Confucian and Taoist scholar

Outside Yongding City, on a wide sidewalk, An Taixuan and his entourage strolled and enjoyed the scenery along the way.

Looking at the joyful people coming and going in the bustling streets, An Taixuan was filled with many emotions.

"The Taiping Region is developing better and better, even more prosperous than when I first saw it..."

An Taixuan stood with his hands behind his back and sighed softly, "If Anguo had half the size of this place, it could be called a golden age."

Unfortunately, Anguo faces too many obstacles and will need a long time to develop into a country like Taiping Domain.

Even ensuring that people have enough to eat and wear is a very difficult task nowadays.

Back then, when people heard that Lu Zheng was going to establish a peaceful world in the Northern Region, many thought that Lu Zheng was just joking.

As a result of all the commotion, Lu Zheng actually accomplished something unprecedented.

Now, we must lead a vast population to establish a nation, a nation unlike any we've ever seen before.

An Taixuan said softly, "If I had brought him back to Tai'an back then and fully supported his reforms to strengthen the country, wouldn't Anguo be a different place now?"

Upon hearing this, An Jing thought for a moment and said, "Back then, even with the Emperor's support, he probably wouldn't have been able to overcome those obstacles..."

An Taixuan said, "That makes sense. Whether in the imperial court or in local areas, there are too many conservatives who are unwilling to give up their own interests."

Over the years, An Taixuan has learned a lot of new ideas and concepts through the Taiping Domain, and he is also very clear about the problems and drawbacks of Anguo.

But while the problem is clear, truly solving it and eliminating its drawbacks is extremely difficult.

To put it bluntly, the last emperors of dynasties throughout history were generally aware of the problems plaguing their countries, but they were powerless to reverse the situation, ultimately leading to the downfall of their nations.

An Taixuan felt that he had not yet reached the point of being a ruler who would bring about the downfall of his country, but seeing the Taiping Domain developing so prosperously and powerfully, while the An Kingdom was repeating the mistakes of the past dynasties and going downhill, how could he keep his heart at peace?
Looking at the towering city so close before him, An Taixuan said leisurely, "Actually, he didn't even need to establish a country; he had already proven a truth to the world. That is, the teachings of the sages are all correct. As long as we follow them, how can the world not be at peace? It's just that some people use the words of the sages as tools to obtain and protect their own interests."

"Royal families of dynasties, families of sages, powerful local clans... it's all the same!"

Even as the emperor of a country, An Taixuan had to acknowledge this reality.

After touring outside the city for a while, An Taixuan led his men into the city.

They had originally planned to come discreetly, but they heard that Yuan Tao of Wei had led his princes and ministers to arrive in a grand manner, and that the royal families of other countries had also sent representatives to varying degrees.

Demon saints and reigning kings from several nearby demon kingdoms also came to celebrate and attend the ceremony.

An Taixuan simply revealed his identity and swaggered into the city.

This gathering of three emperors in Yongding City was an extremely rare sight.

An Taixuan and the others quickly found Lu Zheng.

Lu Zheng bowed and greeted him, "I didn't expect His Majesty to come in person..."

An Taixuan walked up to Lu Zheng and said with a smile, "You're about to establish a kingdom here, how could I not come and see? You've made such a big fuss, it brings honor to our An Kingdom! You're truly young and promising, so very promising!"

An Taixuan raised his hand and patted Lu Zheng on the shoulder, his eyes filled with admiration.

An Taixuan slightly turned his head and gestured to an old man who had followed him.

The old man stepped forward, and with a flick of his sleeve, a large cauldron, ten feet square, appeared before everyone.

The large cauldron shone brightly, exuding a profound and mysterious aura.

An Taixuan smiled and said, "Establishing a nation is a major event, and some rules must be observed. I will give you this cauldron, which can be used as a ritual vessel for the grand ceremony of worshipping Heaven and Earth..."

This precious cauldron, which reached the Xuan grade, was selected by An Taixuan from the national treasury.

Normally, only those who are granted the title of king are qualified to enjoy such a magnificent weapon.

Bringing such a generous gift at this time shows how much An Taixuan values ​​Lu Zheng.

An Taixuan did not allow Lu Zheng to refuse. He had Qingwan, who was with Lu Zheng, put away the cauldron and then put her arm around Lu Zheng's shoulder to the side.

"Come on, come on, I have something to talk to you about in private."

Once they were out of the way of the others, An Taixuan stopped and said, "Once this place is established as a nation, there shouldn't be much for you to worry about, right?"

Lu Zhengdao: "It's hard to say..."

An Taixuan's eyes flickered slightly, and he said, "I'm just hoping you'll go back and help me properly deal with Anguo."

