The Song Dynasty was the king for thirteen years before he knew that he was Tianlong.

Chapter 357 Recognition and Gratitude (Seeking Monthly Tickets)
Upon hearing this, Azi beamed with joy, twisted her waist slightly, and jumped out of the circle with a "whoosh".

Just as she was about to shout, "I am free again!", she saw Zhao Ti and Duan Zhengchun walk out of the waterside pavilion.

Azi's expression changed instantly. She quickly lowered her head, feigning deep regret, and clasped her hands in front of her, not daring to move an inch.

Zhao Ti walked up to her, looked her up and down a few times, and said indifferently, "Can you learn it well?"

Azi nodded frantically, "Yes, yes!"

Zhao Ti asked, "Do you sneak away at night?"

“Ah, this…” Azi’s eyes darted around as she looked down at the shoes. The two delicate shoe tips were placed together, with two small lotus flowers close together on them, looking as tender and lovely as twin lotus flowers.

"Hmm?" Zhao Ti's face darkened.

"No, no, Your Majesty, please rest assured, I will never run away." Azi hurriedly said, "Seeing Your Majesty again is like rain after a long drought, or passing the imperial examination. I am so happy that I would never think of running away."

Zhao Ti's face darkened upon hearing this: "What nonsense are you talking about?"

Azi stammered, "Yes, it was Brother Duan Yu who taught us. Could it be that he taught us wrong?"

Zhao Ti said, "How could he have taught you wrong? You've learned wrong. You're good for nothing, you can't do needlework, and you can't read. What good are you? You might as well just slap him to death."

"I, I..." Azi was immediately startled: "Your Majesty, I'll learn needlework and study hard, okay?"

Zhao Ti looked at her intently for a moment and said, "We'll talk about needlework and reading later. If I see you acting suspiciously tonight, I won't use my inner energy or the Life and Death Talisman of the Tianshan Lingjiu Palace. I'll just abolish your martial arts, light the incense in the Divine Wood King Cauldron, and throw it next to you."

Azi shuddered immediately: "Your Majesty, Your Majesty, I promise I won't run away, I promise I'll stay in the room and not go anywhere."

Zhao Ti snorted and looked at Duan Zhengchun: "If Azi is up to no good and intends to cause trouble and escape, how should I deal with her? Should I kill her or torture her? Does the Prince of Zhennan have any objections?"

Duan Zhengchun said with a smile, "Of course I have no objection. I will follow your orders. Whatever you do is fine."

Upon hearing this, Azi clenched her fists tightly, her ten little toes gripping the ground with all her might. She cursed inwardly, "You, Duan Zhengchun, don't even care about your own daughter. Whatever you do, you're not a human being. My daughter has been calling you 'Dad' for months!"

Zhao Ti looked at her and asked, "What are you thinking about?"

"I wasn't thinking about anything." Azi said in a panic, "No, no, I was thinking that His Majesty's martial arts are unparalleled, his magical power is boundless, he is unparalleled throughout history, and he has unified the martial world!"

Zhao Ti said, "Stop with those petty tricks. You can't even complain in your heart. If I find out, I will punish you severely."

"Yes, yes..." Azi secretly stuck out her tongue, clutching the hem of her clothes. She thought to herself that the king had unfathomable abilities and could see through people's thoughts. She had to be careful and not let him know what she was thinking, otherwise her fate would be extremely miserable.

"Go and rest!" Zhao Ti flicked his sleeves, turned around, and continued walking forward with Duan Zhengchun.

Only after the two had walked far away did Azi raise her head, her face pink and white, and she stammered, "Sister Yu'er, go, go to sleep."

Seeing that she had become docile in an instant, A Zhu smiled and said, "Come with your sister. By the way, although what the young master said was scary, you don't need to worry too much. The young master is not such a vicious person."

Azi said, "I know, I know," but in her mind a thousand times she was refuting it. If the king isn't vicious, then who else in the world is vicious? I'm not a naive girl like you who hasn't witnessed the king's ferocious and terrifying appearance.

Zhao Ti and Duan Zhengchun entered the main hall for tea, with Ruan Xingzhu serving them. Duan Zhengchun cautiously asked, "Young Master, about what was discussed at the banquet..."

Zhao Ti twirled the teacup in his hand a few times and said leisurely, "I've thought about it over and over but still can't figure out what the Prince of Zhennan is planning, sending all his daughters to me?"

Duan Zhengchun's face turned red as he said, "It was truly out of necessity. I really couldn't control Azi. She even dared to poison the lake water, which shows that she has shown no respect for her father at all these past few months. I, I..."

Zhao Ti said, "I heard that your brother intends to abdicate and enter Tianlong Temple to cultivate. Is the Prince of Zhennan afraid that Azi will cause a great disaster and delay his succession to the throne of Dali?"

Duan Zhengchun hurriedly shook his hands: "Absolutely not, absolutely not! Young master, you don't understand me. How could I be the kind of person who cares about the throne? I..."

