Chapter 101
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The wheat in the fields were sporting flowers on their heads and hiding kernels within. This was the winter wheat they’d planted last year. In a few more months, it would be time to harvest them. Aside from these wheat fields, the newly cultivated fields had been seeded as well. For the refugees who’d left their homes far behind them and come to this unfamiliar place, the food growing out of the ground was their only hope. Once they reaped the summer harvest and returned the seedlings they’d borrowed from the county government, they wouldn’t ever need to worry about starving or fleeing famine again.
And so, the farmers kept their eyes glued to their fields, taking meticulous care of them. Gaodu truly was a wonderful place. Not only could they borrow oxen to plow barren fields, sometimes, elderly villagers would make time to teach them farming know-how they’d never even heard of before. When to weed, how to fertilize, how much to irrigate ….. the list went on. This was all valuable experience only passed down from father to son, things that one could plant fields for a lifetime and never figure out. Even the lazy and the stupid would try to get an earful, counting on it to help them harvest an extra litre or two of grain.
But none of this was as shocking as the county’s plans to vanquish locusts. That was the Locust God! Didn’t they all say that locusts were a heaven-sent disaster that couldn’t possibly be burned or killed? How could they ever get rid of all the locusts?
“Ah-Zhu, is this really okay?” Gou-er, carrying a rake on his back, trembled as he trailed behind his neighbor. He was one of the ones who’d just come to Gaodu this year. Their family had plowed out thirty mu of barren land. The county’s call to exterminate locusts had come at just the time when people were struggling to make ends meet between harvests, and according to rumor, there was a reward to be had. After being spurred on by his neighbor, he gave in to the urge to follow him over.
But the closer they got, the more his fear began to get the better of him. It was the Locust God they were going to banish! In previous years, hadn’t they all burned incense and prayed to the Locust God not to visit their farms? Now, instead of burning incense, they were burning locusts – it was simply frightful to even consider. What if the Locust God’s wrath destroyed his family’s fields?
“What’re you afraid of?” the young man in front wasn’t worried at all. “In our Gaodu here, we’re protected by the Medicine Buddha. The hundred birds are worshipped before Buddha, what they hate most are locusts! Kill enough bugs to make the Medicine Buddha happy, and won’t he bless us then?”
“Is that true?” Gou-er had started again and again while he listened. He whispered, “Is it cause of the Medicine Buddha that the county’s not letting us catch birds?”
Who hadn’t caught birds to fill their stomachs? Here, next to the Taihang Mountains, there were many forests, and of course, a lot of birds. Everyone had been wanting to catch a few as a treat for themselves. But who could’ve thought the county would ban them from hunting birds, frogs, and non-venomous snakes. It practically made most wild game off-limits. Gou-er, being too timid to commit any offenses, hadn’t eaten meat in a long while already.
“Maybe? Buddha, you know, they’re always against killing. If it weren’t for how hateful these locusts were, eating all our crops, they wouldn’t have angered the Medicine Buddha. Aye, stop worrying so much. The county’s said you can earn rewards for killing locusts! Go out with the bailiffs digging up bug nests for a day, and you’ll get a litre of rice. If you kill any newly hatched bugs on your own, a litre of locusts will net you a litre of grain!”
Ah-Zhu was also foggy on the details between the Medicine Buddha and the Locust God, but one thing was for sure: you could exchange locusts for grain! A lot of grain, too! Everyone was living hand to mouth waiting for the next harvest, who wasn’t wanting for grain? It was great that they could use locusts to earn another bite to eat.
It was just too bad that now wasn’t the peak locust season because, with how many people were out there getting rid of locusts, he was honestly worried he wouldn’t be able to earn much grain.
Upon hearing that they could trade for grain, Gou-er livened up instantly. A litre wasn’t much, but make it into porridge and toss in some wild herbs, and it was enough to fill one’s stomach. Now that the city wasn’t hiring people to fix the walls, who wasn’t worrying about food? Killing locusts it was, then. If Buddha was powerful enough to suppress the Locust God, now that would really be wonderful for them!
Shortly, they arrived at the barren grounds they would be clearing that day. Two or three to a group, they spread out like a web. It didn’t take long before people were hollering, “There’s a nest here!” “Here too!”
Xbe-fg tjv vlrmbnfgfv j vlga qlif atja ibbxfv ilxf jc lcrfma wbecv, abb. Ktfgf kfgf alcs tbifr jii bnfg la. Ct-Ite tbmxfv j ibbulf lcab tlr tjcv, “Obbxr ilxf atlr lr la – ufa vluulcu!”
Qlatbea oegatfg jvb, Xbe-fg tegglfvis qjkfv ja atf ugbecv klat tlr gjxf, rbbc gfnfjilcu vfcrf mierafgr bo ktlaf lcrfma fuur. Xbe-fg rmgjwyifv yjmx lc ogluta. Ct-Ite sfiifv, “Vlg, kf’nf veu bcf bea tfgf abb!”
A bailiff speed walked over to them, took a gander, and said, “Not bad. Torch it then.”
Two people rushed out from behind him. One set down dry kindling and the other sparking rocks off each other. And just like that, there was a fire blazing away. Still dumbstruck, Gou-er stared at the fire, “It’s burning? That’s it?”
