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

Chapter 467 Important Matters (Seeking Monthly Tickets)

Wanyan Loushi… Zhao Ti’s lips curled up slightly. It was actually this person, the future Jurchen military god, the number one general, but he was only about twenty years old at the moment.
Why did Wanyan Aguda send him here? Could it be that the capital city had too many troops and was too difficult to conquer, so he planned something similar to the Maritime Alliance in advance?
The maritime alliance more than twenty years later stipulated that Song would take Yan and Yun, while Jin would take other places. So, if we were to speculate now, how would Wanyan Aguda propose this alliance to destroy Liao?
"Bring this person over." Zhao Ti nodded, and Yao Pingzhong accepted the order and hurriedly left the main hall.

“What a scoundrel! How could he, how could he…” Yelü Heluwo murmured in astonishment.

"What?!" Zhao Ti looked at him.

"I...I didn't say anything..." Yelü Heluwo didn't dare to look at Zhao Ti and muttered to himself.

“The King of Wei is going to the capital to enjoy a life of leisure, so what is there to be afraid of saying?” Zhao Ti sneered. “I will not be angered by a few words from the King of Wei and break my promise. Wouldn’t that break my promise to the world?”

Upon hearing this, Yelü Heluwo cautiously replied, "Wanyan Aguda sending his people to contact the Prince of Yan is definitely an attempt to form an alliance, which is detrimental to our Great Liao. Perhaps, perhaps, he is plotting to completely destroy our Great Liao..."

Zhao Ti smiled and said, "I'm afraid that's the case."

Yelü Heluwo hurriedly said, "Your Highness, do not listen to the sweet talk of the Jurchen bandits. These bandits are two-faced, disloyal, and unjust. If they come to talk about forming alliances, they must have ulterior motives. For many years, our Great Liao has been raising a tiger that is now a threat, which shows their wolfish ambitions. Moreover, our Liao and Great Song are interdependent. If the Khitan are destroyed, these bandits... will surely be eyeing Great Song again!"

Zhao Ti glanced at him: "The King of Wei does have some insight."

"Well... I've also been well-versed in military strategy since childhood, studying Sun Tzu's Art of War, the tactics of Duke Wei, and the Thirty-Six Strategies of Duke Tan in detail. How could I not see through the Jurchens' schemes and tricks? Your Highness, please reconsider!" Yelü Heluwo said anxiously.

“What you say makes sense, but…” Zhao Ti smiled, “Who can refuse to expand territory, wage wars of conquest, and achieve lasting fame and glory in history?”

"Prince Yan, Prince Yan, even if this war temporarily expands our territory, it will only be like raising a wolf to cause trouble in the future. It will be detrimental to the Great Song Dynasty and may repeat the mistakes of our Great Liao Dynasty. If the divine weapon is lost, the country will be in trouble. I'm afraid that Prince Yan will become a sinner in the Central Plains. In the future, there will be no good reputation, but only infamy."

"Hmph!" Zhao Ti's face turned cold: "What do you know? You're talking big, full of empty boasts, and spouting nonsense. Guards, take him away and keep him under strict guard. He must not be harmed!"

The officers immediately stepped forward and, with a combination of pushing and pulling, dragged Yelü and Luwo out of the hall. Yelü and Luwo twisted their bodies, kicked their legs wildly, and wailed, "These are truly my heartfelt words, my earnest words. I beg the Prince of Yan to reconsider, to reconsider!"

Watching the other party being led out the door, Zhao Ti couldn't help but smile. He picked up his cup, took a sip of tea, and looked at the generals on both sides. The generals all looked thoughtful, thinking about what Yelü and Luwo had just said.

Zhao Ti didn't speak, but smiled slightly. After a moment, Yao Pingzhong led three people over from outside the door. Two of them stayed outside, while a burly young man was brought into the hall.

Zhao Ti sized up the young man, who then removed his hat to show respect, revealing a Jurchen hairstyle that was slightly different from that of the Khitan.

He appeared to be around twenty years old, with thick eyebrows and large eyes, a well-defined face, and a heroic air. He walked with a steady and powerful gait, indicating that he was skilled in martial arts. He was calm and composed, showing no signs of being overwhelmed by praise or criticism.

Zhao Ti remained expressionless. The young man walked into the hall and bowed, his posture extremely low and his tone extremely respectful. However, his Mandarin was very broken, though barely discernible. He said, "The chief of the Seven Rivers tribe of the Jurchen tribes of the Lower State, Meng'an Wanyan Loushi, has come to pay homage to His Highness Prince Yan of the Great Song Dynasty on the orders of my tribe's leader, Wanyan Aguda."

Zhao Ti lowered his eyelids and did not speak. Wanyan Loushi was a member of the Jurchen Wanyan tribe, and the Qishui tribe was a branch of the Wanyan tribe, so he was able to inherit the position of chief of the Qishui tribe from his father.

As for Meng'an, it was a minor military rank. The Jurchens used 300 households to form a Mouke, and a Mouke had 100 soldiers. Ten Mouke formed a Meng'an, which was equivalent to a chiliarch.

