Xu Yong didn't say nonsense, he picked the restaurant inn to start, and some duck farmers in the capital were all found by the Five Cities Soldiers and Horses.

This is all their usual experience in catching thieves and touching holes.

Jinyiwei and factory guards were dispatched, and there would have been a great disturbance.

Now there are more Shuntianfu and Wucheng Soldiers and Horses, and suddenly the government and the opposition are shaken, and the people of the capital still think that which thief is going to rebel.

But I saw a strange scene in the capital, the people of Jinyiwei, Wucheng Terracotta Division, Shuntianfu, and Dongchang were all chasing ducks.

When they heard that the imperial court was going to use an army of 100,000 ducks to exterminate the locusts, the people were happy.

East Palace,

Zhu Houzhao threw away the military book in his hand and became interested: "You said that Lao Gao was named the overseer of the 100,000 duck army? ”

"yes, the factory guards are catching ducks." Gu Dayong just came back from inquiring.

Zhu Houzhao fell into deep thought, no, Lao Gao doesn't know how to fight, and the palace wants to help him.

Then he had an idea, and said with a smile: "Call Zhou Yu to see the palace." ”

Yan Chengjin sent people to track the locusts, find out the route of advance, open the map, draw the trajectory of the journey, and speculate that it will fly from Yongqing County into the territory of Shuntianfu.

In two days, all the ducks were bought, plus 10,000 geese, for a total of 40,000 troops.

An adult duck can eat about 300 locusts a day, and only 100 locusts are counted as more than enough to eat 3 million.

Yan Chengjin asked the Five Cities Soldiers and Horses Division to rush to Yongqing County overnight.

Early the next morning, the sky was just gray and the air was very fresh.

Yan Chengjin finished eating breakfast, rode a docile old horse, and rushed to Yongqing County with Liu Qing of Shuntianfu and foreman Changwei Jingxiang.

Forbidden City, Fengtian Temple.

Just after the early dynasty, Emperor Hongzhi hurriedly returned to the palace, Li Dongyang and the three of them came to the warm pavilion, and they didn't see Emperor Hongzhi coming, so they asked: "Why hasn't Your Majesty come yet?" ”

The little eunuch went to the Qianqing Palace for a trip before coming back to report: "Lord Li, Your Majesty has left the palace." ”

Li Dongyang and the three looked at each other.

Your Majesty is concerned about the locust plague, and I am afraid that he will not be able to wait for Yan Chengjin's report, so he will go to see it in person.

The three of them glanced at each other, and they all left the palace.

It is the time when the suburbs of Yongqing County are very lively, and the mountains and forests are full of ducks, and the sound is shaking for nine days.

On the ridge, many people came from the capital to watch, and Emperor Hongzhi also came, he was dressed in a Confucian robe, standing in the crowd, and he really hadn't seen the duck army go out.

I've been waiting for almost an hour, but I haven't seen any locusts coming.

Yan Chengjin was not afraid that they would fly away, according to the report from the Five Cities Soldiers and Horses, the locusts were already on the edge of Yongqing County, only five miles away from here.

Emperor Hongzhi was next to Xiao Jing, Li Dongyang and others also stood in the crowd in civilian clothes, and there were many officials, on the ridge and on the mountain bag, there were so many people that they couldn't stand still, and the factory guards in civilian clothes formed a circle to make room for Emperor Hongzhi.

In front of the duck army, there were Yan Chengjin, Liu Qing and Xu Yong, the soldiers and horses of the five cities.

It felt very uncomfortable to be regarded as a fool by the people, and Liu Qing asked in a low voice: "Why hasn't this locust come yet?" ”

Xu Yong stared ahead, and the next moment, he shouted: "My lord, here!" ”

I saw a black cloud flying in the sky, getting closer and closer, countless locusts fell on the fields and meadows, and everything in the field of vision was locusts.

Yan Chengjin shouted: "The whole army is attacking!" ”

The horn sounded.

The ducks, who had been on the road all night, were already hungry.

Rushing out and rushing into the fields.

The sky is densely packed with locusts, and the earth is crowded with ducks.

The scene was very shocking!

The people were dumbfounded.

The feeding of these ducks and geese on weekdays is far less abundant than that of later generations.

Later generations generally fed leftovers and corn, at this time, corn has not yet been introduced to the Ming Dynasty, the people can feed very little, see the locusts will be much more violent.

Yan Chengjin caught a locust, and as expected, it was really an East Asian flying locust, far less big than later generations.

This is a pristine locust that has not been contaminated by chemicals.

I saw that many locusts kept falling, and the black clouds in the sky seemed to disperse, only sporadic and black.

"Army of chickens! To this palace, whoever dares to be a deserter will be killed! ”

I heard a familiar voice coming.

Yan Chengjin's face was full of black lines, and Zhu Houzhao was driving a large group of chickens, rushing from behind with a momentum like a rainbow.

