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

Chapter 137: The Sixteen States of Yanyun, the Wind Rises and the Clouds Fly

Zhao Ti looked towards the hill and asked calmly, "What's the commotion?"

Su Shi showed a helpless expression when he heard this: "Your Highness, it must be that the people and merchants from Song and Liao sides are arguing again..."

"Oh? There's a border, so why are they still arguing?"

"Your Highness, there is a sweet water well over there, which happens to be dug right in the middle of the border. It was not a big deal originally, after all, there were few people and it was not crowded to get water. But after the opening of the market, merchants gathered and lived nearby. With so many people, there were often disputes over water."

Zhao Ti asked, "Don't soldiers maintain order?"

Su Shi smiled bitterly and said, "It is maintained, but it was fine at first, but after a while they became biased and sometimes resorted to violence."

Zhao Ti nodded: "Let's go and take a look."

After a while, they arrived at the back of the hill, and sure enough, there was a large well made of bluestone blocks. Many people were tumbling and fighting on both sides, and wooden barrels, shoulder poles and other items were thrown everywhere.

The Song and Liao soldiers nearby did not try to stop the fight. Instead, they were taking off their military uniforms and armor, rubbing their hands together, and it seemed that they wanted to join the battle.

The fight was fierce on both sides, neither side showed weakness, and neither retreated or begged for mercy.

Zhao Ti couldn't help but smile when he saw this and said "OK"!
Su Shi wondered, "Your Highness, why do you say that such a disorderly matter is good?"

Zhao Ti glanced at him and said leisurely, "Why not? In a dispute, it is inevitable that one side will be unable to bear it and take the initiative to attack. If the Khitan attacks first, do we Song soldiers and people have to not fight back, not respond to insults, and show weakness to the other side?"

"But this, this needs to be distinguished between right and wrong..." Su Shi rubbed his forehead. He originally thought that Zhao Ti would scold the lax military discipline, stop the chaos in front of him, and then ask for the detailed reasons, but unexpectedly he actually cheered.

Zhao Ti said, "In this kind of life, you took the lead today, and I will be late tomorrow. Rubbing shoulders with people, bumping into each other, how can we avoid it at ordinary times? Even if we can find out the reasons and mediate between the two sides, it is not a solution to the root cause. As long as the well exists, the disputes will never stop, and there will be more in the future."

"But it's not easy to just take action directly. I have to take off my military uniform and go forward..." Su Shi's face looked grim.

Zhao Ti shook his head and said, "Taking off their military uniforms means they know the importance of the situation. They didn't use swords or guns, but only used fists and feet, which means they are rational. They haven't fought with Liao for many years, so the blood of the border men has not been extinguished..."

Su Shi was shocked when he heard this. He tried to figure out what Zhao Ti meant and whispered, "Your Highness..."

Zhao Ti looked at him and said, "Where has the land of Yanyun been since ancient times?"

Su Shi was stunned, then lowered his head and said: "It is my Chinese land."

Zhao Ti smiled and said, "That's it. The Khitans have occupied the country for a hundred years and seized countless wealth. Do we still need to stop our men from taking action or defending against a dispute over a well? If we ask them to give in and swallow their anger, wouldn't that be disheartening? Over time, the wind of cowardice will spread. How can we talk about...Recovering Yanyun and repairing the Golden Bowl!"

"Your Highness is absolutely right." Su Shi wiped his forehead and sweat broke out. It was nearly a hundred years ago. This was the first time he heard the words "Recover Yanyun" from the royal family since the Treaty of Chanyuan!
Recovering Yanyun, the land of Youyan, and the Sixteen Prefectures of Yanyun, Su Shi couldn't help but feel excited.

At this time, the Song and Liao factions that were fighting each other saw a team coming over here riding on tall horses. They couldn't help showing hesitation on their faces and jumped out of the circle one after another.

The leader of the Song army recognized the official uniform and was frightened when he saw Su Shi wearing a purple robe. There was only one person wearing purple in the entire Dingzhou Road, and he was the governor-general of Dingzhou.

The soldiers hurriedly put on their armor and ran over to salute.

