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

Chapter 401 Zhang Daoling's Candlestick! [Requesting Monthly Tickets]

Upon seeing someone challenge the nearly sixty-year-old Ban Chao to a duel, Military Commander Xu Gan immediately rode forward to teach the king of the small country a lesson for Ban Chao.

Xu Gan's confidence was not due to arrogance, but rather because he was wearing the Tang Dynasty's Mingguang Armor and carrying a Tang-style horse spear. His weapons and armor were all of exceptional quality, giving him a five-hundred-year advantage over the opposing King of Weixu.

The Kingdom of Weixu was located east of Kucha and bordered the Kingdom of Yanqi. Starting from the Western Han Dynasty, this small kingdom with a population of less than 10,000 became a lackey of both Kucha and Yanqi.

Having spent a long time with the two powerful kingdoms of the Western Regions, the king of Weixu gradually became arrogant and wanted to form a triumvirate with Kucha and Yanqi. However, the other two kingdoms did not take him seriously at all.

Recently, it was heard that Ban Chao was going to lead an army to attack Kucha. The king of Weixu Kingdom keenly saw this as an opportunity to show off. He personally led his army to stop them, intending to personally defeat the Han army and make Weixu Kingdom one of the three giants of Tianshan.

Unfortunately, the ideal was far from reality. Before Xu Gan could even charge out of the ranks, Ban Chao pulled out his token and struck the king of Weixu Kingdom with a bolt of lightning, turning him into charred remains.

"Where did this barking scoundrel come from, wasting my time?"

After saying this, Ban Chao ordered his armored troops to charge, scattering the ragtag army of Weixu Kingdom, and then continued to advance towards Kucha.

We're only a step away from Yancheng in Kucha. We must quickly eliminate this little tyrant of the Western Regions and demonstrate the inviolability of the Han Dynasty's majesty through concrete actions.

As for Weixu and Yanqi, they will also be destroyed after the army arrives. The fertile land occupied by the three countries will then be used by the Han government troops for land reclamation and to control the grain production in the Western Regions.

After a fierce battle, Xu Gan returned to Ban Chao's side, carrying his spear.
"Is Your Excellency not going to the Immortal's Abode?"

Ban Chao said:

"Let's go after we destroy Kucha. If we can find Kucha's national treasures, we can offer them to the immortal as a way of repaying his kindness."

Upon hearing this, a general from Shule said:
"It is said that there is a sacred cauldron in Kucha for worshipping the heavens. Every king who ascended the throne would use the cauldron to worship the heavens, praying that Kucha could last for thousands of years without collapsing. I don't know if the legend is true or false."

Upon hearing this, Ban Chao immediately had an idea:
"Whether it's true or not, we'll know once we've captured the capital of Kucha!"

Huo Qubing contributed the golden statue used by the Xiongnu for their sacrificial rites, so he also had to contribute something in the Western Regions; otherwise, he would have no face to take anything from the Hunyuan Palace.

Thinking about all these random thoughts, Ban Chao faced the direction of Luoyang, stroked his beard, and said:

"I wonder where the memorial has gone. I hope it can be sent to Luoyang as soon as possible so that His Majesty can learn about the immortals."

As he was reciting these things, in the North Palace of Luoyang, Empress Dou summoned her lover Guo Ju to the palace in broad daylight. In the Changqiu Hall, she disrobed and made love to him as if no one else was around. The surrounding palace maids and eunuchs were afraid of Empress Dou's authority and dared not say a word.

After their passion subsided, just as the two were about to enjoy some more tenderness, the sound of His Majesty's arrival suddenly rang out from outside. Guo Ju hurriedly put on his clothes, but was still caught red-handed by Emperor Zhang of Han, Liu Da.

Liu Da had just finished dealing with state affairs and was happy about the record-breaking population this year, but he never expected that the Empress would secretly meet with her lover in broad daylight. He was so angry that his blood boiled and he pointed at Empress Dou, unable to say a word.

His pointing startled Guo Ju, who then became emboldened and drew his sword, threatening Liu Da:

"If you dare to make a sound, I will send you to see the late emperor!"

