I am not in the position of Zen [Three Kingdoms]

No matter how much people catch locusts under the guidance of the government, the speed of catching locusts cannot keep up with the speed of locust breeding.The efficiency of artificial labor is far less than that of spraying pesticides by airplanes in modern society, and locust plagues still occurred in Sili and Yuzhou.

Once the locust swarm takes shape, it will become extremely ferocious, take off to cover the sky and cover the sun, and migrate for more than [-] kilometers in a day, and the people will follow behind to catch up.And locusts are not as full as rice and millet. The energy people eat is not as much as the calories consumed by running.

From a modern point of view, locusts are mostly protein and have no carbohydrates, so unless they are fried, it is difficult for people to feel full.

The number of locusts caught by the common people during the day is limited, but at night, they use the phototropism of the locusts to light up bonfires to catch more locusts.Locusts are tasteless when eaten steamed or boiled.But people are so hungry that they can eat anything.

The food transport team led by Lu Bu passed through the locust-ravaged area, and the team was stopped several times by hungry people risking their lives.Lu Bu had no choice but to harden his heart and drive them away with a whip.

But some people refused to leave. Even though they were beaten all over their bodies, they still stayed far behind the line. Now there are hundreds of people following behind the grain truck.

Every grain of rice dropped by the grain truck on the road due to the bumps will be picked up by the people behind and put in their mouths.

Cao Xing suggested to Lu Bu, "These people won't leave without seeing blood. If the general kills one or two of the people who rush forward, they won't dare to follow."

Lu Bu was silent for a moment, then replied: "In some places, there is nothing in the fields, and they have no choice. We are soldiers, so it's best not to wave our knives at the people."

The soldiers sighed with emotion: "The locusts crossed the border, and the crops were eaten up, and even the weeds were not spared. This will make the people how to live in the next year."

"Follow, just follow, these people must have no food in their homes. Follow us, at least you will not be afraid of tigers, wolves, beasts and robbers on the road. If you can hold on on the road, you will be able to catch up with the court's porridge in the big city, and you can live for a few more days .”

One day later, at night, they encountered soldiers coming out of Luoyang, all carrying dense nets and torches.

Lü Bu took the lead and asked, "I am Lv Bu, Marquis of Wudu in Yizhou. I have been ordered to send grain and grass to Beijing. Who is in front?"

"One is the school lieutenant Wang Yong, leading 500 people to hunt and kill migratory locusts according to the order of the emperor."

Lu Bu frowned when he saw that the attire under the flames was the forbidden army in Beijing, "When you go out of the city, who will protect the palace?" This time the migratory locusts appeared in several places at the same time, and they gathered and flew in different directions.Since the emperor attached great importance to and ordered the containment of the locust plague, there must be more than one army out of the city, and people should be sent from all directions.

Wang Yong replied neither humble nor overbearing: "Master Hou, this is a court secret, so it is inconvenient for me to disclose it."

Cao Xingzong immediately stepped forward and shouted, "Bold! You, a little captain, dare to talk to Lord Hou like this!"

Wang Yong did not rush, smiled and said to Lu Bu: "It is really the responsibility, please don't take it to heart."

Lu Bu's Wuduhou was very different from the princes in the early Han Dynasty.In the early Han Dynasty, the vassals split the soil and faced the people. The vassals and kings enjoyed the taxes of the feudal state, and they could set up official offices and recruit troops.

With the promulgation of the Tweeting Order, Hou Ye's power was already very small. In the middle and late Eastern Han Dynasty, recruiting troops and setting up government offices were even out of the question.When Liu Xie came here, Hou Ye's power was further weakened, leaving only a good name, not even a fief.Lu Bu's name Wuduhou means "the capital's martial arts are unrivaled in the world", and his rank is more than two thousand stones, and he has no fiefdom.In terms of real power, Lu Bu is still a general of Zhonglang, so his subordinates sometimes call him a general.

The Imperial Army and Lu Bu are not organized in the same system, and since the emperor came to the throne today, the closer the officials are to the capital, the more cautious they are. Otherwise, if they are reported by their subordinates, they will definitely be investigated by the Overwatch Council.The phenomenon of crushing people to death by the first rank of officials has been greatly reduced, so Wang Yong does not buy the account of Lv Bu, the Marquis.

Lu Bu snorted, not reluctantly, and the two armies brushed past each other.

Cao Xing said angrily, "Why does this person have such an attitude!"

After the ups and downs in the officialdom, Lu Bu didn't pay much attention to this aspect now, and stopped him aloud: "Don't say too much."

A personal guard asked: "Have you noticed that there are ducks hanging behind their horses. The treatment of the guards is getting better and better. The dry food they bring out is actually live poultry. If you are hungry, you can roast one. How can you be so happy!"

Lu Bu turned around and reprimanded: "Don't talk nonsense. Use your brain to think about what you are doing with ducks at such a close distance. These ducks must be useful."

"Didn't the Ministry of Agriculture and the Ministry of Forestry be established in Beijing a few years ago? I heard that there are several large chicken and duck factories under the Ministry of Agriculture." A personal guard who loves to read newspapers said: "I heard that ducklings I especially like to eat locusts, could it be that they took them specially to catch locusts?"

"I remember that one issue of the newspaper specifically mentioned that the emperor said that he should raise more ducks to beware of severe drought and locust plagues in a few years." Another guard said, "I remember it very clearly! Because at that time the newspaper also wrote The imperial court collects the fluff from the belly of ducks, which can cost as much as one tael of silver per catty, and I even specially wrote back to ask the people in the house to raise ducks!"

Several people gasped: "How does the Son of Heaven know what will happen in the future?"

