Datang: Just been appointed as the crown prince, the counterattack system is here

Chapter 216 You are a devil! You are definitely a devil! [Seeking monthly votes]

In the next few days, as all the grain stores of the wealthy families were closed, many people in Weizhou began to panic and buy grain.

As a result, countless people flocked to the "Xingxing" grain store, which had not yet announced its closure.

At this moment, there was a huge crowd of people outside the "Xingxing" grain store, and the noise was constant.

"Hey, didn't you say you wanted to sell food? Why aren't you open yet?"

"Could they be like those shops and stop selling us food?"

"How is that possible? I think they're just waiting for a better price and are ready to raise the price!"

"Alas! I thought the 'Xingxing' grain store was a conscientious store, but I didn't expect it to be just like the other grain stores, full of profiteering profiteers!"

"Merchants are always cunning and profit-driven. They really bring hardship to us common people."

"Crench!"

Just as everyone was complaining, the door of the 'Xingxing' grain store finally opened.

Ma Zhou, wearing a grey gown, walked out of the door with a smile on his face and said loudly, "Good morning, fellow villagers!"

"it is good!"

Everyone cheered, filled with joy, as if the complaints just now had never happened.

At the same time, in a private room of a restaurant opposite the 'Xingxing' grain store.

Almost all the grain merchants from the aristocratic families gathered here.

They drank wine, ate delicious snacks, and watched the scene at the "Xingxing" grain store with smiles on their faces.

"They really want to sell grain. It seems they are very confident in their grain reserves!" A grain merchant from a prominent family said with a joking look on his face.

The grain merchants from other aristocratic families snorted in disdain.

"They're nothing but clowns. Do they really think it's so easy to sell cheap food? When the food runs out, just wait and see how these people will devour them alive!"

"That's right. They spent so much time collecting food before, but they only managed to gather 100,000 dan of grain. Now, only a few days have passed, and no one except us can gather such a large amount of food, not to mention that there are countless victims pouring in now."

"Oh, I have good news for you. It's said that the prince is behind this 'Xingxing' grain store."

"What!? I told you, who dares to go against us? It turns out to be the prince!"

"So, what we're going to see later is not the show of this grain store, but the show of the prince?"

"Yes! I never thought that His Majesty would appoint such a foolish Crown Prince. He actually dared to go against all of us aristocratic families. He didn't even think about who supported the Li royal family's rule. He is truly stupid!"

"Hahaha!"

The grain merchants from the aristocratic families burst into laughter.

However, before their laughter died down, they heard waves of rumbling horse hooves coming like a tide.

At the end of the street, countless horse-drawn carriages were coming, one after another, with no end in sight.

"Fellow villagers! It doesn't matter if you can't buy food. We will distribute it for free later. Anyone who is interested, please come over!"

Xue Rengui, who was standing on the front carriage, shouted loudly.

The crowd, who had been so lively just now, were suddenly stunned.

"Free food!?"

When everyone heard Xue Rengui's words, they were all stunned.

It was as if he suspected that he had heard it wrongly.

In just a moment, the surroundings fell into deathly silence.

Everyone, including those who were buying food at the Xingxing grain store, fell silent.

But after a brief silence, there were loud explosions all around.

"This is fake! How could anyone give out food for free?"

"Oh my god, with so many people, how much food do they need to distribute? Is this guy the reincarnation of a Buddha? This is absolutely shocking!"

"Hurry, hurry, go over and see what's going on!"

Although no one really believed Xue Rengui's words, they still couldn't resist the temptation of the word "free" and rushed over with curiosity.

But before they could all rush over, Ma Zhou, who was outside the Starry Sky Store, pulled out a simple loudspeaker and shouted, "Fellow villagers, don't worry. That young man is also from the Starry Sky Store. From today on, the Starry Sky Store will no longer sell grain and will instead distribute it for free!"

"What!?"

Everyone was surprised again.

The reaction was even more intense than the previous surprise.

Because compared to Xue Rengui, whom they didn't know, Ma Zhou was a living Bodhisattva who sold them food at a low price for nearly half a month.

