allonlinenovel Chapter 106 Voting
Chapter 106 Voting
Chapter 106 Voting
In Yichi Lane, Zhao Zhengxi's mother, Madam Li, complained, "Why didn't you buy more grain that day? Now a shi (a unit of dry measure) of grain costs four taels of silver!"
"Sigh..." Zhao Zhengxi also regretted it. His friend Qu Jiaxin had suggested buying some grain to stockpile that day. Zhao Zhengxi thought that grain prices were already high and couldn't possibly rise any further. Even if unscrupulous merchants were shameless, grain prices wouldn't increase. Who knew that these unscrupulous merchants weren't just shameless, they were practically threatening the lives of ordinary people!
"Knock knock knock..." Someone knocked on the door.
"Who is it? The door is open, come in!" Zhao Zhengxi said.
Qu Jiaxin pushed the door open and said, "Let's go quickly, let's go with Mr. Cheng to ask Wang Qingtian for help!"
"Huh? What happened?" Zhao Zhengxi asked.
"With grain prices so high, how are ordinary people supposed to survive? Old Master Cheng, gather the people and go to the county government office to ask Lord Wang to order the severe punishment of these unscrupulous merchants! These heartless merchants who devour people deserve to die!" Qu Jiaxin said viciously.
"Yes! Let's go, I'll go too!" Upon hearing this, Madam Li hurriedly ran out from the inner room.
"Let's go!" Zhao Zhengxi and the other two went out.
……
The area in front of the Hanshan County government office was packed with people, even more so than on the day of the lottery draw.
When Zhao Zhengxi and his two companions arrived, Wang Qingtian was already standing at the door.
Wang Wenzhou began, "The issues that everyone wants to raise have already been conveyed to me by Elder Cheng. I am also helpless; it is the merchants' prerogative to raise grain prices, and I really have no right to interfere!"
"Wang Qingtian, you have to give us a way to survive! Ever since you came to Hanshan, we've seen hope, and our lives have been getting better day by day. But those damned unscrupulous merchants are truly heartless! They sell a shi (a unit of dry measure) of grain for four taels of silver! This is tantamount to murder!" a commoner cried out.
"Wang Qingtian, you are dedicated to serving the people, you cannot stand by and watch someone die!"
"Severely punish these unscrupulous merchants!"
The people cried out in protest. Four taels of silver for a bushel of grain—they simply couldn't afford it! At this rate, all their hard-earned money would go to these unscrupulous merchants. Not only that, they might starve to death! Now, there was only one way to survive: to beg Judge Wang to uphold justice and severely punish these unscrupulous merchants.
Wang Wenzhou feigned helplessness, shrugging his shoulders and saying with a wry smile, "Fellow elders of Hanshan, it is despicable that unscrupulous merchants are raising grain prices. However, morality and law are not the same. Although these unscrupulous merchants are making money against their conscience, they have not broken the law. You can ask me to arrest these unscrupulous merchants, and I can agree to that. But sooner or later, I will be punished by the Emperor, and then the unscrupulous merchants will still sell grain at high prices!"
"What should we do?"
"Wang Qingtian, you have to think of a way to save everyone!"
"Wang Qingtian, I beg you! My whole family is starving to death!"
The people understood what Wang Wenzhou was saying, but they still pleaded with him.
Wang Wenzhou smiled slightly and said, "These days, I have invited some merchants with a conscience to discuss grain prices with them. After everyone's discussion, we have finally come up with a solution, but we need the trust and cooperation of all of you elders."
"Lord Wang, just tell us what to do, and we'll definitely cooperate!"
"Wang Qingtian, just say what you have to say!"
Wang Wenzhou waved his hand, signaling the people to be quiet. "Regarding the soaring grain prices in Hanshan, I invited several merchants who have been in the grain trade for many years to study the issue. They concluded that the price increase is normal. After all, Hanshan now has a population of over 30, and the grain produced locally is extremely limited. All the grain has to be transported from other places. During transportation, some losses are inevitable."
"Wang Qingtian, we understand that grain prices are rising! But the price of grain is really too high! Four taels of silver for one shi of grain!"
"Yes, Judge Wang! You have to find a way to save us!"
"Quiet!" Wang Wen waved his hand and said, "I have decided that the government, along with several conscientious merchants, will jointly fund the establishment of the Hanshan Grain Store. From now on, all grain in Hanshan County can only be bought and sold through this grain store. Anyone who sells grain privately is committing an illegal act! Not only will their grain be confiscated, but they will also be fined! Those with serious offenses will be imprisoned!"
"Wang Qingtian is mighty!"
"Wang Qingtian, we support you!"
"I haven't finished speaking!" Wang Wenzhou continued, "Now I must seek the opinions of the people of Hanshan! Because the imperial court has no such decree. Even if I were to issue such an order, it would not be in accordance with the imperial court's rules. If things go wrong, I might be impeached by a villain, and losing my post would be a small matter; the instability of grain prices would be a disaster for the people!"
"Wang Qingtian, just tell me what you want to do!"
Wang Wenzhou said with a wicked smile, "I want all the elders of Hanshan to vote. As long as the majority of the elders of Hanshan agree, the grain merchants will have a monopoly on grain sales. Even if I am no longer the magistrate of Hanshan, the next magistrate will not cancel this regulation."
"I agree!"
"Wang Qingtian, how do we vote?"
"Anyone who dares to disagree, I'll fight them!"
Wang Wenzhou waved his hand, "Please listen to what I have to say. Voting is the right of every Hanshan citizen with a good citizen certificate. It is also the freedom of every Hanshan citizen, and no one may force another to choose. Starting this afternoon, ballot boxes will be set up at every city gate and here at the government office. Citizens can show their good citizen certificates and receive a ballot."
What does "voting" mean?
"Wang Qingtian, I'm over sixty years old and have never voted before! What exactly is a ballot?"
Wang Wenzhou said with a smile, "The ballot is very simple. There are two options. One is to agree to the grain monopoly implemented by the grain merchants. The other option is to disagree. Three days later, the government will organize people to count the ballots. If more than half of the people agree to the grain monopoly, then I will order its implementation, and vice versa."
The people of the Ming Dynasty had never even seen a ballot before. Only after Wang Wenzhou's explanation did they understand that it was possible to do so. Many people exclaimed with surprise, realizing that ordinary citizens could participate in many important county affairs.
"Alright! Everyone, disperse! Remember to inform those who couldn't attend to come and vote! I assure you that the government will respect the choices and decisions of every Hanshan resident, and will implement them regardless of the voting results! So, I also ask all the elders of Hanshan to respect the ballots in your hands and think carefully before voting," Wang Wenzhou said.
Wang Wenzhou's purpose in initiating the vote was not to establish a democratic election. Given his cunning nature, he could easily manipulate the vote—for example, by having Liu Rushi undress and sleep with him—into a vote where all the people of Hanshan voted against it, yet he could still change the result to a unanimous approval.
Wang Wenzhou did this partly to justify his actions and partly to manipulate public opinion. If anyone objects and files a complaint against him, Wang Wenzhou will, as he did last time, incite the public to petition.
When hundreds of thousands of people stand below the city, even the current emperor, Emperor Chongzhen Zhu Youjian, will have to think twice before he dares to oppose them, and what the consequences of opposition would be.