It's summer, the sun is shining, the heat is rolling, and the cicadas are chirping. The trees inside and outside the capital of the Ming Dynasty seemed to be suffocated by the high temperature, and each one looked downcast.
The climate in recent years has become increasingly weird, with extremely cold winters and extremely hot summers. Last winter, the northern section of the canal was frozen for up to 100 days, and the commercial belt centered on the canal was shut down for more than three months. Merchants, farmers, and even some factories in the north complained endlessly because the rhythm of production and trade was disrupted.
In the south, there was a snowstorm even in the northern parts of Guangdong and Guangxi. Although it was not long-lasting, it was shocking enough and undoubtedly brought unprecedented trouble to the local area.
Now that summer has arrived, the whole country has immediately entered a state of scorching heat. In just over ten days, Gao pragmatically received emergency reports from 47 prefectures and 115 counties asking for drought assistance at the cabinet, and locust plagues broke out in some areas.
Floods and droughts often cannot be dealt with immediately, but rely more on the water conservancy system established in advance for adjustment. However, the Ming Dynasty was lackluster on this point. Large-scale water conservancy projects were basically nothing worth mentioning except for the management of the Yellow River. The management of the Yellow River was nothing more than the norm in China for thousands of years, and it cannot be said to be a merit.
It was not until a decade ago that Gao Pragmatic's status rose and he was able to promote some small and medium-sized water conservancy projects. His method is not difficult to say. The main thing is to add KPI items to Gao Gong's examination method that year - for example, including a certain number of new or renovated water conservancy projects built by local officials into the examination scope.
Of course, the level of construction or renovation and reinforcement must be double-checked by officials dispatched by the Ministry of Industry and local inspectors, and the Ministry of Housing and Urban-Rural Development may also conduct expenditure audits on some of these projects.
Today's Ming Dynasty's ability to cope with floods and droughts is much improved compared to ten years ago. However, due to the increasingly serious extreme weather anomalies, objectively speaking, these water conservancy facilities are only a drop in the bucket, and various constructions still have a long way to go. . At the moment, all Gao pragmatism can do is to work on issues such as disaster relief and immigration to avoid famine and civil unrest. Especially civil unrest.
Civil uprisings cannot solve any problems, they can only aggravate disasters and famines - people have gone to rebel, who will plant the land, and who will save the disasters? It is nothing more than wiping out a large number of people through war and "fundamentally" solving the problem of too many people, too little land, and insufficient output. But who is the damned person? Those ordinary people who were innocently involved in the war, especially the old, weak, women and children, should they die?
Therefore, relief and resettlement of refugees during disasters are regarded as the top priority of the court at the moment. As for the second priority, that is dealing with the locust plague.
Gao pragmatically has been busy with these two major events for several months, and even cares less about Japan, southern Xinjiang, and northwest affairs. In just half a month, Gao pragmatically presided over six disaster relief meetings, two of which were imperial meetings to discuss disaster relief methods.
There isn't much to say about the drought. It's all a set of systems. Gao pragmatically held meetings only to put the responsible persons in each region in place, and repeatedly ordered that their disaster relief tasks should be included in the examination. The emperor seemed to attach great importance to it because of his high pragmatism. He issued a strict order to the four local officials who failed to provide disaster relief. Two of them were sent to the Liaodong army and the other two were dismissed and "never used".
Next is the problem of locust plague. The locust plague not only threatened food production, but also posed a great threat to the imperial court. First of all, when locust disasters occur frequently, the court's tax revenue cannot be guaranteed; secondly, locust outbreaks can easily cause riots. Therefore, all dynasties have paid great attention to locust control and formulated many policies.
The earliest recorded locust plague in China may have been during the period of King You of Zhou Dynasty. The Book of Songs says, "The ancestors of Tian have gods who ride on the fire." It can be seen that the ancestors at that time already knew how to use fire to eliminate locusts.