Above the Meng'an is the military commander, above the military commander is the commander of ten thousand men, and above the commander of ten thousand men is the commander-in-chief. The Meng'an is responsible for commanding the thousand men under his command and also manages some military affairs such as repairs and training.

Zhao Ti wondered why Wanyan Aguda didn't send his own direct relatives Zongwang and Zonghan, or even his younger brother Wanyan Wuqimai, or even his cousin Wanyan Sagai.

Why did they send Wanyan Loushi? Wanyan Loushi is not a close relative of Wanyan Aguda, but only belongs to the same Wanyan tribe. Moreover, he is young and not well-known at the moment. He is just the chief of a branch tribe. Sending him to see me seems a bit insignificant.

Seeing that Zhao Ti remained silent, Wanyan Loushi did not show any signs of panic or nervousness. Instead, he calmly said, "Your Highness, I, a foreign subject from a lower state, have come to present a letter to Your Highness on the orders of my clan chief. I have some important matters to discuss and request Your Highness to review them."

As he spoke, he took out a letter from his person, bowed, and held it above his head with both hands.

Zhao Ti remained silent upon hearing this, simply staring at Wanyan Loushi. Wanyan Loushi was puzzled but could not move, so he could only stiffly maintain this position.

After a long pause, Zhao Ti finally spoke slowly: "Do you have a grudge against Wanyan Aguda?"

"Huh?" Wanyan Loushi was stunned. Before coming to Yanjing, he had thought of all sorts of possibilities and how the Song Dynasty prince would ask him questions. He had also prepared various responses to ensure that he answered appropriately and did not show any fear or disrespect. However, he never expected that the other party would ask such a question!
“This… how could a subject like me have a grudge against the clan chief? I am loyal to the clan chief, and the clan chief is considerate of his subordinates. There is no enmity between us.”

"No grudges? Then do you have any grudges with Wanyan Zongwang, Wanyan Zonggan, Wanyan Wuqimai, Wanyan Sagai, or other members of the Jurchen royal family?" Zhao Ti asked, frowning.

“This one doesn’t exist either.” Wanyan Loushi was puzzled. Why would the King of Yan of Song ask such a nonsensical question? How did he know the name Zongwang Zonggan? It was possible that he knew Wuqimai and Sagai, but Zongwang Zonggan was younger than him, just a teenager. How did the other party know him?
“Since you have no enmity with Wanyan Aguda’s clan…” Zhao Ti pondered, then shook his head and said, “Then why did they send you here to your death!” “What? To your death?” Wanyan Loushi was taken aback. To die? How could they say it was to send you to your death?
Wanyan Aguda sent him to deliver the letter and request an alliance because Sagai and others were presiding over a major battle and were unable to spare the time.

Secondly, he is intelligent, adaptable, and has a good grasp of the big picture. In particular, he had previously learned the official language of the Song Dynasty from Wanyan Xiyin and could communicate without any problems. Wanyan Xiyin was fluent in several languages ​​and was the first genius of the Jurchen people. He was currently compiling the Jurchen people's own script in his hometown of Huining in the Northeast.

From this perspective, there is nothing inappropriate about sending myself to Yanjing. Why would the other party make such a claim?
"It's suicide, don't you, a mere foreign barbarian, realize that?" Zhao Ti said coldly.

"This... I really don't understand, please enlighten me, Your Highness." Wanyan Loushi became more and more puzzled, and couldn't help but look up and steal a glance at Zhao Ti. He immediately felt a cold gaze and a piercing aura, and was startled. He thought to himself that this prince of the Song Dynasty had such a strong presence.

"Don't you understand?" Zhao Ti snorted and said, "Don't you know your own status? Let alone discussing important matters, even just delivering a message would be difficult for me to trust. I would kill you as a spy. What are you talking about? What else could you be but a death sentence!"

"Identity?" Wanyan Loushi was stunned upon hearing this. What did this have to do with identity? He was an envoy sent by the chieftain to discuss the alliance. He was there to discuss matters of business, so what did it have to do with anything else? Besides, among the Jurchen tribes, status and position were not particularly valued. Ordinary tribesmen could sit and talk with the chieftain, and ordinary soldiers could eat with him. So... what contradiction did this have with sending a letter and making an alliance?

At this moment, Cai Jing said with a stern face, "You little Meng'an, just a commander of a thousand men, what qualifications do you have to send a letter to discuss important matters? You don't even have the qualifications to see His Highness. Wanyan Aguda sent someone of your status here. Isn't that disrespectful to His Highness and to the Song Dynasty? Not only do you deserve to die, but even that barbarian Aguda has a way to die!"

Wanyan Loushi was dumbfounded upon hearing this. He had only delivered a message, so why should he be executed? Even the clan leader had a reason to die.
Even with his quick wit and exceptional martial arts skills, he dared not speak recklessly or show the slightest disrespect. He simply bowed his head lower and whispered, "This, this..."

At this moment, Zhao Ji spoke up, "Eighth Brother, I think that Jurchen tribe is nothing but a makeshift group, barbaric in nature, without any manners or etiquette. Their discussions and the sending of messages are like child's play, making them despicable and laughable. They cannot be trusted."