“That’s it. Nothing more to it.” Ah-Zhu wiped the sweat off his face; suddenly, he sniffed, “Why’s it smell so good?”
Gou-er sucked in a deep breath and found that the smell really was coming from the bonfire. It smelled like cooked meat, like especially fatty meat, full of oil and grease. It’d been so long since he’d had meat. Just the smell was making him salivate.
The bailiff chuckled, “The county magistrate’s said that cause these bugs eat grain, they are delicious. If you catch any with wings, you can roast them. It’s good if we don’t get any locusts this year, but if we do, we’ll have another dish on the table at home!”
Locusts were edible? Ah-Zhu and Gou-er were stunned. But there was that tantalizing smell right in front of them, and it wasn’t just their fire, the other bonfires smelled just as good. The two looked at each other, their hearts starting to race. They’d seen some wingless little critters lately, maybe they could catch a few and try roasting them?
“Hurry on, don’t stop. Keep digging,” the bailiff exhorted, not caring about what went on in their heads.
The two hopped right to it and continued searching farther away.
※
“I’m amazed at this brilliant plan Marquess Liang has devised; how remarkable. This will likely spare the nearby villages from the plague of locusts,” Guo Jiao beamed at the young man in front of him.
Most people, if they even had the backbone to deal with the locusts, would wait until the sixth month, locust season, before they started sounding the alarm. Who would ever start fighting locusts before the even the fifth month had arrived? But it made sense, according to the laws of nature. The locusts gathered to lay eggs, one bug birthing a hundred, until they brought calamity to the surrounding countryside. If they could exterminate the eggs, naturally, they could stop the problem at the source. Spending a few stone of rice to do away with the commoners’ fear of the Locust God was something only the master of the Liang Estate could ever think of.
“It’s all thanks to your support, Magistrate, that it is possible to prevent such disaster.” Duan Qin smiled, “With the Taihang Mountains, even if there were to be a plague of locusts in Si Province, it’ll take a while before it crosses the mountains. Thus, the summer harvest is secured.”
“You’re absolutely right! This grain’s from the county’s stockpile – there must be absolutely no mishaps. The summer harvest will surely resolve our emergency!” Guo Jiao was riding a tiger now, and it was too late to get off. More refugees had come during the winter than he’d been expecting. Wu Ling’s military rations were starting to dry up, and even Gaodu had coughed up a considerable amount of grain from its depository. They were depending on this batch of grain for survival. If there were a plague of locusts, his losses would be tremendous!
“Rest assured, Magistrate. The sprouts are growing well. Even if a plague of locusts descends upon us, the commoners, having experience with eradicating locusts, will be able to contain the disaster. After the summer harvest, it’ll be time to plant beans and millet. The county’s coffers will be brimming this year as well.”
Duan Qin’s words brought an even bigger smile to Guo Jiao’s face. Here was one of the benefits of being right next to the Liang Estate, getting advice for every issue, big or small. This newcomer, Duan Qin, was also quick-witted and capable. However, the news that he had recently visited Liu Quan, of the neighboring county, was making him uneasy. If that old surnamed-Liu geezer cosied up to the Liang Estate, wouldn’t he sliver away his benefits? That simply wouldn’t do! He had to let Marquess Liang see that it was Gaodu that stood closest to the Liang Estate.
It was that notion which made him especially motivated when it came to locust extermination. He’d sent out many of the bailiffs under his authority, and treated the Liang Estate’s new registrar very politely, hoping that Marquess Liang would see his sincerity.
After the two chatted some more about agriculture, and a few points to take note of regarding locust control, Duan Qin got up and took his leave. He exited the county office, mounted his horse, and took a deep breath. This trip hadn’t been brief at all; he’d had to run back and forth between counties to finalize everything regarding locust extermination. It was all because his lord’s reputation had been growing by the day, ever since Shangsi, that these trivialities could be dealt with so easily.
Now, they only had to wait until the summer harvest. Gaodu aside, even the Liang Estate was looking forward to this harvest. With more grain, they could support more people, more troops; Duan Qin didn’t dare neglect this matter.
His lord had been right about one thing, at least – those leisurely days were gone for good.
He galloped back to the estate before it was fully dark. Duan Qin tidied up and went to report back to his lord. To his surprise, there was already someone else in the study. It was the battalion commander, Yi Yan.
When he arrived, those cold gray-blue eyes looked icily at him. He was a person of a different ethnicity to begin with, and a battle-hardened general to boot – a stare like this was rather spine-chilling. But in the last month, Duan Qin had already gotten used to his strange hostility and walked up without a care and saluted Liang Feng, “My lord, the locust extermination is proceeding smoothly in both counties. If things go to plan, ”
“Very good! You’ve really done a lot of hard work, Siruo,” Liang Feng nodded with satisfaction. Taking on this advisor had indeed been the right decision.
Exterminating locusts wasn’t as easy as in the modern era. With “the connection between man and heaven” hanging over everyone’s heads, locusts were no longer a simple disaster, but rather a punishment meted out by heaven. “Heaven’s punishment” could not be stopped or interfered with. The way to make it vanish was for the ruler to cultivate his moral character and the commoners to behave virtuously. With these kinds of bullshit dumbifying policies, not only could the not fight locusts, they even had to worship the Locust God and pray for salvation.