If Xue Rengui brought them a bombshell, then Ma Zhou brought them a shocking news.

"Boss Ma, are you telling the truth? Is the 'Xingxing' grain store really going to distribute grain for free?" A citizen who lived near the 'Xingxing' grain store asked anxiously.

Ma Zhou glanced at him, smiled and nodded, "Yes! Everything I said is true!"

"But there's a prerequisite for free distribution. You must be a victim of this locust plague. Also, you must obey our instructions and work at the designated location. Only then can we provide you with free food."

"I, I, I am a victim of this locust plague. I am willing to work anywhere as long as they provide free food!"

Before Ma Zhou could finish his words, the disaster victims, who were already starving, immediately responded loudly.

Upon hearing this, the other victims also echoed it.

"And me! I'm also a victim of this locust plague!"

"Count me in!"

"Okay, okay, don't push, line up one by one!" Ma Zhou commanded happily.

He originally thought that he would have to spend a lot of time and effort to persuade these disaster victims to leave, but he didn't expect that these victims were so honest and didn't need any nonsense at all.

Soon, the victims lined up in long queues according to his instructions.

However, the grain merchants from the aristocratic families were confused at this time.

They simply don't understand what is going on.

But as they watched more and more people get on the cart behind Xue Rengui and leave, they began to panic and their legs almost gave way.

After a while, a grain merchant from a prominent family suddenly reacted and said, "No! Look! They've taken away all the disaster victims we brought in! The remaining people are not even rushing to buy food!"

"Damn it! Send someone to notify the authorities and stop them!"

The grain merchants from the five surnames and seven families also shouted loudly as if they had reacted.

But soon someone with sharp eyes discovered that the people escorting the carts were actually officials from Weizhou.

In other words, the Weizhou government knew about this matter and did it intentionally.

Thinking of this, a chill rushed to my head.

They all sell grain, and because of this disaster, they have stockpiled a large amount of grain. If there are no more buyers or the number of buyers decreases, the grain in their hands will become a hot potato, which they will neither be able to sell nor eat.

Similar situations are happening not only in Weizhou, but also in other disaster-stricken areas.

The victims were like crazy, some even had their blood boiling.

As soon as I received the free food, I couldn't wait to rush home and call my friends.

"Brothers, do you know what this is? It's sweet potato! This is the first time I've heard of this kind of food. It's so delicious!"

"No bro, where did you get this? It smells amazing!"

"Hey, you might not know this, but these are free gifts from the Starry Sky Grain Store. I'm going to work in Jiangling, bringing my whole family with me. We'll eat sweet potatoes every day!"

"Free food distribution? Isn't that a lie? Is that true? I'll be there right away!"

"I lied to you, you grandson! Okay, I'm going back to carry my mother on my back. Our good days are coming!"

As more and more people spread the news of free food distribution, it spread from one person to ten, and from ten to a hundred.

It soon became known to everyone.

Although not everyone will leave their hometown, for those disaster victims who have already lost hope due to hunger, it doesn't matter if they leave their hometown as long as they can survive.

Therefore, they resolutely lined up in a long queue outside the "Xingxing" grain store.

Such a strange sight left all the grain merchants from the aristocratic families dumbfounded.

They never imagined that such a crazy thing would happen in the world.

Is this really the work of the prince? Why does it feel like a robber?
Nima!

Not only did they steal our customers! They also stole our territory! They’ve lined up right in front of our store, are they going to let us do business?!

Can I have a face?
As more and more disaster victims left their hometowns, some of the aristocratic families, who were not a united front to begin with, could not withstand the pressure and began to sell their grain at a loss.

But the victims are not fools. Who would spend money to buy food when they can get it for free?

At the beginning, there were still local people who were reluctant to leave and bought the discounted grain, but as more and more wealthy families reduced the prices of their grain, they also learned their lesson.

Shop around.

As a result, the price of grain in the market has been getting lower and lower. At the beginning, it was sold at 300 coins per dou, but now it is only 30 coins per dou, and no one is buying it. This speed is really too scary.

