Inheriting a Taoist temple, the story begins with Wu Zetian offering incense.

Chapter 114 Seriously, Buddha, are you serious? [Requesting monthly votes]

Zhou Yi just tried it out of the blue, and unexpectedly, his grandfather's phone could call the tailor's number... Luckily, he was too lazy to do it at the time and didn't go to the service center to cancel it.

The call connected quickly, and a deep male voice came through the receiver:
"Zhou Bansian, didn't you agree not to bother me for the first half of the year?"

Judging from the voice, this person should be over forty years old, Zhou Yi said.
“I am Zhou Yi. My grandfather passed away a month ago. I saw your name and phone number in his account book. I would like to ask you to make two sets of Taoist robes.”

Upon hearing the news of his grandfather's passing, the other person's voice suddenly became playful:
"Wow, it seems you've inherited his mantle... Tell me the birth date and time of the person wearing the Taoist robe, I can't process or tailor it without the birth date and time."

character?

Zhou Yi knows that custom-made clothes require measurements of body measurements, and some even measure uncommon measurements like arm and wrist circumference, but asking for birth date and time right off the bat... I've never seen a clothing store like this before.

He thought for a while and said:

"The owners of these two Taoist robes have rather unusual birth charts..."

One was born in the first year of the Zhenguan era of the Tang Dynasty, and the other was born during the Wu Zhou Dynasty. Their birth charts are different from those of modern people.

The tailor was in a good mood; perhaps it was related to hearing the news of his grandfather's death.
"No problem, as long as you have the birth date and time (Bazi), that's fine. I have clients from the Guangxu era, so how strange can your Bazi be?"

The Guangxu era? Isn't that the Qing Dynasty?
Are there still people from that era in modern society?

If you're a Qing Dynasty person at heart, the Book of Changes is nothing special. Many people in modern society may dress very fashionably, but they still have a money-grubbing mentality in their hearts. Not only have they not cut it off, but they are even more feudal than people from the Qing Dynasty.

But if we're talking about the physiological aspects of people from the Qing Dynasty, wouldn't they be like tortoises?

Putting aside his thoughts, Zhou Yi gave Wu Meiniang and Gongsun Da Niang their birth dates and times. Since the two of them would be spending a lot of time in the Taoist temple, and with custom-made Taoist robes, they wouldn't have to worry about being haunted by evil spirits.

As for Huo Qubing and Chen Tang, these two super warriors exuding murderous aura would send evil spirits fleeing for eight blocks in their wake, requiring no defense whatsoever.

Li Bai is currently in the prime of his growth period, and the clothes he ordered last month might be too small this month. It's better to wait until he's fourteen or fifteen years old before ordering them again.

After the eight characters were handed over, the tailor finally spoke after a long while:

"You and your grandfather are both quite eccentric. This birth chart has completely baffled me... Are there any color requirements?"
"One piece is blue, the other is pomegranate red..."

Zhou Yi had just described the colors of Wu Meiniang and Gongsun Da Niang's Taoist robes, but before he could mention their height and weight, the tailor said:

"It will be completed within a month and delivered to you by express. One set costs 100,000 yuan, and if you want it expedited, it costs 150,000 yuan. It can be completed in about 20 days."

Ten...one hundred thousand?
Zhou Yi's first thought was to stop making it and just buy it from a Taobao store.

It's not that I can't afford high-end custom-made Taoist robes, it's that Hanfu from Taobao, which costs a few hundred yuan a piece, is more cost-effective.

Just as he was about to refuse, the tailor unexpectedly asked:
"Didn't your grandfather tell you the price?"

"No, it's not mentioned at all in the ledger."

The tailor clicked his tongue:
“Yes, your grandfather never pays; he always substitutes other conditions. How about this, I can continue this rule for you too. If you agree to two conditions, I will expedite the making of these two Taoist robes for you.”

Zhou Yi doesn't like this kind of being manipulated:

"You're not going to ask me to donate a kidney, are you?"

The tailor chuckled.
“If I really dared to do that, your grandfather would definitely come back to life on the spot, chop me into mincemeat and throw me into the Yangtze River to feed the fish... My condition is very simple: just do me a small favor when the time is right. I won’t make you do anything illegal or criminal, nor will I force you to violate moral principles.”

It sounds plausible, but Zhou Yi isn't entirely convinced:
"If your request is too unreasonable, can I refuse?"

“Sure, of course no problem… Your grandfather was never this cautious in his entire life. Aren’t you being a little too careful? You’re not like a young person at all.”

Zhou Yi didn't speak, but quietly took out two copper coins to perform a divination. After confirming that they wouldn't bring him any harm, he decided to have them made.

After ending the call, Zhou Yi first topped up his grandfather's phone with several hundred yuan to ensure he could answer calls at any time, and then plugged it in to prevent it from shutting down automatically.

Once outside, he said to the two beautiful women who were searching for honeydew melons along the vines by the corner of the wall:
"I've ordered a Taoist robe just like mine for each of you. It should arrive in about twenty days."

Wu Zetian said with a smile:
"The clothing of us Hunyuan Palace Taoists needs to be standardized."

Gongsun Da Niang was even more curious about whether the clothes carried any magical power:

"Taoist Master, if I wear this, will I be able to unleash lightning to strike down bad guys?"

Zhou Yi shook his head:

"This won't work for now. I'll look into it further later." Granny Gongsun bent down and pulled out a long, whitish honeydew melon, a smug look on her face.

"Good luck is just unstoppable. This one is enough for me. Taoist priest, don't forget to make some tomato salad later. It's a summer heat-relieving wonder. Anyone who eats it will get dizzy."

