Frost for a Thousand Years

Chapter 133 Song Shi'an survived
Each of them shall lead one thousand imperial guards to recapture Wuwei. Let's see who returns victorious and whose army is annihilated!

For the first time, Ye Changqing realized that Zhao Yi was truly damn fierce.

His statement was full of flaws and had absolutely no persuasive power.

But given his status as a military officer and a nobleman, and the fact that he was speaking to Chen Kefu, it was extremely useful.

Chen Kefu was already flushed, and this stimulation made him even redder.

That brat, how dare he say such a thing!

Moreover, I really can't just chime in.

"Stop rambling on!"

But being criticized by such a junior, how could he, as a second-rank military officer, back down? He retorted directly, "I'm just asking you, is Song Shi'an's action worth publicizing?"

"Who's rambling on?" Zhao Yi continued his pursuit. "Weren't we just discussing what kind of situation would allow for such adaptability? Then give me an example: which major battle, in terms of the disparity in strength and importance, can compare to the Northern Liang's Battle of Shuofeng?"

"Okay, so you're saying that if there's a next time, in a crisis of this magnitude, you can freely mobilize troops and supplies, and promise soldiers a promotion of two ranks?"

“Give it a try,” Zhao Yi said. “If we each lead a thousand Imperial Guards to recapture Wuwei, it’s the same crisis, the same importance.”

"You're using His Majesty's army to enrich yourself! You're making a risky gamble!" Chen Kefu cursed.

"Your Majesty!" Zhao Yi knelt directly before the emperor, clasping his hands in a fist salute. "This humble general is willing to accompany General Chen to Beiliang, dividing our forces into two routes to recapture Wuwei. Furthermore, I hereby pledge my military commitment!"

This kid's serious!

Chen Kefu was stunned.

Standing beside him, watching him, my body stiffened.

The civil officials, meanwhile, repeatedly signaled and urged him with their eyes: "Agree quickly!"
If you don't agree now, it's like saying that what Song Shi'an can do isn't something anyone can do, and it's not replicable. Even if this door is opened, it won't have much of an impact.

Hurry up and bet against him!

I bet your grandma's a lousy idiot!

How could Chen Kefu make such a huge gamble?

The emperor, seated on the dragon throne, calmly gazed at Chen Kefu, waiting for him to make a choice, indulging his folly.

And watching him struggle and hesitate here, sweating profusely over his neck for a while, he finally showed an unhappy expression.

At this moment, seeing the situation, Eunuch Xi spoke up and rebuked, "Are you treating the imperial court like a child's game?"

"This humble general admits his guilt." Zhao Yi lowered his head.

Chen Kefu also knelt on one knee, clenched his fists, and said embarrassedly, "This humble general knows his crime."

The two slowly retreated back to their respective positions.

This noisy war of words came to an end just like that.

It ended with Zhao Yi's complete victory.

Although the arguments are almost illogical, they thoroughly examine and critique the duties of military officers.

Civil officials may not be able to see through it all.

But the military officers all understood that Chen Kefu was in the wrong.

In fact, any general who disobeys orders in the field is committing a crime.

A military general's strategy in battle is to adapt to changing circumstances.

Because information dissemination was very difficult in ancient times, it was not timely and effective, and opportunities in battle were fleeting, it was impossible to follow the rules in everything.

Even in modern times, when timely feedback is possible, the commander-in-chief should not remotely control his generals or engage in excessive micromanagement. This is a major taboo in military strategy and a cause of national ruin.

Why is Song Shi'an considered irreplaceable?

Several stringent conditions must be met.

First, our army suffered defeat after defeat, and morale plummeted.

Second, the disparity in strength between the enemy and ourselves is enormous, with our number of combat-ready soldiers exceeding five times.

Third, volunteering without regard for anything else.

You're saying Song Shi'an set a bad precedent?
Can you put your own life and death on the scales of your family's life and death?

Forget about the family, you can't even die for yourself, so what's the point of talking about righteousness?

Zhao Yi struck Chen Kefu squarely on the vital spot.

This time, everyone knows it's a commotion.

