"… There is a man named Lu Liangsheng, a hermit from Qixia Mountain in the Southern Chen Dynasty. At the end of spring this year, he entered Chang'an at night and eliminated a cult hiding in the city. His magic and Taoism were everywhere. Your Majesty was attracted by his talent, so he sent me to pursue him. Later, I met him in Huaiyi Prefecture. After a brief fight, I found that he was equally matched with me. What's more, he was more rare than ordinary Taoists. He was well-read and capable of governing a place. It was really rare…"
The flames of the braziers on both sides flickered, illuminating the figures of the generals who were sitting upright. The walls around them were intertwined with swords, spears, and halberds. In the solemn atmosphere, the generals listened quietly to what their commander continued to say.
"… A few days ago, Your Majesty was in the imperial study room in the palace and had a dream that Lu Liangsheng wanted to see him. He hoped that our Great Sui army would go south and kill less people and treat the people well. That's why Your Majesty sent a fast horse to deliver this letter."
call…
Whoosh… Whoosh…
The meeting hall was quiet, but the sound of swaying flames could be heard. The burly general at the top slapped his knees, causing his armor plates to tremble slightly, and the sound was like a bronze bell.
"How can you avoid slaughter when marching and fighting? If he has the ability, he can just let the Emperor of Southern Chen surrender directly!"
Most of the people around him were veteran generals who came from the military and had fought in Northern Qi and Liang. They nodded their heads and echoed him.
"Yes, what General Han said makes sense." "Unless Southern Chen surrenders, we can fight without bloodshed!"
"What does Lu, a cultivator, know?!"
"I think he's just trying to buy time for Nan Chen!"
At the first seat, Yang Su frowned and said, "I just said one word, why did you bring all the ascetics in here?" He tapped the table with his fingers. Among the generals who were talking below, some saw that the commander-in-chief was in a bad mood, so they quickly pulled their companions beside them and signaled him with their eyes. Then the conversations around them gradually died down.
Yang Su let out a breath, put the letter from his cousin aside, stood up, put his hands behind his back, and glanced at everyone.
"I just said that this person not only practices Taoism, but is also well-read and capable of governing. How can he be compared with the corrupt scholars you have seen in the past? Just like me, I am in charge of military affairs and practice Taoism. If this person can serve in the court in the future, he can become your right-hand man and assist your majesty to build a foundation for eternity! You must not be short-sighted in this matter."
Having said this, seeing that the general named Han Qinhu was still dissatisfied, he looked serious.
"Since His Majesty was able to send a letter over, didn't you see anything?"
Everyone looked at the coach with his hands behind his back. Han Qinhu pressed his knees and narrowed his eyes: "What?"
Yang Su turned around, glanced at him, then turned back to his desk, and said:
"He told us to kill less people, which means he had foreseen the destruction of Southern Chen and it cannot be changed. We are sure to win, so just fight as hard as you can!"
He took out a command arrow from the bamboo tube and held it in his palm. The moment he clenched his fist, Yang Su walked to the center, raised his hand, and glanced at everyone.
"Now that the Wuya and Huanglong warships are ready, why not take advantage of the fact that the Southern Chen army thinks we will not go out to fight until the spring? We can strike them by surprise and cross the river at night. Once we cross the river, we can coordinate our attacks by water and by joint forces to achieve a quick victory!"
There was a pause in his tone.
"In addition, we will treat the captives well to fulfill your Majesty's promise and win over the hearts of the people in Jiangnan!"
"yes!"
Below, all the generals stood up at once, bowed their hands and shouted loudly, causing the campfire to shake violently.
Soon, the quiet water fort began to stir. Scouts carrying orders ran back and forth along the river bank. Boats of all sizes docked in the upper reaches of the river raised their sails quietly as the waves swayed slightly. With the mobilization of the army, the transportation and gathering of food and fodder became solemn and murderous.
Yang Su walked up to the tower of the water fort wearing a cloak, his long beard swaying slightly in the wind. He looked at the teams of soldiers quietly leaving the fort, and slapped the fence with his hands.
