Confucian and Taoist scholar

Upon hearing Lu Zheng's words, everyone felt a strange emotion.

Even Wang Yanran, a member of the Shu royal family, couldn't help but feel her blood boil upon hearing this, and the thought arose that she wanted to devote herself to this great cause.

Looking at the statue before him, Yun Xiao exclaimed, "You really have a lot of ideas..."

Last night, he and Lu Zheng studied those ancient portraits, and today Lu Zheng pulled this stunt on him, which was truly unexpected.

Qingwan, with her hands tucked in her sleeves, commented, "This statue is more meaningful than the ones before it!"

If the previous ninety-nine statues were meant to commemorate the deeds of our predecessors, then the significance of this last statue is a more obvious form of inspiration.

The goal is to encourage everyone to learn from those legendary figures, to become like them, and even to surpass them...

Lu Zheng then turned to the key personnel in charge of the area and instructed, "If there are no problems, this place will be open to the public from now on. If possible, we can organize people to patrol and provide explanations here..."

“We don’t build any temples here specifically, or offer incense to any particular person, but the thoughts and spirit of these sages and legendary figures are worth praising and learning, and such commemoration is very necessary.”

Several officials nearby took notes upon hearing this, indicating that they would arrange for unified learning sessions to be held later if the public had spare time.

Qingwan, standing beside her, nodded in agreement, saying, "That's more like it! Placing them in temples gives people a feeling of being high above and unattainable. Placing them outside for commemoration makes them more approachable and allows people to understand the true nature of these legendary figures..."

Qingwan turned to look at Lu Zheng, "Should other regions follow the same procedure?"

Lu Zhengdao: "I suppose every city is like this."

Suddenly, Qing Wan had a sudden idea and said excitedly, "How about we compile another book on legendary figures and spread their fame throughout the world?"

Upon hearing this, Yun Xiao couldn't help but say, "I'm afraid that won't work. Some of your representatives here are a bit..."

Not to mention the controversy that would arise from compiling the deeds of several great sages and teachers into a book.

Among these legendary figures, some were not well-regarded within the dynasty, and could be considered representatives of resistance against dictatorship, serving as negative examples.

Yun Xiao felt that only Lu Zheng would do something like putting these historical figures together in commemoration...

Not to mention compiling books to promote anything.

If you did this in those dynasties, you probably wouldn't even have to wait until the next day before soldiers would swarm your door.

Qingwan snorted, "That's exactly why we need to vindicate them! We won't compile it into any classic texts, just those picture storybooks, small ones, and sell them cheaply..."

Qingwan offered some ideas, adding, "This isn't difficult. We can have the workshops in Qingcheng District print books and sell them directly to those chambers of commerce, letting them take them out..."

Qingcheng District happens to have rented shops from several chambers of commerce, so they helped sell the shops at a lower price, which saved a lot of trouble.

Nowadays, the papermaking and printing technology in Taiping is so advanced that a book is cheaper than a regular meal, and residents in each district have many books to study.

This situation is unimaginable even for powerful dynasties.

Because in those dynasties, knowledge was monopolized, and books on the market were not affordable for ordinary people.

It is precisely because the books here are very cheap and of very good quality that books make up a significant portion of the goods purchased by chambers of commerce from other places.

Even if the books were shipped back and sold below the local average price, those merchants could still make a fortune.

When Lu Zheng saw Qingwan bring up these ideas, he handed over some books and materials that he had previously compiled for the statue.

"Then I'll put you in charge of editing the book. It's not exactly a banned book, and with a strategy of small profits and quick turnover, sales shouldn't be a problem. But first, let's ensure a sufficient supply of books to all regions..."

Qingwan put away the documents and nodded, saying, "Okay, leave it to me!"

Lu Zheng walked around the square again and stopped once more in front of the towering monument.

He thought for a moment, then raised his hand and a bunch of fiery red flowers appeared, which he then placed in front of the stone tablet.

Qingwan solemnly spread out her small hands, and a cluster of pea flowers instantly grew from her palm. She offered them to the stone tablet as a memento.

Little Qingyi, standing beside them, blinked and waved her little hand, producing a bunch of colorful flowers from who-knows-where, and followed the two of them in offering her respects.

Seeing this, others around also stepped forward to offer bouquets, making the atmosphere somewhat solemn and respectful.

Afterwards, Lu Zheng and his group left Beiyu City and headed north.

