Confucian and Taoist scholar

Lu Zheng greeted everyone, but instead of leaving to enter the city, he continued, "Since you all know me, you must also know about the Taiping Domain New Kingdom. Some of you may doubt whether such a peaceful land truly exists."

Lu Zheng looked at everyone and said solemnly, "I can tell you all here clearly, yes! The entire world will eventually move towards a peaceful and prosperous era..."

Lu Zheng waved his hand gently, and a surge of spiritual energy appeared around him.

An image formed by the convergence of spiritual energy appeared, revealing the scene of the new kingdom of Taiping Domain.

He knew that most ordinary people only had a superficial understanding of the new country, and many of the stories were hearsay, making it difficult to witness the truth.

Therefore, Lu Zheng specially recorded some images and showed them out.

The footage shows the unique characteristics of the new country and the living conditions of its various ethnic groups...

The incredibly realistic visuals presented a truly immersive experience for viewers.

Millions of people, both inside and outside the city, witnessed this scene.

Even more people gathered from various districts of Tai'an City.

Many people present longed for that peaceful land in the far north, and now that real scenes were being shown, they all stared wide-eyed, wanting to understand it more deeply.

Seeing the living conditions of people of all ethnic groups in the new country, and witnessing the scenes of prosperity, deeply moved the people living in the capital of this great nation.

Images can have a greater impact than words and speech.

An Taixuan and the other princes and ministers did not expect that Lu Zheng had prepared such a scene.

As the saying goes, there is no difference without comparison.

Seeing the scene unfold, An Taixuan couldn't help but touch his nose, feeling a little uncomfortable.

It felt like someone had come to slap me in the face.

They're both governing a country, but the difference is enormous...

An Taixuan thought to himself that showing this in front of so many people was making him lose face, but fortunately there was still room to salvage his dignity.

It turns out it was all true... Even many scions of noble families were astonished, feeling that they had never seen anything like it.

Especially the students from some universities, their eyes were filled with excitement, for peace and prosperity are what they pursue!

No one doubted that these scenes were illusions, after all, so many important figures in Anguo were watching.

The final segment of the video shows the scene of the saints appearing in the world when the Taiping Kingdom was founded.

Previously, the propaganda department of the new country did promote the founding of the nation and even sent out some magical artifacts to record the scene, but those things did not circulate widely among the various kingdoms and dynasties. Even many aristocratic families only heard about the information in a limited way.

After all, it's not something other dynasties could easily publicize.

They claim that the Taiping New Kingdom is the righteous path for humanity and the legitimate dynasty? Then what have they become?
It was only because the matter was so earth-shattering, and because some people were deliberately publicizing it, that it became impossible to cover it up and many people learned about it.

Now that this scene has been made public, the rumors have been completely confirmed.

Even those princes and ministers who had seen the scene before were secretly shocked when they watched it again.

More importantly, what was Lu Zheng's intention in doing this? This made them very uneasy.

The image, which lasted for an hour, slowly faded away.

The entire city of Tai'an fell silent, and countless people were still immersed in the images they had just watched, unable to come back to their senses for a long time.

Many people's eyes lit up with anticipation, and they longed for the new nation even more.

Unfortunately, the new kingdom is too far away; they live in the Anguo Dynasty, which is surrounded by several other major dynasties...

For countless ordinary people, the Taiping New Kingdom is a distant place they can never reach in their lifetime, and their lives consist only of the mundane struggles of the present.

Some people suddenly felt a void in their hearts, but when they saw that figure not far away, that young man, a glimmer of passion and hope rekindled in their hearts.

After a short while, everyone's attention gradually returned to normal.

Lu Zheng's melodious voice echoed, "A nation, what is a nation? The people are the foundation, the state comes second..."

"A country's development cannot be separated from its people. Just as a place can be self-reliant if it lacks landlords, a place can be starved to death in the fields if it lacks people."

Lu Zheng uttered a startling statement: "Rulers and their subjects are supported by the people and eat the people's food; therefore, they should fulfill their duties. The people's support is never a given; those who receive the people's benefits but do not contribute are nothing but robbers!"

"For a country to enjoy lasting peace and stability, it should not have bandits or parasites who do not engage in production and only know how to enjoy themselves. Such people are the root cause of a country's decay..."

"In my eyes, there seem to be some people like that."

Lu Zheng calmly surveyed the crowd.

Some people felt a strange flutter in their hearts when they looked into Lu Zheng's eyes.

For a moment, the atmosphere became somewhat heavy.

