Chapter 1493: Locust Eggs (Part 1) [Requesting Monthly Tickets]
Shen Tang failed to seize the opportunity to strike a fatal blow when the enemy was down.
It wasn't that she was kind; it was simply because she didn't have the energy.
Ignoring the Allied forces' surprise attack on several enclaves in Yuanfu County, their year-long battle with Kangguo can be divided into three phases, with morale declining in each phase. From initially gaining a slight advantage and being aggressive, with Kangguo's defense line on the verge of collapse, to strategic setbacks in several secondary battlefields, forcing the main Allied forces to retreat to the Yudi Mountains, and finally being driven out of the Yudi Mountains, in the third phase, the battle line had been forcibly pushed into the territory of the Allied states by Kangguo.
In another six months, spring, summer, autumn and winter will have completed two cycles.
Kang Guo was also quite tired.
Shen Tang needs to seize the time to integrate his forces, consolidate the front line, and catch his breath. He can't worry about the allies for the time being.
The Allied forces, however, did not feel fortunate about this.
The battle lines have been pushed back to our own territory, what's there to be happy about?
Once Kangguo recovered, what awaited the allied nations was a brutal and relentless offensive. Since the war wasn't on their own territory, they felt no need to hold back; they could go all out, destroying and ravaging as they pleased. They didn't care about tearing down houses that weren't their own.
Why isn't Kangguo going all out to fight?
This also means that information barriers need to be broken down.
Public opinion became a fire wrapped in paper.
"puff--"
Shen Tang almost spat out her porridge.
He coughed a few times, covering his mouth, and asked, "What did you say?"
In the desolate, sparsely populated city, the streets were almost deserted, with hardly a soul in sight. The Central Allied forces were ruthless; before Shen Tang's troops arrived, they implemented a scorched-earth policy, taking everything they could and burning everything else they couldn't.
All the wells inside and outside the city were backfilled.
Not content with that, they also polluted the groundwater with human and animal excrement. Shen Tang ordered several temporary wells to be dug, but the groundwater pumped up was brownish-yellow, turbid, and foul-smelling. Even after several filtrations and boilings, it still tasted sour and astringent. Naturally, this water could not supply the army.
The same applies to the three cities along the way.
The Allied forces left Kangguo with absolutely nothing usable or edible; all able-bodied men and women were evacuated, leaving behind only a few elderly, weak, sick, and disabled individuals.
Just when Shen Tang thought the Allied forces had gone too far, the Allied Kingdoms' courts always managed to do things that pushed the boundaries even further—all the crops on the farmland were wiped out, and Ji Moqiu discovered a large number of locust eggs deep in the soil, and the weather had recently been perfect for them to hatch.
These locust eggs could not possibly have come naturally.
Why is it suspected to be man-made?
When two armies go to war, a basic operation is for one side to fortify its defenses and clear the fields, leaving no crops for the enemy to replenish. The most common method is burning. A single fire is efficient and thorough, so why bother using other tools to destroy crops? The efficiency of the two methods cannot be compared.
In addition, there's the distribution of locust eggs...
The density has exceeded the normal range.
If Ji Moqiu hadn't been out searching for food for raising Gu worms, this detail might have gone unnoticed. However, these weren't the main reasons Shen Tang lost her composure while drinking the porridge. The main reason was that she discovered she'd been framed again, and with incredibly absurd and offensive rumors at that.
"Doesn't the Central Continent pride itself on being the orthodox master of rites and music?"
Isn't this a shameless thing to do?
In this era, communication relied mainly on shouting, and transportation relied mainly on walking. Scholars and warriors, with their superior physical abilities, enjoyed relatively fast information flow within their circles. Ordinary people, however, were different. The royal courts of the various kingdoms, fearing a collapse in morale, either suppressed news from the common people or falsified the true battle situation. For example, if three hundred enemies were killed, a zero would be added to make it three thousand; a major defeat would be changed to a minor defeat, and a minor defeat to a draw.
The rout was changed to a tactical withdrawal in order to plan for the future.
all in all--
He's stubborn as a mule, blatantly lying through his teeth.
At the same time, they sent people to spread false rumors among the people, making false accusations against Shen Tang, saying that she was a ruthless and cruel killer, whose crimes were even greater than those of Jie and Zhou. They also said that she was licentious and that she needed to replenish her yin twice every three days, requiring three or four young boys for each replenishment.
It is precisely because she is skilled in the Yellow and Red Paths that she has been able to cultivate so quickly at such a young age, even overcoming the drawbacks of cultivating both literary and martial arts. If she hadn't gone astray, why did none of her predecessors succeed? It is said that in Kang Kingdom, from those aged eleven or twelve to those aged seventy or eighty, the mere mention of her name causes them to feel weak and their backs to ache. The civil and military officials of Kang Kingdom, tsk tsk tsk, under her influence, have become a den of snakes and rats.
It's so lewd it's unbearable to watch.
