Confucian and Taoist scholar

Chapter 470 Chu Law Should Be Executed
Seeing everyone's worried faces, Lu Zheng comforted them, saying, "Don't worry, I will have the government take good care of you."

Upon hearing this, an old man quickly said, "We are just ordinary people, how dare we hope for government assistance? We'll just go back to our village!"

As he spoke, the old man even showed a look of panic, as if he was afraid of something.

Lu Zheng noticed the old man's expression and frowned slightly. These people were afraid of the government and did not trust it.

Recalling some of the books he had read, Lu Zheng understood.

In some places, local officials are ruthless and cruel. How can you expect them to resettle disaster victims? They might just be sold into slavery the very next day, never to rise again.

But when they returned to the destroyed village, these people could still barely be considered as farmers with land and household registration, so even though life was difficult, there was still a glimmer of hope.

Once they become disaster victims, they have no choice in how they live their lives.

Lu Zheng said, "Don't worry, I guarantee the government will take good care of you. There's nothing to worry about."

"May I ask... what is your identity, sir?" the old man asked cautiously.

Lu Zhengdao said, "I am neither an official nor a clerk, but I have some skills. I think the officials here will give me some face."

Seeing Lu Zheng's statement, the people were skeptical.

Seeing that these people were outside in the sweltering heat, Lu Zheng took out a gourd and said, "It's hot, have some water! Bring some bowls and basins to hold water!"

Upon seeing this, a man mustered his courage and handed a large bowl with a dent to Lu Zheng.

Lu Zheng poured a large bowl for the man.

The man quickly took a small sip, and his eyes lit up immediately. The water was sweet and had a medicinal taste.

This is a medicinal soup that Lu Zheng prepared, which has the effect of preventing heatstroke and relieving cough.

The man tasted it, then quickly took it to his family.

When others saw this, they also flocked to Lu Zheng.

Lu Zheng smiled slightly and said, "No rush, everyone will get a share."

Lu Zheng tapped the gourd lightly, and streams of water flowed from the spout, flying directly into the objects in everyone's hands.

It's just a small gourd, yet it seems to have an inexhaustible supply of water.

Everyone looked astonished, saying it was the work of a deity.

Soon, everyone, regardless of age or gender, received water and drank to quench their thirst.

Some people only took a few sips of water, while others were reluctant to drink it and wanted to save it.

Seeing this, Lu Zheng smiled and said, "It's just spring water with some common medicinal herbs added, not some kind of divine spring. Drink it when you're thirsty, there's no need to save it. I have more here..."

That's what they said, but the people still felt that the water was unusual.

In their view, even ordinary water becomes imbued with the aura of a deity or master once it passes through their hands, and thus ceases to be ordinary water.

Lu Zheng saw through some people's thoughts and felt rather helpless, so he took out some dry food and gave each person a portion.

Everyone expressed their gratitude once again, and then ate their dry rations.

It's a fine white flatbread. These villagers in the mountains have never eaten such delicate white flatbread before, and they think it's a delicacy that only immortals can eat.

They ate their pancakes and drank their water in small bites, their faces showing simple and genuine joy.

It seems that such a meal and drink are a great happiness for them.

I sigh deeply and wipe away my tears, lamenting the hardships of the people's lives.

Seeing the state of these people, Lu Zheng understood the ancient sages' unwavering pursuit of saving the world and helping the people.

On the other side, Qingwan was holding the little girl's hand, giving her early education.

She was afraid that the people would be influenced by the little girl, so she did not come to find Lu Zheng.

In the distance, several figures dressed in official robes rode the clouds in, appearing as the local county god and his subordinates.

They saw that the sudden rain extinguished the wildfire and guessed that a powerful figure had intervened, so they came to check the situation.

On their way there, they encountered a local earth god on his way to the county town and learned that a young man named Lu Zheng was performing magic to put out the fire.

The local deities had heard of Lu Zheng's name, but only about his past deeds.

Few local deities are aware of the recent rewards and imperial edicts bestowed by the Chu Emperor.

After all, messages take time to spread, and the communication channels between different deities are different, so they cannot all be delivered quickly and effectively.

Lu Zheng glanced sideways and saw divine light flashing in the sky.

With a light step, he leaped into the air and flew over.

The county magistrate and his entourage were still on their way when a figure blocked their path.

Lu Zheng looked at the group of officials, focusing his gaze on the leader, and cupped his hands, saying, "I am Lu Zheng. Are you the City God of this county?"

Upon hearing this, the county god was startled. This person seemed even more powerful than rumored. How could he not see through him at all?

The county magistrate's eyes gleamed, and he said with a smile, "Indeed, I've heard of Young Master Lu's name before, and to meet him today, he is indeed a man of exceptional talent..."

Lu Zheng had no time for flattery and cajoling, and said bluntly, "You should have received the grain seeds allocated by the Ministry of Agriculture, right? Why didn't the people here receive them, and why are you all indifferent when the wildfire burned down the village?"

