Chapter 35: The Locust Plague and the Ministers’ Powerlessness

After seeing off Yuan Tiangang, Li Shimin immediately issued an edict, summoning his trusted old ministers—Changsun Wuji, Fang Xuanling, Du Ruhui, and Chu Suiliang—to the Palace of Sweet Dew.

Among these confidants, only Chu Suiliang knew why the emperor had gathered them, and so he wore a troubled expression throughout. Fang Xuanling, ever observant, noticed Chu Suiliang’s gloomy face and felt perplexed. The emperor’s summoning of his old ministers was surely a sign of grand plans in the making; all should be pleased and honored. Since Li Shimin ascended the throne, never before had so many ministers been called to the Palace of Sweet Dew for such a solemn meeting.

“Brother Chu, the emperor strives for good governance and calls us to discuss affairs. We ought to be delighted and grateful. Why do you look so dispirited?” Fang Xuanling asked with a smile, half in jest.

Yu Shinan, nearby, came over to join the fun, saying, “Indeed, Brother Chu. Yesterday the three of us obtained the treasured ‘Immortal by the River’ ink, and you were quite happy. What’s happened today? Your face is as bleak as autumn frost.”

Changsun Wuji teased, “Could it be that Lord Chu’s most beloved ink treasure was snatched away by some unscrupulous character?”

Ha! Ha! Ha! The ministers all laughed, delighting in Chu Suiliang’s misfortune. All knew Chu’s passion for calligraphy; if his prized ink was stolen, his sorrow would be only natural.

Unexpectedly, their guess was spot-on: Chu Suiliang’s beloved ink had indeed been taken—and the culprit was none other than the emperor himself.

Chu Suiliang, however, had no mind to quibble with their teasing. If they knew the thief was the emperor, he wondered how they’d react; likely, they’d want to bang their heads against the wall.

His thoughts were now wholly occupied with how to ease the emperor’s worries, how to minimize the losses from next year’s locust plague.

The horror of locust plagues was well known; when they struck, they blotted out the sky, leaving nothing but devastation in their wake. When word of a locust invasion spread, the common people could only pray to the gods or resign themselves to fate.

The ministers joked in front of the hall, unaware that Li Shimin was listening inside. To think that Changsun Wuji had called him an “unscrupulous character”! Li Shimin smiled, asked a nearby eunuch if everyone had arrived, and then ordered the eunuch to summon the ministers into the hall for discussion.

Upon hearing the eunuch’s summons, the ministers quickly composed themselves and entered the Palace of Sweet Dew.

As soon as they stood before Li Shimin, he spoke with a stern face: “I heard someone in this hall just now mock me as an ‘unscrupulous character.’” By saying this, Li Shimin implicitly admitted to being the one who had taken Chu Suiliang’s treasured ink.

Chu Suiliang struggled to suppress his laughter, his face flushed, but his mood lightened.

Changsun Wuji, on the other hand, wore an embarrassed expression. Anyone who discovered that the person they’d mocked was the emperor would know the consequences; unfortunately, he had called the emperor unscrupulous—and the emperor was his own brother-in-law. The urge to sink into the earth was overwhelming.

Fortunately, he knew Li Shimin was merely jesting and not truly offended; still, recalling his words made his cheeks burn.

The other ministers who had joined in fell silent, feeling deeply embarrassed.

“All right, enough banter,” Li Shimin suddenly gestured, and at his signal, the palace maids and eunuchs quietly withdrew. Li Shimin’s face grew solemn as he continued, “You are the pillars of my reign. I have summoned you here today to discuss a matter of great seriousness. I hope you will devote your minds and efforts to it.”

The ministers, hearing the emperor’s grave tone and mention of a serious matter, felt their hearts grow heavy.

Li Shimin continued, “Yesterday I received word that next year the Guanzhong region will suffer a severe locust plague. I have already consulted Master Yuan for confirmation. You all know the devastation of locusts. For the sake of the people, I ask you to pool your wisdom and devise practical measures to prepare in advance and reduce the losses as much as possible.”

Li Shimin had considered eradicating the locusts, but to him, their overwhelming numbers made total extermination nearly impossible.

History recorded several locust plagues, none of which had been avoided. Li Shimin had little confidence in eliminating them, so his hope was simply to lessen the people’s suffering.

“What? A severe locust plague?” Changsun Wuji and the others were shocked. History chronicled many such plagues, each inflicting immense losses.

What baffled them further was how the emperor had obtained this information. Could such disasters be predicted? Who was this sage who could foresee next year’s locust plague—and the emperor believed him?

Yet, since the emperor had summoned them to solve the problem, they could not stand idly by.

“Your Majesty, locust plagues have never been met with effective solutions since ancient times, which is why each one is worse than the last. The only course of action is to stockpile grain in advance for disaster relief,” Changsun Wuji said, frowning.

Changsun Wuji’s answer was lackluster, and Li Shimin was displeased, turning to Fang Xuanling and the others. Their faces reflected despair, and their discussions yielded no effective solution.

“Lord Du, what about you?” Li Shimin turned to Du Ruhui.

Yet Du Ruhui, usually decisive, now looked lost, shaking his head helplessly.

Li Shimin suddenly felt disappointed. So many trusted ministers, and none could ease his worries.

He looked to Fang Xuanling—usually resourceful—hoping for a good suggestion. Alas!

“Lord Fang, do you have any strategies?” Li Shimin asked sadly.

Fang Xuanling was stunned; he, too, was at a loss. His thoughts were much like Changsun Wuji’s. Seeing the emperor’s expectant gaze, he thought for a moment and replied dejectedly, “Your Majesty, I have no good plan. Perhaps we can warn the people in advance, so they can prepare and avoid chaos when the plague strikes.”

No sooner had Fang Xuanling spoken than Yu Shinan objected, “That would be most unwise. If the people panic, public order will be unstable, and the realm may descend into chaos.”

Li Shimin considered this and agreed it was unwise, but all the ministers sighed, unable to offer any better ideas. Frustrated, he waved his sleeve and said helplessly, “Enough, return to your homes for now. Let me calm myself; we will discuss this again another day.”

Changsun Wuji and the others had no choice but to leave the Palace of Sweet Dew, each returning home in resignation.