Chapter 136: Epidemic Outbreak

Under Shen Yufeng’s lead, Tang Jinghong came to the place where the grains had been robbed.

This was also a forest. The forest had already been completely destroyed. The hot sunlight shone on the bare ground and tree trunks, showing the bleakness of despair.

Shen Yufeng blamed himself. “General, the ground is dry and hard. There are no traces of the cart rollers.”

Tang Jinghong observed his surroundings. “Tell me about the robbery.”

Shen Yufeng frowned and said, “At that time, a portion of the refugees robbed us. After the robbery, the remaining refugees came to stop us and bought time for the robberse to transport the grains away. We watched helplessly as the grains were taken away…”

Such a cohesive and planned robbery was definitely not done by refugees alone… Tang Jinghong looked around. “Which direction did they go?”

Shen Yufeng pointed to the north. “They ran in the direction of the capital.”

Tang Jinghong looked over and narrowed his eyes. After a while, he asked, “Did you encounter a large number of refugees along the way?”

Shen Yufeng shook his head. “No, everything went smoothly until we encountered a robbery. Those 10,000 refugees were the largest we encountered.”

Tang Jinghong lowered his eyes. “There are about 30,000 outside Xu City. You encountered 10,000. That adds up to 40,000. In other words, the whereabouts of at least 60,000 refugees are still unknown.”

Shen Yufeng’s heart skipped a beat. “General, what do you mean?”

Tang Jinghong frowned. “The Lord of the Northern Border is involved in this matter. 1 suspect that he’s plotting against the emperor.”

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Hearing this, Shen Yufeng panicked. “General, what should we do?”

Tang Jinghong said, “Take your men and head in the direction of the capital to track the grains. 1’11 handle the situation here before catching up with you.”

“Yes, General.”

Shen Yufeng immediately brought the soldiers towards the north.

Tang Jinghong stared at the north for a while before getting on his horse and returning to the camp.

When the officials in Xu City saw that the refugees outside the city were under control, they opened the city gate and came out to greet Tang Jinghong.

The governor was wearing a purple official robe loosely. It was obvious that he had lost a lot of weight and his face was haggard. He said happily, “General Tang, you’re finally here. If you hadn’t come, the supplies in the city would have been cut off.”

Tang Jinghong did not blame the governor for closing the city gate. If the refugees entered the city, they would definitely burn, kill, and plunder. At that time, the city would be in chaos and things would become even worse.

Tang Jinghong asked sternly, “How’s the situation in the city?”

The governor sighed. “The drought not only affected the villages, but also the city. Every family is short of water. Fortunately, some old wells still have water. Otherwise, 1 couldn’t imagine what would’ve happened.”

Tang Jinghong asked, “At this rate, when do you think the city will fall into chaos?”

The governor replied respectfully, “We can still manage to keep order for the time being. Everyone still has some food stored, but after a month, the city will definitely be in chaos.”

Tang Jinghong thought to himself, There’s still time. “Go back and stabilize the situation in the city first. Try to keep order for as long as you can.”

The governor replied, “Yes, General Tang.”

The governor returned to the city with a group of officials and made arrangements according to Tang Jinghong’s instructions. He did not dare to be negligent at all.

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A soldier rushed over. “Miss Chu, someone fainted over there.”

Chu Qingzhi frowned. “Let’s go take a look.”

Tang Jinghong and the others followed behind her.

A woman hugged a man and cried, “Husband, what’s wrong? Wake up!”

The children beside him also cried. “Father, Father…”

Many refugees watched and surrounded the family of four.

Chu Qingzhi pushed through the crowd and walked in. She checked his pulse first. Then, what she was most worried about happened. “Everyone, step back. Don’t approach.”

When the refugees saw Chu Qingzhi’s serious expression, they immediately retreated.

At this moment, another person fainted nearby.

“Mother, Mother, what’s wrong?” A young man shouted anxiously, his face covered in tears.

By then, everyone realized that something was wrong. Without needing Chu Qingzhi to remind them, they quickly retreated, their eyes filled with suspicion and fear.

Chu Qingzhi hurriedly walked towards the young man. After checking the woman’s pulse, her expression became even more solemn. She turned around and nodded at Tang Jinghong.

They could not tell the refugees that an epidemic had broken out. Otherwise, the refugees who had just calmed down would immediately riot.

