Ever since he settled down in Bianliang and expanded Takeshi, Ning Yi's life had changed a lot compared to Jiangning.
Although after experiencing so many things in his previous life, his personality still leaned towards the quiet and not the active. But after the Bamboo Inn was opened, his social circle was actually still slowly expanding. He made friends in the business world, and occasionally there were poetry gatherings. In the first half of Jing Han's eleventh year, he would also attend them. Therefore, after the disaster relief, other than the rich families he didn't know and his business partners, there would occasionally be scholars who claimed to be his "friends" who came to persuade him. Ning Yi didn't want to see some of these people, and when he did, he would just push them away.
A successful person could have many characteristics, but being soft-hearted definitely didn't include that. Some people were said to accept opinions humbly, and they had their own methods of analysis. Most of the time, they would see through the other person's thoughts and accept it when they felt it was reasonable. If they felt that the other person was an idiot, they wouldn't show it on their faces, and would grin and thank them. This was the sign of a humble person. As for those who felt that everyone's words were reasonable and kind, it wasn't a guilty conscience, it was just an unstable view of the world. Of course, kindness was often right, but kindness, superficiality, and stupidity often didn't contradict each other.
For Ning Yi, he could see through the other person's thoughts the moment they opened their mouth. Pretending to be kind was meaningless to him. Most of the time, it was just perfunctory. If necessary, he would even use the same kind attitude to lead the other person in a completely different direction. Of course, there weren't many people who needed him to do this. However, the person who had spoken to Wenren Bu 'er yesterday felt that it was necessary.
In the beginning, for the disaster relief, he had thought of asking Miss Shishi to persuade some people, but she was always busy, and he didn't have much time to think about it, so Shishi's matter was delayed.
After Wenren Bu 'er dealt with Zuo Jilan and brought back the news, Ning Yi thought that someone might have asked her to persuade them. However, this woman, Li Shishi, was not difficult to deal with. She desired sincerity and was tactful. She was the kind of person who would automatically take back her request if you made it difficult for her. On the one hand, this kind of character came from the sincerity of being considerate of others. On the other hand, it came from the clear-headedness of maintaining a distance.
"But I think that Miss Shishi didn't come here for Zuo Jilan, and it definitely wasn't Zuo Jilan who invited her." At lunchtime, Wenren Bu 'er picked up his chopsticks and said, "After all, Miss Shishi didn't mention anything about him yesterday."
"I was too busy previously. Now that she suddenly said she had something to talk to me about, this kind of thing shouldn't be able to escape. However, Li Shishi is a very tactful person. Li Yun might have asked her to make this trip."
After Ning Yi finished, Wenren Bu 'er nodded and waved her finger in the air, "Someone looked for Li Yun, but Li Yun didn't want to talk to you personally, so she asked Miss Shishi to come here. In this way, this Mama Li seems to understand your character."
"This means that she doesn't want to fall out with me. She was just asked to give me a reminder." Ning Yi smiled and shook his head, "That's good. Others can fall out, but the cooperation with Fanlou still has to go on."
"Then are you going to … brush it off?"
"I'll deal with it when it comes. I'd like to see if I can persuade Li Shishi to betray me."
"I realized that Liheng, when you talk about Miss Shishi, you always use her full name, as if you don't know each other very well."
"Although we knew each other when we were young, in this circle, we can see and touch benefits and power. Shishi treats her friends with sincerity, but it's good to keep a distance. She's the top courtesan now, but she'll marry someone else soon. How can we still be friends? Even if we take a step back, can we still marry her? "
Wenren Bu 'er thought for a while and said, "But Miss Shishi does look good."
"Wen-Ren, you seem to have a good impression of her."
"She's beautiful and elegant. It's not without reason that she can become the top courtesan in Bianliang."
"Heh, marry her."
"Haha, I have a wicked wife and mother. I still want to live a few more years. Forget it. Liheng, you're good. "
"I have … four now. I also want to live a few more years."
Both of them laughed. Ning Yi thought that he had four now, plus the red grapes and watermelons, he had six now … He didn't want to be a playboy, but how did he end up like this? "Men really can't control themselves …" Thinking of this, he couldn't help but pout and sigh.
