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

Chapter 193 Sima Qian's Sharp Commentary on "The Biography of General Li" in the Records of the Grand Historian [Seeking Monthly Tickets]

While Huo Qubing and Zhao Xu were discussing the plan to replace warhorses with infantry armor, Zhou Yi and Chen Tang arrived in front of King Wu Cheng's palace, preparing to fill the granary with grain.

Chen Tang placed the iron frame next to the granary, with a special place on it to fix the grain suction machine.

Following Zhou Yi's instructions, he secured the equipment. Zhou Yi then pulled over a temporary power strip, fixed it to the frame, connected it to the grain suction device, and turned it on.

Zhou Yi held the suction hose below and inserted it into the grain pile. Wheat was continuously pumped into the granary. Chen Tang, who was on the iron frame, was amazed by this scene and quickly took out his phone to take pictures so that he could show that country bumpkin Lao Gan something when he got back.

The noise from the grain suction machine attracted the attention of the three arms dealers. Huo Qubing immediately volunteered to work on it, thinking it was really fun and that he would get one in Chang'an when he had the chance.

Zhao Xu then thought of the possibility of using it to control floods. Recently, the New Party's Three Easings of the River had flooded a lot of fertile land. The Minister of Revenue had personally gone to provide disaster relief, and the disaster was now basically under control.

When the old party compiled the History of Song, they exaggerated the harm caused by the three changes of the Yellow River, and even described the entire Hebei region as a barren wasteland.

But judging from Zhao Xu's achievements this year, he fought two battles in Western Xia, one battle in Miaochuan, and organized troops to expand his territory in various southwestern states... Despite fighting so many major battles at the same time, the people's taxes did not increase, and the corvée labor did not increase either.

At this point, you jump out and say that Hebei has become a wasteland, trying to prove that Emperor Zhezong was warlike and the people were suffering... But doesn't this just show how awesome Emperor Zhezong was?

Throughout five thousand years of history, how many emperors could sustain multi-front wars without increasing taxes and corvée labor when the North China Plain was turned into wasteland?
The old party loves to do things that are short-sighted and focus on the trivial, exaggerating the harm of the new party to the extreme, but forgetting to alter the tax and corvée figures... Of course, given the limited education of the old party members, they can talk a lot of empty talk, but it's too much to ask them to talk about specific numbers.

Before long, the granary was full of grain. Chen Tang dismantled the grain suction machine, and the group used the pulley system on the frame to lift the granary lid and place it over the grain warehouse.

The granary lid has a chimney to allow the heat inside to dissipate.

Before leaving, Zhou Yi also asked Chen Tang to throw a moisture-proof and insect-repellent talisman into the chimney to prevent the grain from getting infested with insects or sprouting due to dampness.

Although there are many scientific ways to store food on the market, they all cost money, so if you can use the mystical methods, you should use the mystical methods... Saving money is the primary productivity!

When they reached the second warehouse, just as Chen Tang was about to go up, Xin Qiji had already climbed to the top of the shelf first:

"It's my turn, it's my turn. This thing is really interesting."

By this time, most of the grain that had been poured outside had been absorbed, and Huo Qubing carried the tube into the main hall.

Zhou Yi and Zhao Xu cleaned up the grain outside, and the open space in front of the Wu Cheng King's Palace was finally restored to normal.

Just then, Li Qingzhao came over with a tray of sliced, chilled watermelon to treat everyone. Zhao Xu took the watermelon, took a bite, and smiled somewhat shyly.
"I feel hungry again. I feel like I need to eat a whole day's worth of meals in one sitting now."

The Book of Changes says:

"You're only twenty-three, a time when you can eat and sleep well and are full of energy. Eat more meat lately, and don't forget to exercise when you're busy. Once you're in good shape, everything will be fine."

To encourage Zhao Xu to stay healthy, after finishing the watermelon, Zhou Yi gave Zhao Xu a mobile phone, a tablet computer, a solar charging device, ten telescopes, and two drones.

Zhao Xu decided to distribute the telescopes to the front lines, but not the drones; they would remain in the capital for Cai Jing to use in investigating the manors outside the city.

Those manors looked dilapidated on the surface, as if they were for farmers to live in, but it is said that they were hidden paradises inside, with pavilions, terraces, fine horses, and even stunningly beautiful women.

During the morning court session this morning, Cai Jing submitted a memorial stating that the owner of the manor outside the city was refusing to cooperate, and the investigation was progressing slowly.

Now, with drones, this work can be sped up.

The Book of Changes reminds us:
"After bringing them back, make sure that trustworthy people learn the skills as soon as possible. There should be enough trustworthy people in the eunuchs, the imperial guards, and the court. As for the inner palace, your son Zhao Mao's death was quite suspicious. Pay close attention, especially to those palace maids who seem shy on the surface. Don't be fooled by appearances."

Ever since Master Zhou was captivated by Xi Shi's delicate and frail appearance, he has been constantly thinking about this matter.

Zhao Xu's son was still two months away from being born, and he decided that within ten days, everyone in the palace would swear a solemn oath to ensure his son's safety as much as possible.

Of course, making a vow is only one aspect. After the child is born, Zhou Yi will give the little one a peace amulet that was once offered in front of the statue of the Yellow Emperor, to protect him and help him grow up healthily.

Just as Zhao Xu was about to leave, Li Qingzhao handed him the book "The Complete Book of Torture in the World" and printed materials on water torture, among other things:

"I plan to stay here for a few more days. Please give these documents to my father, as he needs them urgently."

Zhao Xu agreed, bid farewell to everyone, and hurriedly left Hunyuan Palace with a pile of supplies and the warhorse brought by Huo Qubing.

