Yan Wushuang Extra Story (27)

In mid-July, good news came from Shandong and Hebei, saying that the most tried-planted yams yielded more than 1,000 jin per mu and at least 700-800 jin.

Meng Nian said beamingly: "If it is promoted, we won't have to worry about food anymore."

Yan Wushuang is not so optimistic: "Han Yuxi stipulates that the people in the northwest are only allowed to plant yams on sloping land and newly reclaimed land, and they are not allowed to use fertile land for planting." The area of ​​yam planting in Northwest China is very large this year, estimated to be around 100,000, but it does not account for Half of the fertile land. Here, it is intriguing.

Meng Nian understood in an instant: "My lord, I will send someone to inquire." There may be some shortcomings in planting this potato.

Not long after, Meng Nian handed a superstitious letter to Yan Wushuang: "My lord, the spies from Jiangnan sent it back urgently."

"What did you say?"

"Our people discovered that someone secretly purchased a large amount of grain. It was only found out a few days ago that these grains were shipped to the northwest from various channels." After finishing speaking, Meng Nian's face was solemn: "My lord, the northwest has a bumper harvest this year. Why did Qing and Han Yuxi buy so much food?" Northwest harvested hundreds of millions of catties of yams alone this year, as well as wheat and other grains, which are enough for the people of Northwest to eat until next year. So the couple's abnormal behavior made him feel uneasy.

Yan Wushuang's complexion changed slightly, and he said, "There are rumors that Han Yuxi has the ability to predict. Do you think she knows that there will be a major natural disaster, so she will stockpile a large amount of food this year." If it is only a few hundred thousand stones, Nor will he be discovered. Obviously, they purchased much more than that.

"My lord, if Han Yuxi really had the ability to predict, he wouldn't have almost killed two people that day." Anyway, if you beat him to death, you don't believe that Han Yuxi has the ability to predict.

Yan Wushuang actually didn't believe it either, but he really felt that Yuxi sometimes acted very strangely: "Whether it's true or not, she can't be allowed to buy grain in such large quantities anymore. Meng Nian, immediately send someone to invite the elder of the Yu family " Yu Baojia, governor of the south of the Yangtze River, has long ignored the words of the imperial court. However, he and Mr. Yu are clan brothers, and they also rely on this governor who is quite superior. It is more useful for the Grand Master to speak out about this than for him to order directly.

When the elder of the Yu family knew about this, he wrote a letter to Yu Baojia, telling him not to let the grain from the south of the Yangtze River flow to the northwest.

As a result, not long after the letter was sent, the court actually received an official letter from Northwest. The official letter stated that several old farmers said that there might be a major drought in the Northwest next year, so they planted high-yielding yams on a large scale this year.

Meng Nian said with some doubts: "My lord, just when we found out that she bought a large amount of grain, she said that there might be a severe drought in the northwest next year. My lord, do you think it's a coincidence?"

Yan Wushuang said: "It's better to believe this kind of thing,

It's unbelievable. "

Meng Nian said: "The Han family only said that there may be a severe drought in the northwest, but did not say that there will be a severe drought in other places."

Hearing this, Yan Wushuang shook his head and said, "If it's really just a severe drought in the northwest, why bother to send such an official letter to the imperial court with great fanfare. Don't say any more, and hurry up to buy food before the news spreads. Alright." When the news comes, the food supply will probably rise sharply.

Meng Nian said suspiciously: "Your Majesty, do you think that Han's release of this news is to cause panic about our rising food prices?" With Han's scheming methods, this possibility is not impossible.

Yan Wushuang nodded and said, "It's not impossible as you said." Therefore, the food must be bought, and the news must not be leaked.

It's a good idea, but the treasury can't get the money out. In the end, it was Yan Wushuang who took out the money himself and asked Meng Nian to buy food.

It didn't take long for the news that there would be a drought next year to leak out. Some, like Yu Baojia, governor of Jiangnan, cursed Yuxi and Yunqing to deceive the public and cause social panic. There are also people who would rather believe that they have something than nothing, and secretly hoard food. However, because this year is a harvest year, even if there is such a rumor, the price of grain is only 10% higher than usual.

Knowing this, Yuchen was a little worried, and said to Yan Wushuang: "My lord, I believe that Yuxi will not target indiscriminately. My lord, let's stock up more food!" Once there is a severe drought, it means that there will be no harvest, and the people will not be able to live. go down. At that time, it will definitely cause social shock.

Yan Wushuang said: "I also want to buy more grain, but the treasury has no money."

Although Yu Baojia did not believe that there would be a severe drought next year, he also began to restrict the flow of grain out of the south of the Yangtze River. However, he agreed to sell Yan Wushuang 1.2 million shi of grain at the market price.

Yuchen heard the words and said without hesitation: "I still have hundreds of thousands of taels of silver on hand. My lord, let's use it to buy food!" Once there is a famine, money is dead.

Yan Wushuang shook his head and said, "This money is a drop in the bucket." Besides, he won't use women's money anymore.

The court officials knew that Yan Wushuang bought so much grain out of his private house, many people thought he was too timid. Han Shi and Yun Qing obviously had ulterior motives to scare them. Unexpectedly, Yan Wushuang took it seriously.

Regarding the private criticisms of some ministers, Yan Wushuang knew about them but didn't take them seriously.

After the grain purchase agreement was signed, Yan Wushuang asked his people to transport the 1.2 million shi of grain directly to Tongcheng. Even if there is a drought next year, with this 1.2 million grains, the soldiers in the border town will not go hungry.

