fifth form

Chapter 3634 Chinese Version of the Heart Sutra

"Why are you running around in the street watching the excitement? If you want to see something, come to Weiyang Palace!"

Zhang Xuezhou spent a considerable amount of time at Weiyang Palace, and the new emperor, after hearing the reason, couldn't help but complain.

"Come and see these!"

The new emperor directed his attention towards dozens of eunuchs who were constantly being reorganized.

The eunuchs were sorting the seeds, classifying them into different sizes.

These seeds were left behind by Zhang Qian after he ate high-quality food in foreign lands, and the accumulated quantity after more than ten years was quite considerable.

Moreover, Zhang Qian collected a large amount of food and seeds as he traveled westward. Although he failed to establish contact with the Yuezhi Kingdom, he ate and drank his way through the journey and left behind many seeds.

It's a small thing, but if you persist in doing it for a long time, it becomes a big thing.

Zhang Xuezhou and others also opened a seed shop in their early years, carefully selecting seeds to ensure better crop yields when planting them.

This is a mindset that only a farmer-turned-scholar could possess. It is extremely rare for a military officer like Zhang Qian to be able to recognize the importance of this across different fields.

"Excellent!" Zhang Xuezhou said, "I have a friend named Xu Yuan who is skilled in breeding. He is a cultivator from the agricultural school and runs more than ten seed shops called 'Ge San Hao' in Chang'an City. His ability to cultivate and breed seeds is very strong. If we can cultivate these seeds into seedlings, we will surely be able to obtain some good species in the future!"

"Do you think this is important?" the new emperor asked with interest.

"I think it's very important!"

Zhang Xuezhou nodded.

Although he did not perform any important duties in the imperial court, Zhang Xuezhou was a staunch supporter of the "agriculture and war to strengthen the country" strategy.

Only a sufficient material foundation can produce a sufficient number of people, and a sufficient number of people will inevitably produce outstanding talents, who in turn can supplement the needs of the Han Dynasty.

In the past, the court was preoccupied with various affairs both inside and outside the court, leaving little time for developing agriculture, warfare, and national strength.

But right now, all the opportunities are on the table, and we can certainly take advantage of the opportunities that come our way.

“Important things need to be done seriously.” The new emperor nodded solemnly, then instructed the eunuch beside him, “Summon Xu Yuan to the palace!”

The eunuch who was taking notes agreed and then rushed out of the main hall.

“I brought you here for more than just this,” the new emperor said.

"There's more good news!"

"Come on, come on, you should go and meet Zhang Qian too!"

Zhang Xuezhou hesitated for a moment, but the new emperor had already invited him to go.

Zhang Qian's return to Chang'an was undoubtedly met with the highest honors. As one of the earliest people to follow the new emperor, regardless of whether the mission was successful or not, the new emperor would surely reward him handsomely or even give him an important position. This made it clear to everyone the importance of following the new emperor.

This is a benchmark behavior that the imperial court needs to set, and it will inevitably become a case study.

But Zhang Xuezhou really hadn't expected Zhang Qian to bring anything else.

He followed the new emperor, entering and exiting only two palaces, when Zhang Xuezhou saw Zhang Qian holding a brush and drawing on a white cloth.

Although his physical condition was not good, Zhang Qian still maintained a high level of energy and spirit.

"A topographical map of the Western Regions?"

Zhang Xuezhou's gaze swept over every line drawn by Zhang Qian.

Compared to Pilan's map, Zhang Qian's map is undoubtedly clearer and more intuitive.

Even if this map is not very complete, it has all the necessary landmarks and can accommodate normal passage, so it is sufficient to serve as a reference.

"Fly over these regions and compare them to what Ziwen recorded," the new emperor said. "I flew too high and too fast; my eyes didn't even notice what was below," Zhang Xuezhou shook his head repeatedly. "But I think Ziwen's map of the Dragon City ancestral land is flawless!"

How could Zhang Xuezhou possibly express his opinion on such a military matter? If he were to completely believe Zhang Qian's map and suffer a setback, that would be a major incident.