Tang Jinghong’s heart sank. He instructed, “Transfer everyone who is sick to the huge banyan tree over there.”

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Free Entry To Over 500 Museums And Exhibitions The soldiers replied, “Yes.”

A refugee mustered his courage and asked, “General, what’s wrong with them?”

Chu Qingzhi answered for Tang Jinghong. “They’ve been dehydrated for a long time. When they suddenly drink a lot of water, they’ll feel uncomfortable. Don’t worry, they’ll be fine after resting for a while.”

Hearing this, everyone was relieved.

In the following period of time, people would fall sick one by one. However, many people believed Chu Qingzhi’s words. After all, she was the one who found the water vein and saved everyone.

“Qingzhi, what illness is it?” Tang Jinghong felt that things were getting more and more troublesome. Originally, when the refugees calmed down, they could be sent back to their original village in batches. Now…

Chu Qingzhi said in a low voice, “Malaria. Infectious disease that is caused by mosquito bites and will be transmitted through mosquito bites.”

Tang Jinghong clenched his fists and punched the tree beside him. “Infectious…”

In this era, the most terrifying thing was infectious disease. Once there was such a disease, people would die in large numbers.

If the Lord of the Northern Border spread the rumor that this disease was a heavenly punishment, the entire Daling Dynasty would fall into chaos. The neighboring countries would take advantage of this situation, and the border that had just stabilized would definitely be scourged by war again. At that time, the people would live in misery.

Chu Qingzhi reached out and held Tang Jinghong’s hand. “Jinghong, this disease is not scary. As long as we find the wormwood, we can cure this disease.”

Tang Jinghong looked at Chu Qingzhi as if he was looking at a ray of light. “I’ll immediately get people to find the wormwood.” n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om

Chu Qingzhi said, “I’ll give you a drawing of wormwood to help you identify the herb.”

Tang Jinghong was shocked. “Qingzhi, you expected this to happen long ago?”

Chu Qingzhi smiled at Tang Jinghong. “There are only a few large-scale epidemic diseases. I prepared it just in case.”

Tang Jinghong pulled Chu Qingzhi into his embrace and was extremely touched. “Qingzhi, thank you on behalf of the people and the entire Daling Dynasty.”

Chu Qingzhi stared at Tang Jinghong’s handsome face and smiled. “I only want to help you.”

Tang Jinghong’s heart trembled slightly, and his feelings for Chu Qingzhi deepened unknowingly. “Qingzhi, when this matter is over, I’ll ask His Majesty to reward you.”

Chu Qingzhi smiled and nodded. “Okay.”

Tang Jinghong gave the drawing of wormwood to the soldiers and asked them to immediately go to the surrounding cities to search for wormwood..

Chapter 137: Glimpse of Hope

In a certain dense forest.

When Wan Zhilin heard his subordinate’s report, he was in disbelief. “Ten assassins were completely wiped out?!”

The subordinate lowered his head. “Yes, Master.”

Wan Zhilin took a few deep breaths to calm his shock and anger. “What level are the ten assassins at?”

His subordinate clenched his fists. “A!”

The assassins under Wan Zhilin were divided into five levels according to their strength, A, B, C, D and E.

Normally, only when killing a general-level personnel would ten Level-A assassins be mobilized.

Wan Zhilin’s face twisted. “Who exactly is Chu Qingzhi?”

The subordinate replied nervously, “She’s just a farm girl.”

“Farm girl?” Wan Zhilin was so angry that he was about to laugh. “Do I look easy to fool? How can a farm girl kill ten Level-A assassins so easily?”

The subordinate said firmly, “Master, I’ve investigated her identity thoroughly. It’s absolutely true. I don’t dare to lie to you.”

Wan Zhilin shouted, “Investigate again.” He didn’t believe that Chu Qingzhi was a simple farm girl!

The subordinate replied, “Yes, Master.”

Wan Zhilin gritted his teeth and became irritable. “Tang Jinghong is already difficult enough to deal with. Now, someone called Chu Qingzhi came out of nowhere…”

At night, the bright moon hung in the sky.

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Yuan Hongjun, who had rushed back to the capital from the southern border, changed direction and headed to the northwest after hearing about the refugee crisis.

At this moment, a young man with delicate skin was hiding on a big tree and looking at the refugees in front of him with his clear eyes.

