Chapter 318: Shao Yin of Jingzhao Prefecture

"Your Highness, you just said that my daughter Su Ying is in Lingnan..." Su Bucheng thought he had misheard.

"Oh, Su Ying's natural colored silk is a treasure of our dynasty. The court specially appointed her as the manager of Lingnan brocade, in charge of all matters related to Lingnan colored silk weaving."

Li Chengqian said, the young boy has been carefully cultivated by the Queen. He has the aura of a crown prince and is humble and measured.

"I thank Your Majesty for your grace on behalf of my daughter!" Su Bucheng bowed to the Khan Chongtian.

From ancient times to the present, there have been very few women serving as officials, and Ban Zhao is a role model for women.

Now, the eldest daughter has become the first female foreign official in this dynasty because of her natural colored silk fabrics, which has brought great honor to the Su family.

"Well, the Su family is loyal and devoted. They are strong even in poverty and never give up their ambition to rise to the top. The whole family works together to create a world for themselves in Lingnan. It is truly rare!

If all the officials in the prefectures and counties were as capable as your Su family, the people of the world would have no worries about not having a good life!" Tian Khan praised.

Su Bucheng rode a horse, and Tian Khan and his son, the left and right prime ministers took a carriage. They left Kaiyuan Gate and headed towards Baijiazhuang, twenty miles south of the city.

Su Bucheng was captured here last year. There is a foundation for locust control here, and the people are not so afraid of locusts.

When we arrived at Baijiazhuang, it was already 12 o'clock and the village was silent.

The black-armored soldiers were holding torches, and their armor was flashing coldly in the night, creating an extremely oppressive feeling.

"Bang, bang, bang!" When the locusts saw the light source, they rushed towards it, bumping into the armor and making clanging sounds.

Su Bucheng was hit on the face and body by locusts from time to time, causing severe pain.

"Woof, woof, woof!" The dogs in the village heard the noise and started barking wildly.

A few lights were on in the village, and no one dared to go out, so they all stayed in the house and peeked around.

"Is Village Chief Bai here?" Su Bucheng walked to the village entrance with a torch and shouted loudly.

After a while, I heard a slight sound of a door opening, and someone responded, "Who is it?"

"Village Chief Bai, my name is Su Bucheng, the former magistrate of Chang'an County!" Su Bucheng said loudly.

"Master Su?" Someone walked towards them quickly. "Are you really Master Su?"

"That's right!" Su Bucheng dismounted.

"Master Su, it really is you!" Village Chief Bai happily pulled Su Bucheng.

"They said the emperor had pardoned you, but I didn't expect it to be true! That's great, that's great! Everyone, come out quickly! Lord Su is back! Quick!"

"Master Su!" "Master Su! How are you doing in Lingnan? You must have suffered a lot, right?"

Every household lit up the lights and gathered around to express their concern and greetings.

They are all skinny and look sad. The crops have failed and they are hungry all day long. They are miserable!

"Dear fellow villagers, Su is doing well in Lingnan! Thank you for your concern!" Su Bucheng replied one by one.

"Sir Su, is there something that brings you here so late?" Village Chief Bai saw the black-armored soldiers in the distance and felt that they were all mighty and majestic, but he didn't know that they were the royal cavalry.

"Village Chief Bai, I'm here this time to kill the locusts." Su Bucheng said.

"Hush! Lord Su!" Village Chief Bai quickly grabbed Su Bucheng and looked at the black-armored soldiers warily. "Aren't you afraid of being reported?"

"Don't be afraid, Village Chief Bai. The imperial court is here to solve the locust plague and verify the method of killing locusts!" Su Bucheng patted Village Chief Bai's hand.

"Does the imperial court really want to solve the locust plague? How? But no official is as dedicated to eliminating the locusts as you are, and they just let it go!

Last year, with you by my side, we at least had some harvest, but this year, alas…” Village Chief Bai looked at the sparse crops in the dark night and shook his head.

"Village Chief Bai, do you want to save the crops?" Su Bucheng asked.

"I want to, of course I do. But I'm afraid, what if someone reports me..." There was resentment in Village Chief Bai's eyes.

"If you want to save the crops, listen to me!" Su Bucheng shouted, "Go get some firewood. Is the ditch we dug last time still there?"

"Yes! They are all kept!" said Village Chief Bai, pulling Su Bucheng excitedly.

"Whatever, I'm going to die anyway. I might as well follow you. It's better than waiting to die! Everyone, go get some firewood!"

