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

Chapter 278 Inviting the Goddess Houtu to Drink Milk Tea! [Seeking Monthly Tickets]

In the world of Emperor Yuan of the Western Han Dynasty, Chen Tang bid farewell to his wife, children, apprentices, and adopted sons at the gates of Chang'an. He then mounted a Ferghana horse, a gift from Emperor Liu Shi, and led five thousand Imperial Guards towards Xiaoguan.

The road beneath our feet had been repaired by the Imperial Guards who had captured us last time, and it was indeed much smoother than before.

Chen Tang incorporated these people into the army and made it clear to them that this was an opportunity to redeem themselves through meritorious service. Whether they could capture foreign tribesmen to build roads or work hard to build roads themselves was up to these soldiers to choose.

"General, if the casualties are too high during this campaign to quell the bandits, will the court hold us responsible?"

As they passed by Shili Pavilion, Wang Zhang, the Left General's Sima whom Chen Tang had just recruited the day before, rode over and asked about the matter that had been troubling him.

Wang Zhang was a famous upright official at the end of the Han Dynasty. He once served as the Left General of the Central Army, but was later dismissed from his post and kept at home because he impeached Shi Xian.

Now that Shi Xian has fallen from power, officials who were previously suppressed are gradually being reinstated. For example, Feng Fengshi's son, Feng Yewang, has taken office as the Grand Censor, one of the Three Dukes, responsible for supervising all officials.

Wang Zhang's greatest historical fame comes from his time as the Prefect of Jingzhao, where he dared to confront Wang Feng, remaining unfazed even after being imprisoned. He also left behind the idiom "weeping in a cowhide coat" because of his poverty.

Now, Chen Tang has recruited Wang Zhang as Sima before the court, both to train him and to test whether this upright official is merely a figurehead or truly capable.

Historically, when Wang Feng held power, the court became a one-man show for the Wang family. All sorts of scoundrels could occupy important positions by giving gifts, which led to increasing conflicts between the court and local authorities, and land annexation became more and more rampant.

Before the conflict escalates further, let's try our best to salvage the situation.

In fact, there were some reformists at the end of the Western Han Dynasty, such as He Wu and Wang Jia, who made attempts, but the reforms would affect the interests of Wang Feng's family, so they could not be reformed.

Chen Tang launched the drone, inspected the situation in front of and behind the army, and pointed to the Wei River not far away, saying:

"This winter, the Immortal Master will bestow building materials, and a new bridge will be built across the Wei River. Zhongqing, do you know how wide it will be?"

Wang Zhang was amazed by the drone's reconnaissance capabilities when he heard this, and he tried to guess the width of the bridge:

"Is it...four zhang?"

Chen Tang said speechlessly:
"What a joke! What can four zhang do? The immortal is planning to build us a bridge that is over eight zhang long, so that multiple carriages can cross side by side without delaying the ships below."

Upon hearing this number, Wang Zhang's eyes widened:

"With such a vast area, Chang'an's trade and commerce will surely reach new heights!"

Chen Tang said:

"Building bridges is just to make it easier for the army to set off. Nowadays, the foreign tribes around the Han Dynasty are making trouble, and the Qiang people in Hexi are gradually encroaching on our territory. It's time to capture a group of them to do infrastructure work."

To prevent Wang Zhang from going astray, Chen Tang set the tone of respecting Han people from the beginning, and told him about the Five Barbarian Invasions and the story of the two-legged sheep. In just a few words, he aroused Wang Zhang's nationalist sentiments.

Meanwhile, inside the Hunyuan Palace, after having lunch, Zhou Yi went to the Wucheng King's Hall to burn incense and pray for blessings for Chen Tang's journey out of the pass.

After diligently washing the dishes, Aunt Gongsun rode her electric scooter to town and bought a dozen or so cups of milk tea. She planned to bring them to Kaiyuan World and give one cup each to the hardworking children of Yiyuan Temple and Princess Taiping, so they could taste the first cup of milk tea of ​​autumn.

