Supreme Golden Palace

Chapter 221 Suwen (Part 2)

"Suwen?"

Lu Shang had a sudden thought. Having sought the Dao in two lifetimes, he was well-versed in Laozi and Zhuangzi and studied the Daoist canon. Naturally, he knew the "Suwen".

Legend has it that the Yellow Emperor Xuanyuan wrote the "Inner Canon," which first discussed Yin and Yang and the Five Elements, followed the principles of Yin and Yang, and harmonized with numerology, thus establishing the foundation for longevity.

The *Neijing* is further divided into two parts: the *Suwen* and the *Lingshu*. The *Suwen* focuses on the "Dao" (the Way), while the *Lingshu* focuses on the "Shu" (techniques). The "Dao" and the "Shu" complement each other, elucidating the ultimate nature of the human body.

"Master of the Mirror,"

With a slight lift of his azure dragon head and a gentle wave of his sleeve, the bronze scroll slowly floated to Lü Shang's front, the ancient seal script appearing and disappearing in the purple smoke.

“My version of the *Suwen* is not the annotated version that is currently circulating,”

"This is a fragment of the original text personally written by His Majesty the Yellow Emperor. My brothers and I, fifteen in total, each obtained a portion of its meaning, and this scroll is what I acquired."

"Today, I, your humble servant, present this incomplete copy of the *Suwen* to you, Master. I hope this *Suwen* will be of some assistance to your cultivation."

"Thank you for your generous gift, Your Majesty."

Lu Shang stared at the bronze scroll that floated before him, and gently reached out to catch it. The moment his hand touched the page, a deep, earthy aura spread from his palm and penetrated his mind.

This fragment of the "Suwen" was personally written by the Yellow Emperor, the ancestor of mankind. It possesses the divine essence left behind by the Yellow Emperor, the first of the post-heavenly immortals, and is itself an extremely precious treasure.

Those who cultivate themselves will find peace of mind when they look at it, and clarity of spirit when they are near it.

Seeing Lü Shang accept the bronze fragment, Qing Li chuckled, "Mirror Master, there's no need for such formality. This humble deity only hopes that you will not fail the 'Suwen' (a classic text on classical Chinese literature)."

Having said that, He raised his hand and pointed, and the sea of ​​clouds and purple smoke suddenly surged.

Lu Shang felt the clouds and sky before him slowly blurring. He gripped the tattered page in his hand, looked up at Qing Li, and said, "Shang, farewell."

"Go rest, go rest,"

Qingli's figure faded into the purple smoke, but her voice remained clear.

"I only hope that you can truly forge a path to immortality and become famous throughout the Three Realms,"

As the last wisp of purple smoke dissipated, Lü Shang's eyes suddenly lit up.

He was still sitting in the main hall of the government office. The mirror in front of him had returned to calm. The unicorn pattern on the handle had lost its luster. Only the bronze fragment in his palm was still a little warm, with ancient seal script patterns slowly flowing on it.

At this moment, the watchman's drum had stopped, and dawn was breaking, with morning light streaming through the window onto the desk.

Lu Shang glanced down at the fragment of the "Suwen" and chuckled softly before carefully putting the mirror and the bronze fragment away from his body.

At the same time, the sound of armor plates clashing came from the front of the hall. Xiao, Yan, Huo and Ling, the four generals, straightened their armor and waited silently outside the hall.

Alongside the four generals guarding the hall was Wang Lie, the garrison commander of Dazhen Pass.

Wang Lie, carrying the military intelligence notes he had drafted overnight, waited quietly for Lü Shang to summon him.

When the gates of the yamen sounded, Lü Shang, dressed in armor and with a bamboo whip slung across his waist, stepped out of the main hall and scanned the crowd.

"Come in, all of you. Once we've finished our discussion, we can set out with the troops at Chen Shi (7-9 AM)."

"promise,"

Upon receiving the order, everyone filed in. Wang Lie stepped forward first, handed over the notes, and said, "My lord, last night I checked the reports from the scouts again. The Zhong Qiang and Dangchang Qiang tribes have joined forces at the entrance of Lintao Valley."

"The two armies joined forces,"

Lü Shang took the notes, glanced through them, and said, "Lintao Valley is easy to defend but difficult to attack. Now that the two forces have joined forces here, the situation in Longyou is becoming increasingly urgent!" Huo Xiao, one of the four generals, stepped forward, his armor clashing, and said, "My lord, this humble general is willing to lead five hundred light cavalry as the vanguard to clear the way for you."

