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

Chapter 274 Golden Leaves, So That's How They're Used! [Seeking Monthly Tickets]

Zhou Yi took out the purple leaf given to him by the Buddha, but after examining it closely, he couldn't figure it out. He opened the black notebook and flipped through it, but there were no clues on it.

He tried writing in the air and chanting Amitabha Buddha, but the leaves remained motionless.

"The red leaf given by Wang Lingguan only takes effect when pulled into the illusion. Could it be that the Buddha's leaf also only works under specific conditions?"

Zhou Yi held the leaf and circled around the Hunyuan Palace. The purple leaf didn't react at all from beginning to end, so he had to give up. Then he picked up the emerald green leaf of the Antarctic Longevity Emperor.

The lush green leaves seemed to contain boundless vitality. Zhou Yi suspected it was related to growth, so he deliberately waved them around in the vegetable garden, but it had no effect.

Undeterred, he went to the grassy area behind the mountain to conduct another test, but it was still useless.

"Long-lasting... does it mean soaking it in water or tearing off a piece and chewing it?"

He wanted to give it a try, but was worried about ruining the leaves, so he decided to play it safe and wait for the leaves to trigger passively... Whatever is arranged by fate, the time to trigger it will come sooner or later.

Zhou Yi included the purple and green leaves in the Modern Chinese Dictionary, and held the golden leaf bestowed by the Ziwei Emperor in his hand.

Since the leaves of Buddha and the Longevity Emperor cannot be triggered, it's up to the Purple Star Emperor next.

The Ziwei Emperor, who reigns over the central heavens, is the first emperor under the Jade Emperor. He commands all the stars above, governs all laws in the middle, and rules over Fengdu below. The deities of the Dipper Division, such as the eleven luminaries, the twelve natal star lords, the twenty-eight constellations, and the thirty-six heavenly generals, are all his subordinates.

However, among the common people, the Ziwei Emperor is too lofty and prestigious, and given his close connection with the royal family, they prefer his nickname, the First-Rank Heavenly Official of the Upper Yuan.

Compared to the Ziwei Emperor, the ever-smiling Heavenly Official is like an elder without any airs. He often bestows blessings upon the people, sweeps away all formalities, and the blessings he bestows are without any taboos. Anyone can use them, and any illness or disaster can be cured.

Now, holding the golden leaf given to him by the Ziwei Emperor, Zhou Yi felt like he was standing in a mountain of gold but didn't recognize its value. He knew it was a good thing, but he didn't know how to use it.

With a black notebook tucked under his arm, he passed by the Wu Cheng Wang Hall and suddenly noticed a white square frame flash by at the entrance.

This box indicates the area where everyone can take supplies and leave. Some boxes are large, and some are small. It was displayed on the day it was activated, and it hasn't lit up since.

Unexpectedly, there was another reaction today. He quickly opened the black notebook, staring intently at his page, and soon a new note appeared:
Using the golden leaf will automatically transfer the offerings brought by pilgrims outside the main hall. To activate this function, simply place the golden leaf inside the square.

Wow, is that even possible?
Zhou Yi never expected that his aimless wandering would actually lead him to discover the uses of the golden leaves.

He stepped into the square, holding the leaf in his hand, placed the golden leaf inside, and flipped through the black notebook again. A new note had appeared:
[Automatic resource transfer has been enabled for the pilgrim Xin Qiji. If you wish to enable it for other pilgrims, please continue placing golden leaves.]

Last time Xin Qiji came, the grain he brought completely flooded the Wu Cheng Wang Palace. Now that there's an automatic transfer system, there's no need to worry about the entire palace bursting. We can store it freely in the courtyard.

I have to say, the Ziwei Emperor is truly amazing; he solved the Hunyuan Palace's urgent crisis!
Taking advantage of this momentum, Zhou Yi activated the automatic transfer of supplies for everyone.

After he finished, he noticed that the golden leaves had dimmed and lost their previous golden brilliance. Fortunately, he didn't need the leaves for the time being, so Zhou Yi put them back into the Modern Chinese Dictionary.

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

Crown Prince Liu Ao, the future great Confucian scholar Liu Xin, Liu Ao's cousin Wang Mang, and other young people sat around under bright fluorescent lights, watching "The Great Power's Heavy Industry" playing on a tablet computer.

The three children discovered for the first time that the proud, burly man looked like a caveman in the face of industrial society.

After reading it, Liu Ao bowed to Chen Tang:
"May I ask, Master, how can our Great Han reach the level of the world you, Immortal? Can we develop industry?"

He loved those heavy industrial equipment, especially the giant cranes, ultra-wide rolling mills, giant cargo ships, giant wind turbines, and so on, and really wanted to visit them in person.

Chen Tang said:

"Now that our great Han Dynasty is in turmoil, it is difficult to reach that point. However, starting the initial stage of industry is not a problem. As long as you can dig out the population and food hidden by the aristocratic families, it will be a big step towards an industrial society."

Industrial development requires population and food, and what the powerful families have hidden away can be used as an initial investment. They can first improve steel production, upgrade agricultural tools, and lay a solid agricultural foundation before continuing to explore the path of industrialization.

As for the manpower needed for mining, that naturally came from the Southern Xiongnu.

Millions of people depend on the Han, making them top-notch mining talent that cannot be wasted.

Liu Xin sat up straight and asked Chen Tang for advice:
"Master, if our Han Dynasty treats foreign tribes like cattle and horses, wouldn't that violate Confucius's policy of governing the country with benevolence?"