Su Shi stroked his beard and looked at Zhao Ti, who nodded: "You fought well, but it's a pity that you didn't win after all this time."

The leader of the army was a red-faced young man. Hearing this, he said angrily, "There are more Khitans on the other side. If we had the same number of people, we would have beaten them to a pulp long ago."

Zhao Ti laughed and said, "You are a boaster. You should know that defeating a larger force with a smaller one is a real skill. If you really go to the battlefield, can you still hope that the enemy has the same number of people as you, or even fewer than you, so that you can win?"

The young man was stunned for a moment, then bowed and said, "This gentleman is right. It's just that we are not good enough in learning and are looking for excuses for our family."

Zhao Ti asked, "What's your name? Where are you from?"

The young man said, "My surname is Yang, my name is Yang Manying, I am from Linzhou, and I am currently a patrol captain under the border camp."

"Linzhou..." Zhao Ti thought for a moment and said, "You did a good job, but you should use some strategy next time you fight. Don't just act recklessly. Since you are not good at martial arts and cannot crush the opponent directly, you should use your brain to think about how to win."

"Yes, I understand!" The young man nodded vigorously. Although he didn't know who Zhao Ti was, seeing that the Prime Minister was accompanying him, it was obvious that he had a higher official position. At this moment, he felt a little excited to receive the affirmation.

Zhao Ti rode his horse forward, and the Khitans retreated with vigilance.

Zhao Ti smiled and pointed with his whip: "Fighting is fighting, but you are not allowed to use knives or guns, and you are not allowed to deny it. The loser will be ranked last that day. If you are not convinced, you can fight again tomorrow."

One of the Khitan soldiers asked, "Who are you? How can you make rules?"

"What skills do I have?" Zhao Ti raised his lips and said to Zhou Tong beside him: "Bring me a bow and arrow."

Zhou Tong hurriedly handed over the precious carved bow and white feather arrow. Zhao Ti pulled out three white feathers and put them on the bowstring together.

The Khitans were shocked when they saw this. The soldier just now shouted: "You said that weapons cannot be used in a fight, why are you still..."

Zhao Ti shook his head and smiled, and pointed the feather arrow directly at the bluestone well. There was a "creaking" sound, and the bow was pulled like a full moon. In an instant, white light shot out like a meteor.

With a loud bang, without any order of priority, all three feather arrows shot into the bluestone edge, almost more than half of them penetrated.

The faces of the Khitan soldiers and the merchants and common people changed immediately. The stone edge was the junction of the bluestone edges and corners. It was extremely tight and it was not easy to cut it even with a knife, let alone shoot an arrow into it, and it had not penetrated so deep.

Su Shi, who was standing nearby, was shocked and said, "The forest was dark and the grass was startled by the wind. The general drew his bow at night and searched for the white feather at dawn, but it was buried in the stone ridge!"

Zhao Ti looked at the Khitan soldiers and said, "I make the rules, so I naturally have the ability to make the rules. If you can, you can also make the rules."

The Khitan soldiers looked at each other in bewilderment. The soldier just now said, "You Song people are very capable. We really can't do that. Since you have the ability to set the rules, we will abide by them."

Zhao Ti smiled slightly. The rules in the army are that what matters is the ability. The one with the bigger fist has the final say. It is different from the martial arts world, where what matters is the proficiency with guns and horses, and martial arts on the battlefield.

He pulled the reins and turned to the market. The team behind him followed. Su Shi said, "Your Highness's ability is really admirable to me."

Zhao Ti said: "In the poem Jiang Cheng Zi written by Zizhan, isn't it also about shooting tigers and celestial wolves himself?"

Su Shi said, "I am ashamed. Although I can ride and shoot, I am not as majestic as Your Highness."

Zhao Ti glanced at him and said: "But I am not a talented writer. I am not as famous as you, Zizhan."

A trace of humility appeared on Su Shi's face when he heard this, but he thought to himself that the other party really had no literary reputation. When he was in the court before, he heard that this person did not like reading and almost no one in the palace studied literature. It was a pity.

He said, "No, no, Your Highness really flattered me."

Zhao Ti looked at his expression, knew what he was thinking, and couldn't help but smile.

