"Leave your body to the baker, return to the burning charcoal and burn it." [Cicada Fu]
The head of the Nagato Pavilion was originally a rough middle-aged man who had just been discharged from the army due to an injury. He was originally a man who would not blink when arrows were flying, but now his face was full of shock, and his voice changed slightly: "Two, two gentlemen
Sir, do you want to eat locusts?"
"It's natural." Ma Chao rolled his eyes at him, and seeing the villagers talking about it, he couldn't help but said: "The day before yesterday, in order to prevent locusts from harming the people, the emperor did not hesitate to swear to the sky and eat locusts alive. Even the emperor did this, we are waiting for him.
How come I can’t eat it?”
Everyone was still a little surprised, and one person said tremblingly: "But, that's the emperor. The emperor is protected by heaven, so everything will be fine. But how can we, the common people, compare with the emperor..."
"Yes, yes, locusts can't eat it!"
"We are afraid of God's blame for killing locusts, so how can we still eat them..."
"Locusts are not poisonous, so why can't they be eaten?" Ma Chao's eyes widened, his gaze was like a knife, and everyone was silent wherever he swept it: "No matter how capable it is, it is just a bug! You usually work in the fields and vegetable gardens.
There are countless ants and caterpillars that have been crushed to death, and there is no blame from heaven. Eating a few locusts will kill people!"
Despite Ma Chao's young age, he had killed a lot of people when he followed his father Ma Teng and led troops across Liangzhou. He has restrained himself a lot since joining the Imperial Academy. He can still hide it on weekdays, but now it is revealed.
, everyone was frightened by Ma Chao's fierce momentum.
Su Ze stood aside and said nothing. He knew that in order to truly convince these people, he had to set an example.
At this time, the peasant woman took the salt bag from the hand of the pavilion chief, picked up a handful, and sprinkled it on it. Soon, a crispy and fragrant smell quickly spread.
Everyone around the fire sniffed one after another, looking surprised.
'Is it so fragrant if you sprinkle it with salt?'
'It's a bit like the way cicadas eat...'
'Maybe...it can really be eaten.'
After the aroma became stronger, Ma Chao asked the peasant woman to stop and pick up a bunch first. Everyone's eyes moved accordingly, looking at Ma Chao nervously.
Ma Chao said it easily, but at this moment he was a little uncertain about what to do. Under the watchful eyes of everyone, and with Su Ze watching eagerly from the side, Ma Chao did not dare to show any hesitation, and ate the slightly hot bug in one bite.
Put it in your mouth.
"Kacha kacha..."
There was a crispy sound in his mouth, as if he was eating crispy rice. Ma Chao showed a hint of surprise on his face and said, "It tastes great!"
Su Ze followed immediately. Although he was also using his hands to skewer the skewers, he was doing so with a carefree and relaxed manner, which had nothing to do with Ma Chao's rudeness. After taking a bite, he knew that Ma Chao was not deliberately cheating, but it was really good enough to be considered a dish.
gourmet food.
Seeing that both Su Ze and Ma Chao, who were of high status, had eaten and showed no bad symptoms, everyone was a little excited for a moment, but no one came forward, obviously they were engaged in a final ideological struggle.
Upon seeing this, the chief of the pavilion, who had already prepared himself mentally, spoke loudly and encouraged: "When we were fleeing from famine, we were so hungry that we even ate soil, let alone earthworms and tree bark. Now we are just a few worms."
, so what if you eat it! What’s more, they’re just bugs. Didn’t you eat cicadas from trees when you were kids?”
So as soon as he finished speaking, he immediately reached out and took a bunch and put it in his mouth.
When they saw the director of the pavilion saying this, the rest of the people followed suit. Those who had tried it all brightened up and said yes repeatedly. When the people behind saw the strange thing, they didn't hesitate and started to grab it.
At first, everyone closed their eyes and mouthed, with a look of determination as if they were taking poison. Unexpectedly, they chewed it casually, and their expressions suddenly changed.
"tasty!"
Not only is it fragrant, but it is much more delicious than the cicadas roasted on the tiles when I was a kid!
