Attacking opponents from the economic level is not a new thing, it appeared in the Spring and Autumn Period and the Warring States Period, but after all, this is not a conventional means, and the people who understand it are only a very small number of people who understand business.

This small number of people definitely does not include Hauge, nor does it include the vast majority of officials in the Jin State.

The crisis in the Jin country spread throughout the Guanzhong region, and the people of the Jin country, who had experienced the collapse of cotton prices, began to panic again to grab grain like frightened birds.

The price of grain soon exceeded the water products in the last years of Chongzhen, and the people in the city were afraid that there would be no food to eat, so they desperately went to their homes to buy grain, and at least they had to save a few months of grain to be at ease.

The price of grain in Chang'an broke through a record high within a few days, which reminded many people of Guanzhong of more than 10 years ago, and the panic has seriously affected the stability of Jinguo.

At this time, the Jin court began to sell grain from the official warehouse to stabilize the grain price, and on the grounds of cracking down on hoarding, a number of grain numbers were seized, which barely stabilized the grain price in Chang'an and pressed the grain price in Chang'an to three taels per stone.

After Hauge returned to Chang'an, he was furious about this, he originally wanted to use this cotton planting to suppress the cabinet and make a deal with the cabinet, and he did not really intend to severely punish the officials who were derelict in their duties, but now the development of the situation, the Lintong County Order that was taken to Chang'an was beheaded the next day, which was used to calm the people's anger.

At this time, Jin Guo was in a hurry, and he had never encountered such a thing, so he could only stabilize Chang'an for a while, and as for other regions, it was difficult to take care of it for the time being.

Northern Shaanxi, south of the Great Wall, west of the Yellow River, and Suidezhou and Yulin Prefecture north of Yan'an Prefecture can be said to be a remote place, but the shock that occurred in the Guanzhong Plain also affected here.

Compared with the Guanzhong Plain, it is located on the Huangtu Plateau, the land is barren, and the grain production is limited, which is a poor and bitter place.

Wang Yongqiang, the commander-in-chief of Suiyan, was originally stationed in Yan'an, but with the recovery of Shanxi by the Ming army, he was transferred to Suide Prefecture and Yulin Mansion to prevent the Ming army from breaking into northern Shaanxi from Biguan and Wubao, and avoiding the threat of Tongguan Guanzhong.

Wang Yongqiang was a warlord in northern Shaanxi, with tens of thousands of acres of land and tens of thousands of tenants, and after participating in the campaign to attack Shanxi, he gained a large number of people, and his troops expanded from 3,000 to 5,000, and the number of tenants also increased to 20,000 households and more than 100,000 people.

For Wu Sangui and warlords like him, the Jin State adopted a tax package system, stipulating that after a part of the tax went to the central government, the rest of the tax belonged to them.

As for how to distribute taxes, there are some differences in various places, such as Wu Sangui, who has a large influence and occupies Hanzhong, and he can independently pay more taxes, while Wang Yongqiang, a warlord with a smaller power and less important position, can have fewer taxes on his own.

He was originally a trilogy of 3,000 troops, and the Jin Guoye court only recognized this number, and the tax was divided according to the number of 3,000, but Wang Yongqiang, like all other warlords, had the need to expand the number of soldiers and horses, and expanded the number of troops to 5,000 at once.

The extra 2,000 people have to eat, drink, and pay military salaries, buy equipment, and the taxes left by the Jin State are not enough for his expenses, and Yulin and Suide are not rich places, and he is not easy to loot, if the looting is too ruthless, and the population runs away, then he will lose more than he gains.

The power of the warlord comes from the men and horses of his subordinates, so the warlord always has the desire to expand the number of soldiers.

After Wang Yongqiang expanded the number of people to 5,000, he had no money to raise, but he was worried, and just when he was worried, the price of cotton in Guanzhong rose sharply, and Wang Yongqiang naturally joined the ranks of cotton planting without hesitation.

The policy of three grains and seven grains of cotton in the Jin Imperial Court was equivalent to a piece of waste paper in his place, and he almost didn't think much about it, and all the fields under his name were planted with cotton, and he also encouraged the people of Suide Prefecture and Yulin Prefecture to also grow cotton in order to obtain more taxes.

Wang Yongqiang calculated very well, like many smart people in Jinguo, he wanted to sell cotton and buy grain to eat.

Calculating the price difference in this way, he can still make a lot of money, but he didn't expect that as soon as his cotton was harvested and ready to be shipped to Chang'an, the news of the sharp drop in cotton prices and the soaring price of rice came over.

At this time, in Suidezhou, the mansion of the general army, Wang Yongqiang was pacing back and forth in the festival hall. The grain in Jinguo has been tight, and Yulin and Suidezhou are naturally even more scarce, Wang Yongqiang wants to sell cotton and collect grain at a high price, but now the cotton has not been sold, but the grain in his hand is no longer enough for a month.