If there's a life-or-death situation ahead, let's go together, do you dare?
If you don't dare, then shut your mouth!
Without a doubt, Chen Kefu didn't dare say a single word at today's morning meeting.

Without a pillar to stand out, how will we contend with Song Shi'an?
The King of Wu was genuinely startled because the confrontation was too intense.

Unexpectedly, Zhao Yi was both brave and resourceful.

If we suppress the military officers, then the civil officials who speak up will be easier to deal with.

This fourth brother is really going to make his move openly.

The King of Zhongping sensed his powerful aura.

The officials were also afraid.

Even if the King of Wu himself did not suffer any consequences, wouldn't the servant's roar represent the King of Wu's murderous intent?

However, nowadays, no one dares to light the stove.

"The military men have made their fuss, let the civil officials speak," the emperor said. "What is the Minister of the Imperial Secretariat's opinion?"

Ouyang Ke stepped forward.

This is the nominal head of the civil service.

However, because he chose the emperor's faction, his power was quite limited.

Of course, he knew exactly what was going on.

If you have too much power and too complicated a background, you won't be able to stand in this position.

Since we're standing here, we have to compromise.

“Your Majesty,” Ouyang Ke replied, “I believe that everyone has merits and demerits. But it is inappropriate to completely distinguish between merits and demerits, and to determine who has all merits and who has all demerits.”

"Speak," the emperor said.

Ouyang Ke continued, "The officers and civil servants under my command were not punished because they strictly followed orders. In fact, they should be rewarded for their bravery in battle and their efforts in logistical support. However, the 'instigator' who proposed the crime was guilty because he knew it was impossible but still did it."

He paused after saying this.

All the officials looked at him, puzzled.

What's wrong with what he said?
Just then, Ouyang Ke suddenly raised his head and said, "But if Song Shi'an is definitely guilty, do the others have a responsibility to admonish him? Did they try to persuade him?"

These words immediately made Ye Changqing's eyes light up.

Amazing!
This point is too strong.

By assigning full responsibility to Song Shi'an, they essentially provided the officials with a basis for attack, placing all the blame on him instead of directly impeaching or angering the other involved parties. They wanted to single him out.

However, Ouyang Ke forcibly included Song Shi'an into the group.

Moreover, his words filled in the logical gaps in Zhao Yi's previous statement.

Military orders are not just for binding the commander-in-chief.

When the commander is about to disobey military orders, do the deputy commander, military advisor, and subordinates have the 'duty to advise and remonstrate'?
Whether you can persuade them or not is another matter. Have you ever tried to persuade them?

Or perhaps, because the commander-in-chief took on all the responsibilities, the subordinates felt completely absolved of duty—after all, if they lost, the commander-in-chief would be held responsible, and if they won, all the credit would go to them.

This is what set a bad precedent.

The emperor looked at the military advisor in charge of the secretariat and asked, "Who advised us against troop deployment this time due to the north wind?"

"Your Majesty," the military advisor replied, "the supervising officer who returned to Sheng'an is sorting out and verifying the case files. He also needs to get information from General Ran Jin, Zhao Xiang, and the other soldiers who returned with Song Shi'an."

"When will it be ready?" the emperor asked.

"Your Majesty, in three days," the military advisor replied.

"Right now, it's just Song Shi'an's empty words, and we still need to verify it from multiple sources. Wusheng, I've also sent the Imperial Clan Court to inquire about it," the Emperor concluded. "We'll hold another court assembly in three days to discuss this matter further. What do you all think?"

"Your Majesty is holy."

Everyone bowed and paid their respects, thus ending the war.

In fact, this debate actually resolved a very important issue.

That is, what were Song Shi'an's merits and demerits?

The achievement must be significant.

The burden will definitely be significant.

However, the merits outweighed the benefits.

Moreover, even if he takes all the blame, it doesn't mean that all the responsibility truly belongs to him.

It is neither proper nor humane to single out its vicious aspects.

Great, it's saved.

The next point of contention will be how much responsibility others will bear, and how much merit Song Shi'an will have left after deducting his responsibility.

