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

Chapter 468 Indirect Inquiry (Seeking Monthly Tickets)

"Your Highness, it is indeed the Ten Thousand Immortals Formation," Wanyan Loushi said cautiously.

"Originally, my Jurchen army had the garrison of Shangjing completely helpless, and we were about to succeed when the Shamanism suddenly sent a large number of sorcerers to support us. If they were just sorcerers, it wouldn't be a big deal, as they couldn't withstand the roar and blood and qi of my mighty army. However, there were demons among these sorcerers, and they set up the Ten Thousand Immortals Formation. This formation is strange and unpredictable, and its ferocity is extremely strong. My army... tried to break it several times but failed, and we have been in a stalemate."

"Didn't you have a golden-armored god descending from the heavens to help your Jurchens? How come you couldn't even break through a small formation?" Zhao Ti asked thoughtfully.

“Although the gods are powerful, they cannot fight alone. Those demons each have their own abilities, and when they combine to form a great formation, there are as many as ten thousand of them. Even the gods cannot break through it alone,” Wanyan Loushi replied. He couldn’t help but wonder how the other party knew about the golden-armored gods, but then he thought that he must have learned about it from the Liao general in Yanjing, and he felt relieved.

"Are there really tens of thousands of sorcerers and demons combined?" Zhao Ti asked calmly.

"There are more than enough. The mages are fine, but the main force of the formation is the demons, which are virtually endless. There are already tens of thousands of these demons alone," Wanyan Loushi explained.

"Is this why Wanyan Aguda wants to form an alliance with our Great Song? Does he want our Great Song army to help him break through this formation?" Zhao Ti snorted.

"Your Highness misunderstands. The clan chief does not mean to trouble the Song Dynasty to help break the formation, but rather to invite the Song Dynasty to join forces to conquer Shangjing and destroy the Khitan. Then we can divide the land, wealth, cattle, sheep and women equally. Wouldn't that be wonderful?" Wanyan Loushi hurriedly said.

“You small barbarian tribes, with fewer than 100,000 households and less than a million people, what right do you have to form an alliance with my Great Song Dynasty and even share the Khitan land?” Zhao Ji said with dissatisfaction upon hearing this.

"This..." Wanyan Loushi said with a smile, "Before I came here, the clan chief also said that we don't have to divide it equally. We can fight based on our own abilities. Whoever wins it will get it. After all, the Liao Kingdom has a large territory. If the two countries work together, we will have a better chance of winning. It will also be easier and faster. Speed ​​is of the essence in war. Otherwise, things might change if we delay."

"Wanyan Aguda, that barbarian, has quite the cunning plan." Zhao Ti took a sip of tea: "My army has over 400,000 men, while you only have 50,000. What do you have to offer to form an alliance with my Great Song Dynasty? You even want to divide the Liao Kingdom equally? Even if you fight yourselves, how do you know that my army cannot take Shangjing alone, destroy the Khitan, and expand the entire grassland?"

"That's right!" Zhao Ji said, "Just because you can't take Shangjing doesn't mean my Great Song can't. Why should we form an alliance with you?"

"Naturally, it's to avoid any unforeseen circumstances and reduce losses and casualties." Wanyan Loushi said, "The Khitan territory is too vast, stretching from the sea in the east to the frigid lands in the north, and to the distant barbarian lands in the west. There are some barren places with sparse populations and wild animals that even the Song Dynasty would not want. However, our Jurchens are perfect for fishing and hunting. Wouldn't it be a win-win situation to form an alliance?"

Zhao Ti looked at Wanyan Loushi and shook his head: "You talk a good game, but you can't hide the truth. It is you who want to form an alliance with my Great Song, not the other way around. You only have tens of thousands of soldiers and you have been besieging Shangjing for a long time without success. To be honest, you have no other choice but to ask my army for help. How could we possibly share the Khitan territory with you? Even if we attacked on our own and each took what we needed, it would be impossible. There is no reason for my Great Song to help for nothing."