"At this time, don't be rash,"

Lü Shang directly rejected Huo Xiao's request, saying loudly, "The various Qiang tribes are in rebellion. The Zhong Qiang and Dangchang Qiang alone have 30,000 Qiang soldiers. Adding other Qiang tribes, the rebellious Qiang in Longyou number at least 70,000 to 80,000."

"Although the Qiang soldiers of Longyou cannot compare with our elite Liangzhou warriors, the Qiang people are brave and fierce. Eighty thousand Qiang soldiers can still wreak havoc in a region. We only have three thousand men. If we divide our forces and suffer losses, it could ruin things."

Lü Shang placed the notes on the table and said, "Let's do this: first, we'll wipe out the Qiang villages along the Wei River. We'll destroy all of these Qiang villages. The Wei River is the military and supply route for Longyou. As military strategists throughout history have said, 'To conquer Longyou, one must first control the Wei River. Whoever controls the Wei River can control half of Longyou.'"

"Yan Rui, Xiao Ji, each of you will lead five hundred cavalry to form my left and right flanks. Ling Yue will lead fifteen hundred infantry in the center, advancing along the main road with me. Huo Xiao will lead five hundred infantry at the rear, escorting supplies and guarding against Qiang attacks from the flanks and rear."

"Here!"

The four generals answered the order in unison, and the collision of their armor plates caused the candlelight in the hall to flicker slightly.

After the deployment was completed, Lü Shang turned his gaze to Wang Lie and said, "General Wang, the situation at Dazhen Pass is now in your hands. After our army sets out, you must strengthen patrols, paying particular attention to the Dangxiang Qiang west of the Tao River. If they make any unusual moves, immediately send someone to report to me."

Wang Lie immediately replied, "Rest assured, my lord, the pass is our life, and the pass's destruction means our destruction."

As the hour of Chen approached, the gates of Dazhen Pass opened again. Lü Shang mounted his horse, the bamboo whip at his waist gleaming coldly in the morning light.

A large banner bearing the character "吕" followed closely behind, and three thousand elite soldiers were already in formation, infantry and cavalry lined up separately, their armor reflecting the sun, exuding an imposing aura.

"set off!"

As soon as the order was given, the army galloped along the Wei River, their horses' hooves pounding the pebbles on the bank, raising clouds of dust in their wake.

Just as Lü Shang led his troops to invade Longyou from Dazhen Pass.

The southern section of the Xiqing Mountains in Longyou is covered by a thick layer of mist that never dissipates.

Deep in the shady ravine at the foot of the mountain, there is a crack in the mountain, with decaying vines hanging from the crack. After the wind passes, the vines rub against each other, as if a ghost is weeping.

Inside the mountain crevice was a cave dwelling, with dozens of bone lamps inside, their eerie blue flames flickering and illuminating the cave walls in a dim, ever-changing light.

"Grandpa, Grandpa,"

A figure lay prostrate on the ground, gritting his teeth as he said, "After Zhongqiang and Dangchang, seven more tribes have agreed to rise up. The people of these tribes are restless and yearning for change."

“Grandfather, now is the perfect opportunity for us Qiang people to seize Longyou. In the northwest, the Tuyuhun are holding back the Liangzhou border troops, and in the southeast, the Southern Chen are guarding the natural barrier of the Yangtze River, trapping most of the Sui court's elite forces in the Jianghuai region.”

"Now that Longyou is vulnerable, it is the time for us Qiang people to put our strength to use,"

The eerie blue firelight inside the cave reflected on the face of the crawling man. Although cold sweat beaded on his forehead, he could not hide the fanaticism in his eyes.

After a long while, a cold snort finally came from deep within the cave.

The old man in the shadows looked grim and said, "So, this is why you were in such a hurry to raise an army without informing me beforehand?"

"You beasts, you have such audacity! You're utterly audacious!"

The Qiang man, who was prostrate on the ground, trembled violently and immediately kowtowed, saying, "Grandfather, please calm your anger."

"Calm down?"

The old man laughed in fury, saying, "How can I calm down? Tell me how to calm down, you bunch of fools! Haven't I told you that the current Sui Dynasty is not to be trifled with, not to be trifled with, we can't afford to offend them?"

"You lot are really something! I've made myself perfectly clear, yet you insist on stirring up trouble and causing me disaster. What a bunch of ungrateful beasts!"

(End of this chapter)