Lu Xiaoxian shook his head and smiled, "Mr. Ni, you have been an official for so many years and you can't understand some things. How dare you compare Liu Cong with His Majesty today? Liu Cong is a fake master, so he is not as virtuous as demons, so he naturally cannot subdue locusts. But now it is a holy dynasty, demons cannot defeat virtue. With His Majesty's saintness, you can definitely eliminate locusts! Do you have any doubts about His Majesty's orthodoxy?"

When Ni Ruoshui heard the sweat on his forehead, he fell. Although Lu Xiaoxian said this a bit far-fetchedly, he did not expect this when he handed the memorial. This was His Majesty's taboo.

Lu Xiaoxian then asked, "Didn't you say that locusts are a warning from God, and should your Majesty be asked to cultivate virtue? According to your statement, Lord Ni is noble in morality, and locusts should not enter your state. Why did the locust plague appear in Bianzhou first? Does this mean that you, the governor, have bad moral character?"

Lu Xiaoxian used his spear to attack his shield, leaving Ni Ruoshui speechless.

"Last year, Your Majesty sent eunuchs to Jiangnan to collect precious birds and wanted to put them in the forbidden garden. Eunuchs must pass through Bianzhou when they go to Jiangnan. After they arrive, they also need wine and meat. They are extremely domineering. Seeing that the eunuchs are so arrogant, Lord Ni advised His Majesty that it is the busy farming time, but His Majesty asked all over the country to catch birds to enrich the back garden. These birds were transported from Jiangnan and Lingnan to Chang'an, and I don't know how much manpower and material resources were wasted! Whenever they go to a place, the messenger also had to eat meat. The birds also wanted to eat meat.

It’s not good to eat meat too, so it’s so bad for the people to see! Everyone will say that Your Majesty, you are a bitch, a noble bird! You also said, when will Your Majesty treat the phoenix as an ordinary bird and a qilin as an ordinary beast, the world is really lucky! This time, Lord Ni’s advice was to ask for the people and received strong commendation from His Majesty. The people who pay taxes for the country, and the people who farm, but now, Lord Ni ignores the lives and death of the people in order to eliminate locusts. Isn’t this stupid thing?”

What Lu Xiaoxian said about admonitions to Your Majesty has always been the most proud and outstanding thing that Ni Ruoshui is the most proud of. Now, Lu Xiaoxian used this matter to ridicule his opposition to the destruction of locusts, which made him very angry, but he could not argue.

"When I came, Master Yao told the local officials who performed outstandingly in this locust killing should be promoted to the court first. Officials who resisted locust killing will be dismissed on the spot without hesitation."

Lu Xiaoxian's words shocked Ni Ruoshui very much, and there is a reason for this.

In the second year of Kaiyuan, Li Longji issued a book to select knowledgeable and knowledgeable people and strong abilities to serve in the local government and were awarded the position of governor and governor. Similarly, those who were selected among local officials would be promoted to the Beijing officials.

Once this bookmaking was promulgated, many Beijing officials with good abilities took office. Ni Ruoshui, the right chief of the Shangshu, was sent to Bianzhou as the governor because of this bookmaking.

The Right Chief of the Shangshu was a fourth-rank official, while the Governor of Bianzhou was a third-rank official, which was considered a promotion. However, for a long time, the officialdom had the concept of emphasizing officials in Beijing and neglecting foreign officials, so Ni Ruoshui was still depressed.

When Ni Ruoshui arrived in Bianzhou, a local official named Ban Jing was transferred from Yangzhou to Chang'an to serve as the Dali Shaoqing because of this edict. When Ni Ruoshui passed by Bianzhou, he gave him farewell, and his eyes turned red with envy. After drinking and saying goodbye, he watched Ban Jing's horse leave, Ni Ruoshui stood in the dust, motionless, and his eyes were straight.

He said to his subordinates: "Why is it so strange to ascend to the immortality when Ban Sheng is gone!"

His subordinates advised him: "There is a lot of dust here, let's go back."

Ni Ruoshui still couldn't bear to leave: "This is not dust."

It’s obviously fairy dust! Let me get more involved in the fairy spirit.”

Although Ni Ruoshui was unwilling to be a local official, he still had talent. In order to return to Chang'an as soon as possible, he worked very hard in Bianzhou.

It is precisely because of this that Lu Xiaoxian induced Ni Ruoshui to do something. If it were someone else, why would he have to talk so much nonsense?

Under Lu Xiaoxian's coercion and temptation, Ni Ruoshui's attitude finally relaxed. He said, "Duke Ding, I understand, but now the matter of destroying locusts in Bianzhou has been delayed. What should I do?"

Lu Xiaoxian waved his hand and said, "This may not be the case. Maybe the locusts will commit suicide. Let's talk about it first!"

"Can the locusts commit suicide?" Ni Ruoshui's eyes almost popped out. He was still waiting for a closer question, but he saw that Lu Xiaoxian had already gotten on his horse and headed towards the city.

The second day after arriving in Bianzhou, the entourage sent by Lu Xiaoxian also returned.

"Master, the Locust Destroyer arrived in Bianzhou two days ago. Among the six counties under Bianzhou, two county magistrates who did not cooperate with the Locust Destroyer were dismissed and were represented by the Locust Destroyer. Now all six counties have begun to destroy locusts. A total of 13,000 dans of locusts are wiped out within two days."

After hearing the report from Lu Xiaoxian's follower, Ni Ruoshui was stunned.

Three days ago, a total of six groups of eighteen people sent by the imperial court did arrive in Bianzhou. They asked Ni Ruoshui to cooperate in the fight against locusts, but Ni Ruoshui insisted on waiting for the imperial envoy to come.

