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

Chapter 321 Xuanzang: This humble monk excels at gambling with one's life! [Seeking monthly votes]

When the Buddha was mentioned, Wang Xuance thought Xuanzang was joking. However, he had indeed heard the Buddha's words when he stayed in Nepal. The fact that the mission was able to reach India so quickly was due to the urging of the local high monks.

The area outside Rajagaha is bustling with activity. King Harsha personally greeted the Tang Dynasty delegation with the respect due to a subject, and ordered all the people of the city to sing and dance to welcome the arrival of the Tang envoys.

Wang Xuance said to Xuanzang:

"It's too noisy here. Let's find a quiet place to talk in detail."

Xuanzang was quite familiar with Rajagaha. He led Wang Xuance away from the delegation and, after many twists and turns, arrived at a temple. Several monks came out to greet them and quickly arranged a quiet room for them.

Wang Xuanze was astonished:
Why are they being so polite to you?

Xuanzang knelt on the prayer mat and said in a loud voice:
"Two years ago, when I visited Rajagaha, several eminent monks invited me to debate the scriptures. Five virtuous monks from this temple lost their lives in the process..."

Wang Xuance didn't understand for a moment:

"Fold? You cursed them to death?"

Xuanzang picked up the kettle and poured Wang Xuance a cup of fruit syrup:
“In Indian Buddhist debates are punitive; the loser is either beheaded or enslaved for life… In our Tang Dynasty terms, it’s a life-or-death gamble!”

Wang Xuance jumped to his feet in fright, gripping the Tang sword at his waist tightly with his right hand, his eyes fixed on the window, fearing that countless monks would storm in at any moment.

"Master, you killed those five eminent monks, and now you come here to drink fruit juice? Aren't you afraid they'll seek revenge?"

Xuanzang remained calm:
“I helped five virtuous monks in the temple to be freed from their suffering. Instead of hating me, they are extremely grateful to me.”

Wang Xuance: ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ?
You drove them to their deaths, and you expect them to thank you?

Is this still the Buddhist community I remember, the one that only meditates and chants scriptures?
Xuanzang took a sip of fruit juice and began to recount the story of the Buddha appearing to him in a dream:
“At that time, I was packing my luggage in Kanauj, preparing to return to the Tang Dynasty with the 657 Buddhist scriptures I had won. Suddenly I had a dream in which the Buddha told me to find a man named Wang Xuance and do my best to help him conquer India. Later I asked King Harsha and found out that it was Vice Envoy Wang.”

Wang Xuance was completely bewildered. He was just a lowly eighth-rank official who accompanied Li Yibiao to escort the Nepalese and Indian delegations back to China and to make a return visit. How did this get into the topic of occupying India?

Moreover, without troops at their disposal, how could they possibly occupy this place?

However, despite his complaints, Wang Xuance became interested in Xuanzang's 657 Buddhist scriptures:
"How did you win these Buddhist scriptures?"

Xuanzang put his hands together in prayer:

"At the Unobstructed Assembly convened by King Harsha, I helped hundreds of eminent monks attain liberation. These Buddhist scriptures are what they left behind. Unfortunately, India had no paper, so they all recorded them on tree bark and leaves. After returning to the Tang Dynasty, I will immediately begin to compile and translate the Sanskrit texts from India into Chinese for the Tang Dynasty."

Wang Xuance was completely dumbfounded. Although he was wearing armor and had a Tang sword at his waist, he had not killed many people. He had only suppressed a few bandits during his tenure as the magistrate of Huangshui County in Rongzhou. He had never personally taken action.

Xuanzang, who was unarmed, actually killed over a hundred people. Even in the military, this number of kills would far surpass that of his colleagues.

Xuanzang thought Wang Xuance was interested in the scriptures, so he took the initiative to talk about the drawbacks of Tang Dynasty Buddhist scriptures:
"The Buddhist scriptures of our Great Tang Dynasty are in disarray, with varying quality. Many famous temples still retain the barbaric practice of asking believers to donate their blood and flesh. If this practice is not changed, it will surely bring disaster upon Buddhism in the future."

