This is not what I want to see! This is not what I want to hear!
We are here to prosecute Zhu Ping'an for colluding with grain merchants, driving up grain prices, and accepting bribes. We are not here to see work-for-relief, nor are we here to listen to some ignorant people singing praises for Zhu Ping'an!
So what if Zhu Ping'an did a good job in providing work-for-relief? As long as we find evidence of his collusion with grain merchants, raising grain prices, and accepting bribes, we can still convict him of a serious crime and bring him to eternal damnation!
Just wait and see!
Wang Meng, Peng Cheng and others had gloomy faces and reminded Xu Hai and others to keep moving forward, saying that they had official business to attend to and could not delay. They were eager to go to Jingnan County to collect evidence of Zhu Ping'an's collusion with grain merchants, raising grain prices and accepting bribes!
On the way from Donghu Lake to Jingnan County, they did not see a single refugee or starving person. Instead, they saw a scene of birds singing and flowers blooming, full of vitality, like a paradise. Vegetables were planted in rice fields, new villages were built on the ruins, and the people lived and worked in peace and contentment... ...
The Donghu project area was not far from Jingnan County, and they arrived at Jingnan County in a short while.
When they arrived at the North and South Gates of Jingnan, Xu Hai and others found that it had just been renovated. Not only had the aging and damaged walls, battlements and parapets been repaired, but also enemy towers and arrow towers had been built to strengthen the defense function.
This is probably to guard against Japanese pirates.
The East Lake was built to solve the century-old flood disaster in Jingnan, and the city wall repair was to guard against Japanese pirates... ...
Putting aside factors such as morality, just talking about the work-for-relief policy, it is amazing that Zhu Ping'an was able to combine the work-for-relief policy with the long-term stability of Jingnan, adapting to local conditions and turning decay into magic.
After entering Jingnan County, Xu Hai, Wang Meng and others were even more shocked.
Jingnan County is a prosperous place with shops lined up one after another, pedestrians bustling around, cars and horses coming and going in an endless stream. The penetrating shouts of the small vendors can be heard one after another, and every face is filled with tranquility and contentment.
"Look! Official documents!"
The excited voice of the Taiping County Magistrate woke everyone from their shock.
Following the excited gaze of Taiping County Magistrate, Xu Hai and others indeed saw an official document posted on the wall.
Close at hand, white paper with red characters and a bright red Jingnan County seal reads: From today on, every dan of grain in Jingnan County will cost 2,500 wen...
"It is indeed the official document defining grain prices in Jingnan!"
Seeing this big red document, Wang Meng and others felt as if they had found a treasure, and they couldn't help but feel excited.
You are very good!
Wang Meng looked at the magistrate of Taiping with admiration. Seeing the admiring looks of Wang Meng and others, the magistrate of Taiping could not help but straighten his chest with excitement.
This is a good start, a good omen! As soon as I entered Jingnan, I discovered an important crime of Zhu Pingan.
Sweep away the haze along the way!
Wang Meng and others finally smiled, carefully tore off the document, and put it away as if it were a treasure.
"When Lord Liu and I impeached Zhu Ping'an, every word was true." Taiping County Magistrate took the opportunity to boast about himself.
"Yes. Based on this official document, I trust you." Wang Meng nodded encouragingly.
"Look, there's another document in front!"
At this time, Zuo Zhen was sharp-eyed and found another official document, and couldn't help shouting it out.
"Hmm? It's true." Wang Meng and others looked in the direction and were surprised to see an official document defining the grain price in Jingnan.
"There's another one over there! And there's one over there! There's one on that wall too..."
Before Wang Meng and others could recover from their surprise, Zuo Zhen discovered that the sounds of official documents were heard one after another.
What's going on?! Wang Meng and the others were confused. Why were there so many official documents on grain prices posted? Was Zhu Ping'an afraid that the world wouldn't know about his crimes?! He posted the official documents all over the city!
"There is a grain shop over there." The Taiping County Magistrate discovered a grain shop and hurriedly said to Wang Meng and others.
Sure enough, there was a grain shop open for business in front, called "Liu Ji Grain Shop", and business seemed to be very good.
"Let's go and take a look." Wang Meng said, and walked towards the grain shop first.
Xu Hai and others followed closely and walked into the "Liu Ji Grain Shop". There were three shop assistants serving customers in the shop. When they saw Wang Meng, Xu Hai and others enter the shop, they greeted them warmly.
"Shopkeeper, how much are you selling these grains for?" Wang Meng asked as he entered the shop.
"Haha, sir, the grain in our shop is 2,500 wen per stone." The shop assistant replied enthusiastically.
Upon hearing this, Wang Meng looked at Peng Cheng, Zhang Wenbo and others, his face full of unconcealable joy.
The price in the grain shop is indeed 2,500 coins per stone! Hahaha, there are so many of us, including those from the Ministry of Personnel, the Ministry of Revenue, the Ministry of Justice, the Supervisory Censor, and the Eastern Depot, we all saw and heard it!
Zhu Ping'an, let's see how you can argue now!
Wang Meng and others couldn't help but show joy on their faces. At this moment, they felt that victory was in their grasp.
"But, sir, you have come to the right place today. Today is the birthday of our boss' grandmother. We are offering a special discount of 100 wen per stone of grain." The shop assistant said to Wang Meng and others with a smile.
"Hahaha, man, wasn't your boss's grandmother's birthday yesterday? Why is she celebrating it today?"
Upon hearing this, the customers who were buying food in the store couldn't help but laugh and joke.
The shop assistant replied wittily, "Haha, our shopkeeper's grandmother is old, so it's normal that she remembered it wrong."
"Hahahaha... If my grandmother could remember it wrong, how could your shopkeeper remember it wrong... Come on, I won't joke with you anymore. Just give me a hundred kilograms of grain." The guest couldn't help laughing.
"Okay, sir." The shop assistant responded happily and took the food.
Xu Hai and others also realized that what grandmother's birthday was? It was clearly the store owner looking for an excuse to lower the price of food.
What's going on? Why are stores actively looking for reasons to lower food prices?!
"Haha, you are all from other places, right?" Seeing Xu Hai and the others' surprised faces, the customer who was buying grain smiled and explained to them, "Since our county magistrate defined the grain price, grain merchants from all over the country heard that Jingnan's grain price is high and profitable, so they all came to Jingnan to sell grain. More and more grain shops are opening in Jingnan, and the grain in Jingnan is piling up. With more grain shops and more grain, the supply gradually exceeds the demand. The grain has been transported from thousands of miles away, so it can't be transported back. In order to sell grain, grain merchants are thinking of ways to lower the price. I estimate that in a few days, the grain price will drop further."
ah?!
Is it possible?!
Xu Hai, Tan Lun and others were stunned. Taizhou Prefecture and other counties had no grain to sell on the market. Only a small amount of grain was available on the black market. However, the price of grain on the black market had risen to 3,500 coins per stone in Taizhou Prefecture and 3,800 coins per stone in Taiping County. Even with such high prices, the supply of grain on the black market was still insufficient and there was often a shortage of grain. However, Jingnan had enough grain, so much so that it was even sold at a reduced price. The price of grain had dropped to 2,400 coins per stone, and there was a trend of further price reduction.
In this way, looking back at the official document in which Zhu Ping'an defined the price of grain at 2,500 wen per dan, isn't it a stroke of genius...
Xu Hai and others couldn't calm down for a long time.
The prefect of Taizhou, Tan Lun, even thought about whether he should follow Zhu Ping'an's example after returning and set the grain price in Taizhou at 2,500 coins per stone!