Mang Shusheng's Ink Painting Practice

Chapter 229 I would have ascended earlier

At dawn, Ying Cong, who had slept all night, came to his senses.

What did he do last night?
My goodness, it seems like he is talking about something extremely outrageous with someone.

One of the sentences is: All the billions of people in China are holy kings.

It really scared him.

It sounded so satisfying in my dream, but when I woke up and thought about it, it was just so damn scary.

We are all holy monarchs, so what is he as the emperor?
This made him feel a little panicked.

I couldn't help but take out the map of mountains and rivers and asked.

Then a reply came up: [We are all saints, and what are you, ruling over these saints? ]

Just one sentence made Ying Cong unable to suppress the smile. The scene was really heart-warming.

Zhao Yifu then responded: [Besides, no dynasty lasts forever. Instead of worrying about your unworthy descendants, why not think about how future generations will judge you for starting all this?]

Ying Cong asked expectantly: [What will be your evaluation?]

Zhao Yifu said: [Perhaps, the Three Emperors will become four!]

Ying Cong was stunned for a moment. If that was the case, then wouldn’t he be…

He hesitated and asked again: "If this is the case, how can I face my ancestors after I die?"

Zhao Yifu said angrily: "If Daxu were to recover its homeland under your rule, even taking back the Sixteen Prefectures of Yanyun and invading the northern grasslands... then you would be Zhongzu, on par with Taizu!"

[As for what will happen to Daxu in the future, that is a matter for you, the younger generation.]

[Even dynasties must eventually fall, but if after the fall of the Great Xu, someone still upholds your beliefs and establishes a new nation, upholding your orthodoxy and righteousness... then you will definitely be highly respected on the streets of the Imperial City, and your ancestors will be proud of you!]

Ying Cong was excited and happy. He started discussing the expansion of territory after the recovery of the north in Qianli Painting.

Zhao Yifu agreed, feeling guilty for deceiving a fool.

He thought that at worst he could try his best to help him achieve those goals, but as for his status in the future... well, that was beyond his control.

[Northern Expedition, I want the Northern Expedition! ]

Ying Cong shouted.

Zhao Yifu couldn't help but say, "Don't worry, there are still many things that are not ready."

however……

Ying Cong added, "Preparations are almost complete. When Prime Minister Yu came to court today, he said we can begin preparations for war."

Prime Minister Yu?

Oh, the leader’s surname is Yu.

No, isn't the leader the most stable? Why is he so radical now?

He quickly left his body and went to the Prime Minister's Residence in the capital.

Qiu Yuzi didn't have time to see him as he was always discussing government affairs with others.

Well, although Zhao Yifu knew about half of the people involved in the discussion.

But they are really busy. All I hear are things about the movement of food and supplies... Are they really preparing for the Northern Expedition?
Qiu Yuzi noticed his Yang Shen, and finally separated a strand of his spirit to come in front of him and said, "Look at what you have done. You are about to break my old bones."

Zhao Yifu was bewildered: "What does this have to do with me?"

Qiu Yuzi said, "You made a promise in front of so many of your fellow Daoists, and then you just walked away. Now so many of your fellow Daoists are blocking us at Moshan Mountain, offering us business cards and urging us to hurry up and march north... I really can't take it anymore."

Zhao Yifu: "..."

He muttered to himself, "Do you believe all this?"

Of course Qiu Yuzi heard it. He was so angry that he pointed at Zhao Yifu and then at the door, and his meaning was very clear: Get out!
Zhao Yifu just left.

I felt indignant, thinking that these elders of the sect had been idle for too long. They were complaining about such a small workload?

Zhao Yi Fu pondered for a moment, then suddenly remembered something and ran to Zhou Su.

"Master Zhou."

He clasped his fists in salute.

Zhou Su smiled and said, "You're here. Is Qing Zhao happy living with you?"

Zhao Yifu thought this was a bit strange.

However, he was already somewhat accustomed to the old man's strange words. He asked, "Master, how many craftsmen are there in Xiangyang?"

When Zhou Su heard about this, he knew it must be something important, so he thought about it and said, "There are still more than 400 craftsmen on the payroll. If it weren't for the war, there would probably be more."

