Confucian and Taoist scholar

Chapter 140 Fengcheng County Lord
Lu Zheng walked slowly onto the deck and looked at the Fengcheng County Lord's ship not far away.

He bowed towards the ship and said in a loud voice: "Lu Zheng of Kaiyang County, please see the county lady!"

A maid appeared on the ship and flew to Lu Zheng's side.

The maid respectfully said, "Master Lu, please follow me."

After saying that, the maid snapped her fingers and a talisman attached to Lu Zheng's clothes.

Suddenly, the talisman flashed with light, and a spiritual power dragged Lu Zheng and lightly sent him to the ship where the county lord was.

The maid raised her hand and led Lu Zheng to the side.

The two climbed up the wooden building and came to a room on the top floor.

The door was open, and a tall, armored guard stood by the door with a sword in his hand, looking imposing.

Lu Zheng was about to step into the room when the guard next to him stretched out his strong arm to stop him.

"There's something on you."

The guard looked at Lu Zheng's chest with burning eyes.

Lu Zheng's expression was calm as he stretched out his finger and pointed at Qing Wan.

Then a little head popped out.

Lu Zheng smiled and said, "Just a small grass spirit."

The maid next to him looked slightly surprised. She hadn't even noticed that there was a little man hiding on Lu Zheng's body.

"Let them in!"

A clear girl's voice came from the room.

The tall guard restrained his expression and lowered his arm.

When Lu Zheng walked into the room, he saw a girl in a pink dress sitting by the windowsill.

The girl was not dressed luxuriously, but only put on a little makeup, yet she looked pretty and charming, with delicate features, and somewhat similar to An Jing.

Lu Zheng was neither humble nor arrogant. He bowed slightly and said, "Lu Zheng, I pay my respects to the Princess of Fengcheng County."

Qing Wan stood firmly on Lu Zheng's shoulder. After Lu Zheng stood up straight again, she imitated Lu Zheng and said crisply, "Qing Wan, I pay my respects to the Princess of Fengcheng County!"

The girl looked at the little figure on Lu Zheng's shoulder with interest.

"I didn't expect that Master Lu actually raised a grass spirit. What kind of spirit is it?"

Lu Zheng replied, "I didn't raise her, but a companion I met during my travels. Qingwan is a pea spirit. She understands some Confucian classics and has a certain literary aura."

"I see..." Anyang nodded in realization, "Mr. Lu is no ordinary man, so the demon that can follow him must also be an ordinary demon."

Anyang spoke again: "Please take a seat and serve tea!"

The maid next to him quickly invited Lu Zheng to sit down.

Lu Zheng sat upright opposite Anyang, not looking away.

Then, two cups of spiritual tea were brought up.

"Thank you!"

The two people, one big and one small, took the tea and thanked him in unison.

Anyang smiled slightly and said, "Mr. Lu shone brilliantly at the Qixi Literary Festival today, which really broadened Anyang's horizons."

"Thank you for the compliment, County Lady." Lu Zheng said.

Anyang asked curiously, "You are very talented in mathematics. I have never seen a mathematical genius like Master Lu. I wonder who is your teacher?"

There were many teachers in Anyang who taught students, including mathematics.

The math problem she had brought out before was a difficult one given to her by a math teacher, and she had never been able to solve it.

Unexpectedly, Lu Zheng solved the problem easily. His simple steps made her suddenly enlightened. She learned a lot by applying what she had learned to other situations. She felt that her mathematical skills had improved.

It is said that the gentleman had spent several days to solve this problem before.

The mathematical talent that Lu Zheng had just displayed made Anyang feel that even her mathematics teachers could not compare to him.

Lu Zheng replied, "As the sage said, 'When three people walk together, there must be one who can be my teacher.' Everything I have learned comes from the wisdom of our predecessors."

Anyang was surprised when he heard this. He thought, didn't he learn from any mathematics master, but learned it by reading books on his own?
Such a talent is really buried in such a small place.

Such people will surely become great in the future, and they are the ones you should make friends with.

By selecting pillars of talent for Anguo, Anyang's position and reputation in the court will also be better in the future.

Anyang couldn't help but think of the eldest princess An Jing, the imperial sister who was her role model and aspiration.

Anyang couldn't help but say, "Mr. Lu is very talented in mathematics. I would like to recommend him to the Imperial College..."

Anyang paused suddenly. She recommended Lu Zheng to go to the Imperial College. Should he be a student or a teacher?
With the terrifying talent that Lu Zheng has shown, so many mathematical books are not difficult for him. Obviously, there is no need for him to be a student.

As for becoming a mathematics teacher in the Imperial College, even if she was the Princess of Fengcheng County, she did not have that much say.

Lu Zheng was stunned for a moment. He didn't expect that the Fengcheng County Lord thought so highly of him that she wanted him to go to the Imperial College right away.

That is the highest institution of learning in Anguo, and there are countless brilliant people there.

He hadn't even thought about going to a place like that to experience it. Lu Zheng quickly said, "My Lady, you're being too kind! I'm so ignorant and incompetent, how could I possibly be qualified to go to a place like that?"

Anyang's bright eyes flickered, and she smiled and said, "Mr. Lu is too modest. Didn't you just say that anyone present can ask questions, and you won't lose! Anyang is also present."

"The county lord is naturally not among them." Lu Zheng said.

