Chapter 115: Li Shimin Beheads the Dragon King

In the face of catastrophic disasters, the imperial government often proved ineffective—a profound weakness of ancient dynasties. This was partly due to limited resources, where the intent to act was hampered by a lack of capacity, but more frequently, it was the result of a bureaucracy obsessed with its own status, leading to a severe disconnect between officials and the common people.

Usually, disaster relief only began in a panicked rush after the catastrophe had already struck. If one or two corrupt officials then seized the opportunity for graft, the result was a landscape littered with the starved, eventually sparking civil unrest and leading to further tragedy.

Even the disaster in the fourth year of the Zhenguan era, which occurred right under the Emperor’s nose, caused losses that the Great Tang could ill afford. Moreover, the events of the Xuanwu Gate Incident were still fresh in memory. The people of Guanzhong remembered how Li Shimin had killed his brother and coerced his father. Many stubborn, old-guard loyalists seized upon the great drought of the fourth year of Zhenguan, claiming that the heavens were punishing Li Shimin, and used this as a pretext to force his abdication.

The feeling of helplessness from that time still woke Li Shimin in a cold sweat in his dreams. He had never feared his enemies in the open, but against the perceived power of ghosts and gods, he felt utterly powerless.

Li Shimin, who had been capable of orchestrating the coup at Xuanwu Gate, was by no means a rigid man. As he calmed down and carefully considered Mo Dun’s proposal, he found it increasingly feasible.

Firstly, Guanzhong was the heartland; there was no possibility of foreign invasion in the short term. Even in an emergency, the soldiers of the Sixteen Guards, stationed right there in Guanzhong, could don their armor and become capable troops at a moment's notice. Furthermore, most of the soldiers in the Sixteen Guards were sons of Guanzhong; helping their own homeland would not only meet with no resistance, but would actually make them grateful to Li Shimin.

Thus, the risk of utilizing the Sixteen Guards was virtually zero. Li Shimin could not possibly refuse a venture with such low risk and such immense potential rewards. Furthermore, this concerned the century-long foundation of the Guanzhong region. Once the irrigation issues were solved, Li Shimin would win the hearts of the people of Guanzhong, who would spontaneously support him. With bountiful harvests every year, the chronic grain shortage in Guanzhong would be resolved, eliminating the need to spend vast fortunes transporting grain from other regions year after year.

The more Li Shimin thought, the more excited he became. He discussed the disaster relief plan with Fang Xuanling, who was equally invigorated. He realized that this method of using the military for relief had great value for future application; in the face of massive natural disasters, these organized and disciplined soldiers could prove invaluable.

The monarch and his minister grew more excited as they talked, quickly finalizing a series of brilliant plans.

Mo Dun let out a sigh of relief. The people of Guanzhong were truly saved. While he dared not claim full production would be restored, they could at least preserve enough of the harvest to survive the disaster. With this, the Mo Family Village no longer had to worry about being the only ones to escape the calamity.

"Forgive me, Dragon King! Forgive me! The other villagers were merely led astray by the Mo Family Village, I beg you to spare them! But this old farmer has always been respectful to you; if you must punish someone, punish the Mo Family Village!" On the official road, the village elder led a group of devout, superstitious followers, kowtowing in terror to the Dragon King.

"Ignorant fools!"

Li Shimin let out a cold snort. Now that he had a plan to deal with the drought, he was deeply dissatisfied with the elder’s subservient begging for rain.

*Isn't this the very policy of "keeping the people ignorant" that you have always promoted?* Mo Dun thought to himself, though he dared not say it aloud, lest he be met with a beating.

"Old man, you need not pray for rain anymore. In a few days, the imperial court will organize the people to combat the drought and provide relief," Li Shimin said, unable to watch the elder suffer any longer.

"The imperial court providing relief? The court can control people, but can it control the Dragon King? I saw you with those people from the Mo Family Village just now; you must be in league with them, trying to deceive me!" The village elder did not believe a word of it. If the government could handle drought, there wouldn't have been such massive famines in previous years.

Li Shimin glared at Mo Dun with resentment, looking helplessly at the stubborn old man. He had tried to offer kind advice, only to be mistaken for a collaborator with the Mo Family Village.

Mo Dun was speechless. He hadn't done anything, yet he was still caught in the crossfire.

"Ahem! Old man, you are unaware of this, but the Mo Family Village has developed tools for drought irrigation and has already presented them to the court. The court will organize drought relief in the coming days," Mo Dun said, stepping in to help Li Shimin out of the awkward situation.

