People in the Qin Dynasty sought good fortune and avoided misfortune.

Chapter 301, The River Chart and the Luo River Book, and the Seven Constellations of the Azure Dragon
"Since you're already here, what's the Seven Mansions of the Azure Dragon? Just say what you want to say."

Xu Qing looked at Han Fei with a sense of anticipation. Although he didn't know what Han Fei was going to say, he knew it was definitely related to the Seven Constellations of the Azure Dragon.

He was also very curious about the Seven Mansions of the Azure Dragon, not only because the original work never explained it clearly, but also because Han Fei had mentioned this and that to him before.

By acting as a riddle-taker in front of him, I aroused his intense curiosity about the matter.

"Brother Xu, you also know about the Seven Mansions of the Azure Dragon? As a member of the Taoist Heavenly Sect and carrying related secrets, how could you not know? I brought you here precisely for this reason."

A glint of light flashed in Han Fei's eyes as he stood side by side with Xu Qing on the corridor, overlooking the dilapidated Cold Palace of the Han King's Palace.

"I've only heard of the Seven Constellations of the Azure Dragon, but I don't know what secrets I'm carrying," Xu Qing said calmly.

Han Fei glanced at Xu Qing, thinking that Xu Qing was still pretending not to know, but he didn't care and planned to expose Xu Qing in the following conversation.

"Brother Xu, tell me first how much you know about the Seven Mansions of the Azure Dragon," Han Fei countered.

"I've only ever heard one saying: Seven stars, seven countries, seven secrets. The core of the Azure Dragon Seven Mansions has always been held by the sole heir of each country. Legend has it that whoever holds the secret of the Azure Dragon Seven Mansions will have the power to rule the world."

"Many people are now searching for this secret. Tianze wants to use it to restore his country, and Bai Yifei is also searching for it."

Xu Qing told him about some of the things he knew, but he couldn't explain them very clearly. If he told him too much, wouldn't that reveal his secret?
"What you said is both right and wrong. The original seven constellations of the Azure Dragon did not correspond to seven countries, but rather to five states enfeoffed by the Zhou royal family and their meritorious officials: Qi, Yan, Jin, Yin, and Lu. The Zhou royal family occupied two of them."

"Before I answer your question, I wonder if Brother Xu believes in ghosts and gods?" Han Fei said in a deep voice.

"The concept of ghosts and gods? To be honest, I don't really believe in them, but sometimes I have no choice but to," Xu Qing said.

Although he had studied Confucianism, and Confucius said that he did not speak of strange phenomena, physical prowess, disorder, or spirits, Confucius only meant that he should not actively discuss irrational topics such as strange phenomena, violence, disorder, and the worship of ghosts and gods, not that he did not believe in ghosts and gods.

Moreover, there are some things in the world that cannot be explained by common sense, such as his time travel and Han Fei's Reverse Scale Sword.

"That is to believe. My teacher once said that there is a mysterious force in the world that governs everything, and I have been searching for it."

Upon hearing this, Han Fei smiled slightly, a hint of emotion in his eyes, and slowly said:
"Brother Xu, are you familiar with the Pre-Heaven Bagua and the Post-Heaven Bagua?"

"The Eight Trigrams? Legend has it that the Pre-Heaven Eight Trigrams originated in the era of Fu Xi and were constructed based on the Hetu (River Diagram), symbolizing the initial state of the universe before the separation of Yin and Yang. The core idea is the positioning of Heaven and Earth, emphasizing the opposition and unity of nature."

"The Later Heaven Bagua was deduced by King Wen of Zhou. It uses the Luoshu as a framework and combines real-world factors such as direction and season to conclude that the Emperor emerges from Zhen, emphasizing the waxing and waning of Yin and Yang and the mutual generation and restraint of the Five Elements."

Xu Qing recalled He Guanzi's explanation of the Pre-Heaven Bagua and Post-Heaven Bagua when he taught her, and slowly said.

As he spoke, Xu Qing drew the Hetu and Luoshu diagrams on the pillar in front of him.

The Hetu was originally a star map, used for geography. Therefore, it is an image in the sky and a shape on the ground. The meaning of Luoshu is actually a network diagram, a pattern that describes the network of changes in the space of heaven and earth.

