Chapter 113

"Tick tock!"

"Dong Dong Dong!"

"Dangdang!"

………………

A sound of gongs and drums came from a distance, which attracted the attention of Merton and Fang Xuanling. A long team on the official road was coming slowly.

"What is this?"

Fang Jun looked curiously at the team gradually entering. It was so lively that it was like a wedding, but now it was close to noon. No wedding people would pick up the wedding at noon.

As the team got closer and closer, the sound of gongs and drums became louder and louder, which attracted many people who came to buy water tankers. They saw the colorful flags of the team waving and a musical instrument team walking in front of the team. The sound of Suona and gongs and drums were deafening and played very hard.

Behind the musical instrument team, seven little girls were bareheaded and carrying a triangular Yellow Dragon flag. Eight strong men followed behind with a huge clay sculpture of the Dragon King, followed by a large number of people.

"Worship heaven and pray for rain!" Murton said in a deep voice.

The seven little girls in front mean the seven women praying for rain, while the Dragon King sculpture in the back means the Dragon praying for rain.

Fang Xuanling looked at the rain praying team in front of her. Her face was embarrassed. She didn't expect that the drought had reached such a serious level. Many people had begun to pray for rain.

These droughts have not been reported by the county magistrate at all. If it were not for ink magazine, they might not know that the situation has been so serious.

Whenever the Dragon King clay sculpture stopped, all the people fell to their knees, a lot of sandalwood lit up, and the air was filled with a good smell, which was obviously valuable.

A gray haired old man knelt in the front, kowtowed to the clay Dragon King three times and shouted, "Xiao Min usually ignored the Dragon King. Now he specially offered sacrifices. Please be kind to the Dragon King of Jinghe. Please give me a rain."

"Please be gracious to the Dragon King of Jinghe River." all the people shouted one after another.

"Then why did they ask the Dragon King of Jinghe!" Fang Jun didn't understand.

Merton explained in a low voice, "the most serious drought this year is on both sides of the Jinghe River. The water level of the Jinghe River directly exposes the riverbed. It is rumored by the people in Guanzhong that this year's drought must have offended the Dragon King of the Jinghe River."

The most serious drought is in the counties near both banks of the Jinghe River. In some places, it has not rained for a month and a half, and the water level of the Jinghe River has directly dropped to the lowest point in history.

"Oh!"

Fang Jun suddenly realized that he had always been in Chang'an city. Where had he seen the scene of praying for rain? He couldn't help looking at the strange actions of the people.

Burning incense, worshipping and offering sacrifices, the seven women knelt down to pray for rain. In addition, the rain praying team even invited a Taoist priest to dance the great God there, and almost used all the rain praying methods they could think of.

"Hey! Merton, do you say that the king of Jinghe dragon forgives them for raining?" Fang Jun touched Merton's shoulder and whispered.

"The poor man begged the Dragon King for half a day, not asking the heaven for ghosts and gods."

Merton sneered. If it's useful to ask God, the God is too cheap. It's easy to be bought by a few pigs and sheep.

Fang Jun looked at the other family's child in front of him speechless. Can you stop crying poetry when you disagree? Don't you see that the parents are still in front of you!

"What a man who doesn't ask the heaven and asks the ghosts and gods!"

A loud drink came from behind Merton, startled Merton, and quickly looked back. Li Eryi looked at the rain praying team in front of him. When the drought came, these people not only didn't think about how to water the fields, but worshipped the Dragon God here to pray for rain. If God could pray for rain, the four-year drought in Zhenguan wouldn't happen.

"Ghosts and gods!"

Li Shimin closed his eyes painfully. He had been desperate for it as early as four years in Zhenguan.

"Your majesty!"

Fang Xuanling exclaimed in a low voice. He didn't expect that Li Shimin even came here for a private visit.

Fang Jun and Merton were also surprised. They didn't expect Li Shimin to be behind them. Fang Jun roared in his heart. It was really worth the trip. It was the right choice to follow the Mohist school. Even the emperor, who is rarely seen at ordinary times, could meet him.

The three wanted to salute, but they saw Li Shimin wave his hand slightly and stop the people. Obviously, they didn't want to expose their identity.

Merton and Fang Jun had to give up and bow their hands slightly.

"Your Majesty's golden body, how can fish and Dragons wear white clothes and commit danger with their own body." Fang Xuanling whispered admonishment. Although this is outside Chang'an City, no one can bear the responsibility if Li Shimin has a problem here.

"Don't worry, I've already made arrangements!"

Li Shimin shook his head.

Fang Xuanling looked around and found that there were many people in disguise around. Although these people looked like other people, they always looked like nothing to Li Shimin, and the first was a familiar face - Li Junxian. Then she relaxed and stopped admonishing.

"Besides, it must be an urgent matter for my prime minister to leave his government affairs and open his way with an official card. How can I not come and have a look!" Li Shimin said.

He was outside Chang'an city to investigate the situation of the people and check the drought, but he accidentally found that Fang Xuanling went out from the Nancheng gate. He was curious to follow up and found that Fang Xuanling and mojiazi were together.

"Merton, you are indispensable everywhere!" Li Shimin snorted coldly, looking at Merton with bad eyes.

Merton felt a chill in his back and couldn't help lowering his head with a guilty heart.

Fang Xuanling quickly whispered what Merton said about the irrigation tools that can make use of the ubiquitous groundwater. Li Shimin immediately brightened his eyes and became agitated.

Li Shimin was really shocked by the new waterwheel in Mojia village. If this new waterwheel was popularized, it could reduce at least 10% of the harm of drought, but he didn't expect that Mojia village had made an idea about the irrigation of land far away from the river.

"I thought that the improved new waterwheel in Mojia village had given me enough surprises, but I didn't expect that there was another surprise waiting for me!" Li Shimin took a deep breath and calmed down his mood. If it was someone else, Li Shimin might doubt that he was still very confident in Merton. This boy would always make some incredible things.

Well water! Li Shimin is certainly no stranger. In Chang'an City, there are some hundred year old wells everywhere. No matter how dry, these ancient wells will never dry up.

It can be imagined how much water is buried under the land. If these water can be used for irrigation, it will really be a unique weapon to solve the agriculture of Datang.

Generally speaking, as long as it is not in low-lying areas, more rain will have little impact on the harvest of agriculture, but drought is the biggest natural disaster in agriculture. Often drought comes together, thousands of miles of bare land and starvation victims everywhere.

"If you can really solve the problem of dry land irrigation, I'll write it off and let bygones be bygones." Li Shimin snorted coldly.

Merton lamented that the incident really happened. Accompanying the king is like accompanying the tiger. Although Merton's intention is good and has been very euphemistic, Li Shimin inevitably feels that he has lost face.

"Please move your majesty to the Mohist experimental field and let the boy show it to your majesty himself." Merton said confidently.