Three Kingdoms: The Kingdom Cannot Be Partial

Chapter 305 Locust Sweep Storm
Due to his busy schedule with state affairs, and his trust in Guo Youzhi and Chen Zhi, two officials who had been transferred from the inner court to local areas, the prime minister set off for Chang'an the next day.

The night before, Jiang Wei, carrying the Prime Minister's order, coordinated the post horses from Linjin to go to Fengyi and Fufeng counties to be in charge of purchasing chickens, ducks and poultry.

After the Prime Minister personally inspected the locust situation in Linjin and issued an edict, the entire bureaucratic system of Zuo Fengyi was mobilized with extreme efficiency.

The orders were issued level by level, from Guo Youzhi of Zuo Fengyi to Chen Zhi, the magistrate of Linjin, and then to the agricultural officials and elders of each farm, and no one slacked off.

After surviving the harsh winter, farms, as a new type of organization where people live together, with simple hierarchical structures and direct access to the imperial agricultural officials, have proven their resilience.

Last winter, the Guanzhong Plain was bitterly cold and the wind was fierce, with snow piled up to a foot high, just like in previous years. In the past, such severe cold would have been another death trap for the poor people who had just experienced the Guanzhong War, whose families had no surplus food, whose houses were in ruins, and whose able-bodied men had all died in the war.

But in such a harsh winter, in such dire straits in Guanzhong, where people sold their children, froze to death in their homes or by the roadside, and even resorted to cannibalism, not a single case occurred in the farms of Linjin, leaving the entire Fengyi and even Chang'an speechless.

After the autumn harvest, the tax grain was handed over to the imperial court in accordance with the "two-tenths" tax law. The remaining grain of the farm people was not completely distributed to each household. Instead, the agricultural officials of the imperial court and the elders elected by the farm negotiated to reserve a small portion as "farm granary" reserves.

The purpose of storing grain in this "granary" is clearly defined.

One purpose is to provide loans for grain seeds in case of a future shortage of food supplies.

Secondly, it served as remuneration for public labor within the village. For example, villagers who participated in the construction of irrigation systems or the maintenance of roads within the village would be able to enjoy a "village meal."

Most importantly, it serves as an emergency reserve for the winter of the following year.

When heavy snow blocks the mountains, making it difficult for farmers to go out to find food and even more difficult to borrow money, the farm granary comes into play.

Because of the flat organizational structure and the clustered settlements of the people, the young agricultural officials who came from Sichuan with great ambitions knew the people in the village almost inside and out. Based on the actual situation of each household in the village, they distributed a small amount of relief grain from the village granary.

Although it cannot fill one's stomach, a bowl of thin porridge and a few pieces of pancake mixed with bean dregs are enough to keep one alive, allowing widows, widowers, and the lonely who might otherwise have perished in the cold winter to survive.

Old Liu, who reported the locust plague, witnessed it with his own eyes.

A widow in the neighborhood, who had lost all her male able-bodied men due to the war in Guanzhong, was raising three young children and should not have survived the harsh winter last year.

However, thanks to the relief grain distributed by the village and the occasional help from neighbors, the family of four managed to survive until the beginning of spring.

That's not all.

Poor families often lack not only food, but also firewood for warmth and cooking, timber for repairing houses, and even a tattered quilt or two to keep warm.

The farm once again demonstrated the power of collective action.

Before winter, the government organized able-bodied men from various villages to go to Liangshan, more than 80 miles north of Linjin, to cut firewood.

Because the Liangshan bandits were rampant in the north at that time, the people dared not go up the mountain to cut firewood. Chen Zhi directly joined forces with Wei Chang to arrange for eight hundred garrison soldiers to go up the mountain to deter the bandits. The firewood they cut was distributed to each household in the village to ensure that each family had basic heating supplies.

For families whose houses were dilapidated and unable to keep out the cold, the village organized able-bodied men to help with repairs, with materials collected from various households within the village.

If a family is short of clothes or blankets, as long as the situation is true, the elders of the village will step in, and the slightly wealthier villagers are often willing to lend a helping hand in the collective atmosphere. At least lending out one or two old clothes that they don't need to keep warm is something that can be done.

The farm relief system was not simply charity.

Even during the winter off-season, there is still plenty of work to be done in the village.

Under the planning of Chen Zhi and Guo Youzhi, each farm organized its residents to carry out public construction during the winter off-season.

Or they could dredge the ditches near the farm to prepare for next year's spring irrigation.

Or perhaps they were repairing the roads connecting the various villages and leading to the official road.

Alternatively, it could involve gathering farmers together to learn how to use the new agricultural tools issued by the Prime Minister's office, as well as methods for accumulating fertilizer and crop rotation.