"...The donkey of Guizhou has run out of tricks, resorting to the most despicable methods over and over again."
Gu Chi concealed his murderous intent: "The moves may be old, but they are still effective."
Based on these outrageous character designs, ordinary people started a massive fan-created content movement, with everyone adding details they thought weren't out of character. As rumors spread, people couldn't even tell where the hidden agendas came from.
Don't ask—
The question was based on reliable information they had heard from elsewhere.
The common people are illiterate, ignorant of the teachings of sages, and have no special skills. The simplest survival takes up their entire lives, so they have no opportunity to learn how to enlighten the people... All of this requires cost, that is, the threshold.
But, there's one thing you don't need to learn: the crotch.
There is no cost involved.
When men and women strip naked and stick together, they can naturally find their way by following their instincts. Everyone can do it; there's no barrier to entry.
The lower the barrier to entry, the easier it is for things to spread and resonate with people, which is why pornographic rumors always have a market.
She said disdainfully, "But this is just too low-class."
Over the years, Shen Tang has been the target of countless rumors spread about her by her enemies. She beats up anyone she hears with her own ears, and ignores those she doesn't. These rumors only bother those who care; given Shen Tang's current status and power, what difference does it make if she were truly promiscuous?
Who can refuse her demands?
That's the terrifying thing about power.
Everything under her could become a resource for flattery and sycophancy.
The public opinion wasn't entirely dictated by the Central Allied Forces; some questioned these increasingly outrageous rumors, attempting to piece together a true picture of Shen Tang from the facts. However, the truth was too mundane, far less intriguing than the "Shen Tang" depicted in these rumors.
Most people still prefer to talk about what interests them.
Gu Chi said, "Why not kill the chicken to scare the monkey?"
Shen Tang shook his head: "There's no need. These troublemakers can't be scared off by killing a few chickens. Why are they troublemakers? Why are they fools? The answer is written all over their faces. They're cunning and dull-witted, their minds are clouded. They're just a bunch of frogs in a well. From the moment they're born, the sky they see is the shape of the well's opening, and over time they've developed their own judgment. Even if you chop off a hundred heads in front of them, they won't truly realize they're 'wrong.' They'll only think you're abusing your power and trying to cover up your mistake."
Gu Chi couldn't help but feel a headache coming on.
Rumors wouldn't be so bad if they were circulating within Kangguo's territory, since it's their home ground and clearing them up would be easy. But they're fighting on the land of the allied nations in the central region, putting them at a disadvantage as they're fighting away from home. While their lord is magnanimous and doesn't hold grudges, Gu Chi and the others can't stand the foul language. Shen Tang comforted him, saying, "The common people are ignorant and foolish; the fault lies not with the people but with the ruler. Enlightening the people is the duty of a gentleman."
"My lord, now is not the time for philosophical discussions."
He could make up a whole bunch of these stories.
Shen Tang smiled and said, "Wang Chao, don't worry."
Gu Chi was so angry at her that he almost fell over.
"Sigh, the most important thing now is to deal with these locust eggs properly to prevent them from hatching and causing a locust plague." Although there have been no locust plagues in Kangguo in recent years, it doesn't mean that Shen Tang doesn't take it seriously. If the locust plague really becomes a big problem, even Kangguo will have a headache.
Get rid of the pests and thieves, so that they will not harm my young fields.
Don't ask why we don't eat fried locusts. Wouldn't half a pound of locust meat per person be enough to eliminate the locust plague? In fact, that really won't work.
Although locusts lack venom glands and organs capable of secreting toxins, large populations of locusts can release a potent neurotoxin. Eating them? Forget about filling your stomach; you'd be lucky to survive without being poisoned.
In order to eliminate the locust plague, Kangguo also tried many methods.
The common people's solution was to raise more chickens, ducks, and geese. In special years, the government would provide certain financial subsidies. Commoners could get discounts by purchasing chicken, duck, and goslings in sufficient quantities, and the government would also purchase them all. The government would also arrange for local officials in charge of household registration to attend training courses regularly.
What kind of further studies?
Naturally, it involves studying various folk wisdoms for dealing with disasters.
Several of these are related to the spirit words used to address locust plagues.
For example, "Tian Ancestor has a god, who is responsible for the fire".
This incantation is specifically designed to burn locusts and their eggs; the flames it ignites will not harm any other creatures.
Unfortunately, not everyone possesses the same talent as Lin Feng, and those scholars and officials serving in various local government offices struggled with their studies. However, these were their problems; the Kang Kingdom's court was only responsible for funding their further education until they could apply their skills proficiently. Regular spot checks were also conducted to ensure their abilities were genuine, effective, and consistently applicable.
Unfortunately, there were no people in the army skilled in these kinds of spiritual words.
Except for Shen Tang.
But she couldn't afford to expend too much energy on this.
