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

Chapter 177 The Golden Statue of the Xiongnu's Heaven-Worshiping Ceremony (×) Wu Cheng Wang's Hall Stepping Stone (√) [Requesting Monthly Tickets]

Everyone gathered around the Xiongnu golden statue, looking it over from left to right, and discovered that there were lines of small characters in clerical script engraved on the back of the statue, recording the course of the great victory at Dingxiang, as well as the names of Li Ju, Su Jian, and others.

The text ends with the message: "[On the twelfth day of the third month of the sixth year of Yuanshuo, the golden statue used by the Xiongnu to worship Heaven was presented to the Hunyuan Palace.]"

From the perspective of cultural relics, this golden figure used for sacrificial rites to heaven can definitely rank among the top in the history of bronze artifacts in the world. It can also enrich the research of historical materials. However, the description of the war is different from the historical description in the world today.

Zhou Yi raised his hand, about to stroke it and bestow upon the bronze artifact the marks of time, when Wu Meiniang suddenly said:
"Sister Zhao'er hasn't arrived yet. Let's wait until she comes before casting the spell, so we can all witness it together."

Zhou Yi nodded, but before he could speak, Li Qingzhao, dressed in a Taoist robe, walked out of the Wenxuan King's Hall, carrying a large, squawking goose in her hand.

Seeing that everyone was looking at her, the top female talent was slightly embarrassed:
"Last time, Sister Gongsun said that stewed goose in an iron pot was delicious, so I bought one and asked the Immortal Master to make it for me to try. If it's good, I'll cook it when my Master Master comes back and ask him to add some artistic flair to the stewed goose in an iron pot."

Zhouyi: "..."

If you're craving something sweet, just say so. Don't use Su Shi as an excuse. But if Su Shi were to write a poem called "Nian Nu Jiao: Stewed Goose," it would probably be quite interesting.

He asked curiously:

"Is your master coming back?"

I haven’t even mentioned this to Zhao Xu yet, but the talented woman sounds so confident.
Zhao Xu said:

“Yesterday in the court, I issued an edict to bring Su Shi back to serve as the magistrate of Fengqiu County, a minor official of the ninth rank… I think his life has been full of ups and downs, so let’s end it with his position as a ninth-rank official.”

The meaning of this statement is quite simple: Su Dongpo will not be employed or promoted in the future, and his status as a ninth-rank official will accompany him for the rest of his life... Zhao Xu did not like Su Shi, and if it weren't for his involvement with Li Qingzhao, Su Shi would most likely have lived out his days alone on Hainan Island until his death.

Historically, Su Shi was promoted to the seventh-rank official position of Chaofenglang when Zhao Ji ascended the throne and granted a general amnesty before his death. In comparison, the ninth-rank position of county magistrate was more stable, allowing him to write poetry and enjoy delicious food, which was quite nice.

Now that everyone had arrived, Zhou Yi placed his hand on the golden statue used for the sacrificial ceremony.

The golden statue instantly dimmed, then turned from gold to copper-green, with many parts covered in patina.

With the passage of over 2,100 years, the entire golden statue immediately became very "torturous".

Everyone watched this amazing scene and felt that the gold statue, now patinaed with verdigris, looked much more ancient. Gongsun Da Niang took out her phone and snapped a picture, intending to use it to encourage Li Longji when she got back.

Huo Qubing asked:
"Master, where would be a suitable place to put this?"

Zhou Yi looked around and noticed that the ground outside the Wu Cheng King's Palace was not very smooth. There was a ditch that had not been filled in. He then decided to dig the ditch further and fill it with the Xiongnu golden figures so that everyone entering and leaving the Wu Cheng King's Palace would take turns trampling on it.

Although its design is ancient, it is, after all, a religious totem of the Xiongnu people, and it must be trampled upon in order to hasten the decline of the Xiongnu nation.

Li Qingzhao asked:
"After the Xiongnu came the Xianbei. It seems the Xianbei also had similar offerings for worshipping heaven. Will they also bury them in pits then?"

Zhou Yi nodded:

“Yes, things belonging to foreign tribes should either be destroyed or buried and repeatedly trampled on; they should never be placed here to enjoy incense offerings.”

