Daming heir

The news that the imperial court established the Ming Dynasty Bank and the Ming Dynasty Trading Company came with the official start of the autumn harvest in the 29th year of Hongwu.

In late autumn, the land south of the Yangtze River is golden as far as the eye can see.

The trees on the fields and mountains have become jade inlays decorated with pieces of golden amber.

This is a scene of abundance.

Everywhere in the fields, you can hear the joyful laughter of the people.

This is about harvest days.

The 29th year of Hongwu in the Ming Dynasty was a rare harvest year, and news of an increase in grain production came to every household's fields.

The people walked into the flooded and dried rice fields, cut off the rice poles bent by the golden ears of rice, and tied them together.

When pieces of golden amber are left with clusters of short roots, the people will carry the rice, which is far heavier than their bodies, on their shoulders with smiles on their faces and send it to the drying field outside the village.

The women at home will immediately separate the plump rice grains from the heavy ears of rice.

Each household has its own area for drying grain.

The harvested rice will be spread out immediately on the drying ground.

The situation this year is very good. It has been cloudless for a long time before the autumn harvest. Now that the autumn harvest has begun, there is no rain.

It was already noon, when the temperature was at its highest.

Autumn tiger bursts are scorching.

People who had been going out since before dawn, based on past experience, began to walk out of the rice fields. Several families gathered together and hid under the green shade of the dividing trees planted on the ridges of the fields.

The children put the meals of several families in bamboo baskets and delivered them to the field ridge.

The adults, who had been busy for a while, began to replenish energy. Days like this where there was still food to eat at noon only appeared when the farming was busy.

In recent years, the Ming Dynasty's national power has become increasingly powerful, and people have gradually become popular with eating three meals a day. However, porridge and soup are still the main meals at noon and evening.

The children had already gathered around their mother and grandmother at home to have their stomachs full. At this time, they were catching various insects in the fields.

The laughter of children replaced the clattering sounds of the people doing farm work.

Yingtian Mansion is located on the riverside Zhuangzi near Zhenjiang Mansion.

The men put down their sickles, hid in the shade of the trees, and ate the dry rice brought by their children. As the food filled their stomachs, chatting began.

"This year God has opened his eyes, and our family can have more meat to eat during the Chinese New Year."

A man wearing short sleeves and a straw hat, with a thick smile on his dark face, simple and honest.

"It would be really good if we could have such good years every year." Someone sighed with emotion.

It has been almost 30 years since the founding of the Ming Dynasty. Even Jiangnan, a land of plenty and plenty, has rarely seen such good years as this year.

"Relax, aren't all the grains we use now made by Master Yuan of Shanglinyuan Prison and his people? Even if there is a bad year in the future, God is blind, and Master Yuan is here, we are still afraid of?"

Someone suddenly mentioned Yuan Sutai.

For the people, especially the people in Yingtian Mansion, Yuan Sutai is a well-known figure.

Everyone knows that now every household has increased its grain production and is gradually able to go to bed with a full stomach. This is all because of the benevolent government of the imperial court and the hard work of Young Master Yuan Sutai, which has brought them a good life.

"I heard that Mr. Yuan has gray hair now, and he spends the whole day with people in the Yamen, thinking about how to increase the production of our land. You said that we are done with the work this time, why don't we go there and give some gifts to the elderly? Would you like to order some souvenirs from each house?”

The simple people of the Ming Dynasty simply thought that it was Yuan Sutai who kept them full, so they could not forget his goodness.

But someone muttered on the side: "Young Master is a high-ranking official. He is busy with big things every day. Let's not delay Young Master's big things."

"You always have to think about it. At the worst, we can leave the things at the door and leave. This way we won't delay the young master's affairs."

The matter seemed to be settled, and several men discussed what they should bring to Yuan Sutai.

Then the topic began to broaden.

"Have you heard that the imperial court is going to change our tactics this time? It will no longer collect grain, and it's time to collect money."

"This is a good thing. We sell the grain and give the money to the young men at the tax office in the village ahead. We don't have to do corvee anymore. If the government has something to do, they have to give us money to do work."

"It should mean that our Ming Dynasty is about to flourish."

As a place in the capital, the people always have a more comprehensive understanding of the various policies of the imperial court.

The centripetal force is far deeper than that of people in other places.

Everyone held the same view that Zhili Road would now change the system of levying money per acre, abolish corvee service, and replace it with government employment.

"It's just a bit troublesome. We still have to sell the grain to those grain stores. If these profiteers take the opportunity to lower the price, can we still collect enough money?"

