This was the first time Zhao Huan encountered a locust plague. When there were too many locusts, they covered the sky and turned it black.
All plants were destroyed wherever they passed. They ate leaves, weeds, and crops, and the people watched helplessly.
There will be locusts after a long drought. Langya County has not had sufficient rainfall for three consecutive years, which has created a good opportunity for locusts to lay eggs.
The old man burst into tears and said, "Oh my God, why do you treat us like this? How are we going to live in the future?"
Zhao Huan looked back at him and said, "Don't be sad, old man. The court will soon send relief grain and also provide you with seedlings."
The old man looked at him as if he were an alien. "The imperial court? Langya County has suffered a severe drought for three years, and we haven't seen any relief from the imperial court. Instead, the county magistrate continues to levy heavy taxes. The grain we poor people grow isn't even enough to pay the rent. We can only survive by eating wild vegetables and tree bark. If we had counted on the imperial court for disaster relief, we would have starved to death long ago."
Zhao Huan frowned slightly. If that was the case, the magistrate of Langya County was just another incompetent official.
Nangong Lian'er's face paled as she stood beside him: "Brother Zhao, there are so many locusts. I'm afraid the entire Langya County will be affected."
Cao Dongsheng, who was standing beside him, had been silent the whole time. Then he said, "Sir, there's been a severe drought here for three years. Why didn't the local government report it?"
This was exactly what Zhao Huan was worried about. He didn't understand why, as officials would report any disaster to the court immediately. If they concealed the incident, they would be punished.
Zhao Huan shook his head: "I don't know. Maybe it was reported, and then someone suppressed it."
The locusts finally flew away, eating the plants here and starting to migrate elsewhere. The buzzing sound gradually faded away, and the swarms of locusts flew away again.
Zhao Huan opened the door and saw locusts still swarming everywhere. Several other households also appeared at the village entrance.
The village was not big, with only dozens of households. All the neighbors came out to look at the tragic scene outside where not a single blade of grass grew.
"Oh my God, our crops are gone!" A peasant woman fell to her knees and cried loudly, and the other people were also sad.
Zhao Huan was so angry that he crushed a locust to pieces with one foot.
The old man was shocked: "No way!"
Zhao Huan turned back in shock. The old man's face was filled with horror: "This is the Locust God. If you offend the Locust God, disaster will befall you."
The people were even more frightened. They huddled together and looked at Zhao Huan in horror.
Zhao Huan sneered: "Will you avoid disasters if you don't offend these grasshoppers? They are the ones who ate your crops first!" As he said that, Zhao Huan stepped on a few more of them to death.
The people were shocked and knelt down and kowtowed, begging the Locust God for forgiveness.
"Grandpa Locust God, please forgive me!"
"It's all this man's fault. The Locust God can't blame our village."
"That's right, Lord Locust God, this is not our fault. Please have mercy on us, Lord Locust God, and spare our village."
The people accused Zhao Huan of wrongdoing, saying that he had offended the Locust God, and people began to glare at him.
Zhao Huan felt desolate. Ignorance and stupidity were the current situation of most people in this era. How could he find a way to make them understand that the only way out was to kill and control the locusts?
The old man sighed: "The crops are gone, and if it doesn't rain, the whole village will have to beg for food."
A villager holding a hoe said dejectedly: "This whole county is the same. Where can we go to beg for food?"
While he was thinking about it, he heard footsteps and a team of yamen runners came to the village.
The leading yamen runner said arrogantly, "Fellow villagers, you must pay the rent for this year's Tianjia Village within three days. Anyone who dares to refuse will be punished with a beating from the yamen!"
It turned out that the village was called Tianjia Village, and all the villagers knelt down in unison.
The old man who had taken Zhao Huan and the others in cried, "Sir, look at the fields. The locust plague is rampant, and the crops have been eaten by the locusts. Let alone paying the rent, we don't even have enough to eat."
The official looked at the bare crops in the fields and turned around and said, "We can't do anything about this. The county magistrate has ordered that the land tax must be paid in full within three days. If you want to go to the county government and get beaten, just try delaying payment."
The people were in an uproar. The weeping peasant woman knelt on the ground and kowtowed, saying, "Sir, please be merciful. We simply can't provide any grain. We beg the county magistrate to investigate."
Zhao Huan could no longer bear it. He pointed at the yamen runner angrily and said, "You bunch of dogs! The people are suffering such a great disaster, and you are blind!"
The yamen runner was stunned. He hadn't expected someone so reckless as to come and shout at him. He walked up to Zhao Huan, sizing him up and down. "Where did you come from, young master? I advise you to mind your own business. If you dare to cause trouble again, I'll take you to the county yamen, and our county magistrate will not let you off lightly."
With a "Pa!" sound, Zhao Huan slapped the yamen runner hard.
The people were shocked. This man had gone mad. First he crushed the locusts to death, then he attacked the official. Wasn't this just asking for his own death? Could it be that he had offended the Locust God and was suffering retribution?
The bailiff was startled at first, and took a few steps back, covering his red and swollen cheek. The other bailiffs rushed forward with their swords drawn.
Linghu Yunlong and Nangong Lian'er drew their weapons and prepared to fight. They had been wanting to take action for a long time.
The yamen runners were shocked: "How dare you arrest us? Arrest us!"
Zhao Huan waved his hand to stop the two men: "Let them catch them!"
Linghu Yunlong and Nangong Lian'er looked at Zhao Huan in confusion. Zhao Huan shook his head, indicating that they should not resist.
The yamen runners rushed over and tied up Zhao Huan and others tightly, preparing to take them to Langya County.
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