Farmers who participated in public labor were able to eat a meal called "farm food".

This is known as work relief.

It not only feeds the people and prevents farmers from living off their savings, but also maintains their working habits and improves the farm's infrastructure, such as water conservancy and transportation, laying a better foundation for next year's farming and creating a virtuous cycle.

Those farmers who participated in the labor not only earned a winter's food through their work, but also gained a greater sense of belonging to the farm because they contributed to its future development.

If there were no government officials in charge, if people still depended on clans and powerful families, and if they still did not have their own land, then all of these things would be meaningless.

Better to be a dog in times of peace than a human in times of chaos. Scattered self-cultivating farmers in chaotic times are not even as good as servants or beggars in times of prosperity. Farms, on the other hand, unite countless vulnerable individuals into a community with a certain ability to withstand risks.

This land, belonging to the descendants of Yan and Huang, has been filled with myths since ancient times, such as Nuwa patching up the sky, Yu the Great controlling the floods, Houyi shooting down the suns, and Shennong tasting hundreds of herbs. The driving force behind these heroes has never been personal desire, but a sense of responsibility and obligation to all living beings that is etched into their very bones. Therefore, this land will never lack people with ideals and aspirations.

When the vast majority of people are scheming and plotting for power, wealth, and personal gain, most of them will also use the same scheming and plotting to protect themselves.

But once someone steps forward to set an example, becoming like Nuwa, Yu the Great, or Houyi, they will spontaneously integrate themselves into the group, sharing this responsibility, finding joy in it, and taking pride in it.

In this era of gradual moral decay, Liu Bei, a hero, stood out with benevolence that was both limited by and transcended his time; Zhuge Liang, a prime minister for all ages, stood out with impeccable public spirit and private morality; and finally, Liu Shan, a time traveler, stood out with an almost innate compassion for humanity.

Thus, under the banner of the Han Dynasty, which had stood for four hundred years and then risen again, more and more people of noble character and lofty ideals, who believed in "the world belongs to all," once again gathered together.

Magistrate Xiao Chen, with his lofty ideals and aspirations, and the agricultural officials of each village, after several sincere collaborations with the people in the villages, finally made the common people at the bottom of society see that these Han officials were really looking out for a way to make a living for them. As a result, an atmosphere of working together to overcome difficulties quickly grew and developed in the villages.

Therefore, when news of a possible locust plague broke out, the farmers' mentality was fundamentally different from when they encountered natural disasters and man-made calamities in previous years.

They no longer resigned themselves to fate.

They believed that the Han government and farms, which had been able to quell the bandits and lead them through the harsh winter, could also lead them through the crisis once again.

This trust and cohesion, stemming from tangible benefits, is the underlying reason why the government was able to quickly mobilize all its resources and why the entire Zuo Fengyi region could operate efficiently and fight locusts with all its might.

——Survive.

This is the simplest thing that the farm, a new thing that is completely opposite to "laissez-faire" in governance, gives to this group of poor people.

Today, what these people are protecting together is these three words.

Outside Linjin City, west of the Yellow River.

A barren land, now bustling with noise.

Hundreds of farmers, men and women, even the old, weak and disabled, were all organized by Chen Zhi and the agricultural official to do their utmost to fight the locusts according to the Prime Minister's orders.

In the direction of the wasteland where locusts gathered, several trenches, one or two feet deep and one or two miles long, had been dug by the villagers.

Hundreds of villagers walked hand in hand, or used long poles to lift cloth curtains, straw mats, and fishing nets, driving locusts from a specific area toward the trench as if hunting.

Chen Zhi, dressed in a coarse cloth short coat with his sleeves rolled up, personally directed the operation from the field.

Chen Zhi's confidant, the chivalrous bandit Cao Du Jie, led a group of elite wandering knights and county soldiers, armed with tools, rushing to wherever they were needed.

Old Liu, the village elder who reported the locust incident, led several young men, carrying bamboo baskets, to collect the locusts that had been killed.

"They've all been picked up!"

"This stuff can be traded for food!"

"It's edible! We can't waste it!"

As he picked them up, he kept talking to the teenagers.

"Think back to the locust plague more than 20 years ago, and look at us now... It's our good fortune to have the Prime Minister and Magistrate Chen leading us in fighting the locusts!"

A skeptical young man picked up a greenish grasshopper and asked hesitantly, "Old Liu, can this thing be eaten?"

Old Liu glared at him:
"Hey! Even the Prime Minister eats it! How could it be fake? Take it back and have your mother boil some water to scald it, then make some bran pancakes with it. It'll smell delicious!"

A makeshift shed had been set up not far away.

The farm's official in charge of agriculture was busy writing, while the villagers brought over wooden buckets and cloth bags filled with locusts to be weighed and registered.