Upon seeing the weapons, Liu Da regained his senses and hurriedly retreated, calling out loudly for his guards. However, both the Southern and Northern armies were firmly under the control of the Dou brothers, and even the imperial guards obeyed the Dou family.

Throughout the entire palace, Liu Da couldn't even command a single guard. He plopped down on the stone steps in the garden, weeping uncontrollably.

After the emperor left, Empress Dou told Guo Ju to quickly tidy his clothes and leave the palace, leaving the rest to her.

As Guo Ju fastened his belt, he kissed Empress Dou and whispered:

"Will His Majesty kill me?"

"With me here, no one can harm you in the slightest. As long as you serve me well, you can live a worry-free life."

Guo Ju was still somewhat uneasy:
"How about we change the emperor? What's the crown prince's character like? Is he easy to control?"

Empress Dou smiled gently:
“What can’t an eight-year-old child control? Go ahead, and after a while, I will have someone appoint you as the Imperial Physician, so you can freely enter and leave the palace.”

Guo Ju pinched Empress Dou's buttocks hard before leaving in another direction with the palace eunuchs. Empress Dou left Qianqiu Palace and arrived at the East Palace where the Crown Prince lived, where she saw a thin-looking young man reading.

"What did Zhao'er learn from the teacher today? Tell your mother."

The young man had clear eyes; he was none other than Crown Prince Liu Zhao. He looked up at Empress Dou and spoke about today's lessons as usual, but his hands under the table were already clenched into fists.

After Empress Dou left, Zheng Zhong, a eunuch from the Eastern Palace, walked up to Liu Zhao with small, quick steps, leaned down, and whispered:

"Your Highness, just now Guo Ju entered the palace to seduce the Empress. His Majesty caught them in the act and drew his sword to threaten him. His Majesty is currently weeping in the garden..."

Upon hearing this, Liu Zhao's eyebrows shot up:

"The Dou family has gone too far in bullying our royal family. Once I ascend the throne, I will surely exterminate the entire Dou family!"

Upon hearing this, Zheng Zhong immediately offered his advice:

"The Empress is the Crown Prince's legal mother. Your actions violate filial piety and are absolutely unacceptable!" Liu Zhao possessed a maturity beyond his years.

"My mother was cruelly murdered by the Dou family three years ago. If I don't kill the Dou family to avenge my mother, I will truly be violating the principles of filial piety!"

Liu Zhao's biological mother was Consort Liang. Three years ago, before Liu Zhao was made crown prince, Empress Dou, who had not yet given birth to a son, worried that after Liu Zhao ascended the throne, the Liang family would replace the Dou family as the most powerful maternal relatives. So she secretly killed Consort Liang and claimed that she was Liu Zhao's biological mother.

She once tested Liu Zhao, asking the little boy if he remembered Consort Liang. Each time, Liu Zhao pretended to be clueless, thus deceiving Empress Dou.

Historically, Liu Zhao, without any external support, uprooted the powerful Dou clan, who controlled the court, at the young age of twelve. Dou Xian, Dou Du, Dou Jing, and other powerful officials were all executed. A child with such a temperament could easily put on a little disguise.

Now, Liu Zhao heard his father weeping in the garden and wanted to go and comfort him, but Zheng Zhong stopped him:

"The palace is full of Dou's spies. Your Highness, you must not go there, otherwise your position as crown prince will be in jeopardy. You can only ascend the throne and realize your ambitions by continuing your studies and pretending to know nothing."

Liu Zhao felt annoyed but helpless. He knew that if he showed even the slightest sign of intelligence, Dou would depose him and install another crown prince.

For the sake of the greater good, we must endure for now... The little guy began reciting Mencius's "Born in Sorrow, Die in Comfort" to temper his mind.

At the same time, Zhang Daoling, the founder of Taoism, who was cultivating on Cuiyun Peak outside Luoyang, was divining the heavens and earth when he inadvertently discovered that the world had changed:

"Strange! Last time, when we divined the heavens and earth, the hexagrams showed that the Way would flourish in Shu. Why is it that today's divination shows that the Way will flourish in Luoyang? Could it be that something big is about to happen in Luoyang?"

