Daming Town Haiwang

Chapter 156, there is a taste of conspiracy
"Thirty cents a catty?"

"My God, the hearts of these grain merchants are completely dark!"

Before Liu Jin and Zhu Houzhao spoke, Sun Xin who was on the side couldn't help crying out when he heard the price.

Born at the bottom, he knows exactly what this price means. You must know that in this era, hard work may not be able to earn thirty cents a day. The regular workers in the Xishan Coal Industry are only one hundred yuan a day. Duowen can earn two taels of silver in a month, which is considered a high income in this era.

Ordinary people go out to work, and the general wages are about forty or fifty renminbi, and sometimes they may not even have [-] renminbi when they encounter severe pressure on money.

Especially in the slack season or in the famine situation like now, many times they do things for nothing, as long as they have something to eat.

Now the price of grain has risen to [-] Wen a catty, which means that after a day of hard work, you can only get less than two catties of grain. Two catties of grain is not enough to feed a family, and it is very difficult to support a labor force. In the era of lack of meat, people who have worked hard physically can eat a catty of rice in one meal if they eat with their stomachs open.

"It's really dark!"

Liu Jin also nodded solemnly.

Although Liu Jin feels that he is also very dark, but compared with these grain merchants, he seems to be a little too young. His blackness is only for the rich. Everyone is what you like, even if glass products sell The price is high, but people who buy it experience a new enjoyment.

These grain merchants are now taking advantage of the famine to sit on the ground and raise prices. The price of grain has increased several times. Originally, grain was the most important during this famine. If the price of grain can remain stable, natural disasters can be overcome relatively easily. past.

But since ancient times, this natural disaster will inevitably be accompanied by man-made disasters.

Taking advantage of the famine, deliberately hoarding grain and raising the price of grain is almost a common practice of grain merchants since ancient times.

Unscrupulous grain merchants have many ways to make a fortune, such as mixing sand and soil into grain, weighing it to the nearest ounce, filling old grain with new grain, etc., all kinds of methods are varied, but these are all routine operations.

The time when people get rich overnight is like now, when they take advantage of the famine, they deliberately live in strange places and jointly drive up the price of food. Often after a famine comes, these food people will make a lot of money.

After all, at any time, filling the stomach is the most important thing. When there is no food, even if you have a lot of money, gold, silver and jewelry are useless. After all, gold and silver cannot be eaten.

"Thirty cents a catty, is it very high?"

Zhu Houzhao on the side looked at Sun Xin, then at Liu Jin, then at Tong Yuan, thought for a while and touched his nose and said.

"His Royal Highness, thirty cents a catty of grain has already reached sky-high prices. You must know that it is usually only a few cents per catty."

Tong Yuan quickly replied.

"How much is it usually a catty?"

Zhu Houzhao's small eyes were a little puzzled. He grew up in a deep palace, so he naturally had no worries about food and clothing, and never cared about the price of food.

"Your Highness, if you want to know whether the price of grain is high or not, you may go to the grain store in the city to see it yourself, and you will be able to understand."

Liu Jin looked at Zhu Houzhao, the prince didn't even know the price of grain, and when he became emperor in the future, wouldn't he be like Emperor Hui of Jin, making jokes about 'why not eat minced meat'?

"We have recruited thousands of people now, and we consume tens of thousands of catties of food every day. We can't do without food. We have to buy and eat at thirty cents a catty. At most, we will spend some more money."

Then Liu Jin turned his head to look at the construction area of ​​the cement workshop. Thousands of people are busy here, and some prototypes of a huge building complex can already be seen.

No food, no food to eat, no one will work for you, so even if the price of food rises, you still have to buy and eat.

"Teacher, the key point now is that these grain merchants are already hoarding goods and are unwilling to sell them on a large scale. I asked several stores, and they all gave me the same reply. They will not sell grain to us in large quantities."

"They are sure that this famine will continue. The winter wheat planted last year was almost completely destroyed because of the cold winter. It can be hung up and sold."

After hearing this, Tong Yuan shook his head and said.

"Huh~huh!"

At this time, Zhu Houzhao couldn't help but snorted coldly: "If they dare to sell us grain, let's see if I don't smash their grain shop."

"It's fine to hoard and drive up the price of food, but now there is still food not to sell."

"Liu Jin, you go back and take people to arrest all the grain merchants in Tianjin. I will beat them up one by one until they kneel down and bring the grain over."

"Yes."

When Liu Jin heard this, she couldn't help becoming excited all of a sudden, she seemed to like doing such things, and she quickly replied.

"I think this matter is not as simple as we imagined. These grain merchants know that we have His Royal Highness here, and they know that it is His Royal Highness's property. They raised their prices during the famine years, but now they have started to impose restrictions on us. I guess someone wants to target us deliberately."

"Perhaps someone saw that His Highness the Crown Prince had made some money in the ancient and modern building in the capital, and they were jealous, so now they are taking the opportunity to intentionally cut off our flesh."

Liu Jin frowned and pondered carefully. He always felt that there was a taste of conspiracy in it. After thinking about it carefully, he always felt that it was a bit unusual.

"How about this, Tong Yuan, you immediately send people to buy grain in the capital, the south, and Shandong to see if you can buy grain. If you can't buy grain, or if the price of grain is very expensive, I can conclude that it is inevitable. There will be conspiracy."

After thinking about it, Liu Jin also told Tong Yuan that since he can't buy food in Tianjin, he can go to other places to buy food, but if someone deliberately targets the prince or himself, he will definitely let Liu Jin buy food. less than food.

"Someone deliberately targeted me?"

"Envious of our ancient and modern building business?"

When Zhu Houzhao heard it, not only did he not have the slightest fear, but he became excited and happy.

"Very good, very good, I'm now interested in it all of a sudden, I really want to see who is behind this."

"His Royal Highness, this is just my guess. The matter has not been confirmed, so I can't draw a conclusion. However, the sale of the ancient and modern building in our capital has indeed made countless people envious. It is also possible that someone will take the opportunity to deliberately target us. "

Liu Jin was a little confused about Zhu Houzhao, but after thinking about it, he was relieved that the other party was the prince. He was the prince, the only son of Emperor Hongzhi. invincible position.

But I am different, even though I was with the prince, the prince can be fine, and people who work with the prince have often died miserably since ancient times.

So this is also the reason why Liu Jin guessed in the direction of the conspiracy, because it is related to his own worth and life, so he has to deal with it carefully.

"Your Highness, I think no matter whether there is a conspiracy or not, we should make preparations as soon as possible and find a way to raise food. Of course, if there is a conspiracy, we should also find a way to let the other party learn a painful lesson and let them know. We are not easy to mess with."

After thinking about it, Liu Jin already had a solution in his mind, and he also said to Zhu Houzhao.

"Old Liu, you have a lot of ideas, so tell me what you can do?"

When Zhu Houzhao heard this, he narrowed his eyes immediately, and the listless look just now disappeared.

"The solution is very simple. Of course, this economic war must be resolved with the economy!"

Liu Jin smiled and said confidently.

(End of this chapter)