Rise From the Humble

This is not what I want to see! This is not what I want to hear either!

We are here to convict Zhu Pingan of colluding with grain dealers, driving up grain prices, and accepting bribes. We are not here to see people offering work-for-relief services, let alone to listen to some ignorant people singing praises to Zhu Pingan!

It doesn’t matter if Zhu Ping’an is good at providing work-for-relief services, as long as we catch evidence of his colluding with grain merchants, driving up grain prices, and accepting bribes, we can still convict him of a serious crime, and we can also make him irrecoverable!

Just wait and see!

With dark faces, Wang Meng, Peng Cheng and others reminded Xu Hai and others to continue moving forward on the grounds that they were on official business and could not delay. They could not wait to go to Jingnan County to collect information about Zhu Ping'an's collusion with grain merchants, driving up grain prices, and accepting bribes. Evidence of guilt!

Along the way from East Lake to Jingnan County, they did not see a single refugee or a hungry person. What they saw was a scene of birds singing and flowers fragrant, full of vitality, like a paradise. Vegetables were planted in the rice fields, and brand-new villages were built on the ruins. The earth rises and the people live and work in peace and contentment.

The East Lake Engineering Area is not far from Jingnan County, and they arrived at Jingnan County after walking for a while.

When they arrived at the North Gate of Jingnan, Xu Hai and others found that the North Gate of Jingnan had just been repaired. Not only had the aging and damaged walls, crenellations and parapets been repaired, but enemy towers and archery towers had also been built to enhance the defensive function.

This is probably to guard against Japanese pirates.

The East Lake is to solve the century-old flood disaster in Jingnan, and the city wall is to be repaired to prevent Japanese pirates.

Putting aside factors such as virtue, let’s just talk about this work-for-relief program. It is really amazing that Zhu Ping'an can combine work-for-relief with Jingnan's long-term peace and stability, adapt to local conditions, and turn decay into magic.

Entering Jingnan County, Xu Hai, Wang Meng and others were even more shocked.

Jingnan County is bustling with shops lined up in rows, with pedestrians and cars and horses coming in an endless stream. The penetrating shouts of small vendors can be heard one after another, and the faces of every face are filled with tranquility and comfort.

"Look, Kumon!"

The excited voice of the Taiping Magistrate woke everyone up from their shock.

Following the excited gaze of the Taiping Magistrate, Xu Hai and others saw an official document posted on the wall.

Close at hand, red letters on white paper, covered with the bright red seal of Jingnan Magistrate, wrote: From today on, every stone of grain in Jingnan County will be 2,500 yuan...

“Sure enough, it’s Jingnan’s official document defining food prices!”

Seeing this red official document, Wang Meng and others felt as if they had found a treasure, and couldn't help but feel surging and excited.

You are very good!

Wang Meng glanced at Magistrate Taiping appreciatively, and Magistrate Taiping couldn't help but puff up his chest with excitement when he saw the admiring looks of Wang Meng and others.

This is a good start, a good sign! As soon as he entered Jingnan, he discovered an important crime against Zhu Ping'an.

Clear away the haze along the way!

Wang Meng and others finally showed a smile, carefully tore off the official document, and put it away as if they had found a treasure.

"When Mr. Liu and I impeached Zhu Pingan, every word is true." Taiping County Magistrate took the opportunity to express his merit.

"Yes. Based on this official document, I trust you." Wang Meng nodded encouragingly.

"Look, there's an official document in front of you!"

At this time, Zuo Zhen's sharp eyes found another official document and couldn't help but shout out.

"Huh? It's true." Wang Meng and others looked along and were surprised to see an official document defining the price of food in Jingnan.

"There's another one over there! There's also one posted there! There's also one posted on that wall."

Before Wang Meng and others could recover from the surprise, Zuo Zhen noticed that the sounds of official documents were ringing out one after another.

What's going on? ! Wang Meng and others were confused. Why had he posted so many official documents defining food prices? Was he, Zhu Ping'an, afraid that the world would not know about his crimes? ! Post official documents all over the city!

