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

Chapter 167: Earth, Water, Fire, and Wind Again
Just looking at the prison, it seems quite lively at the moment. It is not only Yin Muchang who is imprisoned there, Su Xinghe and seven disciples are also inside.

Zhao Ti asked the jailers to be lenient with the guards, not to use torture, beating or scolding, and to give these people go and other things to entertain them.

He came over to persuade these people to call him the leader, but Su Xinghe and the others were unwilling to do so, as they could not leave without being called out. They spent their days in a daze and had no choice.

At this moment, walking along, Yuan Xiaoxian asked curiously: "Who are these criminals?"

Zhao Ti said calmly: "My disciples have betrayed their master and ancestors and are locked up to repent and reflect on their mistakes."

Su Xinghe and the others glared at him. Zhao Ti waved the gem ring that was the token of the Xiaoyao Sect leader in his hand and said coldly, "The rules of the Xiaoyao Sect state that a token plus divine power makes you the leader. If you are not betraying your master and ancestors, what are you doing?"

Su Xinghe said angrily: "We have never betrayed our teachers or ancestors."

Zhao Ti said: "Then why isn't he called the head of the sect?"

After hearing this, several people were silent, their expressions twisted and tangled, and they were struggling internally.

Yuan Xiaoxian was surprised when he heard this: "Xiaoyao Sect?"

Zhao Ti glanced at her and asked, "Does Princess Cheng'an know?"

Yuan Xiaoxian nodded: "I heard my master mention it before."

"Oh?" Zhao Ti narrowed his eyes and said, "Princess Cheng'an's master is..."

Yuan Xiaoxian whispered: "My master is the high priest of the Shamanism on the grassland."

"The high priest of shamanism?" Zhao Ti raised his eyebrows. The high priest of shamanism is actually the nominal shaman leader, also known as Mokun Shaman on the grassland.

"Who is the emperor's grandson's master?" Zhao Ti suddenly thought of Yelu Yanxi.

Yuan Xiaoxian said: "Thirteenth brother's master is also a high priest. Thirteenth brother and I successively worshipped under the master, and Thirteenth brother is the master's last disciple."

"The last disciple?" Zhao Ti was moved when he heard this. Yelu Yanxi said that the martial arts he practiced was the Shan Zi Jing. Did he learn the Shan Zi Jing from the high priest? But how could the high priest know the martial arts of the Nan Tang Shanhai Temple?
"The high priest had originally refused to accept disciples, but later on he made an exception and accepted us for some reasons. I spent a longer time with the master, but my thirteenth brother had to accompany His Majesty and familiarize himself with state affairs, so he only spent a few months with the master and didn't learn much martial arts." Yuan Xiaoxian explained.

Zhao Ti nodded and continued to walk inside. He saw a cell full of torture instruments of various colors. The corners of his mouth raised slightly and he glanced at Yuan Xiaoxian.

Yuan Xiaoxian's eyes moved, "There are so many torture instruments here. Prisons in our country rarely have torture instruments, and the punishment levels are sparse. There is a lack of torture, but the punishment is extremely severe."

The criminal law of Liao Dynasty was not as complicated as that of Song Dynasty. There were not so many crimes listed one after another. Generally, the prisoners would be sent to the army or beheaded directly. Prisons did not keep many prisoners, and interrogation was not taken seriously. If there was no doubt about the crime, they would presume it and execute those who deserved to be executed.

Zhao Ti smiled slightly and said, "I'll show the princess around."

Yuan Xiaoxian said: "Your Highness, this is not good, I won't watch it..."

Zhao Ti shook his head: "It's okay. I originally wanted to capture the princess and interrogate her, but since she came with the envoys, I won't do anything. I'll just let her be for now. If she does any spying again, this place will be her final resting place."

Yuan Xiaoxian had bright eyes and white teeth, and her cheeks were slightly red. "I have already resigned from my military post, and will not be involved in state affairs in the future. I am afraid that your Highness's plan will fail..."

"Resigned from the military job?" Zhao Ti narrowed his eyes slightly and looked Yuan Xiaoxian up and down.

