Confucian and Taoist scholar

An Jing followed An Taixuan back to the palace, preparing to help handle some official business related to national policies.

Seeing that An Taixuan's expression was not good, she couldn't help but ask, "What is Father worried about?"

Upon hearing this, An Taixuan smiled and said, "I have many worries, but right now I'm just feeling a bit sentimental."

An Taixuan paused for a moment, then slowly said, "Since the beginning of time, countless years have passed, and countless races have risen and fallen. Our human race has been able to rise from humble beginnings and prosper for generations because of the sages and heroes who have paved the way and guided the world... He was such a person, wanting to lead the people of the world into a new era."

An Taixuan suddenly stopped and looked at the magnificent palace before him.

"Human lifespan is short. Throughout history, countless people have desired, sought, and cultivated immortality, yet none have achieved it..."

"Long live immortality, which is an illusion and also a kind of expectation and praise. Some people call for the saints to live forever, and the emperor to live forever, but no one thinks that ordinary people can also live forever."

An Taixuan's eyes flashed with a hint of cunning, and he said in a deep voice, "He does think that way, and he dares to say that."

An Jing remained silent; she was also quite surprised that Lu Zheng had said that.

Those words alone will be etched in the hearts of generations to come.

An Taixuan smiled and said, "In Anguo, no one loves the people more than him."

An Taixuan felt that he himself would find it difficult to reach the level of Lu Zheng.

An Taixuan said softly, "So, as long as he's alright, An Kingdom will get better and better, and it won't be so easy for the country to perish... Perhaps one day, even if the An royal family is gone, An Kingdom will still exist, and our An family will still exist..."

An Jing couldn't help but widen his eyes slightly as he looked at An Taixuan, not expecting his father to think so far ahead.

An Taixuan said quietly, "I think there will be such a day, but I don't want to see it with my own eyes. Wouldn't that mean I didn't do well and was kicked out of that position? I don't want to end up like those sage families, not only failing our ancestors but also the country and the people."

An Jing couldn't help but say, "How can those aristocratic families be compared to Father Emperor? The Confucian and Taoist sages warned us back then that they have brought this upon themselves..."

Before the passing of the Confucian sages and worthies, intellectual journals in the Taiping Domain sharply criticized the current unhealthy Confucian atmosphere, but few people corrected their ways as a result.

After the sages passed away, those powerful families were busy protecting their own interests and did not reflect deeply on or solve the problems.

Some people even pointed the finger at Lu Zheng as the source of the conflict.

Being expelled from the family by the ancestors and left with a lasting infamy is entirely self-inflicted.

"He certainly deserved it..."

An Taixuan nodded and looked at An Jing, saying, "I'm giving you a task: go and have a heart-to-heart talk with your uncles and elders. I hope they will fully support this national policy. If they disappoint me..."

An Taixuan narrowed his eyes, a ruthless glint appearing in them.

An Jing felt a chill run down her spine. Her father's tone and self-reference had changed. It seemed that he would not show any mercy when it came to matters of national policy tomorrow.

An Jing couldn't help but say, "Your subject will do everything in his power to persuade them."

An Jing thought to herself that she still had some dirt on certain people, and if things really turned sour, the person who would suffer would be the one to fall.

An Taixuan smiled and said, "Among all my brothers and sisters, you are the most outstanding. I trust you completely. Go!"

An Jing smiled broadly and took his leave, striding out of the palace.

An Taixuan rubbed his temples and murmured, "Today, I'm afraid quite a few people will have trouble sleeping again. With Lu Zheng here in Tai'an, I feel a little more at ease and can finally get a good night's sleep."

……

The square where Lu Zheng was located was still crowded with countless people.

Everyone had heard that Lu Zheng was going to seek justice for the people and answer their questions, so they stayed to watch out of curiosity.

Many people are still hoping that someone will come forward to plead their case.

However, perhaps because there were too many onlookers, those with grievances felt that their small matters were not worth bothering someone like Lu Zheng, so no one stepped forward.

Lu Zheng sat there quietly, observing the emotional reactions of those around him, but he wasn't in a hurry.

"Let's let one let, let one let!"

Shouts rang out from the crowd.

The crowded people slowly made way.

But a large group of officials were seen heading towards the center of the square.

