Start with a photographic memory and build a memory palace

Chapter 312 The Beginning of the War of Gods
……

Turks, outside Wuchuan City.

Wearing bright armor, Li Shimin broke away from the main force and galloped freely across the vast grasslands with only a thousand cavalrymen.

"Your Majesty, 'a son of a noble family should not sit under a dangerous roof,' you should go back."

Of the generals who came out with Li Shimin, only Yang Erlang was present. He looked concerned and kept trying to dissuade Li Shimin.

Li Shimin replied nonchalantly, "General Yang, back then I only had three thousand cavalrymen, yet I dared to charge into Dou Jiande's army of one hundred thousand and captured him alive amidst the enemy ranks."

"Now that I have these thousand riders by my side, and you are with me, where on this grassland can't I go?"

"Drive~"

After saying this, Li Shimin took the lead and galloped off ahead.

Yang Erlang had no choice but to follow closely.

As they sped along, Li Shimin spotted a prominent mountain peak in the distance.

That was his destination—the site of the Turkic sacrificial rites.

As he approached, a herd of horses grazed leisurely on the grass ahead.

Upon seeing this magnificent herd of horses, Li Shimin couldn't help but take a few more glances.

In particular, upon seeing the leader of the herd, whose shoulder blades had scales resembling a wolf's head, he immediately recognized it as a king horse.

"The Brocade-Shouldered Steed!"

Li Shimin immediately reined in his horse and stood still, gazing intently.

It was at this moment that he noticed a young man lying on the grass next to the herd of horses, holding a horse pole and gazing leisurely at the blue sky.

"Xu~"

Li Shimin dismounted and slowly walked towards the young man.

When he clearly saw that familiar face, Li Shimin sighed softly, "It's you. It seems you've been waiting for me here on purpose!"

Wu Wen sat up and replied with a smile, "Your Majesty knew I was here all along."

The two looked at each other and fell silent for a moment.

Before long, Yang Erlang led a thousand cavalrymen to catch up.

Upon seeing Wu Wen, Yang Erlang immediately stepped forward with delight: "Young Master!"

Wu Wen smiled and gestured for him to come forward: "It's been so many years, you've really grown up!"

According to Wu Wen's investigation, Yang Erlang's current condition can be described as that of an unparalleled divine general.

"That's all thanks to your excellent teaching back then, otherwise I wouldn't be where I am today!" Yang Erlang replied with a smile.

Then he asked in confusion, "Young master, what are you doing here?"

"I am waiting for you here!"

Wu Wen turned to Li Shimin: "To avoid causing any unnecessary trouble!"

"You may all leave. I have something to discuss with the Duke of Zhennan in private!"

Li Shimin issued the order with an air of authority. Immediately, Yang Erlang and the thousand cavalrymen obeyed and withdrew.

Only Wu Wen and Li Shimin remained present.

Li Shimin looked at Wu Wen solemnly: "Lord Zhennan, are you waiting for me here to prevent me from obtaining the elixir of immortality?"

There were some things that Li Shimin only gradually understood after he ascended the throne; the world was not as simple as he had imagined.

Compared to the direct confrontation on the battlefield, the struggle for power is far more difficult than the open fighting.

Some things can't be done just because you want to. It's fair to say that once he leaves the imperial city, countless forces will come to hinder him.

Especially on the issue of prolonging life.

Li Shimin once sent his most trusted advisor, Yuan Tiangang, to refine the elixir of immortality.

Only then did he truly realize that what truly hindered the successful refining of the elixir of immortality was never the difficulty of refining the elixir itself, but rather the obstruction from the outside world. Later, in order to escape this predicament, he secretly sent Yuan Tiangang away from the Tang Dynasty.

Thinking that leaving the Tang Dynasty and going to foreign lands would allow Yuan Tiangang to properly research the elixir of immortality.

But unexpectedly, Yuan Tiangang disappeared without a trace after leaving, completely shattering Li Shimin's only hope and aspiration.

Nobody wants the emperor to live forever!

But Li Shimin insisted on doing it anyway!
He doesn't just want to be a ruler for one lifetime; he wants to be a ruler of peace for all ages!
"Let's go back!" Wu Wen said simply.

“Wu Wen, I feel that you are different from those who do not want me to live forever. That is why I have come here in person this time and asked you to help me,” Li Shimin said earnestly.

"Oh? Your Majesty is that confident? How can you be so sure that I'm different from those people and that I'll help you?" Wu Wen looked at Li Shimin with a hint of inquiry in his eyes.

"Because...you are disrespectful to God!"

Li Shimin stared intently at Wu Wen and spoke earnestly, word by word.

“I have sent people to investigate all information about you. Your actions and what you pursue have actually violated the rules set by ‘God’.”

"You know God?" Wu Wen asked rhetorically.

"I... actually know more than you do."

Li Shimin asked, "Do you know about the 'Nine Heavens Mysterious Lady'?"

Upon hearing him mention the Nine Heavens Mystic Maiden, Wu Wen stood up and carefully examined Li Shimin.

According to legend, the Nine Heavens Mysterious Lady was the Yellow Emperor's teacher. She taught him military strategy, medicine, Qimen Dunjia (a form of divination), Yin and Yang and the Five Elements, and finally, she taught him the methods of cultivation.

Li Shimin continued, "The Yellow Emperor is the only emperor in all records to have ascended to heaven and achieved immortality."

Do you know why?

"It's all because of the Nine Heavens Mystic Maiden!"

"Through secret conversations with the royal families of various dynasties, I have learned that the Nine Heavens Mystic Maiden actually came from beyond the heavens."

Upon hearing this, Wu Wen's expression turned serious, and he pressed Li Shimin for an answer: "What else?"

Seeing his interest, Li Shimin smiled and said, "Actually, there are two kinds of gods in this world!"

"One type, like the Nine Heavens Mystic Maiden, comes from beyond the heavens."

"The other kind are the gods that were born in this heaven we inhabit."

Li Shimin slowly recounted the secrets he had discovered.

"Before ancient times, the ancient Chinese people living in the Central Plains were just a group of ignorant and barbaric people."

"The reason why our ancestors were able to overcome ignorance and develop was because they received guidance from a god from beyond the heavens!"

"They passed on the wisdom of our ancestors in land reclamation, planting, fishing, farming, hunting, and animal husbandry."

"This is how the Central Plains civilization of China gradually developed."

Listening to Li Shimin's words, Wu Wen seemed to be deep in thought. If what he said was true, then Chinese civilization actually developed with the help of extraterrestrial visitors.

So, what about the gods on Earth?
Just as Wu Wen was about to ask, Li Shimin had already begun to answer his question.

"The gods born from our heavens have always held a high and mighty position. In their eyes, everything in the world is the same, so they do not help any kind of living being!"

"Until the birth of the Nine Li!"

When the topic of Jiuli came up, Li Shimin paused slightly.

Then he continued, "The Jiuli were originally an early people living around the Central Plains who were not guided by the gods!"

"Seeing how quickly the tribes in the Central Plains were developing, they united together and prayed to the heavens, hoping to receive the protection of a deity."

"And so, the Jiuli truly gained the favor of the gods!"

"According to records, these deities include the Wind God, the Rain Master, the Thunder God, the Lightning Goddess, and so on."

……

(End of this chapter)