Confucian and Taoist scholar

Tai'an City, a sunny day.

Inside a tall building, a group of powerful and influential figures are gathering and exchanging ideas.

After they voluntarily donated part of their family business a few days ago, they began to stick together and plan how to make up for what they had lost.

Anguo implemented various new national policies, and they understood that if they did not find ways to change, they would be eliminated sooner or later.

These powerful and influential people can be said to understand Lu Zheng's new ideas better than many others.

But precisely because they understand it better, these people are even less willing to accept such new ideas.

What they want to do most is to protect their own power and interests, not to do good deeds.

Before dynasties declined and perished, didn't those powerful figures in positions of authority have any sense of impending doom? Didn't they think of ways to save them?
Those who hold high positions are certainly not ordinary people; they are certainly not ignorant or incompetent.

Some people want to turn the tide, while others care more about the gains and losses of their families and themselves than the rise and fall of the nation.

A dynasty that lasted a hundred years, a family that lasted a thousand years.

Some families only care about who can give them power to make a profit, and they don't care which royal dynasty it is.

However, there is now an overwhelming force that is suppressing them, preventing them from taking control of the dynasty's situation. They can only keep a low profile and bear the pain of paying a price.

"The number of people is increasing day by day."

Some people looked out into the city and could vaguely see a crowd gathering there, their numbers countless.

Originally, the public's enthusiasm for Lu Zheng was only temporary, but in recent days, more and more people have been going to listen to Lu Zheng preach and answer questions, a scene that has never been seen before.

A person nearby remarked, "Yes, he actually managed to sit still and patiently explain all sorts of principles to people. Even when Confucius taught his students or Buddha preached to his disciples, there probably weren't this many people..."

In fact, all of his children went to listen to the lectures and were quite enthusiastic about it.

They all seemed to have been bewitched. When they came back to rest before, they dared to argue with their elders, shouting that they supported Lu Zheng and the court, wanted to go out and make some contributions, and did not want to be pampered children of wealthy families anymore.

Previously carefree playboys in Tai'an City have actually united to start anew, even blaming powerful and wealthy families for some of the country's problems and conflicts, and thinking of leading their families to self-reform.

This made many old powerful figures feel that things had gone completely mad.

Ever since Lu Zheng came to Tai'an City, this son has dared to defy his father and even wants to overthrow the older generation...

Many powerful figures are hoping that Lu Zheng will leave soon and stop staying here.

If things continue like this, they'll feel like Lu Zheng is in charge of the entire Tai'an City.

It's possible that a single word from Lu Zheng could incite countless people to rise up in rebellion, challenge authority, and overthrow the powerful...

Of course, they knew that Lu Zheng himself possessed extraordinary abilities.

However, the concept of one person and one person leading countless people are very different.

They were even more wary of what might happen next.

……

In the square, Lu Zheng's melodious voice carried in all directions, allowing the people gathered there to hear his words clearly.

After explaining a principle, Lu Zheng stopped.

He has said enough these past few days; some of these principles still need to be put into practice.

Lu Zheng then took out a booklet containing his notes from this period. It was a summary of the sayings of sages and philosophers, combined with his own insights, to create moral and behavioral guidelines applicable to the new era, serving as a supplement to the principles of law.

Lu Zheng tapped the book lightly, and the words on it immediately shone brightly.

The colorful energy gathered and surged into the sky, creating a unique aura.

However, in a short while, the sky and earth changed color, and the might of heaven enveloped the entire Tai'an City.

Everyone in the city sensed the change and couldn't help but curiously investigate.

Inside the palace, An Taixuan and his ministers, who were still discussing matters, stopped their discussion, walked out of the main hall, and looked up at the sky.

One minister looked surprised and whispered, "It seems as if a sage has appeared in the world..."

An Taixuan raised an eyebrow. What had happened this time? Could it be that Lu Zheng was up to something again?

Soon after, colorful lights began to shimmer in the sky.

Several towering, illusory figures, as tall as mountains, appeared and disappeared, radiating a sacred and majestic aura.

Countless people were astonished by what they saw.

Inside the Imperial Observatory, Xu Shou's eyes flickered, and he murmured to himself, "Inviting the Emperor is truly as simple as waving a hand..."

He could clearly tell that the figures that appeared came from the Great Dao Saints.

Although it was not as awe-inspiring as the appearance of saints when the new dynasty was founded, nor as grand, it was still quite extraordinary.