Liang Feng, of course, wasn’t having any of that nonsense. He’d pulled out the Book of Fan Sheng, studied the cause of locust plagues, and summoned elderly farmers to learn about locusts’ behavior and life cycle. That was how he’d come up with the idea to exterminate the eggs first, and then, put full effort into eradicating them before they matured. Plus, he’d told Duan Qin that locusts could be eaten.
In the modern era, countless people ate locusts, or rather, grasshoppers. They were full of protein, and didn’t taste bad at all when roasted. Once it began appearing on the dinner table, there were already a dozen ways to eat them. With protein lacking to such an extent, even if the commoners were too afraid to eat them, they could exchange them for grain. Whether it was used as food or animal feed, it was extremely economical.
And Duan Qin did indeed use his brain when it came to performing his tasks. He didn’t directly begin with locust control, but with broadcasting his reputation as a bodhisattva, and making up some fables about how birds were sacred to Buddha. Then, the county governments would pass orders to prohibit the hunting of birds and frogs. Without these common sources of meat, faced with a locust problem they had to deal with, one that Buddha despised, they accepted it much more readily.
With people both catching and eating them, decimating the nearby locust population wasn’t difficult at all. And once they had experience, they would be able to deal with future disaster more easily.
“It’s all thanks to the two county magistrates’ cooperation that everything went well,” Duan Qin said modestly. “That Magistrate Liu admires you rather much, my lord. He even said that, after the summer harvest, he’d come to visit you personally.”
“Just invite the county magistrates, and General Wu, to dine at the Liang Estate on Double Fifth.” To most nobles, inviting the lowborn was rather embarrassing. But to Liang Feng, he didn’t have those psychological barriers; he’d use whoever he needed.
After issuing his orders, Liang Feng said, “I’m currently discussing the militia reforms with Boyuan. You must be exhausted from travel. Rest first, and we will talk in detail about it tomorrow.”
The militia’s restructuring was crucial. Aside from the military merits they had discussed earlier, they had to establish ranks, and decide whether or not to set up a supervisory system. They had to come to a clear decision first before they could announce it. At this time, Yi Yan’s opinion was essential.
Duan Qin knew his lord was being considerate. He smiled, “There’s no need for that, my lord. The military system is too important. I can simply listen by the side.”
Hearing Duan Qin’s answer, Liang Feng said no more, and resumed his conversation with Yi Yan. Duan Qin sat silently, listening, while he observed the Jie person beside him. Recently, he’d come into contact with everyone in the estate, but the hardest one to figure out was him. Even he could even, with the right tactics, make conversation with the math fanatic, Li Xin. But Yi Yan was completely different. They were still calling each other by their titles, not even using courtesy names.
That was somewhat inappropriate. There was a divide between civil and military, true, but as the two were their lord’s left and right arms, of course he had to be on good terms with the commander of the militia. But for some reason, Yi Yan seemed to dislike him. Was it because he hadn’t been around long enough to earn his trust?
Although, before their lord, he had an entirely different attitude. Not only did the coldness in his eyes dissolve, even his body was slightly leaned forward, as if he didn’t want to miss a single word their lord said. That look of fervent reverence really made him look like a fanatic. Duan Qin chuckled wryly in his mind. Perhaps he was the same towards their lord? When he interacted with his lord, so enraptured by his charisma was he, that he could forget entirely about their difference in status. It was as if every sentence, every word, landed within his heart.
No wonder that everyone in the estate loved this lord. Even the Taiyuan Wang clan had nothing but praise for him. If one day, he could go to Luoyang, the whole court might fall for him.
The distraction lasted only a moment. Duan Qin regained his focus and diligently listened to the important arrangements for the military restructuring.
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The wheat in the fields were sporting flowers on their heads and hiding kernels within. This was the winter wheat they’d planted last year. In a few more months, it would be time to harvest them. Aside from these wheat fields, the newly cultivated fields had been seeded as well. For the refugees who’d left their homes far behind them and come to this unfamiliar place, the food growing out of the ground was their only hope. Once they reaped the summer harvest and returned the seedlings they’d borrowed from the county government, they wouldn’t ever need to worry about starving or fleeing famine again.
And so, the farmers kept their eyes glued to their fields, taking meticulous care of them. Gaodu truly was a wonderful place. Not only could they borrow oxen to plow barren fields, sometimes, elderly villagers would make time to teach them farming know-how they’d never even heard of before. When to weed, how to fertilize, how much to irrigate ….. the list went on. This was all valuable experience only passed down from father to son, things that one could plant fields for a lifetime and never figure out. Even the lazy and the stupid would try to get an earful, counting on it to help them harvest an extra litre or two of grain.
But none of this was as shocking as the county’s plans to vanquish locusts. That was the Locust God! Didn’t they all say that locusts were a heaven-sent disaster that couldn’t possibly be burned or killed? How could they ever get rid of all the locusts?
“Ah-Zhu, is this really okay?” Gou-er, carrying a rake on his back, trembled as he trailed behind his neighbor. He was one of the ones who’d just come to Gaodu this year. Their family had plowed out thirty mu of barren land. The county’s call to exterminate locusts had come at just the time when people were struggling to make ends meet between harvests, and according to rumor, there was a reward to be had. After being spurred on by his neighbor, he gave in to the urge to follow him over.
