Love Lock

Chapter 254 Encounter on a narrow road

When the imperial court received the report about the locust plague in various counties of Jingzhou, Zhao Zun, the King of Cangzhou, also received the news.

Han Lei's Zuixian Winery is located in Jingzhou. When the locust plague became uncontrollable, Tao Qing of Zuixian Winery immediately dispatched people to notify the nearest communication station to Tuomugou, traveling day and night.

The soldiers on duty at the communications station did not dare to delay and immediately used walkie-talkies to transmit this urgent military situation to Qingshui County.

At this moment, Zhao Zun and Han Lei were standing on the mottled city wall of Qingshui County. The early winter wind carried a chill, blowing their robes.

Han Lei gazed at the dust rising on the distant official road and said softly, "Brother Zun, the scouts just reported that the imperial army has not yet come into view."

Zhao Zun's slender fingers rested on the bricks and stones of the city wall, his gaze fixed on the direction of Tuomugou.

“Right now, we mainly rely on scouts to relay intelligence back and forth. However…” He pointed to several newly built buildings that could be vaguely seen in the distance, “along the official road between Qingshui County and Mianning County, communication stations are being built in concealed locations every few miles. Once these stations are completed, our messages will be delivered much faster.”

Han Lei looked in the direction he was pointing, seemingly lost in thought: "These communication stations can be set up quickly using prefabricated houses, so you don't need to worry."

She paused, then asked, "I wonder who the imperial court will send to lead the troops this time? Will it be someone you know?"

"I don't know." Zhao Zun shook his head, a bitter smile appearing on his lips: "When Emperor Jing was in power, he replaced many generals in the court who were capable of leading troops, and now they are all retired at home."

Zhao Zun's gaze shifted to the area below the city wall, where Liu Yan, the King of Jingzhou, was clumsily learning to drive a three-wheeled motorcycle under the guidance of several guards.

"For example, the father-in-law of the King of Jingzhou was once a renowned general who commanded respect throughout the southern pass."

Han Lei sighed softly: "Knowing people and making good use of them is the most basic lesson for an emperor, but a person's mentality and human nature will influence their decisions and judgments."

She gazed into the distance, her voice low, "Emperor Qianlong is suspicious. Once he becomes suspicious of someone, no matter how talented they are, they will not be valued by him."

Her implication was that she was referring to Zhao Zun.

As the two were talking, Zhao Zun's walkie-talkie suddenly rang. He frowned, quickly took the walkie-talkie, and pressed the call button.

A hurried voice came through the walkie-talkie: "Your Highness! Urgent military news! A locust plague has struck all counties of Jingzhou, and the situation is severe!"

Zhao Zun's expression instantly turned serious.

He put down the walkie-talkie, his gaze towards Jingzhou filled with worry.

"The punitive army is probably already on its way, and now we're suffering from a locust plague..."

He pursed his lips in thought, "Will the imperial court stop its campaign against Cangzhou and provide relief to the people of Jingzhou first? If war breaks out again at this time, the people will only suffer more."

Han Lei noticed that Zhao Zun was in a bad mood and knew that he was worried about the people of Jingzhou.

Just as she was about to speak, she heard Zhao Zun murmur almost to himself, "Alas! I really don't know what we can do to help the people of Jingzhou..."

The sigh, though soft, struck Han Lei's heart with a heavy blow.

How can we help the people of Jingzhou?
Looking at Zhao Zun's furrowed brows and worried eyes, Han Lei quickly searched her mind for various modern methods to prevent and control locust plagues.

For people in ancient times, a locust plague was a catastrophic disaster. Although Jingzhou was not under Zhao Zun's jurisdiction, the people there were still citizens of Dajing, and they could not stand by and watch them die.

The area under the city wall was bustling with activity. The sounds of passersby chatting, soldiers preparing for battle carrying supplies, and vendors hawking their wares filled the air.

These sounds couldn't reach Zhao Zun and Han Lei's ears at this moment; all they could hear were the cries of suffering from the people of Jingzhou.

At this moment, Liu Yan, the King of Jingzhou, walked up to the city wall and asked Zhao Zun, "What happened?"

"We just received news that Jingzhou is suffering from a locust plague. The locusts are swarming and darkening the sky, and even the lanterns under the eaves have been eaten away, leaving only the bamboo stalks," Zhao Zun said in a deep voice.

"What?!" Liu Yan's eyes widened in shock. "What... what are we going to do?"

This once pampered prince has also integrated into the lives of ordinary people. At this moment, he is dressed in shorts, with his trousers rolled up to his knees, revealing several bloody marks on his calves from being scratched by reeds.

As he paced back and forth, the jade pendant at his waist jingled against the keychain of his tricycle.

Although he is currently on the run and hiding in Cangzhou, he was once the king of Jingzhou. Having lived in Jingzhou for so many years, he has long regarded Jingzhou as his second hometown.

When he fled to Cangzhou, Jingzhou had just suffered from floods, and now it was ravaged by locusts, leaving him anxious and at a loss.

Zhao Zun and Liu Yan suddenly turned to look at Han Lei at the same time. In their eyes, Han Lei was the one with the most ideas and methods.