Zhao Yifu nodded and said, "War is indeed abominable. It has caused countless fine cultures in China to be lost."

"I have an idea now, and I hope Master can agree to it."

Zhou Su thought for a moment, then said, "I've also heard about the 'Fancheng Agricultural Book' you published in Fancheng... Now you're asking about craftsmen. What's going on? Are you planning to publish another 'Craftsman's Book'?"

Zhao Yifu nodded and said, "What do you think of 'Xiangyang Calligraphy', dear teacher?"

Zhou Su smiled and said, "This is a very good idea, but I don't know your Taoist methods, so I can't do it efficiently."

Zhao Yifu patted his chest and said, "Don't worry, I will take full responsibility for this matter."

Then he hesitated again and asked, "I wonder how many doctors there are in Xiangyang?"

Zhou Su couldn't hold it in any longer. He asked, "What are you going to do? Compiling so many books in one go... Be careful not to bite off more than you can chew."

Zhao Yifu shook his head and said, "No, our Xiangfan is so small. It would be a big deal to compile the essence of the world into a book."

Zhou Su's eyebrows twitched, and he seemed to understand something.

He said, "Are you trying to tire your elders to death?"

Zhao Yifu said, "How could that be? I just think we're working hard on the front lines, there's no reason for them to be enjoying themselves in the rear."

Zhou Su nodded after hearing this: "That's not wrong."

"In that case, I'll submit a petition and give them another headache."

Zhao Yifu asked curiously, "What memorial?"

Zhou Su said with a smile: "Now that we have conquered the territory, someone has to govern it, right? And if we have to govern it, how should we govern the conquered land?"

"Also, after we capture the old capital of Bianjing, will the imperial court move the capital back there?"

“We have to prepare for this.”

Zhao Yifu was speechless after hearing this: "Master, we haven't even started yet, why are we already considering relocating the capital after we recapture it?"

Zhou Su said: "Dengzhou is empty, it will be easy to take it down."

"Now that Dengzhou is captured, Bianjing will be within reach."

Zhao Yifu thought it made a lot of sense, but why did he feel as if everyone around him had changed and become so radical?
He sighed helplessly and said, "Okay, I'll go publish the book first."

Then the Yang Shen returned.

He sat cross-legged in his own courtyard, with the 'Taixu Forbidden Book' placed on his knees.

However, at this time he was not arguing with the book, but was attaching the "Fancheng Agricultural Book" at the back of the book.

Well, it’s quite boring to just argue, especially when it comes to sage scriptures like "The Analects of Confucius", it’s too difficult to understand them.

He simply added some "junk information" to allow the spirit in the book to "improve itself".

Zhao Yifu discovered that the more content he added to the book, the more spiritual it became.

This is not the spirituality of Lu [Yang] inside, but the spirituality of the book itself.

To put it bluntly, this thing is a magic weapon he made himself, and Lu [Yang] is just sealed inside.

The stronger the spirituality of the Taixu Forbidden Book, the stronger its ability to seal Mu Lu [Yang].

For example, before, the entire power of the Taixu Forbidden Book was used to seal Mu Lu [Yang]. But now, with the addition of the "Fancheng Agricultural Book" at the end, the power of this book seems to have loosened a little.

It’s not that he can use it, but it is no longer so tight to seal Lu Yang.

But as he added more content to the "Taixu Forbidden Book", sooner or later he would be able to use some additional power of this magic weapon.

Besides, this Lu [Yang] can't be sealed here forever, right?

When Lu Yang is no longer with him, all the power of the Taixu Forbidden Book will be used by him. Wouldn't that mean he can reach the sky?

Zhao Yifu pondered in his heart, his heart full of anticipation.

So I started researching what areas could still be used to publish books?
Oh, and there is also astrology and calendar... No, the astrology in this world is not right. After all, the existence of heaven is too metaphysical and he can't explain it.

Then study geography and hydrology?

By the way, he can travel around the world as a yang spirit, so why not draw a map!
He thought that drawing a map would be a good idea, as it could also provide a proof to future generations that their ancestors had long had their eyes on that piece of land, and that there was a legal basis for it.

