Qu Bucai hurriedly walked into Xiangzhuang's study and bowed and said, "Master, good news. After Bai Mo opened Taicang and released grain, the Lu family finally took action."

"Okay, very good." Xiang Zhuang beat the climax hard.

With the intervention of the Lu family, the confrontation caused by food in Guanzhong has risen into a political struggle. Now, both the Bai Mo and the interest groups led by the Lu family and the Sima family have no way out. Even the noble families who were moved and tried to make huge profits from it have completely fallen into it.

Because the current situation is obvious, whoever can't stand it first will definitely lose all his money.

If Bai Mo couldn't hold on, he would not only lose all the stored grain in Taicang, but also bear the consequences of the soaring price of Guanzhong grain, unless he dared to suppress all the merchants, aristocratic families, wealthy families and honorary relatives in Guanzhong with an iron fist, because these four groups have formed a community of interests and their interests are consistent.

"Bai Mo, hehe, I didn't expect that I will be today!" Xiang Zhuang was also a little excited.

However, when I thought about it, Xiang Zhuang felt relieved. Economic warfare was too unfamiliar to the ancients. China has been an official-oriented ruling system since ancient times, and it was still the case two thousand years later. Under the official-oriented system, merchants have no status at all. No wonder Bai Mo did not take the merchants in Guanzhong seriously at all. Just imagine, who would take a group of ants seriously?

Just talking about Bishu and Bailixian, are they both powerful people? But aren’t they responding to economic wars at all?

But now, Bai Mo should have realized the seriousness of the problem, right? Although the merchants in Guanzhong are just a group of small ants with no ability to resist, there are many highly poisonous scorpions among the group of small ants, namely the noble families and nobles of Guanzhong. It is not easy for Bai Mo to wipe out these ants and scorpions.

Also, what Bai Mo didn't know was that behind these little ants and poisonous scorpions, there was actually a giant python that was ready to choose people to eat at any time. Hehe.

#############

Under Chen Ping's instruction, the Black Ice Platform had strengthened the monitoring of Guanzhong merchants, so all kinds of news flew to Chen Ping's desk like snowflakes. Hearing that the nobles and nobles led by the Lu family had also intervened, Chen Ping felt that the situation was serious and quickly came to the prime minister's mansion overnight and discussed with Bai Mo.

"This is a group of villains who are profit-oriented. They have no interests in the Han Dynasty at all!" Chen Ping said as he became angry, slapped the table and said angrily, "Prime Minister, why not I go to the palace to meet the king overnight and ask the king to issue an edict to order these villains to open warehouses and release grain. If anyone does not follow, he will be severely punished!"

What Chen Ping said was naturally the noble families and noble families in Guanzhong. Especially the Lu family had the greatest power.

"It's not appropriate, the Grand Tutor's proposal is very inappropriate." Bai Mo shook his head and said in a deep voice. "If you use an iron fist to purify the situation, it will inevitably cause turmoil. If you are not careful, it will shake the foundation of the country. The Han Dynasty needs to work hard to manage and recuperate, and nothing can happen again, so there is still another solution to this matter."

Chen Ping was silent when he heard this. He knew that Bai Mo was talking about the facts. Using an iron fist to purify these noble families and noble families who were hoarding, they could certainly eliminate the hatred in their hearts and resolve the temporary difficulties, but the consequences were undoubtedly extremely serious, because in this way, Guanzhong would be in chaos and even the army would be disintegrated.

Chen Ping asked again, "Prime Minister, what good ideas do you have?"

Bai Mo said in contemplation: "Taoshi, I had underestimated them before. I really didn't expect that these merchants would have such a great influence when they joined forces. There were also those noble families, noble families, noble families, and noble families. I didn't expect that they would even be in a gang with the merchants and go against the merchants."

Chen Ping said: "This is called Li Ling Zhihuo."

"It's not that simple." Bai Mo waved his hand and said coldly, "The reason why the nobles and nobles of the aristocratic families and nobles took action this time is only the secondary reason. In fact, the nobles and nobles of the major aristocratic families and nobles of the aristocratic families are the real controllers of the salt and iron industry. Because the original salt and iron official camp has damaged their roots, they will fight back."

Chen Ping smiled bitterly when he heard this and asked in a deep voice: "Prime Minister, how should I deal with it now?"

Even though Chen Ping was full of tricks, he was helpless in dealing with these merchants, because this level had exceeded his knowledge.

"The original minister has already made a solution, let's take a look." Bai Mo said as he picked up two letters from the desk.

After reading the letter in a hurry, Chen Ping's eyes lit up and said, "Please ask Zhao State to transfer food urgently?"

"Yes." Bai Mo said with a heavy head and said with a grim voice, "Don't they want to fight a business war with the original king and the Han Dynasty through grain? Okay, the original king will accompany you to the end. I have to see if they have more money, or the Han Dynasty, Zhao State and Taicang, South Korea, and who can't hold on in the end, hum!"

Chen Ping said: "But it takes at least ten days to transport grain from Anyi to Xianyang, while it takes even longer to Handan!"

Bai Mo said: "It's okay, Xianyang Taicang is enough to support it for a while. You just need to reduce the daily grain release quota. When the grain from Handan is shipped, open the warehouse door and put all your efforts into releasing the grain. I will support them to death, hum!"

