From cute to empress

Chapter 249: Fighting the Insect Plague

At first light, I set out for the wasteland outside the city with the agricultural doctor and Youcai. The rumbling of the carriage crushed the morning dew and also crushed the last shred of doubt in my heart.

This wasteland was even more vast than I had imagined, overgrown with weeds, yet it couldn't conceal the fertility of the land. I took a deep breath, and the fragrance of the earth mixed with the scent of green grass made me feel extremely relaxed and happy.

"Your Majesty, look at this land. It's flat and the soil is fertile. It's perfect for growing new crops." The doctor of agronomy said excitedly, pointing to a vacant lot not far away.

I followed his direction and saw a truly precious piece of land. I quickly walked over, squatted down, grabbed a handful of soil, and examined it carefully. "The soil is loose and slightly moist. It seems the doctor has a keen eye for talent... no, a keen eye for land!"

The doctor of agronomy laughed out loud because of me, and Youcai couldn't help but smile as well.

"Your Majesty, you are so approachable." An old but resonant voice came from behind me. I turned around and saw an old farmer looking at me with a smile, hoe in hand.

"you are……"

"My last name is Tian, ​​and I've been farming around here for most of my life. I know the land like no other!" Old Farmer Tian said cheerfully. "I heard Your Majesty was going to grow some new and exotic crops here, and I couldn't wait to come help out and see what it had to offer!"

I happily agreed. It was great to have such an experienced farmer join us. A peasant woman also came over and introduced herself enthusiastically: "Your Majesty, my name is Bing, and I'm here to help!"

Led by Tian Laonong, a group of us set out to clear this wasteland. I shed my elaborate palace attire, donned a light, coarse linen shirt, and personally joined in the labor. The sun blazed down, and my clothes were soaked with sweat, but I felt no fatigue at all. Instead, I was filled with energy.

Farmer C and I sowed the seeds of new crops together. These tiny seeds carried hope and my expectations for the future.

"Your Majesty, you are such a good emperor!" Peasant Woman C looked at me, her eyes full of gratitude. "You are the first emperor willing to work with us common people!"

I smiled and continued what I was doing. I knew that to truly win the hearts of the people, I didn't have to sit in the throne room and issue orders, but had to go among the people and share their joys and sorrows.

As the sun sets, we finally finish our first day of work. I look up into the distance and see the afterglow of the setting sun shone on the fields, as if it had gilded the land.

At this moment, a guard came over quickly, holding a letter in his hand, "Your Majesty, urgent news from the border!"

My heart tightened and I quickly took the envelope...

The last rays of sunset faded over the horizon, and night fell, with stars dotting the sky. But I had no time to appreciate the beauty, for the letter in my hand seemed to be gripping my heart tightly with an invisible hand.

The situation on the border is tense, the Xiongnu are invading, and the battle is at a stalemate. I know what this means. It means that Youcai will have to put on his armor again and fight bloody battles with the enemy to protect this land.

At the end of the letter, Youcai's handwriting was a bit sloppy, but it was powerful enough to penetrate the paper: "Mengmeng, don't worry. Wait for me to return triumphantly, and we'll enjoy the harvest together."

This simple sentence was like a warm current that dispelled the uneasiness and anxiety in my heart, and also strengthened my determination to successfully grow the new crops.

However, things didn't go as planned. A sudden drought struck like a demon upon this promising field. The once lush green fields dried up and cracked at a visible rate, and the once vibrant sprouts began to wilt and turn yellow.

"How could this happen? Why isn't the rain coming yet?" Farmer Woman C looked at the dry fields with red eyes.

I was also extremely anxious, but I knew that the more urgent it was, the more we couldn't lose our composure.

"Mr. Tian, ​​do you think there is any way to save these crops now?" I asked the experienced farmer Tian.

"Alas, now we can only irrigate manually, but..." Old Farmer Tian looked at the vast fields and sighed deeply, "But there is only one well nearby, and manpower is limited. It's just a drop in the bucket!"

"I'll find a way to get water!" I said firmly. "Uncle Tian, ​​please organize everyone and use whatever tools can hold water to draw water from the well for irrigation!"

"Okay!" Mr. Tian was infected by my determination and cheered up.

Thus began a battle for water. Along with the people, I worked tirelessly day and night, drawing water from the well, bucket by bucket, to irrigate the fields. My hands blistered, and my back ached, but I never stopped.

Looking at the seedlings that were originally wilted and now regaining vitality after being watered with my sweat, my heart is filled with hope.

