Frost for a Thousand Years

Chapter 122 Wei Wusheng Arrives in Sheng'an

It will take Xiao Wei and Deputy Envoy Guo Xin about a month to return to Sheng'an from Shuofeng.

Three days before their arrival, a messenger from the post station had already reached Sheng'an and relayed the news back to the emperor.

Logically, after such a victory, the emperor should personally welcome the emperor, but now that the emperor is old, he doesn't move around so often.

To pave the way for the princes, they would usually be sent to lead the officials in welcoming them.

Therefore, all the officials in the court were speculating whether it would be the King of Wu or the King of Jin who would take the lead.

Although it's impossible to definitively determine the heir apparent, this symbolic significance is immense.

It should be noted that when Wusheng set off for the expedition, it was the Prince of Jin who personally escorted him.

What will become of the emperor?
Or should he refuse to be the referee and, with a heavy heart, personally confront his nemesis?

Inside the Xuanyu Hall, the old emperor sat on his dragon bed, while a palace maid knelt beside him, massaging his legs.

A short while later, Empress Hua arrived.

The palace maid left quite naturally.

"Erlang, what are you thinking about?"

Empress Hua looked at him with deep concern.

"What have you heard this time?"

The emperor looked at her, his tone calm.

"Now all the officials in the court are talking about it, how can I not hear it?" Empress Hua said anxiously. "How did Ziyu and Zisheng come to this? They are brothers."

"Do you think that way? Do they think that way too?" the emperor retorted.

"Then you should have established a crown prince as soon as possible to put an end to one of their hopes. It's all because of this divine artifact that they've become like this. The chaos within the imperial clan must never be allowed to happen again."

"Then let's make the King of Wu the crown prince."

The emperor glared at her and said bluntly.

Upon hearing this, Empress Hua quickly sat down beside him, took his hand, and earnestly advised, "But Ziyu is the eldest brother. If you want to establish someone as the heir, you should establish Ziyu and let Zisheng assist him."

"Very well," the emperor agreed. "Go and talk to Zisheng and ask him to give up the position of crown prince and properly assist his second brother. If he agrees, I will make Ziyu the crown prince."

"..." Empress Hua frowned, turned her face away, and said reluctantly, "Won't that just make him complain about me?"

"If I go and say it, won't they complain about me?"

"You always say the empress and concubines shouldn't interfere in politics, but now that we're at a time when we need to offend someone, you're making me do it again." Empress Hua wasn't one to mince words either, and she retorted, "You're the emperor, isn't it your job to ensure harmony among the princes?"

"As emperor, my goal is to ensure the longevity of the Great Yu Kingdom."

After the cold-blooded emperor finished speaking, he added, "The King of Wu did a good job, so he should have done it. The King of Jin is not as good as him, so he should obediently withdraw. Unless, of course, he really doesn't want to fight."

"How could Ziyu not want to fight for it?"

"Who are you trying to impress with that disgusting attitude of being indifferent to the world?!"

The emperor finally lost his temper and spoke very harshly.

Upon hearing this, the Empress's face was filled with sorrow and grief. She raised her head to look at the majestic Emperor before her and said, "I said before that I would give Ziyu a capable minister to assist the country; he just lacks ideas. Isn't Song Shi'an coming back? Give him to Ziyu."

"Does she want to be with Ziyu?"

"He is a subject, and you are the ruler. How could he not listen to you?" Empress Hua said excitedly. "Do you really think that Song Shi'an is a rebellious subject who has no ruler or father? He went to Shuofeng seeking wealth and status. If you give him wealth and status, wouldn't he want it? What difference does it make to him which prince he is?"

Empress Hua's words amused the emperor, who sneered. Looking at his naive wife, he said, "The Prince of Jin? Even if we gave him to the Prince of Wu, would he obediently listen to us?"

"The Prince of Jin won't follow, the Prince of Wu won't follow, what does he want? Does he want to follow that scoundrel?" Empress Hua said angrily. "Now, the only ones who can become the crown princes of our Great Yu are Ziyu and Zisheng. Is he trying to disrupt the government?"

"so."

The emperor slowly turned his head to look ahead and solemnly said, "I will make proper arrangements for Song Shi'an while I am still alive."

.........