Most of Qin Siyuan's students and advisors were smart, and they always had a good eye for people and things. They usually chatted and speculated about the situation, and they were not far from the truth. At this time, Ning Yi and Wenren Bu 'er chatted for a while, and they had a rough idea of what to say when Shishi came. But when Shishi came in the afternoon, and they talked for a while, Ning Yi realized that he was wrong about this matter.
Not long after lunch, Shishi came over. She was receiving guests in one of the guest courtyards of the Prime Minister's Mansion. The courtyard was not big, and there were small rockery, flowers, and trees in the courtyard. Since winter had come, most of the flowers and plants had withered. After some small talk, Shishi first talked about the young people she received two days ago, and told them about the situation in the disaster area. Ning Yi thought for a while.
"I remember the Yu family. After the business was settled, they should have left this morning. They went to my house and wanted to see me, but I was in the Prime Minister's Mansion, so it was Tan'Er who received them. "
"So now … how is the situation in the disaster area?"
"It's hard to say …" Ning Yi hesitated for a while, and then said with a smile, "We have tried our best in all aspects. We can only keep the grain prices from collapsing. The weather is cold, and people are dying now. But what we are really waiting for is the first snow. Both sides are preparing. "
"Those grain merchants …" Shishi said through gritted teeth. After a while, she said, "Then … can I do anything to help?"
"Of course." Ning Yi smiled. "I wanted to look for you. Shishi, you know many people in the capital. Some of them have grain at home, and can help to transport things. Some of them have connections, and I want you to persuade them. Originally, I made a list, and wanted you to see who you have connections with, and who you can talk to … "
Shishi lowered her head and thought, and her eyes were full of spirit. "I know what I'm doing …"
"Heh, but you were busy at that time, and I had a lot of things to do …"
"Uh, at that time …" Shishi thought for a while, and revealed a blushing smile. "We were all concerned about Tong Shu 'er."
"I know, I heard. That fellow was lost for three thousand miles."
"Yes." Shishi smiled happily. After a while, she looked at Ning Yi and said, "Is it not too late?"
"It's not too late."
"That's good." Shishi thought for a while. "I still have some sisters, the ones who got into trouble with Tong Shu 'er. They can help too … I know that some people's families can't be touched by the Prime Minister's residence, so we should be able to persuade them. Then, Liheng, how much can we make those unscrupulous merchants lose? How much grain do we have now? "
"Lose …" The two of them stood in front of the window in the living room. Ning Yi's expression became slightly complicated. "How can we lose …"
"Uh …" Shishi was stunned.
Ning Yi looked out of the window, and his expression became serious. After a while, he let out a breath. "They won't lose. The only difference is how much they earn. Shishi, why do you think these people are hoarding grain? What is their purpose? "
"Uh, they are …" Shishi originally had an answer in her mind, but after hearing Ning Yi's words, she felt that it wasn't that simple. She couldn't help but hesitate.
Ning Yi looked out of the window. "Two and a half taels of grain for one dan. Just selling it now already earns ten times the profit. Although the power of money is great, and everyone wants it, once the authorities suppress it, are there really that many people who are not satisfied? They feel that even ten times the profit is too little … they're not doing it for money, they're doing it for land … "
Shishi looked at him.