"Yes, let's follow Master Su!" the villagers echoed and ran home to get firewood.

The trenches dug last year are still there, and firewood is placed around the trenches and then lit.

In a large field, more than ten or twenty fires were lit at the same time.

The locusts that were originally flying around all rushed towards the fire, forming a black mass. The locusts in the distance also flew over when they saw the light.

Wherever it passed, it brought a gust of wind.

The locusts flew to the fire and fell into the fire, and soon the aroma of meat and burnt food wafted out.

"Oh my God, so many locusts!" The villagers hid in the distance and were frightened by the dense swarms of locusts.

"Don't be afraid, put some more firewood outside and start burning." Su Bucheng didn't expect that his eldest daughter's suggestion would be so effective.

This method of locust extermination is much easier than catching them with nets and sacks during the day.

The eldest daughter also told him that burnt locusts are edible, but they don't taste very good.

If you want it to be delicious, deep-fry it. It will taste crispy and fragrant, and it is a delicious delicacy.

"Okay!" Seeing that it was effective, the villagers went back and brought all the firewood from their homes and burned it on the edges of other fields.

"Father, Lord Su is truly amazing. He came up with the idea of ​​using fire to trap locusts. This is simple and effective! He is truly a genius!" Li Chengqian exclaimed.

Several people stood at the edge of the field, looking at this spectacular scene, and were shocked!

Over the past year or so, locusts have been flying into the inner palace from time to time, which is quite annoying. Hearing that there is a locust plague in Guanzhong, Li Chengqian thought that the locust plague was the same as what he saw in the palace.

But I didn't expect the real situation to be like this! It refreshed Li Chengqian's understanding of the locust plague.

Admiration flashed in the eyes of the two ministers on the left and right. This person had put a lot of effort into killing the locusts!

"Da da da..." Several fast horses came galloping all the way.

"Your Majesty!" Jingzhao Prefecture Governor Li Hongshi jumped off his horse and bowed to Chongtian Khan.

He was on duty in Jingzhao Prefecture, reviewing official documents, when a eunuch suddenly arrived and conveyed the emperor's oral instructions, ordering him to immediately take all the officials of Jingzhao Prefecture to Baijiazhuang, southwest of Chang'an City.

Li Hongshi was confused and rushed over with all the officials on duty.

"Well, now you're here. Let's study hard!" Tian Khan nodded and said nothing more.

Li Hongming followed the emperor's gaze and saw swarms of locusts flying past and rushing towards the fire. The air was filled with the aroma of meat.

The villagers kept adding firewood to bury the charred locusts that filled the ditches.

"Your Majesty! This is..." Although he had guessed it long ago, Li Hongshi still couldn't believe it when he saw such a scene.

Tian Khan's change was too fast. He had avoided and let it go before, so why is he making such a big fuss about locust eradication now?

"Hmm!" Tian Khan smiled, said nothing, and pointed at someone in the firelight.

Li Hongshi looked over, his eyes widening, "Is Su Bucheng back?"

"Well! How is it? More useful than those people in your Jingzhao Prefecture who are just eating and doing nothing?" Tian Khan teased with his hands behind his back.

"Your Majesty is wise!" Li Hongshi said with a tactful look.

"Your Majesty!" Su Bucheng, covered in smoke and dust, came over.

"This method is fast-acting and can immediately curb the locust plague! Your Majesty, please promote it as soon as possible! This will buy time for the food supply in Guanzhong."

"Yes!" Tian Khan said, turning to look at Li Hongshi, "Mr. Li, how about Su Bucheng becoming your Shaoyin of Jingzhao Prefecture?"

"Your Majesty is wise!" Li Hongshi said happily.

I thought of various endings, but I never expected that he would directly mention the position of Shao Yin of Jingzhao Prefecture. It seems that he really caught the emperor's eye.

"Su Qing, take up the post of Shao Yin of Jingzhao Prefecture immediately and assist the prefect of Jingzhao Prefecture to eliminate the locust plague in Guanzhong as soon as possible. Send locust eradication officials to various states and counties to supervise! There must be no mistakes!" Tian Khan issued an order on the spot.

"I obey your order!" Li Hongshi and Su Bucheng bowed.

(Note: The rank of Jingzhao Prefecture Yin, third rank, and the rank of Jingzhao Prefecture Shaoyin, fourth rank, were both established during the early Kaiyuan reign of Emperor Xuanzong of the Tang Dynasty and are borrowed here.)