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

Chapter 348 Li Shimin's Horse Spear! [Seeking Monthly Tickets]

Upon seeing Wu Zetian's return, Zhao Yan and Zhao Rui, who were learning to drive, were very surprised, as was Xi Shi.
"Sister Meiniang, how did you manage to break the five-day time limit?"

Everyone else only makes a round trip once every five days, but this time Wu Zetian returned to Hunyuan Palace in less than five hours, so something must have changed.

Wu Zetian raised the leaf in her hand and said:
"It was this thing that helped me return. Where is the Immortal Master?"

"There are steamed vegetable buns in the kitchen. He said Zhao Rui is getting chubby, so we need some wild vegetables to balance it out."

Xi Shi instructed the two sisters to push the small bicycle back to the courtyard, and then followed Wu Meiniang to the kitchen.

Zhou Yi, who was making steamed buns, looked up and asked in surprise:
"What's going on? Meiniang, you're no longer bound by the rules?"

Wu Zetian said:
"It was the leaf of Emperor Gouchen that freed me from the rules. I was holding the leaf in the carriage and thought of Hunyuan Palace. In the blink of an eye, I was back."

Zhou Yi washed his hands, took the leaf, and examined it closely:

"I thought this was a powerful artifact that would buff the entire army, but it turns out to be a key to a back door... But what does this have to do with the Great Emperor Gouchen, who is in charge of killing and conquest?"

Wu Zetian said:
"War is a form of breaking and abandoning rules."

Zhou Yi thought this statement was indeed correct.

Xi Shi then recalled the contents of Sun Tzu's Art of War:
"There are roads one should not take, armies one should not attack, cities one should not besiege, territories one should not contend for, and commands from the sovereign one should not be obeyed... Could this leaf be a manifestation of the military principle of 'disobeying commands from the sovereign'?"

Wu Zetian's eyes lit up:
"If the various rules of Hunyuan Palace are regarded as the emperor's orders, then this leaf is ignoring the emperor's orders and ignoring the rules."

These two clever people analyzed the situation back and forth, leaving Zhou as a mere bystander.

He handed the red leaf in his hand to Wu Meiniang:

“Isn’t Meiniang going to Liaodong? You can take this leaf; it will allow you to return anytime… When Xishi arrives in Linzi, have her carry it with her in case she encounters danger and can’t return; when Xin Qiji steals the Jin Kingdom’s granary, have him take it with him too, and steal Zhuge Liang’s share as well…”

Since we're ignoring the rules, we should make the most of them. We should hand them over to whoever is in danger, so we can escape danger at any time and return to Hunyuan Palace to hide.

As for whether the other side will lay a trap, there's no need to worry. Just take the talisman and the Confucian pen and go back to fight. No matter how tight the trap is, the Confucian pen can easily break it.

Wu Meiniang was worried that the chief eunuch would be anxious, so she planned to go back again to explain the situation and then have dinner... Since she could come back anytime, dinner should naturally be eaten at Hunyuan Palace.

After she left, Xi Shi sighed:
"I never expected that each leaf would be different. Will there be new leaves in the future?"

The Book of Changes says:

"The Four Emperors have all given leaves, but Taiyi Jiuku Tianzun hasn't. The Buddhas enshrined in the Great Buddha Hall, such as Medicine Buddha, Maitreya Buddha, Guanyin, etc., haven't sent down any leaves either... If all the deities enshrined in Hunyuan Palace sent down leaves, we should be able to collect dozens of them."

Wu Meiniang was coming back for dinner, and Zhou Yi was worried that there wouldn't be enough steamed buns, so he chopped a piece of pork belly into minced meat, seasoned it, rolled it up in blanched cabbage leaves, arranged it neatly on a plate, and steamed it thoroughly.

Xi Shi was astonished:

"what is this?"

"Cabbage rolls used to be served at weddings and funerals, but nowadays very few people make them. People just make them however is convenient, and some even use ready-made meal kits."

There was a bit too much minced meat left. Zhou Yi took a block of tofu from the refrigerator, cut it into square pieces slightly larger than a mahjong tile, scooped it out with a spoon, mashed the scooped-out tofu and mixed it into the minced meat, then stuffed it back into the tofu, dipped it in dry starch, and pan-fried it until golden brown. Then he simmered it in broth until thoroughly cooked.

Xi Shi discovered that modern cooking methods are incredibly diverse; she had already tried no fewer than ten different ways of preparing tofu at Hunyuan Palace.

When Wu Meiniang returned, dinner began at Hunyuan Palace.

Zhao Rui, who had expected to eat only coarse food, immediately perked up when she saw the table full of dishes:

"I only eat a tiny bit of everything, that's enough, I absolutely won't eat more!"

While she was talking, she had already eaten the whole vegetable bun with chili oil and vinegar... With this appetite, she'll turn into a chubby little bird sooner or later.

Wu Zetian took a bite of the cabbage roll and gave Zhou Yi a thumbs up:

"Master's cooking skills are truly superb. The savory aroma of the minced meat and the sweetness of the cabbage leaves are perfectly combined. It's delicious... Mingda is still waiting for my news in the palace. May I bring her some?"

Zhou Yi thought for a moment and said:
"Okay, I'll teach Xi Shi how to make it later, and then I'll send the finished product over to Xiao Sizi so she can have a taste."

Meanwhile, in the world of Emperor Zhezong of the Northern Song Dynasty, within the city of Bianliang.

After dinner, Li Gefei took a box of Yunnan ham mooncakes and rode in a carriage to Cai Jing's house.

Cai Jing's family was having dinner when they heard that Li Gefei had arrived. The whole family went to the door to greet him... In the past, they looked down on Li Gefei, but now they were very respectful, afraid that Li Gefei would not acknowledge them as relatives.

