Royal Road

Chapter 344 Locusts

With the clamor of gongs and drums and constant call signs, several men carried their shoulders and rushed to the field anxiously. On the shoulders, a statue of a **** is wearing a blue and yellow shirt, with a beard on the head and teeth, and a hideous appearance. But no one dare to neglect this mud tire, this is the locust **** who has been worshipped for decades, and he must be sent to the village to drive away the pests!

“Hurry up!” someone in front yelled loudly.

I saw people from Bailai Village, all guarding the fields. The incense table has been prepared, and three sacrifices are enshrined on it. It is really not easy to make such offerings after the disaster year. Just wait for the locust **** to come!

“The locust **** is here! The locust **** is here!”

Running sweaty, the few people did not dare to rest, so they hurriedly took off their shoulders and invited the idols to the altar. At this time, everyone knelt to the ground and bowed their heads sincerely.

Last year, it has been a year of drought, and there can be no more disaster! This is the ration for their whole village!

The village elder took the lead to sing the prayers, and the incense candles emitted smoke and enveloped the gods. Everyone didn’t even dare to lift their heads, for fear of provoke the locust **** to sin. However, the sky did not fulfill the wishes, and a palpitating buzzing sound came from the horizon.

“Locust…locust…”

Some people fell on the ground with their feet weakened, and more people screamed. The worms in the sky didn’t mean to take care of the divine case at all, like a dark cloud, fell on the green wheat seedlings. There was a soft rustle, it was the sound of insects gnawing on young crops. A man went mad as if he wanted to rush into the field, but he was stubbornly held back by his neighbor.

“Great Immortal! Great Immortal’s kindness…”

The village elder cried and burst into tears, and kept kowtow, with blood stains on his forehead. But how can locusts care?

I don’t know how long it took, and with a bang, the locusts covering the sky and the sun fluttered their wings and flew high in the sky, leaving nothing but weeds and bark to a clean ground.

Such disasters happen more than once. Large locusts appeared in several states with severe drought last year. The locusts grow wings and travel hundreds of miles a day. I can only pray for the blessing of the locust **** and let the disaster bypass my village. However, in another land, people worshiped another **** and Buddha.

“The locust is coming! Hurry up!”

The villagers who heard the gong beckon all hurried to the entrance of the village. In the long secluded empty field, the fire piles formed into pieces, like a red high wall, the flames were bright, and the stars and the moon were eclipsed.

The familiar flapping of wings appeared again. However, this time, the locusts seemed to faint, and instead of rushing to the wheat field, they rushed toward the raging fire!

The flame swallowed an unknown number of worms with just one flutter. The air smelled of burnt meat, but at this moment, no one dared to neglect. The villagers held the cloth nets with a width of more than ten feet in twos and threes to kill the insects that had never entered the fire. The crackling sound was like rain hitting lotus leaves, and the back of the listener was numb. However, in the face of this overwhelming worm tide, most people look calm and have no fear.

The net full of flying insects was quickly tied up, and after a flutter, someone took a bamboo basket and poured it into it. Near the bonfire, the insect-expelling men added firewood while secretly picking up two burnt worms and stuffing them into their mouths. Some can remember to recite two prayers, some are greasy in their mouths, how can they care about the others?

After tossing all night, at dawn, the morning woman took her children to the side of the field. Either carrying a basket, or holding a net, along the ridge to catch the fish that slipped through the net.

A young child rushed to a green worm, and was about to tear the thin wings of the worm. The woman next to him hurriedly stopped: “Goodbye dog, this is not for fun. Put it in the bag first, and wait until Go home, my mother will bake it for you.”

Xu was thinking of the plump taste of insects, the child swallowed his saliva, nodded vigorously, and stuffed the insects into the cloth sac.

A group of women and children kept bending over to catch insects, like industrious birds. The wheat seedlings that have been jointed and headed gently shook in the breeze.

※

“There is news from both Sizhou and Jizhou. Only two counties have been seriously affected. The remaining counties have been exterminated in time, and there should be no serious problem in summer.” When he said this, Duan Qin felt the stone settled in his heart.

Binzhou has been exterminating locusts for several years, and the results have been remarkable. Even if a few locusts pop up, they can be wiped out very quickly. Coupled with the higher terrain of Binh State, it is not easy for locusts to fly over the mountains.

However, Bingzhou can be avoided, and Sizhou and Jizhou, whose recovery time is not long, are unavoidable from pests. Not to mention that there are too many fields that have been deserted due to the war and have not been reclaimed, which is easy to breed larvae. Even with great efforts to kill the eggs, the neighboring places such as Yongzhou, Youzhou, and Yuzhou will also fly in transit insect swarms. How can Sizhou, Jizhou and Mapingchuan stop the migration of locusts? Therefore, all counties still need to work together to eliminate migratory locusts.

However, in addition to digging pits and landfills, a bonfire was also used to eliminate locusts. Who would have thought that locusts, like moths, would throw themselves into flames? Therefore, if you encounter locusts at night, you can kill most of them as long as you light the wall of fire.

There are also cloth nets for culling, taking advantage of the dew to wet the wings in the early morning, catching insects and so on. There are different methods, but the most important one is the “locust edible” one.

Who could have predicted how many worms of the Li people could be preserved in this scourge? After the independent public came up with the idea of ​​”providing the gods with locusts,” the enthusiasm for eliminating locusts in various places has doubled. As long as there is Buddha’s blessing, who is afraid of little bugs? I’m afraid that the more you eat, the more you will please the Buddha!

