I, Liu Bian, Sanxing Han Dynasty

Chapter 404: Cereals and Locusts

If it were a rain of blessing from heaven, Liu Bian would be just like Ma Riti, happy to have done nothing but useless work.

But if there is really a severe drought in the north, he must make preparations early.

But since the emperor has made a move, how can there not be a response in various parts of the Han Dynasty?

The first to be affected is grain.

After Li Ru took office as the Price Stabilization Officer, the grain prices in Luoyang and its surrounding areas were under his control and were forcibly maintained at 160 coins per dan even in March.

It would be fine if it were normal times, but now there is a severe drought in the north, a poor wheat harvest is inevitable, and an increase in food prices is inevitable.

Even the Zhong family was unwilling to sell grain according to the official guidance price at this time.

After being overturned by Li Ru once, the grain merchants who had been prepared had intentionally controlled the amount of grain in grain shops and granaries since April, and dispersed the grain with the help of the power of the big families behind them - Li Ru dared to occupy the grain merchants' granaries, but did he dare to occupy the granaries of the literati?

No matter how much Li Ru wanted to make progress, he would not dare to do such a thing.

Although his reputation is already very bad, the number of people he actually offended is limited. But if he really did this, I'm afraid everyone would want to get rid of him first.

As a result, the grain prices in Luoyang, which served as a benchmark, could no longer be suppressed from rising.

At the same time, outside Luoyang, powerful people from all over the north spontaneously strengthened their courtyard walls and increased their grain stores.

As a result of these two factors, by May, which was supposed to be the harvest season, the price of grain had exceeded two hundred coins per stone.

According to past experience, when food prices exceed 200 yuan, it means one thing - famine.

For this purpose, Liu Bian urgently summoned Yang Biao, Yuan Pang, Cao Song and Li Ru.

The means of coercion through legal decrees are no longer viable, and there are only two options left - one is to allow food prices to rise further, and the other is to use the food stored in warehouses to stabilize food prices now.

As long as affordable grain can be supplied, grain prices will not rise.

But except for Yang Biao who remained silent, the other three all opposed taking action now to stabilize food prices.

Yuan Pang was the most direct: "We are using the grain from the national treasury now. If the drought continues, I'm afraid it won't be enough for disaster relief."

Cao Song had the most say in grain transportation. He said, "Your Majesty, the drought this time is mostly limited to the north. Although there was little rain in Huainan, it did not cause a disaster. As for Jiangnan, there is no lack of rain. There is grain in the south, but too many places have been affected this time. The river transportation in the north has been affected. If it doesn't rain for a long time, the rice in the south wants to be transported to the north. Even if the transport officials work day and night, I'm afraid it will be difficult to maintain it!"

Li Ru had just been comforted by Liu Bian that the failure in regulating grain prices was "not the fault of war."

Even now, with a look of shame on his face, he still reminded: "Your Majesty, if you release the low-priced grain at this time, I am afraid that it will not be the people who benefit."

Liu Bian was moved when he heard this and asked, "What if the official price is not 150 coins per dan, but 200 coins, and at the same time the qualifications of the people who can buy official grain and the amount they can buy are restricted... For example, a family of five with less than 50,000 yuan in assets can buy 6 dan per month, and those who violate the rules will be severely punished, what do you think?"

Before anyone else could say anything, Li Ru, who had pointed out that the powerful families would take advantage of the opportunity, was the first to understand the emperor's intention.

He immediately agreed, "Your Majesty, this may not work elsewhere, but in Luoyang, I am sure it will work!"

Because the local officials in Luoyang are generally very reliable.

When Liu Bian asked, Li Ru gave a temporary solution: "Neighbors can act as guarantors, with the township officials as the leader, and buy together. In this way, if there are people who want to take advantage of the opportunity for personal gain, it will be easier to investigate and punish them!"

"What do you think of this method?" Liu Bian asked.

Li Ru has already said it so clearly, and the emperor's intention is so clear, there will be no objection.

"Mr. Yang, let the Sikong Mansion arrange this matter! Now that the drought is not too serious, kill the chicken to scare the monkey!" Liu Bian said this without avoiding the others.

Li Ru showed a look of joy, Cao Song was wondering what he was thinking, Yuan Pang seemed to have heard nothing, and as for Yang Biao, he pursed his lips, but in the end he said nothing and just took the lead and left.

Right Fufeng.

After He Yong left, only Zheng Tai and Zhou Ang were left to depend on each other.

Although He Yong is gone, his reputation remains. The villagers all know that Zheng Tai and Zhou Ang are both wise men who were on good terms with He Gong, and they respect them equally.

The two men were also very knowledgeable. They followed the path left by He Yong to cross the river, lived in harmony with their neighbors, and used what they had learned to benefit the villagers, and were trusted by them.

"Duke Zheng, Duke Zhou, it's bad... The shrimps in the depressions that accumulated water last year have turned into larvae!"

蝻？
The two looked at each other and realized the seriousness of the matter.

Even though Zheng Tai and Zhou Ang like to discuss issues of public opinion, they are not useless people who only know how to talk nonsense.

