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

Chapter 66 Li Bai received Gongsun Da Niang's letter! [Requesting monthly votes]

After dinner, Zhou Yi took a shower, sat at his desk in his room, and began reading a Taoist classic.

Wu Meiniang hung up the washed clothes to dry, took a flashlight and walked around the Hunyuan Palace, then locked the door and prepared to go back to her room to study modern knowledge.

As she passed by the Haotian Temple, she saw a red leaf neatly placed on the altar of the statue of Wang Lingguan. Feeling something was amiss, she went over, first bowed to the statue, then picked up the leaf and knocked on Zhou Yi's door.

The leaves look like those of the summer red shrub that parks and scenic spots like to plant, but there is no such tree in Yunwu Mountain, so it shouldn't be in Hunyuan Palace.

Zhou Yi held it and examined it for a long time, his expression somewhat puzzled:
"If it was blown in by the wind, then this wind is really strange."

Wu Zetian said:
"At noon, as you instructed, I burned the empty letter in front of the statue of Wang Lingguan. At that time, a gust of wind blew by, and now this leaf has suddenly appeared. Could it be that Wang Lingguan is telling us that the matter has been completed?"

This inference is not impossible. After all, there is the ancient story of red leaves conveying messages, and it is reasonable for Wang Lingguan to respond in this way.

Zhou Yi looked at the leaf's complete and clear veins and said:
"We can't rule out that possibility, but we can't verify whether Wang Lingguan actually made a move, nor do we know who paid to buy lifespan. We can only wait and see."

After saying that, he tucked the leaf into a modern Chinese dictionary. Regardless of whether it was a carrier of messages from deities, the red leaf was quite beautiful and suitable for collection.

Wu Zetian cautiously inquired:
"Immortal Master, may I go before the statue and pray for something?"

Zhou Yi placed the "Modern Chinese Dictionary" on the bookshelf, turned his head and asked:
"Do you want the gods to kill Wu Yuanqing and Wu Yuanshuang to avenge you when you were a child?"

Wu Zetian paused for a moment, then shook her head:

“I have no connection with them anymore. Whether they live or die is none of my business.”

After reading her own biography, Zhou Yi felt that the Empress had come to terms with many things... Zhou Yi, who didn't pry into other people's privacy, said with a smile:

"Do whatever you want, don't ask me. Ask the gods for help, and remember to offer sacrifices... Let me make it clear, I can't guarantee the gods will help."

What is certain now is that Zhao Gongming and Guan Yu can be invited to the main hall, and Gongsun Da Niang can receive blessings while praying for peace with snacks.

However, Wu Zetian specifically pointed out that it certainly wouldn't be a simple matter, and Zhou Yi didn't dare to guarantee success either, so he gave her a heads-up in advance to avoid greater disappointment if his hopes were too high.

His attitude greatly surprised Wu Zetian:

"Immortal Master, are you not afraid that I, your humble servant, will curse Li Shimin to death before the gods, and that the Tang Dynasty will descend into chaos?"

Zhou Yi sat in the computer chair, looking extremely relaxed:
"If the Tang Dynasty could be brought down by a curse, it means they are not worth my help, or there is a true savior in that time and space."

Wu Zetian bowed:
"I will not do anything to disrupt the court, please rest assured, Immortal Master."

After saying that, she went back to her room, picked up an elementary school textbook, and began to study diligently.

For the next two days, Wu Meiniang was busy studying. Even when Gongsun Da Niang and Li Bai arrived at Hunyuan Palace one after the other, she did not go to the statue to ask for help, as if she had forgotten or was not prepared.

"Haha, little crispy cone, here I come!"

When Gongsun Da Niang came to Hunyuan Palace, all she did was eat and eat, wishing she could stuff all the small crispy cones in the refrigerator into her stomach.

Wu Zetian adored this lively and well-behaved younger sister:

"Have you seen Li Longji?"

Gongsun Da Niang nodded heavily:
"I saw him, I saw him. I gave him everything the Taoist priest gave me. He's even more of a country bumpkin than me, he's never seen anything like this before. Gao Lishi is also like a complete idiot, he kept trying to trick me into talking about this place, but the more I talked, the more scared he became. I hope he didn't have a nightmare that night."

Zhouyi: "..."

You've described the perfectly good Hunyuan Palace as the King of Hell's Palace, haven't you?

Wu Zetian then asked:

"How did he take care of you?"

Aunt Gongsun took a bite of the small crispy cone, her face beaming with the happiness of enjoying a delicious meal:
"His Majesty wanted to build the Yiyuan Temple for the Taoist priest. He originally chose Yongxing and Chongren wards, which are just a stone's throw from the imperial city. However, I felt that it was unsafe to be too close to the imperial city. So, on the grounds that the Taoist priest did not like to share a ward with other temples, he chose Daozheng ward, which has no temples or Taoist monasteries."