Ning Yi shook his head. "Only the small households hoarding grain for money. They feel that the price of grain will continue to rise, so they buy it. As for the large households, they already have grain in their homes, and then they eat in large amounts. They keep the price of grain high, not to sell it at the peak, but to let people exchange their property and land for grain after the market has reduced. Only land is the most practical thing for them. This is also the main reason they compete with the authorities. As for making money, when it's thirty taels, they'll earn ten times the profit. Even if it's ten taels, they'll still earn four times the profit. Shishi, what we're looking forward to now is only ten taels … "
"But … those … those people …"
"It's not that the authorities don't have any grain for disaster relief. But in order to acquire land, they will risk their lives. The higher the temptation, the more they will invest. Then, under the temptation of huge profits, the authorities will also get involved. They will directly make a move on the grain for disaster relief. If we want to provide disaster relief, it'll be twice the effort for half the result. The more people who sell their land, the more people in need of relief. This way, it'll become a dead end. When we transport grain over, we're hitting their greedy hearts. If the greed in these people's hearts is reduced, hundreds or even thousands of people will benefit, and more people will live. "
Shishi listened quietly. Ning Yi smiled. "But how can we let them suffer losses? Only a small portion of them can't control their greed, and they'll eat as much as they can. In the end, the large households will suffer losses. These people will die of stupidity. Otherwise, no matter what, they'll still make a profit … "
He paused. "Now that we're waiting for the snow, the authorities are telling them that we have enough grain. No matter when, everyone will have enough to eat. They won't believe it. When the authorities say that they want disaster relief, many of the grain merchants under them won't believe it either. Only when it snowed would the government be able to continuously supply food from afar. Only then would the first batch of onlookers be sure of the strength of the disaster relief. When they began to sell their goods while the price of food was still high, only then would the price of food really collapse. We've actually reserved a large portion of the grain in the warehouse, waiting for the snow. But in terms of total quantity, I'm afraid it's still not enough. The more grain there is, the better. "
The room was silent for a long time. Shishi finally said, "I understand." She pursed her lips, and her eyes revealed a determined look. "I … I'll do this immediately. I'll strive to have a good result before the snow. Also … I hope it snows later. "
Ning Yi also smiled. "I hope it snows later."
After that, the two of them didn't say too much. They just casually talked about things around them. Then, Ning Yi saw her out of the Prime Minister's residence. After the carriage drove out and the side door of the Prime Minister's residence closed, Ning Yi stood there thinking for a while. His fingers tapped on the side of his thigh. He also revised his impression of Shishi.
For the next few days, Shishi ran back and forth inside and outside the capital. She also called a few of her sisters to spread the news about the grain prices in the north and south. Their actions were quite effective. Among the large families in the capital that the Prime Minister's residence, Ning Yi, and the others had already screened, they incited the young people of several families to start transporting grain on a large scale. After a few days, she met up with Ning Yi again. She told him about the progress of the matter and asked if there was anything else he needed help with. Then, she said that she had already made an appointment with a few of her sisters and the young masters in the capital to personally transport grain to the north.
Although she told Ning Yi this, she was actually already prepared in her heart. Ning Yi nodded. He only told her that if there was any inconvenience, she should contact the local authorities as soon as possible.
In November, the grain transport fleet organized by the Min family left the capital and went north to the east of the river. After a few days, the fleet entered the hinterland of the river …
At the same time, after staying in the capital for a few days, Wang Zhizhen returned to the Zuo family.
*****
When he went south to the capital, he originally wanted to use all kinds of connections to put pressure on the Prime Minister's residence and also to give Ning Liheng a warning. Unexpectedly, the response was like a blow to his head. At that time, Wang Zhizhen already had no idea what to do.
Although Wenren Bu 'er told him that the capital was deep, he first stayed in the capital to ask for Zuo Houwen's help. He also visited the families that he had already visited, hoping to get Zuo Jilan out. However, although these people promised to put pressure on this matter, after hearing what happened, they also expressed that Qin Siyuan was not someone to be trifled with. After Zuo Houwen came back from the Prime Minister's residence, he lost his temper. Obviously, Zuo Duanyou did not give him face. Some other people went to the Prime Minister's residence to plead for him. When they found out that Qin Siyuan had written a letter to Zuo Duanyou, they came back and said, "If that's the case, Mr. Wang should go back earlier. Don't delay the important matter." To them, this matter was a little messy. But since Qin Siyuan and Zuo Duanyou could discuss it directly, it was none of their business.
For people like Qin Siyuan and Zuo Duanyou, their letter could indeed be considered a really important matter. Wang Zhizhen had already understood that he could not do anything by staying here. He could only return to the east of the river with all kinds of uneasiness.
