After our homes were confiscated and we were exiled, the women in my clan and I raised a million sol

The sunlight shines through the gaps in the leaves and falls onto the fish pond in the garden of Zhang Liang's mansion, creating shimmering waves and reflecting the leisurely and contented figures.

Zhang Liang, dressed in a green shirt and holding fish food, was standing leisurely by the pond, enjoying this moment of tranquility.

His face was calm, and his eyes revealed a kind of detached calmness, as if the troubles of the outside world had nothing to do with him.

Qin Youlan and others stood aside, looking at Zhang Liang's leisurely appearance, and couldn't help feeling a little confused and worried.

She couldn't help but ask, "Uncle, aren't you worried about the situation outside?"

Zhang Liang smiled slightly when he heard this, and gently scattered the fish food in his hand, attracting the fish in the pond to scramble for the food.

He slowly said, "The overall situation has been decided now. There's no need to be so nervous."

After hearing Zhang Liang's confident words, Qin Youlan's doubts were slightly relieved and she did not continue to ask questions.

Zhong Xueqing, who was standing by, walked up to them with a smile on her face, her eyes full of trust and admiration for Zhang Liang.

"I believe Brother Zhang Liang. He can definitely do what he says."

Wang Xueyi also nodded and said in agreement, "That's right! Brother Zhang Liang is so amazing, he will definitely be able to do it!"

As soon as the two finished speaking, Wang Yuehan laughed and scolded: "You two will believe whatever your uncle says!" Although it was a joke, there was a bit of pampering and helplessness in his tone.

Hearing Wang Yuehan's words, Zhong Xueqing and Wang Xueyi smiled at each other.

Not long after they finished speaking, their men rushed in.

"Report! Master! The price of grain in Ninggu City has dropped to ninety coins per bushel!"

Before he could finish his words, another of his men ran in.

"Report! Master! The price of grain in Ninggu City has dropped to eighty-six coins per bushel!"

A few minutes later, someone ran in again.

"Report! Master! The price of grain in Ninggu City has dropped to seventy coins per bushel!"

......

At this time, one after another of his men rushed in, shouting at the top of their voices with excitement on their faces.

When the voices resounded throughout the mansion, Qin Youlan and others' faces were filled with disbelief.

Zhang Liang listened to their report, smiled, and then after spreading all the feed in his hand, he washed his hands and sat aside to drink tea.

After Qin Youlan and the others came to their senses, they immediately looked at Zhang Liang.

You must know that Liu Yu and others had tried their best but failed to lower the grain price much. However, under Zhang Liang's method, the price actually fell like diving.

The current price of grain is 70 wen per dou, which will greatly alleviate the pressure on the people of Ninggu City.

Although Zhang Liang had previously said that the cooperation among the four major grain traders would soon fall apart, he did not expect it to happen so quickly.

Zhong Xueqing then came to Zhang Liang's side, poured him a cup of tea, and asked, "Brother Zhang Liang, I'm still a little curious. Why did the four major grain merchants fall apart so quickly?"

"If it weren't for their selling, grain prices wouldn't have fallen so quickly if it were just these foreign grain traders."

Zhang Liang glanced at Zhong Xueqing and explained, "The four major grain merchants in Ninggu City are united because of profit. This also means they are destined to turn against each other because of profit. This has been human nature since ancient times."

"Compared with grain traders from other places, their costs are low enough, and they save on transportation, labor and other costs."

"But that doesn't mean they don't feel fear in their hearts."

"Although Daqian has been plagued by natural disasters in recent years, what if next year is a good year?"

"Once the grain prices in Ninggu City stabilize, their accumulated grain will be unsold, and the risk next year will be enormous. If the harvest is good next year, there will be enough new grain, not to mention the old grain. It's not uncommon for the price of grain to drop to 30 wen per dou."

"So, the four grain merchants in Ninggucheng would rather sell their grain at a loss and leave the market than gamble on the possibility of losing everything next year. If you think about this clearly, their behavior is not surprising."

After hearing Zhang Liang's words, Wang Xueyi asked, "But didn't they form an alliance?"

Zhang Liang smiled lightly, then shook his head: "These verbal agreements are nothing but a joke."

"Everyone will think, if I don't sell it, will they sell it secretly?"

"Once they sell it, won't I be finished? With this mentality, one family will always sell first. Ninggu City is so small, and they have been rooted here for so many years. Any action of the other party cannot be hidden from the other three families, so a stampede is inevitable."

"But I didn't expect them to hit so hard. They were desperate to kill the other party."

Zhang Liang's voice was not loud, but it sounded like a muffled thunder in the ears of everyone present.

