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

Chapter 150: The Silkworms Condensed in Ice

Zhao Ti sat on the Black Rose. The horse knew it was time to go home and became lazy.

The eagle was hanging in a basket beside the horse, looking at everything outside curiously.

Its injuries have improved a lot, but it still can't fly, but it has no problem jumping and running.

After Zhao Ti had been in contact with this eagle for a long time, he found that it seemed to be different from what Yelu Hongji and others had said.

Yelu Hongji and others said that the eagle had just reached adulthood, but he felt that this was not the case after having contact with it for the past few days. It was only because the eagle had grown so large and was able to fly that people misunderstood.

The fact that birds can fly does not mean they have reached adulthood. Learning to fly is just a stage in their growth process, not a sign of adulthood.

Just like starlings can fly at around two months old, but they take nine to twelve months to reach adulthood.

It is impossible for an adult eagle to be so docile, just like an adult bird. Moreover, an eagle is a bird of prey with a ferocious nature and almost no natural enemies.

At this moment, Zhao Ti saw that the eagle was staying comfortably in the basket and had no intention of escaping. When it was hungry, it would yell at him. Apart from sleeping, it would roll its eyes around and look at the scenery along the way.

It was clearly a bird that was not yet an adult, loved to play and was full of curiosity. I originally thought it was an eagle, but it was actually just a young eagle.

As Tokyo city was approaching, the delegation moved slower and slower, and Black Rose hesitated, unwilling to go home.

Zhao Ti calmed it for a moment, then quickened his pace and followed the welcoming team sent by Zhao Xu into the city.

At this afternoon, Zhao Ti handed the horse to the official of the Herdsman Department and returned home.

When they arrived at the gate of the mansion, everyone was waiting eagerly. Zhao Ti looked over but did not see Wang Yuyan.

As they walked towards the palace, Tong Guan reported, "Your Highness, Miss Wang was taken back to Mantuo Villa by her family elders, who said she was going there to practice martial arts."

"Oh?" Zhao Ti turned around and asked, "Which elder?"

Tong Guandao said, "He is Miss Wang's great-grandfather. I heard him introduce himself as Xiaoyaozi."

"Xiaoyaozi?" Zhao Ti stopped and looked at him, then said with a smile, "Come to the study and talk in detail."

After entering the study and sitting down, Zhao Ti asked, "Who was present at the time? Describe it in detail."

Tong Guan, Zheng Fu and A'zhu started talking immediately. Zhao Ti nodded as he listened. It was just as he had expected before. Xiaoyaozi was Li Zhengyan. Wuyazi became a disciple of the Xiaoyao Sect, which actually meant he was a disciple of his father.

Then what happened at the old site of Shanhai Temple that day can be explained. The bookworm Gou Du said that those incense, candles and fruits were not offered by him. He wanted to offer them but found that someone had done it before him. However, when he sent people to search around, they only saw Gou Dai's footprints and no traces left by a second person were found.

Judging from this, it must be Xiaoyaozi who has been there. With Xiaoyaozi's martial arts, it should be easy for him to walk on the snow without leaving any traces. It should be easy for him not to leave any footprints. Besides Xiaoyaozi, no one else would go to worship Shanhai Temple.

After listening to what the others said, Zhao Ti asked Tong Guan to describe Xiaoyaozi's appearance and the martial arts he used in detail again, and then leaned back in his chair and began to ponder.

Seeing him thinking, Ah Zhu couldn't help but say, "Your Highness, Youcao is in the mansion right now. She came from Mantuo Villa to deliver a letter. She should know about Senior Xiaoyaozi. Why don't you call her over and ask her?"

Zhao Ti nodded, and after a moment Ah Zhu brought the little maid Youcao over.

Youcao bowed, not daring to look up at Zhao Ti.

Zhao Ti asked, "I haven't seen you for a few months. How come you feel so distant from me?"