But the closer they got, the more his fear began to get the better of him. It was the Locust God they were going to banish! In previous years, hadn’t they all burned incense and prayed to the Locust God not to visit their farms? Now, instead of burning incense, they were burning locusts – it was simply frightful to even consider. What if the Locust God’s wrath destroyed his family’s fields?
“What’re you afraid of?” the young man in front wasn’t worried at all. “In our Gaodu here, we’re protected by the Medicine Buddha. The hundred birds are worshipped before Buddha, what they hate most are locusts! Kill enough bugs to make the Medicine Buddha happy, and won’t he bless us then?”
“Is that true?” Gou-er had started again and again while he listened. He whispered, “Is it cause of the Medicine Buddha that the county’s not letting us catch birds?”
Who hadn’t caught birds to fill their stomachs? Here, next to the Taihang Mountains, there were many forests, and of course, a lot of birds. Everyone had been wanting to catch a few as a treat for themselves. But who could’ve thought the county would ban them from hunting birds, frogs, and non-venomous snakes. It practically made most wild game off-limits. Gou-er, being too timid to commit any offenses, hadn’t eaten meat in a long while already.
“Maybe? Buddha, you know, they’re always against killing. If it weren’t for how hateful these locusts were, eating all our crops, they wouldn’t have angered the Medicine Buddha. Aye, stop worrying so much. The county’s said you can earn rewards for killing locusts! Go out with the bailiffs digging up bug nests for a day, and you’ll get a litre of rice. If you kill any newly hatched bugs on your own, a litre of locusts will net you a litre of grain!”
Ah-Zhu was also foggy on the details between the Medicine Buddha and the Locust God, but one thing was for sure: you could exchange locusts for grain! A lot of grain, too! Everyone was living hand to mouth waiting for the next harvest, who wasn’t wanting for grain? It was great that they could use locusts to earn another bite to eat.
It was just too bad that now wasn’t the peak locust season because, with how many people were out there getting rid of locusts, he was honestly worried he wouldn’t be able to earn much grain.
Upon hearing that they could trade for grain, Gou-er livened up instantly. A litre wasn’t much, but make it into porridge and toss in some wild herbs, and it was enough to fill one’s stomach. Now that the city wasn’t hiring people to fix the walls, who wasn’t worrying about food? Killing locusts it was, then. If Buddha was powerful enough to suppress the Locust God, now that would really be wonderful for them!
Shortly, they arrived at the barren grounds they would be clearing that day. Two or three to a group, they spread out like a web. It didn’t take long before people were hollering, “There’s a nest here!” “Here too!”
Xbe-fg tjv vlrmbnfgfv j vlga qlif atja ibbxfv ilxf jc lcrfma wbecv, abb. Ktfgf kfgf alcs tbifr jii bnfg la. Ct-Ite tbmxfv j ibbulf lcab tlr tjcv, “Obbxr ilxf atlr lr la – ufa vluulcu!”
Qlatbea oegatfg jvb, Xbe-fg tegglfvis qjkfv ja atf ugbecv klat tlr gjxf, rbbc gfnfjilcu vfcrf mierafgr bo ktlaf lcrfma fuur. Xbe-fg rmgjwyifv yjmx lc ogluta. Ct-Ite sfiifv, “Vlg, kf’nf veu bcf bea tfgf abb!”
A bailiff speed walked over to them, took a gander, and said, “Not bad. Torch it then.”
Two people rushed out from behind him. One set down dry kindling and the other sparking rocks off each other. And just like that, there was a fire blazing away. Still dumbstruck, Gou-er stared at the fire, “It’s burning? That’s it?”
“That’s it. Nothing more to it.” Ah-Zhu wiped the sweat off his face; suddenly, he sniffed, “Why’s it smell so good?”
Gou-er sucked in a deep breath and found that the smell really was coming from the bonfire. It smelled like cooked meat, like especially fatty meat, full of oil and grease. It’d been so long since he’d had meat. Just the smell was making him salivate.
The bailiff chuckled, “The county magistrate’s said that cause these bugs eat grain, they are delicious. If you catch any with wings, you can roast them. It’s good if we don’t get any locusts this year, but if we do, we’ll have another dish on the table at home!”
Locusts were edible? Ah-Zhu and Gou-er were stunned. But there was that tantalizing smell right in front of them, and it wasn’t just their fire, the other bonfires smelled just as good. The two looked at each other, their hearts starting to race. They’d seen some wingless little critters lately, maybe they could catch a few and try roasting them?
“Hurry on, don’t stop. Keep digging,” the bailiff exhorted, not caring about what went on in their heads.
The two hopped right to it and continued searching farther away.
※
“I’m amazed at this brilliant plan Marquess Liang has devised; how remarkable. This will likely spare the nearby villages from the plague of locusts,” Guo Jiao beamed at the young man in front of him.
Most people, if they even had the backbone to deal with the locusts, would wait until the sixth month, locust season, before they started sounding the alarm. Who would ever start fighting locusts before the even the fifth month had arrived? But it made sense, according to the laws of nature. The locusts gathered to lay eggs, one bug birthing a hundred, until they brought calamity to the surrounding countryside. If they could exterminate the eggs, naturally, they could stop the problem at the source. Spending a few stone of rice to do away with the commoners’ fear of the Locust God was something only the master of the Liang Estate could ever think of.
