Chapter 802

As long as Zhang Ning can marry the Lord Marquis,

then he, Duan Yu, can be considered someone with a backer in the Lord Marquis's inner residence in the future.

A Lady Zhang, and a Lady Zhen.

It simply couldn't be more impressive.

The expression on Duan Yu's face grew increasingly smug.

"The future?"

Zhang Jiao looked at Duan Yu with eyes full of doubt and shock.

Duan Yu smiled and nodded, saying, "That's right, the future."

"Everything recorded about the future, everything regarding the Great Virtuous Teacher—it is precisely because of this that I began laying out my plans in Jizhou even before the Great Virtuous Teacher started the uprising."

"I also know that the reason the Way of Peace has been able to develop until now is that it is mixed with many interests."

"There are people who want to use the Great Virtuous Teacher's Way of Peace to obtain certain benefits from the hands of the Son of Heaven."

"Now it seems their goal has been achieved."

"Of course, it is also precisely because of this that the Way of Peace has now been abandoned by them."

Zhang Jiao was still immersed in the shock of what Duan Yu had just said about coming from the future.

As for the interest relationships Duan Yu spoke of, and the fact that there were people pushing things from behind the scenes, Zhang Jiao had already been clear about that three years ago.

It was just that it was too late.

The Way of Peace had long since exceeded his control.

His former disciples had long since been persuaded and utilized by others.

Even his personal disciple, Zhang Mancheng, was no longer under his control.

"Since you come from the future, you should know my ending." Zhang Jiao looked at Duan Yu.

Duan Yu nodded and said, "Counting it up, the Great Virtuous Teacher should have about a month of life left."

"However, if I hadn't changed the course of history, the Great Virtuous Teacher would have been trapped to death inside Guangzong City."

"And the followers of the Way of Peace inside Guangzong City would all have been slaughtered by Huangfu Song in Qinghe."

"As for later, your two younger brothers would both die in battle one after another, and the Way of Peace would be gradually wiped out a few months later."

"The number of people who would die would be counted in the millions."

Zhang Jiao lowered his head in silence.

He had worked hard and exhausted his heart's blood, all just to let the common people have a mouthful of food.

Yet in the end, he had harmed the common people of the world.

Duan Yu looked at the silent Zhang Jiao and said, "Of course, the Great Virtuous Teacher does not need to blame himself, because the cause does not lie with you."

"It lies with those people who wanted to use the Way of Peace to obtain benefits."

"The Way of Peace must have headed toward this step under their pushing and pulling."

"Are you talking about Yuan Kui?" Zhang Jiao looked up at Duan Yu.

Hm?

"The Great Virtuous Teacher knows?" Duan Yu was somewhat surprised.

Zhang Jiao took a deep breath and nodded, then reached out to touch the scar on his chest.

"Three years ago, the Runan Yuan clan once sent someone to find me, hoping to cooperate with me."

"But at the time, I refused."

"Coincidentally, the very next day after I refused the Runan Yuan clan, I encountered an assassination attempt."

"But fortunately, my life was relatively tough, and I didn't die."

Duan Yu nodded and said, "Actually, it wasn't just the Runan Yuan clan; the Hongnong Yang clan, the Qinghe Cui clan, the Taishan Yang clan..."

"The scholar clans and partisans of the world, all the scholar clans affected by the Disasters of Partisan Prohibitions, were participants in this."

"Otherwise, how could eight provinces of the world respond simultaneously? Such a thing could not have been completed without years of meticulous planning."

Having experienced the betrayal at Quliang City, Zhang Jiao had long since seen through all of this.

"Then... you tell me all this, aren't you afraid that I will tell others?" Zhang Jiao looked at Duan Yu.

Duan Yu smiled and shook his head.

If Zhang Jiao were not on the verge of death, he would absolutely not have said these words.

Besides, Zhang Jiao was currently under his control; it was absolutely impossible for him to escape.

Moreover, what he was going to do next aligned with Zhang Jiao's philosophy.

"The Great Virtuous Teacher does not need to test me anymore." Duan Yu said with a relaxed expression, "If I were of the same path as the Runan Yuan clan or the Hongnong Yang clan, I could completely take the Great Virtuous Teacher's head to Luoyang to exchange for an opportunity to be enfeoffed as a marquis or general."

"But that is not what I want."

"Then... what do you want?" Zhang Jiao looked at Duan Yu in confusion.

Duan Yu's gaze turned toward the followers of the Way of Peace who had set up camp in the distance.

"I want to relocate the million followers of the Way of Peace to Liangzhou."

"Only in this way will these million followers of the Way of Peace be spared from slaughter."

"So..."

Duan Yu paused.

The fundamental reason for relocating a million followers of the Way of Peace to Liang was to replenish the population of Liangzhou.

"So, I need the help of the Great Virtuous Teacher." Duan Yu looked at Zhang Jiao and said, "You are the leader of the Way of Peace; whatever you say, the followers of the Way of Peace will believe."

"You only need to tell them that going to Liangzhou will allow them to survive."

"There, there is food, there are the plow oxen I have prepared, and there is the land and the grain seeds I have prepared for them to farm."

"There, they will not need to endure the exploitation and oppression of the imperial court, nor will they need to worry about officials sucking their blood and flesh."

Relocate a million followers of the Way of Peace to Liangzhou?

Zhang Jiao was stunned on the spot by the earth-shattering words spoken in Duan Yu's calm tone.

This matter sounded extremely insane just to hear.

One could imagine how difficult it would be to achieve.

"Are you serious?" Zhang Jiao looked at Duan Yu in disbelief and said, "You really want to relocate a million followers of the Way of Peace to Liangzhou?"

Duan Yu nodded extremely seriously: "That's right, I have already prepared food supply points along the way."

"As long as the Great Virtuous Teacher cooperates, I will definitely have a way to relocate the million followers of the Way of Peace to Liangzhou."

"It's just that I don't know if the Great Virtuous Teacher is willing."

Duan Yu looked at Zhang Jiao with anticipation.

To relocate a million followers of the Way of Peace to Liangzhou, the most critical point was Zhang Jiao.

As long as Zhang Jiao nodded and agreed, then this matter would be half-finished.

Zhang Jiao's prestige among the followers of the Way of Peace was like that of a god.

Whatever he said, the followers of the Way of Peace would believe.

As long as Zhang Jiao spoke of the many benefits of Liangzhou, the followers of the Way of Peace would head to Liangzhou.

This matter would be almost half-successful.

As for the remaining half, it would depend on his own operations.

How to get the imperial court to pardon these million rebels of the Way of Peace, and how to get the imperial court to agree to the relocation of a million people into Liang.

Zhang Jiao could not imagine what benefit Duan Yu would get from doing this.

But one thing was certain: if what Duan Yu said was true, then the million followers of the Way of Peace having a path to survive by relocating to Liangzhou was enough.

To have a mouthful of food, not to have to sell their children, not to have to trade children to eat.

Not to have to die of old age or illness with no one to care for them.

Wasn't this the original intention he had wanted?

"I can."

After thinking about it seriously, Zhang Jiao nodded and agreed: "I can cooperate with you, but I have one more condition."

Duan Yu nodded: "That's fine, the Great Virtuous Teacher may speak as he wishes."

Zhang Jiao's gaze turned toward Zhang Ning in the distance and said, "I am a man on the verge of death; there is nothing left in this world for me to be attached to, but I still have a daughter."

"I hope that after I die, she can be treated well."

"Before I die, I will appoint my daughter, Zhang Ning, as the Saintess of the Way of Peace." ===== CHAPTER 804 =====