After Li Jin and several wealthy businessmen in the city had eaten and drank, they began to call each other brothers.
The wealthy businessmen are naturally sensible. Knowing that Li Jin is in difficulty now, they are all ready to help. However, they are just a little stingy and no one wants to donate much food.
Their willingness to donate was a great honor to Li Jin.
But Li Jin's next words surprised everyone:
"I plan to raise the price of food in the county. Now that there are natural and man-made disasters, food is life."
"What is the most valuable thing in the world? Is there anything more valuable than life?"
"In this case, isn't it only natural to let those mud-legged people spend more money?"
"What do you think?"
These wealthy businessmen couldn't believe their ears at first. Is there such a good thing in this world?
It's really unbelievable.
We must know that disaster years are often the time when these businessmen and landlords make the most money.
After all, people usually produce and sell themselves, so where do they need so many things? This resulted in the early Ming Dynasty being a society based on the small peasant economy model.
If a businessman wants to do business, he must do business with dignitaries. These people have money and are willing to spend money. Naturally, money is the best to earn.
But, what dignitaries can there be in Hepu County?
Therefore, the real identities of the people in front of Li Jin were just landlords and wealthy people, and their usual business activities were just superficial.
Behind the scenes, all of them are rural rich people, who own countless lands and make a living by renting land. Even in disaster years, these big landowners cannot be hungry.
Most of the grain shops in the city are supported by these people.
And what they like most is exactly the year of disaster.
Because in disaster years, the value of the food in their hands will increase exponentially, while the value of the land in the hands of the people will rapidly depreciate.
They can use the abundant food in their hands to take advantage of others' dangers and exchange them for land in the hands of the people. This is land annexation, and the landlords become bigger landlords.
These landowners will not stop until all nearby homesteaders become their own tenants.
Now in Hepu, the price of food has doubled. The original price of one tael of silver and two stones of food has now become the price of one tael of silver and one stone of food.
Originally, these big landowners were already satisfied and were preparing to start shipping in large quantities.
But now that the prefect in front of him is also a corrupt official and plans to make a huge fortune, things become more interesting.
"May I ask, sir, how much do you want to increase the price of food?"
One of the wealthy businessmen couldn't help but ask.
Li Jin stretched out three fingers and said directly:
"Three taels of silver and one stone of food can save lives. Isn't this price expensive?"
"After all, buying a life for three taels of silver is really a bargain, don't you think?"
The wealthy businessmen quickly agreed:
"Yes, yes! Your Majesty is absolutely right."
"I just don't know when you plan to start raising prices?"
"In half a month."
Li Jin said the time, and then said:
"When all the grain in the treasury is sold out, these mud-legged people will have to buy high-priced grain."
"I'm warning you, if any of you dare to sell food these days, don't blame me for not notifying you in advance."
"When the time comes, I will take you to jail. Don't blame me for being rude."
"Blocking people's way of making money is like killing their parents. If you block my way of making money, then I will deal with you both. Do you understand?"
"I understand, I understand. Don't worry, adults. As long as you don't ship, we will never ship!"
The wealthy businessmen all smiled broadly, feeling that they had done so much good deeds in their previous lives to meet such a magistrate who helped everyone make a fortune together.
But no one noticed that there was an inexplicable look in Li Jin's eyes.
