"Reporting! Your Majesty, the treasury reports that it can't hold on any longer! "
"Wait! This matter must be suppressed! "
"Then … should we mobilize another batch of Bone-Strengthening Powder?"
"It doesn't matter!"
Li Shimin faintly flipped through the division table in his hand, looking at it with great interest.
On the other hand, Fang Xuanling was so anxious that he was sweating profusely.
Chang 'an was going to be in chaos, and he still had the mood to relax?
However, he could only clench his teeth and hurriedly leave.
However, the moment he went out, he saw that Zhangsun Wuji was also holding onto his stomach, panting as he ran over.
"Your Majesty, now, now, now the locusts in the palace are almost used up, and the Chang 'an garrison is basically rushing to roast the locusts secretly collected. Now, there are only 300 stones of Bone-Strengthening Powder in the warehouse!"
"So little?"
Li Shimin frowned slightly.
"That's not bad, Your Majesty. Do you know that if there's even the slightest sign of this thing, the people in Chang 'an will rush to buy it like crazy?"
"At this time, should we ask someone to start the purchase of locusts?"
"If it starts today, it's bound to expand the Bone-Strengthening Powder industry in a short time. If it's delayed, perhaps … in less than three days, Chang 'an will be in chaos!"
Zhangsun Wuji said the good news.
Just now, Zhangsun Wuji said the news from the military camp outside the city. Although the group of civil officials were usually careless, now that they were in the court, which one of them was obedient?
The housekeepers of each family wantonly caught locusts on the pretext of going out of the city to look for grass and fodder. They even hired people to catch locusts at a low price. Once the matter in their own fields was finished, they went out of the city to catch locusts. Once this matter spread out, there would be smart people who would smell the business opportunity in less than a day!
After Zhangsun Wuji reported the speculation in his heart, Li Shimin fell silent.
It seemed that if something didn't come out now, there would be chaos!
However, this was what Li Shimin wanted.
Li Shimin closed the division table in his hand and rhythmically tapped on the table with his fingers.
"Wait a little longer!"
"Put the matter of the Bone-strengthening Powder aside for now. Send out all the people from the Ministry of Justice and keep a close eye on Chang 'an. Also …"
Li Shimin pondered for a moment before he said, "Immediately send a message and have people spread the news that I want to buy insects. Also, spread the news that locusts aren't pests. Right, Zhangsun, about the locusts being Bone Strengthening Powder, how's your arrangement going?"
"Replying to Your Majesty, I haven't told anyone yet. Once this matter is revealed, the secret of the Bone Strengthening Powder will no longer be a secret! That's why I didn't tell anyone about this! "
"Good! Then, don't tell anyone about this. If anyone does, they'll be beheaded! "
Zhangsun Wuji instantly understood what the Emperor meant.
He cupped his fists and left.
"…"
An hour later.
A rumor suddenly spread in Chang 'an City.
"His Majesty empathizes with the common people and is willing to open the national treasury and take out the silver to cure the plague of locusts!"
"One stone locust in exchange for Bai Wenqian!"
As soon as these two pieces of news came out, it instantly overshadowed the matter of the Bone-strengthening Powder.
After all, although the Bone-strengthening Powder was good, it was scarce!
Now, everyone relied on the heavens to make a living. These damned locusts had eaten up all the food they needed to feed their families. At this time, not to mention money, as long as they were given a bowl of porridge, the common people would be very willing to eliminate the locusts!
After all, the Emperor did this out of consideration for the common people.
Now, if anyone dared to sit on the ground and take a nap, they would be instantly drowned by the saliva of the locusts.
'You're shameless.'
'Now that the Tang Dynasty is in danger, the Emperor doesn't want anything and is freely giving out money just to eliminate the locusts and earn a living for us. Are you f * cking better off than the Emperor?'
'The men in Guanzhong are really brave.'
'Who can withstand this kind of provocation?'
After a while, all the common people with red eyes held carrying poles, hammers, and even dustpans. Moreover, there were old men who used bamboo strips to weave a circle and weaved spider webs from the corner of the house. Then, they stuck or tied the webs to a long bamboo pole or a long stick and set off.
Needless to say, this method was really useful.
As long as the webs were waved, they would be instantly covered in them.
They would knock against the bucket and fall down.
This was something that the Emperor wanted, so no one dared to be careless. If a locust or grasshopper got dirty, they would wipe it with their clothes. If anyone dared to be unclean, they would be stained with spider webs, and they would instantly be covered with spittle that should cover the ground.
Just like that.
From the common people to the servants of the rich families, and then to the rich families, no one could sit still.
Although everyone kept saying that they didn't want money, when their chests were bulging with copper coins or silver notes, everyone was laughing so hard that they couldn't even see their eyes.
How could those merchants who had been locked in their houses by the locusts sit still?
They were bare-chested and wearing their hair. They chanted songs and struck gongs in their yards, fields, and even on the streets of Chang 'an. Some rich people even took out nets used for fishing. Each of them held one end of the nets and then rode on the mules to run wildly in Chang' an.
When the crowd saw this, they were instantly stunned by the locusts that weighed hundreds or even thousands of pounds.
They also learned to run home after throwing away their things. 'No net?
What's the use of the mosquito net?
If it doesn't work, we can tie the pipes together with ropes and tie them to the bamboo poles. Won't that make a net? '
Now, after seeing what the Emperor did, those officials couldn't sit still.
They shouted with red eyes.
"Come on! Look at the people of Chang 'an who are so enthusiastic about catching locusts. Aren't you ashamed? Come on! Enclose this place for me. This place belongs to our mansion! "
"Come on! Since Lord Zhang dares to enclose this place, let's do it too! "
"The locusts on this hill belong to me!"
At this moment, Cheng Yaojin's wife leisurely carried a basket and stared at the crowd and shouted.
In an instant, all the officials touched their noses and left as if they had said nothing.
They dared to scold Cheng Yaojin, but they didn't dare to provoke this shrew.
…
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