Li Yun's words frightened Ma Youcai so much that he broke out in a cold sweat. These disrespectful words would bring about fatal disasters, but some of his words hit the nail on the head, especially the sentence "Water can carry a boat, but it can also capsize it and only by settling the people well can the court be safe and worry-free." How well said! Compared to his sister, he felt that he was far inferior.
"Sister, you are right. Let's go find King Jin. Maybe he can do it." Ma Youcai said.
So, the two went to Xiyuan to find Shangguan Feiyun.
When he met Shangguan Feiyun, Li Yun told him about his concerns about a locust plague.
"Yun'er, wait a minute, Ma Youcai, go and ask Commander Cheng to come over." After hearing this, Shangguan Feiyun felt that the matter was serious. Five years ago, there was a locust plague and many people died. If there was a locust plague this year, he was afraid that many people would also die.
Besides, if there were two locust plagues during his father's reign, killing many people, some people would take this opportunity to slander his father, accusing him of not being the emperor chosen by heaven. For the sake of his father and the people, he must reduce the disaster this time.
Soon, Ma Youcai came in with Commander Cheng Shan, and Li Yun repeated to Cheng Shan what he had said to Shangguan Feiyun.
After hearing this, Cheng Shan was also shocked. He remembered the scene of the locust outbreak five years ago. When the locusts passed through, not a single grain of crops was left in the fields, and even the stalks were eaten clean.
"Yun'er, let's do as you said. Let all the people harvest the crops in advance. I will also report to the emperor and ask him to exempt the people from taxes for one year so that they can live peacefully this year. I will also ask him to provide relief to the villages that have been severely affected by the disaster." Shangguan Feiyun said to Li Yun.
"Madam Li, what is your basis for judging that there will be a locust plague after the drought?" It's not that Cheng Shan doesn't believe Li Yun's words. This matter is too big and the consequences are too serious. You can't just say something casually and expect everyone to believe it. There must be reasons and evidence.
If it is just your guess, causing the people to lose 50% of their food and the national treasury to lose half of its food would be punishable by death, and it might even become a serious crime of treason and collaborating with the enemy.
"Commander Cheng, I wonder if you have heard of the saying 'after a drought there will be a locust plague'. This is because areas with drought or little rainfall are more likely to produce locust eggs. The eggs are laid in the soil. The drier the climate, the more favorable it is for their reproduction. This is because locusts themselves like dry places. When the eggs grow into locusts, they will swarm to harm crops." Li Yun told Commander Cheng, Shangguan Feiyun and Ma Youcai what he had seen in this life.
"Yun'er, I believe in you. I will report to the emperor immediately. Commander Cheng, you must rush back to the capital and hand him over to the emperor. Tell him the situation here and ask him to secretly send someone he trusts to take over Anqiu County. I will personally go to Anqiu County to see the disaster situation there." Shangguan Feiyun made a decision immediately.
"I obey your command!" Cheng Shan knelt on one knee.
"Shangguan Feiyun, wait a minute, there is another way to prevent the locust plague." Li Yun saw Shangguan Feiyun preparing to write a memorial and stopped him.
"Yun'er, what method?" Shangguan Feiyun looked at Li Yun excitedly, and Ma Youcai and Cheng Shan also looked at Li Yun expectantly.
"The natural enemy of locusts is ducks. As long as we have enough ducks and drive them into the fields, the locusts will not dare to come close to eat the crops. The ducks will even eat the locusts and regard them as delicious delicacies.
Locusts are also afraid of fire. If locusts really fly over, you can organize villagers to hold torches to drive them away.
"These two methods are a bit difficult. I still advocate harvesting the crops early, as this will provide a better guarantee. After all, ducks are not easy to find, and torches cannot reach certain areas. Just write these two methods down and let the emperor decide." Li Yun told Shangguan Feiyun about the methods she had read in novels and TV dramas in her previous life to deal with locusts. As for whether they would work, she couldn't guarantee it.
"Okay, I understand. Thank you, Yun'er." Shangguan Feiyun began to write a memorial after he finished speaking. He clearly stated the drought and locust plague here, as well as three methods to prevent the locust plague. At the end, he wrote that these three methods were thought up by Li Yun, and that the prediction of the locust plague was also Li Yun's idea. He wanted to give all the credit to Li Yun.
Li Yun also wrote a letter of apology, stating that she could not go to the capital with Commander Cheng due to some matters, and that she would go to the capital in person to apologize. She also wrote that she would ask County Magistrate Ma to arrange for someone to send her to the capital to make ice.
Li Yun handed the written letter of apology to Commander Cheng, Shangguan Feiyun also handed the memorial to him, and even Ma Youcai handed the laws he had compiled with him to Cheng Shan. Cheng Shan rushed to the capital overnight with the memorial, the letter of apology and the laws.
Ma Youcai also rushed to the county government office, taking with him samples and designs for the curved plow, harrow, and rice-throwing tray, as well as designs for the waterwheel. He also took the knives and axes of the workers' team, and the icemakers You Banhe and Gaolou with him to the capital, and a large amount of saltpeter.
As soon as Ma Youcai arrived at the county government office, he arranged for his personal bodyguard, constable, and the three secret guards that Shangguan Feiyun had given him before he left, to secretly send the farm tools and people to the capital.
After everyone left, Ma Youcai asked his lawyer to call all the mayors and village heads to the county government office for a meeting tomorrow.
After Cheng Shan and his elder brother left, Li Yun went to find the village chief and told him about the locust plague.
The village chief believed Li Yun's words very much. He didn't say anything, but asked his son to beat drums and gongs to notify the villagers that a meeting was about to begin.
The village chief told the villagers what Li Yun said and also stated his own decision.
"I don't care whether you believe it or not, I believe the girl. Older people still remember the locust plague five years ago. That scene still horrifies me when I think about it now, so I will start harvesting crops tomorrow. If you believe it, then harvest. If you don't believe it, then don't harvest. When the locusts come and eat up all the crops, you will have to find a way to pay the public grain tax yourself, right? Don't expect us who are harvesting to help you, because we don't have enough to pay the public grain tax." The village chief said to the villagers seriously.
"Locusts? If there really are locusts, we will harvest them." Some villagers who have experienced locust plagues said in a loud voice.
"We are harvesting. We will take a leave tomorrow and go home to harvest." said the villager who worked for Li Yun.
"Okay, we will harvest tomorrow. Villagers who don't harvest will bear the consequences themselves." After saying this, the village chief left the ancestral hall and went to find Li Yun.
"Uncle village chief, I have an idea. I wonder if it's feasible. We don't have to cut the rice stalks directly. We can just cut the ones with rice on them, and leave the ones without rice. If the locusts don't come here, after a while, the ones left behind will grow out, and when they are mature, we can harvest the rice for the second time." Li Yun mentioned this in a novel she had read in her previous life. She didn't know if it was feasible, so she wanted to try it out in Qingshan Village.
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