One of the men approached Lu Zheng first, greeted him respectfully, and then explained to the crowd, “His Majesty heard that Mr. Lu wanted to seek justice for the people and was worried that Lu Zheng would be overwhelmed, so he sent us officials from the Ministry of Justice and the Censorate to help. If there are any grievances, you can report them to us for a public trial…”

As the newcomer spoke, he observed Lu Zheng's expression.

Seeing that Lu Zheng's expression was calm and he seemed to have no objections, she breathed a slight sigh of relief.

Ordinary people with cases don't have the authority to report them directly to the Ministry of Justice or the Censorate.

This involves bypassing several departments at once.

Now, some members of the Ministry of Justice and the Censorate have come, even bringing their office equipment, ready to conduct a public trial.

A group of officials cleared out a space in the square to serve as a temporary trial area.

"Who has a grievance to report?"

An official looked nervously at the crowd around him and asked in a loud voice.

"I, a commoner, have been wronged..."

"I have something to report!"

"This humble woman begs Your Excellency to grant me justice!"

……

Instantly, shouts from the crowd could be faintly heard from all directions.

The officials from both departments turned pale upon hearing this. They hadn't seen anyone come out to plead their case before, so why were they all suddenly showing up?

Although they had anticipated this situation, they were still unable to remain calm when faced with the actual scene.

The more people come to seek redress and report crimes, the more it demonstrates the dereliction of duty by the people themselves and certain officials in certain departments.

This is a trial being held in public, with thousands of eyes watching; there's no way to hide it.

A middle-aged man pushed his way out of the crowd and shouted, "Please, Your Honor, do justice for the people!"

Before the man could finish speaking, he was about to kneel down.

But soon the man was stopped by an invisible force, his body stiffening slightly and unable to bend down.

The officials couldn't help but look at Lu Zheng, realizing that it wasn't one of their colleagues who had made the move.

Lu Zheng said gently, "Since you have been wronged, you should sit down to appeal, not kneel."

Lu Zheng turned to the officials of the two judicial ministries and said in a slightly cold voice, "What do you all think?"

Two sentences, two completely different tones and attitudes.

The officials felt a chill run down their spines upon hearing this, knowing what Lu Zheng meant.

It is their duty to handle cases and uphold justice for the people. If someone has been wronged, making them kneel to plead their case would only make them seem more wronged.
An official reacted quickly, bringing a chair for the man and calming him down. "Uncle, sit down. Tell us your grievances slowly. Don't be anxious. There are so many of us here; we can all help you..."

The middle-aged man was flattered and slightly dazed as he was helped to sit down in a chair.

The other officials, seeing that the other people who came out of the crowd to cry for justice had all given up their seats and were standing there, were also standing.

Since the public trial in Tai'an City, various judicial departments have added a new regulation.

That means that anyone involved in any case, regardless of their status, will not have to kneel to present the facts of the case.

If anyone abuses their official power to force others to kneel and plead, a single impeachment document is enough to cost them their official position.

After all, even a young man was allowed to sit down to plead his case. Are there any officials in various departments who are even more unreasonable than that person, refusing to give people a seat?

This can be considered as improving the status and rights of ordinary people to a certain extent.

Of course, that's all for later. Right now, the officials in the two judicial ministries have to deal with the immediate problems.

Even just being an observer and listening to the trial put immense pressure on them.

In places like Tai'an City, people who commit crimes and get away with it usually have some kind of background.

In a capital city, even ordinary people who live there may have been wealthy or powerful families several generations back.

However, in this kind of trial, money and power are probably no longer of any use.

Even though Lu Zheng didn't say anything, all the officials felt that even if the Emperor himself broke the law, this man would step in to make sure they were sentenced and convicted...

If even saints can selflessly clean house and sever family lineage, what are these illegal and criminal cases?
The people in both departments put pressure on themselves, which greatly improved their efficiency.

The people involved in each case were quickly located, and the cases were quickly classified and judged.

Among those arrested were some powerful and influential figures who were known for their evil deeds, which brought cheers from the onlookers like a tsunami, who were overjoyed.

Those who commit crimes have no way to hide even if they want to.

The Ministry of Justice and the Censorate have many capable people; if we go directly to them, we won't have any trouble catching them.
Who would dare to cover it up? Even having a Saint Realm expert in the family wouldn't be enough to protect them.

The people of Tai'an City are all watching the imperial court's investigation, including Lu Zheng.

Anyone who isn't being stupid should know how to choose.