Li Bai and Zhao Xu learned the basic operation of cranes from Huo Qubing. Although there was nothing that needed to be lifted in either world for the time being, they still had to learn.

Especially Zhao Xu, he can arrange for the emperor to build a bridge in the future, and the people's hearts will be filled with joy!
Just as Zhao Xu was about to leave after learning most of what he had learned, Zhou Yi suddenly called out to him:

"Your son is about to be born. To prevent any accidents, please place a statue of the Goddess Houtu in the harem. With the Goddess's protection, there will be far fewer messy things in the harem."

Zhao Xu quickly expressed his gratitude. He had indeed been worried about the birth of the prince recently, and had even ordered all the eunuchs and maids in the harem to swear a solemn oath.

But the emperor will soon be leading a campaign in person, and who knows what trouble might arise in the palace? It would be best to have a powerful figure overseeing things.

Zhou Yi led Zhao Xu to the room where the statue of Uncle Ming was kept, and picked out a seated statue of Houtu Niangniang that was 99 centimeters tall for Zhao Xu.

Ninety-nine centimeters is too tall for a typical household deity statue, but it's just the right height for one in the imperial palace.

Inside the Houtu Temple, Zhou Yi first arranged the offerings, then said to Zhao Xu, who was holding the statue of the deity:

"When the emperor personally led his expedition, he stopped at the Houtu Temple in Wanquan County to pay his respects."

Wanquan County is the same as Wanrong County in later times. The Houtu Temple, which was worshipped by Qin Shi Huang and Emperor Wu of Han, is located in that county. If Zhao Xu goes to worship there, he can receive the protection of the Houtu Goddess.

"I will follow my teacher's teachings and go to pay my respects as soon as I arrive in Hedong."

To invite the Earth Goddess Houtu to descend to the mortal realm and share blessings, Huo Qubing, Li Bai, and Gongsun Da Niang all changed into Taoist robes and stood respectfully on both sides. Zhou Yi meticulously presided over the invocation ceremony according to the proper procedure.

Before long, a warm and peaceful atmosphere suddenly filled the Houtu Hall. Everyone bowed respectfully, and Gongsun Da Niang, as if possessed, placed a cup of milk tea on the offering table. The first cup of milk tea in autumn was not only for the children to drink, but also for the goddess to taste.

Once the warmth dissipates, the ritual to invoke the gods is officially over.

By enshrining the Nine Heavens here, Zhao Xu can invite the Empress back to the palace to oversee the birth of the Crown Prince.

Granny Gongsun picked up the milk tea from the offering table again, looked at Zhou Yi, and asked:

"If I drink it, will Her Majesty think I'm disrespectful?" Zhou Yi asked.

"No, they'll just think you're sensible and polite, and they might even be praising you to other gods."

These words made the greedy girl blush.
"I'm not that kind, but I just felt that since I bought so much milk tea, it wouldn't be right not to invite Your Highness to try it."

After saying that, she carried a whole box of milk tea, made offerings to all the gods in the temples, and then collected them together, preparing to take them back and distribute them to everyone.

Milk tea that even immortals have tasted must have absorbed some of their magic. If kids drink it, wouldn't they all get into top universities like 985?

Zhao Xu respectfully kowtowed to the Goddess Houtu and left with the supplies Zhou Yi had prepared for him.

Huo Qubing asked:
"Master, if my third junior brother's child grows up safely and inherits the throne, will the Goddess Houtu receive any merit?"

Zhou Yi nodded:

"Yes, definitely. If Zhao Mao can work hard to govern the country, the Goddess Houtu will gain a great deal of merit."

Upon hearing this, Huo Qubing also wanted to commission a statue for his cousin Liu Ju.