Xu Qing had many records about the Hetu and Luoshu in his previous life, but many were lost. However, everyone agreed that the Hetu and Luoshu were the source of Chinese culture, Yin-Yang and Five Elements numerology.

It was first recorded in the Book of Documents, then in the Commentary on the Book of Changes, and was mentioned by many other schools of thought. Taiji, Bagua, Zhouyi, Liujia, Jiuxing, Fengshui, and so on can all be traced back to this.

Han Fei nodded upon hearing Xu Qing's words, thought for a moment, organized his thoughts, and then slowly said,

"That's certainly true, but I've consulted ancient texts and found that the origins of the Hetu and Luoshu are untraceable. However, the only thing that is clear is that these two diagrams originated from the stars."

"Whether it is obtained by people who peek into the secrets of heaven, or it is bestowed by heaven and earth, I prefer the former."

"It contains the profound principles of the operation of heaven and earth. Legend has it that whoever can comprehend its mysteries can master the laws governing the operation of heaven and earth. Even if they only comprehend a little, they can still predict the future and foresee good and bad fortune."

"The Hetu and Luoshu? The ultimate principles of heaven and earth? Predicting good and bad fortune? You mean the Azure Dragon's seven constellations are related to the Hetu and Luoshu?"

Xu Qing looked at Han Fei with some confusion. He seemed to understand why Han Fei said he was related to the Seven Mansions of the Azure Dragon. Did Han Fei see that he was always able to avoid danger and get good fortune, and that's why he made the connection?

Upon hearing this, Han Fei shook his head and then nodded, and continued...

"The Pre-Heaven Bagua and the Post-Heaven Bagua were deduced by Fuxi and King Wen of Zhou based on the Hetu and Luoshu. The two used the Bagua to explore the secrets of heaven and thus learned the profound principles of heaven and earth hidden in the Hetu and Luoshu, but they are different from each other."

"I don't know exactly what the two of them knew, but according to legend, the secrets that Fuxi obtained were divided into two, one of which was inherited by the Yellow Emperor Xuanyuan."

"In ancient times, tribal conflicts were constant. In the Battle of Banquan, Shennong was defeated by Xuanyuan and unified the Yanhuang. However, Chiyou was arrogant and refused to submit, and left his tribe."

"Later, he led the Jiuli tribe and fought a great battle against the Xuanyuan clan at Zhuolu. When he was defeated, the Nine Heavens Mystic Maiden was moved by his fearlessness in the face of a powerful enemy and bestowed upon him a heavenly book, which is one of the secrets of Fuxi."

"The Yellow Emperor gleaned the secrets of heaven from the book, and with his mortal body, he wielded immense power, defeating Chiyou in one fell swoop. This book can also be called the Yellow Stone Heavenly Book. The Yellow Emperor regarded earth as his virtue, and stone represents earth, hence the heavenly book was called the Yellow Stone Heavenly Book!"

"The Yellow Stone Book?" Xu Qing said in a deep voice.

He was quite familiar with the Nine Heavens Mystic Maiden and the Yellow Stone Heavenly Book. The former still had descendants in the Western Regions, and had left behind the Goddess's Tears, the War Demon God, a Chi You Sword, and that little Pixiu.

The latter, however, was in the hands of Chu Nan Gong, an elder of the Yin Yang family. He later gave it to Tianming, and then Zhang Liang took it away.

Speaking of Chu Nan Gong, Xu Qing felt a little angry. That old geezer was really wicked; he had actually thought of kidnapping him back then.

Fortunately, his dear teacher, He Guanzi, intervened in time and scared the old man away; otherwise, he would probably be the guinea pig of the Yin-Yang School now.

"That's right, but it is said that this item was obtained by Jiang Shang, who helped King Wu of Zhou to overthrow King Zhou of Shang and establish the Zhou dynasty. After that, it was lost again."

"As for the other secret contained in the Eight Trigrams, it was eventually obtained by King Yu, who used it to determine the water veins of the world, open rivers and canals, quell floods, and become the common ruler."

