Chapter 1525: Killing Locusts with Money

Xue Ji followed Taoist Wu Qing into the City God Temple. He looked up and saw a man in a purple dragon robe standing in the hall. He knew he was the City God just by looking at his clothes, so he bowed and saluted immediately.

"Henan Governor Xue Ji greets the City God of the City, King Fu Ming Ling!"

Jiang Hao nodded, "Get up, no need to be polite. This time, the City God of the City called you here to talk to you about the locust plague."

"King Fu Ming Ling?" Xue Ji asked respectfully.

"Tell me the whole story." Jiang Hao asked.

Xue Jisui began to narrate, "Just five days ago, a large number of locusts suddenly appeared in Kaifeng Prefecture, affecting more than a dozen counties at once."

"Wherever the locusts passed, it was as if the sky was overcast, blocking the sun from being seen. The large locust swarms were more than ten miles in radius, and the small ones were several miles. Once they landed, they would eat up dozens or even hundreds of acres of crops in an instant. Wherever the locusts went, not a blade of grass was left."

"This is the time when autumn crops are growing, and they were eaten up all at once. I'm afraid there will be no harvest this year."

"I rushed five hundred miles to report to the court. Yesterday, I just received a reply from His Majesty. The court's treasury is empty and there is no disaster relief money. I have to find a way to rescue the disaster myself. If I fail to do so, I will be held accountable."

"Now the locust swarms are getting bigger and bigger and invading other prefectures. All places are seriously affected. Although I have issued a disaster relief order, I am afraid it will not help. I am afraid that a major disaster this year is unavoidable. Now I just hope that each prefecture can raise a batch of food so that the people can survive the winter and fewer people will starve to death. Alas~~~!"

Xue Ji sighed helplessly.

"The emperor is stupid!"

Jiang Hao said with a gloomy face.

Xue Ji was stunned for a while. He didn't dare to respond, but he agreed with what the city god said in his heart.

"It seems that the court can't be relied on. Now Henan can only find a way to save itself." Jiang Hao said.

Xue Ji's face was bitter, "This disaster may affect two to three million people. To be honest, although I am the governor, I feel powerless to help. Now I can only do my best." "Don't be discouraged, there is still a way to think of it." Jiang Hao said affirmatively. Xue Ji suddenly remembered the identity of the man in front of him. This is the city god, a god. I believe that the city god can have a way, and hope rose in his heart again. "But this matter requires your full cooperation and use your governor's power!" Jiang Hao said. Xue Ji knew that since the city god said so, I am afraid that the solution may be a bit troublesome, but he is now wandering on the road of life and death, what else is there to worry about, and made up his mind: "I don't know what the city god has to say, I will do my best!" The governor is the highest military and political chief of a province, with the power to handle the civil affairs, justice, supervision, and command the military of the province. Jiang Hao looked at Xue Ji and said, "It's very simple, kill the locusts!"

Xue Ji was shocked. To kill locusts, you have to know that in ancient times, people believed that locust disasters were punishment from heaven, and they only dared to drive them away but not kill them. Li Shimin of the Tang Dynasty did issue an order to kill locusts. Later, in the Song and Ming dynasties, when etiquette flourished, the people were completely prohibited from killing locusts.

If there is a locust disaster, a small locust disaster, officials will lead the people to worship and pray for the mercy of the locust god. If there is a big locust disaster, even the emperor will offer sacrifices to heaven and pray, and issue a self-criticism edict to pray for the disaster.

Xue Ji took a deep breath, gritted his teeth, and asked in a deep voice: "Excuse me, Lord Chenghuang, how to kill locusts!"

Jiang Hao said slowly: "I know that in the past, people only dared to pray but not kill insects, but praying is useless. We must find a way to kill locusts. You use the power of the governor to order people from all over the country to catch locusts with all their strength."

"I dare to give this order, but I'm afraid the people won't listen?" Xue Ji frowned.

"There will be a way to make the people listen. Zhu Guang, Lizhi, Yuxiang, Pei Yan, Chixie, come out." Jiang Hao said.

Swish~!

Five people appeared next to him and bowed to Jiang Hao.

