Chapter 289: Species Invasion? I’ll Turn You into Army Rations!
“Strategist, can capturing some rabbits and releasing them into the two mountain ranges really solve our food problem?” Princess Ziyue inquired further.
“It should be said that it can solve the problem for most people! After all, people can’t go without food!” Lin Beifan chuckled.
“But… but… if the problem is so easily solved, why do people still need to cultivate crops? Why not just raise rabbits?” Princess Ziyue’s face was full of confusion.
The Empress was also very curious, perking up her ears to listen.
Lin Beifan shook his head, “Princess, you’re only seeing the surface, not the whole picture! In fact, ancient people had thought about this issue long ago but eventually found it unfeasible. Do you know why?”
“I’m eager to hear the details!” Princess Ziyue humbly asked.
“First of all, the input-output ratio is imbalanced! Rabbits eat grass, but they also eat grains and vegetables, just like us humans! But the supply of grains and vegetables is limited, and if rabbits eat them, there won’t be enough for us.”
“For a pound of grain, if given to a person, it provides sustenance. But if given to rabbits, it won’t yield even a pound of meat. Do you think it’s worth trading a pound of grain for a pound of meat?”
The princess immediately shook her head, “Definitely not worth it, it’s wasting food!”
“That’s exactly it. The input-output ratio is so imbalanced that wise people know what to do!”
Lin Beifan raised a second finger, “Secondly, an excess of rabbits would damage crops! Even if we don’t feed them with grains and vegetables but let them roam freely, it won’t work! Because if there are too many rabbits, they’ll compete with us humans for food. It would be difficult to manage and could even lead to famine!”
“Thirdly, catching rabbits requires physical strength! Rabbits are agile and extremely fast. Only experienced hunters can catch them. But how many people are experienced hunters? It’s very difficult for others to catch rabbits. They might starve before catching any.”
Lin Beifan smiled, “It’s precisely because of these reasons that people don’t raise rabbits! Raising them is not cost-effective at all. Even if they’re raised successfully, they might end up competing with humans for food. Catching rabbits is strenuous, and the cost outweighs the benefit!”
“I see, it makes sense. I’ve learned something!” Princess Ziyue suddenly realized.
“However, our situation is vastly different!”
Lin Beifan smiled and continued, “We’ll directly release the rabbits into the two mountain ranges. We won’t need to feed them or manage them much at all. The territories of the two mountain ranges are vast, rich in resources, and have a scarcity of wild animals. This will allow us to raise enough rabbits to supply the entire army!”
“Catching rabbits will be even simpler. In our army, there are many skilled warriors, who are agile and fast. Capturing rabbits will be a breeze for them, thus solving the issue of capturing them!”
“So, raising rabbits is very cost-effective for us. It’s simple and feasible, requires no management, and it’s even better than cultivating crops! When hungry, we can just go into the mountains and catch rabbits as needed. The rabbit meat can also be dried and preserved for several days!”
Princess Ziyue stood up and slightly bowed, “Thank you, Strategist, for your enlightening guidance!”
Apart from gratitude, there was also admiration and reverence in her heart.
The problem that she had been worrying about was actually solved so effortlessly by Lin Beifan!
Where was this mere talent? He was a genius!
Only a genius could come up with such an ingenious and sky-breaking solution!
Even the Empress from the loft shook her head and sighed, “My dear advisor, your mind is truly… I don’t even know what to say! To come up with such an innovative solution, you must be a genius!”
“Yes, it’s truly unexpected!” Bai Guanyin chimed in.
Lin Beifan quickly helped Princess Ziyue up, saying modestly, “Princess, there’s no need for such courtesy. As your strategist, it’s my duty to offer counsel and guidance. There’s no need for such grand gestures!”
“Strategist, if our grand plan succeeds, you will take the greatest credit!” Princess Ziyue added.
Lin Beifan waved his hand modestly, “I haven’t really done much. I just moved my lips a bit.”
The stubborn princess insisted, “Strategist, you’re being too modest! Without your guidance, we wouldn’t have achieved this level of success. Once everything is accomplished, I will surely reward you generously!”
Lin Beifan once again modestly waved his hand, “Princess, there’s really no need for that! But if you insist on thanking me, just remember to bring some local specialties next time. I won’t refuse any offerings!”
Princess Ziyue chuckled, “Strategist, you’re at it again! Haha…”
After laughing, she looked at Lin Beifan with a deep gaze, “Strategist, to be honest, I’m starting to regret a bit!”
“Regret what?” Lin Beifan was puzzled.
“I should have tied you to Wuxi sooner! With you around, nothing would be a problem!”
Lin Beifan was startled, quickly saying, “Princess, please calm down. Even if you were to possess me physically, you wouldn’t possess my heart!”
Princess Ziyue smiled playfully, “It’s alright. If I bear a few children, your heart will be with me then!”
“Damn it!” Lin Beifan exclaimed.
The Empress from the loft was furious, gnashing her teeth, “This enchantress wants to steal my beloved minister! And using such despicable methods, it’s disgraceful for a woman!”
Next, Lin Beifan and the princess sat down again.
Lin Beifan continued, “Apart from rabbits, there are many other animals that are suitable for introduction into these two mountain ranges! For instance, bamboo rats from Jiangdong. They also feed on plants and vegetation, reproduce rapidly, and a single litter can have dozens of rats. They’re very delicious. We can completely introduce them into these two mountain ranges!”