“It’s all thanks to your support, Magistrate, that it is possible to prevent such disaster.” Duan Qin smiled, “With the Taihang Mountains, even if there were to be a plague of locusts in Si Province, it’ll take a while before it crosses the mountains. Thus, the summer harvest is secured.”
“You’re absolutely right! This grain’s from the county’s stockpile – there must be absolutely no mishaps. The summer harvest will surely resolve our emergency!” Guo Jiao was riding a tiger now, and it was too late to get off. More refugees had come during the winter than he’d been expecting. Wu Ling’s military rations were starting to dry up, and even Gaodu had coughed up a considerable amount of grain from its depository. They were depending on this batch of grain for survival. If there were a plague of locusts, his losses would be tremendous!
“Rest assured, Magistrate. The sprouts are growing well. Even if a plague of locusts descends upon us, the commoners, having experience with eradicating locusts, will be able to contain the disaster. After the summer harvest, it’ll be time to plant beans and millet. The county’s coffers will be brimming this year as well.”
Duan Qin’s words brought an even bigger smile to Guo Jiao’s face. Here was one of the benefits of being right next to the Liang Estate, getting advice for every issue, big or small. This newcomer, Duan Qin, was also quick-witted and capable. However, the news that he had recently visited Liu Quan, of the neighboring county, was making him uneasy. If that old surnamed-Liu geezer cosied up to the Liang Estate, wouldn’t he sliver away his benefits? That simply wouldn’t do! He had to let Marquess Liang see that it was Gaodu that stood closest to the Liang Estate.
It was that notion which made him especially motivated when it came to locust extermination. He’d sent out many of the bailiffs under his authority, and treated the Liang Estate’s new registrar very politely, hoping that Marquess Liang would see his sincerity.
After the two chatted some more about agriculture, and a few points to take note of regarding locust control, Duan Qin got up and took his leave. He exited the county office, mounted his horse, and took a deep breath. This trip hadn’t been brief at all; he’d had to run back and forth between counties to finalize everything regarding locust extermination. It was all because his lord’s reputation had been growing by the day, ever since Shangsi, that these trivialities could be dealt with so easily.
Now, they only had to wait until the summer harvest. Gaodu aside, even the Liang Estate was looking forward to this harvest. With more grain, they could support more people, more troops; Duan Qin didn’t dare neglect this matter.
His lord had been right about one thing, at least – those leisurely days were gone for good.
He galloped back to the estate before it was fully dark. Duan Qin tidied up and went to report back to his lord. To his surprise, there was already someone else in the study. It was the battalion commander, Yi Yan.
When he arrived, those cold gray-blue eyes looked icily at him. He was a person of a different ethnicity to begin with, and a battle-hardened general to boot – a stare like this was rather spine-chilling. But in the last month, Duan Qin had already gotten used to his strange hostility and walked up without a care and saluted Liang Feng, “My lord, the locust extermination is proceeding smoothly in both counties. If things go to plan, ”
“Very good! You’ve really done a lot of hard work, Siruo,” Liang Feng nodded with satisfaction. Taking on this advisor had indeed been the right decision.
Exterminating locusts wasn’t as easy as in the modern era. With “the connection between man and heaven” hanging over everyone’s heads, locusts were no longer a simple disaster, but rather a punishment meted out by heaven. “Heaven’s punishment” could not be stopped or interfered with. The way to make it vanish was for the ruler to cultivate his moral character and the commoners to behave virtuously. With these kinds of bullshit dumbifying policies, not only could the not fight locusts, they even had to worship the Locust God and pray for salvation.
Liang Feng, of course, wasn’t having any of that nonsense. He’d pulled out the Book of Fan Sheng, studied the cause of locust plagues, and summoned elderly farmers to learn about locusts’ behavior and life cycle. That was how he’d come up with the idea to exterminate the eggs first, and then, put full effort into eradicating them before they matured. Plus, he’d told Duan Qin that locusts could be eaten.
In the modern era, countless people ate locusts, or rather, grasshoppers. They were full of protein, and didn’t taste bad at all when roasted. Once it began appearing on the dinner table, there were already a dozen ways to eat them. With protein lacking to such an extent, even if the commoners were too afraid to eat them, they could exchange them for grain. Whether it was used as food or animal feed, it was extremely economical.
And Duan Qin did indeed use his brain when it came to performing his tasks. He didn’t directly begin with locust control, but with broadcasting his reputation as a bodhisattva, and making up some fables about how birds were sacred to Buddha. Then, the county governments would pass orders to prohibit the hunting of birds and frogs. Without these common sources of meat, faced with a locust problem they had to deal with, one that Buddha despised, they accepted it much more readily.
With people both catching and eating them, decimating the nearby locust population wasn’t difficult at all. And once they had experience, they would be able to deal with future disaster more easily.
“It’s all thanks to the two county magistrates’ cooperation that everything went well,” Duan Qin said modestly. “That Magistrate Liu admires you rather much, my lord. He even said that, after the summer harvest, he’d come to visit you personally.”