In the Prince of Jin's residence, Prince Zhongping and Prince Jin were together, dressed in brocade robes with white tiger fur, watching the snow in the courtyard.

"On that day, before His Majesty summoned Fourth Brother and Second Brother, he first summoned Sima Yu. After returning home, Sima Yu did not leave his residence for a month, keeping the doors closed and refusing to see anyone," Wei Yiyuan said.

"He must have had some discussions with His Majesty," Prince Jin guessed.

“So,” Wei Yiyuan glanced at him sideways and said, “I went there myself.”

"..." The Prince of Jin stared wide-eyed, completely terrified by his unauthorized action.

She stared at him stiffly, a hint of panic in her eyes. But there was no anger; instead, she asked nervously, "How did it go?"

In the past, he would have certainly reprimanded this presumptuous Prince Zhongping.

But now, all he wants to know is what kind of responsibility Sima Yu has taken on.

Because the situation is really critical right now.

“Since the prince has come in person, I thought he would at least give me some face, but he still refused to receive guests, citing illness as the reason,” Wei Yiyuan said coldly.

"What illness?" the Prince of Jin asked in return.

“I think it’s the anxiety of those involved in the succession process,” Wei Yiyuan said solemnly.

"How could a mere Grand Diviner be involved in the selection of the heir apparent?" The Prince of Jin found it unbelievable. "No matter what, it couldn't possibly have anything to do with him."

"Yes, someone who plays with tortoise shells is now getting involved in the affairs of our Wei family."

After his rant, Wei Yiyuan speculated, "This at least shows that His Majesty hasn't decided on a successor yet. Neither you nor Fourth Brother has a decisive advantage. So, His Majesty wants to use auspicious omens, lucky signs, and divination to choose."

"How could the selection of an heir be so trivial?"

The King of Jin thought it impossible.

"Then could it be that His Majesty witnessed some wonder or had a dream that is related to this Crown Prince?" Wei Yiyuan asked again.

"What do you want to do?"

The Prince of Jin asked with great vigilance.

"Why did you have to specifically seek out this turtle shell player before meeting the two noble princes?" Wei Yiyuan said with a sharp look in his eyes. "I have a feeling that the key to the struggle for the throne might even be Sima Yu."

"Don't do anything reckless."

“I will have someone keep an eye on him; he will eventually break free of his shell. Once I catch him, I will meet with him in private.”

"And then, what should you say when you meet them?"

“If he doesn’t participate in the succession struggle, he will definitely have a chance to live. But if he gets involved, there is only one way for him to survive.” Wei Yiyuan stared at the Prince of Jin.

The King of Jin understood his meaning and murmured, "Choose the right person."

“Once he gets involved, he’ll have no choice.” Wei Yiyuan’s eyes flashed with ruthlessness. “After it’s done, I promise him the position of Grand Tutor, one of the Three Dukes, and a life of wealth and honor.”

"Is he really that important?" the Prince of Jin asked rhetorically.

"Definitely." The Prince of Zhongping's tone was unwavering. "Only after seeing him will I see the King." If this was as the Prince of Zhongping said, then it was a blatant declaration of war…

On that day, the emperor approached the Prince of Jin and expressed his hope that he and the Prince of Wu would work together to protect the kingdom.

But how can he be of one mind and one heart?

If you don't oppose the King of Wu, you'll have to oppose all the officials.

If he were to stand against the officials and side with the King of Wu, who would be the most respected?
That day, the Prince of Jin seemed to have sensed a hidden meaning—if you can't relieve your father's worries, then you should give the position of Crown Prince to your younger brother.

While I was pondering this, the emperor's instructions arrived.

"Your Highness, Eunuch Xi has arrived."

"Please."

After the eunuchs in the palace announced his arrival, Prince Jin regained his composure.

After a while, Eunuch Xi led several eunuchs into the courtyard of the mansion and bowed to the two princes: "This servant greets Your Highness Prince Jin and Your Highness Prince Zhongping."

"No need for such formalities, Your Excellency," Prince Jin said with a smile. "Is there an imperial decree from His Majesty?"

"It's neither an imperial edict nor a verbal order," Eunuch Xi explained. "His Majesty said that preparations for the imperial examinations should be expedited in the next few days. Therefore, he hopes that His Highness Prince Jin and the Grand Secretaries will work hard."

