Lonely non-good minister

Chapter 337 An official willing to use his brain
"I think so too. If this is true, most of the [-]% cotton released in the northwest this year will flow from Jincheng to the south, and the [-]% will be used to comfort the people. Tsk~" Song Yuan smacked his lips: "You put the things first Send it back, the two of us bought a lot, if we don’t visit a few more seed shops today, I’m afraid the people in those shops will know our identities tomorrow, but it will be difficult to find out the information.”

Wei Yan didn't dare to delay, so he hurried back to the Yamen to deliver the things. Worried that he didn't have enough money, he took some more and trotted all the way to find Song Yuan. The two of them visited several seed shops and went back when it got dark.

Jincheng County Magistrate specially waited for the two of them to have a meal together. Song Yuan was very excited when he saw a table of exquisite food. He tasted it and it tasted pretty good. His appetite, which had been dormant for a long time, was aroused.

"Your Majesty, I'm on inspection today. What did you gain?" Jincheng County Magistrate was chubby, and his eyes were slitted when he smiled.

Song Yuan swallowed the food in his mouth slowly: "Many seed shops do business under the banner of purchasing goods from the Western Regions. Can you verify the authenticity?"

"This kind of thing is half true and false. Although the Wei Dynasty and the Xiongnu have a truce, it is not easy to go to the Western Regions. There are very few merchants willing to take risks, but there are also desperadoes who love money as much as their lives. The seed shop will open The profits from purchasing seeds from the Western Regions at high prices are extremely considerable.

Moreover, the border people and the Xiongnu people would also exchange things privately, many of which were exchanged for seeds. These seed shops said that the seeds exchanged privately were collected from the mountains and forests and could be grown. Nothing is guaranteed, so the price is just a little higher.

This is against the laws of the Wei Dynasty, but the Yamen has also carefully considered it. If this kind of behavior is strictly prohibited, firstly, the already poor people will lose their livelihood, and life will only become more difficult. Secondly, if there are more types of seeds, It was also a good thing for Da Wei, so he had always turned a blind eye. "

Song Yuan nodded: "That's true, but exchanging seeds privately like this is not a long-term solution after all. The Wei Dynasty is poor and has a high demand for seeds. If you don't pay attention to this scattered method of exchanging seeds, the planting will be ruined." The people have had no income for a whole year, so the government has to find a way to regulate this."

"What your Excellency said is absolutely true. The Yamen has also thought of a way, but the laws of the Wei Dynasty are clearly written and no one dares to violate them. Even some elderly people cannot distinguish seeds, so the Yamen specially leaves We plant some fields, plant seeds every year, see what grows, and then classify it. Although this method works well, it takes too long and limits manpower and material resources.”

They thought of a way, and Song Yuan was very satisfied with this: "I know an experienced gentleman. I'll ask him later if he is free and ask him to help. Maybe it can be done. It's just the collection of seeds. You have to control it after all." That’s fine, we can’t gamble months of people’s work just because of the reputation of the seed shop.”

"Yes, I will convene the officials as soon as possible to discuss a feasible solution."

Song Yuan moved her chopsticks again. Halfway through her meal, she asked casually: "A few seed shops carry a lot of seeds that are only available in the south. Do you know?"

Jincheng County Magistrate paused with the chopsticks in his hand, and his expression changed: "I heard something, and ordered people to investigate, but there was no useful information."

"There's no need to check. I'm guessing. Listen clearly. It's just a guess. This is just a casual chat at the dinner table with you. You don't need to speculate too much." Song Yuan emphasized it, for fear that the fat man would want to make things more difficult for him.

Jincheng Juncheng nodded repeatedly: "Yes."

Song Yuan then continued: "I guess it is because of the cotton in the northwest that the southern gentry relaxed the restrictions on seeds and deliberately sent a large number of seeds that are only available in the south to Jincheng, the most prosperous county in the northwest, in order to exchange the seeds for Cotton in the northwest." "My lord, your guess is correct, but for such a big move, they can send envoys to negotiate with the Wei Dynasty secretly, so that they can make more profits. Now, they are so sneaky and the risk is huge, and they are the most We can only collect [-]% of the cotton used to replace the grain, so this deal is not very cost-effective." Jincheng Juncheng thought about the matter carefully.

Song Yuan also agreed with this statement. She thought about it carefully before speaking: "So I guess that the small southern gentry countries also have differences on this matter. It is more likely that they are not targeting ready-made cotton, but cotton seeds."

"This is indeed possible." Jincheng Juncheng realized the importance of the matter: "Then we need to close these seed shops as soon as possible?"

When he asked this question, it seemed that he had other concerns. Song Yuan wanted to hear his thoughts first: "Tell me what you think."

Jincheng County Magistrate thought about it carefully and said: "Travelers are flocking to make money. If there is no profit for the people, how can they do this? The small southern gentry country has a very strict ban on the seeds of the Wei Dynasty. Under such high pressure, there are still people who know that It is difficult to go up, presumably because the benefits are so tempting. Since the benefits are so tempting, the merchants of the Wei Dynasty are suppressed. Who knows if other people will be tempted? Instead of spending all the effort to pursue and intercept them, it is better to take advantage of both sides. If we come up with a concrete and appropriate solution, both parties will have what the other party wants, and it will be worth negotiating."

This insight spoke to Song Yuan's heart. She was enlightened and humbly asked: "If this matter can promote peace talks between the two sides, who is more beneficial to Wei or the South?"

"Xiaoguan believes that it is more beneficial to the Wei Dynasty. The Wei Dynasty can grow [-]% to [-]% of the things that can be grown in the south. There is no possibility that the South will be choked by it. However, the cotton that the Wei Dynasty can grow is restricted by the South. Due to seasonal rainfall restrictions, it is difficult to establish a large-scale planting like Dawei in a short period of time.

The late emperor had a far-sighted vision and relied on power to complete pioneering projects such as land renovation and cotton planting in just two or three years. This was something that the south could not do. Their emperor's power was decentralized and the gentry were in power, each working in their own way. The benefits will be fought first, so there is nothing to be afraid of. "

Song Yuan pondered for a while: "It makes sense."

"Moreover, if peace talks are to take place, the Wei Dynasty must take the initiative. The southern nobles privately restrict the transportation of seeds to Jincheng for sale. This is an opportunity. If the mastermind behind the scenes can be caught to make things worse, the water in the south will be muddied first, and then we can It is not too late to discuss the peace talks between the two parties in detail."

Jincheng County Magistrate analyzed it seriously, and Song Yuan nodded repeatedly: "What you said is very reasonable. You should send someone to investigate first, and wait until I report back to His Highness the Crown Prince before taking concrete action. If this matter can be handled well, then When it comes to a great achievement, one must listen to the will of the Holy Spirit before making a decision."

"Yes, I will find out as soon as possible."

Song Yuan was in a happy mood after this meal, and his favorable impression of Jincheng County Magistrate also doubled. When he went back to his room to write a letter, he specifically mentioned him a few words in the letter, for fear that such an official who was willing to use his brain would be buried here.

(End of this chapter)