The people are not really stupid. Experience tells them that businessmen are unreliable.

Especially in this kind of thing.

"Oh!"

Someone slammed the sickle in his hand into the ground, and said with a fierce look: "Which profiteer dares to lower the price, we will go to the tax soldiers of the tax department to seek justice!"

"Let the tax soldiers raid their homes!"

On the ridge of the field, everyone spoke fiercely.

And on the trail outside Zhuangzi.

A grain merchant who came from Zhenjiang Prefecture was sitting on an empty carriage with his family's work. His face was full of pride, he was shaking his head leisurely and looking at the fields that had been harvested on both sides of the road.

"We have a good harvest this year!"

The grain merchant's face was full of smiles, as if he had seen that the cellar where the silver was stored in his home needed to be expanded again.

The shopkeeper sat in front of the carriage and drove the carriage himself.

Listening to the owner’s smile.

The shopkeeper turned around with the same bright smile on his face: "Master, you must be good at calculation. You know that all the autumn grains of our Zhenjiang Mansion are being watched by others, but no one has taken action on the autumn grains of Yingtian Mansion. This year. Our family will definitely make a lot of money."

The grain merchant smiled proudly, sitting cross-legged on the carriage, slapping his thighs with his palms: "None of them know that Zou Xueyu was the prefect of Yingtian Mansion before. He became the Governor-General of Zhili, which is a natural choice for Yingtian Mansion. This is his private area. Do the merchants in Yingtian Mansion dare to do things under his nose?"

The shopkeeper was a little confused and asked doubtfully: "Then we can do it?"

The grain merchant laughed: "We are not from Yingtian Mansion. Even if the governor's office finds out, the gentlemen of Zhenjiang Mansion will have to come to us."

The grain merchants will order until they order.

The shopkeeper laughed even more happily.

Will the gentlemen from Zhenjiang Prefecture come looking for them?
The gentlemen in the government offices wish they could make more money.Only in this way can the government officials also have a good year.

The two chatted casually.

The guy at the front had already rushed over in a hurry.

"Master, Zhuangzi has arrived here, and those Tian Han people are hiding from the sun."

The grain merchant's eyes lit up, he stood up from the carriage and looked at the farmers taking a lunch break gathered under the field ridge in the distance.

"Let's go! Come over and settle the deal. Let's head to the next village."

……

"This little money? We won't sell it!"

On the field ridge outside the village, the people looked at the unfamiliar grain merchant in front of them, with displeasure on their faces.

Only if the price of food last year is [-]%, unless you have a bad brain, you will sell the food you grow this year to others.

The grain merchant didn't reveal anything, he just glanced at the villagers in front of him and said with a smile: "The folks don't know. Who knew that the price of silver would rise sharply this year. The current price of silver is two or five. Being able to exchange for a tael of gold was something that was possible in previous years?
As the price of silver goes up, our food prices naturally have to be equal, and we are not trying to lower the price, we are all giving the full amount.

Do not believe?If you don’t believe me, you can ask someone to ask elsewhere, but it’s still the same price.If not, my money bag will be yours. "As he spoke, the grain merchant patted the bulging money bag hanging on his waist on the carriage parked on the roadside.

The people looked over quietly.

I guess it could be about ten or two.

Judging from the appearance of the grain merchant, it seemed that he was not cheating, and the people began to hesitate.

"Why don't you ask someone to ask?"

The grain merchant immediately echoed: "Let someone ask."

"Then let Goudan'er go to the village ahead and ask. By the way, let him go to the town and ask what the recent silver price is."

In the distance, Goudan'er, the oldest among the children, immediately got the instructions from the adults and ran towards the nearest town.

The grain merchant is not in a hurry, and has confirmed his thoughts. The grain merchant in Yingtian Mansion has not yet made any move.

This time I had the upper hand.

The common people observed the grain merchants and brought teapots filled with broken tea leaves.

"It's hot, so don't dislike the tea from people like us."

The grain merchant smiled broadly and cupped his hands: "I'm just thirsty. Thank you very much."

Soon.

Goudaner rushed back.

By the way, he also mentioned the recent food prices and silver prices.

It was indeed the same as what the grain merchant who came to the village to collect grain said.

Looking at the people in front of them, they were still calculating whether the account was correct or not.

The grain merchant put down the tea bowl in his hand and stood up on the carriage.

