In the spring of the second year of Zhenguan, locusts rose everywhere in Guanzhong.

These insects that flew out of the fields, rivers and wastelands, ate all the plants they encountered, gathered densely to cover the sky and the sun.

Even though the Tang Dynasty's court had made preparations early, it was still powerless to face such a locust plague.

Just as the people were frightened and the family members were about to pick up the plane and attack, Wang Xiao stood up.

He expressed his willingness to purchase locusts at a price of one cent per pound, and he would charge as much as he could.

In addition, Wang Xiao also took the initiative to display a net to capture locusts. This large net with a fine mesh can cover a large area at a time when opened.

Wang Xiao said that he has many such websites that can be rented for free to people who are willing to catch locusts.

As for whoever says that locusts are angels and cannot be caught or something, there will naturally be people from the government to help "persuade".

Wang Xiao himself has money, and Changsun Wuji has paid for the shares. He can afford to buy no matter how many thousand kilograms of locusts he catches.

"Is this thing really edible?"

Changsun Wuji, who took out a huge amount of money to participate in the stakes, looked at the locusts rustling in the big cloth bag in front of him, and felt a sense of disgust. He really didn't understand how to eat this thing.

Wang Xiao rolled up his sleeves and took the guys in the winery to deal with the locusts, pinched his head and pulled the thread to clean it. Wrapped it with white flour and fryed it directly in the pan.

Amid the sizzling sound, a fragrance began to spread in the air.

"Come on, try how it tastes." The fresh fried locusts were put on the plate and handed them directly to Changsun Wuji.

"I dare not, don't dare." The prime minister of the Tang Dynasty waved his hands repeatedly, and he didn't dare to eat such things.

"I'll try it."

Li Er, wearing gorgeous clothes, walked into the kitchen with his hands behind his back, stepped forward without any hesitation, picked up a fried locust and stuffed it into his mouth.

"Your Majesty! Your Majesty can't!"

The group of civil officials who followed in were all acting online, and they performed a scene of dissuasion with both voice and emotion. However, although each of them stretched out their hands, none of them really stopped them.

After all, there must be a solution for this locust plague.

If you can eat the best, but if you can't eat it, no matter whether you are the emperor or the prime minister, someone must stand up and take it.

"How is it?" Wang Xiao also asked him curiously.

"Not bad." Li Er's face was a little distorted, and it felt that the taste was not as he said.

Wang Xiao brought another plate of salt and a plate of soy sauce. "Try dipping some sauce."

Li Er glared at him, and without saying a word, he ate all the fried locusts all over the plate without saying a word.

"Another pot." Li Er looked at the onlookers around him with malicious intentions. Of course, such a thing cannot only make him unlucky.

Of course, Wang Xiao didn't care. He then fryed the locusts and then left them to everyone to share them.

"Why don't you eat?" Looking at the people around who were gritting their teeth and eating locusts, Li Er asked Wang Xiao curiously.

Wang Xiao raised his palm to his mouth and whispered, "It's poisonous."

Li Er's eyes were widened.

"Don't be afraid, only a trace amount of toxins will not kill people after treatment."

Compared with the frowning people, Wei Zheng, the only person who ate the noodles that the locusts eat, asked, "This thing is indeed edible. But it requires flour and fat, and it also adds so much salt sauce. How many people can afford it?"

Wheat is very expensive, and the price is several times that of millet.

Although there is already soybean oil, the price is not very cheap.

Add salt and soy sauce to make it difficult to fry locusts.

"This is a dish, not for making staple food." Wang Xiao waved his hand and signaled everyone to follow him.

When he arrived at the yard behind, Wang Xiao pointed to the huge steamer in front of him, "This is the place where a large number of locusts are needed."

Locusts are considered high in protein. If you deal with them well, add flour, fat, salt and sugar and press them. You can make the most basic military rations.

Taking the brick-like military rations in his hand, Wang Xiao poured water into the pot, threw a piece in and cooked for a while and then it turned into a batter.

"This thing is OK to eat with water." Wang Xiao put the batter on the plate and handed it to Li Er and his ministers.

After eating half a plate, Li Er felt that the taste was pretty good, and his stomach felt full.

"Are you going to sell this to the people?"

"Where do the people get the money to buy this?" Wang Xiao pointed at Fang Xuanling and the others with a smile, "of course it was sold to the court."

"What's the purpose of the court?"

