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

Chapter 312 "My Great Han...is it dead?" [Requesting monthly votes]

Upon hearing the name Ban Chao, Zhou Yi could hardly believe his ears.

He had already decided on the next people to come, and even planned to buy a warehouse full of instant noodles to support the Prime Minister's Northern Expedition. However, Liang Ge and Xie Daoyun did not show up. Instead, it was Ban Chao, the Marquis of Dingyuan who abandoned his pen for the sword, who came!

Gongsun Da Niang was also somewhat surprised, and quickly put down the broom in her hand, her face showing delight:

"Welcome to Hunyuan Palace, Marquis Dingyuan. My name is Gongsun Da Niang, and my Taoist name is Pomegranate Fairy. You haven't eaten yet, have you? I packed some braised pork. Come, come, don't be shy. Eat it with steamed buns, it's really delicious."

Her overly familiar manner left Ban Chao completely bewildered:
"You recognize me? What is the meaning of this, Marquis Dingyuan?"

How could you not know about Marquis Dingyuan? Has he not been granted a marquisate yet?
The Book of Changes asks:

What year is it under your jurisdiction now?

Ban Chao sheathed his gleaming Han sword, cupped his hands, and said:

"It is now the fourth year of the Yuanhe era of the Han Dynasty. Who are you? And why are you dressed like this?"

The fourth year of Yuanhe? Zhou Yi checked on his phone and found that it was 87 AD, the last year of Emperor Zhang of Han, Liu Da's reign. Next year, Emperor He of Han, Liu Zhao, who was only nine years old, would ascend the throne. Dou Xian would also plan a northern expedition against the Xiongnu next year and then complete the great feat of inscribing the Yanran Mountain.

Coincidentally, the person who carved the inscription of the Han army's northern expedition on Yanran Mountain was none other than Ban Chao's elder brother, Ban Gu.

One brother participated in the Northern Expedition, and the other was renowned in the Western Regions; both left a significant mark on history.

However, it was precisely because Ban Gu followed Dou Xian on his northern expedition that he was implicated and died in prison when Emperor He of Han purged Dou Xian. The unfinished Book of Han was then written by Ban Gu's younger sister, Ban Zhao.

Thinking about this history, the Book of Changes seems to step into the magnificent era of the early Eastern Han Dynasty.

The Eastern Han Dynasty, with its northern expeditions against the Xiongnu, western pacification of foreign lands, and its influence extending to all corners of the world, even nearly making contact with the Roman Empire, was much like what Chiang Kai-shek described:

That vibrant, flourishing scene is still vivid in my mind.

To calm Ban Chao down, Zhou Yi said:

"Chen Tang, Chen Zigong, just came here a couple of days ago, as did Huo Qubing from the time of Emperor Xiaowu... Come on, let me get you something to eat and tell you your story."

Although Ban Chao was somewhat puzzled, his curiosity was immediately piqued upon hearing the names of Chen Tang and Huo Qubing.

"Can you still see the deceased here?"

Gongsun Da Niang said:

"They're just different worlds. Sister Meiniang once analyzed that all worlds are developing, some fast and some slow, but the development of these worlds seems to be anchored to the world where Hunyuan Palace is located... There was some more content after that, but I didn't remember it."

The girl didn't care whether Ban Chao could understand her or not. She talked at length, then rode her electric scooter to the courtyard at breakneck speed. She set up the steamer with practiced ease, poured the braised pork into a small stainless steel bowl, placed it in the middle of the rack, arranged a ring of steamed buns around it, and then put the lid on and started steaming!
Ban Chao hung his sword at his waist and walked with Zhou Yi in the courtyard of Hunyuan Palace. He was curious about everything here, such as water pipes, steel bars, bricks and tiles.

The Book of Changes asks:

"Where did you come from?"

Ban Chao pointed to the doorway:
"Behind that statue of a deity playing the pipa."

The deity using a pipa... isn't that Dhritarashtra, the Heavenly King of the East?

