Since the three old men agreed, Zhang Zhong was relieved. He began to find people who had membership in the ski resort to discuss the investment.
After the businessmen understood the whole plan, they immediately knew the means of the Zhang family. Some people really didn't want to help the Zhang family, but they had no choice but to pay. Although there was a road now, the road was not good, and transportation was difficult.
After the Zhang family finished building the road, there were corresponding measures, which made people tempted. Besides, there were many rich people in Jiannan Dao. If they didn't pay, once others gathered enough money, they wouldn't have the opportunity to cooperate with the Zhang family in the future. They couldn't get new technology, and they couldn't seek benefits from the goods transported from other places with the Zhang family. They couldn't form a caravan and go out with the Zhang family to do business with Tubo.
One by one, they said that they would go back and have a good discussion. Then, they left with a copy of the plan. Zhang Zhong had nothing to do at the moment. After thinking for a while, he called Mi Fan and the other two who had just arrived.
After Mi Fan and the other two came to Yizhou, they didn't stay idle. They had never been here before, so they were curious about everything, especially Jiu Meileng. She found everything interesting. She couldn't sleep much at night. She ran around, looked at the scenery of the snow mountain, and looked at the trees here.
She was also fascinated by Xiaobei and the other little guys. She wanted to join them and play with them. She wasn't a member of the Zhang family, so there were fewer restrictions on her.
In addition, during the journey, she occasionally heard from Mi Fan and Han Xuanfeng about the various things the Zhang family did. She was curious and began to ask the people in the inner courtyard of the Zhang Family and Wang Family. After asking once, she was satisfied and asked again. She never got tired of asking.
Today, Zhang Zhong called the three of them. The three of them simply tidied up and went to Zhang Zhong's study.
After the greeting, Zhang Zhong said to Mi Fan, "Mi Fan, you can go ahead and do what I've arranged for you. Remember, if you feel uncomfortable, think of a solution. If you can't, come back immediately. It doesn't matter even if the plan fails."
Ever since Mi Fan had been dealt with by the Zhang family, he had been wholeheartedly doing things for the Zhang family. He admitted that the Zhang family's capabilities were much better than the ship company he used to work for. Hearing Zhang Zhong's warning, he immediately replied, "Master, I understand. I will definitely do my job well. If there is any danger, I will avoid it. You brought me here because of this special ability of mine."
Zhang Zhong nodded and looked at Han Xuanfeng. Han Xuanfeng's father relied on the Zhang family to do good things. Now that he had been promoted, he wasn't as tired as before. The Zhang family took care of all the supporting matters.
Therefore, Han Xuanfeng was very respectful to Zhang Zhong. He stepped forward and waited for Zhang Zhong's orders.
"You're quite capable as well. I heard that you can speak the languages of several countries. You speak Tubo quite well. When you enter Tubo, don't give yourself away. In the few days between Yizhou and when you come out of seclusion, there will be people from Tubo arranged to speak with you every day. Try to familiarize yourself with the local dialect."
Zhang Zhong also warned Han Xuanfeng. In the end, he looked at Jiu Meileng. Jiu Meileng wasn't under the Zhang family's jurisdiction, but at this moment, she felt uneasy. One reason was because of Zhang Zhong's temperament, and the other was because of the power of the Zhang and Wang families.
The Deyi Hospital that she yearned for the most, but couldn't enter, was run by the Zhang family. She, who was usually muddle-headed, became sensible at this moment and stood out with a smile.
Zhang Zhong also smiled and said, "You're not a member of the Zhang and Wang families, so I shouldn't ask you to do anything. But this time, it's not only a matter of the Zhang and Wang families, but also the entire Jiannan Circuit and Great Tang. I could have sent people from the inner court to follow you, but since you're proficient in the art of calculation, I'll let you go. If you make a contribution, the Zhang and Wang families will remember you, and the people of Jiannan Circuit won't forget you. You'll also let the people of Great Tang see what it means to be a woman who isn't inferior to a man."