Yuan Xiaoxian looked at Zhao Ti and said, "If Your Highness doesn't believe it, you can ask my Thirteenth Brother. There is no need to hide this from Your Highness."

Zhao Ti frowned, thought for a moment and said, "Since everyone is here, let's take a look."

Yuan Xiaoxian said: "You..."

Zhao Ti waved to the jailer to come and open the prison door, then walked in with his hands behind his back. Yuan Xiaoxian looked at him, lowered his head and walked in.

There are dozens of torture instruments in this prison, but most of them have never been used. After all, the military prison is not like the local prison. There are few imperial guards who commit mistakes and go there, and they can be dealt with with a little arrangement, so there is no need to use torture.

"There are not as many torture instruments here as in Kaifeng Prefecture. Kaifeng Prefecture has dozens more than here." Zhao Ti said.

"There are not many torture instruments in Shangjing Prison. At most, there are things like whips." Yuan Xiaoxian said softly.

"Whip?" Zhao Ti looked at her thoughtfully, then smiled slightly, walked out of the cell and went to the place where Yin Muchang was imprisoned.

Yang Yunchong was sitting on a small stool in the prison reading a storybook. When he saw Zhao Ti coming, he quickly stood up and saluted.

Zhao Ti asked, "How is your martial arts recovery going?"

Since returning from Jiangnan last year, Zhao Ti carefully checked the opponent's injuries. Although Gui Fanlou's attack was quite heavy and destroyed Yang Yunchong's martial arts, his method was crude and did not completely destroy it.

Yang Yunchong had previously gone back to the Ming Cult as an undercover agent, but because Taishu Dingqian had gone into a state of obsession and was unable to protect himself, he was not given treatment. After examining him, Zhao Ti gave him some precious medicinal herbs and asked Wei Hanchen to help treat him.

Yang Yunchong said at this time: "I have almost recovered. Your Highness has been very kind and generous. Yunchong has no way to repay you. I am willing to sacrifice my life for you."

Zhao Ti nodded and smiled, then looked at Yin Muchang.

Yin Muchang was no longer tied to the pillar, but was still wrapped in iron chains. His eyes were dull and he was silent. He no longer had the heroic spirit that he had before, willing to die rather than surrender.

Zhao Ti said, "Sanren Yin."

Yin Muchang said weakly: "What are you doing here? If you want to kill me, just kill me. There is no point in talking any more."

Zhao Ti shook his head: "I came here to ask Sanren Yin a question. Sanren answered, whether to kill or let him go, I will give Sanren a quick death."

"Okay, ask!" A gleam of light flashed in Yin Muchang's eyes, and his hunched body straightened slightly.

Zhao Ti smiled and said, "As a member of the Ming Cult, you have been loyal to the Ming Cult since you were imprisoned. So let me ask you, are you loyal to Ming Zun, the Ming Cult of the Central Plains, or Taishu Dingqian?"

"Ah..." Yin Muchang was stunned when he heard this. Looking at Zhao Ti's eyes, his face changed drastically in an instant.

Zhao Ti said leisurely: "You are loyal to the Mingzun, so you should act according to the scriptures and only follow the light. You are loyal to the Zhongyuan Mingjiao, so you should take the Zhongyuan Mingjiao as your main. If you are loyal to Taishu Dingqian, Taishu Dingqian is no longer here."

"I, I..." Yin Muchang's mind was confused. He had always been straightforward and only knew how to work for the church, but he had never thought about who he was loyal to.

But suddenly an idea struck him: "I am loyal to all of them, it doesn't matter!"

Zhao Ti looked at him and continued, "The teachings of the Ming Zun are only bright and perfect, but now the government is in order and the people are living and working in peace and contentment. You are making contact everywhere, inciting people's minds, and wanting to start a rebellion, displacing the good people and causing war and death. Isn't this contrary to brightness? Can you say you are loyal to the Ming Zun?"

"Ah?" Yin Muchang was stunned for a moment, then blurted out: "I am loyal to the Central Plains Ming Cult!"