Zhao Ti stroked his chin: "If I take Azi with me, there will already be three Duan family daughters in the Northwest, and Yu Yan from Jiangnan will come sooner or later. It will truly be a complete family, a happy reunion."

Upon hearing this, Duan Zhengchun lowered his head in shame and said, "This..."

“Something seems off. We’re still missing A’Zhu. Where is A’Zhu?” Zhao Ti asked. “Should I help the Prince of Zhennan look for A’Zhu again?”

"Huh?" Duan Zhengchun was taken aback.

Ruan Xingzhu said from the side, "Young master, if you can help me find A'Zhu, I will be extremely grateful and never forget it."

Zhao Ti picked up his teacup and took a sip: "But this isn't a solution. So many of the Prince of Zhennan's daughters have gone to my side. There has to be an explanation. As the saying goes, if the name isn't proper, the words won't be proper..."

He paused here, and Duan Zhengchun looked up and said, "What does the young master mean..."

Zhao Ti said, "Although Wanqing has been granted the title of princess, her origins are still unclear. Prince Zhennan, please think of a solution one by one."

Duan Zhengchun secretly groaned. Giving his daughters a title wasn't enough; they also needed a legitimate motherhood. But how could he do that?
He hesitated, then said, "Young Master, what about Bai Feng..."

Zhao Ti said, "If her clan is not afraid of being trampled to pieces by the army and wiped out, then let them stir up trouble and see if I will take action."

Duan Zhengchun grinned: "Young Master, is there something else? Ling'er's mother has already married someone else. I can't, I can't bestow a title upon someone else's wife..."

"Madam Gan?" Zhao Ti frowned as a delicate and slender figure appeared before his eyes. He couldn't help but say, "Let Ling'er be registered under Madam Qin's name."

“And then there’s Qingluo. Qingluo is in Jiangnan, and we had a huge argument last time, so I haven’t been to Suzhou since…” Duan Zhengchun said, rubbing his forehead.

“Then let’s seal it off first. What kind of decorum is it if people don’t have a noble birth?” Zhao Ti said.

"Yes, yes, I will take care of this matter as soon as I get back. Ah Zi, Ah Zi, please go with the young master." Duan Zhengchun said, though his tone was strained, his expression was relaxed.

Zhao Ti said, "I have fulfilled the long-cherished wish of the Prince of Zhennan and solved a major problem for him. Doesn't the Prince of Zhennan even want to express his gratitude?"

Duan Zhengchun hurriedly replied, "Of course I am grateful, of course I am grateful."

Ruan Xingzhu, realizing what Zhao Ti had said, blushed and bowed deeply, saying, "This humble woman, Ruan Xingzhu, thanks you for your kindness, young master... thank you so much..."

Zhao Ti waved his hand and looked at Duan Zhengchun: "How will the Prince of Zhennan express his gratitude?"

Duan Zhengchun said, "As long as you ask for something, I will do my best to handle it. Whatever you request, I will do my utmost to find it."

Zhao Ti pondered for a moment and said, "Once the Prince of Zhennan ascends the throne of Dali, he can give me ten thousand sets of rattan armor."

"Ten thousand sets of rattan armor?" Duan Zhengchun was stunned. "Young Master actually wants rattan armor?"

Zhao Ti nodded. He had long wanted to obtain rattan armor. The rattan armor from Nanzhao was exquisitely crafted, soaked in tung oil for years, making it impervious to swords and spears, incredibly light, and, most importantly, resistant to water and fire. Not only could rattan armor float on water, but it also had anti-corrosion and fire-resistant properties. Even in later generations, many fire-resistant materials still contained tung oil.

Tung oil is not the kind of substance that ignites easily. On the contrary, the long-term soaking process actually acts as an insulator, and its ignition point is not much lower than that of wood or bamboo.

Therefore, it is basically impossible to burn the rattan armor. This thing is easy to wear and easy to take off, so there is no possibility of a fire burning the person along with it.

On the contrary, cloth and leather armor are more flammable. If they catch a spark, they can easily catch fire and are difficult to remove, ultimately causing harm.

The same goes for armor; it's difficult to remove, and although it won't catch fire, it will eventually burn to death over time.

Rattan armor is extremely durable and has excellent elasticity. It is superior to iron armor in defending against blunt weapons, and it is indeed difficult to penetrate with swords and spears. It is no less effective than iron armor in defending against sharp weapons, making it a rare and valuable item.

However, this kind of armor is not easy to make. It requires special vines from deep in the mountains, which need to be soaked and dried several times, and it takes several years to make a qualified suit of armor. In terms of overall cost, it far exceeds that of iron armor.

This is also why rattan armor did not become the mainstream on the battlefield; nowadays, only Dali still has this kind of armor, and it has disappeared from the Central Plains.

"Ten thousand sets of rattan armor, the Prince of Zhennan should be able to provide that," Zhao Ti said.

Duan Zhengchun said, "I do know that this armor exists, but the Dali military arsenal does not have this many. Even if we collect them from all over the country, there would probably only be a few thousand sets, and they are all old armors, many of which are damaged."

Zhao Ti said, "Those rattan and oil are specialties of Dali, and are rarely produced elsewhere. It would be better to make some new ones."