"Zhang Gen's family, three dou and seven sheng!" "Zhao Biao's family, five dou and two sheng!"

The sounds of singing and chanting rose and fell.

After the weighing was completed, officials nearby distributed rice on the spot according to the standard of "one bushel of locusts for one liter of rice" issued by the imperial edict.

The farmers who received the grain smiled with satisfaction. After hiding the grain at home, they picked up their baskets and buckets and went back to the fields with even more enthusiasm than when they were farming.

Seeing such a lively scene, Magistrate Chen was momentarily stunned. He wondered if it was true friendship revealed in times of trouble, as the unity of these farmers was something he had never seen before.

"How much have you collected today?" Magistrate Chen asked the clerk in charge of recording.

The clerk looked up and saw it was Magistrate Chen. He quickly replied, "Magistrate Chen, in just half a day, we've already collected over sixty bushels of locusts! At this rate, we might actually be able to wipe out most of the locusts in Linjin before they grow wings!"

Chen Zhi nodded upon hearing this.

In just half a day, sixty shi (a unit of dry measure) of locusts were caught in one place alone. If the locusts were allowed to run rampant, the consequences would be unimaginable.

As night fell, countless bonfires were lit behind the trenches.

Locusts, drawn to the light, flocked to the fire, only to fall into the deep trench and be unable to climb out. The county soldiers, heroes, and villagers guarding the trench immediately rushed forward, either covering them with soil or catching them with dense nets.

For several days.

Because the Guanzhong Plain is sparsely populated, locusts seem impossible to eradicate.

The people who were initially excited and united in their efforts to catch locusts gradually became somewhat complacent, doubtful, and uneasy.

The place is so big, but there are so few people. If the locusts cannot be completely eliminated, will all our efforts be in vain?
In a farm near Shayuan, the villagers showed strong resistance to locust control efforts.

This village was mainly inhabited by the relatives and descendants of the horse breeders of Shayuan in the past. They had intricate connections with the bandits and outlaws entrenched in Liangshan. After the bandits were wiped out, their relationship with the government became somewhat strained, and even the village's agricultural official was ostracized by some of the villagers.

After catching locusts for a few days, some elders in the village began to mutter among themselves, saying things like "the locust god should not be offended" and "killing locusts is against the harmony of nature," which made some kind-hearted villagers afraid to go out and catch locusts.

The news quickly reached Chen Zhi, who immediately led Du Jie and dozens of county soldiers to the farm. The elders and agricultural officials of the farm rushed out to greet them upon hearing the news.

Chen Zhi didn't waste any words and asked directly, "I've heard that some people in the village are inciting the public and obstructing the locust control efforts? They say that killing the locusts is against the will of Heaven?"

The agricultural official looked troubled and stammered:

“Your Excellency, there are a few elderly people who have read a few books, and they say that ancient books say…”

"Ancient books?" Chen Zhi interrupted him.

"The Prime Minister has issued a strict order that anyone who misleads the public or obstructs locust control efforts will be severely punished! I ask you one more time, who is spreading such rumors?!"

The room was completely silent; no one answered.

Du Jie, whom Chen Zhi considered a confidant, snorted coldly, raised his hand to support his sword, and the elite county soldiers behind him stepped forward, exuding murderous intent, completely unlike the shabby soldiers who used to stand rudely.

Finally, a kind-hearted farmer, both timid and bold, pointed with trembling hands to a well-dressed, tall old man at the front of the crowd.

The old man's face turned deathly pale instantly. He was used to being arrogant and domineering, and he obviously did not expect that someone in the manor would dare to betray him.

Chen Zhi walked up to the old man. With so many villagers present, he couldn't simply arrest and interrogate him, lest it provoke conflict between officials and the people. He could only question him.

“Old man, since you are educated and reasonable, let me ask you this: is it better to stick to the so-called locust god and the harmony of heaven, and watch the crops in the fields be eaten up by locusts, and everyone have to resort to cannibalism this autumn and winter? Or is it better to follow the government and fight against the locusts to save the harvest and allow the villagers to survive?”

The elder saw that Magistrate Chen, who had wiped out the Liangshan bandits in just six months, had eyes as sharp as knives and swords, and was so frightened that he trembled and could not speak.

Chen Zhi stopped looking at him and turned to the hundreds of villagers behind him, finally shouting loudly:
"From this day forward, anyone who dares to spread rumors and obstruct locust control is an enemy of the entire village, the entire Linjin, and the entire Guanzhong region! They are an enemy of the Han Dynasty! Du the traitor Cao!"

"Your humble servant is here!" Du Jie responded loudly.

"Bring this person back to the county government office for interrogation according to the law! If it is confirmed that he deliberately spread rumors and obstructed national policies, he shall be severely punished!"

