The fiercest soldier of the border army

After saying that, he turned and walked away.

As the group passed through the ceremonial gate and pushed open the heavy wooden door of the county government office, a deafening cacophony of voices rushed towards them.

In the vast square in front of the county government office, hundreds of grain carts were neatly lined up, and piles of burlap sacks were bulging like mountains.

The area around Wenchi was packed with people, three or four layers deep, making it impossible to move.

Some people stood on tiptoe to look, their faces full of hope.

Some people whispered among themselves, looking uneasy.

Some people, having suffered from high grain prices for days, couldn't help but sob and curse under their breath.

At the very front of the crowd, the four major grain merchants stood in a row, forcing smiles on their faces, but their eyes betrayed their undisguised panic, their faces pale, and their minds uneasy.

Manager Zhang quickly stepped forward, his face beaming with a smile, his tone earnest:

"Congratulations, Your Excellency! Congratulations! The imperial relief supplies have arrived, and the people of Wenchi are saved! We are willing to follow Your Excellency and work together to ensure the safety of Wenchi!"

Tang Shun flashed a bright smile, feigning ignorance as he asked, "It's good that you all came; why did you come in person?"

Manager Zhang had already come within three steps of me, rubbing his hands together and smiling obsequiously, "It's my pleasure, it's my pleasure."

He changed the subject, deliberately lowering his voice, still maintaining an air of "concern for the people":

"But the people are still uneasy, fearing that it's all just empty talk and no grain will actually be delivered."

"We have been entrusted by our neighbors to personally check the quality and quantity of the grain so that we can reassure the people of the city when we return."

Tang Shun watched his performance quietly, his expression calm and unwavering, neither responding nor expressing his opinion.

Xie Anzhi, standing to the side, sneered. They were clearly afraid that the grain had shattered their dream of hoarding it, yet they claimed it was entrusted to them by the people.

These unscrupulous merchants are truly cunning!

Tang Shun walked straight past the group of grain merchants and stepped onto the high platform of the county government office, facing the dark mass of people.

"Listen up, fellow villagers!"

Tang Shun's voice was as loud as a bell, penetrating the noise of the entire venue and clearly reaching everyone's ears.

"I am the appeasement envoy you all use to write songs and hurl insults!"

The entire room fell silent instantly, and all eyes turned to him.

Most of the people looked on with hatred, wishing they could eat his flesh and drink his blood!

"Initially, grain prices soared because the imperial court had no grain!"

Tang Shun remained calm, pointing to the mountain of grain behind him, and loudly announced:

"Now, the disaster relief grain has arrived in Wenchi!"

"From this day forward, the government will publicly distribute grain! A bushel of rice will be priced at one hundred cash!"

boom!

Those few words instantly ignited the entire audience!

The people, who had been suppressed for many days, finally erupted in cheers and shouts of approval.

Some people wept with joy, embracing each other and crying their hearts out!

Some people had been starving for days, and now their eyes finally lit up with life!

Countless people surged forward, eager to buy food to survive.

Manager Zhang's expression changed drastically, his heart sank, and he quickly caught up with Tang Shun, approaching him and urgently advising:

"My lord! One hundred coins is far too low, absolutely not!"

"In my humble opinion, it would be better if we were to collect all of this relief grain and buy it at the magistrate's price of one hundred coins!"

"In this way, we can stabilize market prices and avoid crowd chaos and incidents. Wouldn't that be the best of both worlds?"

These words, seemingly prudent and for the public good, actually aimed to completely seize control of this life-saving grain and return it to the grain merchants, allowing them to continue to control their livelihoods.

Tang Shun turned his head to look at him, quite interested, and nodded slightly.

A flash of wild joy crossed Manager Zhang's eyes, and as the joy was about to spread across his face, a great weight was about to be lifted from his heart.

The next moment, Tang Shun turned around, faced the jubilant crowd once more, and loudly proclaimed:

"All disaster relief grain allocated by the imperial court will be directly managed and distributed by the government!"

"One hundred coins per bushel, fair and square! Everyone shall register their grain purchase according to the household registration record, with a daily limit of half a bushel!"

The cheers surged again, even louder than before!

The people were finally completely relieved, and most of the resentment and despair that had been building up for days dissipated in an instant!

At first, they thought 93 coins was an astronomical price, but after experiencing 260 coins, they realized that 100 coins was cheap!

