"Lord Li, what should we do with this guy?" Pan Bufeng threw the bird in front of Zhao Li.

Zhao Li looked at the now imprisoned Emperor Toriihito and said, "Toriihito, what are you doing? On the one hand, you admire us Chinese, and on the other hand, you secretly covet our wealth. This is not good, I tell you. We were planning to leave this damn place of yours, this rotten place, but who knew you would force us to stay here."

He deliberately spoke incoherently and refused to say what he was going to do with you, which made Niao Ren doubly panicked: "Please, please let me go. You, you won't kill me, will you?"

Everyone fears death. Torihito only wants to save his life now, regardless of whether he has the self-esteem and dignity of an emperor or not.

"This, I cannot make the decision. You are the Emperor, and we in the Great Song also have our own Emperor. Torii, pray, pray that His Majesty will show mercy and release you!"

In Bianjing, Zhao Huan had already decided to let Torii go. And if the Song Dynasty attacked Japan, the gains would outweigh the losses.

"Deliver the order to the Dragon Boat Envoy: The Great Song, a supreme nation, disdains to contend with a small, barbaric nation. In the spirit of a great power, I grant amnesty to the Japanese Emperor, Toriito. The small nation of Japan must submit to the Song as a vassal state. As a vassal state, it must not harbor any dissenting thoughts. Otherwise, the Great Song will dispatch troops to subdue it with divine might! This is my decree."

As for prohibiting Japan from having an army, that was clearly unrealistic. Torii had no control over the local vassals, who nominally obeyed the emperor but were in reality independent princes with their own armies. After deliberation, Zhao Huan decided not to wade into the Japanese waters for the time being. This wasn't modern Japan. Heian-era Japan was a small, barbaric nation, a powerless nation. To put it bluntly, it was no more threatening than the Tibetan tribes posed to the Song Dynasty.

Several months later, Zhao Li received an imperial decree from the Song Dynasty emperor. A dragon boat sailed from Toyama Port, heading north to Kipros. Niao Ren, having escaped with his life, hurriedly fled back to the capital, where he remained, fearing and awe-struck by the Song Dynasty.

A country always has endless things to deal with. Zhao Huan, the incompetent emperor, abandoned his post again and disappeared. This time, no one knew where he went, not even Cao Dongsheng, nor Linghu Yunlong, who was beside him.

"How could His Majesty be missing? What's going on?" Wende Hall was now in a state of emergency. Li Gang and the other four regents, Cao Dongsheng, Linghu Yunlong, and Nangong Lian'er were all there.

Nangong Lian'er was pregnant for the first time, so it wasn't affected much. She was the most anxious: "How could His Majesty just disappear for no reason? What are these guards doing?"

Linghu Yunlong blushed slightly upon hearing this. Although Nangong Lian'er's words were not directed at him, he thought it was the Empress's fault. No matter how favored Linghu Yunlong was, he was only a small guard. "Your Majesty, I failed to protect you well. Please punish me."

"Linghu Yunlong, please don't cause trouble for me at this moment. His Majesty didn't summon you to the palace. He was protected by layers of guards in the palace, and then he was lost like this. I don't blame you!"

Everyone had their eye on Cao Dongsheng, and now he was the only one who stayed by Zhao Huan's side after entering the palace. Cao Dongsheng was even more anxious: "I don't know where His Majesty went. He just left a letter saying that he was bored in the palace and insisted on going out for a walk. He would be back within three days, so we don't have to worry."

"Nonsense!" Meng Gurao was furious. "How can a king of a country act so recklessly? Your Majesty is worth a fortune, yet you don't even have anyone to protect you. How did he get out of the palace?"

Cao Dongsheng whispered like a child who had done something wrong, "Yesterday, yesterday, His Majesty asked me for a set of eunuch clothes. I tried to ask, but His Majesty scolded me, so I didn't dare ask again. His Majesty didn't go to any of the concubines' bedrooms yesterday, but stayed in the Wende Hall reading and reviewing memorials. This morning, when I came to call His Majesty to court, I discovered that His Majesty had disappeared, leaving only this letter."

"I want to find His Majesty, I want to leave the palace!" Nangong Lian'er was very anxious.

Cao Dongsheng hurriedly stopped her, "Your Majesty, Your Majesty, you can't do that. You're pregnant, how can you leave the palace? Besides, His Majesty left no clues, so even if you leave the palace, where can you find her?"

Everyone tried to dissuade Nangong Lian'er from leaving the palace to search. He Li said, "Why don't we notify the Hu Yasi and have Zheng Xian send someone to look for her. As long as His Majesty doesn't leave the capital, the Hu Yasi will definitely be able to find her."

Everyone nodded in agreement, but Duan Xiaorong shook her head and said, "Absolutely not. This matter must not be made public. Apart from those in this palace, no one else can know that His Majesty has left the palace."

Everyone was shocked, then they understood. This time, it wasn't the emperor leaving the palace incognito; it was the emperor himself who had disappeared. If this were to get out, some might harbor ulterior motives. Therefore, when Zhao Huan disappeared, it was imperative that no one outside knew about it.

"Right, right, right!" Meng Gurao, a shrewd man, said, "This matter must not be told to outsiders, Your Majesty. Even if the Empress asks, we must keep it a secret to avoid unnecessary trouble. Linghu Yunlong, you must leave the palace immediately and search the city for His Majesty's whereabouts. Cao Dongsheng, you go to the Purple Palace and tell the officials that His Majesty is unwell and the morning court is cancelled. Go quickly."

Li Gang nodded. "This is the only way we can do right now. Lord Meng is truly thoughtful. Thankfully, His Majesty has said he will return within three days. When His Majesty returns to the palace, we will surely come and make a death-defying protest. Your Majesty is playing with the Song Dynasty!"

Duan Xiaorong smiled bitterly and shook his head: "It's difficult for Your Majesty to change!"

Li Gang said angrily, "If he still refuses to repent, we four old men will force His Majesty to go to the ancestral temple and kneel before Taizu and Taizong to repent."

He Li stuck out his tongue and said, "Lord Li Gang, forcing His Majesty to go to the ancestral temple to repent? You should go. I absolutely do not have the courage to do so."

Meng Gurao waved his hand. "Alright, it's already late and you still have the energy to joke. Everyone, remember, His Majesty is not missing, he's just unwell and is studying in Wende Hall. No one is allowed to disturb him! Do you understand?"

Everyone nodded in agreement and, as Meng Gurao instructed, left the hall to prepare for the situation. Cao Dongsheng arrived at the entrance of the Purple Palace, which was already filled with officials.

An official from the Ministry of Rites asked, "Eunuch Cao, the morning court has already arrived, why hasn't His Majesty arrived yet? Moreover, why did His Majesty summon these four ministers? What couldn't they have discussed at the morning court?"

Cao Dongsheng said coldly, "Why, does His Majesty need to ask you for permission for anything he does?"

The emperor was a notorious jerk. If Cao Dongsheng told the emperor about this, he would be in big trouble. The official from the Ministry of Rites was startled: "Your humble servant dare not!"

Cao Dongsheng said arrogantly, "Your Majesty has decreed that I am ill and will not attend the morning court for three days. All petitions will be handled by the four regents. Your Majesty summoned the four ministers to the Wende Hall to instruct on this matter."