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

Chapter 167 Hunyuan Palace Pyramid Scheme Meeting! [Seeking Monthly Tickets]

After Su Dingfang finished speaking, he picked up his spear and was the first to charge forward.

The last time he led troops into battle was in the fourth year of the Zhenguan era, when he led his army to break through the Khan's camp and captured this arrogant grassland overlord alive, bringing him to Chang'an.

Fourteen years have passed in the blink of an eye. Su Dingfang has not been on the battlefield since then. Now, he is leading his troops in a surprise attack again. This general, who is over forty years old, feels his blood boiling and his pores roaring.

Fourteen years have passed, and I can finally go into battle again to fight the enemy and clear away obstacles for the Tang Dynasty!

Three thousand cavalrymen swiftly and decisively surrounded the group of Goguryeo people. Several of them tried to break out of the encirclement, but unsurprisingly, they were riddled with bullets by the Tang soldiers.

The soldiers in the early Tang Dynasty were all extremely strong in combat. In addition, the Tang Dynasty was wealthy and well-equipped, making it several levels stronger than Goguryeo, which lacked equipment and weapons.

Su Dingfang showed no courtesy to the group of Goguryeo people and crushed them with a single charge.

During the incident, someone tried to surrender, but he refused, pretending not to understand what the other person was saying, and stabbed the Goguryeo general to death with a spear.

The first battle in fourteen years has already resulted in an unsatisfactory number of troops. If we still can't kill enough, then all that traveling thousands of miles has been for nothing!

Soon, the three thousand cavalrymen wiped out the five hundred Goguryeo people, capturing more than seven hundred warhorses and leaving no survivors.

As the soldiers were cleaning up the battlefield, shadowy figures appeared in the dense forest to the north. Su Dingfang picked up his binoculars, looked inside, and asked his adjutant:

"Who is that?"

"Reporting to the general, they are Khitans. They are nominally subjects of the Tang Dynasty, but they frequently raid southwards..."

Upon hearing the word "Khitan," Su Dingfang pulled out a Tang Dynasty map from his robes, which Wu Zetian had brought with her. He carefully examined the territory of the Khitan and sighed.
"The territory of the Khitan is full of swamps. People who are not familiar with it can easily get stuck... Let them go for now. When the old general comes, he will surely have a way to deal with them."

Not long ago, when they left Pingzhou, they received an imperial edict from His Majesty stating that this attack was to occupy and manage Liaodong, not just to destroy Goguryeo.

Su Dingfang felt that since they were going to manage Liaodong, they should naturally remove the holdouts like the Khitan.

The lieutenant asked:

"Liaodong is bitterly cold; would anyone be willing to come?"

Su Dingfang said:
"I heard that Consort Wu of the palace was favored by fate and was chosen as a fairy maid. She brought a cold-resistant food called potato, which is suitable for planting in Liaodong. If potatoes are available, people will surely be willing to come here to cultivate and plant them."

While they were discussing potatoes, inside the Hunyuan Palace, Zhou Yi handed several skewers of grilled potato slices to a few beautiful women:
"The potatoes are roasted, everyone have a taste. I'll try to send you some potatoes to grow in the future. I saw that potato sprouts are sold online, I'll buy some later."

Buying seeds online allows you to select different varieties, which can then be transported to ancient times for hybridization, resulting in potatoes that are better suited to local cultivation.

Of course, to be on the safe side, it would be best to offer these potato seeds at the Three Emperors Temple before transporting them there, so that the Shennong Emperor can bestow some blessings upon them, thus ensuring that the potatoes grow more vigorously.

As for virus removal, we can find more relevant literature and combine it with the history of potato cultivation to find some traditional methods of virus removal and let the ancients try them one by one.

There are no widespread famines in any of the worlds right now, and potatoes are just a supplementary food for the time being, so there's no need to worry about them causing any harm.

Grandma Gongsun ate a slice of potato and found it to be fragrant, soft, and delicious.

