In Luoyang Palace...

Li Chongjiu was examining the memorial presented by Xue Wanshu and asked Xue Wanshu: "Is the news you received in this memorial true?"

Xue Wanshu said to Li Chongjiu with great confidence: "Report to Your Majesty, this news was given by our three grain merchants in Chang'an who were inclined to our army, and Cao Wen from the Fengwen Department has also confirmed it."

Li Chongjiu read the memorial carefully again and said, "Since that's the case, this memorial is very meaningful to us."

Xue Wanshu lowered his head and said, "Yes, Your Majesty, this time Li Yuan used Changping's warehouse to replenish grain for the army on the North Road of Li Tang. The Changping's warehouse was half empty. In addition, according to the report, the poor harvest in Guanzhong this year is basically confirmed. Twenty-three counties and magistrates in Guanzhong submitted memorials to the Secretariat, saying that half of the usual taxes could not be paid. Li Yuan issued a document to rebuke, and his memorial had been copied by us."

"In addition, according to the investigation by the people of Fengwen Department, because the Tang people did not like eating wheat, after Li Yuan founded the country, although he strongly encouraged the people to cultivate and fight, he did not vigorously promote wheat among the people like our Dazhao to obtain harvests in spring and autumn. Most of the fields of Li Tang were still millet, and wheat was only part of them, so this year, Guanzhong was a disaster, and the corn harvest was a bad one, which led to a sharp increase in the price of grain among the people."

Li Chongjiu knew that corn was still the mainstream planting product at this time, but the disadvantage of corn was that it was not only not cold-resistant, but also had low yields. This low yield was compared with wheat, and the yield of corn was pitifully low. In ancient times, the people of Guanzhong generally did not grow wheat. In the Western Han Dynasty, Dong Zhongshu had submitted a message to Emperor Wu of Han to plant wheat widely, and the people of Guanzhong planted some wheat a little.

However, people in Guanzhong still like to grow corn. The reason is that they like to eat two words. In the eyes of people at that time, sorghum was the best food and corn was the middle food. Wheat and other grains were also inferior foods, and they were all called miscellaneous grains. Li Yuan also expressed his clear distinction between love and dislike in this regard. In the Tang Dynasty, it was written that the tax was mainly corn, and if there was insufficient corn, mixed grains were supplemented by miscellaneous grains.

In history, wheat was widely implemented in the middle and late Tang Dynasty, and it was changed to the two tax law at that time, and the imperial court allowed the collection of wheat as a land tax.

But Zhao State is different. Li Chongjiu was one step ahead of the times. When he was in Huaihuang and Yuyi towns, he vigorously promoted the cultivation of spring and winter wheat. Local Goguryeo and Khitan military households worked hard to cultivate wheat fields to cultivate.

This year, Li Chongjiu was preparing to listen to the opinions of Lin Dangfeng and Ji Chuan and encourage the people of Hebei and Shandong to farm through soybean and wheat rotation. The court was willing to supply wheat seeds to the people at a market price of 70%. As for the newly occupied Jianghuai and Yangtze River Basins, Li Chongjiu's Secretariat was also discussing what preferential methods to promote local people and replant the rice and wheat. This matter is also imperative.

Li Chongjiu and officials from the Secretariat Province agree in this regard, food is the most important thing for the people. Although Zhao State has Luokou Cang and Liyang Cang. There is a steady supply of military rations, for agricultural countries, farming is always the kingdom.

In order to cope with such a bad year this year, Li Tang was undoubtedly very hard-working. The grain from Jianghuai cannot be supplied to Guanzhong. The grain from Guanzhong can only travel through mountains and rivers, transporting it from Henan to Guanzhong, which has a drop in the bucket.

For Guanzhong, which was already short of food and grass, the output of its own land was the most important. However, the long-term wars led to serious damage to Guanzhong. The Li Tang established Chang'an as Kyoto, resulting in an increase in the population of Guanzhong. The former 800-mile Qinchuan was far from being able to provide food to the people of Guanzhong. Now the poor harvest of autumn grain is a foregone conclusion.

In addition, Li Tang had a single economy such as corn and sorghum. Relatively speaking, the Zhao State's harvest this year was also sluggish. Shandong had a severe drought and Hebei suffered a little locust plague, but the people's lives were relatively easy because Li Chongjiu exempted Hebei and Shandong from land tax this year, so the people just need to support themselves.

Xue Wanshu said: "The autumn grain is still two months away, but the price of grain in Guanzhong is already seventy cents per dou, and even eighty cents per dou in Chang'an. Youjing is only twenty cents per dou. Even because of the war last year, he suffered from locusts and droughts this year, the food price in Hebei and Shandong is only thirty to forty cents per dou."

Li Chongjiu had a rough estimate of the price of grain when he first captured Youjing. When he first captured Youjing, the price of grain in the north was also very high. He tried hard to maintain it at 50 coins per dou, so that there was no great famine among the people, causing the people of Youjing to starve to death.

Now Chang'an, Guanzhong has reached 100 cents. The most painful thing is the lowest class of people. Moreover, the taxes of Li Tang are not low. Under such pressure, the only thing the people can choose to go into exile.

Li Chongjiu looked at Xue Wanshu and said, "So what you mean is to persuade me to order the merchants who are inclined to copy grains in Chang'an and then pile up the grains and grass?"

Xue Wanshu nodded and said, "Yes, Your Majesty, I expect to prepare 500,000 jin of money to collect grain for half a year. First, I release the news, saying that my Da Zhao will have a big war against Li Tang this autumn. With the rumors, the price of grain will inevitably continue to rise due to the war news. Then, during the autumn harvest period, when the grain prices fall, we purchase large quantities of goods and sweep grain. It is expected that in half a year, the grain prices in Chang'an can be pushed up to more than 100 coins per dou."

After hearing this, Li Chongjiu said, "This move is really vicious, but it's 500,000 yuan. Do you think I'm very rich? This year's war, our Great Zhao Treasury is also empty."

Xue Wanshu said: "Your Majesty can use this year's civil debt to repay it. In short, this matter is inevitable."

Li Chongjiu smiled and said, "This civil debt is my borrowing from the private sector. It is not my money. You want to speculate on high grain prices. We don't make a profit from it. The loss is quite large. This is purely a person who hurts others and does not benefit themselves. If the 500,000 ounces of money is not paid next year, I will be immediately targeted by thousands of people."

Xue Wanshu lowered his head and said, "Your Majesty's worries will have to wait until next year, but I think Li Yuan may not even be able to pass this year. Your Majesty, this is a way to defeat others without fighting. Once the food price is high, Guanzhong will inevitably be exhausted and ill, and the people will have complaints about Li Tang. In this way, Li Yuan's rule in Guanzhong will inevitably fall, and the people will deviate from Li Yuan. If I were Li Yuan, there would be no other choice to resolve such a dilemma except to move the capital to Bashu and Jingxiang temporarily avoid it."

Li Chongjiu nodded and said, "But the father and son of the Li family are not incompetent. When we trade grain, they will inevitably find clues. We must find a few more merchants and buy them separately. I decided that this matter is feasible and leave it to Lin Dangfeng, Cao Wen and you three will do it together. Remember to act cautiously."

Xue Wanshu immediately bowed and said, "Promise."
Chapter completed!