What's wrong with me, a powerful minister, supporting a few female officials?

Chapter 104 The Dust Has Settled (Please Subscribe)

All the grain shop managers felt that Liu Siyun must have a way to deal with that Su guy.

I invited them here on purpose, just hoping to get some extra benefits.

They would have done the same.

Nobody wants to do good deeds anonymously!

To everyone's surprise, Liu Siyun shook her head: "If I had a way, there would be no need to invite all the managers here to discuss matters!"

She paused, then continued, "However, this young man is also wary of our grain business, and only intends to choose one of the seven major grain merchants to make an example of him!"

Everyone fell silent.

With a one in seven chance, the odds of being selected seem slim.

But who dares to gamble on that chance?
Harboring followers of the Celestial Mother is a heinous crime punishable by confiscation of property and extermination of the entire clan!

The manager of the grain store secretly began to plot!
Dayou Grain Store and Su's Grain Store.

That junior officer definitely wouldn't dare to make a move.

In other words, you have to choose one of these five companies: Futong, Qishi, Wanyuan, Guji, and Ruifeng.

The five grain shop managers exchanged glances.

Zhang Yi, the usually quiet head manager of Ruifeng, suddenly asked, "Even if that kid doesn't follow the rules, how can a mere flag officer like him have the final say in such a large garrison like Changping?"

Liu Siyun said slowly, "I forgot to tell you all."

"That Su Mo is very likely a close confidant of Lin Moyin, the centurion of the garrison!"

"Although he is a minor officer, his voice carries immense weight!"

Everyone was startled again.

Zhang Yi took a deep breath: "Could we bribe him with silver?"

Su Zhongyuan's face suddenly darkened, and he shouted without hesitation, "No!"

He then emphasized, "He's a member of the Embroidered Uniform Guard!"

Only then did everyone realize what was happening!

Su Mo is no ordinary official; he cannot be bribed!
Zhang Yi spat: "This won't do, that won't do!"

"Is there nothing we can do but sit and wait for death?"

He snorted: "Selling grain at a low price is absolutely unacceptable!"

"If we set this bad precedent, how will we ever have a place in the rice and grain business!"

Zhu Sanping, the owner of Wanyuan Trading Company, suddenly had a glint in his eye and said in a sinister voice, "Gentlemen, I do have a way that can not only protect our rice and grain..."

As he spoke, a fierce glint flashed in his eyes: "I can also take that kid's life!"

"Let those who dare to plot against us know the consequences!"

This Zhu Sanping is quite wary.

He went out to check first, and only after confirming that no one was eavesdropping did he return to the side hall and slowly come up with his plan.

The other grain shop managers gasped in shock upon hearing this.

They all stared at Zhu Sanping in shock!
That's incredibly vicious.

Once the plan succeeds, that junior officer will surely die, and at least 1,800 people in Changping County will also die!
Everyone looked at Su Zhongyuan again!
This plan is definitely feasible.

The only problem now is Su's Grain Store!

Su Zhongyuan frowned as he weighed the options.

After a long pause, he nodded and said slowly, "This plan is feasible!"

"Since that brat is courting death, let him die!"

Liu Siyun suddenly said, "Manager Su, is there no need to inform Lord Su about this matter?"

Su Zhongyuan said calmly, "This matter concerns the Changping Grain Store. One person can decide it alone. What does it have to do with Prefect Su?"

Liu Siyun smiled and said, "In that case, let's follow Manager Zhu's plan!"

She paused slightly, her sinister gaze sweeping over the crowd: "Let me make this clear from the start."

"This matter is of utmost importance. Whoever leaks it will be making an enemy of the other six major grain merchants, and even the entire rice and grain guild. You must not make a mistake!"

"I will take his life!"

The other grain shop owners were immediately alarmed.

They knew that this woman was as ruthless and vicious as a snake, and this was not just to scare them!
Originally, Changping County had eight major grain merchants!

It is said that because the young manager spoke rudely to Liu Siyun, he died suddenly that very night, and the grain shop was sold off cheaply to Dayou Grain Store. He left Changping County in disgrace!

……

The hour of Yin (3-5 AM) is when people are sleeping the most soundly.

At the southern gate of Changping, as the winch turned, the gate slowly rose, and the city gate opened wide. In peacetime, the strongmen were responsible for guarding the city gate.

The foreman, Deng Tong, weighed the bag in his hand, his face dark with anger, watching the huge grain carts passing through the city gate in a continuous stream: "These damn grain merchants, they really are ruthless!"

A burly constable standing nearby also cursed, "Damn it!"

"More than a hundred giant carts, they must have transported twenty to thirty thousand bushels of rice!"

"If the people in the city find out, that would be terrible!"

Deng Tong sneered: "Otherwise, why would they spend over a hundred taels of silver to bribe us!"