I know that if I leave it alone, the hoppers will turn into locusts in a few days.

Once there are too many locusts, they will form swarms and become difficult to control. "It is said that locusts appear when drought is extreme. Now there is no rain for only 40 to 50 days. This shouldn't happen!" Zhou Ang asked in confusion.

"Take us to have a look!" Zheng Tai asked Zhou Ang to come along, while explaining, "It was probably because of the heavy rain last year that the shrimps in the river were washed everywhere!"

In their minds, locusts are the offspring of fish and shrimp in the river that were transformed due to drought.

However, although Zheng Tai used the wrong method, he came to the correct conclusion - floods followed by drought are indeed the best breeding ground for locusts.

Zheng Tai and Zhou Ang followed the villagers to a depression. There were many depressions like this one left by the heavy rain in Youfufeng, and it was impossible to drain them clean by human power. The area in front of them was what was left.

Today, due to the decrease in rainfall, the water in this depression has dried up, but the reeds and other weeds growing in this depression seem to have not sensed the approach of drought and are still lush and green.

At this time, some villagers had already heard the news and came. Zheng Tai just walked over and found locusts lying on the reed leaves and weeds as the villagers talked about it.

After all, Zheng Tai had been farming for a few years, so he could still recognize the larvae of locusts... However, even though he claimed to be knowledgeable, Zheng Tai took a long breath when he looked at the locust larvae in front of him - looking around, they were densely packed on the reeds, and there were too many of them.

After being shocked, Zheng Tai shouted, "Quick, go get some firewood and burn all these locusts!"

But after he shouted, the villagers did not dare to move for a moment.

Zhou Ang asked, "Whose firewood do you want to share at this time? Go to my place first and bring all the firewood here!"

A villager saw Zhou Ang was angry and was afraid. He explained the reason: "Duke Zhou, I really don't dare! These locusts are a disaster sent by heaven. If we burn them, I am afraid that it will attract the wrath of heaven and the punishment will be even heavier."

Seeing that the villagers all agreed, Zheng Tai made up his mind and said, "I told you to burn it. If God wants to punish me, it will be me. It has nothing to do with you!"

Zhou Ang suddenly realized that his chance had come. He immediately stepped forward and said righteously, "Count me in as one of them. The two of us will block the disaster of killing the locusts for you!"

Seeing that the villagers were still hesitant, Zhou Ang pointed at the locusts and said, "This year is dry and rainy, and the wheat harvest is already poor. If we wait until their wings grow hard and they learn to fly, will you not be able to harvest this year's wheat?"

These words hit the nail on the head for the villagers, and some of them immediately gritted their teeth and ran back home.

Most of the people here have suffered from hunger, so even if the harvest is very poor, any food is valuable!
With someone taking the lead, the rest will be easy.

With the help of everyone, the fire grew higher. Soon, amid the blazing flames and the expectant eyes of the villagers, the fire engulfed the original depression, leaving only ashes on the ground.

"Is this the end?" someone murmured.

"I'm afraid this is just one place!" Zheng Tai sighed...

And the facts were exactly as he expected. As soon as the fire was extinguished, the villagers he had sent to other places in advance came back and told him that many locusts were also found in other places.

"If you trust me, let's harvest the wheat now!" Zheng Tai said to the villagers who were still observing the fire.

"But... the wheat this year is already weak, and if we harvest it now, the harvest will be small... why not wait another seven or eight days..."

"Yeah yeah!"

"Mr. Zheng, please be wise. If we harvest the wheat now, how will we survive next year?"

"I can't wait any longer!" Zheng Tai shouted, "Everyone, be quiet... The locusts here can't fly yet, but that doesn't mean there aren't locusts that can fly elsewhere... Once there are too many locusts, it's beyond human power to kill them. But I'm not completely sure, so if you believe in me, come back with me to harvest the wheat now!"

Some choose to follow, while others hesitate.

In the end, the villagers' respect for the celebrity prevailed, and even if some of them thought of just reaping a part and then waiting and seeing, they finally took action.

One day, two days... Just as the villagers were rushing to harvest wheat under the leadership of Zheng Tai, suddenly, a villager looked up to wipe the sweat off his face and was stunned when he looked ahead.

It took him a while to exclaim.

At this time, many people noticed the scene in front of them - the sky not far away was dark, as if a large black cloud was flying towards this side rapidly.

"I said it would offend God... Now, disaster has come!" A commoner was so frightened that he collapsed to the ground.

But the locusts that make up the black cloud don't care what the people who are harvesting think.

A large group of locusts fell into the wheat field. The people could only hear crackling sounds in the wheat field. But in a short while, only bare stalks of wheat were left in the field.

The locusts did not spare the harvested wheat placed on the edge of the field. After passing through, only the cut wheat stalks were left.

Some people watched with rage and wanted to kill the locusts, but he could only kill those within his reach, and the rest were busy eating. After a while, the locusts that had eaten up the wheat field quickly flew into the sky again, turned into a black cloud again, and flew away in a huge mass.

The locusts came and went like the wind, leaving the villagers weeping as they looked at the wheat fields that had been left with no food.

(End of this chapter)