"Isn't this the first time you've seen it?" Lu Bu reprimanded, but with a slight sense of superiority in his tone: "You guys are really making such a fuss, I saw it in the palace a few years ago."

A few people discussed in a low voice behind them. Lu Bu saw the outline of the city from a distance and accelerated his marching pace.

When we arrived at Xixia County, it was already Xu time.

"Why are the lights bright?" Lu Bu asked the scouts to check.

After a while, the scout came back and said, "Report to the general, they are giving porridge to the refugees day and night. Because they are worried about chaos, there are many people guarding the gate of the city."

Immediately, several people breathed a sigh of relief: "The people behind here have a way out."

Walking down the city, I saw hundreds of people queuing up.

After checking his identity, the city guard frowned and went forward to explain to Lu Bu: "Master Hou, tents are pitched in the open spaces in the city now, and a lot of refugees have been taken in. There is no place for the army to set up camp. There are still post stations in the city. It is empty, but it can only accommodate dozens of people at most. There is no problem for you and the guards to live, but the rest of the people can only camp at the city gate, please forgive me."

Lu Bu glanced at the porridge in the cauldron. The millet porridge was relatively thin, and it seemed that red dates and beans had been added.

He waved his hand: "It's okay, let's camp directly under the city without going into the city."

The city guard hurriedly said: "I hope that Lord Hou will not dislike it, and come to the mansion to have a drink."

"Seeing how busy you are, there's no need, we'll cook by ourselves." Lu Bu refused, "Where's your county magistrate?"

"Yesterday, the county magistrate was on duty. Today it's his turn to rest. He will come to inspect the city gate tomorrow morning. Master Hou has something to do. Should I send someone to report to the county magistrate?"

"No, just do your work."

Early the next morning, when Lu Bu and the others entered the city again, they found two teams lined up at the gate of the city.It's just that one team is long and the other is short.

Cao Xing asked curiously, "Hey, are these people fools? Why don't you go to the short queue?"

A guard with good eyesight retorted: "These people are not blind, the things scooped out of the pot in front are different."

Lu Bu has excellent eyesight: "One pot is rice, and the other pot is porridge."

The guards were stunned: "Ah, how could there be such a difference!" Then they said angrily: "The officials guarding the city are too unkind. Could it be that the rice bowlers are all related to them?" When you see injustice, you draw your sword to help, and some say to go to the local civilian guards and the Overwatch Council immediately: "Walk around, go to the Overwatch Council to report as soon as you enter the city. If the report is established, there will be a reward!"

As soon as the words fell, the one with the loudest voice suddenly felt his neck tighten, and was actually picked up by Lu Buti like a chick, and directly mentioned the horse: "What are you talking about? Look for yourself, the person in the short line is holding something in his hand. It's rice in exchange."

The guards were stunned for a moment, and when they could walk in, they saw clearly that the people in the short line were holding bags of locusts, some dead and some burning, and some were not even refugees. There is a way to enter the city. After the city guard finished measuring the size of the net and changed the corresponding amount of rice, he took out the oil paper from his chest, wrapped the rice and went into the city.

The guards were all very surprised: "Hey! You can also exchange locusts for food!"

Some slapped their thighs: "Hey! We met several messengers on the road. They only told us that locusts can be eaten, and we need to use fire to hunt and kill locusts at night. Why didn't they tell us that locusts can be exchanged for food! I knew that Don’t steam it and eat it, it’s better to keep it for dry food!”

Lu Bu observed carefully, and saw that the county magistrate led his men to arrange everything in an orderly manner.Under this kind of differential treatment, the old, weak, sick and disabled who are so hungry that they have no strength can barely survive on a bowl of thin porridge every day.Those who are young, strong and hardworking will definitely go out of the city in groups to catch locusts in exchange for rice.Although he didn't know the words "survival of the fittest" and "survival of the fittest", he still felt the court's ingenious intention.

"They all use a ruler to measure the nets used to exchange food." Lu Bu said, "It must be a unified arrangement by the imperial court." Considering everything, using money and food to motivate people is probably the idea of ​​today's own.

The closer to the capital, the less severe the drought and locust plagues, which really relieved the group who had prepared for the worst.

After leaving Nishizawa County, they received an order from the herald of the court to transport the grain to the counties and important towns along the way in batches.These counties and important towns are the same as Nishizawa, and there are two teams queuing at the gate.

But the more people went to Luoyang, the fewer people exchanged locusts for food.

When asked about the local people, everyone said happily: "There are not many locusts caught. When the locusts first gathered, the army in the court hurried over and killed them with bonfires. The court also took all the locusts that were bred. The ducks were transported to various places to eat locusts, and the plague of locusts was finally stopped. Although there was a severe drought, the imperial court sent people to dig deep wells, and we desperately carried water to irrigate. This year's harvest can also be kept a little, and we will not be unable to survive. "

Although it is not yet the harvest season, the emperor has issued a tax exemption edict, and Yuzhou and Sili Prefectures are exempt from land tax.In addition to giving porridge, medical officers were also sent to cook medicine at the gates of some county towns.

But there are still many refugees, and they are still gathering in the direction of Luoyang City.Gai they heard that Luoyang is rich, and if they arrive in Luoyang, they can find a place to work, and they will be able to eat enough, so they won't be able to barely survive on a bowl of gruel every day.

After walking through several counties and towns, one night, a civilian guard rushed over on horseback.

It was late at night, and Lu Bu had already rested, so the guards refused: "Let's talk about it tomorrow if you have anything to do."

Commoner Wei wiped the sweat from his forehead: "It's urgent, I have a gold medal from His Majesty."

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