"Your Highness, how can this be a free favor?" Wanyan Loushi said according to the prepared speech he had prepared before coming: "When the Song Dynasty took Yan and Yun, it should not have had the intention of destroying the Khitan. Now that our Jurchens have already paved the way and laid the groundwork, the Song Dynasty does not need to make any more plans. We can just go with the flow and accomplish everything in one battle, expanding our territory. It can be comparable to the Han and Tang Dynasties, sealing the wolf's lair and pointing our military might towards the North Sea. Who in history can compare to this?"

"Did Yelü Xiyin teach you these words too?" Zhao Ti said, "The Great Song destroyed the Western Xia, pacified Longyou, accepted the surrender of the Nine-Surname Tatars and the Yellow-Headed Uyghurs, and its might shook the Western Regions. What do we care about sealing the wolf's lair, pointing our swords at the North Sea, and unifying the grasslands? It's just a matter of time. It only depends on whether I am willing and whether the court wants it."

“Your Highness, the poem… is indeed Professor Xi Yin’s.” Wanyan Loushi pursed his lips and continued, “But time waits for no one. Right now, the time, place, and people are all in place, making it the best time to launch an attack. If we don’t destroy the Khitan now, we will hardly have such an easy opportunity again. Even if our Jurchens cannot take Shangjing and retreat to the northeast, we will still gain a vast area north of Taibai and the prefectures of Liaoyang, where we can live and thrive. However, if the Song Dynasty wants to destroy Liao alone in the future, it will be much more difficult than it is now. Not to mention the money and food, the losses will definitely be far greater than they are now.”

"You're quite the talker." Zhao Ti narrowed his eyes, somewhat understanding why Wanyan Aguda had sent him. Although Wanyan Loushi's military genius had not yet been revealed, his eloquence was already evident. He was clear-headed, logical, and fluent in the official language of the Song Dynasty, which was probably one in ten thousand among the Jurchen people.

"Thank you for your praise, Your Highness." Wanyan Loushi breathed a slight sigh of relief. "I'm afraid this is why the clan chief sent an official to pay homage to Your Highness. It's not because the official is of lowly status and did it on purpose. Few Jurchens are skilled in rhetoric and command, and even fewer can speak the official language of the Song Dynasty, so..."

"You don't need to defend Agu. Even so, he wouldn't be unaware of his identity. He knowingly committed the crime, and his heart is wicked." Zhao Ti said calmly, "If I had killed you directly before, wouldn't you have died in vain? Everything should be judged by its outcome. If the outcome is wrong, it is wrong. No matter what the initial intention was, what's the use if the ending is wrong? Everything should be judged by actions, not intentions. Your death would have been in vain!"

“Yes…” Wanyan Loushi’s body trembled. It was indeed true. Even if someone died unjustly, they were still dead.

He bowed respectfully and said, "Your subject has learned much."

Zhao Ti put down the letter in his hand and said, "Aguda is extremely disrespectful. I do not trust the alliance. Let's call it off."

"Your Highness..." Wanyan Loushi said anxiously upon hearing this, "But this is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity. Once we defeat the Liao and destroy the country, the Song Dynasty will rise to a level comparable to, or even surpass, the Han and Tang Dynasties. Even Your Highness will be remembered for eternity, your martial arts unmatched..."

Zhao Ti looked at him and slowly said, "If the Song Dynasty does not send troops, you may not be able to take Shangjing and will have to retreat to the Northeast. If the Song Dynasty sends troops, it may destroy the Khitan. In that case, aren't the conditions for this alliance a bit too simple?"

Wanyan Loushi blinked, thinking to himself that the conditions were not enough. He said, "Your Highness is wise. Since we are discussing this, there is nothing that cannot be proposed. I wonder what conditions the Great Song Dynasty needs to agree to form an alliance with the Jurchens and jointly destroy the Liao Dynasty."

