Confucian and Taoist scholar

When many people came to Taiping Domain to verify the existence of Yuan Si, the latest issue of the Thought Journal had already been published.

When people from various countries and regions saw the article bearing Yuan Si's signature, it caused quite a stir.

After all, even an emperor publicly acknowledged and praised certain aspects of the Taiping Domain, which was enough to shock the world.

After reading the journal, Yuan Tao couldn't help but admire his father. He never expected that his father's thinking would change so quickly after he went to Taiping Domain. It was truly unexpected.

Even some of the figures who previously criticized Taipingyu are now at a loss for words.

In the past, some people criticized Taipingyu in order to protect the privileged class and uphold the supreme authority of the emperor and the sacred way.

Now that an emperor agrees with some of the ideas of the Taiping Domain, what can they say?
We can't just criticize Yuan Si as well, can we?

The other party was, after all, the deposed emperor of the Wei dynasty. During his reign, he was popular with the people because of some of his decrees, and was even called a wise ruler by many famous figures from other states.

It would be somewhat ironic to criticize Yuan Si now.

It felt like we were ready to fight to the death, but Your Majesty surrendered first.

As a result, some of the voices that had previously spoken out against Taiping Domain have chosen to remain silent.

Not only were the princes and ministers who defended the powerful bewildered, but the emperors of various countries were also astonished.

Some even suspect that Yuan Si has truly entered the Buddhist path, forgotten his former identity, and wants to become a living bodhisattva who saves all sentient beings.

While various stories about the Taiping Domain were spreading like wildfire throughout the land, the Taiping Domain continued to develop steadily and rapidly.

Time slips away quietly, and several years have passed in the blink of an eye.

In the state of Wei, Yuan Tao had secured his position as emperor, and with the support of Buddhist sects and powerful nobles within the country, many of his decrees were successfully implemented.

The war between the Shu Kingdom and the Chu Kingdom has reached a stalemate.

The Taoist sects of Shu ultimately failed to complete a true scripture as required by the Shu emperor, and their privileges and benefits were significantly reduced.

The resources saved were used for the Shu army, which was engaged in war.

Based on the principle of prioritizing national affairs, all the major sects had no choice but to reluctantly accept it.

The states that established their governments on Confucianism and Taoism were also reforming their national affairs, and the powerful families that relied on Confucianism and Taoism were affected to varying degrees.

In the Taiping Domain, apart from the major demon kingdoms, all other forces have been incorporated into it.

Now the entire northern region has changed its name because of this, and everyone is used to calling it Taiping.

Inside Yongding City, Yuan Si stood atop a high mountain, surrounded by a prosperous landscape.

Yuan Si slowly began, "I've spent most of my life in Luoyang, and I haven't seen much change in it..."

But once you arrive in Yongding City, this area changes its appearance every now and then due to rapid development.

It's not just the Yongding area; other areas in the Taiping region have also undergone significant changes.

Yuan Si always felt a sense of unfamiliarity and novelty when he returned to a new place.

Standing to the side, Lu Zheng said softly, "This is the power of the collective. As long as everyone works together, the world can undergo earth-shattering changes. The old era is about to pass, and this world is young..."

Yuan Si said quietly, "This world is very big, not just here."

Lu Zheng smiled and said, "Everything is difficult at the beginning. It's not easy to go from nothing to something, but once you have it, it becomes simple."

At this moment, Qing Wan gracefully approached Lu Zheng, her eyes showing a hint of excitement, and said, "Everyone who could come has arrived, we can start the meeting now."

Lu Zheng nodded and gestured to Yuan Si.

The three of them then descended the mountain and arrived at a spacious square.

The square was already filled with people, including representatives from various districts of the Taiping Domain, trainees from other dynasties, and other individuals.

These people have all made many contributions to the Taiping Domain and hold important positions. They were summoned to this meeting.

This was the first time that Taiping Domain had gathered so many people to discuss matters, and no one knew what the matter was about.

Yuan Si casually found a seat and sat down, subtly observing the others.

The attendees were a diverse group, including humans, demons, and ghosts, as well as ordinary people and highly skilled practitioners of various kinds—a true gathering of heroes.

Seeing that everyone had arrived, Lu Zheng slowly began to speak: "I have gathered everyone here today to discuss an extremely important matter, one that concerns the future of the Taiping Domain and even the entire world..."

