After the meal, Princess Changle and Princess Chengyang wanted to learn how to cook, so Qin Ming asked Qingwan to take them to visit the kitchen and learn some simple dishes.
He took Li Shimin, Changsun, Chang Xi and Zi Jun back to the study to chat.
The eldest grandson was more curious about Qin Ming, so he kept asking about Qin Ming's family situation after dinner.
Are there any relatives? Is there an engagement? Wait for a series of questions.
Qin Ming also patiently answered each one.
When Queen Changsun learned that there were no relatives in Qin Ming's family, and his parents had passed away for more than two years.
It’s already sixteen after the Chinese New Year, and we haven’t gotten engaged yet.
Changsun felt pity in his heart, and at the same time he was thinking that he could help Qin Ming find a suitable wife in the future.
Xiao Changxi, who was sitting next to Qin Ming, heard this and looked at Yang Zijun, who had been pouring tea for Qin Ming and the others.
Thinking in his heart, Qin Ming is not engaged, and his daughter Zijun is almost old enough to get married.
I just wanted to see if there was a chance to bring them together, but her current status was rather embarrassing, which made Zijun's current status a bit unworthy of Qin Ming.
After dinner, Li Shimin had been thinking about the resettlement of the refugees and did not bother to chat.
Seeing that Qin Ming and Changsun were talking happily, they didn't bother them.
After chatting for a while,
Qin Ming saw that Li Shimin had been silent and frowned occasionally, so he expressed concern:
"Uncle, my nephew has been thinking when he saw you finish eating. Is it your grain business? What happened to it? If it is convenient for uncle to tell me, although my nephew has no ability, he can see if he can help out. idea."
Li Shimin had an idea, yes, I can use the resettlement of refugees to test Qin Ming and see if he has any good ideas.
After thinking for a moment, Li Shimin sighed:
"Hey, nephew, you also know that I am in the grain business. This year, my servants went to Hedong to purchase grain and found that there was a severe drought in Hedong Road this year and there was no harvest. As a result, nearly 100,000 refugees recently gathered in Chang'an. .”
"Uncle is afraid that with so many refugees arriving in Chang'an, civil unrest may occur if the court fails to relocate them properly."
"And now all the major grain merchants in Chang'an City are hoarding grain. When the refugees come, the price of grain will skyrocket, and I don't know how many people will starve to death."
"I just regret that there is too little food in my own granary, and it is difficult to hold down food prices."
Hearing this, Qin Ming felt even more that he had made the right friend.
Although he lives in modern times, he also knows that when refugees gather together, grain dealers will definitely drive up food prices and drain the refugees' wealth.
They even let them sell their sons and daughters to maximize their own profits.
As a grain merchant, Uncle Li was worried that the price of grain would rise and the people would not be able to afford food, so he said:
"Well, uncle, you really have a compassionate heart. My nephew admires you."
"One hundred thousand refugees can be easily accommodated. As a commoner like me, there are ways to deal with them. There are so many capable ministers in the court who should have ways to deal with them. There will be no civil unrest."
"As for the rising food prices that you are worried about, which will affect the livelihood of the people and refugees in Chang'an, my nephew can give you an idea. Make sure that the food prices do not rise."
"But this will offend more people. I don't know if Uncle Li can bear it. Don't worry about the price of food not coming down by then. If you help yourself, my little arms and legs will be torn."
Li Shimin and Zhang Sun heard that Qin Ming had a way to solve the problem of refugee resettlement and rising food prices, but they didn't take it seriously.
There are so many ministers who have no solution. What can you, a fifteen-year-old child, do?
However, out of etiquette, Li Shimin still wanted to hear what he had to say, so he said:
"Don't worry, my dear nephew. My uncle is a royal family after all. Other grain merchants can't do anything to me. Let me know if you have any ideas."
Qin Ming said:
"Uncle Li, you just need to be able to ensure that the food in hand now is enough to sell at a low price for five days.
“You can sell excess grain to other grain merchants at a high price.
“Then he sent his subordinates to Luoyang, and some of them took fast boats to counties in the south where grain harvests were abundant to spread the news that grain prices in Chang’an had increased dozens or hundreds of times.
"Rent a few more large ships to transport grain, find a steward to pretend to be a southern grain merchant, and fill most of the grain bags with sand and fill the cabins.
“When the grain price started to rise, you asked people to sail the ship to Luoyang, unload the grain bags containing sand in front of everyone, and then load them into trucks for transportation to Chang’an.
"On the road, in front of everyone, I deliberately put it in a car with real food for others to see."
"When you arrive in Chang'an, if you deliberately overturn a grain truck like this, do you think the grain merchants in Chang'an City will see such a long line of grain trucks arriving in Chang'an City?"
"I don't know how many southern grain merchants are following behind me. What do you think they will think? Do they still dare to sell grain at a high price?"
"In this case, I guess they will compete to lower the price."
"If my nephew has enough food now, I can even make a lot of money from the Chang'an family."
"But again, if I really make that money, I will offend too many people. I guess they can find a killer and kill me secretly."
"So we'd better not make any money. The risk is very high."
In the study, Li Shimin, Changsun, Xiao Changxi, Yang Zijun and Changle, Chengyang, Jinyang and Xiao Qingwan who had just entered the room were all shocked by Qin Ming's interlocking plan.
Although Jinyang was still young, he knew from the shocked expression on his father's face when he saw his father, the emperor, and his mother that his brother Qin Ming must have said something powerful.
So holding her own milk tea, she ran to Qin Ming and let him hold her.
Li Shimin and Changsun also came to their senses at this time. As the emperor of the Tang Dynasty, Li Shimin knew that Qin Ming's plan would work.
And there are not only various strategies in it, but also considerations of human nature to seek advantages and avoid disadvantages, and even go to the south to spread the news in advance just in case, which can be said to be seamless.
Moreover, this strategy is very maneuverable. Indeed, as Qin Ming said, it not only suppresses the rise in food prices, but also makes a lot of money from it.
He had to sigh that Qin Ming was really resourceful, which strengthened his determination to bring Qin Ming into the court.
Li Shimin walked to Qin Ming excitedly, took his hand and said:
"My nephew, your plan is really brilliant. My nephew is a great talent. People like you should join the court and become an official."
"Uncle can recommend you to the prince of Hejian County and ask him to recommend you to the emperor. I will definitely find you an official position."
Qin Ming heard this and said:
"Uncle, you are exaggerating. My nephew is just a little clever."
"My nephew may not be able to do well in being an official. Besides, didn't you tell me when you and Brother Fang came last time? My nephew's ambition is really not to be in the court."
Li Shimin said angrily:
"Is it because your ambition is not to be in the court? You are obviously lazy."
Seeing Changsun, Changle and Chengyang all showed doubtful expressions, and pointed to Qin Mingdao:
"This boy said it was too early to go to court in the morning. He didn't want to go so early. Madam, do you think he is lazy?"
After hearing this, the eldest grandson rarely said a word for Qin Ming.
"My nephew is still young, and it is the time when his body is growing. It is normal for him to be a little sleepy."
Princess Changle and Princess Chengyang next to them suddenly felt that the milk tea in their hands was no longer sweet.
They all looked at their mother, as if to say, "Queen mother, you are too partial."
If Qin Ming could hear their voices, he would definitely tell them that there is a word in later generations called double standard, which is particularly appropriate for the occasion.
...
