You, a tyrannical ruler, roam the heavens; you cannot understand my joy.

However, amidst the praise, there were also those who remained clear-headed and calm.

"His Majesty."

The newly appointed Imperial Censor spoke up: "Your Majesty's method is ingeniously conceived and can indeed solve the immediate crisis."

"However...I have a concern."

"If local cement workshops are allowed to be responsible for their own profits and losses and sell their own products, they will effectively control the production and sales of cement in their respective areas."

"If this power is not checked and balanced, I fear... I fear it will breed abuses."

"For example, the person in charge may overstate costs and conceal profits."

"They could either lower the wages of artisans and exploit laborers, or collude with powerful figures to hoard goods and manipulate market prices."

"Even worse, the use of inferior materials affects the quality of construction and has endless consequences."

"This is not an exaggeration on my part; it is a serious matter where power and profit are combined, and we must be wary!"

These words were like cold water, sobering up some of the feverish minds.

Yes, if workshops are given such a lot of autonomy, especially in production, sales and finances, without strict supervision, wouldn't they become independent little treasuries and local tyrants?

Embezzlement, exploitation, and fraud are almost inevitable.

Upon hearing this, Lu Zuo nodded slightly: "Your concerns are very valid. With power comes responsibility, and with profit comes supervision."

"Although cement workshops can be self-sufficient, their officials are still appointed by the imperial court and subject to regular assessments."

"The workshop's accounts must be submitted to the Ministry of Revenue and the Imperial City Guard for auditing every month, and I will also send people to secretly investigate from time to time."

"The wages of craftsmen must be fixed and posted publicly. If there is any deduction, the craftsmen can report it to the local authorities or even directly to the emperor. If the report is verified, the craftsmen will be severely punished."

"The Ministry of Works may set a guiding price for cement, which may fluctuate, but hoarding and profiteering are strictly prohibited."

"The quality of cement is to be inspected by a special department established by the Ministry of Works. Cement that does not meet specifications is not allowed to leave the factory, and those in charge will be held accountable!"

One regulatory measure after another came out of Lu Zuo's mouth. Although they were not detailed articles, the framework was established and the direction was clear.

The officials in the hall, especially those in charge of supervision and criminal matters, immediately became serious, knowing that this matter was no trivial matter and that His Majesty had already thought it through carefully.

"The specific rules for supervision and assessment shall be determined by the Secretariat and the Chancellery, in conjunction with the Ministry of Works, the Ministry of Revenue, the Ministry of Justice, and the Censorate, and submitted to the emperor within ten days."

Lu Zuo concluded by stating: "The cement issue concerns the fate of the nation and must be handled properly and well. It must generate benefits while also controlling its drawbacks."

"Gentlemen, do you understand?"

"Your Majesty, we obey your decree! Your Majesty is wise!" The officials responded in unison, their voices echoing throughout the palace.

……

A month later, it was late autumn.

The sky over Lin'an was overcast, and a light drizzle fell, soaking the bluestone streets into a damp, dark hue.

Guo Xiaotian and Ke Zhen'e walked side by side on South Street, their ears filled with the cries of children, the coughs of the elderly, and the weak begging voices.

"Please have mercy... give me a bite to eat..."

"I fled from Shandong; my home was burned down by the Jin soldiers..."

A dozen or so figures were huddled under the eaves of a building on the street corner.

There was an old man in tattered clothes, a woman holding a baby, and a middle-aged man with a broken leg, leaning against the wall, staring blankly at the rain.

Guo Xiaotian frowned, and the lines on his dark face deepened.

He clenched his fists, his knuckles turning white: "There are twenty-three beggars on this short street alone."

"I went outside the city yesterday and saw that the dilapidated temples, bridge arches, and wastelands were packed with people."

Ke Zhen'e stopped walking by pausing with his iron staff.

His gaze swept over the huddled figures, a hint of pity flashing in his eyes, which was then replaced by deep anger.

"In the past two years, too many people have fled from the north."

"North of the Huai River, the land became a hunting ground for the Jurchens."

"They did not treat the Han people as human beings. The men were captured and enslaved, and the women were taken into their camps. The fields were left to lie fallow and the villages were burned down."