Along the way, the group also visited several cities to learn about their development.

Amidst the howling wind and snow, Wang Yanran also saw people working in the desolate countryside, rushing to complete some necessary projects.

Wang Yanran was quite surprised to learn that most of these people were serving time while serving sentences for crimes.

She discovered that these people were not bound by any restrictions, and some of them even had high cultivation levels.

The supervisors in the construction team weren't even as powerful as some of the demons and ghosts.

Wang Yanran asked curiously, "Aren't they going to run away?"

Upon hearing this, Lu Zheng said, "Here, even a powerful demon of the Transcendent Realm must serve their sentence if they are guilty. I have given them equal treatment and a chance to reform. As long as they have a brain and work hard to build things here, they can enjoy various benefits in the future, and their cultivation will also have the opportunity to advance further..."

"Of course, not everyone is willing to do this, and those people all met a terrible end... Learning from their mistakes, I think they should understand how to choose now."

Wang Yanran couldn't help but glance at her, asking in surprise, "You've killed many people?"

Lu Zheng said calmly, "When it comes to fighting evil and upholding justice, I'm not some refined scholar. The blood on my hands is more than you can imagine..."

"However, by my previous standards, we haven't killed enough. But if we really wiped them all out, I'm afraid there wouldn't be anyone left to contribute to the reconstruction of this place..."

The rapid rise of Taiping Domain brought prosperity and stability, and many local demons and ghosts knew that it was due to Lu Zheng's management policies and bloody purges.

Many demons and ghosts only became obedient and law-abiding because they were intimidated by Lu Zheng's tough methods.

Of course, compared to those former leaders of power, Lu Zheng is truly reasonable and follows the rules.

As long as they don't make mistakes, aside from the fatigue of military service, many demons and ghosts actually live more peacefully than before.

In the past, if any of the high-ranking officials had a bad day, they wouldn't even know how they died.

And now, their superiors and powerful figures are just like them...

Everyone was doing labor reform together, so they didn't have to work themselves to the bone like before and still not necessarily get any credit.

This encourages many demons and ghosts to serve diligently and reform themselves, rather than risking their lives to escape or living in constant fear.

As for those who were eliminated, they were already deeply sinful individuals, and no one would sympathize with them.

“Sometimes, you have to do everything yourself and get along well with them. This makes it easier to spot problems and fix them before they escalate…”

Lu Zheng didn't hold back either, explaining how he managed to maintain stability in the Northern Region.

Upon hearing this, Wang Yanran and the others all gained a lot.

Although the members of the Shu royal family did not entirely agree with some of Lu Zheng's ideas, they couldn't help but admire his ability to manage these various demons and ghosts, and felt they could learn a great deal from him. The group traveled at a leisurely pace until they reached Baize City in the Baize District.

This is the northernmost part of Taiping Domain, where the weather is even colder, and the construction progress in various places is relatively slower.

However, when Lu Zheng arrived here, he found that this place was somewhat different from when he left.

Many teams are working hard to complete the planned tasks as soon as possible.

As one of the people in charge of this area, Xiao Yan is decisive and efficient, and she is unwilling to lag behind others.

Upon learning that Lu Zheng and the others had returned, Xiao Yan paused her official duties to meet them.

Upon seeing Lu Zheng, Xiao Yan asked, "You're back. How did your trip to Wei go?"

Lu Zheng smiled slightly and said, "It's a long story, but in short, everything is under control."

Lu Zheng paused, then continued, "By the way, Crown Prince Yuan Tao had a discussion with your Xiao clan patriarch. You don't need to worry about the Xiao family criticizing you. When you have some free time later, you can take your husband and children to Wei to visit relatives and relax..."

Xiao Yan's beautiful eyes lit up upon hearing this; it was the best news she had ever heard.

She was also worried that her choice would be looked down upon by the Xiao family, and that she would never be able to go back.

Xiao Yan was overjoyed and grateful, saying, "Thank you so much, Mr. Lu!"

She knew she held little weight in Yuan Tao's eyes, and Lu Zheng's help was undoubtedly a factor in that.

Suddenly, Xiao Yan paused, surprised, and said, "Your Highness Yuan Tao has become the Crown Prince?"

She thought she had just heard Lu Zheng use an extra title when addressing Yuan Tao.

Lu Zheng nodded and said, "I heard that he presented the true scriptures to Emperor Wei, and Emperor Wei then made him the crown prince."