The so-called donation of flesh and blood means that, at the instigation of monks, believers cut off their hands and feet or goug out their eyes and use their own limbs or organs to make offerings to Buddha.

During the Five Dynasties period, the anti-Buddhist movement launched by Emperor Guo Rong of the Later Zhou Dynasty was essentially about prohibiting the donation of blood and flesh to temples.

Wang Xuance picked up the bamboo cup, took a sip of fruit juice, and asked:

"Let's put Buddhist scriptures aside for now, Master. Let's talk about how to conquer India first... Isn't this the Buddha's homeland? How can you expect me to take action?"

Xuanzang sighed:

"I have lived in India for more than ten years and have traveled all over the country. Today, Brahmanism is everywhere in India, and the faith and influence of Buddhism have greatly declined. I think that if this continues, Buddhism will completely disappear from this land in less than five years."

Wang Xuanze seemed to suddenly realize something and said:
"So, does that mean the Buddha foresaw the demise of Buddhism and hoped you could turn the tide?"

Xuanzang shook his head and said frankly:

"That's not the case. The Buddha appeared to me in my dreams three times, but he never mentioned the local monks of India. Instead, he repeatedly emphasized merit and even reminded me that King Harsha's minister, Arjuna, had rebellious intentions and that I could take advantage of him."

At this point, Wang Xuance suddenly had an inspiration:

“We can support him to cause trouble in secret, and then take advantage of the decline of Buddhism to persuade some monks to join us. Only in this way can we succeed.”

Wang Xuance came here with a mission.

King Harsha's envoys presented very light-colored sugar to Chang'an, which pleased Li Shimin greatly. Before the delegation departed, he instructed Wang Xuance to take some sugar makers back with him.

But when Li Yibiao mentioned this matter to King Harsha today, King Harsha immediately said that sugar trade was possible, and India could provide as much sugar as the Tang Dynasty needed.

It's obvious that this old guy doesn't really want to give away the technology; instead, he wants to make a fortune off the Tang Dynasty.

Li Yibiao and Wang Xuance originally planned to buy a few artisans who knew how to make sugar, but now it seems that they don't need to spend any money. They can just snatch the talent directly!

Xuanzang took stock of the number of temples and monks he could command, and also mentioned the various small countries that might be neutral, leaving the arrangements to Wang Xuance:

"Buddha said that one day in the future you will enter a dwelling place inhabited by immortals. He instructed you not to be alarmed, not to clash with anyone, and to show them sufficient respect." Wang Xuance pointed to himself:

"I?"

"Yes, it's you. Your future is related to the gods, and whether our Buddhist sect can be reborn is also closely related to you."

These words made Wang Xuance somewhat unsure of himself. How could a lowly eighth-rank county magistrate like me be so important?
He was from Luoyang, while Xuanzang happened to be from Yanshi. The two fellow Luoyang natives sat in an unfamiliar temple in India and discussed the various procedures for conquering India.

Meanwhile, inside the Hunyuan Palace, Zhou Yi cut the eggplant into pieces, coated it with flour and batter, preparing to make the braised eggplant that Li Qingzhao had specifically requested.

Li Qingzhao herself sat in front of the computer, diligently searching for tutorials on how to make detonators.

She printed out the text materials directly and downloaded the video materials. After finishing, she turned to Xi Shi, who was learning the rituals of the Buddhist ceremony, and asked:

"Did the immortal master take you out to play?"

Xi Shi nodded:

"Yesterday we went to see a movie and witnessed the vastness of the universe and the magnificence of the earth."

Li Qingzhao's beautiful eyes sparkled:
Didn't I take you to play the claw machine?

Xi Shi shook her head:

"I don't like things that are full of variables. I prefer things that are fixed and under control."

Li Qingzhao sighed:

"My Xi Shi sister is too steady. No, I have to work harder too. I can't let playthings distract me from my studies..."