This completely excited him, and he spent the whole day drawing.

And Mu Lu [Yang] in the Taixu Forbidden Book completely turned into a "complaining monster", and he would complain no matter what information Zhao Yifu added.

Zhao Yifu is a strong person. Whenever Lu Yang quarrels with him, he will quarrel with him. He can vent any unpleasantness in life here. His heart will be extremely clear and his thoughts will always be clear.

He thinks this thing is pretty good. Anyway, he feels good after using it and it relieves stress.

Time began to flow, Da Xu's war machine started to operate, and Zhao Yifu's cursing skills continued to improve.

When the summer grain harvest came this season, Fancheng had a rare bumper harvest.

In addition to the good harvest, the rear army also began to mobilize in the Xiangfan area.

The Northern Expedition is about to begin after all.

Zhao Yifu had no choice but to summon his generals again to prepare for the Northern Expedition.

Wei Kang, Zhou Qingzhao and Zhu Fei arrived at the same time, and it seemed that they were together before the gathering.

And then there was a bald head...

Wait, when did he have a bald man under him?
Zhao Yifu watched silently for a while, then asked, "Old Wu, why are you bald?"

Wu Dun looked at Zhao Yifu with resentment and said, "Have you forgotten, sir? I lost my hair two months ago."

Zhao Yifu nodded and said, "Very good, looks quite energetic."

Wu Dun felt even more resentful because he found that Zhao Yifu had no idea why he was losing his hair.

At this time, Zhou Qingzhao said, "Brother, please stop teasing Old Wu. He's already pitiful enough."

"Brother, are you gathering your generals today because the Northern Expedition is about to begin?"

Zhao Yifu nodded and said, "Yes, the Northern Expedition is about to begin."

"But in fact, we can start the war in advance before the main army arrives."

"After all, by the time the main force arrives, the enemy will know we're going to fight." "Why not take advantage of their unpreparedness now and retake those three counties to become our outposts for the Northern Expedition?"

The three generals immediately agreed.

Zhao Yifu added, "After the last battle, these three counties have become deserted, with only a small number of Liao troops stationed there."

"I won't give you any specific information this time. It's all up to you to do it on your own."

The three generals agreed again.

So the war machine in Fancheng started to operate in full swing.

Now Fancheng has expanded its army to 10,000 people in preparation for the Northern Expedition.

Three generals each led 3,000 men, and the remaining 1,000 remained to guard Fancheng.

It was natural for these three thousand people to capture three almost empty cities.

However, this also reflects the different styles of the three generals.

For example, Wei Kang directly sent a few warriors to disguise themselves as civilians and sneak into the city, and then forced the city gate to allow a large group of people to enter the city.

Zhu Fei was more cautious. He chose to besiege the city and persuade the other party to surrender. The other party only hesitated for a long time before opening the gate and surrendering.

As for Zhou Qingzhao, she was interesting. She knew that her identity as a female general was looked down upon on the battlefield, so she simply challenged the enemy to a battle outside the city.

As expected, the general defending the city could not stand the provocation and went out to fight, but was stabbed to death by Zhou Qingzhao.

As for whether she was worried that she would be defeated?

What a joke! She had a magical weapon made by Zhao Yifu himself, and she also knew that the enemy generals nearby were not very powerful...

Well, that’s where the value of intelligence lies.

In short, the first battle of the Northern Expedition was a complete success, and the Fancheng army won a great victory with almost no casualties.

When the battle report reached Xiangyang, the generals in Xiangyang could no longer sit still.

With the approval of Zhao Guhe, Yang Zaixuan and Zhao Xiangyu also took 10,000 people to Dengzhou.

Originally, they wanted to see whether the Dengzhou troops would be attracted by the war in the three counties... But the other side remembered the lesson from last time, hid in Dengzhou City and refused to come out, and simply gave up the three counties.

So the only option is to storm the city by force?
No, they don't.

While Yang Zaixuan was still thinking of a solution, Zhao Xiangyu had already gone to the city to challenge him to a fight.

She heard about her good friend Zhou Qingzhao's method and thought she could use it too, so she did it.

