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

"You, you are that...that emperor?"

The young man who fought alongside him, the leader of the rebels, called him brother, and discussed philosophy with him was the emperor he hated the most.

Chu Yunlong was momentarily at a loss, somewhat surprised, and even more bewildered, unsure of how to get along with Lu Zuo.

The other two felt the same way—surprised and bewildered.

The three hated corrupt officials, powerful families, and even more so, the debauched and tyrannical emperor!

But facing Lu Zuo...

The hatred in my heart just wouldn't come back.

"Gentlemen, although I concealed my identity, it was out of necessity. I hope you will forgive me."

He paused for a moment, then continued, "As long as the green hills remain, there will always be firewood to burn."

"You all have such a precious time in your lives; you shouldn't waste it on a prefect."

The men's fearless and magnanimous demeanor just now led Lu Zuo to conclude that they could be recruited.

After all, if one wanted to ascend the throne, one would never risk one's life like this!

Chu Yunlong took a deep breath, clenched his fists tightly, and stared intently into Lu Zuo's eyes with eyes as sharp as two quick knives.

"call……"

After a long silence, he sighed again and waved his hand, "Never mind..."

"I believe you are not as debauched and immoral as the rumors suggest, but, but why did you appoint Shen An?"

Why is the disaster in Nantong being ignored?

Do you know how many people died in Nantong?

"Sigh..." Lu Zuo sighed softly, "Do you all think that as long as the emperor is discerning, the world will be at peace and enjoy lasting stability?"

"There are some things that even I can't control."

"Take what Brother Chu just mentioned about the disaster in Nantong, for example. Before today, I had never received any reports about it!"

"Gentlemen, I think we should have a serious talk."

……

A short while later.

Under the moonlight, at the edge of the forest, several people sat in a circle on a few blue stones.

"I see……."

Lu Zuo frowned slightly. Just now, Chu Yunlong and the others opened their hearts and spoke from the bottom of their hearts, explaining that they were suffering from a severe drought in Nantong, and that the government was controlling the refugees in order to cover up the disaster.

Not only did they levy exorbitant taxes and plunder the people, but they also stationed troops in villages and towns to strictly prohibit people from going out to beg.

As a result, countless people starved to death!

Ordinary people resorted to cannibalism by exchanging children, and there were even heinous incidents of people killing their wives and cooking them.

Such things have happened frequently throughout history, especially during the Qing Dynasty.

Lu Zuo had read relevant historical records when he was on Earth.

He knew a little about Shen An. This man came from a collateral branch of the Shen family of Wuxing and seemed to be recommended by the Shen family to be promoted to governor.

This guy probably didn't want the disaster to affect his political achievements, so that the court officials wouldn't hesitate to speak up for him, which is why he acted so utterly depraved!

"As the lord of a prefecture, instead of providing disaster relief and reporting to the court, he forcibly extorted money, just to complete this year's tax revenue and add glory to his political achievements."

"Why won't you let the people save themselves and starve to death?"

Lu Zuo was furious, and it wasn't an act for the three of them; he was genuinely enraged!

Bang!

He slammed his hand on the stone surface, his voice low and menacing: "What a beast that eats human flesh and drinks human blood!"

"Is there any justice in not killing them?"

Seeing him like this, the others felt a mixture of joy and excitement, and their goodwill towards Lu Zuo increased once again.

If the emperor is truly enraged, then Shen An will surely be severely punished.

They were thrilled that the emperor was on the side of the people, and that there was still hope for the country.

"His Majesty."

Huang Ye's voice was slightly choked with emotion: "If you went to Nantong, you would know how miserable the people there are!"

My cousin is...

"She was crying as she threw her starving child into the..."

She paused, unable to continue speaking.

Lin Ruhai sighed, cupped his hands, and said, "Your Majesty, if the tragedy of cannibalism hadn't occurred in Nantong, we wouldn't have led the rebellion."

"Please forgive me, Your Majesty."

Lu Zuo shook his head: "No, you are innocent."

what?

Upon hearing this, the group was slightly taken aback. Regardless of the reason, committing treason and rebellion in this era was a serious crime among serious crimes!

No matter how wise or compassionate the emperor may be, he will not show mercy to rebels!

But he actually said he was innocent?

"You did nothing wrong, just your methods and ideas were wrong."

The group looked at Lu Zuo with puzzled expressions, wondering what the emperor was trying to say.

"well……"

Lu Zuo sighed, stood up from the rock, and looked up at the bright moon in the night sky: "The Chen Kingdom is rotten to the core..."

He turned around, his gaze sharp, staring intently at Chu Yunlong and the others, and said in a deep voice, "Your spirit of saving the people and daring to resist is commendable."

"But if we continue in this way, it will only add to human tragedy, and there is absolutely no chance of success!"

"Currently, powerful clans control 70% of the world's wealth, and officials at all levels and martial arts masters are all subordinate to them."

"To be frank, with your limited cultivation levels, how can those people in Nantong, who can't even get enough to eat, possibly rebel? How can they possibly win?"

"Saving the people and the world is a long-term struggle, requiring a practical and correct program!"

"And what have you done?"

"I'm not trying to save the world, I'm just filled with righteous indignation, I'm just venting my anger!"

"I am not saying that you do not have the heart to save the world, but that your methods are wrong and you have embarked on the path of venting your anger."

The three listened to Lu Zuo's words with blank expressions, not quite understanding, yet feeling that what he said made a lot of sense...

Chu Yunlong thought for a moment and asked, "Your Majesty, are you saying... we made a mistake in assassinating Shen Anzhi?"

Lu Zuo nodded: "Wrong!"

"Completely wrong!"

"The tragedy in Nantong has already occurred, and the situation is beyond repair. We should preserve ourselves, seek out like-minded righteous individuals, and plan a comeback, rather than trading our lives with a beast!"

"What difference would it make if we killed him now?"

"With so many corrupt officials in the land, no matter who takes over the Southern Chen dynasty, the people's lives will still not be any better!"

That makes sense...

That makes sense!

The three of them's eyes lit up, as if they had been enlightened, but at the same time they were even more confused...

How could an emperor advise a rebel?

Huang Ye looked puzzled: "Your Majesty, why... why does it seem like you support our rebellion?"

Lu Zuo smiled and revealed his answer: "Because, I also want to rebel!"

"I'll lead you all in a rebellion!"

"Let us lead all those who suffer in the world to overthrow this corrupt world!"

what?

The three of them stood there, completely bewildered.

The emperor led a rebellion?

Never before in all of history, for thousands of years, has such an event occurred!

This is truly an unprecedented event!

Lu Zuo has been pondering this repeatedly these past few days. He believes that the Southern Chen Dynasty is utterly corrupt, and even if he kills Shi Wenqing and Li Chengan and becomes the true emperor, he will be powerless to reverse the situation.

Firstly, there is no time to address the issue.

According to historical timelines, he has less than seven years left.

But no one can say for sure what will happen to this fictional world, or how much time it has left.

Secondly, the nine powerful families are deeply entrenched, and 60% of the officials at all levels are their people.

The desire to revitalize the country will inevitably infringe upon the interests of powerful families.

How can one succeed?

Only a bottom-up revolution, which develops its own armed forces among the people, can break the mold!

Break this deadlock!

This armed force can not only develop in the Southern Chen Dynasty, but also expand into the Sui Dynasty!

In addition, this is also a way out for him.