After watching Di Xiaofantong make a fuss over the plentiful table, Lu Ci put down the tea bowl in amazement, called the waiter, and packed a few meals.

Regardless of Di Qing's refusal, he gave half of it to him, and said with a smile: "It's cold and snowy, don't go up the mountain. Eat enough tonight, sleep well, and be prepared next time, I really want to Check your homework."

Di Qing's mouth was firmly blocked by a sentence about schoolwork.

He, who had kept his head down, couldn't help but raised his eyes at this moment, and took another serious look at the smiling Lu Ci before he really took the paper bags.

——When I go back today, I must memorize those two books by heart.

After sending Di Qing back to his place of residence, Lu Ci took a few other things to eat, sighed, and went back to the government office as appointed.

At this time, there was no one in the official office except for a few officials who were assigned to be on duty.

Seeing that he had been resting for a long time, Lu Zhizhou came back alone, and everyone was obviously surprised.

Because they had nothing to do, they all sat on the ground and used the simplest method of coin tossing.

"Lu, Zhizhou Lu?"

After they looked at each other for a while, one of them reacted the fastest. He quickly got up, and before he could pat the dust on his body from the ground, he hurriedly saluted: "You made a special trip to come back after you were released, but what are your orders?"

Seeing the people behind him scrambling to clean up the mess, Lu Ci couldn't help but smile: "I really have something to do, so I came here on purpose. You are on duty, and since today is the winter solstice, the folks and the public The switch is banned, you are not allowed to go home and reunite, it is reasonable to relax a little bit, there is no need to be so nervous."

Hearing his brisk tone, they were relieved, and the leader said with a smile on his face, "Thank you, Grandfather, for your compassion."

Seeing that his expression was relaxed, Lu Ci reminded again: "However, gambling property needs to be judged according to the situation, and the main thing is to be suitable, so don't take the lead."

Everyone nodded.

Lu Ci didn't delay any longer, and went straight into the warehouse for visiting old materials.

This stay lasted for a full three hours.

After Lu Ci affirmed his inner guess, he didn't feel relaxed or complacent, but became heavier.

Affected by the mild drought and warm winter, it is obviously not just Fenzhou that will face the threat of adult migratory locusts after the eggs hatch in the coming year.

At least the state capitals around Fenzhou cannot escape a similar fate.

With the development of science and technology in later generations, and the accumulation of countless valuable experiences in locust control, the multi-pronged approach gradually made the locust plague gradually withdraw from the stage, allowing future generations to make a joke of 'why not eat locusts'.

In fact, it is not the case.

As early as the Tang Taizong period, he had already proposed the strategy of eating locusts.

But locust food comes much faster than people eat locusts—and the migratory locusts cover the sky, so dense that even adults can fall down.

After they run out of food, they fly away to harm the next place, catching some to eat, not to mention whether there will be any problems with eating, it is just a drop in the bucket.

But the food in the ground that has been eaten up by him will support the painstaking efforts of the next few months.

Even with the gluttonous nickname bestowed by the emperor, Lu Ci would not regard migratory locusts as a delicious meal in the slightest with a relaxed mind.

If the situation in the surrounding counties is similar to that here, the impoverished Fenzhou cannot survive alone.

The most important thing is that even if it is very likely to be regarded as causing trouble and scaremongering, he must report the matter to the court as soon as possible and try his best to attract attention. The sooner he takes precautions, the more likely he will survive this catastrophe safely.

When Lu Ci read the records about the stock quantity in the granary, he still went to the granary in person, counted the number of bags hastily, and confirmed it with his own eyes, so he felt a little bit more at ease.

Although there was a small drought in previous years, it only hurt the skin. In addition, the court provided timely relief, so that there is still a surplus.

Even in the worst scenario, it is enough to feed more than [-] households in the entire Fenzhou in an emergency, as long as you save a little and last for a month or two.

There is no need to count on buying grain for the time being.

