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

Chapter 136 Teaching Li Qingzhao to Play Poker! [Seeking Monthly Tickets]

In the Kaiyuan era of the Tang Dynasty, the Imperial Study in the Wude Hall was brightly lit.

Emperor Li Longji, along with his trusted confidants Gao Lishi, Wang Ju, Li Longfan (Prince of Qi), Li Longye (Prince of Xue), and others, sat upright on the couch, listening attentively to Lady Gongsun's explanation of modern society.

"There, compulsory education is implemented. Children aged six to fifteen who do not attend school are punished. Anyone can study; there are no distinctions like 'low social class.' As long as you're not particularly lazy, you won't go hungry..."

The girl spoke her mind freely. While they were talking about compulsory education, she suddenly brought up cheap clothes and food, and even mentioned that grain yields of over a thousand catties per mu, which made Li Longji sigh repeatedly.

Wang Ju bowed to Granny Gongsun and humbly sought her guidance:

"May I ask, Fairy Pomegranate, in that world where lightning is everywhere, how do mortals live?"

Taking a break from her busy schedule, Aunt Gongsun popped a piece of glutinous rice cake into her mouth and said, shaking her head:

"Although there are electrical appliances everywhere there, all lightning is transmitted through the power lines, and there are residual current devices between the power lines, so it is very safe."

Upon hearing this, Gao Lishi picked up his pen and began to write on the paper:
"The world where the immortal resides has tamed lightning and made it available to all people; this is truly a great virtue!"

Li Longye served all the pastries in front of him and Li Longji to Gongsun Da Niang, and asked a question that everyone present wanted to know the answer to:
"Pomegranate Fairy, if our Great Tang Dynasty unites as one and develops according to the Immortal's guidance, is it possible to reach the level of the Immortal in the future?"

Ever since Gongsun Da Niang began her introduction, Li Longji had wanted to ask this question.

But to ask rashly would not only seem presumptuous, but also disrespectful to the gods. If you anger the gods, you will suffer more losses than gains.

At this moment, Li Longye, the fifth brother of Li Longji, stepped forward and asked the question on behalf of his elder brother. He said that if the gods were to punish him, they would only punish him, the younger brother, and it would have nothing to do with Li Longji.

To be fair, Li Longji and his brothers had a really good relationship. If it were any other emperor, his brothers would have preferred him to die sooner rather than later, and would never have helped someone who would offend the gods.

Granny Gongsun took a bite of a shortbread covered in nut crumbs and, mimicking Zhou Yi's tone, said:
"It's definitely possible. The immortal has a very clear plan for our world: first solve the problem of arable land, then solve the problem of food and clothing. During this period, promote the national health campaign, improve medical and educational standards, and standardize weights and measures... After three to five generations, it may give rise to the seeds of the Industrial Revolution."

The word "industry" was somewhat unfamiliar to the emperor and his officials of the Tang Dynasty, but after recent lessons, they gradually realized that industry was the cornerstone of social progress; without industry, everything was just empty talk.

Li Longji pondered for a moment, then asked a very crucial question:

"This move will definitely shake the interests of powerful clans. How can we balance the contradictions involved?"

Lady Gongsun had already devised a plan:

"Beyond the Tang Dynasty, there are vast territories. Your Majesty can issue empty promises and allocate those places to aristocratic families, encouraging them to expand and occupy them, thus shifting the conflict abroad. As the Immortal Master once said, the best form of a country is one where the land outside the main territory is full of fiefdoms, and beyond those fiefdoms, it borders foreign tribes, with the imperial court acting as the suzerain state."

Li Longji immediately understood:

"This is the Zhou Dynasty's policy of enfeoffing the world... Could this be the most suitable way for our Chinese nation?"

Without the Zhou emperor's enfeoffment of foreign states, there would have been no prerequisite for the unification of China.

If the Tang Dynasty had also implemented a system of enfeoffment to foreign lands, then the land area... Li Longji was so excited at the thought of the magnificent scene of thousands of miles of territory being Tang land.

While national policies were being discussed here, Princess Taiping was also listening to a report from her spies at the residence of Princess Zhenguo:
"That Pomegranate Fairy entered the palace in the evening, ate the imperial meal, and is now in the imperial study discussing national policies with the emperor and his confidants, as if she is about to do something extraordinary."

Princess Taiping took a deep breath:

"How did this Sanlang manage to latch onto the coattails of a deity?"

Dou Huaizhen, standing to the side, bowed and offered his advice:
"Time waits for no one. I urge Your Highness to make a decision as soon as possible. If you hesitate any longer, all this promising situation will be ruined!"

On the surface, Princess Taiping's faction held a clear advantage, with almost all of the three provinces and six ministries in favor of the other side. Although they were still missing Guo Yuanzhen, the Minister of War, a figurehead minister without any real military power would not be of much use.

Chaos is about to erupt, and only those who control military power will have the last laugh.

Princess Taiping was a woman who had seen a lot. She always considered herself a member of the Li clan and had participated in the Shenlong Coup, which seized power from her mother, and the Tanglong Coup, which eliminated the Wei clan. Now, she was about to face her own nephew in battle, but she hesitated.

Seizing imperial power and eliminating the Wei clan were both aimed at protecting the Li family's empire. Now that the Li family is fighting amongst themselves, her resolve has weakened.

At this time, Cen Xi, Xiao Zhizhong, Cui Shi and others also offered their advice.

Princess Taiping could hesitate, since she was a member of the royal family and could become Li Longji's aunt in a moment. But the ministers who were determined to overthrow Li Longji would not gain any benefit.

Li Longji had only been on the throne for less than ten months and was worried about finding someone to establish his authority. Princess Taiping's followers were definitely the best whetstone.

With no other options, they could only advise Princess Taiping not to act on emotion and to prioritize the greater good.

