Chapter 152: Continuing South

Seeing Su Zhenzhen's nonchalant attitude, Yunzhou became a little angry. This person said he had a way to control the locust plague, but where is that way?

"Young lady, may I ask if you possess any supernatural powers that allow these insect eggs to vanish in an instant?"

The tone wasn't exactly bad, but it just made people uncomfortable.

Su Zhenzhen smiled and said, "Your Excellency must not lose your mind just because you have reached a high position. Such emotional display is not the behavior of someone who likes to scheme."

As soon as he finished speaking, dozens of ducks he had bought from the system store appeared in the rice paddy.

Yunzhou, who was about to erupt in anger, stopped abruptly. What was going on? Could ducks possibly deal with these locusts?

Su Zhenzhen gave him a look that said, "That's right, that's exactly what you think."

Without needing much explanation, these ducks immediately began searching for delicious food the moment they touched the ground.

The ducks in the system store are a bit expensive, but they are all superior breeds resulting from genetic hybridization, maximizing their natural talents.

Yunzhou watched as the ducks quickly and accurately pecked at the insect eggs with their beaks. In no time, the rice seedlings, cleaned by the ducks' saliva, were spotless.

"This duck actually eats locust eggs?" Yunzhou was very surprised. He was unfamiliar with farming and didn't know this, but wouldn't the farmers who had tilled the land for generations know this?

"Ducks also eat locust larvae. Alright, stop watching and hurry up and find the ducks. Drive them through every rice paddy to eliminate any potential hazards."

Su Zhenzhen gave orders directly, and Yun Zhou wasn't annoyed. After all, the other party was indeed capable, and there was no need to care about a few words.

Hensheng had clearly thought things through more comprehensively than Su Zhenzhen. If the two of them were to travel from city to city in the south, it would take an unknown amount of effort.

"Does Lord Yun have any close friends in the surrounding cities? Please inform them of your methods for controlling the locust plague."

Su Zhenzhen only realized at this moment that Yun Zhou was able to sit in this position because he must have connections all around. As the saying goes, it's easier to get things done with acquaintances. She was worried that he might run into conflict with the local government again when he went to the next city.

Yunzhou nodded slightly, indicating that he agreed to the matter, and then immediately gave instructions to the yamen runners.

"What are you standing there for? Didn't you hear me? Ducks can control locusts. Tell the people who raise ducks to drive all their ducks out of their homes and then send messages to the surrounding cities."

The constables immediately sprang into action, and in an instant, only three people and one ghost remained in the rice paddy.

Yunzhou was clearly still not convinced of Hensheng's identity. "Young master, what is your relationship with General Huo?"

The household registration states that it is a border prefecture, which is also General Huo's garrison...

Su Zhenzhen stepped forward, raised her eyebrows and smiled, "As a master and servant, does Your Excellency wish to earn some credit for following the emperor's rise to power?"

The reason I couldn't reveal my identity before was because I didn't have any convincing evidence.

Now that Yunzhou has seen herself conjure ducks out of thin air, she should reassess the value of herself and Hensheng.

After all, locust plagues have been a major disaster throughout history. No one had ever thought that ducks could be the nemesis of locusts before, which shows how important it is to have foresight in knowledge.

If an olive branch is extended at this point, a wise person will agree, even if it means going to great lengths to flatter, and observe the situation for a while.

Clearly, the scheming Yunzhou is a clever person.

Almost as soon as Su Zhenzhen uttered those words, Yunzhou instantly understood their meaning.

The master-servant relationship could not possibly be one where General Huo is the master, otherwise he wouldn't have cast a questioning glance at Hensheng earlier.

In today's world, who can be General Huo's master? The answer is obvious.

"You flatter me, young lady. I have no special talents, how could I possibly deserve such merit? I only wish to be a good county magistrate and govern the people of this city well."

Yunzhou had his own considerations. To be on the safe side, he couldn't take sides too early. He could roughly deduce Hensheng's identity. If General Huo were still alive and had troops, there was still hope for this merit of following the emperor. But humans and ghosts are different, and he couldn't interfere in matters of the mortal world.

To prevent Su Zhenzhen from forcing him into a difficult situation, Yunzhou changed the subject, "Aren't you and the young master going to the south to help with disaster relief? The further south you go, the more severe the locust plague becomes; it has devoured all the crops in the fields."

This is a reminder to Su Zhenzhen that disaster relief is of utmost urgency.

Su Zhenzhen never thought it would be so easy to turn someone who likes to scheme against others.

Such people are meticulous and thorough, always afraid of suffering even the slightest loss.

"Please prepare a carriage for us, sir, so we can reach the disaster area more quickly." Su Zhenzhen directly changed the subject, "Sir, you care about the people and must hope to resolve the locust plague as soon as possible, right?"

After several exchanges, Yunzhou had come to a deep understanding of Su Zhenzhen's prowess. It was just a carriage; he would give it to her.

Yunzhou generously offered one of his carriages for the trip and even thoughtfully used his official seal to stamp a temporary travel permit. This permit allowed entry and exit to various cities, provided that those cities recognized the administrative head of Chuannan City.

Having received the benefits, Su Zhenzhen stuffed both the human and the ghost into the carriage without saying a word, then became the driver and started driving at breakneck speed. Before leaving, she didn't forget to leave a message.

"Lord Yun, see you on our way back!"

The carriage quickly disappeared from sight, and at that moment the yamen runners arrived with the villagers and the ducks.

The villagers immediately sprang into action, driving the ducks away from the rice paddies.

The locust plague in Chuannan City is relatively mild. Once the ducks have eaten all the locust eggs left behind when the locusts passed through, there will be no need to worry.

The constables' faces were beaming with joy.

Yunzhou suddenly realized that Su Zhenzhen had only mentioned that ducks could eat insect eggs and locust larvae, but had not mentioned how to deal with adult locusts.

If ducks eat locusts, then many ordinary people raise ducks, and many even raise other things near their fields. Why didn't they realize that ducks were their natural enemies when locusts were rampant before?

"Damn it, I was tricked by this little brat," Yunzhou said angrily.

No wonder they were so generous in sharing their methods for controlling the locust plague, and they didn't even take away the dozens of ducks they brought out.

It seems they're keeping their options open. This time, the number of locusts that flew to Chuannan City was small, and the people worked together to drive them away. Who can guarantee how many will fly over next time? Locust plagues are raging all over the south. These scourges of beasts, they devour everything in one place and then move on to another to wreak havoc.

"Investigate! Go and investigate! Thoroughly search for the whereabouts of this man and woman in every city from Chuannan City northwards. Remember to be meticulous in every detail. Also, send someone secretly to the border prefectures to see what the situation is like there now."

"Yes." Although the constable didn't understand Yunzhou's sudden order, and the workload was considerable, involving money and connections, he still obeyed and carried it out. This showed just how strong Yunzhou's control over the city was.