What's wrong with me, a powerful minister, supporting a few female officials?

Chapter 103 A Stunning Beauty with a Broad Mind
In Changping County, there is a large grain store, located in the back courtyard of a side hall.

The heads of six major grain stores—Su's, Futong's, Qi's, Wanyuan's, Guji's, and Ruifeng's—were invited to attend.

"Gentlemen, do you know why Manager Liu invited us here?"

Su Zhongyuan, the head manager of Su's Grain Store, squinted at the other grain store managers.

As a branch of the Su family of Yong'an Prefecture.

Su Zhongyuan served as the head manager of Changping Grain Store for over a decade, making him the leader of the seven major grain stores and a figure of great prestige.

Ding Wanyou, the head manager of Futong Grain Store, frowned: "This old man also doesn't know the reason."

"Could it be that Manager Liu wants to conspire with us to raise grain prices?"

A portly, obese middle-aged man standing nearby sneered, "What's there to discuss!"

"We can raise it however much we want!"

"Over at Tieshan, grain prices have quadrupled!"

"Grain prices are also rising in Yong'an Prefecture, making it impossible to transport rice over!"

"Tomorrow, at Qi's Grain Shop, the price will be three taels. Those poor bastards can buy it or not, it's up to them!"

The other shopkeepers were slightly startled upon hearing this: "Three taels?"

The price of grain in Changping remained at around 700-800 coins per shi (a unit of dry measure).

It was only before the autumn harvest, when the people had exhausted their summer grain and the autumn grain had not yet arrived, that the price rose to a thousand coins per shi (a unit of dry measure).

Three taels of silver, wouldn't that be a three-fold increase?
Su Zhongyuan hesitated for a moment: "Manager Qi, isn't three taels per stone a bit too high?"

"The price of grain in Tieshan County has quadrupled, leading to unrest among the mountain people. What if unrest also breaks out in Changping County?"

Qi Songshi, who was as fat as a mountain of flesh, sneered: "No matter how chaotic the mountain people are, they can't possibly storm Changping!"

"The thousands of soldiers outside the city are no pushovers!"

"Besides, every grain merchant in our family has thirty to fifty guards and thugs. We can't just keep them for nothing, can we?"

Another gaunt old man with a sinister face also chuckled sinisterly, "It's better if things are in chaos!"

"If people don't die, how will land become available for us to buy at low prices!"

The other grain shop managers all nodded in agreement.

Only Su Zhongyuan frowned and did not agree with the others.

The grain store was nothing more than a tool for the Su family to amass wealth!

The Su family's foundation rests entirely on the Prefect of Yong'an.

If chaos breaks out in the two counties under his jurisdiction, can Su Yunhan, as the prefect of Yong'an, escape responsibility?

As everyone discussed and calculated how much silver they could earn from this locust plague and how many acres of land they could buy.

Suddenly, the door was pushed open.

Liu Siyun, the manager of Dayou Grain Store, walked in with a solemn expression!

Everyone's gaze involuntarily fell on this voluptuous and beautiful woman!

They come as soon as they are called.

Apart from Dayou Grain Store, which has the strongest financial strength.

The main reason lies with Liu Siyun!

Despite being in her thirties, she has a voluptuous figure, fair skin, and beautiful features. Every gesture she makes exudes an incredibly alluring mature charm!

An absolutely stunningly beautiful woman!
But others can only feast their eyes.

Because this Liu Siyun is said to be the inner chambers of the Imperial Guard!
Who would dare touch a single hair on her head?

Liu Siyun frowned, glanced around at everyone, and then gave a slight curtsy: "I am late, please forgive me, esteemed managers!"

She paused slightly, then continued, "I have invited you all here today because I have an important matter to discuss with you!"

Su Zhongyuan frowned: "May I ask, Manager Liu, what brings you here?"

Liu Siyun nodded: "I just received the news!"

"Tomorrow, Magistrate Xue will order the entire city to be sealed off to assist the Embroidered Uniform Guard in searching for and capturing the Heavenly Mother Cult members hiding in the city!"