However, agricultural society still has great limitations. Due to the low level of social production and people's limited understanding of the natural world, they deify disasters like locusts. For example, Confucius, Dong Zhongshu, Ban Gu and others all believed that the cause of the locust disaster was the ruler's bad government. They believed that the locust was a punishment from God to the ruler. They also firmly believed that the locust was a "divine insect" and could not be killed.
Under this kind of thinking, many people at that time adopted a negative attitude towards locusts and allowed them to eat their crops. In the early Tang Dynasty, there were few locust extermination campaigns organized by the government.
In the late Tang Dynasty, this idea gradually changed. During the reign of Emperor Xuanzong of the Tang Dynasty, a locust disaster broke out in Shandong. Prime Minister Yao Chong advocated the eradication of locusts. Although many people opposed it, it was eventually implemented. Finally, the locust disaster in Shandong was brought under control. After that, the imperial court also set up special "locust catchers" to control locust control work across the country.
Since then, the management of locust disasters in ancient Chinese society has entered a new stage, and rulers in the past dynasties have introduced many policies. At this time, Gao Pragmatic held consecutive meetings to summarize various experiences and methods for controlling locust plagues, print them out, and guide local governments in their management.
According to the results agreed upon at the last Royal Council, the cabinet issued the following guidance in response to the current severe locust plague:
First, the reward system was improved to encourage people to catch locusts. For example, the imperial court stipulated that anyone who caught a fight of locusts would be given fifty coins; anyone who caught more locusts would be rewarded with a small Ming Fed banknote at a discount.
At the same time, in view of the characteristics of China's clan society since ancient times and the special national conditions of "the imperial power does not extend to the counties", the cabinet specially stipulated that those who actively organize private collective locust hunting reaching a certain number will be given a third-class honor in addition to monetary rewards. Jue - refers to the recommendation by the local government, inspection by the censor, and submission to the cabinet. The cabinet will then vote and submit it to the emperor. Those who pass will be awarded "honor".
Honorable Mention, this is a new system proposed by Gao Pragmatic more than half a year ago. It is a kind of praise for local good gentry. It is mainly honorary, but of course it also has certain benefits. According to Gao’s pragmatic proposal, the system is roughly as follows:
The first class is given an honorary title and is called a knight. It is allowed to have superior clothes, superior door lintels, superior vehicle driving, and is allowed to build a memorial arch of its own. People below the third rank will not be worshiped by officials. If there are lawsuits and other matters, the yamen must Accepted immediately. This honorary title is not a royal title, has no rank, cannot be inherited, transferred, sold, etc., and will be extinguished upon death;
The second level is to give the name of a wise man from a certain government, such as a certain so-and-so Magi from Hangzhou. Those of fifth rank and below are not allowed to see officials without worship. If there are lawsuits and other matters, the Yamen must accept them immediately. This honorary title is valid for ten years and cannot be transferred, sold, etc., and will be extinguished upon death;
The third level is to give the name of a good gentry of a certain county, such as a good gentry of Qiantang, and allow those of seventh rank and below to see an official without worship. If there are lawsuits and other matters, the Yamen must accept them immediately. This name is valid for five years and cannot be transferred, sold, etc., and will be extinguished upon death.
Since this honorary title system was proposed by Gao Pragmatic, the emperor has agreed, and not many courtiers have objections to it - after all, Gao Yuanfu said that honorary titles are not full titles, nor can they be hereditary, and even second- and third-class honors are not allowed. The jue still has years left, and although he is given some preferential treatment such as clothes, door lintels, driving, and refusing to pay homage to officials, they are still within the range that everyone can tolerate.
Of course, the more critical and fundamental reason is that, who among them officials are not gentry in their own places? Even if you can get a gold medal in high school, you may have the support of local celebrities and gentry behind you. So it is an honor to be an official now, but wouldn't it be good if you can also get an honorary title for your relatives and friends?
