Three Kingdoms

Fei Qian didn't know that there was a hairy boy in Dunhuang who wanted to challenge Lu Bu's authority, and he didn't even pay much attention to the final outcome of the Jiangxia battle, because there was a more difficult problem in front of him at the moment.

locust.

The last time there was a large-scale locust plague was in the first year of Yanping.

Fei Qian was a little depressed.

Why don’t I have a long memory?

In the first year of Yanping, a late spring cold came, which disrupted the entire climate. In autumn, there was no rain for a long time, which resulted in drought and locusts.

This year, it is also a late spring cold, but it seems that Fei Qian has Zaozhi under his command, and the agriculture that Zaozhi is responsible for has some experience in dealing with late spring cold, so Fei Qian has not received any disaster reports in this area, so he doesn't know. While sleeping, I actually ignored it.

Chang'an, that is, the Guanzhong area, because the water conservancy project restoration work is constantly in progress, the vegetation is considered good, and the deep plowing effect of Huang's plow is also relatively good, so even if there are some locust eggs, there is not much chance to grow. However, in the Heluo area, due to the long-term and sufficient manpower to take care of the fields, under the influence of the drought this autumn, swarms of locusts crawled out of the ground, forming an overwhelming locust plague.

Locusts are also living creatures, so they follow the biological instinct to eat.

Normally, locusts will fly east and south because there is more vegetation there, which means more food. Why not go north and west?

This is because most locust infestations occur in autumn, and in autumn in the northwest, leaves have begun to fall in many places. In addition, the northwest wind blows from the southeast. Naturally, it is easier to follow the airflow, and there are more leaves that have not yet been harvested. Withered vegetation.

But this time, it was different, because Chang'an Sanfu and Hebei Province were prosperous under Fei Qian's governance, while the Yanzhou and Yuzhou areas had just been destroyed by Fei Qian, resulting in Yanzhou and part of Yuzhou near Heluo. Locusts...

If all the locusts in Heluo were eaten from east to south, wouldn't they starve to death? So these locusts naturally began to spread to Hedong and Sanfu.

Many people have not directly seen the locust plague, so they may not have a very direct idea. The reason why the locust plague is terrible is that within one square meter, the density of locusts can reach thousands or tens of thousands!

Such dense locusts fly over, blocking out the sun and darkening the sky. In an instant, the crops will be destroyed and no harvest will be harvested. An ordinary-sized locust swarm has 40 million members, and these guys can fly 150 kilometers a day and eat rations that can supply about 30,000 to 40,000 people.

China has been based on farming since ancient times, so it is naturally a perfect food court for locusts.

What’s even more frightening is that locust plagues often mean disasters never come singly.

Before the locust plague, there is usually a drought, but after the locust plague, there are also man-made disasters. Because the crops that were so hard-worked were all gone in an instant, the fields were empty of ears, and the fields were empty of grain and wheat. After this, there was no hope of any harvest in the fields for at least two years, so many Ordinary farmers who depended on the weather for a living and had no savings immediately became full-time refugees, leaving their homes to escape famine, and even revolted at the slightest instigation.

The shadow of the locust plague can be seen behind Chen Sheng, Wu Guang Uprising, Huang Chao Uprising, Li Zicheng Uprising, White Lotus Rebellion, etc.

Therefore, locust plagues, or various natural disasters, are a very troublesome matter for top-level rulers.

Note that it is the top layer.

Not all rulers have the same interests. The top-level rulers and the middle-level rulers have different interest trends. For example, at the moment, Liu Xie's wish is to rejuvenate the world, while most local gentry are "no matter what" Fight, don’t come to my place to fight”…

As long as the rulers at the top are not fools, they will usually side with the common people, because any emperor who harms the common people will generally not last long. Therefore, imperial power is inherently biased towards civil rights, while prime ministerial power is a two-faced thief, benefiting both sides.

Of course, there are also many emperors who have been deceived by the prime minister.

For example, locusts are gods and cannot be killed easily.

For example, the locust plague is a natural disaster. It is the emperor who has done something outrageous and resentful that has caused God's punishment...

From this point of view, if there is a locust plague in Hedong, Guanzhong, then naturally it will be like that...

