Starting as a centurion, he fought his way through the chaos of the world.

Chapter 180 Return to the Capital, Imperial Banquet

At this moment, Lu Ming was unaware of these things.

He is currently condensing his Dharma form, right beneath his feet.

A golden crow, radiating golden flames, is gradually taking shape.

A blazing flame, while burning.

The surrounding space felt distorted at that moment.

Temperatures are continuing to rise.

Finally, with a majestic roar, the golden crow beneath Lu Ming's feet was fully formed.

A colossal body, swirling flames, and an aura of majesty.

Everything about him demonstrates his power.

Next, Lu Ming began to stabilize his cultivation.

The cultivation continued until the space shattered.

When Lu Ming opened his eyes again, the entire secret room was instantly illuminated as if it were daytime.

"The middle stage of Dharma."

He said lightly.

A satisfied look appeared on his face.

Not only that, but even the "Black Tortoise Golden Bell Cover" technique has reached the ninth level, and his physical strength is comparable to supernatural powers.

The Heavenly Master and Earthly Master already have as many as seven lines on their foreheads.

Then, he slowly stood up.

They walked towards the outside of the secret room.

"Creak!" When the door was pushed open, Qinglin was already standing outside.

"Greetings, Your Excellency!" a respectful voice rang out.

Li nodded, indicating his shortcomings.

"Where's Madame?"

After not seeing Li Xirou, Lu Ming asked.

Qinglin quickly replied, "Reporting to Your Excellency, Madam has gone out to buy things, saying she wants to bring back some local specialties for the Prime Minister."

Lu Ming nodded and said nothing more.

Yes, now that my cultivation has broken through, it's time for me to go to the capital.

Then, they walked towards the front yard.

When Zhang Meng has nothing to do, he usually stays here to keep watch.

So that I may be ready to obey Lu Ming's orders at any time.

Upon the other party's appearance, Zhang Meng cautiously approached and asked, "My lord, you've emerged from seclusion?"

Lu Ming nodded, then pointed towards the front hall and said, "Let's talk inside."

Then we went into the living room and just sat down.

His gaze fell on Zhang Meng, and he asked, "Has anything happened in the imperial court recently?"

"Reporting to Your Excellency, several major events have occurred. In order to suppress the fortune of the twenty-three states occupied by the Great Xia, a massacre has begun again. Large numbers of civilians have been buried alive outside the cities. In addition, the major sects have ordered the forces surrounding the Great Yu not to have any contact with us."

It is said that a lot of supplies cannot be transported in.

Some sects from outside the region have even declared that they will directly attack any person from the Great Yu who dares to step out of the Great Yu territory.

A few days ago, I heard that the Third Ancestor went to the outer realms to purchase the true blood of ferocious beasts, but was ambushed by experts from the Ziyang Sect. His body was pierced and he almost perished.

Our Great Yu has been completely isolated.

The series of messages Zhang Meng mentioned.

All of this made Lu Ming frown; this was not good news for him.

The Great Yu Kingdom may seem stable now, but it is actually more dangerous than before.

"Go and inform Bai Yan that I will be going to the capital tomorrow and will put him in charge of matters in his fiefdom."

"Yes, sir!" Zhang Meng replied immediately upon receiving the order.

Then, they withdrew.

Lu Ming took a small sip of tea and then stood up.

A cold glint appeared in his eyes.

If they want to blockade the Great Yu, they'll have to see if these sects have the strength.

At the same time, a feeling of warmth rose in my heart.

He certainly knew why Da Yu wanted to go out and acquire the true blood of ferocious beasts at this time.

He's probably preparing resources for a breakthrough.

It seems that not everyone is short-sighted.

Then, he stood up and walked outside.

When I arrived at the door.

Then I saw that Li Xirou had already returned.

The carriage was carrying all sorts of things.

When she saw Lu Ming, a look of joy appeared on her face. "My husband has come out of seclusion."

"Yes, we've passed through the pass. Let's head to the capital tomorrow."

“I will listen to my husband.” Li Xirou nodded.

Then he followed Lu Ming to the backyard.

He began instructing the maids to pack their things.

A day passed in the blink of an eye, and the second day arrived.

Lu Ming then set off with his wife and guards.

In the present-day Dayu, anti-king forces in various regions have been successively eliminated.

The people also began to rebuild their homes.

As Lu Ming walked along the road, he saw people scavenging usable items from the ruins.

The imperial officials kept shouting.

Some even carried whips and were scolding the people.

This scene made him shake his head. Although the Great Yu was much more lenient towards the people than the forces outside the region, it still needed to make changes.

Otherwise, war will inevitably break out sooner or later.

Moreover, it will be very difficult to develop.

After arriving in Beijing, he planned to bring up these matters.

