Prince of Song Dynasty

Chapter 1096

The news was rushed to Kaifeng, the capital of the Song Dynasty by the four officials at [-] li. The court of the Song Dynasty was suddenly in turmoil. Song Emperor Zhao Dezhao vomited a mouthful of blood in a fit of anger. He personally killed an eunuch that day and strangled another maid of honor.

The army of the four roads asked Kaifeng for disaster relief food. Li Mingxuan, Lu Yuqing and others couldn't afford so much food. It doesn't help at all to draw salary.What's more, the 100 million shi of grain passed through layers of government, and some people would still divide some of it away. When it really reached the hands of the people, half of it would be regarded as an incorruptible official of the Song Dynasty.

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On July [-]th, Longzhou, Yanzhou, Fuzhou, Yinzhou, Hongzhou, and Weizhou in Xiangfu Kingdom each had two horses carrying two messengers with three triangular red flags on their backs. The sky rushed into Xiajing, bringing the news that Ye Chen and his ministers had been worrying for a long time. As expected, there were locust plagues in the six drought-affected states, which also covered the sky and blocked the sun, and the places where they passed were also full of crops and trees. do.However, compared with the fact that ordinary people in Song Dynasty only have a few days of food in their homes, the food in the homes of Xiangfu people can feed them for at least two or three months without any problem, not to mention the county officials in the six states and nearby states. The warehouses are full of grain, besides, many people have already prepared nets, special brooms and other tools for catching and killing locusts, just waiting for large swarms of locusts to appear, so that they can be used to hunt and dry them and then buy them for the government or exchange them for grain. !Because long before the locust plague appeared, Ye Chen ordered the governments of the six states and nearby counties to post notices all over the streets and alleys in the first place: "The imperial court wants to buy locusts for one penny per ten catties, or every ten catties." One hundred catties or one catty of grain."

Therefore, the six prefectures of Xiangfu Country do not have to worry about the people being forced to be displaced and refugees appearing.

Because they had been prepared and there was food and did not panic, compared with the turmoil in the court of the Song Dynasty, the monarchs and ministers panicked.The court of Xiangfu Kingdom was calm, and the focus had even been placed on various preparations for the arrival of a large number of refugees from the Song Dynasty.

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On July 27, a total of 24 prefectures including Yongxingjun Road, Qinfeng Road, Hedong Road, and Hebei Road in the Song Dynasty had already been plagued by locusts. Locusts swarmed from lakesides, river beaches, reed fields, and barren beaches.

On August [-]st, the magistrate of Anhui County, Weizhou, Yongxing Army Road, Song Dynasty, when he learned that the court had no extra food for disaster relief, stood at the top of the city and yelled at the emperor for being immoral, the prime minister was incompetent, and after the court had no government, in order to eliminate locusts, To prevent the plague of locusts from spreading to other states and counties, he personally led people to burn the entire county's crops and the locusts, and finally threw himself into the fire and set himself on fire.After the news spread, the world was shocked, and the prestige of the emperor of Song Dynasty and the court was greatly hit. The water surface carrying the big ship of Song Dynasty began to appear stormy waves, which became bigger and bigger, and even threatened to overturn the boat.

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Han Zixiu made a big splash this time. He bet with Ma Mengru that locusts could be eaten, and the result was not only appreciated by His Majesty, but also directly adopted by His Majesty to solve the biggest locust plague problem in the imperial court.Ma Mengru willingly wrote a big-character poster and posted it at the gate of the school, admitting that she was not as good as Ma Mengru, which completely confirmed Han Zixiu's title as the head of the four princes.In addition, these days there are gossip rumors that His Majesty wants to give Han Zixiu a great service, and after graduation next year, he will enter the imperial court as an official, which will be a level higher than the graduates who graduated and selected as officials in the same period, making many people including Ma Mengru envious No end, you must know that under Ye Chen's forced request, Xiangfu Kingdom does not have the system of supporting soldiers and subsidizing the feudal dynasties since ancient times.Regardless of whether you are the son of a prime minister, the grandson of a prince, or the son of a general, if you want to become an official in the court, you have to go to the same level and meet the requirements as a commoner.

Han Zixiu was able to achieve such a reward this time, his classmate Teng Fengping contributed a lot, and even strictly counting, it was Teng Fengping who found that the locusts could eat.On this matter, Han Zixiu was also an upright person, and he told everyone frankly that he and Teng Fengping had researched and investigated the important secret of discovering that locusts could eat, half of the credit was due to Teng Fengping.As a result, this young student who was born in an ordinary peasant family and had no obvious reputation suddenly became a celebrity in Xiangfu Kingdom.Han Xizai even directly presented Teng Fengping 5000 taels of silver.

A week ago, Xiangfu Academy had a summer vacation as scheduled. After learning that his hometown Yanzhou was hit by a disaster, Teng Fengping wanted to go home, but Han Zixiu stayed behind. During this week, he had some social gatherings in Xiajing.In the past, with Teng Fengping's family background and fame, it was difficult to participate in the circle of these young people who were either rich or famous, but now that he has experienced eating locusts, his status is quite different.

