Chapter 3408
Ruler of the Gods: Indra
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Having resolved Zhang Ren's doubts, the other party was able to refocus their energy on the current battlefield, reducing their attention to and understanding of the local people, which was, in a sense, a good thing.
Paying too much attention and knowing too much can sometimes lead to misunderstandings.
Without a solution to the current political environment, casual concern and care will only deepen the faith of the people in this region, especially for Zhang Ren, who currently holds the status of a deity.
Therefore, maintaining an appropriate distance is beneficial for subsequent cutting and separation.
They firmly believed that the troops on the front lines would not lose, and that the occupied territories would not be taken away. They believed that the current policies and related internal strategies would not benefit the Brahmins.
If they cannot hold onto this land, then their current strategy will further increase the resistance to their attack on the Kushan Empire, which would be a thankless task.
Having such confidence naturally comes from its source.
It all stemmed from an idealistic self-confidence, but it was based on real-world data that allowed Lu Qi to clearly understand that these policies could be issued and implemented without worrying about the negative effects of these policies after the land was lost.
Looking at Zhang Ren, who had calmed down and remained silent, Lu Qi thought about the current reactions of the people in the Wenga region and the Kalmanta city area to the sacrificial ceremony that day, and his heart was filled with emotion.
The belief in and worship of deities was a spontaneous and conformist act by these deeply religious people.
Faith must have an object and a corresponding medium in order to offer the sacrifices prepared for it.
Theoretically speaking, the best and most effective medium would be a portrait of Zhang Ren, or even a statue of a deity, as this would be the most efficient and useful method.
However, in reality, neither Zhang Ren nor Lu Qi chose to do it that way.
For Zhang Ren, he was ultimately a general of Yizhou, a general of the Han Dynasty, and a marquis of the Han Empire, not a god in the true sense. How could he rule over this land belonging to the Han Empire in the future in the name of a god?
When the time comes, will he simply tell the Han people living in this area that he is a god?
Thinking back to his master Tong Yuan and his past experiences, Zhang Ren firmly rejected all of this.
It's possible as a human, but not as a god!
Therefore, Zhang Ren himself resisted these people building life-size statues of gods for him and then conducting sacrificial activities.
For Lu Qi, reducing the intervention of such real-life deity statues was also to facilitate the later disposal of the statues and avoid them becoming too powerful and affecting subsequent cultural influence.
But ultimately, the power of gods and Buddhas must be used to weaken the power of the Brahmins, so there must be a corresponding medium.
Therefore, after careful consideration and observation, based on the Brahmin people's perception of Zhang Ren and their first subjective impression, a special version was formed.
As a deity or Buddha in the lower realm, Zhang Ren, who wields the power of angels, naturally has corresponding responsibilities and authority, thus deriving his corresponding divine or Buddha identity, and then creating a corresponding divine statue based on this identity.
Currently, everything Zhang Ren has shown has led to the subjective impression among the Brahmin people that he is a god or Buddha, Indra.
As for why there is such a subjective impression, it is because Lu Qi carefully selected a suitable identity as a god or Buddha.
Firstly, in terms of status, Indra is not an unknown figure within the Brahmanical system; rather, he is a highly respected and influential deity. The gods worshipped by Brahmins existed in multiple periods, each with different rulers, and Indra was one of the top deities during the Vedic period.
The ruler of the heavens, the god of thunder and lightning, and the god of war, is also the most powerful sovereign among the gods of the heavens.
These titles and additional appellations alone demonstrate the exalted status of Indra within the Brahmanical system.
Ordinary deities may have a strong appeal to the people of the Brahmanical system, but they are often not effective in controlling the Brahmins.
Only deities of high rank and noble status can disregard or weaken certain Brahmins who are capable of explaining the language of Brahma.
After all, the Brahmins who explain Brahma are generally superior to ordinary deities and can be regarded as equals with some great gods.
This is why even those who visualize deities and Buddhas to the point of having their internal energy leave their bodies, and who are known as agents of deities and Buddhas on earth and are masters within the Brahmanical system, still cannot refute or resist top Brahmans.
Within the Brahmanical system, the number of deities is countless, but there are only four or five deities at the level of Indra.
The reason for choosing Indra was entirely due to his authority and the compelling story surrounding this deity.
As the most capable ruler, Indra, the lord of thunder and lightning, frequently issues divine decrees to urge the people to work and thus produce more output. This is within his authority and is therefore quite normal.
Furthermore, as a god of war, it is quite normal for Indra to participate in wars.
Indra, possessing these two qualities, naturally fits Zhang Ren's current situation.
They both used the name of the gods to issue domestic regulations and did not stop Zhang Ren from leading the army to participate in the war.
Beyond his status and authority, what is even more effective is the narrative aspect of Indra as a deity.
In the story of Indra, Indra killed the dragon Vritra, split the mountain and diverted the water, releasing the source of life so that the people and all people in the world could regain water and be reborn.
Based on this backstory, Lu Qi, using the identity of the deity Indra, commanded a large number of Brahmin laborers to participate in the reconstruction of the water network in the Wenga region.
It includes mountain-opening and water diversion, water conservancy project construction, flood control and flood discharge facilities, and so on.
Taking advantage of the active participation of the Brahmin people under the call of the gods, and without having to pay extra wages, Lu Qi went straight to the point and carried out large-scale construction based on the pre-prepared water network optimization plan.
With an investment of hundreds of thousands of people and a period of more than a decade, the aquatic environment of the Wenga area can be completely improved.
At that time, the land conditions in the Wenga region will no longer be that of a country of a thousand lakes, but will be able to utilize these waterways to form a unique and convenient waterway system for ship transportation.
It can ensure the water needs for grain cultivation, and also significantly optimize grain transportation routes, reducing transportation losses, etc. (End of this chapter)