Jiu Meileng nodded hard and promised, "I usually don't say anything. I only help when you need me. I won't cause trouble for Great Tang. I want to make a request. When I come back, let me enter the Deyi Hospital."
"As long as it's where the Zhang and Wang families are, you can enter wherever you want. But you have to learn well. If you want to go somewhere else, the Zhang and Wang families will help you."
Zhang Zhong gave Jiu Meileng a promise. Then, he turned to Mi Fan and said, "Get ready and set off. Take Hawksbill and Pearl with you. This time, there are only three of you, and there's no backup. I can still delay you for a month. You have to do what you want within a month. If it doesn't work out, leave."
Mi Fan suddenly felt a sense of heroism. She no longer had any worries or discomfort in her heart. She nodded solemnly, turned around, and strode away. Han Xuan Feng and Jiu Mei Leng followed behind. The three of them would have to fight alone for a month.
After the three of them left for a while, Zhang Zhong found two people from the Inner Yard and asked them to think of a way to infiltrate Tubo and protect Mi Fan and the other two in secret. If they were in danger, they had to send Mi Fan and the other two away first. Then, they could reveal their identities and tell the Tubo that they were from the logistics camp in Yizhou. They were also servants of Devilish Cuckoo and had come to deliver the letter of challenge.
In this way, the Tubo people would have to consider Cuckoo's temper before they killed the two of them. When two countries were at war, they didn't kill the envoys. If they really killed the two of them, they would have to bear the revenge of Cuckoo. At that time, it wouldn't be a team of less than ten thousand people, but a hundred thousand border soldiers. They would enter Tubo's territory and ask if Tubo dared to do it.
*****
Zhang Zhong's arrangements were almost done. He felt much better, but the others might not feel the same.
The Qi family had already raised the price of the grain by a lot, but the effect wasn't very good. Even if everything was five copper coins more expensive than what Zhang Zhong offered, the simple people weren't willing to sell. They were waiting, waiting for Cuckoo to come back and for Zhang Zhong to send people to get the grain. This kind of integrity made the Qi family feel very helpless.
In a country, the most frightening thing was the hearts of the people, especially when there was a general like Cuckoo here. For the sake of the people, there was a river of blood in Tubo. The two sides supported each other, so there was no hope of persuading the people here.
He could only turn the pressure to the other merchants who cooperated with him and let them think of a way.
It wasn't that the merchants who cooperated with the Qi family didn't want to try, but they didn't have a way. The people just didn't want to sell the grain, and those who had Zhuangzi didn't sell much either. They all kept the grain. The people were waiting wholeheartedly for Zhang Zhong, and those who had Zhuangzi didn't dare to sell. They were afraid of provoking the anger of the people.
Helpless, the Qi family wrote a letter to the person who was in charge of this operation. The letter immediately came back. When the Qi family saw the letter, he felt slightly relieved and called all the merchants over.
"We're changing the plan now. Because we need money in other places, we can't take out too much money to collect the grain here." After the Qi family gathered all the merchants, he didn't beat around the bush and directly said what he wanted to say.
"Qi family, are you saying that we don't need to collect the grain anymore? Then give us the money that we should give for the grain collected before, otherwise we won't be able to make ends meet. "A merchant immediately asked worriedly. They were currently putting in money.
Now that Zhang Zhong wanted to find merchants to build roads and make money, they couldn't take out the money to follow him. They could only watch others take advantage of him.
The other merchants also had the same idea. They all looked at the Qi family. As long as the Qi family said that they didn't want to collect the grain, they would have a good time. If they didn't, they would take the things that the Qi family used as collateral.
The Qi family didn't expect the merchants here to stand on his side. Otherwise, how could they cooperate with him when they clearly knew that the increase in grain prices would have a big impact on the people?
It was all about money. Looking left and right at the merchants, the Qi family spoke.
"Who said that we don't want to collect the grain? Accept it, but not as much as you want like now. On the surface, we'll accept the grain as soon as they bring it, but when it comes to the actual collection, we have to look at the grain. We'll accept all the new grain and delay the old grain. We'll tell them that we'll give them the money after half a month and write a receipt.