Upon hearing this, everyone looked at Lu Zheng, curious about what important matter it was.

Lu Zheng spoke calmly and unhurriedly: "I plan to establish a nation in the Taiping Domain, a country without privileged classes, where the people are the foundation of the state. This will prove to the world that a nation can exist without a monarch..."

"Whether you are regional representatives or seasoned veterans from other forces, you have all made significant contributions to the Taiping Domain. From now on, you will be not only witnesses but also creators..."

"All of you present here will be remembered for this, leaving a significant mark on the world and being etched in the memories of posterity..."

Upon hearing these words, everyone reacted with varying expressions and attitudes.

Yuan Si couldn't help but frown, thinking that Lu Zheng's ideas were really grand, actually thinking of establishing a country.

With a wave of her hand, Qingwan presented thick documents to everyone.

Qingwan began, "This is the process for establishing the nation, as well as some subsequent rules and regulations. Everyone can take a look first, and if there are any problems, you can raise them for discussion and resolution..."

Seeing this, the group did not immediately discuss the matter, but instead opened the documents and began to read them carefully.

Yuan Si looked at the contents of the document, and a strange look appeared in his eyes.

The Taiping Domain will adopt "New" as its national name, signifying a change of dynasty and the beginning of a new era.

Furthermore, it emphasizes putting people first, ensuring the unity of all ethnic groups, and governing the country according to law.

The way the country was governed afterward was not much different from the present. Taiping Domain used each region as a management unit and selected some representatives to govern together.

The elected representatives are replaced every so often, and new personnel are selected through an election and evaluation process.

Yuan Si even found his own name among the first batch of proposed ruling representatives.

He searched again and found Lu Zheng among a bunch of names.

Lu Zheng's position was not special; he was a law enforcement and security officer in the region.

Yuan Si felt conflicted. Given Lu Zheng's influence and status in the Taiping Domain, even if he declared himself emperor or established a separate leadership position, he could still gain the support of hundreds of millions of people. However, Lu Zheng did not do that.

Yuan Si thought about it and realized that if Lu Zheng did that, he wouldn't be Lu Zheng anymore.

After a moment, someone couldn't help but raise their hand.

Lu Zheng looked at the person who had raised their hand and nodded to signal them to speak.

"Um, I'm from the Daoist sect of Shu, and I'll be going back there someday. Can I still act as a representative?"

The young man who spoke was a member of a major Daoist sect in the Shu Kingdom; he never expected to be on the list.

Many people couldn't help but look at Lu Zheng. Many of them had only come to gain experience, never expecting that they would become important members in establishing a nation.

Lu Zheng smiled and said, "This proposed list of representatives is the result of my careful consideration. Many of them are only temporarily serving in the Taiping Region, but they have made outstanding contributions and are naturally qualified. Moreover, the term of office for regional representatives is limited; we will not force you to remain in office indefinitely..."

Lu Zheng selected members of various factions as representatives, which was also a way to win over those factions.

This demonstrates that the establishment of the new nation was the result of everyone's efforts and participation.

"Of course, the list is only preliminary and we still need to solicit everyone's opinions. If anyone is unwilling to serve as a representative, they can raise their concerns."

Lu Zheng paused for a moment, then added, "If anyone is undecided or worried about their elders or influence, they can write to inform us later."

"The establishment of our new nation will be announced to the world in advance, and during this period, everything can be negotiated..."

Upon hearing this, no one immediately stepped forward to resign from their post.

After all, as Lu Zheng said, this could truly be an opportunity to make a name for oneself in history, and no one present dared to say they didn't care about their reputation.

If the forces behind them don't object, they'd naturally be happy to act as such representatives.

Someone couldn't help but say, "Isn't it a bit too hasty to establish a country like this? Compared to a real country, we seem to be lacking in many aspects."

Compared to those great dynasties, the Taiping Domain lacks a strong foundation and a powerful military force.

None of the dynasties and powers in the world might necessarily recognize such a country.

Upon hearing this, Lu Zheng said, "Whether or not we can be recognized as a true nation is not the most important thing. What's important is taking this step and proving something to them..."

"This will be a great attempt in the history of all races. It all depends on whether everyone has the courage to participate in creating this new world..."

Most of the attendees at the meeting were young people, full of enthusiasm.

Those who can sit here are not ordinary people; they originally shared many of the ideas of the Taiping Domain.

