The emperor pointed at him with a slight finger and said, "June, think about it, why is Qi County near Liangzhou cheaper and Chang'an expensive?"

Bao Yongdao: "Because Qi County is close to Liangzhou, Liangzhou has not suffered from war for many years, and the grain is abundant and the grain price is very low. Merchants are pursuing profits, buying and selling high prices, and selling grain from Liangzhou to Guanzhong. Therefore, Qi County, which is close to Liangzhou, gets the grain from Liangzhou, and the grain price is much cheaper than Chang'an."

"It is precisely because of this. From an economic principle, the price is determined by the supply and demand relationship. If the supply exceeds demand, the more you sell and less you buy, the merchants will naturally sell at a low price. On the contrary, the supply is in short supply, the more you buy and the less you sell, the merchants will naturally be reluctant to sell and raise the price until they reach another balance point of supply and demand. Now, the grain prices are short of supply and demand, and the grain prices are high. I have relaxed the price of grain and make the merchants feel profitable, so they will sell grain from places where the grain is low. When these grains enter one after another, the grain supply in Guanzhong will be supplied with grain.

If the amount should increase, the price of grain will naturally drop. Now it has been more than a month since the grain prices are relaxed, and grain from other places has begun to enter. This is the case with the decline in grain prices in Qi County. Qi County is only 400 Hanli from Chang'an. From Qi County to Duyang, to Dushui, board the boat, and go downstream to the Wei River. It will soon come to Chang'an. It has been a few days since you left Qi County. I believe that the grain from Liangzhou is also coming soon. Liangzhou is located in a remote area and has slow transportation. Perhaps the grain from other places has entered Chang'an, and the price of grain will drop in these days."

Song Hong pondered for a moment and asked, "In this way, Your Majesty does not limit the price of grain, but is relaxing, and is he trying to attract merchants to sell grain at high prices?"

The little emperor nodded and said, "If I limit the price, who will be willing to sell food? If there is no food on the market, there is no price. What's the use? Even if I use thunder means to force grain merchants and powerful people to sell food at low prices, even if it can support it for a while, but the overall grain reserves in Guanzhong are insufficient and there is still a shortage of food. Moreover, this compulsory measure will definitely cause merchants and wealthy families to escape from Guanzhong. Who will I force when there is something wrong in the future? Bao Qing, Song Qing, if I do this, it will be to kill chickens to get eggs and fish in the dry pond."

Bao Yongdao: "Your Majesty is right, profit-making businessmen have always been the case since ancient times."

The emperor said with a serious face: "Not only merchants, everyone is profit-seeking. Do saints don't eat? Do saints don't need money? Even Confucius teaches students to stop practicing. How can we ask merchants not to make money? If they don't let them have money to make money, who will sell grain for the people to eat? I not only allow them to make money, but also encourage them to make money!"

This view is understood in modern times, but in ancient times, when saints and gentlemen always used to demand people, it was really shocking. Bao Yong and Song Hong were both stunned by the emperor.

Liu Yu grabbed another chicken leg, took a bite, and said, "I want to use the merchant's profit-seeking mentality to completely solve the problem of food shortage this time! Prices are limiting everywhere else, but I don't limit the price! Merchants sell grain elsewhere but they can make huge profits when they sell it to Guanzhong. Who doesn't want to take a bite on this piece of fat? But if the grain suddenly pours into Guanzhong and the supply suddenly increases, then, who will not necessarily bite who will bite who?"

Looking at the little emperor who was gnawing the chicken legs, Song Hong felt agitation in his heart and said, "At first glance, this emperor looks like an ignorant slutty young man, but he speaks with a very good idea and has his own opinions. It's just that, if you really get to the market, will this trick work?"

Bao Yongdao: "Your Majesty, the price of grain in Chang'an has risen to 7,500 yuan per stone. If you don't control it, it will probably exceed 10,000 yuan per stone soon. The people will be panicked and let the price of grain grow wildly. I am afraid that chaos will arise in Chang'an City."

The little emperor nodded, "You are right, you can't let it go so far. You just talk about economy but also politics. The people's hearts must be stable. Think about it, how should you control this matter?"

Song Hong pondered: "Your Majesty, it's better to invest part of the grain from the official warehouse into the market, temporarily calm down the growth of grain prices, and wait for the grain from other places to enter before repurchase it."

"Haha!" the emperor laughed, "You and Zheng Shen thought of the same place. I didn't expect that Song Qing also understood the economic method. That's it. There are still hundreds of thousands of stones of grain in the official warehouse. If you throw these into the market first, the price will definitely drop!"

Bao Yong wiped the sweat from his forehead and said, "But Your Majesty, if the official grain is sold and the private grain does not enter Chang'an in time, what should we do then?"

The grain in the official warehouse is the final reserve and the food and consumption guarantee of 200,000 troops. If the official warehouse cannot maintain a certain reserve, if the grain from other places fails to come in on time, then it will not be a civil unrest, but a big chaos will occur.

The emperor finally put down the roast chicken in his hand and asked someone to clean up the case. He wiped his hands with a scarf and said, "It depends on the timing. It's too early. There is a worry about food cuts in the official warehouse. If the time is too late, the price of grain may have flown to the sky early... In your opinion, when is it appropriate to take action?"

Song Hongdao: "Your Majesty, it depends on the current situation of food in various places."

The emperor nodded and said, "I know that those court officials can't hold on anymore. Go back and tell them..."

Before the emperor could speak, he suddenly heard someone shouting: "Your Majesty, Your Majesty!"

The horse face stumbled and ran in, shouting: "Your Majesty, the court officials broke into the palace and were all kneeling outside, saying that they wanted to... die and ask Your Majesty to limit the price of grain and punish the unscrupulous merchants."

At this time, the noise from outside had already come in, and someone shouted: "Your Majesty, Your Majesty! The price of food must be limited!"

"Your Majesty, don't be mistaken for yourself, nor for treacherous ministers such as Zheng Shen!"

Some people even cried: "Your Majesty, don't let the people die, why are they innocent!"

The little emperor looked angry and said, "Do you want to give me a warning? They all want to be good people who love the people, and they insist that I be this evil person who ignores the people!"

Bao Yong also said angrily: "Absurd! Your Majesty opened a warehouse to help the people, and everyone could get food. Why did it cut off the people's life?"

Song Hong was stunned and stood up and said, "I just said it well to the court officials, and I will submit a memorial on my behalf. For some reason, this must be a reason. Please stop the anger of Thunder and persuade your colleagues to go back."

Mamong said: "I heard that hundreds of chaotic people went to the grain store to grab grain and smash the shops, causing riots. When the news reached the court, the ministers became noisy. The head of the Censor Du Lin, all the ministers rushed into the palace and now they were kneeling outside, saying that if His Majesty did not agree to limit the grain price today, they would rather die!"

The emperor sneered: "Since they are going to die, I will fulfill them!"
Chapter completed!