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

Chapter 366 Northern Expedition against Yan and Yun
Zhao Xu said, "There are those who are good at using the Yellow Wind, those who can make sand and stones fly, those who carry their own magic weapons and can kill generals on the battlefield, and those whose mounts are rare beasts. With a roar, the warhorse will become weak and its muscles will melt."

"Your Majesty, what kind of strange beast is it?" Zhao Ti asked in surprise, not expecting that such a rare beast would appear.

“These are all things that didn’t exist originally, but they emerged after this great change in the world. They have all sorts of strange appearances, are violent and cruel, and some even possess special magic, similar to demonic magic,” Zhao Xu said.

"Are they the ferocious beasts recorded in the Classic of Mountains and Seas?" Zhao Ti asked.

"Judging from the military reports sent back from the front, some are similar, while others have never been recorded before, and we don't know what kind of mutation they came from," Zhao Xu said.

Upon hearing this, Zhao Ti pondered. It seemed that the changes in the world after the great upheaval far exceeded his expectations, and the speed was so fast that such things had appeared.

“Actually, there are strange beasts within the territory of the Great Song Dynasty. A while ago, a Taoist temple on Zhongnan Mountain captured a beast that resembled a Qilin. It possessed extraordinary powers, could distinguish between good and evil, and when it ran, its hooves seemed to be enveloped in black clouds, as swift as the wind,” Zhao Xu said.

"Oh? How did the man from Zhongnan Mountain manage to capture such a strange beast?" Zhao Ti asked.

"The mountain is rich in spiritual energy, and the Taoist temple there already had some ancient techniques passed down. An old Taoist master practiced them and, after discovering the strange beast, used a combination of strategy and magic to capture it and bring it to Tokyo," Zhao Xu said.

"I see." Zhao Ti nodded. "Your Majesty, how are the matters concerning the martial arts and legal training halls progressing?"

Zhao Xu said, "Both are showing signs of prosperity. This time, two of them sent people to the expedition. If it weren't for these people, we would have been unable to hold our ground and would have retreated in defeat long ago."

Zhao Ti said, "That would be best. I have some idea of ​​what to expect from that."

Zhao Xu said, "Previously, the Western Route Army appointed Zhang Jie as its commander. My eleventh brother only allowed him to assist, not to take charge."

Zhao Ti said, "Your Majesty's judgment is wise."

Zhao Xu nodded: "The Eastern Route Army is led by Cai Jing. Cai Jing has made great achievements in compiling the Martial Classic and has also made progress in martial arts. With the assistance of generals such as Zhe Kexing, Zhong Shidao, Yao Gu, Liu Fa, and Liu Zhongwu, there are not many problems in terms of combat. The only problem is that the Khitans have come up with all sorts of sorcery and have suffered considerable losses."

Zhao Ti said, "There is a strange power in the grasslands, but the Sixteen Prefectures are not located in the grasslands. The fact that the people of the Martial Arts and Law Hall were defeated by them must be the work of the Shamanism."

Zhao Xu asked, "What is the meaning behind your words, Eighth Brother?"

Zhao Ti recounted the assassination attempt in front of Miechuan City, and then took out a "kaleidoscope" from his person for Zhao Xu to see: "Your Majesty, this is a magical artifact that the Shamanism obtained from Shaman Heaven. It has considerable power, especially when used in one-on-one combat. It can catch the opponent off guard and cause them to fall into a state of dazzling dizziness. If a swift attack is then launched, most opponents will not be able to avoid it."

Zhao Xu frowned, took the kaleidoscope and examined it for a moment, then said, "The Shamanism can obtain such artifacts from the Shaman Heaven to support the Khitan, but our Great Song has nowhere to obtain them. Previously, when Huang Shang compiled the Daoist scriptures, he led people to travel all over blessed lands and grotto heavens, to various Daoist temples, but the magical artifacts in those places were all just decorations, none of them were usable. According to Huang Shang, after inputting magical power into them, most of them cracked and broke, and although a small number were not damaged, they were like stubborn rocks that could only withstand the force, without any miraculous effects."

Zhao Ti remained silent. In fact, this was the first major problem in the current battle against Liao. It didn't matter whether there were more or less soldiers, horses, and weapons, since both sides had them. Although there was no absolute equality, they could be won over through battle. But magical weapons were different. If the other side had them and we didn't, then we would be put on the defensive.

While it cannot be said that possessing magical artifacts can defeat a large army or determine the outcome of a battle, it does have a certain degree of suppressive power, especially posing a great threat to generals at the front who lack magical abilities.