The Book of Changes says:

"Inviting a deity statue is a matter of fate. It would be just right to invite a deity statue to bless Zhao Mao when he was about to be born. But Liu Ju has been born for several years now, so it's not suitable. Let's wait until next year. We can invite a deity statue before the crown prince is established next year and bring it out during the ceremony. That way, we can receive the blessings of the gods."

Li Bai asked for advice:
"Is it only possible to ask Houtu Niangniang?"

"Any deity will do, but for children, it is best to ask a goddess with strong maternal instincts for protection, such as Nuwa or Houtu. If their birth charts are compatible, you can also ask Doumu Yuanjun, the mother of the Ziwei Emperor."

While Zhou Yi was explaining the rules of invoking the gods to his disciples, Zhuozhou in the Later Zhou world presented a completely different picture.

The walls of Zhuozhou were densely packed with defenders, most of whom were Khitans with their heads shaved in a half-shaved style. They were full of fighting spirit and looked down on the Later Zhou army.

Not far from the city, Zhao Kuangyin was leading his army in preparations for attacking the city.

Verbal sparring is no substitute for real combat. After the Later Zhou dynasty successively recovered its territory, the Khitans were still being stubborn... Anyone who didn't know better would think they had already reached Kaifeng.

Beneath the central banner, Guo Rong, holding a telescope, muttered as he observed the city wall:
"They keep saying they inherited the Tang Dynasty's throne... People in the Tang Dynasty didn't shave their heads like that. Let Zhao Kuangyin and Zhang Yongde come here."

Soon, Zhang Yongde, the Commander of the Palace Guards, and Zhao Kuangyin arrived at the banner one after the other.

Guo Rong didn't speak, but waved to Han Tong. Han Tong immediately brought over a square briefcase. Inside, a quadcopter drone was quietly placed.

Guo Rong held the drone in his hand and said to his three trusted generals:

"As the commander of an army, you must always pay attention to the enemy's movements. Now I will show you what the Khitans in the city are doing."

After saying that, he placed the drone on the flat ground, connected it to the image transmission signal, and then controlled the drone to slowly rise.

Zhao Kuangyin's eyes nearly popped out of their sockets, and Zhang Yongde was no better off, looking completely unsophisticated, especially when he saw the overhead view on the tablet computer; he couldn't utter a single word.

Of the three, Han Tong was the best; he participated in the entire drone testing process that morning.

But now, looking down at the two armies from the air, he was still astonished.

Even more surprisingly, Khitan cavalry were gathering at the gates of Zhuozhou. If I'm not mistaken, they planned to take advantage of the lull before the siege to suddenly open the city gates and rush out, catching the army off guard.

Upon seeing this, Zhao Kuangyin immediately issued an order to the messenger beside him:

"Heavy infantry, advance! Raise your large shields!"

The messenger immediately waved the flag in his hand and began to convey the order.

Soon, a squad of heavily armored infantrymen, carrying large shields, stood in front of the city gate, effectively blocking the Khitan cavalry.

Guo Rong said to Zhang Yongde and Zhao Kuangyin:

"When marching in the future, if you encounter a pass or gorge, be sure to use drones for reconnaissance. Do not act blindly... The gods are watching from above. If you fight a humiliating battle, you'll be laughed at!"

The drones played a crucial role. After assessing the city's defenses, Zhao Kuangyin immediately volunteered to be the first to attack.

He already knew what his younger brother had done, and the fact that His Majesty had not punished him as a result moved him deeply. He wished he could repay this kindness with his life.

After using the drone to survey the situation within Zhuozhou City, Guo Rong retrieved the drone, placed it in a box with foam padding, and said to his two trusted generals:
"Whoever is the first to enter Zhuozhou City will have access to this drone system... Go, let the Immortal Master see that our Great Zhou has the ability to reclaim the lost territories of China!"

With such strong motivation, Zhao Kuangyin and Zhang Yongde were like they had been injected with chicken blood, roaring and returning to their unit to mobilize troops and prepare for the attack on the city!

(End of this chapter)