Several illusory figures of saints transformed into radiant light and converged together. A book quickly condensed in mid-air and then fell straight down.

The book landed in Lu Zheng's hands, still emitting a hazy, colorful glow.

The people around stared in disbelief at the scene, utterly shocked.

The publication of a classic can attract extraordinary phenomena from sages.

These legendary events actually happened right before their eyes.

Lu Zheng looked at the book in his hand, a work that could be passed down through the ages.

This attracted several sages who appeared to be discussing scriptures for me.

That's exactly the effect Lu Zheng wanted, so that people would take this book seriously.

Someone nearby couldn't help but ask curiously, "Mr. Lu, what book is this?"

Lu Zheng smiled and said, "The principles of self-cultivation and conduct."

Lu Zheng tossed the book in his hand, and it landed in front of the person who had asked the question.

The man was flattered and hurriedly picked up the book, curiously opened it to read, and began to read aloud.

On the other side, Lu Zheng disappeared.

The next moment, Lu Zheng appeared in the palace, facing Shang An Taixuan and the others.

When the princes and ministers saw Lu Zheng coming, they were immediately startled.

Lu Zheng hasn't come here for days, but he came here just now after summoning the sage with strange phenomena. What is he planning to do?
Some people were uneasy, thinking that Lu Zheng had come to establish his authority.

Lu Zheng ignored the changes in those people's expressions and said to An Taixuan, "I have written a new book, which I will leave in An Kingdom for the time being. I hope everyone will spread it widely..."

Lu Zheng paused for a moment, then said, "I still have to deal with the affairs of the new country and cannot stay here for long. I will come back to pick up the book when I have time later. I also hope that by then, this place will be different."

Lu Zheng then communicated telepathically with An Jing for a while, before bowing and taking his leave.

Some people breathed a sigh of relief upon seeing Lu Zheng leave so decisively, feeling a significant reduction in their burden. However, the thought that Lu Zheng would return later made it difficult for them to feel joy.

An Jing hurriedly left the palace, taking a troop of soldiers with him, and headed to the square where Lu Zheng was preaching.

The general public was still there listening to people read the contents of the new book.

An Jing arrived at the central government office and waited until the person reciting the new book had finished speaking before he spoke.

Many people in Tai'an City recognized An Jing and looked at him with curiosity.

Anjing informed the court of the implementation of some policies, emphasizing the people-centered approach and the importance of people's livelihood.

This has brought joy and excitement to many people, who feel that they will be able to live a good life in the future.

Then, Anjing informed the people that Lu Zheng had left Anguo and returned to Xinguo to handle affairs.

When people heard that Lu Zheng had left, many couldn't believe it, and some young people were still thinking of following him.

Some women turned pale, feeling so heartbroken they could hardly breathe. He was someone they admired; how could he be gone like this?

Seeing the public's discontent, An Jing quickly said, "Mr. Lu has already done so much for Anguo. We can't expect everything from him. We should learn from him, act like him, and dedicate ourselves to the country and its people..."

"In the future, the imperial court will select talents of all kinds. Regardless of their background, as long as they have the ability, they will have the opportunity to realize their ambitions..."

“Mr. Lu will come back. We must strive to create a different Anguo when he returns, so that we will not have let Mr. Lu's efforts go to waste…”

It took An Jing a long speech to barely calm the restless crowd.

Afterwards, An Jing instructed his subordinates to maintain order so that the millions of people could return home safely.

Seeing the crowd disperse in an orderly fashion, An Jing couldn't help but wipe the sweat from his forehead.

She hadn't realized it before, but when she found herself losing control of the situation with so many people, she felt a special kind of pressure. It turns out that winning people's hearts isn't so easy.

It's not something that can be achieved by just a few casual words from someone, and that can win the approval and trust of countless people.

If this is the case for the people of Tai'an City, it gives a glimpse into the situation of the people in other regions.

There is still a long way to go before we can truly win the hearts and minds of the people.

An Jing's mind was in turmoil, and she felt that she needed to do more and better in the future.

……

Not long after Lu Zheng returned to the Taiping Domain New Kingdom, Ao Yuan found him.

When Ao Yuan saw Lu Zheng return unharmed, he couldn't help but ask, "Did you encounter any danger this time?"

Lu Zheng shook his head and said, "No. Within Anguo, some people wouldn't be that arrogant, would they?"

After leaving Tai'an City, Lu Zheng went to several prefectures and counties in Anguo. He revealed his identity and met with local officials, and was not targeted in any way.