She raised her wine cup and clinked it against Li Qingzhao's:
"Sister Zhao'er, come on, cheers!"

After her midday drunkenness, Li Qingzhao dared not be careless anymore. She took a small sip and began to miss the Tu Mi wine of the Song Dynasty, a wine that one could drink a whole pot of without any problem.

Li Bai thought this method of grilling was perfect for gatherings, and planned to ask for some barbecue seasoning so he could invite His Majesty, Li Chengyi, and others to Yiyuan Temple for a barbecue later. He thought it would be very pleasant.

The Book of Changes says:

"Yesterday when I was eating fish at Zhao Wei's house, Da Tou Yang wanted to give me some barbecue seasoning. I'll pick it up tomorrow, and you guys can share it and experience the joy of all-you-can-eat barbecue."

Wu Zetian took a sip of chilled wine, ate a slice of potato, and asked curiously:
"Besides baking, how else can potatoes be eaten?"

"There are many ways to eat potatoes. They can be sliced ​​and deep-fried; without batter, they are crispy, and with batter, they are chewy. They can also be shredded and pan-fried to make potato pancakes. In addition, potatoes can be steamed, boiled, stewed, or braised."

Potatoes are arguably the most versatile food in the world. They can be used as a vegetable or a staple food, and can be found in almost every part of the globe.

As the barbecue was nearing its end, the moon climbed above the treetops, its bright light bathing the earth.

Lady Gongsun danced gracefully under the moonlight, and even recited the Three Hundred Tang Poems she had recently read:

"All the birds have flown away, and spring stretches for ten thousand miles from the tower. Last night, the wind and rain raged, and I felt I could pluck the stars from the sky. In the empty mountains, no one is in sight, and in the spring city, grass and trees grow deep. If I wish to see a thousand miles further, the ends of the earth seem like next door!"

Li Qingzhao covered her mouth and laughed:
"You've learned a wide variety of poems."

Gongsun Da Niang said:

"I'm not good at poetry, but I'm good at singing, Sister Zhao'er, listen carefully." She turned on her phone, played the accompaniment, and then sang "The Moon Over the West Tower" along with the melody:
The fragrance of lotus fades, the jade mat grows cool in autumn; I lightly loosen my silk robe and board the orchid boat alone.

Who sends a letter from the clouds? When the wild geese return, the moon will be full over the western tower.

……

This is a new song that Aunt Gongsun recently learned, adapted from Li Qingzhao's famous poem "A Spray of Plum Blossoms - The Fragrance of Red Lotus Fades, the Jade Mat is Cool in Autumn". After the girl finished singing it excitedly, she realized that Li Qingzhao was already in tears.
"Oh, Sister Zhao'er, why are you crying? Is it because I sang badly?"

Li Qingzhao shook her head:
"No, you sang exceptionally well; I was just feeling sorry for myself."

To be able to write such sorrow, how much suffering must she have endured at the time...? As Li Qingzhao was weeping, Wu Zetian handed her a pack of tissues:
"The Immortal Master summoned us here to change everyone's fate. Sister Gongsun will no longer need to entertain people with songs and dances, Brother Li Bai will no longer need to waste half his life as an official, Sister Zhao'er can always have the heart of a little girl, and I will no longer need to become an empress that everyone hates... But it would be somewhat unfair to the Immortal Master's good intentions to only change our own fate. We must do our best to change the fate of others as much as possible."

These words stirred Li Bai's blood:

"I must prevent the An Lushan Rebellion from breaking out!"

Granny Gongsun picked up the broom and twirled it into a beautiful sword-like flourish:

"We must also execute the treacherous officials who have brought disaster to the country and its people!"

Li Qingzhao was moved by this emotion, wiped away her tears, and said:
"I must stop the Jin army from advancing south!"

Wu Zetian said:
"I want to elevate the strength of the Tang Dynasty to a new level."

After they finished speaking, they all looked at the Book of Changes.

Zhou Yi felt like he had stumbled into a pyramid scheme meeting, and stood up, saying:

"I'm going to cut the watermelon, who wants some?"