However, manpower alone cannot meet the irrigation needs of such a large area, and the situation of the seedlings is still not optimistic.

Just when I was getting extremely anxious, a familiar figure appeared on the ridge of the field...

"Mengmeng, I'm late!" Zhen Youcai walked towards me briskly, with an apologetic look on his face, but he couldn't hide his tiredness.

"Youcai, why are you back?" I was so surprised and delighted that I didn't even notice that my muddy hands were tightly grasping his sleeves. "You weren't at the frontier..."

"The fighting on the border has been put on hold. I heard about the drought, so I rushed back without stopping." He gently pried my hands apart and looked at my swollen fingertips with heartache. "Silly girl, how could I let you do such rough work?"

Before I could explain, a hearty voice interrupted us: "Your Majesty, you truly care about the country and the people! I admire you!"

I turned around and saw that it was Rich Businessman A. He was directing a group of people to carry some strange-shaped tools to the edge of the field.

"Fujia, what are you doing..." I looked at the instruments I had never seen before in confusion, and a glimmer of hope rose in my heart.

"Your Majesty, these are the irrigation tools I bought from merchants in the Western Regions. They are called 'water wheels' and 'barrel wheels'. They can use water flow for automatic irrigation, saving time and effort and achieving twice the result with half the effort!" Rich Merchant A pointed at the tools and explained excitedly.

"Great!" I was extremely excited. With these advanced irrigation tools, the problem of water shortage can be easily solved!

"Your Majesty is wise! With this, this drought won't be a problem!" County Magistrate B had arrived at the fields at some point. He took in the busy scene, his face full of admiration. "Your Majesty works tirelessly for the people, personally taking care of everything. I deeply admire you! Please rest assured, Your Majesty, I will fully cooperate and allocate more manpower and supplies to ensure a successful harvest of the new crop!"

I nodded with satisfaction, and the people gathered around me, looking at me with eyes full of gratitude and admiration. I knew in my heart that this was not only a recognition of me, but also a hope for the future!

As the sun set, its golden glow bathed the fields, illuminating the hopeful faces of the people. I gazed at the vibrant scene before me, my heart filled with hope. But then, Mr. Tian hurried over, a look of unease on his face. "Your Majesty, something's wrong! Please go to the fields and check..." My heart sank, a sense of foreboding washing over me. As I jogged along alongside Mr. Tian, ​​the once lush green fields presented a chilling sight. The leaves of the once thriving crops were now withered and yellow, as if gnawed by something, and the ridges were crawling with a dense, creepy mass of black insects.

"How could this happen? It was fine a few days ago..." Farmer C's face was pale, her hands were trembling, and she pointed at the insects in the ground, almost crying.

"What kind of insects are these? Why have I never seen them before?" County Magistrate B frowned and paced back and forth anxiously.

"Your Majesty..." Mr. Tian hesitated to speak and looked at me worriedly.

"Uncle Tian, ​​don't be anxious, just speak slowly." I forced myself to calm down, looking at everything in front of me, with mixed feelings in my heart.

"Your Majesty, I've lived for most of my life and have never seen this kind of insects. They reproduce very quickly. In just a few days, they have spread throughout the fields and eaten all the crops!" Old Man Tian said with great sorrow, "If we don't find a solution, I'm afraid..."

I looked around and saw despair written all over the people's faces. Their once bright eyes were now dim.

"Youcai, you are knowledgeable, do you know what kind of insect this is?" I turned to look at Zhen Youcai, hoping to get a glimmer of hope from him.

Zhen Youcai observed it carefully and shook his head solemnly, "I've never seen this kind of insect before. It seems we need to consult a professional."

"The doctor of agronomy is studying the habits of new crops. I will go and invite him over right away!" County Magistrate B said, and hurriedly sent someone to invite the doctor of agronomy.

As time passed, my heart grew heavier. This new crop carried the hopes of the people. How could I face them if it were destroyed?

"Your Majesty, don't worry, there will definitely be a way." Zhen Youcai held my hand and comforted me softly.

I forced a smile and tried to convince myself that there would be a way.

After a while, the doctor of agronomy hurried over. He carefully checked the insect pest situation in the field and caught a few insects to take back for research.

"What's the matter? Is there any way to solve it?" I asked anxiously.

The doctor of agronomy pondered for a moment and slowly said, "Your Majesty, this kind of insect..." He paused, as if considering something, "I've seen this kind of insect in an ancient book before..."