Back to Ming Dynasty with Industrial Revolution System

Chapter 1002 Rising Rice Prices
The people of Edo City found that the number of samurai in the city gradually increased, and cavalry entered and left the city from time to time.The price of rice in the city began to rise, and soon reached twice the price in recent days!
Everything seems to be announcing the arrival of a war.

The Tokyo Branch had just recovered from the incident involving Manager Wang when it discovered that subtle changes had taken place in Edo Castle.

"The price of rice has risen again today. I have to go back to Shandong to organize people and sailboats to transport a few boats of rice. I will definitely be able to earn 100% profit!"

"Don't worry, you have to think about who caused the price of rice to rise. Also, is the rise in rice prices in and around Edo Castle short-term or long-term? What if the rice price drops again after the rice from Shandong is shipped over? , so this time transporting food, won’t we lose all our pants?”

In the Tokyo branch, many businessmen who were waiting to handle business discussed the increase in food prices in Edo Castle and surrounding areas.These businessmen are keenly aware of business opportunities.Whether it is transporting food from the Liaodong Peninsula or the Shandong Peninsula to Dongying, given the calm waters of the Yellow Sea and the Sea of ​​Japan, there will not be much delay.What's more, they directly bought grain from the closer country of Koryo and transported it by sea to Edo City for sale, earning the price difference directly.

"This is the No. 17 merchants who came to borrow money. They all bought rice back home to increase leverage and then shipped it to Japan for sale." The employees of the Tokyo branch found that the number of Chinese merchants who came to borrow money in the past few days had increased a lot, and filled in The reason for the loan is to buy rice.

At this time, many businessmen knew that Kyushu Bank provided loan business, and they knew to "increase leverage" through loans.For example, if the principal is 10000 taels, if you buy rice and transport it to Edo Castle, you can sell it for 20000 taels, and you can make a net profit of 8000 taels after removing labor and other costs.But if you borrow another 10000 taels from the bank, you can get a gross profit of 16000 taels. After removing some interest, the net profit can be at least 15000 taels, which is 7000 taels more than relying on your own principal alone!
"There are so many merchants who want to fry rice. If we agree to their loan requests, if they ship too much rice to Dongying, won't it lower the price of grain? At that time, some rice merchants will go bankrupt, and we will lend them I can’t get back the silver taels.” A steward said.

President Qian was also listening, and nodded: "Our Tokyo branch has just had an accident, so we should focus on stability and strictly limit loans to rice merchants."

"Oh, the price of rice has suddenly risen. I really regret that I didn't buy a few more catties of grain reserves. I will spend a lot more on food in the next period of time." One employee complained.

"I think we should prepare more food and vegetables. If a war breaks out in Japan, the price of rice and vegetables will continue to rise."

"War? Who will fight in Japan?"

"The shogunate and the allied forces of the fallen shogunate are fighting every year. It's just that their front lines are in Osaka and Kyoto, and we can't experience it from the rear. But in the middle of this year, the shogunate flattened the rebels in the northeast and achieved internal unity. The war has always been It's continuing."

"Speaking of which, we also had some small-scale rebellions in Huaxia, but they were quickly put down, and not many people cared about it."

Some employees are muttering.

The rise in rice prices had a huge impact on the people of Edo Castle.Regardless of the fact that the price has only doubled, it is a disaster for a large number of tenant farmers and manual workers who are only hovering at the food and clothing line.Their biggest expense is firewood, rice, oil and salt. This time the price of rice rose, which quickly aroused a lot of public anger in Edo City.

"How come the price of rice has risen again, and I can hardly afford rice!" Many poor people gathered in front of the rice shop to protest.

"Most of the rice in our rice shop was confiscated by the government at a low price a month ago. There was not much grain in stock, and it has bottomed out now. If there is no surplus grain, the price of rice will naturally rise. To tell you the truth, it is not our grain. The merchants are deliberately driving up the price of rice, but there is only so much rice, and those who want to buy rice should buy it quickly, otherwise the remaining rice will be gone, and no matter how much money you have, you will not be able to buy rice!" The owner of the rice shop Sneering aside.

When Da Yuer triggered the cold war against Edo Bank, these poor people ransacked the rice shop, which made the rice shop owners very disgusted with these bitter haha.If it weren't for these poor people who still help the business on weekdays, they would have given them a bad look.

Moreover, after the last looting, the owners of the rice shop had already taken precautions and hid the grain they used in the cellar. Even if they were ransacked by the poor again, the poor would not be able to find more food in the rice shop.

"Why do the government collect so much food? If there is no food, what should we civilians do?"

This time, not only the poor, but even ordinary residents with a decent life were alarmed.For them, the price of rice can be higher than usual, but without rice things will be extremely bad!
The shogunate has not yet launched a decisive battle with the fallen coalition forces, and the interior of Edo Castle is in a precarious trend.

Not only Edo Castle, but also the eight provinces established after the reform of the shogunate were also caught in the troubles caused by rice prices.

Food is the most important thing for the people. In an agricultural country where food is not rich, the rise of rice prices has affected the nerves of many people. Many peasant uprisings broke out when the food harvest failed. Nothing to do.

However, apart from the Chinese merchants who want to rely on the rise in rice prices, there is also a group of people who are also happy to see such a phenomenon.

"Teacher Huang Zongxi, what is Datong?" A young man in common clothes asked the director of the Tokyo Academy.

"Datong comes from the "Book of Rites". The journey of the great way means that the world is the same. I think you should know the details." Huang Zongxi looked at the Dongying student in front of him, not knowing why he would ask this question.

"Choosing the virtuous and capable, emphasizing trustworthiness and repairing harmony, so that the old will end, the strong will be useful, and the young will be strong. Does such a Datong society really exist? Why did the "Book of Rites" propose it for nearly 2000 years? Is the capital of the country far away from Datong society?" Tanaka Chengichi asked.

"Because not everyone can abide by etiquette, and not everyone has high moral character, that's why the "Book of Rites" requires it." Huang Zongxi explained.

"Then why are so many people studying the "Book of Rites"? After these people become officials, there are still people who take bribes? If even those who regard the "Book of Rites" as a sacred scripture violate its requirements, when will they be able to reach Datong society? "Tanaka Chengyi asked, "Xun Ziyun, people's nature is evil at the beginning, so there must be the way of learning from the law, the way of etiquette and righteousness, and then out of humility, in line with the arts and principles, and return to governance. But etiquette education is really useful ?Samurai are far more educated than ordinary people, they still think about their own interests, and using knowledge and force to enslave the people is far from being for Datong society.”

(End of this chapter)