On the afternoon of the day he returned to the Zuo's residence, he went to see Zuo Duanyou. Although Zuo Duanyou would not have a good impression of him for encouraging the young master to store up grain, encouraging the young master to go to the capital, and then leaving the young master alone after going to the capital, he would not be able to leave a good impression on him. However, it did not matter what he did. He could only hope that the enmity between Zuo Duanyou and Qin Siyuan was deeper than most people could imagine. Once he saw Qin Siyuan's letter, he would lose his temper and thus forget his mistake.
Zuo Duanyou lived in a courtyard deep in the Zuo's residence. There was a small bamboo forest near the courtyard. The flowers and plants in the courtyard were basically taken care of by Zuo Duanyou and a few old servants. This respected old man was nearly seventy years old. His hair and beard were all white, but his eyes were sharp. He was dressed neatly and simply, without a single hair out of place. He did not reprimand Wang Zhizhen for anything. Because Wang Zhizhen was considered a teacher in the fu and not a student, the other only addressed him as' Mr. Wang 'and had him sit next to him. After Wang Zhizhen told him what had happened in the capital, he asked for Qin Siyuan's letter.
The old man squinted behind the desk and finished reading the letter written by Qin Siyuan.
He put his finger on the letter without raising his head. After a moment, he asked, "I know that the food shortage outside has starved people to death. How many people in the Zuo's family are involved in this?"
"Well …" Wang Zhizhen found it difficult to speak. Zuo Duanyou did not like this matter. Zuo Jilan was the one who led the stockpiling of grain. If he said that more than half of the Zuo's family were involved, what would Zuo Duanyou think?
However, Zuo Duanyou waved his hand and said, "Say no more. I understand. How could they miss such a good opportunity?" He said. "… Aren't they afraid of shortening their lives?"
The old man sighed and took out a piece of Xuan paper and a brush. He thought for a moment and looked at Wang Zhizhen. "Mr. Wang, help me grind the ink."
Wang Zhizhen quickly went over and saw the old man pouring some tea into the inkstone. He started grinding the ink. The old man said, "I know the government is suppressing them. I don't care about other people, but I will release all the grain in my branch. Mr. Wang, you are in charge of this matter. You should handle it. "
Wang Zhizhen nodded. "Yes."
The ink in the inkstone became thicker and thicker. The old man took the brush and said, "I will write a letter. You … Um, no, ask his second brother, Jiyun, to go to the capital city to pick him up." Wang Zhizhen's hand almost trembled. At that moment, he suddenly understood that Zuo Jilan was no longer qualified to inherit the family. They came to the capital city to create trouble for Qin Siyuan. Qin Siyuan only wrote a letter, and Zuo Duanyou immediately took away Zuo Jilan's qualification as the heir. From now on, the head of the family would be Zuo Jiyun. Zuo Jilan had completely lost the chance to take revenge.
His mind was in a mess and his whole body was sinking. In the chaos, he heard Zuo Duanyou saying, "Mr. Wang, please handle the matter of releasing the grain." He agreed in a muddle-headed manner. He did not know when he left, but when he left, he could vaguely hear Zuo Duanyou's sigh. "… It's nothing. Once the northerners come to the south, nothing will be left in this prosperous and colorful world …"
Wang Zhizhen did not understand the meaning behind those words. That night, he tossed and turned in his room and could not fall asleep. He put on his clothes and walked to the courtyard in the early morning. The coldness of the winter night gave him some calmness. He knew that a lot of things that he had suppressed were gone. Zuo Duanyou's last words rang in his mind again. He tried to think about the meaning behind those words. It was like a deep and dark prophecy. He shook his head, wanting to get rid of those words from his mind. Suddenly, his eyes widened and he stretched out his hand …
*****
With a bang, the brazier on the shelf flew out. The flames exploded in the darkness, followed by screams and noises.
In the cold winter wind, this was a stockade village on the Shuanglian Mountain on the East River Road. There were about a hundred bandits in the village. Including their families, there were about three hundred people living here. Not long after the commotion, the entire stockade village was lit up.
