Spoiling my mistress and swallowing my dowry? After my rebirth, I changed my marriage to a powerful

The grain merchants from other places offered lower prices for rice, one lower than the other, starting from the official price of 80 wen.

"One dou, seventy-eight wen!"

"My family only needs seventy-five cents!"

"Seventy-three coins..."

"Seventy cents..."

The Bai, Liu, and Meng families of the five major families could no longer sit still. They had hoarded too much, and in order to monopolize the market, they almost all purchased at high prices.

While there was still 70 wen left to sell, the Bai family secretly destroyed the offensive and defensive alliance and the price was 68 wen.

The Meng family is chasing closely. There is no father and son in the mall, let alone this kind of plastic alliance! Since you don’t abide by the agreement, I will also reduce the price of grain.

"Meng's rice is sixty-five per bushel!"

"Liu's rice is sixty cents a bushel..."

The price of grain continued to fall, and in just three days, the price dropped to fifty-five cents.

Ling Xun came back from patrolling the streets and immediately went to Gu Shaoyu to report, saying, "Sir, the price of rice has dropped to 55 wen, and I think it can't be reduced any further."

Gu Shaoyu was dealing with memorials sent in from other places while listening to Ling Xun's report. The plummeting price of rice was something he had expected.

People are like this. As long as they create a panic mentality, rationality will be difficult to sustain. The so-called alliance will naturally be broken, and they may even fight against each other and take the opportunity to swallow up each other.

First it was the individual traders, then the big grain traders.

However, it is not a good thing for prices to keep falling. If they continue to fall, merchants will not be profitable and no one will be willing to do business anymore, and Baiyang County will once again have no food to buy.

"Fifty-five wen, no more. Anyone who makes less than fifty wen will be killed without mercy."

County Magistrate Qin immediately posted a notice.

The government has ordered that the price of grain must not be lower than fifty-five wen per dou. Anyone who dares to maliciously lower the price will be killed!

Xie Yu, Ling Xun, and Magistrate Qin all understood that the lower the price of rice, the better. Keeping it at 55 wen, which was 5 wen per dou higher than before the disaster, was just the right price.

The Wei and Wu families could no longer bear it and began to sell grain secretly.

If the price is forcibly stabilized, it means that they have no chance of turning things around, so they should sell their grain quickly. The more they sell, the less loss they will suffer.

Otherwise, the other three major grain traders will devour them.

Gu Shaoyu was waiting for this moment. At first, when they sold grain secretly in small quantities, he turned a blind eye. But when they sold grain openly, he immediately ordered Hongying to lead the troops to arrest them.

He took out the contract signed at that time, "It shall not exceed nor be less than three hundred coins. If violated, there shall be death without mercy."

Catch and kill!

The Bai family, the Liu family, and the Meng family all understood now. During natural disasters and wars, they took the opportunity to drive up grain prices and make money from the national disaster. They almost provoked a civil uprising, offended the majesty of heaven, and violated the reverse scale! His Majesty asked Gu Shaoyu to come to Zizhou in person, and he had no intention of letting them go. With or without that contract, they must die!

The three heads of the families, along with their entire families, knelt in front of the yamen for a long time and begged Gu Shaoyu, saying that they were willing to donate all their property (including food) to the people of Zizhou, just to spare their lives.

The Wei and Wu families relied on their powerful backgrounds, clamoring that a strong dragon could not defeat a local snake, and led the government troops to confront the government.

Gu Shaoyu transferred two thousand men from the garrison to surround the two mansions. He first killed people, confiscated their property, and then exiled them!

Although County Magistrate Qin submitted a memorial to impeach Gu Shaoyu, Gu Shaoyu felt that this man was quite upright and cared about the people, so he could be used.

"Your Majesty has granted me the power to make arbitrary decisions. Li Hailong has been accused of corruption and abuse of power. He is dismissed from his post as prefect and sent to the capital. County Magistrate Qin will take over as prefect. After I return to the capital, I will immediately report to Your Majesty and have the Ministry of Personnel issue a written document."

County Magistrate Qin was extremely happy, but also felt ashamed. He said, "Lord Gu, I am so ignorant that I actually regarded you as a traitor and a villain. I deserve to die..."

"You are not afraid of power and care about the people, which is admirable. As for you scolding me and impeaching me,"

The sinister old man said calmly, "Then get up where you fell, and from now on you can just restore our reputation in the court and among the people."

