Teaching BB About Hobbies

"Shirou, have some too." Chou Meimei picked up some food and offered it to the boy.

"Shirou, here you go, dumplings." Even Artoria, who never backs down when it comes to food, came up to him.

"Wait, it won't fit, ouch..."

"Come here, Shirou."

Meatballs, fish cakes, beef, and vegetables were all forcibly stuffed into the boy's mouth.

"Glug..." Shirou pounded his chest, trying to get the food stuck in his throat.

"Here you go." Fortunately, at this moment, Komachi, who couldn't bear to watch any longer, handed over the juice.

Shirou gulped down the food, finally managing to swallow it, and then breathed a sigh of relief.

"Thank you, Komachi, you've really been a great help," Shirou said gratefully, now that he was alive.

"Brother, you brought this on yourself," Komachi said, arms crossed, sounding annoyed.

"Alright, alright, Shirou, what do you think of my suggestion?" Wu Zetian stopped the girls around her and looked at the boy, speaking to him.

"This won't do, Emperor Wu Zhou! Take back your rude behavior! Shirou is my knight!" Artoria said coldly to the girl opposite her. In fact, she had been putting up with her for a long time.

"Haha, Shirou is clearly very interested in my gods, so don't be so clueless about romance." Wu Zetian shook her head with a smile, unconcerned.

Before her death, Wu Zetian renamed Luoyang, one of the four capitals of the Tang Dynasty, as Shendu (Divine Capital), established the Zhou Dynasty, and built a main hall in Luoyang City, which she named the "Wanxiang Shendian" (Hall of Wu Zetian Images).

Emperor Wu of Zhou broadened the channels for public opinion, launched the imperial examination system, and selected talented individuals. He also established the military examination system. From then on, Luoyang became the most coveted holy land for scholars and warriors throughout the land. In addition to those seeking knowledge, powerful figures from various vassal states also came to pay tribute, receive rewards, establish legitimacy, and gain recognition and protection from the Celestial Empire.

By this time, Goguryeo in the north had been completely destroyed, and there were no more worries in Liaodong. Apart from the inevitable border skirmishes that the empire had to deal with, everything was peaceful and stable.

Luoyang, like Chang'an, became a highly developed commercial trading center.

Merchants from the Western Regions, who brought cattle, sheep, and horses, and traveled around the snowy mountains to reach this place; and white-skinned merchants who led camels from afar along the Silk Road to buy silk, ceramics, and tea.

In Southeast Asia, there were slave traders who brought specially trained Kunlun slaves and Shinra maids to serve high-ranking officials and wealthy merchants, as well as maritime merchants from various Indian countries who brought ivory, agate, and spices by sea, presenting a magnificent scene of all nations paying tribute.

If Shirou said he wasn't interested, he would definitely be lying.

Before the An Lushan Rebellion, this empire was invincible and still possessed world-class forging techniques, from the pinnacle of bronze ware in the Qin Dynasty, to the ironware of the Han Dynasty that could make one Han soldier fight against five barbarians, to Zhuge Liang's repeating crossbow in the Three Kingdoms period, and the heavy armored cavalry, horizontal swords, and long swords of the Tang Dynasty.

The long-term external conquests were not a single-line campaign, but a comprehensive one. In the northwest, the Turkic were destroyed, and in the northeast, Goguryeo was destroyed. The battles with the Khitan, Tibet, Kucha, and the Abbasid Caliphate were not just wars of attrition based on national wealth and military strength, but also a great advantage in weaponry.

According to surviving records, cavalry generals mainly used the horse lance, a weapon with a blade over fifty centimeters long, an upgraded version of the eighteen-foot spear. There were thirteen types of armor, including bright armor, fish scale armor, iron round armor, and chainmail, as well as more than ten types of shields, and each person was equipped with a bow and crossbow.

Therefore, the various weapons developed during this period were very advanced, including prototypes of samurai swords. While it cannot be said that the swords forged by the Tang Dynasty far surpass modern pure carbon steel swords made with top-quality materials and craftsmanship.

But it at least shows that if it had been developed back then, it actually had the potential to rival the samurai sword. In fact, the ancient sword-making techniques of Wa Province have been largely lost, and what is used now is actually the technique from the Edo period when firearms were already prevalent.

However, countries governed by scholars tend to be less focused on weaponry than those governed by warriors; imperial aggressors aimed at expanding their territory, and nomadic peoples who cannot survive without burning, killing, and looting.