Xiao Yan's mouth gaped slightly. Was it really that simple? But she quickly realized that things weren't as simple as Lu Zheng had described.

The crown prince is the heir apparent of the country. Even if the Wei emperor is very happy, it is not possible to choose the position of crown prince so simply.

Lu Zhengdao: "The Wei Kingdom intends to promote Mahayana Buddhism as the orthodox Buddhist tradition, and Crown Prince Yuan Tao will be fully responsible for this..."

"Oh, I see!"

Xiao Yan suddenly realized the key point.

Lu Zheng then introduced Yun Xiao and the others, "These are Taoist priests and members of the Shu royal family who have come from the Shu Kingdom... They will be staying here for a while, so please have someone make arrangements..."

Xiao Yan's heart stirred, thinking that the people who came here really came from all over the country, even the royal family of Shu Kingdom had come.

Xiao Yan felt that she wouldn't be surprised if figures from all over the world and all the major powers gathered together.

"Okay, I'll find someone to arrange it later."

Xiao Yan nodded in agreement, then asked, "Has Mr. Gongyang not returned?"

Lu Zhengdao said, "No, he has other plans and will not be in Taiping Domain for some time to come."

Upon hearing this, Xiao Yan did not press further, but instead said, "Two more people have come from the Jixia Academy. They mentioned they wanted to see you before, and they are currently waiting in the city. Some other talented individuals have also joined us; this is their information. And here are their reports from this period..."

Xiao Yan took out several documents and gave them to Lu Zheng and Qing Wan.

Lu Zhengdao: "Alright, after we've looked at these, I'll tell you in detail about the Wei Kingdom. Daoist, please feel free to do as you please..."

Yun Xiao and the others had followed them all the way and understood that Lu Zheng and the others had always prioritized their affairs, so they didn't bother them and left with Xiao Yan.

After reviewing the contents, Lu Zheng went to find the two people from Jixia Academy whose identities were unclear, based on the address on the document.

However, before he even reached his destination, Lu Zheng passed by a square and saw an old man chatting with someone. This old man was one of the people he was looking for.

The old man also keenly noticed Lu Zheng's gaze, turned his head to look at Lu Zheng, and his eyes narrowed slightly, gleaming.

Lu Zheng then turned and walked towards the square.

There were many men, women, and children in the square, with kids laughing and playing.

"Ah, it's Mr. Lu!"

"Mr. Lu, it's been a long time!"

……

Some people recognized Lu Zheng and greeted him warmly.

Lu Zheng responded to each question with a smile.

A child exclaimed excitedly, "Mr. Lu is busy doing things again!"

Everyone knows that Lu Zheng is a very busy person. When people see him, they will greet him, but they will not bother him unless there is nothing to do.

Lu Zheng smiled and said, "Yes, I just got back from outside, and I still have a lot to do."

Someone said, "Then we won't bother you any longer, sir. When will you give us a lecture after you're done with your work? We all want to hear Mr. Lu's lectures!"

Lu Zheng smiled and said, "Tomorrow, let's go to the big square in the city center at noon tomorrow, and I'll tell you a story."

"Okay, okay!"

Upon hearing this, a group of children jumped for joy, even more so than when they were playing earlier.

The adults were all smiles, ready to go there early the next morning to wait.

Lu Zheng approached the old man and asked, "Sir, are you from Jixia Academy?"

According to the information Lu Zheng had gathered, he had never seen the old man's face, so he did not yet know the man's identity.

The old man chuckled and said, "Indeed, is it convenient for us to have a talk?"

Lu Zhengdao said, "Alright, I'll take the old gentleman to a quiet place!"

Lu Zheng led the way, and the two arrived at a quiet snow forest, where they sat in a stone pavilion.

The old man looked at Lu Zheng and said slowly, "I have heard that you have issued a call to action to gather patriots from all over the world to establish a peaceful world here..."

"Throughout my journey, I have witnessed the elderly being cared for, children being nurtured, everyone living in peace and prosperity, and people of all ethnicities living in harmony. It is truly a time of peace and prosperity, and a rare sight indeed..."

The old man paused for a moment, then said, "However, there is one phenomenon that I really cannot understand."

Lu Zheng replied, "Please speak, sir."

The old man said slowly, "The people here, young and old, are all educated, and everyone enjoys reading. This is an unprecedented sight! However, I find that the Confucian and Taoist spirit is not flourishing here, which is truly perplexing." (End of Chapter)