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

Chapter 17 Alarmism
The carriage moved slowly, passing Donghua Street and following Panlou Street to the intersection with Taikang Street, where the imperial city was already in sight.

The imperial city of the Song Dynasty was the smallest in all dynasties. Even during the reign of Emperor Huizong, the Yanfu Palace was expanded and the Genyue Palace was built, making it an integrated imperial palace. However, it was still not as grand and majestic as the imperial palaces of previous dynasties.

The car drove out of Taikang Street and arrived at the edge of the imperial city. Then it turned around the east corner tower and there was a solemn and majestic gate before the Xuande Tower. It was the Zuoye Gate for daily entry and exit.

Zhao Ti got out of the car and asked Bai Zhan and others to wait on the other side of the road. He greeted the guards at the gate and walked in. He passed through Daqing Gate, Xuanyou Gate, and then went north through several palaces. After crossing Gongchen Gate, he entered the inner court.

Zhao Ti planned to meet his mother, Concubine Xing, first. After all, he was her only son. He was free outside, but Concubine Xing seldom left the palace and spent her days staying in the palace.

When they arrived at Anfu Palace where Concubine Xing was, the eunuch guarding the gate showed a look of joy when he saw her and came forward to greet her: "Your Highness is back."

Zhao Ti nodded, and the young eunuch led the way. They entered the palace in a moment. They saw Concubine Xing chatting with someone. Upon closer inspection, it was Jieyu Guo, who was also a concubine of Emperor Shenzong. The two had a good relationship and often visited each other.

Concubine Xing was born dignified and beautiful with a very good personality. She was quite favored at the time, but was disliked by Empress Dowager Xiang. If it were not for her only son Zhao Ti, she would have been only a Shufei, and would have had to wait until more than 20 years later when Emperor Huizong rewarded the palace ladies of the previous dynasty to be promoted to a Concubine.

Zhao Ti stepped forward and paid his respects. Concubine Xing was delighted and pulled him to sit down and talked to him for a long time. She asked him about his health and also asked him why he came to the palace.

Zhao Ti told the truth. He first went to see his mother and then went to visit the Empress Dowager to inquire about some matters. Concubine Xing told him to be careful in his words and actions and not to overstep the boundaries. He stayed for about half an hour before getting up and leaving.

After leaving Anfu Palace, Zhao Ti went straight to Cining Palace, which was the residence of Empress Dowager Gao Taotao.

This palace was wider than the other palaces, and there were many eunuchs and maids waiting in front of the door. When they saw Zhao Ti coming, they bowed and asked, "Is the Prince of Yan here to visit the Grand Empress Dowager?"

Zhao Ti nodded: "Does the Empress Dowager have any political affairs to deal with?"

The eunuch replied, "There is nothing to do today, but I am not feeling well. I will go and tell the King of Yan about this." Then he walked quickly towards the hall.

After a while, she came out and put the brush into the crook of her sleeve: "The Queen Mother, please come in."

Zhao Ti smiled slightly, and a little palace maid came over to lead the way in front of the palace gate and went straight into the palace.

This hall is a combination of structures, with a main hall and side halls for handling government affairs, reading and sleeping.

The young palace maid led Zhao Ti to a side hall and said, "The Empress Dowager is reading inside. Tell Your Highness to go in directly."

Zhao Ti nodded, then walked into the hall.

The decoration inside was extremely plain, not luxurious at all, with mostly book niches and study rooms, without a single piece of jewelery or precious item. At the back was a long carved desk, with a wide couch at the back, on which sat a woman wearing a long silk gauze gown and a dark blue shawl with a gold-woven cloud dragon pattern.

The woman had a dignified and elegant appearance. Although she was not young anymore, she still had traces of her former beauty.

Zhao Ti looked at the woman, who was none other than the Empress Dowager Gao Taotao, the empress of Emperor Yingzong, the biological mother of Emperor Shenzong, and the Empress Dowager who was currently in charge of the court.