For Yan Wushuang, no one can lose to the soldiers in the border town. This is the same idea as Yunqing. This is also because both of them were born in generals, and they know the hardships and hardships of soldiers.

This year's autumn harvest in the south of the Yangtze River also harvested a lot of grain. At this point, everyone became more and more sure that the big drought next year that Yunqing told Yuxi was just a lie to confuse the public. These people completely ignored that the official letter only said that there might be a major drought in the northwest next year, and did not mention a major drought in the whole country.

Meng Nian and Yan Wushuang said: "My lord, Han Yuxi and Yunqing sent people to Jiangnan to buy grain. After Yu Baojia found out, he didn't stop him, but raised the price of grain by 30%. Unexpectedly, Han Yuxi and Yunqing still bought two grains. A million stones of grain."

This was on the surface, privately, Yuxi asked Tian Yang to buy a large amount of food and hide it.

Yan Wushuang said with a sullen face: "Mr. Han is the most shrewd. Usually, others can't take advantage of her. She is willing to buy it at a price that is 30% higher. It seems that she is sure that there will be a severe drought in the Northwest next year."

Meng Nian was also a little worried, but he still said after hearing this: "My lord, there is a shortage of water in the northwest, and it is not surprising that there will be a severe drought next year."

"I'm afraid that this severe drought is not just in the northwest." If it spreads to Shanxi, Hebei and other places, the court will be unable to provide disaster relief, and there will definitely be chaos everywhere. It's just that he only thought about it in his heart and didn't say it.

Meng Nian hesitated and said, "My lord, why don't we buy another two million shi of grain to stockpile." If there is a drought, at least the stability of the capital must be guaranteed. With these grains, the capital will not be chaotic.

Yan Wushuang hummed and said: "This time, you go to Jiangnan to find Yu Baojia yourself." This guy opened his mouth to save others from going. He doesn't want to be slaughtered like a sheep by Yu Baojia like Han Yuxi.

But Yu Baojia is only willing to sell them one million shi of grain at the market price, and if he buys any more, he has to sell them at the price he sold to Yunqing. Meng Nian didn't have that much money on hand, so he only bought one million shi.

It was already snowing when this batch of grain was shipped to Tianjin. After thinking about it, Yan Wushuang left the batch of grain in Tianjin.

After the beginning of spring, Meng Nian and Yan Wushuang talked about it: "My lord, will you transport this batch of grain back to the capital?"

Yan Wushuang shook his head and said, "Stay the grain there for now and don't move it." Waiting for the drought to occur, this batch of grain will be transported in at that time, so as to stabilize the morale of the people and the army.

In April, not only in the northwest, but also in Hebei, Shanxi and Shandong.

Requisitions from all over the country begging the imperial court for disaster relief flew to the capital like snowflakes. The ministers in the court panicked.

Yan Wushuang wanted to help the disaster, but the court had no money or food to do it. Therefore, he could only look at the notebook every day to see how many people died of starvation.

It hadn't rained for more than a month, and the seedlings withered long ago, and the land was so dry that cracks appeared. Many ordinary people couldn't bear to see it, and began to flee the famine. Some went to the south of the Yangtze River, while others rushed towards the capital.

Originally, the imperial court decided to go to the south of the Yangtze River, and planned to let the elder of the Yu family go to the south of the Yangtze River to persuade Yu Baojia to provide food for disaster relief. As a result, countless fertile fields were flooded in the south of the Yangtze River due to heavy rain for several consecutive days. This situation has lasted for more than half a month. Although there will be no failure, the reduction in production is certain. Under such circumstances, how could Yu Baojia take out food for disaster relief.

The refugees flocked to the outside of the capital like a tide, bringing enormous pressure and great safety hazards to the capital.

Some of the ministers in the court knew that Yan Wushuang had hoarded a large amount of food, and they all begged him where the food would be used to help the victims. Unfortunately, Yan Wushuang ruthlessly refused: "I have sent all these grains to the border towns. Whoever is hungry can't starve the soldiers who bleed and die in the border towns." Although Liaodong was not affected, due to the particularity of the region, Liaodong was even If there is no natural disaster, the grain produced every year is barely enough for oneself. So it is very difficult to get food from Liaodong.

Rong Jianwen, Minister of the Ministry of Officials, said worriedly: "My lord, if the imperial court lets these refugees go, it will definitely cause trouble." Once a person is extremely hungry, he can do anything.

Yan Wushuang said, "What can you do?"

Mr. Xin, Minister of the Ministry of Rites, said: "My lord, King Pingxi has a large amount of grain, we can ask him to borrow grain." In addition to the bumper harvest in the Northwest last year, they also purchased millions of grains from Jiangnan.

Yan Wushuang laughed angrily: "Do you think Yunqing will lend us food?" There is no need to ask about this matter, and we know it is impossible.

Mr. Xin bit the bullet and said: "If you don't try, how will you know if they will borrow it?" Maybe he is so kind and willing to lend them food!

Mr. Geng, Minister of the Household Department, said: "Your Majesty, let's try it!" Although he knew that the promise of Pingxi Wang and his wife would be very small, but now there is no better way. Not to mention that the imperial court has no money, even if it has money, it will not be able to buy food in this situation.

Seeing that many ministers agreed with this suggestion, Yan Wushuang sent an official letter in the name of the court.

Yunqing and Yuxi replied quickly, and did not say that they would not borrow food, but only said that the Northwest had suffered a severe drought, and now many people had died of starvation and thirst. In the official letter, the husband and wife also expressed the hope that the court could rescue the people in the northwest.