ebookland Chapter 236 A Female-Dominated World (8)
Chapter 236 A Female-Dominated World (8)
Winter came exceptionally early this year, and charcoal in Fengdu is in short supply.
"It's getting colder and colder. I even saw someone freeze to death on my way here," Wenrou said with some emotion.
"This year's situation looks like a disaster is about to strike!" Liu Xiang noticed something was wrong from her mother's furrowed brows.
"Whether there's a disaster or not is none of our business for now. That's something for officials to worry about, not for us." Wangyou slowly took a sip of hot tea, but her words were chillingly cold.
"Wangyou, aren't you worried at all? But thankfully you reminded me to buy more grain and charcoal, otherwise the whole prefecture would probably starve." The grain stores and warehouses in Fengdu are almost empty, and the price of grain is changing every day.
"I'm just being cautious, but it's not the worst time yet. In at most half a month, people will be selling grain at high prices and profiting from the national crisis," Wangyou said quietly, looking at the snow outside.
"You don't mean those grain stores are out of grain, but that the people behind them are planning to make a fortune. That's outrageous!" Wenrou said angrily.
"The waters behind this are deep, so don't go asking around. Just protect yourself." Wangyou smiled. There has never been a shortage of people like this in any dynasty. So, it's best to sit back and watch the tigers fight. If necessary, adding fuel to the fire is not out of the question.
The Imperial College is closed for the holidays. Since food is running low, everyone should go home to eat.
After Wangyou returned home, she instructed her family not to go out and wander around.
News came every day that the price of grain had risen to an astonishing ten taels of silver per dou of coarse rice, but this price was the limit.
"Your Majesty, the Prime Minister's residence and the First Princess's residence have started distributing porridge today, but all the rice is old and moldy. Eating too much of it may be very dangerous."
"Well, in three days, we'll open the granary and sell the grain at the normal market price!" Wangyou looked down and examined the half-jade pendant in her hand, which became even more dazzling.
"Yes!"
The Crown Princess and the Prime Minister's residence gained a significant boost in prestige because of the porridge distribution. Other wealthy households with surplus grain began to follow suit, but few used good grains. The porridge was either so clear that you could see your reflection in it, or it was made with moldy, stale rice.
"The rice shop in the west of the city is selling grain! Eight coins a bushel of coarse rice! Everyone hurry up!" This shout caused a stir among countless people, but many more remained still, because many families couldn't afford a single coin. Let it mold; at least they'd be alive one day longer.
Rice was sold in limited quantities to prevent people from hoarding grain. Moreover, everyone who bought grain had to provide details about how many people were in their family and where they lived before the grain was sold to them based on the number of people.
As for those who can't come up with a single penny, Wangyou told them to exchange it for something, and if they really had nothing, they could pay off their debt with work. Anyway, it was definitely impossible to give it away for free.
The grain store called Wangyou had stable prices, so the people spread the word that anyone with a bit of money or strength would obediently line up to buy from it. As a result, no one went to other rice stores.
Wangyou had someone keep an eye on the grain shops, and then called out Wenrou and Liu Xiang as well, so that at least there would be two more people to share the burden.
"Wangyou, you're amazing! My mother said the heavy snow blocked the roads, making it impossible to transport grain and charcoal. Some people in the city were taking advantage of the situation to sell grain at high prices, and His Majesty has been cursing for days. Now your grain shop has solved our immediate crisis," Wenrou and Liu Xiang said happily.
"In times of disaster, one must always leave people a way to survive, otherwise chaos will ensue." People, if they have nothing left, are not far from going mad.
"Come on, let's go check out the nearby villages and find something to do." Wangyou smiled, and the two followed.
Upon arriving at the nearby Peach Blossom Village, they found that the snow disaster had destroyed most of the houses, leaving many families without rice to cook, and those who could no longer survive had begun selling their children and land.
Wangyou wandered around the village, and after having a general idea in mind, she went to find the village chief.
"May I ask what brings you ladies here?" The village chief was a woman in her forties, and her eyes were filled with the weariness of life.
"Does the village chief want everyone in your village to survive?"
"Given this situation, how difficult it is to survive!" The village chief had no hope.
“Sell your land to me, and I can rent it to you. We’ll split the annual grain revenue 50/50. Or you can sell yourselves to me, and then you’ll be exempt from taxes every year,” Wangyou stated her purpose directly.
"This is beyond my control." The village chief's own family wasn't badly off, so naturally he was unwilling to sell his land or even his body.
"No rush. The village chief can tell the people in your village that it's voluntary, not forced."
"Please wait a moment, Your Majesty, I will go and organize the villagers," the village chief said after thinking for a moment. She had some prestige in the village, but when people are starving, they are capable of anything, and she, as the village chief, would probably have a hard time.
The village chief was very efficient; in less than half an hour, all the surviving villagers had arrived. The village chief then relayed Wangyou's words to the villagers. The villagers looked at each other in bewilderment. After a moment, half of them stepped forward, willing to sell their land to Wangyou and their entire families to become slaves.
Wangyou glanced at these people and then had them come forward to sign contracts. Wangyou's contracts did not require them to be slaves for generations, but rather that they could regain their free status after her death, so there was still some hope.
After the contract was signed, Wangyou had her attendant take it to the government office to exchange it for a red contract. The next day, she had food brought to the newly joined servants and also had palace servants build houses for them.
Now, the person who was initially unhappy about selling himself into servitude felt much better and naturally completed the tasks assigned by his employer meticulously.
Wenrou and Liu Xiang didn't know what Wangyou's intention was, but when Wangyou asked them if they wanted to buy some things, they instinctively agreed and bought some people and land.
The disaster ended with the eldest and third princesses being confined to their quarters by His Majesty, and a large number of officials being either beheaded or exiled.
Time flies, and the New Year is just around the corner. The streets are bustling again, and the bloody smell of the vegetable market has faded with the arrival of the New Year.
"Wangyou, the First Prince's residence is hosting a plum blossom appreciation banquet. Would you like to attend?" Wenrou asked as she walked over with an invitation.
"I don't want to go. Nothing good will come of it." Wangyou put the invitation aside and continued drawing.
"I've noticed you never attend any banquets. Aren't you afraid of offending people?"
"I have nothing, so why should I be afraid of offending anyone? I have no demands of them, so naturally I'm not afraid." Can Wangyou say that someone is secretly causing trouble? Of course not. As long as the other party doesn't make a scene, she can keep it under control in secret.
"The imperial examinations are next March, shouldn't you go out and show your face?"
"I'm not afraid of thieves stealing from me, but I'm afraid of them eyeing me. Besides, it's so cold outside, why would I go to admire plum blossoms?"
Wenrou glanced at the drafty pavilion and twitched her lips.
"Your snow scene is quite nice. Could you give it to me when you finish it?"
"No need to see me off. This painting should be called 'A Traveler Returning Home on a Snowy Night,' but it's not finished yet." Wangyou picked up her brush and continued painting.