Little lucky girl from the peasant family: Queen Splendid

Chapter 347
Days passed by, and soon, spring came to an end and early summer came.

The sun is still surprisingly hardworking, running out to work every day, and the scorching earth is hot.

In spring, the crops don’t need much rain, whether it’s irrigation from rivers or carrying water, every farmer is doing his best to get busy in order to have a good harvest in autumn and to feed his family throughout the year, and he can’t wait to shed the water. The sweat is enough to water half an acre of land.

But in summer, it is not so easy to deal with. The crops and young crops are roasted to the point of slumping, and they stand listlessly, but God just doesn't rain.The corners of the peasants' mouths were frothing in anxiety, even naughty boys did not dare to laugh loudly, for fear of offending their parents and suffering disaster.

The so-called unparalleled blessings, misfortunes do not come singly.

Just when everyone was looking forward to God's gift of a few drops of rain, the air was not humid at all, but it was slowly dimming.

Some farmers looked around happily, thinking that rain clouds were coming.Unexpectedly, in just a moment, I could hear buzzing everywhere, raindrops hitting my body, the ground, and the crops, but there was no coolness...

"Ah, locusts! It's a plague of locusts!"

The farmers, young and old, fell to their knees as if they were in dire straits, and kowtowed like garlic, "God locust, spare my life, God of locust, please don't eat our crops, which we planted with great difficulty! Ah, I'm dead , my cornucopia!"

The sound of crying and crying is everywhere in the four fields and eight townships. Unfortunately, no matter how loud the sound is, it will not scare away the small black spots that fell on the crops. Countless rustling sounds gather together, making people desperate.

However, the chickens raised by each household were not afraid of the sound, they flocked into the crop fields like crazy, and started to eat the locusts with their feet.One for you and two for me. Although the effect is not great, it alerts the ignorant children.

I don't know whose family's child was the first to reach out and crush a locust to death, then the second one, and then more.

A woman took the child into her arms in horror, and cursed, "Little bastard, don't dare to disturb the Locust God!"

But the child was aggrieved, "But they eat the crops! Just kill them, and the city harvests dry locusts."

When a young man heard this, he looked at the hens eating locusts and the children running around, and jumped up vigorously, "If you dare to eat the crops that I have planted so hard, I will fight with you!"

More and more people joined the ranks of catching locusts, but more of them were crying in the fields and burning incense to beg for consent.

The news quickly spread from Huizhou in the south to Kyoto, eight hundred li in a hurry, and the messenger who reported the news ran away and killed two fast horses, and also brought news that the locusts had finally become a disaster.

There was chaos inside and outside of Kyoto, and the incense in all Taoist temples immediately flourished.There are even farmers who plant incense in front of the mountain temple, panicking, as if the end of the world is coming.

Prime Minister Fang temporarily summoned civil and military officials to Guangming Palace to discuss how to resist the locust plague, but if there is a good way, it will be brought up at the beginning of spring, so how could it be delayed until today.

Someone said, "Why don't you order linoleum and cover all the crops..."

Before he finished speaking, he got countless blank eyes.Even Prime Minister Fang frowned, how did such a wine bag and rice bag get into the ranks of important ministers?
Not to mention whether the linoleum can cover the crops tightly, but where to find so many linoleum.There are hundreds of thousands of mu of apprentices in 34 counties in six prefectures outside of Kyoto...

In the end, everyone had no choice but to negotiate.The Ministry of Rituals stepped up the arrangements, offering sacrifices to the heavens the day after tomorrow, when the time comes, His Royal Highness the Crown Prince will be asked to burn the prayers instead of the emperor, and go up to the heavens to listen, praying that the heavens will take back the plague of locusts.

Prime Minister Fang frowned, and when he was about to object, a group of people came in outside the door.

It was rare for Ding Wei to wear a large dress and a phoenix crown. She led An Ge'er in a bright yellow robe by her hand, followed by a nanny and a maid, and entered the hall with a whimper.

Many civil and military personnel hurriedly stood up and saluted, looking at Ding Wei with doubts and dissatisfaction.The harem does not interfere in politics, even if the prince is young and needs to be taken care of by his mother, it is not easy for the queen to be present when discussing important matters like this.

Ding Wei didn't have this self-awareness, and she was already furious after listening outside the door for a while.What sacrifices to heaven, what burning manuscripts, but they are all superstitious methods.When the locusts came, they didn’t want to catch the locusts and eliminate the source of the harm, but they all wanted to ask God for help. It’s really stupid. It’s just stupid to read.

"Ahem," Elder Dong Ge was the first to cough lightly, and asked, "Your Majesty has something to order, just let the eunuch or maid come over, why bother you to bring the belt yourself?"

Ding Wei glanced at the civil and military officials, raised her eyebrows and smiled, "The emperor left a message to let the prince supervise the country. Fighting against the locust plague is such a big event, why is the prince not present?"

Elder Dong Ge was choked, a little embarrassed, although he said that the prince is in charge of the country, but the prince is only a three-year-old kid, and he was in a hurry just now, no one thought of asking the prince to come over to put on a show.Now being caught by the empress as a handle, she has grown up, disrespectful, and disregarded the emperor's will.When I was young, I didn't take the prince seriously...

