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Wu Zhao’s gaze was filled with anticipation, her posture slightly more upright, her eyes gleaming with curiosity.

Yang Yi’s lips curved into a slight smile. He folded his hands and spoke confidently.

“As for a solution, of course, I have one…”

“Oh?” Wu Zhao’s eyes sparkled with interest. “Minister Yang, please elaborate.”

Yang Yi spoke with seriousness.

“To resolve the crisis in Hangzhou, the first step is for the court to intervene and raise the grain prices…”

Silence.

The hall was enveloped in an eerie quiet. Everyone stared at Yang Yi, stunned and bewildered. The prevailing thought was unanimous: Is this man insane?

Li Yifu’s expression was one of incredulity. He had expected a brilliant idea, but instead, it seemed Yang Yi was merely trying to create chaos.

Grain prices were already high enough—raising them further would only drive people to desperation.

Wu Zhao’s eyes twitched with disbelief. After a pause, she spoke with difficulty.

“Minister Yang, are you mistaken?”

“We are trying to save these people, not push them to their deaths…”

Shangguan Wan’er was equally stunned. She could scarcely believe that Minister Yang would propose such a counterproductive plan. With the prices already sky-high and public sentiment in turmoil, increasing the prices would invite severe backlash against the court.

Yang Yi’s smile widened.

“Your Majesty, I am indeed proposing a solution that will ultimately save the people.”

“And raising the grain prices is the first step toward that goal…”

Li Yifu sneered, his gaze sharp and accusatory.

“Minister Yang, are you aware that current grain prices are already ten times higher than usual? Do you understand the consequences of raising them further?”

The other officials exchanged glances of disappointment. They had hoped for a revolutionary idea from this young man, but it seemed he was merely speaking nonsense.

Food, clothing, housing, and transportation tend to have stable prices, with fluctuations reflecting the state of the domestic economy. A tenfold increase in grain prices has already made life difficult for the people. If prices continue to rise, a revolt could be imminent.

Yang Yi disregarded Li Yifu’s sarcasm and smiled.

“As a result, the grain merchants will be overjoyed…”

Everyone stared in bewilderment.

How could making the grain merchants happy possibly lead to a better life for the people?

Wu Zhao’s concern grew as she tried to piece together Yang Yi’s logic. His plan seemed to be creating more problems rather than solving them. Her expression hardened.

“Minister Yang, the situation in Hangzhou is already very complicated. We cannot afford to make matters worse.”

Although she admired Yang Yi’s talents, she couldn’t ignore the potential disaster his plan might cause. The people of Hangzhou could revolt if conditions deteriorated further.

Yang Yi spread his hands helplessly.

“Your Majesty, I assure you, I am not fooling around.”

“The court should not only buy grain at high prices but also close the granaries and halt the distribution of relief grain.”

The room fell into stunned silence.

Several officials gasped, unable to believe what they had just heard. They had thought exploiting the people was bad, but Yang Yi’s proposal to halt relief grain distribution seemed even more extreme. Was he trying to starve the entire city?

Li Yifu’s eyes widened in shock. Was this boy attempting to force a rebellion or condemn the people to starvation?

Shangguan Wan’er looked at Yang Yi with disbelief. Had he lost his mind? Such a proposal was almost unthinkable.

Wu Zhao’s anger flared. Her forehead veins pulsed, and her tone was sharp.

“Yang Yi, besides making unscrupulous merchants happy and causing the people to suffer, what benefit does your plan offer?”

Everyone nodded in agreement, their expressions reflecting their unease.

Li Yifu’s eyes narrowed with satisfaction. It seemed this young man had dug his own grave with such a plan, as if fate had dealt its hand.

Yang Yi remained calm, his smile unwavering.

“Why are the grain traders hoarding and speculating?”

“Currently, grain prices are ten times higher than before, having risen from five qian per dou to fifty cents per bucket. Even I am tempted, let alone the grain merchants.”

“If the court buys grain at sixty cents per bucket and stops distributing relief grain, the price in Hangzhou could skyrocket to an unprecedented high, possibly reaching two hundred cents per bucket!”

“Such exorbitant prices will inevitably spread across the country, causing envy among grain merchants everywhere. Merchants are driven by profit. If they can sell grain locally for five or six cents per bucket but fetch hundreds of cents per bucket in Hangzhou, the profit margin is astronomical. How could they resist? Grain traders from all over the country will flock to Hangzhou when they hear this news!”

“In their eyes, Hangzhou will become a piece of fat meat, and they will come running to seize their share.”

Everyone frowned but couldn’t help but nod slightly. Yang Yi’s analysis was indeed logical, though the implications seemed troubling. With such high prices, the common people would find it even harder to afford food.

Li Yifu scoffed. “This move will only benefit the greedy merchants. What’s the point?”

Yang Yi glanced at Li Yifu with a smirk. “Minister Li, as the Minister of Finance, you should have a better grasp of economic principles. I wonder what use you are in your position if you lack such understanding. It seems you’re just holding a title without any real responsibility.”

Li Yifu’s face flushed with anger, his finger trembling as he pointed at Yang Yi. “How dare you…”

Yang Yi met the gazes of the others, his smile widening as he revealed his teeth, like a tiger baring its fangs.

“Grain merchants from all over the country will bring large quantities of grain to Hangzhou. If the court suddenly announces the end of the high-priced grain purchases, what will these merchants do with their grain if the people can’t afford it?”

“The court can then release the previously stored grain and open the granaries!”

“Even if the relief grain isn’t much, it will ensure that people don’t starve for a few more days. Will anyone still be willing to buy the high-priced grain from those merchants?”

“At that point, the merchants will be sitting on large quantities of unsold grain at the Hangzhou docks. If they leave, they’ll incur high transportation costs. Will they be willing to accept such a loss?”

“In this scenario, the court can gather all the grain merchants and offer to buy their grain at a lower price, say six cents a bucket. Most of them will not refuse, because returning with unsold grain would result in greater losses. Selling to the government at a lower price is a better option to mitigate their losses. This way, the government can stockpile a significant amount of low-priced grain.”

“This influx of low-priced grain will flood the Hangzhou market. Grain prices will inevitably collapse, dropping from hundreds of cents a bucket to just a few cents. The unscrupulous merchants who had raised prices will be forced to lower them, even if it means taking a loss. They will have no choice but to sell, or their high-priced grain will rot.”

“At that point, the grain shortage in Hangzhou will be resolved, and prices will return to their previous levels or even lower. The people will finally be able to afford grain.”

“I ask you all, does this strategy not solve the crisis in Hangzhou?”