Of those who managed to escape, less than one in ten survived.

"But what good is escaping?" Guo Xiaotian sighed, pointing to an old man huddled on a street corner: "Where does the imperial court find enough food to settle him?"

"The Lin'an government provides porridge twice a day, a bowl of rice water so thin you can see your reflection in it. How can anyone survive on that?"

"Yesterday I saw three children fighting over half a moldy pancake..."

Ke Zhen'e remained silent for a moment, then suddenly sneered: "Golden Dog... Golden Dog!"

The iron rod struck the ground heavily, making a dull thud on the stone slab.

"Back then, I went north with a few brothers and witnessed firsthand how they massacred the village."

"This blood feud will be avenged sooner or later!"

"But what about these people now?" Guo Xiaotian lowered his voice. "If this continues, I'm afraid..."

I fear a popular uprising.

He didn't say those four words aloud, but Ke Zhen'e understood them.

He looked up at the gray sky, raindrops pattering on his resolute face.

"The rise and fall of the nation is the responsibility of every citizen."

Ke Zhen'e said, word by word, "But how many people can you and I save? How many enemies can we kill?"

The two looked at each other in silence, with only the sound of rain pattering down.

When they reached the south gate, the two realized something was wrong.

In the past, although soldiers guarded the city gates, pedestrians hurried by and rarely stopped.

Today, however, a dense crowd of people could be seen, probably hundreds of them gathered at the foot of the city wall, pointing and whispering about something, their voices buzzing like a swarm of bees.

"What happened?" Guo Xiaotian asked alertly, pressing his hand on the hilt of his knife.

Ke Zhen'e narrowed his eyes, his gaze piercing through the gaps in the crowd like lightning: "There are new notices posted on the city wall."

"There are too many onlookers, I can't see the words clearly."

The two squeezed into the crowd. Guo Xiaotian was burly, strong, and steady, and he parted to make way for them.

Arriving at the front, one sees a brand-new yellow paper notice posted on the city wall, the ink still fresh.

Two yamen runners and a minor official in a green robe stood beside the notice, loudly answering the people's questions.

Guo Xiaotian looked closely and saw four large characters at the top of the notice: Recruitment Order!

As he read on, his pupils suddenly contracted.

"By the Mandate of Heaven, the Emperor decrees:"

"Now that the Jianghuai region has been initially pacified, the world is gradually becoming more peaceful."

"However, the migration of refugees from the north to the south has caused frequent disasters in various places, which saddens my heart."

"The Ministry of Works was specially ordered to construct 'government-run cement workshops' in key locations of various prefectures and cities to provide work relief and resettle displaced persons..."

"Those who enlist in the ward will be provided with three meals a day, with plenty of rice and noodles, and meat every ten days."

"Monthly wages... are divided into three grades based on skill level, with the lowest earner receiving two strings of copper coins!"

The surrounding people were in uproar.

"Two strings?"

"I only earn two hundred cash a month carrying heavy loads for others!"

"All you can eat is enough for three meals a day?"

"Is there any meat left?"

Guo Xiaotian continued reading: "A clinic is set up in the workshop, where craftsmen can receive free medical treatment when they fall ill. If they have family members, they can be housed in the barracks outside the workshop. Children who are six years old or older can attend the 'workshop school' free of charge..."

Even Ke Zhen'e gasped in shock.

"This, this isn't recruiting workers! This is simply..." This well-traveled swordsman couldn't find the right words for a moment.

An old man in the crowd asked tremblingly, "Sir, is everything stated in this notice... valid?"

The young official in the green robe declared loudly, "Of course it counts!"

"This was drafted by His Majesty himself, and jointly signed by the six ministries of the court!"

"The cement workshop in Lin'an Prefecture has been selected at the foot of Phoenix Mountain, and recruitment will begin within three days."

"The first quota is 2,000 people, and only displaced persons will be accepted."

Disaster victims!

"Why only recruit displaced people?" some complained.

The official said solemnly, "His Majesty has decreed that displaced people, having left their homes and homes, without land or property, are in the most distressed situation and should be given priority in resettlement."

"If you local residents have a livelihood, do not compete with the suffering people for this means of survival!"

Even so, the envy in the crowd was almost overflowing.

