Damn it, I'm in the garbage book I wrote

Chapter 149: The Intelligence Network is Extremely Developed
As I said before, Fuliang County has a very unique service.

It's not a foot washing and massage, it's just a foot washing and massage.

It is a traffic route map and a resource demand map for various places. This is a plan where I am for everyone but ultimately everyone is for me. It includes fresh information on passing by, road conditions, distribution of bandits and horse robbers, resource output and trading trends in various places, etc.

All this information put together forms a very complete information consultation picture. During the days when Xia Lin went to find Lao Guo, Cen Wenben was here to accompany the Prince of Zhennan, and every night he would go to the information service center to retrieve and compare information.

He first collected the cargo registration forms of merchants passing through Lingnan in the past year, and then compared them with the average values ​​of previous years. He soon obtained a set of very important information.

That is, during this year, the rice, meat, fish, etc. imported from Lingnan were less than 80% of the average of previous years, but the ironware they sold doubled this year. And among the things they bought, the amount of iron ore increased several times.

Cen Wenben took this data to the county's blacksmith, who said that based on this quantity, the agricultural tools and ironware they produced were less than one-tenth of the imported ore, which meant that eight or nine out of ten of the ironware remained in Lingnan Province.

In addition, they also exported other things, such as sugarcane introduced from India. They boiled the sugarcane into sugar and exchanged it for money and then for a large amount of grain. The throughput was already extraordinary.

Cen Wenben lowered his eyelids and compared the records carefully. The more he looked, the more certain he became that something must have changed in Lingnan Road, and judging from the current situation, it should happen in the next few days.

He thought for a moment, then immediately stood up and compiled what he had collected into a book. Then, after leaving the information center, he called for someone to dispatch a group of expedited horses to head to Hongdu Prefecture as quickly as possible.

When the express horse arrived, Xia Lin was discussing with Lao Guo and the prince how to keep the Prince of Zhennan.

"The county magistrate asked me to bring him some things."

Xia Lin glanced at the person who came and asked in surprise: "How did you know I was here?"

"The county magistrate told me to go directly to the governor's mansion or Prince Teng's mansion."

"Okay." Xia Lin nodded and gave him fifty taels of silver: "Go and have a rest."

"Thank you, sir."

After the messenger left, Xia Lin opened the things he brought. After seeing them, he knew that the person recommended by Ma Zhou might be as awesome as Ma Zhou.

The items delivered here have clear and distinct items, and even a semi-rough person like Lao Guo can understand them at a glance.

The superiors listed all the key product data of Lingnan Road in the past two years. If he knew how to make visual charts, I'm afraid what would be sent here would be a complete pie chart.

The prince and Lao Guo came over to take a look. After reading it, they immediately had a complete analysis of the situation in Lingnan Road. They were very sure that they were going to rebel. They could even conclude from the comparison table that they had reached the final stage and were just short of the finishing touch.

"Son, the people under your command are good. The previous county magistrate was selected by the Ministry of Rites for his outstanding ability. This county magistrate is also a capable person." Old Guo rolled his eyes and said, "Let him come to report to me when he returns."

"Ah? Don't do that! Father Guo, I finally found someone useful..."

"Nonsense, if he's not useful, why would I want him? Why would you need such a talent in your small place? Bring him here, I have a great use for him." Lao Guo waved his hand and said, "I just happen to be short of a powerful lieutenant general. Don't worry, follow your father and he won't be treated badly."

Xia Lin shook his head, not knowing whether to laugh or cry: "Why do you always pick on me..."

At this time, the prince held the table with a gloomy face and said, "It seems that Tuoba Zhe has been planning this for a long time."

"It's not anyone else's fault. A few years ago, two princes were killed at once. The King of Wu and the King of Yue are both gone. Anyone would be in danger if they were in his place." Old Guo put his hands on his waist and took a deep breath: "What should we do now?"

The prince looked up at Xia Lin and said, "You go back first."

Lao Guo also nodded and patted Xia Lin on the shoulder: "I'm afraid it's not convenient for you to hear what happened later. It's not that your father-in-law and your father look down on you. You should understand that."

Of course Xia Lin understood. He was only a seventh-rank official. It was a great thing that he could report this intelligence. He was really not suitable to participate in other things. The rebellion of the Prince of Zhennan was not only a shame for the royal family but also a shame for the Wei Dynasty. The less he knew, the better.

"Wait a minute." The prince suddenly called Xia Lin.

"My lord, what's wrong?"

The prince hesitated for a moment and said, "Don't tell anyone about this, not even Qian'er."

"Understood. Then I will rush back to the county first."

"Go ahead." Lao Guo nodded and said, "Remember to ask your county magistrate to come here quickly. I'm in urgent need of someone. If you come here, you can become a sixth-rank lieutenant general!"

Xia Lin spat, and cursed Cen Wenben in his heart: "What a shitty luck! He has only been working for a few days, and he is already higher than me."

After returning to Fuliang by boat overnight, Xia Lin called Cen Wenben and said, "Pack up and get out."

