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

Chapter 332 "Are you willing to become Han Chinese?" [Seeking monthly votes]

In the world of Emperor Zhang of the Eastern Han Dynasty, in Shache City in the Western Regions, Ban Chao was distributing armor, weapons, and high-top work boots that Li Qingzhao had bought to his men.

In addition, toothpaste, toothbrushes, socks, insoles, goggles, sunglasses, masks, gloves... all sorts of odds and ends of daily necessities were available, leaving everyone bewildered.

King Guangde of Khotan looked at the armor bestowed by the gods with envy. He had never seen such exquisite armor before. It even shone brightly in the sunlight. It was definitely a treasure among treasures.

He knelt on one knee before Ban Chao, his tone extremely respectful:
"May I ask the Han envoy, is it permissible for my country of Khotan to worship that deity?"

Ban Chao nodded:

"Yes, he allows your country of Khotan to build a temple, which the people of Khotan can freely worship. After it is built, I will select a virtuous person from Khotan to serve as the divine messenger, responsible for spreading the doctrine and guiding the people toward goodness. If there are any disputes, they can also be resolved in the temple."

Guangde was overjoyed. He never imagined that the small kingdom of Khotan not only had the power to worship gods, but also the privilege of building temples. He bowed respectfully once again.

"I will lead all the people of Khotan to build the temple with our own hands... Do you think I know the title of that deity?"

Ban Chao nodded:

“His name is Immortal Master Yiyuan, and he has four goddesses assisting him... There are four now, but there may be more in the future. When you build the temple, you must reserve space for them, lest you displease the gods.”

He took out the biography written by Li Qingzhao and read it to Guangde. It also contained the titles of the four goddesses. For example, Xi Shi was called the Goddess of Steadfastness, Gongsun Da Niang was the Goddess of Courage, Li Qingzhao was the Goddess of Romance, and Wu Zetian was the Supreme Goddess... The titles were full of chuunibyou fantasies, which matched Li Qingzhao's innocent and romantic personality.

However, Guangde listened with rapt attention. He used to believe in the Xiongnu gods, but the doctrines never mentioned what the gods were like, not even a proper description. Moreover, one could not ask, for asking would be disrespectful to the gods and would bring divine punishment.

Now, listening to the teachings written by Li Qingzhao, Guangde was extremely excited... That's right, this is what a god is! The First Immortal is the god of all gods, with four goddesses assisting him. It's clear and straightforward, much more reliable than the gods of the Xiongnu barbarians.

After hearing the introduction, he immediately swore an oath to Ban Chao:

"From this day forward, I, the King of Khotan, convert to the faith of the Immortal Master Yiyuan. Anyone who still believes in the gods will be killed without mercy. I ask the Han envoy to bear witness for me!"

Screw Gods, I've changed my faith!

Just as he finished swearing, a muffled clap of thunder sounded from the sky. Ban Chao said:

"The Immortal Master has received your oath. You can go back and begin preparations for building the Temple of One Yuan. Let me show you the Immortal Master's statue."

He displayed the Tai Chi diagram he had brought, which once again impressed Guangde.
"Han Envoy, how should we construct the temple of Immortal Yiyuan?"

Ban Chao initially wanted to let them develop on their own, but considering that the people of the Western Regions might eventually become subjects of the Han Dynasty, he said:

"First, get the people of Khotan to convert to the faith of Immortal Master Yiyuan. Next time I visit the Immortal Master, I will ask you for a set of architectural blueprints. In the future, all temples will be built according to the same standard."

If the entire route from the Western Regions to the Middle East were lined with temples dedicated to the Immortal Yiyuan, one could accumulate a massive amount of merit... Ban Chao decided to take a gamble. If he succeeded, the territory of the Han Dynasty would break through historical limits; if he failed, it would mean that he hadn't killed enough.

In short, this is a sure-fire way to make money.

Guangde excitedly returned to Khotan with a Taiji diagram, intending to change the people's beliefs. This made the nobles of Shache Kingdom extremely envious. They all went to Ban Chao, hoping to change their beliefs, build temples, and worship the Immortal Master Yiyuan.

Ban Chao looked at everyone and asked:

"The Immortal Master asked me to convey a message to you all: Are you willing to become subjects of the Han Dynasty?"

The nobles of Shache exchanged glances, their expressions hesitant. They were used to swaggering around in Shache, but once they became Han Chinese, they would be ordinary people and could no longer act arrogantly.

But from another perspective, once they became Han Chinese, it meant that they could hold their heads high in the entire Western Regions, no longer suffer grievances, no longer be ordered around, and no longer live a precarious life.

Both options have their advantages and disadvantages, and they were unsure which to choose.

Ban Chao said:

"You don't need to rush to answer. You can go back and think about it for a few days. During this time, I will also inform the people of Shache that everyone in Shache has the opportunity to join the Great Han, but the opportunity is only once. Whether you can seize it or not depends on yourselves."

During his two days at Hunyuan Palace, Ban Chao learned a lot and realized that relying solely on old methods would often lead to rebellions in the Western Regions. Therefore, he planned to use Shache Kingdom as a test subject to orchestrate the return of the Hu people to the Han Chinese.

Of course, this "returning to Han" does not mean giving them superior treatment. On the contrary, they only have the opportunity to join the Han Dynasty now. To truly integrate into the Han Dynasty, they must learn the Han language and characters for at least several generations and fully accept the etiquette and rules of the Han people before they can be called true Han people.

Before this, one must swear on the token, with the lives of one's entire family, that one will wholeheartedly safeguard the interests of the Han Dynasty and will never do anything to betray one's country for personal gain.

Only after going through this series of processes can Shache become a part of the Han Dynasty.

