Confucian and Taoist scholar

Chapter 657 Worries about the Future

Chapter 657 Worries about the Future

Lu Zheng led Su Mei to a private room and used an array to isolate her from outside eavesdropping.

When Su Mei and the others met him, they were unwilling to reveal their names or origins, which gave Lu Zheng a clue.

Lu Zheng said, "Just say what you have to say."

Su Mei couldn't contain her curiosity, "There are rumors outside that you killed quite a few Transcendent Realm experts, is that true?"

Lu Zhengdao: "Really. Don't tell me you came all this way just to ask about this."

Upon hearing this, Su Mei smiled sheepishly and quickly took out an exquisite storage bag and handed it to Lu Zheng.

"Here are letters from His Majesty, the Princess, and others, as well as a lot of documents and intelligence. You can take your time to look through them."

"His Majesty and the Princess learned of your accomplishments in the Northern Region, so they sent us here secretly to help you."

"Among these people who have come, apart from those you know, the others are all from the Academy of Learning, and they are all trustworthy. Some are skilled in craftsmanship, some are skilled in medicine and agriculture, and others are talented in management and business... They are all geniuses who can be put to good use."

Upon hearing this, Lu Zheng's expression remained calm, and he nodded slightly.

Whether he can truly be reused still requires his personal investigation.

This is not Anguo, so many situations cannot be generalized.

Su Mei paused, then hesitated and whispered, "His Majesty and the Princess want to know what you plan to do here, and when you plan to leave?"

Upon hearing this, Lu Zheng replied, "I don't know."

Su Mei was stunned, not expecting Lu Zheng to answer like that.

Lu Zheng said slowly, "Who can say for sure what the future holds? What, are you in such a hurry to go back?"

Su Mei quickly replied, "Ah, no. The princess has instructed us that we will work for the young master from now on. Only if the young master no longer needs us will we have the opportunity to go back."

Lu Zheng pondered for a moment and then said, "Alright, you guys go register first, and then familiarize yourselves with the rules here... To be honest, you're closer to me than the people here, so you can't break the rules."

“The local areas are still unstable. If you continue to break the rules, I will punish you personally.”

Hearing these words, Su Mei felt a chill run down her spine. She felt that Lu Zheng was even more terrifying than the princess.

Lu Zheng spoke again: "Don't think my words are unpleasant to hear. On matters of principle, I have always been like this. I hope you can understand."

She hurriedly replied, "Don't worry, young master, I will inform them in a moment and tell them to pay attention to the rules here."

Lu Zhengdao said, "Alright, let me take a look at what you brought first. If you encounter any problems that you can't solve, then come to me."

Su Mei nodded and then left the room.

After leaving the room, Su Mei couldn't help but wipe the cold sweat from her forehead.

Even though Lu Zheng didn't exude any imposing aura, she felt immense pressure, even more so than when facing the princess.

Su Mei relayed some of Lu Zheng's words to the others who had come with her.

After hearing this, no one complained. They all decided to familiarize themselves with the place first, and then get to know Lu Zheng better when they had time later.

Lu Zheng took out a stack of letters from his storage bag and first opened and read the two letters from An Taixuan and An Jing.

Both are very substantial letters, two thick volumes.

Lu Zheng leisurely browsed through the text, expressing his concern and praise for him, and also mentioning An Guo's recent situation.

On a deeper level, Lu Zheng realized that An Taixuan intended for him to return.

The reason is simple: Anguo's new policies have encountered many obstacles, and they hope to send him back to change the situation.

An Taixuan felt that since Lu Zheng was doing so well abroad, and would have the support of the reformists back in Anguo, he would definitely have an advantage in dealing with certain old guys.

As for An Jing, he bluntly told him to just do things according to his own plan and not to rush back to the country, emphasizing that his life was the most important thing.

On the other hand, sending Su Mei and her group was not intended to spy on them.

……

"Does he really have no intention of being independent?"

Su Mei strolled around Qingcheng and found out more about Lu Zheng.

Although Lu Zheng controlled a large area in the vicinity, he never established any official identity for himself.

During this period, Lu Zheng was always busy handling various affairs. When he had some free time, he would travel to different places to communicate with the people about their living conditions.

Everyone regarded Lu Zheng as a learned man with many skills, rather than a high and mighty figure.

Some children also like to call Lu Zheng "Mr." or "Big Brother".

Here, there are no people of high status. Whether they are cultivators, demons, ghosts, or so-called city lords and administrators, they are all assigned various tasks.

The more capable a person is, the more tasks they are assigned.

Of course, the more you work, the more you earn.

Aside from the elderly, the infirm, the disabled, and the young, no idlers will be kept here.

When Su Mei and her group went to register, each of them received a thick booklet containing various rules and regulations.

Seeing this, someone asked in bewilderment, "With so many regulations, how can ordinary people understand them?"

