Chapter 316: Locust Extermination is Imminent

"Boom, boom, boom!" At two quarters past noon, the closing drum sounded in Chang'an City.

"Gee!" Su Bucheng heard the faint sound of drums, and whipped the horse hard to urge it to run faster.

When we entered the Guanzhong area, we saw locusts infesting many places, jumping all over the fields, withering crops, and gnawing leaves into holes.

If we don’t take action now, I’m afraid that the locusts will soon cover the sky and spread to the surrounding states and counties.

The sooner we arrive in Chang'an to meet the emperor, the sooner we can eliminate the locusts.

Pardoned by the emperor and urgently summoned for service, Su Bucheng had no resentment, but was filled with passion, willing to sacrifice his life for him, even if it meant being the scapegoat!

The last time he killed locusts, he realized that locusts were just pests and not magical insects at all.

But in an age where theism is supreme, he cannot shout it out.

Along the way, he was thinking about how to promote locust control as quickly as possible. The emperor's approval does not mean the approval of the people below.

Officials who are negligent in their duties can completely shirk all responsibility by saying that locusts are sacred insects that cannot be offended.

The city gate slowly closed and the closing drum began the countdown.

"Special envoy enters Beijing!" The special envoy beside him took out the special token and shouted loudly.

Upon hearing this, the city gate guard stood guard at the city gate, and the city gate was temporarily closed until the last drum sounded to signal the closing of the city.

"Whoa!" He reined in his horse and stopped just at the city gate.

"The emperor urgently summons Su Bucheng, the former magistrate of Chang'an County! Please let him go!" The special envoy handed the special pass token to the city gate guard for inspection.

After the city gate officer inspected it and confirmed that everything was correct, he said, "Let them go!"

The guards behind them stepped aside and the three of them rode into the city.

Zhuque Street was silent, with no pedestrians except the Jinwu Guards patrolling the streets in armor.

"The emperor urgently summons you!" The special envoy led the way with a token in hand, and Su Bucheng followed closely behind, running towards the imperial city.

"What is the current disaster situation in Guanzhong?" Tian Khan walked back and forth with his hands behind his back.

The locust plague is getting worse and worse. If we don’t find a way to control it, Guanzhong will have no harvest.

The disasters in Hebei and Henan provinces have not been completely resolved, and the drought and locust plagues in Guanzhong have not been resolved, so the Khan of Heaven is under tremendous pressure.

The imperial court was concentrating its forces to repel the Turks in the north, and if it was delayed by the disaster, it would have to interrupt its attack on the Turks.

Giving the Turks some breathing time and allowing the scattered forces to regroup will be a major threat to the northern part of the Tang Dynasty!

"Your Majesty, Duan Lun's prayer for rain was unsuccessful!" Fang Xuanling replied.

This locust plague has continued since the beginning of last spring. Although the rainfall in Guanzhong has been less than in previous years, the plague has never been stopped. Now, more than a year has passed and the locust plague continues.

Crops and food supplies have plummeted, people are complaining, and disaster relief is becoming increasingly difficult. The locust plague must be resolved fundamentally and as soon as possible.

The thin Du Ruhui became even thinner, with high cheekbones and almost emaciated.

"Keming, go back and rest!" Tian Khan looked at Du Ruhui's gloomy face and felt heartbroken.

"Your Majesty, I am not tired. I will rest after I finish my official business!" Du Ruhui was worried about too many things.

The locust plague in Guanzhong, the aftermath of the frost disaster in Henan and Hebei, and the military operations in the north, everything involved food and fodder.

As the Shangshu You Pushe, all these things need to be considered comprehensively, which takes a lot of effort and energy all day long.

I was obviously extremely tired, but as soon as I lay down, all kinds of things came to my mind and I couldn't rest for a moment.

"Your Majesty, the former Chang'an County Magistrate Su Bucheng has arrived and is asking for an audience outside the palace gate!!" The eunuch reported outside the hall.

"Su Qing is here? So soon? Summon him! Come to the emperor immediately!" Tian Khan was overjoyed.

Fang Xuanling and Du Ruhui looked at each other. It had only been twelve or thirteen days since the imperial edict was issued. They probably hadn't had a break along the way!

"Your Majesty, I, Su Bucheng, pay my respects to you!" Su Bucheng bowed to Chongtian Khan.

"Su Qing, please stand up!" Tian Khan sat on the dragon throne and looked at Su Bucheng.

He was covered in dust, his face was exhausted, and he looked like an old farmer exposed to the wind and sun, but his back was straight, he exuded an air of elegance, and his eyes were slightly drooped.