Wu Zetian had a clear understanding of the layout of Chang'an's wards and markets:

"Daozhengfang is adjacent to the East Market to the west, Xingqingfang to the north, Chunmingmen to the east, and the relatively quiet Changlefang to the south. It has a good location and is very convenient for both going out of the city and shopping."

Xingqingfang was later the Xingqing Palace, which Li Longji used specifically for his pleasures with Yang Yuhuan. However, with Zhou Yi's intervention, it's highly likely that the Xingqing Palace will never be built. Zhou Yi looked at Gongsun Da Niang and asked:

"Living so close to the city gate, is it so you can disguise yourself and leave the city immediately if you encounter danger?"

The leftover food thief naturally denied it:
"No way, I'm very bold!"

"Yes, yes, you've used all your courage on performing 'General Pei's Grand Performance'."

While the group was chatting, Li Bai, who had remained silent, quietly took out a letter from his robes. On it was written a line of elegant calligraphy:

[To Li Bai's younger brother]

When he took it out, Granny Gongsun's eyes lit up:
"Isn't this the letter I wrote to you? Brother Li Bai, did you receive it?"

Li Bai nodded, trying his best to appear profound:

"Yesterday, the Commandant of the Governor's Office of Yuzhou rushed to Changlong County day and night, and is still resting at my home... Master, Sister Gongsun and I are in the same world, may I go to Chang'an?"

When Zhou Yi received the letter, he discovered that it contained little content, consisting mainly of coded phrases like "Imperial Jade Liquor," "Odd changes, even remains unchanged," and "Alone Illuminating Mount Emei."

At the end of the letter, there was a small turtle drawn with a brush... Luckily, the captain who delivered the letter didn't open it, otherwise, he would have been devastated to receive such a drawing as a letter sent over a thousand miles.

After reading the letter, Zhou Yi noticed that the envelope and letter paper were brought by Gongsun Da Niang, so they didn't become cultural relics this time. He didn't have to worry about the sensation caused by Tang Dynasty cultural relics becoming internet memes.

"Li Bai, when you get back this time, make some preparations and go to Chang'an to meet up with your sister Gongsun."

"Disciple obey!"

“Pomegranate, go back and tell Li Longji that my eldest disciple Li Bai has set off from Shu County for Chang’an. Tell him to take care of the escort along the way.”

The eldest disciple's first trip out of Sichuan to the capital must be a grand affair.

Just as Zhou Yi finished giving his instructions, Huo Qubing, dressed in a blue Taoist robe with a Han sword hanging at his waist, appeared. He strode up to Zhou Yi and bowed respectfully.
"Disciple Huo Qubing pays respects to his revered master!"

Upon hearing the name, Li Bai, who was eating shrimp chips, bit his finger; Gongsun Da Niang ate the packaging paper of the small crispy cone; and even Wu Zetian, who knew that Huo Qubing was coming, forgot to eat the spicy millet rice crust in her hand.

Upon hearing that Huo Qubing had changed his surname, Zhou Yi asked:

"Did your mother tell you everything?"

"After I returned home, I asked my mother and learned that my father was indeed from Pingyang County. He changed his surname to Huo that very day. After returning victorious from this battle, he will go to Pingyang County to acknowledge his ancestors and return to his clan."

Zhou Yi then asked Liu Che:

How is your uncle doing now?

"Upon learning that he had a lifespan of seventy years, he felt refreshed and invigorated. He killed four sorcerers in one go, dispersed the rest, and forbade anyone in the palace from taking any elixirs."

Emperor Wu of Han (Liu Che) in history took a lot of medicine and still lived to be seventy. If he hadn't taken medicine, he might have lived to be eighty.

If we add the long-lived Huo Qubing to that, it's unimaginable how far the Han Dynasty could have developed.

At noon, Zhou Yi didn't cook on the mountain. Instead, he drove everyone to Wallace's in town and treated these ancient people to fried hamburgers and honey-glazed roasted chicken.

Li Bai was still dizzy when he got to Wallace's shop. He couldn't believe that he would meet his lifelong idol Huo Qubing there, and he never expected that Huo Qubing would become his junior brother.

Well, according to the order in which they became disciples, no one can take away his status as the eldest disciple.

Huo Qubing, on the other hand, was quite happy. As soon as the honey-glazed roast chicken was served, he imitated Zhou Yi by putting on disposable gloves, tearing off a chicken leg, and handing it to Li Bai.
"Senior brother, have some chicken leg."

The historically bold and unrestrained Li Bai was now timid and submissive, like a timid wife:
"Thank you so much, Marquis Champion!"

"Senior brother, you're being too polite. It's not too late to call me that after I've obtained the title of Marquis of Champion... By the way, I heard from the soldiers that the Xiongnu royal family uses golden statues to sacrifice to the heavens. I'm planning to steal one of the Xiongnu's golden statues used for sacrifices and present it to Master. What do you think, senior brother?"

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Thank you to reader [Jiee] for the 10000 book coins! Here's the second update. Please vote with your monthly tickets, brothers!

(End of this chapter)