On the East River Road, there were many places where the people were not at peace and the world was not fair. If one could not be a citizen, being a bandit was another way out. The stockade village on the Shuanglian Mountain was called the Tiger Stockade because the chief of the village was called Peng Dahu. Although his name was not pleasant to the ears, he was one of the top experts in the pugilistic world. There was a time when the Tiger King of Hebei, Tian Hu, came to recruit him. He rejected him directly, saying that Tian Hu was a tiger in the field. Not only was he a tiger, but he was also a big tiger. Why should he listen to his orders? He even defeated the envoy sent by the other party who was highly skilled in martial arts. After that, because the two sides were still a distance apart, Tian Hu could not do anything to him.
As the chief of a village, he had to ensure the safety of the village. As a mountain bandit, Peng Dahu treated his subordinates well. In the past two years, he did not have to worry about food or clothing. However, at this moment, the neck of this highly skilled chief of the village was being grabbed by a large hand that looked like an iron pincer. He half-knelt on the ground, his face flushed red. He waved his hand at his subordinates behind him and said with difficulty, "Don't … Don't do it … Don't do it …"
In the middle of the night, there were only three people who had invaded the village. The leader was a tall old man in a green robe. The other two were a man and a woman who looked to be in their forties or fifties. They were confronting a group of bandits who had gathered, and the clamor was endless.
Peng Dahu waved his hand with difficulty to stop the crowd from talking. His name was Dahu, and his hands were trained in tiger claws. However, in the fight in the dark, he was defeated in just three moves and was dragged out of the room by the other party. At this moment, the other party's hand was on his throat. Peng Dahu had no doubt that if the other party exerted a bit of force, his throat would be torn into a bloody pulp.
"Old man, old man … I admit defeat, I admit defeat, I know … you are …"
"I am Zhou Dong."
As soon as these words came out, almost half of the people in the village gasped. Some people even subconsciously retreated. Peng Dahu raised his hand and said with difficulty, "I know, I know … I know why the old hero is here … I agree, I agree."
"Hmm?" Zhou Dong glanced at him. "Really?"
Peng Dahu said, "Leave behind the rations for the winter, and release the rest … into the village. The granary is over there … The account books, the account books are in the room …"
Zhou Dong loosened his grip slightly. On the other side, the woman named Zuo Wenying leaped into the room. Peng Dahu pointed to the side and told her to find the account books. Zhou Dong said, "When I came, I checked. Excluding the rations, you can take out more than 200 dans of grain …"
"216 dans, 216 dans. I've counted it. I've counted it after we divided it."
Zuo Wenying flipped through the account books. After a moment, she nodded at Zhou Dong. Since they had checked before coming, there was no need for them to check the granary. Zhou Dong said, "In the afternoon of the day after tomorrow, transport the grain to the fork of the official road in Fang Village. Someone will come to pick it up. Chief Peng, I'll have to trouble you to send us out now. "
Although he had confirmed this, the person in his hand still did not grab the other party's neck. Peng Dahu only said, "No problem, no problem. Disperse, disperse!" His neck was grabbed, so he had to walk backwards. However, he didn't look at Zhou Dong with much resentment. He even talked to Zhou Dong along the way.
"Old Hero Zhou, Grandmaster Zhou, after I found out about you, I knew you would come looking for me. I've already calculated it. I, Peng Dahu, have nothing to say. Zhou Yingxiong, what do you think of my martial arts? I practice Tiger Claw. Why … why didn't you block my attack just now? No, that move just now … Zhou Yingxiong, teach me a few moves. Teach me … "
Zhou Dong frowned. "One day, when you're no longer a bandit, I'll teach you."
"I have no choice. Zhou Yingxiong, I have no choice. Look …"
"… When there's a way, I'll teach you."
The group left the stronghold. After they were out, Zhou Dong let go of Peng Dahu and said this. When the three figures disappeared into the darkness, Peng Dahu bowed respectfully at the back. The brothers in the stronghold rushed over. "Big Brother, should we chase after them? We have more people now …" They were pushed away by Peng Dahu.
