In mid-July, good news came from Shandong and Hebei. It was said that the most trial-planted potato yields more than 1,000 catties per mu and the least is 700 to 800 catties.
Meng Nian said beamingly: "If it is promoted, we won't have to worry about food anymore."
Yan Wushuang was not so optimistic: “Han Yuxi stipulated that the people in the northwest should only grow potato on sloping fields and newly opened land, and are not allowed to use good land.” The planting area of potato in the northwest this year is estimated to be 100,000, but it does not account for it. Half a fertile field. This is intriguing.
Meng Nian understood in an instant: "My lord, I will send someone to inquire about it." I was afraid that there would be any shortcomings in planting this potato.
Not long after, Meng Nian handed a superstition to Yan Wushuang: "The prince, the secret agent from Jiangnan sent it back in a hurry."
"What did you say?"
"Our people discovered that someone had secretly purchased a large amount of grain. It was only discovered a few days ago that these grains were shipped to the Northwest through various channels." After finishing speaking, Meng Nian looked solemnly: "Master, the Northwest has had a bumper harvest this year. Why did Qing and Han Yuxi buy so much food?" The Northwest China harvested hundreds of millions of kilograms of yam this year, as well as wheat and other grains. These foods are enough for the people in the Northwest to eat until next year. Therefore, the abnormal behavior of the couple made him feel uneasy.
Yan Wu's face changed slightly, and said, "There are rumors that Han Yuxi has the ability to predict. Would you say that she knows that there is a big natural disaster, so she will be hoarding a lot of food this year." If only hoarding hundreds of thousands of stones, It would not be discovered by him. Obviously, they bought far more than these.
"My lord, if Han Yuxi really has the ability to predict, he would not be nearly killed or killed that day." Anyway, if he killed him, I didn't believe that Han Yuxi had the ability to predict.
Yan Wushuang actually didn't believe it, but he really felt that Yuxi sometimes acted strangely: "Whether it is true or not, she can't let her buy food in large quantities anymore. Meng Nian, immediately sent someone to invite Mr. Yu's family. "Jiangnan Governor-General Yu Baojia has long taken the words of the court into his ears. However, he and Master Yu are brothers of the clan, and they also rely on the governor who is quite superior. It is more useful to let the great master come forward and talk about this than if he directly ordered it.
Master Yu Jia immediately wrote to Yu Baojia when he knew this, asking him not to let the grain from the south of the Yangtze River flow to the northwest.
As a result, not long after the letter was sent, the court received an official letter from the northwest. The official letter stated that a few years old farmers explained that there might be a major drought in the northwest this year, so they will only plant large areas of high-yield potato this year.
Meng Nian said with some doubts: "Prince, we just learned that she was buying a lot of grain, she said that there might be a severe drought in the northwest next year. Lord, do you think it's a coincidence?"
Yan Wushuang said: "This kind of thing would rather be trusted than nothing."
Meng Nian said: “The Han family only said that there may be a major drought in the northwest, but did not say that there will also be major droughts in other places.”
Hearing this, Yan Wushuang shook his head and said, "If it is really just a major drought in the northwest, why bother to send such an official letter to the court with a big fanfare. Don't say more, and hurry up to buy food while the news has not spread. Good." When the news comes, I am afraid that the food will rise sharply.
Meng Nian said suspiciously: "Master, you said that Han's release of this news, did you just want our food prices to rise to cause panic?" With Han's scheming methods, this possibility is not unavailable.
Yan Wushuang nodded and said, "It's possible that you said it." So the food must be bought, and the news must not be leaked.
I thought well, but the treasury couldn't come up with the money. In the end, Yan Wushuang paid out his own money and asked Meng Nian to buy food.
The news of a drought next year was leaked out soon. Some, like Jiangnan Governor Yu Baojia, scolded Yuxi and Yun Qing for deceiving the crowd and causing social panic. There are also people who would rather believe in what is there or not, and hoard food secretly. However, because this year is a bumper harvest year, even if there is this rumor, food prices are only 10% higher than usual.
Yuchen knew that this matter was a little worried, and said to Yan Wushuang: "Master, I believe that Yuxi will not aimlessly. Lord, let's hoard more grain too!" Once a severe drought, it can mean that there is no harvest and the people will not live. Go down. At that time, it will definitely cause social turbulence.
Yan Wushuang said, "I also want to buy more grain, but the treasury runs out of money."
Although Yu Baojia did not believe that there would be a severe drought next year, he also began to restrict the outflow of grain from the south of the Yangtze River. However, he agreed to sell Yan Wushuang 1.2 million shi of grain at the market price.
Yuchen heard the words and said without hesitation: "I still have hundreds of thousands taels of silver on hand. Lord, let's use them to buy food!" Once the famine is encountered, the money is dead.
Yan Wushuang shook his head and said, "This money is a drop in the bucket." Furthermore, he wouldn't use women's money anymore.
The Minister of Korea knew that Yan Wushuang had bought so much food from his private house, and many people thought he was too courageous. The Han family and Yun Qing clearly scared them intently. Unexpectedly, Yan Wushuang took it seriously.
Yan Wushuang knew but didn't take it seriously.
After the grain purchase agreement was signed, Yan Wushuang asked his people to transport the 1.2 million stone of grain directly to Tongcheng. Even if there is a drought next year and there are 1.2 million grains, the soldiers in the border city will not be hungry.