#############

King Zhang Ao of Zhao handed the secret letter to Bai Xuan and said, "General, let's take a look at this first."

Bai Xuan took the letter and read it in a hurry, saying in surprise: "Prime Minister Bai wants to borrow food? What's going on?"

Zhang Jing next to him said: "The General has been busy reorganizing the army recently, so he doesn't know what happened in Guanzhong. It is said that Guanzhong has caused a shortage of food due to poor grain harvests, so he needs to borrow food."

Bai Xuan frowned and said, "But Prime Minister Bai had to borrow one million stones as soon as he opened his mouth. There is not so much Taicang in Handan? What's more, the grain in Taicang in Handan is war preparation grain. It must not be used easily when it is less than 100,000 yuan. How can it be borrowed from outside?"

King Zhao Zhang Ao said: "Then I will reply to Prime Minister Bai, saying that we are short of food and have no food to borrow."

"This is not right. This time, the Han Dynasty is in trouble. If we stand by and watch, wouldn't we violate the promise of Lian Heng?" Bai Xuan pondered for a moment and finally said, "Let's do this, borrow 500,000."

King Zhang Ao of Zhao said: "Good, follow what the general said."

#############

A few days later, Qu Bucai hurried into Xiangzhuang's study and reported: "King, just received a letter from Feige from Anyi and Handan. King Han Xin of Han and King Zhao Zhang Ao of Kings of Han have helped the Han Dynasty, borrowing 300,000 and 500,000 stones of grain respectively. Now he is sending troops to Xianyang day and night."

"Okay, okay!" Xiang Zhuang beat the clan hard and said excitedly, "The decisive battle is about to start!"

After saying this, Xiang Zhuang pointed at Qu Bucai and ordered: "Immediately send 100,000 taels of gold to the Xianyang branch of Emuya through underground channels!"

Preparing gold for the Xianyang branch of Eumuya is naturally used to borrow money.

This is also the inherent meaning of the question. Through this business war, Xiangzhuang must achieve three goals. One is to loot the reserved grain in Taicang of Han, Han and Zhao countries to alleviate the dilemma of the shortage of food in Chu countries; the second is to loot the wealth of the Guanzhong family, wealthy families and honorary relatives, and greatly enrich the treasury of Chu countries; the third is to let Guanzhong merchants owe Chu countries a lot of debts, thereby secretly controlling them.

#############

Xianyang, Prime Minister's Mansion.

Chen Ping bowed to Bai Mo and said in a serious tone: "Prime Minister, Hei Bingtai has basically been found out. There are more than 500 merchants, aristocratic families, noble families and nobles involved in the hoarding of grain. If all the land and real estate under their names are sold, you can almost make up 200,000 yuan."

"Not that much." Bai Mo waved his hand and said coldly, "Such a large-scale sale will inevitably cause a plunge in land and real estate prices. If they can make up half of it in the end, they will be able to make up half of it."

Chen Ping nodded gently and said, "That's right, others are not fools."

Bai Mo said again: "Zhang Ao, King Zhao, and Han Xin, King Han, have agreed to borrow grain. About 800,000 shi of grain are being transported to Xianyang. The 800,000 shi, plus the surplus grains from Xianyang Taicang and the counties and counties, the total amount is about 2.5 million shi. Calculated at 500 shi per stone, it is worth about 125,000 shi, which is enough to crush them."

Chen Ping said: "To be safe, should we raise the price of grain from five hundred to one thousand?"

Bai Mo said: "I'm afraid not. The monthly money of husbands and servants in Xianyang is only about 800 yuan. If the price of grain is raised to 1,000 yuan per stone, they will not be able to support their wives and children. If husbands and servants cannot support their families, they will inevitably be in riots. This will make them seem incompetent? Some people have something to say in front of the king."

This is reasonable. The opponent can ignore the lives of the people of Xianyang. As the prime minister of the Han Dynasty, Bai Mo cannot ignore the livelihood issues of the people of Xianyang.

#############

Lu Tai's expression was gloomy and he was looking at the dusk outside the window.

Originally, Lu Tai did not want to go against Bai Mo. Even if Bai Mo deprived him of military power and transferred Lu Shizhi and Lu Chan from the county magistrate to a free position, Lu Tai could tolerate it. However, Bai Mo wanted to set up a specialty for salt and iron to be a franchise, which touched the Lu family. If the Lu family did not resist, it would not only lose authority, but also lose its wealth. In this way, it would be completely defeated if it didn't take two generations.

It is true that Lu Tai is a minister of the Han Dynasty, but he is the head of the Lu family. He cannot help but consider the Lu family, so he must take down the big tree Bai Mo at all costs.

Lu Shizhi's expression was also gloomy. He stood behind Lu Tai and whispered: "Please transfer it to Xianyang in five days at most. The 500,000 stones of grain released from Handan will be discharged within half a month. Bai Mo is mobilizing surplus grain from various counties to Xianyang. In addition, the total number of grains in Xianyang may exceed 2.5 million stones!"

Lv Chan, who was standing on the other side, added: "According to the current price of 500 qi per stone, 2.5 million qi is 125 million qi. If we sell all the industries in our country and the Sima family, we may not be able to make up, because there are too many industries sold, and the prices of land and real estate have plummeted by nearly half."
Chapter completed!