The locusts are not small in oil and water, and they are delicious. For people who have no money to eat meat, it is a rare delicacy. During the famine, the soil and bark can be eaten up, and the mere locusts, what counts?

Parallel counting method, finally curbed the pest infestation. As long as there is a bumper harvest of food this summer, the pressure on the refugees will be alleviated in the second half of the year. But a big happy event.

“It’s good if you don’t delay the summer harvest.” Liang Feng also let out a long sigh of relief. “The affected counties should replant some adzuki beans and abutilon. I am afraid that there will be locust plagues in the autumn, so we should make early plans.”

Locusts do not like to eat beans and hemp, which is also one of the ways to deal with pests. Duan Qin nodded: “It’s just that Youzhou’s locust plagues continue. Tuoba wants to sell more cows and horses in exchange for food. There will also be Jizhou Seaport. I’m afraid there won’t be too many merchants this year.”

The locust plague is also devastating to the nomads. According to the Tuoba Buddhism, it can be regarded as an ally of Bingzhou, and the gang still has to help. Moreover, the other party was in a disaster year, and now purchasing livestock is like taking advantage of the fire.

Liang Feng frowned, “Is the disaster in Youzhou so serious?”

“Not only Youzhou, but the situation in Yongzhou and Qinzhou is also quite unbearable…” Duan Qin was halfway talking, and suddenly there was an excitement, “Will there be changes?”

Liang Feng’s expression was condensed, and he said to the side: “Please Zhang Canjun to the back hall.”

Under the catastrophe, it is better to plan early.

※

“If it weren’t for the loss of Pingyang and Hedong counties, Chang’an wouldn’t be embarrassed to this point. I think we still have to reclaim the two counties and regain the prestige of the country.” Under the imperial rank, the servant Wang Yanlang said.

He came from a noble family of the Huns, and married a granddaughter to the emperor, so he is naturally full of confidence. Even Liu Yao had to make him a three-pointer.

However, Rang is Rang, and Liu Yao’s face also changed suddenly when he was scolded by his nose. Who is to blame for losing Pingyang and Hadong? It’s not all pushed onto me! They also don’t want to think about who did all the work to eliminate the rebellion soldiers in the Qinzhou chaos?

It’s good now, these people suddenly got into trouble as soon as the imperial emperor’s platform in Yongzhou was destroyed. Obviously premeditated!

Settling down, Liu Yao said, “Wang Shizhong’s words are wrong. The locusts in Yongzhou are not well-stocked. When is the time to reinvigorate soldiers? I think we still have to wait for the disaster year…”

“Through the disaster year?” someone asked with a strange yin and yang, “how to save it? Borrowing grain? Did King Qin forget how my clan dealt with the famine in those days?”

How to deal with it? Naturally go to grab! Back then, the Huns were big singles, which one was not so? Harassing the border and plundering people’s money and food is the only way to resist the famine. Even when the big man is strong, they have to grab other tribes, how can they help themselves?

“Now my emperor is no better than before, this matter can’t be taken lightly…” Liu Yao still wanted to support it.

Wang Yan sneered: “Then King Qin has a disaster relief plan?”

Liu Yao was dumb immediately. Disaster relief? How to save it? The locusts are like rain, and they can’t be killed, and the food in Guanzhong is almost gone. First, there was a severe drought, then a great famine, and the Jin people continued to make chaos. In just a few years, Han has become such a shaky appearance. On the other hand, the original mortal enemy, Bin, Si, and Ji did not cause a major locust plague. Is this really an arrangement from heaven?

Shaking his head violently, he drove the dangerous thought out of his mind and said to himself: “Even so, attacking Binzhou may not be feasible…”

“If your majesty conscripts Qiang and Di, you can raise another army. Tens of thousands of soldiers and horses crush the border, can you still win the Hedong area?” Wang Yan refused, “If you can advance all the way east, take Sizhou, it would be better. I heard that Luoyang has collected a lot of grain last year, and as long as he enters the city, he can alleviate his urgent needs!”

Luoyang has no emperor, and logically speaking, it should be better than before. However, Liu Yao still hesitated. Now that the two generals Wang Mi and Shi Le have fallen one after another, Luoyang City has changed its defense again, and it may not be easy to fight. However, when he looked at the hall, a chill suddenly surged.

No, this is no longer a question of whether or not to fight, but how to solve the dilemma he faces.

The catastrophe for two consecutive years has shaken the minds of the Xiongnu nobles, and more and more people no longer trust his ability to lead soldiers. Even if they tried their best to suppress the rebels, they couldn’t resist the fall of Pingyang and Hedong.

And without the military spirit, it was extremely dangerous for him, the adopted son of the first emperor. The little emperor is getting older, and sooner or later he will regain power. But his own strength is weakening step by step. Not to mention seizing power from the emperor, I am afraid that it will be difficult to protect himself.

He must have a few victories. Even if it’s just regaining Hedong, or taking a small victory like Henan County!

Taking a deep breath, he arched his hand to the emperor on the throne and said: “This matter should be judged by your majesty!”

The little emperor in the seat hesitated: “Pingyang is the old capital after all…”

This sentence is enough.

Liu Yao immediately knelt to the ground: “The minister is willing to retake the old capital for your majesty!”