"Thank you, Your Majesty!" Su Bucheng raised his body slightly, still maintaining a humble attitude.

"Su Qing, what are your impressions on the way back to Beijing?" asked Tian Khan.

"Your Majesty, from what I have observed on the road, the locust plague is serious in the interior of the country, especially in Gyeonggi Province, and locust eradication is imminent!" Su Bucheng said slowly.

Tian Khan stared at Su Bucheng for a long time and said in a cold voice.

"Su Bucheng, last year, because of your locust extermination, you were stripped of your official position and exiled to Lingnan! Now I've pardoned you and summoned you to the capital, yet you dare to bring up locust extermination right away. Aren't you afraid I'll kill you?"

"Your Majesty! I am not afraid!" Su Bucheng bowed.

Du Ruhui, who had been keeping his eyes down like an old monk in meditation, raised his eyelids in surprise and looked at this distant relative.

"Oh? You are not afraid of death?" Tian Khan looked at Su Bucheng with interest.

"Your Majesty, I am afraid of death, but Your Majesty will not kill me!" Su Bucheng bowed.

"Why? I have killed people before!" Tian Khan did not expect that this minor official was quite interesting.

"Your Majesty has a broad mind. Everything I have done is for the people and the court. I was punished for my improper methods, not for personal reasons.

The locust plague in Guanzhong today is due to the failure to eradicate it in time last year. If it is allowed to spread, within ten days, the locusts will fly thousands of miles and bring disaster to other states and counties.

"I have no special abilities. Your Majesty has urgently summoned me back to the capital. The only thing I can do is to kill locusts." Su Bucheng said.

Tian Khan pondered for a long time. Such a straightforward official was really unique.

"Su Qing, do you know anything about the locust plague?" asked Tian Khan.

"Your Majesty, I have consulted various books and have a rough idea of ​​this.

Locusts prefer high temperatures and dry conditions, and are prone to disasters during droughts. A locust plague is bound to be accompanied by drought, and locust plagues are always accompanied by droughts.

Locusts often breed in low-lying areas near water, so locust plagues are most likely to occur when a flood is followed by a drought.

Locusts are distributed in floodlands or abandoned land along rivers, and are most likely to occur on a large scale during years of alternating floods and droughts.

In the Tang Dynasty, the most serious locust plague was along the lower reaches of the Yellow River, including Henan Prefecture, Shanzhou, Huaizhou, and Zhengzhou in the capital area.

Hua, Pu, Qi, Guo and other states in Henan Province, and Wei, Wei, Bo, De and other states in Hebei Province.

The second is along the Wei River, including Jingzhao Prefecture, Tongzhou, Huazhou, Qizhou in Jingji Road and Longzhou in Guannei Road.

In addition, Hezhong Prefecture and Jiang Prefecture along the Fen River, and Song, Bo, Chen, Xu, and Xu Prefectures along the Bian River,

Locust plagues have occurred in Jingzhou and Kuizhou in the upper and middle reaches of the Yangtze River, Xiangzhou in the middle reaches of the Han River, and Tongzhou and Quzhou in the Bashui River basin.

These were the materials he and his eldest daughter, second brother, and third brother collected day and night before the locust control last year, after consulting a large amount of books and records. They wrote to the prefect of Jingzhao several times, but their letters fell on deaf ears.

Now that he was meeting the emperor, Su Bucheng finally had the opportunity to make his statement.

Tian Khan looked at his left and right two people. These were the reports from various regions over the past ten years. He, a mere fifth-rank county magistrate, knew them in great detail. It was obvious that he had put in a lot of effort in research!

"Su Qing, everyone says that locusts are magical insects. How do you solve this problem?" Tian Khan asked.

"Your Majesty, the land is high and low, and the rain falls on different parts of the land. Although there are disasters such as floods and droughts, there are still many places that are spared.

However, when the drought is extreme and locusts swarm, all the vegetation within thousands of miles will be destroyed, and even the hair and flags of cattle and horses will be wiped out. The damage is even more tragic, worse than drought or flood.

At present, the Guanzhong area is full of locusts and they are still in great numbers. This is really rare. I heard that Hebei and Henan suffered from frost disasters last winter and there is not much locust left.

If there is no harvest, the people will be displaced. Although double-season rice has been introduced in Lingnan Province, it is still in its infancy and cannot increase production on a large scale.

If the locust plague in Guanzhong is not controlled, not only will the people in Guanzhong suffer a loss of harvest, but the locusts will also spread and affect other states and counties, causing endless troubles. This is a matter of national security and cannot be left unattended.

I implore Guanzhong to exterminate the locusts immediately!"