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

Chapter 347 Ignoring the Rules? [Seeking Monthly Tickets]

Upon hearing that the two little girls wanted to learn to dance, Granny Gongsun grabbed her sword, tossed it into the air with a whoosh, caught it in its scabbard, and asked with a grin:
"Want to learn? I can teach you."

Zhao Rui's eyes lit up, and she immediately ran over, calling out "Sister this, Sister that!" which made Aunt Gongsun beam with joy.

But Zhao Yan was different. The little girl was so scared that she hid behind Xi Shi, fearing that she would be pierced through by a sword that fell from the sky.

Seeing this, Gongsun Da Niang said to Xi Shi:

"How about Zhao Rui learns the Full House Stance from me, and Zhao Yan learns the Sounding Clog Dance from you?"

Xi Shi nodded:

“Yes… I read in historical records that Yan’er invented group dances. We can dance together for the immortal then.”

Inside the restaurant, Zhao Xu looked at the brochure Wu Aiguo had left there and said:
Are these modular houses sturdy?

Li Bai leaned closer to take a look and said:
"The middle section is 15 centimeters thick reinforced concrete, and the sides are made of thermal insulation and soundproofing foam. It's definitely sturdy, but I don't know if the foam will come loose."

Zhou Yi didn't think it was a big problem. Anyway, he had the fossil talisman. At worst, he could just turn the room into a bunker.

The small courtyard will be demolished and rebuilt, and then we will have to move to the Sanqing Hall. There are a few rooms in the back hall of the Sanqing Hall that can be used for living. As for the kitchen, we will just build a shed for now. Anyway, the construction period is not long and it will be finished soon.

Once the new house is completed, the entire roof will be covered with solar panels, which will both protect the roof and generate electricity, achieving the best of both worlds.

After confirming the location of the new capital and strengthening his body, Zhao Xu didn't linger. He bid farewell to Zhou Yi and went back to arrange the expedition. He would not return until he reached Luoyang.

There are many things involved in the emperor's personal campaign, so he cannot travel back and forth frequently; he must stay in the central army to stabilize morale.

After Zhao Xu left, Guo Rong also took some toiletries with him, intending to reward his subordinates and increase the cohesion among the generals.

Chen Tang said to Zhou Yi:
"I plan to take the remaining 5,000 Imperial Guards from Chang'an and the 5,000 men trained in Beidi County and reorganize them into a 10,000-strong cavalry force. We will head north along the Yellow River and, once we reach Shuofang County, we will begin to implement our plan to split the Southern Xiongnu... Oh, by the way, Marquis of Champion, come and help me record a video saying that Yizhixie has no Xiongnu royal blood and is a bastard of the Wuhuan people."

Huo Qubing was somewhat puzzled:
What's the point of recording this?

Chen Tang chuckled:
"It is common knowledge that videos cannot be faked, and when I present it in the name of divine oracle, the Southern Xiongnu people have no choice but to believe it."

Wu Zetian said:
“At the end of the Western Han Dynasty, the Southern Xiongnu people relied on the Han Dynasty for survival, and there must have been many internal conflicts. If General Zigong showed them the video as a divine oracle, it would be tantamount to giving the Southern Xiongnu nobles a reason to split.”

Since Izhixie has no royal blood, his descendants will have no right to inherit the throne, and other nobles will certainly respond enthusiastically.

As for whether the video is real or fake... does that matter?
It's like a balloon about to burst; Chen Tang only needs to poke it gently with a needle, and it will burst.

Zhou Yi felt that Chen Tang had a talent for mudslinging, but in times of urgency, one must act expediently. In the chaotic era of the late Western Han Dynasty, harsh measures were indeed necessary.

Huo Qubing readily recorded the video, and Chen Tang saved it on his phone. Just as he was about to leave, Wu Meiniang suddenly handed him a bulging backpack:

“Take this to Wang Qiang. It contains items for women, and I have written down how to use them. Tell her to pay homage to the immortal when she is not busy, and maybe she will be able to come to Hunyuan Palace.”

