Chapter 19 He waited for her outside the house for a whole day
Shen Junheng couldn't help but frown.
She thought that since Xiao Lingyu had been reborn, he would naturally know about the locust plague in Qiuci and would certainly not sit idly by and wait for the same fate to happen again. Locust control would require a huge amount of money, and the money allocated by the emperor was not enough. Xiao Lingyu could smuggle money from the Eastern Palace. If they didn't have a good way to control the locusts, she could share her ideas.
But she didn't know there was another layer: out of political theology and feudal superstition, the emperor and the people would strongly resist locust extermination. It wasn't necessarily that locusts couldn't be exterminated, but that they couldn't be exterminated.
I have to say that Xiao Linghe's move was really vicious.
Shen Junheng pondered for a long time, then looked at Shen Xiu and said, "Father, if there really is a locust plague, when His Royal Highness the Crown Prince reports the disaster to the Emperor, can you persuade the Emperor to stage a 'swallowing locusts to show his determination' drama and establish the image of a wise ruler who is wholeheartedly devoted to the people?"
"What does it mean to swallow locusts to show one's determination?" Shen Xiu raised the end of his eyebrows slightly.
Shen Junheng said, "Actually, after weighing the pros and cons, locust extermination can at least effectively solve the livelihood problems caused by the locust plague. Why don't you have the emperor file a complaint with the locust god, saying that locusts are eating grain and harming the people. If the locust god wants to bring down divine punishment, he is willing to bear it on behalf of the people. The locust god is spiritual, but he will only devour the emperor's body and not harm the people. If the emperor is willing to eat the locusts alive in front of all the officials, he will surely win the hearts of the people and leave his name in history."
"This is a method of locust control that the people can accept." Chen Xiu pondered her words for a moment, then nodded and said solemnly, "If there really is a locust plague, I will do as you said and try to persuade His Majesty."
Once the human obstacles to locust control have been overcome, locust control can begin. Numerous methods have been used throughout history, including manual swatting, burial, and land reclamation. However, single approaches often yield limited success, requiring a multi-pronged approach tailored to the specific circumstances. Given Tang Chao's background, she believes that utilizing natural ecological balance, such as chicken and duck farming, to control locust infestations is effective but challenging to implement.
She couldn't tell others that she had foresight and raised a large number of chickens and ducks in advance. Moreover, Tang Chao didn't have ducks that could grow up quickly in forty or fifty days. By the time the ducks grew up, the locusts would have spread into an unknown size.
After much thought, she felt that it would be better to cleverly combine those methods of controlling locusts, using manual swatting, bonfire trapping, exchanging millet for locusts, and then driving chickens and ducks to eat the locusts. With all these methods, the effect would naturally be significant.
Of course, the main method is to exchange millet for locusts. Although this method will cost a lot of money, it is the most acceptable to the people and is more conducive to the emperor's image as a "benevolent monarch."
“As for how to kill the locusts, I also know some methods…” Shen Junheng slowly expressed her thoughts, and Shen Xiu nodded repeatedly, looking at her carefully in disbelief.
Chen Congting also showed an expression of humility and asked, "Ah Heng, how do you know all this?"
In order not to arouse their suspicion, Shen Junheng had already made preparations. She smiled and took out a half-worn green book from her sleeve and handed it to Shen Congting: "Of course I learned it from the book."
The name of this book is "On Controlling Locusts". The author is named "Qin Yujun", a name she picked at random. Every word in the book was written by her. After writing it, she asked a bookshop to print it and deliberately made it look old.
Shen Congting took the book with both hands, flipped through it quickly, and saw that some of the contents were similar to what Shen Junheng said, so he respectfully presented the book to Shen Xiu.
Chen Xiu also took a quick look, stroked his beard, and sighed, "This Qin Yujun is very knowledgeable and insightful. He is truly a great man. However, I didn't recognize him. It's my own fault for being so ignorant and inexperienced."