Duan Zhengchun nodded: "That's no problem. But since you want this armor, you must know that it takes a long time and a lot of work to make. It might take several years to complete, and it's difficult to repair if it's damaged. That's why it's not popular and can't be used on the battlefield for long."

Zhao Ti said, "I know that, so bring what you have first, and deliver the rest after it's finished."

Duan Zhengchun said, "Alright, I'll remember."

Zhao Ti smiled and said, "In that case, I will take Azi away tomorrow. There is military intelligence in the Northwest right now, so it is not good to stay for long."

Duan Zhengchun said, "Thank you for your trouble, young master."

Zhao Ti said, "Let's make this clear first. What I said before wasn't meant to scare Azi. If you really anger me, I'll just kill you."

Duan Zhengchun trembled and gritted his teeth, saying, "This wretched girl has become a demon, she is neither benevolent nor kind, neither loyal nor filial. If she shows no remorse, then everything will be left to you, young master, to decide!"

Zhao Ti smiled slightly: "The words of the Prince of Zhennan are enough."

Azi and Azhu entered the house and found it to be a small suite with only a wooden couch inside.

Azi looked around and said, "Sister, there's only one bed here. How are two people supposed to sleep? Sister, why don't you find another room with two beds?"

Azhu smiled and said, "Since we are sisters, why should we sleep in separate beds? I'll just share a bed with my sister."

Azi exclaimed in surprise, "Oh dear, how can this be? I, I've always slept in my own bed since I was little, I've never slept with anyone else before."

Azhu laughed and said, "Well, we didn't have an older sister then. Now that we have one, we can sleep together."

"No, no!" Azi's eyes darted around. "I, I don't sleep well at night. I do somersaults and dream... I even dream of hitting people. What if I hurt you, sister? I'm only thinking of you."

"The younger sister is thinking of her older sister?" Azhu's lips curved upwards.

"Yes, Sister Yu'er, look at you, so beautiful and charming, just like a person in a painting. You must not know martial arts, right?" A'Zi quickly said, "I am highly skilled in martial arts, and my moves are as fast as the wind. Especially in dreams, I have no sense of strength. Wouldn't it be a sin to really hurt you, Sister? What if I hit your face? If the King finds out, wouldn't he cut me into a thousand pieces?"

Azhu smiled and said, "It's alright, Sister Azi can't hurt me, and even if she did, Young Master wouldn't say anything."

"Can't be hurt?" Azi was taken aback upon hearing this, and then wondered to herself, could it be that the other party knows martial arts?

"Sister...do you know martial arts?"

Azhu smiled slightly at her, then suddenly muttered something to herself and raised her hand towards the table.

Suddenly, several black crescent-shaped blades emerged from the void, slicing off all four legs of the table with a single stroke, causing the table to collapse with a "snap".

"Ah, sister, you..." Azi was shocked and took two steps back: "Sister, what kind of martial arts is this? It's really amazing. I've never seen anything like it before in my life."

A'Zhu looked at her and said, "This is not martial arts."

Azi's eyes flickered: "What else could it be but martial arts?"

A'Zhu said, "This is magic, but I also know some martial arts, though not as good as magic."

"Magic?" Azi was stunned. She had heard about the great changes in the world. The geography of various places had changed, and it seemed to be much more vast. Many strange and unusual things had appeared, and some people even claimed to have absorbed spiritual energy and cultivated magic, able to summon wind and rain.

Azi was initially skeptical. She had indeed witnessed the changes in the world, but she had never seen anyone use magic. Now that this Sister Yu'er could use it, how was she supposed to escape in the middle of the night?

The other party also claimed to know martial arts, which would make it even harder to escape. Since they were sleeping in the same bed, they would likely be alerted by the slightest movement.

“It’s magic,” A’Zhu said. “However, my cultivation is not as high as yours, young master. You are the one with the power to reach the heavens and the earth.”

"Your Majesty also knows magic?" Azi shuddered. "Sister Yu'er, I, I..."

"Sister, don't say anymore. Just rest well in this room," A'Zhu said.

"Okay, okay..." Azi was flustered and her mind went blank. She didn't know how to refuse, so she agreed without thinking.

The two talked for a while longer, about all sorts of things, and then went to rest. Azi pretended to be asleep and didn't move at all. When it was midnight, she quietly opened her eyes.

She first listened to A-Zhu's movements beside her, and felt that her breathing was even and that she seemed to be fast asleep. She gritted her teeth and tried to sit up and get out of bed.

But just as she made a move, A'Zhu suddenly asked, "Where are you going, little sister?"

"I, I'll just turn over..." Upon hearing this, Azi's expression changed immediately, and she hurriedly explained in a low voice.

"Oh, little sister, go back to sleep," Azhu murmured.

Ah Zi dared not make any rash moves. She was both anxious and scared, and finally fell asleep in a daze.

The next morning, Zhao Ti bid farewell to Duan Zhengchun and, with Azi in tow, the group headed back towards Xingzhou.

(End of this chapter)