Their aggressiveness, ruthlessness, and fighting spirit are stronger than those of closed-off agrarian peoples. These are not incomprehensible facts.

"If Shirou is interested in weapons, I have some decent collectibles in my armory," Artoria said coldly.

"But your castle no longer exists, does it?" Wu Zetian said with a wicked smile. This woman was simply trying to sow discord and cause trouble.

Shirou looked at the familiar girl and said gently, "Artoria, don't be angry. Although I'm very interested in ancient forging techniques, I don't intend to abandon you and go abroad alone."

"Shirou... Hmm, good that you understand." Artoria stared at the boy, then turned her head away, a faint smile playing on her lips beneath her aloof face.

"Well, actually, even if Shirou brought his whole family to China, I would welcome them warmly. I would definitely give you the best treatment, ensuring you'll have no worries about food and clothing for the rest of your life, and I could even sponsor you to do what you want. Think it over carefully." Wu Zetian smiled, then looked at the boy very seriously and said, word by word.

"Thank you, I will consider it carefully." Shirou nodded, agreeing.

He understood the profound foundation of a great nation that could endure for thousands of years without interruption.

The world is vast, and over the past millennia, there have been quite a few nations that have achieved temporary glory. Even in the heart of the African continent, there have been many ancient Black nations that rivaled or even surpassed other empires of their time.

Ancient India, the place that invented the concept of 'zero', invented Arabic numerals, proposed the six realms of reincarnation, and had a vibrant array of religious beliefs, made numerous contributions to Human History. During the Mauryan dynasty, it completed the unification of India, Pakistan, and Bangladesh, expanding its territory to over 4 million square kilometers before the Common Era.

However, after the death of the second Ashoka, the dynasty quickly declined. After the fall of the Mauryan dynasty, the entire Indian subcontinent was never unified again, with rulers constantly changing and the caste system in constant cycles. The overthrown former rulers were reduced to slaves, while the new rulers, including royalty and priests, became the first caste, Brahmins, and military officers became the second caste, Kshatriyas.

The ancient Babylonians were conquered by the Persians around 500-600 BC.

The oldest Ancient Egypt are long gone. The modern Egyptians refer to those who have changed hands several times, such as the Macedonians under Alexander the Great, and then Cleopatra who married Caesar and Antony.

However, Antony was defeated by the Roman Emperor Octavian, and Egypt gradually came under the rule of Christianity, the state religion of Rome. From then on, Egypt had no more 'Pharaohs', and later the Muslims rose to power.

Modern Egypt is composed of over 85% Arabs who practice Islam and slightly over 10% Coptic people who claim to be direct descendants of Ancient Egypt. However, they all practice Christianity and speak Arabic.

Hmm... it really makes one wonder if the kids in this country learn about the Pharaohs and the Egyptian God Cards through Yu-Gi-Oh! -Oh!

Although Ancient Greece was just a city-state with a population of a few hundred thousand, it was a unique flower in the flower of Western civilization. More than four hundred years ago, it established a democratic system, advocated freedom and fairness, but it voted to the death of Socrates was already over seventy years old at the time.

Ancient Greece once defeated the Persian Empire, but ultimately it was just a city-state with fewer than a million inhabitants. However, their philosophy, their spirit of exploration of the world, and their individual heroism have survived and were brought to their full glory during the Renaissance.

Socrates, who was less than a hundred years younger than Confucius, was revered as the sage of the West.

In this small city-state, even the mythological figures were extraordinary. King of the Gods Zeus the gods, was a philanderer, always having affairs. Hera, the queen of the gods, was a jealous woman who would often try to maim or kill her husband's lovers and illegitimate children.

Athena travels to various battlefields, causing trouble wherever she pleases.

When the Great Hero Heracles was still human, he could go toe-to-toe with Ares, God of War, the god of war, and Dionysus even fought with the Greek King over a woman, the famous 'Crown of Ariadne'.

The gods in Ancient Greece mythology are somewhat similar to the gods and Buddha in Journey to the West, except they are humans with longer lifespans, greater power, and the same emotions and desires.

Therefore, they lacked reverence. As a result, Ancient Greece philosophers, like the Chinese who were later misinterpreted as having no faith, explored the mysteries of heaven and earth and proposed the theory of the four elements: earth, air, water, and fire.

It is very similar to the Yin-Yang and Five Elements theory of Chinese civilization.

