A husband found in the village? I bought a regent for a penny!

Gu Xixi never meddled in other people's business.

But locusts are the common enemy of all farmers.

Now that she has discovered the insect eggs, she cannot simply stand by and do nothing.

Gu Xixi said solemnly, "It's almost April now. From what I can see, those insect eggs will hatch into larvae in as little as seven or eight days, and then grow into nymphs in another month. During this period, they can only harm the crops in their vicinity."

"Around June, they emerge from their molts and grow wings, allowing them to go wherever they want. They migrate with the grain swarms, which is what you know as the locust plague."

"Therefore, to curb the locust plague, we must take action in advance. Killing them from the egg stage is the simplest, most effective, and least costly method."

He Jinglan said anxiously, "There are only seven or eight days left, brother. We don't have much time left. You have to make a decision right away!"

He Jinghui pondered, "But what can we do? According to past records, the method is to burn the fields where locusts were first discovered, but according to the records I have seen, it has had very little effect."

"In the end, not only did it fail to stop the locust plague, but the burning of fields also caused public resentment early on."

He Jinghui was not entirely unprepared for his appointment as Minister of Revenue.

He began to study these subjects very early on, borrowing and reading various records from the Ministry of Revenue over the years.

The best way to deal with locusts is to say that "doing it is the same as not doing it."

Gu Xixi looked at He Jinghui with selfless and fearless eyes, "I have a way, as long as Lord He agrees to eradicate the locusts."

He Jinghui waved his hand with a wry smile, subconsciously saying, "This isn't a matter of whether I agree or not."

"If I could wipe out these scourges, I'd definitely be the first one to run, but..."

He suddenly realized something and said incredulously, "Mr. Gu, are you saying... does that mean you already have a solution?"

He Jinglan couldn't help but roll her eyes.

"Brother, what's wrong with you today? I don't even need to think to know. Xixi mentioned it, so she must have a plan!"

"With you still dawdling, everyone will think you're afraid to take responsibility and unwilling to do it."

Mu Nanzhao also glanced at He Jinghui teasingly.

He Jinghui gave an awkward smile, "I thought... Mr. Gu was already quite remarkable for being so good at farming, but I didn't expect you to also know how to exterminate locusts."

"I... I didn't even think about it that way."

No wonder Mu Nanzhao asked him to inquire with Boss Gu; everyone present was more familiar with Gu Xixi than he was.

However, in his anxiety, he couldn't quite grasp this point.

He Jinghui straightened his face and said solemnly, "The rise and fall of the nation, and the peace and tranquility of the people, depend on food. How could I be afraid of taking responsibility? As long as there is a way, I will do anything!"

Gu Xixi didn't waste any words. "Use the Ministry of Revenue to allocate manpower and issue a public notice to mobilize all farmers to cooperate with the court in fighting the locusts."

"This method might be worth a try."

He Jinghui listened attentively and nodded, saying, "Before reporting this matter to His Majesty, we need to verify it. I need to take the agricultural officials from the Ministry of Revenue to the Fairy Fruit Village you mentioned to see it for myself."

"Mr. Gu, would you mind telling me a little about how you plan to do it?"

Gu Xixi nodded, "First, spray pesticides to kill the insects and prevent the eggs from hatching successfully, without harming the seedlings."

"However, due to limited resources and time constraints, the medicine I prepare may only kill about 50% to 60% of the patients."

"So there is a second step: the remaining eggs hatch into larvae, and various birds can be collected and released into the farmland."

"Birds love to eat insects, and locusts are their favorite food. They'll eat whatever chickens, ducks, geese, pigeons, or any other birds they can get their hands on."

"Thirdly, there is still plenty of time before the locusts emerge in large numbers in June. Humans catching the insects and birds eating them can be done simultaneously. Let's make use of all available resources."

He Jinghui was overjoyed and nodded repeatedly, "Excellent step-by-step approach, eliminating any loopholes!"

"I'll take a few men and head out of the city right now."

He stood up and bowed deeply to Gu Xixi, his tone solemn, "Please take care of the medicine preparation, Mr. Gu!"

The situation finally took a turn for the better, and He Jinghui left as he spoke.

Mu Nanzhao called out to him, "Wait."

"With He Jinghui and I in charge, the plan to eradicate locusts will not be a problem for the court."

"But it probably won't be so easy to mobilize the people to participate."

He Jinghui stopped, realizing this crucial problem, and his expression turned serious.

Gu Xixi asked directly, "Are you afraid the farmers won't cooperate?"

She knew from the past that some places in ancient times were superstitious about "locust gods".

When faced with a locust plague, they would think that they had offended the "Locust God" somewhere, and instead of killing the insects, they would worship the Locust God.

After Gu Xixi transmigrated into the book, she had never heard of such a saying in the Northwest.

She believed that the world in the book was somewhat different from the real world she had lived in.

Could it be that the customs are different in the capital city?

Sure enough, He Jinghui sighed and said, "How could I not have thought of this? But time is of the essence right now, so let's make the arrangements first and then consider how to explain it to the people."

"We can't just wait for them to agree and do nothing."

Mu Nanzhao remained silent.

Knowing that he had agreed, He Jinghui quickly left.

The people in the hall fell silent once again.

Folk superstitions have always been the most difficult to deal with.

After all, sometimes even emperors, who are high above the people, will exploit their psychology to create "miracles" or "divine mandates."

An Qing said with annoyance, "It's ridiculous that some people worship a god for a worm that eats crops, which has caused so many people to starve to death!"

Gu Xixi sighed, "Perhaps it is precisely because they have suffered greatly from it but were powerless to resist that they have turned from fear to worship."

An Qinghe said, "Our Northwest is still the best; at least they won't elevate a worthless insect to a divine status."

He Jinglan looked around. "So how do we persuade the people now?"

After a moment of silence, Mu Nanzhao spoke, his voice cold and clear, "It's not difficult."

“In and around the capital, notices were widely issued in counties and villages to exterminate locusts. If any household did not cooperate, their fields would be burned to prevent future troubles.”

"If anyone dares to obstruct or oppose the imperial court, just kill a few in public, and the others will know what to do."

He Jinglan was startled and hesitated, "But wouldn't that be too violent?"

"What if it causes another major upheaval..."

Mu Nanzhao said calmly, "I will take full responsibility."

"No!"

Gu Xixi and He Jinglan spoke in unison.

He Jinglan said, "There are so many people like the Fan family waiting to find something to use against you and drag you down."

"After all, the locust plague has not yet materialized. If you do this in advance, you will surely be impeached. If something else happens, even His Majesty may not be able to protect you."

Gu Xixi and Mu Nanzhao exchanged glances. "Jinglan is right. Eradicating locusts cannot be accomplished in a few days. You must protect yourself first before you can plan for the future. Minister He's Ministry of Revenue is also at the forefront and cannot do without your support and assistance."

"Besides, the farmers are the victims, and they shouldn't have been treated violently from the start."

"Even if some people are stubborn and incorrigible, you've suppressed them this time. They may outwardly comply but inwardly resist, and how can the locust eradication efforts be effective?"

Mu Nanzhao paused, then asked, "You have an idea?"

He never doubted Gu Xixi's abilities; she always had unexpected skills.

Gu Xixi's lips curled up slightly, a confident smile.

"We must make them genuinely believe in us and actively participate."