Duke of Zhenguan

Chapter 118 How to Deal with Locusts

Hearing the prophecies of a severe drought and locust plague, Lin Chuan felt somewhat relieved.

The past winter had little snowfall, and now that the first month of the lunar calendar is almost over and the weather is gradually warming up, there is still no sign of rain in Chang'an, and there are already signs of a severe drought.

With little snowfall and insufficient cold weather, the probability of locust eggs surviving increases, making a locust plague almost inevitable.

For several days in a row, no matter how rampant the rumors were, Li Shimin did not intervene or seek out Lin Chuan.

Lin Chuan knew this was more than just trust; Li Shimin was definitely waiting for his explanation.

After the prophecies of a severe drought and locust plague were made, Lin Chuan stayed outside the Xiande Hall to request an audience after the court assembly on the 25th of the first lunar month.

After entering Xiande Hall with the eunuch, Lin Chuan bowed to Li Shimin, who was sitting behind the imperial desk, and said, "Greetings, Your Majesty!"

Li Shimin smiled and waved his hand, "No need for formalities, please sit!"

Lin Chuan then sat down on the brocade bench next to him.

After Lin Chuan sat down, Li Shimin put down his vermilion brush and said with a smile, "These days, I've heard some rumors that you, Lin Chuan, are the reincarnation of Maitreya Buddha. Such nonsense is not worth your attention!"

"Your Majesty, I have been waiting for those people to make their move. I never expected that their method would be to spread such a prophecy. I am not worried about such a prophecy, but we must guard against the severe drought and locust plague!" Lin Chuan said.

Li Shimin's hand, holding the vermilion brush, paused in mid-air. He asked in a deep voice, "What do you mean by that?"

"Your Majesty, in my opinion, releasing these rumors now may just be part of a conspiracy."

If in two more months, the Tang Dynasty enjoys favorable weather and abundant harvests, these rumors will naturally fall apart; but what if the Tang Dynasty really experiences a severe drought and locust plague?

"What will the hundreds of thousands of people in Chang'an think then? What will the officials of the court think?" Lin Chuan asked, bowing.

What he didn't say was what Emperor Li Shimin would think.

Li Shimin glanced at Lin Chuan, who stood respectfully, and then asked in a deep voice, "Do you also think there will be a severe drought and locust plague?"

Upon hearing Li Shimin's question, Lin Chuan knew that Li Shimin was indeed suspicious of him.

He shook his head calmly and said in a deep voice, "Your Majesty, I don't know either, but when I was a child, I heard an old Taoist priest say that nothing happens without warning. I don't know if there will be a drought, and the Bureau of Astronomy's observation of the stars at night is not reliable, but experienced farmers can certainly see some clues!"

Your Majesty, I believe the court should secretly send people to various regions to investigate, just in case!

Li Shimin nodded. What Lin Chuan said made sense. Moreover, the waterwheels that Lin Chuan had made had been very useful during the severe drought in Guanzhong last year.

Thinking of this, Li Shimin smiled again and said, "Now waterwheels have been built in various parts of Guanzhong. If a drought really occurs, it can alleviate the situation to some extent."

But if a locust plague really occurs, is there a solution?

"Yes!" Lin Chuan nodded.

Li Shimin's gaze suddenly fixed on Lin Chuan, and he asked in a deep voice, "Do you really have a way to solve the locust plague?"

"Does Your Majesty know that locusts can be used in medicine?" Lin Chuan asked in return.

Li Shimin nodded, waiting for Lin Chuan to explain.

Lin Chuan didn't keep Li Shimin in suspense any longer, but said with a smile, "Your Majesty only knows one side of the story. In fact, locusts can not only be used in medicine, but they can also be eaten before they become a complete plague!"

Locust meat is similar to beef and mutton, very filling, and eating more locusts can even cure night blindness!

Upon hearing Lin Chuan's words, Li Shimin opened his mouth but remained speechless for a long time.

It took him a while to process the meaning behind Lin Chuan's words, and he said with a wry smile, "So, according to you, these locusts are not only not a disaster, but actually a treasure?"

"Your Majesty, these locusts are indeed a treasure!" Lin Chuan said earnestly.

"Even if what you say is true, the people are ignorant. Even if the court sends people to various places to inform them, they may not believe it!" Li Shimin said, both amused and exasperated.

"Your Majesty, I believe we don't need them to believe us; we just need to let them catch the locusts themselves!" Lin Chuan said.

"Say it now if you have a solution!" Li Shimin roared impatiently.

"Your Majesty, my idea is for the court to first send people to investigate, and then dispatch merchant caravans to areas where locust plagues may occur, at which point we can purchase the locusts with grain and money!"

Locusts, dried and ground into powder, can be eaten as a substitute for meat!

"While a few stubborn people are unwilling to kill locusts, most people will certainly be willing to kill locusts in exchange for food. In that case, we can eliminate the locusts invisibly and provide disaster relief in another way. Wouldn't that be killing two birds with one stone?" Lin Chuan explained.

Li Shimin considered the possibility of what Lin Chuan said, and his gaze towards Lin Chuan became somewhat strange. He asked again in a deep voice, "Can locusts really be eaten?"

"Your Majesty! I am willing to eat in front of all the civil and military officials for a month," Lin Chuan said.

Now Li Shimin no longer had any doubts.

Locust plagues have been a terrifying natural disaster since ancient times. If, as Lin Chuan said, they are no different from beef and mutton, then locust plagues will never be a problem again.

Having eliminated the locust plague, this emperor was destined to leave a significant mark on history.

Now, it's not just in Chang'an that people are spreading rumors that Lin Chuan is the reincarnation of Maitreya, a scourge, and that the emperor is a foolish ruler who easily trusts treacherous officials. These rumors are also circulating in Guanzhong, Hedong, Shandong, and other places.

He did have some doubts about Lin Chuan, but he was even more wary of those powerful and influential families.

Although the Hundred Cavalry Division found no clues, the less they found, the more it proved that these rumors were spread by those powerful clans. Only they could spread these rumors so widely that the whole world knew about them.

Having received Lin Chuan's assurance, Li Shimin's face revealed a strange expression. These powerful families had already suffered greatly from the previous grain crisis and salt famine.

This time, we might be able to skin them alive again.

Lin Chuan once again defuses the traps that the powerful families have painstakingly set up. But the more he does this, the more Li Shimin's suspicions of Lin Chuan not only do not dissipate, but actually deepen.

The previous grain crisis could be explained by cleverness, and the salt shortage by erudition, but the locust plague that people feared like tigers was resolved by Lin Chuan so casually. This was something that could not be done by someone with exceptional intelligence and talent.

Is it possible that there are people in this world who are born with knowledge?

Seeing Li Shimin remain silent, Lin Chuan felt a little uneasy. After waiting for a while, he suddenly heard Li Shimin ask, "Lin Chuan, do you think there really are immortals in this world?"

"Your Majesty, if anyone speaks of gods before you, let me try to cut off their heads. If I cannot, I am willing to bear the gods' wrath. If I can cut off their heads, then such gods are certainly not true gods!" Lin Chuan said, bowing.

Although he himself could travel through time for thousands of years, he still firmly believed that there were no gods or immortals in the world, because he dared not allow himself to still harbor the fantasy of being able to go back!