Chapter 46: Was what I just said a bit harsh?

"Market price!"

The businessman named Hu finally understood Yan Shaoting's intention, and immediately raised his head and chest and shouted.

"We are willing to sell grain to Yan Chenshi at the current market price to help the victims in and outside the capital, in the name of the emperor and father!"

Yan Shaoting clasped his hands together and looked at them with scrutiny.

He whispered, "The rice in your warehouse now is all old rice from last year."

Merchant Hu gritted his teeth and looked at his companions. After receiving their eye signals, he spoke again, "This is the lowest grain price in the market since the beginning of the year! Assistant Yan, this is already the fairest price."

Yan Shaoting tilted his head and looked at Zhu Qi beside him: "Is this fair?"

Zhu Qi shook his head, his face cold, his voice as if he was eating someone: "To answer the minister, this is unfair!"

Afterwards, Yan Shaoting looked at the businessmen with a smile.

Merchant Hu swallowed hard and raised his hand: "This is the price we paid for grain last year! Mr. Yan, if it's any lower, we'll lose everything. This is not how business works."

"Are we doing business?" Yan Shaoting asked back, and then said quietly: "This is for the honor of His Majesty the Emperor and Father!"

The merchant surnamed Hu was completely troubled. Did they want them to donate the grain stored in the warehouse for free?
It would be better to chop off their heads right now.

Not all of that food was donated free of charge by them.

The businessman surnamed Hu gave up completely and said, "Minister Yan, what exactly are your plans? Just tell us."

If they don’t want money, they naturally wouldn’t dare to say it.

If you tell the truth, once you walk out of the Jinyiwei prison, they will kill you when they get outside.

But if the words came from Yan Shaoting's mouth, it would be different, and they would have a reason to explain.

Yan Shaoting narrowed his eyes and said, "Your Majesty, the court, and I have always been fair and just. What do you think?"

The businessman surnamed Hu and several others nodded one after another.

Yan Shaoting added: "All the grain in the warehouse should be transported to Jinyiwei. I'm not saying that I don't want money, but you can't expect the court to give you money."

They don't want money, but they can't expect the court to give them silver.

That's free money, right?!

The businessmen were completely confused.

It seems that you, Young Master Yan, have all the upper hand.

Yan Shaoting then said, "After the summer grain is harvested this year, 60% of the old rice you brought out will be used to pay for the old rice from last year. Can I be fair and just in this regard?"

60% new rice in exchange for 100% old rice.

Although the quantity is reduced by 40%, the capital can still be maintained.

After some thought, the businessman surnamed Hu and others had no choice but to agree.

After all, if they didn't agree, they might not be able to leave the Jinyiwei prison today.

With the merchants' agreement, the contract that had been drafted was delivered, and it was considered completely settled after both parties signed and sealed it.

So Yan Shaoting also returned to being a friendly young man of the Ming Dynasty, and cordially invited several selfless and dedicated businessmen of the Ming Dynasty to walk out of the Jinyiwei prison together.

Just as the group was about to change their place to rest and drink tea together.

But Huang Jin came in from outside with his men.

"Sir Yan."

Huang Jin no longer smiled at Yan Shaoting today. He suppressed the doubts and confusion in his heart and called out lightly.

Yan Shaoting hurried forward and asked: "Why is Huang Dajian here in Jinyiwei?"

Huang Jin frowned and looked at Yan Shaoting, as if to say, "Don't you know what you have done?"

He glanced at the merchants beside him and said, "His Majesty is in Yuxi Palace, summoning Yan Chenshi to question him. Several elders from the cabinet are also present."

He really couldn't understand why Yan Shaoting, who was in good condition and in the emperor's favor, had to make such a fuss today.

Things are different now. Gao Gong in the cabinet is almost calling Yan Shaoting a treacherous and cunning person who brought disaster to the Ming Dynasty and the people.

Could it be that the Yan family had sent too much silver to the palace before, and now the Yan family can’t make ends meet?

Huang Jin made random guesses.

Yan Shaoting remained calm.

However, the businessman surnamed Hu and his companions immediately shouted, "Eunuch Huang, we are wronged!"

Huang Jin immediately looked over, with a look of dissatisfaction on his face: "Noisy."

It was just a light sentence. Zhu Qi had already brought people with him, and he stepped forward and slapped several businessmen on the mouth.

Now, everything finally quieted down.

Several businessmen were stunned.

Yan Shaoting and Zhu Qi went aside and said a few words, then followed Huang Jin out of the Jinyiwei.