Wang Yongqiang's eyes were bloodshot, obviously he didn't sleep well, there was a big blister on his mouth, and the whole person was on fire. There was a man named Gao Youcai sitting in the lobby, who was Suiyan's general, guarding Fugu County north of Yulin, and facing the Ming army across the Yellow River.

According to the regulations of the Jin State, the military field could not grow cash crops but only grain, but he was instigated by Wang Yongqiang and also planted cotton, which was considered miserable by Wang Yongqiang.

Gao Youcai watched Wang Yongqiang dangling in front of his eyes, and his brain really hurt, so he said: "Junmen, in terms of time, the people sent out should also come back." ”

Wang Yongqiang stopped, "Yes! It was time to go back yesterday. The straight lady thief doesn't know that Lao Tzu is in a hurry, and I can't spare him when I come back. ”

As soon as he finished speaking, a family member ran into the hall quickly to report, "Open the military gate, Liu Garrison is back." ”

Wang Yongqiang was overjoyed when he heard this, and asked anxiously: "Where are the people!" ”

"Back to the military gate, people have just entered the city!"

Gao Youcai on the side interjected in a hurry: "Don't let Liu Shoubei come to see the military gate soon!" ”

The family left in a hurry, and after about a cup of tea, a dusty man entered the lobby.

Wang Yongqiang didn't wait for him to salute, so he stepped forward impatiently, grabbed the man's arm, and asked urgently, "How is the situation?" What do the people of the Xintai say? ”

The man was Liu Shoubei, named Liu Chengyong, who was Wang Yongqiang's confidant, and was sent by him to the south to inquire about cotton sales and grain prices.

Liu Chengyong saw Wang Yongqiang's face full of expectation, he didn't know how to speak for a while, and Gao Youcai on the side waited for the grain to go back to the pot, and couldn't help but say anxiously: "Cheng Yong, what is the situation, are you talking about it!" ”

Liu Chengyong sighed before he could say anything, Wang Yongqiang and Gao You saw this, their hearts immediately cooled, and they couldn't help but let go of his arm and took a step back, "It's really falling!" ”

Liu Chengyong sorted out his emotions and arched his hand: "Junmen, General Gao, the price of cotton has fallen to a mess, and one or two can't be sold in Guanzhong." Xintai can't be counted on, the business has gone out of business, and Sun Dongzhu owes too much debt and hangs himself. ”

Wang Yongqiang and Gao Youcai's faces turned pale for a while, and the Xintai that promised to harvest cotton fell, and even the proprietor died, so their cotton would definitely be smashed in their hands.

Gao Youcai couldn't help but panic: "What can I do, cotton can't be sold, where is the money to buy grain?" ”

Wang Yongqiang was irritable for a while, walked back and forth, he walked a few steps, and suddenly looked at Liu Chengyong and said: "You go to Yan'an again to see if there is any food in the Yamen of the Suiyan Governor, and let Dong Futai lend me some food first!" ”

Gao Youcai also nodded, "Yes, borrow some emergency first, and pay it back later." ”

Liu Chengyong shook his head, "Junmen, when I came back, I specially inquired in Yan'an, and the imperial court transferred all the grain stocks in Yan'an to Chang'an to stabilize the grain price, and Dong Futai has no surplus grain." ”

There was really no way out, Wang Yongqiang paced up in annoyance, Gao Youcai on the side frowned, and suddenly said after half a sound: "Junmen, why don't we ask the court directly for food!" ”

Wang Yongqiang frowned, still thinking about it, but Liu Chengyong, who was standing, suddenly said: "Junmen, General Gao, this is absolutely impossible, in several counties in Guanzhong that have been seriously replanted with cotton, the prefects have been beheaded, and their heads are still hanging in Chang'an City to show the public." The emperor is angry, and at this time he is looking for food from the court, which means that we use military fields to grow cotton, and we are not self-defeating! ”

Wang Yongqiang and Gao Youcai were stunned for a while, the food was about to run out, and they really had no choice.

Just when the two of them felt a little desperate, the family Ding hurriedly ran in again, he looked at a few people in the hall, walked to Wang Yongqiang's side, and whispered in a voice that only he could hear: "Junmen, there is a person from outside the house, claiming to be from Hedong, saying that he has something important to see the Junmen." ”

"Hedong?" Wang Yongqiang did not shy away from Gao Youcai and Liu Chengyong, and after a burst of surprise on his face, he said directly, "Let him come in." ”

Not long after, a literati was brought into the festival hall, he glanced at a few people in the hall, and after glancing at Liu Chengyong, he immediately looked away at Wang Yongqiang, and said with a smile: "Contemptible, Hu Xiaosheng has seen Wang Junmen." ”

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(End of chapter)