It's not about everyone knowing everything through the Bible. God has already told humanity everything it needs to know in the book; what's not written there is simply what humanity doesn't need to know. For example, could an omniscient and omnipotent God create a stone that He couldn't lift? Or how many angels can stand on the head of a needle?

However, Greece was eventually conquered by Alexander the Great, and with Great Emperor expeditions, Greek civilization spread throughout the world.

Ancient Rome inherited the spiritual civilization of Ancient Greece, but ultimately it could not continue. Ancient Rome, having encountered a bottleneck in its development, eventually reformed and returned to being an empire.

The lifelong dictator, the Great Hero 'Caesar', was assassinated, and then his adopted son 'Octavian' successfully defeated Antony, seized power from the Senate and became the first Roman emperor. 'Caesar' thus became synonymous with the orthodox Roman emperor in the West, and only a few strongmen in later generations, such as Napoleon, have received this title.

For nearly two thousand years after the fall of Ancient Rome, the West never again saw a unification capable of turning the Mediterranean into an inland lake. The only thing that has survived in Europe is Roman law. The renowned Colosseum and Roman Baths, the magnificent theaters, and the splendid Roman temples can only be found in history books and some ruins.

Only Chinese civilization, despite losing so much in the face of repeated disasters, has stubbornly survived.

Therefore, Wu Zetian was not lying. The capital city of Luoyang that she built in China is still Luoyang today, and her palaces, after renovation, do indeed still exist there.

The core of the Luoyang Palace, the main hall Mingtang, also known as the 'Wanxiang Divine Palace', is divided into three floors, is 88.88 meters high, and has a square base that is exactly the number 81 (nine times nine), covering an area of 8,100 square meters.

The first floor is square, with each of the four walls painted a different color to represent the four seasons. The second floor has twelve walls, representing the twelve two- Tokiomi of the day.

The top floor is circular, surrounded by nine dragon sculptures, and supported by a giant wooden pillar with a circumference of fifteen meters, running from the top floor to the ground. It can be said to be the pinnacle of Tang Dynasty architecture.

If Wu Zetian were in China, she would receive an extraordinary level of regional advantage. As a wise and virtuous Lord of ancient times, her status in the hearts of the Chinese people would be no less than that of gods and Buddhas. She could be compared to sages, like the Three Sovereigns and Five Emperors.

As the only female emperor, as long as she is in Luoyang, she can use her Imperial Privilege to activate her original palace Noble Phantasm and thus recreate the palace.

Although modern Britain has been reduced to its original form, it still nominally remains a Commonwealth nation, but it has long since lost its real power. Due to the sluggish European economy, even within its own territory, which is smaller than a country, ethnic conflicts frequently arise.

However, as a legendary queen recognized by the British Empire, which once invaded and occupied more than 33 million square kilometers, Artoria's fame as Servant is no less than that of Wu Zetian in the Eastern cultural sphere.

Just then, the doorbell rang again.

Shirou jumped up as if on cue.

"Could it be that another girl is coming?" Komachi asked in surprise.

"Haha... I'll go take a look." Shirou said with a dry laugh as he walked outside.

The door opened, and BB-chan made a grand entrance, grinning as she asked, "Yes, yes, this is the mysterious transfer student from America, BB-chan, the cutest junior of the senior! Hmm? How about this setup?"

"Why did you ring the doorbell?" Shirou opened the door and asked the girl.

"Huh? Because it's because you want BB-chan to follow the rules of humans here, right? What's wrong?" The purple-haired girl tilted her head in confusion.

"No, it's nothing, let's come in first." Shirou reluctantly covered his face and agreed, feeling that some misunderstanding was about to occur.

It was already night, and the sky was gradually darkening. What he didn't know was that the Hachiman family's parents had all left work early that day and were already on their way home.

Chapter 291 Teaching Babies and Their Interests

After everyone had eaten their fill and satisfied their appetites, Higashiya family's parents returned home. They had already eaten dinner out because they were working overtime, and were simply resting at home.

"Welcome back, Dad, Mom," Komachi greeted them.

"Welcome back," Shirou said.

"Oh... we're back... is this really our home?" Hachiman's father asked.

"It really is our house, but it feels unbelievable," Hachiman's mother nodded and said.

I always felt that even during the New Year's Eve galas and funerals, it was rare to see a scene where so many high-quality beauties were captured on camera at once.

Apart from Shirou, the only boy in the room, the room was filled with beautiful and charming young girls, each with their own unique charm. From exotic British girls and French beauties, there were now also little lolis and young girls with a traditional Chinese style that I had never seen before.

