Supreme Golden Palace

Chapter 74: Raid (Part )

Lu Shang traveled light all the way, setting out at dawn, taking a short nap at noon, and resting at midnight. He marched quickly for at least eight hours every day, marching at a high intensity, covering more than a hundred miles a day.

After leaving Daxing, take the Weibei Road directly, reach Tongzhou in two days, and reach Puzhou in one day. After a short rest in Puzhou, pass through Jiangzhou, Jinzhou, and Bingzhou in five days, and then go out of Yanmen Pass from Daizhou after another three days, and go to Shuozhou along the Sanggan River Valley.

Shuozhou was an important border town of the Sui Dynasty and the northern gate of the Central Plains. It was a place where the Han and the Hu people lived together, the people were tough, the city was strong and the army was powerful, and its strategic position was extremely important.

After presenting the official documents and imperial seals to the governor of Shuozhou, Lu Shang led his troops to camp outside the city of Shuozhou, waiting for the governor to send a guide to lead the troops.

After all, the journey from Shuozhou to Baidaochuan is not easy without a guide. You need to cross the Hengshan Mountains, then pass Shanyangling, and then go north to reach Baidaochuan.

The journey was more than 800 miles long, and without a local guide to show the way, the army was alone and easily lost its way, becoming the second Li Guang.

The so-called Baidaochuan was called Yunzhongchuan before the Qin and Han Dynasties, and was called Chilechuan during the Northern Wei Dynasty. After the rise of the Turks, the Chile tribes were driven out of the south of the desert, and the Chilechuan in the southwest of Baidaoling was also renamed Baidaochuan.

The night was hazy. In the military camp outside Shuozhou City, bonfires were lit and soldiers sat around them, talking in low voices.

Lu Shang sat on the ground with his generals, chewing some dried meat as he said, "Before we set out, we estimated it would take at least twenty days to travel. Now we've been on the road for eleven days, so perhaps we can reach Baidaochuan a few days earlier."

During this time, Lü Shang cultivated his 1,296 orifices, meditating on the gods, and his Qi and blood became increasingly powerful. As his cultivation deepened, Lü Shang realized that once he had perfected all 1,296 orifices, he would attain the status of a human immortal.

It was precisely because he sensed this that Lu Shang stopped measuring other acupoints and instead concentrated on practicing the Mountain Sutra.

As the war is approaching, Lu Shang is also trying his best to improve his combat power. Although he is invincible on the battlefield, he is still a little afraid of the mysterious witch cult.

Xin Yongfeng, standing by, muttered, "I wonder if Shabolue can hold out until our help arrives. Don't let us make this trip in vain."

Lu Shang said slowly, "I asked the Shuozhou Governor when I presented him with the imperial seal during the day."

"The Shuozhou Governor said that Shabolue is in a very bad situation. Datou and Apo of the Western Turkic people often harass Shabolue. Shabolue is unable to bear it and has no choice but to retreat with his remaining troops to Zihe, southeast of Baidaochuan."

Datou and Apo of the Western Turkic Khaganate had a deep grudge against Shabolue. Among them, Apo and Shabolue had a feud over the murder of his mother. Apo hated Shabolue to the core, so when dealing with Shabolue, Apo was the one who worked the hardest.

Upon hearing Shabolue's recent predicament, Wei Cheng laughed and said, "This fellow has finally come to this. Back then, he was so powerful. When he sent the letter to Your Majesty, he claimed to be the virtuous and holy emperor of the Great Turkic Kingdom, and he wanted to send 400,000 soldiers to Chang'an."

"They say things change over time, but only a few years have passed and they've already fallen to the point of asking the Great Sui for help!"

In the second year of Kaihuang, Shabolue was still a major threat to the Northern Sui Dynasty. Four years after Kaihuang, due to the internal division of the Turkic people into two parts, which attacked each other, Shabolue, as the Great Khan, was suppressed by several small khans and had to shamelessly recognize Yang Jian as his wife's father.

Seeing that the generals were about to underestimate Shabolue, Lu Shang said coldly, "Everyone, don't underestimate Shabolue. He is a man of great ability, able to bend and stretch, to take things as they come, and to let them go. He is a hero."