Zhou Yi agreed, rolled up his sleeves, and started helping to pick tomatoes. In addition to making a cold salad, he would also cook an old-fashioned tomato and egg soup for dinner, served with steamed buns and seaweed strips, making it another delicious meal.

At the same time, in the world of Emperor Wu of the Western Han Dynasty, at the camp in Yinguan County, Huo Qubing casually heated up the leftovers he had brought in a stainless steel pot. Without distinguishing between hot and cold dishes, he directly served a large bowl to each of the team leaders, captains, and commanders. They could eat as many steamed buns as they wanted. Everyone sat in the tent and had a savory officers' meal.

Sima Qian, who had come from afar, was lucky enough to attend the banquet. He ate with gusto, his mouth greasy, and he even learned, without being taught, how to dip steamed buns in the soup.

When he came out of Wei Qing's camp, he thought fried noodles were the most delicious food in the world. They could be eaten dry or mixed into a paste with water. If the inn where he stayed had hot water, that would be even better, as the aroma of the fried noodles after being scalded could be smelled for miles.

But today, after eating the food that Huo Qubing brought from the immortals, he realized that fried noodles were nothing special. Not to mention the fragrant dishes in front of him, he could eat four big white steamed buns in one go.

Zhang Qian, as the second-in-command of the cavalry, examined Sima Qian's edict and Wei Qing's military order written on bamboo slips, and asked with doubt:

"Zichang, if you and Li Guang were to encounter a large Xiongnu army, what decision would you make?"

Sima Qian was the military supervisor sent by the emperor, and he felt it was his duty to step forward and take responsibility.
"I will order Li Guang to send someone to contact the General, inform him of the location of the main Xiongnu force, and set up camp in a nearby strategic location to attract the main Xiongnu force. Once reinforcements arrive, we can then counterattack and kill the Xiongnu... What do you think of this plan?"

Zhao Ponu took a bite of the braised pork knuckle and asked a thought that stung:
"But will Li Guang listen to you?"

These words silenced Sima Qian. He was now increasingly regretful, wishing he had volunteered to follow the general's central army or become a captain under Huo Qubing.

Looking at everyone's sympathetic eyes, he felt like slapping himself twice.

Huo Qubing said:
"Today, I am accompanying my master to perform a ritual for a pickle factory. The so-called pickle factory is a merchant that specializes in making pickles. When we arrived, my master gave us all the pickles, hoping that you would all bravely fight the enemy to repay the divine grace!"

As he spoke, the cooks in the camp were adding kelp strips to the pots. They tore open the packages and poured the kelp strips, along with the chili oil, into the pots where the wheat was being cooked. Each group of five people received a package.

After adding the kelp, simmer it briefly to allow the flavors to fully meld with the rice, and then the soldiers began to eat.

They usually eat food with little salt and oil. Although fried noodles are good, they are a strategic resource that can only be eaten after entering the grasslands. Within the Great Han territory, the staple food is still wheat porridge.

The addition of red oil seaweed strips transforms ordinary, hard-to-swallow wheat rice into an unparalleled delicacy.

Huo Qubing had already eaten and wasn't hungry yet. He handed Zhang Qian a high-powered telescope and a compass, smiling as he said:

“Master really liked those crystal glasses; this is his reward for you.”

Zhang Qian was overjoyed. He never expected that simply presenting a pair of crystal cups with reverence would result in such a generous reward.

He quickly put down his chopsticks, bowed to the heavens, and thanked the gods for their blessing.

Sima Qian didn't know much about this thing, and asked curiously:

"What is this?"

Zhao Ponu answered:

"These are divine gifts of reconnaissance and location tools. With these two, we won't be ambushed or get lost on the grasslands."

Sima Qian looked at Huo Qubing, but before he could speak, Huo Qubing spoke up:
"This item is extremely precious. Apart from our unit, the rest will be sent to the central army camp and distributed by the General... If you want it, you can have the military clerk apply to the central army."

Sima Qian thanked him and planned to meet up with Li Guang, then have him send a document to the central army to apply for the divine gift. He believed that the general was kind and gentle, and as long as he spoke respectfully, he would surely be able to obtain the divine gift.

After the meal, all the officers were stuffed. Huo Qubing told them to rest for another half day and set off early the next morning, passing through Dingxiang to the grasslands to search for traces of the Xiongnu.

Seeing that Zhang Qian had ingratiated himself with the immortal, Zhao Ponu also had his own ideas and quietly approached Huo Qubing to ask:
"Huo Biaoyao, I wonder what else the immortals like? I would also like to express my feelings."

Huo Qubing said:
“Master doesn’t like scheming people. Earning military merit honestly is more effective than any gift.”

"Follow the order!"

In the evening, Zhou Yi cooked tomato and egg soup, added some tofu and a small handful of wood ear mushrooms, making it look very tempting.

Having eaten and drunk her fill, Granny Gongsun, carrying a box of chilled tomato salad and a backpack full of snacks, strolled to Little Penglai and returned to the Tang Dynasty Kaiyuan World from the main hall entrance.

She carried the chilled tomato salad to the entrance of the post station, intending to eat it while watching the people who came to worship the local earth god. However, as soon as she arrived at the entrance, before she even started eating, she overheard several officials of the post station gossiping:
"Several eminent monks associated with Huifan died suddenly, and various temples are returning the land and farmland they seized. We don't know what happened."

"It is said that it was a divine decree personally issued by Buddha, but it is hard to say whether it is true or not."

Gongsun Da Niang was so engrossed in listening that she forgot to eat her tomatoes... No way, Buddha, are you serious?
(End of this chapter)