Chapter 116 115. Shocking Change
Of course Lei Li wouldn't tell anyone else.
He only told Zhou Yi.
"I don't really care what happens in the palace. As long as the gods don't fight and the people suffer, it doesn't matter who is the emperor. As long as they treat the people well, that's all that matters."
Zhou Yi said, "I'm more worried about the flooding in Nanjiang this time. Although the Fifth Prince acted decisively and the local people were properly resettled, as the saying goes, after a long period of rain, there will be a long period of clear weather, and after a severe flood, there will be a severe drought."
"After excluding the human factor influx, the flooding in Nanjiang this year is really as severe as Mengluo said. Three-quarters of the Nanjiang area is flooded. So next year's Nanjiang will also be dangerous, and there is a high possibility of a severe drought."
Lei Li was also shocked when he heard this. "So, won't the people of Nanjiang face another famine and displacement next year? The Nanjiang River is the most prosperous. If there is a drought, the people who rely on the water for their livelihood will also suffer."
"The severe drought will also be accompanied by a locust plague."
Zhou Yi's expression was solemn as he recalled the news and popular science he had read. "Locusts are insects that prefer warm and dry conditions. Arid environments are beneficial to their reproduction, growth, development, and survival."
"Locusts are heat- and drought-tolerant. They like to insert their tails into the soil to lay eggs. Their favorite egg-laying ground is hard, dry wasteland, especially dry land with a moisture content of 10% to 20%, which is most suitable for them to lay eggs."
"During drought, the soil becomes firmer, the water content decreases, and the vegetation on the ground becomes sparse, which promotes the growth and development of locusts. The number of eggs they lay also increases significantly. A female locust can lay 300-400 eggs."
"High temperatures can also inhibit the growth of a filamentous fungus that causes locust disease, and its natural enemy, birds, can hardly survive during droughts."
"With no natural enemies or diseases to control them, and with suitable temperatures and abundant food, the locusts multiplied massively, snowballing into a plague."
"The overwhelming swarms of locusts can devour all the plants in their path. They move very quickly and fly to the next place immediately after eating everything. They are difficult to stop and cannot inflict devastating damage."
"Drought and locust plagues have come one after another. This is the worst scenario for Nanjiang next year."
Lei Li had never experienced a locust plague, so his face turned pale when he heard these words.
Land is the root of the people, and the people depend on the weather for their livelihood. When the weather is not good, it is a devastating blow to the people, and also to the landlords, who are forced to leave their homes and wander around.
Only by relying on the support of the court and all parties, and the concerted efforts of the people themselves, can we overcome this difficulty.
"Is there any way to prevent it?"
Lei Li asked quickly, "When the drought started, should we immediately curb the locust plague and prevent their eggs from hatching or laying? Chickens and ducks eat insects, and they also eat locusts. Put a lot of chickens in the fields..."
Lei Li frowned as he spoke. "Let's not even talk about where there are so many chickens and ducks that eat insects. Even if there were, they might not be able to make it to Nanjiang."
"For example, during this year's flood relief, the money was plundered layer by layer. Ordinary people had neither money nor food, which is why so many people starved to death."
The Fifth Prince did a good job this year, but he may not be able to do the same job next year if there is a severe drought.
First, he and his officials might not have been able to predict the severe drought and locust plague, and the grain and silver reserves might not have been sufficient. Secondly, it was hard to say whether official corruption would occur again.
When offered a huge sum of money, some people will take risks.
As far as he knew, the officials of the Dayou Dynasty did not receive much monthly salary. For example, Xu Xingzhe, the magistrate of Qingmi County, received an annual salary of only fifty taels of silver plus seventy dan of grain.
Just like the modern establishment, staff members cannot take part-time jobs outside of the establishment, as they are easily reported or impeached. They can only find other ways, such as accepting small bribes or registering the shop under the name of their wife or relatives.
"Yes, this requires the joint efforts of the government and the public."
Zhou Yi nodded and said, "Just like this flood, if the local government had actively dealt with it at the first sign of the flood, organized the local people to block or drain the floodwaters, provide medical treatment and comfort to the affected people, and save crops, we wouldn't have reached the point where we have to eat our own children."
This also shows the incompetence and corruption of local officials. If this happened in modern China, when a flood came, disaster relief troops would also come.
The military and civilians are one family.
The disaster relief forces help the people affected by the disaster, and the people affected in turn help the officers and soldiers of the force. This not only minimizes the losses, but also promotes unity and harmony between officials and the people, and establishes a correct and positive social atmosphere.
Unfortunately, it is difficult to do this in an era of centralized rule, because money can tempt people and power can dazzle their eyes, and few people can remember their original intentions.
Even though the current magistrate Xu Xingzhe is considered a good official, if a disaster occurs in Qingmi County and a large amount of money is allocated for relief, there is no guarantee that he will not be tempted to embezzle some of it.
"This year's flood disaster should not be underestimated."
Zhou Yi added, "A large amount of stagnant water provides a breeding ground for mosquitoes, flies and other vectors that can spread various diseases, such as malaria."
"Floods also bring in a lot of pollutants."
“Contaminants?”