Although justice delayed is justice denied, it has finally arrived.

Late at night, An Jing emerged from a magnificent mansion.

She finally finished her ideological work with those uncles and elders, getting them to actively cooperate with the new national policy.

Without any promises of benefits, these princes had to offer up numerous advantages, which could be described as a huge financial drain.

There's not much to exploit in terms of the common people's meager income and grain; the only ones to be exploited are the wealthy and powerful, and the An imperial family is no exception.

If members of the royal family do not set an example, how can they expect those powerful families to relinquish their interests?

An Jing raised her hand to rub her temples to relieve her fatigue, and noticed that the square where Lu Zheng was was still brightly lit.

Even at night, thousands of people still gathered there.

Lu Zheng's voice echoed in the surrounding area, as he was imparting some wisdom to the people.

An Jing had previously seen Lu Zheng give lectures to people of various ethnic groups in the new country.

The scene now is no different from what I saw back then.

A teacher is someone who teaches, teaches and resolves doubts.

Anjing could hear Lu Zheng spreading new ideas to those people, awakening their wisdom.

Among those who listened to the lecture were servants of wealthy families, ordinary people, scholars from academies, children of nobles... people from all walks of life.

These people were all attracted by Lu Zheng's highly infectious words.

Unconsciously, a seed of awakening thought was planted in everyone's hearts.

An Jing listened to Lu Zheng's lecture from a distance, and her mind became much calmer.

In another part of the square, judicial officials were keeping Lu Zheng company as they worked through the night, handling official business...

The officials' expressions were not very pleasant, because in this short period of time, they had handled a large number of cases, some of which involved too many complexities for them to process immediately.

……

The next day, early in the morning.

An Taixuan got out of bed in high spirits, got ready, and went to court.

Zhongliang hurried to see An Taixuan and whispered, "Your Majesty, some people will be unable to attend today's court session."

An Taixuan raised an eyebrow. "What's wrong?"

Yesterday he ordered a notice to be sent out, requiring not only civil and military officials, but also some powerful and influential figures to attend the meeting.

Zhongliang's expression was slightly strange as he said, "Someone is involved in a major case and has been arrested. It's because Mr. Lu wanted to seek justice for the people yesterday, which led to the discovery of several major cases that are proving difficult for both the Ministry of Justice and the Censorate..."

Zhongliang briefly and concisely recounted several major cases and the people involved.

An Taixuan's lips twitched, and he said in an unpleasant tone, "They're really arrogant right under the emperor's nose! I'm afraid some of them are even secretly colluding with the enemy and betraying the country without my knowledge!"

Some members of powerful families committed heinous crimes and harmed many people; some officials abused their power to steal large amounts of government property; and some even colluded with evil demons...

This is only a partially solved case. If the investigation continues in open court, it's estimated that few officials in the imperial court will be clean.

Some things can be big or small, but once they are brought into the public eye, even the smallest things will be magnified.

An Taixuan's expression turned slightly cold. "Some people really treat the country and the court like their own home, doing whatever they want! Even I, as the ruler of a country, am not as unscrupulous as they are!"

An Taixuan took a few deep breaths to calm himself down.

He then asked, "What was Lu Zheng's reaction? What is he doing right now?"

Upon hearing this, Zhongliang replied, "He knows the details of these cases, and I heard he didn't react in any particular way. He's still there answering people's questions. There were even more people there today, and many of them came from out of town..."

Zhongliang had never seen any powerful figure before who could attract so much attention and make countless people so enthusiastic.

An Taixuan thought for a moment and said, "If there are too many people, it will be easy to get into chaos. Let's send some more people to help him. He should stay in Tai'an City for a while. That will be enough to deter many people."

Zhongliang nodded, agreeing that this made sense.

To be honest, ever since the news spread that Lu Zheng was coming to Tai'an City, and in the few days since Lu Zheng arrived, Zhongliang felt that the atmosphere in the city had changed.

Some of the usually arrogant and domineering nobles have become well-behaved. Some spoiled brats even stay indoors all the time, and no one relies on their status to act arrogantly outside anymore. They have all become polite and kind to others...

Zhongliang then asked, "Should we continue to have the officials over there handle the cases?"

An Taixuan said calmly, "Why not accept it? If this continues, we won't be the ones in a hurry. Will we lose face? It's not like I'll be the one who loses the most. I'm not afraid to waste time with them!" (End of Chapter)