This might offend a lot of people.

However, if this is not done, the complete decline and even disappearance of the Great Yu Dynasty will be inevitable sooner or later.

Now, his interests are inextricably linked with those of the Great Yu.

I don't want to see this happen.

They traveled at a leisurely pace, stopping frequently along the way, and also had to receive visits from local officials.

When Lu Ming arrived in the capital, it was already winter.

The people were all wearing cotton-padded clothes.

Outside the capital city, many more refugees, barely clothed, appeared.

They were all people who lost their homes because of the war.

Among these people were also many corpses.

In this weather, with nowhere to keep warm, every night when I wake up, I find a large number of refugees dead at the foot of the walls.

The soup kitchens set up by the imperial court could only ensure that these refugees did not starve to death.

As soon as Lu Ming's group arrived at the city gate, they attracted the attention of many people.

The banner bearing the character "Lu" fluttering in the wind, and the soldiers clad in armor, all clearly identified Lu Ming as the commander.

The Seventh Patriarch led some disciples of the clan.

He and the officials led by Li Yan personally greeted him outside the city.

It can be said that they gave Lu Ming a lot of face.

"I have met the Seventh Patriarch and the Prime Minister."

"Hehe, you are our great hero, so don't be so polite. His Majesty is hosting a banquet in the Jiying Hall. You are the main character today, so drink a few more cups. Even the Grand Master of the Imperial Clan is here."

The Seventh Patriarch smiled and said.

A smile appeared on his face.

Li Yan didn't say anything, but his face was full of satisfaction.

He stepped forward, pulled Lu Ming along, and headed into the city.

As for Li Xirou, no female relatives were invited to today's occasion, so she was sent back to the Prime Minister's residence.

This wasn't Lu Ming's first time entering the palace, but his last visit was rather rushed.

Moreover, the atmosphere was extremely tense.

Therefore, they did not observe it carefully.

The palace now exudes a more peaceful atmosphere. Even the maids' steps are lighter.

When we arrived at the Hall of Heroes.

The courtiers took their seats, awaiting the arrival of the Empress.

"His Majesty has arrived!" came the eunuch's shrill voice.

The Empress walked in from behind the palace.

Sitting behind the curtain, she exudes a mysterious and unique charm.

"Greetings, Your Majesty!" The ministers stood up and bowed.

"Please sit down. Today is a joyous occasion, so there's no need for formalities," the Empress's cool voice rang out.

After everyone was seated.

The maidservant then brought in various kinds of delicious food.

The aroma of wine wafted through the main hall.

Lu Ming sat in a very front position, right next to several elders of the clan.

The Grand Master of Ceremonies had a serious expression.

With a full head of white hair, he nodded kindly to Lu Ming when he noticed Lu Ming looking at him.

Several elders also turned their gazes toward them at the same time.

A look of satisfaction crossed his face.

However, Lu Ming felt a little strange under such a gaze.

"Now that the rebels of our Great Yu have been wiped out, the people are finally at peace. This is truly something to celebrate! Let us all drink to our hearts' content!"

The Empress was the first to raise her wine glass.

The others, of course, dared not refuse and quickly raised their glasses to drink the beverage.

However, at this moment, the Grand Master of Ceremonies said, "Lord Jiuding, you are not only good at leading troops into battle, but I have also heard that you are quite adept at governing local areas. I wonder if you have any opinions about the court?"

The Grand Master's words drew everyone's attention.

After all, Lu Ming now holds a pivotal position in the Great Yu Kingdom.

His Majesty and the royal family trust him greatly, and his godfather is the Prime Minister.

His words were enough to change the decision-making process of the Great Yu Dynasty.

Lu Ming did not speak directly. After organizing his thoughts, he said, "Grand Master, I have heard many rumors these days. It is said that the forces outside the region want to blockade my Great Yu, and that the internal situation is in dire need of reconstruction."

Each one is a challenge for us.

But I believe that the most important thing right now is the people.

Along the way, many people lost their homes. They not only had no food, but also had to do all kinds of labor and were even exploited by officials. Although these people had no cultivation, my Great Yu is a humane country.

Moreover, I believe that any dynasty that wants to develop cannot do without people.

Only when the people live well will they cultivate themselves and study, and only then can the court remain stable.

Only in this way can an ironclad foundation be built.

To prevent the recurrence of war.

If the people can no longer survive, even if the court can continue to suppress them, it will still be itself that suffers losses.

"This recent rebellion has caused considerable losses to our Great Yu Dynasty."

Lu Ming said slowly.

For a moment, the ministers in the hall began to whisper among themselves.

In fact, treating the people well sounds simple, but in today's world, it is very difficult to do.

This will affect the interests of many people.

