Chapter 456: Going Out on a Mischief

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 Jiayin’s faction entrenched in Hequ.

Regarding the other rebel forces besides Wang Jiayin’s 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.

“Esteemed Deity,” Liang Shixian reported to the golden giant statue of the Deity in the Chengcheng County town. “This 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 Shui’s town, those Bai Shui folks who’d barely budged before are now flocking to town for relief. They refuse to come to Chengcheng.”

“Esteemed Deity,” Feng Jun also reported in the He County town. “The 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.”

Li Daoxuan, gathering information through Shared Vision, recognized the immediate impact of the court’s silver injection. Shaanxi, for the time being, was stable. The surrounding counties displayed settled scenes.

Our people were easily content. As long as starvation wasn’t imminent, they were reluctant to abandon their roots. Higher wages didn’t necessarily sway them.

Look, even in modern times, many mountain farmers resist migrating to big cities. They’d rather till their steep, rocky plots endlessly than earn several times more elsewhere.

What to do?

As Li Daoxuan pondered this, a messenger rushed into the county office beneath the golden statue and addressed Liang Shixian:

“County Lord, Inspector Wu Shen has arrived. He brings large quantities of silver and grain to Chencheng County. They claim it’s for famine relief, to aid the virtuous locals. They request Your Lordship to welcome the envoy.”

Liang Shixian froze upon hearing of “famine relief.”

In the ears of Chengcheng residents, the phrase sounded bizarre.

Weren’t we the ones usually rescuing others? Now someone thought they needed to rescue us.

Liang Shixian hastily turned and bowed to the Deity statue. “Esteemed Deity, this humble official must take leave to receive the envoy.”

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 weren’t 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 — who’d been offering incense — quickly bowed on reflex: “Salutations to the Deity.”

“I wish to travel amongst humanity, to stroll freely,” Li Daoxuan laughed. “Swiftly fetch me a monk robe — the shabbiest you can find. Also bring a Buddhist rosary, a worn-out wine gourd, and a tattered palm-leaf fan.”

Thirty-Two wiped his brow. “What… what would these be for?”

But Gao Yiye’s eyes sparkled. “Ah! Isn’t that Jigong the Monk’s attire? A travelling troupe last year performed an opera about him! Deity, you wish to dress as Jigong?”

Li Daoxuan chuckled. “Yes. Since Guanyin Bodhisattva can infiltrate Taoism, why shouldn’t I infiltrate Buddhism? By pretending to be Jigong, might I sneak up and land Buddha a solid blow over the head?”

Thirty-Two gasped in horror.

Gao Yiye clapped delightedly. “Yes! Yes!”

Thirty-Two thought: The Deity’s 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 — impossible to remove — 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: “Broken sandals, broken hat… a tattered robe flows free… You laugh at me… Others join the glee… My tattered fan’s with me…”

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, soaring…

To everyone except Gao Yiye witnessing within Gaojia Fortress, the Deity simply… floated skyward.

Suspended above the fortress, villagers gaped upward.

“Look! The Deity rises! Floating above the tower!”

“Why’s he in monk robes?”

“Off to trick some monks?”

Gao Laba guffawed. “The Deity tricks folk endlessly! Remember the time he crammed First Leaf’s whole hut with glutinous rice? She opened her door and rice poured out!”

As chatter swirled, Li Daoxuan’s real hand tapped a spot outside the diorama, marked “Chengcheng County.”

Instantly, his view zoomed to Chengcheng County.

The Deity figure floating above Gaojia Fortress… vanished, midair.

The crowd gasped. “Heavens! The Deity deployed divine magic… He vanished instantly!”