I vaguely remember the three girls from Shirou's school;

There was also a playful purple-haired girl standing next to Shirou, behaving intimately with him and dressed like Magecraft;

The Hachiman couple felt as if they had traveled through time. If it weren't for the familiar furniture and their son and daughter, they would have turned around and left by now, never imagining that this was the house they had bought with a loan.

"Excuse me, Uncle and Aunt." Yukino Yukinoshita, along with Yuihama and the others, came up to greet them.

"Hello, nice to meet you. This is a small token of our appreciation for this year's spring tea from China." Chou Meimei gave a wink, and her attendants Lingyue and Wan'er immediately understood, taking out gifts from their bags and handing them over.

"Oh dear, you're so thoughtful, thank you. What a lovely little girl." The mother was quite pleased with the well-behaved and polite girl.

"This is BB from the US. She's going to stay here from now on, is that alright?" Shirou asked his parents.

"Hello Mom and Dad, I'm BB-chan," the purple-haired girl said.

"Sure!" Hachiman's mother nodded.

"Huh? Huh!" Even Shirou and Komachi exclaimed in surprise.

After all, she was helping her son find a bride, and after thinking for less than three seconds, she agreed.

"As expected of a mother!" Komachi exclaimed.

"Hey, Shirou, come over here for a second." The usually taciturn pillar of the family beckoned to his son and walked towards the outside of the veranda.

"Hmm? What's wrong?" Shirou walked over and asked.

"No, let's have a private chat, father and son."

Standing on the eaves, looking out at the courtyard, I could see the lights of the neighboring houses in the darkness outside, and the scattered stars in the sky, obscured by dark clouds.

This taciturn office worker isn't the strict father type. He usually lets his children be a little willful and doesn't offer much criticism, preferring to quietly support them and do his best to help when they need it. But right now, he wants to have a real conversation with his son.

He pulled out the cheapest disposable lighter in the convenience store, lit a cigarette, put a hand on Shirou's shoulder, and said earnestly, "Father, I know you're a very upright son, so I don't mean to criticize you. I just want to ask about your attitude towards love. Have you had any intentions towards any of the girls in those stories?"

Shirou paused for a moment, then said, "Of course I want everyone to be happy, but I don't have the ability to respond to their feelings and take care of everyone without hurting them."

"So being single-minded is the best attitude. However, I don't have any plans to be in a relationship right now. If I do decide, I'll probably stay by that person's side forever," Shirou said firmly.

The boy had no right to think about these things until he had settled everything with Shirou Emiya, the white god.

"Is that so? I'm relieved that you think that way. Shirou, your mother and I have lived a happy and fulfilling family life for so many years. This wasn't something that was predetermined from the beginning; it was something that family members had to work on little by little."

Whether it's a relationship between husband and wife or the education of children, these are things that require a lot of time and effort to manage well; nothing is simple.

Therefore, there's a saying that goes, "A lasting marriage requires understanding, empathy, and balance, while hitting and scolding children is a lazy approach to education."

"Yes, thank you. I'm sorry to have worried you." Shirou smiled, reassuring his father.

Dad took a deep drag, quickly inhaling most of the cigarette, exhaling a thin plume of smoke that drifted into the air, then took out his portable ashtray, stubbed out the cigarette, and put it inside.

"Since you understand, I won't say any more. In short, it's really great that you've been practicing kendo and archery since you were little." The father stretched out his rough and strong hand, patted his son's shoulder, and then turned and walked inside alone.

"Hmm?" Shirou stared at his father's retreating figure for a while before returning inside.

After that, Wu Zetian and her entourage returned to the hotel, Yukino Yukinoshita and the others also went home.

The couple, who had to leave for work early the next day, went back to their room to rest.

After seeing the girls off to their carriage, Shirou returned home.

At this point, only the boarding girls and BB, who had just arrived, remained.

With the start of school fast approaching, Shirou must get the girls ready. First up is BB; unlike the BB Servant stayed in Chaldea, she has already gained a physical body.

Since we will continue to live in this world as humans, going to school is a necessary part of it.

"That's great! Now Komachi has classmates to hang out with!" Komachi happily hugged the girl.

"Although BB-chan is everyone's junior, I'd rather stay with Shirou-senpai. Besides, BB has memories of being the school doctor in high school..." the purple-haired girl said, pouting.