Confucian and Taoist scholar

Chapter 608 Destruction of Construction

Chapter 608 Destruction of Construction

"I am already extremely grateful that you came, senior, and I dare not ask for more..."

Lu Zheng paused for a moment, then said, "Senior, you've had a long journey. If you're not in a hurry, why don't you rest in the city for a few days?"

Yunhe glanced at the monks still working hard not far away and couldn't help but smile. "Looks like you still care about this place!"

Lu Zhengdao said, "We must ensure that the people here can settle down and no longer have to live like before."

Yunhe said, "If you're not in a hurry, then I'm even less in a hurry. I'm rather curious to see what you'll do with this place... By the way, where's Qingwan, the girl who's always with you?"

Lu Zhengdao: "He's probably teaching and educating people in the city, busy with ideological reform."

Yunhe suddenly remembered that when Lu Zheng and the other two were studying at Yunmeng Sect, they often preached the idea of ​​saving the world to them.

The two are now working tirelessly in remote and impoverished areas to benefit the local people, truly demonstrating their youthful promise.

Yunhe smiled and said, "Take me to the city to have a look!"

Lu Zheng nodded and invited Yun He into the city.

When they arrived at Taiping City, the monks who were still repairing the road dared not stop, as their daily tasks were fixed and could not be neglected.

A short while later, Lu Zheng led Yun He to the outskirts of the city.

City guards stood watch at the tall city gate. Upon seeing Lu Zheng arrive, they all kept their eyes fixed on their posts.

Lu Zheng called one of them to process Yun He's entry permit.

The certificate was a wooden plaque with a special mark, which was worn on the waist when entering the city to indicate identity.

Yunhe saw that there were a whole set of rules for entering the city, but he didn't mind.

He looked at the certificate and said, "Temporary? How do I get official status?"

Lu Zheng then said, "Just apply directly. Based on your skills, they'll assign you suitable work. Even if you don't know anything, you can still get real estate or land. Work here for three years, make some contributions, and you can become a full-time employee..."

"Property and land are free, and everyone can get a share, but they cannot be bought or sold... Children under the age of ten can attend classes without tuition fees, and elderly people over sixty years old living alone are supported by charitable organizations..."

Lu Zheng explained some of the policies of Taiping City.

Yunhe looked surprised; he had never heard of any dynasty or city that could achieve such a level of achievement.

This is no different from the prosperous era described by some ancient sages.

Yunhe couldn't help but say, "All the common people can enjoy so many benefits without paying taxes. Where do you get the money to do so much? Relying on the wealth you extort from temples and nobles is not a long-term solution."

Lu Zheng smiled slightly and said, "They can create wealth just by living here. Some important industries in the city belong to the collective, and the wealth accumulated by these collective industries will be used for the entire collective. No one needs to pay extra taxes to anyone else, and there are no rulers here..."

Yunhe glanced sideways and said, "Isn't it you who governs this area?"

Even though Lu Zheng was the one governing and transforming this place, he found that Lu Zheng did not seem to place himself in a ruling position.

"I?"

Lu Zheng smiled and said, "I'm also a member of the group. I'm just setting an example for everyone. I was born into the common people. I can't just think of separating myself from them just because I've studied a bit more, can I?"

Yunhe thought to himself that Lu Zheng was really a special person. At such a young age, he had cultivated to a level that many people could not reach, yet he could maintain such a simple and honest state of mind. Could it be that he had the heart of a sage?

Along the way, many people greeted Lu Zheng warmly when they saw him.

Lu Zheng responded cheerfully to each question, occasionally chatting with people. The people of the city all knew that Lu Zheng was the one who had slain the evil monk of the Great Buddha Temple; he was a very powerful figure.

When everyone first met Lu Zheng, they all revered him as a god and kept their distance.

However, during this time, Lu Zheng helped transform the entire city and mingled among the people, and had already become one of them.

Now everyone thinks Lu Zhengping is approachable and seems no different from them.

Seeing this scene and witnessing the genuine emotions expressed by the people, Yunhe was deeply moved.

He had heard that the ancient sages and benevolent rulers who governed the world were deeply loved by the people, but now it seems that they were no different.

It is truly ironic that the so-called sage kings and virtuous rulers of today are not even seen by the common people, yet some still praise them as benevolent.

Yunhe saw that many of the people were dark-skinned and thin, and seemed to be in poor health, but each of them was full of energy and had a joyful attitude towards life.

These people were mostly slaves in the past. At this time of year, many of them were still working hard in the freezing cold, and many of them may have frozen or starved to death.

Now they live in big cities, have their own warm homes, and don't have to worry about food. What do they have to worry about?

Lu Zheng led Yun He through several streets and arrived at a school.

Previously, there was a relatively large temple here, which has now been converted into a school.

It not only has knowledgeable people teaching others to read and write, but also professionals from all walks of life passing on their skills and experience.

More importantly, there are also special ideological courses to cleanse some people of their stubborn old ideas.

Yunhe blinked. Some traces of the school's renovations were still clearly visible, and many broken stone statues were still piled up in the corners.

He couldn't help but say, "If the monks of Wei knew you were doing this, they would probably be furious and condemn you."

Although this place is not under the jurisdiction of Wei, and Buddhism here was spread and prospered by demons, all the major Buddhist sects are of the same origin.

If monks from other places were to see Lu Zheng demolishing temples to build other places and forcing monks to do all sorts of labor, it could be said that he would offend the entire Buddhist and Taoist communities.

Lu Zheng smiled faintly and said, "I'm not afraid of offending people."

Yunhe thought about it and concluded that Lu Zheng's personality meant that he was willing to take the path of Legalism because he truly didn't care about such things.

He even suspected that if Confucian scholars were causing harm to the people and the Confucian temple was ineffective, this man would even dare to demolish the Confucian temple...

Yunhe, hands behind his back, said leisurely, "This place of yours is indeed somewhat unusual. No wonder the sect leader thinks you have the potential to change the world from what it used to be..."

Having witnessed the beauty of this peaceful city, Yunhe had already begun to see its potential.

Lu Zheng said softly, "It's not enough for me to do it alone; we need the joint efforts of everyone in the world."

Lu Zheng paused, his eyes hardening, and said, "We are not only good at destroying an old world, but we will also be good at building a new world."

Upon hearing this, Yunhe turned his head and sensed immense confidence and pride emanating from Lu Zheng.

These words seemed to carry a mysterious spiritual power, which stirred a surge of passion in this old man who had cultivated for many years.

(End of this chapter)