"At least 90% of the rice and grain from Changping County Grain Store has been transported away!"

He paused, then sneered, "However, this has little to do with us!"

"On the contrary, it allowed me and all the brothers to make a small fortune!"

He took a few silver ingots from the cloth bag and then tossed the bag to the yamen runner next to him.

"Take it and divide it up!"

"Remember to keep your mouths shut, or I won't let you off the hook!"

The other constables immediately chuckled and said, "Don't worry, Chief Deng! It's not the first time. Don't you trust us?"

……

The Giant Spirit Chariot was one of the most prized inventions of the Great Wu Dynasty.

Whether for civilian or military use, they are of immense value!
The vehicle body is reinforced with immortal runes, and a floating magic array is engraved on the bottom of the vehicle. Strictly speaking, it can be considered a semi-finished magic artifact!
The giant cart was pulled by four or eight oxen and had an amazing carrying capacity. On the best official roads, a single giant cart could carry as much as two hundred shi of grain!
Zhu Sanping's plan was actually quite simple.

The government wanted to stabilize grain prices, so they sent him to do it!

The grain merchants will certainly obey the government's orders!

We would even give the grain away to the people for free!

However, the grain stores don't have enough rice reserves. If they sell the little rice they have left at a lower price, it will definitely cause a buying frenzy, and they probably won't be able to sustain themselves for even a day.

Once the grain stores have sold out of rice, the city will surely descend into chaos unless the government opens the granaries to release more grain!

The grain merchants knew better than Xue Shan how much grain was stored in the official granaries.

On the surface, the official granary with a reserve of 30,000 shi of grain has an edible grain reserve of no more than 3,000 shi!
Even if Xue Shan were incredibly bold, he wouldn't dare lift the lid of the official granary!
Even if they were to risk their official positions and open the official granaries, it would be a drop in the ocean and wouldn't last more than a few hours!

When Changping descended into chaos, the imperial court came down to punish those responsible.

The instigators, Xue Shan and Su, will die without a proper burial!
Afterwards, the grain merchants transported the rice and grain hidden outside the city back under the pretext of urgently transferring grain from various places.

Not only can they make a fortune, but they might also receive praise from the imperial court, which is a win-win situation!
Grain merchants choosing a place to temporarily store their grain is also a very safe approach.

Lijiawu Fortress, more than ten miles outside the city!
The fortified village was built against the mountain, in a strategic location, and had both arrow towers and watchtowers, making it one of the important strongholds of the Wanyuan Chamber of Commerce.

The caravan stationed there had hundreds of guards, as well as recruited heroes from the greenwood, making its protective force quite formidable.

Even if the imperial army were to attack, they wouldn't dare to dream of breaching the fortified village without at least one or two thousand soldiers.

The rice and grain were stored in Lijiawu Fortress, so there was absolutely no risk of loss!
More than a hundred giant spirit carts, escorted by hundreds of guards and thugs, moved slowly toward Lijiawubao like a winding dragon.

The fortified village was gradually coming into view.

Zhu Sanping, who was in charge of transporting the rice, breathed a sigh of relief.

Once the rice and grain reach the fortified village, the great cause can be accomplished!

Of course, since Lijiawubao was a place where seven families stored grain, and they also bribed the strongmen guarding the city gate, they naturally had to accept kickbacks.

Other grain shops make only 10% of their profit from selling grain!
Even if each 20,000 shi of rice yields a profit of two taels of silver, that would still amount to a huge sum of 40,000 taels!
A 10% profit is four thousand taels of silver!
As the head manager of the grain store, shouldn't he be promoted again?
The Wanyuan Chamber of Commerce is not just involved in the grain business!
This also includes highly profitable commodities like salt and iron!

Only Zhu Sanping knew that behind the Wanyuan Chamber of Commerce, the real person standing behind him was not just a fourth-rank official, the Assistant Transport Commissioner!

That's a true immortal sect!
If I could return to the Chamber of Commerce headquarters, become a first-class manager, or even enter the mountain gate and become an inner disciple, it would be even more awesome than becoming a county magistrate!
Just as Zhu Sanping was lost in thought...

Suddenly, streaks of firelight appeared in the bamboo groves on both sides.

Dozens of riders roared out.

On horseback, they were all imperial guards in brocade robes with straight swords.

The leader, a handsome young man in a blue robe, rode in a rather strange posture. He first scolded his horse in an annoyed tone, "You say you're the most docile horse in the garrison!"

"It almost knocked me off!"

Then, he raised his head and looked at Zhu Sanping, who had a bewildered expression.

His face suddenly darkened: "You are Zhu Sanping of the Wanyuan Chamber of Commerce?"

Before Zhu Sanping could speak.

Su Mo snorted coldly again: "Men, seize him!"

Okay, I'll be updating around 11 PM from now on. By the way, please vote for me next month!

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(End of this chapter)