"Yes!" Du Jie waved his hand, and two county soldiers immediately stepped forward and dragged the ashen-faced old man away.

Chen Zhi softened his tone and addressed the crowd again:
"Fellow villagers, catching locusts and saving crops is the top priority right now!"

"Saving the wheat in the fields means saving everyone's lives!"

Before long, someone from the silent village brought two buckets of locusts and asked if the village could continue to exchange locusts for grain.

Without saying a word, Chen Zhi summoned the agricultural officials in charge of the village, gave them a few instructions, and then immediately took the locusts and distributed them with rice.

With a combination of incentives and harsh measures, the farmers of this farm, which is adjacent to Shayuan, were finally mobilized again and rejoined the locust-fighting army.

The farmers' all-out efforts to combat locusts, and the government's incentive of exchanging locusts for rice, were more effective than any written propaganda.

Half of Linjin was mobilized. Even a small number of scattered middle and rich peasants who had not joined the farms joined the locust-sweeping campaign after seeing that farmers were exchanging locusts for rice.

When the powerful clans of Linjin learned that there were signs of locust plagues in Linjin again, they were immediately on high alert and felt uneasy.

They will not starve to death because of a locust plague; in fact, in the past, they could even make a fortune from locust plagues.

After natural disasters and wars, surviving people often had to sell their fields, their wives, and their children to make a living.

But it's different now.

The Great Han established so-called farms, bringing together thousands or even tens of thousands of commoners from the entire Linjin and Fengyi regions, forming a force comparable to bandits and outlaws.

If someone becomes rich but heartless and abuses the people, the government doesn't even need to send troops; even if hundreds of farmers work together, they can still take a piece of flesh from them.

These farms were set up by the government, and with the government as their backer, how could you, no matter how rich, dare to go against the government?
Before the establishment of farms, if the government wanted to collect grain taxes from sparsely populated areas, it could only rely on the local powerful clans. Now, the government is directly reaching into the farms and collecting taxes itself, thus breaking the rules of cooperation between the government and the local authorities.

This is equivalent to the government itself becoming a powerful force that conceals the population, and then using agricultural officials to gather the population together for land reclamation.

Not only that, although the land allocated to these farmers belonged to them, the government did not allow them to sell it.

In other words, the issue of land consolidation after past major disasters was simply out of the question.

More importantly, most of these agricultural officials from the Han government had some conscience, unlike the clerks who had previously exploited the people with them!

What to do?

The best we can do is live in peace.

Since they cannot annex land to profit from disasters, wouldn't these powerful clans also suffer if locust plagues were to strike?

The powerful clans are not monolithic, nor are they just one family or household. Their manors and fortified villages also have hundreds or even thousands of clansmen, tenants, and hereditary households. Are these people just going to stand by and watch the millet they have just planted yield no harvest?
It should be noted that because the imperial court distributed wheat as seed last winter, the farmers planted wheat, while these powerful clans, due to inertia, continued to plant millet, which they had been planting in the past.

Wheat is harvested in May, and millet in August or September.

It's possible that when the locusts swarm, other people's wheat will have already been harvested, while their millet will be completely devoured by the locusts.

In fact, besides the fact that wheat could be harvested twice a year, the fact that it was harvested in May could better avoid severe droughts and locust plagues was also the most important factor that led Liu Shan and his prime minister to promote wheat cultivation in Guanzhong and Longyou.

In the event of a severe drought or locust plague, the millet harvested in autumn will truly be lost, while the wheat harvested in May, even if it encounters a severe drought or locust plague, can still yield some inferior rice to survive.

After all, the drought is most severe in May and June, and locusts also break out in May and June. If you encounter them, you can harvest the wheat before it has filled out and eat the green wheat and barley.

Although it is low in nutrition and has a poor taste, it is at least more filling than wild grass and tree bark. If the imperial court has surplus grain, it can even use rice to exchange for some green wheat from the people to feed cattle and horses. This is more economically valuable than just being used as human food.

There are reasons why wheat became increasingly popular in the north, eventually suppressing millet, which had been cultivated there for thousands of years.

At present, the tenant farmers and herders who planted millet in the manors and fortresses of powerful clans saw that the government officials and farmers were all working hard to fight locusts. They also heard that once the locust plague came, they, who planted millet, would have no harvest and would have to owe the powerful clans high-interest loans. So they hurriedly started to fight the locusts on their own.

No matter what, the locust-for-rice trade is real!
Seeing that they couldn't control the locusts in the manor, the clan leaders and elders of the powerful clans finally responded to the call of the imperial court and organized their manor servants and tenants to participate in the vigorous locust control campaign.

(End of this chapter)