By evening, all the grain had been stored away. The sense of accomplishment from sixty tons of wheat was quite strong, but considering the army's consumption, this grain was only enough for three thousand soldiers for one month.

It's absolutely true that wars are fought over resources.

Chen Tang was in a hurry to get going, so he took a shower, changed into clean clothes, and packed two bottles of Luzhou Laojiao liquor to take back with him. He planned to share some with Gan Yanshou and then have a light lamb leg. In the restaurant, Zhou Yi placed an electric grill on the table, next to various marinated meats: pork belly, pork shoulder, lamb, chicken wings, and so on.

The side dishes included lettuce leaves, barbecue seasoning, and chili sauce, which made Xin Qiji sigh repeatedly in admiration:

"The ability to use electricity is a great advancement for mankind, an achievement no less significant than the invention of fire by friction."

Almost everything in modern technology is related to electricity, Zhou Yi said to him:

"Since you're not planning to start a rebellion now, stop wandering around aimlessly. Quickly gather your clansmen, go to the Yimeng Mountains to live in seclusion, cultivate fertile land, grow grain, set up literacy classes, and teach political classes. Try your best to improve the quality of your people. In the future, they will be your most trustworthy core group."

Liu Bang gained the empire with just a few talented individuals from Pei County. Now, with Xin Qiji occupying the Yimeng Mountains, cultivating talent to establish a nation is not a problem.

Moreover, after studying the Little Red Book, one's level of understanding and mindset will be greatly improved.

Two years later, Wanyan Liang led his army south to attack the Southern Song Dynasty. Wanyan Yong, the garrison commander of Tokyo, usurped the throne in Liaoyang and declared himself emperor. The Jin Dynasty experienced a brief period of internal strife, which was Xin Qiji's opportunity to raise an army.

The Jin state is currently stable and is receiving annual tribute from the Song Dynasty. Rashly launching an uprising would only provoke a strong counterattack. The repeated failures of rebellions in Shandong have already demonstrated the importance of timing. Launching an uprising on a whim is destined to be short-lived.

After eating roasted meat, Huo Qubing returned to the world of Emperor Wu of the Western Han Dynasty with two whole woven bags of green beans and a printed copy of "The Biography of General Li" from the Records of the Grand Historian.

As soon as he appeared, Sima Qian approached him:

"Huo Biaoyao, what delicious food did you bring this time?"

Ever since he ate some pickled mustard greens last time, he's been craving that taste.

Huo Qubing handed him the green beans and said:
"I only brought some vegetables. Distribute them and let each team add them to the pot themselves."

Sima Qian hurriedly went to distribute it. He usually ate either dried meat or fried noodles and lacked leafy green vegetables. Although he had never eaten green beans before, they were green and plump, and looked delicious.

After dinner, night had fallen, and everyone sat around the campfire, listening to Zhang Qian recount the years when they were captured by the Xiongnu.

As he listened, Huo Qubing took out a revised copy of "The Biography of General Li" from his robes and handed it to Sima Qian:

"Zichang, this is a biography of Li Guang written by a Confucian scholar of our Han Dynasty. I have heard that you come from a family with a strong academic background and have a deep understanding of history. Could you please offer some impromptu comments?"

Sima Qian was quite indignant upon hearing that a biography of Li Guang had been written:
"There are so many foolish people in the world. Why do we write biographies for Li Guang when we have so many brave generals in our Han Dynasty? If this story is passed down to future generations, people will laugh their heads off."

He took it and began to read it carefully by the light of the fire.

When Sima Qian read Emperor Wen's praise, he curled his lip and said:

"When an emperor encounters a low-ranking young military officer, he will offer a few words of encouragement. How can he take such praise seriously? Many years ago, His Majesty praised me as having the potential to become one of the Nine Ministers. Now that I've grown up, can I ask His Majesty to honor that promise?"

He then criticized the first paragraph's comment about "many heads being killed":

"History writing must be substantial. Every battle should have a Sima and a Duwei to record military achievements, with the number of heads clearly recorded. Such vague statements should be regarded as exaggerations and cannot be taken seriously."

Military achievements were very important in the Han Dynasty, which led to the complexity and strictness of military record keeping. For example, Huo Qubing led his troops to kill 2028 people in the Battle of Dingxiang North, which is the correct way to record it.

He then read on carefully the famous "Chasing the Condor Heroes" incident.

This happened when Li Guang was serving as the governor of Shangjun. At that time, a eunuch went to inspect the army and encountered three Xiongnu archers. The eunuch's entire entourage was shot dead. Upon hearing this, Li Guang led a troop of guards to pursue them, but was surrounded by the army and only managed to break out the next day... The Records of the Grand Historian describes it in great detail, but at this point, Sima Qian noticed something amiss:

"From the beginning to the end, the entire incident was based solely on the eunuch's account and the accounts of Li Guang and his troops. There were no bystanders, nor was there the corpse of the archer. Therefore, there is no evidence to prove whether it is true or false. Moreover, as far as I know, Li Guang has a history of bribing eunuchs, which displeased the late emperor... Such sycophantic accounts are truly nauseating and best ignored!"

After Sima Qian finished his rant, Huo Qubing called him aside, turned on a rechargeable camping lamp, and handed him the complete version of "The Biography of General Li" from the Records of the Grand Historian.

"Take another look at this one. Master specifically instructed that you should read it to the end."

Sima Qian was flattered and overwhelmed:
"Did the immortal show this to me specifically?"

He took it with both hands, carefully read through "The Biography of General Li," and paused when he reached the last line, "The Grand Historian said," before looking up at Huo Qubing with a bitter expression.

"Who is this Grand Historian? Could he be...my father?"

Huo Qubing: ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ?
When something bad happens, you blame it on your own father. What a filial son you are, my brother!

(End of this chapter)