But she clearly underestimated the threat posed by her own physique.

Zhou Qingzhao looked like a delicate lady from a noble family. Even though she was wearing armor on the battlefield, she looked very slender and was naturally looked down upon.

But she is a barbarian girl from the Zhao family, so her fist as big as a casserole is fake?
What's more, she had come to attack Dengzhou last time, and her image of bravery and ferocity had long been deeply rooted in people's hearts.

So her invitation to fight failed.

Forced into a corner, she decided to use her ultimate move.

That's a 'war of words'.

She learned this from her cousin Zhao Yifu.

She stood at the foot of the city, roaring all kinds of obscenities in a suppressive voice, scolding the soldiers defending the city so much that they could not raise their heads.

To be honest, if it were an ordinary general from Da Xu, it might be useless to scold him like this. After all, these spineless people have already lost their spirit. Just scold them.

However, most of the generals of Liao State were Liaohu nobles. After occupying the Central Plains, they thought highly of themselves. How could they tolerate such an insult?
Finally, the soldiers on the city wall couldn't stand it anymore and opened the city gate to tear Zhao Xiangyu's mouth...

As a result, they were killed by Yang Zaixuan, who was "eager to protect his wife".

Dengzhou changed hands again, and this time all the resistance forces in Dengzhou were eliminated, and the Northern Expedition of Xiangfan got off to a good start.

This was huge good news, and Ying Cong was the first to know about it.

Ying Cong sang and danced in the palace with joy, but then he felt a little disappointed because the only person who shared his joy was an old eunuch...

So he thought of the 'all-powerful netizens' again.

"Little Taoist priest, it's great that I can get the news in advance, but it would be too boring if I'm the only one happy... How about you think of a way to help me increase the speed of communication?"

Zhao Yifu was stunned. How was he going to do this?

Do we need to develop a legendary "communication array" and have cultivators guard it?

No, no, we need to think of a method that can be more popularized and passed down among ordinary people.

Carrier pigeon?

It can be used as a reference, but the error rate of carrier pigeons is a bit high, and establishing a carrier pigeon communication network is a bit too troublesome.

A letter delivered by wild geese?

He has no problem taming wild geese, but this skill is difficult to popularize, otherwise someone would have used it long ago.

Or maybe just invent 'radio'?
Zhao Yifu thought this was possible.

But this stuff requires basic science, otherwise it is too obscure for this era...

Well, it’s just a matter of writing a book.

But he has almost forgotten everything he learned in his previous life. He can't just make up something, right?

As a result, when he started to make up stories, he found that the Taixu Forbidden Book could actually give him "automatic error correction"!
We can debate philosophical topics like the Analects and the Book of Changes, but when it comes to "basic science" that summarizes the essence of phenomena, wrong is wrong and right is right.

As long as Zhao Yifu did the experiment in real life, he would know what was going on... He felt like he had found a treasure.

I didn't expect that this 'Taixu Forbidden Book' is actually most suitable for scientific research!
I wrote whatever came to my mind, and I felt that what I wrote was nonsense. But after being corrected by "Taixu Forbidden Book"... or should I say, Mu Lu [Yang], it immediately became coherent.

This is great.

Zhao Yifu directly bound these corrected basic scientific contents at the back of "Taixu Forbidden Book", making it part of its content.

This part...

Even if Mu Lu [Yang] wanted to argue, he couldn't, because those were the words he said himself!

Mu Lu [Yang] was tainted by the eternal resentment and was actually already a "demon" in essence.

However, Zhao Yifu just happened to have such a pleasant conversation with such a devil, which was enough to show how big his heart was.

And when Zhao Yifu completed the "basic science" and developed the hand-cranked telegraph, Qiu Yuzi, who was far away in Gyeonggi Province, was completely defeated.

How did this guy come up with something like this that has a completely different knowledge system?

What? Did the Emperor of Dongyue teach you?

Oh, that's okay.

Akiko: ...

His defenses were broken and he was completely speechless.

When did this kid get in touch with Emperor Dongyue again?
This ability to connect with great gods is really enviable.

Qiu Yuzi now thinks that this boy might be a succubus who specializes in flirting with those powerful people.