“Alright.” Prince Jin nodded, then asked, “When His Highness the Sixth Prince returns to the city in a few days, will the Grand Secretaries not be required to participate in the welcoming banquet?”

"Your Highness, there's no need."

"Understood."

And so, the negotiations were concluded quite amicably.

The people in the palace also left the Prince's residence.

"The one who led the welcoming party with all the officials was my fourth brother, not my second brother, the Prince of Jin."

Wei Yiyuan's tone was already quite frustrated and dissatisfied.

"Couldn't His Majesty have gone to pick him up personally?"

"If you went to pick me up in person, why did you lock me up at the Imperial Academy, Second Brother?"

Wei Yiyuan genuinely couldn't understand why they had such a huge advantage and ended up fighting like this. He couldn't help but ask, "Second Brother, are we going to retreat any further? If we retreat any further, where can we go?"

With his eyes closed, the Prince of Jin held his breath and concentrated.

Then, he slowly opened his eyes and said, "Zishang, I will not retreat. I will not retreat again."

.........

He was with Ye Changqing in the King of Wu's carriage.

“Your Highness, the fact that His Majesty has appointed you to lead all the officials speaks volumes,” Ye Changqing said.

“I understand, I understand,” King Wu nodded.

"From now on, there's no need to keep a low profile or hide like a dragon in the abyss," Ye Changqing said in one breath. "Anything involving the regency, if His Majesty gives you, you accept it. And if you accept it, you do it with all your might!"

"Alright." The King of Wu said with some regret, "The imperial examination is still in the hands of the Prince of Jin. Will Father transfer it to me?"

Ye Changqing placed his hand on the back of the King of Wu's hand and calmly said, "Let's take it one step at a time."

"Understood, no rush, no rush."

The most important thing for the King of Wu now is to control his excitement.

There was no way around it; he desperately wanted to be emperor.

The carriage left Sheng'an.

He got out of the carriage, accompanied by Ye Changqing. Zhao Yi, who had arrived on horseback, also got out of the carriage and stood on his other side.

The two were like the left and right protectors of the King of Wu.

Outside the city, all officials of the fourth rank and above had already taken their places.

However, elderly nobles like the Duke of Li and Minister Sun had given prior notice and did not come.

On days with heavy snowfall, the old folks could easily freeze to death.

The King of Wu walked through the ranks of his officials, who were divided into civil and military officials.

Located in front of people.

Zhao Yi and Ye Changqing, standing on his left and right respectively, followed him through the officials and took their places in the first row of civil and military officials.

"Your Excellency is a high-ranking official, while I am of lowly status. How could I possibly be placed in the same first row as you?" Ye Changqing politely declined.

People around him quickly offered compliments, smiling and suggesting that he sit in the center, and some even volunteered to give up the first row.

He simply smiled faintly, and after standing still, slowly turned his head.

Those civil officials who had previously criticized him, even those who were several ranks higher than him, all quickly lowered their heads and dared not meet his gaze.

And so, all the nobles in the world awaited Wusheng's return.

Gradually, a cavalry caravan arrived.

The one leading them was Wei Wusheng.

Fifty paces ahead of the officials, he dismounted, removed his hood, and walked toward the King of Wu.

Having experienced the great battle of Beiliang and returned amidst the wind and snow, he exuded fortitude and underwent a transformation.

“Wu Sheng, you finally…”

With a smile, the King of Wu took the initiative to greet him.

But before he could finish speaking, Wei Wusheng knelt on one knee, clasped his hands in a fist salute, and bowed his head in greeting: "Wei Wusheng greets Your Highness!"

The sixth prince, who had performed such a great service, knelt down before him without a second thought.

The King of Wu's eyes were instantly coated with a layer of shimmering light.

The faint smile at the corners of her mouth couldn't help but curve upwards, impossible to hide.

As he grasped Wei Wusheng's arm, he seemed to see the throne right before his eyes.

Within arm's reach!

A warm sensation flowed through my chest.

He placed one hand on Wei Wusheng's cheek.

Wei Wusheng slowly raised his head.

Looking at him, the King of Wu said with heartache, "Brother, you've lost weight."

(End of this chapter)