Upon hearing this, the officials' expressions changed. Their accusatory demeanor made it seem as if Lu Zheng was the judicial and supervisory official of their Great Chu!
The county magistrate immediately suppressed his smile and said in a calm tone, "I wonder where Young Master Lu learned about the Ministry of Agriculture. However, our county has its own customs and how to proceed is none of your concern."

Upon hearing this, Lu Zheng's smile vanished. "Just because there are local customs doesn't mean we can ignore the people. Please, City God, explain further so that I may broaden my horizons."

The county god frowned and said, "This matter has nothing to do with you. Don't think that just because you are a scholar from Anguo, you can act recklessly. This is the Great Chu!" Lu Zheng narrowed his eyes and stared straight at the god.

Feeling uncomfortable under his gaze, the county god said in a low voice, "I've heard of your virtuous reputation. You appeared here to extinguish the fire, and I came here personally to express my gratitude. Instead, you come to interrogate me. What is the meaning of this? Farewell!"

The county god turned around and was about to lead his men back to the county town.

However, a powerful pressure instantly enveloped the priests.

The county god and others hurriedly released their divine aura in an attempt to resist the oppressive force, but to no avail.

They fell straight down from the sky as if crushed by a mountain.

The county god was terrified. "You, what do you want to do? How dare you disrespect me? I am the local god..."

"boom……"

Several muffled sounds rang out.

Several well-dressed priests fell to the ground in a sorry state.

On a distant mountaintop, a group of demons and ghosts watched with gaping mouths, unable to suppress a shiver.

Good heavens, that's the county god, a very high-ranking official. He's a legitimate deity in the Chu Kingdom, and you can't reach that position without some powerful backing.

Unexpectedly, Lu Zheng gave those righteous gods a taste of their own medicine.

Several priests scrambled to their feet, looking at Lu Zheng warily.

"How dare you! You, a mere citizen of Anguo,..."

The county god was furious and was about to start cursing when he felt a flash before his eyes.

Several priests felt a dazzling light shining into their eyes.

Lu Zheng, holding the gold and jade belt, said coldly, "I'll ask, you answer, how about that?"

"who are you……"

Before the county god could finish speaking, he felt a terrifying pressure descend upon him once more.

A powerful force struck him, sending him flying dozens of feet away, unable to get up.

Lu Zheng's expression was cold as he turned to the other officials. "So, why are the grain seeds not in place? Why is no one putting out the wildfires?"

The priests remained silent, their eyes darting around, not daring to utter a word.

These priests were so overwhelmed by Lu Zheng's imposing aura that they were completely unable to move and had no strength to resist.

Lu Zheng, holding the gold and jade belt, raised his hand and slapped another priest.

The priest screamed in agony as his divine light dissipated, and he lay motionless on the ground, half-dead.

Lu Zheng remained expressionless, but slightly shifted his gaze to another priest.

The priest trembled with fright and hurriedly said, "It's no small matter; it's the City God's order!"

"What are your orders?" Lu Zheng asked, his eyes fixed on the question.

Seeing that Lu Zheng did not look away, the priest could only bite the bullet and say, "The Ministry of Agriculture did distribute some grain seeds. The grain seeds are very good, so some people are buying them at high prices... In more remote areas, of course, they cannot get grain seeds."

Lu Zheng thought to himself, "So that's why we didn't put out the wildfire?"

The priest quickly replied, "It's none of my business. Whether or not to put out the wildfire is not something I can decide."

Lu Zheng's eyes turned cold. "Then tell me, why didn't you put out the fire?"

"I...I don't know..." the priest said tremblingly.

Lu Zheng said quietly, "Should I speak for you?"

"Once this wildfire started, it destroyed villages and farmland, leaving people homeless. Whether they live or die is no longer of concern..."

"Desperate people, in order to survive, would even sell themselves into slavery to work the land for other wealthy families..."

"In this way, there's no need to distribute the grain seeds. Selling the surplus seeds to others isn't out of the question... It seems to make sense, doesn't it?"

The priests remained silent upon hearing this. Lu Zheng had already guessed these things, so why did they need to say anything?
Lu Zheng then asked, "Who received the grain seeds? What is their connection to the county's City God?"

Faced with Lu Zheng's gaze, one of the priests couldn't hold back and whispered, "The He family of this county is of the same clan as the City God..."

"Ah……"

Lu Zheng chuckled and strode towards the county town's city god statue.

The other priests then felt a relief from the pressure, but they were still uneasy.

They never expected that Lu Zheng would dare to attack them so brazenly.

Lu Zheng looked at the City God, who was struggling to his feet, and asked, "Do you have any objections to what your subordinates said?"

The City God was both shocked and furious. He said, "I am the City God of this county. How can you, a mere resident of Anguo, not tell me what to do? Do you intend to file a complaint here? My superior, the City God of the prefecture, is a relative of the Emperor. I will not let this matter rest!"

Lu Zheng chuckled upon hearing this, "I recently encountered the River God of Yu Shui, who is also your boss's son. Guess what?"

The City God was startled and immediately had a bad feeling.

He retreated repeatedly, "What...what do you want to do!"

Lu Zheng's gaze was icy. "As the City God, your conduct is improper. According to the laws of Chu, you should be executed!"

(End of this chapter)