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

This morning, Gu Xixi and He Jinglan were having breakfast when Mu Nanzhao appeared without warning. He only said three sentences before Gu Xixi left with him.

Anqing rushed back to Xiao He's residence to pick up the two young ladies and go to the site to witness the results.

But he only received He Jinglan.

At this moment, both of them looked up at the high platform and felt a sense of powerlessness, as if they were looking at the ocean with envy.

An Qinghe gritted his teeth, "What exactly did that guy say to Xixi? How could Xixi let him use her like that?!"

Two large oil cauldrons had already been set up on the high platform, with firewood burning brightly.

He Jinglan looked around and whispered, "First of all, Your Majesty cannot take risks. It would be best if you personally implemented the plan you came up with."

"What?!" An Qinghe roared in fury, "Others can't take the risk, but Xixi can?"

"Xixi said this magic trick is very safe. If he doesn't believe her, why doesn't he try it himself? Is he even a man?!"

This time, He Jinglan couldn't clear her childhood friend's name either, so she had to continue.

"Secondly, Huo Jiang has already frankly admitted that the Northwest Army reclaimed wasteland to increase military supplies. Based on my understanding of His Majesty, he must have already sent people to investigate the cause and effect, including you."

"Thirdly, if you want to use today to fight for an opportunity for yourself, I am willing to be your stepping stone."

An Qinghe sneered, "Using him as a stepping stone? Does he have such good intentions!"

He Jinglan said, "Perhaps he is the one who understands Xixi the most."

"The depth of Xixi's mind may be far greater than what we see or imagine."

An Qinghe looked at Gu Xixi from afar, feeling a sudden sense of panic.

"No, I'm Xixi's chosen partner. If I didn't understand her, why would she let me open a fertilizer workshop, why would she pull me into planting tea together, and why would she only ask me to accompany her to the capital..."

"And you, aren't you like sisters with her? How could we possibly understand her as well as that person?"

He Jinglan glanced at him calmly, "I'm just guessing and making a comparison. I'm not doubting your and my position in Xixi's heart. Why are you panicking?"

The auspicious hour had arrived, and He Jinghui, the Minister of Revenue, loudly proclaimed the "Order to Eradicate Locusts."

The audience was in an uproar.

Some people couldn't help but exclaim in alarm, "Absolutely not! Offending the Locust God would have unimaginable consequences!"

Some say, "They are just locust eggs. Only by asking the Locust God for forgiveness can we be protected."

Some people chimed in, "The locust eggs are the instructions of the locust god. We should quickly prepare offerings and worship the locust god; that is the right thing to do!"

Others questioned, "It's just a few insect eggs. Everyone's fields have them. Why should we be busy with just a few words from the government? What if the locust plague doesn't come? Who will take responsibility then?"

……

Fan Ge Lao and others who opposed locust eradication all wore smug expressions, waiting to see a good show.

He Jinghui was not surprised by this situation at all.

If the people could cooperate directly, he wouldn't have had to go through the trouble of setting up this stage and inviting so many people to watch the show.

He Jinghui remained calm and continued to present the results of the Ministry of Revenue's investigation, proving that a locust plague during this summer's wheat harvest was a foregone conclusion. He also assured that the locust control measures implemented by the court would pose no harm to the crops.

When the audience heard that "the entire capital region had no harvest," the noise gradually subsided.

"Believing in the locust god and leaving everything to fate, but the whole family could starve to death" versus "following the imperial court, and you're guaranteed to keep the summer harvest"—everyone was wavering between the two options.

He Jinghui, having received a hint from Mu Nanzhao, loudly proclaimed to the audience, "In every major locust plague in history, when has the Locust God ever protected you in the slightest? In the end, nothing grows when the locusts pass through."

Some people seemed lost in thought, while others exchanged uneasy glances.

He Jinghui's tone was firm and powerful: "A true god is one who protects all living beings and bestows blessings upon the people!"

"And the true god of our Great Ye Dynasty is His Majesty the Emperor."

"Now I will prove that the mere Locust God is utterly insignificant before the True Dragon Emperor!!"

The people, unaware of what was about to happen, stared blankly.

At this moment, the two oil pans in front of the stage began to stir.

It's called a high platform, but it's only seven steps high.

People standing at the front could see the oil boiling on the surface of the pot.

time is limited.

Gu Xixi followed the emperor and Mu Nanzhao to the oil cauldron.

She was about to walk towards the pot on the left when the emperor subtly blocked her way.

Gu Xixi was taken aback.

The emperor didn't look at her, but touched his lips lightly a few times and said in a very soft voice, "I believe you."

As he spoke, he plunged his left hand into the boiling oil!

Gasps and gasps of surprise rose and fell from the audience, and some timid people covered their eyes because they dared not look directly at the scene.

The eunuch accompanying the emperor was terrified and cried out in a hoarse voice, "Your Majesty!!"

The courtiers behind the palace were also thrown into chaos.

Grand Secretary Fan rushed forward, his clothes trembling, and then he prostrated himself on the ground and wept bitterly, "This old minister is willing to take Your Majesty's place!"

"Your Majesty's health has been severely damaged; my heart is bleeding!"

Mu Nanzhao glanced at him indifferently, letting him lie there and perform his loyalty.

The unexpected situation stemmed from the emperor, forcing Gu Xixi to improvise.

She quickly snatched a tray from a eunuch and showed it to everyone, "Look carefully, these are locusts that I hatched early after heating them up, they're all alive! Now let them go through the oil frying process too!"

He Jinghui recovered from his shock and exclaimed, "His Majesty is benevolent and cherishes the people. To protect everyone from locust plagues and famine, he risked his life!"

All the locusts were poured into the oil pan.

Mu Nanzhao whispered behind the emperor, "Your Majesty, that's enough."

The emperor removed his left hand from the oil cauldron and raised it high to show it to the people.

Everyone was shocked.

There was no bubbling or cracking, and it wasn't a terrible sight.

The emperor's left hand was completely unharmed; apart from being shiny with oil, there was nothing wrong with it!

The emperor, however, showed no sign of pain; instead, he looked down upon his people with a compassionate smile.

The people were deeply shocked and fell silent, as if they had witnessed a true god descending to earth.

Grand Secretary Fan was still banging his head on the ground, sensing that something was wrong with the surrounding noises.

He looked up at the emperor's raised hand and his eyes widened in surprise.

Thinking that his eyesight was failing, Grand Secretary Fan rubbed his eyes again and looked more closely.

Are you really alright?

His lips trembled in disbelief, and even his gray beard trembled.

Mu Nanzhao watched coldly, his sarcasm undisguised.

"While Grand Secretary Fan is loyal to his master, he also has to consider whether his old bones can withstand the pressure."

"Why aren't you all helping the Grand Secretary down to rest?"

At this moment, Gu Xixi used a large strainer to scoop up the fried locusts. She sprinkled a pinch of salt and pepper seasoning on them.

Then, in full view of everyone, she picked one up, lifted a corner of her face mask, and put it in her mouth.

have eaten?

She actually ate it!

Everyone was shocked again.

This also included Mu Nanzhao and He Jinghui.

Gu Xixi smiled calmly at the audience, "The taste is not bad."

She handed the plate to a guard, saying, "Please pass this plate of fried locusts down to everyone to see."

"Those who want to eat it can try it. It's fresh out of the pot, so eat it while it's hot."

The emperor nodded slightly to the guard.

The guard then obeyed and left.