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

Chapter 240: Is there any potential in establishing a cultural troupe in the Han Dynasty? [Seeking monthly votes]

After Wu Meiniang got into the car, Zhou Yi started the engine, greeted Teacher Liu and the others, and drove straight to Yunwu Town.

The consequences of being possessed by a ghost can be minor or major. For example, when Xu Tian was possessed by an evil spirit, Chen Tang pressed on his body for a while and the spirit disappeared without a trace.

But if it's a hundred-year-old vengeful ghost, dealing with it can be quite troublesome, so before going to Lushan County, you have to go back to Hunyuan Palace to gather all the necessary tools.

Today we raised the main beam of the Dragon King Temple. We brought some ritual implements, but not all of them.

If the opponent is a thousand-year-old ghost king, I might die on the spot... I need to increase my chances of winning to about 95% to feel more at ease.

On the other side, in the world of Emperor Yuan of the Western Han Dynasty.

In the imperial court, Liu Shi looked at Chen Tang, who had stepped forward, and asked:
"If you have any other requests, feel free to tell me."

Everyone thought Chen Tang would make an exorbitant demand, and some officials were even secretly planning to impeach him. But Chen Tang politely declined, saying:
"In the first year of the Yuankang era, Hutu, a man from Shache in the Western Regions, killed Wannian, the king of Shache appointed by the Han Dynasty, and Xi Chongguo, the Han envoy. He also threatened to cede the northern lands to the Xiongnu and join forces with the northern states to attack the southern states, driving the Han Dynasty out of the Western Regions. At that time, Marquis Feng Fengshi, carrying imperial credentials, escorted the envoys of the Dayuan states back to their country. Upon hearing the news, he and his deputy Yan Chang gathered troops from various states and destroyed the Shache state as a warning to others... Thirty years have passed since this incident, and the court has not yet rewarded Feng and Yan. I humbly request Your Majesty to make up for it this time."

The northern route of the Western Regions refers to the area north of the Tarim Basin, that is, the southern and northern foothills of the Tianshan Mountains. As for the southern route, it refers to the area south of the Tarim Basin, where there were many small kingdoms, such as Shule, Jingjue, Qiemo, and Ruoqiang.

After Hutu had been killing for ten thousand years, he declared himself king, boasting an army of one hundred thousand. Anyone who disobeyed his orders would be killed.

The surrounding kingdoms of Shule and others were forced to respond, while the kingdoms of Cheshi and others in the northern frontier were also stirring with ambition.

At this time, Feng Fengshi was escorting people back to Dayuan when he passed through this place. Upon hearing the news, he immediately ordered various countries to send their elite troops to his command and to obey his orders, in his capacity as a Han envoy.

He quickly assembled more than 10,000 men and captured Shache City without lifting a finger. Seeing that he could not escape, Hutu Zheng committed suicide. His head was cut off by Feng Fengshi, pickled into a preserved pig's head, and taken back to Chang'an.

At the time, Emperor Xuan of Han didn't think it was a big deal, so he didn't reward him much. But when Chen Tang went deep into the Western Regions, he found that the kingdoms there still remembered that battle vividly.

Since the memory is still fresh, it should be reinforced. Now that the Han Dynasty is in turmoil, it is time to instill confidence in the officials.

Liu Shi hesitated. The Han Dynasty governed the country with filial piety. Emperor Xuan had not bestowed any honors during his reign. If he were to posthumously honor his father now, it would be a slap in the face to his own father.

But if we don't reward them, what if this is the will of the gods? Wouldn't that be offending a great figure in heaven for no reason?

Now that Feng Fengshi has been dead for more than three years, Liu Shi, after much deliberation, increased the fiefdom of his son Feng Yewang and bestowed some gold upon him, but kept his title of Marquis of Guannei unchanged.

Well, offering only tangible benefits without increasing one's reputation is a win-win solution.

After bestowing the titles and rewards, Liu Shi, at the request of his ministers, ordered that Zhizhi Chanyu's head be hung in the Great Han City, which was the embassy district where foreign envoys resided, and then announced the end of the court session.