Gongsun Da Niang's composure crumbled in an instant:
"Oh dear, everyone is in the midst of a passionate discussion, how could you bring up a watermelon, Daoist Master... I'll eat half of it, the kind you scoop out with a spoon, no need to cut it."

That night, Wu Meiniang, Li Qingzhao, and Gongsun Da Niang slept in the same bed. The three sisters chatted and whispered until midnight before going to sleep, so much so that the next day, Zhou Yi quickly prepared breakfast before the three women emerged from the room, yawning.

After breakfast, Zhou Yi went down the mountain to retrieve the barbecue seasoning that Da Tou Yang had given him, a total of twenty jin.

Although it was a gift, Zhou Yi didn't let Da Tou Yang suffer a loss. He slipped a wealth-attracting talisman into Da Tou Yang's pocket, indicating that Da Tou Yang's fortune would be strong in the near future, and he would be able to make money no matter what he did.

In addition to barbecue seasoning, Zhou Yi also bought some chili powder.

The red chili peppers that Li Mingda planted in the palace have now sprouted. In a couple of days, he will transplant the seedlings and plant them. In the fall, all the harvested peppers will be dried into seeds, and next year he will be able to harvest even more peppers.

Then we can buy some different varieties of chili seeds for hybridization, and this plant, which originated in South America, will take root and sprout in the Tang Dynasty a thousand years earlier.

Back on the mountain, Li Bai carried barbecue seasoning and a suitcase full of supplies. The suitcase was full of things that Wu Meiniang had prepared for Princess Taiping, including shoes, socks, underwear, and so on, so that Princess Taiping could live more comfortably.

Grandma Gongsun wasn't in a hurry to go back. She planned to buy some more food to take there and earn a little money... Even though she was a deity walking among humans, she still needed to eat.

Li Qingzhao also returned, taking with her about ten telescopes, several walkie-talkies, and matching solar charging panels. She couldn't take too many of these things for the time being, because once they passed through the hands of the Privy Council, they might accidentally end up in the enemy's hands.

Moreover, the craftsmen in the Song Dynasty were quite skilled. As long as they had the relevant measuring instruments, they could grind the lenses needed for a monocular telescope without having to rely on the I Ching for everything.

Before leaving, Zhou Yi instructed her:
"Next time you come with Zhao Xu, if nothing unexpected happens, let's have a team building activity at Hunyuan Palace to celebrate the addition of a new member to this big family."

Li Qingzhao nodded repeatedly:
"Okay, will I still be able to drink that sweet drink then?"

"Okay, just don't drink too much."

Wu Zetian won't leave; we'll return to the Tang Dynasty Zhenguan world after everyone's team-building activity next time.

After Aunt Gongsun left with a backpack full of snacks, Zhou Yi checked the time on his phone and said to Wu Meiniang:
“Come with me to Boss Fang’s house. There’s a cultist in his neighborhood. We have nothing else to do today, so let’s do a remote survey and see what kind of layout that house has.”

For Master Zhou, practicing unorthodox cultivation is a form of merit. Since it is a form of merit, one should naturally be more proactive and not just wait for people to come to one's door in the Taoist temple.

As the two drove their new car into the city, in the world of Emperor Wu of Han, Wei Qing's central army was setting off, preparing to clash head-on with the main force of the Xiongnu Chanyu.

To prevent any emergencies, Wei Qing issued binoculars to several generals to facilitate reconnaissance of enemy positions.

Zhao Xin looked around with his telescope, a ruthless glint gradually appearing in his eyes. After thinking for a moment, he quietly dispatched his Xiongnu followers to leave the camp and rush to the source of the Huanggan River.

All of this was clearly observed by the drones in the sky. Zhou Ba, a military advisor, asked into a walkie-talkie:
"General, should we send troops to stop them?"

Wei Qing replied:
"No need. The Xiongnu who have set up camp are not easy to fight. We need to get them moving so that we can wipe them out in one fell swoop!"

(End of this chapter)