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

Chapter 122 Li Qingzhao Returns to the Northern Song Dynasty! [Seeking Monthly Tickets]

Inside Hunyuan Palace, Li Qingzhao changed into her Taoist robe, took the various modern items prepared for her by Wu Meiniang, and prepared to return.

Today, she and some friends went to the local temple in a drunken stupor. After praying at the temple, they went to the Wenxuan King Hall of Hunyuan Palace. The people there were probably already as anxious as ants on a hot pan.

The Book of Changes instructed:
"Go back and think carefully about how you can meet His Majesty. You can use the pretense of being a deity. You can handle the details yourself. If you have any questions, we can discuss them in five days. I'll make you something delicious then."

Li Qingzhao pursed her lips:

"Can I drink?"

Zhou Yi shook his head:

"A sixteen-year-old girl, normally just starting high school, what kind of alcohol would she drink? Milk tea and other soft drinks would be fine."

The talented woman's mood plummeted several degrees immediately:
"Alright, will we be able to see Champion Marquis next time?"

Wu Zetian handed Li Qingzhao a backpack filled with various modern items:
"If you can see me, stay a few more days next time you come, and I'll take you to the town at the foot of the mountain to shop for some underwear and socks."

Li Qingzhao nodded, walked to the entrance of the Wenxuanwang Hall, waved to everyone, stepped over the threshold, and disappeared into thin air.

Li Bai, who had just taken a bath, said with a smile:
"Before I met her, I thought she was a delicate and refined woman, but I never expected her to be such a heavy drinker... The book says she's also addicted to gambling, I hope she hasn't developed that bad habit yet?"

Zhou Yi, holding the empty playing card box, said:

"She probably already has it. The playing cards that were confiscated were still taken by her without me noticing... I should have taught her how to play. Maybe Dou Dizhu will become popular in Tokyo in the future."

Wu Zetian packed up all the snacks that Gongsun Da Niang had asked for and gave them to Li Bai:
"Please give this to Sister Gongsun when you leave. I'm going back today to bring back the antimalarial medicine. I'll come back on the same day as Sister Zhao'er next time."

Upon hearing this, Li Bai also prepared to return home.
"I'll come next time too, and enjoy a good meal with you two older sisters."

When Gongsun Da Niang hears that Li Qingzhao is coming, she will definitely postpone her visit to Hunyuan Palace. Then, the three beauties from different times can have a joyful reunion.

With Wu Zetian gone, Zhou Yi's plan to scout out the Golden Sun Shopping Mall will fall through.

Fortunately, there is plenty of time; it's not too late to go after I finish things here.

After Wu Meiniang and Li Bai left, Zhou Yi inquired about the progress of the Sanlizhuang Land God Temple. Upon learning that the ground had been prepared, he called Zhao Wei and asked him to help find a crane to transport the stone statue of the God of Fortune to the Sanlizhuang Land God Temple.

Meanwhile, in the world of Emperor Zhezong of the Northern Song Dynasty, Li Qingzhao, dressed in a light blue Taoist robe, appeared at the local temple and found herself surrounded by government officials and constables.

Father Li Gefei paced back and forth anxiously, his official hat soaked with sweat, but he didn't even bother to wipe it off.

Li Gefei was so worried that his usually intelligent daughter disappeared from the local temple that he skipped work to look for her and even mobilized his friends and relatives to search for her.

Seeing his daughter return safe and sound, Li Gefei jogged over:

"Zhao'er, where have you gone? Your father is so worried!"

Li Qingzhao bowed to her father, looked around, and then dropped a bombshell:
“When my daughter was worshipping at the local earth god temple, she was chosen by a deity who took me to his celestial abode, bestowed upon me celestial food and precious clothes, and commanded me to serve as his attendant in the human world.”

Everyone present was stunned when these words were spoken.