There were at least 50,000 to 60,000 of these refugees. This location was already quite far from the northwest. Why were they here?

Yuan Hongjun’s mind was filled with questions.

He did not know which general the Imperial Court had sent to deal with this matter. He hoped that it was a reliable one. Otherwise, these refugees would probably be doomed.

In history, there were many times when such refugee crisis erupted. When no methods proved useful, the Imperial Court would order to exterminate all the refugees.

At the thought of this, he took out a pen and paper and wrote the situation here on the patter. Then, he went to the courier station and revealed his identity. He asked them to send the letter to Tang Jinghong.

In his heart, Tang Jinghong was more reliable in the entire Daling Dynasty.

It was not that there were no other generals in the Daling Dynasty, but their methods were too cruel. These refugees were quite pitiful and didn’t deserve to die.

Yuan Hongjun walked out of the courier station and changed into a tattered outfit. He returned to the gathering place of the refugees and found an opportunity to blend in.

He had to gather some information. It was obviously abnormal for these refugees to gather here. There must be something going on.

Even though Tang Jinghong and Chu Qingzhi had kept the matter of the epidemic a secret, for some reason, this news still spread. The matter was so serious that it could explode at any moment.

At this moment, everyone outside Xu City was in a state of panic.

A young woman looked at Chu Qingzhi and asked with white lips, “Miss Chu, is there really an epidemic?”

At this point, there was no need to hide it anymore. Chu Qingzhi nodded. “Yes.”

The young woman fell to the ground. Tears immediately rolled down her eyes. She choked. “Epidemic? Then my child, my husband…”

Chu Qingzhi squatted down and comforted her. “Believe me, I’ll think of a way to cure everyone.” n/ô/vel/b//in dot c//om

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The young woman’s eyes were filled with despair. She said in a daze, “They are infected with an epidemic. How can you cure them?”

Chu Qingzhi lowered her voice. “Since 1 can find water, I can naturally find a way to cure them. Give me some time, okay?”

The young woman saw the determination in Chu Qingzhi’s eyes and nodded slowly. “Miss Chu, thank you.”

Chu Qingzhi patted the young woman’s shoulder. “Things aren’t that bad yet. Don’t give up so early.”

The young woman’s body trembled slightly, and hope reignited in her eyes. “I understand.”

Chu Qingzhi smiled and said, “Take good care of your family. Nothing will happen.”

“Ok.”

Chu Qingzhi comforted many people.

Tang Jinghong placed one hand behind his back and stared at the gentle figure in the crowd.

A soldier dismounted from his horse and ran over. “General, there is no wormwood in Liao City.”

Liao City was the closest city to Xu City.

Tang Jinghong rubbed his eyebrows. “Continue searching in other cities.”

“Yes, General.”

In the next half a day, many soldiers came back to report one after another, but only one or two people brought back four to five catties of wormwood. No one else found it.

Suddenly, Tan Yibin walked towards Tang Jinghong with a panicked expression. His forehead was covered in cold sweat. “General, something big has happened.”

“What is it?” Tang Jinghong thought to himself, What can be worse than this?

There was indeed something worse than this…

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Tan Yibin’s voice trembled slightly. “General, there’s a locust plague heading over from the southwest and will arrive in about two hours!”

Tang Jinghong’s heart tightened. Even someone as calm as him could not help but feel flustered. “How, how did this happen?”

Chu Qingzhi walked over. “Why do you look so pale?”

Tang Jinghong frowned and looked at Chu Qingzhi. He said solemnly, “Qingzhi, there’s a locust plague heading over from the southwest.”

Chu Qingzhi was stunned. “What?” However, it was not strange for a locust plague to appear during drought seasons.

“Let’s go and take a look.”

Tang Jinghong instructed the deputy general to take care of the situation and left with Chu Qingzhi.

On the way, Chu Qingzhi saw Tang Jinghong’s serious expression and comforted him. “Locusts are edible. Moreover, fried locusts are very crispy and delicious.”

Tang Jinghong’s eyes lit up. “Good idea.”

However, the two of them did not expect that there would be an even bigger surprise waiting for them…

Following the direction, the two of them rode their horses at full speed.

An hour later, Chu Qingzhi and Tang Jinghong saw the locusts flying in the sky. It was a spectacular scene, but it was also shocking.

