“Whoa—!”
As the locusts inside the sacks began thrashing about, an uproar broke out among the crowd.
“Those look like locusts.”
“Forget look like—my eyesight’s good. Those are definitely locusts!”
“Gulp… Didn’t my lord just say he was going to teach us how to cook a dish?”
“Don’t tell me… those things are edible?”
“They probably aren’t…”
“Sizzle—!”
Zhang Jing grabbed several handfuls of locusts and tossed them into the hot oil.
Glancing at the crowd, he said, “These are indeed locusts.”
“According to what you’ve always believed, locusts are harmful, and a locust plague is a punishment sent down by the Locust God.”
As soon as Zhang Jing began speaking, the crowd quieted down.
Like students before a teacher, they listened attentively.
“That belief is mistaken.”
“There is no such thing as a Locust God.”
“Locust plagues are caused by changes in climate and seasonal conditions.”
“As for the locusts themselves, they’re one of the rare delicacies of this world.”
“Of course they’re edible.”
As he spoke, his hands never stopped moving.
Using a strainer, he scooped the now golden-brown, crispy locusts out of the oil.
Immediately, a mouthwatering aroma filled the air.
“Zhongde, give them a try as well.”
After handing the cooking utensils back to the camp cook, Zhang Jing popped two locusts into his own mouth before offering some to Cheng Yu.
“Thank you, my lord.”
After bowing in thanks, Cheng Yu copied Zhang Jing and picked up several locusts before putting them into his mouth.
To Cheng Yu, eating a few locusts was hardly anything extraordinary.
“My lord, they’re delicious!”
Watching Zhang Jing pass the fried locusts around to Dian Wei and the others, Cheng Yu exclaimed, “They’re fragrant and crispy, yet pleasantly chewy.”
“They truly are a first-rate delicacy.”
“Gulp…”
The crowd had already been captivated by the irresistible aroma.
After hearing Cheng Yu’s praise, quite a few of them swallowed involuntarily.
“My lord, these locusts are amazing!”
Dian Wei’s eyes lit up.
“If we had a jug of good wine to go with these, it’d be absolute heaven!”
“How come I never realized these little bugs tasted so good?”
“As long as you enjoy them.”
Zhang Jing smiled.
“Take the finished batch and distribute it among your comrades.”
“Got it! I’ll do it right away!”
Dian Wei hurried off toward the cooks.
As he handed out the fried locusts to the five hundred law enforcers gathered around, everyone else received one.
Dian Wei ate two.
An hour later…
Both sacks of locusts had been completely devoured.
Far from eating their fill, most people had only managed to satisfy their cravings.
Smiling, Zhang Jing asked, “Now that you’ve all tasted them, are you still worried about the Locust God?”
“The Locust God, my ass!”
Dian Wei replied, his mouth still glistening with oil.
“The only thing I’m worried about is not having enough locusts to eat!”
“Hahaha!”
The crowd burst into laughter.
Even those who had still harbored some fear of the so-called Locust God felt their worries vanish.
“General Dian is right! I’m worried there won’t be enough locusts too!”
“Same here!”
“They’re so delicious. Thinking about all the locust plagues we’ve had over the years…”
“What a terrible waste!”
“Exactly! If locusts can be eaten, then there’s nothing to fear from a locust plague!”
“…”
“On that point…”
“You’re mistaken.”
Zhang Jing raised a hand, his expression turning serious.
“Ordinary locusts are edible.”
“But the locusts in a locust plague are not.”
“If you eat plague locusts, you’ll be poisoned.”
“And if you eat too many, your life may be in danger.”
“What?!”
Everyone’s expressions tightened.
The excitement they had just felt was instantly replaced by disappointment.
“Remember this well.”
Zhang Jing continued, “If a locust plague ever occurs, the locusts from that swarm must never be eaten.”
“However, while humans cannot eat them, domestic fowl are another matter.”
“Chickens, ducks, and geese can all help suppress a locust plague.”
Using poultry to control locusts certainly worked.
But in this era, it was extremely difficult to put into practice.
Most people barely had enough food to feed themselves.
Naturally, few could afford to raise poultry.
Even a single laying hen was treated as a treasured possession by an ordinary household.
Among the more than three million people living in the four commanderies, the number of families that owned poultry could probably be counted on one hand.
