Nangong Ning and others rushed to Yanzhou, hoping to see Liang Xiao step down sadly, but now they found that all the truth came to light.
Liang Xiao made repeated plans, and finally enclosed land and bought grain at a low price.
Nowadays, the rice price of thirty-five cents per stone has not caused much loss to the prefect's mansion.
On the contrary, Liang Xiao was the ultimate winner, and these rice merchants who raised prices suffered a complete defeat.
The Duanmu family made an estimate yesterday. If they were to requisition military rations, one hundred coins and one stone would not be too expensive.
As long as the price of Liang Xiao's army rations is not higher than one hundred cents, he will definitely make a profit without losing any money.
Because the cost of mobilizing food from other places is even greater.
This does not include the two million stones of grain sold by those famous rice merchants.
Now counting these grains, Liang Xiao would not lose money even if he levied one million stones of military grain at the rice price of one hundred and thirty cents.
"In addition, these people will definitely cheer because of the drop in rice prices. The grain harvested by the sharecroppers and homesteaders last autumn...we all bought it at a high price, so Liang Xiao did not harm their interests!"
Duanmu Yunqing looked at the cheering people below, gritting his teeth, his voice trembling, full of unwillingness.
"I've said it before, you shouldn't care about this little money. Even if you burn the food, you shouldn't sell it to him!" Nangong Ning said anxiously.
Duanmu Yunqing smiled bitterly: "You only know one but not the other!"
Seeing Nangong Ning's confusion, Duanmu Yunqing sighed: "Because Liang Xiao still has nearly two million stones of grain in his hand, which is enough to support Yanzhou until the autumn harvest. Even if he didn't purchase our grain, he could still do this, but he didn't You do this just because you want to suppress us..."
Nangong Ning could only sulk alone.
She also knew this truth. The Zhenyuan Marquis Mansion also joined the team that created the food shortage, losing tens of thousands of taels!
The Zhenyuan Marquis Mansion is not as big as the Duanmu family, so tens of thousands of taels of silver is still a bit of a stretch.
But now, Liang Xiao will be grateful to all the people, and his position in Yanzhou will be more stable!
In comparison, Dugu Chen is...
Dugu Chen on the stage was sweating on his forehead.
Of course he expected Liang Xiao to do something like this, but his original plan was to mobilize the scholars to make noise and confuse the public.
Even if there is a notice from the Prefecture, these scholars from all over the country can "explain" to the illiterate people, and misinterpretation is not a problem.
For example, it was publicized that Liang Xiao suppressed rice merchants and farmers with a price of twenty cents, and then resold it at a high price.
But now the rice in the prefecture is only sold for thirty-five cents, and it was announced during the confrontation with him, the scholar representative.
It is impossible to confuse the public!
Dugu Chen regretted more and more.
Why do you want to go on stage?
For a moment, he thought of Gong Yang Lei, fearing that Liang Xiao would find an excuse to kill him like Gong Yang Lei.
He failed to face the fear in his heart and was overconfident in his eloquence.
Thousands of people in the audience praised him, calling for the emperor to be a saint and wishing Liang Xiao a long life. Their voices sounded more and more harsh to him.
"Dugu Chen, why didn't you say a word?"
After Liang Xiao announced, he looked at Dugu Chen calmly.
Dugu Chen felt as if he had fallen into an ice cave.
Liang Xiao seemed calm, but his eyes were filled with unspeakable murderous intent.
Is he thinking about how to kill himself?
The more anxious Dugu Chen felt, the more he couldn't think of the right words.
He had to prevent Liang Xiao from killing someone suddenly, but he also had to ensure that he hit the target directly... Only at this moment did he realize how difficult it was!
"You can't speak in just a few words. How dare you speak on behalf of thousands of students and people?"
After Liang Xiao smiled, he walked to the stage and said loudly: "Anyone else who wants to question me, Liang Xiao, on behalf of the scholar can come on stage!"
The audience was in an uproar.
Dugu Chen, who had always been so powerful, was worried on the spot. They...
"I!"
A figure walked out of the crowd, shouted softly, walked to the stage with a light step, and attracted a burst of applause from the scholars.
Seeing Dongye Luoyue come on stage, Dongye Xuanji's vision went dark, and he collapsed backward, almost unconscious.
Dongye Hongji wiped the cold sweat on his forehead and could only comfort: "Don't worry!"
After Dongye Luoyue came to the stage, he glared at Liang Xiao.
It was this person who ruined the reputation of her best friend and his wife.
It was also him who made the gap between himself and his father and uncle deeper and deeper.
The anger still hidden in his heart exploded at this moment, Dong Ye Luoyue said righteously: "You can suppress the price of food, why bother forcing the rice merchant Dugu Yan to death! Doesn't your conscience hurt at all? Then Dugu Yan is usually kind and generous, so why don't you do it? Can’t you let him go?”
Liang Xiao's chuckle sounded on the stage.
"Cruel and ruthless!"
"Heart of stone!"
"Isn't Duguyan also a citizen of Yanzhou?"
Liang Xiao looked around the audience, his face darkened, he stared at Dongye Luoyue, and said word by word: "What if I say he deserves it!"
As soon as he finished speaking, the crowd was furious.
"How can you be so vicious!!"
Dongye Luoyue's eyes were full of shock: "You are indeed a hypocrite and sanctimonious!"
Liang Xiao glanced at Dongye Luoyue and said unhurriedly: "I am a hypocrite and sanctimonious. What about you?"
"At least we can plead for the people without fear of your power!" Dongye Luoyue said with his head raised.
Liang Xiao chuckled again and then made an impassioned speech.
"When these rice merchants cleared away their remaining grain and withdrew from Yanzhou, why didn't you come to condemn them?"
"Have you ever thought that once a grain shortage occurs, the power of pricing will no longer be in the hands of the prefect. The price of rice on the market can be as little as 300 cash and as much as 3,000 cash per stone. Can the common people afford it?"
"Since ancient times, among all the states and counties that have experienced food shortages, which one has not starved to death in the fields and exchanged children for food?"
Liang Xiao said, looking back at Dongye Luoyue with contempt in his eyes.
"These really hard-hearted speculators who are driving up prices and seeking profit! You don't pity the hardships of the people, but you sympathize with them? Dongye Luoyue, have you ever sympathized with the people who starved to death in the past dynasties? Just talking about Yanzhou, have you ever sympathized with Yanzhou? Are there any people in the state who are starving to death?”
Dongye Luoyue frowned: "If you don't make a profit, you can't afford it. Those rice merchants have to bear the cost. They are just carrying out normal business activities and have not broken any laws! Is Duguyan breaking the law? Why force him to death?"
"Then the governor's office considers the people's livelihood and lowers the price of grain. Isn't it illegal? Dugu Yan and others dare to hoard rice and drive up the price of rice. Naturally, they must have the consciousness to bear all the consequences. He committed suicide because of business failure, and you are filled with righteous indignation. Then when Yanzhou was starving to death because of their commercial activities, why didn't you see you praying for the people?"
"Do you think that the people of Yanzhou are not human beings? Why don't I, Liang Xiao, lower the price of food to benefit the people and fight back against these speculators? In your eyes, the survival of thousands of people is not as good as that of a rice merchant. One life is important. Who is the hypocrite and who is the sanctimonious one?"
Dongye Luoyue was a little confused for a moment when he heard Liang Xiao's rapid-fire rhetorical questions.