“Just invite the county magistrates, and General Wu, to dine at the Liang Estate on Double Fifth.” To most nobles, inviting the lowborn was rather embarrassing. But to Liang Feng, he didn’t have those psychological barriers; he’d use whoever he needed.
After issuing his orders, Liang Feng said, “I’m currently discussing the militia reforms with Boyuan. You must be exhausted from travel. Rest first, and we will talk in detail about it tomorrow.”
The militia’s restructuring was crucial. Aside from the military merits they had discussed earlier, they had to establish ranks, and decide whether or not to set up a supervisory system. They had to come to a clear decision first before they could announce it. At this time, Yi Yan’s opinion was essential.
Duan Qin knew his lord was being considerate. He smiled, “There’s no need for that, my lord. The military system is too important. I can simply listen by the side.”
Hearing Duan Qin’s answer, Liang Feng said no more, and resumed his conversation with Yi Yan. Duan Qin sat silently, listening, while he observed the Jie person beside him. Recently, he’d come into contact with everyone in the estate, but the hardest one to figure out was him. Even he could even, with the right tactics, make conversation with the math fanatic, Li Xin. But Yi Yan was completely different. They were still calling each other by their titles, not even using courtesy names.
That was somewhat inappropriate. There was a divide between civil and military, true, but as the two were their lord’s left and right arms, of course he had to be on good terms with the commander of the militia. But for some reason, Yi Yan seemed to dislike him. Was it because he hadn’t been around long enough to earn his trust?
Although, before their lord, he had an entirely different attitude. Not only did the coldness in his eyes dissolve, even his body was slightly leaned forward, as if he didn’t want to miss a single word their lord said. That look of fervent reverence really made him look like a fanatic. Duan Qin chuckled wryly in his mind. Perhaps he was the same towards their lord? When he interacted with his lord, so enraptured by his charisma was he, that he could forget entirely about their difference in status. It was as if every sentence, every word, landed within his heart.
No wonder that everyone in the estate loved this lord. Even the Taiyuan Wang clan had nothing but praise for him. If one day, he could go to Luoyang, the whole court might fall for him.
The distraction lasted only a moment. Duan Qin regained his focus and diligently listened to the important arrangements for the military restructuring.
The wheat in the fields were sporting flowers on their heads and hiding kernels within. This was the winter wheat they'd planted last year. In a few more months, it would be time to harvest them. Aside from these wheat fields, the newly cultivated fields had been seeded as well. For the refugees who'd left their homes far behind them and come to this unfamiliar place, the food growing out of the ground was their only hope. Once they reaped the summer harvest and returned the seedlings they'd borrowed from the county government, they wouldn't ever need to worry about starving or fleeing famine again.And so, the farmers kept their eyes glued to their fields, taking meticulous care of them. Gaodu truly was a wonderful place. Not only could they borrow oxen to plow barren fields, sometimes, elderly villagers would make time to teach them farming know-how they'd never even heard of before. When to weed, how to fertilize, how much to irrigate .. the list went on. This was all valuable experience only passed down from father to son, things that one could plant fields for a lifetime and never figure out. Even the lazy and the stupid would try to get an earful, counting on it to help them harvest an extra litre or two of grain.But none of this was as shocking as the county's plans to vanquish locusts. That was the Locust God! Didn't they all say that locusts were a heaven-sent disaster that couldn't possibly be burned or killed? How could they ever get rid of all the locusts?Ah-Zhu, is this really okay? Gou-er, carrying a rake on his back, trembled as he trailed behind his neighbor. He was one of the ones who'd just come to Gaodu this year. Their family had plowed out thirty mu of barren land. The county's call to exterminate locusts had come at just the time when people were struggling to make ends meet between harvests, and according to rumor, there was a reward to be had. After being spurred on by his neighbor, he gave in to the urge to follow him over.But the closer they got, the more his fear began to get the better of him. It was the Locust God they were going to banish! In previous years, hadn't they all burned incense and prayed to the Locust God not to visit their farms? Now, instead of burning incense, they were burning locusts it was simply frightful to even consider. What if the Locust God's wrath destroyed his family's fields?What're you afraid of? the young man in front wasn't worried at all. In our Gaodu here, we're protected by the Medicine Buddha. The hundred birds are worshipped before Buddha, what they hate most are locusts! Kill enough bugs to make the Medicine Buddha happy, and won't he bless us then?Is that true? Gou-er had started again and again while he listened. He whispered, Is it cause of the Medicine Buddha that the county's not letting us catch birds?Who hadn't caught birds to fill their stomachs? Here, next to the Taihang Mountains, there were many forests, and of course, a lot of birds. Everyone had been wanting to catch a few as a treat for themselves. But who could've thought the county would ban them from hunting birds, frogs, and non-venomous snakes. It practically made most wild game off-limits. Gou-er, being too timid to commit any offenses, hadn't eaten meat in a long while already.Maybe? Buddha, you know, they're always against killing. If it weren't for how hateful these locusts were, eating all our crops, they wouldn't have angered the Medicine Buddha. Aye, stop worrying so much. The county's said you can earn rewards for killing locusts! Go out with the bailiffs digging up bug nests for a day, and you'll