“There will be a locust plague next year?”
Old Cheng grabbed Yun Ye’s shoulder and looked at the bright sunshine outside the tent, finding it somewhat incredible. What kind of person could predict future events? Although Yun Ye’s performance was already not much different from an immortal, Old Cheng still doubted the truthfulness of this statement.
It wasn’t that he didn’t believe what Yun Ye said, but this matter was too significant. If an accident occurred, a charge of spreading demonic rumors to confuse the masses would come down. Especially now when the nation’s morale was unstable, it needed to be handled even more cautiously. If he ignored it, that would of course be the safest approach—no one would know, and there would be no trouble. But thinking of the terrible disaster Yun Ye described—barren land for thousands of li, people trading their children to eat—even Old Cheng, a fierce general who had killed people like flies, shuddered with cold.
It was completely a dead knot! If it were just Old Cheng himself, perhaps he wouldn’t be in such difficulty. Now Yun Ye had just found his family, and the Yun clan’s prosperity was in sight. If this kid was ruined by the locust plague, it would be too regrettable.
“Uncle need not be troubled. My master was already an immortal-like figure. Although your nephew personally cremated his old man’s remains and scattered them into the Yellow River, your nephew still cannot confirm whether his old man has truly died. I fear that forcing your nephew to enter the world was just this cicada-shedding-its-shell stratagem. How else could he have come back to life and carried your nephew in a mad dash for three hundred li to escape those Muslims’ pursuit?”
“Since his old man said there will be a locust plague next year, then there will definitely be a locust plague. There will be absolutely no mistake.” These words left Old Cheng dumbstruck. A body full of maggots could still come back to life—this was the world’s greatest absurdity! If he hadn’t seen Yun Ye’s completely serious face, he might have kicked him already. Old Cheng was just about to open his mouth when Yun Ye stopped him.
“How could your nephew not know Uncle’s concerns? Since your nephew has already entered the world and received His Majesty’s official position, taking people’s money to eliminate their disasters is the truth of the world. Your nephew believes in my master. Betting my life once on the correctness of my master’s words is the responsibility of being a disciple. Your nephew has decided to submit a memorial alone in this matter. Uncle Cheng, please don’t wade into these muddy waters.”
This was the first time Yun Ye had decided to do something. He had already thought of a strategy on the road. Recalling the African great famine he had seen on computers in later generations—that dying big-headed baby targeted by vultures, that maiden who should have had graceful curves but lay on a haystack like a skeleton—Yun Ye’s scalp tingled. If he didn’t give Emperor Li Er and his ministers a warning, once the locusts attacked, all of Guanzhong would become a living hell.
The history books recorded: “Locusts were everywhere in Guanzhong, eating grain, crops, grass, and trees until all was gone. Wherever they went they blocked out the sun, obstructing people and horses from moving, filling ditches and trenches to overflowing.” This must have been the scale formed by hundreds of millions of locusts. These locusts weren’t eating grass but eating people. Yun Ye would absolutely not stand by and watch it happen.
Old Cheng was somewhat stunned. Was this still the usually grinning youth? Was this still the rascal he had kicked around? When Yun Ye just said he couldn’t stand by idly while this natural disaster occurred, Old Cheng felt something different. This child had grown up, had taken on responsibility. Regardless of whether a locust plague occurred next year or not, Yun Ye’s courage and kindness were incomparable to those petty, scheming people.
Turning around, he pulled out a black glazed jar from under the couch, blew off the dust, knocked open the mud seal, took a big gulp, and handed it to Yun Ye. Yun Ye said nothing and raised the jar to also take a big drink, then returned it with both hands to Cheng Yaojin. Old Cheng and Yun Ye looked at each other, then burst into hearty laughter.
Old Cheng laughed that the Great Tang had another worthy talent growing up. Yun Ye laughed that he had finally broken his principle of being cautious and careful in dealing with people, putting safety first. A strong fighting spirit ignited in his chest. No wonder people on websites in later generations clamored: “Better to be a hero for a few minutes than to live a lifetime in muddle-headed confusion.” Being a hero felt good—at least he had swindled Old Cheng’s wine sealed away for many years.