Many princes and ministers were terrified, unable to imagine what else Lu Zheng would dare to say.

They were trying to figure out who could shut Lu Zheng up, but An Taixuan remained unmoved even though he was present.

Lu Zheng looked at the towering walls of Tai'an City and said slowly, "How much blood and sweat of the people was shed on such a high wall? How many people have worked hard to build those fields outside the city and to build every brick and tile inside the city, allowing this prosperous Tai'an City to exist here for so long?"

"No one is born noble and entitled to enjoy wealth and honor, nor is anyone born to be a slave and suffer endless misery."

Lu Zheng's words were a wake-up call: "In this world, the most respectable people are not saints or emperors, but the vast majority of ordinary people who have paid countless wages and sweat."

These words struck like a thunderbolt in the hearts of millions.

Some were shocked, some were terrified, and some didn't understand...

How could such words be uttered? Many powerful and influential people were so shocked that they couldn't close their mouths.

There were indeed Saint Realm experts present, as well as an emperor of a country.

Many scholars had varying expressions; they would never have thought of such words in their entire lives, let alone spoken them so frankly.

This is the difference in their level of thinking.

Lu Zheng looked calmly at An Taixuan on the city wall.

"Your Majesty, please set things right, follow the ways of the sages, establish a future for the people, and usher in an era of peace and prosperity!"

An Taixuan narrowed his eyes upon hearing this, thinking to himself that it was finally his turn to make his appearance.

He was worried that Lu Zheng might continue saying something, and his heart couldn't take it...

An Taixuan couldn't help but take two steps forward so that the people gathered below could spot him.

An Taixuan said loudly, "Mr. Lu is extremely benevolent and virtuous; I should diligently learn from him..."

"I, An Taixuan, am the ruler of this country, and I am supported by hundreds of millions of people. I must fulfill my duties and responsibilities and live up to the expectations of the nation and its people! Issue this decree!"

An Taixuan's voice was like thunder, resounding throughout Tai'an City.

An official standing next to An Taixuan quickly stepped forward, unfolded the heavy imperial edict, and read its contents aloud.

The imperial edict was straightforward, calling for reforms and changes to strengthen the country.

Each policy was read aloud in a concise and clear manner in public.

A series of policies for governing the country were all aimed at addressing the existing shortcomings of Anguo.

As the princes, ministers, and powerful families listened, they began to sense something was amiss, as if they were being targeted.

Some people's expressions changed slightly; it seemed more like they were being targeted than suspected...

Some of these policies were specifically designed for powerful families, and the imperial court was going to make them bleed money!

The country is undergoing reforms and still needs to carry out construction, yet it doesn't exploit the people; instead, it implements benevolent governance. It's obvious where all this enormous expenditure comes from.

Many powerful figures thought that Lu Zheng was saying so many shocking things to challenge the imperial authority.

As a result, they were the ones who got hurt... Moreover, many contents of the edict were not discussed with them beforehand, which meant it was prepared in advance.

Some people suddenly felt a tightness in their chest and couldn't even vent their anger.

Lu Zheng pleaded for the people, and the emperor issued an edict, all in front of so many people.

Some people want to stop it but there's nothing they can do.

Who would dare to stand up and say there's anything wrong with this? They'd need to have incredible courage.

After the imperial edict was read aloud, many people were excited, feeling that their good days were just around the corner.

"Long live your Majesty!"

"Long live your Majesty!"

……

The crowd shouted in unison, like a mountain roaring and a tsunami crashing down.

An Taixuan smiled. As expected, Lu Zheng's words made sense. As long as you keep the people in your heart, they will naturally support you.

If we want our country to prosper, we must think more about the well-being of our people.

"Long live Mr. Lu!"

It's unclear who started it, but many people followed suit and changed their tune, quickly drowning out the previous shouts.

"Long live Mr. Lu!"

The crowd of people shouted even more excitedly.

The princes and ministers who had been shouting "Long live the Emperor!" were immediately silenced, each with a different expression.

An Jing, who was standing next to An Taixuan, was also startled.

An Taixuan remained expressionless, making it impossible to discern his thoughts.

Lu Zheng remained calm despite hearing everyone's excited shouts.

He slowly raised his hand, his voice soft yet incredibly penetrating.

Long live the people!

This sound seemed to carry a strange power, drowning out everyone else's shouts.

The sound lingered, echoing throughout the land.

A shimmering light swirled above Tai'an City, and the faint shadow of the sun appeared and disappeared.

A gentle light shines upon the world, its warmth reaching the very heart.

