Mythical Qin: I, Gao Yao, will never be a eunuch!

Chapter 1188 The Grain Bureau Begins, Qing Kingdom Faces Grain Shortage!

After a long silence, Emperor Qing made a decision: "Issue my decree to transfer 50,000 elite troops from the Second Route Border Army to reinforce the northern border, but strictly order them to focus on defense and not to launch any offensive across the border without my personal order. At the same time," he paused, "I will send the Vice Minister of Rites as a special envoy to the Northern Qi to probe the true intentions of their royal family."

"Yes, sir!" Hong Sixiang bowed and accepted the order.

"Furthermore," Emperor Qing added, "have the Censorate strengthen its surveillance of envoys from various countries, especially those from Dongyi City and Nanzhao. I want to know their reaction to this matter."

Hong Sixiang nodded in agreement and was about to leave when Emperor Qing called him back: "Wait. How is the situation in the Western Frontier?"

"Your Majesty, Dean Chen Pingping secretly reported yesterday that the rebels in the western border have retreated to Cangyun Mountain. Our army is besieging the mountain, but the terrain is complex and a direct attack would likely result in heavy losses. Therefore, we have adopted a strategy of encirclement, cutting off their food and water supplies, and waiting for them to fall into disarray."

Emperor Qing nodded, indicating that Hong Sixiang could leave.

Once again, only Emperor Qing remained in the main hall. He slowly walked back to the map, his gaze sweeping across the vast territory of the Qing Kingdom. From the snow-capped mountains of the north to the coast of the south, from the deserts of the west to the plains of the east, this land he had ruled for twenty years was now facing unprecedented challenges.

“There are undercurrents…” Emperor Qing sighed softly, a sharp glint flashing in his eyes. “No matter who you are, no matter where you are, if you have chosen to be an enemy of the Qing Kingdom, then you must be prepared to pay the price.”

He turned and walked to his desk, picking up his pen to begin writing the secret order. The candlelight cast a long shadow of him on the cold walls of the hall, making him appear like a lonely guardian watching over his kingdom in the long night.

Meanwhile, atop a cliff in the northern borderlands, a thousand miles away, Gao Yao still stood against the wind. He toyed with a bronze token in his hand; the front of the token was engraved with intricate cloud patterns, while the back bore an ancient character for "shadow."

“Emperor Qing should have already received the battle report,” he said to his entourage. “Given his character, he will not easily negotiate peace, but he will also not blindly escalate the war. He will reinforce the defenses and at the same time send people to probe Northern Qi.”

The attendant asked in a low voice, "Your Majesty, what should we do next?"

Gao Yao gazed at the gradually brightening horizon, a cryptic smile playing on his lips: "Let the fire in the western border burn even brighter. Also, we can subtly leak some information to Dongyi City... say that the northern and western borders of Qing Kingdom are both in dire straits, the national treasury is empty, and it is a good time to discuss old debts."

"Here!"

With Gao Yao's orders issued, the second phase of the conspiracy targeting the Qing Kingdom began to unfold.

"The war in the north is getting intense." Behind him, the head manager of the merchant guild reported in a low voice, "The imperial court requisitioned another 50,000 shi of military rations yesterday, and the Ministry of War has come to urge payment for the rations for the third time."

Gao Yao didn't turn around, his fingers lightly tapping on the window frame: "Where are the rebels in the west?"

"It's still a stalemate. Scouts report that the rebels have taken control of three grain-producing counties, and the government army's supply lines have been stretched three times over." The head steward handed over a scroll of secret reports. "The imperial court has begun to levy additional autumn grain taxes in various prefectures in Jiangnan, half a month earlier than in previous years."

All of this news was within Gao Yao's expectations. The Southern Qing Dynasty was at war on two fronts—the war with Northern Qi in the north was escalating further, and a rebellion was breaking out in the west—this was the opportunity he had been waiting for. Once a country's war machine is running at full speed, the first thing to bear the pressure is always food. And food was precisely the giant net that Gao Yao had carefully woven over the years.