Ding Wanyou was puzzled: "What does his lockdown of the entire city have to do with us?"

Liu Siyun sneered: "Of course it's related!"

"I've also received news!" "Fearing unrest among the people of the city, Magistrate Xue will force us to lower the price of our grain!"

Her pretty face suddenly darkened, and she snorted, "He's dreaming!"

"In this way, the people in the city will be stabilized, but won't our rice and grain just go to those peasants for nothing?"

"Does he think our grain came from the wind?"

Upon hearing this, everyone's expression changed drastically.

Qi Songshi roared even more angrily, "He dares!"

"Aren't you afraid that in the future, Changping County won't be able to get a single grain of food?"

Liu Siyun sneered, her ample bosom trembling as she said, "Changping County is in chaos, the magistrate is in danger, do you think he dares to do that!"

"Besides, I know that old fox Xue Shan won't take action himself!"

"The one who is harming us is someone else!"

Everyone was stunned.

Ding Wanyou asked in a deep voice, "If even Xue Shan doesn't dare to make a move, who would dare to touch us?"

Liu Siyun enunciated each word clearly: "The Embroidered Uniform Guard! A junior officer! Su Mo!"

Everyone was stunned upon hearing this.

Ding Youwan burst out laughing: "A junior officer?"

"Xue Shan dares not make a move, so he's counting on a minor officer to get things done?"

Officials feared the Embroidered Uniform Guard because the Embroidered Uniform Guard was there to monitor them!
But the major grain traders weren't really that afraid.

After all, the Embroidered Uniform Guard has no jurisdiction over them!

Besides, he's just a minor officer!

What a thing!
If you want to compete with these grain merchants, you'd need a fifth-rank commander!
Power must be checked and balanced, even the most powerful Imperial Guards are no exception.

An empress who rose to power by stepping over the corpses of her brothers couldn't possibly be unaware of this principle!

The Jinyiwei (Imperial Guards) are terrifying only within the scope of their official duties!

Seeing that the shopkeepers all disagreed, Liu Siyun said coldly, "I think you are all being a bit too optimistic!"

"As far as I know, this Su Mo is extremely young, yet incredibly ambitious, and he also possesses a powerful and unfathomable background!"

Upon hearing this, the expressions of the grain shop managers changed slightly.

The Embroidered Uniform Guard has no jurisdiction over them.

In other words, the Embroidered Uniform Guards weren't afraid of them either!
Even if they ban grain from being transported to Changping, it will be the county officials who suffer, not the Embroidered Uniform Guards.
Such an ambitious and impetuous young man, single-mindedly targeting the grain store, is truly not easy to deal with!

After a moment of silence, Qi Songshi suddenly sneered: "I don't believe that a mere flag officer can block our grain supply if we don't sell it!"

"If you're so capable, confiscate all our stored grain!"

"Let's see how he gets out of this!"

Liu Siyun said quietly, "Managers, don't forget."

"Currently, the followers of the Heavenly Mother Cult are causing chaos in Yong'an Prefecture!"

"I have some connections with the Embroidered Uniform Guard, and I happen to know that that Junior Squad Su Mo plans to pin a charge of harboring members of the Heavenly Mother Cult on us!"

She paused slightly: "I wonder, if this person were to capture a member of the Heavenly Mother sect in our grain store, how would you all respond?"

The faces of all the grain shop managers turned deathly pale instantly.

After a long while, the sinister old man from the Wanyuan Chamber of Commerce finally let out a sigh: "What a vicious brat!"

"Luckily, Manager Liu learned of this news, otherwise we would have been in grave danger!"

Even Ding Wanyou, who had previously looked down on Su Mo, asked in a deep voice, "If this kid really does such a thing..."

"Does Manager Liu have a solution?"

All eyes were on Liu Siyun.

Rumor has it that she is the mistress of a commander of the Imperial Guard.

Dealing with a mere little flag is a piece of cake!

(End of this chapter)