The immortal of the Tang Dynasty, but the game starts at Xuanwu Gate?

"A locust plague..."

Seeing that everyone's attention was focused on this side, Chen Huai'an paused for a moment, then simply walked to the steps at the back and plopped down on them.

"The imperial court was indeed aware of the locust plague long ago and had made preparations to deal with it well in advance."

"Huh?" Huang Yun exclaimed with delight, "Does that mean grain prices might come down?"

The other commoners also gathered around, and one of them asked, "Your Excellency, you said the court was aware of the locust plague long ago and made preparations. May I ask how the court plans to resolve this?"

"Yes, yes, the locust plague is really terrible. When I went out yesterday, the mountains and fields were covered with locusts. It won't be long before they swarm everywhere."

"Isn't that right? The locusts are just playing a joke on you. Every time locusts appear, the crops in the fields suffer a disaster. Sigh... when will this end?"

Chen Huai'an listened to the chatter around him without interrupting. Only after their conversation subsided did he ask, "Are grain prices rising sharply these days?"

Huang Yun quickly replied, "It's not that serious. Thanks to the fact that many people have been recruited by the imperial court to work, everyone has money in their hands and food to eat, so the price of grain has not increased much for the time being, only fifteen coins per dou."

Chen Huai'an: "..."

Damn it, isn't a 15-cent increase a lot?

Fifteen coins are enough for a delicious meat meal.

But when he saw Huang Yun's expression, which seemed so natural and genuine, as if he truly thought fifteen coins weren't much, Chen Huai'an sighed silently.

Also.

Compared to last year when prices would easily rise by several hundred coins, now that the locust plague is getting more and more severe, what's a price increase of fifteen coins?

After experiencing the ups and downs of last year, people's ability to accept things has obviously improved a lot.

Especially for those who survived the chaos at the end of the Sui Dynasty, a 15-coin increase was really not a big deal in the eyes of their generation.

"Rising grain prices are normal," Chen Huai'an said gently. "There's nothing we can do about it. After all, locust plagues aren't just limited to the Guanzhong region; many other areas have also experienced them."

"When there is a food shortage, food prices will naturally rise."

"But please rest assured, the imperial court will take action soon and will not let you starve."

"Your Excellency, Minister," a boy of about fifteen years old squeezed out from the crowd, "Will the imperial court still be recruiting? Do you think I have a chance?"

"I'm very strong, and my mother always praises me for being a great worker."

In the past, whenever the imperial court wanted to undertake a project, the people would avoid it at all costs, because the court would impose corvée labor.

The corvée labor was so hard that people preferred to pay more taxes rather than perform corvée labor.

But ever since Chen Huai'an appeared and the work-for-relief program was implemented, the people have been eager for the court to carry out more projects.

Twenty coins a day, including food and lodging, and safety guaranteed.

For these people who toil in the fields year-round and barely see a penny, this was like a windfall.

People in this era are rarely lazy; unless they're incredibly lucky, the lazy ones would have died long ago.

"You know what, there really is!" Chen Huai'an thought for a moment and said with a smile.

As soon as he said this, the people in front of him became excited.

"Your Excellency, look at me, look at my arms and legs. I'm definitely efficient at work, and I don't eat much. Do you think I'm up to the task?"

"Go away, Your Excellency. Look at me. I have a seriously ill mother, a mute wife, and three children. We owe the landlord four shi of grain. I'm not trying to play the victim, I just want to say that I can work harder than an ox."

"Aren't we all the same?" the first child to speak up protested. "I have three younger sisters. My father died in battle, and his remains were only recently collected and laid to rest. My mother has difficulty walking and weaves day and night; she's blind now. But I can do it too!"

"And me, Your Excellency. I've heard the court needs women who can cook. I can cook, what do you think of me?"

Besides the men, many women also started arguing.

Hearing these words, Chen Huai'an felt somewhat at a loss for what to do.

These people were indeed as they said; they weren't trying to gain sympathy, but simply wanted to tell him that they were under a lot of pressure and would never shirk their duties or cheat the government.

There are far too many cases like this.

Chen Huai'an glanced at the young man who squeezed out of the crowd, and asked, "Hey buddy, what's your name?"

"Zhang Peng!" Zhang Peng's cheeks were somewhat sunken, and his cheekbones protruded, clearly indicating that he hadn't eaten properly in a long time. But when Chen Huai'an asked his name, his eyes shone, and he patted his chest, saying, "My mother said that when my father named me this, he hoped that I would be like a roc, able to spread my wings and soar high!"

"Your Excellency, don't let my thin appearance fool you, I'm incredibly strong and can do any kind of work."

"Zhang Peng..." Chen Huai'an murmured softly, nodding, "Good, good Zhang Peng, I'll remember you."

"Would you dare to go and help build the Yellow River dike?"

Zhang Peng immediately became excited: "As long as you pay me and give me food, I'll do anything, not just repair the Yellow River dam, I'll even swim in the Yellow River!"

Chen Huai'an smiled, but as he smiled, he felt a pang of sadness.

A fifteen-year-old child has already shouldered the heavy responsibility of the family.

"Your Excellency..."

The others, not as young as Zhang Peng, clearly knew more and excitedly asked, "Repairing the Yellow River must require a lot of manpower, right?"

"Yes, we need a lot of manpower!" Chen Huai'an nodded in agreement. "As you all know, the dikes along the Yellow River are easily breached and need frequent repairs."

"If it's not repaired, there's a high risk of flooding next year if there's heavy rain or snow in winter."

"Therefore, the imperial court plans to start repairing the Yellow River this year. The rules are the same as before, but a lot of manpower is needed, at least tens of thousands of people."

"That's wonderful." The people were not afraid, but happy.

In the past, when they heard about repairing the Yellow River, they would rather hide in the deep mountains and pretend to be dead.

Of all the projects undertaken by the imperial court, repairing the Yellow River was the most dangerous; if it wasn't done properly, one might not be able to return.

But now you don't have to be afraid. With Chen Huai'an around, even if you really die outside, this young Minister will personally oversee the delivery of compensation to your family.

However, Chen Huai'an still explained, "Don't worry about the danger. The imperial court has a new method for repairing the Yellow River. It's not as dangerous as before, and once it's repaired, it won't need to be repaired every year."

"From now on, no one will have to worry about the Yellow River breaching its banks."

Hearing these words, Zhang Peng was somewhat dazed: "Then... does that mean I can buy my sister a roast chicken this year?"

"They've been wanting to eat this for so long, they've been dreaming about it..."

"..."