“So that’s how it is. Domestic fowl can actually suppress locust plagues.”
“But that’s far too difficult.”
“To rely on poultry, you’d need at least tens of thousands of birds.”
“That’s practically impossible.”
“……”
These men were no ordinary commoners.
All of them were literate and educated, so their understanding naturally surpassed that of the average person.
They knew that, although their lord’s proposal was sound, putting it into practice would be extraordinarily difficult.
“Could it be that my lord has another purpose?”
After listening, Cheng Yu couldn’t help but fall into deep thought.
He clearly remembered Zhang Jing saying that the matter of locusts concerned the livelihood of the entire populace.
There was no way this lesson had been given merely to let them enjoy a tasty snack.
“Using poultry to control locusts is indeed difficult.”
Zhang Jing spoke with solemn conviction.
“But I must tell you some bad news.”
“For many days and nights, I have observed the celestial omens.”
“If the heavens do not deceive me, then next year the Three Adjuncts of Guanzhong will suffer the worst drought seen in a hundred years.”
Thanks to the memories from his previous life, he knew the course of history.
Naturally, he wasn’t about to pass up such a perfect opportunity to appear divinely insightful.
If anyone asked—
His answer would simply be that his teachings came from the Way of the Yellow Heaven (Taiping Dao).
If they pressed further—
Then it was because Heaven itself had ordained his destiny.
His arrival in this world might create a butterfly effect.
But no matter how hard this butterfly flapped its wings, it could never erase a natural disaster.
“Just as I suspected…”
Cheng Yu’s eyes lit up.
Only now did he finally understand.
“A once-in-a-century drought?”
“But Guanzhong has nothing to do with Yan Province, does it?”
“Probably not. They’re separated by over a thousand li.”
“I’ve got a bad feeling about this…”
“If the Three Adjuncts suffer a great drought…”
Zhang Jing looked up at the star-filled sky, his expression grave.
“…the drought itself may not reach Yan Province.”
“But don’t forget, A drought is often followed by a locust plague.”
“And next year will be exactly such a case.”
“Not only will there be the worst drought in a century, the locust plague that follows will be the largest seen in several hundred years.”
“It may spread across all Nine Provinces.”
“And Yan Province will be among them.”
Although Zhang Jing had never personally experienced that catastrophe, history had recorded it in unmistakable terms.
“A great drought struck the Three Adjuncts; people devoured one another.”
Just a few simple strokes of ink.
Yet every character had been written in blood.
Only a handful of words, but every one echoed with the anguished cries of the people.
As for the locust plague that later swept through Yan Province, it had even indirectly saved Cao Cao from defeat at Lü Bu’s hands.
“Hm?!”
By this point, even Cheng Yu could no longer remain composed.
He had thought they were merely discussing events in another region.
Who could have imagined that the disaster would eventually reach Yan Province itself?
How was he supposed to stay calm?
Originally, Cheng Yu had been considering provoking Qing and Xu Provinces after next year’s autumn harvest.
But if a locust plague was coming, what was the point of planning any military campaign?
“This…”
The others were equally shaken.
Anxious expressions spread across their faces.
No one understood the terror of a locust plague better than they did.
Not a single person doubted Zhang Jing’s words.
To them, he had long since become a figure worthy of reverence.
Moreover, the art of observing the stars was nothing unusual in this era.
Those who studied military strategy—particularly practitioners of the Yin-Yang school of warfare—regarded reading the heavens to determine the proper timing of events as a fundamental skill.
Their lord had received Heaven’s Mandate.
For him to foresee the celestial signs of the coming year was perfectly reasonable.
“Fortunately, We still have one year.”
Zhang Jing swept his gaze across the crowd before speaking firmly.
“Yan Province still has enough time to prepare in advance.”
“We will do everything we can to minimize the damage this locust plague will inflict upon our land.”
“But accomplishing that will require all of us.”
“We are willing to die for you, my lord!”
Cheng Yu stepped forward, cupped his fists respectfully, and shouted.
“We are willing to die for you, my lord!”
Dian Wei and the others immediately followed suit, their expressions turning solemn as they saluted in unison.
Their fear of the coming locust plague was greatly diminished.
They firmly believed that their lord would lead them safely through whatever calamity lay ahead.
— The end of the Chapter–
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