"This battle will lay the foundation for our Great Sui Dynasty to last for generations!"
The night was pitch black, gradually turning into a gloomy blue. When a hint of paleness appeared in the eastern sky, he lifted his long sleeves and bowed towards the south.
“… Thank you, Fellow Daoist Lu, for helping to unify the Nine Provinces.”
The morning sun broke through the clouds, shone on the rippling river water, pushed aside the black edge inch by inch and extended rapidly, and the golden sunlight covered the winding mountains.
At the foot of Mount Qixia, the small village was bustling with noise. The armed men in the village were shouting slogans as they put beams on the walls. Those who were good at carpentry climbed up to the top of the wall, wielding stone hammers to hammer in nails. Lu Laoshi excitedly walked around the wall of the two-story attic, clapping his hands from time to time.
On the mountainside west of the village, Lu Liangsheng stood on a cliff, looking at the sea of clouds, his robe fluttering gently in the wind. The golden sunlight shone through the rolling clouds and mist, reflecting on half of his face. As if he felt something, he looked to the north.
After a moment, he turned around and looked at the three young men lined up behind him and the white-haired and bearded Wang Chengen.
Finally, his eyes fell on the old man first.
"Since you have chosen me as your master, you must follow my rules. Today, I will formally teach you your respective methods. I am grateful that you have brought your skills with you to begin with, and you only wish to learn the art of observing the qi and the stars. Today, I will teach you the "Zhan Zhang"."
Wang Banxia’s white beard trembled, and he quickly threw away his crutches and knelt down: “Disciple, thank you, Master!”
"Li Sui'an!"
Lu Liangsheng looked away from the young man in the middle, who quickly knelt down and raised his hands. Then he heard his master's voice: "I will teach you the Sword Controlling Technique. I hope you will not use it to do evil, otherwise I will have to clear you out!"
"Disciple won't do that!" Li Sui'an kowtowed, raised his head, and said with a smile: "Master, have you forgotten that I want to be a hero? How could I do something evil? Absolutely not!"
Lu Liangsheng nodded, then looked at Qu Yuanfeng who was standing at the very end.
"Master has a set of 'Wind, Forest, Fire and Mountain' techniques here, which can be used to deploy troops and battle formations, which can fulfill your dream of becoming a general. You can also practice more body-building techniques in your spare time to strengthen your physique."
"Yuanfeng, thank you, Master!" Qu Yuanfeng's eyes sparkled with excitement. He was not interested in the high-flying immortal methods, but now that he had something that suited him, he kowtowed three times on the ground.
Among the three young men, two had already received their respective cultivation methods, but Yuwen Tuo was the only one whose name was not called. When he saw Lu Liangsheng walking towards the thatched cottage, he could not help but take a half step forward and asked:
"Master... Where's Taku?"
"Of course there are, but I can't teach you for the time being." Lu Liangsheng answered simply, walked into the house, took out the book, and raised a few stone benches in the small courtyard in front. Except for Wang Banxia, he asked the three young men to come and sit down.
"Before I teach you the Dharma in the future, I will also teach you the knowledge in these books."
When he saw the names on the book in his master's hand, he felt his scalp tingling. Compared with Qu Yuanfeng and Yuwen Tuo, Li Sui'an, who grew up in an inn, could not recognize a few words.
"Master... can I not learn..."
"No, these books not only teach you and answer your questions, but also keep you from going astray in the future. You must learn them."
Lu Liangsheng handed the cut papers to them, and the book hit the distressed boy on the head.
"I went through the same thing in my life. With your talent and intelligence, it shouldn't be difficult for you to learn. Studying is like practicing Taoism. You need to be patient. Moreover, if you read books thoroughly, is there any secret book in this world that you can't understand?"
The mountain breeze was gentle, caressing the pages of the book. While he was teaching, the sky and the earth turned cold, and the drums of war were beating outside.