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

Chapter 306 Li Dan: What? Mom's still alive?! [Requesting monthly votes]

Yaohua Palace is a Taoist temple, but it is quite special because all the Taoist priests inside are former imperial concubines. It can be considered a retirement home for women from the Song Dynasty imperial harem.

Of the eighteen emperors of the Song Dynasty, Empress Meng was the only one who was deposed and banished to Yaohua Palace.

In terms of character, Empress Meng had no flaws, but tragically, Gao Taotao married her off to Zhao Xu in a way that was almost humiliating, so Zhao Xu never gave her a kind look.

Furthermore, the deposition of the empress was also related to Zhao Xu's complete purge of the old party during his reign.

Empress Meng's family, the Meng clan, was the core force of the old faction. As long as she remained in the position of empress, the old faction could not be completely eradicated, and its obstruction of the court would continue, which Zhao Xu could not tolerate.

To be fair, these empress dowagers of the Song Dynasty were all like they were cut from the same mold; each one was a staunch supporter of the old party.

Not to mention Gao Taotao, during her reign she caused Zhao Xu a lot of suffering. After Zhao Xu's death, Empress Dowager Xiang seized the opportunity to take power and immediately promoted Han Qi's son, Han Zhongyan, a die-hard member of the old party, to the position of Left Minister of the Court, giving him control of the government.

He also summoned Su Shi, Su Zhe, the Cheng brothers and other officials of the old party back to the capital. Unfortunately, Su Shi died of illness in Changzhou on his way back from Hainan Island.

After the Jingkang Incident, Kaifeng lost its central leadership. At this time, the court officials remembered that there was still an Empress Dowager in Yaohua Palace, so they asked Meng to take charge of the overall situation.

Empress Meng followed the same pattern as Empress Dowager Xiang, vigorously promoting members of the old party and suppressing members of the new party... Judging from the perspective of supporting the old party alone, it seems that the Empress Dowager has remained unchanged since Emperor Renzong.

No matter how the world changes, the principle of supporting the old party remains unchanged... This is much more loyal to the Republican Party than the rednecks.

When Zhao Xu entered the main hall of Yaohua Palace, the female Taoist priests inside looked up in surprise, completely unable to believe that His Majesty would grace this place with his presence.

Empress Meng, dressed in a Taoist robe, was reading the recently popular "Treatise on the Response of the Supreme Being" in Tokyo. Seeing Zhao Xu standing before her, she was somewhat surprised and lost in thought.

"Is Your Majesty here to order my death?"

Zhao Xu placed the wine he was carrying in front of her:
"These are fine wines bestowed upon me by my esteemed master, Immortal Master Yiyuan. One bottle is plum wine, and the other is sweet rice wine. I heard you enjoy a little drink, so I'm giving them to you to sample... Such divine brews are beyond the reach of our Great Song Dynasty."

Empress Meng subconsciously looked around. She liked to drink secretly, and not many people knew about it. How did it get to His Majesty's ears?
Zhao Xu knew this entirely from historical records.

It is said that after Zhao Gou established his capital in Hangzhou, he specially added two breweries to produce sweet wine for Empress Dowager Meng in order to satisfy her drinking needs.

Empress Meng felt that Zhao Xu had never spoken to her so calmly since she entered the palace, and she found it somewhat strange.
"What brings Your Majesty here today?"

Zhao Xu took out a printed sheet of paper from his pocket and handed it to Empress Meng. It was printed with the "Edict of the Earth Goddess":
"This is a scripture for praying for the Goddess Houtu. Recite this scripture from now on; it will benefit you."

In the past, Zhao Xu was sharp-tongued, extreme, and stubborn. He hated everything and everyone related to Gao Taotao, and even smashed and threw away Gao Taotao's personal belongings.

But today, after bringing the statue of Houtu back to the palace, he suddenly felt the deep pain in his heart soothed by a warm feeling. When he recalled his childhood, he no longer felt hatred, pain, and violence, but rather a sense of peace, calmness, and relief.

He knew very well that this was the power of the Earth Goddess Houtu, so he took advantage of this momentum to visit Empress Meng.