We have to continue raising the price as well. For millet, we'll raise it to 45 copper coins for a bucket and 65 copper coins for a bucket of rice. If there's a delivery of grain, we'll accept it directly. If there's a large quantity, we'll have someone inspect it carefully. It'll be best if we wait for a few more days.
Let's see if that Zhang Zhong doesn't spend money to collect the grain. What are the people without land going to eat? Just do as I say, and once it's done, we won't forget to reward you. "
When the Qi family said those words, he was thinking about the mastermind behind the scenes. Incredible, truly incredible. Since he couldn't collect the grain, he would just have to mess up the 'economy' of Jiannan. After all, the commoners had to eat, right? With such a high price, it was unlikely that those who had grain elsewhere would lower their prices.
The merchants immediately understood what was going on. They weren't fools either, and they knew the consequences of doing so. If the Qi family had told them about the arrangement from the start, they definitely wouldn't have agreed to it. But now that things had developed to this point, not only would they not be able to earn a single copper coin, they would also have to pay a huge sum of money.
It wasn't easy for them to earn money, and they weren't as carefree as Zhang Xiaobao and Wang Juan. Thus, they could only follow this plan.
From that day onwards, the price of grain in Jiannan rose again and again. The merchants didn't raise the price all at once. Instead, they first lowered the price by a few copper coins, then raised it by a few more copper coins, then lowered it by a few more copper coins, then raised it by a few more copper coins, then lowering it by a few more copper coins, then raising it by a few more copper coins, then lowering it by a few more copper coins, and then raising it by a few more copper coins, giving off an extremely unstable feeling.
The plan was devised by the mastermind behind the Qi family, and it worked extremely well. It managed to attract the attention of those who were still observing the situation. Thus, the merchants slowly dragged the matter out. Even a hundred dan of grain required an entire day to be inspected. Those who sold their grain heaved a sigh of relief, while those who didn't were anxious, fearing that the price would change the next day.
No one knew how much the merchants were willing to accept. If they didn't accept anymore, the price would be gone as well.
Jiannan Circuit's grain would often fluctuate all of a sudden, causing the commoners to worry as well. They had to eat, and they didn't have any land at home. Seeing the price of grain fluctuating, they didn't know whether they should buy it or not. Furthermore, even when the price was low, it would still be much higher than before.
Old Man Pi and the others were the first to lose their cool. They sought out Zhang Zhong, who was discussing the matter of investing in the road and partnering with the merchants.
"Yongcheng, what about Xiao Bao's methods? We can't wait any longer. The commoners can't take it anymore. If we don't think of a way to resolve this matter, I … I'll take out my own grain and share it with the commoners. "
Old Man Pi was extremely worried. After seeing Zhang Zhong send off a happy merchant, he made a request to Zhang Zhong.
Zhang Zhong really didn't understand today's situation. After hearing Old Man Pi's words, he asked someone to come over and ask. After understanding the situation, he took out his tea set. While making Kung Fu tea for the three old men, he said, "They can't take it anymore so quickly. I didn't expect that according to Xiao Bao's estimation, we'll have to wait at least two to three days.
It seems that the Tubo people are quite capable. They know how to use today's method. Alright, then I'll take action. I'll open the Changping Warehouse in Yizhou and let the commoners receive grain according to their household registration. Those who don't farm can receive grain according to the number of people. Even if they're rich, they can also receive grain according to the number of people.
If we snatch a lot of grain from the Tubo people, our family won't be able to finish it. We'll give it to the commoners and stabilize the market first. We'll wait for them to use other methods. Xiao Bao said that economic warfare is very interesting. Unless there's no other choice, we can't reveal our trump cards.
Of course, there are some people who don't know how to fight economic warfare. They only know how to scam the merchants in the end, but they don't care about how the commoners will be affected by the fluctuations. We can't blame them since they don't have the ability. Xiao Bao said that he definitely won't allow economic warfare to affect the commoners. "
When Zhang Zhong spoke, he puffed out his chest with pride. He was proud of himself and his son. Only his son could say such arrogant words. If he said that he wouldn't allow it, then he wouldn't allow it. Just like his daughter-in-law, he forced the Tubo army of forty thousand to stand guard and didn't dare to move forward.