"Let's begin." Gao Yao turned around, his face expressionless, but a sharp glint flashed in his eyes. "Initiate the Harvest Plan."

These three words, spoken lightly, signified that a war without gunpowder was about to erupt in the Qing Kingdom's grain market. Gao Yao had waited far too long for this moment. He had witnessed how grain could destroy a vassal state during the chaos of the late Qin Dynasty, and how financial warfare could cause a nation's economy to collapse in modern society. Now, he would combine these two experiences to stage a grand drama of grain power struggles within this feudal dynasty.

Seven days later, a message began to circulate throughout the Qing Kingdom: this year's favorable weather has resulted in thriving crops, and a bumper harvest, the likes of which are not seen in a decade, is expected for the autumn harvest. This news initially circulated only among the common people, gradually appearing in the mouths of storytellers in teahouses and taverns, and then being reprinted in local tabloids.

Few people noticed that the channels through which these messages were spread were mostly closely connected with the Gao Clan Chamber of Commerce.

Gao Yao controlled thirteen businesses that funded more than thirty post stations in Qing Kingdom under different names. His teahouses and taverns were located in seventy-two important towns. Even 40% of the peddlers who traveled from street to street got their goods from him.

“The best way to make a lie seem like the truth is to make everyone say it,” Gao Yao said at a secret meeting of the Chamber of Commerce. A huge map of the Qing Kingdom was spread out before him, marked with different colored markers indicating grain reserves, transportation routes, and key figures in various regions.

The first phase of the operation seemed simple: gradually lower grain prices. The grain stores controlled by Gao Yao began selling their stored grain at prices 10% lower than the market price. Initially, this was piloted in only three states, but a week later it was expanded to seven states, with prices dropping another 50%. Other grain merchants initially waited and saw, but as Gao's low-priced grain continued to flood the market, they had no choice but to follow suit and lower their prices, otherwise they would be unable to sell their grain.

"Master, we have already lost 30,000 taels of silver," the head manager reported with great concern.

Gao Yao waved his hand: "It's just a loss on paper. What we're selling are old grains from last year and the year before, while what we're buying are the pre-purchase rights for new grains in various regions. Remember, we're not selling grain, we're buying time, buying time for market panic to ferment."

He walked to the map and traced several major canal transport routes with his finger: "Notify all branches in Jiangnan to begin secretly purchasing new grain in advance contracts. Do not use the Gao family's name, but use the other seventeen shell companies we control. Each company should purchase no more than five thousand shi (a unit of dry measure), and distribute them to different counties and townships."

This strategy of decentralized acquisition was extremely covert. In one county, the "Longchang" might be buying grain; in a neighboring county, the "Fengyuhang" might be operating. These trading companies appeared unrelated, but their actual controllers all pointed to a secret overseas account under Gao Yao's control. Within three months, Gao Yao's team, using various aliases, had secured more than 40% of Qing Kingdom's projected new grain production.

The grain administration system of the Qing Kingdom was not without its flaws. The Ministry of Revenue had established the Ever-Normal Granary, and each prefecture had its own charitable granary, which in theory was sufficient to cope with grain price fluctuations in ordinary years. However, Gao Yao had studied the loopholes in this system: the grain stored in the Ever-Normal Granary was mostly concentrated in a few central cities, making transportation slow; and the local charitable granaries were often controlled by local powerful families, resulting in chaotic accounts.

More importantly, the war disrupted the court's plans.

In early October, urgent news arrived from the northern border: a sudden cold snap had frozen and killed a large number of troops and horses, greatly increasing logistical pressure. The Ministry of War urgently requested an additional 100,000 shi (a unit of dry measure) of military rations, which had to be delivered to the front lines within two months. Minister of Revenue Li Yannian went to the palace that very night to meet the emperor, and left with a grim face.