Empress Meng, seeing the photocopy paper and the neat Song typeface on it, asked in surprise:
"Is this the celestial paper that the nobles have been discussing?"

Zhao Xu nodded:

"Yes, Master calls it photocopy paper; the words are printed on it."

He briefly explained the principle of the printer, which left Empress Meng stunned. However, the two did not talk for long. After all, they had been in a cold war for several years, and it was easy for the conversation to become awkward on their first meeting.

Before leaving, Zhao Xu said he would bring some books next time, and Empress Meng readily agreed, her eyes full of anticipation.

After Zhao Xu left, all the female Taoist priests chanting scriptures nearby gathered around:
"Does Your Majesty intend to re-enter the harem?"

Empress Meng smiled and shook her head:

“I bear the mark of the old party, and now the entire court is calling for the destruction of the old party. How can I go back?”

On the other side, the chief eunuch whispered to Zhao Xu for instructions:

"Your Majesty, should I increase the number of attendants and their monthly stipends for the Huayang Sect Leader?"

Huayang Sect Leader is Empress Meng's Buddhist name. She also has the Taoist name "Yuqing Miaojing Immortal Master" and the Buddhist name "Chongzhen," making her quite well-rounded.

Zhao Xu said:

"Her treatment will remain the same. Since she has chosen to leave and live a life of peace, let her remain peaceful to the end."

After letting go of his hatred for Gao Taotao, Zhao Xu gradually became more carefree and was no longer the gaunt and fierce emperor he once was.

Upon returning to the palace, two palace maids rushed to report:
"Your Majesty, the Imperial Concubine is about to give birth."

Upon hearing this news, Zhao Xu was overjoyed. However, he did not go directly to the inner palace. Instead, he went to the statue of the Earth Goddess Houtu and respectfully kowtowed several times. He then ordered the chief eunuch to change the offerings daily before going to wait for news outside Consort Liu's palace.

Palace maids came and went, five or six midwives arrived, and doctors from the Imperial Hospital prepared silver needles and other supplies, ready to provide emergency care at any time... This time it was very likely a prince, which was a big deal and could not be taken lightly.

After waiting for about an hour, a midwife finally came to announce the good news:

"Congratulations, Your Majesty! Consort Liu has given birth to a prince. Both mother and child are safe and sound."

Upon hearing this, Zhao Xu was overjoyed and repeatedly thanked his master, the Goddess Houtu, and all the gods of Hunyuan Palace for their care.

He bestowed a reward, and members of the imperial clan came to inquire about his name. Zhao Xu thought for a moment and decided to entrust the matter of naming to his master, Immortal Master Yiyuan:
"The name was bestowed upon me by my mentor, so I will choose a nickname for him first." After a moment's thought, he named his son Shitou (Stone), hoping that his son would be as sturdy and tenacious as a stone, remaining steadfast through millions of years of wind, frost, snow, and rain.

It was already dark when Zhao Ji heard the news and came to the palace gate to recite a Taoist scripture.

He wanted to go in and see his nephew, but worried that the smell of nitric acid on his body would bother the baby, so he recited a passage of scripture and returned to the Ordnance Bureau to work overtime.

Nitrocellulose has been produced, and the explosion effect is fantastic.

But the ingredient list for "Zhou's Explosives" that Zhao Xu brought today has given Zhao Ji a new challenge.

As for picric acid, a military explosive, he will also conduct research on it, but picric acid requires indigo dye as a raw material, and the production of this stuff is not high in the entire Song Dynasty, so it cannot be produced on a large scale in a short period of time.

However, the two brothers have already reached an agreement that Zhao Xu will include indigo in the tax deduction list soon. As long as a certain amount of indigo is paid, the tax can be exempted.

Besides indigo, sulfur, ferrous sulfate, blue vitriol, pyrite, defatted cotton, mercury, lead ingots, etc., are also included in the tax deduction list.

Using tax deductions to boost public enthusiasm for collecting military materials is far more effective than simply purchasing them.

Take indigo dye as an example. Farmers can collect some wild indigo plants during the off-season, ferment and purify them with lime, and obtain indigo dye. This allows them to easily save a lot of taxes, which is a rare opportunity.