Zhao Ti smiled and said, "I told you last time that I hold the token of the leader and want to re-establish the Ming Cult and re-establish the Four Dharma Kings of Earth, Water, Fire and Wind. Everyone in the cult will chant the name of Ming, recite the Ming Sutra, and be a disciple of Ming. Do you want to be loyal to my cult?"

"I, I..." Yin Muchang's expression was extremely ugly: "I am not loyal to you, the Ming Cult, you, the Ming Cult, you..."

Zhao Ti sighed, "Are you trying to say that you are loyal to Taishu Dingqian?"

"I am loyal to Master Taishu..." Yin Mu let out a long sigh, his mind in chaos, as if the demon from outer space mentioned in the Ming Sutra had come wreaking havoc, his blood boiling in his body, there were vague signs of him becoming possessed.

"Tai Shu Dingqian was murdered by the Mountain-Moving Ape King and the Flying Leopard King. I killed them both to avenge Master Tai Shu. Do you... want to be loyal to me?" Zhao Ti said slowly.

"Loyal to you?" Yin Muchang's face turned pale.

"I read the Ming Sutra, believe in light, hold the token of trust, establish the Ming Cult, and avenge the previous leader. If you are not loyal to me, who else can you be loyal to?" Zhao Ti said.

"You, you..." Yin Muchang felt as if his mind was about to explode, and murmured, "You must want to lie to me about what happened before. You want to know the origin of the girl's identity. This is what the leader Taishu said before he died. You must not tell me. You want to lie about this, but you can't..."

At this time, Zhao Ti turned around and glanced at Yuan Xiaoxian. Yuan Xiaoxian looked at him, took a step forward, and walked in front of Yin Muchang with a solemn expression.

She bowed deeply: "Sanren Yin, it is the little fairy who has caused trouble for Sanren."

Yin Muchang rubbed his eyes, looking shocked: "Princess? Why is the princess here? Could she have been captured by him..."

Yuan Xiaoxian shook her head: "I have asked the King of Yan to recognize my identity. This time I am on a diplomatic mission to the State of Song for state affairs. I owe you a debt, so I will apologize to you..."

"Princess, why did you give me a commoner..." Yin Muchang dodged to the side upon seeing this and wanted to stand up to return the greeting, but the shackles were too heavy and he couldn't stand steadily after several attempts.

Zhao Ti hesitated for a moment, then ordered, "Remove Yin Sanren's shackles."

Yin Muchang was stunned when he heard that, and Yuan Xiaoxian blinked her starry eyes.

Yang Yunchong opened all of Yin Muchang's chains. After Yin Muchang returned the greeting to Yuan Xiaoxian, he stood there at a loss, and after a long while he said, "I, I..."

Zhao Ti smiled slightly and said, "Please stay for a while and think about what I just said. I think that if you are loyal to me, you are loyal to the Ming Cult of the Central Plains, and if you are loyal to the Ming Cult of the Central Plains, you are loyal to the Ming Zun!"

After saying that, he turned and walked out of the prison. Yuan Xiaoxian seemed to understand something and followed him.

When they got outside, Yuan Xiaoxian said, "Your Highness, if you re-establish the Ming Cult, it will be..."

Zhao Ti said: "Although Guangmingding was destroyed, the believers in various places have not been completely cut off. The princess said... once the Central Plains Mingjiao is re-established, what should be done with those bandits scattered in various places?"

Yuan Xiaoxian showed a surprised look on his face: "Your Highness actually planned this, what a good trick to cut off the firewood from under the cauldron. If those people come to surrender, they can be caught in one fell swoop. If they don't surrender, they are not orthodox, and the teachings and lessons will no longer stand, and will slowly collapse on their own."

Zhao Ti smiled and said, "Now that the princess knows my plan, will it be ruined?"

Yuan Xiaoxian smiled, looked down at the lightly fluttering skirt, and whispered: "Your Highness is making plans in the tent and winning battles thousands of miles away. How can a little girl destroy it?"

Zhao Ti glanced at her, said nothing more, and got into the car.

Inside the Duting Inn, Xiao Xuanji, the Liao Dynasty's Astronomical Observer, was surrounded by a green aura. He looked extremely painful, with a hint of hatred. Suddenly, a green light flashed across his face, and he shouted, "No!"