Youcao's face twitched, and she said fearfully, "Your Highness, I gave the letter that Madam sent to Your Highness to the young lady, and the young lady took it away..."

Zhao Ti smiled and said, "It's okay. I know what's written in the letter without you even reading it. Just tell me what Madam told you at the time."

Youcao narrated everything in detail. Zhao Ti thought for a moment, sent everyone away, and then ordered Tong Guan to prepare a carriage to enter the palace.

There was no conversation along the way. When they arrived at the imperial city, they went straight to the imperial study, where they saw Zhao Xu, whose face looked a little pale, sitting behind the desk reading memorials.

He recounted his experiences again, and Zhao Xu smiled and said, "You have worked hard, Prince Yan. You have made great contributions this time. I will reward you in the court tomorrow."

Zhao Ti shook his head and said, "Your Majesty, please don't give me any rewards. Giving me a few more days off is better than anything else. Your Majesty, why do you look different than usual? Are you sick?"

Zhao Xu was silent for a few breaths after hearing this, and then said, "It is true that I am a little unwell, but I have already seen the imperial physician, and I will be fine after a few days of rest... By the way, Prince Yan, the Murong family prisoner had an accomplice who came to break into the prison a few days ago, and they have been captured and imprisoned."

Zhao Ti heard him change the subject, so he didn't want to ask about the other person's health. He said, "A fellow prisoner who broke into the prison? I wonder what kind of person he is?"

Zhao Xu said: "The Ministry of Justice reported that it was an old man, but the relationship between him and the main culprit Murong Fu has not yet been found out."

Zhao Ti thought for a moment and said with a smile, "Your Majesty, I request your permission to go and take a look."

Zhao Xu nodded and said, "It would be good for the Prince of Yan to go and have a look. I wonder if there are any other accomplices coming. That's why I have not ordered the execution."

Zhao Ti said yes, stood up and left the imperial study.

Zhao Xu looked at his back, and suddenly his temples began to throb. He quickly raised his hand and tapped his chest several times, then slowly exhaled...

Zhao Ti left the palace and went straight to the Ministry of Justice prison, then walked in under the guidance of the prison guard.

The prison was no darker than before. After the prison break, lights had been lit in many places to make it easier to observe the prisoners' every move.

At this time, they walked to the A-zone, and the jailer said, "Your Majesty, Murong Fu and the prison breaker are in the innermost area."

Zhao Ti nodded and glanced at the cell of Deng Baichuan and others when passing by. They were all listless and did not react much even when they saw Zhao Ti.

When we reached the depths of Area A, we first saw Murong Fu, who was chained and tied to an iron pillar just like before.

Zhao Ti stood outside the fence and looked at him. Murong Fu recognized Zhao Ti, his eyes flickered, his lips moved, as if he wanted to say something, but he didn't say it.

Then he went to a cell nearby and saw an old man with a thin lock pierced through his scapula and tied to the middle pillar.

The old man was very thin and not very strong. He had no hair on his head and looked like a monk, but his clothes were those of a layman, not a monk's robe. Because of the torture, his clothes were stained with blood and were in tatters.

He then opened his eyes and looked outside the prison. Although his expression was not good, with a sallow complexion, his eyes were deep, as if hiding endless wisdom, and his cunningness revealed some unfathomable depth, as if everything in the world was within his calculations.

At this moment, the jailer asked someone to open the cell door. Several jailers walked in front, followed by the jailer and Tong Guan, who escorted Zhao Ti in.

The jailer outside brought in a chair, and Zhao Ti sat down and looked at Murong Bo again. Murong Bo glanced at him, revealing a hint of ridicule, snorted softly, and looked up.

The jailer whispered, "Your Highness, this criminal has not confessed anything and has not been afraid of torture these days because we are afraid of beating him to death. So we stopped the torture instruments for the past two days and he has regained his spirits and made such a hateful expression again."

Zhao Ti asked, "You haven't even asked for his name?"