Rumors immediately spread.

Like locusts, they began to point their fingers at Fei Qian, but the first person to be affected was not Fei Qian, but Cai Yan.

The mansion of the Han Hussar General was in the meeting hall. Pang Tong and Xun You stayed away from each other, and even Huang Xu stood in the hall a little embarrassed, because the person kneeling in the hall was Cai Yan.

Fei Qian looked at Cai Yan with a headache.

Cai Yan had already taken off his crown, and his black hair was hanging down, and he knelt down in the hall. Cai Yan came to apologize to Fei Qian because she was a woman. Because she is a woman, she cannot be "female chicken sitting in the morning", and it is precisely because Fei Qian appointed Cai Yan and others that the current locust plague occurred...

There's also the whole thing about Wang Ying.

The hen turns into a male, and the world is in turmoil. In short, it is not a good thing. Look, didn't God give a warning? The locust army, uh, the locusts are coming...

For Fei Qian, these rumors are really bullshit, even more ridiculous than Brother Ni. But for the people of the Han Dynasty who have not experienced the influence and teachings of later generations, these rumors are quite harmful. Powerful.

However, it is understandable. After all, Fei Qian was deceived time and time again by so many people. From newspapers to radio stations, from news to advertisements, almost everything was turned aside. In the Han Dynasty, when some people swear by so-called examples to provide evidence, who can immediately clearly understand the secrets hidden in them?

Fei Qian frowned slightly and said, "This matter has nothing to do with you!" 』

""Spring and Autumn Period, the fifth year of Duke Huan", Katy. "Spring and Autumn Period, the Fifteenth Year of Duke Xi", August, Cathay. In the Spring and Autumn Period, the third year of Wen Gong's reign, rain weeds appeared in the Song Dynasty. "Spring and Autumn Period: The Eighth Year of Duke Wen", I also heard about the grasshopper..." Cai Yan insisted, thinking that this was just Fei Qian protecting her, and she did not want Fei Qian to be in trouble, "Huan Gong misbehaved, Xi Gong was fond of war, and Wen Gong was useless It is the fault of the leader, and only then can we survive... The general should put the overall situation first and not have any selfish thoughts..."

As early as 707 BC, there were records of locusts appearing in Shandong, which was the earliest recorded locust plague. Subsequent dynasties also attached great importance to the locust plague and listed it as one of the three major disasters. However, it was not until the Ming Dynasty that Xu Guangqi's Complete Agricultural Policy comprehensively and systematically introduced the emergence and development of locusts, and counted the years and months when locusts occurred. Wait, and explain that locusts are just pests that eat crops, not gods, nor are they so-called early warnings from heaven...

So it's not surprising that Cai Yan has this understanding now.

"Hey... you sit down first..." Fei Qian shook his head. Sometimes it is an advantage for Cai Yan to study, but studying alone is not enough. "Is Mr. Heng doing something wrong?" What is misconduct? Conspiracy to kill the father? 』

Cai Yan nodded slightly, "In the Spring and Autumn Period, to conceal one's public duties without offering sacrifices is to say that one is not a minister..."

Duke Yin of Lu, the father of Duke Lu Heng, died in the hands of Duke Lu Heng and Father Yu.

"Spring and Autumn" does not record how Lu Yin was buried. According to the style of "Spring and Autumn", the monarch was killed, and if the regicide was not punished, then the funeral would not be recorded, because this was an act of disobedience, and the monarch had a grievance, so he could not enjoy the sacrifice and funeral in peace.

Father Yu first suggested that Duke Yin of Lu kill his son Yun, who later became Duke Heng of Lu, but Duke Yin of Lu did not agree. Father Yu was worried that it would be detrimental to him if the secret of the matter was leaked, so he slandered Duke Yin of Lu and wanted to harm Gongzi Yun, and persuaded Gongzi Yun to kill Duke Yin of Lu, and Gongzi Yun agreed.

So Father Yu sent people to kill Duke Yin of Lu, and made his son Yun the king, who was Duke Huan of Lu.

