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

Chapter 9: The I Ching's Fortune Divination! [Seeking Monthly Tickets]

Normally, Taoist priests do not tell their own fortunes, because this would affect their own destiny, causing their fate to be reversed or deviated, resulting in immeasurable consequences.

The saying "a doctor cannot heal himself" refers to this kind of situation.

But Grandpa held the opposite view. He had told Zhou Yi since he was a child that a person who cultivates the Tao should be free from all taboos, rather than being hesitant and timid.

"I need money to continue repairing the Taoist temple, so it's reasonable for me to draw lots to calculate my fortune, right?"

Zhou Yi left the room, walking towards the Temple of the God of Wealth while making excuses for himself.

The Temple of the God of Wealth is located to the side of the second main hall. The main hall is for the leaders of various religious sects, so gods like the God of Wealth can only be placed in the side hall.

The construction of the God of Wealth Temple was slow, and now there are no roof beams. Apart from the doors and windows, there are only four empty walls. In the center of the main hall stands a statue of the God of Wealth covered with a three-colored tarpaulin.

Zhou Yi walked in, bowed to the God of Wealth, opened the small cabinet to the left of the statue, and took out a bamboo tube engraved with Taoist talismans, which was filled with black divination sticks.

The color of the divination slips is not dyed on, but rather becomes dark and shiny due to years of use... It is said that the more people use them, the more accurate the divination slips become.

I don't know where Grandpa got this set of divination slips. I remember the day he brought it back, he happily cooked a big table of dishes, drank more than half a jin of Erguotou (a type of Chinese liquor), and even sang a section of "Picking the Chariot" when he was in high spirits.

His smug expression made it seem as if he were possessed by Gao Chong.

To dispel distracting thoughts, Zhou Yi held the bamboo tube in his hands, first bowing to the image of the God of Wealth, then lowering his head and pressing his forehead against the bamboo tube, silently praying for the God of Wealth's blessing, before starting to swing the bamboo tube back and forth.

His movements became increasingly exaggerated, and soon, a divination stick fell from the bamboo tube to the ground with a crisp "clang".

Zhou Yi bowed to the God of Wealth again, put down the bamboo tube, and picked up the bamboo sticks from the ground.

In other temples, at this stage, one would have to pay someone to interpret the divination slip. If it's a very unlucky slip, one would have to pay extra to seek a solution from the diviner.

But Zhou Yi didn't need that; he was a Taoist priest and could interpret the divination slips for himself.

The divination slip indicates a very auspicious sign, meaning that what you are asking for is very easy to achieve.

Based on the hexagrams shown on the divination slips, he deduced the following according to the Earlier Heaven Bagua:
"After lying dormant for four days and nights, wealth will come knocking on your door."

Hibernation means staying indoors; four days and four nights is four days in total.

It means that as long as you stay in the Taoist temple for four days, wealth will come to you.

Considering that Wu Zetian would be visiting the Taoist temple in four days, Zhou Yi figured that the future empress would likely bring something valuable.

He put the divination slips back in the cabinet, strolled away from the God of Wealth Temple, and went back to his room to read Taoist scriptures.

I had planned to continue working in the afternoon, but Chen Tang's arrival disrupted that plan. In addition, I had just exhausted myself reading the Black Notebook, so I could only sit down and read some books to learn some professional knowledge.

After all, now that I'm the abbot of the Taoist temple, I need to solidify my professional knowledge to avoid making a ridiculous mistake like claiming that the Tao Te Ching was written by the Taoist Master.

In the following days, Zhou Yi lived a very regular life.

I get up early, wear a white Taoist robe, meditate for half an hour, practice the Eight Vajra Exercises, spend the morning tidying up bricks in the courtyard, tend to the vegetable garden in the afternoon, and change into a black Taoist robe after sunset to study Taoist classics.

The first time he put on the black Taoist robe, he suddenly felt a surge of blood rushing to his head, and his heart became more violent. He needed to read the Taoist scriptures to calm down.

The white Taoist robe, on the other hand, gives one a sense of freedom and ease when meditating in the morning, as if floating on clouds.

As for the bricks in the Taoist temple, they were still just as heavy. However, Zhou Yi didn't know if it was because his physical fitness had improved or because he had received three coins of merit, but after carrying three bricks, he no longer felt so tired that he was on the verge of death.

Four days passed quickly, and the day to examine the hexagrams in the Book of Changes finally arrived.

Early in the morning, he prepared all the ingredients needed for the spicy hot pot, intending to let the future empress of the Tang Dynasty experience this modern-day culinary delight.

"If Wu Zetian didn't bring anything valuable, we'll have to find a way to get some money, and while we're at it, we'll prepare some fancy little trinkets for Chen Tang so that he can better win people's hearts."