The person registering them smiled and said, "Ordinary people naturally can't understand so much all at once. We just need to tell them some of the simplest things, what they should and shouldn't do. There are also some classes in the city that will teach them gradually." "You are knowledgeable and capable people. These booklets are specially prepared for people like you to help you learn faster. Because you are more sensible, the requirements may be a little stricter..."

"Oh, right, you guys still have an assessment, so it would be best if you attended some evening classes..."

The registrant patiently shared his experiences with these newcomers.

"Don't think it's too much trouble. The Northern Region is a chaotic place, without rules, there's no order..."

Su Mei listened for a while before leaving the registration desk in a daze.

Someone rubbed their temples and whispered, "It seems that it wasn't easy for Young Master Lu to manage this place like this."

"Hey, what are you doing here?"

A surprised exclamation came from across the street.

Su Mei and the others looked in the direction of the sound and found Qing Wan and Qing Yi.

Qingwan stared and walked towards the familiar faces. "It really is you guys. Hmm... are you that fox?"

Qingwan had met Su Mei in Hongzhou before, but Su Mei had been reduced to her original form back then.

Now that she could sense Su Mei's aura, Qing Wan recognized her.

As for the few people who addressed the Madman King as brothers and friends, Qingwan naturally did not forget them either.

These people felt an immediate sense of kinship upon seeing Qingwan.

The two went to a corner to exchange pleasantries and learned that Qingwan and the other person had also returned from outside and did not yet know Lu Zheng's location.

They then gave the two directions.

Qingwan and Qingyi quickly found Lu Zheng.

Seeing the two of them coming from the snowfield, Lu Zheng put down the documents in his hand and asked, "Is the situation in the snowfield stable?"

Qingwan nodded emphatically, "There are no major problems now. Pearl can use that code. There are also some people qualified to enforce the law. If we continue to develop according to the plan, that area will be peaceful and stable."

They also left behind treasures in Taiping City. Unless a Transcendent Realm expert tries to cause trouble, there shouldn't be any major problems.

In that impoverished place, Lu Zheng and the others felt that it was unlikely that any powerful demons like the three fake bodhisattvas would appear again in the near future.

Qingwan explained the situation in the snowfield, then added, "You've moved too fast, conquering so much territory. I'm afraid you'll be busy. I heard there are some forces nearby that received your letter but haven't responded. Should Qingyi and I go and deal with them..."

Qingwan pondered that she had made considerable progress during this period and could go out and gain more experience. Those forces could serve as whetstones for her and Qingyi.

Lu Zheng smiled and said, "Take it slow. Some of the places I just took over are still quite chaotic. Now that you're back, please keep an eye on things for me."

"Okay, sure!"

Qingwan nodded, then whispered, "People from Anguo have arrived. This area won't be safe from now on..."

Lu Zheng calmly said, "This is the Northern Region. Anguo's influence doesn't extend that far, and they won't openly declare anything. Even if Anguo were to unify the world in the future, the rules here would not change. This place should be ruled by the people of all ethnic groups, and no monarch should be allowed to ride roughshod over them."

Lu Zheng knew what Qing Wan was worried about: that the area he was currently managing might be taken over by someone with ulterior motives and become part of Anguo's territory.

If such a thing were to spread, it would have a significant impact, regardless of whether it is acknowledged or not.

Of course, if things really came to that point, Lu Zheng would not choose to admit it.

Once acknowledged, it would inevitably provoke an overreaction from other dynasties.

In particular, the State of Wei would certainly not want to see Anguo's territory in both its north and south.

In that situation, this place would surely be destroyed.

If he doesn't admit it, he'll likely face even more pressure and slander.

In comparison, Lu Zheng didn't care about the latter at all.

When he embarks on the path of saving the world, he is destined to face endless hardships and pressures.

Lu Zheng said, "Just think of them as people who came to help. We happen to be in dire need of all sorts of talent here. I've already looked at their information and they seem to be usable."

Qingwan blinked and said with a smile, "That's fine too. Anyway, this place is far from Anguo. We can just teach them well in the future and make them put the people first!"

Just then, someone came to report that an envoy from the Di Kingdom had arrived, and that it was Di Lie, whom Lu Zheng had met before.

Upon hearing the news, Lu Zheng packed his things and went out to greet him.

Upon seeing Lu Zheng, Di Lie, still catching his breath, immediately bowed and greeted him.

He was still a little annoyed. Lu Zheng's whereabouts were unpredictable. He had searched for him in several places but had not been able to find him. Finally, he met him here.

Seeing that Di Lie looked exhausted, Lu Zheng said, "Envoy Di, please come inside and rest for a while."

"No, no..."

Di Lie waved his hand, "I've already wasted quite a bit of time. I've come here this time on the orders of the King. I would like to invite Young Master Lu to the capital of my Di Kingdom. The King... wants you to come and take charge of the overall situation."

Di Lie paused, trying to be as tactful as possible, as he couldn't bring himself to say surrender directly.

(End of this chapter)