Linjiang City.
On Right Avenue, inside a dilapidated house with cracked walls.
A middle-aged man stood bare-chested, revealing his strong muscles. He silently sharpened the large knife in his hand, the grating sound of the blade echoing throughout the room.
Soon, the knife was sharpened to a razor edge, reflecting the man's cold eyes.
"With this ancestral blade in hand, I shall slay all corrupt officials under heaven. A true man should be like this!"
With that, Chen Sheng instinctively stood up, ready to draw his knife and leave.
"Husband, don't go."
Just as Chen Sheng was about to push open the door, a voice came from behind.
Chen Sheng's body froze, and he turned around abruptly. Upon seeing the woman before him, his eyes grew complicated.
But he said, "Once I leave, you should immediately return to your parents' home to lay low. There's some silver under the mattress; take it with you. Even if I die, you'll have some security to find another husband."
The woman shook her head, crying, "In all of Linjiang City, not a single person dares to act. Why must you go?"
"For my sake, stay, won't you?"
Chen Sheng replied in a deep voice, "The grain price in Linjiang City has skyrocketed from fifty wen per dou to two hundred and twenty wen per dou. Ordinary people can't afford to buy grain. It's all because of that corrupt official. Only by killing him can the grain price in Linjiang City drop!"
"I, Chen Sheng, have practiced martial arts since childhood, roaming the world freely. Linjiang City is my home. I can die, but I cannot watch this home become a field of corpses!"
His wife, with a face full of reluctance, hesitated, "Husband, wait a moment. I have a feeling that everything in Linjiang City is unusual. Can we wait a couple more days?"
"I just feel that the official isn't as simple as he appears. Once chaos erupts, even if he's a son of a noble family from Chang'an, he won't be able to bear the consequences."
Chen Sheng's face was full of self-mockery, and he sneered, "Raising grain prices, taking advantage of the disaster to profit from people's misery by rebuilding the county office, the most notorious wastrel of Chang'an indeed lives up to his name!"
He continued angrily, "If this Censor Gao truly has the ability to lower the grain price in Linjiang City, I, Chen Sheng, will serve him like an ox or a horse for life!"
"But is that possible? My mind is made up. Today, even if I have to sacrifice my life, I will make sure his blood spills on the spot!"
The woman sighed deeply.
The grain merchants in Linjiang City were unprecedentedly united. How could the grain price possibly drop?
She just didn't want Chen Sheng to go to his death.
Assassinating a current Censor, how could it be so easily successful?
"In the next life, I'll make it up to you."
Chen Sheng placed his hand on the door. He had already scouted the place, knowing full well that once he left, he wouldn't return!
That corrupt official seemed to know he had incited public anger, being extremely cautious when going out, protected like a hedgehog, making it nearly impossible to strike!
But today, even if he had to use his blood to warn the people of Linjiang City to fight back, he felt it was worth it!
Resolute, he suddenly pushed open the door.
But in the next second, when he saw the scene on the street, he was stunned.
On the streets of Linjiang City, soldiers in armor were galloping on horseback, shouting at the top of their lungs.
"By order of the Censor, post the proclamation!"
"From this moment on, the granaries are open, and grain can be purchased at a low price of one hundred and five wen per dou, with no quantity limit. The people can line up to buy!" Visit g.com for the full chapter.
As these words were spoken.
Chen Sheng's eyes widened, and the woman behind him also widened her eyes.
"What?"
"Open the granaries and sell grain at one hundred and five wen per dou?"
Chen Sheng's body trembled, unable to believe it.
One hundred and five wen per dou, compared to the current exorbitant price of two hundred and twenty wen per dou in Linjiang City, was a full one hundred and fifteen wen lower.
Although still high, compared to the current price of two hundred and twenty wen per dou, they were immensely grateful!
Not only was Chen Sheng shocked, but the people of Linjiang City were all stunned.
Countless sallow-faced citizens came out, flocking to where the proclamation was posted.
When they saw the content of the proclamation for themselves.
Countless citizens were overjoyed.