Zhao Ti glanced at him: "Wanyan Loushi, I'm afraid you, a mere Meng'an, can't make decisions."

Wanyan Loushi smiled awkwardly and said, "Your Highness, before I set off, the clan chief instructed me to have full authority over this negotiation. So, I am generally... able to make the decisions."

"Fully authorize this negotiation? It seems your Jurchens are truly a makeshift operation, treating this like child's play. Since you can make the decisions, then my conditions are... After the fall of the Liao capital, your Jurchens are not allowed to enter. They must immediately retreat a hundred li, not enter the city, not harass it, and give this city to my Great Song!" Zhao Ti said expressionlessly, "Can you make those decisions?"

"Ah, this..." Wanyan Loushi was taken aback upon hearing this, then his expression changed drastically: "This, this is probably something I, your humble servant..."

"You still can't make the decision, can you?" Zhao Ti sneered. "Then what do you mean by having full authority? Your inconsistent words and actions are enough to make you deserve to die again. You said you had no enmity with Wanyan Aguda and authorized you to negotiate the alliance, but now you dare not agree. Aren't you just toying with me? It's perfectly reasonable for me to kill you in my anger. Isn't this Aguda sending you to your death? Don't you agree?"

Wanyan Loushi lowered his head and said, "That seems to be the case logically, but why would the clan leader deliberately send me to my death..."

Zhao Ti frowned and said, "Who knows what grudges you have? Since you can't make decisions at all, what is there to talk about with me? Although I can see that you don't know the situation and rules, I can spare your life for now. But you can be spared the death penalty, but you will not be spared punishment. Guards, take this ungrateful Jurchen boy into the water dungeon and keep a close watch on him."

"Your Highness, please hear me out..." Wanyan Loushi was terrified. Even though he was usually calm and collected, he couldn't help but panic. "What else do you have to say?"

"Your subject can immediately write a letter and have his men send it to the outskirts of the capital city to inquire with the clan chief. We should receive news within three days at most," Wanyan Loushi hurriedly said.

“Three days…” Zhao Ti raised an eyebrow: “Have you thought this through? If no one replies, I will kill you immediately. Imprisonment will no longer be an option.”

"If the clan chief doesn't reply, I'll accept my fate and let Your Highness take my head." Wanyan Loushi gritted his teeth, wondering what the clan chief was thinking. Was he really sending him here to die?

When it came to negotiating an alliance, I was not of high enough status and did not understand the intricacies and rules involved. Although they told me that I could handle the matter with full authority, I dared not answer their offer to cede the capital city to them, nor did I have the right to do so.

Zhao Ti snorted, "Someone, give him paper and pen, and tell him to write a letter to that scoundrel Aguda!"

Bai Zhan suddenly appeared from behind, took some writing materials and other items and gave them to Wanyan Loushi. Wanyan Loushi immediately squatted down and began to write. After finishing in a moment, he handed them to two attendants outside the hall and told them to rush back to Shangjing that night and send them to Wanyan Aguda for a decision.

"Your Highness, the clan chief will surely send a letter within three days, responding to your request for the Liao capital," Wanyan Loushi said hesitantly.

Zhao Ti nodded: "If you don't keep your word for three days, it's your death day. Men, take him away and keep him under guard."

School guards came from both sides and immediately dragged Wanyan Loushi out, temporarily placing him under house arrest.

Zhao Ti sat behind his desk and pondered for a moment, then began to write a memorial to Zhao Xu, describing the war situation and how the old land in front of the mountain and the former territory of Yanjing had been captured.

This memorial was extremely long and detailed, including information about shamanism, the Jurchen rebellion against the Khitan and their attack on Yanjing, the descent of a golden-armored deity, and the shamanism's deployment of a grand formation to repel the enemy.

