Chapter 431: The 9th Prince Got Sick from Eating Locusts?

Chapter 431: Chapter 431: The 9th Prince Got Sick from Eating Locusts?

After the Emperor consulted with Shen Ningning, heavy rain fell continuously across Cangyun Country for four days!

The rushing rivers were filled with the floating corpses of locusts.

Standing on the riverbank, one could see a dense black layer floating on the water’s surface.

After four days, Shen Ningning decided to let the sun come out for a while, lest everyone mistake it for the start of a flood.

However, after only two days of sun, the locusts unexpectedly returned!

While not as numerous as the first wave, their numbers were still large enough to be a major headache for the common people.

The Emperor had no choice but to order his guards to post an imperial notice, calling for ideas from the public to find a solution.

Mo Zhirou had been waiting for this very moment.

After she returned to the palace last time, she investigated why Shen Ningning had been summoned and discovered it was due to her reputation as a "blessed girl." That was why the Emperor was seeking her help.

However, Mo Zhirou refused to believe that a ten-year-old girl could possess any divine power.

Thus, she eagerly offered the Emperor her own suggestions.

She suggested that the Emperor have the people use nets for catching birds to capture the locusts.

However, her idea was rejected by the court.

The method was deemed not only too labor-intensive but also ineffective.

After all, the number of locusts was simply overwhelming.

Ultimately, Shen Ningning came up with an idea.

"A book the mad scholar once had me read said that insects are drawn to light sources. That’s why flames attract moths, and mosquitoes swarm palace lanterns. If that’s the case, doesn’t that mean locusts will also gather near bright places?"

So, Shen Ningning decided to test her theory in Xiangyun Village.

After nightfall, she had Chen Ye and Jiang Zhi help her pile oil-soaked kindling in an open field and then set it ablaze.

In no time, all the nearby locusts were drawn in. The fire was so intense that they were incinerated the moment they got close. If their wings were touched by even a drop of oil, they would immediately burst into flames.

Shen Ningning stood nearby, listening to the continuous CRACKLING and POPPING sounds.

A steady stream of locusts flew toward the fire, only to fall to the ground one by one, each roasted to a golden brown and giving off a fragrant aroma.

Suddenly.

As the little girl was focused on the fire, she heard the sound of chewing coming from nearby. CRUNCH, CRUNCH.

Shen Ningning turned her head to look.

Lang Si was squatting nearby, picking up the freshly roasted locusts and eating them!

Shen Ningning was stunned. She ran over, grabbed the chubby Lang Si, and tried to pull him back.

"You can’t eat that! Those are bugs!"

But Lang Si just whimpered and refused to abandon the feast spread all over the ground.

He let out a series of whines, his two chubby paws scrabbling at the dirt and digging two deep grooves in the ground!

Shen Ningning heard him keep insisting that they were delicious.

Her curiosity piqued, she couldn’t help but let go.

Lang Si began to feast with gusto, staying a safe distance from the fire and simply waiting for more roasted locusts to drop.

She had long since spoiled the wolf pack, feeding them rich meals of fish and meat every day.

They had become picky and wouldn’t touch meat unless it was especially fragrant.

Now, as Lang Si ate with such gusto, Shen Ningning also noticed the rich, roasted aroma.

It was like the smell of her grandmother rendering fat from pork belly, sizzling fragrantly in a pan.

A bold idea suddenly flashed through Shen Ningning’s mind.

「The next day.」

She set up a stall in Xiangyun Village. On a plate, she displayed fried locusts, golden-brown, plump, and tender, sprinkled with salt, pepper, and sesame seeds. Another plate held a cumin seasoning.

Sister-in-law Liu passed by, her eyes widening in disbelief.

"Ningning, what are these locusts for?"

"For eating, of course!" the little girl said, picking one up. "Aunt Liu, I’ll eat one to show you."

She popped it into her mouth, causing Sister-in-law Liu to let out a shriek. Her eyes, wide as saucers, stared as Shen Ningning actually swallowed the locust.

Sister-in-law Liu was normally quite brave, so seeing Shen Ningning eat one made her look back at the two plates of fried locusts with suspicion.