Several of Li Qingzhao's friends who had come to the local temple to worship the gods were also stunned, completely unexpected that their friend, who had been missing for more than three hours, had actually gone to a celestial abode.

Li Gefei was well-versed in various classical texts and possessed a certain degree of skepticism.

"Is what Zhao'er said true? What is the name of the immortal's cave you went to? And what is the name of the immortal?"

Li Qingzhao spoke the truth:

"That place is called Hunyuan Palace, where Buddhist, Confucian, and Taoist deities, as well as various Chinese gods, are enshrined. The Taoist master's name is Yiyuan, and his secular name is Zhouyi."

Li Gefei didn't believe his daughter had gone to the immortal's cave and was even prepared to criticize her by mentioning her immortal title. However, when he heard the words "Primordial Chaos," he thought of the legends about the beginning of the universe.

The Daoist term "Yiyuan" (一元) can be interpreted as "the beginning of a new cycle."

The beginning of a new year, the beginning of a new year, remove the "one" and the "return," and that is... Li Gefei became more and more surprised as he thought about it, quickly bowed to the people around him, and pulled Li Qingzhao into his own carriage:
"Go home first, do not go out for the next few days, and stay home and refuse visitors."

He was filled with regret. If he had known his daughter had such great fortune, he would never have asked about the name of the immortal's cave and the Taoist title of the immortal in front of everyone.

Now everyone has heard that if this is exploited by malicious individuals, the consequences will be unimaginable.

Especially just a few days ago, my daughter caused a sensation in the capital with her poem "Like a Dream: Last Night the Rain Was Sparse and the Wind Was Strong," and people all over Tokyo were amazed by the profoundness of the poem.

There has been a noticeable increase in marriage proposals lately. If rumors of divine intervention spread, he might just be summoned to the palace.

In that case, my daughter's talents would be wasted.

Li Gefei was extremely anxious, but Li Qingzhao remained calm because she was doing this on purpose. The greater her fame, the easier it would be for her to get close to the current emperor.

The southward invasion of the Jin army and the resulting devastation could all be avoided. Li Qingzhao looked at Li Gefei and asked:
"Is Father worried about my safety?"

Li Gefei nodded:
"In the past, the late emperor continuously bestowed titles upon immortals, and all those associated with immortals could receive rewards. If you were to establish a connection with an immortal, you might be exploited by those involved in factional struggles."

The struggle between the new party and the old party has now reached a fever pitch, and any detail can be seized upon for impeachment.

As a student of Su Shi, Li Gefei was already embroiled in the factional struggle, and he did not want to drag his daughter into it as well.

Li Qingzhao took out a stainless steel token from her bosom and handed it to her father:
"This is a protective item bestowed upon me by the gods. You need not worry about my daughter's safety; the gods will secretly protect her."

Li Gefei took the token and saw the etched text on it, becoming completely convinced that his daughter had encountered a true deity, not one of those imposters pretending to be deities.

Putting everything else aside, those who fabricate stories wouldn't dare utter the phrase "will surely be punished by Heaven and have no descendants."

As they were walking, the carriage was suddenly stopped:

"Minister Zhao sent us here. May I ask if your daughter has been found?"

Li Gefei lifted the carriage curtain and cupped his hands in a gesture of respect to those outside.

"My beloved daughter has been found. Thank you for your concern."

After the other person left, Li Qingzhao asked:

Who is Vice Minister Zhao?

“Since your poem caused a sensation in the capital, Vice Minister Zhao Tingzhi has sent several visiting cards to my home, saying that as fellow officials, we should visit each other more often. I suspect they may be considering a marriage proposal.”

Li Qingzhao, clutching the whisk in her hand, said:
“My daughter has decided to follow the immortal master to pursue her destiny and will not marry again. Father, you can tell Zhao Jiaming directly without beating around the bush.”

Li Gefei respected his daughter's choice and nodded, saying:
“Very well, I will take this opportunity, under the guise of expressing my gratitude, to visit the Zhao residence and explain the situation.”

