Chapter 175 – How to Elegantly Take Down Meng Liang (Part Twelve)
Meng Hunyun listened attentively but still didn’t understand her meaning.
Jiang Pengji continued to explain.
“You’re probably unaware, but due to years of drought in the surrounding counties, there’s a severe food shortage. Many common people have been driven to banditry, hiding in the deep mountains near Hejian County. Lately, bandits have been increasingly bold in their pillaging. If rumors of civil unrest spread now, the public will undoubtedly panic.”
Meng Hunyun vaguely grasped the situation and asked, “Is the Young Master worried that people’s hearts will be thrown into chaos, leading the common people to fear while the bandits take advantage?”
She nodded slowly but then shook her head, “You’ve got only half of it right; there’s another crucial half you haven’t pointed out.”
Meng Hunyun didn’t get it; he was just a rough sort. Even if he was thoughtful, he was no match for those wicked schemers.
“If public sentiment were to fall into chaos, what reaction do you think people would have?”
Jiang Pengji guided him until understanding finally dawned on his face, prompting her to continue.
“People prioritize food above all else, always. No matter where or when, having enough to eat is the foremost concern of the common folk. It’s just that the spring planting season just wrapped up a month ago. By the time this truly spreads, it will likely be summer planting time, far from the autumn harvest. Most farmers spent more than half of last year’s harvest already. If someone were to deliberately spread rumors that war might extend into Hejian County, what do you think would happen?”
Meng Hunyun’s throat felt parched, like a fire was burning in it. Uncertainly, he replied, “If that’s the case, the common people will surely rush to buy rice to avoid famine when the war spreads… and the rice merchants, naturally, will seize the opportunity to hike prices and rake in massive profits.”
When he left Meng County, the price of rice had already soared to five or six times what it normally was, and even that was in short supply.
It was easy to imagine how those profit-seeking merchants would exploit the situation to make a killing.
The price of rice might soar under manipulation from those with intentions, rising from five or six times to even tenfold or more!
“Not just that, it seems you’ve forgotten how many outlaws lurk near Hejian… They haven’t had any food to begin with, surviving on pillaging. If war comes, how will they survive? They can’t afford to buy from the rice merchants, they will only double their plundering of the common people…”
After hearing this, Meng Hunyun stood frozen in place.
He also came from a poor background and knew the taste of hunger; he had even seen people so desperate they dug up roots and tree bark to eat.
If they couldn’t scrape together even that, they would resort to eating something called ‘Guanyin soil,’ causing their bellies to swell and literally burst from overindulgence.
In even worse cases, people would steal children, and if someone starved to death, their bodies would be shared for food instead of being buried.
Hejian appeared prosperous on the surface, but there were hidden dangers lurking underneath.
A few of Meng Hunyun’s men had followed Meng Liang to Hejian, hiding in the deep mountains, where they had come across traces of bandit activity.
However, he had deliberately avoided them to avoid alarming the snake and unnecessary losses.
Now that he thought about it, a chill coursed through him.
Because they were in unfamiliar territory, they didn’t dare venture too deep into the woods, sticking to a limited radius for activities or hunting.
But in that small area, Meng Hunyun found evidence of more than one group of bandits. What did that indicate?
It meant that the seemingly peaceful Hejian had already been surrounded by bandits!
Normally, those desperate rogues would hold back a bit; even in their raiding, they wouldn’t dare cross too many lines and cause deaths.
But if chaos from Cangzhou’s Meng County reached them, what would these bandits do?
They needed to survive, they needed food, and they definitely sought to profit amid turmoil. During chaos, the officials wouldn’t be able to manage them.
In such a scenario, would they still behave as docilely as before?
Meng Hunyun didn’t know what the butterfly effect was, but he understood that if Hejian changed, it had a deep connection to him.
For a moment, he felt utterly speechless, unable to utter a word.
The other subordinates fell silent too; coming from poor families themselves, they understood all too well.
Jiang Pengji sighed, “However, I do have a way to somewhat suppress the rising rice prices; it might slightly alleviate the situation.”
Meng Hunyun suddenly perked up, his tiger-like eyes fixed intently on her, and after a long time, he finally managed to croak out a question.
“What does the Young Master plan to do? Is there anything Meng can assist with?”
She wearily pinched her brow, as if this matter made her quite troubled.
“I originally thought about fetching some grain from Hujun; after all, you all know that my father is the guard there. He’s organized things rather well. By channeling underground water, the drought has been significantly alleviated. Today, Hujun boasts fertile fields, producing a surplus of grain every year.”
Meng Hunyun nodded approvingly, “I’ve often heard merchants talk about this. They say that Hujun was once desolate, with corpses strewn everywhere. But ever since the new guard took office, the situation has improved year by year; it is now a place the common folk yearn for.”
At this point, he hesitated and spoke awkwardly, “The Young Master trying to use Hujun’s grain to alleviate Hejian’s food crisis is indeed a commendable thing, but you are still quite young and don’t have abundant resources. Even if the Hujun guard supports this idea… The expenses involved will be astronomical, and… it may even incite envy from others…”
Being a philanthropist isn’t as simple as it seems. Not every beneficial act toward the common folk would be welcomed by the Hejian County Guard.
Jiang Pengji sighed in resignation, “What you say is true, but if we do nothing, should we just stand by and watch?”
Meng Hunyun was struck mute by her question, unable to articulate a response.
She continued, “If there were a better source for grain, I would certainly want to take action… But who would be so generous? Who has a granary stuffed full of grain? In today’s world, if you don’t look out for yourself, you might face dire consequences. Who would kindly spare food to help the common people?”
With her series of questions, all the men in the room were left dumbfounded; they… they couldn’t think of anything either.
At that moment, the young boy who Jiang Pengji found somewhat cute suddenly perked up, wearing an expression of “I’ve got an idea!”
He pointed at the still struggling Meng Liang, stammering, “He, he, he can do it!”
Everyone’s expressions turned to shock, as if saying, “Are you kidding me?”
If Meng Liang had such a benevolent heart, would he have been brought to such desperation?
They didn’t react quickly enough, but Jiang Pengji seemed to have instantly understood, yet she still appeared hesitant.
Seeing her expression, Meng Hunyun realized she probably thought of a solution but was hesitant to voice it.
“If the Young Master has any brilliant ideas, please feel free to share. If you need Meng’s assistance, I certainly won’t refuse.”
Jiang Pengji still didn’t speak, but the young boy, impatient as ever, stammered, “The Officer, his family’s granary is so full it’s bug-infested! I heard you say earlier that the guards taking care of the granary complained about rats ruining a lot of grain…”