A young man clicked his tongue and exclaimed loudly, half-jokingly, "With such good conditions, I'd even consider becoming a vagrant!"

There was laughter all around, but the laughter was full of bitterness.

Guo Xiaotian and Ke Zhen'e exchanged a glance, both seeing the surprise in each other's eyes, which then turned into deep joy.

"well!"

"Your Majesty's strategy is truly a stroke of genius!"

Ke Zhen'e nodded emphatically, a rare smile appearing on his face: "In this way, the refugees will have a way to survive, the local area will be at peace, and the court will have useful workers and loyal subjects."

"A win-win situation!"

Now that this notice has been issued, the people have hope, the pressure on the military camp has been greatly reduced, and the rear of the Northern Expedition can finally be considered truly secure.

"Quickly!" Guo Xiaotian exclaimed excitedly, "Go back and tell Tie Xin this good news!"

"He was so worried about this matter these past few days that he couldn't even eat. Now he can finally relax!"

.....

Yingtian Prefecture, Imperial Study of the Imperial Palace.

The autumn rain outside the window has stopped, and the afternoon sun shines through the carved window, casting dappled light and shadow on the blue brick floor.

The fragrance of ambergris rises gently from the incense burner, filling the room with a warm, scholarly atmosphere.

Li Qingzhao wore a light blue palace dress with silver thread lotus patterns embroidered on the cuffs, which made her skin look as white as snow.

She stood beside the imperial desk, holding a ledger in her hand, her voice clear and melodious: "Your Majesty, as of yesterday, a total of forty-seven cement workshops have been started across the country."

"Among them, eight are on Jingji Road, twelve on Liangzhe Road, and nine on Jiangnan East Road..."

Li Qingzhao turned the page and continued, "The total number of displaced artisans recruited into the workshops is over 387,600."

"According to the preliminary estimate based on the '334' profit-sharing system set by His Majesty, if each workshop operates smoothly, the court can receive approximately... 800,000 taels of silver in profit by the end of the year."

She looked up, her eyes shining, "This doesn't even include the long-term benefits of using the cement to build official roads, river embankments, and city walls."

"Minister Shen of the Ministry of Works submitted a memorial yesterday, stating that if the Bian River dike is rebuilt with cement, it can be guaranteed that there will be no risk of dike collapse for fifty years."

"Haha, great!"

Lu Zuo laughed and reached out, grasping Li Qingzhao's slender wrist.

"Your Majesty..." Li Qingzhao exclaimed softly, almost dropping the account book.

With a little effort, Lu Zuo pulled her into his arms.

Caught off guard, Li Qingzhao fell onto his lap, her palace dress billowing out like flower petals.

A blush rose to her face, and she tried to get up, but Lu Zuo put his arm around her waist.

"Don't move." Lu Zuo whispered in her ear, his warm breath brushing against her earlobe: "Let me hear your good news, my dear minister."

Li Qingzhao's body stiffened slightly, but she quickly relaxed.

"His Majesty……"

"There's one more thing."

"The Prefect of Lin'an reported that on the first day of recruitment for the Phoenix Mountain workshop, more than 5,000 people applied, far exceeding the quota."

"There are still displaced people gathering outside the workshop. We earnestly request the court to expand recruitment."

Lu Zuo casually toyed with a strand of her hair that had fallen down her back and said, "Granted."

"Tell Lin'an Prefecture to take in as many refugees as possible."

"But we must strictly verify the place of origin, and not let local hooligans sneak in and collect salaries without working."

"Yes." Li Qingzhao noted it down, feeling the warmth of the hand around her waist, her heartbeat quickened slightly.

.....

Thousands of miles away, in the Western Regions, deep in the Gangdise Mountains.

This is a world completely different from the Central Plains.

The sky was so blue it was almost transparent, and the sunlight poured down without any obstruction, making the continuous snow-capped mountains shine with golden light.

Nestled on the mountainside, a magnificent temple stands against the mountain, its red walls and golden roof gleaming in the snow, resembling a divine kingdom.

This is Dalun Temple, one of the ancestral temples of Esoteric Buddhism.

The "Sunlight Hall" at the highest point of the temple is filled with the aroma of incense.