A hundred years ago, a minister of the Great Yu Dynasty said something similar, but he died in his own home less than half a month later.

At that time, the other party already held a high position in the imperial court.

Now, Lu Ming has brought this up again, and the expressions on the faces of the court officials are all different.

Some people nodded frequently, seemingly in support.

Some people's faces darkened instantly.

However, Lu Ming didn't care about these things; he was no ordinary subject.

He controlled fourteen states and commanded a million soldiers.

His subordinates were willing to go through fire and water for him.

In terms of strength, apart from the royal family, no one in the Great Yu Dynasty can threaten him.

Therefore, there is naturally no fear.

"Then how should this be changed?" the Empress's cold voice rang out.

Lu Ming glanced at the other person behind the curtain and said, "Strictly order local governments not to harass the people. The imperial court will allocate funds to the people to rebuild their homes so that they are not destitute. Organize the people to reclaim wasteland and grow grain."

These are all very simple things to say, and everyone knows this principle.

However, too many people were unwilling to comply. According to what I saw along the way, a local garrison commander took advantage of the war to capture thousands of refugees and enslave them, forcing them to work day and night in his mines.

People die in the mines every day.

Your Majesty, the people are the foundation for the development of the Great Yu Dynasty.

Lu Ming's words once again plunged the hall into silence.

Some officials looked uncomfortable.

After all, they have done quite a few things like this, and they are still doing them.

They're all free labor, so why not use them?

When he saw Lu Ming repeatedly infringing on his own interests.

Finally, an official couldn't sit still any longer and spoke up, "Lord Jiuding, you've probably been in the Southern Frontier for too long. You don't know that the world is divided into different classes. How can ordinary people compare to us?"

Enslaving them is normal; why ruin the harmony among us for the sake of some lowly people?

The speaker was a marquis, born into a military family, whose position was hereditary.

Therefore, he was aloof and did not agree with Lu Ming's words.

"The fortune of the Great Yu is supported by these people. Without them, with your strength, those disciples from the sects outside the realm could easily kill you with a single slap. Don't think I'm threatening you."

By exploiting the people, you are actually depleting the fortune of the Great Yu Dynasty.

If you don't believe me, you can lead your troops to attack the Great Xia right now, invade beyond the borders, and expand the territory of my Great Yu.

"If you can do that, then pretend I never said it," Lu Ming said calmly.

They showed no respect whatsoever to the other party.

For a moment, the courtiers were stunned.

No one expected that what was supposed to be a celebration for Lu Ming's success would turn into a trap set by the other party.

“I also think that Lord Jiuding is right. After experiencing this war, we should indeed realize the importance of the people. Without the people, with the strength of our Great Yu, let alone the seven major sects, even the slightly stronger sects would probably not be able to withstand it.”

At this moment, the Grand Master of Ceremonies slowly spoke.

At this moment, all the ministers knew.

This is probably not just Lu Ming's idea, but also the court's.

Then, the Empress's voice rang out at the same time, "Prime Minister, then let's follow the Duke of Jiuding's suggestion and get the refugees from all over the country back to their ancestral homes as soon as possible. The court will be responsible for helping them rebuild their homes and can reduce their taxes for one year."

As for those officials who took advantage of the situation to enslave the people, they are ordered to provide sufficient money and food to the people within half a month and send them home. Those who fail to comply within the time limit will be executed without mercy!

"Yes, Your Majesty!" Li Yan quickly stepped forward and said.

Then, the Empress's gaze fell on Wei Zhong. "The Black-Clad Guards will be responsible for assisting."

"As ordered!"

Wei Zhong quickly stepped forward and said.

His gaze swept over the assembled officials, a cruel glint in his eyes.

This is what he likes to do most.

The atmosphere in the main hall then became less harmonious than it had been at the beginning.

The gathering dispersed in less than an hour.

Of course, Lu Ming was also rewarded accordingly: he was granted the title of Second-Rank Duke of Jiuding, Grand Marshal, General of the Cavalry, and commander of all the troops in the land.

Each of these positions is of paramount importance in Dayu.

Lu Ming had not expected the Empress to bestow such favor upon him.

As the banquet ended and they were just leaving the palace...

Li Yan then pulled Lu Ming aside and said, "When we get back, there might be guests at home, so don't say anything out of line."

Upon hearing the sound, Lu Ming looked at his godfather with a puzzled expression.

I don't know why the other party would say that.

But she nodded nonetheless.

Then, the two slowly headed towards the Prime Minister's residence.

Meanwhile, in Li Yan's inner quarters, a beautiful woman had arrived at some point and was talking to Zhang Shi and Li Xirou.

They seemed to be talking about something happy.

He let out a clear, cheerful laugh.

(End of this chapter)