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墨書 Inktalez
Zhang Bangchang was about to go outside to deliver some Silver and to bribe a few High Officials in the court to speak well of him, hoping to avoid his own punishment.
Qin Feng, of course, did not intend to take those things and planned to return them, not wanting to be a corrupt official.
He simply waved his sleeve and quickly walked outside.
Once something is given away, it cannot be taken back; doing so would only invite resentment.
Qin Feng did not have time to take the Silver and Qilin Jade, so he escorted him to the main gate as a form of courtesy.
Outside, there was indeed a grand carriage waiting for him, looking very impressive and high-end; he was clearly a wealthy High Official.
As Qin Feng walked towards the mansion, he wondered why there was no Morning Court today since the Battle Report from Taiyuan had reached the court.
Why hadn’t Afu woken him up earlier? The sun was already quite high, past nine o'clock, and he had already delayed his time to go to the Three Yamen.
He inadvertently noticed several houses over there where several servants dressed in blue were moving things that seemed to be food supplies.
Afu was also there, but he was standing and directing while wearing a blue long robe.
Qin Feng quickly approached them. They were still moving bags of food, but he didn’t know what they were for.
He said, “Afu, why didn’t you wake me up earlier today? I’ve already delayed my time to go to the Cavalry Command Office; now it’s several hours late.”
Afu saw him and quickly bowed in greeting; after all, this was his master, and he needed to show respect.
“Oh, it’s like this. Last night Madam told me that you might be very tired and would wake up later in the morning, so I didn’t wake you up. I thought I would let you rest until the afternoon.”
“And besides, since you are a fifth-rank official, they wouldn’t dare do anything if you didn’t go in the morning. As long as you handle your affairs in the afternoon, it will be fine and won’t delay anything.”
Qin Feng felt speechless; the reasoning was too comprehensive and made sense.
Primary Wife Xi Yue, experienced and aware that couples would engage in intimate activities at night, would also linger in bed for a long time. Their bodies would surely feel exhausted and weak, which is why they would sleep in late the next morning.
Not going to the Cavalry Command Office for work in the morning also seemed reasonable, so that was settled! He would handle affairs in the afternoon.
Seeing the Servants of the manor continuously moving food supplies outside, he felt curious and went to check it out in the courtyard.
He leaned his head forward to look into that room and was astonished to see it piled high with food supplies. How could there be so much food!
Looking at Afu, he showed a surprised expression and said, “Qin Fu, how could there be so much food in the manor? This large room is completely filled, and what are they moving it outside for?”
Qin Fu smiled at the master, feeling a sense of familiarity, and began to explain.
“Master, remember that morning you left the manor to go to Taiyuan for Jin Kingdom Negotiation? You personally told me to use all the manor's Silver to buy food because there might be a large-scale war.”
“So I bought quite a bit of food and piled it in this room. Not just this one; several other rooms are also filled. It should be enough to last more than a year.”
At this point, Qin Feng recalled that many chaotic events had occurred along the way, causing him to forget about this matter.
However, buying so much food must have depleted all the manor's Silver. What about money for buying vegetables and clothes?
He asked, “Afu, how much Silver does the manor still have? Is there enough for daily expenses after buying so much food?”
Afu's smiling face turned serious as he pondered over the manor's Silver.
“Although buying food cost quite a bit of Silver, around sixty to seventy percent of the total Silver, there is still thirty to forty percent left, which is enough for the manor's expenses.”
"Master truly has foresight, allowing me to buy so much grain. The price of grain has increased several times now. If we sell it, we will definitely make a lot of Silver! Becoming rich overnight is not a dream."
"Only spent about sixty to seventy percent! It seems the household is still quite wealthy," Qin Feng thought.
Suddenly, he realized why grain had become so expensive, with prices skyrocketing; it was because war had begun, and some grain could not be transported.
In an era of war, money is not very useful; food is the most precious commodity. It can fill people's stomachs and preserve their lives.
Even if sold at dozens or hundreds of times the previous price, it must be bought in order to survive.
Afu saw that the master did not respond, seemingly lost in thought. He wondered if he was considering selling the grain. After all, they could earn several times the price.
With a hearty laugh, he said, "Master, are you thinking about selling the household's grain? Selling off more than half would earn a lot of Silver, allowing us to buy more famous poems and paintings."
Qin Feng glared at him in anger. In an era of war, food is a treasure far more useful than Silver; it preserves life and will later sell for hundreds of times the price.
"Sell it? Are you out of your mind? You only think about money and don't consider the current situation. A great war has already begun; the Jin people are coming."
"How much is grain selling for per pound in the city now? Have those big merchants hoarded a large amount of grain and started selling it at high prices, extorting money from the citizens?"
The servants who were moving the grain were placing it in the yard to dry; there was too much moisture in the rooms, and over time it would mold and become inedible.
Hearing what the master said, they looked surprised for a moment but pretended not to hear and continued handling the grain, afraid of being scolded.
Afu was also confused by this situation. He felt a bit angry but did not dare to express it towards his master.
"I think similarly to what Master is thinking. The big merchants in Tokyo City have indeed hoarded a lot of grain and are selling it at several times the price. They are taking advantage of the situation, especially the second richest merchant in this city, Zhou Li, and the first richest merchant, the Li Family, who are particularly domineering."
"The white flour in the city used to cost three wen per pound, but now it has risen to eighteen wen, twenty-one wen, and twenty-four wen per pound. In some places, it is even sold for thirty wen. It's simply outrageous, extorting the hard-earned money of the common people."
"Indeed, it is these big merchants who are the most despicable. They acquire useful information, hoard grain, and then sell it at high prices, seizing the opportunity to amass great wealth."
Qin Feng continued to ask, "Afu, have other goods in the city also increased in price several times?"
Afu nodded in agreement, indicating his approval. The master was indeed very clever and had guessed correctly.
"Many things in the city have become more expensive. Clothing and bedding have also increased several times in price. The vegetables and meat bought by the household are several times more expensive as well, especially the medicinal herbs, which have skyrocketed by ten or even dozens of times, particularly those used for treating external injuries."
"It is said that the court has sent people to buy a large quantity of these herbs for stockpiling. However, they have bought too much and nearly cleared out the stock of these medicines from the pharmacies in the city, which is why they are so expensive."
Qin Feng couldn't help but sigh a few times, feeling very worried. The prices of goods in the city had risen several times; this was no joke. A great war had indeed broken out and would eventually reach Tokyo City.
At that time, the prices of grain and medicine would soar by dozens of times. People would scramble to buy them with silver; otherwise, they would starve to death.
Tokyo City would also become a scene of devastation, engulfed in flames of war.
The reason the court was buying so many medicinal herbs, especially those for treating external injuries, was that they were intended for military supplies. Knowing that a large-scale war was imminent, there would surely be numerous casualties. The medicines for external injuries were meant to treat those wounds.
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