"Chase? What do you want? Do you know who that is? It's Zhou Dong, Zhou Yingxiong, the most powerful man in the world. He's here to save people. Shouldn't we be robbed? He didn't let you starve! Go to hell! This is a good deed! Don't you remember what Zhou Yingxiong said? Hurry up and prepare to transport the food. I'm telling you, two hundred and sixteen dans. If you're short, I'll deduct your rations … "
The mountain wind whistled. In the darkness, Zhou Dong, Fu Lu, and Zuo Wenying walked among the rocks. After walking for a while, they heard Zuo Wenying say, "There are more than two hundred dans."
Fu Lu said, "More people can live." There was a sense of relief in his words.
Zhou Dong sighed. "It's a pity … I can only use this method to save people …" Although he said this, his sigh didn't seem heavy. There were two hundred more dans. There were still two hundred more dans of benefits.
After the food shortage, this was not the first stronghold they visited. Zhou Dong's martial arts was strong. He didn't have any specific method for disaster relief. He couldn't kill corrupt officials or big families. In the end, he could only think of this method. In the past two months, the three of them fought from Hebei West Road to Hedong Road. They specifically targeted strongholds with two or three hundred people. The three of them were very skilled in martial arts. It was impossible to slaughter the stronghold, but they could go in in the middle of the night and directly capture the chief. Then they could threaten the other side to leave the winter rations and release other food.
No one in the stronghold dared to refuse. If they didn't do it, the old man would come in a few nights and they would lose their lives.
Although Zhou Dong didn't know a high-ranking official like Qin Siyuan, he still had a lot of connections in Jianghu. He fought his way in, the other side transported the food out, and he asked some trustworthy friends in Jianghu to help with the relief. Recently, Zhou Dong also saw that Takeshi mobilized merchants to transport food to the disaster area. He didn't understand this at first. Later, he saw that those people were in full swing. Not only did they sell food, but they also spared no effort in giving free porridge. So, he asked Fu Lu and Zuo Wenying to inquire about it. The principles they brought back from Takeshi's people made him think for a long time. Finally, he admitted, "That Ning Liheng is very good."
When passing through a city, he saw that the grain merchants had a conflict with the local big families. He even helped and beat away all the servants of those big families.
But the food here was still free relief.
Along the way, the master and the servant talked about the rescue nearby. Suddenly, Zhou Dong raised his palm and stopped. Fu Lu and Zuo Wenying also stopped and looked up at the sky.
In their palms, there was a little bit of coldness.
*****
In the early morning of November, the fleet was sailing on the river. Shishi woke up from her sleep, opened the window, and looked at the leaden scenery of the river.
On the big ship at the head of the fleet, there were not only Shishi, but also several young masters and scholars in the capital and the other three brothel sisters. Because they were all talented women and artists, they were not looked down upon. On the contrary, this trip could be regarded as a kind of elegant thing.
Most of these young masters who came from the capital came from rich families and were also talented. This time, they went to the north for disaster relief. Men and women mingled together, and the daily programs were actually eating, drinking, and having fun. Or watching someone's performance, or gathering together to chat, play bamboo cards, or shuanglu. The whole atmosphere could be said to be happy and harmonious. For these, no one could criticize them. Even Ning Yi would probably only praise them. Only Shishi felt a little depressed and anxious. This made her get up very early every day.
However, naturally, there would be people who got up earlier than her. The sky was already bright. On the lower deck, the servants had actually finished tidying up and cleaning. At night, Shishi vaguely heard a sound outside, like it was raining. At this time, she looked at the deck and found that it was really wet.
She put on her clothes and went out. The deck at the bow of the ship was surprisingly cold, and the breath she exhaled turned white. Shishi tightened her clothes and stood there. Suddenly, she saw something. She trembled slightly and stretched out a hand.
At that moment, she understood that it was not rain last night.
The night before the snow fell, there were two waves of ice and sand.
The fleet sailed forward, and the river spread in front of them. On both sides of the river, there were leaden forests and mountains. The white goose feathers fell on her delicate palm and turned into a moist feeling. In the sky in front of them, on the river, and between the mountains, there was heavy snow falling from the sky, falling everywhere in sight.
Tears flowed out, and she covered her lips with her other hand …
In the next three days, heavy snow fell in Huainan, Jinghu, and other places one after another. Ning Yi in the capital got the news. This was something that had long been anticipated.
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