If it were just one area with so many insect eggs, it wouldn't be so bad, but there were several places, and none of the areas that had been scorched earth were spared. Shen Tang could see that the Central Allied Forces were determined to drag her down with them. Helpless, she could only slow down her advance.
However, dragging it out like this is not a good solution.
Insect eggs hatch depending on temperature, not on Shen Tang's demeanor.
It's impractical to send officials skilled in agriculture from Kangguo in the rear right now. By the time the news gets back and forth, the insect eggs will have already hatched, and they might even have plenty of time to swarm and wreak havoc on several counties. Shen Tang gestured on the map several times.
"...Actually, there are even more suitable candidates."
Gu Chi and the others couldn't guess it for a moment.
Only Chu Yao remained confident and composed.
A man asked, "Who is this person?"
“Lingde.”
"Lingde? But didn't Minister Lin go by royal orders...? Roughly speaking, it seems like it's been over a year since we last saw him..." Not everyone in the Kangguo camp knew what their colleague was doing. This is understandable; a class in junior or senior high school only has thirty or forty students. If you spend every day together and can match each other's names to faces, that's considered a relatively close relationship. Who can know their classmates' daily routines all the time?
There were more than a hundred civil and military officials in Kangguo.
Personnel transfers and task assignments are partly announced publicly, but partly known only to a small group of influential figures. Given Lin Feng's current status, very few people can truly control her movements.
The person who spoke had been on the front lines for nearly a year, and some people would be unfamiliar with her name if the lord didn't mention her.
"Minister Lin is indeed skilled in this area; if she were to come, the Central Allied Forces' locust plague plan could indeed be easily resolved. But—"
The problem right now is not a lack of manpower, but a lack of time.
Lin Feng is not the only one skilled at controlling locust plagues and locust egg infestations.
If time permits—
They might not move three figures, but they could even move two figures.
Shen Tang said, "Lingde has already led his men on the way."
This answer reassured everyone.
News of the locust egg infestation only became widely known yesterday afternoon, and the Emperor said today that Vice Minister Lin is already on his way. Judging by the stamina of a scholar like Wenxin, as long as Lin Feng is not in the far south or far north, he should be able to arrive before the locust plague becomes too severe.
Little did they know, Lin Feng arrived earlier than expected.
She arrived five days later.
The group was travel-worn.
Lin Feng, who was in the lead, was exhausted but could not hide his sharp spirit.
Because they had to traverse the battlefield, passing through several spheres of influence controlled by the Central Allied Forces, Lin Feng and his group had to travel by night and hide by day, carefully escaping danger. They were only half a day's journey away from their destination, which their lord had secretly instructed them to reach. From afar, they could see thousands of clouds churning in the sky above the horizon, bathed in rosy light, a scene of pristine clarity.
Until the flags could be vaguely seen fluttering two hilltops away.
Lin Feng finally relaxed his tense nerves.
A great sense of security welled up in my heart.
"Finally, we will soon see the Lord."
Although she saw the Lord's avatar, Zixu, every day, Zixu's face was not the Lord's true form, and Lin Feng still preferred the Lord's real appearance. Hearing that her teacher was also at the front lines, Lin Feng was even more eager to return. She wished she could sprout wings and fly over the mountains right now.
Turning his head, he saw only his exhausted subordinates.
"Let's rest here for now; everyone's tired."
Lin Feng possessed the literary talent of a second-rank scholar, and his physical strength and energy far surpassed those of others. He could still grit his teeth and persevere without sleep or rest, something the others couldn't do. The group of more than ten people rested and ate on the spot to recover their strength, even enjoying the dry, slightly sour rations.
Lin Feng ate a couple of bites and then put the food down.
They appear relaxed, but their attention is actually focused on vigilance.
She skillfully multitasked, recalling the good news the Lord had told her some time ago: her teacher had safely survived the great calamity and had reached the pinnacle of the literati path. She wondered if her teacher knew she was coming back in advance and was hiding behind some bushes watching her.
Is this a test of her abilities to see if she will back down?
"Well, it seems not."
Lin Feng rested his chin on his hand, looking somewhat dejected.
Not only did his teacher not come to pick him up in advance, but even the Lord didn't send anyone to meet him. This made Lin Feng feel a little bittersweet, fearing that after being away from home for so many years, he had become estranged from his loved ones and was no longer as close as before. This thought made Lin Feng shudder slightly.
"I don't want to think about it anymore, it's too terrifying."
She wrapped up the unfinished dry food and stuffed it into her clothes.
He grabbed the wooden cane beside him and used it to push himself up.
"Set off--"
As soon as he finished speaking, Lin Feng keenly sensed that something was wrong.
She turned around abruptly, and all the officials who had been within her peripheral vision vanished, as if they had evaporated into thin air. The vast world left her utterly alone, the rustling of the wind through the bamboo forest echoing in her ears. Lin Feng narrowed his eyes, then tossed aside his straight wooden staff.
With a whoosh, the sword was drawn from its sheath.
"I know it's you, come out."
()
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