There are many grain stores in Xiangyang, there are also many grain silos, and there is also a special grain wharf. www.biquge.info In previous years, the grain wharf was always very lively, and many grain ships arrived every day. The arrival of a batch of grain ships always makes the workers on the dock excited.

Because of the grain wharf, there are a large number of laborers specializing in grain loading and unloading. These people are like the slender men on the Han River, passed down from generation to generation. On the docks, eat with all your strength. Carry a bag, take a bamboo chip, end a boat, and exchange the chip for money.

There are even a lot of tea sheds, restaurants, and taverns on the wharf, and after finishing work in the evening, there are copper coins in your pocket, and you can drink a cup or two here, and relax your muscles and bones, which is a rare pleasure.

But now, the grain wharf is very deserted, and it may only take a few days for a group of grain ships to arrive, and there is not much grain to be transported at a time. They don't need to be carried by people on the dock, they have their own labor. Due to the drought, many sections of the lower reaches of the Han River in Xiangyang have become dangerous shoals and rapids, and they need to be crossed by slender men.

Therefore, when the grain ship comes up, the ship is accompanied by a slender man, and it is good to have a slender man to unload the grain.

Not far from the grain wharf is the granary concentration of the land, and the granaries of many grain merchants are located here. In the past, food came in and out, and it was extremely busy. But now, this place is heavily guarded by officers and soldiers, guarded layer by layer, and ordinary people can't get close at all.

Although it was so heavily guarded, nine out of ten granaries here were empty. The grain that came ashore from the wharf was transferred here and quickly transported to the relief grain processing plant, where there was no grain to store at all.

Looking at the empty granaries one after another, even the officers and soldiers guarding knew that the famine was getting worse and worse.

Zheng Ji stood in front of his granary, waiting for the guards to check the approval. Although the granary in front of him is his own, he can't even get close to it, and the grain has long been listed by the imperial court as an emergency strategic material of the Tang Dynasty, and it is an important material supervised by the imperial court, although the grain in the granary is still his in name, but in fact, he can't take a grain of grain.

Now that the court was going to use his grain, they invited him over again. In fact, those grains have long belonged to the imperial court, and he can't be the master of whether the imperial court wants to transport them away or burn them, but the imperial court still wants to call him over, which is undoubtedly redundant.

After checking the checkpoints one by one, it was finally confirmed.

"Zheng Guanren Gao Yi, when this famine, he sold 8,000 stone of grain to the imperial court, and he understands the righteousness." The official next to him said to Zheng Ji with a smile on his face.

Zheng Ji responded with haha, and his heart was actually very painful.

It's not that he's righteous, it's not that he's angry, it's really the court that robbed it directly. Nominally persuaded him to sell, but in reality did not give him a second option.

The so-called sale, 8,000 stone grain in exchange for nothing more than a blank piece of paper, on which is an IOU from the imperial court, the IOU is quite serious, and it is also indicated that the annual interest is calculated at five cents. But it is completely unknown when the principal and interest will be paid.

Eight thousand stones, this is almost all the grain of Zheng Ji, the family left a year's rations, five stone of grain per person a year, just left a year's rations for the whole family's master and servant, not at all, and the remaining eight thousand stones, all of which were 'sold to the imperial court by him'.

Seeing that the end of the year is approaching.

Food is becoming scarcer and less available in the wild, famine is getting worse and worse, many yeoman farmers are running out of food, and more and more people have to rely on relief food to survive.

The imperial court recently announced that it would allow the victims to have a good year, and that they would also be given a lump sum of food for the Winter Solstice Festival, with each victim having two liters of grain. Two liters of grain, the court is a big deal.

However, Zheng Ji knew that the imperial court also had little food in stock, especially in the disaster area.

As a result, the subsistence rations of the disaster victims, and even the rations, naturally had to be obtained from the hands of the rich and powerful people who had food.

The little food they had left in their hands was finally remembered by the imperial court.

Last time, it was only half of the same as buying, and half of it was kept. And this time, it is directly to leave only the rations, and the rest are all levied. The court even encouraged them, the wealthy landlords, to move their families to other provinces that had not been affected by the disaster, and to live there for a while, and then come back after the disaster.

Obviously, the imperial court was even worried about their rations, and wished that all the rich people would leave the disaster area, so that they would bring some dry food on the way, and the rest would be all the imperial court's.

But who wants to leave unless they have to.

So everyone is here, who can rest assured.

Whether they want to or not, they have no other choice now anyway. The imperial court also deliberately propagated that some hungry people in the disaster area had become thugs, and that they had robbed a large household, robbed a certain landlord, and not only robbed a large household, but also killed people and set fires.

Zheng Ji comforted himself, and the more than 10,000 stone of grain should be sold to the imperial court, or given to the imperial court in exchange for a medal. Because he sold more than 10,000 stones of grain to the imperial court, coupled with the last report of Feng Xiao'an's meritorious service, Zheng's father was posthumously awarded a five-grade loose rank by the imperial court, and his surviving old mother was given a decree.

Even Zheng Ji also won a six-grade honor this time.

One of his sons was also exceptionally admitted to the National Prison, and one son was hired as Prime Minister Li Chao's relatives.

Speaking of which, this is also a huge status improvement, it was originally just a local tyrant, but now it is also on the table. More than 10,000 stones of grain, heartache is heartache, but at least it is not completely lost.

It's better than Feng Xiao'an, the family wealth and the huge family business suddenly disappeared, and the whole family was gone.

"The times are difficult and we are facing a catastrophe, so we should work together to tide over the difficulties."

Zheng Jiqiang smiled.

The door of the warehouse opened, and there was a small amount of grain in the warehouse.

The official waved his hand, "Check!" ”

In today's special period, the imperial court is extremely sensitive to food. Whoever dares to be greedy for a little food is looking for death. Those who steal a piece of grain fill the army and the side of the army, and those who steal a stone of grain are executed!

This extremely harsh law is a constant reminder to those who want to do it. Before you start, think about the serious consequences.

The military general guarding the granary did not have any dissatisfaction on his face, and sent people to cooperate very seriously.

Counting, weighing.

Eight thousand stone of grain, one stone is a lot.

After the grain inventory was completed, Zheng Ji also signed and signed on the list, and the grain was finally closed to him. Looking at the bright red handprint, Zheng Ji suddenly felt a little relaxed in his heart.

Today, who has more food in the disaster area has become a burden.

I always have to worry about being remembered, for fear that if I am not careful, I will be charged with something on my head, and then my home will be raided, and my food will also be raided.

Or worry about when a hungry mob will rush into the house in the middle of the night, snatch all the food, kill people and set fires. (To be continued.) )