Chapter 12: Extinguishing the Locust Plague

Chapter 12: Quelling the Locust Plague

“Prince Yue, I’ve come... I’ve come...” Zhao Yuan-kai, having received the news of the locust outbreak at the Ministry of Agriculture, nearly immediately mounted his horse and hurried to the duck farm managed by Li Tai, bursting through the gate, gasping for breath.

“Slow down, Deputy Minister Zhao,” Qin Zhong, the farm manager, came out to meet him and asked, “What’s the matter? Why the rush?”

“Where is Prince Yue?” Zhao Yuan-kai inquired.

“He’s inside,” Qin Zhong promptly replied. “Master Yan is teaching.”

Zhao Yuan-kai took a few deep breaths to steady himself and said, “I must report this emergency.”

Without further ado, he strode toward the main hall, only to be stopped by Bai He and Lu Anshou, who stood as usual at the doorway. Zhao Yuan-kai stepped forward, clasped his hands in greeting, bowed slightly, and said, “Locusts have appeared in the fields. I need to requisition ducks from Prince Yue to combat the plague.”

Upon hearing this, Bai He nodded. “Prince Yue has already given instructions: if ducks are needed for locust control, go directly to Master Ma Zhou in the main hall. The Prince has entrusted everything to Ma Zhou; he is most familiar with the duck herders.”

“Thank you, Lady Bai He,” Zhao Yuan-kai was momentarily taken aback by her words, then asked, “Will Prince Yue not go himself?”

“Prince Yue is still teaching. For him, that is the utmost priority,” Bai He answered.

Hearing this, Zhao Yuan-kai said no more, bowed again, and hurried toward the main hall.

As Zhao Yuan-kai departed, Yan Qinli tightened his grip on the book in his hand and glanced at Li Tai with some puzzlement.

“The King has been busy organizing the anti-locust efforts for quite some time, yet he still has patience to study ‘Records of the Grand Historian’ with me?”

“Master Yan, to say I’m not worried would be a lie,” Li Tai said calmly, “but as you know, I’ve been busy all along and done what ought to be done. It’s like a scholar preparing for the imperial exams—having studied diligently, there’s no need to pull an all-nighter before the test. Just keep to the usual routine.”

“Even so, won’t His Highness personally oversee the anti-locust campaign?” Yan Qinli asked seriously, book in hand.

“Ma Zhou is thorough and competent, and Zhao Yuan-kai is resourceful. When it comes to practical matters, they are far more capable than I am. If I were to take direct control, I fear I might only hinder the effort. So it’s better to let those two handle it. Of course, if something goes wrong, it will be my failure for not being on the front lines—that responsibility I bear,” Li Tai said.

Yan Qinli’s grip on the book tightened, his gaze sharpening as he looked at Li Tai. Seeing Li Tai remain composed, he calmly opened the book. “Let us continue with the ‘House of Liu Hou’.”

With that, the lesson resumed.

When Ma Zhou saw Zhao Yuan-kai arrive to coordinate the ducks, he glanced toward Li Tai’s direction.

Although Li Tai had entrusted him with this matter, Ma Zhou still felt grateful for the confidence placed in him when the responsibility truly fell upon his shoulders.

He bowed toward Li Tai, then decisively followed Zhao Yuan-kai to join the anti-locust campaign.

“What should we do now?” Zhao Yuan-kai asked Ma Zhou, a hint of confusion in his voice.

Although it was always said that ducks could control locusts, seeing the vast swarms covering the hills left Zhao Yuan-kai somewhat unsettled.

After all, the Ministry of Agriculture could not afford another failure, and he did not want to be the cause.

“Bai Qu!” Ma Zhou said calmly, addressing the Ministry officials. “Our target is here!”

Zhao Yuan-kai was momentarily taken aback but, after a moment’s thought, said, “Bai Qu? That area has been abandoned for years. Several waves of ducks have already eaten the overgrown weeds there.”