Just as he was about to take a second sip, he heard Old Cheng say, “This matter will be planned by this old man. Don’t take matters into your own hands.” Then he was kicked out of the commander’s tent by Old Cheng again.
What is a hero? In these times, beheading generals and capturing flags didn’t count as being a hero—too common, especially in the Left Military Guard where which general hadn’t beheaded several enemy commanders? It had long ceased to be novel. If you could single-handedly throw down an ox and stab it once through the heart, letting the ox blood flow into a basin without spilling a drop, then you were a true hero. Right now Cheng Chumo was doing exactly that, winning full-field applause.
This fellow held a blood-stained military dagger in his mouth, and with a flex of both arms hung the ox on the crossbar. Immediately butchers opened up the ox’s belly. The entire military camp had become a slaughterhouse.
The General ordered all cattle and sheep that couldn’t be taken along to be completely slaughtered and made into dried meat. Yun Ye also had the organs made into sausages, smoked, then dried and stored. The Left Military Guard was frantically storing grain. The soldiers didn’t understand why, thinking they were going to war, and were all exceptionally excited.
The General hadn’t smiled for over ten days. His Highness the Crown Prince hadn’t smiled for over ten days. The just-returned Vice Commander Niu had red eyes like he wanted to eat people. Lord Zhangsun Wuji had come again, left in a hurry again. Lord Yun Ye, who had just been enfeoffed by His Majesty as Marquis of Lantian County, also hadn’t smiled for several days. Something big had happened. Could it be that the Turks had invaded again?
“Will there really be a locust plague?” This was the fifty or sixtieth time Niu Jinda had asked Yun Ye in over ten days.
Since Cheng Yaojin told this matter to the Crown Prince, and the Crown Prince conveyed it to the Empress by family letter, Old Cheng began frantic grain hoarding operations. All surplus grain in Longyou was purchased in large quantities. Taking advantage of cattle and sheep being plump at the end of autumn, large-scale slaughter began. Hunting teams were also dispatched to hunt game in the mountains of Longyou.
Cheng Yaojin’s actions naturally alarmed Zhangsun Wuji. After asking the reason in shock, he also began hoarding grain, causing grain prices in Longyou to soar.
Liu Fulu immediately sent five thousand strings of copper coins to Yun Ye, no longer mentioning using grain to settle accounts. Grain continuously flowed into the military camp. Each time ten thousand dan were gathered, they were escorted to Chang’an by one hundred soldiers of the Crown Prince’s Right Guard. Auxiliary troops from Longyou drove carts responsible for transport.
Zhangsun Wuji was even more ruthless, trading salt for Tuyuhun cattle, sheep, and horses, then trading cattle, sheep, and horses for grain. Taking advantage on both sides, he began frantically plundering the already scarce grain of Tubo and Tuyuhun. On one hand to raise grain, on the other hand also to reduce these two countries’ ability to wage war.
Niu Jinda returned happily and proclaimed Emperor Li Er’s decree promoting Yun Ye to Marquis of Lantian County. Cheng Yaojin also, for meritorious recommendation of talent, advanced one grade in rank to become a Pacification General of the second rank upper grade. Niu Jinda became a Cherishing Transformation General of the third rank. Cheng Chumo advanced to Brilliant Martial Captain of the fifth rank lower grade. Even Zhang Cheng, who had first encountered Yun Ye, became a Benevolent Brave Captain of the ninth rank—truly chickens and dogs ascending to heaven.
Niu Jinda spoke of how in the Hall of Supreme Harmony, before the civil and military officials, His Majesty the Emperor personally smashed the large jar, dug up the soil, and harvested seven potatoes weighing six jin and four liang. The entire hall of ministers nearly fell into madness—some wailing and crying bitterly, some beating their chests and stomping their feet, some howling toward heaven. His Majesty was even happier, weeping tears and snot, not showing a trace of his wise and mighty bearing. Before the full court of civil and military officials, he enfeoffed Yun Ye as Marquis of Lantian County with a substantive fief of one thousand households. This was the first time since the founding of the nation that a marquis title was used as a reward—truly magnificent and vast imperial favor. Speaking and speaking, he saw that the Crown Prince, Old Cheng, and Yun Ye had not a trace of smile on their faces. After learning the reason, he smashed the table with one punch, no longer showing half a trace of joy.