"Where did Your Highness find such chickens?"

Zhu Houzhao said with a smile: "This palace has its own way. ”

Yan Chengjin estimated that all the running chickens raised by Zhou Yu are here, and the chickens will also peck at locusts when they see them, and even fly up to peck.

Xiao Jing recognized the person who came, and hurriedly said to Emperor Hongzhi: "That's not ......"

Emperor Hongzhi was a little tired from standing, and he was more concerned about whether the duck army could exterminate the locusts.

Time passed slowly, and by evening, there were fewer and fewer black spots in the sky.

The people gradually became more and more popular, and they hoped that the duck army would eat the locusts, after all, they were eating their crops.

Yan Chengjin knew that this was impossible.

All living things have stress behaviors, and locusts are no exception.

Sure enough, the locusts began to migrate, and the visible decrease was much thinner than at the beginning, and they began to fly north with the wind.

Those who are watching have long since turned from ridicule to surprise!

Since ancient times, fire and smoke have been ineffective, and many people have been helpless against locusts.

Now most of them have been annihilated.

Emperor Hongzhi said quietly: "Go back to the palace!" ”

Along the way, the people were talking about the court's convening of the duck army, some ridiculed, some joked, but after all, he carried everything alone.

Yan Chengjin breathed a sigh of relief.

Annihilated most of them, it's not a mess.

As for the rest, one can only hope that they will fly further north, into the pastures of the Tatars......

Back to the Temple of Heaven,

In the mind of Emperor Hongzhi, the scene of the duck army still lingering.

Li Dongyang and others are also full of aftertaste.

Yan Chengjin strode into the hall, and after the salute was finished: "Minister Yan Chengjin, I have come to pay the order, the locust army invaded my Beijing division, and it is menacing, and my Ming duck army has 40,000 male soldiers, and sixty percent of the locust army has been corrected on the spot!" ”

Is this thing considered a military feat?

If you win the battle, you have to give an explanation.

Emperor Hongzhi had a smile on the corner of his mouth, he had seen the scene, and quipped: "What do you want, the gold medal to avoid death?" ”

The minister doesn't want a gold medal for the time being, but wants to be promoted......

Yan Chengjin said: "Your Majesty is willing to give, and the minister will not refuse." ”

"Controlling locusts cannot be counted as a military merit, so I will give you five hundred taels of silver and one hundred acres of fields in Liangxiang County."

Yan Chengjin kowtowed: "Thank you, Your Majesty." ”

Zhu Houzhao was in front of the door of the Fengtian Palace, probing his brain, and Emperor Hongzhi pulled down his face: "What's the matter with you?" ”

Zhu Houzhao walked into the main hall quickly and knelt directly below Emperor Hongzhi: "Erchen's army of chickens has also made meritorious contributions and wants to be rewarded." ”

Yan Chengjin coughed violently, almost missing the internal injuries.

Emperor Hongzhi's face was not unusual, but kind, "What do you want?" ”

Zhu Houzhao was happy in his heart, after pretending to be sick last time to share his father's worries, his father seemed to be much better to him.

I didn't expect my father to really give it, so when I asked what I wanted, I really stumped him.

"Erchen...... I want a gold medal for avoiding death. ”

Emperor Hongzhi's head buzzed, and he hurriedly held on to the throne so that he didn't fall down.

Since Yan Chengjin asked for two pieces, this thing seems to have become his nightmare.

Li Dongyang almost didn't squirt out a mouthful of old blood,

Yan Chengjin was choked speechless.

However, the rivers and mountains are all taken care of by Zhu Houzhao, and this guy lacks nothing, so he naturally comes with his temperament.

Emperor Hongzhi frowned, he was happy today, and he didn't bother with Zhu Houzhao, and was patient: "Go back to the East Palace and think clearly, and then tell me." ”

After Zhu Houzhao left, Yan Chengjin was left behind by Emperor Hongzhi.

Emperor Hongzhi said: "How to deal with this army of tens of thousands of ducks, you can't let me eat alone, right?" ”

I didn't think so much about it before I cured locusts, but now I see that herding ducks to cure locusts is a bad idea.

In later generations, there were large-scale farms, and they could be returned at any time, but not in Daming.

The army of ducks was bought from many people, and the court wanted to return it, and who remembered whose it was.

Yan Chengjin had a bitter face: "The minister can't finish eating." ”

Li Dongyang and the others sank their faces.

Emperor Hongzhi paced in front of the emperor, calculating in his heart that he would eat for a few years.

After a while, Yan Chengjin said: "This matter started because of the minister, if Your Majesty doesn't want it, the minister will buy it." ”

Emperor Hongzhi was stunned.

These ducks have eaten locusts, and even if they sell them, they can't sell them, right?

Li Dongyang and the three looked at Yan Chengjin, how could they not see that this was for His Majesty's worries.