Chapter 016: The Great Way and the Small Way (Seeking Recommendations, Seeking Collections!)

  Liu Bian was overjoyed and took it, but after just one glance, he was doused with a basin of cold water, chilling him to the bone.

  I don't recognize a single character.

  It turns out that he was a graduate of a prestigious university in his previous life, and had undergone special training as an elite. In this life, although he is foolish, he has received the most basic education, at least he can recognize characters. However, the words on this silk book are not recognizable to him at all. They look like clerical script, but upon closer inspection, not a single character is recognizable.

  The only thing he can understand is the picture above. However, compared to the murals on the walls of the secret chamber, these pictures are far inferior in level, just like a primary school student's scribbles, without any aesthetic appeal.

  "What...does it mean?"

  After hearing Liu Bian's words, Tang Ying was also stunned and looked at Liu Bian with disappointment: "Your Majesty... doesn't recognize either?"

  Liu Bian rubbed his nose. Forget it, it seems that Tang Ying is just like him, semi-illiterate. Come to think of it, where did so many talented women come from? Each one is like Cai Yan, already running into socialism.

  As soon as he thought of Cai Yan, Liu Bian's heart suddenly stirred. It wasn't just because this talented woman was too famous, but also because of her father, Cai Yong. Lu Zhi had said that in this generation, no one could surpass Cai Yong in terms of reading and learning.

  Thinking of Lu Zhi, Liu Bian suddenly remembered something. During the Yellow Turban Rebellion, Lu Zhi was one of the three major generals who led the army to quell the rebellion, and he directly faced Zhang Jiao. Whether or not Zhang Jiao had any magical powers, he should be the most clear about it. He had always suspected that Zhang Jiao's "Taiping Jing" was a deceitful trick, so why not ask Lu Zhi, who personally experienced the event?

  Liu Bian immediately sent someone to summon Lu Zhi. As the current Imperial Secretary, Lu Zhi worked at the Secretariat and lived in the palace, which was very convenient.

  Lu Zhi arrived soon, and when Liu Bian asked about Zhang Jiao's magic and the "Taiping Scripture", Lu Zhi's face was somewhat complicated. He fell silent for a moment before opening his mouth, his voice slightly hoarse but still loud and clear.

  "Your Majesty, Zhang Jiao has some magical powers, but this is not the right way after all. If it were, Zhang Jiao would not have brought about his own downfall. Your Majesty has a heart for state affairs and only needs to be close to virtuous ministers and distant from petty men. With that, the world will be greatly governed without effort. Why must you place your hopes in these heretical and evil ways?"

  Liu Bian automatically ignored the rest and went straight to the point: "Does Zhang Jiao really have magical powers?"

  Lu Zhi sighed again and nodded: "I fought Zhang Jue in Guangzong, the Yellow Turbans were originally a mob that could not withstand a single blow. But Zhang Jue had sorcery, wherever he went, the Yellow Turbans became frenzied like madmen, our army often could not overcome them. Therefore, I surrounded but did not attack, waiting for their weakness."

  Lu Zhi did not continue, but Liu Bian knew what happened later. Lu Zhi was falsely accused of being lazy in battle and was escorted back to the capital in a prison cart, where he was sentenced to death commuted once. Dong Zhuo then took over, but was defeated by Zhang Jiao. It wasn't until the war god Huangfu Song turned the tide in Ji Province that the Yellow Turban Rebellion was finally put down. However, by that time Zhang Jiao had already died, and Huangfu Song actually did not face off against Zhang Jiao. If Lu Zhi had not been framed, then it would have been him who reaped the rewards of this victory, rather than Huangfu Song.

  It seems that the real core of the Yellow Turbans is actually Zhang Jue. As long as Zhang Jue was alive, neither Lu Zhi nor Dong Zhuo could do anything about it. After Zhang Jue's death, the million-strong Yellow Turban army collapsed and was defeated. If Zhang Jue hadn't died, it would be hard to say whether Huangfu Song could have defeated him or not.

  "What exactly is Zhang Jue's sorcery?"

