eurekapd Chapter 45 Speculating on Origins, Believing Only in This Life
Chapter 45 Speculating on Origins, Believing Only in This Life
The emperor hurriedly turned back to the first page of the book in his hand.
He reread it from beginning to end, scrutinizing the words and phrases again, trying to find clues to piece together Chu Lengyu's origins.
The emperor became increasingly convinced that his guess was very likely true.
If Chu Lengyu isn't from this world, where did she live before? Could it be that her original world was a world of cultivators? Or perhaps the legendary... "Immortal Realm"?
The emperor's thoughts drifted far away, filled with endless reverie.
But after thinking about it for a while, he lowered his head again and looked at the diary in his hand.
Who exactly is she? Where does she come from? What is she going to do? What is the relationship between the Chu Lengyu of the past and the Chu Lengyu of the present?
The emperor had too many doubts in his mind, and he decided to leave the questions about Chu Lengyu's identity until last.
He believed these issues were different from others; they were very secretive to Chu Lengyu, and he was not suited to investigate them, at least not now.
The emperor kept those questions to himself.
He pondered that if the time was right in the future, he would ask Chu Lengyu again. Perhaps one day, without him even having to ask, she would answer his questions in her diary.
The emperor put the matter aside and continued reading the seventh entry in his diary.
"Then, let's write about what happened today."
"Chu Wenchen thought I had inherited my godfather's estate, so he bribed thieves to kidnap me. As soon as they approached Pine Forest Lodge, they were spotted by the gatekeeper and arrested on the spot."
"I come from a society governed by the rule of law and do not want to solve problems with violence as a priority, so I took those thieves to the Jingzhao Prefecture to see how the local government would handle the situation."
"If he is punished properly, then I will naturally not interfere. But if he and Chu Wenchen are cut from the same cloth, then I don't mind taking matters into my own hands."
"As a result, the Prefect of the Capital disappointed me."
"My evidence is indeed not very strong, but he should at least show a willingness to investigate."
"This reminds me of when I first transmigrated here. Chu Wen'er claimed that she would punish Lü Yun for stealing plum blossoms. At that time, she said that even without evidence, she should presume guilt."
"But today in the Jingzhao Prefecture, the Jingzhao Prefect not only presumed innocent but also defended the powerful and wealthy at every turn, and even deliberately distorted the facts in front of the people to stir up trouble."
"Ha, I don't know exactly what the laws here are, but I see a very flexible approach in the way the Prefect of the Capital handles things."
Chu Lengyu's disappointment and sarcasm were palpable.
The emperor remained silent after reading it.
This Prefect of Jingzhao has held the position for several years now. Under his rule, although there have been occasional disturbances in the capital, the Jingzhao Prefecture has never committed any major offenses.
In the emperor's eyes, he was indeed worldly and sophisticated, but his talent was undeniable.
It should be noted that the capital city, a gathering place for powerful nobles and dukes, is not the most difficult place to govern, but it is the place where officials are most hesitant and timid.
It is rare to be able to navigate this situation for so long without incurring public wrath.
The emperor knew that there were few honest people in the capital's officialdom, but he had no choice but to use him as a last resort.
He sighed softly and continued flipping through the diary.
"Later, it was someone sent by the emperor who privately approached the Prefect of the Capital and intervened, which finally made him change his attitude."
"Although his attitude has changed, his essence remains the same as before, favoring Chu Wenchen. He is just bullying the weak and fearing the strong."
"Through this incident, I have also come to see the Emperor's attitude towards me. It shouldn't be too bad, or you could say it's somewhat friendly."
"This can generally be considered good news."
The emperor breathed a sigh of relief, and his previously depressed mood was somewhat relieved.
I have been very kind to her, but I just don't dare to say it to her outright.
Otherwise, no matter how you explain it, it won't be clear.
He didn't want to reveal the secret of "Cultivation Diary".
Judging from the tone of the diary, Chu Lengyu was very relaxed when writing it, using simple and straightforward words, writing wherever her thoughts led her, and the length of the diary was also up to her whim.
This was different from her somewhat aloof demeanor in front of Lou Qing and others.
Her diary reveals her true nature.
If the emperor put himself in the other person's shoes, he would immediately execute any stranger who could see into his thoughts every day and know his secrets that he had deliberately hidden from others, leaving not even ashes behind.
The emperor couldn't help but feel a deep sorrow.
This is difficult, really difficult.
I dared not see them, nor could I speak to them; I could only read my diary and listen to reports each day, making do with what I had.
The emperor truly hoped that Chu Lengyu would immediately encounter a major problem that she couldn't solve, so that he could step in to help her and make her feel indebted to him, thus prompting her to speak up.
Just like yesterday, Lou Qing helped her out of a predicament and got the Prefect of the Capital to change his attitude, so Chu Lengyu's attitude improved a bit.
It seems this woman responds better to gentle persuasion than force, so he has no choice but to condescend to think of a solution himself.
The emperor remembered the snow-viewing banquet that was about to begin and prepared to summon Jin'an to give him detailed instructions.
He had only mentioned it casually at the time, never expecting it to actually come in handy today.
He smugly thought: A young girl like Chu Lengyu must also like to show off. He would send someone to support her and take care of Chu Wenchen's family to vent her anger. Then, with Jin'an acting as a go-between, things would be much easier.
The emperor thought about it more and more and found the plan to be brilliant, and he easily began to read the rest of the diary.
"The capital city is as prosperous as a brocade, but the Jingzhao Prefecture is utterly incompetent."
"Judging from this little example, the officialdom of the Great Xia Dynasty is probably already utterly corrupt. Alas, why am I recording these things? I have no say in them, nor can I control them."
The emperor was annoyed again. Why was Chu Lengyu still fixated on this point?
He acknowledged her outspokenness, but felt helpless about the state of officialdom she criticized.
The corrupt practices of forming cliques and suppressing dissent, and of fawning on the powerful and belittling the weak, are difficult for the emperor to stop, let alone resolve.
Upon seeing Chu Lengyu's words, he even had the mood to jokingly remark to himself: So even cultivators are helpless.
But the contents of the diary that followed surprised the emperor.
"This bureaucratic habit is hard to eradicate, but I suddenly thought of a way."
"I just don't know if reincarnation exists in this world? I'll ask the system later."
"If souls exist, would it be useful to bring in the systems of the City God and the Underworld?"
"Let the people worship the City God, and then set up the day and night patrol gods as the 'yin officials' corresponding to the 'yang officials', patrol day and night, eliminate evil and evil, protect the country and the people, and govern the region."
"Establish the underworld, appoint Yama, judges, Black and White Impermanence, and the eighteen levels of hell to judge the souls of the dead, record their merits and demerits, and arrange their reincarnation."
"Good people are rewarded, and evil people are punished. After death, all power vanishes, and those corrupt officials and vicious villains are all imprisoned in hell to be punished. Good people, by accumulating merit, will also receive a better rebirth. With this threat and temptation, perhaps it will be useful?"
"Unfortunately, I still believe more in this life than in the afterlife."
"Besides, this is something I can only dream about. Such a massive project, asking me to start from scratch all by myself, is just too much of a hassle."