At a court assembly, the Grand Secretary, the Chancellor, and the Imperial Censor were all gone... leaving only the Grand Marshal and General of Chariots and Cavalry, Xu Jia, who held no real power among the Three Dukes. Liu Shi had to return to the inner palace to process the shock in his heart.

After the court session, General of Chariots and Cavalry Xu Jia tried to get closer to Chen Tang, offering a few words of encouragement in his capacity as Grand Marshal. However, Chen Tang didn't bother with pleasantries and quickly left the palace, saying to Grand Master of Ceremonies Gu Yong:
"I will visit you in two hours. Remember to prepare wine, meat and fruit."

After saying that, he rode his horse to the Chang'an prison to see if he could send Shi Xian and Fan Yanshou off on their final journey... He had been studying a lot of criminal laws recently but hadn't used them yet, and Tom Cruise was eager to have test subjects.

At the entrance of Weiyang Palace, Gu Yong felt very uncomfortable hearing Chen Tang's commanding request... When visiting someone's home, who would take the initiative to order food?
Wang Feng said worriedly:
"Now that Shi Xian has fallen, will Chen Zigong rely on divine backing to swagger around in the court?"

No one responded. The matter of immortals was beyond everyone's comprehension. No one knew what Chen Tang was planning. The only consensus among the ministers was... don't mess with him!

On the other side, in the world of Emperor Wu of the Western Han Dynasty.

Huo Qubing rode his horse to inspect the General of the Cavalry's residence, which was under construction. Just as he was about to leave, Dongfang Shuo came looking for him:
"I have met Huo Biaoyao. I once asked His Majesty to let me join the army on the expedition, but His Majesty said that I must either surpass the General in military strategy or defeat you in actual combat, otherwise I would not be allowed to join the expedition..."

Huo Qubing was delighted upon hearing this:

"What, do you still want to compete with me in combat? My weapon was personally bestowed by my master, and it can cut through iron like mud."

Dongfang Shuo dared not challenge this spoiled young master, who had been riding horses and shooting arrows since childhood, to a duel; he simply sought his guidance with utmost sincerity.
"May I ask, if I were to join the army, what could I do?"

This question really stumped Huo Qubing.

Dongfang Shuo was over two meters tall. If the Han Dynasty had a basketball team, he could at least be a substitute.

However, there were no sports competitions in the army, and Dongfang Shuo spent most of his time by Emperor Wu's side, so it's highly unlikely that he was particularly skilled at fighting on the battlefield.

Huo Qubing was about to refuse him when he suddenly remembered what his master had said: everything in this world, even a piece of toilet paper, has its uses.

Following this line of thought, he suddenly realized that he could send Dongfang Shuo to the army as a morale-boosting speaker, just like how cultural troupes go to the front lines to entertain soldiers, giving them a boost.

But the identity of an orator is rather sensitive. If one day he were to grow a mustache and give an impromptu stand-up comedy performance in a tavern, the mighty Han Dynasty might be in serious trouble… Thinking of this, Huo Qubing looked at Dongfang Shuo and asked:
“On the main battlefield, you are too old to compete with those young and strong soldiers. However, my master once said, ‘Make the best use of everything and make the best use of everyone’s talents. You have a good speaking ability, so I think you should make use of this strength.”

He explained the idea of ​​the cultural troupe, and Dongfang Shuo was somewhat disappointed when he heard that they couldn't go to the front lines to fight the enemy.

Huo Qubing said:
"Although you can't directly kill the enemy, if the soldiers are inspired by your speech and fight even more bravely, that will be a merit of yours. At that time, I will ask Master to buy some outdoor speakers to facilitate your speech. When you go deep into the army, you can also learn about the soldiers' hardships and help them seek their well-being after returning to the capital."

Upon hearing this, Dongfang Shuo thought it was a good idea; it would fulfill his desire to go to the front lines without constantly suffering. He was tempted.

"When should I set off for the Dingxiang Northern Camp?"

Huo Qubing silently took out the token of Hunyuan Palace:

"This matter is not urgent. You must first swear that you will always be loyal to the Han Dynasty and His Majesty. Otherwise, if you incite the soldiers to rebel, the consequences will be unimaginable."

He spoke very frankly, both laying out the unpleasant truths upfront and implying to Dongfang Shuo that this position was very important.