"Your Majesty, forgive me. It was an emergency. The Crown Prince was still young. The old officials couldn't bear the Crown Prince's impatience, so they were negligent."

A pavilion elder jumped out to help everyone, and said with a smile, "Madam, is the phoenix still healthy recently? It's windy here, why don't you go back to Yongfu Palace to rest, the old ministers will definitely send the prince back safely after the discussion."

It's obvious that he's driving people away, but Ding Wei didn't seem to understand. Instead, she sat down in the chair again and said with a smile, "You say what you said, the prince is young, so he should make a fuss when I'm not around."

Everyone can't, no one can tear their faces, and really drive the queen out.

So I could only talk about the matter of worshiping heaven according to the words just now, but just halfway through the opening, the prince said vaguely, "My lords, Your Highness does not agree with this matter."

Disagree?
Everyone looked around after hearing the reputation, and saw the chubby prince holding a sweet snack in his hand, his mouth was a bit full, and there were a little cake crumbs on his face, no different from ordinary children who are gluttonous.

But it is such a child, even if they think it is funny, they can't ignore what they say.

"Your Highness, why don't you agree, but do you have any good suggestions?"

Prime Minister Fang looked at the prince lovingly, and even reached out to pour him a cup of tea, for fear that he would choke.

An Ge'er drank a few sips, put down the snack, and then said, "Catch locusts and sell them for money!"

In the end, she turned her head and complained to the old lady, "Mother, the cake is not sweet!"

Ding Wei could not wait to roll her eyes, she had taught so many times outside, now she said yes, but this kid is greedy, so the effect is greatly reduced.

But the son is only three years old, so it is not easy.She couldn't ask for more, so she nodded with a smile, "Okay, let Forsythia add more sugar next time."

Brother An was finally satisfied, remembered what happened just now, and hurriedly repeated it again, using it to prove to his old mother that he was hardworking and obedient, and that he was qualified enough to enjoy the snacks with more sugar.

"Catch locusts and sell them for money!"

There are more black lines on the foreheads of all civil and military men than hair at the moment.Did these girls come here to perform the oboe?

Everyone could see that this proposal was the queen's idea, and the three-year-old prince couldn't think of it at all.But these words can't come out of the prince's mouth, and they can't refute them anyway.

"Your Highness, there are too many locusts, and you can't catch them." An old minister was the first to persuade, and then he glanced at the queen, with extremely obvious intentions, anyone who is not blind can see who he is trying to persuade!
It's a pity that An Ge'er has long been clearly organized by his old lady's food guide, and his little mind is full of egg and meat burgers, fried chicken legs, braised pork ribs...

So, he said the same sentence, "Catch locusts and sell them for money!"

All the veterans almost vomited blood with anger, if the prince was their grandson, they would have wished to catch him and eat fried pork with rattan sticks.

It's a pity that the prince is still thinking about which piece of dessert is sweeter in the white porcelain plate, while they are blowing their beards and staring, their brains are congested and about to explode...

"Ahem," after all, he was an official in the same dynasty. Although Prime Minister Fang enjoyed watching the excitement, he couldn't really watch these veterans vomit blood and die, so he said, "Empress, the prince is young, so I can't explain it carefully." Give him his advice. Why don't you do it for me?"

Ding Wei really had no other choice, so she took her son as a son, and now she blushed a little after hearing what Prime Minister Fang said.But it is related to people's livelihood. She has participated in drought relief and pest prevention in the spring, so it is impossible to let these old officials waste all their efforts.

"Okay, since Prime Minister Fang said so, I will explain a few words for the prince."

All the veterans curled their lips, but they also pricked up their ears.After all, the queen's wisdom has been heard a lot before, and now let's listen to what other good ideas she has.

Ding Wei ignored everyone's gaze, thought for a while and said, "In the previous spring, the emperor had already foreseen the current disaster from the words of the old farmer and the abnormal weather."

"Your majesty is holy!" Everyone hurriedly stood up and saluted to the north, with the sound of flattery.Relying on their identities as the elders of the two dynasties, they dared to say goodbye to the empress, but they dared not show the slightest disrespect to the emperor who was fighting outside.

"This palace and the crown prince thanked everyone on behalf of the emperor, and worked hard for the people of Donghao."

Everyone carried the sedan chair, and Ding Wei also brought An Geer to thank all the veterans.Sure enough, some old ministers who had had a bad look before felt their faces eased up a lot, and said in one voice, "The empress embarrassing old ministers."

After such a toss, the hall was much more relaxed. Ding Wei beckoned Yunying to bring the freshly baked snacks and tea in the morning, and greeted everyone, "This is the freshly baked this morning in this palace. All the elders sat for a long time. If If you don't dislike it, just pad your stomach."

"Your Majesty, you are welcome," everyone hurriedly thanked, and finally talked about the dishes they had served from time to time in the past few days, and they were also grateful, "The old minister has not thanked Madam for the meals cooked by Madam herself."

Ding Wei waved her hands and said with a smile, "It's just a matter of doing more casually. The emperor is away on an expedition, and I am a woman with the prince, so I can only do this. When the emperor comes back, I will ask the emperor to reward you for your merits."

(End of this chapter)