"Now, the locust plague in Guanzhong can be bought to provide relief to the victims. In the future, when the army heads north, it can also be carried with us as military rations."

Li Er narrowed his eyes and said that the army went north and something was coming to his heart.

"How do you sell this thing?" Li Shimin was very interested in this.

Wang Xiao rubbed his hands and said, "Share the worries of the court, then the price is lower, just treat it as our contribution to the court. There is no need to be more, just ten cents per pound."

"What?!"

Wei Zheng was furious, "When you buy these locusts, you only give one cent per pound."

"I also paid various expenses for labor, technology, and ingredients." Wang Xiao shrugged and signaled Changsun Wuji beside him, "This is my partner. Please contact him for the price negotiation. He said it would be as much as possible."

Changsun Wuji's smile was very awkward.

Don’t say this kind of thing in front of Li Er!

I am the big deal who pays the money, but I am still the prime minister of the court. At this time, how do you ask me to negotiate the price? You cheated me again.

Under Li Er's seemingly indifferent gaze, Changsun Wuji silently bleeded in his heart and discussed a price that was not satisfied with both sides.

A pound of locust powder costs three cents.

If you calculate all kinds of expenses, you basically do nothing to make money even if you do free work.

Changsun Wuji, who wanted to take advantage of this opportunity to make a fortune, was so angry that he couldn't eat enough for several days.

Millions of people in Guanzhong began to capture each other after breaking the golden body of the locust. In just one or two months, the locust swarm was almost wiped out before they even had time to form a scale.

Countless locusts were sent to many manors near Chang'an, where they were made into locust powder.

Then these locust powder was stored and prepared to be used as military rations.

As for disaster relief, there is still a lot of food in the warehouse. Moreover, this locust plague was not that serious and disappeared without having time to form a scale. Instead, it did not require disaster relief.

A new spring plowing has begun, and this time it has undergone a huge change from previous years.

First, before the cultivation, the fields were diluted lime powder for insecticide removal.

Then when the ground was turned over, the curved plow was used to efficiently reclaim the fields.

The Tang Dynasty sold a large amount of glass products to the surrounding areas, and exchanged them for a large number of cattle, sheep and horses from the Turks and Tuguhun people.

The horses were sent to the army, and the sheep were killed to eat meat. However, the cattle became plowing ox after training.

The large number of oxen increases make the land easier.

Needless to say, the fertilizer made by the original method was released and used in the fields.

These fertilizers will be used in batches in stages and batches, and will be used with water wheels to significantly increase farmland output.

In summer, drought comes again.

However, the large-scale popularization of water trucks greatly alleviated the drought and had little impact on autumn harvest.

This autumn harvest was harvested in Guanzhong, and Li Er also stored a large amount of copper coins and cloth by selling glass.

Now, it's time for him to avenge himself.

Wang Xiao formed a caravan, the type of caravan, which was a large scale. He received food, grass and military supplies from Li Er and went to work in the border area of ​​the north.

In history, Li Shimin sent troops to the Eastern Turks in three years in Zhenguan, but this time he had to take action one year in advance.

As for the reason, it is naturally because of Wang Xiao's magical operation that greatly improved the national strength of the Tang Dynasty and gave Li Er the capital to take action.

No one will believe in the reasons for starting a war, as well as the so-called Weishui Alliance. If you want to tear it off, just tear it off.

Wang Xiao initiated a investment promotion and solicited merchants from all over the city to invest in his caravan.

The merchants are also extremely enthusiastic, even if the owner of a roadside stall is willing to work hard to join in.

Anything can be considered as shares if you pay money, people, big trucks, and everything can be regarded as shares. Wang Xiao will never refuse anyone.

As for why so many people participated enthusiastically, it was not because they loved Li Tang so much and were willing to contribute to the country.

The real reason is that Wang Xiao proposed the concept of guaranteed.

No matter what you invest, it can be converted into money. Then, Wang Xiao uses all his own property as a guarantee and can earn more than twice the guaranteed income if he invests.

The person who served as the guarantor for Wang Xiao was Changsun Wuji, the prime minister of the Tang Dynasty.

Wang Xiao's money and wealth, coupled with Changsun Wuji's identity, of course, the merchants in Chang'an City could trust him, so Wang Xiao's caravan was formed very large.

When the autumn harvest ended, Wang Xiao personally led this huge team to transport tens of thousands of stones of grain and other supplies to Mayi.

Mayi is a very famous place.
To be continued...