Governing the country, enriching the people, an unparalleled imperial tutor

On the morning of the fifth day, a sudden storm broke out outside Beijing.

Having heard of the sky-high grain prices in the capital, grain merchants from other regions who wanted to get rich quick gathered in large numbers and transported a total of 400,000 shi (a unit of dry measure) of grain at affordable prices to the four gates of the capital.

However, Zhang Lin had already ordered the supply lines to be blocked, and the city gate guards were on high alert, with all foreign grain being prohibited from entering the city and being seized on the spot.

A dense line of grain carts stretched for miles outside the city, instantly plunging out-of-town grain merchants from their get-rich-quick dreams into the harsh reality. With grain unable to enter the city, labor costs piled up, and every extra day wasted meant more losses. Everyone was caught in a dilemma, frantically scratching their heads in desperation.

Just when the grain merchants were at their wits' end and on the verge of despair, Zhou Yan and Shen Qing, following Lin Yanzhou's prior arrangements, secretly infiltrated the grain merchants' group outside the city and offered them a perfect "way out of the world".

The two men, posing as middlemen in the martial arts world, subtly spread the word, their words perfectly timed: "Don't be anxious, bosses. The city gate guards are human too, and humans are greedy. If you're willing to spend a lot of money to bribe them, the guards will be lax at night, and you can secretly transport grain into the city in batches. You can find several small grain merchants to distribute large quantities of grain."

"The head of the guards at the North Gate is called Zhang Laosan. He's incredibly greedy and has been keeping an actor as a mistress. He's planning to buy a house for her. You can talk to him first."

"My husband said that helping others is the source of happiness. Don't ask my name; he told me to answer that my name is Lei Feng!"

The out-of-town grain merchants, eager to get rich quick, were extremely grateful to the two men upon hearing of this method. They showered the guards with bribes, sending large sums of money into their pockets.

The saying goes, "Where there's a generous reward, there will be brave men."

The moon was dim that night, and all was quiet, so the city gates were completely unguarded.

The 400,000 shi of cheap grain were secretly brought into the city in batches and quietly distributed into various secret warehouses and private shops throughout the capital, completely infiltrating the market without anyone noticing.

The four major grain traders were still immersed in their dream of getting rich quick, completely unaware that the foundation of their monopoly had already been quietly hollowed out.

Zhang Lin was proud that his guards were all his own troops, but little did he know that the soldiers and guards received very little income on a regular basis. Such immense wealth naturally tempted some to take the risk.

On the sixth day, an imperial edict was officially issued, like a bolt from the blue, shaking the entire capital.

Following Lin Yanzhou's plan, Emperor Jinghe publicly issued an edict: the price of grain in the imperial court would be uniformly set at seventy wen per shi, and it would be officially opened for sale three days later.

The news sent shockwaves through the city. The imperial court drastically reduced the price of grain, which had originally been 110 wen, to 70 wen, and even issued it in cash, completely disrupting the market.

Shortly after, informants from the four major grain merchants reported that large quantities of grain from other regions had quietly flowed into the capital.

A single rumor caused the four major grain traders to lose their composure and overthink things.

"Oh no! Grain from other regions has arrived!"

"The imperial court must have bought up all the grain and stored it in their granaries! Otherwise, who would dare to release grain into the city without authorization!"

"The imperial court holds hundreds of thousands of bushels of grain at affordable prices, which will be released for sale in three days at 70 cash. Our high-priced hoarded grain and the 75-cash pre-sale grain coupons are all losses and burdens!"

The four monopolistic alliances that had originally banded together for mutual support and united against external threats crumbled instantly, each harboring its own secrets.

No one dared to gamble on price increases anymore. Everyone's thoughts were in unison: quickly lower the price and sell off as many as possible. They were making a huge profit now, but who knew what would happen in a few days? They absolutely couldn't let their stock get stuck in their hands!

Late on the sixth day, the four major grain merchants took the lead in launching a price-cutting campaign, and the persistently high grain prices in the capital finally began to ease and decline.

Inside the palace, Zhao Lingxi observed the unusual activity in the market and finally understood a hint of what was going on. She turned to look at Lin Yanzhou, who was still calmly sipping his tea, her eyes filled with amazement and realization.

Lin Yanzhou looked up at her, smiling and teasing, "How about it, Princess? Do you still think I'm a mediocre minister who only brings disaster to the country?"

Zhao Lingxi pursed her lips and remained silent, her ears turning slightly red. She silently withdrew all her prejudices, her heart filled with anticipation.

The panic over price cuts late on the sixth night was completely ignited on the seventh day, leading to a devastating stampede of selling.

The four major grain merchants were completely thrown into disarray, and each of them engaged in a frenzied price war, with some lowering prices by ten coins and others by fifteen coins, all in an effort to quickly cut their losses and escape.

Within a single day, grain prices in the capital plummeted, dropping from a sky-high price of 100 wen per shi (a unit of dry measure) to 61 wen per shi, nearly halved, causing uproar among the city's residents.

The most tragic were the out-of-town grain merchants who bribed officials overnight to transport grain into the city; they were all innocent victims.

