Kill one to warn the rest, chop off a few heads of grain merchants who drive up prices to deter grain merchants and curb the rise in grain prices? !
After listening to the suggestions of the clerks, Zhu Pingan narrowed his eyes slightly. Such a method can certainly curb the rise in food prices, but can it really help to survive the flood? ! It is undeniable that it is, of course, there is, but in Zhu Pingan's opinion, the effect is also very limited, and in this special period of floods, even killing one thousand enemies will only result in three thousand casualties.
It goes without saying that the grain merchants are driving up prices and making huge profits, but insufficient food supply is also a very important reason. Jiangnan is the granary of the Ming Dynasty. Now most of Jiangnan is flooded, and the grain reserves in Jiangnan have basically been wiped out by the flood, and the granaries have also become famine. The grain merchants don’t have much grain in their hands. The entire Jiangnan granary of the Ming Dynasty is in a famine, and it is difficult for grain merchants to get grain. Transporting grain from the north, Sichuan and other places is a long journey and huge cost. Given their strength and scale, the grain they transport is also limited. Grain merchants subjectively make huge profits, and objectively there is a shortage of food, so they drive up prices and limit sales... This series of operations is understandable.
Value determines price, supply and demand influence price, Zhu Pingan is very clear about these modern economic principles.
Although the price of grain can indeed be suppressed and controlled by drastic administrative measures, grain is not profitable. Apart from the imperial court (which is currently unable to provide relief), who would spend time, effort and money to transport grain from other places? !
Although food prices have been controlled, what is the point of controlling food prices if there is no food to sell? !
In this special period, food is the basis of disaster relief. Without food, nothing can be achieved.
In this flood, no one in Jingnan was hurt, but if there was no food, Jingnan would be in great sorrow. Natural disasters may also turn into man-made disasters, and the destructiveness of man-made disasters is much more terrible than natural disasters.
The Chinese people are very honest, really very honest. As long as they have something to eat and a way to survive, they will not cause chaos. But if they have no food, no way to survive, Zhu Ping'an cannot even imagine what will happen.
food!
This is the most important thing!
Floods are special times, and the flood in Jiangnan is very special. The court was unable to rescue for a while, and special times call for special things. Zhu Ping'an has a bold idea in his mind to solve the food shortage in Jingnan, but... ...
In a special period, there are not so many "justs"! I will go even if there are thousands of people against me! Zhu Ping'an's eyes were firm, and he looked at the clerks and slowly said, "I have my own ideas about the price of grain. In addition, the grain supply in our county is limited at present, so our county government should not compete with the people in the city for grain, and we should not purchase grain for the time being. We will purchase grain when the grain supply in the county is sufficient. Do you have any other ideas?"
For the next half hour, Zhu Ping'an listened to the suggestions of the clerks regarding the flood and adopted many of them, such as strengthening the control of the flood refuge areas and recruiting doctors to enter the flood refuge areas.
"Your Excellency, in view of the limited food storage in the warehouse, I suggest that the food standard for the flood refuge victims be appropriately lowered. From three meals to two meals, from two wowo and enough porridge to one wowo and a bowl of porridge."
The warehouse clerk suggested.
"Not right, not right. From three meals to two, from two steamed buns and enough porridge to one steamed bun and one bowl of porridge, Qian Dianli has reduced it too much. How can the victims have enough to eat? It may arouse public anger and lead to criticism."
Upon hearing this, Mr. Liu from the Household Department immediately stood up to express his opposition, and his saliva almost sprayed on Qian Dianli's face.
"Liu Dianli, this is an emergency. If we don't save some money, in twenty days, we won't even have a grain of rice, let alone a porridge. We will have nothing to eat."
Qian Dianli, the warehouse clerk, was not to be outdone and stood up to refute Liu Dianli.
"We can't lower the food allowance. If we do, the people's spit will drown us."
"Food is limited to begin with. If we don't lower the standard, there will be no food in the warehouse in twenty days. What will we do then?! Will we be full?! It's good enough to have something to eat. Which other counties are like Jingnan?! In this disaster period, as long as we have a steamed bun and a bowl of porridge, what else can we be dissatisfied with!"
... ...
Soon, the other clerks present also took sides. Some expressed their support for Qian Dianli, and some expressed their support for Master Liu. The two sides started a heated debate over whether to lower the food standards for the victims.
"Alright. Before the food problem is solved, let's lower the food standard as Qian Dianli said."
Zhu Ping'an was not a pedantic person. He slammed the table, interrupted the argument of the clerks, and adopted the proposal of Qian Dianli.
On the one hand, as Qian Dianli and others said, the county government warehouse had limited food storage, so long-term considerations had to be made. Two meals a day, each with a bowl of porridge and a steamed bun, was already rare during this disaster period and was enough to solve the survival problem of the victims. Other counties could not even do this.
On the other hand, Zhu Ping'an also had other considerations. He planned to launch the epoch-making policy of "work-for-relief" in two or three days, when the flood had receded a little, combining disaster relief with post-disaster reconstruction, and organizing the victims to carry out a series of post-disaster reconstruction projects, such as rebuilding villages, digging water conservancy facilities, repairing and mending city walls, building beacon towers and other anti-Japanese projects, etc., and provide them with food and necessary wages, rather than direct relief like now, which was a waste of resources and labor.
Qian Dianli's proposal is just the right time to make arrangements in advance.
What?! You think that two meals a day, a steamed bread and a bowl of porridge are not enough to fill you up, and you want to eat well and have enough food. Well, come and join the work-for-relief project. If you join the work-for-relief project, you can not only eat well and have enough food, but also get paid.
In this way, through work-for-relief, the victims can be provided with food and clothing and necessary income, thus achieving the purpose of relief. It can also speed up the post-disaster reconstruction of Jingnan, leaving behind a series of public works and infrastructure to help the economic and social development of Jingnan. In addition, it can also vent the excess energy of the victims, saving them from causing trouble, which is conducive to the stability of the flood refuge area.
The reason why Zhu Ping'an accepted refugees from various counties and prefectures was because of the idea of "using work as relief".
"County Master, please think twice. You must know that a little bit of rice will be a favor, a pound of rice will be a grudge. Once you lower the standards like this, you will definitely be criticized. It's okay for us, but it's mainly you, County Master. The good reputation you have accumulated before may be ruined." When Mr. Liu and others in the Household Department saw that Zhu Ping'an accepted Qian Dianli's suggestion, they could not help but persuade him again and again.
"Let them scold me, I will take the blame. I hope the common people can get through this flood safely, and I am willing to swallow the insult." Zhu Ping'an smiled slightly, not worried at all that his reputation would be ruined.
As long as the people can survive this flood safely, Ping An is willing to ignore the spit on his face... ...
What kind of sentiment and vision is this!
Master Liu and the others were instantly shocked, and looked at Zhu Ping'an with eyes full of respect. The pursuit and emphasis on reputation by ancient scholars far exceeded the imagination of modern people like Zhu Ping'an. They all stood up and said, "The county lord has such a broad mind... ... We are not as good as him! Yes, in extraordinary times, extraordinary things should be done. We are too pedantic."
Uh... ... is it that serious?! Looking at everyone's respectful gazes, Zhu Pingan couldn't help but be stunned for a moment.