She was stroking a thick book in her hand, her complexion seemed a little unwell, with a slight bluish tint to her fair complexion, and her breath was a little turbid.

Zhao Ti knew that Gao Taotao would die this year, and now he might have some hidden illness that had begun to flare up.

"Grandmother, I pay my respects to you." Zhao Ti bowed. Gao Taotao nodded, put the thick book in his hand on the table, and looked Zhao Ti up and down.

"Why did my dear brother come to see me today?"

Zhao Ti smiled humbly when he heard this. The Empress Dowager sounded a little unfriendly.

He had been in contact with this person since he was a child, and even though it was mostly for his own sake, she was still his grandmother after all. Although there were no relatives in the royal family, the court of the Song Dynasty was still relatively affectionate, not as cold and devoid of any human feelings as in other dynasties.

The emperor basically addressed himself as "I" in the palace, and would not call himself "Zhen" like he did in the court. His children would also call him "Daddy" in private, and would not call him "Your Majesty" or "Your Highness" or "Your Majesty" and so on.

The Empress is called "Niangniang", the Empress Dowager is "Da Niangniang", the Grand Empress Dowager is "Da Niangniang", and the other concubines can be called by their rank or addressed as "sisters" because there is only one Niangniang. Even the biological mother cannot be called by this word, but can be called "mother" instead.

"My grandson wants to go to the palace every day to pay his respects to the Empress Dowager, but it's not like the palace where you can just open your mouth for food and stretch out your hand for clothes without having to worry about other things. Out there, you have to support the livelihood of a large family. But if I can spare the time, I'll come here right away to pay my respects to my grandmother..." Zhao Ti looked worried.

"Oh?" Gao Taotao's expression brightened: "Do you know how difficult it is to live alone?"

Zhao Ti nodded: "It's difficult, difficult. It's not easy for my grandson to manage the palace alone. The eldest lady has been in charge of the harem for many years, and she has also taken care of the empire. How exhausted and laborious it must be."

Gao Taotao looked at him with a slight smile on his face, and said: "Don't talk about me, you haven't married a concubine yet, so where do all these things come from?"

Zhao Ti frowned and said, "Your Highness, you don't know that this place is different from the palace. If you just want to have fun, it's fine. But if you stay in the market for a long time, you will find it tedious and tiring. You have to be on guard against everything."

"The first branch of the recent clan is different from the royal family. The royal family has been living outside for many years and has long been accustomed to living outside. The recent clan is going out for the first time and will definitely feel uncomfortable."

Zhao Ti nodded vigorously: "Madam, it's actually very dangerous outside."

"My dear, don't talk nonsense. The world is peaceful under the rule of the Song Dynasty. Dongjing City, as the capital, has good public security. How can it be dangerous?" Gao Taotao frowned.

"Your Highness doesn't know, but there are a lot of ruffians out there, and there are even gangs that collude with each other to form gangs, which is very scary." Zhao Ti said.

"The palace has guards, and you have people from the Imperial City Bureau following you, and haven't you been practicing martial arts since childhood? When others were studying, you danced with sticks and fists, so you must have some skills. Are you afraid of some rats?" Gao Taotao asked doubtfully.

"Madam, you know that my grandson practices martial arts, but his martial arts skills are not very high. If he really encounters desperate criminals, it will be difficult to defeat them because of their large numbers."

"Where did these desperate criminals come from in the capital, and why are they so numerous and powerful? Stop exaggerating!" Gao Taotao shook his head.

This grandson has been speaking exaggeratedly since he was young, and she is always reluctant to expose him because he is so close to her.

Unlike the grandson of the official, who was humble and obedient, and followed the rules, didn't his family know that he was pretending? As an official, what was he pretending to be, and what was he plotting?

"Madam, no, no, how could it be alarmist? Madam, you must have forgotten the ghost Fanlou..." Zhao Ti observed Gao Taotao's expression and understood what he was thinking, so he waved his hand and said hurriedly.

(End of this chapter)