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

Chapter 301 What's it like to verbally abuse a Khitan to the point of breaking their defenses? [Seeking monthly votes]

Inside the Hunyuan Palace, Li Qingzhao looked at the piles of small commodities and felt that she could make a killing off the wealthy people of Bianjing, so that the Military Equipment Bureau could have more funds for research!

At Zhao Ji's request, Zhou Yi had Sun Erfa weld a crankshaft.

This thing is very simple. With readily available materials and bearings, plus a pushrod, you can make a standard reciprocating crankshaft to power water forging.

After the crankshaft was retrieved, Li Qingzhao experimented with it and understood its underlying principles:

"Will we be able to produce plate armor using stamping methods in the future?"

Zhou Yi thought for a moment and said:
"It's estimated that plate armor can replace some of the functions of regular armor, but a full set of plate armor is probably not feasible."

While Western plate armor may seem formidable, it simply hasn't encountered the various armor-piercing weapons of the East; the battles between the two sides have never been on the same scale.

In ancient Europe, a lord with three hundred warhorses could roam freely, while a great Eastern power would easily have three hundred thousand warhorses, and even then, they still felt they didn't have enough.

Some plate armor enthusiasts always tout the superiority of Western plate armor and the inferiority of Eastern lamellar armor. So why were the defeated generals of the Eastern empires able to dominate the West?
From the westward flight of the Xiongnu during the Han Dynasty, to the westward advance of the Rouran after their defeat during the Jin Dynasty, the westward migration of the Turks during the Tang Dynasty, and the westward conquest of the Mongols during the Song Dynasty, each event brought endless bloodshed and tears to Europe.

Where were their invincible golden plate armor back then? Why didn't it stop the invaders?

Li Qingzhao glanced at the time, then smiled and began massaging Zhou Yi's shoulders:

"Immortal Master, shall we go to the food street again tonight?"

Zhou Yi looked at Wu Meiniang and, seeing that Her Majesty the Empress was also eager to try, said:

"Okay, I won't cook dinner tonight. Let's go to the food street."

The three changed their clothes and left Yunwu Mountain as it was getting dark, then strolled around the snack street in the county town.

Meanwhile, in the Spring and Autumn Period, at the official residence in Tancheng.

Xi Shi hung the camping lamp under the roof beam and handed a copy of the Shuowen Jiezi (a dictionary of Chinese characters) and a copy of the Cihai (another dictionary of Chinese characters) to Zigong:
"Once you learn how to use a dictionary, you can look up the pronunciation and definition of any word, which is very convenient. I'm giving you these two books. You can study by referring to them, or you can point out any errors in the books, which I will then report to the Immortal Master."

Throughout history, the meaning and structure of written characters have undergone significant changes during their transmission. Restoring the pronunciation of some characters would greatly benefit the study of ancient texts.

Zigong accepted the two books and thanked him sincerely:

"Thank you, fairy. When I see my master, I will wait for you in Wei Kingdom with him."

Next, the two would part ways. Zigong crossed the Yi River and headed northwest towards Qufu, while Xishi rode her bicycle to Linzi, the capital of Qi, to see if Yanzi's description of "spreading sleeves to form shade, sweating like rain" was an exaggeration.

Fortunately, the roads in Qi were relatively smooth. Although it had fallen to the point of being bullied by Fuchai, it was once the territory ruled by Duke Huan of Qi. The roads were unobstructed, far better than the muddy roads of Wu and Yue.

Xi Shi planned to go to Linzi to find Tian Rangju's writings and then leave, not to linger, so as not to get involved in the chaos of Qi.

Zigong accepted the book and took a lacquer box from his carriage, inside which were two exquisite and flawless white jade cups:

"Please, Lotus Fairy, pass this on to the Immortal Master. I hope the Immortal Master can bestow upon me a piece of calligraphy, which I will deliver to my master so that he may appreciate the beauty of words from later generations."

Xi Shi wrote it down and placed the box on the back of her bicycle.