The jailer said, "When interrogating Murong Fu, he said that the other person was his father Murong Bo, who had faked his death for more than 20 years. However, when asked, he refused to admit it. I thought this was a strange thing. He had faked his death for more than 20 years, so he must have come back to life. However, I could not get anything out of him."

Zhao Ti asked, "Since he came to save Murong Fu, didn't he use intimidation to force him to confess?"

The jailer smiled bitterly and said, "I did threaten him with the traitor Murong Fu. What's strange is that since I risked my life to save the traitor, but now I want to kill Murong Fu, he doesn't care at all and even said something like "Kill him quickly and easily."

Zhao Ti smiled and said, "You must be disappointed in him, right? What did Murong Fu do to anger him so much that he doesn't even care about his life or death?"

The jailer thought for a moment and said, "Nothing much. When they arrested the two men, the soldiers shot arrows and Murong Fu hid behind the fake monk and shouted loudly that he surrendered."

Zhao Ti shook his head and said, "It has been said since ancient times that a man who knows the current situation is a hero. Murong Fu is not wrong. There is no trivial matter between life and death. It is normal to be afraid of death. But this man is a little too optimistic."

Murong Bo heard what Zhao Ti said, turned his gaze to look at him, and snorted again.

The jailer asked, "Your subordinate should go and ask again?"

Zhao Ti nodded, and the jailer came to Murong Bo and said, "Have you thought it through in the past few days, you fake monk? If you don't confess, you will inevitably be severely punished and then cut into pieces. If you confess, at least you will avoid physical pain and you can leave a complete body."

Murong Bo didn't say anything, his eyes were a little vague, as if he was thinking about something.

The jailer then asked a few more questions in a stern voice, but Murong Bo remained silent. He turned around and asked, "Your Highness, are you going to torture me?"

Zhao Ti waved his hand, asked the jailer to stand aside, and smiled slightly, "Looking at your age, are you Murong Fu's elder?"

Murong Bo looked at him and still didn't answer.

Zhao Ti thought for a moment and said, "I have checked the Murong family tree. Murong Fu's predecessor was called Murong Bo. Since you were able to break into the prison to save him, could it be that you are his father Murong Bo?"

Murong Bo remained calm upon hearing this, but he did not shut up: "I do recognize Murong Bo, but he has been dead for more than 20 years. How could I be him?"

"Isn't it? But Murong Fu said that you are his father. Is there anyone in this world who would mistake his father for his father?" Zhao Ti said with a half-smile: "And I think you two look alike? As far as I know, the Murong family has only one son for three generations until Murong Fu. If you are not Murong Bo, who else could you be?"

"I... am the Tubo State Master, Jiumozhi!" Murong Bo suddenly took a deep breath and said.

"Jiu Mo Zhi?" Zhao Ti blinked: "You said your name is Jiu Mo Zhi? Or the Tubo State Master?"

Murong Bo said calmly: "That's right. If you don't believe me, you can send someone to Tubo to verify and see if I am lying."

Zhao Ti touched his chin and thought that Murong Bo was indeed cunning and even pretended to be Jiumozhi. Jiumozhi had a special identity. If the court really made the judgment, they would have to verify whether what he said was true. After all, if Jiumozhi was the Tubo state teacher, if he broke into the prison, they would have to make sure whether it was instigated by the Tubo court.

This way, he could prolong his life, and maybe cause resentment between the two countries, thus creating some trouble for the Song Dynasty. It was a strategy that killed two birds with one stone.

Zhao Ti asked, "Since you are the Tubo State Master, why did you come to rescue the Murong family's rebels?"

Murong Bo said, "I and Murong Fu's father Murong Bo are close friends. I couldn't bear to see his only descendant imprisoned, so I thought of rescuing him. Besides, many people in Tubo know about the Murong family. After saving Murong Fu, I plan to take him back to Tubo to serve as an official, so that I can give an explanation to my old friend in the afterlife."

