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墨書 Inktalez
Zhang Bangchang was about to go outside and deliver some Silver to a few High Officials in the court to speak well on his behalf, hoping to avoid punishment for his own crimes.
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 collect 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, which looked very impressive; it was clear that he was a wealthy High Official.
As Qin Feng walked towards the residence, 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? Looking at the high sun, it was already past nine o'clock, and he had already delayed his time to go to the Three Yamen.
He inadvertently noticed several houses nearby 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 the others while wearing a blue long robe.
He quickly walked over to them; they were still moving bags of food, though he did not know what 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 you could handle things in the afternoon."
"Besides, you are a fifth-rank official; if you don’t go in the morning, they wouldn’t dare say anything. As long as you handle your affairs in the afternoon, it should 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 be entangled in sleep 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 was also reasonable, so that was settled! He would handle affairs in the afternoon.
Seeing the Servants in the residence continuously moving food out, he felt curious and decided to take a look in the yard.
He leaned his head forward to peek into that room and was surprised to see it piled high with food. How could there be so much food!
Looking at Afu, he showed a look of astonishment and said, “Qin Fu, how could there be so much food in the residence? This large room is completely filled, and what are they moving it out for?”
Qin Fu smiled as he looked at the master, feeling a sense of familiarity, and began to explain.
“Master, remember that morning you left the residence to go to Taiyuan for Jin Kingdom Negotiation? You personally told me to use the residence's Silver to buy food because a large-scale war might occur.”
“So I bought quite a lot of food and piled it in this room. Not only this one, but several other rooms are also filled. It should last more than a year.”
At this moment, Qin Feng recalled that many chaotic events had happened along the way, causing him to forget about this matter.
However, buying so much food might deplete all the residence's Silver. What about money for buying vegetables and clothes?
He asked, “Afu, how much Silver does the residence still have? Is there enough for daily expenses after buying so much food?”
Afu's smiling face became serious as he carefully thought about the residence's Silver.
“Although buying food cost a considerable amount of Silver, approximately sixty to seventy percent of the total Silver, there is still thirty to forty percent left, which is enough for the residence's expenses.”
"Master truly has foresight, allowing me to buy so much grain. Now the price of grain has increased several times; if we sell it, we will definitely make a lot of Silver! Becoming rich overnight is not a dream."
"We've only spent about sixty to seventy percent! It seems the estate 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 grains could not be transported.
In an era filled with the chaos of war, money becomes less useful; food is the most precious resource, as it can sustain life.
Even if sold at prices dozens or hundreds of times higher than before, it must be purchased in order to survive.
Afu saw that the master did not respond and seemed to be 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 estate's grain? If we sell off more than half, we could make a lot of Silver and buy more famous poetry and paintings."
Qin Feng shot him an angry look. In this era of war, grain is a treasure far more valuable than Silver; it preserves life and will later sell for a hundred times its 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, and 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.
Upon hearing the master's words, they looked surprised for a moment but pretended not to hear and continued handling the grain, fearing reprimand.
Afu was also confused by this situation. He felt a bit angry but dared not 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's these big merchants who are the most despicable. They obtain useful information, buy up grain in bulk, and then sell it at high prices, seizing the opportunity to amass great wealth."
Qin Feng continued to ask, "Afu, have other things in the city also become several times more expensive?"
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. Clothes 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 to dozens of times, particularly those used for treating external injuries."
"It’s because the court has sent people to buy a large quantity of them for stockpiling. However, they have bought too much and nearly cleared out the stock of those 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 food and medicine would soar by dozens of times. People would be scrambling to buy 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 up 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 a significant number of casualties; medicines for external injuries were meant for treating such wounds.
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