Among them are many pure idealists.

Therefore, no one objected to this matter; on the contrary, everyone actively participated in the discussion and determined more detailed regulations.

Yuan Si watched this unfold and couldn't help but marvel at how Lu Zheng was able to gather so many people from all walks of life to build a country unlike any other in the past; it was truly an unprecedented feat.

After a heated discussion, Lu Zheng paused the meeting, giving everyone time to prepare some things.

Representatives from all sides tried to inform their respective factions and sent out the revised founding documents from the previous meeting.

The major demon kingdoms in the north were the first to receive the news, and they were all somewhat surprised.

But after some thought, I realized it was reasonable and an inevitable trend.

Upon learning of this, Feng Xin couldn't help but exclaim, "I never imagined that someone on our side could actually unite all the tribes to form a single nation. This has never happened in a thousand years!"

A clansman nearby said, "If they really establish a kingdom, its territory will be comparable to those of the great dynasties."

Feng Xin thought that the territory was quite large, but its foundation seemed to be lacking.

If the Taiping Domain were to fight those dynasties, it would definitely not have the upper hand.

But thinking about it, it seems unlikely that a fight will break out.

Feng Xin said in a low voice, "Have someone keep an eye on the reactions of the major dynasties. If no one objects, let's send a generous gift to celebrate."

Interestingly, some members of the Phoenix Clan also became representatives.

But before those dynasties made a statement, Feng Xin made no choice.

Soon, Yuan Tao in Luoyang also received the news.

Yuan Tao flipped through the documents, his expression slightly surprised, and said, "Mr. Lu actually wants to establish a country. Can a country established in this way really last?"

Yuan Tao was overwhelmed with mixed feelings when he discovered that his father, the emperor, was on the list.

In addition, several members of the Yuan clan were also included.

He was quite familiar with one of them; he was a grandson of Yuan Zhong, who was said to have exceptional talent and was doing very well in the Taiping Domain.

"New Nation, New Nation, Mr. Lu is about to accomplish another unprecedented feat..."

Yuan Tao was filled with emotion. "Have the Ministry of Rites prepare some congratulatory gifts and send them over first. I don't know when the country will be established. I will personally go to witness the ceremony when it is."

Yuan Tao felt it was necessary for him to go and witness it.

Other countries' courts also received the news one after another.

Different countries have reacted differently to this.

Some people think this is nonsense. How can a country last without a monarchy and without strong local governance?

A country without a strong army is not a threat even if it is established.

They simply didn't have the ability to compete with those powerful dynasties for the world.

Moreover, allowing so many powerful figures to govern will only lead to chaos in the country.

For various reasons, many people did not take it seriously.

There wasn't even anyone with any power opposing them to act as a representative, and they felt that getting involved wasn't a bad thing.

Anguo, Tai'an City.

An Jing was quite surprised upon receiving the news and went directly to the palace to find An Taixuan.

"Father, what about the Taiping Domain..."

An Taixuan held a stack of intelligence reports and said leisurely, "I already know. Heh, that kid Lu Zheng is really capable. In just a few years, he has actually managed to establish a country in a place like that."

"However, he is very selfless. He has done so much, but he only took such a small position for himself. He has arranged many positions for people from our Anguo!"

When An Taixuan saw that Lu Zheng was just an ordinary representative from a region in Taiping Domain, he admired Lu Zheng's attitude of not seeking fame or fortune.

If it were someone else, they might be given a unique position so that they can be remembered for generations to come.

However, Lu Zheng did not do that; instead, he shared the credit with many people.

An Taixuan paused, then continued, "I heard that the Wei Kingdom supports him. However, some dynasties seem indifferent, thinking it's no big deal..."

An Taixuan's eyes flickered; he was well aware of Lu Zheng's abilities.

The other side couldn't just casually shout a slogan and symbolically establish a country; there must have been thorough preparation behind it.

An Taixuan looked at An Jing and said, "I support him, and I want to see what he can achieve, to see how much peace he can bring to the world by carrying on the legacy of his predecessors..."

"Send a message over there and tell the people there to fully cooperate with Lu Zheng. Since some of them have been elected as representatives, they shouldn't embarrass our Anguo. If they do well, it will be their chance to make a name for themselves in the future."

"Have someone find out when the country will be established, and whether there will be any ceremony. I'll go and take a look; I can't miss it." (End of Chapter)