Regarding the solution to the locust plague, Zhao Yao had already written to the emperor to tell him that he could only wait for the result. If he could, he would like to go to the north in person and solve the locust plague in person, but unfortunately, as a vassal king, he has no holy decree and cannot leave his fiefdom at will.

Zhao Yao believed in the emperor's means and speed, and in the next few days, he did not pay attention to the locust plague in the north for the time being, but focused on the matter of harvesting early rice.

If the locust plague in the north is severe, then the entire northern state capital will be affected, and then the food in the north will become scarce, and there may even be victims. In order to prevent a large number of victims in the north, Zhao Yao decided to send some grain to the north.

Although he had written to his grandfather asking the Liang family to quickly transfer grain to the north, he was worried that the Liang family would not buy enough grain and hoard it before. There are more than a dozen or twenty state capitals in the whole north, and there are more than a million people. If the worst happens, there will be more than one million victims at that time, and the Liang family's little food will definitely not be enough. He had to prepare some food and send it to the north in a few days.

Zhao Yao decided to send the early rice that was about to be harvested to the north to alleviate the crisis of grain in the north.

Originally, he was looking forward to this year's early rice harvest, but now Zhao Yao is looking forward to it. He now especially hopes that this year's early rice harvest will be several times more than in previous years, so that more grain can be sent to the north while ensuring that the people of Marsh Province are fed.

For the sake of safety, Zhao Yao bought a large amount of grain from foreign merchants. During the trade conference, Zhao Yao signed a lot of grain business with foreign merchants. This time, he bought quite a few more, which made the foreign merchants very happy.

For foreign merchants such as Annan and Piguo, the last thing they lacked was food. To tell the truth, there is a lot of food in their country, and they can't eat enough of it every year. As a result, a lot of grain rots in the granary. In order not to let the grain go bad, the people of these Gentile countries decided not to harvest the rice, preferring to let it die in the fields.

Even though there were many people who would rather let the rice rot and die in the fields, there was still a lot of food in these Gentile countries. However, after Da Zhou started buying grain from these countries a few years ago, they never let the rice die in the fields again.

The foreign merchants moved quickly, and within a few days, they brought a lot of grain to Zhao Yao. After receiving the grain, Zhao Yao immediately sent someone to send it to the north.

In the past two days, Zhao Yao was busy harvesting early rice, and at the same time, he was busy collecting grain sent by foreign merchants, and then arranged to send it to the north.

Zhao Yao personally went to the field to harvest early rice, in order to let the people of Marsh Mansion know that he valued food.

When the people saw His Royal Highness the King of Han personally going down to the field to harvest rice, they were inspired and harvested one by one with great enthusiasm.

This year's early rice is growing very well, and the people are very happy when they harvest it. They had lived in the swamp house for decades, if not all their lives, and had never seen rice grow so well.

The people know that this year's early rice is growing well, thanks to His Royal Highness the King of Han. If it weren't for His Royal Highness the King of Han telling them those farming methods, their rice would not have grown so well. In this regard, the people are full of gratitude to Zhao Yao.

When the people were harvesting the early rice, Zhao Yao offered a high price to buy half of the rice in their hands. The reason why I bought half of it was because I wanted to keep half for the people to eat.

Last year, after Zhao Yao came to the swamp mansion, the first order he issued was to exempt the people from taxes for three years, including grain.

The people of Marsh Mansion had to hand over a certain amount of grain not only to the local yamen every year, but also to the imperial court. The same is true of the other state capitals of Lingnan, as well as of the people of the fiefs of other princes. That is to say, people in many places have to hand in grain twice a year.

In places where grain is abundant, the people can still have surplus grain after handing in the grain twice, but for the people in most places, after handing in the grain twice, they do not have much surplus grain, which leads to many people not having enough to eat. This is also the reason why the people of Lingnan have planted two crops of rice, but why they can't eat enough.

Zhao Yao felt that it was too harsh to ask the people to hand over the grain twice, so he directly ordered the abolition of the rule that the people handed over the grain to the imperial court. The grain handed over to the court was handed over by him, the vassal king. The people of the swamp province only

You need to hand over the food to him.

Before, the people of the swamp mansion were worried that His Royal Highness the King of Han would increase the number of them handed over by doing this, but they didn't expect that not only did not increase, but also decreased. The most important thing is that they don't have to hand in any food for three years. After three years, they only need to hand over a little grain to His Royal Highness the King of Han.

