Dad, don't be greedy! My brother climbed into the emperor's bed, and I became famous overn

The next two days.

In all 142 villages of Anyang County, the ducks have all been brought to the ground.

From east to west, across dozens of miles of farmland, white flocks of ducks are scattered in neat rows.

Each group worked diligently and in an orderly manner.

From afar, flags fluttered and voices rang out across the fields.

The villagers were initially skeptical, but after witnessing the ducks' fighting prowess firsthand, everyone became incredibly excited.

Their enthusiasm was fully ignited.

A dark-skinned boy, drenched in sweat, ran to the edge of the field and shouted excitedly:

"Third Uncle! Look ahead! The ducks have eaten all the locusts! You can see the soil on the ground!"

Uncle San ran over with a hoe on his shoulder and his eyes nearly popped out of their sockets when he saw what was happening.

That piece of land belongs to his family.

Three days ago, the fields were full of insects, and all the crops had been eaten away.

Now that the ducks have passed through, only a few stray fish remain, hopping around on the ground.

"Good heavens..." Uncle San squatted down and reached out to touch the ground.

It was cleaned very thoroughly.

He stood up, looked at the group of white ducks marching forward in a line, and grinned.

"Quickly! Dig up the soil again where the ducks just cleaned! Do it again tomorrow!"

The villagers happily agreed, and rushed into the fields with their hoes to start turning the soil.

Laughter echoed through the fields.

The people chatted as they worked, creating an atmosphere more relaxed than ever before.

This was not only because the duck army was effective, but also because of the policies that the imperial court and Pujitang had for the people.

Tax reductions and exemptions, guaranteed grain purchases, interest-free loans, and guidance on farming...

Each of these policies is substantial and addresses the very point where they were most desperate.

For so many years, no one has cared about them.

Now someone is in charge.

The imperial court is in charge! Pujitang is here to provide a way to survive!

The feeling was like a long-awaited rain falling from the sky.

at the same time.

In Jia Zhengjing's study.

Cui Zhe paced back and forth anxiously.

"The locust plague has been eradicated."

"Plus, there's the imperial court's tax exemption policy and that Pujitang's acquisition policy..."

"From now on, all the grain grown by these farmers will go through Pujitang's channels. The Cui family's grain business will make even less money."

"How am I supposed to explain this to Master Cui?!"

Jia Zhengjing frowned and clenched his fists.

"What do you plan to do? The Emperor has been keeping a close eye on me lately and is already investigating the Cui family."

Cui Zhe walked to the door and looked at the darkening sky outside.

"You have to hold them off! I'll send someone to Master Cui to ask about the next steps."

He turned to look at Jia Zhengjing.

"The Cui family has fallen, and you won't escape responsibility either."

"The head of my Cui family has already secretly made arrangements to force the imperial court to lower grain prices."

"If all else fails, we in Jizhou will take action first."

Jia Zhengjing's face darkened, but he had no choice but to comply.

"What are you planning to do?"

Cui Zhe sneered.

"Starting tomorrow, all grain shops in Jizhou will be short of grain and will limit sales."

On the third day...

Zhao Pucheng, accompanied by several yamen runners, conducted an on-site inspection of the fields in the first dozen or so villages where the work had begun.

The number of locusts has decreased by more than 80%.

Clutching the slip of paper covered in numbers, Zhao Pucheng jogged back to the guesthouse.

"Your Majesty! Master Gu!"

He rushed into the main hall, panting and covered in sweat.

But he couldn't hide the joy on his face.

Xiao Ye was looking at a map of Ji Province with Gu Mingyue at the table when he heard the sound and looked up.

Zhao Pucheng presented the folded paper with both hands, his voice trembling.

"Your Majesty, on the first day of the locust eradication operation, 80% of the locusts in the fields of the hardest-hit villages were gone!"

"Today, duck flocks were also distributed to several other disaster-stricken counties, and county magistrates are inspecting the recovery efforts in each village."

Gu Mingyue was not surprised; this was within her expectations.