"Are they really edible?"

"Of course they are. The locusts eat our grain, after all. The wolves have eaten plenty of them, and I’ve tried several myself. They’re delicious."

After she said that, Sister-in-law Liu finally mustered the courage to try one.

Passing villagers started to gather, forming a curious circle around them.

One wasn’t enough for Sister-in-law Liu; she ate two, then three more before her eyes finally lit up.

"They’re delicious! Even better than fried pork cracklings!"

"Really?" the villagers asked, eager to try. They all pressed forward.

Shen Ningning called out enthusiastically, "I never lie! If I say they’re edible, they’re edible! All you uncles have eaten fried cicadas before; you just never knew locusts are delicious, too!"

The villagers all came to have a taste, and every single one of them declared them delicious.

Unfortunately, Shen Ningning didn’t have many to spare. That very evening, everyone built their own bonfires. After luring the locusts in, they quickly gathered them into bags, saving them as a special snack.

Soon, word that the people of Xiangyun Village were eating fried locusts reached the Emperor’s ears.

The entire imperial court was stunned.

Mo Lingwei remarked calmly, "I tried some myself the last time I went to Xiangyun Village to see Shen Ningning."

The Emperor shot to his feet, alarmed. "My son, you didn’t feel any discomfort, did you?"

Mo Lingwei scoffed. "Locusts sound frightful, but Shen Ningning is right. If people dare to eat fried cicadas, what’s to be afraid of with locusts?"

Not only had he eaten them and been perfectly fine, but he had also found them quite tasty.

The Emperor realized this was an excellent solution. Once the people began to see locusts as a food source, they would no longer be afraid and would actively start catching them instead.

To that end, the Emperor held an "insect banquet" and, in front of all his civil and military officials, set an example by eating several fried locusts first.

His ministers then followed suit.

To show support for his daughter, Xie Suzhi ate an entire plateful by himself.

Watching him chew calmly with an unfazed expression, General Chen at his side couldn’t help but feel impressed.

"Chancellor Xie, how do they taste?"

"Excellent," Xie Suzhi replied, recommending them to General Chen and Grand Tutor Ye.

Halfway through the banquet, the Ninth Prince was suddenly struck by a sharp abdominal pain, his face turning pale and contorted in agony.

The ministers gasped, and one couldn’t help but voice their concern: "Could it be that eating the locusts caused this problem?!"

In an instant, the cheerful atmosphere turned incredibly tense. Everyone put down their chopsticks, not daring to eat another bite.

The Emperor frowned and was about to speak, but Mo Lingwei said calmly, "Summon the Imperial Physicians. Have them make a diagnosis here and now to see what the problem is."

In a short while, several highly skilled Imperial Physicians arrived and began taking the Ninth Prince’s pulse.

All the ministers craned their necks to watch.

The Ninth Prince was rolling on the floor, crying out in pain, but the Imperial Physicians were at a loss.

"This... Your Majesty, the Ninth Prince’s pulse is steady and reveals no issues. However, judging by His Highness’s reaction, he does appear to be suffering from some rare and perplexing illness."

The Ninth Prince, breaking out in a cold sweat, clutched his stomach. "Father Emperor, Father Emperor... my stomach... it feels like it’s being twisted by knives."

A nearby minister quickly interjected, "Could it be because of the locusts? His Highness had only eaten a few before the excruciating pain started. Now, not even the Imperial Physicians can find the cause. Is it possible that eating locusts can trigger some kind of acute illness!"

The other ministers were horrified.

The Emperor’s expression grew serious, his eyes tinged with doubt.

’Could it be that there really is a problem with eating the locusts after all?’

Just then, Xie Mingxu stepped forward and calmly cupped his hands in a salute. "Your Majesty, I happened to bring the Divine Doctor Sima Han to the palace today. Perhaps we could ask him to take a look at the Ninth Prince?"

The Emperor’s eyes lit up. "I had almost forgotten he came to the palace today as well. Summon him quickly."

A flicker of stiffness flashed in the Ninth Prince’s downcast eyes.