Then I saw him staggering a few times, forcing himself to steady himself. A trace of blood flowed from the corner of his mouth, and then he slowly opened his eyes.

At this time, the door outside was pushed open, and Yelu Yanxi walked in with a panicked look on his face: "Brother, how are you?"

Xiao Xuanji took a deep breath, wiped the blood from the corner of his lips, and shook his head, "I almost went crazy, but I'm fine now."

Yelu Yanxi asked, "Brother, why did your inner strength suddenly become disordered and your true energy unstable last night? Even a sign of possessedness?"

Xiao Xuanji snorted, "The King of Yan of Song State has ruined my heart for martial arts with his poetry. I must kill him to vent my hatred!"

"Poetry can ruin the heart of martial arts? That Qingyu'an Yuanxi..." Yelu Yanxi's expression was unpleasant: "Brother, are you talking about the Shanzijing?"

Xiao Xuanji nodded: "It is this skill. If you want to master this skill, you must use the Forget Love Book to be heartless and forget about nature. I didn't expect his poem to be so sharp. The last line, 'Looking back suddenly, that person is there, in the dimming lights,' actually reminded me of the love affair in my heart, and almost ruined my heartless heart."

Yelu Yanxi was puzzled and said, "I haven't practiced the Heavenly Book of Forgetfulness, and my master didn't teach me this skill."

Xiao Xuanji shook his head: "What's the point of your grandson learning this skill? Just learn the Mountain Scripture."

Yelu Yanxi said: "Then it cannot be accomplished?"

Xiao Xuanji said, "The emperor's grandson wants to achieve great martial arts, but this martial art is not the only choice. Although the Mountain Scripture is powerful, it has too many shackles and is a mixed bag of advantages and disadvantages. If you want to reach the pinnacle, you will be subject to many restrictions. The emperor's grandson will inherit the throne in the future, and his identity cannot be lost. That's why Master will not pass on the Forget Love Scripture to you."

Yelu Yanxi pondered, "Master, do you have any other martial arts that are stronger than the Mountain Scripture?"

Xiao Xuanji frowned, "I don't know about this either. You have to ask Master. Oh, grandson, I will not participate in the discussion of the imperial letter tomorrow. I will walk around Tokyo during the day and draw geographical maps. At night, I will reflect the stars in the sky and observe and compare the prosperity and decline of the stars."

Yelu Yanxi said: "The parchment scroll that the sect sent to Your Majesty this time is to draw the geographical structure of Tokyo. Can't ordinary people draw it? Must you come here in person?"

Xiao Xuanji shook her head. "Do you think that the Song Kingdom's Dongjing City was built randomly? In the past, the capital of a country was built after complex surveys, observing the sky and the earth, dividing the stars and positioning, and symmetric rivers and mountains. Only then could it be established as the capital. This city is close to the Yellow River and often suffers from floods. There are mostly plains in front and behind, and there is no advantage in terrain. However, the Song Kingdom still established its capital here. There must be many reasons behind it."

Yelu Yanxi said: "I have heard that the founding emperor of the Song Dynasty, Taizu, proposed to move the capital to Luoyang in the later period of his reign, but I don't know why he didn't do it later."

Xiao Xuanji said: "It is a long time ago, and there is no way to verify it. I am afraid that the current Emperor of Song does not know why he did not move the capital back then."

Yelu Yanxi asked, "I wonder what the religion needs these things for?"

Xiao Xuanji thought for a moment and said, "It seems that the sect has observed something unusual in the sky and stars, which is a rare sign since ancient times. I have not found any results from the Liao Dynasty, so I need to refer to the Song Dynasty."

Yelu Yanxi heard this and murmured, "This is a rare sign since ancient times. What kind of scene is it?"

Xiao Xuanji looked solemn: "I have been in the court for a long time, and I don't know the details. I have to go to the temple to find out..."

Zhao Ti returned home at this time, and when he entered the study, he saw Ah Zhu fiddling with the silkworms.

