Linjiang City, County Office.
"Report!"
"Sir, among the people coming to buy grain, there are many unfamiliar faces. They're buying grain in large quantities and causing a commotion, claiming the granary is empty, disturbing the public. Please make a swift decision."
Advisor Bai looked at Du Jiang with a panicked expression.
Du Jiang's face darkened, "This must be the Four Great Grain Merchants causing trouble. With the grain prices in Linjiang City plummeting, they are the first to be affected. That's why they're frantically sweeping up the grain to maintain their monopoly!"
"Have the grain prices in Linjiang City dropped?"
Advisor Bai shook his head, "Sir, I've been keeping a close watch, and there has been no movement from the local shops. Prices have not yet dropped."
"Not yet dropped?" Du Jiang's face was filled with astonishment.
Du Jiang's eyes were heavy with concern, "What should we do? At the rate the Four Great Grain Merchants are sweeping up the grain, the granary will soon be empty."
"If the people find out, it will surely cause new panic. Issue an order to throw out those with ulterior motives and slow down the grain sales!"
Gao Yang walked in from the backyard of the county office, speaking calmly, "They are eager to incite chaos. By doing this, we would be playing into their hands!" Gao Yang's gaze was icy, "I've changed my mind. Since they are wealthy and want to sweep up the grain, let them."
"I want to see how much they can swallow."
Du Jiang was utterly shocked, "What?"
"Sir, at this rate, the Four Great Grain Merchants will empty the granary in less than a day!"
"The other grain merchants in Linjiang City are still observing, and the grain prices remain sky-high. With so many people and the Four Great Grain Merchants, this is not feasible."
Gao Yang said calmly, "Merchants observing is their nature."
"Opening the granary is just the first step of the plan."
Gao Yang turned his gaze to Shangguan Wan'er, "Immediately seal the city gates and docks, order the soldiers outside the city to escort 'grain' into the city and into the granary. Anyone who dares to approach this batch of grain, kill them on the spot!"
"Make sure the entire city witnesses the continuous flow of grain into Linjiang City!"
"Follow the steps, and within a day, the grain prices in Linjiang City will drop!"
"As long as we control the grain in the granary within a day, and lower the market grain prices even further, that's a profit!"
"They can't sweep up all the grain on the market."
"Do as I say, release the goods!"
Du Jiang was left in a daze.
She and Shangguan Wan'er clasped their fists in acknowledgment and left.
Gao Yang's gaze was cold and sharp.
He could set the rules for the entire Linjiang City. Never in his previous life had he had such a brilliant start. The Four Great Grain Merchants dared to challenge him?
Shangguan Wan'er rode a tall horse, leading the Imperial Guards, and arrived at the city gates of Linjiang City.
She held up the golden token bestowed by Wu Zhao, her expression stern.
"Seeing this token is as if Her Majesty is present!"
"From now on, seal the city gates, not a single grain of rice is to leave the city!"
"Otherwise, kill without mercy!"
The soldiers at the city gates saw the token and knelt down.
"We obey Her Majesty's decree!"
"Bring the travel pass, not a single grain of rice is to leave the city!"
Immediately after, Shangguan Wan'er personally led a troop escorting an endless line of grain carts into Linjiang City, heading towards the granary.
All the people witnessed this scene, their eyes lighting up.
Especially the people queued up for hundreds of meters in front of the granary, who were visibly moved.
"Grain!"
The people were overjoyed, and among them, Chen Sheng was also shocked.
The relief grain had arrived, and the grain prices in Linjiang City were truly going to drop!
Shangguan Wan'er ordered the batch of "grain" to be transported into the granary, and she said coldly, "Her Majesty has decreed that due to the disaster in Guangyang Commandery, ten thousand carts of grain have been specially allocated for relief. This is the first batch of grain sent to Linjiang City, and everyone will have a share, as much as you need!"
The people were moved to tears.
"Her Majesty has not forgotten us, long live Her Majesty!"
"Long live Her Majesty!"
"..."
Lin Residence.
"What?"
"Her Majesty has dispatched ten thousand carts of grain to Guangyang Commandery for relief, and the entire city witnessed the first batch of 'grain' being sent to the granary?"
Elder Lin was shocked, unable to contain his anger.
"These fools, this isn't grain at all, it must be filled with dirt or sand!"
"Trying to deceive me with such a petty trick, how naive. Sweep up everything for me, and when the granary is empty, let's see how they handle it. The city's grain merchants aren't fools, they won't believe it!"
Elder Lin's expression was sinister, looking almost crazed, no longer as composed as before.
The three other grain merchants also regretted not selling early to make a profit. Now they were stuck in a difficult position!
But with things as they were, they could only grit their teeth.
"We will do our utmost, together in advance and retreat!"
Inside the county office.
"Report!"
"There are still people buying grain in large quantities in batches!"
Gao Yang sat in a soft chair, sipping tea.
He said calmly, "If they want it, then keep selling, sell it all!"
Du Jiang gritted his teeth, "Follow the Censor's orders."
Advisor Bai quickly went to carry out the orders.