Upon arriving at the front hall, after both sides took their seats as host and guest, Li Gefei handed the mooncake to Cai Jing:
"This is what Zhao'er got from the immortal. It's called Yunnan ham mooncake. It's made with ham from southern Yunnan as filling, along with cooked flour, sugar, and other ingredients, and then baked. I've already instructed the cook at home to make it according to the recipe. Today, I'm sending you a box to try first... The Mid-Autumn Festival is coming soon, and we should visit our relatives."

Cai Jing took the box with both hands, and upon discovering that it was made of iron, asked in surprise:
"They even use iron to make the box; it must be quite valuable, right?" Li Gefei said.
"Iron is extremely cheap in Xianchang, but there are no good iron mines in China. However, all the way south from the South Seas, there is a vast landmass with incredibly high-quality iron ore. The whole world is buying iron ore from Xianchang."

Upon hearing this, Cai Jing immediately recognized the drawbacks of this trade:
"If one party sells and multiple parties buy, it's easy to get into trouble."

Li Gefei nodded:
"That's true. So I hope that we won't let future generations suffer. Let's go there in advance to erect a monument and claim that land for ourselves."

Cai Jing strongly agreed:
"That's how it should be, but who should be sent?"

Li Gefei looked at Cai You, who was sitting to the side studying a globe, and asked:

"Would you like to see the vastness of the ocean?"

After learning his lesson in Kaifeng Prefecture, Cai You resigned from his official post and returned home, becoming a fisherman who went out early and returned late.

Now, hearing Li Gefei talk about things at sea, he looked up and asked:

Is it possible to fish at sea?

Li Gefei said:
"Of course you can. There are even people who have caught fish bigger than boats. If you're willing to go, I can have Zhao'er bring you a complete set of nautical supplies from the Immortal Master, and I'll also give you a set of fishing gear specifically for catching sea fish."

Upon hearing this, Cai You no longer hesitated:

“Alright, then I will go... If I erect a stone tablet on that land you mentioned, will I be remembered in history?”

Li Gefei felt that this guy's vision wasn't broad enough:

"What does it matter if you are remembered in history? Even the Hunyuan Palace where the immortal resides will bear your name... The people of our world in the future will revere you as if you were a god whenever they need to use steel!"

Establishing sovereignty over Australia during the Song Dynasty was a momentous event that would benefit future generations.

Li Gefei talked for over an hour before taking his leave. After he left, Cai Jing instructed the butler:
"Recently, I have been gradually selling off all of my family's estates and properties, converting the proceeds into cash. If anyone sets up a food processing plant, I will invest in it."

Cai Jing astutely sensed the impending relocation of the capital from the conversation and planned to dispose of his assets ahead of schedule.

As for the food factory, it was Li Qingzhao's idea. In order to enrich the people's living standards, she planned to introduce some simple and easy-to-make snacks and sell them at low prices, thereby stimulating domestic demand and promoting commercial development.

At the same time, in the Zhenguan world, inside the Yiyuan Hall of the Taiji Palace.

Li Mingda held a bowl of rice and ate heartily the cabbage rolls that Wu Meiniang had brought:
"So delicious, I've never heard of anything like it... Are these outer leaves cabbage leaves?"

Wu Zetian said:
"Yes, in the immortal's place they call it cabbage. It's a hybrid of cabbage and other vegetables. You planted cabbage in your garden before, and it should be turning into a head after a while."

Li Mingda ate a bowl of rice and half a cabbage roll, then gave the rest to Li Shimin, who was waiting for news.
"This is a gift from the immortal master; how will you express your gratitude?"

Li Shimin shoveled all the rice that Wu Meiniang had brought into a large bowl, then poured in the cabbage rolls along with the broth, and said as he shoveled them into his mouth:
"You can choose any treasures from the palace storerooms."

Li Mingda tentatively asked:

"Is the 'Preface to the Orchid Pavilion' that you went to so much trouble to obtain in the storeroom?"

Old Li was somewhat dissatisfied with his daughter's tendency to side with outsiders:
"Apart from the 'Preface to the Orchid Pavilion' and the Imperial Seal of the State, you can take whatever else you want, how about it?"

"Haha, then you can't go back on your word!"

Li Mingda plans to spend the next day searching carefully to see what would be suitable to offer as a sacrifice to the immortal.

Old Li shoveled rice into his mouth and began to talk about the upcoming arrangements:

"Tomorrow I will select a cavalry unit to escort Meiniang all the way to Liaodong. As for food and lodging, the inns along the way will be prepared in advance, so Meiniang need not worry."

Wu Zetian thought the arrangement was good and nodded in agreement:

"it is good!"

The next day, Li Mingda looked around the treasury. He thought the gold ornaments were too tacky, and the jade ornaments that were more than three feet long were too flashy and did not match the sage's cultivation.

Ultimately, she chose the horse lance that Li Shimin had used on the battlefield. This horse lance was quite old, but it was very well maintained. The lance head was oiled, and the shaft was also specially made.

"This item accompanied my father on his campaigns, and I hope that you, Immortal Master, can also establish a great enterprise!"

When Wu Zetian arrived at Hunyuan Palace carrying her spear, Zhou was completely controlled by Li Mingda's will for several minutes:
"Why are you trying to incite me to rebel?"

He originally wanted to grab the spear and play with it, but then felt it would be a waste to turn Old Li's treasure into rotten wood, so he decided to give it to his third apprentice, Zhao Xu... Now that his body has been strengthened into that of an unparalleled general, he might as well add some of the buffs from Old Li's early days of starting his business!
If we still can't take down the Western Xia, then it's truly a blessing from heaven for the Tanguts... What do you gods and immortals of Hunyuan Palace think?

(End of this chapter)