The first thing you need to do is to make an example out of the people who are trying to raise prices by cutting off the heads of a few grain merchants to deter them from raising prices, and to curb the price of grain!
Listening to the advice of a group of Xuyun officials, Zhu Pingan narrowed his eyes slightly, such a tactic could certainly curb grain price hikes, but could it really be beneficial to tide over the flood? Undeniably, there was, definitely, but in Zhu Pingan’s opinion, the effect was also very limited, and at this particular time of the flood, it was even killing the enemy by a thousand to the detriment of three thousand.
It goes without saying that the reason why the grain merchants are jacking up prices and profiteering, but the lack of food supply is also a very important reason. Jiangnan is the grain silo of the Ming Dynasty, now half of Jiangnan floods, Jiangnan’s grain stocks are basically soaked up by the flood, the grain silo has become a grain shortage. Grain merchants do not have much grain on hand, the entire southern grain silos of the Ming Dynasty are in a grain shortage, grain merchants are also very difficult to get food, and from the north, Sichuan and Sichuan and other places to transport grain, the road is long, the cost is huge not to mention that, with their strength and scale, the transport of food is also limited. Grain merchants subjectively profiteering, the objective grain and insufficient, price gouging, limited sales ……This series of operations is understandable.
Value determines price, supply and demand affects price, these modern economic principles, Zhu Pingan is more than clear.
Although to thunder administrative means, can indeed inhibit the control of food prices, but the food, unprofitable, in addition to the imperial government (the court is now a time unable to rescue), who will take the time and effort and money to go abroad to transport food?
Although the price of grain is under control, but what is the use of controlling the price of grain when there is no grain to sell?
At this particular time, food is the basis of disaster relief, without food, everything is out of the question.
I Jingnan in this flood, one person has not lost, but if there is no food, then Jingnan can be a disaster, natural disasters are also likely to become man-made disasters, man-made disasters are much more destructive than natural disasters.
My Chinese people are very honest, really honest, as long as there is a mouthful of food, as long as there is a way to live, the people will not be chaotic, but if there is no food, no food, no way to live, Zhu Pingan would not dare to imagine.
Grain!
That is what is most important!
Flood is a special time, this flood in Jiangnan is also very special, the court is unable to rescue at a time, special times when special things. Zhu Pingan has a bold idea in mind that can solve the grain shortage in Jingnan, just ……
Special period, there are so many “just”!Although ten million people I will go! Zhu Pingan’s gaze became firm, swept towards the crowd of xuxu officials and slowly spoke, “I have my own ideas on grain prices. In addition, at the moment, our county’s food supply is limited, so our county office should not go and compete with the people in the city for food, and should not purchase food for the time being. We will wait until the county’s food supply is sufficient, then we will purchase again. Do you all have any other ideas?”
For the next half an hour, Zhu Pingan listened to some of the suggestions of the xuxu officials regarding the flood, adopting many of the suggestions, such as strengthening the control of the flood avoidance area, such as enlisting a great doctor to station in the flood avoidance area, and so on.
“Prefectural Duke, given the limited storage of grain in the warehouse, my humble servant suggests that the standard of meals for the flood victims in the flood shelter area should be appropriately lowered. From three meals to two meals, from two nests and thin rice manageable, down to one nest and one bowl of thin rice.”
Warehouse Qian Diancheng proposed.
“Not good, not good. From three meals to two meals, from two nests and rice to one bowl of rice, this is too much, how can the victims get enough to eat? I’m afraid to cause public anger, incurring curses ah.”
Household room Liu Fu Zi heard, immediately rose to express opposition, spittle are almost sprayed to the Qian Dianliang face.
“Dignitary Liu, this is an extraordinary time, if we don’t save some, after twenty days, not to mention a nest and a bowl of rice, there won’t even be a single grain of rice left, so everyone will have to drink the north-west wind.”
Warehouse Qian Dianxian was also not willing to show weakness and got up to refute Liu Dianxian.
“We can’t lower it, if we lower the food like this, the people’s spittle can drown us.”
“Food is already limited, if we don’t lower the standard, the barn will run out of food in twenty days. What will happen then? And have enough to eat? It’s good enough to have something to eat, and which of the other counties is like my Jingnan? In this time of great calamity, what’s not to be satisfied with a nest and a bowl of thin rice!”
……
Soon, all the other officials present also took sides, some taking a stance in favour of Dignitary Qian, some taking a stance in favour of Master Liu, and both sides argued fiercely around whether to lower the standard of food for the disaster victims or not.
“Alright. Before the food issue is resolved, let’s lower the meal standards first as Dignitary Qian said.”
Zhu Pingan was not a pedantic person and slapped the table, interrupting the argument of the canons and adopting the proposal of Canon Qian.
On the one hand, it was true, as Qian Dianren and the others had said, the county office warehouse had limited grain storage and had to think long term. Two meals a day, each serving a bowl of thin rice and a wok, in this period of catastrophe, it was already rare, enough to solve the survival problem of the victims, other counties could not even do this.
On the other hand, Zhu Pingan also has other considerations, Zhu Pingan is ready to two or three days later, when the flood waters recede some more, to launch the epoch-making policy of “work for food”, combining disaster relief with post-disaster reconstruction, and organising the victims to carry out a series of post-disaster reconstruction projects, such as reconstruction of villages, excavation of water conservancy facilities, repair and mending of the city walls, construction of beacon towers, and other anti-Japanese and anti-Japanese projects.Beacon Terrace and other anti-Japanese and anti-Japanese projects, etc., to provide them with food and necessary wages, rather than direct relief as at present, which would be too wasteful of resources and labour.
Qian Dianliang’s proposal could just be laid out in advance.
What? You don’t like having two meals a day, you don’t like having a bowl of rice and a dumpling, and you want to eat well, well, come and join the food-for-work project. If you join the food-for-work programme, you will not only be well-fed but also paid for your work.
In this way, through the work in lieu of food, not only can make the majority of victims to meet the food, have the necessary income, to achieve the purpose of relief, but also to speed up the speed of reconstruction after the disaster in Jingnan, leaving a series of public works and infrastructure in Jingnan, Jingnan economic and social development, and in addition to the excess energy of the victims can be vented to save their energy to make trouble, and is conducive to flood avoidance and stability of the area.
Zhu Pingan’s reason for accepting disaster victims from all counties was out of the idea of “work in lieu of food”.
“Prefect, please think twice. You must know that the grace of the bucket of rice is not the same as the hatred of the rising rice, once the standard is lowered like this, it will surely attract a lot of curses. We’re just fine, but mainly you, the good reputation you’ve accumulated before will be ruined.”Seeing that Zhu Pingan had adopted the proposal of the Qian Dianliang, the Household Chamber’s Husbandman Liu and the others couldn’t help but dissuade him again and again.
“Cursing is fine, I’ll take the blame for this, only if the people can get through this flood safely, Ping An is willing to spit on his own face.”Zhu Pingan smiled faintly, not worried in the slightest about his reputation being ruined.
As long as the people can get through this flood safely, Ping An is willing to spit on his own face ……
What kind of sentiment and broad-mindedness is this!
Liu Fu Zi and others were instantly shaken, looking at Zhu Pingan’s gaze full of respect, the ancient scholar’s pursuit and importance of fame and integrity far exceeds Zhu Pingan’s imagination as a modern man, they have risen and said, “The county honourable bosom is so ……We are not as well! Yes, extraordinary times, when the very thing, is that we are pedantic.”
Er ……As for? Looking at the gazes of the crowd filled with respect, Zhu Pingan could not help but be stunned for a moment.
