Confucian and Taoist scholar

Chapter 578 The Prince Seeks Education
When Wang Qianyang first met Lu Zheng at Yunmeng Sect, he didn't pay much attention to him. After all, there are many talented people in the world, so there's nothing to notice.

It was only after learning that Lu Zheng had risen to prominence in a short period of time, going from obscurity to being able to sit and stand with them in just one year, that Wang Qianyang became somewhat curious.

Recently, news about Lu Zheng in the State of Chu has spread, leading some to speculate that Lu Zheng has become a disciple of the Sage of Anguo, which is why he dares to act so recklessly in Chu.

He also witnessed firsthand that Master Yunxiao's attitude towards Lu Zheng was unusual.

All of this led Wang Qianyang to have a good impression of Lu Zheng and not to put on any airs of a prince.

In truth, Wang Qianyang's status as a prince was less significant than his status as a Taoist priest.

The current emperor of Shu is in his prime and has many sons; Wang Qianyang is merely one of the more outstanding princes.

Wang Qianyang focuses on cultivation, so he is unlikely to be the one to inherit the throne in the future, and he has no intention of vying for the throne.

So his status as a prince seems noble, but it's not really that noble.

Addressing him as "brother" or "fellow Daoist" made him feel closer to him.

As Wang Qianyang led Lu Zheng past a palace, a man and a woman walked towards them.

Both were dressed in fine clothes, exuding an air of nobility.

Upon seeing the two, Wang Qianyang quickly bowed and said, "Second Brother, Ninth Sister..."

The second prince saw Wang Qianyang and said with a smile, "It's Qianyang. And who is this?"

He was somewhat surprised to see Lu Zheng, a young and unfamiliar face, walking through the palace with Wang Qianyang.

Wang Qianyang introduced, "This gentleman is Lu Zheng, the talented Lu from Anguo."

Upon hearing this, the Second Prince raised an eyebrow. One of the hottest topics in the palace recently was Lu Zheng.

Many people in Shu (Sichuan) praised this talented scholar who dared to slay a god in the state of Chu.

After all, the feud between the states of Shu and Chu had a long history, and everyone applauded when someone dared to kill and suppress those gods in Chu territory.

The Second Prince couldn't help but smile and said, "So it's Young Master Lu. I've seen your portrait before, and I was saying you looked somewhat familiar, but you're even more handsome in person than in the portrait..."

The Ninth Princess beside her blinked her beautiful eyes, a strange look in them, and said, "You must be Lu Zheng. I've heard you're very talented. Could you compose a poem for me?"

The princes and princesses of the Shu emperor were all taught according to their individual personalities and preferences.

Wang Qianyang was talented, so he entered the Taoist sect and became proficient in Taoist skills.

This ninth princess was fond of literature and poetry, and had a particular fondness for Confucian and Taoist scholars.

The second prince has mediocre talent in cultivation, but he is naturally intelligent and studious. He reads extensively and currently holds an official position in the court, handling some government affairs for the Shu Emperor.

Upon hearing the princess's request, Lu Zheng smiled and said, "I am not very talented in poetry and I cannot produce any good poems. I'm afraid I will only disappoint the princess."

He's busy learning so many things right now that he has no time to study poetry, so he really can't write any masterpieces.

The Ninth Princess said, "You're not unwilling, are you? I can reward you!"

Lu Zheng slowly said, "Since the princess knows me, she must know a lot about me. I have never written any poems that have been circulated outside..." The Ninth Princess thought about it for a moment and realized that it was indeed true.

She couldn't help but say with a hint of disappointment, "You're so talented, how come you can't write poetry?"

She thought Lu Zheng was good at writing poetry, and that by taking advantage of the current popularity of the topic, she could get a poem from Lu Zheng and spread it around, which would surely create a good story and increase her own fame.

The Second Prince, standing nearby, couldn't help but speak up for Lu Zheng, saying, "Ninth Sister, please don't make things difficult for Young Master Lu. A Confucian scholar doesn't necessarily have to be good at poetry. True talent lies in the ability to govern a country! I've heard that Anguo is implementing new policies, supposedly proposed by Young Master Lu as a sound strategy for governing the country. I wonder if that's true or not?"

Lu Zheng nodded and said, "I have mentioned some policies, but I don't know much about how they are implemented."

The Second Prince looked intently at him and said, "I wonder when Young Master Lu will have the time to consult me ​​on some strategies for governing the country!"

The Second Prince had only recently learned a little about the Anguo Reform and didn't know much about the situation. He wanted to ask Lu Zheng what it was all about so he could learn more and help his father, the Emperor, govern.

The Shu emperor was not diligent in his duties at all; one could say he was lazy in governing. As his son, he should have shared his father's burdens.

Upon hearing this, Lu Zheng immediately pulled out a thick booklet. "This contains my summary of policies for governing the country, which I submitted to the Anguo court. Take a look."

The second prince was stunned, still somewhat incredulous. "This... I can see it?"

He didn't expect Lu Zheng to share all those good strategies without holding anything back.

Lu Zheng smiled and said, "Why not? Sages wrote books and taught the world profound principles, but not everyone can understand them. The same applies to these strategies for governing a country; not everyone can learn them, nor can everyone implement them well. Since Your Highness is willing to understand, I will certainly not be stingy. Why not do something that benefits the people?"

The second prince was deeply moved, and his expression became slightly excited as he said, "I have heard that when you were in Anguo, you risked offending powerful clans for the sake of the people, and that you killed a god to save the people in Chu... A true man acts in this world by daring to be the first and to speak up for the people. I, Wang Mingli, wish to honor you as my teacher!"

As they were talking, Wang Mingli didn't care whether Lu Zheng agreed or not, and solemnly performed the junior disciple's salute.

Wang Qianyang and the Ninth Princess stood there dumbfounded, their minds a little blank. They didn't understand why their second brother had such a strong reaction and why he wanted to become the teacher so directly.

The Ninth Princess's mouth opened slightly, stunned, unsure of what to say.

Before Lu Zheng could stop him, Wang Mingli had already stood up neatly.

Wang Mingli said again, "Please grant me a book, sir."

Lu Zheng felt a little helpless. Seeing Wang Mingli's attitude, he was definitely going to treat him as a teacher.

Lu Zheng then handed the book in his hand to Wang Mingli.

Wang Mingli happily accepted it, his face showing some eagerness, wanting to see what was inside.

If he could learn even a little bit of it and govern the Shu Kingdom better, his chances of winning that position would be much greater.

As for respecting Mr. Lu Zheng, it is not difficult to understand. After all, he has studied under many teachers, so it is not unusual for him to take a peer as his teacher.

"A wise man is a teacher." Even if the Shu Emperor found out about the matter, Wang Mingli believed that his father would not reprimand him. Moreover, given the Shu Emperor's personality, he probably wouldn't care about this matter at all.

Holding the heavy book, Wang Mingli asked curiously, "Qianyang, why is Mr. Lu with you in the palace?"

(End of this chapter)