"The granaries are open, finally open!"
"One hundred and five wen per dou, we're saved, we're saved!"
Chen Sheng was also among the crowd, full of disbelief.
"It actually dropped?"
The next second, Chen Sheng suddenly ran towards the granary in Linjiang City; he had to see it with his own eyes.
But when he saw the line stretching for dozens of meters, with even more citizens continuously arriving to join the queue.
Chen Sheng's body trembled, his eyes wide open.
At the same time.
On every street in Linjiang City, soldiers in armor rode tall horses, galloping past, shouting at the top of their lungs.
"By order of the Censor, post the proclamation!"
"From this moment on, the granaries are open, and grain can be purchased at a low price of one hundred and five wen per dou, with no quantity limit. The people can line up to buy!"
In no time, the entire city of Linjiang heard the news, and the whole city was in an uproar.
"..."
Lin Residence.
Artificial mountains and waters, maidservants carrying trays shuttled through the corridors.
In the grand hall, a dozen dancing girls were gracefully performing.
Elder Lin and the three major grain merchants watched with great interest. This chapter was taken from g.com without permission.
Separated by a door, it seemed like two different worlds. Outside, the people were emaciated, scavenging for food in the trash, while inside, there was luxury and extravagance, with dancing girls and a warm, intoxicating atmosphere.
The somewhat plump Patriarch of the Qian Family couldn't help but say, "Elder Lin, the grain price in Linjiang City has reached two hundred and twenty wen per dou. Shouldn't we act?"
Elder Lin waved his hand, and the dancing girls retreated. He said calmly, "What's the rush?"
"In Linjiang City, as long as our Four Great Families are united, we can monopolize the grain price. This wave of immense wealth requires at least two hundred and fifty wen per dou!"
Everyone was shocked, "Two hundred and fifty wen?"
Though it seemed like only a thirty-wen increase per dou, for them, it meant earning tens of thousands, even hundreds of thousands more!
"We owe this wealth to Censor Gao. Who knows what he's thinking, issuing a proclamation forbidding the sale of low-priced grain!" The Patriarch of the Han Family stroked his beard, speaking with some disdain.
"Such a wastrel young master, what does he know about governing a country? He probably thought that with high grain prices, merchants would start selling. Looks like he shot himself in the foot!"
As these words were spoken, everyone burst into laughter.
But just then, a servant rushed into the hall, stumbling over himself.
"Elder Lin, something terrible has happened. The county office suddenly posted a proclamation, selling low-priced grain at one hundred and five wen per dou!"
"The people are flocking to it, forming long queues as far as the eye can see!"
Upon hearing this.
Elder Lin's face changed dramatically.
"What?"
The Patriarch of the Qian Family was even angrier, "That brat Gao has no sense of honor. He's clearly trying to trap us!"
The Patriarch of the Han Family spoke with concern, "Elder Lin, what should we do?"
Elder Lin's eyes were cold, "Great Qian has been hit by successive natural disasters, causing grain prices to soar. How much grain can Linjiang City's granaries possibly have?"
"Is it enough to feed the entire city's population?"
His words awakened the others, and they quickly realized.
"Linjiang City has over a hundred thousand people. With poor harvests in recent years, the granaries surely don't have ample grain. The county office's move is merely to scare us into panic selling, lowering the grain price. I underestimated this Censor Gao from Chang'an!"
"Quite cunning!"
Elder Lin's face was icy, "The grain price in Linjiang City must not fall drastically, at least not until we've sold off our stock and profited!"
"Since they're opening the granaries, we'll buy up whatever they release!"
"I want to see how much grain they have!"
Elder Lin slammed his fist into his palm, his eyes cold.
The three family heads nodded in agreement. Besides the low-priced old grain, they also had high-priced grain stockpiled from the market.
If they all sold at once, the grain price wouldn't possibly remain at one hundred and five wen per dou!
This battle, they could not afford to lose!
The Patriarch of the Qian Family gritted his teeth, "Our fates are tied together, we follow Elder Lin!"
"Willing to follow Elder Lin!"