He instructed the young Taoist to keep a close eye on the developments in Luoyang and to report any strange or unusual events he heard immediately.

After giving his instructions, Zhang Daoling picked up a copy of "Laozi" and continued to study its ideas. The more he studied it, the more he felt that Laozi's thoughts were unfathomable.

The laws governing the workings of all things in the universe and the myriad aspects of life can be found in the book "Tao Te Ching," which is truly the most extraordinary book in the world!
Inside Hunyuan Palace, Zhou Yi led the Zhao sisters, Zhao Yan and Zhao Rui, to town to buy a lot of ingredients and made a hot pot for everyone, half spicy and half plain, so everyone could choose freely.

During the meal, Huo Qubing arrived, and Zhou Yi asked:

"Have we arrived in Pingyang County?"

Huo Qubing cupped his hands in reply:
"We arrived and met my biological father. He was still a minor official in the county government and his family was poor. I paid for a house for him and arranged for him to serve as the postmaster of Pingyang County Post Station. It was a well-paid but safe position. The postmaster's salary was enough for him and his aunt to live on, so they didn't have to worry about making a living."

After arriving in Pingyang County, Huo Qubing and his son Huo Zhongru recognized each other. Huo Guang's mother was a little angry. Her husband was having an affair, and the child they had even had came to her door. Wouldn't this make her a laughingstock among the neighbors?

She originally thought Huo Qubing was a destitute man who had come seeking refuge, and she even planned to treat him to two meals before subtly persuading him to join the army... This would save on food rations and exempt him from taxes, a win-win situation.

Unexpectedly, Huo Qubing turned out to be the nephew of General Wei Qing. He immediately offered Huo Qubing a large mansion and changed Huo Zhongru's official position. Huo Guang's mother's attitude changed drastically. She believed that both children were her own, and since they were of the Huo family bloodline, they were her own children.

Now that Wei Shao'er is living a good life in Chang'an, Huo Qubing couldn't bring himself to call her "mother," so he called her "aunt."

Huo Guang's mother wasn't angry at all; on the contrary, she felt proud... This was a marquis who had made great contributions in the northern frontier. Calling him "Auntie" was something she could boast about to the neighbors for two years.

Wu Zetian brought Huo Qubing a bowl, chopsticks, and a condiment dish, and then asked about Huo Guang:

"How is your brother? Is he willing to go back to Chang'an with you?"

When Huo Guang was mentioned, Huo Qubing's face was full of affection:

“He didn’t want to leave at first, but after eating a pack of Weilong spicy strips, he immediately said he wanted to go to Chang’an with me… I never expected that a pack of spicy strips could win him over.”

Upon hearing this, Zhao Rui immediately offered her opinion to Zhou Yi:

"Next time I go to town, could you buy me a pack to try? I also want to be a little powerful minister."

Zhou Yi pinched her cheek and said:
"Yes, but you can't eat too much. If you eat too much, your face will be covered in pimples, and your hair will fall out in clumps."

Zhao Rui now relies on her hair to cover her round face. Upon hearing that she was going to lose hair, she immediately gave up the idea of ​​eating spicy strips and focused on cooking lamb slices.

Huo Qubing found eating hot pot very interesting and consulted the I Ching for guidance:

"When my uncle passes through Pingyang County on his way back from his campaign, I'd like to treat him to a hot pot meal at home. Is that alright, Master?"

With a wave of his hand, Zhou Yi said:
“No problem. When you leave this time, take a hot pot with two broths and some solar panels or something, so your father can experience how technology changes lives.”

After the meal, Zhou Yi prepared a pile of supplies for Huo Qubing. Just as he saw Huo Qubing off, the blind man suddenly called:

"Do you know Zhang Tianshi's candlestick? I've found a trace of it!"

The Book of Changes: ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ?

Isn't this just a lie Grandpa made up when he was setting up the nest? Could it be that such a magical artifact really exists in the world?

(End of this chapter)