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

Chapter 87 Buying a Drone for Huo Qubing! [Seeking Monthly Tickets]

When Xie Yukun received Fan Chengye's call, he was reading the palm of a wealthy woman. He apologized to her, took his phone outside, and then answered the call.
"what's up?"

"Chairman Xie, I found that blind man. He's right next to the Ferris wheel in the northwest corner of People's Park. He just touched my hand and said I looked like I was going to die a violent death. He also said the person who would make me die would be very interesting... Chairman Xie, that blind man really deserves a beating!"

Xie Yukun patiently said:

"He's probably just joking with you. Don't worry, tell him my terms: as long as he comes to Yiyang, he'll be a director of the Feng Shui Folk Customs Association, with an assistant and a driver. He can ask for anything he wants in terms of material life."

Is Chairman Xie missing a father figure...? Fan Chengye muttered to himself on the other end of the phone, and replied:
“I’ll talk to him, and if he doesn’t agree, I’ll call you again.”

“Okay, let him name any conditions, I’ll agree to them. After it’s done, you drive him to Yiyang, and then you can take some people to Yunwu Town to scare that little Taoist priest. Be careful not to cause any deaths.”

Fan Chengye agreed and hung up the phone.

He went up to the blind man and explained in detail the conditions Xie Yukun had set.

But the fortune teller wasn't concerned with that; instead, he asked a question:
"Is Xiuchuan County under the jurisdiction of Yiyang City?"

"Return."

Upon hearing this, the old man pointed to the stall in front of him:

"Pack these things away. I'll go to a hotel near the west gate of People's Park to pick up my luggage, and then we'll head to Yiyang."

His enthusiasm left Fan Chengye completely bewildered:
"Old man, aren't you afraid I'll sell you?"

The fortune teller flicked his sleeve, and suddenly a folding cane appeared in his hand:
"When I was swindling and cheating, your parents were still breastfeeding. Hurry up and go. I heard that the braised noodles in Yiyang are different from those in the provincial capital. I have to try them."

Meanwhile, inside the Hunyuan Palace, Zhou Yi had just finished changing the incense and candles in the God of Wealth Hall and the Guanyin Hall and was about to go move bricks when his second disciple, Huo Qubing, walked out of the Hall of Longevity with a swagger.

Upon seeing Zhou Yi, he respectfully bowed.
"Reporting to Master, your disciple has led a cavalry assault team to Jiexiu County and will reach Dingxiang County within ten days to cross the border and search for the main force of the Xiongnu Chanyu."

The Book of Changes asks:

"Do you know how to use the telescope and compass?"

"I have learned that both are invaluable tools for winning wars, whether for reconnaissance or location tracking."

The compass was bought online by Zhouyi. Although it was a civilian version costing only a few dozen yuan, it was still a powerful weapon in ancient times.

Huo Qubing continued:

"Zhang Qian, the future Marquis of Bowang and now a captain in the Central Army, has been pestering his uncle to join our army and is now the deputy captain of the assault team."

Zhou Yi was not very familiar with the military system of the Han Dynasty:
"Has being demoted from a lieutenant colonel to a deputy captain been a demotion?"

Huo Qubing shook his head:
“No, my uncle made it very clear that day that although the assault team was small, it still had to be allocated supplies according to the number of people in a school. This level was commanded by two captains, which was very common in the Han Dynasty.”

A single school of the Han army, from soldiers to logistics personnel, would have about a thousand men. Each school would have one lieutenant, and some reinforced types of armies would have two lieutenants, a lieutenant and a deputy lieutenant.

Most military generals in the Han Dynasty started as lieutenants in charge of a school, such as Su Jian, Huo Qubing, and Zhao Ponu, who all rose through the ranks from lieutenant.

After learning all this, Zhou Yi pointed to the flour at the entrance of the Hall of Longevity and said:

“I’ve been free these past few days, so I’ve brought all the flour over for you. I’ll bring some salt, sugar, oil, and peanuts over later, so you can take them with you. Have your uncle arrange for someone to make them into fried noodles. Make sure you bring enough food supplies before you go into the grasslands, so you don’t go hungry.”

Huo Qubing thanked him respectfully. He wouldn't leave tonight because Li Bai wouldn't arrive until tomorrow with his saddle and gear, and he would have to stay overnight at Hunyuan Palace. This would be a good opportunity to test Zhang Qian's ability to lead troops independently.

Zhou Yi felt that Zhang Qian was not suited for warfare. When he led troops with Li Guang, he got lost and failed to return on time. He was stripped of his marquis title, had to pay a ransom to atone for his sins, and was demoted to a commoner.

Such a diplomatic talent should be allowed to continue exploring the blank maps surrounding the Han Dynasty.

Now that he has scouted the Western Regions and the Southwest, he should continue to explore outwards, discovering undeveloped lands for the Han Dynasty and providing a basis for future occupation and development.