Then he went to seduce people, but the job was left to the people from Danqingmen, which made people feel very unfair.

This telegram is certainly a good thing, but if you want to build a network, it involves many aspects.

In short, his hair has been falling out badly recently, and one thing after another has come up, making this old Taoist priest who cares about the world begin to regret why he cut off his own cultivation and stayed.
Wouldn't it be better to just ascend to heaven and leave all these troubles to Zhao Yifu to deal with on his own?
For the first time, Qiu Yuzi regretted not ascending to heaven.

……

The Northern Expedition began, but Zhao Yifu seemed to be fine.

Originally, he wanted to provide support in the rear, but Wu Dun showed unexpected ability in internal affairs and managed everything in an orderly manner... As expected, his hair did not turn white.

He was also prepared to provide intelligence support on the front line, but later found that it was useless because he had made sufficient preparations in the early stages... and his generals all spontaneously put intelligence first.

This is like a "real-time strategy game player" who ambitiously raises a wave of soldiers to show off his skills in a fight, but finds that the human AI fights well automatically and no additional operations are required.

This made Zhao Yifu feel very hurt.

What was particularly uncomfortable was that he had to be responsible for providing the "live broadcast" even though he himself did not participate.

Some people can't play the game themselves, but they love to watch others play.

Ying Cong is such a person... Fortunately, he is such a person.

After Dengzhou was taken, Luoyang and Bianliang were to the north, and the troops from Xiangfan were already approaching the richest area in the north.

In this situation, no matter how slow the Liao court reacts, it must mobilize a large army to deal with it.

"The Liao Kingdom's court's response was much slower than expected."

During a casual chat one night, Zhou Su expressed his views.

This chat also included the Yangshen of Puji Monk, Zhao Yifu, and his "rich friend".

The rich man said with a smile, "It seems that the Liao Kingdom's court is also full of contradictions. I heard that they have changed five prime ministers in three years. How can such a court get anything done?"

Zhao Yifu said: "The Central Plains is rich, but they do not have the ability to control such wealth, so they have fallen into depravity."

Monk Puji chanted a Buddhist name and said, "The human heart is a den of devils, even more terrifying than the devil in heaven."

"I have had a pleasant conversation with you fellow monks these past few days, and I understand that this Northern Expedition is inevitable."

"But war will inevitably lead to the displacement of civilians. What should we do..."

Zhao Yifu said, "It's a simple matter. We can gather the refugees and establish farming, which will be enough to help them overcome their difficulties."

Zhou Su said, "Also, we should avoid a prolonged stalemate. After we try to find the enemy's main force and engage in a decisive battle, we should immediately organize manpower to occupy the land and resume production."

"This is the only way to prevent the people of both countries from suffering in a protracted war."

Even Ying Cong joined in the fun: "The most despicable ones are actually those nobles in the north. In order to protect their own interests, they actually helped Liao Hu consolidate his rule... It just so happens that governing the local areas requires money and people. If we praise them, we will have money and people."

Zhao Yifu could only advise, "This is too radical. We must leave them a way out. This is the same principle as attacking a city by 'surrounding three sides and leaving one side open'..."

After some discussion, everyone gained something.

At this moment, Monk Puji suddenly said, "I am ready to lead my disciples to the war zone..."

He paused, looked at Zhao Yifu and said, "Although there is no need for me and others to chant sutras to save the souls, evil spirits are rampant in this northern land. Let me, the Eight Right Awakening Dharma Banner Temple, slay the demons and protect the people."

Everyone respected the old monk because they knew that it was not easy to make such a decision, as it was equivalent to sending their own disciples into the battlefield.

Zhao Yifu solemnly warned: "Be careful of the wizards in the north. They may thrive in this environment."

Monk Puji lowered his folded hands and laughed heartily, saying, "I am only helping the common people. What connection do I have with those wizards?"

In the end, Zhao Yifu still said with some worry: "If you encounter any difficulties, you can come to me."

Monk Puji chanted the Buddha's name again and thanked him with a smile, but he seemed quite indifferent.

Well, with his Yangshen cultivation level, what could possibly stump him here?
(End of this chapter)