Thank you to Yuki for the ko-fi~ ♡⸜(˶˃ ᵕ ˂˶)⸝♡
The drums and gongs resounded loudly and shouts never ceased. Several men carried a shoulder pole with urgency, rushing towards the fields. On the shoulder pole, a deity was adorned with blue and yellow outer garments, a bearded face, and menacing features. No one dared to neglect this clay deity; it was the locust god worshipped for decades. It had to be brought to the village head to drive away the plague!
“Quick, quick!” someone ahead shouted.
Hundreds of villagers stood by the fields. The incense altar was ready, and offerings of three animals were placed on it. It was not easy to produce such offerings after a year of disaster. They only awaited the arrival of the locust god!
“The locust god is here! The locust god is here!”
Running with sweat pouring down, the men didn’t dare to rest. They quickly unloaded the shoulder pole and placed the deity on the altar. In an instant, everyone knelt, devoutly bowing their heads.
Last year was already a year of famine; they couldn’t afford another disaster. This was their village’s staple food!
The village elder led the chanting of prayers, and the smoke from the incense enveloped the deity’s altar. People dared not lift their heads, fearing to incur the wrath of the locust god. However, fate had other plans, as a buzzing sound, unsettling and frightening, echoed from the horizon.
“Locust… locusts…”
Someone’s legs gave way, sitting on the ground, and more people screamed. The swarm of insects, however, paid no attention to the altar, descending like a dark cloud on the green wheat seedlings. Rustling sounds followed; it was the noise of insects munching on the young shoots. A man, seemingly mad, attempted to rush into the fields but was firmly held back by a neighbor.
“Oh, deity! Deity, please show mercy!”
The village elder wept with tears streaming down his face, continuously kowtowing, bloodstains appearing on his forehead. Yet, the locusts cared not.
After an unknown amount of time, with a thunderous roar, the locusts, covering the sky, flapped their wings and flew into the high sky, leaving behind an empty land. Even the weeds and tree bark were devoured, leaving a barren earth.
Such disasters were not confined to one place. In several drought-stricken provinces from the previous year, locusts wreaked havoc. With wings covering a hundred miles a day, swarms emerged endlessly, and defenses were futile. The only recourse was to pray for the locust god’s protection, hoping the disaster would bypass their village. Yet, in another region, people worshipped a different deity.
“The locusts are coming! Hurry!”
Hearing the drum signals, villagers hurriedly rushed towards the village entrance. On the previously deserted open space, bonfires were lit continuously, forming a bright red wall of flames, dimming the stars and moon.
The familiar sound of wing flapping returned. However, this time, as if confused, the locusts did not charge towards the wheat fields; instead, they headed straight for the blazing inferno!
With just a flicker, the flames devoured countless insects. The air carried the scent of burnt flesh, but at this moment, no one dared to be negligent. Villagers wielded broad nets, swatting at the insects that hadn’t entered the fire. The relentless tapping and cracking sounds, like rain hitting lotus leaves, made people’s spines tingle. Yet, faced with this overwhelming tide of insects, most people remained calm, showing no signs of fear.
The net, filled with flying insects, quickly entangled. After a flurry of flapping, someone took a bamboo basket and poured them in. Near the bonfire, the men driving away the insects added more firewood while sneakily picking a couple of crisply burned insects, stuffing them into their mouths. Some even remembered to recite a few prayers, while others enjoyed the oily feast, paying little attention to anything else.
After a night of such commotion, by the break of dawn, women with their children arrived at the field. Some carried baskets, others held nets, capturing the fish that escaped the nets along the field ridges.
A young child pounced on a glistening insect, about to tear the thin wings from its body. The nearby woman hastily intervened, “Good boy, this isn’t for playing. Put it in the bag first, and when we get home, Mom will roast it for you.”
Perhaps thinking of the delicious taste of the insect, the child swallowed saliva, nodded vigorously, and stuffed the bug into a cloth bag.
Lines of women and children continuously bent over to catch insects, resembling diligent birds. The wheat plants, already in the jointing and heading stage, gently swayed in the breeze.
※
“News has arrived from Si County and Ji County; only two counties are severely affected. The rest of the prefectures managed to control the locusts in time, and the summer harvest should be unaffected,” Duan Qin spoke these words, feeling a heavy burden lifted from his heart.
For several years, Bing County had successfully eradicated the locusts. Even if a few locusts emerged, they could be swiftly extinguished. Moreover, the terrain of Bing County was relatively high, making it difficult for locusts to fly over the mountains.
However, while Bing County managed to avoid the locust infestation, the recently reclaimed Si County and Ji County, though not under locust threat for a long time, couldn’t escape the plague. Not to mention the numerous fields left fallow due to war and turmoil, which were yet to be reclaimed and thus prone to breeding nymphs. Even with considerable efforts to eliminate locust eggs, locust swarms could still migrate from nearby regions like Yong County, You County, and Yu County. Si County and Ji County were flat terrains, unable to block the locusts’ migration. Therefore, each county still needed to unite efforts to eradicate the flying locusts.
Besides the method of digging pits and burying locusts, this locust eradication also utilized bonfires. Who would have thought that locusts, like moths to a flame, would willingly throw themselves into the fire? Therefore, when encountering locusts at night, as long as a fire barrier was ignited, most of them could be eradicated.
There were also methods like using nets to swat them down, taking advantage of the dew-laden wings in the early morning, and various other techniques. The methods were diverse, but the most crucial aspect was the belief that “locusts are edible.”
