Chapter 234: The Whole World Is Astonished

No way?

This is a speech that became very famous in later generations!

Just this?

Liu Zheng was a bit dumbfounded.

He had spent several nights writing it, and yet, not one of you even applauded?

How embarrassing for me!

"I..."

He coughed once, intending to continue speaking.

At this moment,

finally, the entire venue erupted.

"Good!"

"This..."

"Is this Prefect Liu?"

"My god! This, this is too beautiful!"

"Good, let's build a pure land together!"

"I want freedom!"

"Young Master Liu, we will follow you!"

In the entire Yanqi City, there was not a single person who did not feel shocked and inspired by this "speech" of Liu Zheng's. It must be said that these prisoners had been very numb when they first arrived here, and some had even been thinking about how to escape from this godforsaken place.

But now...

This shot of adrenaline from Liu Zheng made them all boil with excitement.

No ranks, no classes? Free development, free construction?

What the hell is this?

People living in this era, where have they ever heard of such things? Let alone heard of them, they wouldn't even dare to dream of them! The current rulers would rather treat the people at the bottom like pigs and dogs; that is what feudal rule is.

But what did Prefect Liu mean?

He wanted to hand this Western Regions over to you!

Hand it over to you people, let you toss and turn as you please, let you develop as you please, yes. This land is yours, it is truly yours. Whatever you build it into, it is yours.

I, Prefect Liu, will not interfere.

The Protectorate will not interfere either.

Even the Longyan Dynasty will not interfere. You are responsible for your own profits and losses; what your life becomes depends on you. No matter who you are, everyone has the right to participate in construction, and everyone has the opportunity to get ahead.

Even...

Everyone can become a person above others!

This, at once, ignited the enthusiasm of these hundreds of thousands of people.

Those former officials, who wouldn't want to return to their former status?

Those generals, who wouldn't want to continue leading troops into battle?

Those slaves, who wouldn't want to shed their slave status?

Those prisoners, who wouldn't want to regain their freedom?

To them, the Western Regions had become a land without an owner, and they were the ones who had come to reclaim it. They were the masters!

In ancient times, people's feelings for their homeland were extremely deep, which is why large-scale waves of migration only appeared during the Qing government era. Therefore, Liu Zheng's speech this time was actually telling them:

Brothers.

You are not being exiled; this is a kingdom being gifted to you!

You are not the expelled; you are the true pioneers!

This concept is extremely important in this feudal dynasty where filial piety is supreme.

A big pie was drawn just like that.

"Prefect Liu is famous throughout the world; he truly lives up to his reputation!"

Some of the former literary giants among the prisoners were also convinced at this moment.

"I must accumulate points and follow Prefect Liu to the battlefield to kill the enemy as soon as possible!"

Xiong Ao and Feng Zhen both had the same thought at this moment.

Do it!

Roll up your sleeves and work hard!

Everyone in Yanqi City was in high spirits, and the atmosphere was completely different. They raised their cups one after another, toasting Liu Zheng from afar on the watchtower.

"The Young Master has great talent and bold strategy; we should drink a big cup to that!"

"Cheers!"

"From now on, this place is our home; we aren't leaving!"

"Good!"

The prisoners who had been forced to attend this banquet from the start were now completely won over by Liu Zheng. Watching all of this happen, Prince Yong had been smiling bitterly from beginning to end.

A few days ago,

he was still wondering what method Liu Zheng would use to make this group of unruly prisoners truly stay in the Western Regions. He had thought of many methods, but none of them were right.

However...

Liu Zheng only used a simple speech.

He is worthy of being Prefect Liu.

Prince Yong sighed deeply; this young man's grasp of the human heart had reached the pinnacle of perfection, and it was likely that no one in the entire Longyan Dynasty could compare to him.

"My Lady..."

"My Lady..."

At this moment, Xie Chan was listening so intently that she was clenching her small fists, her heart shocked beyond measure. It was only after the young girl beside her called her several times that she finally reacted.

"My Lady, this—should we still carry out the assassination or not?"

The young girl asked in a low voice.

At this time, the banquet had reached its peak; everyone was celebrating, raising their cups, flushed with wine and excitement.

Xie Chan pressed her red lips together, yet a look of hesitation flashed in her eyes.

That was right.

Just now, she had been forcibly drawn into a dreamlike space by Liu Zheng's words. In that place, there were no distinctions of rank, everyone was kind and pleasant, everyone worked from sunrise to sunset, there was no scheming, no deceit, no fighting, only healthy competition—the pursuit of points.

Could such a world truly exist?

She was a Princess of Dayuan.

She knew that under her own father the Emperor's feudal rule, those farmers were actually still suffering unspeakably.

But this Prefect Liu...

She felt that her own perceptions had received a violent shock today.

She opened her mouth, wanting to speak several times but stopping herself.

"Today, this Liu Gouzei has become the focus of the entire venue; it is not suitable to carry out the assassination. Continue to lie in wait and choose another day!"

"Yes!"

She decided to keep watching.

What exactly did this Prefect Liu want to do?

Was this grand vision he painted for this group of people today real, or was it just to bewitch people's hearts?

The Western Regions Protectorate.

Finally rebuilt.

This could be considered something that followed the wishes of the people. Prefect Liu's essay, "I Have a Dream," also began to shock the entire Longyan Dynasty.

Longyan Imperial Palace.

Xie Tianyao looked at this article brought back by carrier pigeon with an ashen face, remaining silent for a long time.

"Emperor, this Prefect Liu is completely blaspheming the ancestral laws! This precedent must absolutely not be set!"

Zhu Zhen seized the opportunity, knelt on the ground, and said with a clang.

"Indeed, Emperor, what exactly does this Prefect Liu want to do? Heaven-Given Imperial Power, the ruler is the guide for the subject, the father is the guide for the son, the husband is the guide for the wife—the ancient laws are as such. He has rebelled time and time again; if this continues, where will the state be, and where will the majesty of the Imperial House be!"

The group of Scholar-officials also jumped out one by one.

Could they not be anxious?

What freedom?

What lack of class distinctions? To put it bluntly, Liu Zheng was setting himself against the entire world!

He wanted to challenge the entire system of the feudal dynasty!

To challenge them, the vested interest holders.

The Prince of Qin, standing to the side, also had his brows locked in a frown.

This time, this Prefect Liu had really played too big... Logically speaking, since Liu Dahao was enfeoffed as a Baron and a Marquis of the Frontier, he was theoretically already one of their Noble Class. But this dream of Prefect Liu's... it completely did not conform to the interests of the Noble Class.

How should he speak?

Sure enough.

The old Emperor Xie Tianyao looked coldly at the Prince of Qin.

The Prince of Qin gave a dry cough, and suddenly a flash of inspiration struck his mind: "Emperor, your younger brother believes that Prefect Liu's long essay is precisely where he is most clever!"

The whole hall was startled.

"Prince of Qin, what are you saying!"

"Prince of Qin, you are muddled!"

"This child defies the ancestral temple and the state, defies the Imperial Power; he should be executed!"

The Prince of Qin smiled slightly.

"Everyone, although that may be so, the method used by Prefect Liu is indeed a bit extreme. But, everyone can think about it: compared to the previous Protectorates, which one could last longer?"

The whole hall fell silent, and they looked at each other in dismay.