Chapter 119: Bestowing Rewards for Meritorious Service

"Young Master! Young Master!"

Mo Dun tossed and turned in a daze, pulling the quilt over his head to ignore the commotion outside.

"Young Master! Get up! Today is the day you must attend the morning court!" Ziyi’s voice persisted from outside the room, accompanied by a rhythmic *bang, bang, bang* that shook the door.

"Morning court!"

Mo Dun jolted as if struck by lightning. He leaped out of bed, his sleepiness instantly vanished. Today was the day for rewarding those who had contributed to the drought relief efforts. A palace eunuch had notified him just yesterday that he was expected to attend. This was Mo Dun’s first foray into the center of power in the Tang Dynasty; honestly, his curiosity far outweighed his excitement.

With a creak, Mo Dun yawned, threw a robe over his shoulders, and opened the door. "The sky is already bright—oh no, I’m going to be late!" he exclaimed, seeing the sky beginning to glow with dawn, his face pale with alarm. This was his first time at court; if he were late, he would surely be doomed.

"Young Master, you are not late at all. The morning court begins at the Hour of the Dragon (7:00–9:00 AM). There is plenty of time to get to the palace from here," Ziyi said, hastily restraining the frantic Mo Dun.

The Hour of the Dragon!

Mo Dun’s face flushed red. He realized he had been poisoned by too many Qing Dynasty television dramas, assuming that all dynasties held court at the Hour of the Rabbit (5:00–7:00 AM). Fortunately, Li Shimin was not the obsessive Emperor Yongzheng.

After changing into his official robes and grabbing a quick bite, Mo Dun arrived at the Imperial City in a leisurely manner. He found that very few officials had arrived yet, and others only trickled in after him. He observed the distinct lines of civil and military officials and naturally took his place at the very end of the military row.

Standing directly in front of him was someone Mo Dun recognized: Li Junxian. However, Li Junxian was incredibly stiff and ignored Mo Dun’s attempts at conversation. Rebuffed, Mo Dun stood awkwardly at the back.

There were not many officials qualified to attend court, and they all knew each other. The sudden appearance of a new face immediately drew everyone’s attention.

"The son of the Mo clan!"

Many officials realized who he was. In the last few months, the son of the Mo clan had risen like a comet in Chang'an, and now he was standing right alongside them in the imperial hall. Thinking of their own children, many couldn't help but sigh, wishing their sons were as capable as the Mo scion.

"Mo Lie is truly blessed!" many military men remarked. They had been close to the late Mo Lie and had grieved his untimely death; now, they were filled with envy.

*Boom!* The palace gates opened.

Mo Dun followed the stream of officials into the Vermilion Bird Avenue and entered the Imperial City. Unlike his previous two visits, his mood was no longer anxious; as he walked at the very back, he even had the leisure to look around.

"Whoever designed this imperial city must be a master of mathematics," Mo Dun mused. He noticed that the most prominent feature of the city was its symmetry. Everything on the left side of the Vermilion Bird Avenue had a perfectly symmetrical counterpart on the right.

At the end of the avenue, a majestic building appeared before him: the Taiji Hall, the very center of power in the Tang Dynasty. Mo Dun had no idea where he was supposed to go, but he had a foolproof trick: follow Li Junxian. Sure enough, he found his designated spot right next to Li Junxian’s long table.

*Phew!*

Mo Dun breathed a sigh of relief. If he hadn't found it, he had been prepared to squeeze in next to Li Junxian regardless of whether he agreed or not. After all, before he arrived, he had been the lowest-ranking official among the military officers. Now that he had been promoted to second-to-last, shouldn't he at least get a decent spot?

"His Majesty has arrived!"

Accompanied by Pang De’s shrill voice, Li Shimin appeared on the Dragon Throne, and the morning court began. The efficiency of the Zhenguan era was remarkable; government affairs were processed one by one with speed. Soon, Li Shimin set aside the documents and looked toward the officials. They all stopped what they were doing, knowing it was time for the awards.

"Minister Fang, how is the distribution of the well-drilling tools progressing?" Li Shimin asked loudly from the throne.

"Reporting to Your Majesty, the distribution in all circuits around Chang'an is complete, and well-drilling has begun. The northern circuits are currently receiving their shipments. As for the southern circuits, the likelihood of drought is lower due to their location, so I have simply sent the blueprints and ordered them to manufacture the tools locally. The other northern circuits are proceeding accordingly," Fang Xuanling replied.

This was what Li Shimin appreciated most about Fang Xuanling: whatever task was entrusted to him was always handled perfectly, sometimes even exceeding expectations.

"Minister Fang is indeed thoughtful," Li Shimin praised with a nod. If the imperial court had to pay for the casting of all those tools, the hole in the treasury would be bottomless.

"This time, our Great Tang has defeated the drought, an achievement unseen in a thousand years. For the soldiers of the Sixteen Guards who participated in the relief efforts, each shall be credited with a merit and awarded three months' salary," Li Shimin declared with a wave of his hand.

"Thank you, Your Majesty!" the military officers cheered. Military merit was highly valued in the Tang Dynasty; for the soldiers, it meant at least a grant of hereditary land upon retirement, or perhaps even becoming a village head. To climb higher, however, would require even greater feats of war.

Dai Zhou, the Minister of Revenue, felt a twinge of pain; the Ministry of Revenue would be bleeding funds again. Yet, he felt happy to pay it—if the drought in Guanzhong had not been controlled, the cost to the Ministry of Revenue would have been a hundred times greater.

Li Shimin paused and scanned the room, finally spotting Mo Dun, who was peeking around suspiciously in the back. "Mo Dun, Count of the Founding, for contributing the method of drought-resistant well-drilling, you are hereby granted the title of Marquis," he said, sounding slightly annoyed.

The senior officials were not surprised by this reward. After all, this drought-resistance method was too important to the Tang; it was the first time humanity had possessed a means to combat natural disasters. No amount of promotion could fully match Mo Dun’s contribution.

Many officials looked enviously at Mo Dun in the corner. Titles were not handed out lightly, and a title earned through merit was vastly different from one inherited. From this day forward, Mo Dun had shed the label of a "second-generation noble" and become a true Marquis—the youngest one in the Tang Dynasty.

However, the officials suddenly noticed that Mo Dun, who should have been bowing in gratitude, was standing there unmoved, his eyes fixed intently on Li Shimin, looking as if he were waiting for more.

Li Shimin’s face darkened instantly. "Is Marquis Mo dissatisfied with my reward?"

"Ah! Your humble servant would not dare!" Mo Dun said with a bitter expression. He was wondering why everyone else got three months' salary, while he didn't receive a single copper coin.

Li Shimin snorted coldly. The Mo family village was raking in money daily, and yet this kid still had the nerve to ask for more? The relief effort had already emptied the national treasury!

Following that, the Directorate for Palace Manufactures and the blacksmiths from various regions were also rewarded, and the ceremony concluded successfully.

Except for Mo Dun, who kept muttering to himself, "They didn't even give me a hundred copper coins."