In Ban Chao's plan, Shule, Shache, Yutian, and other places would be changed into counties, and Yili City would be established in the Yili River Valley, the most fertile area in the Western Regions, to govern the Western Regions.

The current Protectorate of the Western Regions is located at the foot of the Tianshan Mountains. Although it can control the Western Regions, it does not have such strong control over the Central Asian countries. Therefore, the administrative center needs to be moved westward.

However, the Protectorate of the Western Regions could continue to exist as a supplement to the control of the kingdoms north and south of the Tianshan Mountains. Ban Chao had many ideas, especially after seeing maps from various dynasties, he felt that the Western Regions must be controlled by the Han Dynasty and could not be lost.

To ensure the plan went smoothly, after the nobles from Shache left, Ban Chao spread out the Xuan paper he had brought and carefully wrote down all his ideas with a brush. He then added some technical details, such as papermaking techniques, and finally included a photograph of himself, so that Liu Da would not doubt that Ban Chao had encountered a deity.

Xu Gan read through the memorial and said with deep concern:
"My lord, you have suddenly elevated the status of the Western Regions so much, and now you have suggested that the court establish a governor-general's office. The high officials will surely fight tooth and nail to become governors-general, and they will then point fingers at us. What should we do?"

Ban Chao put away his brush, his face displaying the calm and composure of a fifty-year-old man:

"The strategy for the Western Regions is not only related to the foundation of the Han Dynasty, but also closely related to the Immortal's faith. If someone tries to obstruct it, do you think the Immortal will let him off? As subjects, we only need to do our duty. Other matters will be resolved in their own way."

Xu Gan then asked:

"What if the imperial court doesn't provide the funds for building Yili City?"

Ban Chao looked at his old partner and said:
“Since I came to the Western Regions, I have never intended to spend the taxes of the Han Dynasty. Since we are in the Western Regions, we should let the countries of the Western Regions contribute money and effort. This city is to protect them. If it is not repaired, they will no longer receive the protection of the Han Dynasty.”

Xu Gan: “…”

I had forgotten that everyone came to the Western Regions to protect the kingdoms there; I thought they were coming to destroy them.

After the memorial was written, Ban Chao handed the remaining Xuan paper to the clerk Gan Ying:
"This is precious paper bestowed by the immortal. Distribute it to everyone, one for each person to write a letter home and let them know they are safe."

In the past, messages were sent using bamboo slips, which couldn't contain many words, let alone family letters. If someone could write a single bamboo slip, it was considered an act of kindness, and even then, they would be ridiculed when the message was sent to the Yumenguan post station.

Now that we have Xuan paper, even if everyone writes a thousand-word letter, the total weight won't be as much as a few bamboo slips. Let's see if the people at the Yumen Pass post station will still have anything to say this time.

Gan Ying was only in his twenties when he set off from Luoyang, and now he is in his early forties. He carefully put away the Xuan paper, cupped his hands, and asked:

"Did Your Excellency suddenly write a letter to us on precious paper because you foresaw the perilous nature of the Battle of Kucha?"

Ban Chao patted him on the shoulder and said:

"With the immortal as our backer, our greatest danger is our own health; everything else is smooth sailing!"

Now that everything's been replaced with wish-fulfillment stories, why are people still so anxious and fearful?

Ban Chao believed that the problem everyone was facing now was how to complete the layout of the entire Central Asia within their limited lifespan, and successfully establish trade with the Romans to make a fortune from their gold coins.

As for the kingdoms of the Western Regions, they will soon become history. From now on, small kingdoms in the Western Regions will be established as counties, and large kingdoms as prefectures, with all laws and regulations conforming to those of the Han Dynasty.

Meanwhile, in the world of Emperor Yuan of the Western Han Dynasty, Wang Zhang stayed at the camp to guard the foreign prisoners, while Chen Tang himself led a cavalry squad, galloping towards Chang'an.

The Zhao sisters, Zhao Yan and Zhao Rui, are heading to the Hunyuan Palace. To prevent the two young girls from offending the immortals, Chen Tang plans to first explain the concept of being an immortal to them.

Once you understand these things, you will naturally develop boundless respect for the Book of Changes.

But these two sisters alone aren't enough. Tom Cruise also wants to find Wang Qiang... In other worlds, there are great beauties. What's the point of sending two little girls to the Yuan Emperor world?

It's time to let Wang Zhaojun, the legendary beauty who could "descend geese on the sandy shore," take the stage. She should have no problem competing with Xi Shi for the position of deputy steward.

Lost in thought, Tom Cruise led his cavalry squad, one man and three horses, rapidly advancing towards Chang'an.

However, the scene inside Chang'an City was quite different.

Liu Ao rode in a carriage, taking Consort Xu with him, and left the Eastern Palace, arriving at the residence of the Left General.

Lady Xu looked at the lintel of the Left General's residence and said worriedly:
"It is improper for the Crown Prince to visit a subject's home so abruptly..."

Liu Ao put his arm around her shoulder and said:

"This is my master's house. Even if I became the emperor, it would be perfectly normal for me to have a meal at my master's house, wouldn't it? You always talk about respecting teachers and valuing the Way, but now that you're at your master's doorstep, you utter such nonsense. Shouldn't you be punished?"

Xu Meiren felt that this guy was making excuses, but she couldn't refute him, so she lowered her head and said:
"How do you want to punish me?"

Liu Ao chuckled:
"I'm going to play checkers with my cousin Wang Mang later. If I can't beat him, you have to help me."

Xu Meiren's curiosity was piqued:

What is checkers? Does it involve jumping around?

Liu Ao said mysteriously:
"You'll find out soon enough. Get out of the car first, take the gifts and pay your respects to your teacher's wife... Remember, don't act like a princess. Once you're in this courtyard, we're both juniors!"

(End of this chapter)