It was the first time Lei Li heard this word, but he could probably guess what it meant - it was definitely not a good word.
"For example, many drowned poultry and livestock will quickly rot if not handled promptly, breeding bacteria and viruses. If we don't pay attention, it can easily cause major infectious diseases, which we call plagues."
The more Zhou Yi spoke, the more he felt the situation was not optimistic. "Another problem is that floods can pollute drinking water sources and cause the spread of waterborne diseases."
"At the same time, the environmental damage and population migration caused by floods will also exacerbate the spread of infectious diseases. I wonder if there are any people who have become ill or infected among the people who are currently migrating due to the disaster."
Lei Li suddenly realized something. "Most of the victims in Nanjiang went to Dongyuan, and a small number came to Xiling. If a plague broke out among them, wouldn't it spread to the people of Dongyuan and Xiling?"
Although Qingmi County is located in the middle of Xiling and should not be affected, Lei Li felt it was not good when he thought that a plague might occur in Xiling.
It feels like the fire is about to burn my own house.
"That's not necessarily true."
Zhou Yi comforted him and patted his head. "There are few disaster victims coming to Xiling, so the possibility of an epidemic is relatively small. Don't worry too much."
"But I wonder if this matter has attracted the attention of the imperial court and sent personnel to deal with the flooding and pollution in the Nanjiang River. If they haven't noticed it yet, then it will be a disaster."
"I'll go ask Mengluo."
Lei Li said, "Qingmi County is quite far from Nanjiang. Any news that reaches us would be outdated by then. Mengluo's father and brother are in Zhongchuan Prefecture. They have many connections and are definitely more informed than we are."
"good."
But just as Zhou Yi and Lei Li thought.
The Dayou Dynasty was still much slow to respond to the natural disaster. When Mengluo received the news from his father, the plague had already broken out in Nanjiang, and also in several counties in Dongyuan where the victims had been relocated.
The emperor was furious and scolded the fifth prince in front of the court officials for his incompetence, eagerness for quick success and instant benefits, and failure to contain the plague in time.
Afterwards, the court ordered the Fourth Prince to take charge, accompanied by the Fifth Prince, and asked the Fifth Prince to make amends and send a large number of imperial doctors to Nanjiang and Dongyuan to control the plague.
But just as Qingmi County entered December and was preparing for the New Year, shocking news came.
"In order to curb the plague, the Fourth Prince completed his mission before the Fifth Prince did. He actually ordered the city to be sealed off, trapping hundreds of thousands of victims in an entire county to death. He then concealed the fact that there were no more plague patients in the county."
Meng Luo was filled with righteous indignation, wishing he could run over to the Fourth Prince and beat him up. "Even the few imperial doctors who came to treat the plague couldn't escape, and died behind the high walls along with the hundreds of thousands of victims."
"Asshole!"
Lei Li was furious and slammed the table, "How dare he take human life so lightly! What kind of prince is he? He's even worse than a wolf and a dog!"
Zhou Yi was also furious, but calmer. He asked Meng Luo, "What happened next? Did the Fifth Prince intervene again?"
"right!"
Meng Luo's eyes lit up when he mentioned the Fifth Prince, as if he were a hero. "The Fifth Prince recruited a group of famous doctors from all over the world, even old imperial physicians who had retired, and figured out a way to cure the plague."
"Except for the county where the Fourth Prince was trapped and died, the victims of the epidemic in other counties have all been treated. The court has also allocated a large amount of silver and medicinal herbs to Nanjiang and Dongyuan."
"No wonder the price of herbs has gone up recently, and the price of rice has also increased by a penny or two."
Lei Li frowned.
If Xiling was not a rice town, Qingmi County was famous for producing Qing rice, and it was far enough away from Nanjiang, the rice price would probably have risen even more terribly.
"I heard that the price of rice in Nanjiang has tripled, and the price of rice in Dongyuan has also increased significantly. Even our Xiling has been affected."
Meng Luo sighed, lamenting the difficulties faced by ordinary people, but also a little proud. "My father didn't make a fortune from this disaster. The price of rice at the Meng's Rice Shop has not changed, not by a cent. Unfortunately, most of our Meng family is in Xiling and Zhongchuan, and our influence on the Nanjiang and Dongyuan gangs is limited."
"It's good to have this intention."
Lei Li shook his head, patted his shoulder, and said goodbye to Meng Luo with Zhou Yi, but both of them felt heavy in their hearts.
"Do you think this is a setup? A setup designed to trap the Fourth Prince?"
In his carriage, Lei Li lowered his voice and said to Zhou Yi, "If the Fifth Prince is truly capable and governs well, and if he has so many people on his side, he should have been able to predict the outbreak of the plague, right?"
"Although you have read a lot, there are many people who are well-informed, knowledgeable and resourceful. The Fifth Prince definitely has such talents under his command."
"The retired imperial physician, the world-renowned civilian physician, was not someone who could be found and rushed to Nanjiang and Dongyuan in time. Moreover, he only achieved success after the Fourth Prince had made a serious mistake."
"The Fifth Prince is not simple."
Zhou Yi also nodded, then paused, "I have a feeling that the idiot Third Prince, whose only appeal seems to be his face, may not be a pure and good person either."
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