Zhao Xu said, "I don't know what kind of ghost or god that Shaman Heaven is. In my Central Plains, there are so many famous mountains and rivers, ancient scenic spots, but there is not a single real magic weapon. Yet He can send down objects for his followers to use."

Zhao Ti pondered and said, "It's not that there aren't any in the Central Plains, but it's also possible that they haven't been discovered yet. After all, there are too many mountains and rivers, and too many temples and monasteries. Even Huang Chang would find it difficult to travel all of them and wouldn't be able to recognize them all."

Zhao Xu said, "I hope so. What is your plan for this matter, Eighth Brother?" Zhao Ti thought for a moment and said, "Although we don't have any magical artifacts right now, we still have talismans and Taoist magic. The Taoist sects in Longhu Mountain, Maoshan, and Fudi Cave Heaven should be able to draw some useful talismans, right?"

Zhao Xu said, "That's true. There are people in the lecture hall who can draw talismans. They have been very useful on the front lines this time. The Shenxiao Daoist next to my eleventh brother is also good at this. That's why I thought it over and over again and asked my eleventh brother to go to the western army to assist him."

Zhao Ti said, "Besides talismans, I think that although the lack of magical artifacts will be somewhat restrictive, there is another way to deal with it, which is... to seize them."

"Seize?" Zhao Xu's eyes widened slightly upon hearing this, and the white part inside became more and more obvious, looking very empty and eerie, with a sense of death.

“It’s about taking them.” Zhao Ti pondered, “It doesn’t matter if we don’t have magical artifacts. As long as the other side has them, we can take them. As the saying goes, if we don’t have guns or knives, the enemy can make them for us. Since our army doesn’t have any magical artifacts right now, we should find a way to take them from the other side.”

Zhao Xu nodded and said, "Eighth Brother is right. This time, the battle of Yanyun will depend entirely on you, Eighth Brother."

Zhao Ti rose and bowed, saying, "Your Majesty is too kind. Your humble servant will do his utmost."

The two chatted for a while longer, mostly about the changes in the world, Taoist arts, and martial arts, before Zhao Ti left the palace and returned home.

At this time, the Prince of Yan's mansion was quite lively. Originally, only a few people, including the steward Zheng Fu, were on guard. However, upon learning of Zhao Ti's return, Jin Feng Xi Yu Lou Shang Qi Ren Liu Hou Si Zhu San brought many of his men to pay their respects and prepare a banquet, making it extremely noisy.

At the banquet, amidst toasts and clinking glasses, Shang Qi reported on the latest news from Tokyo and the income from buying and selling shops. Everyone chatted and laughed until the night deepened before dispersing.

The next morning, Zhao Ti got up, tidied himself up, changed into his official robes, and Bai Zhan drove to the palace to attend court.

Upon entering the Zichen Palace, one finds a somber atmosphere, with wisps of smoke rising from the beast-shaped incense burner and complete silence.

As Zhao Ti walked in, all the officials turned to look at him, and many of them breathed a sigh of relief and nodded to him.

He responded to each question, and upon reaching the head of the group, he saw Zhang Dun with a solemn expression ask, "Has His Highness the Prince of Yan returned?"

Zhao Ti smiled and said, "How can I not return, given His Majesty's will?"

Zhang Dun sighed, "This northern expedition has been thwarted, and I'm afraid it will be difficult for His Highness Prince Yan to come to the front lines."

Zhao Ti said, "I have been enfeoffed as the King of Yan, so I should be at the forefront and take it upon myself to reclaim the old lands of Yan and Yun. Even if I am in charge remotely, it is not right to leave this place in the hands of the enemy for too long."

Zhang Dun said, "Your Highness's concerns are very valid. The old lands in front of and behind the mountain should be reclaimed as soon as possible."

At this moment, Zhao Xu came from behind the palace, sat down at the dragon table, Tan Zhen sang a song, and then they began to discuss matters.

After completing his official duties, Zhao Xu discussed the military situation at the front and issued an edict appointing Zhao Ti as the Pacification Commissioner of Hebei and Hedong, Grand Marshal of the Eastern and Western Armies, in charge of the affairs of the prefectures of Yanshan and Yunzhong, and ordering him to depart within three days to take charge of military affairs in Yanyun.

Zhao Ti naturally accepted the order, and the next day at noon, he mustered 30,000 troops and headed north out of the capital region.

(End of this chapter)