"Then, gentlemen, is there anything else?" The emperor, feeling somewhat weary, said, "If there is anything, please speak; otherwise, the court is adjourned."

After he finished speaking, Cui Ting slowly walked out, leaning on his cane: "Your Majesty, this old minister has another matter to discuss."

“Lord Cui, speak.”

The emperor became somewhat interested.

"The provincial examination is approaching," Cui Ting said, raising his head. "Anyone who has passed the provincial examination is eligible to take it. Song Jing's sons, Song Shi'an and Song Ce, were both provincial graduates last year. Since their crimes have not yet been determined, they should also be able to take the exam, right?"

The moment those words were spoken, the entire room erupted in uproar.

What kind of time is this, that Right Chancellor Cui is talking about this?

Furthermore, isn't this bringing the matter of covering up a wrongdoing to the forefront of the imperial court?
There's nothing wrong with doing this, but nobody does it openly.

But Cui Ting had no choice; he couldn't resolve the issue privately.

Even if he reports it, he will definitely be disqualified.

This is something that can only be discussed.

"That won't do, will it?"

"Who would prepare for the imperial examination while serving time in Dali Temple?"

"Yes, there has never been such a precedent since the start of scientific expeditions."

Obviously, there was overwhelming opposition.

It's all resistance.

Even several high-ranking officials shook their heads, disagreeing with the matter.

King Wu also wanted Song Shi'an to take the imperial examination, which would make it easier for him to be promoted, but he really couldn't say such things openly.

It is possible to contend with the officials from the side.

But everything must be done in a positive direction, and everything must go against the wishes of the powerful families.

That's incredibly reckless.

“There is no precedent, but that doesn’t mean it doesn’t comply with the laws of Da Yu. There’s no provision that says one cannot take the exam while being tried at the Dali Temple, is there?” Cui Ting didn’t lose his composure and asked directly.

At this moment, a third-rank official, around fifty years old, suddenly said sarcastically, "Right Chancellor, aren't you being a little too hasty?"

"what are you saying?"

Provoked by him, Cui Ting turned to him and asked in return.

"The Great Yu Law doesn't say anything, but do we need to say that officials who have committed crimes cannot participate in the imperial examinations?" he asked. "But there was a scholar who was not a clean person when he took the metropolitan examination."

"Yeah yeah."

A chorus of agreement followed.

"I mean, what did you mean by saying I was too eager?" Cui Ting said angrily, gripping the scepter.

“It is understandable that Right Chancellor Cui wants to seek some advantages for his own grandson. But since he can pass the imperial examination, why does he need to do it now?” he asked.

"Okay, then if you get promoted in the future, you don't have to wait until now. How about waiting another three years?"

“Your Excellency Cui is nitpicking over such trivial matters. I will not argue with you.” He stretched out his hand, making it seem as if he was unwilling to engage with him.

Cui Ting appeared to be relying on his seniority and acting arrogantly.

"Isn't it irrefutable?" Choi Yoo-chung said disdainfully.

"This humble official is naturally no match for Right Chancellor Cui. Your ability to adapt to changing circumstances is beyond my comprehension."

"What on earth did you say?"

“Even seemingly insignificant matters can demonstrate the Right Chancellor’s magnanimity.”

He didn't look at Cui Ting, but his mouth didn't stop: "Everyone knows that the mistress of the Song family has always been at odds with the concubine. But Right Chancellor Cui disregarded past grievances and treated Song Shi'an like his own grandson after he returned from the north wind, personally registering him for the exam..."

Cui Ting's face grew even redder as she spoke.

The hands gripping the cane trembled.

All the officials were also forcing a smile.

He continued his self-satisfied and sarcastic remarks, completely ignoring the old comrade beside him: "I believe it. Even if Song Jieyuan wasn't the top scholar and didn't go to Shuofeng, and his daily hobby was listening to music in brothels, Cui Youcheng would still love this non-blood-related outsider..."

Before he could finish speaking, Cui Ting suddenly struck him hard on the head with his cane!

(End of this chapter)