There is no need to hand over grain this year, and with this year's good harvest, the people naturally have a lot of surplus grain, and it is no problem to sell half of it.

The people are also willing to sell half of the grain to Zhao Yao, so that they can not only make money, but also sell it to His Royal Highness the King of Han, why not.

This year, there is a windmill made by Zhao Yao, and the harvest of early rice is very smooth, and it is faster than in previous years. Within a few days, the yield of the first batch of early rice came out.

In the past, the annual yield of early rice was at most 100 catties per mu, but this year's output of early rice has reached 200 catties per mu, which has doubled.

Two hundred catties per acre was something Zhao Yao didn't expect. According to the previous yield per mu, Zhao Yao felt that the yield per mu of early rice this year was at most 14 or 50 catties per mu, and it was 160 catties, but he didn't expect it to be 200 catties directly, which surprised him very much.

Knowing that this year's early rice was twice as large as in previous years, the people were also very shocked. Two hundred pounds per acre, this is something they can't even think of. After the surprise, there was a huge surprise. Many people wept with joy, especially those of the older generation.

Over the years, no, from their ancestors, they have never seen anything like two hundred catties per acre. Now that they have seen it with their own eyes, it means that they will not have to go hungry anymore, and they will be able to eat enough.

As for the fact that they can eat enough, not only the people of the swamp mansion, but also the people of other state capitals dare not think about it. Although they have always expected to be able to eat enough every day, it is not possible. And now, they can finally eat enough every day, which makes them unhappy and how not to cry.

For this reason, the people of the entire Swamp Mansion came to the door of the Han Palace, thanking Zhao Yao for allowing them to eat well.

Looking at the people who were kneeling at the door and had been kowtowing to him, Zhao Yao's heart was very touched, and he hurriedly went to help the older people kneeling at the front and asked them to hurry up.

These old people are the elders of each village, and they knelt on the ground and cried and thanked Zhao Yao, saying that Zhao Yao was the Bodhisattva who saved them.

Zhao Yao told the people that it was his responsibility as the king of Han to feed them. If he can't even feed them every day, then he, the king of Han, is too useless.

He also told the people that it was only the beginning that they would be fed, and that they would not only be able to eat every day, but also meat. You can also wear nice and beautiful clothes, you can go to school and read and write, and you can earn more money......

In the past, the people of Swamp Mansion would not believe Zhao Yao's words, but now they do.

The early rice harvest was not over yet, and after Zhao Yao pacified the people, he let them go back to continue harvesting.

The people knelt at the gate of the Han Palace, thanking Zhao Yao, and the officials witnessed it with their own eyes. Although they were not His Royal Highness the King of Han, they were also very moved and proud to see the people so grateful to Zhao Yao.

This year's early rice harvest is so good, and they have also helped. The officials of Zhao Yao's small court are basically first-time officials, so it is also the first time to see the picture of the people being grateful. At this moment, in addition to feeling proud and proud, they also deeply felt the meaning of their officials.

Wen Daoji's eyes were red, and he sighed in a choked voice, "Your Highness is really amazing." It's not the first time he's experienced something like this, but every time he experiences something like this, he's very moved.

Other officials echoed his words.

Zheng Qian sighed in his heart: I finally understand the meaning of being an official that the lord told me before.

A few years ago, Zheng Qian traveled around and saw many people in poverty and poverty, although he was touched in his heart, but he did not have too deep emotion. After coming to the swamp mansion, he was appointed as the head of the household, and he only thought about doing a good job and not disappointing the lord, as for the common people, he never thought about it. Of course, I didn't expect to get the gratitude of the people.

When he saw the scene of the people sincerely thanking Zhao Yao, somewhere deep in his heart

was deeply touched, and finally understood what Zhao Yao said to him many years ago.

"It is a blessing for us to be with such a highness who thinks about the people everywhere." Wen Daoji was forced to talk to Zhao Yao at the beginning, but now he is completely convinced by Zhao Yao. "Your Highness is grateful and loved by the people, we can't hold His Highness back, we also have to do good errands and think about the people."

The other officials nodded in agreement.

Wen Daoji and Zheng Qian were called by Tongxi to see Zhao Yao.

As soon as Zhao Yao saw them, he told them that there was going to be a locust plague in the north. When they heard this, they were shocked. After Zhao Yao finished saying how to solve the locust plague, their faces became a little better.