  Lu Zhi's eyebrows furrowed even tighter, as if recalling something unpleasant. After a long while, he sighed and said: "It seems to be some sort of incantation. He uses incantations when treating illnesses and also uses them in battle. I vaguely recall hearing that the incantation he used is called Huangdi Yinfu, and the spell is called Huangdi Po Zhen Zhou or something like that. As for the specifics, I'm not too clear either."

  "What's the situation on the battlefield?"

  "Our troops are disheartened and have no will to fight. The Yellow Turbans, on the other hand, are frenzied and charge forward in waves, dying without turning back."

  "Have you ever heard him recite incantations?"

  Lu Zhi shook his head: "I am in the central army, I couldn't hear the voices from the front line, only heard what the generals said before the battle." He changed his tone: "Your Majesty, Zhang Jiao's way is a small path, it can only deceive ignorant common people. Your Majesty wants to follow the great path, why bother with such petty tricks? It's better to pay attention to the classics of the sages, cultivate oneself and be upright, set an example for the world, and naturally be able to educate the world."

  Liu Bian shot a glance at Lu Zhi, feeling that his demeanor today was somewhat abnormal. He couldn't help but jab him with a sentence: "Is the majesty of General Yuan really derived from the scriptures of the sages?"

  Lu Zhi's face did not change color, and he replied in a loud voice: "Yes."

  "Which scripture?"

  "The Analects." Lu Zhi said in a serious tone: "The Master said: 'If a gentleman is not dignified, he will not inspire awe.'"

  Liu Bian was getting impatient and felt that Lu Zhi was just putting up with him. "Am I also to learn from this?"

  "The Analects is a book for ordinary people to cultivate themselves. Your Majesty, who holds the highest position of power, should study the great classics."

  "What sutra?"

  "The Book of History." Lu Zhi said in a loud voice, "The Book of History·Wu Cheng says, 'Be sincere and faithful to the principles of justice, honor virtue and reward merit, and all under heaven will be well governed.' Your Majesty should study The Book of History, understand the great way, and you can bring about great peace by doing nothing."

  Liu Bian was thoroughly defeated by Lu Zhi. It's clear that in terms of these studies, even eight of him tied together wouldn't be a match for Lu Zhi. If we keep talking like this, there won't be any conclusion. He waved his hand and forced himself to calm down: "Lu Qi, I want to strengthen my body now, is there any secret technique in the classics?" Before Lu Zhi could speak, he added: "Don't say anything about eating fine food or having a delicate appetite."

  Lu Zhi couldn't help but smile, and his originally stern face cracked a smile, although it was quickly retracted. The atmosphere relaxed slightly. He bowed and said: "Your Majesty, the world's academic achievements are in the hands of aristocratic families, but the largest aristocratic family is the imperial family. The palace has many collections, why must you seek outside? Moreover, it's Zhang Jiao's heretical minor skills. If Your Majesty wants to strengthen your body and health, I have a suggestion: you can learn Huangdi's Twelve Forms."

  "What's this 'Twelve Shapes of the Yellow Emperor'?" Liu Bian was half-believing and half-doubtful, how come everything is linked to the Yellow Emperor? He had heard of the "Yellow Emperor's Inner Canon", and supposedly there was also an "Outer Canon of the Yellow Emperor", but he had never heard of any "Twelve Shapes of the Yellow Emperor". However, the three words 'Twelve Shapes' sounded somewhat familiar.

  "I once saw this book when I was revising books in the Eastern Watchtower. It is a treatise on Daoyin written by Huangdi and Leigong, which can strengthen one's body, make it robust, and always keep one intelligent. Compared to Zhang Jue's heretical minor skills, this is indeed the great Taoist orthodoxy."

  Liu Bian suddenly remembered something. The later generations' Xingyiquan seemed to have twelve forms, called "Five Animals and Six Beasts, One Dragon", could it be that they evolved from the Yellow Emperor's Twelve Forms? Xingyiquan is one of the three major internal martial arts, even if it's a special forces soldier who has undergone special training, when facing a true internal martial arts master, they wouldn't be enough to look at. Liu Bian's combat instructor had once sparred with an internal master and was knocked down after just three rounds.

  Liu Bian was somewhat impatient: "Where is this 'Huangdi Twelve Shapes'?"

  "In the East Watch."

  "Go, go to Dongguan."