As a result, Duke Lu Heng didn't get a good end. He married a wife, who turned out to be a German orthopedic surgeon... When he discovered the prairie above him, Duke Lu Heng naturally couldn't bear it and chose to go home and beat his wife. Then he was German orthopedics is screwed...

This example was even used to attack Li Shimin in the Tang Dynasty, because Li Shimin actually did this so-called "illegal" thing, but Li Shimin was a ruthless man and ate locusts alive in front of the civil and military ministers... …

Live.

In the struggle for imperial power, human nature is magnified, and a little evil is magnified a hundred times a thousand times, and family affection and other things will naturally be sidelined. Why don't you say something? If someone is betrayed for five hundred and five thousand, everyone will look down upon him, and if he shouts and kills, there will be no discussion when he is arrested. But if he is sold for fifty or five hundred million, then everyone will envy him, and even the official may come to see him. Maintain order on site...

So what happened to Duke Heng of Lu could be considered a big deal?

What's wrong with Li Shimin's behavior?

The key is still two words, profit.

"The deaths of Yin Gong and Heng Gong are the result of the loss of power to Yu's father, and they are the result of treachery..." Fei Qian said in a deep voice, "The treacherous people use their lips and tongues to profit from it. It was like this in the Spring and Autumn Period, and it will be like this in the future!" Yin Gong and Heng Gong were not harmed by the murder, but were cowardly and incompetent, which made the young master Hui and his like feel proud to carry out their evil deeds! Nowadays, the rumors are also about people like this, confusing the public, having ulterior motives, and having other plans! 』

Who else could have done this?

Isn't it just someone who was outdone by Cai Yan and a group of other women, and then felt very unhappy and took advantage of the opportunity to make a fuss?

Cai Yan was a little stunned, obviously she had not thought about this before.

Fei Qian stood up and said: "Go and call your women's army to meet in front of the general's office..."

Cai Yan said a little cutely: "Huh?" What to do? 』

"Destroy the locusts!" Fei Qian said through gritted teeth.

Of course Fei Qian doesn't want to perform in front of others what it means to swallow locusts alive, well, not even dead ones, so Fei Qian is going to bring creatures more ferocious than locusts to exterminate the locusts!

A creature that can bleed for a month and not die for a week, but is still alive and kicking, has a kind of creature that is born with seventy-two transformations. In a moment of thought, it can change between cute and cute, and it can also transform into a Hedong lion, or it can even turn a water bottle. After turning it on, it is as smooth as breathing and transforms into a strong man carrying gas tanks up to the third or fifth floor. When talking about feelings, he can reason, when talking about reasons, he can talk about feelings. If you hang yourself for three times, let me ask you, little locust, are you afraid or not? !

Well, the above is a joke. But since these rumors are pointed at Fei Qian and Cai Yan, they must fight back, and the toughest way is to directly lead such a group of women's soldiers to destroy the locusts!

Of course, Cai Yan and others are not asked to go up and kill them in person, they just need to stand and set an example.

Cai Yan had some doubts, but still followed Fei Qian's request and went to Zhiyin Prison and began to summon his men...

According to later statistics, from more than 700 BC to the Republic of China, there were more than 600 insect plagues in the 2,500-600 years, and more than 400 of them were identified as locusts. Of course, because ancient times had The names and cognitions of locusts are not very clear, so some errors are inevitable. However, judging from this numerical value, locust disasters were actually very frequent in ancient China.

The earliest locusts were mainly concentrated in the Shandong Peninsula. Several major locust plagues before the Spring and Autumn Period all came from the Shandong Peninsula. Fei Qian believes that the entire climate in ancient times was relatively mild and humid. Only in Shandong was the water level dropped during droughts due to river impacts and tidal flat structures. Then the basic conditions for the locust plague appeared.

Later, due to climate change, the Little Ice Age came again and again, causing the area that was originally the Daze Wetland to gradually dry up. Therefore, during this period, the locusts developed very rapidly. At the same time, the origin of the locust plague gradually spread to the north and south. It is no longer limited to the Shandong Peninsula.

Fei Qian stood in front of the general office, looked up at the sky, and sighed slightly.

This is a locust problem, but it is also a land problem.

To put it more bluntly, this is a matter of interests.