Who could have imagined that the nuisance of countless common people, these pests, could be turned into dried fruit? Since the ingenious idea of “offering locusts to the gods” was introduced, the enthusiasm for locust eradication multiplied across various regions. With the protection of the Buddha, who would fear such small insects? The more one consumed, the more likely they were to please the Buddha!
Locusts yielded substantial oil, and their taste was delicious. For the common people who couldn’t afford meat, this was truly a rare delicacy. During times of famine, even soil and tree bark could be consumed to the last bit, so what were a few locusts?
With various methods implemented simultaneously, the locust disaster was finally brought under control. As long as there was a bountiful harvest this summer, the pressure of refugees could be alleviated in the latter half of the year. It was indeed a momentous occasion.
“As long as it doesn’t delay the summer harvest,” Liang Feng sighed in relief, “For the affected, they should consider planting some small beans and kenaf. There might be another locust plague in the fall, so preparations should be made early.”
Locusts were averse to eating beans and kenaf, which was one of the methods to deal with locust infestations. Duan Qin nodded, “However, the locust calamity in You County shows no sign of stopping. The Tuoba clan wants to sell more cattle and horses in exchange for food. Also, in the coastal city of Ji County, there might not be many merchants this year.”
However, for nomadic tribes, the locust disaster also dealt a devastating blow. The Tuoba clan, considered an ally of Bing County, should be helped in times of need. Moreover, since the other side was facing a year of disaster, buying livestock now could be seen as taking advantage of the situation, beneficial without causing harm.
However, Liang Feng frowned, “Is the disaster in You County so severe?”
“Not only You County, but the situations in Yong County and Qin County are also quite unbearable…” Duan Qin paused in his words, suddenly alert, “Could there be a change?”
Liang Feng’s expression turned serious, and he instructed a servant beside him, “Please summon Deputy Zhang to the rear hall.”
Under such a major disaster, it was better to plan ahead.
※
“If it weren’t for the loss of Pingyang and Hedong, Chang’an wouldn’t be in such dire straits. I think we should raise troops to reclaim the two commanderies and boost the national prestige,” said Wang Yanlang, the attendant, beneath the imperial steps.
Coming from a noble Xiongnu lineage and having married his granddaughter to the emperor, he naturally had a strong demeanor. Even Liu Yao had to give him some respect.
However, respectful or not, being scolded like this made Liu Yao’s face change. Who was to blame for the loss of Pingyang and Hedong? Why is it all being pinned on him? They didn’t even think about how, during the chaos in Qin County, he had made great efforts to eliminate the rebel forces.
Now, with the pseudo-emperor’s governing office in Yong County just eradicated, these people were suddenly making trouble. Obviously, it was premeditated!
After regaining his composure, Liu Yao spoke, “Wang, your words are not appropriate. With the locusts devastating Yong County, the food and forage are insufficient. How can we raise troops now? I think we should wait until after the disaster year…”
“After the disaster year?” someone beside him sarcastically asked, “How do we get through it? Borrowing grain? Hasn’t Prince Qin forgotten how our tribe dealt with famine back then?”
How did they deal with it? Naturally, by plundering! The great Chanyu of the Xiongnu back then, who didn’t do that? Raiding the border, looting people, money, and provisions – only through such means could they resist famine. Even when the Han Dynasty was strong, they still had to raid other tribes; how could they help themselves?
“Now, our Han Empire is not like in the past. We cannot act recklessly…” Liu Yao was about to continue.
Wang Yanlang sneered, “Does Prince Qin have a strategy for disaster relief?”
Liu Yao was immediately speechless. Relief? How to relieve it? Locusts were as numerous as rain, and even the grains in Guanzhong were nearly exhausted. First, there was a severe drought, then famine, and the continuous chaos caused by the Jin people. In just a few years, the Han Empire had become so precarious. On the contrary, the three enemy states, Bing County, Si County, and Ji County, surprisingly did not suffer much from the locust disaster. Was this really arranged by heaven?
Shaking his head abruptly, he expelled this dangerous thought from his mind and forced himself to say, “Even so, launching an attack on Bing County may not be feasible…”
“If Your Majesty summons the Qiang and Di tribes, a large army can be mustered again. With tens of thousands of troops pressing the border, can’t we recapture Hedong?” Wang Yanlang didn’t back down, “If we can advance eastward, taking over Si County would be even better. I heard that Luoyang hoarded a lot of food last year. Once the city is taken, our urgent needs can be resolved!”
Luoyang had already lost its emperor, theoretically making it easier to conquer than before. However, Liu Yao hesitated. Despite the fact that Wang Mi and Shi Le, two prominent generals, had successively passed away, and the defenses in Luoyang had changed hands, making it less predictable. However, when his gaze turned towards the palace, a sudden chill surged within him.
No, this was no longer a question of whether to attack or not, but how to resolve the dilemma he faced.
Two consecutive years of great calamities had shaken the minds of the Xiongnu nobles, with more and more people losing trust in his leadership capabilities. Even though he had worked hard to eliminate rebel forces, it couldn’t offset the blame for the loss of Pingyang and Hedong.
Without the support of the military, it was extremely dangerous for him, the adopted son of the late emperor. As the young emperor grew older, sooner or later, he would regain full power. Meanwhile, his own strength was gradually diminishing. Not to mention seizing authority from the emperor, he might even struggle to secure his own safety.
He needed a few victories, even if it meant reclaiming Hedong or achieving a small triumph like capturing the Henan commandery.
Taking a deep breath, he bowed to the emperor on the throne, “This matter should be decided by Your Majesty!”
The young emperor on the throne hesitated for a moment, “Pingyang is, after all, the old capital…”
This one sentence was enough.
Liu Yao immediately knelt on the ground, “I am willing to reclaim the old capital for Your Majesty!”