By this time they had arrived in front of the market, and because soldiers had come to report in advance, many people were outside to greet them.

The leader of the Liao Kingdom was a serious-looking middle-aged man in his forties or fifties. He asked, "But is the King of Yan from the Song Kingdom in person?"

The Liao Dynasty's official system was divided into the north and the south. The names of officials on both sides were basically the same, but the officials in the south mainly maintained and managed the affairs of the Han area and had limited influence on national policies.

Most of the Han officials here are in charge of government affairs, while there are fewer Khitan officials, but they are mostly in charge of military affairs. The man in front of him is the Minister of Rites of the Southern Officials, named Zhang Mengqian.

Zhao Ti nodded and got off the horse. Zhang Mengqian said, "Please let the King of Yan speak inside." Before coming, Zhao Ti specifically checked the information of the southern officials of the Liao Kingdom. Zhang Mengqian was a Han Chinese born in Youzhou. He then studied and took the imperial examination to become an official in the Liao Dynasty. He had never been to the Song Dynasty in his life.

Zhao Ti asked, "How many days has Minister Zhang been here?"

Zhang Mengqian looked quite cautious and said, "It has been three days, and we have been waiting for the Yanwang delegation."

Zhao Ti asked, "Besides Minister Zhang, is there anyone else who would like to discuss this?"

Zhang Mengqian said: "I can make the decision on this matter."

Zhao Ti shook his head: "I'm afraid Minister Zhang can't make the decision."

At this time, when you enter the market, you will see a large area surrounded by wooden fences. There is a road in the middle, with Song merchants and Liao merchants on both sides. Merchants from the two countries set up shops and stalls facing each other.

The Song and Liao dynasties each had their own officials to manage the榷场, and the largest shops were owned by the imperial court. The imperial court also had priority rights in purchasing goods from the other side.

Merchants in the market cannot have direct contact with each other in a transaction. They are mediated by the official Ya and need to pay Ya taxes.

At this time, there were many customers on both sides, and many officials were running around, and business was very prosperous.

After a while, he walked into the innermost official residence. After he sat down and was served tea, Zhang Mengqian said, "Prince Yan, His Majesty has sent an imperial edict to the Southern Secretariat, appointing me to make the full decision on this matter. All conditions can be negotiated, and I can make the decision."

Zhao Ti took a sip of tea and said, "I don't think you can make the decision. Even your prime minister in the south can't make the decision."

Zhang Mengqian looked slightly unhappy: "What does the King of Yan mean by this? Do you doubt that I have the right?"

Zhao Ti shook his head and motioned Huang Shang to take out the letter. Zhang Mengqian opened it and looked at it. His expression changed: "This... I'm afraid this won't work."

"I said that Minister Zhang can't make the decision." Zhao Ti said lightly.

Zhang Mengqian frowned, "Since the Liao and Song dynasties opened the market, they have never mentioned horses. Why is this included in the list? Not only do I have no say in this, I'm afraid no one can either. I don't dare to agree to this either. There can be no war horse trade between Liao and Song."

Zhao Ti said: "It's not a trade of war horses, it's just a condition for opening a trading market."

Zhang Mengqian read the letter again and shook his head, saying, "It is impossible no matter what. This precedent cannot be set or broken."

Zhao Ti said, "It was your Emperor Da'an who proposed the market. It is up to him to decide whether it will be finalized. If Minister Zhang can really make the decision, then I will take my people away now, and you can go to the north to report."

Zhang Mengqian looked uncertain: "This... Can't this condition be changed? It's really too abrupt and has never been seen before."

Zhao Ti said, "It's just a hundred or so war horses. Even if I send people to buy them privately at the border, it won't be difficult. Now that it's mentioned in the book, it's because my majesty is wise and doesn't want to break the trade rules between the two countries."

"About a hundred horses, sold privately..." Zhang Mengqian took a deep breath and said, "Prince Yan, I was too careless just now. I really can't make the decision on this matter. I still need to report to His Majesty and see what the emperor thinks."

