Dad, don't be greedy! My brother climbed into the emperor's bed, and I became famous overn

Gu Mingyue quickly finished reading the financial reports of the other business units.

I feel utterly powerless about losing money.

It's okay, she has an opportunity to spend money right now, and she must make good use of it.

Gu Mingyue explained the work arrangements to everyone.

After the meeting, only Pei Yu remained.

The door closed, and the room became quiet.

Gu Mingyue lowered her voice and asked, "How's the secret grain collection going?"

Pei Yu opened the booklet and pointed to the numbers on it.

"You can rest assured about my work! We've been secretly collecting grain from various parts of Jiangnan recently."

"We have already collected 60,000 shi (a unit of dry measure). They are stored in hidden warehouses at our logistics stations along the route, scattered throughout, and have not attracted any attention."

"Sixty thousand shi," Gu Mingyue calculated silently in her mind. "Enough for Kyoto's supply for a month."

Pei Yu nodded.

"However, it has become increasingly difficult to collect grain recently."

"How so?"

"The Cui family is making a lot of moves."

Pei Yu frowned.

"Starting last month, they began to forcibly buy up grain from grain merchants in various regions on a large scale at a price of ten coins per dou."

"But the grain collected by the Cui family is not sold outside. It is all stored in the Cui family's several large granaries."

"Fortunately, we had instructed our member grain merchants to hold onto their grain reserves in advance, preventing them from selling large quantities to the Cui family. Otherwise, the Cui family would have been able to manipulate grain prices across the country."

Gu Mingyue had expected this, and remained calm, tapping the table with her fingertip.

"So what's the current market price for grain?"

"In Kyoto, the price has already risen to forty or fifty mon per dou."

Pei Yu shook his head, his face showing worry.

"And prices are still rising. The people in the city have heard from somewhere that there will be no food in a month. Now many people are starting to secretly buy and hoard grain. Many shops have also started to limit purchases, allowing each household to buy only five bushels."

Gu Mingyue lowered her eyes and stared at the account books on the table for a while.

The Cui family's tactics are very clear.

They first bought up grain at low prices to empty the market, then created panic by cutting off supplies, thereby monopolizing grain prices.

But what Gu Mingyue wanted to do was to make the Cui family sink deeper and deeper into hoarding.

"Pei Yu, try a different strategy next."

Gu Mingyue raised her head, her eyes clear and bright.

"Pujitang openly purchased grain from grain merchants in various places at a price of thirty cash per dou."

Pei Yu was taken aback and scratched his head in confusion.

"Thirty coins? That's three times the price of the Cui family's... Aren't we losing money?"

Gu Mingyue smiled slightly.

"The locust plague in the north has caused a complete crop failure, and it's time to allocate funds for the army's pay in the north. Therefore, the imperial court is preparing for a large-scale grain procurement."

"But the imperial court only negotiated cooperation with large grain companies that could supply in bulk."

Pei Yushu's eyes widened, somewhat excited.

"This is a chance to make a fortune!"

"Oh dear! It's only because our Puji Hall knows this news. If the Cui family finds out, they'll definitely try to steal our grain from the market!"

Gu Mingyue nodded, and said mysteriously:

"The Cui family will find out about this sooner or later. But we'd better work secretly before they find out and take the grain from the granaries of our Cuju Association members first."

"Yes, yes, yes!"

Pei Yu thought it made perfect sense.

"What if our members ask us why we're buying grain at such a high price?"

Gu Mingyue said seriously, "Of course we can give them a heads-up. After all, they are all members who have paid their dues, so it is only right that they get first-hand information."

"Understood!"

Pei Yu nodded repeatedly, his face full of excitement after participating in the conspiracy.

"There's no time to lose, I'll get right to it."

Pei Yu stood up, clasped his hands in greeting, turned around, and left.

The room fell silent again.

Gu Mingyue leaned back in her chair, looking at the closed door with a smile.

Pei Yu is an honest man, truly without any ill intentions, and utterly loyal to Puji Hall.

But if you try to explain too much about financial strategies to him, you'll definitely confuse his simple-minded brain.

The most powerful weapon against powerful families is not swords, but information gathering.

Through Pei Yu's unpretentious mouth, this tailor-made "fake news" was secretly and quickly transmitted to the Cui family's ears through those noble "members".

It will then become the most genuine "confidential information".

……

Meanwhile, in the Imperial Study.

Xiao Ye sat behind his desk, with several folded books he had just finished reviewing piled up beside him.

Gu Mingli and Xiao Jue sat on the left and right sides of the soft couch, respectively, with a rough map of the Dayong Dynasty placed on the small table in the middle.

Xiao Ye placed the brush on the brush holder and looked up at Xiao Jue.

"Fourth brother, you will personally make a trip to Lingzhou tomorrow."

"The rumors we deliberately spread earlier have successfully attracted the attention of the Cui family."

"Your trip south this time is ostensibly for a formal inspection and to finalize the 'Dayong First Commodity Wholesale City Development Project'."

"Once you arrive at the destination, follow the procedures instructed by your employer and hold a large-scale 'partner bidding meeting' in the local area."

"At that time, Pujitang will send someone to participate in the bidding as planned, to set you up as a shill."

"Remember, the amount for the Cui family to join should be inflated to over 50 million taels of silver."

Xiao Jue was stunned for a moment.

Fifty million? That's no small sum!

Even if the Cui family is a century-old powerful clan, their current assets would not exceed two hundred million.

Fifty million taels already represents nearly 30% of their working capital.

Xiao Ye leaned back in his chair, his tone indifferent.

"Cui Yuan is insatiable. As long as we present him with such a huge benefit and then provoke him with a competitor of similar strength, he will definitely cling to this bait."

"When you go, bring the city's planning blueprints. Also, make a sand table model and bring it with you. Go all out and make it as realistic as possible."

"A sand table model?" Xiao Jue frowned slightly. "I don't know if there's enough time to make one now."

Gu Mingli raised his hand and interjected, "I've already had the Ministry of Works make the sand table model; it should be ready this afternoon."

Xiao Ye and Gu Mingli exchanged a glance and smiled knowingly.

Xiao Jue: ? ? ?

What's going on?

Is there anything he doesn't know?

Xiao Ye got back to the main point, lowering his voice slightly.

"Remember to make sure he pays half of the entry fee on the spot when signing the contract with Cui Yuan, and the remaining amount within three months. Maximize the amount of the Cui family's cash in your account. Once the money is in your account, immediately notify Master Gu."

Xiao Jue nodded.

"clear."

Xiao Ye gave a satisfied "hmm".

The conversation then naturally turned to the newspaper.

Gu Mingli placed the empty glass in his hand on the table with ease.

"The equipment is basically working fine. The first prototype was tested yesterday, and we started printing test versions today. We also have enough paper in stock."

"We are currently looking for someone to write the article."

"I originally wanted my dad to help me find a few poor scholars to be editors. But my dad said that the poor students he sponsors are scattered all over the place and can't be gathered together in a short time."

Xiao Ye raised an eyebrow slightly.

"You want a group of people who can write articles?"

"right."

"I do have a group of people."

Gu Mingli's eyes lit up.

"Who is it?"

Xiao Ye did not answer, but simply stood up and walked out from behind the dragon desk.

"Let's go, let's leave the palace."