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

Chapter 414 Zhao Kuangyin, where is your advisor Zhao Pu? [Seeking monthly votes]

After capturing Laiyuan City last time, the army took Jincheng, the capital of Yingzhou, with little effort.

By the time they arrived, several of the army's generals were already familiar with operating the mortars. In order to quell the chaos in the north as soon as possible, Guo Rong chose to divide his troops.

Wang Yansheng was destined to be associated with the Western Xia. He led a force westward from Jincheng, sweeping through Shuozhou, then crossing the Yellow River, passing through Linzhou to reach Xiazhou and Yinzhou, where he began to deal with the Dangxiang people. During this period, the reinforcements were directly drawn from Linzhou, which was a good opportunity to weaken Yang Chongxun's strength and prevent him from continuing to play both sides.

Pan Mei led the main force south from Jincheng to attack Yanmen. If he could break through Yanmen Pass, the military merit of capturing Taiyuan would be within his grasp.

Guo Rong led a detachment northward to attack Datong, the western capital of the Liao Dynasty. Once captured, it would be tantamount to exhausting the fate of the Western Liao.

Of the three directions, Yanmen Pass was the toughest nut to crack, so Guo Rong entrusted the main force to Pan Mei, and also gave him half of the cannonballs and a megaphone for broadcasting, wanting to train this one of the few commanders in the Song Dynasty who could lead an army on his own.

North of Jincheng lies Huairen City. When Guo Rong led his detachment to arrive, Zhao Kuangyin also traveled by boat along the Sanggan River to Huairen City.

His drone crashed. He had come to pick up a new one, but instead, Guo Rong attacked the city with mortars. Without saying a word, Guo Rong fired two test shots, which made Wang Pu so angry that he gritted his teeth. If he hadn't been outmatched, he would have liked to shove the heads of these military leaders into a chamber pot to vent his anger.

From Laiyuan City onwards, Old Wang's right to fire a cannon has been ruthlessly deprived by the military leaders.

So much so that even now, he hasn't fired a single shot, and can only satisfy his craving by caressing the cannon barrel.

Under the cover of night, Zhao Kuangyin fired a mortar, sending the Khitan general guarding Huai Ren City flying. He excitedly asked who made the mortar... This thing is too powerful. It's only a little bigger than a fist, but it can have such a violent effect when it explodes. The person who made the mortar is a genius!

Hearing his generous praise, Guo Rong grinned:
“It was made by someone with the same surname as you. He is proficient in all the arts, including music, chess, calligraphy, and painting. He is a rare artistic genius in history… I will introduce you to him when the opportunity arises.”

Zhao Kuangyin became even more excited upon hearing this:

"If I could meet such a master, I would definitely want to become sworn brothers with him... Your Majesty, now that night has fallen, shall we still launch an attack?"

Guo Rong nodded, waved his command flag, and the suicide squad immediately carried ladders and rushed forward, vying to be the first to scale the walls.

For so long, the Later Zhou army has not trained in night siege tactics. Now that such a good opportunity has come, we must take advantage of it to train the Later Zhou army to siege at night and prepare for the future attack on Nanjing.

Soon, the suicide squad climbed to the top of the city wall. This time, the Khitans on the wall did not retreat, but instead defended themselves tightly, stubbornly resisting at the parapet and preventing the Great Zhou soldiers from entering.

At the critical moment, the suicide squad used the laser spotlights they carried, burning the eyes of an entire row of Khitans. Then, they took the opportunity to launch a surprise attack, clearing a large area of ​​open space on the city wall.

Below the city walls, Zhao Kuangyin watched this scene and immediately felt envious:

"Your Majesty, could you provide our Northern Route Army with a few of these spotlights?"

Guo Rong said:

"I will return to Hunyuan Palace tomorrow and bring you some. The next step here is to attack Datong. Don't be impatient. Take it easy and fight steadily. These Khitans will be escorted to various parts of Dazhou to do hard labor. We must beat them until they are scared and hurt, so that they will not have any illusions."

Zhao Kuangyin nodded in agreement:

"Your Majesty, rest assured, we know what to do."

Guo Rong deployed a drone to survey the battle situation. Finding the outcome predictable, he retrieved the drone and looked at Zhao Kuangyin, asking:
"I've heard you have an advisor named Zhao Pu, who possesses extraordinary talent?"

Zhao Kuangyin quickly waved his hand:
"That's not true. He's just a clerk skilled at handling paperwork. How could Your Majesty know his name?"

Guo Rong chuckled:
"Last time they were drinking, I overheard them talking about it. They said that the Prime Minister is currently short of a secretary. I wonder if you would be willing to part with him?"

Zhao Kuangyin agreed without hesitation:
"I will have him set off for Datong to meet His Majesty when I return tomorrow."

Although he didn't know why Guo Rong suddenly asked for Zhao Pu, Zhao Kuangyin still made arrangements decisively. He even planned to go back and give Zhao Pu a few instructions to prevent him from saying anything inappropriate and offending Wang Pu.

Old Wang, standing to the side, was completely clueless, having no idea when he, the Prime Minister of the Great Zhou, had become short of a secretary and had to snatch one from the military leader.

However, considering Zhao Kuangyin's "hatred for taking the cannon" earlier, Old Wang felt that this was not a bad thing.

You took away my right to fire, I took away your documents, we're even.

Meanwhile, in the world of Emperor Wu of the Western Han Dynasty, Liu Che looked at two huge stacks of grain and was so excited he couldn't speak. He circled the stacks twice, growing happier with each look.
"Qubing, now that the army's food supplies are sufficient, I have decided to launch the Hexi Campaign. Are you willing to serve as commander-in-chief?"