Anyang smiled gently and said, "A talent like Mr. Lu would be wasted here. Your mathematical talent is more than enough for me to learn from you... How about this? You come back to Fengcheng with me and become my mathematics teacher. I will also hire someone to teach you Confucianism and help you achieve higher academic achievements in the future... Even becoming a teacher at the Imperial Academy is not out of the question."

The maid next to him couldn't help but look sideways when she heard this. It was the first time she saw Anyang think so highly of a young talent. He even wanted to appoint Lu Zheng as his teacher, help him plan his future, and pave the way for him.

Lu Zheng stood up and said, "My Lady, I appreciate your kindness, but I still have a lot of things to do. Besides, studying Taoism is not the path I want to take. I will cultivate my righteous spirit."

Lu Zheng wasn't so desperate as to become a mathematics teacher for a county lady.

The royal family has many rules, and you won’t feel comfortable at all. You won’t be able to do your own things and improve your literary spirit.

Righteous and righteous spirit... Anyang thought to herself that there was really no one around her who was good at cultivating righteous and righteous spirit.

However, with Lu Zheng's talent, it is not difficult for her to find such a Confucian scholar to teach Lu Zheng.

"I can ask someone to teach you specifically." Anyang said with a smile.

"How dare I trouble you, the county lady? I have my own plans and I really don't dare to trouble you." Lu Zheng said solemnly.

Anyang stared at Lu Zheng and said, "Are you really not going to reconsider this?"

Lu Zheng thought for a moment, then said sincerely, "Thank you, County Lady, for your kindness. I really don't have such plans. I have already made some plans for myself. This trip to Changchuan County is just a stopover. I should set off to return to Kaiyang County tomorrow. I still have a lot of things to do after that..."

Seeing this, Anyang sighed in her heart. It seemed that Lu Zheng really didn't want to go with her.

"Forget it, I won't force you to do anything."

Anyang changed the subject and said, "Those Wu people came here deliberately to disgust us. You performed well, but ended up slapping them in the face. I told you that those who perform well will be rewarded. What reward do you want?"

Anyang paused, then said with a hint of feigned anger, "You've already rejected me. If you refuse the reward again, it would be rude!"

After all, she was a woman of the royal family and the lord of a city. If she was rejected again and again, she would be embarrassed if the news got out.

Upon hearing this, Lu Zheng swallowed the excuse he was about to say.

After thinking for a moment, he spoke: "Lu has no shortage of things, but I have traveled to some places and have seen that some people are living in hardship. If the county lady is willing, she can donate money to build some charity halls to help the elderly, the weak, the sick and the disabled, so as to accumulate virtue and blessings..."

Anyang's face straightened when he heard this, and he said softly, "Mr. Lu is kind and benevolent, so I will allocate ten thousand taels of silver and send people to build a charity hall."

Lu Zheng bowed and said, "The county lady is kind!"

As he spoke, Lu Zheng took out another storage bag and placed it on the table.

"There is a county lady who wants to build a charity hall that can save many people. I am not talented, but I have killed some demons before, so I will give some of the money I earned and contribute my efforts."

Most of the money in the bag was what Lu Zheng got from Jiaolong.

If you have more money, you can buy spiritual objects such as spirit stones through certain channels.

So when the distribution was made before, Lu Zheng got a lot of gold, silver and treasures, and this was only a part of it.

Anyang was stunned. Why did it feel like he hadn't rewarded Lu Zheng with anything, and instead asked Lu Zheng to pay for it? What kind of thing was this?

Lu Zheng bowed again and said, "It's getting late. I won't disturb the county lady's rest. I'll take my leave now."

Anyang hesitated to speak. She originally wanted to chat with Lu Zheng again, but then she thought that they seemed to have a different topic and Lu Zheng did not care much about her, the county lord.

At least Lu Zheng's attitude towards her was not as respectful as others'.

Anyang was not in the mood and waved to the guards outside to send Lu Zheng away.

After Lu Zheng left, Anyang could no longer hold back his expression and his face fell.

"This county lady has finally humbled herself and tried to recruit someone, but you don't even appreciate it. Ah, ah, I'm so angry!"

Anyang's eyes showed a hint of resentment, revealing her girlish temper, and she lacked her previous noble and dignified temperament.

The maid next to her whispered, "I've heard that Confucian scholars who cultivate righteousness and integrity are all like this. County Lady, please don't take it to heart."

"Huh, how could I not know? People like this are very arrogant, it's not like I haven't seen them before..."

Anyang said quietly, "Let's sail back to Fengcheng! Bring me some pen and paper. I want to write to my sister An Jing and ask her for some advice! How can I let someone else take such a big fish..."

Big fish... A strange look flashed in the maid's eyes. What kind of metaphor is this?

"Oh, by the way, leave two people to keep an eye on those Wu people. Don't let them sneakily harm Lu Zheng."

Although such a thing is unlikely to happen, we should still be on guard.

"As ordered."

Anyang gave some instructions, then looked at the storage bag left by Lu Zheng and took it to take a look out of curiosity.

Just one look and she sat up straight with her eyes wide open.

The money in the storage bag is no less than ten thousand taels of silver.

As a county lady, it was a considerable expense for her to spend ten thousand taels of silver at one time to build a charity hall.

"How does this demon-slaying thing make money?"

Anyang's beautiful eyes sparkled, and it felt a little incredible.

(End of this chapter)