Chapter 98 My lads, follow me to capture people!

Liu Fu received the news of the complete strike by the grain stores at noon on the second day.

"Your Majesty, all the grain shops in the entire eastern city have closed down. They say it's for internal adjustments and they're temporarily not selling grain. People are queuing up to buy grain right now, forming several groups of people. Everyone is holding their bags and waiting for the rice to cook. This is causing quite a stir."

"Please send someone to smooth things over. This situation is terrible. Many poor families haven't been able to afford food for days. They finally managed to earn a little money to buy grain, but the farmers won't sell it to them. What are we going to do? Won't all these poor people starve to death?"

The messenger clerk beside Liu Fu was also a man from Liaodong.

He couldn't bear to see his fellow villagers suffer like this.

After listening to the minor official's words, Liu Fu pressed on with the question:

"The grain store said it was undergoing internal adjustments, but did they ever say when they would reopen?"

"It's not confirmed yet, but in my humble opinion, this matter is likely to cause quite a stir."

Upon hearing what the minor official said, Liu Fu inquired about the official's opinion.

"Your Majesty, think about it. In the past, even if the grain shops went on strike, it was only occasionally, and even then, it was only one or two shops. How could it be that all the grain shops in the city would go on strike at the same time?"

"Moreover, when they used to go on strike, they would put up a notice board in advance, just in case it caused panic. After all, how much business would be lost if businesses didn't open for a day? They would also make it clear in advance when they would reopen."

"But this time, no specific opening time was agreed upon."

Liu Fu nodded, thinking that this junior official was quite clever. He would give him a few more tasks to do, and with some training, he might be able to accomplish something great in the future, so he wouldn't have to run errands for him every day.

"Go back into the city and inquire about the situation. Be sure to reassure the people and prevent any mutiny from breaking out in the city."

After giving the order, Liu Fu summoned Xiao He and Xun Yu and asked them for their opinions on the matter.

“My lord, in my opinion, this is a confrontation between powerful clans and the vassal states and the imperial court. Since they have stopped selling goods in the capital of the vassal state, they will naturally stop selling goods in other places as well. I’m afraid that all the grain shops in Liaodong have already stopped selling goods as if they had agreed to do so.”

Xiao He, standing to one side, directly pointed out the purpose of the market strike:

"The reason why grain prices are high is because there is a shortage of grain, and people need to eat."

“If everyone in the world has grain, the price of grain will be low. With low grain prices, grain merchants will naturally have less profit. Their actions are forcing the people, and they are also forcing Your Majesty.”

Sure enough, these two saw things very clearly, just like Liu Fu's thoughts.

"Then how do you resolve this matter?" Liu Fu pressed.

The two had seen Liu Fu show off his skills in front of them many times before. Although they had their own ideas, they had not said anything. Moreover, judging from Liu Fu's calm demeanor when he asked them, Xun Yu and Xiao He knew that Liu Fu was confident and might show off his skills in front of them again in a moment.

So they simply clasped their hands in greeting to Liu Fu together, and said at the same time:

"You already have a plan in mind, why ask a question you already know the answer to?"

Liu Fu laughed and said:

"I do have a few crooked ideas, which may not be aesthetically pleasing, but they are invariably effective in dealing with these people. However, I would like to know, if we follow the proper path and do not use these unconventional and shady methods, how should we resolve this matter?"

"Please teach me, both of you."

This time, Liu Fu was genuinely seeking advice with humility, and most of the methods he could use were unorthodox or devious.

However, governing a country should never rely entirely on crooked ideas.

Take this incident for example. If we don't resort to underhanded tactics, these grain merchants' strike could easily provoke a popular uprising within three days.

If a person starves to death after five days without food, how can this be resolved in the shortest amount of time?

He really wanted to know.

Xiao He then stepped forward and told Liu Fu:

"Your Majesty need not worry. If the people cannot afford to eat, we can use military rations to provide disaster relief first. As for finding food, there are many ways."

"For example, Your Majesty could invent a 'grain hoarding tax,' where the more grain a household hoards, the more tax is levied. If anyone dares to disobey, the army can be used to force them to comply. This is a ruthless move, and although it will attract a lot of insults, it will definitely get you grain. Even if the matter gets to the court in the future, Your Majesty will only suffer a loss of reputation, but His Majesty will understand that you are doing this for the people and will not blame you."

Xiao He's proposed solution was through taxation.

Xun Yu's solution was even worse.

"Your Excellency only needs to mobilize the people who are short of food to leave, leaving the entire empty city to those powerful families to live in. After the people leave, they can temporarily live in the deep mountains. There is more food in the deep mountains, and there is no shortage of water. Birds and beasts are food, and tree roots and bark are all usable items."

Liu Fu was taken aback, then Xun Yu continued:

“In an empty city, only wealthy families remain. With no entertainment and no food, and all businesses closed, they will starve to death and inevitably submit. At that time, they will come to sue for peace and set up soup kitchens to provide disaster relief. This matter can be resolved in the same way.”

After Xun Yu's explanation, Liu Fu finally understood.

To put it bluntly, the reason why people enjoy happiness is because they have someone to serve them.

It's because they are surrounded by service industries.

But if all these people who enjoy happiness are confined to the city and all the service personnel are transferred to other places, then these people who enjoy happiness will no longer be able to enjoy it.

No one takes out the trash, no one cooks meals, no one supplies vegetables, there's nowhere to go for entertainment at night, and even your shop has no customers.

The common people were starving to death. At least if they were sent to the mountains, they could survive. The wealthy families in the city could only watch their chamber pots fill up, eating rice and flour from their own granaries every day, unable to do anything else...

In this way, the first to be unable to bear it would actually be those wealthy people who were used to a life of ease. They would definitely be the first to give in and beg for mercy, thus regaining the initiative to Liu Fu and resolving the danger.

These are indeed ingenious solutions, but Xun Yu's solution focuses on human nature, while Xiao He approaches it from the perspective of tax laws.

Don't underestimate this matter.

If the situation is not handled properly, a large number of people will starve to death within three to five days, and they will surely rise up in rebellion. If his brothers encounter this situation, and their fiefdoms do not have many soldiers, they will most likely suffer a defeat and be killed, and their fiefdoms will be destroyed.

Those big spenders will be the ones who benefit then.

Just as Xun Yu had predicted, by nightfall, a large number of messengers from various prefectures arrived by fast horse, all reporting the same news.

The market has gone on strike!

All the grain stores have gone on strike!

Just as Xun Yu had predicted, all grain shops in Liaodong went on strike.

Meanwhile, large numbers of people had gathered outside, and their discontent was clearly visible.

Liu Fu arrived at Du Ruhui's side at this time.

"Is the letter with the forged handwriting finished?"

Du Ruhui wiped the sweat from his forehead:

"It's almost over, just wait for me for another hour."

Hearing that it would only take an hour, Liu Fu nodded and immediately sent men to mobilize troops, this time leading the team himself.

"My men, come on, follow me to arrest them!"