Under Xu Fenglei's deliberate organization, the people were divided into two groups.
Most people choose to go out to pick up locusts, especially the lively and active children. They rush to the fields as fast as they fly. If they don’t pick up a locust, they feel like they have found a treasure!
Just picking up a few is enough to feed the family for a day!
Some clever ones had already changed their positions and chased the locusts in the direction they fled.
So many people picked it up? How many can you pick up? The rolls are all rolled to death!
It's better to go find the source of locusts, catch them in a sack, and get rich today!
It was also from this day on that the people of Chang'an became passionate about catching locusts. In this land, grasshoppers and locusts were almost wiped out!
At the same time, black smoke billowed from the city gate.
A dozen iron pots of different shapes were propped up, with rapeseed oil boiling inside.
Li Chengqian took charge alone, stirring the hot oil and pouring the washed locusts into it.
Tsk!
Tsk!
As the hot oil rolled, the surface of the locusts became more and more golden and translucent. Several dark-skinned children stared at the oil pan intently, their saliva dripping all over the floor.
"Get out of the pot!"
He shouted, pricked the locusts with bamboo sticks, sprinkled a few grains of salt on them, and handed them out.
"Here, while it's still hot!"
The children's eyes lit up, and they stretched out their hands to grab the fried and crispy locusts, regardless of whether they were hot or not.
"Crack!"
"Give it to me! Boom!"
"You're going to die! Take such a big bite, I can't even eat it..."
"You can buy it after you finish eating. Anyway, let's pick up a basket, pick up three and eat one, huh..."
"Don't be greedy, I still want to subsidize my mother's family..."
The children got into a fuss. Although there were quarrels, there were more laughter and the satisfaction of eating delicious food.
Seeing them laughing, Li Chengqian also smiled.
The sun is warm and it's very lively here.
He liked this kind of atmosphere very much. This kind of human fireworks could never be felt in the inner garden of the palace.
Like him, Li Ke and Li Tai were holding a pot alone, frying delicacies for the diners, while Li Qingquan and Li Lizhi were helping to collect firewood and clean the locusts.
In Master’s words, this is called social practice!
Wow!
Wow!
Basket after basket of locusts were brought back by the common people, and the diners who tried new things and followed the trend were not only the emperor and ministers, but also all kinds of people in Chang'an City.
"Give me a bunch too!"
"I want it too, this one is shiny and looks delicious!"
"Let's bring a bunch for the baby at home..."
The sound of jingling copper coins is endless!
A simple "market" just works on its own.
In the next period of time, the fried stalls at the entrance to Chang'an City will surely become a beautiful sight.
"Your Majesty, look at how lively it is. It's like going to a temple fair."
Changsun Wuji pointed at the flow of people coming and going and said with a smile,
"The people are very happy."
Li Shimin stroked his beard gently, feeling relieved.
"Okay, okay, all I want is for them to be happy! I don't want to experience that scene where thousands of people knelt down and tens of thousands of people begged for help."
He sighed,
"When the people are happy, it will be easier for us to govern the country!"
"In the past, when floods were raging, Dayu dredged the sky and sewers, turning the disaster into a good thing and benefiting the people all over the world!"
"Hearing Ming, this trick can also turn corruption into magic and reverse disasters. It is somewhat the same as Dayu's flood control. It should be recorded in the annals of history and serve as a model for future generations!"
When all the ministers heard this, they were both shocked and convinced.
Although the emperor's praise was a bit too much, he even compared Xu Fenglei to Dayu!
But there are indeed things in common between the two...
"Your Majesty, in my opinion, why not make today a holiday and call it the Locust Extermination Festival?"
Du Ruhui suggested,
"On this day every year, people can come out to play, catch locusts, fry locusts and eat locusts. It's a lively and lively event!"
"In this way, by turning the locusts into delicacies and profitable things, everyone will definitely rush to catch them. Perhaps to a certain extent, the locust plague can also be alleviated."
Li Shimin's eyes lit up when he heard this.
"It makes sense as Hui said."
Xu Fenglei interjected,
"Insects such as locusts, cicadas, cicada pupae, etc. are all delicious fried foods. They taste crunchy and fragrant! And their nutritional value is also very rich, seven times that of beef and mutton!"
"A locust alone may be a bit weak, but adding all these insects to create an insect feast may really become a feature of Chang'an thousands of years later!"
"And people's large-scale consumption will definitely reduce the number of grasshoppers in the fields, and locust infestations will never happen again. This is definitely the fundamental means of prevention and control!"
He understands Chinese people very well.
As long as something is on our diet, let alone locusts, even invasive species will be eaten and exterminated by you!
No joke!
"Wonderful, wonderful!"
Li Shimin laughed, waved his hand and said,
"That's right!"
"If there is no grand event in the hot summer, let's organize a Locust Extermination Festival and hold a Locust Eating Conference!"
"Every year from now on, I will attend, have fun with the people, and fight the locusts together!"
Since then, there has been a strange festival in the Tang Dynasty.
Every year on this day, the emperor and the people have fun together, eating all kinds of strange insects...
"Such a magnificent scene should be a painting!"
Yan Liben looked at the people coming and going in front of him and could clearly feel their high spirits.
It was completely different from what it looked like just now!
And this magical change was brought about by Xu Gong.
He felt that he should not just paint for the emperor, but also paint for Xu Fenglei!
"Um?"
Li Shimin's ears twitched slightly and he noticed the two people at the corner of the city wall.
When I saw the drawing boards standing in front of them and the brushes in their hands, I couldn't help but raise my eyebrows.
"Yan Lide? Yan Liben?"
He walked forward slowly and asked,
"You two brothers are...painting here?"
The two brothers were shocked and quickly stepped out of the queue to salute.
"Greetings to Your Majesty."
The two of them spoke in unison, and then Yan Lide responded respectfully,
"Your Majesty's heroic act of killing locusts is a pity if it is not recorded and praised by future generations."
"Therefore, I and my younger brother are here to paint for Your Majesty, following the orders of Duke Xu."
The corners of Li Shimin's mouth raised slightly.
"oh?"
He turned to look at Xu Fenglei, a little surprised and a little surprised, and said,
"Listen Ming, did you arrange it?"
Xu Fenglei nodded.
"It is important to do practical things, but publicity should not be left behind. Otherwise, if you have done thousands of good deeds and no one knows about them, what is the use?"
He smiled and said,
"I ordered the two of them to paint to record His Majesty's style. Whether it is for publicity in the future or passed down to future generations for future generations to observe and admire, it will be a good thing."
Li Shimin's grin widened, and his smile was extremely bright.
Good boy, you are on the right track!
This wave of flattery shots, the shots taken of him are really comfortable and beautiful!
The previous chapter was wrong, it should have been 340, this chapter is 341
(End of chapter)
