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

Chapter 176 The Gift the Kaiyuan World Gave to Zhao Xu—A Stallion! [Seeking Monthly Tickets]

To the astonishment of the assembled officials, Cai Jing actually swore an oath—a solemn oath that would cut off his lineage. This earned him the admiration of the New Party members, while the Old Party was left speechless.

After he made the solemn oath, a muffled clap of thunder sounded in the sky, but no lightning struck down... Cai Jing during the reign of Emperor Zhezong was still a loyal minister devoted to the country, far from being like he was at the end of the Northern Song Dynasty.

Zhao Xu put away the token on the imperial desk and said:

"Heaven has remembered your oath. I urge you, Grand Secretary Cai, to serve the country faithfully. Otherwise, if you are to fulfill your oath in the future, I will not be able to protect you."

To encourage this minister who had not yet turned evil, Zhao Xu specially rewarded him with a box of cooling balm:

"This product is refreshing and can also be applied to mosquito bites for relief."

Cai Jing took it with both hands, put it in his pocket, and continued to discuss politics, mainly criticizing the old party officials.

At this point, all the censors fell silent, and the members of the New Party began to beat the dog when it was down. Zhao Xu took the opportunity to revise some regulations, such as gradually adding mathematics to the imperial examination.

He originally intended to create a test paper directly, but faced opposition, so he had to compromise and add math-related questions to the test paper, with extra points for correct answers, similar to bonus questions in later generations.

However, it's good to get started. In the future, we can gradually increase the proportion and score of bonus questions, subtly enhancing the status of mathematics in society.

As the court session was drawing to a close, Zhao Xu said:
"The Grand Academician Su Shi, the teacher of the Osmanthus Fairy, is over sixty years old but shows no remorse. He has been demoted to the position of magistrate of Fengqiu County. To prevent him from dying on the way, the imperial physician accompanied him to Danzhou. I want to see how long he can keep up his stubbornness!"

Upon hearing this, all the officials were stunned. This was not a demotion; it was a way to let the Grand Secretary return and enjoy a life of luxury.

Fengqiu County is located just a few dozen miles north of Kaifeng, a typical area surrounding the capital. Although the county magistrate was only a minor official of the ninth rank, barely better than a civil official, Su Dongpo's reputation still needed such support.
When the time comes, those who visit him will be able to block the official road from Kaifeng to Fengqiu, right?

The officials looked at each other, wanting to impeach him but unable to bring themselves to do so, especially since Zhao Xu had just used the name of the Osmanthus Fairy. If they impeached him, this fiery-tempered female Taoist priest would probably block their door and start cursing them.

Being scolded by her is a minor matter; if she were to summon a bolt of lightning... well, never mind. He's just an old geezer. Let him come back if he wants. Anyway, neither the new nor the old party likes him. Let him live out his days in the capital region.

It's quite satisfying to watch your enemy die.

Unfortunately, these people have forgotten that with Li Qingzhao around, how could Su Dongpo have passed away so easily!
After the court session ended, the officials left the main hall with their own thoughts. The members of the old party hung their heads, probably still not understanding why Li Gefei had jumped out to impeach his own people.

However, the New Party wasn't too happy either. Cai Jing had passed the test of the gods with a solemn oath, but they might not be able to.

Everyone harbored ulterior motives, wanting to gather together to impeach His Majesty and the gods, yet fearing that they would be struck by lightning before they could even utter a word.

Times are changing!
As Cai Jing left the palace, he jogged to catch up with Li Gefei and bowed respectfully with clasped hands.
“Gefei, the Lotus Viewing Festival in June is just around the corner. How about our two families celebrate together? We were originally relatives, but we've become like strangers because of the political strife. It's all my fault!”

Li Gefei neither agreed nor refused, but instead looked Cai Jing up and down and asked:

"Aren't you afraid that divine lightning will really strike you down?"

