In this way, the locust swarm grew larger and larger. By the time they landed in a populated area, the locust swarm was already unstoppable! And the locust swarm has grown even larger with the addition of other locusts. Along the way, the ripening seedlings were eaten up, and the trees were gnawed down to the stakes! Even the straw on the house was eaten away by them.

The people panicked and desperately tried to find a way to kill the locusts. But how can such a large swarm of locusts be saved by manpower? What's more, there are many fools in various villages, who actually put out incense tables and sacrifices to worship the locust god, in a vain attempt to make the locusts retreat. Isn't this a fool's dream!

The news soon spread to Jinan. Zhao Yan, the governor of Jinan, was still immersed in the afterglow of the victory of the Wenxiang Sect. Singing and dancing slowly every day, singing poems and harmonizing, so it's not easy! If you have some leisure, you can take care of some official business.

Recently, the remnants of the Smelling Fragrance Sect have almost been cleaned up. By the way, Zhao Yan also knocked on other sects and gained a lot of benefits. Moreover, because of the needs of the war, a lot of grain and grass equipment was transferred from the treasury in Shandong. At this moment, not only did the past deficit be smoothed out, but the people below also took a lot of benefits from it.

Although Zhao Yan disdains to do this kind of thing, he naturally has a share of the benefits. The people below were also clever and obediently sent over. With spare money in his hand, Zhao Yan also placed a Zhuangzi near Fucheng, so that the family could collect more interest. As for people's livelihood, it is enough to recover slowly. Those grass people are like weeds, they will grow slowly and will not have to work.

Zhao Yan took the time to go to the yamen today, thinking about dealing with the backlog of official documents. However, I found that there were a lot of official documents in recent days. He frowned and picked up a copy of the document. The person who cleaned up his desk was the old man who had followed him for many years, so the official documents were placed in chronological order.

Zhao Yan began to read the official document and casually gave instructions and threw it aside, and his old servant would clean it up for him. When he saw the official documents in the last few days, Zhao Yan couldn't help but smile and said to the old servant: "The magistrate below is playing ghost again!" The four magistrates actually reported a locust plague together, and they didn't talk about it, they each found an excuse! Where did the locust plague come from covering several counties? ”

If it is according to the situation in the past, what Zhao Yan said is really right! For the sake of their own purses and achievements, the slightest thing in the local area will be exaggerated and reported several times. One of their favorite reports is that they have been affected!

As long as the disaster is successfully reported, the tax on money and grain will often be reduced or reduced. The top has reduced the money and grain, but the bottom is collecting as usual. As for the part collected, it naturally fell into everyone's purse. So when those magistrates saw that the snow froze their flowers to death, he dared to report a snow disaster. If you see a few grasshoppers in the garden, it's a plague of locusts!

At present, these county orders are obviously not operated well, and everyone invariably thought of the locust plague, but after the report was reported, it was seen through by Zhao Yan's discernment! If the four counties were plagued by locusts together, wouldn't the locusts be overwhelming?

Thinking of this, Zhao Yan picked up the pen, casually commented a few words on the official document and threw it aside. But at the same time, when the old servant was sorting out the official documents, he whispered: "Master, the little one heard some rumors outside, saying that there was really a locust plague this year, and it was not small. ”

Zhao Yan said casually: "It's okay. There is always a locust plague every few years. I have instructed these magistrates to light some fires at night and it will be fine. ”

As he spoke, he grabbed the new official document and looked at it slowly. The old servant thought for a moment and then said, "Master, but the price of this grain has risen so much!" It's all 9 taels and one stone! In previous years, it wasn't so expensive when it was not available! Maybe something really happened down there. ”

Zhao Yan still attaches importance to the old servant's words. Because this old servant has been following him since he tied his hair and studied, he has won Zhao Yan's trust. And the old servant also took care of a lot of private affairs for him. What this old servant said, Zhao Yan still had to think about it.