Although the imperial court requires these people to have recognized "righteous deeds" and will send patrols and other inspections, this kind of thing can still be solved easily - for example, I can build a road or dig a canal in my hometown, and it doesn't cost much money. , maybe you can get an honorary title, why not?
Now, in order to deal with the locust plague, Gao Pragmatic implemented the honorary system for the first time. Unexpectedly, it was praised by the whole court, which surprised him. I can only say that it is really good to be a gentry in the Ming Dynasty. These guys really have "spare money" in their hands, and they don't mind spending some spare money to buy honor. This is a bad idea. If I had known this, I should have suggested it thirty years ago. Implemented.
Returning to the locust plague issue, there are penalties in addition to rewards. Therefore, the cabinet also formulated relevant locust catching laws to punish local officials who fail to control the locust plague. For example, if local officials encounter a locust disaster and fail to take measures as soon as possible, they will be divided into four levels of punishment: first-level banishment to the frontier fortress; second-level dismissal from post pending investigation; third-level crown belt and idle residence; and fourth-level examination downgrade.
Of course, these are all principles. Specific details have been issued by the cabinet in an official letter, and local governments at all levels must implement them according to the regulations.
As for the third, it is to carry out publicity and agitation work to control the locust plague. The cabinet printed and distributed many pamphlets on locust control as quickly as possible and distributed them widely.
Part of the content in these booklets was summarized by officials based on experience, and part was added by Gao Pragmatic based on his understanding in later generations.
After all, he had worked as a grassroots cadre in his previous life. Although he did not have a deep understanding of the locust problem, he had some knowledge. According to research, there are three main conditions for locust breeding. First, there must be large areas of wasteland; secondly, there must be gaps in the land; and finally, there must be sparse vegetation coverage.
From these three conditions, it can be seen that whether the water level is stable is a key factor affecting the locust disaster. When the water level is stable, a large number of wastelands will appear, prompting locusts to lay eggs, causing a locust disaster.
Therefore, the most fundamental reason for the locust plague outbreak is the deterioration of the ecological environment. For example, with the development of ancient society, the ecological environment of the Huanghuaihai Plain gradually shrank.
After the Sui and Tang Dynasties, the canyons in the middle reaches of the Yellow River were heavily reclaimed, resulting in serious water and soil erosion, which directly affected the safety of the lower reaches of the Yellow River. So far, the natural balance in northern my country has been seriously damaged, and climate disasters have become frequent.
By the Northern Song Dynasty, the Huanghuaihai Plain had lost its past status as an economic center, and at the same time, locust plagues became increasingly frequent. Locust control technology has been developed and improved over a long period of time, and people's understanding of locust disasters has gradually deepened. On this basis, many locust control technologies have been created.
Based on the summary, the cabinet provided the following suggestions in a booklet on controlling the locust plague, for local governments and officials to choose according to the actual local conditions:
First, artificial control is the oldest and most common method. For example, using the laser power of locusts to burn them out with fire. It is recorded in "The Book of Songs" that "Set a fire in the night and dig a pit beside the fire." This is the oldest method. With the development of the times, this method has gradually been perfected. By the Ming and Qing Dynasties, it had become a popular method all over the country. The most important method to control locust plague. Since locust control is needed at this time, the cabinet will of course follow the instructions and provide detailed guidance.
Second, control is carried out in stages according to the evolution process of locusts. For example, ditches are dug to trap locust larvae to kill locusts. This insect cannot fly before it emerges, so they are driven into ditches and buried with soil. Based on Gao's pragmatic introduction, the cabinet recommended that each locality form a team of fifty people, with one person playing the drum, and the others following closely with brooms, shovels, etc., to drive the locusts into the ditch.