Teng Fengping was sitting on the carriage sent by Han Zixiu, stroking his arms with one hand. When the Right Prime Minister personally met him, the 5000 taels of auspicious auspicious bank certificate of deposit, which was rewarded to him, left Xiajing City and headed for his hometown, Yanzhou.

Along the way, Teng Fengping thought about taking out 5000 taels of the 500 taels of silver to improve his family's situation, keeping the rest for entertainment, and the rest when he graduates next year and the court assigns him a job, maybe he has to manage his relationship.

It took three days to finally arrive at Yanzhou. Looking at the scenery outside, Teng Fengping's expression gradually became heavy.

Suddenly, Teng Fengping heard a strange buzzing sound approaching from a distance, and then he heard the groom screaming: "The locusts are coming!"

On the horizon, a cloud of yellow mist rushed toward Teng Fengping and the others. Millions of finger-length locusts spread their wings and danced rapidly in the air, converging into a huge roar similar to an airplane taking off, covering the sky and covering the earth.

In the face of natural disasters, it is said that some grooms who are good at martial arts can't wait to bury their heads in the soil, but they stick their butts high, neighing uncontrollably, being dragged by the carriage and unable to move, they keep stamping on the spot.

Teng Fengping took off his and the groom's clothes, wrapped the horse's head and body, then pulled the groom into the carriage, and then completely blocked the carriage.

Just after finishing this, Teng Fengping felt that their carriage seemed to be in the center of a sandstorm, and thick stones were knocking on the carriage non-stop, making a thumping sound, and the reins of the horse were firmly in the driver's hand , it was difficult to move, and although his head was covered, he still made an uneasy hissing sound.

This impact on the carriage lasted for more than half an hour before it gradually eased.When there was no more knocking sound from the carriage, the two got out of the carriage and looked at the unfamiliar land with fear on their faces.

Just now, the green ground seemed to be covered with a yellow coat, and there were wriggling locusts everywhere. From time to time, broken branches fell from the tall treetops, and the fat branches that fell into the air quickly lost weight and became thinner. Bare branches without bark remain.

From the fields on both sides of the road came the rustling sound of spring silkworms biting mulberry leaves, but the sound was much louder, and their bites were much stronger than silkworms, making one's hair stand on end.Several locusts climbed on each crop, and the tender green leaf veins disappeared in an instant, and large areas of farmland with good harvests in sight became feeding grounds for locusts.

The groom didn't care to take off the horse's clothes and put them on, so he knelt on the ground and muttered to himself. He couldn't make out what he said, but occasionally heard a sentence or two: "My God! My God!" exclamation.

Teng Fengping picked a locust crawling on his body from his body, felt the powerful thigh of the locust, and said in his mouth: "That's right, it's all protein, four or five eggs will be enough for an egg, and a dozen or so will fill you up." abdomen."

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The two continued to drive the carriage, and after more than an hour, they arrived at Tengjiazhuang, the village where Teng Fengping's family lived.

The two entered Zhuangzi, but they didn't find the villagers who expected to cull the locusts. Instead, they saw all kinds of incense tables full of rich food, with various pastries on them, and three animals with pig heads. They knelt on the ground densely. The leader of the group was an old master whose voice was trembling and pious, and the piety written in the "Book of Prayer to the Locust God" was touching, and the blood on his forehead showed that the old man had used the most pious etiquette.

However, this did not prevent the locusts from eating the crops, and some even jumped onto the altar and gnawed the green fruits in the tribute.

Teng Fengping recognized the old master as an old scholar in the village, who was usually highly respected in the village, but in the eyes of Teng Fengping who had been baptized for two years, this old man was simply synonymous with pedantry.Especially when he saw that the people in the village did such stupid things here instead of hunting locusts, Teng Fengping was furious and furious.

Since he was admitted to Xiangfu College, Teng Fengping's prestige in the village has almost surpassed that of this old scholar, so he has few scruples about doing things in the village. In addition, he is a little hungry at this time. He didn't even eat, so he ignored the farmer who was kneeling on the ground, walked to the altar, grabbed the puff pastry on the altar, and took a bite. It was good, not bad, oily but not greasy, and there was a faint scent of sweet-scented osmanthus .

"Brother Li, the dim sum here is really good. You have come all the way to give it to me. You have worked so hard, so come and taste it." Teng Fengping shouted to the groom to come and enjoy the food.

The groom was originally a servant of Han Xizai's mansion. He was from Xia Jingcheng. He knew in detail about His Majesty's decree to eat locusts. A piece of roast pork was chewed, and there was a sound in his mouth.

All the farmers kneeling below were stunned, and the old scholar almost popped his eyes, pointing at them trembling and speechless.If he hadn't recognized that Wenquxing from their village had returned, he would have led people to beat down these two blasphemers.

(End of this chapter)