Confucian and Taoist scholar

Chapter 512 The beginning of prosperity
At the border of Kaiyang County, a flying boat descended from the sky and landed smoothly on the wide county road.

Several figures jumped off the flying boat.

The group of people were dressed in magnificent robes and had an otherworldly air about them; they were clearly not ordinary people.

If Lu Zheng were here, he would recognize these people at a glance.

It was the Chu hermit Luo Qianji and the Three Friends of the White Deer whom Wang Tong had met before.

They came to Anguo for a visit because they were curious about Lu Zheng's story.

Moreover, Luo Qianji and his group didn't even go to Tai'an City; they went directly to Lu Zheng's hometown first.

Upon seeing the county boundary marker, one person murmured, "Kaiyang, this should be it, right?"

Luo Qianji waved his sleeve to retract the flying boat, glanced around, and said with a smile, "It should be. Brother Lu said that Kaiyang County is very well-developed. You can see that the roads on both sides are quite different..."

Others shifted their gaze and clearly saw the difference as well.

The county roads within Kaiyang County are flat and wide, more than enough to safely accommodate three horse-drawn carriages side by side.

The roads in the neighboring county are not only full of potholes, but also less than half the width of the county roads here.

One of them stepped on the road and confirmed, "This road wasn't built long ago, and it's very solid. This isn't something an ordinary mortal could do; it must have been done by cultivators or martial artists..."

It's no small feat that a remote county could inspire cultivators to build bridges and roads.

Luo Qianji couldn't help but say, "It seems this place is truly extraordinary. Now that we've arrived, let's walk along and enjoy the scenery."

No one else objected to this.

They came here for sightseeing, but by flying straight to the county town, they inevitably missed the scenery along the way.

The group moved with a brisk pace, traveling along the smooth county road, chatting and laughing all the way.

They hadn't gone far when they slowed down and looked ahead.

On the mountain path ahead, an elderly man, well past fifty, was slowly pulling a wooden cart.

On the cart, some grain was piled up.

Luo Qianji and the others couldn't help but show a strange expression when they saw him, not because the old man was anything special, but because he was too ordinary.

An ordinary old man was dragging his goods alone in the wilderness. They had hardly seen such a scene on their journey.

In today's world, bandits, wild animals, and even demons roam the mountains and fields.

Ordinary people usually go out in groups; very few dare to travel alone.

The old man in front seemed to sense something, and when he turned around, he saw several people dressed in fine clothes walking behind him. He couldn't help but smile humbly, and slowly pulled his cart to the side as much as possible so as not to block the way of the important people.

Luo Qianji stepped forward and asked politely, "Old man, may I ask where Kaiyang County is?"

Upon hearing this, the old man said, "Just follow the road. If you come to a fork in the road, there are signs to guide you. You all look like wealthy people; you should be able to read."

Luo Qianji nodded and smiled, "Thank you, sir. Aren't you afraid of the danger of traveling alone with all that cargo?"

The old man smiled and said, "What danger? Last year, the government was busy fighting demons and wild animals, and the county is peaceful now. The road is also well-maintained, so even an old man like me can go to town to do some small business. It saves a lot of time compared to previous years!"

The old man recalled that when he was young, he would have to travel with the villagers before dawn to go to the market in town and would not return until evening.

The road used to be difficult to travel, and it was also very dangerous.

The road from the village to the town is now a newly built road, and the journey is much shorter.

Now, when I go to the market by myself, it only takes me half a day to walk back and forth at a leisurely pace.

The old man sighed and said, "It's all thanks to the great philanthropist Lu. I heard that our county is in such a good state because of him..."

Luo Qianji blinked and asked, "Which Lu Shanren?"

Although they had some suspicions, they couldn't help but ask.

Upon hearing this, the old man said, "Of course it's Scholar Lu Zheng! Who else could it be? You can tell at a glance that you're not from Hongzhou. Everyone in the county, outside the county, and throughout Hongzhou knows him..."

The old man went on and on, praising Lu Zheng to the skies, saying he was a celestial being who had descended to earth as a god of literature, and a reincarnation of a benevolent deity.

Luo Qianji and the others found it strange, wondering how Lu Zheng could have such a good reputation in the local area after traveling for so long.
Listening to the old man's story, it seemed that Lu Zhengzhen had done a lot of things locally.

Just then, the sound of horses' hooves approached from afar.

On the county road, a rider came galloping by. The rider was dressed in a police uniform and was carrying a long spear.

When Luo Qianji and the others saw the newcomer, a strange look flashed in their eyes. The newcomer was not an ordinary official; he was not human at all, but an ape demon.

The ape demon was dressed in the clothes of an official, which made Luo Qianji and the others feel that it was somewhat incongruous.

The ape demon on horseback narrowed its eyes, glanced at the old man, then at Luo Qianji and the others, its gaze scrutinizing them.

The ape demon then asked the old man, "What are you doing?"

The old man chuckled and replied, "They're from out of town, asking for directions."