"Dad, please don't say that." Shen Junheng said with a smile, "There are so many talented people in the world, and many of them are indifferent to fame and fortune and live in seclusion. How can Dad know them all? You haven't read such a low-brow book."
Chen Congting asked, "Where did you get this book?"
Shen Junheng said, "You'll have to ask Xiaodie about that. During the time I was recuperating, she took great pains to find many good books for me to entertain me. However, most of them are about talented men and beautiful women. If you're interested, I'll send them all to you someday."
Shen Congting coughed lightly and waved his hand quickly: "No need."
Hehe, she forced Liu Xiaodie to make her many blushing and heart-pounding storybooks about talented men and beautiful women. They were quite exciting and curious, but Shen Congting didn't even read them. Why did her ears turn red?
Xiaodie was also helpless. She didn't even dare to take a second look at the books she had collected, so how could she know where the "Theory of Controlling Locusts" came from?
In order to avoid suspicion, Shen Junheng had no choice but to trick Liu Xiaodie.
"Xiao Die? She's really helped us a lot!" Shen Congting said, carefully rolling up the book and putting it into his sleeve pocket. "Ah Heng, I'll take this book. I'll study it with His Royal Highness the Crown Prince."
Shen Junheng nodded.
Shen Xiu's gaze towards Shen Junheng became increasingly admiring and gentle, and he thought to himself that his precious daughter was truly a smart and intelligent woman. If she were a man, she would surely achieve greater things than her brother.
After the three of them finished their business and chatted for a while, Meng Zhaoniang knocked on the door: "What are you talking about so enthusiastically? If you're done, let Ah Heng come out and have a personal chat with us."
"Mom, I'll be right there." Shen Junheng bowed to Shen Xiu and Shen Congting respectively, walked out of the study, and went to the side hall with Meng Zhaoniang.
The family members were all waiting in the side hall. When they saw Shen Junheng coming, they immediately surrounded him enthusiastically.
They were talking and laughing happily, and before they knew it, it was time for dinner.
Shen Junheng had dinner at the Shen Mansion before leaving.
When leaving the Shen Mansion, the whole family was reluctant to leave, and the female relatives surrounded her and saw her off to the gate of the mansion.
It was already dark by then.
He Pingzhi heard the noise and got off the carriage.
He had been waiting for her outside the door?
Shen Junheng was slightly surprised to see him, and immediately waved to He Pingzhi, asking him to help move the return gifts given to her by the Shen family into the car. After all, there were so many return gifts, why not use the free labor.
He Pingzhi glanced at her but didn't say anything. He quickly moved all the things onto the carriage, then bowed to Old Lady Shen and others, and helped Shen Junheng onto the carriage.
As soon as they got on the carriage, Shen Junheng immediately pushed him away, and He Pingzhi immediately took his hand away from Shen Junheng's arm, and the two sat facing each other.
"Gurgle~" Suddenly, He Pingzhi's stomach made a loud sound. He coughed lightly with an embarrassed look and turned his face away.
Shen Junheng looked at him and raised his eyebrows slightly: "You haven't eaten for a day?"
He Pingzhi hummed in an inaudible voice.
"Are you stupid? You waited for a whole day and didn't even know to eat?" Shen Junheng looked at him with disdain.
He Pingzhi growled, "I was just worried that you wouldn't see me when you came out. Who knew you would stay in the mansion for so long, only coming out after dark? I really don't understand how you two could have so much to say!"
Wow, he actually waited for her at her door for a whole day just to go home with her, and he was so hungry. If such a plot appeared in a romance novel, wouldn’t it be very romantic?
If it could be made into an idol drama, Shen Junheng suggested that the dubbing of this part should refer to the first date between Shancai and Daomingsi, and the motorcycle tone of their conversation when Shancai was late.
Thinking of this, Shen Junheng couldn't help but burst out laughing.
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com