After seeing the others off, Huo Qubing, Li Bai, Gongsun Da Niang, and Xi Shi began to move the magical artifacts from the storeroom to the nearby main hall.

Although it will take some time before the houses are demolished, the area needs to be vacated to avoid being caught off guard and in a panic later.

Wu Aimin delivered a truckload of solar streetlights, but Zhou Yi did not ask him to install them. Instead, he told him to put them in the courtyard of Hunyuan Palace first, and to install them later after the house was repaired, under the pretext of repairing the house.

The streetlights were placed in a scattered manner, with three sets placed at the entrance of the Mahavira Hall, three sets at the entrance of the Hall of Longevity, and two sets at the entrance of the Hall of King Wu Cheng, to facilitate the transport of Wu Meiniang, Huo Qubing, and Xin Qiji.

After Wu Aimin and the others left, Zhou Yi and Wu Meiniang began to tidy up the rooms in the Sanqing Palace. During the period of house repair, all living supplies would be moved here, so they had to make careful plans.

Gongsun Da Niang asked:

"Once the new house is finished, will I have my own large, independent wardrobe?"

Zhou Yi nodded:

"At that time, an entire wall in each room will be built into a wardrobe, which can hold all the clothes no matter how many sets you have."

The new house will use electric underfloor heating, central air conditioning, and a fresh air system that can regulate humidity. There are plenty of solar panels, and if that's not enough, we'll install two wind turbines nearby for combined wind and solar power generation.

In addition, each room is equipped with a bathroom and toilet, just like a standard double room, so everyone can shower in their own room without having to carry their clothes to the bathroom... Tsk, if this continues, it's really going to become a guesthouse.

At 3:30 pm, Li Bai, Huo Qubing, and Gongsun Da Niang left. Xi Shi planned to stay for two or three days to rest.

Wu Meiniang carried a backpack full of supplies, stuffed the leaves of Emperor Gouchen into her bosom, bid farewell to Zhou Yi, and left Hunyuan Palace from the Great Hall of the Great Hero.

Upon arriving at the Zhenguan World, she heard the sound of rushing water. She lifted the curtain of the carriage and looked out, finding herself on the banks of the Wei River, about ten miles from Chang'an City.

The chief eunuch was chatting with the palace guards when he saw Wu Zetian come out and bowed.
"After you left this morning, I drove all the way here... Does the fact that the Peony Fairy was able to emerge from the carriage mean that the Immortal Master's guess was correct?"

Wu Zetian nodded:
“I came out of the carriage and then came out of the carriage, which means that the space is not restricted… Let’s go back to the palace. After I meet with His Majesty, I will set off for Liaodong.”

The chief eunuch agreed and personally drove back to Chang'an, with a troop of ten thousand cavalrymen leading the way to prevent the city gates from closing. Inside the carriage, Wu Meiniang stroked the leaf of war, wondering about its uses.

When she was conceiving the idea, she imagined the world of Emperor Yuan of the Western Han Dynasty, where Chen Tang, carrying a backpack on one shoulder, rode his horse to the East Palace, formally presented a visiting card, and came to visit his disciple Liu Ao.

Soon, Liu Ao hurriedly came out to greet him, and as soon as he stepped across the threshold, he respectfully bowed to the ground:
"This disciple has failed to greet you properly; please punish me, Master."

"Alright, alright, stop with the act. What have you been doing at home? Why haven't you come over for meals these past few days?"

No sooner had she finished speaking than Xu Meiren was heard shouting in the courtyard:

"You cheat at a game of checkers? What kind of prince are you? Come back here right now, or I'll roll you up in bed tonight..."

Chen Tang turned and glanced at his apprentice:
"Weren't you saying you weren't getting along? You're practically rolling up in the blankets now, is this what it means to not be getting along?"

Liu Ao whispered:

"Ever since I visited my master's residence a few times, Consort Xu has changed a lot. Now she clings to me wherever I go, like a little child. She doesn't look like an empress at all."

Chen Tang: "..."

Oh ho, so even you're starting to play Versailles with me now, huh?
Upon entering the East Palace courtyard, Consort Xu, who was threatening Liu Ao, immediately bowed and paid her respects to Chen Tang.