Zhao Ti nodded. It was a mixture of truth and lies. This Murong Bo was very good at lying. He said, "In this case, I will send a letter to Tubo to inquire about this matter. If what you said is true, you can still be saved."

As he spoke, he stood up and walked out. Murong Bo breathed a sigh of relief when he saw him leave, but the next moment he heard that the other party seemed to go into the cell next door, and he couldn't help but frowned again.

Zhao Ti led his men into Murong Fu's cell. Seeing this, Murong Fu shrank back into the corner. At this moment, he had lost all his martial arts skills and had no internal strength. He was originally unstable and worried about gains and losses. Now that he had suffered a series of blows, he had lost the will to die and only wanted to live one day longer.

Zhao Ti walked closer, looked at him and said, "Murong Fu, is that man your father Murong Bo?"

Murong Fu nodded hurriedly: "I will not admit my mistake, it is my father. He said before that he just faked his death in order to plot something big."

Zhao Ti thought for a moment and asked, "Are there any Dou Zhuan Xing Yi in Canhe Manor or Shi Shui Pavilion?"

Murong Fu shook his head: "I had already taken the secret book with me, but later on, they were worried about losing it, so they asked me to destroy it directly."

Zhao Ti said: "Please write a copy for me from memory."

Murong Fu didn't dare to refuse after hearing this: "I, I'll write it now."

Zhao Ti asked the jailer to bring paper and pen to the other party, and Murong Fu started writing quickly.

This Dou Zhuan Xing Yi technique was not very long, only about a few thousand words. After Murong Fu finished writing it, Zhao Ti read it and said after a moment, "Write another copy."

Murong Fu wrote another one, and after he finished three copies, Zhao Ti saw that there was no difference, and he memorized them all in his mind. Then he exhaled cold air from his palm, turning the three pieces of paper into powder, which fell to the ground.

At this moment, Murong Fu suddenly shouted, and his mouth seemed to open involuntarily. A white light faster than lightning shot out and rushed straight towards Zhao Ti's palm.

What is that? Zhao Ti gathered his palms and fingers together, and lightly pinched the thing between his fingers in a flash. It turned out to be a three-inch long, white silkworm.

This... Zhao Ti felt the coldness coming from between his fingers, and his expression suddenly changed. Could it be that Kunlun ice silkworm?
The Kunlun Ice Silkworm was obtained by Monk Hui Jing at that time, and later found by You Tanzhi. However, Ding Chunqiu was already dead at this time, and there was no such thing as A Zi stealing the Divine Wood King Cauldron and being hunted down by Ding Chunqiu. Many things have changed, and it is unknown where Murong Fu got this silkworm from.

Just as he was about to ask Murong Fu, he suddenly felt an intense chill entering his body. Half of his arm was instantly covered with white frost, and his sleeves were all frozen, so that his original appearance could not be seen.

"Your Highness!" Tong Guan and others were shocked and immediately wanted to come closer.

Zhao Ti raised his eyebrows and said, "Don't come over here!"

This Kunlun Ice Silkworm is no ordinary creature. If it doesn't show its power, it will be fine. But if it does, it can turn a palace into an ice cellar overnight, and freeze the tea in the teapots and teacups inside.

After You Tanzhi collected the silkworm, even though he put it in a gourd, this result occurred. It was still the middle of summer in July, which shows how cold the silkworm was and how severe the cold poison was.

At this moment, the ice silkworm was still twisting between his fingers. Even though half of Zhao Ti's arm was frozen, he still held it tightly and did not let go. After a few breaths, the white frost had extended to his shoulders, and the ice silkworm made an angry screaming sound.

Zhao Ti couldn't help but raise the corner of his mouth when he saw this. Others might be afraid of the cold poison of the silkworm, but he was not so afraid. Since the ice silkworm was here, he could forget about leaving.

(End of this chapter)