“Indeed, it’s unbelievable.” Zhao Ti said calmly, “However… the Jurchen people live in the mountains and wilderness year-round, so such behavior within the tribe is possible. But Wanyan Aguda himself holds an official position in the Liao Kingdom and moves around the Liao officialdom. It’s unreasonable to say he doesn’t know etiquette. Otherwise, how could he have served as a Liao official all those years ago? If he didn’t know etiquette and hierarchy, he would probably have been punished by Yelü Hongji in two and a half days. That’s why I said this Jurchen boy must have a grudge against him, so he deliberately sent this boy to his death.”

Upon hearing this, Wanyan Loushi was startled. He thought to himself, "That seems to be the case. I once saw a Liao official go to a tribal village to collect offerings. The tribal chief's every move was different from usual. He was very cautious and respectful, humble and careful. Many of his actions seemed wooden, but they were actually etiquette and rules. He was clearly acting according to Liao rules and was clearly a level below Liao officials."

From this perspective, what the King of Yan of the Song Kingdom said seems to be correct. How could the clan leader not know about this situation? But why did he still send someone of his status to see His Highness the King of the Song Kingdom?
Wanyan Loushi was full of doubts, but he did not think that Wanyan Aguda had done it on purpose, that he had a grudge against him, or that he and the other party had an unnoticed grudge. He just thought that perhaps the war was tense and he was busy with many affairs, and the other party had been negligent for a moment. But no matter what, he felt a little awkward.

He could only explain, "Your Highness, the clan chief may have been too busy fighting the Khitan these days, and his mind was exhausted. It is inevitable that he would make some mistakes. He really has no personal grudge against foreign officials. I hope Your Highness will see through this and understand."

"Understand? Where did you learn that slang from the streets of my Great Song Dynasty?" Zhao Ti asked.

"Your Highness, this was taught by Wanyan Xiyin, a member of our clan. He even taught us the official language of the Song Dynasty," Wanyan Loushi hurriedly replied.

"Wanyan Xiyin, the God of Grain?" Zhao Ti's face darkened. "Since Wanyan Aguda has no grudge against you, then you must have been sent here on purpose to humiliate me. Do you know what crime this is?"

"Ah?" Wanyan Loushi was taken aback, inwardly realizing the gravity of the situation: "Your Highness, Prince Yan, this is truly..."

At this moment, Zhao Ji interrupted him and said loudly, "Eighth Brother, I think this Jurchen boy was sent by Wanyan Aguda to embarrass our Great Song Dynasty. He should be taken out and beheaded immediately, and then his head should be hung above the city gate for all to see."

"Your Highness, I really didn't mean to..." Wanyan Loushi felt stars flashing before his eyes, and his body trembled slightly. Although he had thought that he might encounter some dangers on this trip, he did not expect that there would be a risk of losing his life.

He wasn't afraid of death, but the way he was going to die was too pathetic and humiliating. He couldn't help but feel resentful and angry. How could the clan leader be so foolish as to ask him to come and discuss the alliance?

Zhao Ti glanced at him, then his gaze casually swept over Cai Jing. Cai Jing immediately understood, coughed, and said, "Your Highness, I think that while this Jurchen boy certainly deserves to die, the one who deserves to die the most is Wanyan Aguda. After all, this boy was unaware of the truth. Although he should be beheaded, if he is executed like this, it will inevitably invite criticism and gossip from those who are unaware of the truth."

“Lord Cai, what are you saying?” Zhao Ji said angrily, “Whether he knew or not, he was sent by Wanyan Aguda. He is a Jurchen and insulted our royal family. His entire family should be executed. I think even the Jurchens who did not come should be punished and executed.”

Zhao Ti frowned and gestured for Cai to speak: "Let's hear what Minister Cai has to say."

Cai Jing's eyes gleamed as he carefully considered his words. "In my opinion, Your Highness might as well first note down this young man's capital offense, and see what Wanyan Aguda's letter says and what his intentions are, before deciding on the matter of disrespect."

Zhao Ti remained silent for a long time, then sneered: "Very well, I'll listen to what Minister Cai says, so that no one outside will accuse me of indiscriminately killing innocent people and ruining my reputation. Bring me that barbarian's letter so I can take a look."

Upon hearing this, Wanyan Loushi breathed a sigh of relief and lifted the letter with even greater effort, his forehead covered in fine beads of sweat.

Cai Jing took the letter from his hand and presented it to Zhao Ti. Zhao Ti snorted, "Since it is an important matter, it should be a state letter, but it is so crudely made. You are truly a barbarian from beyond the borders. Even the form of this letter is a great crime of disrespect."

Wanyan Loushi dared not speak, but stole glances at Zhao Ti, finding him even more imposing and awe-inspiring.

Zhao Ti unfolded the letter and read it word by word. His expression gradually changed. Finally, his gaze sharpened as he looked at Wanyan Loushi and said in a strange voice, "The Liao Kingdom has set up a large formation outside Shangjing City... called the Ten Thousand Immortals Formation?"

(End of this chapter)