Even now, in his residence and the imperial kitchen, they use wine and fine salt from Qiankun Hall.
Qiankun Hall is a shop that has sprung up a month ago, and the goods it sells are all rare treasures!
From opening to selling out the shops each day, it takes at most the time it takes for an incense stick to burn.
Most importantly, in a short period of time, Qiankun Hall sprang up like mushrooms after rain, opening up all over the entire capital city in the blink of an eye.
It is said that Qiankuntang has already begun to open stores in nearby prefectures and counties.
We're all smart people; some things are immediately clear.
"Your Highness, I have a plan that can guarantee success..."
"We'll do it like this..."
——
Dongling Town, Gaoling County, Jingzhao Prefecture.
Inside a makeshift disaster relief tent.
Crown Prince Li Gancheng sat high in the center, exuding an aura of dominance, and his words and actions already carried a hint of imperial authority.
His trusted eunuch Liu Jin and the Eastern Palace Guard General Li Zigeng stood on either side of him.
On either side are Zhuang Qishi, Sun Jian, Yao Tianzheng, Mi Zhu, Xing Kang, Li You, Li Mu, and others.
Inside the tent, everyone toasted and chatted happily.
To understand how these groups of people met, we need to go back to yesterday.
In the past few days, Sun Jian has been leading Yao Tianzheng and others to travel to all the counties and towns around the Jingzhao region.
Dongling Town in Gaoling County was the final destination of Sun Jian and his party.
Except for Gaoling County, the locust plague in other areas has been successfully suppressed.
The disaster in Gaoling County was completely declared over yesterday after Sun Jian and others arrived.
Originally, Sun Jian and his ministers were planning to return to the capital to report back today, but they unexpectedly bumped into Crown Prince Li Gancheng.
Li Gancheng was there because he was originally ordered by the emperor to inspect the local area and pacify the people.
The area he was inspecting happened to be in the southwest of Bingzhou, which bordered the Jingzhao region.
Having completed his inspection tour the day before yesterday, he embarked on his journey back to the capital. On the way, he passed near Gaoling and happened to hear that Sun Jian and his entourage were there, so he hurried there.
The group of people that Sun Jian brought could almost all be categorized as relatives of the Crown Prince.
Zhuang Qishi and Yao Tianzheng need no introduction; they are even more loyal than the direct descendants.
As for Mi Zhu, Xing Kang, Li You, Li Mu, and others, they are His Majesty's trusted confidants, and naturally share the same sentiments as the Crown Prince, the future heir apparent.
Everyone was overjoyed to meet in Gaoling County to help with the disaster relief efforts, and that's when they suggested having a banquet together.
The locust plague that affected the Jingzhao region has now been eradicated, and countless people have participated in the locust eradication efforts.
Just as Sun Jian had predicted, the catastrophic disaster turned into an auspicious omen and a blessing.
The tens of millions of people in the Jingzhao region not only did not become displaced or starve, but also benefited from the locust plague and were able to eat their fill every day. This made all the people of the Daqian region rejoice and celebrate.
Of course, it's impossible for the hundreds of billions of locusts to be eaten up in just a few days.
Although they can't all be eaten, about 60-70% can be captured.
After being deep-fried and processed, locusts can be stored using effective methods if they are intended as a reserve food.
Furthermore, the fact that all shops on the market are currently using deep-fried locusts as a secondary currency is enough to lay the foundation for the eventual eradication of the locust plague.
Gaoling County was the last stop in the locust plague-stricken area. After the locust plague here was resolved, even if there were still small-scale locust plagues in other prefectures and counties, it would no longer be a concern.
The disaster is finally over, and Dagan has been given a brief respite.
During the banquet, everyone kept praising Sun Jian.
They toasted Sun Jian repeatedly, one cup after another, and while praising Sun Jian, they also paid their respects to Emperor Wu.
Sun Jian would naturally not claim all the credit. Whenever he was praised, he would mention that it was because of the emperor's wisdom, the crown prince's martial prowess, and the good assistance of the ministers. He said that he had only done his part and could not call it any merit.
That's what they said, but who among them didn't understand?
If Sun Jian hadn't prayed to Heaven for a day and a night of heavy rain for the Jingzhao region, the locust plague could not have been suppressed in such a short time.
These gentlemen are all high-ranking officials in the court, each one more cunning than a monkey.
In recent days, they have heard many rumors about Sun Jian from the common people, but they can only let such supernatural matters go in one ear and out the other. They know about them, but they will not say them out loud.
It's one thing for rumors to circulate, but at least as key figures in the government, they wouldn't engage in indiscriminate flattery or wild speculation like ordinary people.
This thing is a double-edged sword; whether used well or poorly, it can have a significant impact and pose a hidden danger to Sun Jian.
Sun Jian is now a pillar of the nation, and we should do everything we can to protect him.
This was the consensus among Yao Tianzheng and others.
The three people below the stage dared not utter a sound, all waiting for His Majesty's question.
"Wang De, please take a seat."
"As you command."
After reading the memorial, Emperor Ganwu did not immediately inquire about the specific details of Sun Jian's imperial estates and fields. Instead, he first ordered the chief eunuch to offer seats to Sun Jian and the other two.
Emperor Ganwu knew that a memorial jointly submitted by the Crown Prince and his tutor Yao Tianzheng could not be mere rhetoric.
After a long silence, Emperor Ganwu suddenly stood up from his dragon throne and raised his voice, saying, "Wang De, notify all the officials in the Imperial Study to come to the Taiji Hall for a meeting immediately, without delay!"
Wang De also realized that something was wrong and dared not slack off in the slightest. He hurriedly accepted the order and went to inform the others, even quickening his pace.
He had followed Emperor Qianwu for most of his life, and it was rare for him to see the emperor with such an expression and tone.
After Wang De left, Emperor Ganwu looked coldly at Sun Jian, a gaze that sent chills down one's spine.
"Minister Sun, based on the figures in your memorial, this locust plague may involve hundreds of billions of adult locusts simultaneously?"
Sun Jian nodded, his face serious: "How dare I lie about the disaster and deceive Your Majesty? I am familiar with crops, and judging from historical experience and the number of insect eggs in the roots of crops... I'm afraid... I'm afraid it's more than that!"
"More than just how much?"
A subtle shift appeared in Emperor Ganwu's words.
Ignoring all that, Sun Jian directly stated his prediction: "This locust plague will initially reach tens of billions, then hundreds of billions in a short period, and may even reach trillions at its peak."
hiss!
Upon hearing this, everyone present, except for Sun Jian, gasped in shock.
Even Li Gancheng and Yao Tianzheng were the same.
They had previously discussed the scale of the locust plague as a once-in-a-century disaster, but they hadn't talked about the specific numbers.
Sun Jian's words startled them as well.
Oh my god!
Trillions of them...
I'm afraid the entire Daqian area will be eaten up and left barren and desolate.
Sun Jian was telling the truth; locusts have an extremely short adult lifespan and reproduce at breakneck speed.
Judging from the densely packed number of insect eggs, it may only take about half a month to reach 100 billion.
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