The fiercest soldier of the border army

Early the next morning, as dawn broke, the streets were bustling again.

The faint sound of gongs and drums could be heard from the direction of the county government office, and oxcarts rumbled through the streets, with banners waving and the four large characters "Imperial Relief Grain" written on them.

The crowd gathered to watch and discuss the scene.

In an inconspicuous courtyard in the west of the city, a man in short clothes took half a bag of rice, quickly stuffed it into a burlap sack, and carried it away.

He was heading towards the county government's granary!

There was more than one such figure.

The government kept a close eye on the low prices in the market and cracked down on them at every level!

Early the next morning.

The main hall of the county government.

Tang Shun stood by the window, his fingers lightly tapping the window frame, his gaze fixed on the direction where dust was rising from the street.

Soldiers rushed straight to the county government gate.

The door opened, and he rushed into the main hall, panting heavily. He clasped his hands in a fist salute and shouted:

"Report! The market price of rice has dropped to seventy coins per dou! Few people are responding!"

Tang Shun sat upright in the main seat, remaining calm and composed, only nodding slightly.

Before long, another person rushed in, his clothes stained with dust and his forehead beaded with sweat.

"Report! The rice shop in the west ward has put up a price of 65 cash! The people are surrounding the shop, asking if the price will be lowered further!"

Tang Shun remained motionless, not even lifting his eyelids.

The third soldier practically rolled in, his voice trembling:

"My lord! The price of rice... has fallen to fifty coins!"

"The Liu and Wang families have their granaries tightly shut, but they are secretly selling off large quantities of grain, throwing the whole city into chaos!"

"Seeing the others dumping their stock, the Zhang and Li families followed suit, ostensibly closing their warehouses, but secretly hawking their wares from every corner!"

Xie Anzhi stood beside the side table, his pen hovering over the paper, ink dripping down and spreading into a black blot.

He trembled with excitement, looking at Tang Shun in the main seat, his voice filled with disbelief:

"Fifty coins? In just two days, the price has plummeted by two hundred and ten coins! This... this is truly affordable!"

He clasped his hands in a gesture of clasped excitement, "Your Excellency truly possesses extraordinary talent! You were absolutely right! The four major grain merchants are indeed panicking!"

"The human heart cannot withstand the test."

Tang Shun stood up, walked to the center of the hall, put his hands behind his back, and said, "It's still the same old saying. Those in the same trade are enemies."

"If Wenchi only has one grain merchant, and he tries to shoulder the burden alone, it will be difficult for me."

Tang Shun sneered, "But there are four families, four pairs of eyes staring at one pot, and everyone is afraid that someone else will scoop out the soup first."

"The alliance is based on mutual benefit; once that benefit is taken away, the alliance will break down."

Wei Zong and the others below listened intently, even holding their breath.

Tang Shun turned to face the crowd, "They think they are fighting against me, but they are actually fighting against their own greed."

"In the end, I only gave them a push; how the fire spreads is not up to them."

Xie Anzhi was stunned, and after a long while, he said in a low voice, "My lord... is not only manipulating market prices, but also manipulating people's hearts."

Wei Zong and the others looked at each other.

Even though they were mentally prepared for Tang Shun's elusive methods, the situation was still full of surprises.

That was the awe-inspiring moment when I witnessed the game come to a close!

Zhou Ren, in particular, initially disregarded Tang Shun and merely followed orders from the military governor's office. Now, however, his eyes are filled with fervor!

Tang Shun looked around and, seeing that everyone seemed to understand, said, "From now on, there's no need to keep an eye on the price. We'll transport grain again tomorrow and release it at forty-five coins."

"After that, the government stopped interfering and let it run its course."

"The matter of conscription should be put on the agenda."

Xie Anzhi no longer had any doubts. He bowed slightly and said, "Your Excellency told me that the matter of conscription will be clear in a few days. I am foolish and ask Your Excellency to enlighten me."

Tang Shun turned to Xie Anzhi, his voice lowering slightly: "Do you know why these refugees have come here?"

Without hesitation, Xie Anzhi replied, "I believe that the northern border was burned and plundered by the Xiongnu, their fields and houses were destroyed, and their families were scattered, so they had no choice but to flee south to survive."

Tang Shun nodded. "The northern border has been plundered by the Xiongnu every year. The border people's fields have been destroyed and their houses have been reduced to ruins. They have no choice but to flee south to survive."

"So what if the price of grain drops to ten cents?"

Tang Shun countered, "What did they use to buy it? They didn't have a single copper coin on them."

