Primordial Era: Exceptional Comprehension, Destroying Buzhou Mountain at the Start

Chapter 323 Drought in the Nine Provinces, Public Resentment Turns into Calamity, Ruining the Nation's Fate, Reflecting History

With Di Xiao's understanding, he naturally knew what the drought among the human race meant.

This drought was no ordinary drought; it was a calamity, or rather, a calamity that Heaven and Earth had bestowed upon humanity. Why Heaven and Earth would send down this calamity is something no one can say for sure.

However, ever since the War of the Gods, the human race has faced such calamities. For example, droughts, floods, and windstorms... and these disasters are all manifestations of the calamities of heaven and earth, which cannot be changed by any supernatural powers or magic.

The drought mentioned by the Dragon King of West Lake truly weighed heavily on Di Xiao's mind.

As a human, I am well aware of what a drought means. In the case of an ordinary drought, the Tang Dynasty could easily send a cultivator to bring rain, not to mention the Dragon Lords specially appointed by the Tang Dynasty in various regions.

But drought is different; it's a complete calamity. Just like the Dragon and Phoenix Calamity, the Witch and Demon Calamity, and the Investiture of the Gods Calamity in the past. They are all things that cannot be changed by supernatural powers.

Of course, compared to the great calamities of the Dragon and Phoenix in the past, the droughts currently plaguing humanity are utterly insignificant. The two are incomparable. Yet, this is still a calamity sent down by the will of Heaven and Earth.

Moreover, this kind of calamity occurs once every few thousand or even tens of thousands of years in the nine provinces of the human race.

Perhaps the universe alleviated the great calamity of the primordial world by allowing the human race to evolve and overcome its tribulations. Of course, this is merely Di Xiao's speculation.

Right now, Di Xiao only wanted to confirm one thing: whether the drought mentioned by the West Lake Dragon Lord was real. Therefore, he looked at the West Lake Dragon Lord with utmost solemnity: "West Lake Dragon Lord, is the drought you speak of truly..."

"Prefect of Dixiao County, I, Xiaolong, cannot guarantee these things. But the Prefect should also know that we, the Dragon Lords who have been appointed, are very sensitive to changes in the affairs of the Nine Provinces. That is why this speculation has arisen. But whether this speculation is true or not, I cannot say."

The Dragon King of West Lake ultimately dared not make any definitive promises. If the matter were true, he would also have earned merit. But if it were false, wasting Emperor Xiao's efforts would bring him great trouble.

Emperor Xiao was well aware of the West Lake Dragon Lord's shrewdness. But his deep gaze revealed countless moments of contemplation.

"Alright, I'll give this matter some serious consideration. In the meantime, I'll trouble you, Dragon Lord, to keep a close eye on the changes at West Lake and also on the changes in the Nine Provinces." Di Xiao ultimately dared not take this matter lightly, as it concerned the entire human race.

Upon hearing this, the Dragon King of West Lake nodded hurriedly and then left.

Di Xiao, who remained, had a complex expression. Wu Meiniang was by his side, but she remained silent, making the atmosphere very heavy.

After a long while, Wu Meiniang finally dared to speak, in a gentle tone: "My husband, perhaps the Dragon Lord is mistaken..."

"It's better to believe it's true than not to believe it's not true." Di Xiao was very cautious, especially as he flipped through his memories, recalling his past and present history. It seemed that in the ancient Tang Dynasty in his memory, after Li Shimin first ascended the throne, there were several droughts.

Of course, one is the historical Tang Dynasty, and the other is the Tang Dynasty depicted in Journey to the West; they are completely different. However, if the development trajectory of the Tang Dynasty depicted in Journey to the West is indeed similar to that of the historical Tang Dynasty, then we really need to be cautious.

The significance of the drought in the Tang Dynasty during the Journey to the West is different.

"Meiniang, even the lowly Dragon King of West Lake can sense something amiss. If there truly is a drought, the sages in the Fire Cloud Cave, or perhaps the entire court of the Tang Dynasty, should have already heard the news. So let's wait for news from above. If there is, then we'll be in trouble. If not, then everything will be fine."

"But this matter must be handled with caution. You and Ruolin will have to work hard to thoroughly investigate the surplus grain reserves and the people's livelihood in Yuhang County, and strive to ensure that everything is in order."

Ultimately, Emperor Xiao was wary, fearing that the Tang Dynasty in the Journey to the West might suffer from the same drought as the historical Tang Dynasty in his memory. Therefore, he had to be cautious.

Therefore, instructing Wu Meiniang in this way can be considered a special preparation. Wu Meiniang naturally obeyed Di Xiao's words: "Husband, rest assured, I will investigate thoroughly." With that, she followed Di Xiao back to the prefectural governor's mansion in Yuhang County.

However, while Emperor Xiao was preparing to thoroughly destroy all the granaries, in Chang'an, the capital of the Tang Dynasty, Li Shimin, who had already reached the Great Luo realm, was unusually furious.

That fury caused the dragon of the Tang Dynasty's destiny to roar, and also turned the auspicious clouds surrounding it into raging thunder.

Li Shimin's angry gaze swept over the numerous civil and military officials: "Since I ascended the throne, I have worked diligently, seeking only the prosperity of the people and the well-being of the Tang Dynasty's citizens. I have never done anything to wrong the people of the Tang Dynasty, so why has their resentment escalated, ultimately leading to this drought?"

"Moreover, this calamity does not involve just one prefecture or state, but a drought that has swept across the entire nine provinces. Just how great is the public resentment? What have you ministers done to incite such public resentment? Do you know how devastating this calamity is to our human race and our Great Tang Dynasty?"

The entire court was furiously rebuked by Li Shimin, yet none dared to refute him or cry foul. These ministers understood that while calamities had occasionally befallen the human realm throughout history, these calamities were not without cause; there must be underlying reasons for them.

For example, a tyrannical ruler could cause widespread suffering among the people, leading to escalating resentment that eventually culminates in a catastrophe that engulfs the entire land. Or, a powerful minister could commit numerous evil deeds, inciting widespread resentment that ultimately transforms into a calamity.

It can be said that among the countless calamities that befell the human race across the Nine Provinces in Journey to the West, aside from some that were truly divine intervention, most were caused by human actions. These human-caused calamities fueled resentment among the people of the Nine Provinces, ultimately leading to further calamities.

Moreover, the occurrence of these calamities will, to some extent, diminish a country's fortune and national destiny.

Therefore, when calamities accumulate to a certain extent, a human dynasty will collapse, followed by a change of dynasty. The reason why the Sui Dynasty only lasted two generations, apart from some special reasons, was that the Sui Dynasty lost the hearts of the people, which led to too many calamities and diminished the country's fortune.

The Tang Dynasty is about to face a calamity, and Emperor Li Shimin will be the first to bear the brunt. However, Li Shimin is not stupid. He immediately reflected on himself and wondered if he had done anything that would anger both heaven and man. But after careful consideration, he realized that apart from some past events, he had always put humanity first.

That's why he was so furious, questioning whether his ministers had done something that would anger both heaven and man.

Li Shimin roared angrily, "I have only been on the throne for a few years, how dare you provoke me..."

The entire court was at a loss for words, and they too were reflecting on their own actions. But ultimately, it all came to nothing.

Emperor Li Shimin angrily rebuked him, but Minister Changsun Wuji stepped forward: "Your Majesty, the drought is now an unchangeable fact. The urgent task is not to find the cause, but to think about how to deal with the drought that will follow. Therefore, I suggest that the granaries be thoroughly inspected, and then the various prefectures be informed so that they can prepare for the impending drought. Therefore…"

(End of this chapter)