The little silkworm is now familiar with her. It lies in her palm, looking cute and adorable.

After living with the silkworm for a long time, Ah Zhu seemed to no longer be afraid of the cold. Others would feel the cold unbearable when they touched it, but she didn't feel anything.

Zhao Ti reached out and poked the silkworms, but they rolled over and ignored him. Ah Zhu said, "Your Highness smells good, did you go to the brothel?"

Zhao Ti came to the table and sat down: "Spend a moment with Princess Cheng'an of Liao."

Ah Zhu asked, "Xiaoxian Yuan?"

Zhao Ti said, "I told you this once when I came back from my mission to Liao, and you remember it clearly."

Ah Zhu was smart and charming, and smiled: "I remember everything your highness said."

Zhao Ti smiled and said, "Grind some ink. Miss Wang has written to me several times, but I haven't replied to any of them yet. I need to write her a letter to ask how her martial arts training is going."

Ah Zhu nodded: "Yes, Your Highness." Then he put the ice silkworm into the pot and went to get water to grind it...

In a blink of an eye, it has been more than half a month since the Liao Dynasty delegation arrived in Tokyo. The negotiations went from mutual testing at the beginning to the final revelation. The Song Dynasty finally proposed to use war horses as a condition for the transaction, with the number being 500.

Then there was another ten days of tug-of-war, and the Liao Kingdom finally agreed reluctantly, but they would only trade a maximum of 300 horses. They would not agree to 500 horses no matter what. Apparently, Yelu Hongji had given some instructions when they came, so 300 should be the maximum.

Then it took another three to five days to finalize the specific details, sign the detailed contract, and appoint officials to the market. The Liao delegation then asked for permission to go to the palace, bid farewell to Zhao Xu, and planned to leave and return to Shangjing.

By this time the weather had become warmer, the plum blossoms were sparse, the ice was melting, and the east wind was quietly changing the years.

Outside the north city gate, the Liao Kingdom delegation marched forward. After Yuan Xiaoxian fell, he looked at Zhao Ti and said, "We are parting today. Time has passed. I don't know when I will see you again, Your Highness."

Zhao Ti smiled and said, "Princess, your heart is at ease, your body is at ease, but if you want to see me, when can you see me?"

Yuan Xiaoxian said quietly: "I will move forward and will never dare to look back. I am afraid that when I look back suddenly, the clouds will be vast and your body will be prosperous in the bright sky, which I... cannot reach."

Zhao Ti said: "Princess, you have too many thoughts. Thinking too much is useless and will harm your body and mind. Return north."

Yuan Xiaoxian glanced at him, her starry eyes flickering, she smiled sweetly, and rode her horse forward to catch up with the delegation.

Zhao Ti sat on the Black Rose and watched the figure gradually disappear. As the spring breeze blew away, there was no trace left. He turned the Black Rose around and went back to Tokyo City.

A few days later, one afternoon, Yang Jian came to the palace and said that Zhao Xu had summoned him.

Zhao Ti changed his clothes and asked Tong Guan to drive the carriage to the palace. When he entered the imperial study, he saw Zhao Xu, who was frowning and reading memorials behind the desk.

After the ceremony, the young eunuch brought over a chair and Zhao Ti sat down.

"I have just received a memorial. Please take a look, Prince Yan." Zhao Xu pushed the memorial on the table forward.

Zhao Ti walked over and looked at a few books. His expression changed slightly and he looked thoughtful.

"It is true that wildfires cannot be extinguished, and they will spring up again with the spring breeze. The remnants of the Ming Cult have appeared in several places again, secretly recruiting believers. Although the government offices have launched a crackdown, some of them always escape and cannot be completely wiped out." Zhao Xu sighed.

Zhao Ti thought for a moment and said, "From what is written in the letter, it seems that they will not be able to achieve anything. They are just the remnants of the bandits who were wiped out at that time. It will be extremely difficult for them to start a rebellion again."

"I know that I cannot start another rebellion anytime soon, but the new law is being implemented in full swing among the people. These thieves are spreading rumors and slandering me. If one person spreads it to ten, ten to a hundred, and a hundred to thousands, it will be very detrimental to the new law and the reputation of the court."