The chaos of the Western Han Dynasty was about to begin, and the Wang family began to control the government. Time was running out for Tom Cruise to develop his power.

In the kitchen, Zhou Yi chopped wild celery he had picked nearby while pondering his angel investment plan.

Just as I was busy working, a soft, charming voice rang out from the kitchen doorway:

"This humble servant, Wu Meiniang, pays respects to Immortal Master Yiyuan!" Zhou Yi raised his head and, after five days, saw the beautiful woman with her charming features again.

However, this time Wu Zetian did not wear the high-waisted ruqun that showed off the figure of Tang Dynasty women. Instead, she wore a blue cross-collar Taoist robe and a lotus crown, which made her look heroic and neat.

Seeing Zhou Yi scrutinizing her, Wu Meiniang walked into the kitchen, her face beaming with joy:

"In five days, many things have happened in the Tang Dynasty. Princess Jinyang's condition has greatly improved. The medical equipment you bestowed is a treasure to the imperial physicians. His Majesty praised my achievements and appointed me as a steward of the Yiyuan Hall of the Taiji Palace, specifically responsible for communication with you..."

Zhou Yi didn't react for a moment:
What does "one-dollar store" mean?

Wu Zetian explained:

"His Majesty, grateful for your life-saving grace to Princess Jinyang, converted a hall in the Taiji Palace into a Taoist temple to worship you, and named it Yiyuan Hall after your Taoist name."

Zhou Yi's lips twitched; he hadn't expected this dollar store to be his training ground.

he asked:
"Has Li Shimin's blood pressure been measured?"

"Reporting to Your Majesty, the imperial physicians have measured His Majesty's blood pressure for three consecutive days. The highest reading was 197, with a diastolic pressure of 145. The morning reading was 176 for systolic and 117 for diastolic..."

Damn, high blood pressure! No wonder I always have headaches.

Zhou Yi scooped the chopped celery into a bamboo basket and said:
"After lunch, I'll go down the mountain to buy some blood pressure medication to lower my blood pressure. I'll have the imperial physicians monitor it closely and make sure it doesn't drop too quickly... Also, tell Li Shimin that if he wants to live, he should pay attention to his diet and exercise more."

Apart from high blood pressure, Old Li shouldn't have any other major problems. After all, during his eastern expedition against Goguryeo, he rode a horse and led the charge several times.

With that kind of physical condition, if he doesn't do anything reckless, he could definitely live another ten years.

After finishing his work, Zhou Yi noticed that Wu Meiniang had changed how she addressed him:

"Why are you suddenly calling me Immortal Master? Is this what Li Shimin requested?"

Wu Zetian nodded, then shook her head:

"On the day I returned, the Imperial Guards were searching for me everywhere. His Majesty listened to my words and invited Daoist Li Chunfeng and Daoist Yuan Tiangang to the palace. The two of them worked together to deduce your location, but suddenly they coughed up a lot of blood... From that day on, everyone respectfully called you Immortal Master, and even I benefited from your influence and was courted and flattered by all sides."

Zhou Yi never expected things to develop to this point.

Historically, Wu Zetian was always a talented woman and never served as a steward in a Taoist temple. There are no records of Li Chunfeng and Yuan Tiangang coughing up blood... It's all a mess.

The only good thing was that Li Mingda was saved, which brought solace to Old Li's broken heart.

But this would be a bit unfair to Wu Zetian; the better Li Shimin's condition, the less likely she was to become empress… Zhou Yi wiped his hands and asked apologetically:

"Meiniang, if you ultimately fail to become the only female emperor of China, as in history, will you blame me?"

Wu Zetian pondered for a moment, then gently shook her head:

"The path to becoming an emperor is fraught with peril, and it is even more difficult for a woman to become emperor. If possible, I would rather be a maid here burning incense and brewing tea than live in constant fear and be on guard against everyone."

Your Majesty, your ambition is not quite up to par... Zhou Yi remembers that Wu Zetian in history was very powerful and always had a fierce personality that would not give up until she achieved her goal.

How now...

Just as he was about to ask Wu Meiniang again, he suddenly heard a knock at the gate of Hunyuan Palace:

"Is anyone there? Is Master Yi here?"

"My relative wants to pay you to analyze their fortune. Would you mind opening the door for them?"

Ok?
Could it be that the fortune indicated in the divination is none other than Wu Zetian?
This was his first client since becoming abbot, so he had to handle it carefully… Zhou Yi straightened his white Taoist robe and called to Wu Meiniang as he walked out:

"Come with me to the gate and take a look. If we can make some money, I'll take you to town after lunch and buy you some good food!"

"Your concubine obeys!"

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