He raised a finger and said, "I'll give you one more cent. The rice in the fields is growing well this year, so this should be an extra cent. As long as you sign the contract with me now, and when the rice dries, I will let you People bring money and take away food, so I will never treat everyone badly!"

This is a good grain merchant, not a profiteer!

As the price increase came out, the people around him began to think that this strange grain merchant must be a good person.

"I sign! I will sell you all my food this year!"

"I sell it too!"

For a time, the people became determined instantly.

Just as the grain merchant's shopkeeper took out the deed, he was about to sign it with the people.

On the trail, there was a group of soldiers different from other armies, surrounded by a man who looked like a clerk on a horse and rushed over.

"Notice from the Governor's Office of Zhili!"

"Notice from the Governor's Office of Zhili!"

"Notice from the Governor's Office of Zhili!"

Zhili governor's yamen.

This is now the person in charge of the 18th Mansion of Zhili Province.

The people's movements stopped instantly.

But the grain merchant's expression changed, and he felt a little uneasy, wondering if something would happen next.

Guan Huaigong's expression was ugly. He saw from a distance that the grain merchant was gathering a group of villagers, seeming to be lobbying the people to sell him the grain harvested this autumn.

These profiteers!

Guan Huaigong came out from the Governor's Office in Zhili with a murderous look in his eyes.

He sat on the horse and waved his hand gently.

Immediately, a group of tax soldiers rushed forward and quickly surrounded the group of people in front.

"What are you going to do?"

The grain merchant felt vaguely uneasy.

Looking at the tax soldiers in Taotie uniforms and menacing figures surrounding them, the grain merchant couldn't help but think of the rumors in the past.

These tax soldiers wearing gluttonous uniforms are all murderous. As long as they appear, it will be the result of family destruction.

However, the grain merchant just shouted.

He was immediately pulled off the carriage by the tax soldier closest to him.

The grain merchant's feet were unstable and he stumbled and fell to the ground.

At this time, Guan Huaigong also came over on horseback.

He turned over and dismounted, and snatched the stack of deeds from the hands of the frightened grain merchant. After just a cursory glance, Guan Huaigong threw all the stacks of deeds on the ground. Finally, he stepped deeply into the soft mud with his feet.

Guan Huaigong spat at the grain merchant who was still lying on the ground.

"That's it?"

When the grain merchant saw that his affair had been discovered, he was frightened for a moment and had no idea what he should do now.

Guan Huaigong took out an official document from his arms, climbed onto the carriage and stood, looking at the people who were also at a loss.

"Directly under the Governor's Office, transferred to the cabinet order."

"In the past, the imperial court established the Ming Dynasty Silver Bank and the Ming Dynasty Commercial Bank. The silver bank was the foundation of the country's economy, benefited the people, and kept the currency exchange rate constant. Now it is widely known all over the world. From then on, the Ming gold, silver, and copper currency exchange rate was One to ten to ten thousand, there is no official document from the imperial court or the Ming Dynasty Bank, so no one can manipulate the currency exchange rate without authorization, and any violation will be regarded as a serious treason."

One to ten!

The people in the village didn't know exactly what the Ming Dynasty Silver Account did, but they clearly understood the current exchange rate of gold, silver and copper coins.

"Damn it, Mom, this guy actually deceived us before, and now the ratio is one to two, two to five! What a profiteer!"

"Trickster!"

"Trickster!"

For a moment, everyone yelled and cursed.

If it weren't for the presence of the tax soldiers to stop him, these people who had just been severely deceived and almost sold all their family's grain this year to the grain merchant at a low price would definitely have been beaten to death.

Guan Huaigong gave the people enough time to scold the grain merchant.

Finally he spoke again.

"In the Ming Dynasty, all prices within the territory of the Ming Dynasty need to be determined by the Ming Dynasty. The price of grain harvested this year should be compared with last year's grain price. It can only be higher but not lower. If there is any violation, the people can appeal and there will be a contract. Even if the book is written, the government will not recognize it.”

Finished!

The house is broken!
The grain merchant, who was pulled down to the ground by Guan Huaigong, shouted in his heart.

Still wailing.

Guan Huaigong's face turned cold and he lowered his head to look at the grain merchant. Now it was just the profiteer who was crying, and then all the people in Zhili Road who were trying to make a big fortune were crying.

"Come here, capture this profiteer and hand it over to the Zhili Governor's Office for consideration of his crime of disrupting grain prices and privately fixing currency exchange rates!"

………………

Monthly Pass Recommendation Ticket (End of Chapter)