Chapter 151: Methods to Control Locust Plagues
"Yunzhou?" General Huo looked around. "What kind of official have you become?"
Magistrate Yunzhou then suppressed his agitation and said in a deliberately calm tone, "I knew you would die, but I didn't expect you to die so horribly."
The familiarity in their words delighted Su Zhenzhen; it seemed they were old acquaintances.
General Huo looked somewhat embarrassed, "I never expected that your decision to abandon military affairs for civil service would lead to such a new fortune."
From their conversation, Su Zhenzhen learned that the county magistrate named Yunzhou had once been a captain in the Northwest Army, holding a high-ranking position. However, due to the court's frequent delays in supplying provisions, he became disheartened and felt that there was no future in being a military officer. He decided to become a civil official and resign from his military post. He then used his connections to become a grain clerk. Later, he was fortunate enough to gain the appreciation of his superiors and marry into a good family. After his father-in-law passed away, he took over the position of county magistrate of Chuannan City.
Su Zhenzhen's heart skipped a beat again. If someone who loved to scheme so much knew Hensheng's true identity, who knew how he would use him?
After seeing General Huo, Yunzhou waved for the others in the room to stand guard outside. The soldiers were already afraid, and upon receiving the order, they immediately fled, fearing that if they were a step too late, they would be killed by the vengeful ghost.
"What I have achieved today is entirely due to my long-term planning, and I have no regrets," Yun Zhou said slowly, looking into General Huo's eyes.
General Huo smiled but said nothing.
Yunzhou seemed somewhat annoyed, feeling that General Huo's attitude showed that he didn't care about material possessions, making his words and actions seem like those of a petty person.
Yunzhou pointed at Hensheng and asked, "Who is he?"
It has to be said that Yunzhou's ability to scheme to this extent is quite remarkable. Although Su Zhenzhen is not an ordinary woman, she has an extraordinary temperament, especially her stunning beauty, which makes it easier for people to focus their attention on her first.
General Huo did not answer directly, but instead gave the choice to Hensheng.
Seeing that Yunzhou and General Huo had a past relationship, Hensheng didn't intend to hide it, since someone who could be on good terms with General Huo couldn't be too bad.
"I am..."
Su Zhenzhen immediately raised her hand to cover the speaker's mouth. Silly child, whoever reveals their hand first loses.
He turned to look at Yunzhou, a hint of mockery in his bright eyes.
"Aren't the household registration and travel permit in the master's hands? Didn't the master already know that? Why ask again now?"
Yun Zhou clearly recognized that the person in charge was Su Zhenzhen. Knowing that this young woman held a grudge against him for drawing his sword against her earlier, he lowered his posture without feeling humiliated at all, saying, "I was very rude just now, please forgive me, young lady."
As he spoke, Yunzhou made an apologetic gesture.
That's exactly what Su Zhenzhen wanted, so she could lead him by the nose.
"Whether the sea is forgiving or not is another matter. It's clear that the lord doesn't believe we have the ability to control the locust plague. Otherwise, why didn't he tell us the truth about the situation in Chuannan City?"
Su Zhenzhen's move was also a gamble. The locust plague was rampant in the south, and even though Chuannan City was slightly north, it could not escape it. The migration of disaster victims would only stop in places with food. If Chuannan City was not affected by the locust plague at all, those disaster victims further south would not cross the Yangtze River.
Yunzhou was surprised that the young girl in front of him, despite her young age, was so skilled at verbal sparring. She not only retorted to his question but also threw the question back at him.
If we remain silent, we will not be able to find out Hensheng's true identity; if we answer the question in the same way, we will be led by the nose.
Yunzhou's mind raced as he finally decided to address the immediate crisis first, as there was indeed a locust plague in Chuannan City.
“Indeed, a lot of farmland south of Chuannan City has been eaten by locusts, but the loss of grain is not too great. If you really have a way to control the locust plague, I will thank you on behalf of the people of Chuannan City.”
Su Zhenzhen raised an eyebrow. "Then please lead the way, Your Excellency. After all, if the fields have been eaten by locusts, the people whose fields have not been damaged will be anxious. Disaster relief should be done as soon as possible."
Yunzhou gritted his teeth inwardly; this little girl knew how to take advantage of the situation.
"May I ask if General Huo intends to travel with us?"
Su Zhenzhen shook her head; after all, it wouldn't be good to scare the common people.
"I'll put him away first, and let him out when there are fewer people around."
As soon as Su Zhenzhen finished speaking, she stuffed General Huo into the storage compartment. However, in Yun Zhou's eyes, it was as if she could manipulate ghosts with just her thoughts, which made him even more cautious.
The soldiers outside never expected that the two men, who had just been ordered to be executed on the spot by the magistrate, would become honored guests in no time, with the magistrate even ordering a carriage to be sent out.
They arrived at the rice paddies by carriage. Perhaps they had been informed in advance, because they didn't see any local people nearby. The only people accompanying them were six government officials.
Without saying a word, Su Zhenzhen released General Huo again.
"Ah!" The constables couldn't help but cry out in surprise.
Yun Zhou reprimanded them with a stern face, "Open your dog eyes and see clearly, this is our General Huo."
The constables then regained their voices and looked at the terrifying figure floating in the air with a mixture of curiosity and fear.
It seems... that's really true.
The constables were no longer afraid; even if General Huo had become a ghost, he was still the guardian of this land.
Yunzhou looked at Su Zhenzhen, his expression showing no sign of warming up. "Please take a look at this rice paddy, young lady."
Looking around, Su Zhenzhen saw that the rice paddy in front of her was about the size of a basketball court, divided into three sections: left, middle, and right. The rice seedlings in the middle section were noticeably sparser.
Seeing that Su Zhenzhen had seen enough, Yunzhou spoke up before she could ask, "A few days ago, locusts flew in from the south. There weren't many of them, and the villagers killed them in time. However, they ate up a lot of rice ears in the middle. To prevent them from affecting the growth of other normal rice ears, all the empty ears were cut off."
Su Zhenzhen jumped into the field, lifted up a rice stalk and looked at it. Sure enough, locusts had laid eggs on it.
Locusts reproduce at an astonishing rate, leaving their offspring wherever they go, unless there is no food available for them to grow.
Yunzhou noticed Su Zhenzhen's movements, quickly came over to check, and exclaimed in surprise, "What is this? Is the rice sick?"
Su Zhenzhen really wanted to roll her eyes at him. Although she herself lacked common sense, how could he, as the magistrate of a city, not even know the basics of agriculture and sericulture?
"These are insect eggs. They will hatch and grow into new locusts soon."
Yunzhou quickly responded, "I'll arrange for people to clean up all these insect eggs right away."
"It's no use. Humans aren't that meticulous. There are also some insect eggs that have fallen into the soil, which are difficult for the human eye to spot."
When Su Zhenzhen said this, she was already checking the system shop to see if there were any ducks for sale.
Ducks love to eat locust eggs, including newly hatched larvae.
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