He was just about to pick up the official documents just now, when he heard a messenger report: "Report to your lordship, the seven of them have arrived at the yamen of the grain merchant Huang in the city, and they have come to invite the master to the banquet." ”

Picking up the official document and throwing it down, he sneered and said to the old servant: "It seems that the high price of grain is the ghost of these people!" I'll meet them, and I'll beat them up by the way, and I'll give them a little peace. How can food prices be so high! You must know that it is not easy for small people! ”

After speaking, Zhao Yan drifted away. Although the old servant knew about the locust plague, he did not know what he knew. As the saying goes, the prime minister has seven officials in front of the door, and the old servant is a close confidant of Zhao Yan, the governor of Shandong, and his friends are naturally low-level officials and wealthy businessmen. These people are all big people who don't worry about food and clothing, where do they care about any locust plague? The so-called locust plague is nothing more than a talking point in their eyes. If it is black-hearted, it will take advantage of the catastrophe to make a black-hearted fortune.

So the old servant didn't stop Zhao Yan. He also knew that Zhao Yanci went to the banquet, but he was afraid that he would have to bring some benefits back. Those grain merchants have raised the price of grain so high, and they have to spit it out. When they have almost made money, the lord will inform them to lower the price of food. Otherwise, the price of grain will be high, which will hinder the official reputation of the master. So the old servant thought about it, shook his head again, and after cleaning up the governor's desk, he went on his own.

At this moment, Zhao Youfu's neighbors fell into a great panic. For the vanguard of the locust swarm had already reached their village. The loud buzzing sound of countless locusts flying up was like a continuous thunderclap. The locust's body had already blocked out the little sunlight, and the sky seemed dark.

As soon as those locusts landed, they found a lot of delicious food, which was seedlings! All the locusts went straight to the fields. The seedlings in this field have been domesticated by humans for thousands of years, and they have long become sweet and delicious, and they are exceptionally refreshing to eat.

That's the perk of a striker, who can pick something tasty to eat. Although there were some casualties, the locust swarm said that it was completely acceptable! As for the locust swarms in the future, I am afraid that they will eat leaves and grass.

When Zhao Youfu's family left a few days ago, the villagers panicked for a while. Many people are also discussing whether to follow Zhao Youfu to escape the famine? Those who have a heart will naturally start to pack up. carelessly, I can't say anything, and I have to laugh at Zhao Youfu for a few words.

In fact, the villagers did not fail to notice that there were a lot of locusts this year, but they thought that they were still burning a fire at night as in previous years, and the insects naturally threw themselves into the fire. Just burn it for a few nights. And they do the same. After all, crops are the most important thing for farmers.

The village chief has led the villagers to burn a fire outside the village for more than ten days. It's just weird that the bug keeps jumping into the fire, crackling by the fire, but it never finishes burning! Every day, when the fire is lit, the villagers think that there will be fewer insects the next day, but it turns out that there are still as many as at the beginning. But they thought it was just a matter of time, right? Maybe a few more days of burning will be fine.

It wasn't until today that the vanguard of the locust swarm arrived in their village that it dawned on them. It turns out that Daddy Zhao's vision is still as good as ever! But it's too late at this point! The swarms of locusts came in so great a flood that people could not even get out. Once you go out, hundreds of locusts will fall on your body, and even your clothes will be bitten out of holes.

Now there is a cry in the village, because this year's harvest has been completely ruined. In an instant, all the seedlings were wiped out. But the villagers had no choice but to hide in their houses and weep mournfully. But they didn't know that a bigger catastrophe was yet to come.

A few days later, the main forces of the locust swarm arrived. By this time, the vanguard of the locust swarm had eaten almost all the green plants. Later, these hungry locusts began to eat everything that could be digested. The plants were eaten up, and even the straw laid on the roof of the grass house was eaten up by these locusts. The roof of the house was broken, and the locusts rushed into the room and began to look for anything to eat.

Looking out the window at this time, it was summer and it should be a green sky. But now it's dusk. Earthy locusts fluttered in the sky, obscuring the sun. The green on the ground was eaten away, and there was only bare earth. Even the leaves were eaten away, leaving only the thicker branches swaying in the wind. Even chickens, ducks, pigs and sheep are messy with locust bites! Because their hair contains a lot of oil, it is also digestible for locusts.