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

Chapter 172 Xin Qingji: I want to write a letter to Xin Qiji! [Seeking monthly votes]

During the reign of Emperor Yuan of the Western Han Dynasty, Chen Tang and Gan Yanshou and their entourage finally arrived at Fulu County, the capital of Jiuquan Commandery, after several days of travel. They met Xin Qingji, the governor of Jiuquan, who had been waiting at the city gate since early morning.

"You two have traveled a thousand miles to slay Zhizhi Chanyu, bringing glory to our great Han Dynasty. Please accept my bow!"

Upon meeting Chen Tang and Gan Yanshou, Xin Qingji took the initiative to bow, sincerely admiring their courage and achievements.

When Xin Qingji's father, Xin Wuxian, was stationed in the Northwest, he liked to use force to suppress foreign tribes. From then on, being tough on foreign tribes became a label for the Xin family, which continued to Xin Qiji, who grew up behind enemy lines.

Conversely, Zhao Chongguo, who was as famous as Xin Qingji, was known as a veteran of four reigns and a famous general of the Western Han Dynasty, but he adhered to a policy of appeasement towards foreign tribes.

During the reign of Emperor Xuan, Xin Wuxian served as the governor of Jiuquan. When the Qiang people rebelled, Zhao Chongguo led an army to quell the rebellion.

Xin Wuxian advocated a hardline approach towards the Qiang people, seizing their cattle and sheep, and taking away their women and children, which instilled fear in the Qiang people, making them dare not confront the Han.

However, Zhao Chongguo advocated appeasement and even wrote a letter hoping to disband the Han cavalry, which consumed a great deal of grain and fodder, and to call on the military and civilians to cultivate the land and distribute some of the harvested grain to the Qiang people, in order to win over the various tribes of the Western Qiang in this way.

Xin Wuxian, upon hearing this, wrote a letter of condemnation and exposed Zhao Chongguo's son, Zhao Mao, for making irresponsible remarks about palace secrets at a banquet. Zhao Mao committed suicide to atone for his sins, and the two families became enemies as a result.

Not long after, the Zhao family killed the Xin family, and Xin Qingji's son also killed the Zhao family, making the two families sworn enemies.

From a later perspective, Zhao Chongguo's policy of appeasement and persuasion only emboldened the arrogance of the foreign tribes, especially the idea of ​​sending farmland to the Qiang people to "persuade" them—that was utter nonsense.

Now, upon meeting Chen Tang and Gan Yanshou, who share the same political views as Xin, Xin Qingji was overjoyed and said that he had prepared a banquet and hoped to drink and chat with the two of them.

As the group entered the city gate of Fulu County, Xin Qingji even took a detour to allow the two to visit Jinquan.

Looking at the bubbling Jinquan spring, Gan Yanshou sighed:

"Sima Qian said in the Records of the Grand Historian that Huo Qubing, the Marquis of Champion, was arrogant and did not care about his subordinates and soldiers. This statement is quite absurd. If Huo Qubing were really like this, there would be no name for Jiuquan in the world."

The name Jiuquan comes from the fact that after the great victory in the Battle of Hexi, Emperor Wu of Han bestowed imperial wine upon Huo Qubing as a reward.

However, Huo Qubing did not drink alone. Instead, he poured the imperial wine into the Jinquan Spring on the grounds that all the soldiers were fighting for their lives, and drank the spring water with his soldiers. Thus, the spring became known as Jiuquan (Wine Spring).

If Huo Qubing were truly as Sima Qian described, he would never have made the gesture of pouring imperial wine into Jinquan, and the poetic name Jiuquan would have been meaningless.

Xin Qingji said:
“I come here every day to drink a cup of water and reminisce about the glory of the Marquis of Champion. If one day I can achieve even one or two hundred of the Marquis of Champion’s accomplishments, I will die with a smile on my face, and my life will not have been in vain!”

Upon hearing this, Chen Tang took out a mooncake box from his mount's satchel, opened it, and pulled out a photograph to show Xin Qingji:
"What does Magistrate Xin think of this man?"

Xin Qingji asked in confusion:

"What is this? Why does this person seem so lifelike?"

"This is called a photograph. I'll explain the principle to you later. In the meantime, give an impromptu comment on this person's appearance."

