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“Sir, in the past few days, many grain ships from other regions have stopped at the docks,” an official reported cautiously.

Yang Yi raised an eyebrow. “Keep monitoring the situation. Let me know when the docks are completely full.”

“Yes, sir.” The clerk, though puzzled, followed the instruction.

Three days later…

“Sir, the docks are now completely full. There are grain ships everywhere,” the clerk reported respectfully.

Yang Yi’s eyes glinted with satisfaction. “Give my order: stop buying grain. Also, open the granaries and begin distributing the grain to the people.”

The official hesitated, confusion flickering across his face. Just a few days ago, this Imperial envoy had seemed indifferent to the plight of the people and had refused to distribute relief grain. Why the sudden change?

Though perplexed, the official complied with the orders.

Half a day later…

The government’s decision to open the granaries and halt grain purchases sent shockwaves through the city. Countless people rushed to receive the relief grain. Although the amount provided was limited, it was enough to sustain them for a while.

Meanwhile, the local grain merchants gathered, visibly distressed.

“What’s happening? Why has the Imperial envoy stopped buying grain?”

“I’ve stockpiled 800,000 catties of grain. If they stop buying, what am I supposed to do with it?” a middle-aged man with a mustache exclaimed in panic.

“I’ve hoarded a lot as well.”

“Yes, if it falls into our hands, the losses will be enormous.”

“Hey, I’ve accumulated over a million catties.”

The concern among the merchants was palpable.

“Everyone, don’t panic. Once their granaries are empty, they’ll have to buy more,” an older man said with a sneer.

“Right, right. Why are you all so worried?” a fat man added disdainfully.

“Hangzhou’s population is nearly a million. The grain the government has bought is just a drop in the bucket. If they want to avoid a revolt, they’ll have to purchase our grain.”

The merchants, reassured, calmed down a bit. The fat man sneered, “Let’s see if this young envoy can really turn the world upside down.”

At the docks, the foreign grain traders were bewildered.

“They’ve stopped buying? If they’re not buying grain, why did we come all the way from other regions?”

“We’re in trouble. If the government doesn’t buy, the round trip will cost us a fortune.”

“We’re losing a lot. Those ships cost money to dock every day. If we can’t sell the grain, we’ll have to cover the costs ourselves.”

“Everyone, stay calm. The grain the government has bought won’t last forever. They’ll definitely buy more.”

“That’s true, but every extra day we stay here costs us more.”

“Let’s hope the government starts buying soon.”

…

Half a month passed.

The government continued to distribute relief grain in small but steady quantities.

The out-of-town grain merchants could still hold their own, but the out-of-town merchants were on the verge of losing it.

The ships they rented were charging hefty fees for every day they were in the Hangzhou harbor. The port officials, knowing that these merchants were there to make money, showed no mercy and charged exorbitant fees. The out-of-town merchants were almost at their breaking point.

A group of people gathered at the port, sighing and lamenting.

“We’ve been here for half a month, staying all day. Not only have we not sold a single grain of rice, but we also have to pay extra docking fees. When we return, we’ll have to pay a large amount of money to rent the ship. What are we going to do?” said an old man with a bitter smile.

Beside him, a young man wore a tearful expression. “At least you all have some assets. I put everything I had into this trip, hoping to make a big profit. If I don’t make any money, I’ll have to mortgage my ancestral home. That would be a disaster.”

“Who could have known that the court would suddenly stop buying grain? Why don’t we sell to the townspeople?” someone suggested.

“Hmm, you want to sell to the townspeople? How? Will you carry the rice yourself? If you hire people to do that, that’s another expense. Besides, do you think the local grain merchants are easy to deal with? Even if you want to sell at a low price, do you have the ability to do so?” A thin middle-aged man sneered.

The crowd fell silent. They knew that they seemed to have reached a dead end. Staying in Hangzhou any longer would probably result in a total loss. Even if they returned now, they would still suffer considerable losses.

Just as everyone fell silent, a servant entered.

“Gentlemen, an officer from the government office wants to see you…”

Everyone was taken aback and showed puzzled expressions.

The Government Office?

They looked at each other for a moment. One said, “Let him in.”

The servant nodded and retreated.

“What could be the purpose of this officer…?” One person looked confused. The others remained silent.

An old man said in a deep voice, “No matter what, let’s meet him first.”

Everyone nodded in agreement.

Moments later, an officer dressed in a round-collared black robe walked in. He looked around the room with a serious expression and said, “It’s good that everyone is here. The Imperial envoy would like to invite you all to a banquet tomorrow to discuss the matter of purchasing grain…”

“What?” Everyone was stunned at first, then their faces lit up with joy. Their bodies trembled with excitement, unable to contain themselves.

As long as the government was willing to buy the grain, they wouldn’t have to suffer any more losses!

Hope had arrived!