After Zigong left, she took out a long box from the back of her bicycle, inside which was a flute... Last time she went back, she received new clothes from Li Qingzhao, and Xi Shi planned to give Li Qingzhao a flute as a gift.

After settling her belongings, she turned off the lights and went to bed early, planning to return to Hunyuan Palace to rest as soon as it was light.

On the other side, in the world after Zhou.

The Southern King Yelü Talie drove away Xiao Siwen, who disagreed with him politically, and gained command of the entire Youzhou army. However, he was not very happy because Yuhe had been lost.

Yuhe, which is very close to Youzhou, was occupied by the despicable soldiers of the Great Zhou last night. The Khitan soldiers there were dragged out of their homes one by one and humiliated, which made Yelü Talie very angry.

What's even more infuriating is that Wang Yansheng, the general stationed at Yuhe, escorted Yelü Talie's nephew to the city of Youzhou. In front of Yelü Talie, he cut off his ear, nose, and tongue, repeatedly tortured him, and then cut off his head and threw it into the city of Youzhou using a catapult.

The Khitans were so anxious they were in a frenzy, some even grinding their teeth to powder.

They all volunteered for battle, but Yelü Talie refused, because he knew that the Zhou generals' provocation meant they wanted to engage in open battle.

Several years ago, when Guo Rong personally led an expedition against the Northern Han, Yelü Talie led 10,000 cavalry to support Emperor Liu Chong of the Northern Han. They captured Shi Yanchao, the most powerful general of the Great Zhou, and then beheaded him on the battlefield, causing the morale of the Great Zhou army to plummet and forcing them to retreat to the Central Plains.

Now the tables have turned, and it's the Great Zhou army's turn to behead the Khitan royal family.

Although Yelü Talie did not know what tricks the Zhou army had up its sleeve, he had a strong premonition that the Khitan soldiers who went out of the city would be utterly defeated, which would then affect the morale of the soldiers inside the city.

The Khitans were poorly disciplined; once they lost, the thought of desertion would spread throughout the army, and there would be no way to stop it. Wang Yansheng returned to Yuhe City and received a military order from Guo Rong:

"Tomorrow morning, we must force the Khitans out of the city for a decisive battle!"

When Guo Rong last visited Hunyuan Palace, he declared that he would fight the Khitans to the death and retake Youzhou City. However, four days have passed and Youzhou City is still intact.

He felt somewhat humiliated, so he let Wang Yansheng continue to provoke him.

To increase the success rate, Guo Rong even had a loudspeaker delivered so he could directly yell insults at the city's garrison commanders, saying whatever was most offensive.

Meanwhile, in the southeast of Youzhou, Zhao Kuangyin sent men to capture Anci County, and then immediately headed north, preparing to cross the Gaoliang River and take over Huoyin and Xianghe in eastern Youzhou, thus achieving a counter-encirclement of Youzhou.

When it came time to dispatch troops, Zhao Kuangyin originally intended to lead them personally, but Guo Rong disagreed.
“The Gaoliang River is incompatible with your surname and birth chart. Let Zhang Yongde lead the men there. You will take command from the center, with Youzhou City as the main focus.”

Zhao Kuangyin didn't understand what grudge Gaoliang River had against his surname, but since it was His Majesty's decree, he accepted the suggestion, stayed in the camp, and waited patiently for the decisive battle with Youzhou.

In the Kaiyuan world of the Tang Dynasty, Gongsun Da Niang and Li Bai were also preparing to return to Hunyuan Palace under the lamp. However, this time Gongsun Da Niang was not going back. She wanted to bring her family to Hunyuan Palace to prevent the Five Clans and Seven Desires from becoming desperate.

In addition, after Li Longji successfully fished, someone needed to inform Zhou Yi immediately to avoid the immortal master from worrying. Therefore, Gongsun Da Niang volunteered to stay behind, and Li Bai would go back alone the next day.

Sima Chengzhen and Hu Ziyang also moved to Yiyuan Temple. Although they usually lived in the post station and were well-acquainted with the officials, when danger came, the two Taoists were both very clever.

