[{"data":1,"prerenderedAt":-1},["ShallowReactive",2],{"origin-thirteen-years-as-king-of-the-great-song-i-learn":3,"chapter-thirteen-years-as-king-of-the-great-song-i-learn-thirteen-years-as-king-of-the-great-song-i-learn-chapter-56":6},{"origin":4,"title":5},"chinese","Thirteen Years as King of the Great Song, I Learned I Was the Dragon",{"chapter":7,"nextChapterSlug":19,"prevChapterSlug":20,"totalChapters":21,"novelImage":22},{"id":8,"novel_id":9,"title":10,"slug":11,"index":12,"content":13,"wordcount":14,"created_at":15,"updated_at":15,"volume":16,"translator":17,"content_hash":18},2271751,4437,"Chapter 56","thirteen-years-as-king-of-the-great-song-i-learn-chapter-56",56,"\u003Cp>Prince Shen was the ninth son of Emperor Shenzong; as a child, he suffered acute convulsions and nearly died, saved only by the physician Qian Yi, but left with impaired vision and blurred sight.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>At the time, Empress Dowager Xiang and the ministers discussed succession; Zhang Dun first proposed Emperor Zhezong’s younger full brother, the thirteenth prince Zhao Si, as heir, but Empress Dowager Xiang rejected him, then proposed the ninth prince—this very Prince Shen, Zhao Bi—and was again rejected.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Zhao Ti had been close to him since childhood, and even after leaving the palace, they often visited each other; aside from his poor eyesight, Zhao Bi was sharp-witted and highly intelligent.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Prince Shen said today was the Mid-Autumn Festival and came to pay respects to Master Wang,” the young eunuch said. “He waited a long time for Master Wang’s return, then left.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Zhao Ti nodded; on Mid-Autumn night, every household stayed up late admiring the moon, so he immediately sent a gift with a message inviting Prince Shen to visit soon, then practiced his cultivation in the study before retiring.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The next day, Jin Feng Xi Yu Tower delivered a secret letter; Zhao Ti unfolded it, pondered, then set out with Zhou Dong and Bai Zhan.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He went to the tower, which stood on Zhuque Avenue in the southern part of Dongjing’s inner city—a street not the most bustling, yet exceptionally wide, its shops selling mostly calligraphy, paintings, antiques, jewels, and jade.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Zhao Ti had brought seven palace guard soldiers from the imperial court; Bai Zhan and Su Dayu remained at the mansion, while the other four worked at Jin Feng Xi Yu Tower.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Among them, Shang Qi had the highest martial skill and became the tower’s owner; Hou San and Zhu Si assisted him as deputies.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The tower had a ground-floor shop and a courtyard behind it; Zhao Ti had bought it for a heavy sum from a Jiangnan merchant, made minor modifications, and turned it into the main headquarters.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Entering from the back courtyard now, several men were training with stone weights; upon seeing him, they immediately dropped their tools and stepped forward to pay respects.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>At that moment, Shang Qi emerged from the tower—a middle-aged man with a face like carved stone, his expression shadowed with gloom; he bowed and said, “Young Master, please ascend.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Zhao Ti nodded as they walked, saying, “Did the branch mentioned in the letter truly break the rules?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Shang Qi replied, “Young Master, indeed they have. They seem to have backing, so I did not act rashly—I leave the decision to you.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>They entered the second floor and the meeting hall: “They call themselves the Sanfen Hall—how bold! Are they aiming to carve up Dongjing, or even the whole empire?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Shang Qi said, “This name could not have been chosen by mere outlaws.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Zhao Ti said, “The Jianghu here in Dongjing is shallow; they operate in isolation, confined to this single patch of land. Even with backing, they must be tied to the court.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Shang Qi said, “Your words are wise, Young Master. Their boldness suggests they are no ordinary faction.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Zhao Ti sat down; Zhu Si brought hot tea; he asked, “How many men have they gathered?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Shang Qi pondered: “Most of the remnants of the gangs we previously dismantled have joined them. These ruffians, with no means to survive, naturally flock to them—perhaps several hundred in total. Now they’ve settled along the western bank of Cai River, resuming collection of protection fees.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“What happened to the original gang that controlled the western bank of Cai River?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“The Sanfen Hall wiped them out. Their boss was hacked to death and thrown into the Cai River—no one knows where his body has drifted.