Just as the master and apprentice were about to move the soybean oil, Chen Tang arrived and immediately started shouting:

"Sir, could you buy a few boxes of Aksu apples? Ever since Old Gan saw the picture book 'Beautiful Northwest,' he's been longing to try Aksu apples."

Zhou Yi said with a smile:

"I'll go down the mountain later and buy some for you all to try." At noon, he didn't cook because it was too hot, so he took Huo Qubing and Chen Tang to town for a hot pot dinner.

The three men were dressed in Taoist robes, and they didn't look out of place at all. They looked as eye-catching as a Taoist team coming down the mountain to exorcise demons. Several girls in the town secretly inquired about when the new Taoists had arrived on the mountain.

Chen Tang was handsome and dashing, while Huo Qubing was a renowned and noble figure in history. The two of them walked down the street following Zhou Yi, leaving all the young women and wives in awe.

After finishing our hot pot, we went to a fruit shop and bought apples and several boxes of watermelons.

After finishing their purchases, the group was about to drive up the mountain when Jia Ziwang from the agricultural sales department rode up on his electric scooter and waved to Zhou Yi.
"Xiao Yi, didn't you want to do drone photography? Li Yongkang's home appliance store is having a promotion: buy one drone, get one free, plus a free solar charging panel. It's a great deal."

Zhou Yi had never paid attention to the promotional information of the home appliance store and knew nothing about it:
"When did it start?"

"It started yesterday. There's a subsidy for buying one. You can buy a usable 4K drone for just two or three hundred yuan. It's incredibly clear, and you won't feel bad if you crash it."

Upon hearing this, Zhou Yi was genuinely moved.

He didn't need to fly out any fancy shapes; he just wanted to be able to fly high up in the ancient world to observe the enemy's situation.

Chen Tang and Huo Qubing had never been to an appliance store before, so Zhou Yi simply took them there. They happened to run into Li Yongkang, who was handing out promotional brochures.

Zhou Yi asked him to introduce two cheap and durable drones, intending to let Huo Qubing and Chen Tang take them away to try them out.

Chen Tang found the drone amazing and was about to play with it when he suddenly saw a shop assistant holding up a black lump and saying something. There was a response from inside it very quickly.

This guy's social anxiety immediately kicked in:
"Hey? Why is your phone screen so small?"

The shop assistant said with a smile:

"This is a walkie-talkie, not a cell phone. It transmits signals and doesn't need a network. The person I'm talking to is in Huangniwa, five kilometers away from here, and I can still speak very clearly."

Five kilometers?
That's only ten miles, isn't it?

This walkie-talkie is amazing; it can easily communicate with people ten miles away!

Chen Tang was skeptical and planned to try it with Huo Qubing.

Luckily, the store had some new walkie-talkies, so he asked the clerk to bring him a pair. He and Huo Qubing, who was across the street, started calling out to each other.

Zhou Yichong asked Li Yongkang:

"How far can these walkie-talkies transmit?"

Li Yongkang said:
"In unobstructed plains, it can easily reach 10 kilometers, in mountainous areas it's about 5 kilometers, and in areas with chaotic electromagnetic signals, it can only transmit for 3 kilometers... The cleaner the ionosphere, the farther the signal can be transmitted. Some handheld radios with enhanced signals can easily transmit for hundreds of kilometers, and vehicle-mounted handheld radios can even make calls across provinces."

Holy crap, is it that strong?

Zhou Yi wasn't initially very interested in this stuff, but as he listened to it, he felt it was tailor-made for ancient society, and immediately said he wanted to buy two sets.

Communication was a difficult issue for the ancient imperial court. If this problem could be solved, major and minor events in various places would be promptly reported to the central government, and various social problems would be greatly reduced.

Local officials will no longer be able to control everything, military officers will no longer be able to establish their own territories, and imperial decrees will arrive instantly, no longer requiring half a year for a single imperial edict to be delivered.

Zhou Yi selected two sets of long-distance transmission walkie-talkies, intending to have Chen Tang and Huo Qubing take them back to try them out. If they worked, they would purchase them in large quantities in the future.

After finishing their shopping, the group returned to the mountain. They first practiced using the drone and then tested the walkie-talkies. Zhou Yi drove to the northern outskirts of the county town and was still able to contact Huo Qubing on Yunwu Mountain using the walkie-talkies.

"If my uncle sees this, he will surely weep with joy... The end of the Xiongnu has come!"

During dinner, Huo Qubing stroked the walkie-talkie, reluctant to let go.

This time it was the Xiongnu Chanyu's turn to say he didn't care about martial virtue... Zhou Yi sighed inwardly, and was just about to teach Huo Qubing a set of communication terms when Uncle Ming suddenly sent a message:
"Master Yi, according to reliable intelligence, your grandfather's former nemesis has gone to Yiyang City and is serving as a director of some Feng Shui and Folk Customs Association. You must be careful!"

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Second update delivered, please vote with monthly tickets, brothers!

(End of this chapter)