The immortal of the Tang Dynasty, but the game starts at Xuanwu Gate?

"Brother Wang, grain prices are rising, and they're still rising!"

Inside a restaurant in Chang'an, a man with a mustache named Zhang Ming happily toasted Wang Bai: "This surge in grain prices is all thanks to you, Brother Wang. If it weren't for you, how could we be enjoying meat?"

"Absolutely, absolutely." Another grain merchant, Lü Xun, grinned from ear to ear. "Brother Wang really has guts, seizing this once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to make grain prices rise like this."

"The profit from a bushel of grain is now three times that of the past."

"I sold all 100,000 shi of grain I had, and it's almost more than I earned in the previous five years!"

"All of this is thanks to my brother."

Wang Bai waved his hand modestly: "You flatter me, you flatter me, everyone."

"How could I possibly have the ability to raise grain prices in the entire city of Chang'an all by myself? It's all thanks to everyone's help. Even if I had the greatest ability, I could only make a small profit without your help."

"Let's make money together and prosper together!"

"Excellent!" Zhang Ming clapped his hands. "Just for Brother Wang's words about sharing wealth and honor, I toast Brother Wang!"

"Yes," Lü Xun said with a smile, "we should toast Brother Wang."

There was actually another person present, who looked more composed, named Ma Yan.

After toasting, Ma Yan couldn't help but ask, "Brother Wang, how did you come up with the idea of ​​raising grain prices at this time?"

"You know, this is the early stage of the drought, and this is Chang'an City. We didn't dare to raise grain prices like this before."

As Ma Yan asked this question, Zhang Ming and Lü Xun also became somewhat curious.

The reason they're praising Wang Bai so much is because he was the first to raise prices, isn't it?

Moreover, the price was increased by ten coins at a time. More importantly, the price was increased by thirty coins before the imperial court announced a high price for grain purchases!

Thirty coins!

If you say Wang Bai didn't receive any news, they wouldn't believe you even if you beat them to death.

Wang Bai smiled faintly: "Everyone, in the past, grain prices would naturally rise, but never this fast, right?"

"That's natural," Zhang Ming agreed. "Generally speaking, grain prices fluctuate depending on the severity of the disaster and the local wealth level."

"The drought this year is just beginning to show, but its scale is unprecedented. In addition, this place is Chang'an, the capital of the Tang Dynasty, so it is normal for prices to be high. However, generally speaking, grain prices rise slowly as the disaster worsens."

"Now it has suddenly risen to more than 500. If I hadn't seen it with my own eyes, I really wouldn't have believed it."

Wang Bai smiled and said meaningfully, "Brother Zhang, you don't believe it because you don't know enough. If you knew enough, you would believe it."

Ma Yan cupped his hands and said, "I would be extremely grateful if Brother Wang could enlighten me."

"Come, Brother Wang, let us toast you again." Zhang Ming raised the cup with both hands and drank it all in one gulp.

Ma Yan and Lü Xun did not hesitate and toasted each other.

Wang Bai sneered inwardly, but remained outwardly calm.

He came today to appease these grain merchants and, incidentally, to continue raising grain prices, so even if they don't ask, he'll still tell them.

It's better for them to ask the question themselves now.

"Since the three of you have asked, it would be too disrespectful of me not to answer." Wang Bai feigned hesitation, then posed a question, "I ask you, what major events happened at the higher-ups last year?"

The three of them were taken aback for a moment, and then each spoke up.

"Last year? So much happened last year. The new emperor... cough cough, right? The empress and the crown prince were established, and many county barons, county earls, county marquises were granted titles, and there were even dukes of prefectures and dukes of state!" Zhang Ming said.

Lu Xun nodded: "The key point is that the Turks also invaded the Tang Dynasty, causing a lot of bloodshed along the way. Fortunately, they were stopped by General Qin and General Yuchi."

Ma Yan pondered, "Brother Wang, are you suggesting that last year, due to the war... the imperial court consumed too much grain?"

"Isn't it obvious?" Wang Bai spread his hands. "Just as Brother Lü said, the Turks invaded the Tang Dynasty, causing a great deal of bloodshed along the way. Shouldn't the court appease these people? Of course they should, right?"

"If we're going to appease them, shouldn't we provide them with money and food?"

"Furthermore, General Qin and General Yuchi led tens of thousands of troops to block the Turkic army, right? And this is only within the Tang Dynasty. Don't forget, there is also the main Tang army led by General Li on the border."

"As the saying goes, 'The sound of a horse's hooves brings a fortune!'"

Wang Bai said in a thought-provoking way, "Think about it carefully. After so many battles, hasn't the imperial court consumed a lot of grain?"

"Of course!" Ma Yan immediately affirmed, "The imperial court has definitely consumed a large amount of grain."

These messages were not actually secrets; with a large army setting out, it was impossible to keep them hidden, so they all knew about them.

Taking the opportunity, Wang Bai said, "In fact, the court did a lot of big things last year. You can find out if you go to the north now. People from the Ministry of Works and the Directorate of Works are leading a large number of people to mine iron ore. It seems that these people are not corvée laborers. The court is responsible for their food."

Upon hearing this, Lü Xun said, "No need to inquire, I know about this matter; it is indeed true."

"Do you know why the imperial court started mining iron ore?" Wang Bai asked again.

Lu Xun laughed: "Brother Wang, are you testing me? But this is no secret. Who in the world doesn't know that the imperial court is selling all sorts of relatively cheap ironware, iron pots, and even the amazing curved plow?"

"Not only that, but the imperial court has also started selling salt recently. Tsk tsk, speaking of which, that salt is damn white, without a single impurity. The key is that there are cheap and expensive varieties."

"So," Wang Bai said calmly, taking a sip of his drink, "isn't the situation already quite obvious?"

"What happens when you connect all these dots?"

"Last year, due to various wars and fortifications, the imperial court consumed a lot of grain, but because of the existence of ironware and refined salt, the imperial court made a lot of money."

"At this time, an unprecedented drought occurred. Could an emperor who had just ascended the throne and established the reign title 'Zhenguan' simply sit idly by?"

The three of them suddenly realized that, when they put everything together, it did make sense.

Ma Yan said admiringly, "Brother Wang, you truly have remarkable skills. With just these methods, you have immediately transformed from a wine merchant into a grain merchant. I admire your boldness."

"Not at all," Wang Bai said modestly. "Of course, I'm just grateful to have someone above me looking out for me."

Upon hearing this, Ma Yan and the other two were not surprised at all.

As mentioned before, no one would believe that Wang Bai has no one backing him.

Zhang Ming wisely refrained from asking Wang Bai who was behind him. After all, who wouldn't have gotten to this level without someone backing them?

He asked, "Brother Wang, what do you think the final price of grain will be?"

Wang Bai held up three fingers.

Lu Xun frowned: "Only three hundred coins? The price of grain is heading towards six hundred coins now..."

Before he could finish speaking, Wang Bai shook his head and said, word by word, "It's three strings of cash!"

"..."