Zhang Qian's map can be used as an aid, but it cannot be completely relied upon. Instead, it needs to be continuously refined as the battle progresses in order to obtain a truly usable map.

Zhang Xuezhou would not deny the significance of Zhang Qian's map of the Western Regions, but only pointed out the ancestral land of Longcheng.

This is not just a marked area that can be directly seen on the map, but a place that the new emperor visited in person.

"You have such a good temperament!"

The new emperor pointed at Zhang Xuezhou, who was unwilling to suffer even the slightest loss, and for a moment found it difficult to criticize Zhang Xuezhou's caution.

But he also knew very well that what he needed most was this caution, because if he became arrogant and neglected even the slightest detail, it could lead to extremely serious consequences.

"Wei Qing, Li Xi, and Han Anguo conducted a large-scale flanking operation in Henan, launching a surprise attack on the Baiyang King and Loufan King's forces, annihilating thousands of enemies, capturing more than 3,000 people and more than 1 million head of cattle and sheep, and recovering the entire territory of Henan. These cattle and sheep can feed many people. After discussion, the court decided to use this as a basis to continuously procure grain and building materials to build the Wuyuan County and Shuofang County to the north."

"Your Majesty is amazing! General Wei is amazing!"

Zhang Xuezhou repeatedly praised the new emperor, saying that his ruthlessness wasn't just talk, but that he, like Nagus, possessed a keen sense of smell and the ability to execute orders. Most importantly, the new emperor succeeded.

"After constructing the Wuyuan and Shuofang prefectures to form a counter-offensive line, we face the choice of advancing north or west," the new emperor said. "Ziwen's map has come at just the right time!"

"It's really good!"

The new emperor was radical and ambitious, far from being one to passively endure attacks.

The Han Dynasty had quelled the internal disputes among different schools of thought and established an equal and mutually supportive agreement with the Celestial Court. It would be impossible for him to remain cautious and conservative.

The new emperor enthusiastically mentioned every detail of the map Zhang Qian had meticulously drawn, wishing he could plant the flag of the Han Dynasty in every part of that map.

"Talking about military matters with you is like talking to a brick wall!"

Zhang Xuezhou repeatedly echoed without expressing his opinion, and the new emperor, knowing Zhang Xuezhou's temperament, continued his enthusiastic narration without stopping until he finished describing the key areas marked by Zhang Qian, at which point he finally remarked on Zhang Xuezhou's words.

"Don't talk nonsense. Just say it's like playing the lute to a cow. I am a cow!"

Zhang Xuezhou responded with a smile.

He watched Zhang Qian intently drawing the map from memory, then looked away.

“Zhang Qian had a guide from the Western Regions named Hu Nu Gan, who was fluent in multiple languages, including Sanskrit and Chinese, and was also highly accomplished,” the new emperor said. “I asked him if he understood the scriptures, and he explained them in great detail!”

"Hunugan translated the Heart Sutra?"

"Correct!"

The new emperor nodded.

Zhang Xuezhou was speechless for a moment; the new emperor had really asked about his own family.

As a Buddhist practitioner of the Western religion, Wu Chao practices the Heart Sutra. In addition, he is proficient in multiple languages, so translating the Heart Sutra would not be a problem for him. However, whether Wu Chao is willing to translate it is another matter.

Judging from the current situation, Wuchao has clearly put a lot of effort into integrating into the Han Dynasty.

Not to mention that the new emperor would benefit from this, even Zhang Xuezhou could use it as a reference.

More importantly, this kind of practice requires breaking free from the control of the two Western religious leaders. If Wu Chao is willing to take the hit, Zhang Xuezhou can quickly master the Heart Sutra without any problem.

It was only at this point that Zhang Xuezhou realized the many benefits that abundant luck brought.

His body's Yang-locking power has not been released, so it is not suitable for him to break through to the True Self Realm at the moment, but Zhang Xuezhou can cultivate the Prajna Heart Sutra.

If the Heart Sutra can be promoted upwards, causing a transformation in his spiritual power, it will also have irreplaceable benefits for him in reality.