"Girl, do you have any good ideas?" Zhao Zun asked hopefully.

"Yes, yes, Miss Han. Please think of a way to help Jingzhou!" Liu Yan nodded like a chicken pecking at rice.

"Hmm! Don't worry for now." Han Lei bit her thumb and thought for a moment. "I did think of a solution, but it's a bit troublesome."

Zhao Zun and Liu Yan, the King of Jingzhou, immediately brightened up.

"Tell me quickly, even if it's troublesome, we have to try." Zhao Zun said as if he had grasped at a straw.

The imperial court's methods for controlling locusts were nothing more than driving them away or killing them, but neither was very effective. Therefore, he was eagerly anticipating Han Lei's method.

"Miss Han, please tell me!" Liu Yan also looked at her expectantly.

“There are at least tens of thousands of chickens and ducks being raised in the six counties of Cangzhou. If all these chickens and ducks were transported to the counties of Jingzhou and allowed to roam freely, the disaster situation there should be alleviated quickly,” Han Lei said, explaining the method she had found on the system computer.

"what?"

Liu Yan didn't react for a moment.

Liu Yan was a pampered and noble prince who was used to being waited on hand and foot in his palace. He was lazy and knew nothing about farming.

If he hadn't suffered this misfortune, he would never have had the chance to come into contact with the lives of these ordinary people.

He had never even heard of such a strange method of locust control, let alone thought of it.

Zhao Zun nodded thoughtfully, "Tell me in detail."

“Do not feed them during transport. Once they arrive in Jingzhou, they will all be allowed to roam freely and forage for themselves. There are currently about 100,000 chickens and ducks in the six counties of Cangzhou.” Han Lei picked up a twig and gestured on the ground. “Assuming each bird eats two hundred locusts per day…”

She drew a few numbers on the ground, saying, "The disaster should be under control in about three days."

Zhao Zun clapped his hands sharply, making the sword at his waist clang: "Brilliant! In this way, we can save money on feed."

His thick, dark eyebrows suddenly furrowed again. "But how do we transport so many live animals? A three-wheeled vehicle can only carry a maximum of twenty."

"That's why I said it's a bit troublesome!" Han Lei threw away the branch and patted the dust off her hands.

Having just glimpsed a glimmer of hope, Liu Yan was unwilling to give up this opportunity. In his haste, he loosened the buttons on his collar: "I have several mule carts for transporting grain."

“Not enough.” Han Lei shook her head. “Such a large-scale transport, and all of them are live animals. What use are your few mule carts? By the time you arrive, it will be too late.”

The three fell silent for a moment. After a while, Han Lei suddenly raised her head, her bright eyes sparkling.

"How about we split up? The chickens and ducks that are being transported from Cangzhou to the three counties of Jiangling, Dangyang, and Mianning are the closest. I'll personally lead a team to the more distant counties."

She blinked, leaned closer to the two of them, and whispered, "Once we arrive at our destination, I'll buy enough chickens and ducks directly from the system. After the locust plague is resolved, those chickens and ducks will be given to the local people to raise."

Liu Yan's eyes lit up. During his time in Cangzhou, he had seen many strange and unusual things.

Zhao Zun didn't treat him like an outsider and told him that Han Lei had a portable shop where she could buy all sorts of things as long as she had enough silver.

Han Lei's method was indeed feasible, but Liu Yan then hesitated and said, "But what about the imperial army's punitive expedition..."

"We can't worry about that now! Anyway, the imperial army is nowhere to be seen. Let's hurry back." Zhao Zun drew his sword with a "whoosh" and stuck it into the ground, startling a few grasshoppers. "By the time those guys in the court slowly allocate disaster relief grain, the people will have starved to death!"

Those who are not at the bottom of society do not know their suffering.

If he hadn't fled here and had deeper contact with Zhao Zun and Han Lei, he wouldn't have known that the couple had such a broad vision for the world. No wonder they were so beloved by the people.

Liu Yan suddenly bowed deeply, the tassels of his jade crown sweeping across the crenellations of the city wall: "The million people of Jingzhou are entrusted to you two."

Just as Zhao Zun, Han Lei, and Liu Yan were working separately to deal with the locust plague in Jingzhou using chickens and ducks, they were unaware that the imperial army had already entered Taoyuan County in Jingzhou in a grand procession.

After the locust plague ravaged Taoyuan County, it no longer felt like a paradise; instead, it was desolate and ravaged, as if it had been burned by heavenly fire.

After the harvest, the straw in the fields was gnawed close to the soil, the bark of the trees was almost completely eaten away, and even the wild grass by the roadside was hard to find.

Along the official road, groups of disaster victims sat or lay down, staring blankly at the sky in the cold wind, as if questioning the heavens why such a calamity had been brought down.

Su Ce rode on his warhorse, coldly sweeping his gaze over the trembling people by the roadside.

Behind him stretched a vast army of imperial soldiers for miles, their armor clanging, the sound of which seemed even more chilling in the cold wind.

"General, there are more villages ahead!" Lieutenant General Lu Heming pointed to the scattered houses in the distance, then turned to look at the army behind him and asked, "The soldiers are exhausted. Do you think we should stop and rest?"