Cai Jing, head held high and chest puffed out, said:

"I have done everything for the Song Dynasty and have a clear conscience. Surely the gods cannot be so blind as to not distinguish right from wrong?"

Li Gefei patted him on the shoulder:

"Remember what you said, or the heavenly lightning may strike at any moment."

After saying that, he swaggered away, never agreeing to the idea of ​​the Cai family celebrating the festival together.

In the palace, Zhao Xu drank a bowl of sweet fermented rice and egg drop soup, and then, with the help of Zhao Ji, began to pack the gifts he was going to take to Hunyuan Palace.

When meeting Huo Qubing, Chen Tang, and others for the first time, it is essential to demonstrate the sincerity of the Song Dynasty. Each person should receive a top-grade Ru kiln porcelain piece, a bolt of official brocade, and a set of official embroidered cloaks... In short, the wealth of the Song Dynasty must be showcased.

As Zhao Ji was packing these items, Zhao Xu said to him:

"Take some people you trust and go to the manors outside the city to see how many families raise horses."

The Song Dynasty was short of horses, but historical records say that during the Jin army's siege of Kaifeng, they found many fine horses in nearby manors, all of which belonged to high-ranking officials.

Although corruption was not as severe during Emperor Zhezong's reign, Zhao Xu did not dare to let his guard down.

To conquer the Western Xia and the Liao Dynasty, it is essential to establish one or more elite cavalry units; without cavalry, the strategic objectives cannot be achieved.

Zhao Ji agreed:
"I will keep an eye on it. Will you be spending the night at the Immortal's Cave this time, brother?"

Zhao Xu didn't dare to make any guarantees either:

“My mentor said he would draw my blood for testing. I have already told Zhang Dun that if I stay there overnight, he will take full charge of the political affairs.”

In the Kaiyuan era of the Tang Dynasty, Granny Gongsun and Li Bai sat in the Yiyuan Temple, discussing the matter of gifts:

"Zhao Xu is new here, and as his seniors, we should prepare some gifts for him. But what kind of gifts are suitable for the Song Dynasty?"

Li Bai recited an emoji he saw online:

"All diseases in the world can be cured, but spinelessness is the most difficult to treat. The entire Song Dynasty is rife with spinelessness, and the most suitable gift is the domineering spirit of the Han and Tang dynasties." Seeing a carriage passing by outside the Yiyuan Temple, Granny Gongsun suddenly had an idea:
"I heard that the Song Dynasty is most in need of horses because the literati think that crossbreeding livestock is against human ethics, and the horse administration has been ruined... Brother Li Bai, we can bring some stallions over and give Zhao Xu a surprise... Ha, what a brilliant idea! I'll go and have Gao Lishi prepare a hundred stallions to infuse the Song Dynasty's horses with the powerful spirit of the Tang Dynasty."

After saying that, the girl prepared to leave.

Li Bai thought about it and felt that the idea was indeed feasible, but a hundred stallions would be a bit too few.

He planned to return to Hunyuan Palace and ask his second junior brother, Huo Qubing, to come up with a solution.

Inside Hunyuan Palace, Zhou Yi had bought a whole sheep and was marinating it following an online tutorial when he suddenly received a call from Uncle Ming:
"Master Yi, the statue of Houtu Niangniang that you requested can only be loaded onto the truck and shipped in half a month. I hope that won't take up too much of your time?"

The Book of Changes says:

"No delay, but you must make sure the quality of the statues is up to standard, don't be perfunctory."

"Don't worry, I'll keep a close eye on it myself. I'll be responsible for everything you need from now on, and there won't be any problems."

After finishing the business, Uncle Ming lowered his voice and whispered:

"Master Yi, have you heard? The Golden Eagle has been warned that he's overstepping his bounds and if he continues like this, he'll surely perish in Yiyang City."

caveat?

Zhou Yi wiped his hands and walked out of the kitchen, asking curiously:
"What kind of warning was given? Did someone send an anonymous email or razor blades?"

