Chapter 78 Bring six million stones of food back to the Ming Dynasty, everyone should die!

In addition to Shen Yourong, who brought thirty soft-sailed warships, he also stayed in Edo Bay, preparing to purchase a batch of customs to sell overseas specialties in various stores in the West Factory. He also planned to return abroad when the monsoon changes in November. Zhang Gui first took a Denglai Navy hard sailing ship that could adapt to both favorable and adverse winds and returned to the Ming Dynasty with six million shi of grain.

Because Zhang Gui led a large fleet, with dozens of large ships, equipped with cannons and muskets, and thousands of officers and soldiers, pirates along the way did not dare to offend Zhang Gui's fleet, and the return voyage was as smooth as when they came.

At this time of the Ming Dynasty, according to previous years' practice, all grains should have arrived in Beijing in early June, but now in September of the fourth year of Tianqi, none of them have arrived in the capital.

Some canal ships were even used by the powerful and bureaucrats as ships to transport their own goods. Instead of just transporting four million stone canal grains as before, they also took part of their own goods with them and used them as goods for sale in the north.

In addition, because the grain was not shipped one after another, many grain workers who relied on water transportation to survive suffered starvation on a large scale, and even fled, robbed grain, and even rebelled.

As a result, food prices in various parts of Gyeonggi and border towns have begun to soar, and some border troops have begun to have riots caused by lack of food.

As a result, urgent documents from various places on both sides of the canal and border towns flew into the capital like snowflakes.

After Tianqi saw these urgent documents, he felt a little anxious and couldn't help but said to Wei Zhongxian: "Wei Zhongxian, I have nothing to do. If Zhang Gui can't bring back the food, I will only be wronged by you. Don't do it then." I have no choice but to blame you. If I don't let Zhang Gui try, I will just admit defeat to the world's civil servants and officials. I really can't do it! But don't worry, I won't let you be like Liu Jin. You are a good slave. , I will let you leave with dignity."

Wei Zhongxian said with tears: "I understand! No matter what I do for the emperor, I am willing to do it, even if it means sacrificing half of my body! If I want to complain, I only blame those scholar-bureaucrats, all of whom are disloyal and treacherous officials." , actually cut off the grain supply for those troublemaking scholars, they all deserve to die!"

"I hope Zhang Gui can really raise food and at least get through this year, so that before the end of this year, the first batch of students who graduated from the Armed Forces School can complete their own military training, so that we can add another truly special force. The soldiers and horses of the imperial court, these soldiers and horses can go south to ensure the grain supply, not only to ensure the grain supply, but also to collect the taxes while clearing the land. At that time, Zhang Taishi was able to do this in the early years of Wanli because Qi Jiguang stood beside him At that time, the most skilled soldiers and horses in the north and south were all trained and controlled by Qi Jiguang. Now that the imperial court wants to continue doing this, it will be difficult to complete the Qing Dynasty without a reliable army of soldiers and horses sent to the south."

Tianqi started talking to himself.

Wei Zhongxian nodded: "I also hope that Uncle Guo can quickly raise food, but I don't know how he has raised it now. People in the West Factory are very tight-lipped, and now I can't find any news about him. I'm wondering if he is Did you run away and not dare to come back?"

Tianqi replied: "It is precisely because I am worried that he will leave us all behind that I use your head as a guarantee."

After saying that, Tianqi sighed again and said: "We ourselves have to find a way to do something. We can't just count on him. Unless it is a last resort, I will not use my own life to calm the anger of the officials and gentry in the world! First, let's do something about it. Let’s cut the palace’s expenses by half, and save some food for use by the frontier army. Also, buy more food if you can buy it with internal funds, no matter how high the price is. After all, more money is not as much as food. ah."

"According to the order!"

Next, the imperial court really reduced its expenditure, and Tianqi took the initiative to reduce his meal share in order to save more food.

Wei Zhongxian asked someone to invite Han Gui over: "Mr. Xiao Ge, how are you doing with your food procurement?"

Han Gui lowered his head and said: "I dare not hide it from my father-in-law. So far, I have only raised more than 50,000 stones of grain. These grains have to be used by tens of thousands of craftsmen in Xishan. Now that I think about it, I still have to wait for Enfu to bring him."

We need to bring back the food, or we will have to rely on your father-in-law to solve the current food shortage situation."

"Why so little!"

Wei Zhongxian said very depressedly.

