"Your Majesty, the price of cloth in Chang'an suddenly changed today. Coarse cloth, fine silk, and silk all increased to varying degrees!"
In the Ganlu Hall, Zhao Song walked in quietly and said respectfully to Li Er.
Li Er frowned and said displeasedly: "Huh? Have you found out who is hoarding and driving up the price of cloth~?"
In this era, the upper-level rulers did not have much financial awareness. Naturally, there was no phenomenon of excessive currency depreciation or skyrocketing prices. Under normal circumstances, only in troubled times would prices get out of control. When Li Yuan first came to power, he did not lack control. Looking at domestic prices, because stable prices are often a symbol of peace and stability in a country, prices in the early Tang Dynasty were basically quite low.
Why didn't Li Er understand this? He was also very concerned about domestic prices, especially those in Chang'an, so when he heard about the changes in cloth prices in Chang'an City, his brows immediately furrowed.
Zhao Song bowed and said, "Your Majesty, it's not that individual merchants are hoarding, but that almost all the cloth merchants in Chang'an City are raising their prices at the same time! Yesterday and today, merchants from several villages outside the city came into the city one after another. A large amount of coarse cloth was purchased. The quantity was staggering. All the coarse cloth in many cloth shops was wiped out. Seeing this, the cloth merchants collectively raised their prices! However, the ready-made clothes shop of the Yong'an Hou family and the Cao family, the number one cloth merchant in Chang'an City, The cloth shop has not increased its prices!”
"Is there such a strange thing? Why do people buy cloth in large quantities? Li Zexuan, the Cao family?"
Li Er felt strange. He stood up, took two steps back and forth with his hands behind his back, and suddenly said, "Did Li Zexuan and the Cao family form some sort of Yanhuang Chamber of Commerce a few months ago?"
Zhao Song lowered his head and responded: "Yes, Your Majesty!"
Li Er seemed to understand and murmured: "So, the reason why the Cao family didn't mention the cloth price was probably because of Li Zexuan's instructions? What the hell is this guy doing? Why do I think he seemed to have anticipated the cloth price meeting in Chang'an City in advance? Skyrocketing? This must have something to do with him!"
Zhao Song's eyelids moved for a moment, and then he fell into silence like an old monk in trance!
After a while, Li Er shouted: "Find out why these villagers suddenly bought so much cloth! At the same time, order Liu Dewei, the minister of Dali Temple, to strictly investigate the traders in Chang'an City who have been maliciously driving up the price of cloth recently!"
"Old slave obeys the order!"
Zhao Song cupped his hands and retreated.
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There are always well-informed people in Chang'an City, especially for the big guys in the court. There are few secrets in Chang'an City that they don't know. When the price of cloth in the city skyrocketed today, they all received the news one after another, and even some People also know that a large number of villagers buying cloth are from Lantian County - the fiefdom of Li Zexuan!
Combined with the fact that only Li Zexuan's and Cao Wendong's shops in Chang'an City did not see an increase in cloth prices, the answer behind the incident is readily apparent, but the truth of the matter is really puzzling!
What does Li Zexuan want to do? Why did he instigate farmers to buy large quantities of cloth? What will be done with the purchased cloth?
The big men in the court were all puzzled!
I don't blame them for not being well-informed. In fact, the farmers are surprisingly tight-lipped. The cloth merchants have asked, the servants sent by the courtiers have asked, and the farmers in other villages have also asked, but none of them have asked.
Li Zexuan's seemingly unremarkable decision touched the nerves of many people, mainly because Li Zexuan's performance in Chang'an City in the past six months or so has been too outstanding. Now when there is news about him, it will attract a lot of attention.
"Xiao Xuan, I heard that all the farmers in your village are buying cloth. Have you done any mysterious things recently?"
Towards evening, Cheng Yaojin came to Li Mansion and found Li Zexuan. This old guy didn't mince words. After taking a seat in the main hall of Li Mansion, he asked directly.
Li Zexuan's brows furrowed imperceptibly. The farmers collectively kept the greenhouse vegetables secret. He already knew this. Of course he understood the farmers' thoughts, and he also hoped that his farmers could become the first batch. People who enjoy the dividends of greenhouse vegetables.
But the Li family has a close relationship with the Cheng family. It can be said that the welfare benefits that Zhuangzi of the Cheng family enjoys today are basically implemented by Cheng Yaojin following Li Zexuan's policy towards villagers. Now Cheng Yaojin personally comes to inquire about the sudden purchase of cloth by the villagers. This made Li Zexuan a little embarrassed. Should he talk about it or not?
For him, it doesn't matter whether he says it or not, but for his bankers, it's different!
This market in Chang'an City is neither small nor big. If more people share the food, the profits that the people of Li Zexuan Village will naturally get will be less.
"Uncle Cheng, to be honest, my nephew has a way to grow vegetables in winter, which uses a lot of oilcloth. My nephew has passed this method to the farmers on the fief, so the two of them Only in the future will I buy cloth on a large scale in Chang'an City!"
After weighing for a moment, Li Zexuan decided to tell the truth. He believed that Cheng Yaojin was sensible.
The worst thing he can do is provide some means of making money to the bankers. Can he still make all the money in this world? Even if the farmers on the Cheng family's land start to build greenhouses, Li Zexuan feels that the income of his own farmers will definitely not be low!
"What? You can still grow vegetables in winter~? Xiaoxuan, did I hear you correctly?"
Cheng Yaojin's first reaction was surprise. His eyes were as big as bells, and his face was full of disbelief!
Li Zexuan nodded and said, "Well, Uncle Cheng, you heard me right! My nephew is taking you to see something!"
Cheng Yaojin didn't know why, but he followed Li Zexuan to the west courtyard.
Seeing the half-person-high greenhouse in the west courtyard and Li Zexuan's explanation on the side, Cheng Yaojin finally accepted the reality of vegetables in greenhouses for the time being.
"If your greenhouse can really grow vegetables in winter, then the farmers in your land will make a lot of money this year! Lantian County will probably become the top three counties in Chang'an City! Haha! How do you treat your farmers? There’s really nothing to say!”
Cheng Yaojin stroked his beard and praised.
Li Zexuan smiled slightly and said unequivocally: "Maybe!"
Cheng Yaojin pinched his chin, thought for a moment, and said: "That's all, I shouldn't have come today! This thing is supposed to be a benefit for your family, but I should not know about it! Don't worry, I Just pretend you didn’t hear anything today!”
Lao Cheng is not a fool and knows how to advance and retreat. Although he is jealous of the huge profits from greenhouse vegetables, he will not rob his own family!
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