Chen Tang said:

"Governing the country with benevolence means treating one's own people. In the eyes of the old master, people of other races are not even human, let alone benevolent and righteous... Zijun, don't be so sentimental. Five thousand years of blood and tears in Chinese history have fully demonstrated that only by being self-reliant can the Han people stand alone in the world. Trying to win over any ethnic group will only end up like raising a tiger to cause trouble."

Wang Mang shook his head and said:
“Those who are not of our kind are bound to have different hearts. They don’t even believe in our gods, but instead treat the Han people like crops to be harvested regularly. Such people should be exterminated.” Liu Xin glanced at him and thought this little kid was quite ruthless.

Wang Mang smiled innocently and poured Liu Xin a glass of juice.

Historically, after Emperor Ai of Han, Liu Xin, ascended the throne, Liu Xin changed his name to Liu Xiu and later became Wang Mang's advisor, with whom he collaborated for a period of time. However, not long after, Wang Mang executed Liu Xin's son, causing a rift between the two. Wang Mang then ordered Liu Xin's assassination, resulting in another Liu Xiu suffering an undeserved fate.

Liu Xin was a great Confucian scholar who laid the foundation for the study of Confucian classics in the Eastern Han Dynasty. In order to avoid this dark history, later historians erased the dark history of the new dynasty's national teacher when writing history, and also glossed over the matter of changing his name to Liu Xiu.

Chen Tang sat cross-legged on the couch and said to his two apprentices and godson:
"Tomorrow I will go to Hunyuan Palace. After I return, I will lead the army away from Chang'an. You all keep an eye on the movements in Chang'an and don't just bury your heads in your books."

Wang Mang asked:

"Father, may I move to the Left General's residence?"

Liu Ao was somewhat puzzled:

"Weren't you doing just fine living at your uncle's house? Why are you moving?"

Wang Mang pulled out the flashlight Chen Tang had given him from his pocket, his expression quite aggrieved:
“They would borrow the precious lamp that my godfather gave me all the time and refuse to return it. If I hadn’t said today that my godfather would be unhappy about losing the flashlight, they would have continued to hog it.”

The Wang family were all spoiled brats, and they couldn't suppress their curiosity about such a novel gadget as a flashlight... Of course, Chen Tang didn't have any good intentions in giving away the flashlight.

Now that the initial results are visible, Tom Cruise was so happy he almost laughed out loud, but on the surface, he still maintained the appearance of a protective adoptive father:

"At the morning court tomorrow, I will make them behave themselves... Mang'er, remember, do not avoid conflicts. The more you swallow your anger, the more others will recklessly encroach on your interests. Sometimes, making a big scene can protect what is rightfully yours... If anyone bullies you again, fight back if you should, and scold if you should. I, Chen Tang, do not tolerate cowards!"

Wang Mang nodded heavily, indicating he understood the situation.

Liu Ao was thrilled:
"Who stole your things? Tell me, and I'll run them over on my horse next time."

Liu Xin quickly stopped her:

"You are the Crown Prince, please don't do this. Let the censors impeach you... Our Han Dynasty governs the world with filial piety. If there is discord among brothers in any family, it is the incompetence of the elders."

He didn't say much, but his meaning was clear—when in doubt, just impeach Wang Feng and that's it.

Over time, the Wang family naturally fell apart... Who has time to clean up the messes of their nephews and brothers all day? Isn't it better to live your own life well?

The next morning at court, Chen Tang walked up to Wang Feng, took out the Hunyuan Palace token, and began to play with it:
"I've heard that Mang'er is often bullied by his own family, and even the gifts I give him are taken away... Now that I'm about to leave the city to suppress bandits, why don't I lead my troops to your house first?"

Wang Feng was speechless at the actions of his nephews and nieces. He said with shame:

"From today onwards, I will have Mang'er's family move into my courtyard. Please rest assured, General Zuo, that such a situation will not occur again."

If this situation doesn't occur, then all my good intentions would have been in vain... Chen Tang returned to his seat and continued attending court.

Liu Shi was reluctant to let Chen Tang leave Xiaoguan to quell the foreign rebels, because this emperor had lived like a puppet for more than ten years since he ascended the throne, and only recently realized how happy it was to not have to worry and to have a full sense of security.

Chen Tang said:

"Your Majesty, rest assured, with General Wei here, Chang'an will surely be safe."

This guy didn't mention that Gan Yanshou had a token, and Old Gan also remained silent. The two of them were both harboring malice, wanting to see if anyone in Chang'an would jump out and act like a clown after the army left.

After the court session ended, Chen Tang rode back to his residence, carrying the gifts prepared by Gu Yong and Liu Xiang. He left the courtyard and stepped into the main gate of Hunyuan Palace.

When he strolled into the courtyard, Xi Shi had already been there for a while. She had taken a bath, washed her clothes, and was currently drying her hair.

Zhou Yi sat to one side, carefully looking at the visiting card written by Zigong.

Unfortunately, these are all in bronze script, even more difficult to decipher than small seal script. It was only with Xi Shi's translation that I could barely finish reading the Book of Changes.
“Next time, teach Zigong punctuation. In the past, powerful families monopolized knowledge by controlling the interpretation of texts. This time, have Zigong take punctuation books directly with him, so that those powerful families won’t have a second chance to interpret them.”

Xi Shi put down the hairdryer and casually tied her hair into a ponytail:
“When I go there, I will teach Zigong how to use punctuation marks, and then I will go to Linzi after he has learned it.”

Zhou Yi nodded, put away the bamboo slips, and said to Chen Tang:

"When will you lead your troops out of Xiaoguan? I'm planning to assign you a special mission..."

(End of this chapter)