The golden statue used for sacrificial rites weighed at least a ton, and several people tried to move it by hand, but it was impossible. Zhou Yi said:

"I'll cook breakfast first, then go down the mountain to find a set of tools for moving heavy objects, and then it will be easy to move them over there."

After saying that, he went to the kitchen to make breakfast.

As if seeking praise, Aunt Gongsun led Zhao Xu to see the stallions.

The first batch consists of fifty horses, and another fifty will be brought next time. Although there are only one hundred stallions, they can supply thousands of mares. If the breeding is done properly, a huge herd of ten thousand horses can be developed in less than five years, and the problem of cavalry will be solved.

Huo Qubing asked Zhao Xu:

"Didn't the Song Dynasty have horse farms? I read in historical records that Zhu Yuanzhang was able to train top-notch cavalry in Anhui. The Song Dynasty had a much larger territory, so it should have been even easier, right?"

Zhao Xu smiled wryly upon hearing this:

"The scholar-officials have cut off their own hands and feet, and now they are trapped in their own cocoon. However, I have already begun to promote this matter. With the steeds given by Miss Gongsun and Master Qinglian, my Great Song will surely have cavalry within three years!"

Huo Qubing said:
“We can have them now. We have captured tens of thousands of horses, so many that we don’t have room to keep them. If you are ready, I can bring them here little by little.”

They would come every five days, each time bringing dozens or hundreds of horses. After two months, the Song Dynasty would be able to organize a cavalry force.

However, having horses is only the foundation of cavalry. To form combat effectiveness, rigorous training is required, and officials must provide supplies without any deductions.

Once we get to the front lines, we must keep a close watch on our mounts and not let the generals divide them up.

In short, there are many things that need to be done, and Huo Qubing can't help with this; Zhao Xu can only rely on himself.

Zhao Xu bowed and thanked him:

"I will never forget the kindness and support shown to my Great Song Dynasty by the Marquis of Champion. Next time you come, you can bring some horses with you." Chen Tang asked:

"You're all ready already? Won't the officials in court divide the horses up among themselves?"

Zhao Xu shook his head:

"No, but the opportunity is right in front of me, and I can't miss it. When I get back this time, I'll start building horse farms near Bianjing and send people to train cavalry, starting from scratch..."

Aunt Gongsun said with a smile:

"The sword is not yet properly drawn, but stepping out into the world is already a journey through the martial world... Go for it, Xiao Xuxu! You are the only iron-blooded emperor of the Song Dynasty. Show your prowess and wipe the Western Xia off the map!"

Zhao Xu pondered the phrase, "Without a sword properly worn, one is already in the martial world," finding it deeply meaningful. The sense of panic and urgency it conveyed was exactly the same as that of the Song Dynasty today.

He bowed deeply to Granny Gongsun:
"Thank you for your encouragement, Miss Gongsun. I will remember it."

Breakfast was ready quickly, and everyone sat down together for a hearty meal. Zhou Yi drove down the mountain to borrow a trolley from Zhao Wei to carry heavy objects, and also printed out some photos of the golden statue used for the sacrificial ceremony so that everyone could take them back to inspire the army.

In the courtyard of the Taoist temple, Chen Tang was busy slaughtering a sheep, Huo Qubing was skillfully butchering a goose while wearing an apron, Wu Meiniang was leading Gongsun Da Niang and Li Qingzhao through the vegetable garden to prepare vegetables for lunch, and Zhao Xu was putting a watermelon into cold water to chill it, while Li Bai was preparing beer and soft drinks for lunch.

Upon arriving at Hunyuan Palace, everyone shed all their titles—talented woman, emperor, general, captain, poet, dancer, and so on—and transformed into ordinary, vibrant people.

Here you can find the leisurely tranquility of "picking chrysanthemums by the eastern fence" and the carefree spirit of "life is but a fleeting dream."

Soon, Zhou Yi returned from the foot of the mountain with a small cart for moving cars. Although it looks small, it can easily move a car weighing two or three tons.

