three of them started to help Gu Qian build his "empire".Gu Qian: "..."She really doesn't need it.Well, suit yourselves.Liu Ye stepped down from his position as head chef and, under Gu Qian's 'coerci...Raising ducks for disaster relief is the most optimal choice. The affected regions have a large number of ducks, and these ducks consume locusts, growing quickly and healthily, becoming plump and delicious.

This kind of duck can be sold for a high price, and then continue to raise ducklings, a cyclical process. It not only eliminates locust plagues but also allows the local people to use them as food.

However, there's also a more interesting way to do it.

That's just spreading rumors.

Gu Qian discussed with the Empress and sent people across the country to publicize the peculiar effects of locusts.

For example, eating locusts can be good for beauty and skin health, and it can also replenish the kidneys and strengthen yang.

Of course, she couldn't just say no. So she had someone pretend to be a merchant and go to the disaster area to buy locusts. She told the local people that these things were highly nutritious and delicious, and that many high-ranking officials in the imperial city ate them. After frying or stir-frying them, they were a real treat.

The local people were dumbfounded. Can you eat this

Who would believe this!

However, as long as they are paid, the people will be delighted to go catch locusts. And those who can't afford a meal will naturally try if locusts are edible upon hearing this.

Then...it's really good.

Frying is out of the question, there's no money to buy oil. But roasting it would be delicious too!

Even if those strange purported effects are disregarded, the people are not starving for the moment.

Moreover, with the prospect of profit, people rushed to make insect nets and caught locusts to sell to these bogus merchants.

This matter gradually spread throughout the neighborhood, and more and more people were eating locusts. Even those wealthy individuals who were hesitant, after hearing that certain gentry officials and elderly gentlemen had become invincible and incredibly courageous after consuming locusts, couldn't help but try it themselves.

Isn't that just eating bugs Haha, only someone with good kidneys can be so healthy! Eat it!

And then there are those women, they say, who can be beautiful

What's there to fear from bugs They even eat purple river carts, devour them!

Of course, they wouldn't go and catch locusts themselves, so what would be done

Grab it!

Soon, more and more people started eating locusts. Some real businessmen also discovered this business opportunity, buying them from the common people and selling them to others.

Since ancient times, there has been a saying that "there is no integrity in business." The methods of merchants are far more effective than those petty tricks like Gu Qian's. With this genuine merchant propaganda, people from all over the country want to try what these locusts taste like and see if they are as magical as they say.

And the disaster-stricken people also smiled from ear to ear, because they calculated that the money earned from selling locusts over the past one or two months was not less than their annual income from farming, and even more.

Although the government still required every household to raise ducks, now that the people were no longer starving and had even made some money, they naturally obeyed.

Less than two months after this, even Prime Minister Wang had not received any news when a locust plague in the southwest quietly controlled itself.

According to Gu Qian's projection, it will not be long before the dreaded locust plague may rely on artificial breeding to survive.

Of course, she wouldn't let these people go this far. If things went wrong, it would be a disaster.

The matter was resolved perfectly, the imperial court didn't spend much silver. Besides the initial cost of purchasing locusts and ducks, plus the later distribution of disaster relief funds, in the past fifty years there has never been a locust plague that was so simple and cost-effective to solve.

The Empress was delighted. She had originally planned to announce this matter in court today and reward Gu Qian, who had made great contributions. However, she didn't expect Wang Xiang's faction to be so eager. Before even discussing a few matters of state, they turned their ire towards her beloved daughter.

Let me know if you have any other text you'd like translated!

Let me know if you have any other text you'd like me to translate!n watched the cooking aunt leave, her gaze fixed on the other room door in silence.Li Mo Bai asked, "What are you looking at"Gu Qian suddenly smiled, "I was thinking, I'm late again today, Teacher Lao...