This level of efficiency is how locust control should be done.

Gu Mingyue said to Zhao Pucheng:

"Locust control must cover the entire affected area. Otherwise, the locusts will move around and leave behind a trail of trouble."

"Have the other counties eradicate the locusts from the ground within five days. Next, prepare to spray pesticides."

"I'll make the arrangements immediately!"

Zhao Pucheng nodded emphatically and bowed as he withdrew.

The first phase of locust control work has been arranged, and now we are just waiting for news from Gu Mingli about pesticide development.

Xiao Ye glanced at the backyard.

"Mingli has locked himself in the backyard; he probably hasn't eaten all day, has he?"

As he spoke, he stood up and took two steps outside, but then stopped.

"This guy gets really irritable when he's busy. I don't even dare to go see him."

Gu Mingyue couldn't help but chuckle softly.

"That's just how my brother is. When he's doing research, he'll get angry if anyone disturbs him."

Xiao Ye turned around curiously.

When will this situation be resolved?

Gu Mingyue calmly sipped her tea and chuckled, "When he finishes developing it."

Xiao Ye: "..."

……

The medicinal materials for making pesticides arrived just two days ago.

Gu Mingli personally inspected the goods at the back gate, comparing each item with the items on the list.

Sophora flavescens root, Stemona japonica, tobacco leaf fragments, lime powder, sulfur blocks, and several jars of high-purity liquor bought from Longmen Distillery.

Early yesterday morning, Gu Mingli set up a well-ventilated storage room in the backyard of the mansion.

He chased away all the "unnecessary people" in the courtyard, leaving only Yi Shi to guard outside the gate.

I gathered some medicinal herbs and started mixing the insecticide.

The effective concentration of Sophora flavescens, the soaking time of Stemona japonica, and the reaction temperature of sulfur and lime.

These things can be handled in modern laboratories with sophisticated instruments.

But in this ancient world where even measuring cups didn't exist, every step had to be controlled solely by experience and feel.

Gu Mingli spread out a piece of paper in the corner of the desk and began writing on it while rubbing the paper.

"Sophora flavescens extract...concentration approximately 2%...add 1 part Stemona japonica juice...sulfur and lime mixture at a ratio of 3:7..."

The light and shadow under the corridor gradually stretched from a short shadow at noon into a long, slanted shadow.

Gu Mingli was completely unaware.

He poured the crushed sophora flavescens powder into a ceramic jar and added half a jar of alcohol to soak it.

Then they started processing the herb *Stemona japonica*.

This stuff needs to be chopped up and boiled in water until the liquid turns yellow before it can be filtered out and used.

A small stove was set up at the entrance of the side room, with an earthenware pot on top.

The juice of the herb Stemona japonica was bubbling in the pot, and a bitter herbal smell filled the air, making people wrinkle their noses.

The sun slowly sank in the west.

The light in the backyard dimmed, and Yi Shi brought candlesticks into the house.

Gu Mingli didn't even look up and continued working.

Taozhi came to call me once during that time, saying that dinner was ready.

Gu Mingli gave a vague "I understand" and then fell silent.

This situation lasted for two days.

By the time of Xu (7-9 PM) on the second day, it was already completely dark outside.

In the private room of the inn, Gu Mingyue put down her chopsticks and glanced at the empty seat opposite her.

Peach Blossom peeked over from the side and whispered, "Young Master hasn't eaten yet. Shall I go and urge him?"

Gu Mingyue shook her head. "Let's go take a look."

Just as the two reached the backyard gate, they bumped into Xiao Ye and his group strolling over from the front yard.

Tonight, Xiao Ye changed into a dark gray casual outfit, with a little eunuch carrying several food boxes behind him.

Upon seeing Gu Mingyue, he paused slightly.

"Go see him?"

"Um."

Gu Mingyue nodded.

"My brother is in research mode and can go two days without eating or drinking. But I still have to check on him occasionally to prevent him from burning out."

Xiao Ye frowned slightly, said nothing, and followed her to the backyard.