Back to the end of the Ming Dynasty to engage in infrastructure construction

Chapter 127 The Rat Plague in the Late Ming Dynasty

Xu Guangqi's identity and status are very high.

If Xu Guangqi can be convinced of this matter and make some arrangements as the elder of the pavilion, it will be more or less effective, and perhaps some people will be killed less.

"The great plague that broke out in the four provinces of Zhili, Shanxi, Shandong, and Henan? Zhao Baihu, this is no joke. Do you have evidence?"

Xu Guangqi looked serious.

If what Zhao Cheng said was true, he certainly knew how terrible the consequences would be.

"Evidence? Where can I find evidence for this thing?"

Zhao Cheng shook his head.

"However, if Master Ge sends someone to investigate in Shanxi, they should be able to get some clues. During the Wanli period, plague broke out in Datong, Taiyuan, and Yulin in Shanxi.

Until now, in fact, the source of the virus has not been eradicated, and it continues to spread slowly. "

Anyone who likes Ming history will be familiar with the great plague at the end of Ming Dynasty.

The demise of the Ming Dynasty was partly due to man-made disasters and partly due to natural disasters.

Not only was the food harvest failure caused by the Little Ice Age, but also the outbreak of the great plague in the late Ming Dynasty left ten rooms and nine empty houses in the north.

Now, the plague is spreading quietly.

"When Mr. Xu came, did you notice that there were a lot of rats along the way?" Zhao Cheng asked back.

"Indeed."

Xu Guangqi nodded.

"In the past few years, there have been droughts and crop failures. Even people can't eat, and there are more and more rats. This is really weird.

Is it true that the world will be in chaos, full of strange faces? "

As soon as Xu Guangqi said the words, he also realized that such words should not be said from the mouth of a dignified old man. It was a bit inappropriate, so he quickly shut up.

"It is true that the world will be in chaos... Well, strictly speaking, the world is already in chaos. But it is not because of this that it is full of strange appearances. The reason for the sudden increase in rats is very clear. The plague will break out on a large scale, and the reason I also understand Clear." Zhao Cheng said.

"Oh? Ask Zhao Baihu to teach me." Xu Guangqi cupped his hands.

A dignified old man can humbly ask an official of a hundred households for advice.

In this day and age, it is very rare.

Of course, it was also because Xu Guangqi had seen a lot of good things about Zhao Cheng along the way.

In his heart, Zhao Cheng's image is that of an outsider, not a small official.

"Most of these mice came from the grassland outside the Great Wall," Zhao Cheng said.

The rats on the grassland outside the Great Wall have been the source of plague for hundreds of years.

Even in the 21st century, it is often reported that the plague broke out somewhere in Inner Mongolia...

With the medical conditions at that time, it would still cause death, and then, great efforts were needed to control the spread.

Zhao Cheng was a cavalry soldier, and he saw many kinds of mice on the northwest grassland.

Rats, pikas... these are the culprits that destroy the grassland.

Not only does it infect the disease, but it also digs holes and destroys the turf.

It's really annoying.

"Rats came out of the grasslands outside the Great Wall? The grasslands outside the Great Wall have existed since ancient times. Why haven't I heard of mice coming out before? Even when Meng Yuan entered the customs, I haven't heard of such a thing!" Xu Guangqi frowned. Wrinkled, a little puzzled.

"Because in the Mongolian and Yuan Dynasties, it was not as dry as it is now. Rats also need to drink water.

Old man Xu Ge is at the center of the imperial court, so he should be aware that in recent years, not only our Daming has experienced drought, but also the Mongolian tribes and Jurchens have experienced the same drought.

There is no water on the grassland and there are many rats, so they can only go south.

In addition, during the Mongol and Yuan Dynasties, it was the Mongols who went south.In recent years, our Daming's frontier defense has been weak, and Mongols or Jurchens often come to burn, kill and loot.

Many young men of the Ming Dynasty were taken captive.There are even some people who have no choice but to go north because they can't survive in our Daming territory.

The Tartars are good at grazing, but I am good at farming.After they went north, they reclaimed the grassland and turned it into farmland.

The living space of the rat colony is compressed, which also makes the number of rats going south more.

Unfortunately, the plague virus is spreading among rat populations.As they traveled south, the plague began to spread.

Starting next year, that is, the sixth year of Chongzhen, the power of the plague will begin to show, and it will break out in several northern provinces around the capital.

Plague is inherently highly contagious.Now the common people are hungry all year round, their physical fitness is very low, and their resistance is even worse.

Therefore, once the plague spreads, the infection rate is very high.The result must be ten rooms and nine empty rooms.

Then the plague would migrate south along with the rat population, all the way to Huguang, causing the population to drop sharply along the way. "

Zhao Cheng talked eloquently.

Of course, these were not inferred by himself, let alone imagined out of thin air.

But what actually happened in history.

Starting from the sixth year of Chongzhen, all these things described by Zhao Cheng will become true.

Xu Guangqi's complexion changed one after another, making him extremely ugly.

Zhao Cheng's words sound a bit exaggerated.

But if you think about it carefully, every sentence makes a lot of sense.

Xu Guangqi is proficient in agronomy, and has compiled many agricultural works such as "Nongzheng Quanshu", "Sweet Potato Book" and "Nongyi Miscellaneous Book" in his life.

The Han children of the Ming Dynasty moved to the north and reclaimed the grasslands... Others may not know these things, but Xu Guangqi knows them all too well.

It's just that he didn't expect that Han'er who moved north to reclaim the grassland would cause such a big chain reaction.

"There are so many rats in the grassland beyond the Great Wall?" Xu Guangqi asked.

"Much more than you can imagine."

Zhao Cheng still remembers a video that later generations watched.

On the grassland road in winter, the road is densely packed with crushed mice...

That was not a year when the rats were infested.

Xu Guangqi paced back and forth, frowning tightly, his face full of worry.

"Or... perhaps more than that?"

Although he said so, he obviously believed Zhao Cheng's words, and he had already accepted in his heart that all these things Zhao Cheng said would happen.

"The real situation will only be more terrifying. Master Xu, have you ever thought about the consequences once the plague spreads into the capital? If it spreads into the capital camp, will the soldiers guarding the capital be infected with the plague?"

Every rhetorical question Zhao Cheng made made Xu Guangqi shiver.

"The safety of the capital should be safe. However, the capital is densely populated. Once the plague breaks out, it will be a tragedy on earth."

The old man sighed, his tone worried.

Zhao Cheng was slightly taken aback.

Xu Guangqi is so confident?
Then, he reacted.Now is the fifth year of Chongzhen!

According to the records in the history books, the northern plague gradually spread, and it broke out completely in the capital in the 16th year of Chongzhen.

In April of this year, tens of thousands of people died every day in the capital, so much so that the gates of the city were blocked by coffins brought out.

Now it's a traffic jam, then it was a coffin...

If you think about it, you will know how terrifying the scene is.

Fifty-six out of ten residents of small households along the street died, and the most died at the door. There were no children playing on the street.

(End of this chapter)