Dongfang Shuo, being a quick-witted person, understood instantly and made a solemn oath to the token without saying a word.

Just as it ended, a muffled clap of thunder sounded in the sky. Dongfang Shuo looked up at the sky:
"This actually alarmed the heavens?"

Huo Qubing nodded:
"Heaven has remembered your oath. If you break it, divine lightning will strike you to keep your oath... General Zhao Xin died under this lightning. If you keep your oath, you will be the first Han Chinese to be struck by divine lightning."

Dongfang Shuo had no interest in competing for first place, so he said with a forced smile:

"I have no merit, so let someone else have the title of first place... By the way, Huo Biaoyao, several major families in Chang'an are quite dissatisfied with you and may impeach you soon, so you should be careful."

Huo Qubing put away the token and said with a smile:

"Thank you for the reminder. I was just thinking of getting rid of a few troublemakers for my uncle, so I'll head in both directions."

After saying that, he mounted his horse and went to the palace for lunch.

After watching Huo Qubing leave, Dongfang Shuo hurried to the General's Mansion, hoping to ask the officials there to help him check the hometowns of the soldiers in the Dingxiang North Camp. He planned to learn the soldiers' hometown dialects so that he could convey greetings from their hometowns to them.

After being away from home for so long, hearing a word in your hometown dialect is sure to feel incredibly comforting, and that's how you boost morale!

When the first head of the cultural troupe of the Great Han Dynasty was feeling his way across the river, Zhou Yi and Wu Meiniang drove to Lushan County and saw the huge crane equipment factory.

However, the factory is barely surviving now, with no business, and the factory manager has also had a lot of trouble at home.

Wu Zetian looked at the gantry crane in the factory area and sighed:

"When will the Tang Dynasty be able to possess such heavy machinery?"

The Book of Changes says:

"We'll have to wait until we have a stable source of electricity, or until we can refine diesel fuel."

Following the navigation, he arrived at a village within the county town and parked his car in front of a luxurious villa. Before the car had even come to a complete stop, Ding Zhenhua jogged over, opened the car door, and handed Zhou Yi a bulging brown paper envelope:
"The situation is getting worse. The emergency center gave him two sedatives, but it didn't work. They just tied him upstairs with a rope. He's usually so quiet, but I never expected him to be so terrifying when he goes berserk."

The more he talked, the more Zhou Yi felt that he was possessed by a ghost, but it was hard to say exactly what kind of ghost it was.

Zhou Yi handed the envelope to Wu Meiniang, opened the trunk, took out the several magical artifacts he had brought, locked the car, and led Wu Meiniang into the villa.

He first used a compass to measure, and the needle swung rapidly in the direction of the villa, confirming that it was indeed a matter of metaphysics.

Several family members were wiping away tears on the first floor. Zhou Yi went in and briefly learned about the situation.

The victim's surname is Zhang, his given name is Zhang Yuqiang, he is 48 years old this year, and he had been fine until he received a call from Ding Zhenhua. He started to have seizures and lose control, and eventually he didn't even recognize people.

As they were speaking, a series of roars came from upstairs; they were not human voices at all, but rather the voices of some kind of animal.

Ding Zhenhua asked:
"Master Zhou, why don't we go up and subdue him first?"

Zhou Yi shook his head:

"No rush, I need to understand the situation before I can take targeted action... Have you seen any strange people in the past few days, Mr. Zhang?"

This question caused Zhang Yuqiang's family to fall into deep thought. After a long while, his son-in-law finally spoke:
“A week ago, a gruff-looking man came to my father-in-law, saying he wanted to discuss a business deal. My father-in-law was in a hurry to leave and just sent him away casually…”

The Book of Changes asks:

"What exactly does that person look like?"

"He was big and burly, and didn't look like a good person at all... Oh, and he had a huge scar on his neck, like he'd just been released from prison. After my father-in-law kicked him out, he took off his shirt as soon as he stepped outside, went to the roadside shirtless, and started flagging down cars, almost causing an accident..."

A scar on the neck? Stopping a car?

Good heavens, isn't this the tomb raider who escaped from the blind man in Mangshan?
(End of this chapter)