There is a joke in later generations: when I was a child, I had no money to eat instant noodles, but when I grow up, I still have no money to eat instant noodles.

The Moonlight Clan is not only found in later generations, but has been around since the very beginning of China. No matter which dynasty they are in, the people at the bottom are in a state of "moonlight" or "yearlight". They work hard all their lives, and then feed and drink for their families, leaving nothing behind. Well, maybe Not all of them left behind anything, but a lot of debt...

This kind of "moonlight" class without any savings is very dangerous and has no ability to withstand disasters. Once it encounters a natural disaster or a man-made disaster, it will immediately fall apart and its wives and children will be separated.

Take the locust plague as an example. Because of the locust plague, the harvest of crops failed, or even no grains were harvested. This then led to the collapse of the entire chain that was originally barely maintained. The money owed to the young crops and the loan sharks were not repaid, so they either left their hometowns and became refugees, or The old and the weak are the first to die whether due to wandering or war. Once the corpse is not disposed of in time, it is very easy to cause a plague, which will then be taken to other areas and eventually sweep across the country...

Unlike the emperor who became nervous and anxious whenever he heard about locust plagues, droughts and floods, the large landowners generally did not panic when faced with these disasters. As long as they were controlled within a certain range, they would not trigger a full-scale uncontrollable war. The big landlord class even wishes that there would be famine every year!

Because only in disaster years will these untouchables sell their land! And every piece of grain accumulated by a big landowner can be sold for gold price in a disaster year!

Therefore, a very strange pattern emerged in the Chinese feudal dynasties. Once such a disaster occurred, ministers immediately began to criticize the emperor or political opponents, saying that it was the other party's fault, and then asked the emperor to provide money for disaster relief. Local taxes were exempted, but the big landowners and local officials profited from it, and everyone was full of food.

Fei Qian had reason to believe that spreading rumors and campaigning against Cai Yan and others was only the first step. Immediately afterwards, the children of the noble clans who had been affected by the disaster began to cry and make trouble, carrying the victims and asking Fei Qian to provide money, people and food. To provide disaster relief, they can then take the largest portion of food and grass and make the thinnest porridge. On the one hand, they can maintain the lowest survival line for these victims and prevent them from starving to death on a large scale or gathering to make trouble; Taking this opportunity, Feiqian was finally distributed to the fields in the hands of various farmers, and was obtained in various ways!

Over the years, Fei Qian has led his soldiers to conquer the north and south, and quite a few soldiers have converted their military exploits into farmland in their families. There are many such households in the North and Guanzhong, and these military exploits have been converted The land can still be bought and sold. Even if the sale will cause it to lose the preferential tax of military field, it will not change the use value of the field...

But a thorny problem is that Feiqian cannot do everything for these soldiers, nor can they provide protection beyond the standard.

Because human nature is often lazy and greedy.

Naughty children are not only found in wealthy families.

When the naughty children of the second and third generations of soldiers appear, Fei Qian's protection and help for the soldiers will catalyze resentment and cowardice, just like the equal land in the Tang Dynasty and the soldiers in the Ming Dynasty.

The Tang Dynasty restored the land equalization system, and in the name of the state, the land was determined to be untradeable. However, in fact, it was quickly corroded and riddled with holes. In the later period, it became a drawback of the Tang Dynasty. There were many powerful people with connections. They can obtain land through various methods, but even if ordinary people want to buy or sell land to extend their family life, it is illegal and they will be arrested and sentenced to hard labor...

In the Ming Dynasty, soldiers at the tenth level could only use three or four points of their tenth level of energy for external defense, but after becoming the Green Battalion, they could use their twelve levels of strength...

Therefore, it is impossible for Fei Qian to establish universal or collective ownership in the era of the feudal dynasty. It is simply unrealistic, and therefore leaves the problem that he is about to face now.

Of course, from another perspective, land circulation can also stimulate economic development and even break the "small farmer economy" to a certain extent, inspiring more Chinese people to start moving towards a broader sky.

Fei Qian slowly exhaled the air in his chest and abdomen, and then whispered to Pang Tong who was standing aside: "Shi Yuan, there are a few things to arrange..."