I don’t know if it’s an illusion, but some people actually tasted like eating dried shrimp after taking two bites.
Soon, the caught locusts were all wiped out, especially the children, who had no taboos and accepted it the fastest. They almost regarded this as a snack. Several children gathered together and made a fuss about catching locusts to eat again.
The adults were also quite impressed. Not only could locusts be collected and exchanged for food with the government, but they could also be caught for food. As for retribution, how could there be any greater retribution in this world than having the seedlings eaten up and no longer able to eat? What’s more?
Even the emperor and the nobles ate it, so what else do I have to fear?
Su Ze felt deeply relieved when he saw that everyone had changed from passively organizing locust hunting to being proactive.
Just as Su Ze expected, after the emperor performed a show of eating locusts alive in public, he immediately gave a banquet and invited all the princes of Chengming Palace to the banquet.
In the Qingliang Hall of Weiyang Palace, Situ Ma Rixi looked at the lacquered bowls and plates on the table in front of him with a troubled expression. In the tableware were fried locusts, boiled locusts with cabbage, and burned locusts...
Look at the indifferent Sikong Zhao Wen who is sitting elsewhere, the solemn-faced Taiwei Dong Cheng, the cold-faced Attendant Yang Qi...and the hesitant and bewildered Minister Wu Shuo. It is obvious that he is
Some people were frightened by the emperor's appearance at the banquet. Ma Rixi also thought that it was the season of drought locusts and there should be no banquet in the palace. He wanted to use this to dissuade him, but he didn't expect to encounter such a banquet.
The scene. Even though Yang Qi was quick-thinking and best at giving strong advice, he didn’t know how to talk about it for a while.
When the emperor saw that everyone was silent, he smiled and said: "Since that day, I have thought that all things in the world are created and are suitable for birds and animals to eat, and it is not bad for humans to eat them. So he ordered the eunuch to cook this thing.
It can be prepared, baked or steamed. Unexpectedly, its taste is quite delicious. Everyone in the Huangmen of the palace praises it. Therefore, I specially hold this banquet and invite all the princes to come, so that we can taste the new thing together and set an example.
, so that everyone in the world will know it, so don’t be restrained.”
Everyone understands the emperor's painstaking efforts to feed on locusts. It is different from the previous emperor who created a drink called sour plum soup. Even if it is delicious, ordinary people will not eat such insects jumping around in the ground.
.Only those poor people who have lost their livelihood and are suffering from the locust plague will use this method to survive.
Zhao Wen was the first to leave the banquet, and he knelt down and worshiped: "Your Majesty loves the common people, and has the hearts of all people. I am obedient to you, and I am willing to help your Majesty in your worries on Christmas Eve."
Dong Cheng and others followed closely behind, saying in unison: "Your Majesty is truly a benevolent king."
The emperor smiled. He would not let anyone escape this meal just because everyone praised him.
Since the emperor launched a vigorous locust extermination campaign from top to bottom, some have implemented it, and some have disapproved of it. For example, a few days ago, after the officials and officials prayed for rain, a doctor from Taixue said,
The emperor's grand extermination of locusts expressed his dissent: "Since ancient times, those who eliminate disasters have always focused on cultivating virtue... How can natural disasters be controlled by manpower? Moreover, killing too many locusts will definitely damage the harmony. May your Majesty think of this."
Regarding such ignorant remarks, the emperor was told to cultivate his virtue, sin against himself, and then entrust everything to the mercy of God. The emperor laughed angrily at that time and reprimanded, "The vulgar people are stuck in the past and don't know how to adapt."
, How can he be a teacher? Then he immediately dismissed the doctor from all official positions, killing the chicken to scare the monkeys, and severely frightened him.
After that, no one in the imperial court dared to hinder the emperor's determination to exterminate the locusts. Even Situ Ma Rixi, who was deeply influenced by Confucian classics and convinced of the concept of "cultivation of morality and self-examination", no longer dared to speak nonsense in front of the emperor.
Mu Shun said with a wink to one side: "You guys are lucky enough to eat."