Old Man Pi and the other two were stunned by Zhang Zhong's words. They thought that Chang Pingcang was the last resort, but they didn't expect that it wasn't. The Zhang family still had a backup plan.
Old Man Pi and Weiwei nodded and took a cup of tea. They drank half of it and poured away the rest. They said to Zhang Zhong with satisfaction, "Yongcheng, this is the right way. It seems that Xiao Bao has learned a lot. The Zhang family's way of doing things is unpredictable. They always have a backup plan, making it impossible for others to guess where their bottom line is.
Okay, Chang Pingcang in Kaiyi Province. Previously, we snatched a lot of grain from the Tubo people and forced their commoners to the other side of the river. They should be able to last for a while. That … Yongcheng, there's one more thing. Since we're giving grain to the commoners who don't farm, shouldn't we also give some to the commoners who farm? Otherwise, the commoners' hearts will be cold. "
Old Man Pi had also thought of the things that Old Man Pi was thinking about. He looked at Zhang Zhong from the side and waited for Zhang Zhong's reply. The commoners who were farming had left grain for Zhang Zhong, but in the end, Zhang Zhong had specifically given grain to the people who didn't farm. What would they think?
Zhang Zhong held his teacup and looked at the three people's faces. He said, "There are misunderstandings. Otherwise, Chang Pingcang wouldn't be able to take care of so many commoners. Xiao Bao's plan would also be interrupted, and my family's loss would be great. After a while, we will compensate the commoners who are farming.
But we absolutely can't do that now. Those who can't keep the grain can take this opportunity to sell it. Those who are willing to keep the grain, my Zhang family won't treat them unfairly. You don't have to worry about this matter. We have our own arrangements. It's a good opportunity to see how the people are feeling. "
Old Man Chang had already drunk several cups of tea in a row, but he still wasn't satisfied. When he was about to pick up a new cup and drink it, he heard Zhang Zhong's words. He said to Zhang Zhong, "Yongcheng, I'll remember what you said. When the time comes, if your family doesn't compensate, I'll … I'll hang myself in front of your house."
"Don't, Uncle Zhang. Don't be like this. I'll definitely make arrangements. Don't worry, it's cold again. The construction in Kaiyi Province is almost done. We need to expand outward. No matter what, I have to make the commoners here better off before I leave Jiannan Province.
As for the war at the front line and the economic war at the rear, you don't have to worry too much about them. Those are small matters. Whether or not the commoners can live well is a big matter. "
Zhang Zhong smiled and stopped Old Man Chang. Old Man Chang had a bad temper. He couldn't do anything to the Zhang family, so he wanted to use his life to force them. Zhang Zhong didn't dislike it. After all, the three old men were wholeheartedly for the commoners. Old Man Chang's method was just a bit extreme, so it didn't matter.
Old Man Pi and the other two got the answer they wanted. After drinking tea, they went fishing. Zhang Zhong immediately arranged for people to open up Chang Ping's warehouse. He mobilized people to transport the grain to the areas affected by the grain price and distributed it to the commoners. A portion of the grain was given to the poor families for free, while the commoners were sold to them at the same price as before.
Because the grain was stolen from Tubo, Zhang Zhong didn't keep it for himself. He also didn't want to earn money from it. He promised the commoners that the money from selling the grain would be given to them in another way. When the front line matters were settled, it was more or less ready to operate. He told them to wait.
When the Zhang family released Chang Ping's warehouse and only targeted the people who didn't farm, the people who had grain felt uncomfortable. They hesitated and didn't know if they should sell the grain or not. Cuckoo was still fighting, but Zhang Zhong didn't consider them. How should they choose?
Just as they were hesitating, Zhang Xiaobao's operation back then had an effect. The imperial court sent a decree to prove to the various prefectures of Jiannan that Cuckoo wasn't the commander of this war. They used her age to scare Tubo, and the real commander was someone else.
