Supreme Golden Palace

Chapter 202 Famous Weapon (Part 1)

On that day, war broke out in Yan capital, and the dukes and ministers rebelled. The thirty-first ruler of Southern Yan, Bo Shi, died in the palace garden, and all his sons and heirs were killed by the mutinous soldiers.

Afterwards, the rebellion was quelled in three days. The Ji clan of Southern Yan held a political discussion and unanimously elected Ji Xun, the half-brother of Ji Shi, as the ruler. He became the thirty-second ruler of Southern Yan, also known as Bo Xun of Southern Yan.

After this ordeal, the Southern Yan dynasty experienced a change of rulers, and its authority among the various concubines was greatly diminished, making it difficult to win over the people. It had no choice but to retreat and seek stability, and hold onto its territory.

In Xuguo, the capital of Xu, Lü Shang stood atop the city wall, watching the war chariots of the western states depart in a cloud of dust.

The banners of the Allied forces, like a fiery cloud, gradually blended into the vastness of the sky and earth in the twilight.

He gently stroked the sword at his waist; the cloud patterns on the scabbard gleamed faintly in the setting sun.

"Your Majesty,"

Wu Wenhe, standing behind him, said softly, "This old minister has settled the people of Zhuji Kingdom who were allocated to him. They have been distributed to the villages of Xu Nan and Xu Xi as Your Majesty instructed."

Lu Shang nodded slightly and said, "Since my Xu Kingdom has taken them as its people, we must treat them equally in the future and not mistreat them."

He paused, then emphasized, "Proclaim to the magistrates of all the counties that land, farming tools, and grain seeds be distributed according to the number of people, so that they may settle in my territory."

"If any of these people are skilled in any craft, they may be incorporated into the workshops and employed according to their talents, without discrimination. The people of the villages must not bully them; if such behavior is discovered, they shall be severely punished without leniency."

After bowing in agreement, Wu Wenhe hesitated for a moment and asked, "Your Majesty, when the rulers of the various states returned with their troops, I noticed that Jiao Bo's expression was unusual, as if he had developed a grudge against my Xu state?"

Lü Shang could only sigh and say, "An alliance is a union based on mutual benefit, while a rift is a division based on mutual benefit."

"The Zhurong Banner is the treasure of Zhurong. It would be strange if this Zhurong clan lord did not react when he saw that the treasure of Zhurong had fallen into my hands."

Wu Wenhe remained silent. If it weren't for Lü Shang wielding the Zhurong Banner before the battle, which utterly destroyed the allied forces' formation, he would never have imagined that the ancient Zhurong Banner would be in the Xu Kingdom, a treasure passed down through the Lü clan of Xu.

It can only be said that the Lü family of Xu State was indeed very secretive, keeping no word of it leaking out.

Even Wu Wenhe, a trusted minister entrusted with the care of the young emperor, was unaware of the Lu family's true strength.

Lu Shang stroked the cloud pattern on the sword sheath with his fingers, his eyes darkening with the twilight, and said, "Jiao Bo's resentment is a minor matter. What we really need to be wary of is Zhu Ji."

"Although the alliance of Zhu Ji has failed, its strength should not be underestimated. No matter how much Jiao Bo is dissatisfied, he can only endure it for now. If Xu and Jiao turn against each other, Zhu Ji will ultimately benefit."

"With Zhu Ji as a formidable enemy, Xu and Jiao can only unite as one to defend against this threat. For the sake of the greater good, even if Jiao Bo is resentful, he will not become our enemy at this time."

"I hope so,"

Wu Wenhe frowned and said in a deep voice, "Your Majesty, this old minister has another matter to discuss."

"The marriage alliance previously agreed upon with the State of Jiao was originally scheduled to take place next month with the wedding ceremony."

His gaze swept over Lü Shang's fingers gripping the sword, and he said, "Now that Jiao Bosheng harbors resentment and there is a rift between the two countries, will Jiao Guo use this as an excuse to refuse?"

Lu Shang chuckled and said, "Prime Minister, Jiao Boya is an extremely good man at weighing the pros and cons and can judge the situation. He would never ruin the great plan of diplomatic relations between the two countries because of a momentary like or dislike."

"The wedding ceremony will proceed as usual, according to the original schedule."

"Jiao Bo has a grudge against Zhu Rong because of the flag. He might test the strength of our Xu state during the welcoming ceremony. The more suspicious he is, the more open and honest we must be."