After hearing Zhang Liang's words, Zhong Xueqing and Wang Xueyi's eyes sparkled with admiration.

Qin Youlan and the others could only express their admiration for Zhang Liang's words.

After all, Zhang Liang understands human nature too well.

You know, Zhang Liang had anticipated all of this seven days ago.

From the moment the notice was posted, everything went according to Zhang Liang's idea.

From foreign grain merchants, the reactions of the people, the greed of the four major grain merchants, to opening warehouses to release grain, bursting the bubble of grain prices, and forcing the four major grain merchants to sell grain by stampeding!

Just at this moment, footsteps were heard outside the door, and Liu Yu walked in with Shen Zui.

Liu Yu laughed and said to Zhang Liang, "Master, food prices are falling. It seems that Ninggu City will soon stabilize."

His tone was full of relief and expectation, as if he had already seen the dawn of victory.

However, after hearing his words, Zhang Liang smiled and shook his head, with a hint of deep meaning on his face.

He slowly said, "Mr. Liu, you are still too optimistic."

After hearing Zhang Liang's words, Liu Yu and Shen Zui both showed puzzled expressions on their faces.

They looked at Zhang Liang in confusion, obviously not understanding why he said that.

Seeing this, Qin Youlan and others immediately understood that they were going to discuss serious matters, so they quietly asked Zhong Xueqing and Wang Xueyi to leave so as not to disturb them.

The three of them quietly left the garden, leaving Zhang Liang, Liu Yu and Shen Zui behind.

After Qin Youlan and the others left, Shen Zui walked over to Zhang Liang. Puzzlement was written all over his face as he asked in a low voice, "My Lord, why do you say that?"

There was a hint of confusion and a desire for knowledge in his voice.

Liu Yu also looked at Zhang Liang, his eyes also full of expectation and questions, hoping that Zhang Liang could give a reasonable answer.

Both of them held their breath, waiting for Zhang Liang's answer.

When he saw the puzzled looks of Liu Yu and Shen Zui, he said calmly, "Ninggu City's crisis isn't just about the skyrocketing food prices."

"What do you think is the root cause?"

Shen Zui answered without hesitation, "Frequent disasters have led to poor harvests! Furthermore, being located on the border, we are often plundered by barbarians."

Zhang Liang shook his head at Shen Zui's question.

"These are not the root causes."

"The fundamental reason for the rise in food prices is that people have lost their source of income."

"So, after lowering food prices, we must urgently address the people's income problem. Only by ensuring they have money to earn can they survive this disaster."

"Otherwise, for ordinary people, there's not much difference between the price of 50 wen a dou and 250 wen a dou. They still can't afford it."

As soon as these words were spoken, Shen Zui's pupils suddenly shrank.

Zhang Liang’s words directly point to the essence of the disaster.

Behind the high food prices lies the fact that ordinary people simply cannot afford it.

The lowest class of people have long been penniless, but find it difficult to find a job to support their families, so these people inevitably become refugees.

Zhang Liang then continued, "If we want to completely solve the problem, we must implement work-for-relief!"

When Liu Yu and Shen Zui heard Zhang Liang propose the concept of "work-for-relief", their faces showed even stronger doubts.

They looked at each other, obviously hearing this word for the first time, and their hearts were filled with confusion and curiosity.

Zhang Liang smiled slightly, understanding their confusion, and patiently explained, "The so-called 'work-in-lieu-of-relief' means organizing the people to participate in public works or production activities in place of direct food relief."

"This will not only solve the current food shortage problem, but also contribute to local development and enhance people's self-sufficiency."

His words were clear and well-organized, and every word seemed to carry a kind of power, allowing Liu Yu and Shen Zui to gradually understand the deep meaning behind the word.

As Zhang Liang's explanation deepened, their brows gradually relaxed and their eyes began to flash with understanding and approval.

Liu Yu was the first to react. He nodded gently and said with emotion, "I see. Young Master, this plan is truly brilliant! Not only does it solve the immediate dilemma, but it also provides for the long term. It really kills two birds with one stone!"

Shen Zui followed closely behind, a look of admiration on his face: "My Lord, you are wise! Such a strategy can both appease the people and promote development. It is truly brilliant!"

At this moment, another servant ran in.

"Report!"

"Master! We've got the latest news: the four major grain merchants, Zhou, Qian, Zhao, and Sun, have completely fallen out. The head of the Zhou family has taken the lead in lowering the price of grain to seventy wen per dou!"

Hearing this, Shen Zui and Liu Yu looked incredulous, but soon regained their composure.

Not long after that, the price of grain in Ning Gucheng fell a lot again.