"Later, with the help of this power, the nine provinces of China were divided, the Nine Tripods were cast, and the state was stabilized. This marked the end of the ancient era and the beginning of the Xia, Shang, and Zhou dynasties."

"Then what secret did King Wen of Zhou obtain?" Xu Qing asked, frowning slightly. He felt as if he had become involved in something extraordinary, but his curiosity only grew stronger.

"Brother Xu, do you know about Fengming Qishan?" Han Fei asked again.

According to the "Guoyu·Zhouyu", when Gugong Danfu moved to Qishan, a divine bird called "Yuzhuo" (another name for the phoenix) cried out in Qishan. This event is regarded as the source of the prosperity of the Zhou royal family.

"Legend has it that after King Wen of Zhou fled from the capital of the Shang Dynasty back to Xiqi, he bestowed kindness and blessings upon the people, which moved Heaven, and thus this auspicious omen was bestowed," Xu Qing said after pondering for a moment.

"This is a record in the Zhou language, but based on the records in some ancient books from the transition period between the Shang and Zhou dynasties, I speculate that the phoenix's cry at Qishan was not an auspicious omen from heaven, but rather something that King Wen of Zhou artificially brought about by comprehending the Luoshu and using the power of the Later Heaven Bagua."

Han Fei turned to look at Xu Qing, his eyes flashing with a sharp light, and said with a solemn expression.

"Man-made? Go on with that," Xu Qing said in a deep voice.

According to ancient records, the so-called phoenix cry was not the descent of a phoenix, but a meteorite from outer space.

The phrase "a stone fell from the sky and landed on earth, shining brightly and making a sound that shook the heavens" is also recorded in the Mandarin, only with a slight discrepancy in the timeline.

"But the meteorite from outer space is not the goal, but the result."

"I speculate that King Wen of Zhou used the Later Heaven Bagua to comprehend the mysteries of the Luoshu and used that power to forcibly transfer the Mandate of Heaven from the Yin Shang to Xiqi, which is the timing of Heaven."

"The meteorite arrived during this process. King Wen of Zhou concealed the existence of the meteorite, and later with the help of Jiang Shang, he extracted its essence and used materials from the nine provinces of heaven and earth to cast seven bronze boxes to hide the secrets he had obtained. Thus, the right time and place were combined into one."

"Xiqi, which had the advantage of favorable timing and location, gathered eight hundred feudal lords, large and small, and finally had the support of the people, thus overthrowing the Yin Shang and establishing the Zhou dynasty for eight hundred years."

"The seven bronze boxes are the seven constellations of the Azure Dragon. The secrets hidden inside the bronze boxes are the secrets that King Wen obtained back then."

"After King Wu of Zhou replaced the Shang dynasty, he reigned for three years before passing away. His son, King Cheng of Zhou, who was only fourteen years old, succeeded him to the throne."

"Because King Cheng of Zhou was young, King Wu of Zhou entrusted him to four important ministers before his death. They were later revered as the Four Sages of the Early Zhou Dynasty: Duke Dan of Zhou, Jiang Taigong, Duke Shi of Shao, and Taishi Yi."

"Therefore, the Duke of Zhou assisted King Cheng of Zhou in quelling the rebellion of Wu Geng, establishing the Zhou rites, and moving the capital to Luoyi. The Duke of Zhou was left to act as regent. In the first year, he quelled the rebellion; in the second year, he conquered Yin; in the third year, he subdued Yan; in the fourth year, he established the Marquisate of Wei; in the fifth year, he built Chengzhou; and in the sixth year, he created rites and music, returning power to King Cheng in a glorious manner."

According to ancient records, the Duke of Zhou was able to pacify the world in just six years because he had comprehended a part of the Azure Dragon Seven Mansions. Later, for some unknown reason, King Cheng of Zhou and the Duke of Zhou enfeoffed the Azure Dragon Seven Mansions to various states.

"The states that were granted fiefdoms were Qi, Yan, Yin, Lu, and Jin, but the Zhou royal family retained two of them. Later, the state of Zheng took one of them from the Zhou royal family, and the state of Yin followed Duke Wen of Yin to the state of Chu and returned to Chu."