It is not yet known how large the locust plague will be. As long as the surrounding area is doomed, the supply of food will become in short supply, and the price will also rise accordingly.

The only way to get through the crisis is to get the emergency supplies from the grain depot first, wait until the relief food arrives, and then wait until the crops in the second season are mature.

But just as Lu Ci was about to relax a little, he immediately thought of another problem, and his expression changed slightly.

not good!

Returning to previous years, the situation this year is quite different.

——The ones that were affected by the fire in Prince Rong's Mansion not long ago included Zuo Zangku and other places!

It is conceivable that when it is urgent to rescue the warehouse, it is listed as the first choice. Of course, it is more valuable and less fire-resistant fine silk and satin items.

The bulky and large quantities of food were naturally given up.

The funds evaporated, the national power plummeted, and the savings lost by the officials building palaces everywhere in the past few years...

If something really happens, at least three to five years, there will be no effective emergency measures.

Moreover, considering the official style of being obsessed with cultivating immortals and being keen on pretending to be gods and ghosts, Lu Ci really didn't dare to pin his hopes on the emperor.

He was very suspicious that after the locust plague really happened, maybe the officials would not do anything, but they would open an altar to sacrifice.

What's the use of eggs?

In addition to giving some psychological comfort to people far away from the disaster, can it make the locusts commit suicide in shame?

In any case, it is unrealistic to expect relief.

Under internal and external troubles, Lu Ci only felt that one head and two big ones.

Why is he so unlucky?

Go to the pavilion to work, the pavilion is on fire.

Come to Fenzhou, Fenzhou is full of locusts.

Could it be that his official career went too smoothly in the early stage, but there will be many twists and turns in the later stage.

Lu Ci was a little superstitious, and finally heaved a deep sigh, rubbed his eyebrows, and walked out of the warehouse.

And the few people who were still in Guanpu before had packed up their things and put on an appearance of serious work.

——No matter how courageous they are, and Zhizhou's performance is very reasonable, it is impossible for them to dare to play on the sidelines when Zhizhou is busy.

The person who was more courageous before and dared to answer Lu Ci's words even more generously sent clean water and a towel: "Grandfather, please use it."

Drilling around in the granary, there was indeed a lot of dust on Lu Ci's body.

So he accepted this kindness with a smile.

Looking at the flattering faces who knew nothing about the locust plague that was coming, Lu Ci felt more and more responsible, and the road was long...

However, as the governor of the state, he can only resist.

Lu Ci returned to the front and back of the desk, looked at the festive atmosphere outside the window, and temporarily gave up the idea of ​​calling the subordinates back to work.

——Let them have a comfortable and leisurely winter solstice, and let them be ruthless from tomorrow.

Although Lu Ci made his decision, he didn't have a moment's idle time.

He first wrote about You Long, and made a statement one by one of his own experience, the information he found, and the examples that can be learned from history, to prove that he is not alarmist or unfounded.

The handyness when writing a thesis in the examination room has played a full role here.

When Lu Ci dealt with official duties, he was extremely strict. Now that he knew that locust control was related to the lives of millions of people, he naturally attached great importance to it.

After listing the evidence clearly, he re-read it several times to make sure it was clear enough before he wrote the final conclusion neatly.

——If left alone, there will probably be a locust plague in the next summer; and because the fire burned the Zuo Zang warehouse, the relief efforts will drop sharply, so it is prudent to do everything carefully; it is recommended that all states dig the ground as soon as possible to see if there are insect eggs buried .

Even if the first memorial is completed.

Lu Ci stopped here, started again, and continued to write the second letter.

Concentrating speculation and countermeasures in the first letter is unavoidably too long, and it is very tiring to read crowded and cramped.

It would be too unfair to be ignored because of this.

It would be better to put only the inferences that attract the most attention in the first letter, and then write the countermeasures in detail in the second letter.