On the way to Xiyuan, Yan Shaoting was quite calm, and even came close to Huang Jin: "It's spring now, and the Artemisia annua in the fields is growing very well. The servants at home bought a lot of it. I'll have someone send some Artemisia annua cakes to you later."

Huang Jin had all kinds of guesses in his mind, and looked at Yan Shaoting with surprise.

The other party did not mention today's summons to Xiyuan, nor did he talk about other matters. Instead, he only talked about the insignificant and worthless matter of sending Artemisia annua cakes.

Huang Jin could only smile twice, but he felt a little warm in his heart: "In that case, thank you very much, Mr. Yan."

Yan Shaoting nodded with a smile: "It's not worth much, but Huang Dajian is kind enough to give it to me, no need to thank me."

Huang Jin looked at Yan Shaoting deeply and said, "Reader Yan is a wonderful person. Let's explain today's matter clearly to the master. I think nothing will happen."

This is a heart-to-heart talk.

After all, they are just a few businessmen, and their voices in the court and the cabinet are just a little louder.

None of it matters.

The important thing is that Yan Shaoting did not regard Huang Jin as someone who only took advantage of him, but instead used things like Artemisia annua cake as an exchange between relatives and friends.

Yan Shaoting nodded with a smile.

It didn't take long for the two of them to arrive outside Yuxi Palace.

There was some noise inside the hall.

Yan Shaoting didn't need to listen carefully to know that the high-powered sprayer was firing at him at full speed.

He glanced at Huang Jin, and after getting instructions, he walked into the hall.

By the way, Yan Shaoting spoke first and shouted, "Your Majesty, I feel wronged! Please, Your Majesty, make the decision for me and uphold justice!"

In Yuxi Palace.

The young man's howl of grievance caused everyone around him to fall into silence for a moment.

Even Huang Jin, who returned to Xiyuan with Yan Shaoting, was frightened.

Inside the palace, Gao Gong stopped holding Yan Shaoting accountable because of the howl.

Several people turned around and looked at Yan Shaoting who walked quickly into the hall.

Jiajing stared at the young man in front of him with an ambiguous look.

"Today, the city has been in turmoil and the people of the capital are in a state of panic, and you actually have the nerve to complain about your grievances!"

Facing the Taoist priest’s reprimand.

Yan Shaoting was not afraid at all. Instead, he raised his head and wrinkled his nose. "Your Majesty, I am on a day off today and went to Xiangshan with my wife's sister and brother-in-law. When we left the city, we saw disaster victims gathering in the capital. The government had no rice to provide relief, so theft and looting occurred frequently.

I was worried. We are all the people of the emperor and father. We are kind. If it weren't for the hardship, why would there be trouble? So I went to investigate with the Jinyiwei and found out that some merchants were hoarding grain and rice with the intention of enriching themselves at a high price.

The victims are also the children of your majesty. I cannot bear to see your reputation as a benevolent father being implicated by the villains, so I have called the Jinyiwei to arrest the criminals first. They have confessed their crimes, and they have to give out rice and grain to help the victims, so as to preserve your majesty's reputation as a kind father!"

original.

Just for this matter?

Jiajing couldn't help but feel doubtful.

Gao Gong then spoke up, "Even if it's for the sake of the disaster victims, Yan Chenshi has no imperial order. How dare he mobilize the Jinyiwei to raid merchants in the city and disturb the peace of the capital?"

No matter what your starting point, Yan Shaoting, is, your procedure is always wrong.

Yan Shaoting was unwilling to be outdone and immediately replied, "The victims outside the city have no rice to eat, and chaos has already occurred. We must act in an emergency. Do you think that Lord Gao is going to sit by and watch the victims outside the city riot, and let your Majesty's name as a loving father be humiliated?"

"You!" Gao Gong was furious for a moment, turned to look at Jiajing, bowed and clasped his fists and said: "Your Majesty, I have absolutely no such intention."

Yan Shaoting said, "Your Majesty, I am not making trouble today, nor do I intend to cause chaos in the capital. I just can't bear to see your people in chaos due to hunger and cold. As the commander of the Jinyiwei, I also have the right to investigate the case and punish the culprit.

When I entered the palace earlier, I had already negotiated with the merchants. Everyone has expressed regret, and now they are willing not to take a cent, and use all the rice in the warehouse to help the victims of the disaster in the capital. We will wait until the summer grain arrives in the warehouse, and use 70% of the rice to pay for the money we have donated this time."

Here, Yan Shaoting carefully weakened the concepts of old rice and new rice.

And fell into Jiajing's eyes.

At this moment, the emperor who devoted himself to practicing Taoism all day long actually had some regret in his eyes.

Was what I just said a bit harsh?
(End of this chapter)