"Laozi: A Fresh Look Based on Zhou Dynasty Glyphs with Breathtaking Fictional Commentary by Yinxi" presents two very different approaches to the Do D Jīng (Tao Te Ching). The main body of the book is a fresh translation incorporating images very close to the pictorial script Laozi (Lao Tzu) might have used. These pictures add layers to any classic translation of Laozi's message. Perhaps they even provide glimpses into his world.
Running next to the text, literally in the margins, is a work of historical fiction. It's couched as commentary by the border guard, Yinxi, who asked Laozi to write some sage words for his people as the master was leaving the country forever. What if Yinxi discovered that Laozi was hiding his own autobiography inside the very characters he chose to draw as he laid out his philosophy? And what if Yinxi cracked that code only to find out that underneath Laozi's beard was someone in desperate need of a disguise? The fictional piece of this book imagines the hijinks and danger that might ensue right alongside a profound wisdom that would last for millennia.