"I've met Master!"

Chen Tang said:

"Do not make a noise in the courtyard. If the censors hear it, they will not only impeach the Crown Prince for being unruly, but also impeach me for failing to properly educate him."

Lady Xu asked:
"Can't we just execute the person who impeached us?"

Chen Tang laughed:

"The gods bestowed this token upon me to eliminate the treacherous officials of the Han Dynasty, not to establish a one-man rule... For example, when it comes to disaster relief, some people say that work-for-relief is better, while others say that building soup kitchens is better. Such debates are necessary and appropriate; but if someone were to suggest sending grain to the Xiongnu, that would be a crime deserving of being struck by lightning."

After speaking, Chen Tang asked:
"Where is Wang Qiang? The immortal master asked me to bring her some things."

Xu Meiren quickly led the way forward:
"We arranged for Sister Wang to stay in a small courtyard next to the Hundred Flowers Garden, where she can do whatever she wants without being disturbed."

On the very first day Wang Qiang was brought to the Eastern Palace, Liu Ao and Consort Xu recognized her as their sworn sister... A person chosen by the gods is bound to be the future support of the Han Dynasty, so they had to cling to her as soon as possible.

At first, Wang Qiang was somewhat apprehensive, but over time, she came to accept this younger brother of the crown prince.

The young couple had just led Chen Tang to the door when they heard the sound of a pipa. Chen Tang stopped and listened for a while, then exclaimed in admiration:

"Her Majesty the Empress specifically requested Wang Qiang, probably because she felt that Xi Shi and the others had no one to accompany their dance, so she chose such a skilled pipa player."

When the pipa music stopped, he went inside and saw a stunningly beautiful woman sitting under a tree.

Unlike Wu Zetian's elegance and Xi Shi's ethereal grace, Wang Qiang possessed both the approachability of a girl next door and a subtle sense of aloofness, no wonder she could attract wild geese to plummet from the sky.

"Sister, Master has come to deliver treasures to you on the orders of the Immortal Master."

Xu Meiren's words surprised Wang Qiang somewhat:

Why did you send me this treasure?

Chen Tang said:

"Because the head steward of Hunyuan Palace hopes that you can visit the immortal's cave one day. There are many things inside, and she has written them down on slips of paper with explanations. You can take a look carefully."

After Wang Qiang thanked him, she looked at Chen Tang and asked:

"How can I get to the immortal's cave? And what can I do there?"

"I don't know either. People from different eras and different worlds gather there. For example, Xi Shi, who is known for her beauty, and Huo Qubing, the Marquis of Champion, are both there... If you have time, you can worship Immortal Master Yiyuan every morning and evening. Perhaps you will soon appear in Hunyuan Palace."

Chen Tang didn't chat much. He gave the things to Wang Qiang and left. He had to go back to pack his bags. He would lead the Imperial Guards away from Chang'an early the next morning to earn merit in Shuofang!
In the Zhenguan era, as the carriage swayed and rattled into Chang'an, Wu Meiniang still hadn't figured out how to use the War Leaf. She planned to bring it to Hunyuan Palace for Zhao Xu to try next time.

The rally he held, Hongye must be related to him, right?
Thinking about all these random thoughts, Wu Zetian sighed softly:
"It will be another five days before we can go back, which is too long. If only we could go to Hunyuan Palace now and tell the Immortal Master about this, he could make a decision sooner..."

Before she could finish speaking, Wu Meiniang felt the scene before her suddenly flash by, and the cramped carriage instantly transformed into a spacious palace.

She turned her head and saw a solemn and dignified statue of the Buddha next to her; her bright face was immediately filled with surprise.
"I'm back at Hunyuan Palace again?"

Wu Zetian strode away from the main hall and saw parked cars and motorcycles, and the Zhao sisters, Rui and Yan, learning to ride bicycles… She looked down at the red leaf in her hand:
"So, the purpose of this leaf is to be unrestricted by rules and to be able to return to the Hunyuan Palace at any time?"

(End of this chapter)