Nowhere is as safe as Yiyuan Temple. Even Li Longji planned to have the retired Emperor Li Dan sent to Yiyuan Temple when he went out of the city to Kunming Pool. This was both to allow Li Dan and his sister to meet and to prevent anyone from kidnapping Li Dan to seize the throne.

"Brother Li Bai, don't forget to bring me ice cream! I hope this battle goes well, so when I get back, the Taoist priest will cook something delicious to reward me."

Li Bai said:

"Don't worry, there won't be any surprises."

On that day, the Duke of Taiping held the token and guarded the Yiyuan Temple, while Lady Gongsun held the token and guarded the palace. Li Bai accompanied Li Longji. The four tokens summoned divine thunder at the same time. Even if the Five Clans and Seven Noble Families could mobilize thousands of troops, they could not get close to them at all.

The next morning, Li Bai, carrying a backpack, left Yiyuan Temple and went to Hunyuan Palace.

In the imperial court, Li Longji announced that he would go to Kunming Pool to enjoy the autumn scenery the day after tomorrow, and ordered officials from the Ministry of Rites to make preparations in advance.

The moment this decision was announced, the imperial court was thrown into chaos.

Knowledgeable officials knew that the noble families wanted to cause trouble and advised His Majesty not to leave the city easily. However, some people with ulterior motives were very excited, saying that it was His Majesty's freedom and no one else had the right to interfere.

While Li Longji was setting up camp here, inside the Hunyuan Palace, Zhou Yi stood in front of his desk, holding a brush and gesturing for a long time before finally writing his motto on the Xuan paper:
[Like rowing against the current, if you don't move forward, you'll fall behind.]

The standard Yan style regular script looks dignified and grand. Li Qingzhao and Wu Zetian praised it repeatedly, and Xi Shi was also quite surprised.
"I thought people in this era were no longer proficient in calligraphy, but I never expected that the immortal's calligraphy would be so grand and magnificent. It has truly broadened my horizons."

This praise made Zhou a little embarrassed:
"Are you looking to buy some equipment? Just let me know what you want."

Li Qingzhao chuckled and said:
"Sister Xi Shi sincerely praised you, yet you suspected her of having ulterior motives. Be careful, Sister Xi Shi might beat you up. She can lift nearly a hundred pounds with one hand."

Zhou Yi looked at the girl and asked:
"How about we strengthen your physique as well?"

The talented woman worried that if she grew too muscular, her figure would become even more gaunt, so she resolutely refused the opportunity to improve her physique.
"Let me gain weight first, I don't need to get stronger now."

Zhouyi: "..."

Are you planning to use fitness exercises as a weight loss drug?

After the ink dried, Xi Shi carefully put it away, ate breakfast with everyone, and then took a bath with her change of clothes.

Li Bai told Zhou Yi about Li Longji's fishing and baiting incident. Zhou Yi was deeply moved, thinking how tempting the title of "Emperor of the Ages" was. He wondered if the real Li Longji would have dared to use himself as bait.

Since they were going to make a big show of it, Hunyuan Palace decided to lend a hand. Zhou Yi drove to a fireworks shop and bought a bunch of firework shells. These were powerful communication tools in ancient times, capable of spreading messages throughout the city even in broad daylight.

At the same time, the world after Zhou.

Early in the morning, Wang Yansheng organized his men and went to challenge the enemy outside Youzhou City.

He hid the grenadiers behind the cavalry, and after making the arrangements, he took a small megaphone and shouted the rhyme he had been composing all night toward the city wall:
"Those Khitan bastards are spineless, hiding in the city and too afraid to fight. The Yelü family is even more cowardly, crawling into the dung like maggots..."

He recited a sentence and made the soldiers repeat it, and even forced the Khitan prisoners to shout the same sentence to the city walls in Khitan. Yelü Talie finally broke down:
"Out of the city, skin this foul-mouthed bastard alive!"

(End of this chapter)