"It cost more than 120,000 taels of silver to buy this. Now in the market in the Gyeonggi area, the price of food has risen to more than 20,000 taels per kilo of rice!"

Han Gui replied.

Wei Zhongxian said: "No matter how expensive it is, you have to buy it! If our family really dies, your Han family won't be able to forgive it!"

"Father-in-law, you don't have to be angry. Our Han family naturally doesn't want anything to happen to you, father-in-law. The key now is that no matter how high the price is, we won't be able to buy food. If this continues, I'm afraid there will really be chaos in the world."

Han Gui said.

"This is all the fault of Uncle Guo!"

Wei Zhongxian complained, and then said: "Let's try to raise as much food as possible. The emperor's intention is to stabilize the border troops first, and not to surrender to the foreign ministers until it is absolutely necessary. But now the emperor has begun to reduce his own power because of this."

The portions and styles of each meal are far less than before, and we slaves feel heartbroken when we see them."

…

"Now the price of food in the Gyeonggi area has soared to almost three taels of silver per stone. I heard that the people in the palace and the Han family are willing to pay even five taels of silver per stone!"

Zuo Guangdou also smiled and talked about the soaring food prices to Zhao Nanxing, Gao Panlong and other civil servants.

"It's already September, and the grain hasn't arrived in Beijing yet, so this will naturally happen."

Zhao Nanxing said something, and then smiled: "I must have run out of food, otherwise it would not have been almost a year and I still haven't heard about a large amount of food coming to Beijing."

"So, it is certain that His Majesty will surrender to the world by eunuching Wei and forcing the uncle to return to his hometown."

Gao Panlong also said with a proud smile.

Zuo Guangdou smiled coldly: "No matter what, my brother-in-law and the thousands of people who spoke out for Mr. Xiuwu in the past cannot die in vain! In my opinion, we must not only persuade the officials and gentry in the world not to hand over grain and government, but also

You should write a letter to persuade the officials and gentry all over the world not to sell grain to the palace and the Han family because of the high price of grain! Tell them that the price of grain will rise again, don’t rush to sell, and how much will the price of grain rise next?

, the decision-making power is also in the hands of us officials and gentry. Instead of focusing on the huge profits in front of us, it is better to focus on the future and wait for the price of food to be higher to force the palace to spit out all the tens of millions of taels of money confiscated before!"

"This is a wonderful idea! We should write letters to relatives and friends all over the world as soon as possible."

Zhao Nanxing said.

Gao Panlong also nodded.

As a result, the officials, gentry and landlords of the Ming Dynasty were not only satisfied with realizing political interests by cutting off grain, but also began to seek economic interests. They wanted to force the emperor to use all the money confiscated previously to buy grain.

If you spit it out, it will continue to raise food prices.

As a result, food prices continue to soar.

The border troops and factory guards were temporarily supported by some food provided by the emperor from the palace's reduced expenses.

The craftsmen in Xishan are still supported by the tens of thousands of stones of food raised by Han Gui for the time being.

However, the lives of many lower-level officials and common people in the capital became increasingly difficult as a result, and deaths from hunger surged. Many wealthy households in the city became hungry because they could not buy food.

"Then use part of the food stored in the palace to provide disaster relief to Shuntian Mansion. We can't starve the people to death!"

Tianqi had no choice but to make such a decree after knowing this.

Wei Zhongxian couldn't help but said: "Your Majesty! There is not enough food in the palace. If we take out some more, everyone in the palace may have to eat porridge."

After Tianqi heard this, he said helplessly: "There is nothing we can do. Let everyone hold on and wait until uncle Guo's food arrives. I will also eat porridge!"

"Your Majesty!"

Wei Zhongxian was busy trying to dissuade him.

Tianqi glanced at him: "No need to discuss it further, do you want me to use your head now to show weakness to those civil servants in the outer court?!"

Wei Zhongxian had no choice but to agree to what Tianqi said, and also said: "However, even if everyone in the palace eats porridge, the little food saved may not be enough. Those evil-minded traitors and profiteers are now determined to raise the price of food."

The skyrocketing price, judging from the slaves’ opinions, they may want to force the emperor to take out all his money and buy the high-priced grains in their hands before they give up!"

"I can see it too!"

After Tianqi said something, he gritted his teeth and said: "People's hearts are not as good as snakes swallowing elephants. It's a pity that I can't do anything to them now!"

At this moment, Han Xu hurriedly came in with an urgent delivery: "Your Majesty! There is news about Uncle Guo!"

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Chapter completed!