After saying that, the girl picked up a first-grade textbook and started reading it, intending to compile a set of teaching materials suitable for the physique of babies in the Song Dynasty and leave her name in the education circle.

After compiling the textbooks, he introduced various technologies such as sugar refining and textile processing, becoming a leading figure in the scientific research field.

While busy with these tasks, we must not forget to draw fossil symbols, after all, there is still the main task of managing the Yellow River to wait for us, and we cannot slack off.

During lunch, Zhou Yi looked at the message sent by Uncle Ming and said:

"The statue that Uncle Ming ordered will be delivered to the factory this afternoon. I have to leave for Lushan County in a bit. Which of you two wants to come along and broaden your horizons?"

He had assumed Li Qingzhao would eagerly sign up, but to his surprise, the girl volunteered to stay at Hunyuan Palace.
"You take Sister Xi Shi with you. She happens to want to learn the rituals of the Buddhist ceremony. I'll stay at Hunyuan Palace to catch up on my studies... As a talented woman who will be remembered in history, I can't afford to be so dejected anymore. I need to pull myself together!"

Zhou Yi felt that this girl was very ambitious and deserved praise:

"There are some famous local snacks in Lushan County. I'll bring some back for you when I get back."

"Yes, thank you, Immortal Master!"

After the meal, Li Qingzhao returned to her room to continue compiling teaching materials, while Xi Shi cleaned up the kitchen, changed into her Taoist robe, and tied her hair up with a lotus crown, instantly transforming from a beautiful cook into a steady senior sister.

Zhou Yi loaded the ritual implements he needed onto the cart, and then drove Xi Shi down the mountain, heading towards the Lushan County Lifting Equipment Factory.

On the other side, in the world of Emperor Zhezong of the Northern Song Dynasty.

With the crankshaft bestowed by the Book of Changes, the hydraulic press equipment that Zhao Ji and others had been working on could finally be used.

At this moment, a craftsman held steel clamps in both hands and placed a red-hot iron block under the press. The slowly rotating waterwheel lifted the solid wood pressure bar about a foot and then slammed it down. The speed was very fast and much less strenuous than manual forging.

Emperor Huizong of Song also changed the upward space of the pressure rod to an adjustable mode, which can be raised to a height of more than one meter. This height, plus the counterweight, can be used to stamp some simple parts.

Based on the principle of automobile half-shafts, Emperor Huizong of Song (Zhao Ji) also designed a simple conveying and separating device for the waterwheel. When the position of the forged items needed to be adjusted, the connecting shaft of the waterwheel could be directly separated, and the stamping equipment would stop working.

While everyone was admiring the new equipment, the caravan that had gone to the Liao Kingdom returned laden with its goods. The two managers who led the caravan came to report the good news to Emperor Huizong: the handicrafts were even more popular than expected.

Especially after the addition of elements such as deities, the people of Liao immediately flocked to it, willing to sell their pots and pans to buy one.

At this time, the Liao Kingdom had been corrupted beyond recognition by the Song Dynasty. They were particular about food and clothing, etiquette, and composing poems. When they heard that Su Dongpo had been demoted to Danzhou, many Liao nobles wept bitterly.

They imitated the Central Plains in every way, but in the process, they gradually lost the fighting power that the Khitans were so proud of.

Looking at the several carts of gold and silver that had been delivered, Emperor Huizong (Zhao Ji) rewarded the two managers, saying that another shipment would be sent soon and that they should prepare well. In addition to gold and silver, they could also bring some horses from the Liao Kingdom next time.

After the two shopkeepers left, Zhao Ji straightened his Taoist robe and prepared to go to the palace to meet Zhao Xu.

The Liao Kingdom's first donation has arrived. It's time to determine the location of the new capital and then gradually invest the money to build the new capital, taking our time and working meticulously.

Meanwhile, in the Zhenguan era of the Tang Dynasty, Zhang Liang, the Minister of Justice, carrying the investigation results of the Wu brothers, entered the Liangyi Hall of the Taiji Palace...

(End of this chapter)