Cen Wenben was stunned: "Sir... this? I don't understand." "Oh..." Xia Lin waved his hand impatiently: "Go to the governor's mansion. Governor Guo has specifically requested you. Once you go there, you will be promoted directly to the sixth rank lieutenant general."

"real???"

Cen Wenben's eyes widened suddenly, and his eyes were filled with surprise. When Ma Zhou wrote to him, he said that it would be easy to rise to prominence by following Lord Xia. He was skeptical at the time. Now he has only been here for a few days? Several of his packages are still on the way, and he has already... been promoted?

"How can I lie to you?" Xia Lin sighed, "Guo Zhou Mu is in a hurry, you should pack up and leave."

"Thank you, sir! Thank you, sir!"

Cen Wenben had never thought that the path to promotion would be so smooth, and he would jump six levels at once! He was even one level higher than Xia Lin, who was a seventh-rank official. How could he not be excited?

"Stop talking nonsense." Xia Lin went to the cabinet and fumbled around for a while, then took out a thirty thousand tael silver note and handed it to him: "According to the county's rules, anyone who gets promoted here can get a travel allowance, take it."

"Then I will be very sorry to refuse." Cen Wenben took the banknote and said, "Does your Excellency have any other instructions?"

"I'm not giving you any orders. I just hope you don't forget that you came from Fuliang. Try to be more responsible and don't lose face."

"I understand that no matter what, we are all in the same clique and from the same village as you. If one day your entire clan is exterminated, none of us will be able to escape."

"Ah! You son of a bitch!"

Cen Benwen was about to run out, but was stopped by Xia Lin: "Wait a minute, the old rules apply. Ma Zhou recommended you when he left, so you should recommend someone to me as well."

"Why are you still pushing it? My Lord, I have it right now. The friend who came here with me a few days ago happened to be idle at home these days. He is much more capable than me."

"Who? Where?"

Cen Wenben smiled and said, "He is from Hangzhou. His surname is Xu, his name is Jingzong, and his courtesy name is Yanzu. He is a little older than the rest of us, but he is the descendant of a famous scholar. He is well-read, well-informed, and has a sharp mind."

Huh? Who? Xu Jingzong? The most treacherous man in the Tang Dynasty?

Xia Lin scratched his head: "Let him come to see me."

"My subordinates will make arrangements now."

After he left, Xia Lin sat there shaking his head and laughing helplessly. What kind of Feng Shui treasure land is this? Three prime ministers of the Tang Dynasty have come to this county. If you round it off, you are Li Shimin. Wow... What kind of destiny is this that he can have the same subordinates as the most powerful carbon-based creature on the earth in the seventh century AD.

But no matter what, let's use it first. Anyway, it's not his turn to rebel now, but we still have to rely on him to control the locusts.

Judging from the current situation, those unscrupulous businessmen may have pinned the blame for the large-scale grain purchases some time ago on the Prince of Zhennan. This time, it seems that they did not gain any advantage in the price war with the Prince of Zhennan, and now they still have a large amount of grain in their hands and are unwilling to sell it.

That’s fine, let’s just wait, the locust plague should have passed Yumen Pass by now.

Just as Xia Lin said, the general guarding Yumen Pass was Li Yao, a general of the Longxi Li family, who was a cousin of Li Yuan.

At this moment, he was standing in front of Yumen Pass, watching the overwhelming locusts rushing towards the pass. The only thing he could do was frown, because he knew that there would definitely be a major disaster this year, and Guanzhong might be in danger.

If it was a foreign enemy, he could still fight, but facing these locusts like a black cloud, he had no way to deal with it. He had to stand on the city gate and watch the locusts banging against his armor, making it rattle.

Wherever these locusts go, their population will grow rapidly. They are about to reach Chang'an City. There is no time to harvest the wheat outside the city. In previous years, there was no harvest wherever the locusts passed...

But this year was a little strange. The locusts did not stay at all on the wheat fields sprayed with pesticides. Even after they had eaten all the surrounding leaves and grass, they did not touch the farmland sprayed with pesticides.

Now the people were relieved. Although pesticides were effective, the scope of the insect plague was too large. Although the fields were not completely destroyed, the yield reduction wherever they were reached was more than 50%.

This is the case when pesticides are used. If there is no time to spray, such as in Luoyang and Nanyang, the fields will be left bare in just one day.

Countless people sat in the fields crying for their parents, and some even jumped into the river.

At this point, the locust plague finally came. The largest locust plague in history that Xia Lin had been worrying about and preparing for for more than two years finally came.

But the young prince didn't know this at the moment. He paced back and forth anxiously with his hands behind his back, looking up from time to time: "Mr. Zhu, Xia Daosheng said it would be around the Mid-Autumn Festival, but it's already September, why hasn't the locust plague come yet? If it doesn't come, how can I explain this to my father? I was killed by Xia Daosheng!"

"Don't be impatient, my lord. Wait a little longer."

"Wait any longer? If you wait any longer, you will lose the position of Crown Prince! This time I will definitely deal with Xia Daosheng!"

(End of this chapter)