Jiang Hao looked at Xue Ji and said, "I'm afraid that the disaster this time is inevitable. The people's food for the second half of the year will all be eaten by locusts. How can the people survive?"

"I plan to let the five of them disperse to various places and buy locusts on a large scale. One penny per catty, as many as they can get. If the people can get money by catching locusts, and have money to buy food, do you think they will abandon their scruples and do everything to survive?"

Xue Ji's eyes moved, "I think so. If they will die anyway, the people would rather eat their fill first."

"Yes, that's the reason. When they catch locusts and sell them, they will naturally have money to buy food. The locusts will not really harm the people. Over time, the people will naturally have no scruples." Jiang Hao said.

Xue Ji felt that this method was feasible, and immediately said: "I will order all prefectures to fully cooperate with the purchase."

Jiang Hao nodded, "Not only them, but also the city gods of each prefecture will cooperate with this matter."

Xue Ji thought of something else, "To purchase locusts, I am afraid that hundreds of thousands of taels of silver will be needed. This is not a small amount of money. I am afraid that the official silver in the treasury will be used. I will order 100,000 taels of silver to be taken out. Have you seen enough?"

Jiang Hao looked at Xue Ji and asked: "Without the emperor's order, it is also a serious crime to use the official silver privately. Aren't you afraid of being punished by the emperor afterwards?"

Xue Ji's expression showed firmness, pursed his lips, and said firmly: "If this method can solve the disaster in Henan, I, Xue Ji, am willing to bear the responsibility alone."

Jiang Hao looked at Xue Ji and suddenly laughed.

Xue Ji was confused by the laughter and looked at Jiang Hao in surprise.

After Jiang Hao finished laughing, he said to Xue Ji: "Xue Ji, are you interested in being the City God of Henan?"

Xue Ji loves the people wholeheartedly, dares to act and take responsibility, and has been an official for many years and is well versed in management. He is indeed a good candidate for the City God.

Xue Ji was overjoyed upon hearing this and bowed deeply to Jiang Hao, "I am willing!"

"Okay, from now on, you are the Capital God of Henan." Jiang Hao said, took out a white jade seal from his sleeve, released the Chunjun sword and began to carve it. Soon the seal of the Capital God was carved, and Jiang Hao The name of the Capital City God of the world was awarded to Xue Ji as a divine official.

Xue Ji knelt down to receive the seal, a golden light flashed across his body, and he changed into the official robe of the City God.

"Even if you are beheaded by the emperor in the future, you can still be a city god in the underworld after death. Haha, although you are not afraid of death, there is no need to use it for official silver. I will pay for it. Maybe in the end, I can still make a profit. Here's the pen." Jiang Hao said with a smile.

"Making money?" Others were a little confused.

"The purchased locusts are not completely useless, because locusts are poisonous and people cannot eat them in large quantities, but chickens and ducks are fine. We can purchase chicken and duck seedlings in large quantities and let the counties raise chickens and ducks, and use these locusts to feed them until they are fat. Hey, can you exchange money?" Jiang Hao said.

In fact, Jiang Hao bought more chickens and ducks and let them eat them directly in the fields, but now he wants to find a way to distribute money to the people, so he decided to breed them instead.

Everyone immediately realized that this kind of operation existed.

"If the people still have concerns, you can ask the city gods of each county to entrust them with dreams. Just say that the city gods asked them to do this, and the city god's government will be responsible for this matter!"

The city god versus the locust god,

In the minds of ordinary people, the status of the City God must be much higher than that of the Locust God. If there is such a dream, the ordinary people may not be so afraid.

"My subordinate understands!" Xue Ji said.

After Jiang Hao finished speaking, he waved his sleeves towards the hall, and there were more than a dozen large boxes on the ground, filled with silver ingots.

He took out a pile of banknotes and put them on the box, "These banknotes are accepted nationwide. There are a total of 130,000 taels here, which should be enough."

He then said to his subordinates, the Five Ghosts: "From now on, you will cooperate with Xue Ji and dispatch the town gods of various prefectures and counties to be responsible for purchasing locusts and raising chickens and ducks."

The five ghosts immediately bowed.