Zhou Yi removed the threshold of the Hall of Longevity, then tied the golden statue used for sacrificial rites to the sky with a rope, and everyone pulled it down slowly. Then, they used a small cart to support the head, feet, and waist, and slowly moved it to the entrance of the Hall of King Wucheng.

Adjust the ditch at the entrance according to the size of the golden statue, and then fill it in horizontally with the golden statue used for sacrificial rites. It will be level with the road surface, making it look like there is an extra horizontal bluestone at the entrance.

After burying it, everyone took turns standing on it and trampling on it, hoping to reduce the fate of the Xiongnu.

Wu Zetian said:
"In the future, we can bury all the foreign artifacts around here. Only by stepping on the totems of the foreign races can we enter the supreme temple of the Chinese generals."

Zhou Yi thought this idea was excellent; the highest hall of Chinese military generals should be paved with the flesh and blood of foreign races.

But what about King Wenxuan's side?
How about we burn a copy of the Confucius Family Manor's blood pressure-lowering formula for Confucius?
After burying the golden statue used for the sacrificial ceremony, Wu Zetian planned to look for the relics of Khan Jieli to see if there were any similar sacrificial items, and if so, bring them over as well.

In addition, another royal sacrificial offering from Goguryeo was ordered to pave the way for the Wucheng King's Palace.

After arranging all that, Zhou Yi led everyone to the Sanqing Hall to pray for Xue Chongjian's well-being. Then, they went to the kitchen, first chopping the goose into pieces and stewing it with the ribs and pork belly. Next, they set up the newly purchased oven, lit the charcoal, and then took the lamb that had been marinated overnight out of the refrigerator's crisper drawer, fixed it on the grill, and began to roast the whole lamb.

The oven has an automatic rotation function; once you set the speed, you don't need to do anything else.

Chen Tang looked at the automatically rotating grill, and his mind immediately started working:
"This thing is perfect for interrogating prisoners of other races!"

Zhou Yi's lips twitched upon hearing this:
"Your solar cooker interrogation method is already quite effective. Forget about the oven; charcoal is too expensive and not worth it."

After calculating the costs, Chen Tang realized it was indeed inappropriate and wisely abandoned the idea. He then took out a letter from his pocket and said:
"Old Gan and I have arrived in Jiuquan. This is a letter Xin Qingji wrote to Xin Qiji. Sir, will my young brother Xin Qiji come?"

The Book of Changes says:

"It's hard to say for now, we need to figure it out, no need to rush."

Xin Qiji was born in Qizhou, which is now Jinan, under the rule of the Jin army. His grandfather Xin Zan and his father Xin Wenyu were nominally officials of the Jin state, but in secret they were contacting righteous people from all sides to prepare to overthrow the Jin rule.

When Xin Wenyu was six years old, he was training his clansmen when he was accidentally exposed and was shot by a poisoned arrow by the Jin people, from which he died.

From that moment on, hatred was deeply ingrained in the mind of this descendant of the Xin family.

When Xin Qiji was in his early twenties, he raised a force of two thousand men to rebel, which was quite a big deal. Zhou Yi thought that if Xin Qiji had come at this time, he would have to ask him to read "The Guerrilla Force Behind Enemy Lines".

At noon, when the lamb on the grill turned golden brown and sizzled with oil, Zhou Yi sprinkled on the barbecue seasoning, grilled it for a few more minutes, and then announced that lunch had officially begun.

Stewed goose in an iron pot, roasted whole lamb, along with fresh vegetables and beer and beverages.

Everyone sat together, clinking glasses and having a great time.

Zhao Xu originally wanted to have his blood tested, but now that Huo Qubing was going to donate horses, he planned to take the stallions back after his meal and start arranging matters for the Bianliang horse farm.

All those manors outside the city, each a hundred acres in size, will be confiscated and turned into training grounds for cavalry. In addition, people will be arranged to plant alfalfa to solve the problem of feeding the horses.

There were many things to do, and each one was quite mentally taxing... Zhao Xu took a bite of the crispy and fragrant roasted mutton, and the image of Zhao Ji involuntarily flashed through his mind.

If only my good younger brother could do something worthwhile, I wouldn't be in such a rush... For the next few days, I'll have to beat him up to keep myself alert!

(End of this chapter)