"The first batch of early rice has been harvested, Zheng Qian, you will arrange for someone to buy the people's grain tomorrow." Zhao Yao instructed, "After the purchase is completed, I will send people to send grain to the north to prevent people in the north from taking the opportunity to raise the price of grain, so that the people in the north will have no food to eat."

"Your Highness, don't worry, the minister will do it tomorrow." During the trade conference, the household department made a lot of money, and there was no need to worry about not having money to buy the food in the hands of the people.

"Your Highness, are you buying food from foreign countries these days to send it to the north?" As soon as Wen Daoji finished speaking, he suddenly thought that Zhao Yao had not touched the money from the user department, and asked with a shocked face, "Your Highness, did you pay for the food yourself and send it to the north?" Is this the emperor's order?"

"It wasn't my father's order, it was I who decided to buy grain and send it to the north."

"You decide?" Wen Daoji exclaimed.

Zheng Qian's cousin was also very surprised.

Zhao Yao saw Wen Daoji's shocked expression, and asked rhetorically, "Shouldn't I do this?"

Wen Daoji hurriedly shook his head: "Your Highness, this is not a question of whether you should do it or not, but this is what the imperial court of the capital should do, why do you want to buy grain and send it to the north by yourself?"

"I have plenty of food here, and it is convenient for me to go to foreign countries to buy food." Zhao Yao said, "Although the north is not my fiefdom, the people of the north are also the people of the Great Zhou, and I am the prince of the Great Zhou, so I should help the people of the north through this difficulty."

Wen Daoji is not the first time he has known Zhao Yao, he has known Zhao Yao for many years, although he can't say that he knows the character of His Royal Highness completely, but he still knows something about it. He knew that Zhao Yao did not do this to gain a good reputation, let alone to win the favor of the emperor, he simply wanted to help the people in the north.

Over the years, His Highness has not known how much he has done to help the people, and His Highness has never thought of asking for anything in return.

"Your Highness is merciful." It is their honor to follow such a highness. The Great Zhou has His Royal Highness, which is the blessing of the Great Zhou and the luck of the people.

Zhao Yao waved his hand and said, "I just did what I had to do."

"Your Highness, not everyone thinks like you." Wen Daoji said meaningfully, "The princes of the capital will not think like you."

"The fourth brother and starling will be like me."

When Wen Daoji heard this, he just smiled and didn't say anything.

Those princes in the capital can do anything in order to win the heir. The kings of Chu and Wei may be able to send food to the north like His Royal Highness, but their real purpose is not to help the north survive this catastrophe, but to gain a good reputation.

"You should bother with the purchase of grain."

Zheng Qian said respectfully, "Yes, Your Highness."

"If there is a locust plague in the north, you two should know about it, and don't spread the word, so as not to make people panic." Although the north is thousands of miles away from Lingnan, everyone will be worried when they hear about it. If the foreign merchants had known about it, they would have taken the opportunity to raise the price of grain.

Wen Daoji said, "Your Highness, rest assured, we will never tell anyone else."

"After the early rice harvest is over, we will arrange for the planting of the second crop." Zhao Yao said, "This year's early rice harvest is good, and the second season will not be bad."

"This is thanks to your previous methods, Your Highness."

"The harvest of the terraces is very good, and we must increase the cultivation of the terraces this year, so that next year's harvest will be more." Although the yield per mu of terraced fields did not reach 200 catties, it was also 150 catties. To be honest, this is also what Zhao Yao didn't expect

Target. He originally thought that the yield per mu of terraced fields could only reach 90 catties, but he didn't expect it to be more than 100 catties. "Within two or three years, we will make Lingnan's grain surpass that of Jiangnan and become the first granary of the Great Zhou."

In the past, if Zhao Yao said such things to them, Wen Daoji and Zheng Qian both felt that he was talking in his dreams, but they thought that Zhao Yao's words would definitely come true.

"Your Highness, we will be able to do it."

"I also believe we can do it." Surpassing Gangnam is a matter of time.

Zhao Yao instructed Wen Daoji and Zheng Qian to do some things, so that they could return to the yamen.

After Wen Daoji and the others left, Zhao Yao calculated the time and felt that the emperor should have received the letter sent back by Xiao Jin two days ago. Yesterday we should have also received a letter from him on how to solve the locust plague.

In these two days, the emperor should send people to the north to deal with the locust plague.

Zhao Yao prayed in his heart, hoping that the locust plague had just started and had not reached a very serious level.