Deep within the main hall, a towering, gilded Buddha statue, three zhang tall, smiles with lowered eyes. Before the Buddha sits an old monk draped in a crimson robe.

The old monk's age was indiscernible; his face was like the bark of an ancient tree, deeply lined with wrinkles, but his eyes were as clear as a baby's, with stars seemingly flowing in their depths. He was Sangye Gyatso, the current Living Buddha of Dalun Monastery.

There was still one person kneeling in the hall at that moment.

This man was dressed in the attire of a Jin dynasty nobleman, in a fur robe and sable hat, but he was covered in dust, and his cheeks were peeling from the scorching highland sun. His forehead touched the ground, his posture one of extreme humility.

"Jin envoy Heshilietai, by order of His Majesty Wanyan Dan, pays homage to the Living Buddha."

Sangye Gyatso closed his eyes and remained silent, a string of ebony prayer beads slowly turning in his hand. After a long while, he finally spoke, his voice as clear and majestic as melting snow on a mountain:

"What does the Emperor of Jin want from this old monk?"

Heshi Lietai raised his head and said urgently, "I earnestly request the Living Buddha to send a high-ranking monk to help my Great Jin train the 'Elite Battalion'."

"That Song Dynasty emperor somehow acquired some kind of sorcery, enabling him to single-handedly defeat an army and kill Marshal Zong Bi in battle!"

"The martial arts world of the Song Dynasty is now even more rampant, with figures like Hong Qigong and Huang Yaoshi openly serving as lackeys of the imperial court, aiding and abetting evil!"

He paused, a flash of hatred in his eyes: "As long as a high-ranking Tantric monk emerges from seclusion, he will surely be able to suppress the martial arts world of the Song Dynasty and find an opportunity to assassinate that demon emperor!"

"After this is accomplished, my lord wishes to establish Tantric Buddhism as the state religion and place all three hundred Buddhist temples within the Sixteen Prefectures of Yan and Yun under the leadership of the Living Buddha!"

The main hall was completely silent.

Only when Sangye Gyatso's prayer beads turned did they make a soft "clattering" sound.

Suddenly, the Living Buddha opened his eyes.

There was no compassion in those eyes at that moment, only a chilling coldness like the edge of a knife.

"Emperors of the Song Dynasty..."

"He stole my Tantric treasure, the Dragon Elephant Prajna Skill, which is blasphemous to Buddhism and disrespectful to the Three Jewels."

"Furthermore, they used sorcery to deceive the masses and falsely claimed to be acting on divine mandate..."

"If this villain is not eliminated, Buddhism will be tarnished."

Heshilietai was overjoyed: "The Living Buddha agreed?"

Sangye Gyatso did not answer directly, but turned to the shadows on the side of the main hall and said calmly:

"Tenzin, Dorje, Tashi... you all heard that."

Thirteen monks slowly emerged from the shadows.

They were of different ages, ranging from elderly monks with white hair and beards to middle-aged men with sharp eyes.

Without exception, they were all top-tier masters with prominent temples, long and shallow breaths, and internal and external cultivation.

The leading elderly monk, Tenzin, clasped his hands in prayer and said, "I will respectfully follow the teachings of the Living Buddha."

Sangye Gyatso's gaze swept over the thirteen people: "You thirteen, each lead ten disciples, and set off eastward immediately."

"First, retrieve the complete text of the Dragon Elephant Prajna Kung Fu."

"Second, eradicate the Beggars' Sect, Peach Blossom Island, and other martial arts forces that aid and abet evil."

"third……"

A cold glint flashed in his eyes: "If I have the chance, I will take the head of that Song Dynasty emperor and offer it as a sacrifice to Buddha."

"Disciples obey!" The thirteen monks responded in unison, their voices echoing through the hall.

Heshilietai trembled with excitement, repeatedly kowtowing, "Thank you, Living Buddha! Thank you, Living Buddha!"

Sangye Gyatso stopped looking at him, turned and gazed up at the enormous Buddha statue, his voice deep and thunderous:

"Buddhism has been transmitted eastward for a thousand years; how can it be defiled by a mere demon emperor?"

"I'd like to see if your sorcery can withstand the combined might of my 130 Dragon Elephant Masters!"