The four Heavenly Kings in the archway correspond to the four envoys. Now, Chen Tang from the Western Han Dynasty and Ban Chao from the Eastern Han Dynasty have arrived. Who will be the next two?
The Han Dynasty had countless impressive envoys, and the Three Kingdoms also had their share of formidable ones. For example, Deng Zhi, who voluntarily jumped into a vat of boiling oil, managed to turn the tables and intimidate Jerry Sun, the King of Wu of Wei.

Although the Jin and Northern and Southern Dynasties were chaotic, there were still envoys.

When Gao Yang's envoy Cui Liu was sent to Goguryeo, he beat the Goguryeo king with both hands without hesitation at a banquet, showing no regard for himself as an outsider.

Changsun Sheng, a figure from the Sui Dynasty, was the father of Changsun Wuji and Empress Changsun. He was also a brilliant diplomat, and the idiom "killing two birds with one stone" originated from his deeds.

Not to mention the Tang Dynasty, Wang Xuance destroyed India, Pei Xingjian governed the Western Regions, Gao Biaoren scolded the Japanese king... all of them left their mark on history.

In short, there are too many options; I don't know who will come next.

Upon arriving at the courtyard, Ban Chao was surprised to see the transparent glass windows:
"How can crystal be so clear? It must be very valuable!"

Zhou Yi wondered if people in diplomatic circles all liked to measure everything by money? When Chen Tang came, all he talked about was money, and it turned out that Ban Chao was the same.

He said:
"This is glass, made by firing sand. It costs less than one-thousandth of the price of crystal."

Ban Chao was even more surprised when he heard that it was made of sand.

Zhou Yi led him to the pool, turned on the tap and let Ban Chao wash his face, and they would chat while they ate later.

But seeing the clear, cool water, Ban Chao instinctively caught it with his hands and even bent down to gulp down several mouthfuls:
"It is so clear and sweet; the design of this water is truly ingenious."

The more he acted this way, the more Zhou Yi felt heartbroken. Ban Chao had dedicated his life to the Western Regions, but his descendants had not received the benefits they deserved.

For example, his son Ban Yong was also a remarkable figure. After Ban Chao returned to Chang'an, the kingdoms of the Western Regions rebelled again. Ban Yong marched west out of Yumen Pass and once again suppressed the rebellion in the Western Regions. After several years of hard work, in the final battle, Zhang Lang, who had fought alongside him, rushed to Yanqi Kingdom ahead of him to claim credit. Ban Yong was a step too late and was therefore dismissed from his post and demoted to a commoner, where he died in despair at home. Ban Chao's grandson, Ban Shi, became the son-in-law of Princess Yincheng, the aunt of Emperor Shun of Han. Marrying a princess was originally a good thing, but Princess Yincheng was no pushover. She was having an affair with her lover at home and even summoned Ban Shi to her bedside, making him crawl under the bed.

How could someone from a family of straight men tolerate such humiliation? In a fit of rage, Ban Shi drew his sword and killed the adulterous couple. The entire Ban family was exterminated by Emperor Shun of Han, and the Ban clan disappeared from the history books from then on.

The extermination of the Ban clan in the Eastern Han Dynasty and the Wei clan in the Western Han Dynasty both left Zhou Yi deeply saddened... The more dazzling the hero's beginning, the more painful the ending.

Ban Chao carefully washed his face with clean water from the tap, and even used soap under the guidance of Zhou Yi. The surprise on his face never stopped:

"This item is quite useful. If we take it to the Western Regions, one piece can be exchanged for ten Western Region women."

Good heavens! After Chen Tang planned to exchange stainless steel basins for gold ingots, Ban Chao came up with another business opportunity: exchanging soap for orchids... Is this typical diplomatic thinking?
Zhou Yi handed him a brand new towel:

"I'll give you a box when you leave, so your son Ban Yong and his mother can use it."

Ban Chao took the towel and calmly said:

“My wife has remarried. Four years ago, in the eighth year of Jianchu, Marquis Li Yi of Wei came to the Western Regions and wrote to the court, saying that he was an old man with a beautiful wife and young children and was very happy. I had no choice but to divorce my wife. I didn’t even want a maidservant by my side. My only wish was for peace in the Western Regions.”

So-called treacherous officials are those who not only do nothing themselves, but also cause trouble for others.

