Chapter 431: The Ninth Prince Got Sick After Eating Locusts?
After the emperor discussed with Shen Ningning, the whole Cangyun Kingdom has been experiencing heavy rain for four consecutive days!
The bodies of locusts were floating everywhere in the turbulent river.
Standing by the river, you can see a dense layer of black floating on the water.
Four days later, Shen Ningning decided to let the sun come out for a while, so as not to let everyone mistakenly think that a flood has come.
However, just two days after the sun, the locusts came back again!
Although there were not as many as last time, there were still many, enough to give the people a headache.
The emperor had to ask the guards to post the imperial edict and brainstorm to see if there was any solution.
Mo Zhirou was waiting for this moment.
After she went back last time, she investigated the reason why Shen Ningning entered the palace, and found out that she had always been called a blessed woman, so the emperor asked her for a solution.
However, Mo Zhirou did not believe that a ten-year-old girl could have any magical powers.
Therefore, she also tried hard to give the emperor advice.
She suggested that the emperor let the people use bird nets to catch locusts.
But it was rejected by the court.
This method is not only labor-intensive, but also ineffective.
After all, the number of locusts is too large.
Finally, Shen Ningning came up with a solution.
"The book that the mad teacher asked me to read before said that insects like to approach light sources, so flames will attract moths, and mosquitoes like to fly around palace lanterns. In this case, can it be said that locusts will also approach bright places?"
So, Shen Ningning took the lead in trying in Xiangyun Village.
After nightfall, she asked Chen Ye and Jiang Zhi to help, pile up oiled matches in the open space, and then light them.
After a while, all the nearby locusts were attracted, but the fire was too strong, and they were burned to death as soon as they approached, and once their wings were stained with oil, they would immediately catch fire.
Shen Ningning stood nearby, constantly listening to the "crackling" sound of explosions.
The locusts came in an endless stream, and fell to the ground one by one, all roasted brown, and there was a fragrance.
Suddenly.
When the little girl was concentrating on watching the fire, she heard the sound of chewing something.
Shen Ningning looked back.
Wolf Four was squatting not far away picking up ready-made roasted locusts to eat!
Shen Ningning was shocked and ran over to grab the chubby Wolf Four and pulled him back.
"You can't eat it, it's a bug!"
However, Wolf Four was grumbling and still refused to put down the food on the ground.
It was howling in its mouth, and its two fat claws were digging the ground, leaving two traces!
Shen Ningning heard it keep saying that it was delicious.
She couldn't help but get curious, so she let go of her hand.
Wolf Four ate heartily, not getting close to the fire, waiting for the roasted locusts to fall.
The wolves had long been spoiled by her daily fish and meat.
Ordinary meat would not be eaten if it was not fragrant.
Now Wolf Four was eating fragrantly, and Shen Ningning also smelled a burnt smell.
It felt like grandma fried pork belly with oil, sizzling and fragrant.
A bold idea suddenly flashed through Shen Ningning's mind.
The next day.
She set up a stall in Xiangyun Village, with fried locusts on a plate, golden and tender, sprinkled with pepper, salt and sesame, and cumin on another plate.
Sister-in-law Liu passed by and widened her eyes.
"Ningning, what are these locusts for?"
"Eat them!" The little girl said, and picked one up: "Aunt Liu, I'll eat it for you to see."
She put it in her mouth, and scared Sister-in-law Liu screamed, her eyes were as big as copper bells, and she watched Shen Ningning really swallow the locust.
Sister-in-law Liu was usually bold, and seeing that Shen Ningning dared to eat it, she looked at the two plates of fried locusts again with a suspicious look.
"Is it really edible?"
"Why not? Locusts also eat our food. The wolves have eaten a lot. I have tasted several of them. They taste very good."
After she finished speaking, Sister-in-law Liu finally plucked up the courage to taste them.
The villagers passing by gathered around them, surrounded them, and looked at them curiously.
Sister-in-law Liu was not satisfied with eating one. She ate two or three in a row, and then her eyes lit up.
"It smells so good! It smells better than fried oil residue!"
"Really?" The villagers were eager to try and came forward one after another.
Shen Ningning shouted enthusiastically: "I never lie. If I say it's edible, it's really edible. All uncles have eaten fried cicadas, but they don't know that locusts are also delicious!"
The villagers came to taste it and everyone said it was good.
However, Shen Ningning didn't have many locusts left. That night, everyone made a fire and attracted the locusts to fly over. They quickly picked them up in the bag and used them as a snack.
Soon, the news of eating fried locusts in Xiangyun Village reached the emperor's ears.
The whole court was shocked.
Mo Lingwei said indifferently: "I also tasted it when I went to Xiangyun Village to find Shen Ningning last time."
The emperor stood up suddenly and became nervous: "My son, are you feeling well?"
Mo Lingwei sneered: "Locusts sound scary, but Shen Ningning is right. If you dare to eat fried cicadas, why not locusts?"
Not only did he eat it and nothing happened, he also thought it tasted good.
The emperor felt that this method was very good. When the people regarded locusts as a kind of food, they would no longer be afraid, but would catch them everywhere.
For this reason, the emperor held an insect banquet in front of the civil and military officials, set an example, and ate a few fried locusts first.
Then the ministers followed suit.
In order to support his daughter, Xie Suzhi ate a plate by himself.
Seeing him calmly refuse, with no strange expression on his face, General Chen on the side admired him.
"Prime Minister Xie, how does it taste?"
"Excellent." Xie Suzhi recommended it to General Chen and Old Master Ye.
Halfway through the banquet, the Ninth Prince suddenly had abdominal pain and his face was pale and unbearable.
The ministers exclaimed, and someone couldn't help but say: "Is there something wrong with eating locusts?!"
For a moment, the atmosphere of harmony became extremely solemn, and everyone put down their chopsticks and dared not use them again.
The emperor frowned and was about to speak, but Mo Lingwei said lightly: "Please ask the imperial physician to come and diagnose in class to see what the problem is?"
After a while, several imperial physicians with superb medical skills arrived and took the pulse of the Ninth Prince.
The ministers stretched their necks to observe.
The Ninth Prince rolled over and cried in pain, and the imperial physicians were helpless.
"This... Your Majesty, the Ninth Prince's pulse is normal, and there is no problem, but judging from His Majesty's reaction, it seems that he has some difficult and complicated illness."
The Ninth Prince broke out in a cold sweat and covered his stomach: "Father, Father... My son's stomach feels like it's being cut by a knife."
The minister next to him hurriedly said: "Could it be because of eating locusts? Just now, the Ninth Prince ate a few and began to feel unbearable pain. Now even the imperial physician can't find the reason. Could it be that eating locusts will cause some acute illness!"
The other ministers were shocked.
The emperor's eyes were serious, revealing a hint of doubt.
Could it be that there is still a problem with eating locusts?
At this moment, Xie Mingxu stood up and bowed calmly: "Your Majesty, I happened to bring the genius doctor Sima Han into the palace today. Why don't you ask him to take the pulse of the Ninth Prince?"
The emperor's eyes lit up: "I almost forgot that he also came to the palace today. Please invite him quickly."
The Ninth Prince's lowered eyes flashed with a hint of stiffness.