"There is a grain store over there." Taiping County Magistrate discovered a grain store and quickly said to Wang Meng and others.

Sure enough, there was a grain shop open for business in front, named "Liu Ji Grain Shop", and the business looked very good.

"Let's go take a look." Wang Meng said, taking the lead to walk towards the grain store.

Xu Hai and others followed closely and walked into the "Liu Ji Grain Store". There were three shop assistants in the store entertaining customers. When they saw Wang Meng, Xu Hai and others entering the store, the shop assistants greeted them warmly. .

"Store, how do you sell this grain?" Wang Meng asked as he entered the store.

"Haha, uncle, the food in the store is two thousand five hundred yuan per stone." The store clerk replied warmly.

When Wang Meng heard this, he looked at each other with Peng Cheng, Zhang Wenbo and others, his face full of unconcealable joy.

The price in the grain shop was indeed 2,500 wen per stone! Hahaha, there are so many of us, from the Ministry of Officials, from the Ministry of Households, from the Ministry of Punishment, from the Supervision Censor, and from the East Factory, but we all saw and heard it!

Zhu Ping'an, let me see how you can quibble now!

Wang Meng and the others couldn't help but look happy. At this moment, they felt that the winning ticket was already in their hands.

"But uncle, you are right to come today. Today is the birthday of our shopkeeper's grandmother. We have a special discount of 100 yuan for every stone of grain." The store clerk said to Wang Meng and others with a smile on his face.

"Hahaha, buddy, wasn't your shopkeeper's grandmother's birthday yesterday, why did you pay it back today?"

The customers who bought food in the store couldn't help laughing and joking when they heard this.

The store clerk replied wittily, "Hehe, our shopkeeper's grandmother is old, and it's normal to remember wrongly."

"Hahahaha. Grandma can remember it wrong. You shopkeepers can also remember it wrong. Come on, I won't joke with you anymore. Give me a hundred catties of grain." The guest couldn't help but said with a smile.

"Okay, sir." The store clerk responded loudly to get the food.

Xu Hai and others also noticed that it was grandma's birthday. This was obviously the store looking for a reason to lower the price of food.

How is this going? Why do stores take the initiative to find reasons to lower food prices? !

"Haha, they are all from other places." Seeing Xu Hai and others' surprised faces, the grain buyers smiled and explained to them, "Since our magistrate has defined the price of grain, grain merchants from all over the country have I heard that grain prices in Jingnan are expensive and profitable, so they all come to Jingnan to sell grain. There are more and more grain shops opening in Jingnan, and the grain in Jingnan is accumulating more and more. There are many grain shops in Jingnan. There is more food, and the supply is gradually exceeding demand. The food has been transported thousands of miles, and it cannot be transported back. In order to sell food, grain merchants are thinking of ways to reduce the price of food. I estimate that in a few days, the price of food will still be high. Can go down.”

ah? !

Can it still be like this? !

Xu Hai, Tan Lun and others were shocked. Taizhou Fucheng and other counties now have no food for sale on the market. There is only a small amount of food for sale on the black market, but the price of food on the black market has skyrocketed. Taizhou Prefecture Black Market The price of grain per stone is 3,500 Wen. On the black market in Taiping County, the price of grain per stone has risen to 3,800 Wen. Even with such high prices, the supply of grain on the black market still exceeds demand, and there is often food shortage. But as for Jingnan, Jingnan has enough food, so much so that it sells it at reduced prices. The price of food has dropped to 2,400 yuan per stone, and there is a trend of continuing to reduce prices.

In this way, looking back at Zhu Pingan's official document defining 2,500 yuan per stone for grain, wouldn't it be a stroke of genius?

Xu Hai and others could not calm down for a long time.

Tan Lun, the prefect of Taizhou, even wondered whether he would follow Zhu Ping'an's example when he returned and set the price of food in Taizhou Prefecture at 2,500 wen per stone!