Chapter 456: Going Out on a Mischief
In Chapter 451 of "The Great Ming in the Box": Year Four of Chongzhen (1631), the authorities pooled over twenty thousand soldiers from Sichuan, Shaanxi... Discover the next events!
Year Four of Chongzhen (1631), the authorities pooled over twenty thousand soldiers from Sichuan, Shaanxi (Qin), and Shanxi (Jin), forming nineteen military camps. They deployed sixteen officers ranging from Deputy Generals to the Governor, setting up a massive encirclement to trap Wang Jiayinâs faction entrenched in Hequ.Regarding the other rebel forces besides Wang Jiayinâs group, the court adopted a policy of appeasement.
Inspector Wu Shen, carrying the one hundred thousand taels of silver Zhu Youjian had scraped together by selling everything but the kitchen sink, arrived in Shaanxi. He worked alongside local magistrates and officials to distribute relief and appease the populace.
Meanwhile, Gaojia Village was grappling with a shortage of labor.
âEsteemed Deity,â Liang Shixian reported to the golden giant statue of the Deity in the Chengcheng County town. âThis humble official coaxed some commoners over from Bai Shui County, hoping word-of-mouth might attract even more workers. Yet now that Inspector Wu Shen has set up a congee distribution station in Bai Shuiâs town, those Bai Shui folks whoâd barely budged before are now flocking to town for relief. They refuse to come to Chengcheng.â
âEsteemed Deity,â Feng Jun also reported in the He County town. âThe folks from Dali County refuse to move as long as they have Common Trade for survival. This humble official has exhausted my means, yet they still refuse to come.â
Li Daoxuan, gathering information through Shared Vision, recognized the immediate impact of the courtâs silver injection. Shaanxi, for the time being, was stable. The surrounding counties displayed settled scenes.
Our people were easily content. As long as starvation wasnât imminent, they were reluctant to abandon their roots. Higher wages didnât necessarily sway them.
Look, even in modern times, many mountain farmers resist migrating to big cities. Theyâd rather till their steep, rocky plots endlessly than earn several times more elsewhere.
This was âlove for the homeland,â a sentiment not easily shaken.
What to do?
As Li Daoxuan pondered this, a messenger rushed into the county office beneath the golden statue and addressed Liang Shixian:
âCounty Lord, Inspector Wu Shen has arrived. He brings large quantities of silver and grain to Chencheng County. They claim itâs for famine relief, to aid the virtuous locals. They request Your Lordship to welcome the envoy.â
Liang Shixian froze upon hearing of âfamine relief.â
In the ears of Chengcheng residents, the phrase sounded bizarre.
Werenât we the ones usually rescuing others? Now someone thought they needed to rescue us.
Liang Shixian hastily turned and bowed to the Deity statue. âEsteemed Deity, this humble official must take leave to receive the envoy.â
Li Daoxuan secretly mused: This is interesting. Just as I was pondering the labor shortage, this Wu Shen Inspector might bring me workers after all. Liang Shixian, however, had no knowledge of the future course of events, and interpersonal niceties werenât his strong suit. Perhaps I need to get involved. Just for fun. But how to make it the most fun?
Li Daoxuan activated Shared Vision.
Deep inside the Gao Family Fortress, the life-sized silicone Deity enshrined within it swiftly sat up.
The shrine had originally enshrined only a clay Deity statue. Since the advent of the silicone version, numerous silicone figures had been consecrated alongside it. Li Daoxuan, planning for future Shared Vision flexibility, had inserted many one-centimeter silicone blocks. Sculptors tinkered with them daily, creating many silicone Deity statues.
Recently, artisans polished these silicone figures meticulously, rendering them almost indistinguishable from a real person at a glance.
Li Daoxuan possessed a random figure, bolting upright.
Startled, Thirty-Two and Gao Yiye â whoâd been offering incense â quickly bowed on reflex: âSalutations to the Deity.â
âI wish to travel amongst humanity, to stroll freely,â Li Daoxuan laughed. âSwiftly fetch me a monk robe â the shabbiest you can find. Also bring a Buddhist rosary, a worn-out wine gourd, and a tattered palm-leaf fan.â
Thirty-Two wiped his brow. âWhat⌠what would these be for?â
But Gao Yiyeâs eyes sparkled. âAh! Isnât that Jigong the Monkâs attire? A travelling troupe last year performed an opera about him! Deity, you wish to dress as Jigong?â
Li Daoxuan chuckled. âYes. Since Guanyin Bodhisattva can infiltrate Taoism, why shouldnât I infiltrate Buddhism? By pretending to be Jigong, might I sneak up and land Buddha a solid blow over the head?â
Thirty-Two gasped in horror.
Gao Yiye clapped delightedly. âYes! Yes!â
Thirty-Two thought: The Deityâs playfulness endures. He tricked people even upon first arriving in Gaojia Village. Surely he jests about striking Buddha?
He rushed to the opera troop, borrowing the robe used just last year for the Jigong act.
Over the Daoist robe carved integrally into the silicone body â impossible to remove â Li Daoxuan draped the borrowed robe. He clutched the wine gourd and palm fan, pulled a patched cloth hat low over his brow, and rubbed a smudge of dirt onto his cheek.
Gently fanning, he deliberately chanted mock-sagely: âBroken sandals, broken hat⌠a tattered robe flows free⌠You laugh at me⌠Others join the glee⌠My tattered fanâs with meâŚâ
He looked distinctly monk-ish.
Disguise complete, Li Daoxuan headed towards the county town.
Since the body was silicone, not human, movement proved simple. No need for sun chariot or small train.
Li Daoxuan ended Shared Vision, retracting his mind. His real hand, glove discarded, reached into the model world. He plucked up the silicone figure, soaringâŚ
To everyone except Gao Yiye witnessing within Gaojia Fortress, the Deity simply⌠floated skyward.
Suspended above the fortress, villagers gaped upward.
âLook! The Deity rises! Floating above the tower!â
âWhyâs he in monk robes?â
âOff to trick some monks?â
Gao Laba guffawed. âThe Deity tricks folk endlessly! Remember the time he crammed First Leafâs whole hut with glutinous rice? She opened her door and rice poured out!â
As chatter swirled, Li Daoxuanâs real hand tapped a spot outside the diorama, marked âChengcheng County.â
Instantly, his view zoomed to Chengcheng County.
The Deity figure floating above Gaojia Fortress⌠vanished, midair.
The crowd gasped. âHeavens! The Deity deployed divine magic⌠He vanished instantly!â