Ma Zhou explained, “The fields near Bai Qu have become overgrown because no one has been organized to clear the irrigation ditches. The channels are now clogged, and the once fertile lands have naturally fallen into disuse. Yet the vegetation is lush, and since the Ministry has not mobilized labor to till these fields, both Prince Yue and I believe this vast area around the Zhengguo and Bai canals is a prime breeding ground for locusts.”

Perhaps because Li Shimin’s campaign against the other lords had been so swift and thorough, much of the Guanzhong region remained undeveloped, with the other lords eliminated. As a result, the lands around Zhengguo and Bai canals were not fully cultivated.

As Chang’an’s population gradually increased, this area was developed to the point that the Wei River even ran dry, making it impossible for Guanzhong to support a city of a million. Even if they wished to develop the region further, it was beyond their means.

Of course, during the Zhenguan era, such worries were premature. Any concerns would only arise after the era ended.

Hearing Ma Zhou’s analysis, Zhao Yuan-kai nodded and asked, “So we only need to manage this area? What about elsewhere?”

Ma Zhou replied, “At the temple fair, we recruited people from surrounding villages and distributed between five hundred and a thousand ducks to each. We also spread word throughout Chang’an for households to raise ducklings; most well-off families with fields have one or two ducks.”

“This ensures that scattered locusts around Chang’an and its nearby villages can be dealt with promptly.”

“Now, we must take these large numbers of ducks into the relatively flat wildlands and sweep them thoroughly, so the locusts never gain the strength to take flight. At least this year, Guanzhong will be free of swarming locusts.”

Zhao Yuan-kai breathed a sigh of relief at Ma Zhou’s words. No matter what, everyone had prepared extensively for this day.

Soon, under Ma Zhou’s leadership, the duck herders drove their flocks toward Bai Qu.

Only then did Zhao Yuan-kai realize that Li Tai and the others were not far from Bai Qu.

He was unsure whether Ma Zhou had deliberately chosen this route, but the journey was remarkably smooth.

Upon reaching Bai Qu, Ma Zhou raised his hand and ordered the duck herders, “Release the ducks!”

The herders cracked their whips, driving the ducks onto the abandoned lands of Bai Qu. The ducks quacked continuously—a sound tiring to humans but serving as a death knell to the locusts.

The ducks flooded into the fields, startling countless locusts.

The locusts had just appeared when several duck bills snapped them up, each opening like a gaping maw, as ruthless as a hunger-driven beast.

Watching the locusts leap and dodge only to be swallowed, Zhao Yuan-kai clenched his fists.

Frankly, what had once been a terrifying swarm now seemed fragile before the ducks’ ravenous beaks. It was hard to imagine these insects had once brought despair to all the people of Guanzhong.

“Is this considered exterminating the locusts?” Zhao Yuan-kai asked eagerly.

“This is only today’s progress,” Ma Zhou said calmly. “We must clear the entire area around the Zheng and Bai canals. Once the locusts here are eliminated, the plague across Guanzhong should no longer reach swarming proportions.”

“As for stragglers, the village duck herders and family-raised ducks will handle them. There may still be isolated locusts, but they won’t amount to a disaster.”

“Commander Ma, your leadership is steady—you truly have the bearing of a great general!” Zhao Yuan-kai praised, extending his hand flatteringly.

“Prince Yue has arranged everything meticulously; I’m just doing some hard work. It’s nothing,” Ma Zhou replied, shaking his head as he watched the ducks sweep the fields. Then he commanded loudly:

“Starting with Pen One, establish duck enclosures here. Leave two herders and five hundred ducks to prevent locusts from returning. Everyone else, rest tonight. Tomorrow, we continue the sweep!”

“This will be hard work from now on. Deputy Minister Zhao, are you sure you want to stay on?”

“Stay,” Zhao Yuan-kai gritted his teeth and chose to follow.

He felt it would be too difficult to reclaim his former position at the Ministry of Agriculture on his own.

By chance, he had aligned himself with Prince Yue, who might someday become the emperor!

After all, with the precedent of the mysterious Xuanwu Gate Incident, who could say Li Tai would not ascend to the throne?

The Prince was only eight years old but already capable—imagine once he reached adulthood!

No matter what, Zhao Yuan-kai was not about to let go of this powerful ally.