"For some reason, the State of Lu eventually came under the control of the State of Jin. Later, the State of Jin was divided among six states, and the Zhi family obtained two of the two belonging to Jin. Then, the three families divided the Zhi family, with Wei and Zhao each obtaining one. The State of Zheng was eventually destroyed by the State of Han, and the bronze box it possessed was returned to the State of Han."

"The last one that the Zhou royal family retained was, for reasons unknown, transferred to the Qin state when the Zhou king moved east."

"The clues I've found end here. The innate and acquired Bagua, or the Hetu and Luoshu, are related to the Azure Dragon Seven Mansions. To be more precise, the secrets involved in the Azure Dragon Seven Mansions are the destiny contained behind the Hetu and Luoshu, which is more accurately called the principle of the operation of heaven and earth."

"King Wen then divided this secret into seven cores and placed them in seven bronze boxes. The Duke of Zhou and King Cheng then passed the seven bronze boxes on to seven successors, and thus the legend of the Azure Dragon's Seven Mansions came about."

Han Fei looked at Xu Qing and recounted all the records he had gathered over the years, as well as his own speculations.

"The profound principles of heaven and earth behind the Hetu and Luoshu, and the Seven Mansions of the Azure Dragon are the timing of heaven that King Wen of Zhou comprehended. Does whoever possesses them have the mandate of heaven?"

Xu Qing repeated Han Fei's words, and couldn't help but think about the future development of history.

If the story had unfolded as it did in the original novel, the Azure Dragon's Seven Mansions would have ultimately belonged to Liu Bang, who thus seized the Mandate of Heaven. With the Mandate of Heaven upon him, he was able to turn misfortune into good fortune every time.

Liu Bang and Zhang Liang were like King Wen of Zhou and Jiang Shang at that time. One of them possessed the Azure Dragon Seven Mansions, which meant he had the mandate of heaven. The other possessed the Yellow Stone Heavenly Book, which helped Liu Bang gain the advantage of the Bashu region.

At this point, with the right timing and favorable location combined, and with the gathering of outstanding figures such as Zhang Liang and Xiao He, the people of the land united, and they ultimately unified the world.

According to Han Fei, this seems plausible.

The concept of destiny is mysterious and profound. In other words, destiny can be seen as great fortune, just like the protagonist in a novel. When destiny bestows upon him, his aura of dominance is so great that all directions submit and heroes flock to him.

Seeing Xu Qing's furrowed brows, Han Fei shook his head slightly and said...
"This is just my guess. Most of the ancient books I have obtained are fragments. The only ones that are visible are the history books of the State of Zheng in the library and some ancient books of the State of Jin."

"Why didn't I see these books in the library?" Xu Qing asked in confusion.

Although King An of Han only granted him entry to the library once, he secretly entered many times afterward to study the doctrine of the Noble and Void, during which he also read many books and historical records from various countries.

However, none of the things Han Fei mentioned were actually seen.

"Because I destroyed them all," Han Fei said with a shrug.

"You ruined it? Why?" Xu Qing asked in confusion.

Han Fei doesn't seem like the kind of person who would destroy books to seize secrets. If Han Fei really had selfish thoughts, he wouldn't have lived such a stifled life in the Han court.

"Because after I discovered these ancient books, I found that there was a group of people who were also searching for the secret of the Azure Dragon's Seven Mansions."

Han Fei paused for a moment, then looked at Xu Qing and continued speaking.
"Brother Xu, how much do you know about the Yin-Yang School? Or how much does the Daoist Tianzong (Heavenly Sect) record about the Yin-Yang School?"

"You mean the Yin-Yang School? According to the records of my Heavenly Sect, the Yin-Yang School originated from Taoism and has countless connections with Taoism."

"Taoists pursue the Way of Heaven, while the Yin-Yang School takes a different approach, blurring the lines between the Way and the demon, pursuing the limits of Heaven and Man, and cultivating secret arts such as the Five Elements and astrology to explore the changes of Heaven. Among them, the most special constellation is the Azure Dragon Seven Mansions, which corresponds exactly to the Azure Dragon Seven Mansions."

After thinking for a moment, Xu Qing said that this was not something he made up, but rather that it was recorded in the original work.

(End of this chapter)