Although he had the power to make decisions arbitrarily, this memorial was written in great detail. After all, his original intention was only to recover the Sixteen Prefectures of Yan and Yun, but now that there was an opportunity to destroy Liao, he needed to use a large army. Such an important matter had to be reported to Zhao Xu.

It was already midnight when he finished writing the memorial. He then dismissed the meeting and ordered all the generals to rest.

On the morning of the second day, Zhao Ti inspected the city walls and walked around the city before returning to the Generalissimo's Office to issue military orders.

He transferred several generals from the Western Army, each leading a different number of troops, to recapture the remaining Yan and Yun prefectures.

With the fall of Yanjing, the other prefectures and counties of Youyan were in a state of panic. They were not as fortified or well-equipped as Yanjing, and now that Yanjing had fallen, these prefectures were like rootless duckweed. Moreover, with the Jurchens rebelling and news of their rebellion reaching the capital, the situation was completely chaotic.

Zhao Ti wasn't too worried about recovering the remaining prefectures; he figured it would be a quick success and didn't care much about it. The most important thing right now was going to the capital.

Since the Jurchens rebelled ahead of time, intending to destroy the Liao, it was indeed a great opportunity. Even if we had no intention of destroying the Liao, we could not give up this opportunity now.

Even if they didn't want to destroy the Liao Dynasty, they couldn't let the Jurchens destroy it. The Liao Dynasty was already in decline and old, posing little threat. The Jurchens, on the other hand, were like newborn calves, full of ambition. If they were allowed to destroy the Khitan and take over its land, population, wealth, weapons, and all kinds of skills and crafts, it would only fuel their rampant ambitions, and they would inevitably think of seizing control of the Central Plains.

Therefore, whether or not to form an alliance with the other party is not important. What is important is to prevent the other party from fully taking over the Liao Dynasty's territory. If there is an opportunity, it is even more important to take advantage of the situation after the Liao Dynasty is destroyed and destroy the Jurchens as well.

In the evening, Zhao Ti summoned Murong Longcheng, Xiaoyaozi, and Lin Lingsu, intending to interrogate Kui Niu.

Kui Niu was brought into the city from the dungeon outside the city. He was still tightly bound and wrapped in talismans, looking as bloated as a rice dumpling.

As soon as he entered the hall, he began to make "whooshing" sounds. Although he could neither speak nor see, his spiritual power remained, and even though he could not see, he could still sense the people and things around him.

The group exchanged glances. Lin Lingsu raised her hand and removed the talisman covering her eyes and mouth. Then, Kui Niu shouted angrily, "Hurry up and remove all the restrictions on me! What kind of hero imprisons me like this? If you have the guts, come out and fight me one-on-one and make me submit!"

Xiaoyaozi said, "You beast, what kind of hero do you call yourself? You've colluded with Tongtian, doing countless despicable things. How dare you talk about being a hero?"

Kui Niu angrily said, "That's still better than you and Taishang, those treacherous villains who use underhanded tricks and trip me up. You can at least talk about me and my master."

Murong Longcheng's face was ugly as he said, "You beast, stop trying to argue. What about the matter of the starry sky? If Tongtian hadn't harbored wicked intentions and wanted to go it alone, how could he have ended up like this?"

"The matter of the starry sky... You don't remember the matter of the starry sky. How can your guesses count? Don't try to get information out of me. I will not tell you what happened back then or how we got here!" After saying this, Kui Niu shut his mouth tightly and did not say another word.

The four men looked at each other in bewilderment. Zhao Ti looked at him for a while and then asked, "What about the Ten Thousand Immortals Formation outside the capital city?"

Kui Niu glanced at him, but remained silent.

Several men interrogated Kui Niu almost all night, but they couldn't get a single word out of him. Seeing that it was already dawn outside the hall, Zhao Ti sneered, "You won't talk, huh? Men, strip this old ox naked and hang him up below the bell tower in the city for all to see. Write down his background, name, and why he was hung up next to him!"

(End of this chapter)