Zhao Yingluo watched Yue Fei leave with her heart filled with respect and gratitude. She knew that this upcoming war would be a life and death test for the Song Dynasty, but she also firmly believed that as long as the army and people of the Song Dynasty united as one, they would be able to defeat any enemy!
But right now she has a more pressing matter to deal with: the cotton insect infestation. She turned around and walked down the tower towards Jiang Laosi's residence. She wanted to personally see the cotton fields that were infested by insect pests and work with the farmers to find a solution. She knew that this war was not only a military contest but also an economic contest. Only by ensuring an adequate supply of cotton and other strategic materials could the Song Dynasty be invincible in this war!
When Zhao Yingluo arrived at Jiang Laosi's residence, she found that it had been turned into a temporary command center. Jiang Laosi was nervously discussing countermeasures with a group of agricultural officials and think tank members. Their faces were full of worry and anxiety. Seeing Zhao Yingluo arriving, Jiang Laosi and others quickly stood up and saluted. Zhao Yingluo waved her hand to signal them to excuse themselves, then walked straight to a map and looked at it carefully. The map details the distribution of cotton fields around Kaifeng as well as the location and extent of insect pests. Zhao Yingluo looked at the hardest-hit areas circled in red and felt a pang in her heart. She knew that this meant that the hard work of countless farmers was in vain and that the Song Dynasty would face a serious shortage of strategic materials. "Jiang Laosi, have you discussed a countermeasure?" Zhao Yingluo asked in a deep voice. Jiang Laosi gave a wry smile: "My Lord, we have been discussing for a long time but have not come up with a perfect solution. Those bugs are too cunning. They are hard to find when they hide in cotton bolls. By the time we find out, it is already too late." Zhao Yingluo frowned: "Then there is nothing we can do? Can we just watch the cotton being eaten by insects?" "No! We have another way!" A think tank member suddenly said, "We can mobilize farmers to search for bollworms one by one. Although this will be less efficient, at least some of the cotton can be saved." "Yes! This method is feasible!" Others also agreed. A glimmer of light flashed in Zhao Yingluo's eyes: "Okay! Then mobilize farmers to take action immediately! At the same time, send special personnel to train and guide farmers to ensure that they can correctly identify and handle cotton bollworms." Jiang Laosi and others cheered up and responded in unison: "Yes!" Then they turned around and left to arrange tasks urgently.
Zhao Yingluo looked at their backs and took a deep breath. She knew that this pest infestation was a severe test for the Song Dynasty, but she also firmly believed that as long as the army and people of the Song Dynasty united as one, they would be able to defeat any difficulties and enemies! In order to encourage farmers and Song people in the city to actively catch insects, Zhao Yingluo thought hard and finally came up with an excellent way, which was to exchange bollworms for food! She believes that this initiative will greatly increase people's enthusiasm for catching bollworms, thereby effectively controlling the pests and ensuring a bumper cotton harvest. However, when Zhao Yingluo told Jiang Laosi, the Minister of Agriculture, about this idea, he looked embarrassed and raised objections. Jiang Laosi believes that Her Royal Highness has already provided farmers with cotton seeds and technical support, and it seems inappropriate to spend additional food and expenses to reward insect catching. He was worried that doing so would trigger a comparison mentality among other farmers and bring a greater burden to the court. Zhao Yingluo frowned slightly when she heard this. She understood Jiang Laosi's concerns, but she did not agree with his point of view. In her opinion, as a court official, you should think about the people and do everything possible to help them overcome difficulties. She knows that growing cotton is a new endeavor for farmers, and the risks and challenges are self-evident. Nowadays, pests are rampant. If effective measures are not taken to control them, the hard work of farmers will be in vain. This will undoubtedly be a heavy blow to the agricultural production and economic development of the Song Dynasty. Thinking of this, Zhao Yingluo took a deep breath and said slowly: "Shilang Jiang, I understand your concerns, but I think we should consider the interests of farmers more at this time. I was the one who asked them to switch to cotton. , if the farmers cannot harvest a good harvest in the autumn, then the fault is mine. I cannot watch them lose their harvest due to pests, and we must take effective measures to help them tide over the difficulties." Jiang Laosi couldn't help but fell into deep thought after hearing Zhao Yingluo's words. He knew that Her Royal Highness the Princess had always been very concerned about the sufferings of farmers, and now she proposed such a measure out of good intentions. But as the Minister of Agriculture, he also had the responsibility to consider the court's finances. He hesitated for a moment, but couldn't help but said: "Your Highness, your idea is certainly good, but doing so will bring a great burden to the court. Can we consider other more reliable methods to control pests? " Zhao Yingluo understood Jiang Laosi's concerns, but she did not intend to give up her idea. She firmly believes that only by allowing farmers to see tangible benefits can they truly be motivated. So she smiled slightly and said: "Shilang Jiang, you don't have to worry about the cost. I have decided to use millions of stones of food from my private granary to reward people who catch insects. This food is enough to support this plan. " Jiang Laosi was shocked when he heard this. He never expected that Her Highness the Princess would make such a decision. You must know that millions of stones of grain is not a small amount. Even the imperial treasury may not be able to easily come up with such a large amount of grain. He quickly said: "Your Royal Highness, this is impossible! The food in your private granary is your private property, how can it be used to reward farmers? If this spreads..." "Shilang Jiang!" Zhao Yingluo interrupted Jiang Laosi and said firmly, "Although these grains are my private property, but now the national crisis is looming, how can I, as the princess of the Song Dynasty, sit back and ignore it? These grains should not be put away If it is moldy and rotting in the warehouse, it is better to take it out and do something practical for the people. I believe that my father and mother will also support my decision." Jiang Laosi was deeply shocked by Zhao Yingluo's words. Looking at the young but resolute Princess in front of him, he couldn't help but feel a surge of admiration in his heart. He knew that he could no longer oppose this plan, because Her Royal Highness's determination and courage had given him hope. At this moment, Left Prime Minister Lu Yihao also came after hearing the news. After hearing about Her Royal Highness the Princess's plan, he also expressed his support and proposed that some funds could be allocated from the treasury to support the plan. However, Zhao Yingluo politely declined his kindness. She told Lu Yihao, Jiang Laosi and others that there was enough food in her granary to support this plan, and there was no need to allocate funds from the treasury. She wanted the project to be entirely her own risk and responsibility. Lu Yihao, Jiang Laosi and others were deeply moved after hearing Zhao Yingluo's words. They all expressed their willingness to fully cooperate with Her Royal Highness the Princess in implementing this plan and provide necessary support and assistance to farmers. Soon the news spread throughout Kaifeng City. The farmers and the people in the city were moved to tears when they heard that Her Royal Highness was going to use the food in the private granary to reward people who caught insects. They all expressed their willingness to actively respond to the call of Her Royal Highness the Princess and work hard to capture cotton bollworms to contribute to the protection of their homeland and harvest.