Chu Qingzhi raised her hand and grabbed one. “We’re quite lucky. This locust is edible.”

Suddenly, Chu Qingzhi smelled something.

She dismounted, took out her dagger, and slit open the locust’s stomach.

Tang Jinghong was puzzled. “Qingzhi, why did you cut its stomach?”

Chu Qingzhi carefully examined the thing in the locust’s stomach. Then, she grabbed more than ten and studied them. “Jinghong, the crisis is solved.”

Tang Jinghong was really very smart. He understood what Chu Qingzhi meant. “Did those locusts eat wormwood?”

Chu Qingzhi smiled. “Smart.” She stood up. “Jinghong, let’s go back immediately and make some smoke. When they fly over, we’ll knock them out. When the refugees eat the locusts, they will be cured.”

Tang Jinghong hugged Qingzhi tightly. “Lucky Star, Qingzhi, you’re Daling Dynasty’s lucky star.”

Chu Qingzhi smiled. “You can hug me after we settle the matter. We are running out of time.”

Tang Jinghong let go of the girl in his arms and felt excited beyond words. Qingzhi was too awesome.

The two of them quickly returned to the camp and gathered the soldiers to make preparations..

Chapter 138: Cunning Plan

Yuan Hongjun used his outstanding acting skills and medical skills to successfully join a small group of refugees and become a small leader.

Beside a birch tree, the sallow and thin young man, Gui Yuzhou, approached Yuan Hongjun and asked softly, “Little Brother, since you know medicine, how did you end up as a refugee?”

Yuan Hongjun was wearing ragged clothes. He opened his innocent eyes and waved his hand like an old man. “My medical skills can’t fill my stomach in times of drought.”

The others listened and felt that Yuan Hongjun was right. Even if the emperor came, he would be helpless against the drought.

Gui Yuzhou asked again, “Little Brother, what about your family?”

Yuan Hongjun’s eyes turned red. “They got lost and separated from me. I don’t know where they are now. Perhaps they are no longer alive.”

When the people in the small group heard this, they couldn’t help but sympathize with Yuan Hongjun. Of course, Yuan Hongjun was only saying this to gain sympathy and he had clearly achieved his goal.

Gui Yuzhou said, “It’s fine. We can take care of each other in the future. When this matter is over, if you’re still alive, we’ll help you find your family.”

Yuan Hongjun put on a grateful expression. “Thank you. I’m really lucky to have met you.”

The people regarded Yuan Hongjun more as one of them.

Yuan Hongjun glanced at everyone. A glint flashed across his clear eyes. “I also have some questions to ask you.”

Gui Yuzhou said without hesitation, “Little Brother, just ask. We’ll tell you everything we know.”

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Yuan Hongjun waved at Gui Yuzhou. Gui Yuzhou leaned closer before Yuan Hongjun asked, “I want to ask why you’re here.”

Gui Yuzhou answered truthfully. Clearly, this was not a secret. “Someone told us that we could find a water source in this direction, so we followed.”

“Find a water source?” Yuan Hongjun thought to himself, At this speed, they would reach the capital in ten days. Are they going to the capital to find water?

Yuan Hongjun had a bad feeling. He couldn’t explain why, but he felt that something was wrong. “Have you found a water source?”

“We encountered a small river, but the water in the river had already been drained by us.” Gui Yuzhou had been bitten by a snake and almost died. It was Yuan Hongjun who saved him, so he trusted Yuan Hongjun very much and told him everything he knew.

Yuan Hongjun thought for a moment and asked, “Then do you know where we will end up if we go in this direction?”

Gui Yuzhou shook his head. “I don’t know, but we don’t care where we go. As long as we find water and can stay alive, nothing else matters.”

The rest of the people in the group nodded in agreement.

In the face of disaster, survival was really an extravagant hope, but as long as one was willing to work hard, there would still be a chance of survival.

Yuan Hongjun was a benevolent doctor. When he saw the miserable state of the refugees, he was very sympathetic. “Who told you that you could find a water source?”

Gui Yuzhou said, “I don’t know who it is, but this news has already spread among the refugees.”

Yuan Hongjun patted Gui Yuzhou’s shoulder and encouraged, “We will definitely find a water source.”

Gui Yuzhou nodded. “Yes.”