Princess Ziyue listened earnestly, nodding repeatedly, “You’re right, Strategist. I’ll arrange for someone to bring some bamboo rats over.”
“I remember that there are several large lakes within the Qinglong Mountain Range and the Fenghuang Mountain Range, but they don’t have carp, grass carp, and other fish species! We can introduce carp, tilapia, and other fish fingerlings. Without natural predators, they will surely reproduce quickly, growing large and fat, ready to be caught and eaten!”
Princess Ziyue nodded again, “Understood, Strategist. I’ll have someone handle it.”
“Alright, I also recall…”
Lin Beifan continued to eloquently list several species, mentioning every creature that could potentially cause a species invasion.
You reproduce quickly?
No problem, I’ll turn you into army rations and eat you all up!
Princess Ziyue was astonished!
The Empress was astonished!
Bai Guanyin was astonished!
The seemingly unsolvable food problem before them was being solved so easily.
Indeed, we might not be able to eat grains, but we can definitely eat meat!
Not only meat, but rabbit meat, rat meat, fish meat…
The variety was incredibly rich!
This didn’t seem like going to war; it was more like going on a feast!
Watching Lin Beifan speak passionately and authoritatively, Princess Ziyue’s gaze gradually became infatuated!
“I think that’s about all I know for now. I’ll continue to add more later if I think of anything else! However, if the species become diverse, they will surely attract beasts from other mountains. So, it’s best to send experts into the mountains regularly to clear out the wild animals and prevent them from plundering our food!”
Lin Beifan, not quite finished, was preparing to take a sip of tea to moisten his throat when he suddenly noticed Princess Ziyue standing up and walking toward him.
A bit flustered, Lin Beifan asked, “Princess, what are you doing?”
“Strategist, I want to lean on your shoulder for a bit, please allow me,” said Princess Ziyue.
Even more flustered, Lin Beifan said, “Princess, please calm down!”
“I can’t calm down, I just want to be close to you! Please let me!” Princess Ziyue pounced.
Lin Beifan let out a cry of despair, “No~”
The Empress from the loft turned pale, her fists clenched, teeth gnashing, “This enchantress again! So shameless! I don’t want to watch anymore. Qingxuan, let’s go back!”
“Of course, Your Majesty!” Bai Guanyin smirked.
Half a cup of tea later, the two of them sat down again.
Princess Ziyue’s cheeks were flushed, using sips of tea to hide her shy feelings.
Lin Beifan, on the other hand, had a look of hopelessness, mumbling to himself, “It’s over, I’m not clean anymore…”
Princess Ziyue was so infuriated that her mouth twisted, “The strategist is really despicable! He got an advantage and he’s still playing coy?!”
Having taken advantage, he was acting cute?
She clenched her fist in secret, really wanting to give him a couple of punches on his face!
After another cup of tea’s time, seeing the sky darkening, it was getting late.
Lin Beifan smiled, “Princess, since we’ve been talking about rabbits, why don’t we eat some rabbit tonight? I happen to know several ways to prepare rabbit dishes! I’ll treat you tonight, Princess…”
“As the strategist treats, I’ll gladly accompany!” Princess Ziyue said with a joyful mood.
And so, the two of them headed towards Lin’s residence, chatting and laughing along the way.
On the road, they ran into the little princess.
The litte princess grumbled, “Why is this woman here again? She appears only once in a few months and is usually invisible. Is she secretly doing something shameful?”
It had to be said that the Little Princess was spot on!
Princess Ziyue smiled faintly and didn’t pay much attention.
Lin Beifan patted the Little Princess’s head and laughed, “Little princess, you came at the right time. Today, we’re preparing to eat rabbit! I know several ways to cook rabbit, like braised rabbit, five-spice rabbit, spicy rabbit, dry pot rabbit…”
The Little Princess was shocked and quite angry, “How can you eat such cute little rabbits? How can you?”
An hour later, the Little Princess wiped the oil off her mouth, “Hmm, it’s delicious! I didn’t expect there were so many ways to cook rabbit, and they really are delicious!”
In front of her, all the plates were empty, leaving only a few bones.
“Young princess, didn’t you say that little bunnies are cute and shouldn’t be eaten?” Lin Beifan provocatively said.
The Little Princess blinked her big cute eyes, puzzled, “Did I say that? I distinctly said that little bunnies are so cute, and I really like them. It’s such a pity not to eat them!”
Everyone burst into laughter.
Lin Beifan shook his head in amazement.
Women, huh!
They can change their minds faster than turning a page in a book!
“Should we continue to eat rabbit meat tomorrow?”
“Yes!” The Little Princess immediately raised her hand.
At this moment, after eating rabbit meat, Princess Ziyue had even more confidence in Lin Beifan’s proposal. The rabbit meat was delicious, and their breeding capacity was astonishing. They could easily serve as their food source. Sending some skilled individuals into the mountains to capture them would yield results quickly.
There were also several other kinds of animals that could be introduced, ensuring a balanced diet!
Thinking about this, Princess Ziyue couldn’t help but smile.
So, going to war could also be this enjoyable!
The strategist was truly remarkable!
Having a strategist around was truly wonderful!