Combining what he learned in modern times and when he was studying in the pavilion, Lu Ci made a brief summary of the prevention strategy: "Locusts do not eat taro mulberry, water chestnut gorgon, locust beans, peas, cowpea, hemp, velvet, and sesame potatoes...you can teach people how to plant them. , Harvest the next year. It is said that the stalks and limes are divided into fine powder, and the locusts may not eat them. You can also send a message to the people, and exchange one liter per meter for one bucket of locust eggs, regardless of women. People and children, take it to real-time payment..."

By the time I finished writing, it was already an hour and a half later.

Lu Ci glanced at the densely packed words, feeling his hands were weak and his shoulders were sore, and his stomach was still rumbling with hunger.

Man, it's still old.

Lu Ci sighed.

Otherwise, he used to be a character who could write in the examination room for hours and still be alive and radiant.

Now not only does writing such a few words make my wrists feel sore, but even eating is no match for Di Xiaofantong's appetite.

While re-reading the notes he had written to see if there were any mistakes or omissions, while moving his wrists, he realized that not only did he not use much for lunch, but his dinner was also untouched.

So he summoned the officials who were standing guard outside bored, and asked him to help heat up the takeaway food.

After reheating and eating, the taste will naturally be greatly damaged.

The steamed buns filled with soup have become dry without soup; the noodle cakes have also become hard;

Lu Ci used it absent-mindedly, and it was rare that he didn't get a greatly discounted taste.

He stopped thinking about eating.

Because he attached great importance to the hidden danger of locust eggs, Lu Ci couldn't even pass the winter solstice festival, so he just stayed in the government office, thinking about more countermeasures overnight.

Of course, the memorials to be submitted to the imperial court only include practices applicable to various places.

And in Fenzhou, where he has more power to control, it is natural to pay more attention to adapting measures to local conditions.

After tossing and turning, tossing and turning for a while, Lu Ci simply got up, lit the lamp, and wrote letters to Zhu Shuo and other friends who were scattered in various states.

It is ready to be sent to the official delivery office along with the memorial book tomorrow morning.

Even if the memorandum he handed over failed to attract the attention of the court officials, but just fell into disrepair, he would never stand still and wait for his death purely for his own conscience.

Because of the seriousness of the matter, when Lu Ci asked for an official delivery, he specially applied for a fast horse delivery, trying to let this memorial be seen as soon as possible.

So three days later, Wang Dan, who had just coaxed the emperor to approve his last memorial, received a new memorial.

With vague expectations, Wang Dan smiled slightly and unfolded the memorial.

Just reading and reading, his face also became serious.

——If what Lu Ci said is true, once the locust plague actually happens, the consequences will be unimaginable!

He was clearly aware of the seriousness of the matter, so he couldn't wait for a moment, so he hurriedly changed into his official uniform and entered the palace immediately.

The author has something to say: Notes:

1. This locust plague really happened in history.

In the early summer of the ninth year of Song Dazhong Xiangfu, a large locust plague that was rare in a century suddenly came.First, near the capital city, and then Jingdong, Jingxi, Shaanxi, Hebei and other roads were also in urgent need. The locusts were overwhelming, and they came out from nowhere, covering half of China north of the Yangtze River in one fell swoop.

The Song Dynasty's countermeasures were the most fashionable at that time-building altars and praying.

The effect was very good. Immediately, grassroots cadres from all over the country quickly reported, saying: "The local locusts are not eating the crops, they are eating the branches and leaves..." Said: "The local locusts are not traveling well, and they are drenched by the heavy rain. There are dead bodies all over the ground, as many as several thousand hu..." What's more, the outstanding performance of the locusts closest to the altar near the capital, they actually "hunted strike one after another and died on their own." It is tantamount to committing suicide in fear of crime.

In a gratifying scene where the situation is good, Zhao Heng is first despairing and then optimistic.While intensifying his prayers, he asked cadres at all levels to organize manpower to beat the locusts, burn their eggs, and sweep the "locusts" in a planned and step-by-step manner.In his mind, with this two-pronged approach, the locusts should be eliminated soon.But there is one thing, after more than ten years of spiritual empowerment, will the subjects of the Song Dynasty still have a realistic concept of science and technology?