It was noon and the sun was blazing. Everyone tacitly agreed not to travel. Yuan Hongjun sat at the side and leaned against the birch tree behind him, thinking about what Gui Yuzhou had said just now.

Someone told them that they could find water in the direction of the capital. Who was this person? What was his motive?

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In a certain cave.

Wan Zhilin slapped his subordinate’s face hard, causing blood to flow from his nose. “You bunch of useless trash, you went through so much to get a pile of sand and stones for me?”

At this moment, there were many carts carrying sacks in the cave. The sacks on the carts were all cut open, revealing brown sand and stones.

The assassins lowered their heads and did not dare to speak. How would they know that Tang Jinghong was so cunning as to use sand and stones to fool them?

The subordinate endured the pain and knelt on one knee. “I didn’t do my job well. I deserve to die. Master, please punish me!”

Wan Zhilin felt a deep sense of defeat. During this period of time, he had either been tricked by Tang Jinghong or taught a lesson by Chu Qingzhi. “Go and find out where the real food is. Burn it directly when you find it!”

The subordinate replied, “Yes, Master.”

Then, he asked, “Master, what about the refugees outside the cave?”

Wan Zhilin said ruthlessly, “Kill them all!”

The subordinate lowered his head. “Yes.”

Wan Zhilin’s heart was filled with anger. He flicked his sleeves heavily, walked out of the cave, and left.

The subordinates led a group of assassins out of the cave and killed all the refugees waiting outside.

More than 30 refugees were killed like dirt, and blood flowed all over the ground.

Then, the few of them mounted their horses and left.

Half a day later, Shen Yufeng found this cave. Looking at the corpses all over the ground, he felt a little uncomfortable, but he didn’t pity them. “It’s better to behave yourself. Otherwise, you don’t know when you’ll end up under the executioner’s blade.”

He waved at the soldiers behind him. “Check the surroundings.”

“Yes.”

The soldiers dispersed. Some went to the surroundings, while others followed Shen Yufeng into the cave.

After entering the cave, Shen Yufeng was stunned. “This, who can tell me what’s going on? Why are the grains all sand and stones?”

The soldier beside him was also shocked. “No wonder the general only looked anxious but didn’t come with us. It seemed that he planned this.” n/ô/vel/b//in dot c//om

Shen Yufeng suddenly knelt on the ground. “General, thank you for your foresight. Otherwise, 1 would have become a great sinner.”

As he shouted, he suddenly saw something white. He quickly walked over to take a look.

The white thing was a jade pendant. He picked it up and wiped it twice with his thumb.

“Looking at the quality of this jade pendant, it’s worth at least a thousand taels. The people who robbed the grains definitely won’t wear such an expensive jade pendant. It’s very likely that it belongs to the mastermind.”

Shen Yufeng carefully put away the jade pendant and continued to search in the cave.

After searching for about ten minutes, they really did not find anything. Shen Yufeng brought the soldiers and moved the corpses of the refugees into the cave, burying them with the sand and stones.

In the end, they were still pitiful people. If not for this natural disaster, these people would not have died in the middle of nowhere.

After burying the corpse, Shen Yufeng brought the soldiers back to look for Tang Jinghong.

Outside Xu City.

Chu Qingzhi brought some herbs to the tent and used her spiritual power to crush them into powder.

“Jinghong, come in.” She wasn’t deliberately avoiding Tang Jinghong, but she needed someone to guard the tent, so Tang Jinghong was outside.

Tang Jinghong entered. “Qingzhi, is it ready?”

Chu Qingzhi said, “Jinghong, give the powder to the soldiers and spread it evenly across a large area. Dig a pit and place the powder in it. It’s about time.”

Tang Jinghong nodded. “Okay..”

Chapter 139: Fried Locusts

Tang Jinghong walked out of the tent and instructed the soldiers. After the soldiers received the order, they immediately took action.

Soon, this large area was filled with thin smoke, and it was as if there was a layer of gauze around it.

In the distance, the locusts slowly appeared.

The refugees did not know about the plague of locusts. When they saw the locusts flying over, they were terrified.

“Ahhh, locusts, locusts…”

“It’s really locusts!”

“Why are there locusts? There’s already nothing to eat.”

Some old people wiped their tears. Why did disasters befall them one after another? It was fine if they died, but there were so many children. What should they do?