Princess Taiping pondered for a moment, then finally sighed:
"Within five days, draft a detailed plan for me. If it succeeds, I will never forget your contributions!"

Seeing that she had made up her mind, everyone breathed a sigh of relief. After chatting for a while, they all made an excuse that it was getting late and quietly left the Zhenguo Princess's residence through the back door.

After these people left, Princess Taiping went into the courtyard and looked up at the bright moon in the sky:
"Mother, if you were alive, would you support your daughter doing this?" From a young age, she liked to imitate Wu Zetian's every move. Whatever her mother liked her to do, she would do it. Everything was based on whether her mother liked it or not.

Now facing a matter of life and death, Princess Taiping habitually began to consider Wu Zetian's opinion.

As she gazed at the moon from the Zhenguo Princess's residence, Wu Meiniang was also looking up at the moon in the courtyard of the Hunyuan Palace:
"The moon is so bright tonight, Immortal Master. Are there really fairies in the Moon Palace?"

Zhou Yi took a bite of watermelon and said:
"The country's lunar probes have circled the moon several times, but they haven't found the Moon Palace, nor the cassia tree or the rabbit... What's even more tragic is that the land there is unsuitable for farming."

Wherever you go, that's the essence of the Chinese nation.

Li Qingzhao took a bite of the mini pudding ice cream and began to ask about the rest of her life:
"Immortal Master, how was I tricked into marriage?"

“A young and promising court official coveted your collection of bronzes and books. He pretended to get close to you, but on your wedding night, he demanded these things from you… Don’t worry, such a troublesome thing will not happen again. You can do whatever you want, and no one can restrain you.”

After Zhou Yi finished speaking, he shouted towards Li Bai's room:
"Disciple, come out and enjoy the melon and the moon!"

When he was obsessed with fame and fortune, he didn't study much, but now that he's turned to cultivating immortality, he's become much more diligent.

Zhou Yi was afraid that his eldest disciple would learn too much and lose his talent for writing poetry.

Li Bai, dressed in a short-sleeved shirt, shorts, and sandals, came out, first thanked Zhou Yi, then picked up a watermelon and took a bite:
"Sir, what are your plans for tomorrow?"

"We're going to the city tomorrow to sign a contract. You've never seen a big city before, so come with me tomorrow. Meiniang and Qingzhao can stay here and look after the house."

The entire Golden Sun has been designated a blessed land, which will continuously bring wealth. The residents of the apartment building will also gradually experience good fortune, and their health will improve under the influence of this blessing.

Wu Meiniang asked:
"They live in a blessed place; will their house be robbed?"

Zhou Yi shook his head:

“As long as we don’t say it, no one will know that Jin Taiyang is a blessed place. They will only think that the feng shui there is good, the fortune is prosperous, and you can make money no matter what you do. The residents upstairs will save enough money to buy a house and move away instead of living in the apartment forever.”

After finishing her pudding, Li Qingzhao took out a deck of cards and started playing with them:

"According to your logic, aren't those people ungrateful for their good fortune?"

Zhou Yi took the playing cards from her hand and said as he shuffled them:
"That's not entirely true. A person's fortune is predetermined. Once they can't hold onto their good fortune, fate will push them away. But before they leave, they will also receive plenty of benefits..."

Seeing that Zhou Yi was handled with great skill, Li Qingzhao immediately focused all her attention on it:

"I knew this was a gambling set. Teach me quickly, it must be a lot of fun."

Instead of teaching her how to play, Zhou Yi took out a deck of cards and began to explain the numbers on the cards and the meanings of J, Q, K, and A, tailoring his teaching to her individual needs.

Before going to bed, Li Qingzhao had memorized all the cards and insisted on learning how to play. Zhou Yi had no choice but to teach her the simplest way: catching bamboo poles.

The next day, Zhou Yi flipped through his black notebook and found that he had gained another five coins of merit, because Huo Qubing had captured several Xiongnu princes.

Huo Qubing, on the other hand, gained a full two ounces. In one battle, he captured a prince, several minor kings, and Xiongnu officers such as the commanders, which was quite a great achievement.

The female strategist Gongsun Da Niang raised the price by two coins on top of last night's increase. I don't know what shocking thing this girl said, but it has such a strong effect.

After breakfast, Zhou Yi took the official seal and relevant documents of Hunyuan Palace and drove Li Bai, who was dressed in a Taoist robe, to the city to find the boss of Jin Taiyang to sign a contract.

Wu Zetian stayed in Hunyuan Palace and taught Li Qingzhao some modern knowledge, such as how to operate electrical appliances and how to use sanitary napkins.

On the other side, in the world of Emperor Wu of the Western Han Dynasty.

Huo Qubing took stock of his gains and was so happy he couldn't stop smiling.

One prince's crown and five lesser princes' crowns, a total of six sets. If these were sent to Hunyuan Palace, they would definitely make Master happy for days.

He took out a blank bamboo scroll and was just about to write a tribute poem when Zhao Ponu's voice came through the walkie-talkie:
"A force of men has appeared about 30 or 40 li to the northeast. Judging from the dust they've raised, they number at least 5,000 cavalry. What should we do?"

Upon hearing this, Huo Qubing's handsome face immediately turned cold and stern.
"Except for the scouts, everyone else should withdraw, fortify the camp, and defend it... Ziwen Gong, take stock of the arrows in the camp. As long as we can hold out until nightfall, we can counterattack and kill the invading enemy!"

No sooner had the order been given than Zhao Ponu's voice came through the walkie-talkie again:

"I just advanced the drone, and it looks like the attackers were firing Hanqi..."

Han Banner?

Huo Qubing and Zhang Qian exchanged a glance. Could this be some unlucky fellow who got lost?
(End of this chapter)