It took Uncle Ming a while to react:

"Master Yi, don't you know there are feng shui exchange groups in the industry? Someone sent a message anonymously in the group, but Golden Eagle has not responded."

Zhou Yi remained silent:
"He doesn't even have eyes, so he can't see any messages even if they flood his screen... Is there any requirement for joining this group? Can I join and have some fun?"

Uncle Ming didn't dare to agree:

"The situation inside is tense right now. I'll take you in later."

After hanging up the phone, Uncle Ming, who was far away in Quanzhou, wiped the sweat from his brow and said:
"I was careless, I was careless. I should have asked beforehand. Zhou Banxian didn't tell Daoist Xiaoyi about the group because he didn't want him to get involved in those dirty things. Why couldn't I keep my mouth shut?"

Uncle Ming slapped his mouth in annoyance, planning to punish himself with a bottle of Wuliangye liquor later... Without rules, there can be no order. Since he said the wrong thing, he should be severely punished!
The next day, as soon as Zhou Yi got up, he heard the neighing of horses outside.

He thought he had misheard, until he heard Chen Tang and Li Bai greeting each other and praising the horses' strength in the courtyard, and then he realized that the neighing was not an illusion.

He went outside and saw that the entrance to the Wenxuan King's Palace was full of horses of various colors. Each one was tall and strong, with a beautiful posture, and its fur shone like satin.

Li Bai strode over and bowed to Zhou Yi:
"Greetings, Master. Your disciple and Sister Gongsun wish to present the Song Dynasty Emperor with some stallions as a gift. Here are fifty horses, which Gao Lishi selected for us from the horse stable. Next time we come, we will bring another fifty."

In ancient times, horses were used for different purposes and were bred in different ways. Warhorses, regardless of sex, were mostly castrated so they could not reproduce. Stallions, on the other hand, needed to be carefully cared for, had ample space to roam freely every day, and frequently came into contact with other stallions to fight for territory and maintain their wild nature.

It can be said that every stallion is a treasure.

There was no place to pen the horses inside Hunyuan Palace, so Zhou Yi thought for a moment and asked Chen Tang, Wu Meiniang, and Gongsun Da Niang to help. They drove the horses to the gentle slope behind the mountain and let them graze there.

There's a steel mesh fence around the back hill that the horses can't jump over, and the courtyard wall of Hunyuan Palace blocks the way in front, so the horses are safe here.

Back at Hunyuan Palace, Chen Tang scratched his head sheepishly:
"I only brought a few sheep. If I had known, I would have brought a herd of stallions to send to the Song emperor."

The Book of Changes says:

"No rush. Let's wait for Zhao Xu to arrive and discuss it with him first. Let's ask about the situation of horse administration in the Song Dynasty before deciding when to send the horses. Otherwise, we might be impeached by the officials after sending them over, which would be a waste of effort."

Just then, Zhao Xu arrived carrying large and small bags of gifts. Everyone in Hunyuan Palace received one, and the gifts were divided into several categories.

To be fair, the Song Dynasty certainly had its own unique approach to gift-giving.

Just as Gongsun Da Niang was about to show off the stallion she had brought to Zhao Xu, a figure flashed at the entrance of the Changsheng Hall, and Huo Qubing arrived inside the Hunyuan Palace.

As soon as he appeared, everyone noticed a new golden statue inside the threshold of the Hall of Longevity. It was about two and a half meters tall and looked simple, elegant, and quite charming.

Gongsun Da Niang exclaimed in surprise:
"Champion Marquis, where did you steal this gold from?"

Huo Qubing said with a smile:

"Miss Gongsun, please don't joke. This is the golden statue used by the Xiongnu for their sacrificial rites. I captured it the night before last and brought it to Hunyuan Palace today to present to my master!"

Upon hearing the words "golden statue for sacrificial rites," everyone in the Hunyuan Palace couldn't help but turn their heads.

Good heavens! This is the legendary treasure of the Xiongnu!

(End of this chapter)