"Xue Ji, whether it is the military and political power in the Yang world or the deployment of the city gods in the underworld, you are in control now. Are you sure you can handle this matter now?"

Xue Ji took a step forward and bowed deeply to Jiang Hao, "Xue Ji will do his best to do this well and live up to the city god's trust."

Jiang Hao nodded, "Okay, you go ahead. The sooner we act, the better it will be for us."

Zhu Guang stepped forward, suddenly opened his bloody mouth, and swallowed more than a dozen boxes of silver into his belly. Then Xue Ji disappeared with the five ghosts.

Only Jiang Hao and the Kaifeng City God were left in the lobby. Jiang Hao thought about it and asked, "Where are there more birds here?"

"What do you ask a bird to do?"

"Most birds eat locusts. Locusts move quickly and can fly dozens of miles in a blink of an eye. I am going to gather a flock of birds to help hunt and kill the locusts so that they can be eliminated as soon as possible and the people will suffer less loss." Jiang Hao said.

Taoist Master Wu Qing thought for a while and said hesitantly: "City God, there is indeed a place where countless birds gather, but it's just not easy to drive."

"Oh, why not drive?"

"Hui Chenghuang, in the vast mountains at the junction of Henan and Shanxi, there is a place called Feixian Lake. There lives a group of bird monsters that have turned into spirits, known as bird immortals, and there are countless birds gathered there."

"But there is a big demon sitting there. He is an Eagle King. His strength has reached the golden elixir stage. He is also gifted with magical powers and can fly extremely fast. With his protection, no one dares to hunt the birds there."

"Previously, in the name of the City God, I conveyed your order to collect demons to them, but the Eagle King replied and said that he did not want to be restrained by others and did not agree to surrender. I was about to go and talk to him in detail after a few days, and it happened. About the locust plague."

Feixian Lake,

Bird Fairy.

Jiang Hao remembered a story in Liaozhai about the bird fairy.

"What about the conduct of the Eagle King and the bird demons?" Jiang Hao asked.

Taoist Master Wu Qing quickly replied: "The Eagle King and the Harpies have never harmed anyone. They just want to live peacefully in the mountains without being disturbed by others. Even if there are bird catchers, they just chase them away and never harm them."

Jiang Hao nodded and had an idea in his mind.

"I understand. I will handle this matter. You can fully cooperate with the City God in handling the locust plague." Jiang Hao said.

"Yes, sir!"

After exiting Fuchenghuang, the little fox was sitting next to him in a daze. Jiang Hao smiled and walked over, "Isn't it boring?"

Seeing Jiang Hao come back, the little fox immediately stood up and said with a smile: "I'm not bored, I was just thinking about the wall-penetrating technique that my husband taught me."

On the way here, Jiang Hao had nothing to do and taught the little fox a few small spells, including wall penetration. The little fox did not have Jiang Hao's talent and has not learned it yet.

"Has Lang Jun's matter been dealt with?" the little fox asked.

"Well, I've almost finished the explanation. Let the local city god and the city gods from all over the country do it. How about taking you to the mountains now? I heard that there is a Feixian Lake in the mountains, where a group of harpies live. I am going to go and have a look. "Jiang Hao said.

"Okay, okay!" the little fox said immediately.

The two of them left the City God's Temple. Jiang Hao waved his hand and cast a spell to cover the two of them, and flew to the northwest with his flying sword. After a long time, the two of them saw a large mountain, which was already at the junction of Henan and Shanxi.

After flying for a while, he saw a large lake in the mountains. There were countless birds flying freely on the lake. Jiang Hao knew that the place had arrived, so he held the little fox's waist and flew down, landing by the lake.

As soon as they landed, two birds, one red and one green, flew over and circled around Jiang Hao and Hu Xinyue's heads. Jiang Hao looked up at them and knew from the aura they exuded that they were monsters that had become spirits.

Flutter~!

The two birds flew down and as soon as they landed, they changed into two beautiful women, one in red and the other in green.

The two women looked at Jiang Hao and Hu Xinyue and were obviously a little wary. The woman in green asked, "You fell from the sky. Judging from your aura, you should be cultivators. I wonder what's the matter with you coming to Feixian Lake?"