Chapter 71: The Future of the Mohist School

"Your Majesty!"

Kong Yingda immediately felt a surge of distress in his heart. All he had done was to reprimand the young man from the Mohist village a few times, never expecting to draw the emperor’s attention. The scholars of the Imperial Academy were also taken aback. Usually, they would eagerly seek an audience with the emperor to present their strategies for governing the realm. Who would have thought that here, across from the Imperial Academy, they would encounter the emperor himself, standing before them as a parent attending a school meeting?

"Greetings, Your Majesty!" everyone hurriedly saluted.

It was only now that the villagers from Mohist Village inside the Champion's Pavilion realized that the emperor was standing right before them, and their hearts could not help but tremble with excitement.

Mo Dun looked at Li Shimin. It was Li Shimin who had thrown him into the Imperial Academy as an experiment in the so-called "catfish effect," plunging him into a turbulent situation. But now, Li Shimin stepped forward as his guardian, shielding him from Kong Yingda’s questioning. Any lingering grievances Mo Dun once harbored had long since vanished.

Within the grand hall of the Champion’s Pavilion, it was as if three nations stood together—students, parents, and teachers—the highest-standard parent-teacher meeting in all of Great Tang was convening! Yet, this particular "parent" was of such high status that even a descendant of Confucius found it overwhelming.

"Master Kong, inform Us: Has Mo Dun ever offended you or violated the rules of the Imperial Academy?" Li Shimin asked.

Kong Yingda was rendered speechless. Upon reflection, while the Mohist youth had caused frequent commotion since coming to the Academy, he had never broken any rules. The only incident—designing movable type printing to help Qin Huaiyu and the others—had ultimately been offset by merit. In fact, it was the Academy's students and teachers who had persistently targeted Mo Dun. Now, confronted so directly by a parent, Kong Yingda felt utterly mortified.

The other scholars of the Academy also flushed with embarrassment, their gazes flickering away from Mo Dun.

"Reporting to Your Majesty, Mo Dun has not violated the Academy’s regulations," Kong Yingda replied through gritted teeth.

"Oh?" Li Shimin drew out the word. "Then why have I heard that Mo Dun has not had an easy time at the Academy?"

With this remark, the hearts of everyone present in the Academy skipped a beat. If an ordinary parent had asked such a question, it would have been easily dismissed. But coming from Li Shimin, none dared to take it lightly.

Fortunately, Li Shimin did not pursue the matter further. After all, the Imperial Academy was the Empire’s institution for cultivating officials, and its authority could not be easily undermined. A measured warning sufficed.

"And where is Su Lingnong?" Li Shimin shifted, from the role of a parent back to that of an emperor.

"Reporting to Your Majesty! The Grand Minister of Agriculture has already taken the curved-shaft plow and gone outside the South City Gate to continue testing it," Mo Dun replied.

After the Mohist Exhibition, Mo Dun had tried to persuade Su Lingnong to stay for a meal, but the jubilant old farmer could not sit still, too eager to continue his work.

"It seems Minister Su is devoted to serving Us. Prepare some food at once and send it to him posthaste," Li Shimin commanded.

"Yes!" Chef Yu immediately packed the food prepared earlier for Mo Dun into a basket and handed it to a guard, who set off at a gallop to deliver it.

"Mo Dun, you have done well! From the catfish effect, to the three frontier poems, to movable type printing, the curved-shaft plow, artificial incubation, and the live fish preservation technique—you have given Us one surprise after another!" Li Shimin looked at Mo Dun.

This was Mo Dun’s first true meeting with Li Shimin. The emperor gazed at the youth with emotion. From his brows and demeanor, one could faintly see the bearing of Mo Lie in his prime. It was a pity that Mo Lie had died young and never saw how outstanding his son had become.

"It was all just luck, nothing more," Mo Dun replied awkwardly.

"If it is only luck, then why does no one else among the people of Chang’an enjoy such fortune? And if it is luck, how did a mere youth dare to demand conditions from Us?" Li Shimin looked at Mo Dun with a half-smile.

Mo Dun blushed; he hadn’t expected his earlier scheming to be so thoroughly seen through by the emperor.

Qin Qiong chuckled. After all, he had been the one to present Mo Dun’s original petition.

"But it was fortunate that We agreed to your conditions. The people of Great Tang can now cultivate more land, and eating meat is no longer a luxury for commoners," Li Shimin said with emotion.

The poverty of Mohist Village, Mo Dun’s purposeful promotion of Mozi’s deeds in Chang’an, combined with the live fish preservation and artificial fish farming methods, had moved Li Shimin’s compassion, leading him to grant Mo Dun’s request.

Little did anyone expect that this single act of compassion would ignite such tremendous energy in Mohist Village and bring the emperor such a pleasant surprise.

"This is but a sign of Great Tang’s flourishing age, a natural result under Your Majesty’s wise and discerning leadership. I dare not claim credit," Mo Dun replied, bracing himself to flatter.

The three companions—Qin Huaiyu, and the others—looked at Mo Dun as if he were a stranger, amazed by his shameless flattery, while Li Chengqian wore a look of utter disdain, as if to say he didn’t know this person at all.

"Well done, boy!" Cheng Yaojin silently gave a thumbs-up, praising him in his heart.

"Syco—"

The scholars of the Academy inwardly cursed, scornfully replaying Mo Dun’s shamelessness in their minds again and again.

Li Shimin was both exasperated and amused. This boy really was as slippery as a little catfish. Then, a thought occurred to him: he must not let him off so easily.

"If Mohist Village possesses so many tools beneficial to the nation and people, why not submit them to the court? Why privately sell them for profit?" Li Shimin sternly demanded.

"Ah!" Mo Dun was momentarily dumbfounded.

Liu Yinian immediately wore a look of triumph—as if to say, let’s see how you talk your way out of this.

Mo Dun replied cautiously, "May I ask, if we submit them to the court, how much reward will there be? If the sum is generous, it can be considered. But if it is like last time, when we received only a thousand strings of cash for printing, then forget it. Mohist Village has far too many expenses!"

Everyone was left speechless. This boy had his eyes glued to money—he even considered a thousand strings of cash too little!

"A gentleman values righteousness over profit! To submit such inventions to the court is an honor, a display of loyalty and patriotism—how can money be the measure?" Liu Yinian scolded loudly.

Mo Dun sneered, "When you have five thousand people to feed, you’ll find that such words are wrong!"

"You—!" Liu Yinian flushed crimson with anger.

Truth be told, a thousand strings of cash sounded like a lot, but for five thousand people, it would last only briefly. Unlike Mo Dun, who had found a steady stream of income for the village.

Li Shimin opened his mouth, but recalling the meager treasury rewards, wisely shifted the topic.

"Now that Mohist Village’s crisis has been resolved, what are your plans for the future?"

With a single, seemingly casual question, Li Shimin asked the very thing Kong Yingda had been longing to know, seizing the opportunity to bring matters into the open. After all, Confucianism was the orthodox doctrine, yet the power displayed by the Mohists was of undeniable importance to the empire. Some things were better clarified early.

At once, all eyes turned to Mo Dun.