At this moment, the grain merchants from the aristocratic families no longer laughed at Li Chengqian's face, nor did they believe the nonsense of the Five Surnames and Seven Families.

With the mentality of selling as much as possible, they quickly sold off the food in the warehouse.

As a result, within a few days, the high grain prices that the five surnames and seven families had worked so hard to raise collapsed.

Finished!

We're fucked!

The grain merchants from the five surnames and seven families collapsed to the ground with a look of despair on their faces.

Two days later, Chang'an, Prince's Mansion.

Although Li Chengqian did not make any new moves during this period, he was not idle either.

Perhaps due to his practice of Taixuan Health Preservation Sutra, his body became stronger and stronger, and he could now lift a fifty-kilogram object with one hand.

So he took the initiative to find Lai Fu and wanted to learn martial arts from him.

After all, sometimes, relying solely on muskets is not enough to deal with all emergencies.

For example, the assassinations by assassins.

Even though several months had passed since the assassination, he still remembered the assassins vividly.

So, whether it is for physical fitness or for self-protection.

It is very necessary to practice martial arts.

He was seen holding a black-gold spear, which was gently swaying in the yard with the breeze, and then he suddenly exerted force and stabbed forward.

However, after trying several times, he felt that he could not exert full strength on his wrist.

You know, the gun is the king of all weapons. It is domineering and fierce. If you don't give it your all, it is difficult to exert its maximum lethality.

"Laifu, do you see the clue? What is going on?"

After putting away his gun, Li Chengqian looked at Lai Fu with a puzzled look on his face.

Lai Fu laughed and said, "If Your Highness wants your spear to be faster and more powerful, explosive power alone is useless. The key is to adjust the position of your arm so that your forearm and the spear are in line!"

"When you have used up your entire long arm, the tip of the spear should reach the enemy's heart!"

As he spoke, he picked up a spear as a demonstration and gestured towards Li Chengqian a few times, then added: "Your Highness, did you see that? If you were earlier, you wouldn't have had time to unleash your full strength. If you were too late, your body would have hindered the power of the spear!"

Hearing these words, Li Chengqian nodded, seemingly understanding, and then jokingly said, "Didn't you say you weren't good with spears? How come you're teaching me so clearly?"

"What I taught His Royal Highness the Crown Prince was the basics of spearmanship. If you want to learn the real spearmanship, you need to find a famous teacher!"

Lai Fu said this with a smile, then suddenly seemed to remember something and added, "In fact, your Majesty's spear skills are also quite good. Your Highness the Crown Prince can ask for your advice someday!"

"cut!"

Li Chengqian rolled his eyes in disdain: "Who would ask him for advice?"

After saying that, he danced a few more gun dances and said seriously: "My goal is to defeat him!"

"Uh,"

Lai Fu looked embarrassed, then looked around and found that no outsiders were passing by. Then he smiled awkwardly and said to Li Chengqian, "Your Highness the Crown Prince is born with supernatural strength. This is a 25-jin iron spear. Even for an adult, it is a bit heavy. The fact that you can wield it with such ease is unmatched!"

"As long as time passes, it will be difficult to find an opponent in the entire Tang Dynasty!"

"Hahaha!"

Li Chengqian laughed happily, then said with admiration, "Although I don't like people flattering me, I will accept your flattery!"

After saying that, he casually handed the spear to the guard beside him, then picked up the towel from the maid's tray, wiped the sweat from his forehead, and asked curiously: "In addition to practicing martial arts, there is also horseback archery. Do you know how to quickly master horseback archery?"

Lai Fu hesitated for a moment after hearing this, then said with some embarrassment, "To be honest, Your Highness, everything requires practice. Expecting quick success and instant benefits is not a good thing."

"Oh, I know what you mean. You don't have to lecture me. What I want to ask is how to quickly master horseback archery!"

"This"

Lai Fu thought for a moment and sighed, "To be honest, I don't have any way to master horseback archery, but if Your Highness is interested, you can learn about polo. It is said that horseback archery is essential for becoming good at polo!"

"Oh?"

Li Chengqian became interested immediately after hearing this.

Because in his memory, later football originated from polo.

