Corrupt officials?
This hat should not be worn casually. In other dynasties, being greedy was not a big deal, but in the Hongwu Dynasty of the Ming Dynasty, corruption was a fatal matter.
Gu Zhengchen stretched out his hand, and a copper coin appeared in his palm: "Han Yushi, corrupt officials move the things belonging to the court and the people into their own yards. From this account, can you tell that the food has arrived at my house?"
Han Yike's face turned cold: "No matter where the food goes, as long as it leaves Changpingcang, you, the county magistrate, will have nothing to do with it!"
Gu Zhengchen played with the copper coins and smiled: "It is a good thing to sell the grain in Changpingcang."
"A good thing? You put the safety of tens of thousands of households in Jurong at risk. Is this a good thing? If you don't give me a reasonable explanation, Han will definitely write a letter to the court!"
Han Yike had a cold face, showing no emotion at all.
Gu Zhengchen spread his hands, revealed the copper coins, and looked at Han Yike: "I wonder if Han Yushi knows the price of rice in Jinling?"
Han Yike came out with the account book: "The price of rice in Jinling is always two stones and two dollars. Why do you ask?"
There are grain-producing areas near Jinling. Countless merchants gather there, and taxes and grains from various places are sent to them. The price of grains is not high. In fact, grain prices in major grain-producing areas in the south are generally not high.
But after crossing the Yangtze River, you can basically buy two shi for the same money, and even in some places, you can only buy one stone and eight buckets of rice for the same money.
Gu Zhengchen held the copper coins in his hands and said to Han Yike: "I sold the grain to a businessman for nine dollars per stone. All the money I received was put into the county treasury, which is a full ten thousand dollars."
"What?"
Han Yike looked a little pale and pointed at Gu Zhengchen: "You actually sold all the disaster preparedness food in Jurong County for money? You, you are simply..."
Gu Zhengchen shrugged and interrupted Han Yike: "If you haven't sold them all, you still have a thousand stones left."
Han Yike has never seen such a shameless person!
Do you have to exchange the county's disaster preparedness food for money?
Do you know that food is life and ballast? In times of famine, no matter how much money you have, it is useless. Only food can fill your stomach and appease the people!
Looking at the angry Han Yike, Gu Zhengchen stood up and said, "Actually, Yushi Han doesn't have to be so nervous. This is just a deal with a different approach."
Han Yike suppressed his anger: "Speak clearly!"
Gu Zhengchen explained with a smile.
This is actually a time difference and business issue.
Jurong Changpingcang has stored a large amount of grain, which is not used at ordinary times. It has been stored for a year and is old grain. Even the grain purchased in March and April is still old grain.
Food cannot be left lying around all the time. It is important to eat it as soon as possible.
The people of Jurong cannot eat so much food, but the businessmen who come to Jurong can eat so much food. There are many merchants, big merchants can eat several thousand stone of food, while small merchants can eat hundreds of stone of food.
Gu Zhengchen made it very clear to the merchants that Shangyuan County, Lishui County and other places were hit by drought, and grain production was severely reduced. The imperial court exempted taxes and could not solve the problem of food for the people. Naturally, these places needed a lot of grain.
Although these places are not nervous enough to rush to buy food at this time, this day will come sooner or later. When the people have eaten up the little food on hand and the disaster has passed, the real food crisis will appear.
At this time, it is a good time to sell food, and it is also a good time for large households and businessmen in these places to hoard food and eat large amounts of food.
Only by hoarding can prices rise, and by rising prices can you make money.
Big families and businessmen are not the imperial court, and they will not care whether the people starve to death.
Gu Zhengchen sold grain to hundreds of merchants who came to Jurong at high prices, so that these people could deliver the grain to large and wealthy households in Jiangning County, Shangyuan County, Lishui County and other disaster-stricken areas.
The merchants who came to Jurong saw that there was a profit to be made. In addition, Gu Zhengchen made concessions in the business of the craftsmanship yard. Even if it was a stone and nine buckets of rice, the merchants would not lose money, and there was no need to worry about not being able to sell.
Food is hard currency. It can be spent directly as money. You can even buy tofu with food.
As soon as Gu Zhengchen changed hands, the Jurong County Government received 10,000 yuan, which was regarded as cashing out the grain.
As soon as the businessman changes hands, these nearly 20,000 shi of grain will enter the drought-stricken counties.
Kill two birds with one stone.
Han Yike looked at the proud Gu Zhengchen and gritted his teeth: "If you gave these nearly 20,000 dan of grain to the people affected by the disaster, I, Han Yike, would look up to you, but you actually sold these grains to those big households. Wealthy households would rather let them hoard than care about the life and death of the people in those places! Gu Zhengchen, I made a mistake. You flattered me, made friends with the Eastern Palace, and clung to the officials of the Governor's Office..."
Gu Zhengchen blinked.
This is not nonsense, you sell so much food to poor people?
What are you thinking about?
Many of the people there are so poor that they cannot afford to eat. You can only imagine where the money will come from to buy food.
Food can only be sold to large and wealthy households, so that they can be cashed out and a large amount of food can enter the disaster-stricken areas. You don't even think about it, the more food hoarded by the big households, is it good or bad for the people?
In the short term, the consequence of large households hoarding food is that food prices skyrocket. The large households can take this opportunity to appropriate people's farmland and make a fortune.