Su Ce's lips curled into a cold smile: "Send the order to set up camp in the open space ahead, and then enter the village to collect grain. The imperial army is punishing the rebels, and the people should naturally do their utmost to help."

The imperial army led by Su Ce had been marching at full speed for several days, and the provisions and supplies provided by the imperial court in the early stages had been used up completely during the march.

“But General…” Lu Heming looked at the woman holding the emaciated child by the roadside, feeling pity, and hesitated, “These people have already…”

"Already what?" Su Ce interrupted sharply. "An army cannot move without supplies. But where are the supplies now? If we delay the campaign against Zhao Zun, can you bear the consequences if His Majesty blames us?"

Lu Heming dared not say anything more and turned to convey the order.

Soon, the hungry and exhausted soldiers perked up. Before they could even set up camp, they charged into the village like wolves, their screams, cries, and pleas echoing through the sky.

An elderly man with white hair knelt before Su Ce's horse, kowtowing repeatedly: "Sir, please don't! Have mercy! This is all the food the village has left to save lives..."

"Get out of my way!" Su Ce reined in his horse and lashed the old man's back with his whip. "The imperial court has raised an army for a thousand days to use it in this one moment. How dare you unruly commoners obstruct the royal army?"

The old man was whipped so hard he rolled on the ground, his forehead hitting a stone and bleeding profusely.

The cold wind howled, swirling up the withered leaves on the ground and stinging people's faces.

Two armored soldiers rushed out of the low thatched hut, carrying a small bag of coarse rice. The bag was covered in mud and ash, clearly having been dug out from a corner.

"Sir! Please!" A woman staggered out, tightly clutching a small, thin baby in her arms, her other hand gripping the corner of a rice sack.

The two soldiers pulled hard, and the woman fell to the ground. They dragged her forward, but she still did not let go.

"This is our family's food supply for a year! If you take it away, how will my daughter and I survive?"

She screamed until she was hoarse, tears mixed with dust leaving streaks on her face.

The two soldiers turned around impatiently, and one of them suddenly turned around and kicked the woman hard in the stomach.

"Ah!" the woman cried out in pain, falling backward. The baby in her arms slipped from her grasp and crashed heavily onto the muddy ground, immediately bursting into loud cries.

Ignoring her own pain, the woman struggled to crawl toward her child, crying and cursing, "Are you soldiers or bandits?! The imperial court is requisitioning grain, at least leave us a way to survive!"

Seeing this, some of the soldiers around looked reluctant and hesitated, as if they wanted to step forward and dissuade him.

Just then, Su Ce's gruff voice came from afar: "Hurry up! It's getting dark! Eat and rest early, we have to march tomorrow!"

The voice was cold and forceful, brooking no disobedience.

The soldiers, who had been hesitant, immediately lowered their heads, quickened their pace, and left, not daring to look at the pitiful mother and child again.

The soldier who kicked the man sneered, weighed the rice bag in his hand, and spat, "Bad luck!"

After saying that, he picked up the rice bag and followed the group without looking back.

The woman, covered in filth and trembling, picked up the crying baby, knelt on the muddy ground, and watched helplessly as the bag of life-saving food was taken away and disappeared into the backs of the soldiers.

A cold wind swept by, and she hugged her child tightly, sobbing silently, her tears falling into the cracked earth.

The surrounding people cowered, daring not to speak out in their anger, and could only watch helplessly as the soldiers looted the last bit of food.

The army used the meager amount of food they had looted to cook a meal, which they then devoured amidst the villagers' desperate stares and wails.

After spending the night there, the army continued its advance in a grand procession.

But this is just one scene in one village!
The new Emperor Jing was ruthless and intolerant of any dissent. Immediately after ascending the throne, he sent people to secretly eliminate his brothers who threatened his position.

Upon hearing Wei Dabao's description of the fortress built in Tuomugou, he immediately ordered troops to be dispatched to attack it.

Even with an empty treasury and a disaster in Jingzhou, nothing could stop him from conquering Cangzhou. He feared that the slightest hesitation would allow the King of Cangzhou's influence to knock the throne he had so painstakingly obtained to the ground.

However, due to the hasty dispatch of troops, the grain and fodder collected by the Ministry of Revenue had not yet fully arrived, and could only be sent out in batches.

With 100,000 troops needing food and water, Su Ce, seeing the devastation of Jingzhou by the locust plague and cut off from supplies, not only failed to feel pity but also acted impulsively for his own selfish desires.

In order to ensure that his soldiers had enough strength to march quickly to Cangzhou, he ordered that all the places they passed through be looted.

He was acting on imperial orders, and his reason for looting was naturally that the court's campaign against the rebels could not be delayed. This caused the people along the way to cry out and curse the court for its injustice, and public resentment rose up everywhere.

In order to bring the Su family back to the court, Su Ce disregarded everything else and looted and plundered along the way.

Five days later, on the official road in Mianning County, Jingzhou, they encountered Zhao Zun's team, who were bringing chickens and ducks to Jingzhou for disaster relief in three-wheeled vehicles.

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