Later, the inn officials came to report that the people left Bianzhou City and disappeared. It turned out that these people had passed Ni Ruoshui and went directly to various counties to eliminate locusts.

"Ten thousand dans, good, it seems that the effect is good." Lu Xiaoxian nodded with satisfaction.

"Did these locusts really commit suicide?" Ni Ruoshui still didn't believe it.

"If Lord Ni doesn't believe it, you can send someone to inquire yourself." Lu Xiaoxian said with a smile.

Another day later, Ni Ruoshui sent the yamen runners to inquire back.

"Sir, I took people to Xiaolizhuang outside Bianzhou City to inquire, and I also came back with the dead locust to report to the Lord."

"Oh? How many bring back?" Ni Ruoshui asked hurriedly.

The yamen runner said, "Sir, you might as well go and see it yourself!"

Ni Ruoshui walked outside and saw seven or eight carriages parked along the road. Several yamen runners were carrying baskets down from the carriage. In a short while, fifty or sixty baskets were placed on the ground. When Ni Ruoshui stepped forward, he saw that the basket was full of dead locusts.

The yamen runner who went to inquire came over and said, "Please check the goods, this is just the locusts that Xiao Lizhuang caught overnight."

Ni Ruoshui asked the yamen runners: "Did you see with your own eyes that he was hunting overnight?"

The yamen runner replied, "Yes, sir, you are asking people to burn dozens of fires on the ground, and then sprinkle some medicine into the fire. Soon after, a large swarm of locusts flew over, some of them flew into the fire and burned to death. Many were piled on the ground and beaten to death with a broom."

Ni Ruoshui was convinced and sighed: "I didn't expect this locust to actually commit suicide."

Lu Xiaoxian laughed and said, "Actually, it was not suicide. It was a special medicine placed in the fire. The medicine air floated into the air, luring the locusts to come and throw the fire and take the opportunity to destroy it."

"In this way, it is not difficult to destroy locusts." Ni Ruoshui also felt relieved.

"It's not so easy, it's just the beginning!" Lu Xiaoxian poured a basin of cold water on Ni Ruoshui. "From tomorrow, I will inspect the counties to eliminate locusts. Please ask the governor Ni to send me someone familiar with the situation."

"Duke Ding, why don't you go with you!" Ni Ruoshui asked Lu Xiaoxian.

"You are in Bianzhou and coordinate and urge all places to eliminate locusts, count the disaster situation, and prepare for disaster relief. There is no need to go down."

...

During the Cold Food Festival in the third year of Kaiyuan, about ten people looked around in the outskirts of Chenliu County.

"It seems that the locust plague in Bianzhou is really not light!" Lu Xiaoxian said to Yang Xuangui beside him with a serious expression.

Yang Xuangui was a member of the Sihu Army in Bianzhou. Because he was familiar with the situation in various parts of Bianzhou, he was sent by Ni Ruoshui to serve as a guide to Lu Xiaoxian.

"yes!"

As soon as Yang Xuangui finished speaking, he heard Uncle Hai shouting: "Look!"

Lu Xiaoxian looked up and saw that there was a layer of clouds shrouded in the distant mountain. The locusts had begun to migrate in their direction. Wherever they went, they covered the sky and the sun, and the sound was like wind and rain, and all the crops were swallowed. For a moment, the locusts flew everywhere, and a large area of ​​blackness flew, and they were flying loudly.

As the locusts flew past, the locusts in the ground suddenly increased. The flowing water rolled southwest, forming gray and yellow lumps, and squirmed like a ball. When I stepped on my feet, the liquid splashed all over my feet and legs. The timid people were so scared that they suddenly lost their lust. The locusts had a very good appetite and never picked food. In short, wherever the locusts rolled past, they immediately became white.

Not far from Lu Xiaoxian, a woman and two teenagers were seen running to fight locusts with bamboo poles. Wherever the bamboo poles went, the locusts rose and fell from time to time, and the sky and the ground were intertwined up and down, and the entire valley was covered by locusts.

I don’t know if the locusts were too hungry or were extra courageous. They kept shouting without even beating, eating and shitting. They only heard the rumbling sound of chewing and sensation in the valley and the sound of shit falling. They had no choice but to watch the green seedlings of the valley were filled with locusts.

"Let's go up and help!" Lu Xiaoxian rushed up as he spoke.

After half a day of fatigue, the woman invited Lu Xiaoxian and others to rest at home. After returning home, the woman uncovered the lid of the pot, and the locusts went through fire and water, and was in the stove. The "Locust Army" not only chewed out the household utensils, but also ate the God of Wealth, the family and the stove painted scrolls, and the wooden ancestral box was also full of panic and at a loss.

When Lu Xiaoxian and his party entered Chenliu County, it was already evening. They did not live in the inn, but entered an inn.

After dinner, Lu Xiaoxian was talking with Yang Xuangui about the fight against locusts, and a knock came from outside the door.

When I opened the door, Uncle Hai led two people into the room.

"Master!" One of them bowed to Lu Xiaoxian as soon as he entered the house.

"It's Lu San! Are you responsible for destroying locusts in Chenliu?" Lu Xiaoxian recognized at a glance that the person in front of him was Lu San, the leader of the child slaves in Qixingzhuang.

"Yes, Master!"

"Zheng Huaren, the magistrate of Chenliu County, pays homage to the imperial envoy!" Another man also bowed to Lu Xiaoxian.

Zheng Huaren and Lu Xiaoxian made a few polite words, then stood up and said goodbye.

"Lu San, tell me about the situation of the locusts!" Lu Xiaoxian asked.
Chapter completed!