Lu Zheng smiled and said, "Isn't Your Majesty afraid that I'll cause chaos in Anguo after I return?"

An Taixuan smiled, his eyes crinkling. "You certainly have that kind of ability now. But let them do whatever they want. As long as you can make Anguo prosperous and strong, I'll let them do whatever they want. Back home, many people are looking forward to your return, especially some ordinary citizens..."

In Anguo, the people have a strong desire for Lu Zheng to return and govern the region, hoping he will improve their lives.

Over the years, Lu Zheng has done a lot of work to support the local people of Anguo.

People were encouraged to use trade and other channels to provide various supplies to the people of Anguo at low prices or even free of charge.

Although those supplies seemed like a drop in the ocean compared to the entire An Kingdom, they still helped many people.

Besides Anguo, if any major disasters or calamities occur in other countries and people suffer hardship, relief personnel from Taiping Domain will also be dispatched.

Lu Zheng is truly leading people to do something for the benefit of all people.

Upon hearing An Taixuan's words, Lu Zheng said, "That day will come."

……

Time flew by, and many people, as well as representatives from other places, had gathered in and around Yongding City to watch the ceremony.

The number of people is so large that it amounts to tens of millions.

With the current convenient transportation in Taiping, it wouldn't be a problem for ordinary people from other areas to come over.

However, in order to prevent the large number of people coming to Yongding City from affecting order, restrictions were placed on other areas of Taiping Domain, and viewing activities were arranged in advance.

When the visiting delegation, including Ahn Tae-hyun, saw the huge crowds, they were all amazed by the enthusiasm of the local transvestites and ghosts.

That kind of enthusiastic atmosphere can't be faked; it seems everyone here was looking forward to this day.

This is probably the will of the people.

In the heart of Yongding City, on a newly built high platform, Lu Zheng led a group of representatives onto the stage and began an exciting speech.

At the same time, people in other districts who were far away also witnessed this scene through the formation.

The establishment of the new nation had already spread throughout the world, and the people of many dynasties and regions knew about it.

At the beginning of the new year, many people celebrated the new year, while others prayed for blessings for the new dynasty far to the north...

After the representatives from each district delivered their speeches, Lu Zheng was left alone on the high platform, preparing for the ceremony of worshipping heaven and earth.

Lu Zheng looked up at the sky, his voice booming like a great bell, resounding throughout the heavens and earth.

"From this day forth, a new dynasty is established, with all races united under a democratic and autonomous system... Heaven and Earth, the sun and moon bear witness..."

An invisible divine might swept across the heavens and earth.

In all regions of Taiping, the beliefs of hundreds of millions of people converged and moved toward Yongding City.

In the darkness, faith from beyond the Pacific also surged forth.

The people below, especially those with profound cultivation, all sensed a special aura of heaven and earth forming and beginning to envelop this area.

Lu Zheng's body radiated light, and his powerful aura spread across the heavens.

One by one, artifacts imbued with the righteous energy of heaven and earth flew out from Lu Zheng's body and circled around him.

Lu Zheng held the Taiping Code in his hand, his voice still loud and clear.

"I beseech all sages to forge the vessel and attain the Dao! To establish the heart of Heaven and Earth! To establish the destiny of the people! To usher in an era of peace for all generations!" Upon hearing these words, the heavens and earth changed color.

The once clear and cloudless sky burst forth with seven-colored radiance, and an incomparably sacred aura gradually emerged.

"This is……"

Someone's expression suddenly changed, and they stood up in shock, staring wide-eyed at the sky.

High in the sky, the phantom of a majestic palace appeared.

Outside the palace, hazy figures slowly took shape.

Those figures all exuded a powerful aura, a pure power of the Great Dao.

"Confucian sages..."

Some Confucian and Taoist scholars were deeply moved when they saw what was happening in the sky.

What appears in the heavens are clearly Confucian sages, a concrete manifestation of the origins of Confucianism and Taoism.

An Taixuan stood up, speechless with shock.

The ancient Confucian sages and worthies who once passed away have now manifested themselves here; the significance of this is extraordinary.

Representatives from various districts in Taiping Domain were also quite surprised by this scene.

Because they were also unaware that such a scene would occur.

The two great Confucian scholars, Gongyang Ming and Zhang Wencheng, were stunned and somewhat incredulous.

However, the celestial phenomena were not yet over.

The gentle sounds of Buddhist chants echoed between heaven and earth, making people feel as if they were bathed in a spring breeze.

In another part of the sky, golden light shone brightly, and tall, illusory figures appeared, which were none other than Buddhas and Bodhisattvas.

The Buddha's kind face appeared clearly in everyone's eyes.

"My Buddha is compassionate..."