"Oh..." The ape demon then said to Luo Qianji and the others, "Outsiders? Just go straight to the county town. There's a post station three miles ahead where you can rest. When you come to Kaiyang County, you must abide by the local rules and not cause trouble. The post station has laws and regulations; you can find out for yourselves..."

The ape demon spoke for a while, then dismounted and said to the old man, "Which village do you live in, sir? I'll deliver the grain to you! Please get back on your horse!" The old man quickly waved his hand and said, "I wouldn't dare trouble you, sir! The village isn't far from here, just a short walk..."

The ape demon grinned and said, "I'm in charge of patrolling the area, so it's my duty to help the people passing by. Old man, please get on your horse!"

The old man couldn't refuse for a moment, so the ape demon helped him onto the horse.

The ape demon said, "Old man, don't be afraid. This horse is very docile. Just hold it steady."

The old man smiled, his eyes crinkling. "Oh dear, thank you so much, officer. This is my first time riding a horse!"

Immediately, the ape demon, holding the reins in one hand and dragging the cart with the other, strode away.

Luo Qianji and the others looked at each other in astonishment. Even though they were well-informed, they were still taken aback by this scene.

When did monsters become government officials and get along so well with ordinary people?

The group quietly followed behind and then witnessed the ape demon taking the old man to a village.

The villagers were not surprised to see the ape demon.

Everything I saw was real, not some monster deceiving me.

Luo Qianji and the others looked around the mountain village. The village was in better condition than many villages they had seen. The houses were not simple, there were ponds and irrigation ditches outside the village, and the crops in the fields were growing very well.

Some children gathered at the entrance of the village, muttering to themselves in front of a stone tablet, learning to read and write.

One child's eyes shone brightly, "Once I can recognize all these characters, I want to go to school in the county! I'll eat free meat at the school!"

They had heard that smart children could go to the city to study for free and even eat meat.

This gave them free time, so they would gather together to learn to read instead of playing in the mud.

After all, the temptation of eating meat is much more fun than playing in the mud.

Two children from their village were selected to study in the county town, which made them extremely envious.

A child said slowly, "Ergou, we study and learn to read not just so that we can eat meat, but so that others can eat meat too, understand?"

"I went to the city to see my uncle who was studying at the school, and he said that's how the teacher taught!"

One child exclaimed, "Yes, yes, yes! If I go to school, I'll make sure my parents have meat at every meal. And when I pass the imperial examination and become a scholar, you can eat meat with me too!"

Hearing the children's conversation, an adult nearby couldn't help but laugh and said, "These little brats don't even know more words than I do, and they already want to eat meat?"

Upon hearing this, a child retorted, "Uncle, you know so many characters but you can't go to school and you still don't get to eat meat. What are you doing learning characters from us?"

The adult said leisurely, "Since I know a lot of characters, I can go to the city to work as a shop assistant! Once I know more characters, I can go to the city to do odd jobs during the off-season, and then I can eat meat every meal, making you all drool!"

These days, you need to be literate and able to do math to get a short-term job in the city, and of course, the pay isn't low.

Many adults are also willing to learn more characters so that they can find a job as a day laborer in the city and supplement their family income.

However, the main source of income for the villagers is still farming. With the government exempting them from taxes, farming provides them with greater financial security than before.

After inspecting the village, Luo Qianji and the others were filled with emotion.

The ordinary people here don't even worry much about making a living, and they still have time to learn to read and write.

There was no oppression from gods, no harm from demons and ghosts, and even the government reduced taxes...

Luo Qianji murmured, "It's truly rare to see people living in peace and prosperity! It's a pity Wang Tong didn't come with us. If he saw this scene, he'd probably go mad..."

They used to hear Wang Tong say that the world was bad and how terrible it was.

But this place is a paradise, a place created by someone.

If all prefectures and counties in the world were like this, a golden age would have arrived.

Upon hearing this, one of the people next to him chuckled and said, "It's alright, I've already recorded it with a recording stone, I'll send a copy back to Wang Tong later."

Without lingering, the group continued their journey towards the county town.

They soon arrived at a post station, a place for people to rest.

The roadside rest stop was spacious and offered free tea, where many people rested.

At a glance, I could hear some people talking.

Many of the people were from elsewhere, and there were not only humans, but also demons and ghosts.

Some monsters haven't fully transformed into human form yet, but they still swagger around, so it's not surprising to others.

These demons and ghosts all learned about the situation in Kaiyang County and wanted to come here to seek an identity.

In broad daylight, at the post stations set up by the government, one could even see ordinary people and demons gathering together, chatting about everything under the sun.

Luo Qianji and the others almost thought they were in the Ghost State of Chu, but even in the Ghost State, mortals probably wouldn't dare to sit at the same table as demons and ghosts.

Soon, they saw a wooden board hanging on the wall, on which were written many regulations. These were said to be laws that had only been implemented in Kaiyang County. When they came here, even those who practiced cultivation had to abide by some rules.

(End of this chapter)