觀二年，京師旱，蝗蟲大起。太宗入苑視禾，見蝗蟲，掇數枚而曰：“人以谷為命，而汝食之，是害于百姓。百姓有過，在予一人。爾其有靈，但當蝕我心，無害百姓。”將吞之，左右遽諫曰：“恐誠疾，不可！”太宗：“所冀移災朕躬，何疾之避！”遂吞之。

In the second year of the Zhenquan era, a severe drought was inflicted upon the area of Changan, the capital city, and swarms of locusts were everywhere. Emperor Taizhong came to some gardens to see the damage to grains. He saw several locusts on the seedlings, and he grabbed them and said, "The grains are the livelihood of my people.  Now what you are doing is harmful to the people. That would be all my fault, and I am the only one to blame. So, if you understand what I am saying, just gnaw my heart for your food and leave my people alone." Then the emperor was going to devour the locusts. The retinue hastened to exhort him, "That may get you sick; dont eat them!" The emperor replied to his subjects, "All I hope is that the disaster of my people will shift to me alone; why should I worry about the sickness?" Then he swallowed the locusts in no time.