Wu Wenhe stroked his beard and chuckled, saying, "Since Your Majesty has made a plan, this old minister is relieved."

As dusk settled, it gradually seeped into the city walls of Xuchang. Lü Shang still stood atop the city tower, the evening wind whipping the fading banners and making his dark robes flutter in the breeze. After Wu Wenhe withdrew, the footsteps on the stone steps slowly disappeared around the corner of the barbican, leaving only the bronze bells on the eaves trembling gently in the wind.

Once everyone was alone, Lü Shang's eyes gleamed with a divine light. He took out a small crimson flag from his sleeve. The fire pattern embroidered on the flag glowed faintly red in the twilight, as if a spark of fire were dormant.

"Zhurong,"

He gently stroked the Zhurong Banner and whispered, "I, a descendant of Gonggong, am actually going to use something from the Zhurong clan to prove my divine power. The wonders of the world are truly unbelievable."

"Zhurong and Gonggong both belong to the Jiang clan. I wonder if, after I attain the divine and human path, I can use the power of water and fire to cultivate the body of Emperor Yan based on Gonggong's true form."

"If I could cultivate the true form of the Flame Emperor, or even become a pure-blooded Flame Emperor, then my future path would truly be limitless, and I would have the potential to become an emperor."

The "Emperor Cheng" here refers to the Heavenly Emperor!
In the Great Wilderness Mountains and Seas, the last pure-blooded Flame Emperor was Chi You of the Nine Li, with a bull's head and a human body, who fought with Emperor Hong for the throne.

Lü Shang had this thought because he had accumulated enough knowledge and was about to become a divine being.

It is worth noting that after the Battle of Zhenshui, Lü Shang's name resounded throughout Henan, and even beyond Henan, along the Xiangshui River.

At this point, all the lords of Yuzhou knew that Xu Boshang of Henan, a descendant of the god Gonggong, held the banner of Zhurong, led the army of the Lianheng, and defeated the army of the Zhuji alliance.

This battle made the warlords of Yuzhou realize Lü Shang's prowess, and he became famous overnight.

Once a great name is established, it lays the foundation for the Great Dao within the Taiyi Divine Path.

Do not underestimate the power of 'name'; in this vast wilderness, 'name' is also a kind of power.

The so-called names and instruments refer to the order of rank and status, while instruments distinguish between the noble and the lowly. The two complement each other to maintain the country.

Therefore, in the vast wilderness of mountains and seas, all those who are famous and renowned are people with extraordinary supernatural powers.

The greater the name, the greater the law, which is why there are such great feats as Kuafu chasing the sun, Yi shooting down nine suns, and Xihe bathing in the sun.

"The Dao Fruit of the Divine Being,"

Lu Shang stood atop the city tower, letting the evening breeze stir his dark robes, the divine light in his eyes reflecting the crimson glow of the Zhurong Banner.

In the darkness, the Dao and the divine nature merged, and the blood flowed like boiling water. Behind it appeared a half-human, half-snake phantom of a god or demon, with water and fire energies swirling around the phantom, subtly showing signs of separating Yin and Yang.

Focusing on the divine body and understanding it, one becomes a divine being. After achieving the status of a divine being, one can manifest the true form of a divine being and possess unimaginable great power.

The gods and humans of the Great Wilderness and the Sea all possess extraordinary forms, including human-faced snake-bodied, human-bodied goat-horned, human-bodied dragon-headed, goat-bodied human-faced, horse-bodied human-faced, bird-bodied human-faced, and bird-bodied dragon-headed forms. These are all manifestations of the true forms of the gods and humans.

If Lü Shang were to achieve his divine human form, he would resemble Gonggong, a being half-human and half-snake with a human head and a snake's body.

In fact, if Lü Shang had not insisted on the true form of Emperor Yan with a bull's head and a human body, but only focused on the form of Gonggong with a human head and a snake body, he would have had a promising future.

After all, the head of the Five Heavenly Emperors, and the first Heavenly Emperor of the Great Wilderness of Mountains and Seas, the Azure Emperor Fuxi, was a man with a snake's body.

Before the Green Emperor Fuxi, there was one of the Three Sovereigns, the Goddess of the Land, the Earth Mother Nuwa, who also had a human head and a snake's body.

Therefore, it can be seen that Gonggong's human-headed, snake-bodied appearance was not without its merits.

(End of this chapter)