Supreme Golden Palace

Chapter 97 Celebration
The setting sun was blood-red, and suddenly a cloud of dust rose in the distance. First, the tip of the golden wolf-head banner pierced the sky, followed by rows of blood-stained scimitars.

The sound of horse hooves made the grass rustle, and the ground trembled slightly under the feet of more than a thousand war horses. The sound of the copper-clad armor plates on their iron hooves colliding was like thunder.

The knight in the front row had dark red blood scabs on his leather armor and a broken arrow shaft stuck in his shoulder, but he kept his back straight on his horse.

When they saw that the soldiers had returned from the war, the tent immediately became bustling with activity. The women took off their silk ribbons and threw them into the air, and the children ran on the meadow.

"God bear witness!"

The great wizard's voice pierced the sky, and he raised his bone staff high.

The scimitar was unsheathed, and the sharp blade flashed with cold light. Someone in the ivory tent started singing "Golden Mountain Ballad". The desolate tone, wrapped in the unpolished smell of blood, startled a group of crows roosting at night.

The flames gradually grew, and thirty bonfires guarded the golden wolf altar in the center. The fat from the roasted whole lamb dripped into the fire, making crackling sounds.

Lü Shang sat beside Shabolue, watching the Turkic nobles' unbridled behavior and watching Shabolue laugh heartily while holding a rhino horn cup. He slowly cut off a piece of plump mutton with his chakmak knife and slowly chewed it.

He glanced around with interest, watching the drunken people dancing around the fire, their armor leaves clashing in rhythm. The singing girls played the huobusi, their silver jewelry flickering in the dancing flames. Their skirts swirled open, revealing the wolf head tattoos on their calves.

He smiled and rejected the advances of several Turkic noble ladies, and slowly ate the roasted lamb.

This was Lü Shang's victory banquet. After he led his army back to the tent, he was immediately treated like a hero. Shabolue, Chuluo Hou, and all the important officials and tribal leaders of the D Turks came out of the tent to personally welcome him, the Sui general.

The battle at the Jinshan old camp showed Lu Shang's power. Three thousand cavalrymen attacked the tent of leader Datou directly. This was something many people dared not even think about. Not only did Lu Shang dare to think about it, he also put it into action, which made everyone dare not underestimate this young man anymore.

Even those Turkic nobles who still had complaints about Lu Shang's control of the Turkic military power had to look at him with some awe when they saw Lu Shang returning with a great victory.

As Lü Shang was quietly enjoying the singing and dancing, Shabolue, already looking drunk, slowly walked up to Lü Shang. He patted Lü Shang on the shoulder and said, "General Lü, you are a benefactor to my Shetu and also to my Great Turkic people. I was not wrong about you."

"General, whether now or in the future, you are the most distinguished guest of my Great Turkic people. Whatever you want, just ask for it. As long as I have it in my photos, I will not be stingy. I swear by the gods of heaven and the sun that I will never refuse you anything."

Upon hearing this, the important officials and tribal leaders around looked at Lu Shang with sparkling eyes.

This was the promise of the Great Khan of the Turks. Even though Shetu's power had been greatly reduced and he was no longer the powerful Shaboluo Khan who commanded the tribes of the steppes, no one dared to ignore his promise.

Chu Luohou's eyes were blazing as he approached with the ox-horn cup in hand. He said, "General Lu, just ask for it. I swear by the gods of heaven and sun that you can ask for anything I have."

"The Great Khan of the Turkic people is equivalent to the emperor of your Central Plains. You Han people say that the emperor never jokes about his words, and the Khan of the Great Turkic people is even more trustworthy. You can say whatever you want. As long as it is something the Khan has, he will never break his promise."

"Whether it's military books and strategies, Buddhist and Taoist instruments, superior martial arts and Taoist techniques, or peerless divine weapons, as long as you can think of it, please tell me and see if my Great Khan's treasure house can satisfy your request."

As Shetu's younger brother, Chuluohou had also visited the Great Khan's treasury and naturally knew what kind of rich wealth the Khans of all generations had left to their descendants. Not to mention the first two Great Khans of the Turkic people, just the last Great Khan, Tubo Khan, left a huge fortune to the Turkic people.

At that time, the Great Turkic Khanate had a million soldiers and was rich and powerful. Both the Northern Zhou and Northern Qi feared the Turkic Khanate. The Northern Zhou established friendly relations with the Turkic Khanate and sent them 100,000 sections of silk satin every year.

At that time, the Turks living in Chang'an were treated with the utmost courtesy, wearing colorful embroidered silk and eating meat. The Northern Qi, fearing Turkic invasions and harassment, even spent all its treasury to bribe them.

Tuoba Khan became extremely arrogant because of this and often said that as long as his two sons in the south were filial to him, he would not be afraid of poverty.

It can be said that the wealth of the Great Khan of the Turks was absolutely beyond anyone's imagination.

Lü Shang chuckled softly and slowly said to Shaboluo and Chuluo Hou, who were looking expectant, "I appreciate the kindness of the Khan and the others."

"Lü Shang has no shortage of military strategies, martial arts, or magical weapons. Even more so, he has no shortage of magical weapons or Buddhist instruments. All I ask for is an end to disputes between our two countries, an end to wars in the northern border, and ideally, a non-interference relationship, where each side can live in peace and contentment."

"It's a good idea to not interfere with each other and just do your own thing."

The Great Shaman, who had remained silent the entire time, looked at Lu Shang in surprise and whispered, "I never thought a Sui man like you could be so magnanimous. In this world of great contention, strife and plunder are the norm."

"Everyone is thinking about expanding their territory and expanding their power, but you want to stop the fighting." The Great Wizard's eyes flashed with a complex light, with both doubt and a hint of appreciation.

"You are quite good. Regardless of whether you are sincere or not, it is rare to find someone who can say such a thing."

Ildiz narrowed his eyes slightly, and the bone staff in his hand tapped the ground lightly, making a dull sound, as if he was weighing something.

After a moment, he slowly said, "Just like what Chuluo Hou said, the Han people all say that the emperor never jokes. Shetu is the Khan of the Great Turkic Khanate, equivalent to the Turkic emperor. What he says is also true."

"Since he promised to do his best to satisfy your request, I will not go back on my word. However, since the General does not want the Khan's gift, please allow me to use the secret arts of witchcraft to predict your future, as a way of repaying this favor."

As the Great Shaman Yildiz finished speaking, the surroundings fell silent, and everyone's attention was focused on him and Lü Shang. In the Turkic people's understanding, the Great Shaman's divination was mysterious and accurate, able to glimpse into the secrets of heaven and possess unfathomable abilities.

Lu Shang was slightly taken aback, then he bowed and thanked him, "Great Witch, your kindness is great. However, regarding the future, Lu Shang believes that we should do our best and leave the rest to fate. Forget about the divination."

Yildiz smiled and shook his head, saying, "General, there seems to be a precious mirror in your arms. Can I take a look at it?"

Seeing Lü Shang's strange expression, the Great Wizard said, "It's not that I intend to spy on you, but the precious mirror in your arms has its own magical properties. Every day, it emits a green light for several days and generates crimson energy. This is the manifestation of the magic of the precious mirror."

(End of this chapter)