Now there are signs of locusts in several cities across Qingzhou. Yu Ruhai wrote this letter to tell Zhao Feng about this and let Zhao Feng think of a way.
These locusts have now grown to almost the same size, but they have not yet taken flight. Once the wings of these locusts harden and they are able to fly, they will not be able to be cured even if they want to!
Zhao Feng took a deep breath and asked the newly appointed Li Kuan.
"How much money does our city have now?"
Official Li thought for a moment: "Sir, we still have thirty thousand taels of silver in our treasury!"
Zhao Feng nodded slightly. Before it was time to collect taxes, there was already a surplus of thirty thousand taels of silver in the treasury. This was also his confidence.
Looking at the few locusts on the table, if there is a locust plague in the entire Qingzhou, then it cannot be allowed to spread to other places.
The people of Qingzhou are really in trouble. There was a severe drought just last year. Only here in Huaigu Fucheng, because of the water tanker built by Zhao Feng, the disaster was relatively mild.
But due to drought throughout Qingzhou, many people were affected.
Originally, Zhao Feng wanted to exempt these people from taxes this year and make them richer, but then these hateful locusts appeared!
Zhao Feng took a deep breath and suddenly remembered something.
"By the way, I have an idea!"
Everyone else looked at Zhao Feng expectantly, but Zhao Feng said directly to Li Kuguan.
"Take out all our thirty thousand taels of silver and buy chickens, ducks and geese in large quantities!"
"Now the price of chickens, ducks and geese should be between 30 and 50 taels of silver. All 30,000 taels of silver are used to buy these things!"
Those people looked at Zhao Feng in disbelief and asked in confusion.
"Sir, if we don't think about how to control these locusts now, why do we buy so many poultry?"
"Yes, is it possible that that person wants to distribute these poultry to those people to help them survive the disaster years?"
Zhao Feng smiled slightly and said directly.
"It is indeed distributed to these people, but not for them to slaughter for meat."
"Do it right away. I don't have time to explain to you now. If you do it late, it will be too late!"
The officials all looked at Zhao Feng in confusion, but thinking of the things Zhao Feng had done before, they felt that what Zhao Feng said made sense.
But spending all the money in the treasury to buy chickens, ducks and geese is too much, right?
After the officials left, Liu Wei asked Zhao Feng with some confusion.
"Sir, why do you want to buy these chickens, ducks and geese? Aren't we trying to control locusts?"
Zhao Feng nodded, took out a pen and paper, and while writing a reply to Yu Ruhai, he said to Liu Wei without raising his head.
"These chickens, ducks and geese are used to control these locusts."
"This matter is more complicated to talk to you. I will talk to you later when I have time."
Zhao Feng was thinking in his mind while writing his reply.
Because locusts are highly resistant to drug resistance and even mutate genes very quickly, how to control locusts was also a problem in previous lives.
Even when these locusts have not grown up, they can be controlled by spraying pesticides, but once a locust plague occurs, even pesticides are not very effective against these locusts.
But those people in the previous life came up with a very unique way.
That is to use these chickens, ducks and geese to control these locusts!
The best effect is especially when these locusts have not yet formed a locust plague and have not grown into adults!
Those chickens, ducks and geese are scattered on the fields, and they will specially select those locusts to eat. These chickens, ducks and geese can also lay eggs, and the eggs they lay can just supplement the nutrition of these people.
But if you want to use this method to control locusts, you must have a high density of chickens, ducks and geese. There must be at least several hundred on an acre of field.
If a locust plague occurs, the number of chickens, ducks and geese will be too small, and there will be no way to eat these locusts.
That's why Zhao Feng couldn't wait to spend 30,000 taels of silver to buy chickens, ducks and geese.
In addition to using chickens, ducks and geese to control locusts, there is another way, which is to plant some trees that are toxic to locusts.
It's just that this method is too late for Zhao Feng and the others. There is no good transplantation technology in this era. Even if there is, mobilizing those trees is much slower than mobilizing these chickens, ducks and geese.
With this thought, Zhao Feng wrote the letter directly and had people rush to deliver it to Yu Ruhai's hands.
The content of the letter also asked Yu Ruhai to notify various prefectures and cities, asking them to use the money in the treasury to buy chickens, ducks and geese.
No matter how poor each city is, they will at least have some money. If the people are asked to buy these chickens, ducks and geese, they will definitely not have that much money to buy, and the effect of governance will be average.
Only by asking the government to come forward can we purchase large quantities of chickens, ducks and geese, but then another problem arises.
When Yu Ruhai saw the locusts appearing, he was very anxious, so he quickly wrote a letter and wanted to ask Zhao Feng for advice.
Unexpectedly, he received a reply from Zhao Feng very quickly, but when he saw the content of the letter, Yu Ruhai couldn't help being stunned.
"Are you actually asking every city to use all the money in its treasury to buy these chickens, ducks and geese?"
"What kind of solution is this?"
Yu Ruhai frowned. Having been an official for many years, he quickly saw the flaws in this approach.
Even if these chickens, ducks and geese can really control the locusts, I'm afraid the prefects are not willing to do so.
They finally collected the money and took it into their hands. If they bought these chickens, ducks and geese and distributed them to the people, wouldn't they be unable to complete the court's taxation tasks this year?
Although if a locust plague occurs in the place you govern, you will also be punished by the court, but this is a natural disaster after all, and the court's punishment is nothing more than a fine.
But if he fails to complete the tax collection tasks of the court, it means that his official position is very problematic, and it is very likely that they will be demoted!
Just as Yu Ruhai was thinking this, he didn't expect that Zhao Feng's second letter would be delivered to him again.
After seeing the content of Zhao Feng's second letter, Yu Ruhai was overjoyed and couldn't help but sigh.
"As expected of Mr. Zhao!"
"You have thought about human nature so thoroughly. If you follow this method, there should be no problems!"
Afterwards, Yu Ruhai directly issued an order for each city to act according to the method given by Zhao Feng.
Zhao Feng himself also encountered some obstacles, mainly that official Li Ku.