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>When Zhao Ti returned to the capital, only two or three gangs remained in Dongjing—none too dangerous. To conceal Jin Feng Xi Yu Tower’s existence, he ordered them spared; they willingly submitted to the tower’s authority, ceased harassing neighborhoods, and tried to go legitimate—now they had been swallowed by this new Sanfen Hall.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>How many experts do they have?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Replying, Young Master, they have few. Most are merely ruffians and hoodlums.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Zhao Ti said, “Go tonight, take a look, and wipe them out.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Shang Qi said, “Yes, Young Master. I’ll prepare immediately.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Zhao Ti nodded, then stayed in the tower. He ate dinner early, and before dark, went to Dongjing’s outer city.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Dongjing’s outer city was vast; though less refined and bustling than the inner city, its population was several times greater. Several rivers flowed through it, east-west or north-south, each lined with docks teeming with laborers and porters.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Cai River lay in the southern part of the outer city, close to the Wu Xue; the newly formed Sanfen Hall was just north of Yinan Bridge on the river’s southwest bank.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>This had once been the headquarters of the previous gang; after being swallowed, the Sanfen Hall seized it outright as their main hall.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The sky was just beginning to darken; most laborers at the docks had gone home, while a few remained under temporary hire to guard cargo.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Zhao Ti arrived at Yinan Bridge with Zhou Dong and Bai Zhan; the bridge was rugged, lacking the elegant appearance of Zhou Bridge.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>From the bridge, they saw a few covered boats drifting on Cai River, mostly cargo vessels moored beside the docks.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The Sanfen Hall’s headquarters lay in an alley on the other side of the bridge—Yinan Bridge Alley. Once home to honest dockworkers, it had gradually been taken over by gangs—bought for pittance or seized under false pretenses, becoming a notorious underground den.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Jin Feng Xi Yu Tower had not deployed many men; in fact, even now controlling eighty percent of Dongjing’s underworld, they numbered no more than five hundred.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Compared to the old underworld structure, this was neither few nor many—but as the new authority over the entire Jingji region, it seemed thin. After all, Dongjing of the Great Song was the world’s largest city—greatest in area, population, and commercial wealth.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Yet Zhao Ti adhered to the principle: troops matter not in number but in quality; even vast hordes of untrained men were useless.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>This time, only one hundred and fifty men were sent, led personally by Shang Qi, scattered along both banks of Cai River, awaiting action at Zi Shi.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Darkness deepened. Though Dongjing had no curfew, this area was never lively; under thick night, it grew eerily quiet, broken only by the slow, whispering flow of Cai River in the night wind.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>As the hour arrived, under the hazy moonlight, black-clad figures emerged like shadows, slipping silently into the alley from all directions.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Shang Qi had the highest martial skill; every day he trained the tower’s men. Though none could fight ten or eight at once, each could handle two or three.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The battle in the alley erupted instantly; Zhao Ti stood on the bridge, watching coldly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>No loud commotion arose; the ambush caught the Sanfen Hall off guard—they never expected Jin Feng Xi Yu Tower to dare strike directly at their door.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>In barely a quarter-hour, men in the alley raised torches and waved signals; Zhou Dong said, “Young Master, it’s done!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Zhao Ti nodded: “Go take a look.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>As the three reached the foot of Yinan Bridge, a squad of soldiers rushed from afar—about a hundred strong—with a leader on horseback, galloping urgently toward the alley entrance.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Bai Zhan recognized them: “Young Master, those look like night-patrol soldiers from the Infantry Command—but night patrols never ride horses.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Zhou Dong said, “Could the Sanfen Hall’s backers have arrived?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Zhao Ti said coolly, “Then we must go see.”\u003C\u002Fp>",1274,"2026-06-19T22:30:31.989Z",1,"Qwen3-Next 80B","77fe8115ecdf3fe72fa0c2a9015c16cd7256aef563ad89c52dbb6fe711ac9e70","thirteen-years-as-king-of-the-great-song-i-learn-chapter-57","thirteen-years-as-king-of-the-great-song-i-learn-chapter-55",270,"https:\u002F\u002Fnovelzhen.com\u002Fimages\u002Fcovers\u002Fthirteen-years-as-king-of-the-great-song-i-learn-cover.jpg"]