Xin Qingji looked left and right, and exclaimed in admiration:
"Handsome appearance, imposing presence, and an indescribable air of nobility between his brows... May I ask, General Zigong, who is this man?"

Chen Tang grinned:
"Weren't you just saying someone's name?"

Xin Qingji was stroking his beard when he heard this, and on the spot, he plucked out several hairs from his beard.
"This is the General of the Flying Cavalry, Marquis of Champion, who sealed the wolf's lair?"

Upon seeing Chen Tang nod, Xin Qingji immediately bowed deeply before the photograph:

"Xin Qingji, a foolish man from Didao, Longxi, pays his respects to General Huo!"

As he rose, Xin Qingji couldn't hold back his tears. Gazing upon the likeness of Marquis Huo Qubing at Jinquan, any grown man would lose his composure.

Chen Tang handed him the photo:

"Old Gan and I came all the way from the Western Regions, but we didn't bring any souvenirs. So, I'll give you this photo. You can put it on your desk and look at it anytime."

Xin Qingji was so excited that he couldn't speak, and kept bowing to express his gratitude.

A soldier nearby filled a bucket with Jinquan water, and Chen Tang and Gan Yanshou each drank a bowl, also trying out the trendy taste of the imperial wine poured by the Marquis of Champion.

Then, Chen Tang washed his face with spring water and told Xin Qingji about being summoned to Hunyuan Palace by the immortals. Upon hearing this, Xin Qingji immediately took out a letter written on silk from his pocket:

"Two days ago, the Imperial Censor Fan Yanshou wrote to me, saying that General Zigong had lied about meeting a deity, and ordered me to collect evidence that the general was lying. I didn't expect that it was actually true?"

Chen Tang wasn't surprised at all:
"When others suspect you are a guest of the immortals' cave, you'd better actually know the immortals... Unfortunately, I do know the immortals, and Champion Marquis was there too. This photo was taken with the help of the immortals."

Xin Qingji was furious upon hearing this:

"How dare a censor frame a loyal official! I will immediately submit a memorial to impeach Fan Yanshou. Such a despicable person is unworthy of being a censor!"

Chen Tang waved his hand magnanimously:
"There's no rush for impeachment. I'll settle accounts with them one by one once we get to Chang'an... Brother Qingji, let's eat first. I've been lacking meat lately and haven't tried the mutton from Jiuquan yet."

Upon hearing this, Xin Qingji quickly summoned the two men to the prefectural governor's residence, where wine and food had been prepared in anticipation of the two meritorious officials' return. After speaking, he led the way and had someone guide Chen Tang and Gan Yanshou's entourage to the post station to rest, where wine and food had also been prepared to reward the warriors.

On the way to the prefectural governor's mansion, Gan Yanshou reminisced about the years he had worked with Xin Qingji's father, Xin Wuxian. Xin Qingji also inquired about the current situation in Chigu City. More than ten years ago, when he was still a young man, he had garrisoned land and trained troops in Chigu City and participated in the split between the Greater and Lesser Wusun.

Well, if the Han army hadn't "lent a helping hand," the internal situation in Wusun wouldn't have become so tense.

The Protectorate of the Western Regions tried its best to mediate, but the mediation back and forth ended up splitting Wusun into two countries. In addition to fighting among themselves, the two Wusun countries also tried to curry favor with the Han Dynasty in hopes of overwhelming the other side.

Upon arriving at the prefectural governor's residence, Chen Tang took out four bottles of Erguotou (a type of Chinese liquor) and two bottles of strong beer. He handed the beer to the prefectural governor's steward.
"Draw a bucket of well water and keep it chilled; this wine only tastes good when drunk chilled."

The Han people eat separately. After the three of them took their seats, three low tables were set out with fruit and cooked mutton on them. It was summer now, and there were many wild fruits in Jiuquan, which could be picked to accompany the wine.

Chen Tang was used to eating at Hunyuan Palace, so he had the low table removed and replaced with a large table. The three of them sat around the table and the servants were driven out.

His act of taking the initiative made Xin Qingji instantly realize that he was about to say something that couldn't be told to outsiders.