"Really?" the elder asked, unconvinced. He knew, of course, that the Mo Family Village had been frantically digging wells and irrigating, as the fields near the road were almost finished. But he didn't have the money to buy tools or hire help, so praying to the Dragon King felt more reliable.

"If the imperial court fails to provide relief, the Mo Family Village will personally help your family dig a well and irrigate!" Mo Dun promised, patting his chest.

Thanks to the tireless publicity of Mo Dun and the Mo Family Village, the story of Mozi’s trustworthiness had spread for a thousand years. Combined with the village’s long-standing reputation for keeping its word, their credibility was immense. The elder immediately believed him for the most part—and as for the rest, didn't he have the guarantee that the Mo Family Village would irrigate his land?

"That is wonderful! Thank you, Young Master Mo! You are my benefactor. When I return, I shall build a living shrine for you and offer my thanks for your great kindness every festival!" the elder said excitedly.

"No, no! The Mo School does not believe in such superstitions!" Mo Dun quickly refused, using all his powers of persuasion to send the excited elder on his way.

*Just kidding!* The Emperor was right there beside him. Building a living shrine for him would be like putting him on a spit to be roasted.

"Superstition?" Li Shimin looked at Mo Dun, puzzled. In the minds of ordinary people, a living shrine was the highest honor, yet this young man of the Mo School dismissed it with contempt.

"The Mo School calls acts that use ghosts and gods to deceive people into blind obedience 'superstition.' The harm of superstition is great; at best, one is swindled of money, and at worst, it costs lives." Mo Dun briefly explained the tricks used by witches and sorcerers—praying for gods, using incense ash to cure illnesses, and faking the exorcism of ghosts.

"You mean the witches who 'kill ghosts' only show blood because the paper dolls are coated with turmeric, which turns red when struck by a wooden sword?" Fang Xuanling’s expression turned grave. This was no small matter; it was nothing short of playing with human lives.

Mo Dun nodded. "That is not blood; it is alkali water on the wooden sword reacting with the turmeric. Master Hua discovered this first. He is a master of herbal medicine and knew it by the scent alone, which allowed him to save a life that would have otherwise been lost to delayed treatment."

"And the 'ghost knocking at the door' is just eel blood used to attract bats! And the blood appearing on paper is because it was pre-treated! These witches are truly a scourge!" Li Shimin’s face turned livid. Mo Dun’s explanations were logical and detailed, making it impossible not to believe him. These witches were everywhere in the Tang Empire; one could only imagine how many people had been swindled.

"Those are just individual cases that endanger individuals. According to the records of the Mo School, in the previous dynasty, a shaman once buried soybeans and an idol in the soil together. By watering them day and night, the bean sprouts expanded and pushed the idol up, bit by bit, until it emerged from the ground. In one night, he gained thousands of followers."

"Hiss!"

Fang Xuanling and Li Shimin gasped. If they hadn't heard this from Mo Dun himself, they would have likely been fooled too if they had seen an idol "growing" from the earth with their own eyes. Fang Jun looked at Mo Dun with pure adoration; though he was often just a background figure, being with Mo Dun was never boring.

"There are even more ambitious schemers who bury stones with pre-carved rebellious messages underground, then lure people to dig them up and incite rebellion," Mo Dun added another bombshell.

"Fish-belly scrolls and fox-cries by the campfire!" Li Shimin’s expression was ghastly. Such tactics were not uncommon. The first to use them was Chen Sheng, the first rebel in history, who stuffed a note into a fish's belly and had someone mimic a fox's cry by a campfire. The methods were crude, yet they succeeded, leading to the collapse of the Great Qin Empire.

"Your Majesty, these superstitious poisons are dangerous indeed; they must be strictly prohibited." Fang Xuanling was also breaking out in a cold sweat, realizing that seemingly minor superstitions could hide such great dangers.

Li Shimin nodded heavily. Anything that threatened the rule of the Great Tang had to be eradicated immediately. His gaze swept over the clay statue of the Dragon King nearby, and a wave of fury rose in his heart. Was the prayer for rain not, in itself, a form of superstition?

Li Shimin snatched the long sword from Li Junxian’s side. With a flash of steel, the head of the clay dragon was severed and crashed to the ground.

Mo Dun’s mouth hung open in astonishment. Everything was in chaos. In the legends, it was Wei Zheng who beheaded the Dragon King of the Jing River, and Li Shimin who tried to protect him. Now, it had turned into Li Shimin himself beheading the Dragon King.