Xu Shou looked at An Taixuan beside him and said in a low voice, "Your Majesty, it is the unity of the people that has brought good fortune to An Kingdom. This is truly a cause for celebration..."

An Taixuan nodded slightly, his expression unchanged.

After a while, An Taixuan sighed softly, "People can't live forever, but their thoughts can. The ancient sages were no different."

An Jing spoke softly, "Father, should I send someone to investigate who is behind this..."

An Taixuan waved his hand and smiled, saying, "Whether someone has good intentions or bad intentions, he deserves it, there's no need for that."

An Taixuan looked down and saw that Lu Zheng had finally entered the city.

A group of soldiers walked through the crowd and followed on either side of Lu Zheng to maintain order.

The crowd spontaneously made way for them.

Lu Zheng did not go to see An Taixuan and the others, but went straight into the interior of the capital.

Seeing this, the nearby residents eagerly followed, wanting to see Lu Zheng a little longer.

Before long, the crowd gathered outside the city thinned out, and they all followed Lu Zheng away.

Some ministers kept their eyes down, thinking to themselves that if it were someone else, they would have found a way to impeach them and suppress them.

It's a pity, this person is not someone to be trifled with; even His Majesty can only watch helplessly.

Lu Zheng arrived at a spacious square and sat down directly in the center.

Faced with the throng of people gathering around them, the soldiers stood in their respective places, leaving a space for Lu Zheng.

Lu Zheng slowly said, "I'll be staying here for a while. If you want to see me, you can come anytime. There's no need for such a crowd, and for everyone to delay their business just to catch a glimpse of me..."

Everyone was puzzled as to why Lu Zheng was sitting there.

Seeing Lu Zheng's amiable demeanor, one woman even boldly invited him to her residence, which drew laughter from those around her.

Lu Zheng smiled and said, "I am here. If you have a grievance, you can come and seek justice; if you have any doubts, you can come and discuss them with me; those who have nothing to do are also welcome to come and watch, but I hope everyone will maintain order..."

Lu Zheng's voice carried in all directions.

The princes and ministers who came down from the city wall all heard these words.

Some people were so scared they almost twisted their ankles on flat ground.

Officials from various departments in charge of the judiciary were startled; they were all sweating profusely and their legs were almost unsteady.

Tai'an City is so big, with so many people, who knows what kind of wrongful convictions or miscarriages of justice might occur!

No one can guarantee that there will be absolutely no mistakes.

Some things can't withstand scrutiny!
Some people suddenly felt dizzy and cold all over, and their minds went blank.

Especially some powerful and wealthy people, if it weren't in public, they would have lost their composure long ago.

An Taixuan raised an eyebrow. Lu Zheng hadn't told him about the plans after arriving in Tai'an City.

These events were truly unexpected for him.

An Taixuan looked into the distance and said leisurely, "If the people have grievances, I'm afraid he alone cannot handle them. Minister Li and Imperial Censor Chen, you two should assign some people to go and assist Mr. Lu."

The two officials from the Ministry of Justice and the Censorate quickly agreed and left with slightly nervous steps.

Some members of prominent families also hurried home, their expressions grim, like frightened birds.

Someone advised, "Your Majesty, it might be inappropriate to have him preside over the trial in public! If too many people are truly wronged, it will damage the court's reputation, cause unrest among the people, and also affect Anguo's name..."

An Taixuan glanced at him and said, "You think there's a high possibility that there are many injustices?"

"Uh……"

The official who was speaking paused, realizing that such a thing should not even be considered.

Otherwise, wouldn't that imply that some officials are not only failing in their duties but also bending the law for personal gain...?

"I meant in case..."

The official quickly added, "Besides, why should someone like Mr. Lu... Mr. Lu handle such a trivial matter? It's a waste of his talents. Matters of national policy are more in need of his involvement."

To say it's a waste of talent is an understatement. He has the ability to summon gods and saints, yet he still wants to seek justice for some ordinary people. He's more saintly than a saint himself!
An Taixuan said calmly, "He once said that there are no small matters concerning the people. If you feel there is anything wrong, you can go and talk to him."

Upon hearing this, the official immediately shut his mouth. As for telling him to go find Lu Zheng, well, forget it...

An Taixuan then addressed the officials who had followed him, saying, "Everyone must be tired today. Go back and get some rest. Tomorrow's court meeting will determine and implement the new national policy..."

The officials took their leave one after another, each with a solemn expression.

A good rest? They probably haven't had a moment's peace lately. (End of Chapter)