We bear people have power

The locust plague in Wuji City came without warning. The weather, which was originally clear and sunny, suddenly turned into a dark cloud.

Moreover, these locusts are particularly ferocious, not only eating crops and trees, but also sparing children and some livestock. Although their teeth cannot kill a person, a scratch from their serrated hind legs can still draw blood.

The locust plague came so suddenly that Wuji City was completely unprepared. People in this era didn't have many effective methods to deal with locust attacks. At most, they could only set fires to create smoke to drive the locusts away.

But this time, there were so many locusts that you could crush several with a single step, and your whole body would be covered in locusts in just a few breaths while standing outside.

When Zuo Lingfeng, the commander of the Golden Guard of Wuji City, sought help from Lianchui City, all the slightly green plants in Wuji City had already been eaten away.

Zhang Yuanshan had no good solutions to this sudden natural disaster, so he contacted Wu Meiniang directly to ask her for advice.

Upon hearing this report, Wu Zetian's first reaction was not how to provide disaster relief, but rather her concern that other disasters might occur after the locust plague.

The signs of impending disasters and calamities have already begun to emerge.

It seemed that Heaven was aware of this and acted before the people of the Great Zhou Kingdom could even begin to prepare for self-preservation.

"What should we do now?" Nie Shuhuan seemed a little anxious. Heaven had already made its move, and naturally it would not give the Great Zhou Kingdom any chance to breathe. One disaster after another would surely follow.

"So what if the Three Calamities have been brought forward? What's so great about locusts? I will discuss this matter with Guan Bo. You will act according to the arrangements I made before. Even if we have to mine all the gold in Sickle Hammer City and use money to buy it, I will not let the people of the Great Zhou Kingdom go hungry," Wu Meiniang said with utmost confidence.

Inspired by this indomitable spirit, Nie Shuhuan took Princess Hongyu and flew towards the Great Zhou Kingdom.

Wu Meiniang followed closely behind, telling Guan Bo about the battle between the celestial and mortal realms and the locust plague along the way.

Guan Bo, who was originally lounging like a panda in Lingshan, changed his expression upon hearing this.

Damn it, other transmigrators become chosen ones of their respective planes, living a life of great success, but I've somehow managed to become someone the Heavenly Dao dislikes, and it's targeting me with calamities.

Isn't this forcing myself to have a fit of chuunibyou (middle school syndrome) and try to defy the heavens?

No wonder those bald guys on Lingshan were suddenly discussing some kind of calamity today; they're threatening us! The Great Zhou Kingdom is about to face a catastrophe. What are we waiting for? We should be praying to the gods and Buddhas for protection!

Sure enough, when these monks were cut open, they were all black.

"Guan Bo, now I need you to make a decision," Wu Meiniang said to Guan Bo.

"Locusts are easy to deal with. Just remove their heads and you can eat them; they taste like chicken and are crunchy. Whether you drown them, dry them, grind them into powder, or fry or roast them directly, they're delicious. Feeding poultry and livestock with these insects makes them exceptionally plump, so there's absolutely no need to worry about food..."

Guan Bo was about to give Wu Meiniang a lesson in wilderness survival, as endorsed by Bear Grylls, when Wu Meiniang interrupted him, saying, "That's not what I'm asking. It's because you made me the Empress that Heaven is dissatisfied and has sent down countless disasters. This locust plague is just the first; there will be more troubles to come. Now that things have come to this, do you still intend to persist?"

"What do you mean? Don't you want to be emperor anymore?" Guan Bo asked curiously.

"It's not a question of whether I want to or not, but whether we have to directly confront the will of Heaven for this matter? That involves the lives of millions," Wu Meiniang said weakly.

The strength he displayed in front of Nie Shuhuan was merely to appease people. In reality, unless one is a cultivator who views mortals as insignificant, who can disregard the lives of millions?

It would be rather selfish to subject millions of people to such calamities simply because one desires to become emperor.

"Haha, I thought you were a tough woman because you always call yourself 'old lady,' but it turns out you can't bring yourself to do it." Guan Bo laughed heartlessly.

"Isn't this just human nature? If I were the kind of woman who would disregard human life, would you still like me?" When Wu Meiniang talked about this topic, she didn't have the coyness that other women had.

"You're right. After all, you're still the female sword immortal who would stand with me against a siege of ten thousand demons for the sake of a little girl named Lingxiu. But you're overthinking it."

“How can there not be a million mortals?” Wu Meiniang sighed.

"Have you ever thought about what would happen to these mortals if the Great Zhou Dynasty hadn't been established, or if you and I had never existed in the first place?" Guan Bo asked.

"I suppose I'll be born, grow old, get sick, and die just like any other mortal in the world," Wu Meiniang said.

“That’s right, birth, aging, sickness and death. But do you know that even in the Tang Dynasty, the average lifespan of these mortals was less than thirty years, and the majority of children died at birth,” Guan Bo said.

"I don't know about that."

"This is just the Tang Dynasty, the most powerful country in the world. If it were the Western Regions, the average lifespan would be much lower. Otherwise, how could seventy years old be called an ancient age? It's because the vast majority of people in this world don't live to seventy."

"But what about the citizens of the Great Zhou Kingdom? Leaving aside the cities that have just submitted, even in Sickle Hammer City alone, everyone cultivates the Longevity Technique and lacks nothing in terms of food and clothing. Barring any unforeseen circumstances, living to a hundred years old is a common occurrence for them. Under heaven, only the Great Zhou Kingdom can take care of every newborn child, ensuring that they do not die prematurely. They are well-fed and clothed, everyone is literate, they are not oppressed by cruel and corrupt officials, they do not have to perform corvée labor, and they do not even have to bow to officials. These are the benefits they receive from becoming citizens of the Great Zhou Kingdom."

"So, what's the price?"

Guan Bo's final question left Wu Meiniang speechless.

"When Sicklehammer City was first built, I taught them a song. The lyrics went like this: There has never been a savior, nor do we rely on gods or emperors! To create human happiness, we must rely on ourselves!"

“I told them this principle when Sicklehammer City was first established. They wanted this kind of life, different from others, like a paradise on earth, and I could give it to them. But by choosing to become a member of Sicklehammer City and a member of the Great Zhou Kingdom, they must accept the consequences of the disaster they are suffering today.”

"Go back and announce this matter to the world, tell every citizen. Say that the Great Zhou Kingdom is envied by Heaven and an even greater calamity is about to befall it. If they do not wish to be citizens of the Great Zhou Kingdom, they should leave on their own. I believe the Western Regions will be happy to accept these people, whether as citizens or slaves, people are the most important resource."

"But as long as we remain within the Great Zhou, we cannot have any complaints. What we are doing is launching a revolution against this corrupt and backward world. A revolution is not a dinner party, not writing an essay, not painting or embroidering; it cannot be so elegant, so leisurely, so refined, so gentle and courteous. A revolution is an insurrection, a violent act by which one class overthrows another."

"And what we are about to overthrow is this very destiny of Heaven!"

Guan Bo's last sentence was resolute, devoid of any of his usual playful smile.