But the problem is that Shangyuan County and other places are not far from Jinling. Once the local county government cannot control the price of rice and large households are hoarding it and waiting to reap the benefits, large quantities of grain will arrive in just a few days.
The entry of a large amount of grain will cause the local grain to plummet, and large households can only sell large quantities of grain to reduce losses. After all, the food sent will eventually return to the people at a low price.
Han Yi didn't understand this and thought Gu Zhengchen was just obsessed.
Gu Zhengchen explained the truth to Han Yike, and even explained the relationship between supply, demand and price.
It took a lot of words.
Han Yike finally understood, but still looked at Gu Zhengchen suspiciously: "Are you sure you're not trying to make a fortune?"
Gu Zhengchen was speechless.
Get rich?
If you sell the grain in Changpingcang and make a fortune, you expect Lao Zhu to kill me.
"There are comprehensive considerations in selling Changpingcang grain. First of all, Jurong's fields have not suffered from drought. In May and June, the people's grain harvest is basically certain. Compared with previous years, there is no significant reduction in production. This is why I dare to sell Changpingcang." The confidence to close the grain warehouse.”
Gu Zhengchen said seriously.
The people have a harvest, and there will be no large-scale famine in a short period of time. Even if there is no Changpingcang for several months, it will not have any impact on the people of Jurong.
"Secondly, after selling the grain in Changpingcang, the county treasury received 10,000 yuan. Now, Jurong people have harvested more than half of their grain. When new grain comes, the people will inevitably sell some grain, and the county government can use it in exchange. If you use the money to buy new grain, you can spend as much as two stones of rice. In this way, the people will benefit, and in less than two months, the Changping warehouse will be full again."
Han Yike listened to Gu Zhengchen's words and thought about it in his mind, and couldn't help but be a little surprised.
If you go around like this, not only will Chang Pingcang not suffer any losses, but you can also use the 10,000 guan of money you get from selling 19,000 shi of grain to purchase 20,000 shi of grain.
In this process, the people made a little more money by selling grain, and Changpingcang produced an extra thousand shi of grain out of thin air! In other words, Gu Zhengchen seemed to have made nearly 500 yuan in income for the county government without doing anything!
"how so?"
The complex calculations and too many twists and turns made it a little difficult for Han Yike to understand clearly, but if you think about it carefully, Gu Zhengchen's doing this will not cause any loss to the Jurong County Government and the people of Jurong, but only benefits!
"That's impossible. No matter how good it is, there will always be someone who suffers, right?"
Han Yike asked.
Gu Zhengchen nodded slightly and pointed to the west: "Large and wealthy households in Shangyuan County and other places, as well as businessmen who come to Jurong to purchase goods, they have done good things."
Han Yike took a deep breath. He didn't expect that Gu Zhengchen's situation was so big. His strategies and calculations were simply astonishing!
Gu Zhengchen took out the county treasury's account book from a pile of account books and handed it to Han Yike: "It makes no sense to look at the account books of Dongcang and Xicang. If you want to read them, just look at the account books of the county treasury."
Han Yike took the account book, flipped through two pages, frowned, and quickly turned to the back, looking from the old management (last period's balance), new revenue (this period's income), expulsion (this period's expenditure), to real (this period's balance) ), I read them one by one in the entries, and when I landed on the last "real" number, I couldn't help but widen my eyes: "Thirty-five thousand eighty-two guans and seven hundred and sixty-two essays! How is it possible? How is it possible for a Jurong County to do this?" So much money?"
Incredible!
Even in the accounts of the prefect's Yamen, such a dazzling balance cannot be found!
Gu Zhengchen said easily: "Just looking at the accounts, Jurong County is indeed considered wealthy. However, in these accounts, there is still 10,000 yuan that needs to be expelled from Chang Pingcang, and there are also the women of the three courtyards who have not yet paid." There is money from craftsmen, and there are also advances from merchants in this account. Of course, Buddhists, Taoists, and Jurong have a predestined relationship, so they sent some money, and it was also included..."
Han Yike lowered his head and looked at the account books, full of disbelief: "This is your way of governance! Gu Zhi County, can you really make the people of Jurong have enough to eat?"
Gu Zhengchen sighed: "Letting the people have enough to eat is the dream of a prosperous age that I long for. I left a discussion about eating in the East Palace during the Mid-Autumn Festival last year, which was somewhat young and frivolous. Only when I went deep into Jurong and the people's homes did I realize that if I want to let the people It is extremely difficult to have enough food to eat. I can provide food and clothing for hundreds of households, but it is difficult to provide food and clothing for thousands or tens of thousands of households!"
Han Yike put away the account books, looked at Gu Zhengchen, who was not lost, and bowed deeply: "Han was eager before, his words were unclear, and there were many mistakes. Please forgive me, Magistrate Gu."
Gu Zhengchen raised his hand and helped Han Yike, who was bowing, to stand up: "You are caring for the people. This is a good thing, so why should you blame anyone?"
Han Yike put the account books back on the table, and his original serious expression disappeared. He asked Gu Zhengchen calmly: "I won't read the account books. It's just about raising honest money. Doesn't it deviate from the integrity of a scholar? Gentleman, Gu Zhengchen If you are poor, it is your duty to be honest, so why do you need to establish an honest bank? Using money to support integrity, is it honest or not?"