Meanwhile, Ma Zhou was responsible for shepherding the ducks in the fields to clear wild locusts, while Dou Jing organized Ministry staff and local families to combat locusts in the cultivated fields.

Untilled fields were simple: releasing ducks turned the land into a buffet for them.

But once crops had been sown, managing locusts in the fields became much trickier.

One slip, and damaging the seedlings could lead to devastating losses.

At such times, even commoners were organized by the Ministry to drive away locusts. Where ducks were available, they flooded the fields, overwhelming the insects. Without ducks, villagers kept watch at night, lighting controlled fires to prevent locusts from swarming, careful not to burn the nearby forests.

The anti-locust campaign lasted from mid-July until late August. By then, finding locusts near Chang’an became truly difficult.

The ducks grew fat and round; even when children chased them, flapping their wings, they could no longer take flight.

“Qingque, you performed admirably during this locust plague!” Li Shimin patted Li Tai’s shoulder in praise.

Li Tai replied earnestly, “I only made the plans; the real hard work was done by those carrying them out. During the worst days of the locust outbreak, I was just studying with Master Yan. Honestly, I was the most leisurely of all.”

“No need to be modest. Without your plans and proposals, could they have succeeded?” Li Shimin patted Li Tai’s small shoulder. “You helped your father greatly this time. You should ask for something—I’ll make it happen for you.”

“Anything?” Li Tai’s eyes widened.

“You, as a prince, have the king’s authority,” Li Shimin said confidently.

His confidence stemmed from having read Li Tai’s diary beforehand, knowing exactly what the boy desired.

Thus, he was unafraid of unreasonable requests. If Li Tai’s wishes differed from his diary, there would be no need to read it again.

“I want to establish an agricultural academy to teach farmers,” Li Tai said earnestly.

“An agricultural academy… That’s no small feat,” Li Shimin’s expression darkened slightly.

“Eh?” Li Tai was surprised.

Li Shimin’s face grew stern. “An agricultural academy requires grain, teachers, textbooks, even land. Do you truly understand what you’re taking on, Qingque?”

“I just believe the people should never lack a year’s supply of food,” Li Tai said. “After a single locust plague, many starved near Chang’an. As a member of the Tang imperial family, I must find a way to feed the people.”

“Qingque…” Li Shimin saw in him a reflection of his younger self.

His own dream had been to bring peace and aid to the people, while Qingque’s was to ensure everyone had enough to eat.

“Father, I know this is difficult, but I want to try—to walk a path no one else has taken,” Li Tai said seriously.

Such determination left Li Shimin unable to refuse.

“Do you know where the funds and grain will come from?” Li Shimin asked gently.

“I have some savings from the Prince’s household,” Li Tai replied. “I want to start with those.”

“What about the duck farm and the two small coal mines? What are your plans for them?” Li Shimin asked.

Li Tai’s face grew flushed with nervousness under the king’s gaze.

Slowly, he said, “I want to secretly use their profits to support the agricultural academy.”

“Why secretly?” Li Shimin nodded approvingly upon hearing the truth.

As the diary had indicated, this young man planned to use the duck farm and coal mines’ revenue for the academy’s construction.

Li Tai lowered his head, guilt apparent. “These are state assets; I cannot reallocate them without permission. While the academy is my dream, technically it’s just a private school. Embezzlement is not fitting of a gentleman.”

“Then allocate one hundred thousand ducks to the Directorate of Animal Husbandry, and return the personnel they requisitioned. The remaining coal mines and duck farm will be transferred under your name,” Li Shimin said, patting Li Tai’s shoulder. “Qingque, you have a noble goal. Your dedication to agriculture is commendable. I will grant you a thousand acres of good land to sustain the academy.”

“Thank you, Father!” Li Tai expressed his gratitude.

Then he dared to ask, “Father, may I request some policies?”

“Policies?” Li Shimin asked. “What kind?”

“For example, I want to hire displaced people to build the school and select some older children among them to enroll,” Li Tai said.

Li Shimin frowned slightly but finally said, “Proceed as you will. As long as no major problems arise, we can discuss everything else later.”

(End of Chapter)