get a litre of rice. If you kill any newly hatched bugs on your own, a litre of locusts will net you a litre of grain!Ah-Zhu was also foggy on the details between the Medicine Buddha and the Locust God, but one thing was for sure: you could exchange locusts for grain! A lot of grain, too! Everyone was living hand to mouth waiting for the next harvest, who wasn't wanting for grain? It was great that they could use locusts to earn another bite to eat.It was just too bad that now wasn't the peak locust season because, with how many people were out there getting rid of locusts, he was honestly worried he wouldn't be able to earn much grain.Upon hearing that they could trade for grain, Gou-er livened up instantly. A litre wasn't much, but make it into porridge and toss in some wild herbs, and it was enough to fill one's stomach. Now that the city wasn't hiring people to fix the walls, who wasn't worrying about food? Killing locusts it was, then. If Buddha was powerful enough to suppress the Locust God, now that would really be wonderful for them!Shortly, they arrived at the barren grounds they would be clearing that day. Two or three to a group, they spread out like a web. It didn't take long before people were hollering, There's a nest here! Here too!Xbe-fg tjv vlrmbnfgfv j vlga qlif atja ibbxfv ilxf jc lcrfma wbecv, abb. Ktfgf kfgf alcs tbifr jii bnfg la. Ct-Ite tbmxfv j ibbulf lcab tlr tjcv, Obbxr ilxf atlr lr la ufa vluulcu!Qlatbea oegatfg jvb, Xbe-fg tegglfvis qjkfv ja atf ugbecv klat tlr gjxf, rbbc gfnfjilcu vfcrf mierafgr bo ktlaf lcrfma fuur. Xbe-fg rmgjwyifv yjmx lc ogluta. Ct-Ite sfiifv, Vlg, kf'nf veu bcf bea tfgf abb!A bailiff speed walked over to them, took a gander, and said, Not bad. Torch it then.Two people rushed out from behind him. One set down dry kindling and the other sparking rocks off each other. And just like that, there was a fire blazing away. Still dumbstruck, Gou-er stared at the fire, It's burning? That's it?That's it. Nothing more to it. Ah-Zhu wiped the sweat off his face; suddenly, he sniffed, Why's it smell so good?Gou-er sucked in a deep breath and found that the smell really was coming from the bonfire. It smelled like cooked meat, like especially fatty meat, full of oil and grease. It'd been so long since he'd had meat. Just the smell was making him salivate.The bailiff chuckled, The county magistrate's said that cause these bugs eat grain, they are delicious. If you catch any with wings, you can roast them. It's good if we don't get any locusts this year, but if we do, we'll have another dish on the table at home!Locusts were edible? Ah-Zhu and Gou-er were stunned. But there was that tantalizing smell right in front of them, and it wasn't just their fire, the other bonfires smelled just as good. The two looked at each other, their hearts starting to race. They'd seen some wingless little critters lately, maybe they could catch a few and try roasting them?Hurry on, don't stop. Keep digging, the bailiff exhorted, not caring about what went on in their heads.The two hopped right to it and continued searching farther away.I'm amazed at this brilliant plan Marquess Liang has devised; how remarkable. This will likely spare the nearby villages from the plague of locusts, Guo Jiao beamed at the young man in front of him.Most people, if they even had the backbone to deal with the locusts, would wait until the sixth month, locust season, before they started sounding the alarm. Who would ever start fighting locusts before the even the fifth month had arrived? But it made sense, according to the laws of nature. The locusts gathered to lay eggs, one bug birthing a hundred, until they brought calamity to the surrounding countryside. If they could exterminate the eggs, naturally, they could stop the problem at the source. Spending a few stone of rice to do away with the commoners' fear of the Locust God was something only the master of the Liang Estate could ever think of.It's all thanks to your support, Magistrate, that it is possible to prevent such disaster. Duan Qin smiled, With the Taihang Mountains, even if there were to be a plague of locusts in Si Province, it'll take a while before it crosses the mountains. Thus, the summer harvest is secured.You're absolutely right! This grain's from the county's stockpile there must be absolutely no mishaps. The summer harvest will surely resolve our emergency! Guo Jiao was riding a tiger now, and it was too late to get off. More refugees had come during the winter than he'd been expecting. Wu Ling's military rations were starting to dry up, and even Gaodu had coughed up a considerable amount of grain from its depository. They were depending on this batch of grain for survival. If there were a plague of locusts, his losses would be tremendous!Rest assured, Magistrate. The sprouts are growing well. Even if a plague of locusts descends upon us, the commoners, having experience with eradicating locusts, will be able to contain the disaster. After the summer harvest, it'll be time to plant beans and millet. The county's coffers will be brimming this year as well.Duan Qin's words brought an even bigger smile to Guo Jiao's face. Here was one of the benefits of being right next to the Liang Estate, getting advice for every issue, big or small. This newcomer, Duan Qin, was also quick-witted and capable. However, the news that he had recently visited Liu Quan, of the neighboring county, was making him uneasy. If that old surnamed-Liu geezer cosied up to the Liang Estate, wouldn't he sliver away his benefits? That simply wouldn't do! He had to let Marquess Liang see that it was Gaodu that stood closest to the Liang Estate.It was that notion which made him especially motivated when it came to locust extermination. He'd sent out many of the bailiffs under his authority, and treated the Liang Estate's new registrar very politely, hoping that Marquess Liang would see his sincerity.After the two chatted some more about agriculture, and a few points to take note of regarding locust control, Duan Qin got up and took his leave. He exited the county office, mounted his horse, and took a deep breath. This trip hadn't been brief at all; he'd had to run back and forth between counties to finalize