"They have rice but no money, they have money but no house, they live hand to mouth. As long as they encounter the slightest risk, the vagrants will turn into rioters."

Xie Anzhi's brows furrowed even more deeply: "Does Your Excellency mean... we can't rely solely on grain relief?"

"That's right." Tang Shun's expression darkened. "Only when grain prices are stable can people feel at ease. But even if people feel at ease, they still need to have something to do, otherwise it will still be a source of trouble."

"Price reduction is not the end; resettlement is just the beginning."

"Distributing food aid may provide temporary relief, but it cannot provide long-term relief."

Tang Shun walked to the desk, picked up a pen, and drew a horizontal line on the paper: "For people to live, they need land to cultivate, work to do, houses to live in, and endless things to do."

"Hunger and cold breed thievery, while plenty and warmth lead to lust."

"If they get too hungry, they'll cause trouble; if they're too full and have nothing to do, they'll cause trouble too."

Xie Anzhi frowned: "But if Your Excellency levies corvée labor and only gives people two bowls of porridge and five coins a day, won't the people see it as exploitation? If this incites a popular uprising..."

"You think they're here to ask for their wages?" Tang Shun interrupted him, a slight smile playing on his lips. "They're here to ask for a way to make a living."

"If you hadn't eaten for three days and someone gave you a bowl of thin porridge in exchange for digging a ten-foot-long ditch, would you do it?"

Xie Anzhi opened his mouth, but did not answer.

"In years of disaster, I'm not afraid of being tired; what I fear is having no food to eat and no hope."

"As long as they see that the sweat they shed today will bring them rice, a house, and land to cultivate tomorrow, they will rush to do it."

"It's not about forcing them to work, it's about giving them a way to go."

Tang Shun continued, "The government has money, the temples have money, and the gentry have money."

"It usually costs a lot of money to repair roads and build bridges because labor is expensive."

"But now is a year of great disaster, and the people only pray to survive."

"The daily distribution of food and money, though only a tenth of what it usually is, is already a great blessing to them."

Xie Anzhi was startled; this was the first time he had ever heard such a statement!

It has never been mentioned in any book!

"Therefore, I decided to be drafted into the military."

"First, build wooden sheds in the open space outside the city so that the refugees have a place to live."

Tang Shun pointed out the window, "All the refugees are now registered in the labor service register, and they receive two bowls of porridge and five copper coins a day."

"Road repair, canal digging, and shed construction all earn work points."

"The more you do, the more you get in return. When spring comes and the land reclamation order is issued, you can return to your hometown to farm."

"This is called work relief."

Xie Anzhi's breathing quickened as he listened, and he couldn't help but mutter to himself, "Work relief... work relief..."

"That's right."

Tang Shun nodded, "Instead of wasting manpower by handing out grain, it's better to let them earn their own living."

"Only when people are busy and have something to strive for will they not want to rebel or be incited by others."

"Building temples, letting them take in refugees, providing them with food and money—such cheap labor is sure to tempt them."

"The pond was not built for fishing. The warm pond is short of water. If it stores water during the rainy season and irrigates in the summer, it can save countless farmlands."

"The extensive renovation of the government office is also to make use of the displaced people. In short, no one should be idle."

As Tang Shun finished speaking, the main hall fell into silence.

Everyone in the hall was so shocked that they were speechless.

Disaster relief? There's actually this kind of relief method?

Xie Anzhi lowered his head in thought, and suddenly felt a slight warmth on his back.

He looked up at Tang Shun, who sat there, unmoved, as if he had already seen through the most fundamental rules of the world—not benevolent governance, not forgiveness, but order.

An order that makes the best use of people and resources!

He suddenly remembered the day he first met Tang Shun; he had been arrogant and unwilling to talk to him.

In just a few days, they have already grasped the lifeline of the entire Wenchi area.

Xie Anzhi lowered his head and murmured, "My lord, you not only alleviate today's famine, but also plan for next year's peace."

As he spoke, his voice gradually trembled.

Suddenly raising his head, he bent his knees and knelt down with a thud, his forehead touching the ground:

"I previously thought Your Excellency was raising prices and harming the people, and I was filled with resentment. Today I realize that a frog in a well cannot speak of the ocean! The presence of Your Excellency in Wenchi is truly a blessing for all the people! A blessing for the common folk!"

Tang Shun stepped forward, reached out to support his arm, and smiled gently, "You've said it several times already, there's no need to bring it up again."

Xie Anzhi took a deep breath, his lips trembled, and his face showed shame.

Just then, a soldier rushed over, cupped his hands, and reported, "My lord, many more refugees have poured into the city, coming from Lingwu County!"