At this time, the commoners also knew. They couldn't guess anything else and could only choose to believe the imperial court. They knew that Cuckoo wasn't a powerful demon and that there was an expert behind her. They used this to anger Tubo and mobilize Tubo's troops.
Many commoners changed their minds and sold the grain in their hands to the grain collectors. Because the grain collectors controlled the amount of grain they bought and deliberately delayed, the commoners who sold the grain stood in a line at the place where they bought the grain.
Seeing that the merchants were deliberately taking their time to buy the grain, the commoners couldn't stand it. They all clamored for the merchants to buy their grain at the price they offered.
As a result, the pressure on the grain collectors increased. When they saw the angry commoners on the street waiting to sell their grain, they were afraid that the government would intervene. They had no choice but to find Master Qi.
Master Qi didn't expect that Zhang Zhong's reaction would be so fast. He now knew that his economic war had been discovered by the Zhang family. All of their methods were targeted at his grain prices.
Thinking that the economic war was revealed by the Zhang family, Master Qi couldn't hold it in anymore. He had no choice but to write a letter to the person behind this. He didn't think that the Zhang family couldn't see through the trick. After all, this was what they did.
The person behind Qi Dongjia also replied within a short period of time. First, he reprimanded Qi Dongjia, saying that he couldn't keep his cool and messed up when encountering problems. Then, he mentioned a solution and told Qi Dongjia that as long as he thought about it carefully, there would be a solution.
When Master Qi received the letter, he didn't care whether it was reprimanded or not. He acted as if he had found a treasure and found a group of merchants.
"Can't you all wait? If you can't hold it in when you encounter a small matter, what big things can you do in the future? Think about it carefully, there is actually a solution to any problem. "
Master Qi told the merchants what the person behind the scenes said to him. He put on the appearance of an expert.
The merchants looked at each other. How could they think of a solution? They turned their heads and stared at Master Qi, waiting for him to make the arrangements. They wanted to see what kind of method he had.
Master Qi enjoyed the feeling of being looked up by others. He said to the crowd: "It's very simple. First, take their grain, but don't give them money immediately. Tell them that we will give them money after the inspection. But we can write a written agreement. If the inspection is good, we will not accept the compensation. If we can't accept the compensation after the inspection, we will tell them the reason. As long as they can get through this period of time, you can do whatever you want."
"Master Qi, your idea sounds good. But what if there is really no money to accept the compensation? Don't tell me that we really have to compensate the people? "
A merchant thought for a while and found the key point of the problem. Master Qi was doing this. Wasn't he trapping them?
The other merchants also thought of this. They all looked at Master Qi, waiting for a reasonable explanation. They couldn't be fooled.
Master Qi already had a plan. He laughed and said: "You all, not only are you timid, you can't see the future clearly. How about this, if you really don't want to do it, then change the method. Tell the people selling the grain that you are buying grain for a person surnamed Chen. Ask them to send the grain to Tong Hua County. There will be someone there to accept it. You don't have enough money to accept it."
Master Qi really didn't want to do this. If he did, his usefulness would be reduced. The person behind the scenes mentioned this in the letter and asked him to make the arrangements himself. If one plan didn't work, then he would use another. Of course, the person behind the scenes saw him as someone who was very good at socializing. He thought that with his ability, he could make the merchants pay for the grain.
It was his own lack of ability. He didn't want to admit this, and he didn't dare to delay this matter. He could only tell the other person. The two of them worked together. From now on, that person would be in charge.
With a new method, the merchants were satisfied. They left happily and went to arrange their own matters.
Soon, the people knew about this matter. After estimating the distance and transportation cost, they felt that there was still a lot of profit to be made. They either transported the grain themselves or found someone to hire horses and carriages. The grandiose transportation team headed for Tong Hua County in Maozhou.
The team was not small. The local transportation industry people had made a profit this time. They all raised the price. The reason was that the road was not easy to travel on. Also, the price of the livestock and food for the livestock was expensive. They could either wait for Zhang Zhong to fix the road or spend more money.
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