"This..." Zhao Ti looked thoughtful.

"If it were another time, I could have taken my time, but right now, I have something stuck in my throat, and I must destroy it once more. Even if I still cannot completely destroy it, I will at least make it like a dark rat, afraid to go out and spread rumors to confuse the people, and it will only survive, hiding carefully for the rest of its life."

"This..." Zhao Ti reached out and touched his chin.

"If this matter is discussed in the court, there will be endless arguments and different opinions, and it will be difficult to come up with a plan. How can there be any result? Moreover, I know that this Ming Cult was spread from Persia, and I am afraid that there may be some connection. Persia may send people to plan and collude to cause trouble, which makes me very worried." Zhao Xu shook his head.

"Persia is still in contact, sending people to connect with them?" Zhao Ti thought for a moment and said, "My last memorial mentioned that the Ming Cult does have a Dragon Dharma King, who is regularly sent by Persia to monitor the Ming Cult in the Central Plains."

"That's right..." Zhao Xu looked at Zhao Ti: "This matter has troubled me a lot. Prince Yan knows a lot about the Ming Cult and has made great contributions before. Do you have any plan to solve this matter?"

Zhao Ti thought for a moment and said, "I do have an idea."

Zhao Xu hurriedly asked, "Would you please tell me what the King of Yan has to say?"

Zhao Ti smiled and said, "Your Majesty, it is not easy to completely eliminate this heresy, and no one can guarantee it, but there is a way to prevent the other party from showing up in a short period of time..."

He recounted what he had said in the military prison a few days ago, and Zhao Xu was stunned after hearing it.

Zhao Ti said: "As long as the imperial court sends people to rebuild the Ming Cult in the Central Plains under its name and sit in the Great Bright Summit, we can wait for all the people to fall into the trap. Even if they are from the Persian Ming Cult, they will definitely be captured. As for those who don't come from other places, we can directly use the name of the Ming Cult to declare them to be fake and not the real Ming Cult. Naturally, no one in the public will believe in them and they will disperse after a long time."

Zhao Xu's expression was slightly dull, and after a long while he said, "Then can we also use the name of Mingjiao to publicize the benefits of the new law, the merits of the court, and the hard work of the officials?"

Zhao Ti smiled and said, "That's right. When everything is as stable as a rock and the bandits dare not show up, we can remove this Ming Cult. If it revives in the future, we can use it whenever we want."

Zhao Xu stood up from behind the desk, slightly excited: "The plan of the King of Yan is absolutely brilliant, it is truly far-sighted and ingenious!"

Zhao Ti said: "The Ming Cult is different from Buddhism, Taoism, or other heretical religions. It only worships the Ming Zun. If it were another religion, or the Liao Shamanism, this plan would not be very useful."

Zhao Xu said: "I don't think about anything else. I am only worried about the Ming Cult. Who should I send to take charge of this matter?"

Zhao Ti rubbed his temples and said, "Your Majesty, who do you think is suitable to send..."

Zhao Xu smiled and said, "Of course it is the Prince of Yan who will go. The Ming Cult was previously led by the Prince of Yan, and the strategy was devised by the Prince of Yan. Naturally, the Prince of Yan will go and I can rest assured!"

Zhao Ti sighed inwardly, knowing that he could not avoid this matter, and stood up and said, "I will obey the order of the emperor and will not fail to obey the order of the emperor."

Five days later, Zhao Ti called a group of people in the mansion, summoned those people from the cavalry and infantry who came from the underworld, and asked Azhu Youcao to follow him. He gathered 3,000 soldiers and left Tokyo and headed straight to the south of the Yangtze River.

We traveled along the way for an unknown number of days until we arrived at Huaixi Road and spent the night there.

Suddenly, a scout came to the general's tent and said that there were many people lighting torches at the foot of the mountain about ten miles to the west. Not knowing what was going on, they did not make any alarm and returned to report.

Zhao Ti thought for a moment after hearing this, then ordered his troops to head to the foot of the mountain to watch.

(End of this chapter)