**

Wei Shuyun, Shen Su, and Jin Feng have been operating behind the scenes since they came to Baiyang County.

Before Shen Su came, Princess Yurong repeatedly reminded him not to let anyone know about Ding Fengqi's existence, not even Wei Shuyun.

Princess Yurong didn't know that the new shadow guard "Xilao" beside her was the Xiluo of Qingpu Garden's secret guard "Yueluo Xingchen", who was sent by Xie Zhaozhao.

Wei Jingzhong wanted to kill Princess Yurong, and Princess Yurong also began to be on guard against the Wei family. She suspected that the original guards and secret guards had been bribed by Wei Jingzhong, and she was replacing them with a new group of people.

When Xie Zhaozhao learned of this information, he made a prompt decision and sent Xiluo over to become Princess Yurong's new person.

Xiluo never shows up in public, so being an undercover agent is most suitable for him.

As for the men in black who fought with Xiluo that day, well, it was all acting.

During this trip to Zizhou, Xiluo heard Princess Yurong repeatedly instructing Shen Su to check on Ding Fengqi. Only then did he realize that Ding Fengqi was also Princess Yurong's male favorite and one of her hideouts for hoarding grain and horses. He immediately sent a message to Gu Shaoyu.

When Shen Su arrived in Zizhou, Nanxing followed him.

Nanxing was originally a secret guard, so it was very easy for him to track someone like Shen Su.

Sure enough, Shen Su and Jin Feng worked together to send Wei Shuyun away and secretly went to meet Ding Fengqi.

Shen Su, who had no idea that he was being followed, checked the accounts and goods very seriously, and carefully checked the food and horses.

Everything fell into Nanxing's eyes.

Xie Yu and Ling Xun seized all of Ding Fengqi's grain, silver, and horses, and executed him without authorization.

"Zizhou Juren Ding Fengqi has been hoarding food and soldiers, with countless silver in his home. He has secretly colluded with Prince Rong and is plotting a rebellion..."

The acting prefect, Qin County Magistrate, happily submitted a memorial, and Ding Fengqi determined that he had "evil intentions and was plotting rebellion", and killed him!

Wei Shuyun, who is good at finding faults, was delighted to hear that Gu Shaoyu arrested people and confiscated their properties without any investigation. He immediately wrote a letter to Wei Jingzhong, suggesting that all officials in the court impeach Gu Shaoyu and Xie Yu to death: they bullied people by taking advantage of their power, robbed people, and took human lives!

However, Wei Shuyun and Shen Su, who were so happy that they lost themselves in joy, never expected that grain prices would drop so drastically and so quickly!

How come the situation, which was originally so good, took a sudden turn for the worse?

The five major grain traders were so unwilling to resist that grain prices plummeted. The three men were panicked but helpless.

The entire market collapsed. The common people didn't even think about raising the banner of rebellion. They kowtowed towards Kyoto three times a day to thank His Majesty for his grace!

The new acting prefect led the local people and signed a petition to commend Gu Shaoyu.

The situation was hopeless, and there was no point in Wei Shuyun, Shen Su, and Jin Feng staying any longer, so they wanted to return to Beijing.

Unexpectedly, Gu Shaoyu suddenly took out the originally signed contract, arrested the heads of the Wei and Wu families, briefly tried them, confiscated their property, beheaded them, and exiled them.

The grain copied/donated from the five major grain merchants is enough to help the people survive until the summer harvest.

But the three of them couldn't find Li Hailong. They didn't know where he was hiding.

Shen Su was even more desperate than Wei Shuyun. He had just checked Ding Fengqi's family background, and found that Ding Fengqi was immediately confiscated. He was terrified, but could not tell anyone and could only swallow his anger.

Feeling that they could not explain themselves if they returned to Beijing, the three men took a desperate gamble and quickly left Baiyang County and headed for Prince Rong's fiefdom.

Nanxing reported to Gu Shaoyu: "Lord, Wei Shuyun, Shen Su and others contacted Prince Rong and want to attack Zizhou..."

And, capture you alive!!

Upon hearing this, County Magistrate Qin became as anxious as an ant on a hot pan. They had just breathed a sigh of relief, and now they had to fight again?

Gu Shaoyu glanced at him calmly and said to Nanxing, "Send a message to Prince Rong that I want to negotiate with him. Tell me what he wants."