but to do so.

Since ancient times, grain merchants have been hoarding food in years of great disasters, and it is inevitable to drive up food prices. Many capable ministers and famous officials have little to do about this, let alone a peaceful existence like him who does not want to offend anyone.

There is no other way.

"Taoist Master Zhengsong? How come you have time to come here?" Sensing Zhang Buyi's arrival, Cheng Zhanping stopped what he was doing and asked in surprise.

"Why can't I just come and chat with the adults if I have nothing to do?" Zhang Buyi stepped into the room with a smile.

Cheng Zhanping stood up with a smile and motioned to Zhang Buyi to come here. The two of them came to sit on a small tea table next to them. Cheng Zhanping waved away the people waiting beside him, and while making tea, he said:

"How has Taoist Master come to me these past few days and not come to the Three Treasures Hall for nothing? What happened this time that the following can't solve?"

Because of Zhang Buyi's previous help, he did what he said when he was doing things in the city these days and gave him a lot of convenience.

"What if Pindao said he was here to help the prefect solve the big problem at hand?" Zhang Buyi asked with a smile.

Cheng Zhanping paused as he came over to the tea cup and said uncertainly: "Taoist priest, do you have food?"

Zhang Buyi nodded. Seeing this, Cheng Zhanping asked in surprise: "How many?"

Zhang Buyi smiled and asked: "How much does it cost to become an adult?"

This tone made Cheng Zhanping stunned for a moment, then his eyes flashed, and he said in surprise: "Can the Taoist Priest mobilize the entire Shu grain market?"

"I can't talk about it as a whole, but it should be more than enough to deal with a Luzhou." Zhang Buyi reached out and took the tea that Cheng Zhanping had never handed over, and took a sip.

Cheng Zhanping said with great joy: "Taoist Master, you are really my great savior, sent by God..."

"Stop, don't rush to say good things. If you want Pindao to take action, there are conditions." Zhang Buyi stopped Cheng Zhanping's extremely careless flattery and said.

Cheng Zhanping said with a face full of joy: "Taoist priest, just say that I can do it, and I won't delay it."

"It's not difficult, there are two conditions." Zhang Buyi put down his tea cup and looked at Cheng Zhanping.

"You tell me!" Cheng Zhanping looked forward to it and even used the honorific.

Zhang Buyi looked at the other party, stretched out a finger and said: "First, Pindao wants all the counties in Luzhou to build more than five bookstores in each city. The name is tea, rice, oil and salt. All food will be in this bookstore."

Sold outside the shop.

At the village and town level, the construction depends on the situation. As long as the store can radiate the surrounding people and meet the daily food supply, it will be fine.

Of course, this shop belongs to Pindao, and Pindao will find someone to pay for it, and he will also find someone to run and manage it. What you have to do is to cooperate with my people, select a place, coordinate with all parties to give up the shop, and complete the relevant tasks.

Just the formalities."

Cheng Zhanping was stunned for a moment and said: "Tea, rice, oil and salt? Bookstore? Taoist priest, are you sure you are not mistaken? It is not a grain store?"

Zhang Buyi nodded and said with certainty: "It's a bookstore. Of course, this bookstore will also sell things from the grain store, and Pindao promises to sell grain at a fair price."

"Fair price? What is fair price?" Cheng Zhanping frowned and asked in confusion.

"Parity is the daily selling price. Well, this description may not be accurate. To be precise, it is sold at a price that is 50% to one or two times higher than the purchase price of the year." Zhang Buyi explained.

"Taoist priest, are you sure you're not joking? It's higher than 50% of the purchase price? Are you a grain merchant or a Bodhisattva?" Cheng Zhanping said in astonishment.

Zhang Buyi did not answer the other party's question, but continued: "Not only during this disaster, but also at any time in the future, as long as Pindao is still there, these shops will be affordable.

In other words, Pindao can solve some of your most troublesome livelihood problems, so that the food and daily life in Luzhou will be smooth in the future."

Cheng Zhanping did not show any expression of joy. Instead, he was doubtful. He looked at Zhang Buyi in confusion and asked, "What about the second one?"

Zhang Buyi once again stretched out a finger and said: "The second poor Taoist wants a piece of writing from your Majesty!"

"What order?" Cheng Zhanping asked doubtfully.

"All the people of Luzhou are not allowed to buy grain from the grain shops that have raised prices these days. Anyone who violates this will be arrested!" Zhang Buyi said calmly: "You don't need to send arresters to execute this order. You just need to send it out, and everyone in Lu will do it."

The state’s attitude.”