"Although our Great Sui Dynasty intends to use Shabolue to split the Turks, how can we be sure that he doesn't also intend to use us to suppress dissidents?"

Lu Shang would never forget Li Erfeng's famous scene, the Weishui Alliance.

The Turks thirty years later were even more terrifying than the Xiongnu in the early Han Dynasty.

From the Khitan and Shiwei in the east to the Tuyuhun and Gaochang in the west, all submitted to him. Even the Central Plains princes such as Li Yuan, Xue Ju, Dou Jiande, Wang Shichong, Liang Shidu, and Liu Wuzhou pledged their loyalty to him, boasting a million-strong army. As everyone was engaged in a flurry of discussion, a personal guard arrived with the news, "General, the guide sent by the Shuozhou governor has arrived and is awaiting orders at the front of the camp."

Upon hearing this, Lu Shang immediately stood up and said, "Quickly invite the guide over."

Soon, a tall Hu man, led by his personal soldiers, came in front of everyone.

This Hu man had curly black hair, a high nose and deep eyes. He was wearing a sheepskin coat with a lapel and a cowhide belt around his waist with a short knife hanging on it.

He strode forward, knelt on one knee, and said in slightly stiff Chinese: "I am Kangle, the humble man. I greet the general and all the gentlemen. I am here on the orders of the governor to lead the way for the general."

Lu Shang nodded slightly, motioning him to stand up. He looked at Kang Le and asked, "Surname Kang? Is it one of the Nine Zhaowu Surnames?"

A hint of surprise flashed in Kang Le's eyes, and he replied respectfully, "General, you are very knowledgeable. I am a descendant of the Nine Zhaowu clans of Kang State. My ancestors migrated here to avoid war and have settled in Shuozhou for many years."

Lu Shang nodded slightly. The people of the Nine Zhaowu Clans were good at business and traveling along the Silk Road. They could be said to be the best candidates for guides.

The Nine Surnames of Zhaowu were originally Yuezhi people. They first lived in Zhaowu City north of Qilian Mountain, so they took "Zhaowu" as their surname. Later, the various branches formed nine main surnames, including Kang, Mi, Shi, Cao, He, An, Mu, Nasebo, and Unahe, collectively known as the Nine Surnames of Zhaowu.

Lu Shang said, "Kang Le, this trip is of great importance. The road from Shuozhou to Baidaochuan is treacherous. Are you sure you can lead us to Baidaochuan?"

Kang Le straightened his back and replied, "Don't worry, General. I've been traveling between Shuozhou and Baidaochuan with my father since I was young. I know the terrain of the Hengshan Mountains and even the Shanyang Ridge like the back of my hand. As long as you trust me, I will do my best to help you reach Baidaochuan as soon as possible."

Lu Shang smiled and said, "Since you said that, if this trip is successful, I will give you a credit. You said as soon as possible, how quickly is as soon as possible?"

Kang Le hesitated a bit and replied, "The fastest time will be five days."

Lu Shang made the final decision and said, "Okay, we can get there in five days, very good!"

"Kangle, for the next five days, you will be our eyes and ears. If anything unexpected happens during the march, don't worry, just report it to me directly."

Kang Le said, "Don't worry, General. I will fight tooth and nail to the death and live up to your trust!"

As the night deepened, the bonfires in the camp gradually went out. Lu Shang held the Three-Light Purple Whip and the Heart-Reflecting Mirror in his arms, his mind immersed in the Three-Light Purple Whip.

In a state of half-sleep, he was comprehending the principle of the unity of the three lights and purple characters on the whip. This had become Lu Shang's homework for some time.

You have to know that this is a treasure that Yang Lin obtained by paying a huge favor.

"Daofa Huiyuan" says that it was Yuanshi God who bestowed the Three Lights and Purple Texts of the Mixed One Dao to Jade Pure True King, who then bestowed it upon the group of immortals.

Lu Shang was naturally very interested in this great method that originated from Yuanshi God.

(End of this chapter)