The official history books of the Song Dynasty admit that officials from all over the country basically did not pay much attention to the locusts.So a few months later, even the prefectures and counties south of the Yangtze River were covered by locusts, and the whole country was covered with "locusts", and the situation was out of control!

This is after the national treasury reserves were burned out, and even the rations of the year became a problem.Anyone with a little brain will clearly realize that the national power and economy of the Song Dynasty have suddenly regressed for more than [-] years, and even the most difficult years of Zhao Guangyi's period are not as good.Just imagine that at that time, the treasury will not be full, and the grain will not be harvested, right? !

Finally, the disaster could not be concealed anymore, and emergency documents from all over the country flew into the Forbidden City like a snowflake, and Zhao Heng's mood can be imagined.Especially one day, when he was eating lunch, suddenly the sunlight outside disappeared, and the world was dark. He hurriedly sent someone out to look at it, and then walked out by himself without waiting for any return.

I saw that the sky was boundless, covering the sky and avoiding the sun, and it was full of locusts... Finally, all the locusts flew over that day, but the emperor still stood outside the palace, silent and dumbfounded.

After a long time, he slowly walked back to the palace and sat down in his seat.But don't eat, don't drink, don't talk, just like a wooden man.After a long time, the servants found out that His Majesty was ill.

A voice resounded in Zhao Heng's ears, shaking his mind and soul: "...if you deceive the heavens, the heavens will not be deceived; if you deceive the people, you will not be fooled; Future generations will not believe it!"

This is the definition of a series of god-making movements such as Tianshujiang and Shengzulin, which were made by his minister Sun Xie.Among them, "if you deceive the heavens, you will not deceive the heavens." The words will definitely make him sleepless and frightened, because he is really superstitious.After more than ten years of deception, in the eyes of outsiders, he is enjoying the full protection of the gods and Buddhas of the heavens, but he knows that if there is a god, he is completely deceiving, deceiving, and blaspheming the gods!

Coupled with the sudden locust plague that is now appearing, who is the person involved, who will not be frightened? ("If This Is Song History 2")

2. The methods of catching locusts are all from "Catching Locusts" written by Chen Fangsheng in the Qing Dynasty (so there are no punctuation marks in the original text)

The relevant content is now extracted.

A Wang Zhennong book says that locusts do not eat taro mulberry and water chestnut, or say that they do not eat locust beans, peas, cowpeas, hemp velvet, sesame, yam, and Wu Zunlu. He knows that locusts do not eat bean stalks, and he is concerned about the danger of their leftovers. Harvest peas and teach the people to plant them in March and April of the next year. Minda reaps its benefits

A migratory locust sees a row of trees or a row of flags and flies, but does not get off. The farmhouse often hangs red and white dresses on long poles and chases them. It is also afraid of the sound of the golden cannon. Surprised the latter will go

As soon as the stalks and limes are divided into fine powders, the locusts will not eat the grass and rice.

A locust is the hardest to die. When it is born like an ant, use bamboo as a building. It is not only undead when hit, and it is fragile. It is better to squat on the ground with old leather soles or straw sandals. It is small and does not damage the seedlings. A piece of cowhide can be cut into dozens of pieces and recovered from the nail head

Once you catch locusts, you can't send officials to go down. A group of people take locusts from the encroachment, and only take them from the front. The envoys of Guo counted out the prefectures and counties to arrest, expel, and trample the fields. Seek long-term strategies without restrictions on qualifications, and then use them to restrain Xu cheap from engaging in the terms of the terms of reference. The imperial court rewards that are not falsely recorded are used as a show of encouragement.

Attached to Guo Village is a printed list of locust catching methods, indicating that every meter, one liter, one bucket of locusts will be exchanged, regardless of whether women and children bring it in real time.

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