everything regarding locust extermination. It was all because his lord's reputation had been growing by the day, ever since Shangsi, that these trivialities could be dealt with so easily.Now, they only had to wait until the summer harvest. Gaodu aside, even the Liang Estate was looking forward to this harvest. With more grain, they could support more people, more troops; Duan Qin didn't dare neglect this matter.His lord had been right about one thing, at least those leisurely days were gone for good.He galloped back to the estate before it was fully dark. Duan Qin tidied up and went to report back to his lord. To his surprise, there was already someone else in the study. It was the battalion commander, Yi Yan.When he arrived, those cold gray-blue eyes looked icily at him. He was a person of a different ethnicity to begin with, and a battle-hardened general to boot a stare like this was rather spine-chilling. But in the last month, Duan Qin had already gotten used to his strange hostility and walked up without a care and saluted Liang Feng, My lord, the locust extermination is proceeding smoothly in both counties. If things go to plan, Very good! You've really done a lot of hard work, Siruo, Liang Feng nodded with satisfaction. Taking on this advisor had indeed been the right decision.Exterminating locusts wasn't as easy as in the modern era. With the connection between man and heaven hanging over everyone's heads, locusts were no longer a simple disaster, but rather a punishment meted out by heaven. Heaven's punishment could not be stopped or interfered with. The way to make it vanish was for the ruler to cultivate his moral character and the commoners to behave virtuously. With these kinds of bullshit dumbifying policies, not only could the not fight locusts, they even had to worship the Locust God and pray for salvation.Liang Feng, of course, wasn't having any of that nonsense. He'd pulled out theBook of Fan Sheng, studied the cause of locust plagues, and summoned elderly farmers to learn about locusts' behavior and life cycle. That was how he'd come up with the idea to exterminate the eggs first, and then, put full effort into eradicating them before they matured. Plus, he'd told Duan Qin that locusts could be eaten.In the modern era, countless people ate locusts, or rather, grasshoppers. They were full of protein, and didn't taste bad at all when roasted. Once it began appearing on the dinner table, there were already a dozen ways to eat them. With protein lacking to such an extent, even if the commoners were too afraid to eat them, they could exchange them for grain. Whether it was used as food or animal feed, it was extremely economical.And Duan Qin did indeed use his brain when it came to performing his tasks. He didn't directly begin with locust control, but with broadcasting his reputation as a bodhisattva, and making up some fables about how birds were sacred to Buddha. Then, the county governments would pass orders to prohibit the hunting of birds and frogs. Without these common sources of meat, faced with a locust problem they had to deal with, one that Buddha despised, they accepted it much more readily.With people both catching and eating them, decimating the nearby locust population wasn't difficult at all. And once they had experience, they would be able to deal with future disaster more easily.It's all thanks to the two county magistrates' cooperation that everything went well, Duan Qin said modestly. That Magistrate Liu admires you rather much, my lord. He even said that, after the summer harvest, he'd come to visit you personally.Just invite the county magistrates, and General Wu, to dine at the Liang Estate onDouble Fifth. To most nobles, inviting the lowborn was rather embarrassing. But to Liang Feng, he didn't have those psychological barriers; he'd use whoever he needed.After issuing his orders, Liang Feng said, I'm currently discussing the militia reforms with Boyuan. You must be exhausted from travel. Rest first, and we will talk in detail about it tomorrow.The militia's restructuring was crucial. Aside from the military merits they had discussed earlier, they had to establish ranks, and decide whether or not to set up a supervisory system. They had to come to a clear decision first before they could announce it. At this time, Yi Yan's opinion was essential.Duan Qin knew his lord was being considerate. He smiled, There's no need for that, my lord. The military system is too important. I can simply listen by the side.Hearing Duan Qin's answer, Liang Feng said no more, and resumed his conversation with Yi Yan. Duan Qin sat silently, listening, while he observed the Jie person beside him. Recently, he'd come into contact with everyone in the estate, but the hardest one to figure out was him. Even he could even, with the right tactics, make conversation with the math fanatic, Li Xin. But Yi Yan was completely different. They were still calling each other by their titles, not even using courtesy names.That was somewhat inappropriate. There was a divide between civil and military, true, but as the two were their lord's left and right arms, of course he had to be on good terms with the commander of the militia. But for some reason, Yi Yan seemed to dislike him. Was it because he hadn't been around long enough to earn his trust?Although, before their lord, he had an entirely different attitude. Not only did the coldness in his eyes dissolve, even his body was slightly leaned forward, as if he didn't want to miss a single word their lord said. That look of fervent reverence really made him look like a fanatic. Duan Qin chuckled wryly in his mind. Perhaps he was the same towards their lord? When he interacted with his lord, so enraptured by his charisma was he, that he could forget entirely about their difference in status. It was as if every sentence, every word, landed within his heart.No wonder that everyone in the estate loved this lord. Even the Taiyuan Wang clan had nothing but praise for him. If one day, he could go to Luoyang, the whole court might fall for him.The distraction lasted only a moment. Duan Qin regained his focus and diligently listened to the important arrangements for the military restructuring.