For Yan Wushuang, no one can lose the soldiers of the border city. This is the same idea as Yun Qing. This is also because both of them were born in general and knew the hardship and difficulty of the soldiers.
In the autumn harvest in Jiangnan this year, a lot of grain was also harvested. At this point, everyone has become more and more sure that Yun Qing and Yuxi's next year's major drought is deceiving the public. These people completely ignored that the official letter only stated that there might be a major drought in the northwest next year, and did not say that there would be a major drought in the country.
Meng Nian and Yan Wushuang said: "The prince, Han Yuxi and Yun Qing sent people to Jiangnan to buy grain. Yu Baojia didn't stop when he knew it, but only increased the price of grain by 30%. But unexpectedly, Han Yuxi and Yun Qing still bought two. Millions of stone grains."
This is still obvious. In private, Yuxi let Tian Yang purchase a large amount of grain and hide it.
Yan Wushuang said with a sullen face: "Han is the smartest, people usually take less than a cent from her. She is willing to buy a price that is 30% higher. It seems that she is sure that there will be a major drought in the northwest next year."
Meng Nian was also a little worried, but when he heard this, he said, "Master, the northwest is already short of water. It is not uncommon for a major drought next year."
"I'm afraid this big drought is not only in the northwest." If it will spread to Shanxi and Hebei and other places, the court will not be able to provide relief at that time, and there will definitely be chaos. It's just that he only thought about it in his heart and didn't say anything.
Meng Nian hesitated and said, "Master, or we will buy another two million shi to store food." If there is a drought, at least the stability of the capital must be ensured. With these grains, the capital will not be chaotic.
Yan Wushuang hummed and said, "This time, you go to Jiangnan to find Yu Baojia in person." This lion spoke loudly to save others from going. He didn't want to be slaughtered by Yu Baojia as a sheep like Han Yuxi.
But Yu Baojia was only willing to sell them one million shi grains at the market price, and then he had to buy them at the price they sold to Yun Qing. Meng Nian didn't have that much money, so he only bought one million stones.
The shipping of this batch of grain had already started to snow when it arrived in Tianjin. Yan Wushuang thought about it and left this batch of grain in Tianjin.
After the beginning of the spring, Meng Nian and Yan Wushuang talked about this: "Master, will you transport this batch of grain back to the capital?"
Yan Wushuang shook his head and said, "Leave this grain there for now." There will be a drought, and then this batch of grain will be transported in. This will stabilize the people's and military's will.
In April, it will not rain not only in Northwest China, but also in Hebei, Shanxi and Shandong.
Zhezi from various places begging the court for disaster relief, flew to the capital like snowflakes. The minister in the DPRK panicked.
Yan Wushuang wanted to help the disaster, but the court had no money or food to give. Therefore, he can only watch how many people have starved to death every day.
It hadn't rained for more than a month, the seedlings had withered long ago, and the land was so dry that cracks were cracked. Many ordinary people couldn't see it and began to flee from famine. Some went to the south of the Yangtze River, while others rushed towards the capital.
Originally, the imperial court sent the idea to the south of the Yangtze River, preparing to let the Yu family go to Jiangnan to persuade Yu Baojia to take out food for disaster relief. As a result, Jiangnan has been flooded with countless fertile fields because of heavy rain for several days. This situation has lasted for more than half a month. Although there will be no crop failure, the reduction in production is certain. Under this circumstance, how could Yu Baojia put out food for disaster relief.
The flow of refugees generally rushed to the outside of the capital, which brought huge pressure and great safety hazards to the capital.
Some of the ministers in the DPRK knew that Yan Wushuang had stored a large amount of grain, and they all begged him to use this grain to help the victims. Unfortunately, Yan Wushuang ruthlessly refused: "I have already sent the food to the border town. Whoever is hungry can't starve the soldiers who shed blood and sacrificed in the border town." Although Liaodong was not affected, because of the particularity of the region, Liaodong was even considered. Without encountering natural disasters, the food produced every year will barely be enough for oneself. So it is difficult to get food from Liaodong.
The official secretary Rong Jianwen said anxiously: "The prince, if the court leaves these refugees alone, it will cause trouble." Once a person is extremely hungry, everything can be done.
Yan Wushuang said, "Do you have a good way?"
Master Shang Shuxin of the Ministry of Rites said: "The prince, King Pingxi stocks a large amount of grain, and we can ask him to borrow grain." Not to mention the bumper harvest last year in Northwest China, they also bought millions of grain from Jiangnan.
Yan Wushuang laughed angrily: "Do you think Yun Qing will lend us grain?" It didn't need to be asked, he knew it was impossible.
Master Xin bit his head and said, "How do you know if they will borrow if you don't try?" Maybe he was kind and willing to lend them food!
Master Shangshu Geng of the Ministry of Households said: "Master, give it a try!" Although knowing that Pingxi Wang and his wife may have promised very little, there is no better way now. Not to mention that the court has no money, even if there is money, you can't buy food.
Seeing that many ministers agreed with this proposal, Yan Wushuang sent an official letter in the name of the court.
Yun Qing and Yuxi responded quickly, and they didn't say not to borrow food, only that the Northwest had suffered a severe drought, and now many people have died of starvation and thirst. In the official letter, the couple also expressed their hope that the court could rescue the people in the northwest.