"What's the use of this? The shortage of food is going crazy now. If I don't allow it, no one will buy it..." Cheng Zhanping said this, lightning flashed in his mind, and he said in horror:

"You want to take control of the Luzhou Grain Market? Do you still want to touch those grain merchants?"

"Your Majesty, do you think we can't move?" Zhang Buyi asked rhetorically.

"I don't know about it at all times. I only know that the Taoist priest is really courageous." Cheng Zhanping took a deep breath, as if he didn't want to continue talking.

"My lord, do you agree?" Zhang Buyi asked.

"Why don't you agree? What was their attitude when I came to ask for help one by one before? Now that I have done this, I can't blame you." At this point, Cheng Zhanping paused and said: "But

I also have a request."

"Sir, tell me!" Zhang Buyi made a listening gesture.

"My order must be issued first, before the Taoist priest's grain enters Luzhou, and then the Taoist priest can bring the grain into Luzhou." Cheng Zhanping said.

Zhang Buyi thought for a moment, and was stunned for a moment before he realized the meaning of the request, "Your Excellency, you really... don't forget to take it out at a time like this, I admire you."

"I can't help it. My arms and legs are too thin, so I don't dare to fight with you salt, iron and grain merchants. I still have a family waiting to support me!" said Cheng Zhanping, a bachelor.

"Sir Cheng, do you think Pindao is like a grain merchant in the city? Or do you think Pindao does this for profit?" Zhang Buyi asked rhetorically.

Cheng Zhanping paused while drinking tea, and apologized in a rare and serious manner: "I just broke my promise just now. The Taoist Master is worthy of being a high priest. I didn't keep my mouth shut. I apologize to you, Taoist Master."

Zhang Buyi waved his hand and said equally seriously: "That's not the case, but although Pindao doesn't really care, he still needs to state it again.

If the "Tea, Rice, Oil and Salt" bookstore in the future participates in the collusion between grain merchants, you can take action, and Pindao will not only not be angry, but will also thank you, and no one will come to trouble you for taking care of it."

Cheng Zhanping took a deep look at Zhang Buyi, nodded solemnly, and said, "I have written it down!"

"My lord, you'd better give the order quickly, otherwise it won't be easy to pick it off in the afternoon!" Zhang Buyi stood up and said.

Cheng Zhanping was stunned for a moment and said in astonishment: "Taoist priest's grain has arrived in Luzhou? Wait a minute, it will take at least a month to go back and forth from Shu, plus transportation and collection. Taoist priest, you...after the flood

Take action now?"

Zhang Buyi smiled, looked at Cheng Zhanping and said, "Sir, you are not the only one who can make the first move. You should hurry up and give the order, otherwise you will be in the same team as Pindao this afternoon!"

As he spoke, Zhang Buyi had already stood up and left the room.

Cheng Zhanping looked at Zhang Buyi's back and was lost in thought for a long time.

"Tea, rice, oil and salt? Bookstore? This is to follow the path of all people, gather public opinion, carry the heart of heaven, use water to push the boat, roll up the great momentum of the sky, and catch all the princes in the court by surprise?"

The Immortal of Qingyu Temple in Massachusetts, no wonder he has such a great reputation. He has an exquisite mind, regards the people as his sons, and his methods are really good. He is cold but not too benevolent, haha, he is worthy of his name!

I hope your waist will be straighter and you can withstand this summer weather for a longer time. Don’t be like Mr. Kang who bends your body so quickly. Otherwise, I’m afraid that I can’t help but be impulsive and get confused!”

Cheng Zhanping muttered to himself and remained silent for a long time, as if he was trying to convince himself of something, and as if he was simply sighing. He drank tea silently with an extremely complicated expression.

······

At noon, Luzhou city was filled with notices.

The notice condemned grain stores that were driving up prices and prohibited people from going to these stores to buy grain.

Cheng Zhanping even used his official seal to notify the county magistrates of his subordinate counties, and he also issued such an inexplicable notice.

After a while, many people gathered in front of the notice. After seeing the notice clearly, someone sarcastically said, "Is Cheng Zhifu losing his wits?"

"No, if there is no food, how can the people still drink from the northwest wind?"

"Hey, I guess it's because the grain merchant was so angry that he did this. The government office didn't do anything. I guess it was just a decoration. He probably wanted to vent his anger."

"Haha, let him go."

"······"

Among the crowd, Hu Shao and Hu Shi were also among them. Hu Shi looked at the notice in confusion and said: "Second brother, is it useful for the prefect to put such a notice?

Those who should buy grain will still buy it, and those whose prices should rise will still rise. This inexplicable notice is of no use to today’s grain prices, right?"
Chapter completed!