They transported grain thousands of miles to Beijing, exhausting their travel expenses, hoping to make a fivefold profit upon arrival. However, upon landing, they were met with a collapse in grain prices.

Someone on the spot cried out in despair, "Who could have imagined! How could grain prices in the capital change so drastically! This business has resulted in a complete loss!"

Some people were even more furious, complaining on the spot: "If I had known it would turn out like this, I would never have spent money to bribe anyone! What a complete traitor!"

If the grain were to be transported back to its place of origin at this moment, the combined costs of round-trip transportation and labor losses would only result in even greater losses. Left with no other choice, all the grain merchants from other regions had no choice but to sell at rock-bottom prices, hoping only to barely break even. They lost all their travel expenses, filled the capital's grain supply, and left the market at a huge loss.

The massive influx of affordable imported grain into the market further eroded the bottom line for grain prices, amplifying the stampede effect and causing the market to spiral out of control.

On the eighth day, the market completely lost its support, and the wave of price cuts simply couldn't be stopped.

The four major grain traders were completely disheartened and dumped their stock at any cost; they knew that next year's harvest was uncertain, and if there was a bumper harvest, the grain in their hands would become a hot potato.

Out-of-town grain merchants, eager to recoup funds, are lowering prices even further. Grain prices in Beijing continue to plummet, showing no signs of rebounding.

Zhao Lingxi, who had been observing the entire situation from the sidelines, was now completely stunned.

She witnessed firsthand Lin Yanzhou's masterful manipulation of both tactics: first, he inflated prices to counteract market forces; then, he pre-sold grain to lock in funds, secretly released grain from elsewhere, and incited panic. He completely outmaneuvered the greedy merchants. Without spending a single penny, he used the advance payments from the four major grain merchants to harvest their low-priced grain. The grain from other regions completely solved the food and clothing problem in the capital, and crucially, it was priced below market value, benefiting the people.

All previous doubts and disdain vanished, leaving only amazement and admiration. For the first time, the aloof and proud princess was captivated by someone, her eyes filled with tenderness and longing.

Lin Yanzhou, seeing the undisguised gleam in her eyes, chuckled and teased, "Princess, aren't you glad you didn't actually kill me back then, thinking I was a mediocre and treacherous official?"

Zhao Lingxi's cheeks flushed slightly, but she remained outwardly tough yet soft-hearted, saying softly, "You do have some real skills. I was narrow-minded before and misunderstood you, sir."

On the ninth day, the situation completely reversed, overturning everyone's expectations.

After two consecutive days of panic selling, grain prices in the capital city completely collapsed, falling below the normal market price of thirty wen, even lower than the price at the place of origin in other regions.

The fact that grain prices in Beijing were lower than those nationwide is truly an unprecedented phenomenon.

The four major grain merchants lost everything, their life savings wiped out in a single day, leading to their complete collapse and bankruptcy. The external forces upon which Zhang Lin relied to control people's livelihoods were utterly destroyed.

Lin Yanzhou, who had a huge amount of pre-sale proceeds in hand, was now reaping the final harvest, a textbook example of precise bottom-fishing.

He used the abundant national treasury funds to purchase all the grain stored in the capital by grain merchants from other regions at low prices.

Out-of-town grain merchants had long since become numb and were eager to cut their losses and leave the market. Faced with the imperial court's purchase, they all delivered their goods at low prices.

The imperial court effortlessly filled all the official granaries at extremely low prices, with grain reserves far exceeding those of previous years, resulting in a massive surplus of both silver and grain in the national treasury. Seeing the low grain prices and abundant supplies, the people felt reassured, and the atmosphere between the court and the public was completely reversed.

On the tenth day, the ten-day bet came to a close.

Grain prices in the capital have stabilized completely, grain supplies are plentiful, the national treasury is full, and the people are at peace. Crucially, the imperial court didn't spend a single penny and even made a fortune.

Lin Yanzhou concluded the story perfectly with a series of upright and righteous schemes.

A gentle evening breeze blew through the palace tower, and no one was around; the night was tender and lingering.

Zhao Lingxi stood in the evening breeze, her stunning beauty stripped of all her aloofness and arrogance, leaving only tenderness and joy. She looked up at Lin Yanzhou, her eyes sparkling, and spoke softly, revealing her true feelings.

"Ten days ago, I looked down on you, sir, and repeatedly questioned and offended you. Ten days later, I realized that you possessed profound wisdom and could make a decisive move. Lingxi... is completely convinced."

Lin Yanzhou's lips curled into a playful yet gentle smile, and he casually tugged at the air, "That princess used to criticize and doubt me every day. How do you plan to make up for that grievance?"

Zhao Lingxi's ears turned bright red, her eyes lowered in embarrassment, she was at a loss but refused to back down even a step, feelings were secretly growing, and the bond between them was completely locked.

The Ten-Day Grain Bureau was a calculated scheme, employing both deception and manipulation to subtly attack the enemy's mind—a perfectly legitimate and open plot.

Zhang Lin's face turned ashen; he had suffered a crushing defeat. Though he tried to argue, the bet had been made in public, leaving him no room for rebuttal. He could only utter a harsh remark: "You brat, don't think you can rest easy just because you hold my military power. You don't know my strength yet. Just you wait!"