Food prices in Dayu have never been fixed, unlike in later generations, because the lack of developed agriculture led to huge fluctuations in food prices.
Take the prosperous Jiangzhou Jianzhou as an example. In peacetime, the price of food is not expensive, about half a tael of silver per stone, but in the more remote Lingzhou, it will cost one or two yuan more.
But once there is a war, famine, etc., the price of food will skyrocket. It is normal to pay 2, 3, 4, 4, or taels of silver per stone, and it is not uncommon for 8 or 9 taels of silver to be paid. There have even been situations where grains were sold for 10 taels of silver and one stone.
For example, in Lingzhou now, the price of food has reached more than 40 taels. For the people in the city whose income is generally only 2 taels of silver, this is undoubtedly a sky-high price.
Chen Ping came to the Yamen, looked at the carts of grain being unloaded into the Yamen, and made a rough estimate.
At least tens of thousands of stones!
"Sir, this urgent need is solved a bit harshly!"
He couldn't help but joked, and Yang Anguo laughed. Who wouldn't be confused by this unexpected surprise?
"Sir, I have asked, and they said that the amount of food sent was fifty thousand dan!"
A subordinate official came forward to report. Chen Ping and Yang Anguo felt reassured when they heard this figure. Fifty thousand dan was enough to support them!
The most important thing is that Mu Cangba's visit this time showed a signal to the officials, gentry and people of Lingzhou, that is, Chieftain Mulu is also helping the government. The weight of this signal is no less than 50,000 shi of grain.
Mu Cangba is so interesting!
"Put away the clouds and see the blue sky! Chen Ping, without you I would not be able to escape this disaster!"
Yang Anguo laughed heartily and carried Chen Ping back to the yamen. Having learned the lesson from the food burning last time, this time the food sent by Mu Cangba was simply put directly into the yamen. It was not a big deal if it was crowded. Pi Xiu
No matter how little you try, don't try to succeed.
In the next few days, starting from Congxing Mansion, where the city is located, the price of food in Lingzhou fell slowly and steadily, but within three to five days it returned to the previous price.
As food prices return to normal, the situation in Lingzhou has also changed from dangerous to peaceful, but there is an undercurrent surging under the peaceful surface!
"Grandma, if I don't catch Pixiu and torture him, how can I be worthy of my dead brother?"
"Search for me, search hard!"
On the territory of Lingzhou, Tang Hao commanded his troops to start a blanket search. At the same time, the order against thieves issued by him and Yang Anguo was also implemented by the local government.
From county towns to villages and towns, everyone has built walls and barricades to guard against thieves. Anyone who dares to help the thieves will be treated as a thief.
Under severe punishments, the originally neutral gentry expressed their attitude and sided with the government. However, those gentry who were found to have severe ties with Pixiu and other thieves and colluded with each other to drive up grain prices were severely punished by the government.<
/p>
After a stubborn gentry who tried to resist the army had his house broken into and his property wasted for many years, these gentry finally became afraid and confessed everything they knew. Some of them even transformed themselves into leading party members. Officers and soldiers lead the way.
Although this cannot avoid being punished, it can at least prevent the house from being confiscated. Everyone knows that the thieves in Lingzhou are going to be doomed.
As for Pixiu, who was the target of public criticism, he was in an extremely bad mood at the moment.
He led his people to hide in Tibet, but every time he went to a place, he was forced by the army to keep moving after he did not stay for two days. How could there be hundreds or thousands of people hiding their traces so easily? Not to mention the Lingzhou gentry. stabbed in the back, the situation can be said to be getting worse.
"Your Majesty, we only have enough food to last two days!!!"
Pixiu's hair was disheveled and his eyes were bloodshot. When he heard his subordinates complaining, he immediately became angry. He turned around and slapped him in the face and cursed: "Scream, scream, don't I know?"
After scolding, he glanced at his group of guys, and Pixiu sneered: "What? Are you resentful? I tell you there is no way out now. There are officers and soldiers outside, and you can't even think of leaving the mountains of Lingzhou without food."
"Even if you go out, can you escape the pursuit from above? If you want to survive, just listen to me and kill Chen Ping!"
Pixiu gritted his teeth and said bitterly: "It's Chen Ping who caused us to be in such a mess now. Killing him can not only take revenge but also get away!"
"But your Majesty, Chen Ping has experts around him, and the city is now heavily fortified. We simply..."
"Noisy!"
Pixiu fought hard and killed the person who disturbed the "military morale" with one palm, waiting hysterically with blood-red eyes.
"Kill Chen Ping and live! Otherwise, you will die!"
.......
"Brother Luo, how many more days do you think Pixiu can hide?"
"..."
Luo Li was indifferent and had no interest in such boring things.
He wiped his sword alone and said: "Don't underestimate any enemy unless you have confirmed that he is dead."
Chen Ping nodded, indicating that he had learned a lesson. Although this was the experience of a martial artist, it was also very useful for him as a novice in the officialdom.
After all, many truths are often the same.
Chen Ping was waiting for Pi Xiu to the point where he was almost impatient. Who knew he was coming from the capital? It has been almost two months now.
He felt relieved when he heard news from the capital in his newspaper that there had been some changes in the official positions of the six ministries, but the emperor was still ill in the palace and there was no intention of starting the palace examination.
Otherwise, he would have to choose between continuing to spend time with Pi Xiu or returning to Beijing immediately. Chen Ping hated having to do multiple-choice questions because he wanted them all.
"I don't know when Brother Zhao will come back. When the time comes, let him stay in Lingzhou to negotiate with Mulu Chieftain and open up the market in the southwest..."
"There is also He Qingxuan, I wonder how he is doing with technology..."
While waiting for Pixiu's final counterattack, Chen Ping began to think about his future arrangements. Lingzhou is now a dragnet, and now the situation has become such that Pixiu will never be able to escape. The only way to go is to fight to the death. p>
From the moment he came to Mulu City to persuade Mu Cangba, this ending was destined.
During this period of time, Tang Hao was surrounded and looking for Pi Xiu with full of anger, and Yang Anguo was in charge of all directions. Chen Ping was the one who had the most leisure time. Who could have the two masters Luo Li and Nangong Ming beside him?
?He doesn’t even have to worry about his own safety.
On the seventh day after Mu Cangba delivered the food, after Tang Hao had searched Congxing Mansion and the strongholds with a radius of 200 to 300 miles, something unexpected happened.
"Your Majesty, when will we act?"
"At three o'clock in the morning, when there is a commotion in the west and outside the city, everyone will follow me and rush to the Yamen!"
In a hidden room in Congxing Mansion City, Lingzhou, Pixiu said with cold eyes.
I don’t know when he had sneaked into the city!
And beside him there were dozens of capable men, who looked like good hands at first glance. This was Pi Xiu's extremely crazy plan. In order to achieve the goal of killing Chen Ping, he even ignored his own life and took it with him.
Dozens of elites sneaked into the city in batches over several days, while the large troops stayed outside the city.
Everything he did was to kill Chen Ping, and he didn't care even if he and Lingzhou, the backbone of hundreds of organizations, were all dead.
After nightfall, as the watchman's voice faded away, Pixiu suddenly opened his eyes.