vrcanaries Chapter 1320 Is a few years a short time?
Chapter 1320 Is a few years a short time?
How did Shen Zheng manage to eliminate the locusts?
This question aroused curiosity not only among the officials but also among several Japanese envoys.
Grandpa Hong looked at the dozen or so hands in front of him and was at a loss.
Lu Botang said, "I can read, so I will read first."
Officials: ?
That's as if you're illiterate!
Chen Xingshen said, "Eunuch Hong, this matter is closely related to my Ministry of Revenue. Why don't you give it to me first?"
Yue Zhenchuan said, "Eunuch Hong, I can read ten lines at a glance, please give it to me first."
Yu Zhengqing said, "Eunuch Hong, I am the former prefect of Liuyang Prefecture, so I should be the one to see first."
Looking at the cluster of people in red and purple robes before him, Eunuch Hong silently withdrew his hand.
We can't afford to offend either of them; giving the prize to any one of them would be a mistake.
"Your Majesty, look..." he looked at the emperor for help.
The emperor disliked his incompetence, but because he was in a good mood, he still gave him an idea: "Read it to all your ministers."
His eyes suddenly lit up.
That's great!
He wanted to watch it too!
"Cough-cough-"
With a clear throat, he solemnly held up the first sheet of paper to his eyes.
Lu Botang pursed his lips: "Eunuch Hong, speak louder."
Grandpa Hong nodded to indicate that he understood.
The officials were filled with anticipation.
Listen to him say: "In early October, locust nymphs first appeared in the swamp west of Yanzhou City. Within three to five days, they gathered in swarms, darkening the sky..."
This part was a plot that the officials already knew about.
They knew that the wind was blowing from the southwest at the time.
"And then?" Lu Botang couldn't help but urge, "Eunuch Hong, hurry up and read something we don't know!"
Eunuch Hong rubbed his eyes: "Don't worry, this old servant's eyes aren't what they used to be..."
"That's easy!" Lu Botang reached into General Lin's arms. "Master, aren't you wearing glasses? Quickly give them to Eunuch Hong for a while!"
General Lin stepped back and blocked the way, saying, "The prescriptions are different; he can't use it!"
"Oh, that's enough!" Lu Botang didn't care about the alcohol content and even reached for his drink. "Just for a little while, just for a little while! Don't you want to hear how Xiao Shen actually gets rid of the locusts?"
General Lin wavered.
Just as he was about to take out his glasses case, he saw that Eunuch Hong had turned his back.
When he turned back, a pair of glasses had appeared out of nowhere on his nose.
"?!"
The officials were greatly alarmed.
Lu Botang exclaimed, "Why didn't you take out your glasses sooner?!"
Eunuch Hong smiled shyly, and to avoid incurring Shen Zheng's wrath, he told a harmless little lie: "Previously, this old servant begged Lord Shen for a long time before he finally agreed to sell me a..."
All the officials understood.
Lord Shen was of a good nature, so it was only natural that he would sell a pair of glasses to Eunuch Hong when he couldn't resist the pleading.
"Alright, hurry up and read it!" Lu Botang was completely focused on the letter.
After putting on his glasses, Grandpa Hong's world became brighter.
He looked at the letter and said loudly, "Prefect Shen Zheng of Liuyang, upon receiving the disaster report from Yanzhou, immediately set off for the border between Fuzhou and Yanzhou, traveling day and night at breakneck speed, and arrived at the Fuzhou government office twelve hours later!"
"It's only been twelve hours?" The officials discussed amongst themselves. "That's almost non-stop! Lord Shen is moving too fast!"
"Upon arriving at the Fuzhou government office, Lord Shen immediately ordered the collection of lime, bronze mirrors, and bamboo-woven nets..." Eunuch Hong continued.
"Wait, wait, wait, wait—" Upon hearing this, Lu Botang couldn't help but interrupt Eunuch Hong.
He glanced at Ōtomo no Maro and the others, then looked at the Emperor: "Your Majesty, this method of eliminating locusts may be a closely guarded secret of our Great Zhou. Perhaps... we should get these Japanese out of here first? Otherwise, these shameless bastards might steal our method and then claim it was given to us!"
The officials immediately realized: "Yes, Your Majesty, one must always be wary of others!"
"Your Majesty, they previously threatened our dynasty with methods to exterminate locusts. We cannot let them gain the upper hand!"
The emperor lowered his eyes and looked at Ōtomo no Maro and the others who were huddled in a corner of the palace.
"It's alright." He chuckled. "Let them hear that the method Shen Qing used to exterminate locusts is not something just anyone can do."
In the letter, Shen Qing had everything he needed, whether it was the right time, the right place, or the right people.
At this moment, he was even more certain that Shen Qing was a pillar of the state sent by Heaven to protect the Great Zhou Dynasty and save the people from suffering!
Her wisdom, her courage, and her sincere concern for the people are things that those Japanese envoys could never learn or steal.
To put it bluntly.
The letter described a battle against locusts that even the Japanese envoy and the ministers in the palace could not replicate, let alone the other way around.
At the Emperor's signal, Eunuch Hong spoke again: "After ordering the collection of wood ash, glutinous rice paste, mugwort, reeds, tinderboxes, torches, soybean oil, and other items, Lord Shen set off again and successfully arrived at Wangyue Village, Wangyue County, the border between Fuzhou and Yanzhou, at sunset the following day."
The officials listened attentively.
“Wangyue Village is located at the foot of Wangyue Mountain.” Eunuch Hong said, word by word, “That night, Lord Shen led all the able-bodied men in the village to make arrangements at the pass of Wangyue Mountain.”
"Passage?"
The officials were puzzled: "Lord Shen...does she want to use the pass to stop the locusts? But locusts prefer open spaces and would never go to a mountain pass!"
Could it be that Lord Shen can negotiate with locusts?
Under the puzzled gazes of the officials, Eunuch Hong's eyes suddenly widened as he looked at the letter.
Then, his voice trembled with excitement: "Before this, Lord Shen discovered through experiments that locusts...do not like to eat high-yield rice. If other rice varieties are present in the environment, locusts will definitely choose to eat them and will not touch the high-yield rice at all..."
"what?!"
Surprise is an essential expression on the face of every official.
Why don't locusts like to eat high-yield rice?!
"Since they're all rice, is high-yield rice inferior to other types of rice?!"
"Absolutely impossible! Lord Ji said that in terms of color, aroma, and taste, high-yield rice completely surpasses all other rice varieties!"
"Then, what exactly is going on?"
Only then did the officials remember that there seemed to be someone lying on the ground.
When they turned to look, they saw that Ji Benchang's eyes were closed, but his right hand was slowly raised. Then, his lips moved slightly, as if he had said something.
"Snapped--"
After saying that, he slammed his hand back to the ground.
The officials were filled with confusion: "What did Lord Ji say?"
Chen Shengshen ran over, squatted down next to Ji Benchang, and whispered in his ear.
After a while, he looked up, a hint of disbelief in his voice: "The adults said that locusts have never eaten high-yield rice before and dare not eat it rashly."
"what?"
"Such a saying actually exists?"
Chen Xingshen listened again and nodded: "Lord Ji said that although it is rare, it is indeed possible."
As the initial shock subsided, the officials slowly discovered another fact—
"Then from now on... our Great Zhou's rice won't be afraid of locusts anymore?!"
Chen Shengshen leaned closer to his ear, then shook his head: "Lord Ji said that this situation may only last for a few decades."
"Decades?" The officials looked on with strange expressions.
Are a few decades a short time?
Decades are plenty of time for them to accomplish a great deal!