Zhao Yan regrets it at the moment! Some time ago, when the magistrate told him that there was a locust plague, he didn't believe it. If he had sent someone to inspect at that time, maybe there would have been a way to stock up on some food. But his carelessness turned into bitter fruit. Now that he has no grain in his hand, how can he go to the rescue?

What's even more terrifying is not the current time. The most terrible thing is that the locusts eat everything. The seedlings were eaten up by locusts, and it was too late to replant at this time, so what did the people eat during the autumn harvest? At this time, for the sake of their own safety, people who have food will hold the food tightly in the palm of their hands and will not leak out. At that time, the people must have been starving!

At this time, Zhao Yan's mind jumped out of the four words in the history books: Yi Zi eats! Thinking of this, Zhao Yan couldn't help but shudder. The sight in my head is terrible! He shook his head vigorously to shake off the thought. Then another thought jumped out of my mind, that is, the issue of the imperial court holding it accountable.

Zhao Yan immediately sobered up, this matter is as big as the sky! You must not let the court depose you! He studied hard for many years before he became a Jinshi in high school, and he stayed up for so many years to achieve the position of governor of Shandong, and he couldn't retreat.

After thinking for a moment, Zhao Yan instructed the old servant and said, "Hurry up and polish the ink for me, I want to write a question book." ”

The inscription is a name used in the Ming Dynasty, which refers to the official documents issued to the emperor and the imperial court. If it is an official document or letter to the emperor in private, it is called a sonata.

Zhao Yan deserved to be a scholar and out, and an article was made after a while. The general idea is that due to the rebellion of the Xiangxiang Sect, in order to suppress the thieves in Shandong, the treasury has been exhausted. For this reason, it has also borrowed a lot from the private sector. Recently, the income has been returned to the people, so there is no food in their hands, and they cannot cope with this locust plague. I beg the Imperial Court for relief. Anyway, it's clean to shake the pot, and it's none of his business.

After Zhao Yan checked it several times, he instructed the old servant and said, "Seal it." The fastest time to hand it over. Don't delay! ”

Then he turned to the family and said, "Send everyone out, and be sure to find out those damned grain merchants!" If you don't have it in the city, go to the countryside to find it! ”

The family members all went on errands, and Zhao Yan was left alone in the study to sit on the Taishi chair, trying to figure out a way. And the thudding sound of the locusts hitting the window paper and door panels made the study look particularly weird.

This plague of locusts comes and goes quickly. When the locust swarms have eaten everything they can eat, they naturally leave in search of more food. A few days later, when the people walked out of their homes in trepidation, they found that the locust swarm had gone, leaving only bare stumps to eat and locust carcasses everywhere.

But before the people had time to celebrate the passing of the locust plague, they fell into

In the midst of an even greater crisis. That's hunger! When the locust swarm was there, everyone did not dare to go out, and they relied on the food stored at home for a few days. Now the locust swarm is gone, and the family has run out of food. People had to come out in search of food.

But at this time, the price of grain in Jinan City was already frighteningly high, as high as 20 taels and one stone! Where can the small people afford this? But no matter how much the small people pleaded, the grain merchants refused to lower the price. They also said eloquently: "Today is this price, tomorrow is not necessarily what the price?" Don't you know that after the plague of locusts there is nothing left? This year's grain production has been cut off, and it is inevitable that food prices will soar! So you don't buy it! ”

The locust plague is even more terrible than the flood and drought. After the flood and drought have passed, there is always something left to eat, which can fill the stomach of the people and prevent them from starving to death immediately. But the locust swarms are different. They are small in size, and they can get into any gap. Thin granaries can't stop them.

Their communities are large, numerous, and widespread. As soon as a locust finds food, they will gather with their friends and eat everything in front of them. And they can eat what people eat, and they can eat what people can't! There is really not an inch left behind.

Zhao Yan had already met with those grain merchants at this moment. The grain merchants cried and said that they had no food in their hands. Under Zhao Yan's repeated threats and persuasions, they scraped together 500 stone of grain and 3,000 taels of silver. But what can be done with this little grain and silver?

And Zhao Yan cared about the background of the characters behind them, and he didn't dare to hit them hard. As for the grain merchants who have suffered losses in this locust plague, they must get it back from the people. Therefore, Zhao Yan is counting on them to relieve the disaster, which is tantamount to an idiot's dream, and begging for fish from the wood.

The meeting between the two sides ended unhappily. The grain merchants went back and continued to hoard the grain merchants to make black money. Zhao Yan is trying to find a way to raise food. But at this time, the people couldn't wait. A large number of villagers in the countryside fled from their villages and gathered in towns. They were counting on the government to help them.

But at this time, the government has no food in its hands, so how can it help them? Some kind-hearted families provided some food and set up porridge sheds. But in the face of the tide of refugees, their food was quickly eaten up, and they had to go home and lock the door in order to be safe.

Villagers flock to the city, hoping to find something to eat in the city. And the townspeople are also in a state of hunger and cold. People gather more and more in the town, which leads to a series of thefts, robberies, fights, etc. The already small number of errands are too tired to solve too many problems.

The form is getting more and more corrupt! person

In order to snatch a bite to eat, they did not hesitate to draw their knives against each other. Coupled with the people who died of starvation every mile, more than a dozen dead bodies were carried out of Jinan City every day. And the state of the living is not very good. A large number of people sat sluggishly on the eaves, stretching out their hands to the street, trying to beg for something to eat. But the people on the street were hurrying by, and no one was willing to give alms. And they are not to blame, maybe it won't be long before those people join the begging outcasts!

At this time, people who have the energy to walk slowly on the street have a special part, that is, human traffickers. After every catastrophe, it is a time for these traffickers to revel. They bought their wives or daughters from the victims for almost no value. The greater the disaster, the cheaper the population.

A skinny human trafficker like a bamboo pole. They are leading thugs to pick up the population among the victims. He had a donkey cart behind him. There were many yellow-skinned girls sitting in the car. It was followed by a group of people of all ages. Their arms were all tied together with a rope, and it seems that they were also bought by thin bamboo poles.

These traffickers have a pair of fiery eyes. They could tell the girls what they were looking like in the future on their thin faces, and then they took them away from their families with just a few steamed buns. Although the family was reluctant, they still did not hesitate to push their children out. Although they are separated from their children, these girls still have a chance to survive. They can also get some food and a little more to breathe.

This time, however, the traffickers are a little different. The eyes of the traffickers are only on the girls and girls. But today they are not only buying girls. It's more about buying slaves for families.

At this time, the thin bamboo pole was haggling with the family. The family consists of four, a husband and wife with a pair of children. After more than 20 days of starvation, the family had lost their appearance, but it was still evident that the father of the family turned out to be a very strong man.

The thin bamboo pole said: "How about it, sign it." Such. Your daughters will have a way to live, and you will have some food. Maybe you can survive to the government for relief. ”

The man hugged the girl in his arms tightly and said pleadingly, "Sir, you can do it!" Let's buy it for our whole family! We can treat you as a cow or a horse! I'm a good farmer, and I'm a carpenter! My mother-in-law cooks tea and rice well, and the children can work! It won't be for nothing! ”

The man worked hard to sell his family, lest he wouldn't be able to sell it! But the thin bamboo pole was a little hesitant. He reached out and brushed the hair from the girl's face, carefully studying the girl's thin face. The girl was so frightened that she tightened her body. But he didn't dare to turn his face away, so he could only squint his eyes and endure the gaze of the thin bamboo pole.