Starting from Li Shimin, polo became popular throughout the country and even spread to all parts of the world, becoming an Olympic event in later generations.

However, Li Chengqian also knew that polo had very high requirements for horses.

Although it is very popular among the people, it has not developed very quickly and is not mature enough.

According to records, polo was popular among the aristocracy in the early and middle Tang Dynasty. However, due to the limitation of horses and the high cost of horses, the common people could only imitate the aristocracy and play donkey polo.

After all, donkeys are cheaper and more readily available than horses.

Laizhou, Shandong, once had a famous donkey ball team. Later, with the collapse of the Tang Dynasty's finances, horses gradually became scarce, and the aristocracy was forced to use their legs to play Cuju with the common people.

Cuju is the prototype of later football.

According to historical records, "Cuju probably originated in the Tang Dynasty. Two tall bamboos were planted, several feet high, with a net stretched over them as a goal to pass the ball. The players were divided into left and right teams, and the winner was determined by corner kicks. Isn't this a softer form of Cuju?"

What is being discussed here is the single-goal Cuju kicking method.

Two tall poles stand in the middle of the field, with a rope net tied in the middle of the poles. There is a round hole in the center of the net six or seven meters above the ground, which is the so-called goal.

This single-goal style of football had become very complete by the Song Dynasty, and there are detailed descriptions of it in many documents from the Song Dynasty.

Based on these descriptions and speculation, we can roughly understand how Cuju was played in the Tang Dynasty.

Thinking of this, Li Chengqian's eyes couldn't help but become fiery, and then he turned to Lai Fu and said, "Lai Fu, I have a good idea. Go and invite the Minister of Works over!"

"promise!"

Lai Fu agreed and was about to turn around and leave when he suddenly heard a noise coming from outside the door.

"Prince! We want to see the prince!"

"Let us in to see the prince!"

"Get away! Get out of here!"

Hearing the commotion, Li Chengqian frowned. Then, an official from the Crown Prince's residence hurried over to report, "Your Highness, Lord Cui, Lord Lu, and General Li are outside the door, clamoring to see you!"

"Oh? What happened?"

"Your Highness, from what they said, it seems to be a family matter!"

"Ah!"

Li Chengqian laughed: "I asked them to go back and discuss things, but they acted like big wolves. Now that they've suffered a loss, they're coming back to me. How ridiculous!"

"Does His Royal Highness want to see them?"

"See you! How could I miss this opportunity to slap someone in the face?"

Li Chengqian smiled and nodded, then put his hands behind his back and walked leisurely to the gate.

At this time, the gate was already crowded with people.

There are scholars, common people, and officials. It is very lively.

"Hey, isn't this Lord Cui, Lord Lu, and General Li? Are you so bold as to come to my Crown Prince's mansion and act like a wild beast?"

As soon as Li Chengqian arrived at the door, he joked with them with a smile.

But then Lu Chengqing said in a deep voice: "May I ask, Prince, is the 'Xingxing' grain store in Weizhou opened by your people?"

"What 'Xingxing' grain store? I've never heard of it!" Li Chengqian denied it lightly.

Li Zhen was furious: "You are talking nonsense! That Ma Zhou..."

"Snapped!"

Before Li Zhen could finish his words, Li Chengqian kicked him in the chest and shouted indifferently, "I'm giving you face, right?!"

"you!"

Li Zhen was kicked hard by Li Chengqian and fell to the ground in the crowd. He looked at Li Chengqian with horror and muttered, "You are a devil, you are definitely a devil!"

He never expected that Li Chengqian, at such a young age, could have such great strength.

However, before he could react, he heard Li Chengqian say solemnly, "I asked you before, have you ever felt despair? This is just the beginning! When you truly feel despair, come find me again!"

After saying this, he turned around and walked towards the door.

"No! You can't leave!"

Cui Renshi panicked when he saw Li Chengqian leave without a second thought. He quickly stepped forward and begged, "Your Highness! We can discuss this again!"

"Ah!"

Li Chengqian sneered, then without even turning his head, he said, "It's too late!"

　Asking for monthly ticket
　　
　
(End of this chapter)