The Buddha, with one hand forming a mudra, looked down upon all beings with a smile.

The group of eminent Buddhist monks who had come with Yuan Tao to witness the ceremony were so shocked by what they saw that they were speechless.

One by one, they lowered their heads and bowed to the Buddhas and Bodhisattvas.

No one expected that Lu Zhengli's national sacrifice to Heaven would bring about such a strange phenomenon, with even Confucian sages and Buddhas and Bodhisattvas appearing.

Among the crowd, Yun Xiao looked shocked, his eyes fixed on the other side of the sky.

He had already sensed another kind of Dao aura.

Several more figures appeared in the sky.

"He is a Taoist sage!"

Some people who saw those figures were so excited that their voices trembled.

"Snapped!"

Yun Xiao slapped himself hard, staring blankly upwards, "This isn't a dream..."

In another part of the world, towering phantoms gradually took shape.

However, those phantoms appeared even more hazy and blurry, making them difficult to see clearly.

But it also exudes an even more ancient aura.

Some powerful individuals sensed this aura and learned its origin: the ancient divine source.

Those are the ancient divine thoughts that remain in the world, including many ancient ancestors of humans, demons, and monsters.

The demon saints from the demon kingdom who came to witness the ceremony couldn't help but feel awe towards the few illusory figures in the scene.

Even if those phantoms are not their true ancestors, they are still ancient symbols of their clan, and should be treated with the same respect as ancestral tablets.

Yuan Si looked at the strange phenomena of saints and sages in the sky, his eyes flashing with astonishment.

Even when all the dynasties in the world were founded, no other country had such exaggerated phenomena that could attract the attention of sages and all the Daoist masters...

The figures from all sides were speechless with shock, their hearts filled with turmoil.

And these strange phenomena are not over yet...

At the center of the path of the four saints, there was another ripple at a higher altitude.

A dazzling light suddenly burst forth, as if another sun had appeared between heaven and earth.

Everyone squinted and could vaguely see a figure as dazzling as the sun.

Behind that figure, countless other figures appeared, densely packed and seemingly endless...

Those countless figures are the people of the world...

Lu Zheng looked up at the sky, his expression calm and serene.

All the thoughts of the sages, the ancients, and countless people turned to Lu Zheng. Then the illusory figure dissipated and transformed into strands of the great power of heaven and earth, surging towards Lu Zheng, the Taiping Code, and those artifacts.

With the support of the hundreds of millions of people united by the founding of the nation, and with the help of Heaven, Earth, and the Great Dao of the Sages, an incomparably vast aura of the Great Dao instantly spread out.

Everyone present sensed that something had changed in this world.

Those powerful cultivators are the most sensitive, even feeling as if they have an additional shackle on their bodies, which restricts them to some extent.

"Law... is the principle of law!"

One of the powerful figures hardened his expression and spoke in a deep voice.

He clearly sensed that it was the Legalist Way, and he never expected that Lu Zheng could actually persuade the sages to forge this Way, so that even powerful beings as powerful as the Saint Realm could be affected by this Way.

Many people couldn't help but show strange expressions. They had long heard that Lu Zheng advocated democracy and the rule of law, but they did not expect that Lu Zheng would actually use the opportunity of establishing the country to create a real law.

Those Confucian and Taoist scholars, in particular, had extremely complex feelings.

The Confucian sages have passed away, and the fortunes of Confucianism and Taoism have suffered a great loss. As a result, today the sages have emerged and spared no expense in sacrificing Confucianism and Taoism to help Lu Zheng forge another path.

What's going on here? Have the Confucian sages become utterly disillusioned with their disciples and personally intervened to restrict those practicing Confucianism and Taoism?

Of course, Buddhists and Taoists were also quite confused.

They racked their brains but couldn't figure out why Lu Zheng would invite ancient sages like Buddha and Taoism...

What just happened has truly shattered the mindset and beliefs of many people.

In the shadows, Yun Fuyao witnessed this scene, her feelings complex and difficult to comprehend. The great principles of law that Lu Zheng had hoped for had been achieved, and could even influence the entire world.

The establishment of the Taiping Domain did not benefit other forces; on the contrary, it led to the formation of the Dao, which implicated everyone.

In doing so, Lu Zheng offended many powerful forces.

Moreover, by bringing some issues and problems to the forefront, the pressure they will face in the future will be considerable.

Qingwan's eyes sparkled. She was completely on Lu Zheng's side and wouldn't care about anything else. At worst, she would fight all the forces in the world.

Seeing that the Great Dao was complete, Qingwan excitedly shouted out.

"A new dynasty has been established, fulfilling the hopes of the people and the aspirations of all sages! The righteous path of humanity and the legitimate rule of the world lie here!" (End of Chapter)