“Wah, wah, wah…” Some children were so frightened that they cried. Their parents quickly went to coax them.

The young men stared blankly at the sky in front of them. Their eyes were red. This was definitely an insult to injury!

Chu Qingzhi walked to the front of the tent and looked at the locusts that were slowly approaching. She gently licked her cherry-colored lips. Fried locusts were definitely delicious.

The sorrowful and despairing refugees quickly stopped grieving. They saw the locusts flying over and falling to the ground like rain. As long as they came into contact with the thin layer of smoke, they would fall.

Everyone was dumbfounded.

Chu Qingzhi said, “Everyone, listen to me. Those locusts can treat the disease. Go and pick some up and fry them in the four large pots in front of me. I guarantee that you will recover after you eat them.”

“We believe Miss Chu’s words. Let’s go and pick up the locusts. It’s been a long time since we ate meat. Let’s have a feast today.”

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“That’s right. Miss Chu will definitely not lie to us.”

“I’m going too.”

The refugees quickly ran towards the place where the locusts had fallen.

The first person to pick up the locust was the young man who secretly informed Chu Qingzhi that some people wanted to kill her. His name was Li Zhangjie, and he picked up at least six to seven catties.

Those locusts covered the ground layer upon layer and there were a lot of them.

Li Zhangjie said in embarrassment, “Sister Qingzhi, there are many people in my family, so 1 picked up more.”

Chu Qingzhi smiled at him. “It’s okay. Throw them into the pot. They’ll be ready in a while.”

After the locusts were thrown into the pot, the oil immediately bubbled and emitted a sizzling sound, followed by a fragrance.

Li Zhangjie looked at her intently. “Sister Qingzhi, it smells so good.”

Chu Qingzhi smiled and said, “Fried locusts are very delicious.”

Li Zhangjie asked carefully, “Have you ever tried it?”

Chu Qingzhi nodded. “Yes, I’ve eaten a lot of them. Don’t worry, if it’s bad for you, I won’t let you eat it.”

Li Zhangjie looked at Chu Qingzhi with admiration. “Sister Qingzhi, you’re the most powerful girl I’ve ever seen.” Nôv(el)B\\jnn

Chu Qingzhi smiled. “You’re also very smart. Thank you for reminding me last time.”

Li Zhangjie quickly waved his hand. “That’s what 1 should do. You saved me and my family. 1 can’t bite the hand that feeds me.”

Chu Qingzhi smiled and was a little touched. She had traveled thousands of miles to save people and definitely hoped that people would appreciate her help. This young man in front of her was not bad.

As they talked, more and more people came to line up to fry the locusts. The fragrance slowly spread, and smiles gradually appeared on their faces.

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Li Zhangjie’s locusts had already been fried until they were golden and crispy. When they were scooped into the strainer, there was a crisp sound.

Chu Qingzhi said to the soldiers who were helping, “Give them some salt.”

“Yes, Miss Chu.”

The soldier grabbed some salt and sprinkled it on the golden-brown locusts. With a few more shakes, every locust would be coated with salt.

Li Zhangjie happily returned to his tent with his father.

The second pot continued to sizzle…

On the other side, Li Zhangjie placed the strainer on the ground and the family ate happily. There were children beside them, so they gave the children some. Anyway, there were endless locusts to eat. It didn’t matter.

Li Zhangjie’s sister was a little afraid at first, but she couldn’t stand the mouth-watering fragrance, so she tried to eat one.

As soon as she ate one, she couldn’t stop herself from stuffing more into her mouth. She said, “Brother, this is delicious.”

Mrs. Li echoed, “I think it’s delicious too.”

“Then I’ll go and pick up some more later.” Li Zhangjie turned to look at Chu Qingzhi, who was standing beside the pot. “Sister Qingzhi is the best. Not only did she help us find a cure, but she also found food. If not for her, we might not have survived. If I can, I want to repay her.”

Mr. Li patted Li Zhangjie’s shoulder. “I support you.”

Mrs. Li also said, “I support you too.”

More and more people had a taste of the crispy locusts. The crispy texture made everyone feel that they had eaten a supreme delicacy.

“It’s delicious.”

“I didn’t expect the locust to taste so good after being fried.”

“Oh my gosh, I can’t believe the taste.”

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“Let’s go pick up some more later and save them for the next meal.”