Meanwhile, Manager Zhang's face drained of color rapidly. He stood frozen in place, as if struck by lightning, his hands and feet ice-cold, unable to utter a single word.

The other three grain merchants were also trembling, exchanging glances with eyes full of fear.

They don't understand!

The pacification envoy in front of us accepted all the gifts without question and personally set a price of no less than 200 coins per dou. But now he has lowered the price on his own. Why is that?

Just as the crowd was filled with joy and excitement, Tang Shun's voice suddenly turned deep, drowning out all the noise, and resounded coldly throughout the square:

"There's one more thing—"

"I recently received a secret report that Xiongnu spies have infiltrated merchant caravans in various regions!"

"Under the guise of transporting grain and engaging in trade, they spy on the city's defenses, spread rumors, and sow discord among the people, plotting to wreak havoc on the border!"

"Until a thorough investigation and verification are completed, all visiting merchants and grain shop personnel are strictly prohibited from leaving the city or engaging in any unauthorized activities!"

"Anyone who dares to leave without permission or resist orders will be treated as a traitor and arrested on the spot!"

As soon as he finished speaking, the cheers from the audience abruptly stopped.

The square, which had been bustling and lively just moments before, suddenly fell into a deathly silence, so quiet you could hear a pin drop.

The people stood there in astonishment, looking at each other in bewilderment.

As soon as the command was given, the crisp sound of wooden clappers rang out from the four corners of the square.

Thirty armored warriors entered the arena in formation, their spears standing tall on both sides, their imposing presence instantly dominating the entire scene.

Beneath the pillars, Zheng Wenhan pressed himself against the wooden post, his legs weak and his back already soaked in cold sweat.

He watched helplessly as Tang Shun suddenly turned on him and gradually sealed off the overall situation.

Seeing the pleading looks that Manager Zhang kept casting at him, he dared not move an inch or utter a single word.

He finally understood completely at that moment—

This seemingly muddle-headed, extravagant, and absurd pacification commissioner was never a stupid official, much less an mediocre person.

All the absurdity, all the infamy, all the concessions—it was all a carefully orchestrated scheme!

Xie Anzhi stood on the side of the steps, silent for a long time, his chest heaving.

From initial anger, disdain, and utter disappointment, to witnessing firsthand these manipulative tactics, all his doubts, dissatisfaction, and misunderstandings crumbled.

He understood it before, and he understands it now.

Tang Shun raised prices, took the blame, and pretended to be incompetent, not because he didn't understand people's livelihood or because he was greedy for pleasure.

He was like a frog being slowly boiled in water, numbing corrupt officials and unscrupulous businessmen, letting them run rampant, create momentum, and band together for profit, until the time was ripe, then locking them down in one fell swoop and wiping them all out!

It not only won back the hearts of the people in one fell swoop, but also completely severed the monopoly of local wealthy merchants. Furthermore, under the pretext of colluding with the enemy, it completely trapped and crushed foreign grain merchants, leaving no room for error and killing them step by step.

In the square, the people rejoiced, the merchants were terrified, and the officials remained silent.

Tang Shun stood alone on the high platform, his robes fluttering slightly in the wind, his posture upright as iron.

The wind howled fiercely as it swept through the streets and alleys of Wenchi.

In a short time, the entire county was in an uproar.

People from all directions flocked to the county government square like madmen.

Some people ran barefoot, their trouser legs covered in mud, stumbling and scrambling forward.

An elderly woman, holding her crying baby, squeezed to the side of the grain cart, her hands trembling, repeatedly asking the soldiers on duty:

"Really 100 coins for a peck? Could I buy half a peck to tide me over?"

The soldier nodded in confirmation, and the old woman immediately knelt down, kowtowed heavily, got up, and obediently joined the end of the line. A glimmer of life finally returned to her eyes.

The news spread like wildfire, sweeping through the streets and alleys north and south like the wind.

The residents of the South Lane, the refugees of the West Ward, and even the beggars barely surviving in the dilapidated temple, all leaned on wooden sticks and shuffled step by step toward the county government office.

"Price reduced! Price reduced!"

A strong young man stood on a stone bench by the street and shouted at the top of his lungs:

"The rice that was previously priced at a sky-high 260 coins is now being sold for only 100 coins as part of the government's disaster relief efforts! Hurry and buy some rice!"

The city was filled with a cacophony of voices, rising and falling in waves...