However, after his divorce, Ban Chao did indeed devote all his attention to the small kingdoms of the Western Regions. If this matter were made public, the kings of the Western Regions would definitely curse Li Yi with voodoo dolls.

Before his divorce, the Great Demon King had a family and was still somewhat human. After the divorce, he spent all his time thinking about weakening the various states. The states in the Western Regions, including the Kushan Empire, all trembled in fear under Ban Chao's intimidation.

From Yumen Pass westward all the way to the heart of Central Asia, the kings and nobles of all countries eagerly awaited Ban Chao's retirement and return home. This is the significance of Ban Chao being the first Han envoy.

Before long, the steamed buns were heated up, and the braised pork was also thoroughly heated again.

Zhou Yi was worried that Ban Chao would get tired of eating braised pork belly alone, so he also stir-fried a plate of sweet potato leaves for him to eat with it.

Two dishes, one meat and one vegetable, were laid out fragrantly on the table. Ban Chao bowed to Zhou Yi and Gongsun Da Niang to express his gratitude.
"This meal is far too extravagant!"

The Book of Changes says:

"It's just simple food, not even a fraction of your achievements. Eat it while it's hot. It will taste even better if you break the steamed bun open and put some meat inside."

Ban Chao thanked him, deftly broke open the handmade steamed bun, put two slices of fatty and lean pork belly inside, took a bite, and was immediately captivated by the taste:
"It is so delicious, it is truly a divine delicacy. I am a humble old man, please do not laugh at me, sir."

Zhou Yi took out a bottle of rice wine stored by the talented woman from the refrigerator, opened it, and poured a cup for Ban Chao:
"Try the rice wine, it's sweet and refreshing."

Ban Chao didn't stand on ceremony, picked up his wine cup and drank it all in one gulp:

"With such delicious food and fine wine, even if the kingdoms of the Western Regions were to gather an army of 100,000 to attack, I would have no fear whatsoever!"

He put down his wine cup, looked at Granny Gongsun, and asked:

"Which world does the girl come from?"

Aunt Gongsun said with a smile:

“I come from the Tang Dynasty, six hundred years after you.”

Ban Chao was stunned for a moment, then his eyes immediately turned red:

"Tang? Then my great Han... is gone?"

As soon as he finished speaking, the old man, who was over fifty years old and whose beard and hair were completely white, shed hot tears.

Among the historical figures who came before, Chen Tang had long anticipated the demise of the Han Dynasty, while Huo Qubing, raised by Emperor Wu of Han, knew from a young age that no country lasts forever.

Only Ban Chao lived during the rising period of the Eastern Han Dynasty. Although there were various problems, the overall situation was one of steady and positive development.

He thought that with all his efforts, the Han Dynasty would prosper, but he never expected that the Han Dynasty would perish.

Overwhelmed with sorrow, the old man forgot all about his meal, wiped his tears with his sleeve, and bowed to Zhou Yi, asking for guidance:

"May I ask, sir, when did my great Han Dynasty perish?"

The Book of Changes says:

"From a time perspective, the Han Dynasty still had over a hundred years left, but in the later period it was basically a warlord war, and the emperor was just a figurehead... To put it this way, your sister Ban Zhao had a disciple named Ma Rong, who later became a great Confucian scholar. He took on a student named Lu Zhi, who, after becoming famous, established a school and lectured on the classics. Several warlords at the end of the Han Dynasty were his students, such as Liu Bei and Gongsun Zan..."

Gongsun Da Niang picked up the conversation and said:

"Liu Bei later established the Shu Han dynasty, giving the Han dynasty a romantic ending. Even today, 1,800 years later, countless people still mourn the Shu Han dynasty... In addition, after the fall of the Han dynasty, all residents of the Han lands took Han as their ethnicity and became known as the Han people... Although the Han dynasty has fallen, the bloodline of the Han people will live on forever."

As she spoke, the girl took Zhou Yi's wallet, pulled out his ID card, and pointed to the words "Han Chinese" to show Ban Chao. The old man's tears welled up again.
"Thank you for informing me, young lady. I, Ban, have no regrets even in death!"

(End of this chapter)