Huo Qubing cupped his hands in reply:
"I am willing!"

Historically, he launched two wars in the spring and summer of 121 BC, conquering the entire Hexi Corridor and opening the gateway to the Western Regions. Now, this has happened two years ahead of schedule, and Huo Qubing is overjoyed, intending to create an even more glorious victory than in history... In the past, he let the Xiongnu Crown Prince Zuo Xianwang escape, and this time he must keep him there, escort him to Chang'an, and make the Xiongnu Crown Prince dance for the people of Chang'an to entertain them.

Liu Che said:

"Your uncle has returned from his campaign and needs to rest. You will lead 10,000 cavalrymen to set off first. Twenty days later, your uncle will lead the central army across the Yellow River. At that time, I will relocate a group of people to cultivate the wasteland and establish counties."

Huo Qubing nodded. Once Zhao Ponu and the others arrived, he led the Northern Army to set off, crossed the Yellow River, and began to sweep through the Xiongnu settlements one by one.

With telescopes, drones, walkie-talkies... and so many groundbreaking pieces of equipment, we will clear out every single Hun settlement, leaving no trace of harm or regret.

Liu Che ordered the two grain stacks to be heavily guarded, and then took Huo Qubing back to the palace in a carriage. On the way, they discussed Huo Qubing's official appointment:
"I will appoint you as General of the Cavalry, and Zhao Ponu will be your military advisor... What do you think of Sima Qian? If he is suitable, let him serve as the general's assistant. After you achieve military merit this time, promote him to the position of chief clerk of the general's office. They will all be your team. I will not interfere or meddle, but if you do not achieve results, I will not forgive you."

Huo Qubing thought this arrangement was very appropriate:
"Just the three of us. For this expedition, I need a large number of horses. Three horses per person is the minimum requirement. If possible, please have all the horses horseshoeed."

Liu Che waved his hand:

"The expedition will take at least a few more days. If you need anything, just report it to the Minister of the Imperial Household."

The next day, Huo Qubing began preparing for the attack, while at this time, Wei Qing, along with Huo Guang, was leading a large army towards Chang'an.

Speed ​​is of the essence in war; we must arrange the expedition as soon as possible and take the Hexi Corridor two years ahead of schedule.

On the carriage, Zhang Qian sighed deeply:

"This advance is a big deal; my plan to go to India is going to fall through."

Wei Qing, who was drafting a battle plan while looking at the map, said without looking up:

"Ziwen Gong, after you arrive in Chang'an, you will rest briefly before heading to the Western Regions to contact the various small countries and work together to resist the Xiongnu. If they do not comply, I will arrange for Qu Bing to destroy one or two small countries to give them a taste of their strength."

As the Grand Marshal and General, Wei Qing may seem unhurried in his speech, but he is far more ruthless than the average general. To him, destroying a country is no different than swatting a pesky fly.

Inspired by this heroic spirit, Zhang Qian said loudly:
"No need to rest. I will set off the day after I return to Chang'an. This way, when the news of Qubing sweeping across the Hexi Corridor spreads, those small countries will be terrified and submit to the Han Dynasty."

"Okay, Qubing will arrange everything you need for the journey. Bring your walkie-talkie and drone, just in case."

At the same time, inside the Hunyuan Palace, Guo Rong sat at the dining table, shoveling mouthfuls of preserved egg and lean pork porridge while recounting the process of capturing Huai Ren City:
"We captured thousands of Khitan soldiers and civilians. I promised them that if they worked hard for the Great Zhou for three years, their children would become citizens of the Great Zhou, enjoy free education, and be able to participate in the imperial examinations in the future. They all expressed their determination to work hard, and some were even moved to tears..."

Zhao Rui listened in a daze:
"Didn't they enjoy the same treatment in the Liao Kingdom?"

Wu Zetian said:
"Resources are scarce, and even the royal family can't manage them all, so how can they take care of the common people? During Yelü Jing's reign, Khitans in various places constantly revolted, just to make a living."

Guo Rong echoed:
"That's true. The surrounding tribes are eager to come to the Central Plains because it's easier to find a way to survive there, rather than suffering in the harsh lands for the rest of their lives without any escape."

After the meal, Zhou Yi prepared a series of equipment, such as laser spotlights, drones, megaphones, and several portable solar chargers, and asked Guo Rong to take them to Zhao Kuangyin.

The Later Zhou dynasty is now staking the fate of three emperors: Guo Rong, Zhao Kuangyin, and Zhao Kuangyi. If they don't expand their territory, then the death of the God of Chariots of Gaoliang River will have been in vain.

Guo Rong had just left when Li Qingzhao arrived with a large amount of grain and fodder, all donated to Confucius by wealthy households in Bianliang.

After she brought back Confucius's calligraphy last time, it quickly spread throughout Bianliang City. Countless people wanted to do something for Confucius. Although some Confucian scholars raised questions, they dared not confront him face to face... They were afraid that if Li Qingzhao was unhappy, she would summon divine lightning to strike people.

The Book of Changes asks:

"Did you test picric acid over there?"

Li Qingzhao shook her head, took the congee with preserved egg and lean pork that Zhao Yan brought, and said:

"I didn't succeed. It seems the indigo purity isn't high enough. I plan to leave in a bit and try again. If I manage to make picric acid, can I name future shells?"

Zhou Yi said nonchalantly:
"Sure, anything goes as long as you can make bitter sourness... By the way, Confucius and Zhu Yuanzhang are here. Once the house renovation is finished, let's find some time to get together."

With the team expanding again and the start of winter approaching, it's time for a time-traveling team-building event to treat everyone!

(End of this chapter)