Third, use special equipment for beating. This method is relatively simple and the effect is relatively limited. However, with continuous development, various forms were formed in the original history during the Tatar and Qing Dynasties. The main one is the cloth-wrapped type, which uses a piece of coarse cloth one foot wide and 1.2 feet wide, with two ends at each end. Set a wooden pole inserted into the soil, and when the locusts come, drop the cloth in front of you to trap the locusts in the cloth. Now that Gao Pragmatic has announced and implemented it in advance, he can do something to eliminate locusts.
Fourth, dig up locust eggs. During the Tang Dynasty and the Five Dynasties, people realized that eliminating insect eggs could reduce the occurrence of locust disasters, so this work was promoted and implemented. The main content of this method is to look for small holes like honeycombs in the field, dig them up with a shovel, check whether there are locust eggs, and if so, burn them with fire.
Fifth, agricultural control methods are also the most important method. This is a method provided by a Shaanxi official from the capital. He said that people in his hometown would first perform special treatments on grain seeds, such as mixing horse bones, aconite, silkworm feces and other weakly toxic things with the seeds, and then Farm again to avoid locust disasters.
This method is highly pragmatic and completely unknown. Therefore, when writing the booklet, it was emphasized that local conditions should be adapted to local conditions. It is best to have experience in using this method.
In addition to the above, there are many more pragmatic methods that are not clear whether they are useful, but they all "provide suggestions" according to the above method, including:
For example, sow seeds at a time when locusts are more likely to occur. Summarizing the experience of growing crops in Henan, some officials believe that planting rice in winter will allow the crops to mature during the slight summer heat in the ground, thus avoiding locust disasters. This is too late this year and is only included in the booklet for follow-up. refer to.
Such as plowing to eliminate locust plagues. Some officials believe that plowing the ground in autumn can bury Yang Qi in the soil, which can kill locust eggs - in fact, Xu Guangqi later thought so. Of course, Gao Pragmatic believes that the problem is not about "yang energy". The method should be to kill insect eggs in advance by changing the soil temperature.
Another example is to avoid locusts by planting crops that locusts don’t like to eat, such as soybeans, mung beans, black beans, sesame, cotton, buckwheat, etc. This article can only be used as a suggestion, because the cultivation of staple food cannot be changed at will.
Another example is biological control. That is to use the laws of the natural food chain to suppress and eliminate pests, such as protecting beneficial birds that feed on locusts, and encouraging the raising of domestic chickens and ducks.
In addition, there are some "technical" ones. For example, a Hubei official introduced to Gao pragmatic a method of treating locusts with pox poison. This person said that there was a method in Hubei, which was to pierce holes in the bodies of captured locusts and apply pox pulp on them, and then release them, so that the infection would spread among the locusts.
Gao Pragmatic was shocked and relieved after hearing this. This may be a precedent for controlling locusts due to COVID-19. The wisdom of working people is sometimes like a miracle.
Some officials also introduced some chemical methods to remove locusts. To put it simply, it uses minerals and oily compounds, or poisonous smoke to control locusts.
For example, lime and straw ash are used for control, that is, crushing plant ash and lime into fine powder and spreading it on the grain, so that locusts will not eat the crops.
There are also oil compounds used to repel locusts. Oil and water are mixed together and sprinkled on the branches and leaves of crops. Locusts will not eat the oil-covered crops.
There is also smoke to drive away locusts. This method is to use wooden poles, straw poles and other objects to ignite thick smoke, and use the harmful substances in the smoke to drive away locusts.
On this day of the Wenhua Conference - that is, after the imperial meeting, Gao Pragmatic was very tired and was about to bid farewell to the emperor with other officials, but unexpectedly the emperor kept him behind.
"Officials, please go on your own. Yuan Fu, please stay. I still have something to discuss with Aiqing."
Gao Pingshi didn't know what was going on, but he could only bow slightly and said: "I obey the order."
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Thanks to book friend "Yun Fu Yu Yu" for your monthly ticket support, thank you!
PS: The content before the Japanese war has come to an end for now. There will be one or two chapters inside the imperial court, and then it will turn to the plot of southern Xinjiang.
(End of chapter)