Just like that, the epidemic was resolved, and the locust plague was resolved. There was a rare burst of laughter in the entire refugee gathering place.

In the tent, Tang Jinghong hugged Chu Qingzhi tightly. “Qingzhi, I don’t know what to say to express my gratitude.”

A smile appeared on Chu Qingzhi’s face. “1 understand even if you don’t say it.”

At this moment, Tang Jinghong’s heart was filled with excitement, joy, love, and gratitude.

At this moment, Shen Yufeng’s voice came from outside the tent. “General.”

“Wait a moment,” Tang Jinghong said to the outside. Then, he let go of Chu Qingzhi. “Rest first. I’ll go out and take a look.”

Chu Qingzhi said, “Alright, I’m indeed a little tired.”

Tang Jinghong walked to the table and picked up a small box under the table for Chu Qingzhi. “I specially got someone to buy this for you. It’s all the young lady’s favorite. Take a look.”

Chu Qingzhi had received many such surprises. “Okay.”

Tang Jinghong touched the top of Chu Qingzhi’s head dotingly. “I’ll go out first.”

Chu Qingzhi nodded.

Tang Jinghong walked out of the tent and brought Shen Yufeng to the side.

“Have you tracked the whereabouts of the grains?”

“1 did,” Shen Yufeng said excitedly. “General, fortunately, you foresaw this in advance. Otherwise, I would have become a great sinner.”

When Tang Jinghong heard Shen Yufeng’s words, he knew that he had really found the carts. “Did you find anything else?”

Shen Yufeng handed the jade pendant he had picked up in the cave to Tang Jinghong. “General, 1 found this in the cave. I guess it belongs to the mastermind.”

Tang Jinghong looked down at the jade pendant. It was extremely white and of excellent quality. The carvings were lifelike and very precious. “Most likely.”

“Go and rest first. i’ll send someone to investigate the jade pendant.”

“Yes, General.”

Shen Yufeng took two steps before coming back and asking, “General, what are they eating?”

Tang Jinghong pointed in the direction of the pot. “You’ll know when you see it.”

Shen Yufeng walked over curiously..

Chapter 140: Rumors of Heavenly Punishment

Walking to the side of the pot, Shen Yufeng was stunned. “This thing can be eaten like this?”

Tan Yibin handed the strainer to him and raised his eyebrows. “Want some?”

Shen Yufeng looked suspiciously at the locusts that looked very appetizing. He sniffed and found that they were quite fragrant. “Can they be eaten?”

Tan Yibin chuckled. “I was suspicious at first, but I can’t stop eating now.” He pointed at everyone. “Look at them. They are all eating it. Moreover, the locusts can treat the epidemic. If you don’t want to get sick, eat it.”

Shen Yufeng did not believe it. “Fried locusts can treat the epidemic. Are you kidding me?”

Tan Yibin grabbed two fried locusts and brought them to his mouth. “I’m not interested in kidding you. Besides, in hard times, don’t be such a picky eater. It’s already good enough to have something to eat. It’s better than eating the tree bark, right?”

Shen Yufeng was not being picky. He just found it unbelievable. However, he still chose to believe his comrade. He took one and ate it.

“Wow, it’s delicious!” He fell in love with it in one bite!

Shen Yufeng snatched Tan Yibin’s strainer. “Let me eat. You must have eaten a lot already.”

Tan Yibin was speechless. “You…”

As Shen Yufeng stuffed the locusts into his mouth, he said, “Go and fry some more.”

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Tan Yibin waved his hand. “Get lost! I’m going to find the general.”

Shen Yufeng ate the fried locusts and looked at the smile on the refugees’ faces. He thought to himself, Things are finally looking better!

In Xu City.

“Now, not only is there an epidemic, but there’s also a locust plague. The emperor must have done something immoral to anger the heavens and cause us to suffer Heavenly Punishment.”

“I think so too. The current emperor is young and inexperienced. How can he handle state affairs properly?”

“Sigh, now that the Heavenly Punishment has descended, our lives will be difficult in the future!”

Such rumors were discussed not only in Xu City, but also in the surrounding cities and even in the capital. The matter had developed in a more serious direction.

In the imperial study.

A few ministers were discussing the refugee crisis with the emperor.

A minister said, “Your Majesty, the rumors about the Heavenly Punishment are getting more and more out of control. Does Your Majesty have any way to quell the rumors?”