Gao Yang stood up, stretched lazily, and said to Du Jiang, "Lord Du, change into casual clothes and come with me for a stroll!"
"The real show is about to begin!"
Du Jiang and Shangguan Wan'er were shocked, "The grain prices are going to plummet?"
Gao Yang nodded lightly, "The stampede has begun!"
"In the face of such a great trend, the Four Great Grain Merchants are just trying to stop a chariot with their arms!"
Meanwhile.
All the major grain merchants in Linjiang City were in a panic, with the shopkeepers and clerks pacing anxiously inside their shops.
Especially some foreign grain merchants, who felt like the sky was falling!
They had purchased grain from elsewhere, traveling day and night to Linjiang City, hoping to make a profit.
But now, their plans had completely fallen apart.
Linjiang City opened the granary and sold grain at one hundred and five wen per dou, and they even sealed the city, not allowing a single grain to leave.
This was a huge blow to them.
"The Censor is trying to kill us!"
Some grain merchants who had risked everything to make a fortune wailed.
They had spent enormous costs, with transportation costs and losses being a significant daily expense. Every day spent in Linjiang City was a cost.
If the grain prices in Linjiang City truly dropped, and they couldn't sell the grain, returning even dozens of miles would still incur costs.
That would be a total loss!
In the center of Linjiang City!
"The purchase price was seventy wen, and with the costs on the road, it reached a cost price of eighty wen per dou. Now selling a dou can still earn twenty-five wen. If we delay any longer, we'll lose everything!"
"Sell!"
"Sell everything at a price lower than one hundred and five wen!"
As the plump grain merchant began selling on the street, the people gathered around.
To them, the county granary had a queue hundreds of meters long, and they didn't know when it would be their turn.
If the price was the same, or even a bit cheaper, why not?
With the first grain merchant's move, the other grain merchants in Linjiang City couldn't sit still.
"That bastard has no sense of honor, if he's selling, so will I. My cost price is even lower. If the Censor really seals the city for ten days or half a month and doesn't let grain out, I'll suffer huge losses. I can still make a profit at ninety-three wen, low-price clearance sale!"
"Ninety-three wen per dou!"
To the common people, they would buy wherever it was cheaper, and the grain merchants feared a massive drop in grain prices. Especially the foreign grain merchants, who began selling off in large quantities!
In no time, the entire Linjiang City was in an uproar.
Even the people at the county granary, hearing of cheaper grain, flocked over.
Du Jiang was dumbfounded, "Sir, how did you do this?"
Du Jiang was truly impressed.
Everything was unfolding according to Gao Yang's methods.
A large batch of grain priced below one hundred and five wen per dou, there was no fear of the Four Great Grain Merchants in Linjiang City targeting them!
The county office could fully enter the market to purchase and replenish the granary.
Qian, Zhao, Han, and Lin, the Four Great Grain Merchants, had bought all the high-priced grain!
Shangguan Wan'er's expression was complex.
She looked at Gao Yang, who was in complete control, and felt a sense of awe.
At that moment, she suddenly understood why the Empress valued Gao Yang so much; he was truly extraordinary!
Gao Yang smiled faintly, "These foreign grain merchants are on edge. At the slightest sign of trouble, they will all sell!"
"This is human nature!"
"Everyone fears selling too slowly, everyone fears losing everything, and when they all sell at once, it will cause the grain prices to plummet rapidly!"
Du Jiang admired, "In less than a quarter of an hour, the grain prices in Linjiang City have dropped by over one hundred and twenty wen, down to ninety-three wen per dou. Your methods, sir, are truly astonishing!"
Gao Yang looked at the scene of the people scrambling for grain, disdainful, "Ninety-three wen per dou?"
"Lord Du underestimates the stampede effect. These foreign grain merchants have only fired the first shot in the price drop!"
"The real crash hasn't even started!"
Gao Yang looked towards the Lin Residence, his expression meaningful.
Du Jiang was taken aback, "Sir, are you saying the major grain merchants in Linjiang City haven't sold yet? But that's impossible, the Qian, Zhao, Han, and Lin families have always been in cahoots, they wouldn't sell!"
"But given the current situation, your methods are enough to give Chang'an an explanation. I will certainly report to the Empress and request a commendation for you!"
Gao Yang sneered.
The Duke Dingguo Manor was in a precarious situation, and he needed to open up the situation to gain the Empress's trust!
Cui Xinghe had already pressed the grain prices in Clearwater City down to eighty-two wen per dou, so how could his target be just ninety-three wen per dou?
Moreover, he had borne seven days of infamy!
"A united front?" Gao Yang suddenly looked at Du Jiang, sneering, "Lord Du, you overestimate these Four Great Families. Remember this, not only does this apply in Great Qian, but even a hundred or a thousand years later, it will still hold true!"
Du Jiang was taken aback, instinctively looking at Gao Yang.
Gao Yang spoke each word clearly,
"Living together is easy, dying together is hard. Sharing wealth is easy, sharing hardship is hard. In this world, there are no friends under the interests. The collapse of grain prices in Linjiang City, from the entry of foreign grain merchants, after I opened the granary, no one can stop it!"