"In the face of interests, there are no friends. The decline in grain prices in Linjiang City is an unstoppable trend."
The calm voice echoed clearly in Du Jiang's ears.
Du Jiang stood in place, feeling as if these words were resonating like a great bell in his mind.
The Four Great Grain Merchants appeared to be closely united on the surface, but when a crisis struck, would they truly stand as one?
After a moment, he bowed to Gao Yang at a ninety-degree angle.
"Your words are like a revelation, enlightening me completely. I thank you for your guidance!"
Du Jiang's gaze was pure, filled with genuine respect.
Only now did he understand what Gao Yang had said seven days ago.
Everything was within his calculations.
To lower grain prices, one didn't necessarily have to forcefully suppress them!
A proclamation was posted, ordering the major grain merchants in Linjiang City to sell at high prices only, prohibiting low-price sales.
Once the grain prices in Linjiang City soared to astronomical levels, foreign merchants, driven by greed, would surely flock in to make a fortune.
When these foreign merchants further drove up the prices and had mostly entered the market, the county office would open the granaries, forcing these merchants to sell off first, causing prices to plummet!
What impressed Du Jiang the most was that Gao Yang set the price for opening the granaries neither too high nor too low, leaving room for these foreign merchants to profit.
Those who sold first would make a fortune, while those who sold later might go bankrupt.
This would cause all the foreign merchants to compete, each wanting to offload their stock as quickly as possible.
"Your strategy is admirable, my lord!"
Shangguan Wan'er was also full of amazement.
Gao Yang's methods were beyond comprehension.
But she curiously asked, "What if these foreign merchants don't panic and sell off? How would you handle that?"
Gao Yang looked at the scene of the bustling crowd and shook his head, "This is human nature, impossible to suppress. In the past seven days, many foreign merchants have flooded into Linjiang City."
"With so many foreign merchants, their thoughts cannot be the same. Each faces different challenges, leading to different choices."
"The grain held by the Four Great Grain Merchants in Linjiang City is mostly last year's old stock, and they also took advantage of the disaster earlier this year to stockpile when prices were fifty to seventy coins per dou, so their costs are low, and they are naturally not worried."
"But these foreign merchants are different. The entire Guangyang Commandery has suffered this year, with grain prices soaring. Some have risked everything to make a big profit, while others have bought grain at high prices, traveling dozens of kilometers to earn a price difference. Just the cost of these miles is a terrifying number."
"Not to mention some have spare money to buy grain, while others have risked everything to buy it. Thus, unity of mind is hard to achieve!"
"Their panic selling is inevitable."
"Moreover..." Gao Yang paused, looking at Shangguan Wan'er with a half-smile, "If truly no one sells, then I will apologize with my life, offering my head to Her Majesty as an apology."
"Losing a head is just a small scar, what does it matter?"
Du Jiang admired, "Your composure in the face of disaster is truly admirable, my lord." New chapters come out on g.com first.
Shangguan Wan'er smirked, "Then why, since the day you ordered the county office to post the proclamation, have you had the palace guards protect you, even wearing armor underneath?"
"Isn't this to prevent excessive public anger, fearing an assassin?"
Shangguan Wan'er glanced at the lining under Gao Yang's robe, amused.
She had seen people afraid of death, but never anyone as afraid as Gao Yang.
Lüluo nodded, "Not only that, but the Young Master also ordered me to protect him closely, not leaving his side."
Du Jiang's eyes widened, feeling as if something had shattered.
Gao Yang laughed heartily, masking his embarrassment.
Shangguan Wan'er was understandable, being a favored figure by the Empress, someone he couldn't afford to offend.
But Lüluo dared to reveal his secrets, she needed a good lesson!
He quickly changed the subject, "The situation in Linjiang City is set, no need to watch further, just wait for the grain prices to plummet."
With that, Gao Yang stepped away.
This time, it was the first time in seven days that Gao Yang left first, without guards closely following.
Shangguan Wan'er watched Gao Yang's departing figure, her cold eyes rippling slightly.
The grandson of Duke Dingguo was indeed interesting.
She could almost foresee that when today's news of the grain price drop reached the capital, it would surely cause a stir!
Beside her, Du Jiang was also full of anticipation.
As long as the Qian, Zhao, Han, and Lin families followed suit in selling, Linjiang City's grain prices would see a new plunge.
Gao Yang's lazy voice sounded ahead, "Since the grain price in Linjiang City has dropped to ninety-three coins per dou, order a massive sweep!"
"Post another proclamation, the county granary is abundant, drop another fifteen coins, only ninety coins per dou!"
Behind him, Du Jiang's eyes lit up.
He was invigorated, "I will do it immediately!"
Gao Yang walked towards the county office, feeling immensely emotional.
He finally understood the ruthless tactics of stock market manipulators from his past life, and it was simply exhilarating.
Selling at a hundred and five coins per dou, with foreign merchants following suit to push the price down to ninety-three coins per dou, he then made large purchases, further lowering the price to ninety coins per dou.
Calculating carefully, he still made nine coins per dou!
Conversely, whether it was the Qian, Zhao, Han, and Lin families or foreign merchants wanting to sell, they had to go below ninety coins per dou!
The feeling of being a capitalist was truly intoxicating.
"..."
Meanwhile.
"Have you heard? It's now as low as ninety-three coins per dou!"
"Many big grain merchants are frantically selling off, the grain price has finally dropped!"
In Linjiang City, with the foreign merchants frantically comparing and selling, the citizens were all excited.
Everywhere was filled with chatter.
For seven days, they had watched helplessly as grain prices soared.
That despair was something they would never forget in their lifetime.
Chen Sheng stood among the queue of citizens, a look of disbelief crossing his face as he listened to the news.
Ninety-three coins per dou!
A drop of a hundred and twenty-seven coins!
"High Censor..."
Chen Sheng murmured to himself.
At the Lin Residence.
A panicked report shattered the peace within.
"Elder Lin, something terrible has happened!"
"Now the grain price in Linjiang City has dropped to ninety-three coins per dou!"
A servant rushed in frantically.
Upon hearing the news, Elder Lin and the others' faces changed drastically.
"Impossible!"
"We haven't sold, and have spent hundreds of thousands of taels to sweep the market, how can the grain price in Linjiang City be so cheap?"
"A few small grain merchants can't affect the big picture."
"Speak nonsense again, and I'll beat you to death with a stick!"
Elder Lin's eyes were fierce.
The servant knelt on the ground, shouting, "It's... it's the foreign merchants, many have come in recent days."
"They don't follow the rules, selling off massively!"
"At this rate of decline, it might soon drop to ninety coins per dou!"
The head of the Qian Family was furious, "Nonsense, we four families dominate Linjiang City, where did so many foreign merchants come from!"
But Elder Lin, hearing this, was suddenly stunned.
His cloudy old eyes widened, as if he suddenly realized something!