On the throne, a bright yellow figure with a young and handsome face exuded a dignified aura.

He frowned at that, but said nothing.

Another minister said, “Your Majesty, Tang Jinghong is incompetent. Not only did he not handle the refugee crisis well, but he also lost the grains. Now, the rumors are spreading and deluding the people. In my opinion, he should be removed from his position and be called back to the capital to be punished!”

The emperor’s expression was dark. “Cali Tang Jinghong back to be punished? Then who should be sent to handle the refugee crisis? Could it be that you want to make a contribution?”

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The minister hurriedly said, “Your Majesty, you flatter me too much. I’m already old, so it’s not convenient for me to travel. However, there are so many young talents in the Imperial Court. You can find a suitable one.”

The Emperor’s face was still dark. “Then in your opinion, who should 1 send?”

The minister answered, “1 think the son of the Minister of Works is very suitable.”

The Minister of Works and the minister in front of the emperor were political enemies. One could imagine his motive for recommending the son of his political enemy.

The emperor narrowed his eyes. “Minister, 1 suddenly remembered that you have a grandson who has just entered the officialdom. Do you want to send him to train?”

The minister said unhurriedly, “Thank you for thinking highly of my grandson, but my grandson is inexperienced and can’t take on a big responsibility.”

The emperor slammed his palm on the table and shouted angrily, “Get out, all of you get out!”

The ministers hurriedly took their leave.

After the ministers left, the emperor threw a memorial in front of him to the ground. “All of them are here to force me!”

Li Fei quickly picked up the memorial. “Your Majesty, the more they force you, the more you have to stay calm and collected. Everything will be fine after this period of time.”

The emperor clenched his fists tightly. That old fox, the Prime Minister, was the most annoying one! n/ô/vel/b//jn dot c//om

At this moment, a secret guard appeared in the imperial study and knelt on one knee. “Your Majesty, General Tang has sent a secret letter.”

Upon hearing that, the emperor’s brows relaxed a lot.

Li Fei thought to himself, As expected, General Tang is the only one who can calm His Majesty.

The Emperor said, “Bring it up.”

The Emperor took the letter. The more he read, the better his expression became. In the end, he actually smiled. “General Tang really didn’t disappoint me.”

The secret letter included the whereabouts of the grains and the situation of the refugees.

The grains weren’t lost, and the refugee situation had been properly settled. The emperor was naturally happy to hear the good news.

The emperor instructed happily, “Go, bring me some food.” He was so angry that he forgot to eat. Now, his stomach was rumbling.

Li Fei replied crisply, “Yes, Your Majesty.”

Tang Jinghong received three letters in a row. One of them was from Yuan Hongjun, and the other two were from the soldiers he had sent out to gather information. The three letters were all about the whereabouts of the refugees.

After reading them one by one, he immediately sent a letter to the deputy general to go and stop the refugees. He could not let the refugees go to the capital, or chaos would erupt.

The Daling Dynasty’s current emperor had only ascended the throne for three years. If chaos erupted in the capital, he would lose his prestige. The Imperial Court that he had just stabilized would immediately be divided up.

At that time, he would become a puppet emperor who was restricted in every way. The young and new ministers he used would definitely be suppressed by those old ministers. It would be difficult for the emperor to make a comeback.

As the emperor’s most trusted aide, Tang Jinghong would also be severely affected and become the main target of those old ministers.

Tang Jinghong’s prestige in the army was already close to that of General Fan. It had to be known that General Fan was an old general of three dynasties. No one would disobey him in the army, and it was starting to be the same for Tang Jinghong now.

With Tang Jinghong’s relationship with General Fan, those old ministers had long wanted to suppress Tang Jinghong, but they couldn’t find anything against him.

Outside Xu City, Tang Jinghong had just sent the letter out when he received three more letters.

These three letters were much more serious. Rumors of Heavenly Punishment in the city were rampant. Almost everyone was talking about it and he was asked to find a way to solve it.

Tang Jinghong rubbed his eyebrows. Problems were coming up one after another.

Chu Qingzhi opened the tent and waved at Tang Jinghong. “Jinghong, come in.”

When Tang Jinghong saw Chu Qingzhi, he felt slightly happier. He nodded and walked towards Chu Qingzhi.. “Qingzhi, what’s wrong?”