Ao Yuan said with a smile, "You didn't encounter them, but we caught them!"

Ao Yuan raised an eyebrow. "It must be because the news of your trip to Anguo got out and you stayed there for quite some time that some people started plotting here to cause trouble."

"Some people were even thinking of destroying some of the earth's veins to bring disaster to the people, but the old man and Sect Master Yun discovered it..."

Ao Yuan said quietly, "Some forces really think that there are no people left in the new country, and they want to cause trouble while you are away. They are really courting death."

Yun Fuyao and Ao Yuan's strength is unfathomable; if they wanted to conceal themselves, even a Saint Realm expert wouldn't be able to detect them.

Perhaps some people can make some guesses based on the deaths of those holy realm beings before, but the two of them also left some tricks to confuse people.

For example, Ao Yuan also has an avatar in the East Sea, who occasionally shows his face, making it difficult for others to determine whether it is the real Ao Yuan.

Ao Yuan continued, "To avoid any accidents, the person was killed immediately, and their remaining Daoist essence was integrated into your powerful magical artifacts. This also creates the illusion of a cause of death..."

Lu Zheng replied, "Thank you for your trouble, senior."

Ao Yuan waved his hand and said, "It's nothing. The ones who came this time aren't very powerful, at most half-saints. They're probably here to test us, but they're testing us with their lives..."

Ao Yuan stroked his chin. "Sect Leader Yun and I suspect that those forces targeting you are actually quite divided internally, and are using others to do their dirty work."

Listening to Ao Yuan's description, Lu Zheng felt that it wasn't impossible.

However, those forces opposing him still have internal conflicts, which is something he is naturally happy to see.

"Oh, there's one more important thing!"

Ao Yuan grinned, "The Yan Kingdom is in great chaos."

Lu Zheng's eyes flickered slightly as he asked, "Hmm? What happened?"

Ao Yuan said, "It is said that the eldest prince of Yan killed his father in an attempt to usurp the throne, but before he could even take the throne, he was killed by the other princes... Now Yan is without a ruler, some princes and nobles have raised their own armies and established their own states, and there are also people in the local counties who have rebelled. It's all in chaos."

Ao Yuan was very surprised when he first heard the news.

In recent years, the State of Yan has been living a peaceful and stable life in a remote region. This sudden chaos is truly unexpected.

It was Yun Fuyao who discovered the anomalies in the Yan Kingdom by observing the celestial signs and fortunes. He sent someone to investigate and found that the Yan Kingdom had fallen into chaos in a short period of time.

Ao Yuan looked at Lu Zheng, "The Yan Kingdom isn't too far from here, do you have any ideas?"

Lu Zheng couldn't help but fall into thought; he hadn't expected such turmoil to occur in the Yan Kingdom.

He had previously sent representatives to discuss trade matters with the State of Yan.

Even the road to the Yan Kingdom is being planned and constructed, and now at least one trade route is open.

Lu Zheng asked, "What are the representatives of the merged districts thinking?"

Ao Yuan chuckled and said, "Some people think we can take this opportunity to conquer the Yan Kingdom. Of course, most people still think we shouldn't get involved; it's too risky, and it's difficult to choose the right people..."

Many of the representatives from various districts come from other forces. If they were to go and participate in the war of a great dynasty, it would be hard not to suspect their motives.

It's estimated that many of the forces behind them wouldn't allow anyone to get involved in this mess.

Ao Yuan said, "Some of the people who used to be representatives of the Yan state hope that you can step forward and do something. They really wish you could bring the Yan state into the fold."

Ao Yuan paused for a moment, then said, "However, this matter is difficult to handle. The representatives still want to hear your ideas, and no one has taken it upon themselves to make a decision."

Everyone knows that Lu Zheng is the real person in charge, and the suggestions of others may not be approved by others.

Moreover, some people don't want to take any responsibility for such a big thing.

Lu Zheng thought for a moment and said, "Let's first send people from the regions near Yan to smooth things over with the border so we can help the Yan refugees and gather detailed information. It's not good to interfere in their internal strife."

Such a war in a great dynasty cannot be quelled in a short time.

He is not powerful enough to suppress a country, nor can he simply offer gifts and say a few words to make the conflicting forces shake hands and make peace.

Lu Zheng couldn't help but sigh, "The people's lives are so difficult."

Ao Yuan couldn't help but comfort him, saying, "The world is like this; you can't save everyone..." (End of Chapter)