Sure enough, as soon as they filled their wine cups, Chen Tang and Gan Yanshou, one on each side, began to tell Xin Qingji about the severity and complexity of the situation in the Western Regions.

The future restorer of Wusun has been detained by Chen Tang and is now among his followers, unwillingly accepting the dictates of fate.

But that's not enough. The Protectorate of the Western Regions needs a strong leader to guard it, otherwise the Western Regions will be in danger.

If the Western Regions are unstable, the Hexi Corridor will also be in turmoil; they are interconnected.

Xin Qingji only realized what was going on at this moment:
"Do you two wish for me to go and oversee the Western Regions?"

Chen Tang nodded:

“My great Han Dynasty is in dire straits, and the court is full of pedantic scholars. I have searched through the history books in the immortal's place, and only you are capable of this task... Of course, if you find the Western Regions too harsh, I understand, after all, it is not a place to enjoy life.”

Before he could finish speaking, Xin Qingji's eyes turned red:

"Who would object? I, Xin, am willing to risk my life to defend the borders of the Han Dynasty. As long as I live, the Western Regions will be forever at peace!"

Chen Tang wanted this guarantee, so he raised his glass and said:
"Come, Brother Qingji, drink this cup to the brim! To be honest, I am truly jealous of you. None of my Chen Tang's descendants have amounted to anything, but you, Xin Qingji, have had a continuous line of descendants. Even more than a thousand years later, there are still Xin family descendants working tirelessly for the rise and fall of China... The Book of Han describes your family as the claws and teeth of the Han Dynasty, and that is truly a very insightful statement!"

He pulled Xin Qingji aside and chatted about famous Xin family members from various dynasties, including Xin Qiji, who spent his life resisting the Jin dynasty. Xin Qingji was filled with fervent emotion and wished he could immediately defend the borders of the Han dynasty and set an example for future generations.

Chen Tang said:

"In two days, I will be going to the Immortal's Cave. If you would like to hear the voice of the Champion Marquis, I can record a segment for you."

Xin Qingji certainly wanted to hear it, but he preferred to write a letter to his descendant, Xin Qiji, to encourage him, a descendant who lived more than a thousand years later.

Chen Tang became interested:

"Alright, go ahead and write. Although Xin Qiji hasn't come to Hunyuan Palace yet, I see that the Immortal Master speaks highly of him. Perhaps we'll meet him in the future, and I'll have Xin Qiji reply to you then."

While they were exchanging toasts, inside the Hunyuan Palace, Wang Shuangqing brought in a whole cartload of various pots and pans and unloaded them all onto the small square in front of the Sanqing Hall.

"Xiao Yi, this is the list. Apart from the soup pot, all the other pots are unsellable surplus items. They wouldn't fetch a good price even if sold as scrap metal, so I'm giving them all to you."

Zhou Yi checked the total price and transferred some extra money to Wang Shuangqing.

After Wang Shuangqing left, Wu Meiniang, now wearing white sneakers, walked over and looked at the pot in front of her, saying:

"Is the Immortal Master planning to use it for the army?"

Zhou Yi nodded:

"Prioritize Huo Qubing's side, and you and Zhao Xu can split the rest. Since the Yuan Emperor World and the Kaiyuan World are not at war, we will not provide these kinds of military supplies for the time being."

After saying that, he went to the kitchen to prepare lunch, while Wu Meiniang, holding a small floral umbrella for shade, carefully counted the number of pots.

At the same time, in the world of Emperor Wu of Han, Huo Qubing's army, after traveling for a day and a night, finally reached the outer perimeter of the main force of the Xiongnu. The drone rose into the sky and could see that the Xiongnu camp stretched for at least a dozen miles.

Zhao Ponu looked at the image transmission screen and exclaimed:

"They really are breaking camp, Huo Biaoyao. What should we do? Continue reconnaissance or wait for the General?"

Wei Qing's army is in another direction and won't arrive until tomorrow at the earliest.

Huo Qubing carefully observed the area using a drone and noticed that the tent in the northwest corner of the camp was significantly different, as it was flying the banner of the Xiongnu royal family. He immediately had an idea:

"We must take a roundabout approach and find a way to wipe out the entire Xiongnu royal family!"

(End of this chapter)