Many modern people struggle to manage relationships with their sons or daughters, but Li Gefei and Li Qingzhao, a father and daughter from a thousand years ago, got along very well. They respected each other and never imposed their ideas on one another.

Li Qingzhao was an anomaly among women of the Song Dynasty, and Li Gefei was no less so. During his exile to Luoyang, he spent his free time visiting all the gardens in Luoyang, and even wrote a book to record the historical anecdotes, layout features, and travel tips of various gardens in Luoyang. This book became an important classic in the study of gardens in the Northern Song Dynasty. The book is the famous "Records of Famous Gardens in Luoyang".

When Li Qingzhao lived in the countryside of Qingzhou, she called her dilapidated house "Guilai Hall" and styled herself "Yi'an Jushi"... It must be said that both Li Qingzhao and her father had a talent for finding joy in hardship.

Soon, the father and daughter arrived home, and Li Qingzhao began to think of a way to quickly get close to the current emperor.

Meanwhile, Li Bai and Gongsun Da Niang arrived at Daozhengfang by carriage and found that Yiyuan Temple had been renovated and was ready for consecration at any time.

Li Bai went inside and looked around, then asked curiously:
"There isn't a single statue of a deity, just Tai Chi diagrams. Is that appropriate?"

"This is the Taoist priest's idea. And don't you think it's cool to replace the statue with a Tai Chi diagram? The more you look at it, the more mysterious it becomes, and the more mysterious it becomes, the more frightening it is."

Upon entering the main hall, one is greeted by a massive Tai Chi diagram relief, with gold inlays adorning the walls on either side, giving the entire hall a sophisticated and upscale appearance.

Aunt Gongsun asked curiously:
"Where did this gold come from?"

A deacon in charge of guarding the place replied:

“It was sent from the Prince of Shen’s residence. The Prince of Shen said that he gets red spots all over his body when he touches gold, so he donated all the gold in his house and hopes that Yiyuan Temple can help him share his burden.”

Aunt Gongsun clicked her tongue:
"This Li Chengyi is very good at handling things. Next time I go to Hunyuan Palace, I should bring him some small gifts as a thank you."

Good, well-behaved children will all receive a reward from their auntie!

Li Bai asked:

"Are you sure the consecration ceremony is the day after tomorrow? We haven't prepared anything, we haven't even sent invitations to the guests for the consecration ceremony, isn't that a bit inappropriate?"

Lady Gongsun sat on the threshold of the main hall, eating the jelly that Wu Zetian had Li Bai bring over, and said:
“You’re wrong, Brother Li Bai. Taoist temples with high standards don’t bother with any pomp and circumstance. They must show an attitude of ‘believe if you want, get lost if you don’t, don’t bother me while I’m cultivating immortality.’ The more they do this, the more people will think that Yiyuan Temple is more genuine.”

Li Bai recalled the Hunyuan Palace. Although his master was kind, his attitude was exactly as Gongsun Da Niang had described.

He was still somewhat uneasy:

"Shouldn't a distinguished guest be present for the consecration ceremony?"

Aunt Gongsun chuckled:
"Yes, yes, His Majesty will attend the consecration ceremony in plain clothes. Is that enough? If not, I can have all five of his brothers come."

Li Bai was completely impressed. Without sending invitations, he had the emperor attend the consecration ceremony. Yiyuan Temple would probably soon become a Taoist holy site for the entire Tang Dynasty.

While the two were jokingly discussing the details of the consecration ceremony, Zhao Wei led a crane truck to Hunyuan Palace and clicked his tongue at the stone statue of the God of Fortune:
"I've been to Hunyuan Palace so many times, but this is the first time I've met a deity from a grassroots unit... Hello, Earth God, if you have any excavator-related business, remember to introduce me to it. Our excavators are blessed by the Ziwei Emperor, they're genuinely our own people!"

(End of this chapter)