"Okay, then I will wait here for a few days." Zhao Ti smiled. When it comes to armaments, let alone a Han Chinese Shangshu, even the prime minister in the north cannot make a decision. Yelu Hongji must speak up, and a trip to the capital is inevitable.

"I will go back to Xijin Prefecture to write a memorial and send someone to present it to the capital by express horse." Zhang Mengqian stood up and was about to go out.

Zhao Ti said, "Minister Zhang, wait a minute."

Zhang Mengqian asked in confusion, "What else does the King of Yan have to say?"

Zhao Ti said: "The emperor of our dynasty has prepared a small gift for Emperor Da'an, please take it with you."

Zhang Mengqian wondered: "Gift..."

Zhao Ti gestured behind him, and Wei Hanchen took out a box. Inside was a set of jade carvings of eight ancient horses. They were the size of a fist and extremely exquisite. The horse eyes were inlaid with rare gems and sparkled brightly.

Zhang Mengqian was stunned: "Such a treasure..."

Zhao Ti remained expressionless, even though the Liao Kingdom had been imitating Chinese studies and creating Chinese objects in recent years, claiming to be the successor of the Tang Dynasty, writing poems and lyrics, and composing fancy articles, but it had not even touched the door of traditional Chinese crafts such as fine craftsmanship, porcelain and textiles.

This set of jade horses was just an ordinary item in the palace of the Song Dynasty, but it was considered a treasure in the Liao Dynasty.

"Minister Zhang, please be careful and warn the messenger to be careful. This is written on the letter of credence. If anything goes wrong on the way, I will not be responsible."

"Don't worry, King Yan. How could there be any mistake with such a treasure?" He said this without daring to hand it to his attendant. He held it carefully and walked out the door.

Seeing the other party leaving, Zhao Ti also stood up and said, "Let's go back over there."

This hall is where both sides hold meetings; however, Song and Liao do not handle their respective official business here.

When we arrived at the Song Dynasty's house, the official in charge of the market had already set up a banquet, and we ate until the afternoon.

Zhao Ti took Zhou Tong and others for a walk outside. It was a clear and cool autumn day, and the surroundings were vast. The land of Yanyun has been magnificent since ancient times.

Zhao Ti walked very far along the border line in silence and did not return until the evening.

After some food and wine, they practiced their kung fu and went to bed at the hour of Hai.

It was midnight, the moon was bright in the sky outside, and white light was shining on the world. Then I saw a few horses galloping over from the Liao territory.

These horses were all war horses, tall, strong and steady, without making much noise, and stopped not far from the market.

Sitting at the head of the horse was a young girl with a slim figure, a veil on her face, and a pair of eyes as bright as the moon.

She looked towards the market, a smile appeared under her veil, and she whispered to herself, "You chased me so hard in Tokyo, and destroyed all the spies I painstakingly planted, and yet you dare to come to Liao as an envoy?"

A maid at the back asked in confusion, "Princess, do you have any instructions?"

The girl said, "It's alright. I came to see the King of Yan from Song State. He is in the market right now."

"The King of Yan from Song?" the maid was surprised. "What is the prince of Song doing at the border?"

The girl said softly, "Your Majesty wants to open five more markets. The Emperor of Song sent him as an envoy, and he should be heading to Shangjing soon."

"Does the princess recognize him?" the maid asked curiously.

The girl nodded, then shook her head, her eyes showing a serious thought, and she said softly, "Won't you recognize it when you go to Shangjing?"

On Gyeonggi Road, in the dark night, a middle-aged scholar in a blue shirt was walking away under the moonlight.

His figure was so fast that it seemed to be there and not there, and his shadow in the moonlight seemed to have changed places. He was clearly here, but the next moment he appeared in the distance.

At dawn, he arrived in front of Tokyo City. The city gates had just opened and many people were coming in and out, carrying loads on their shoulders or pushing carts loaded with fruits and vegetables. They were busy and a prosperous day was about to begin.

The middle-aged scholar in a blue shirt stood with his hands behind his back, looking at the world's largest city with no expression of joy or worry on his face.

(I went to the hospital today and came back a little late. I will make up for what I owe tomorrow or the day after tomorrow. Thank you everyone. This paragraph is free of charge.)
(End of this chapter)