The next morning at court, Zhao Xu announced a general amnesty. All prisoners and exiles, except for members of the old party, received some degree of relief. Those who voluntarily joined the army would also be rewarded by the court.

Taking this opportunity, he also bestowed marquis titles upon several commanders on the Western Xia front.

In the Song Dynasty, the title of Marquis was only a temporary one. If one wanted to benefit their descendants, their treatment would be downgraded or even halved, and the idea of ​​a fiefdom was simply absurd.

But this time was different. This time it was a permanent title, with hundreds of households as a fief, which immediately caused an uproar in the court.

Many people are discussing it, fearing that it might turn into something like the Five Dynasties period.

But that wasn't the most shocking part. Zhao Xu then bestowed upon Cai Jing a black iron token that could summon divine thunder, leaving all the officials completely dumbfounded.

They had just wanted to protest and persuade His Majesty to rescind the decree granting the title, but when they saw Cai Jing accept the token, they swallowed their protests and even shouted a few times against their will that His Majesty was wise.

While saying everyone could speak freely, they also turned on the comment selection feature. Everyone felt that His Majesty had really changed... The dignified emperor, instead of reading memorials, was now reading military strategy. What should be done?!
Meanwhile, in the Kaiyuan world of the Tang Dynasty, early in the morning, Li Longji led ten million cavalrymen, accompanied by Li Bai and others, to Kunming Pool, intending to see the surprises prepared by the aristocratic families.

Not long after he left, the retired Emperor Li Dan, accompanied by his eldest son Li Chengqi, left the palace by carriage and, as requested by Li Longji, went to Yiyuan Temple to offer incense and pray for the whole family.

Lady Gongsun changed into a set of close-fitting clothes for the imperial guards, with a sword hanging at her waist. She sat in the Taiji Palace. If anyone came to kidnap Li Longji's wife, children, and elderly relatives, this girl would use her token to summon divine lightning.

In the carriage bearing the royal insignia, the retired Emperor Li Dan appeared to have aged more than ten years compared to the last time he was on the city gate tower.

Ever since Li Longji announced that Princess Taiping had been executed, Li Dan had been hiding in the deep palace all day. Li Longji had tried to persuade him to go to Yiyuan Temple to offer incense several times, but Li Dan, with his "stubborn spirit," refused to go no matter what.

He felt ashamed that his son had killed his younger sister and wanted to end it all, but the food in the palace was so good that he had actually gained two pounds recently.

Now, Li Dan reclined on the carriage, looking at his eldest son Li Chengqi, and asked:
"Chengqi, does your brother not even intend to spare this old man like me, and is he planning to execute him as well?"

Li Chengqi said speechlessly:

“When your third brother asked you to go to Yiyuan Temple, you absolutely refused to go. Just don’t start crying when you get there. People who don’t know better will think you’ve suffered some great injustice.”

Li Dan glanced at the scenery outside the car window and felt that the sky was gray:
"Your brother killed my own sister, isn't that enough of a grievance?"

Li Chengqi smiled and said nothing more.

Soon, the carriage entered Daozhengfang and arrived at the entrance of Yiyuan Temple.

The father and son got out of the car one after the other, and Li Dan, supported by Li Chengqi, walked into Yiyuan Temple.

Upon entering the courtyard, I saw a dignified and elegant middle-aged woman standing at the entrance of the main hall. Her simple Taoist robe somehow made her look like she was wearing a dragon robe.

Li Dan looked at the other person in surprise, raised his hand to rub his eyes, and immediately began to sob.

"Girl, girl, you're not dead! I've missed you so much..."

Princess Taiping walked over with a smile and handed her brother a pack of tissues:
“I kept urging Sanlang to bring you here, but Sanlang said you didn’t want to see me.”

Upon hearing this, Li Dan cried even louder:

"If I had known you were still alive, I would have crawled over here, no matter what. It's just the two of us left in our family..."

Princess Taiping wiped away her brother's tears:

"Mother didn't die either..."

Li Dan shuddered, startling him back down from his sobs:

"What? Mom's still alive?"

(End of this chapter)