Frost for a Thousand Years

Chapter 203 Madam, you don't want to either?
Conson's anger may seem like impotent rage, but someone still needs to be held accountable.

He was actually very clear about the current situation. He was well aware of Chen Xing's trip to Northern Yan and the bribery he was involved in.

To be precise, everyone knows.

Therefore, by publicly criticizing this matter and giving everyone a serious warning, efficiency in doing things will improve.

A few days later, in the palace of the Prince of Yan, Chancellor Gongsun Xing took the initiative to go there.

Sitting on the throne, Conson was still in a very bad mood and seemed to be giving up.

“Your Majesty,” Gongsun Xing said, “when I first heard the news, I was worried that it might be unfounded, so I didn’t report it directly. But now, I have found out that the people who intercepted and killed the Yu envoy… were probably from the Great Yan.”

Conson really wanted to find out who did it.

Gongsun Xing also knew that he just wanted him to reveal his name.

That's why that scene in the imperial court happened.

Of course, it's possible to fool the Prince of Yan; in this country where centralized power is weak, everyone is trying to fool others.

However, we can't treat him like a fool.

If he abandons his post and simply gives up, he doesn't care about the attitudes of Qi and Yan. What's insecure are the powerful clans below him and the other warlords.

A leader can be weak, but cannot be too weak.

"Who?"

Conson looked at him and asked coldly.

“The people who carried out the actual work know, but who was behind it all… that’s still uncertain,” Gongsun Xing said.

Whoever is specifically responsible for carrying out the task can reveal who is behind the scenes.

You don't know which faction a general belongs to?
But this is just a polite way of putting it.

Original shares cannot be moved, but they can be manipulated. And those original shares that have been manipulated, if they want to fulfill their obligations, have no choice but to reluctantly push them out to the person executing the order.

This official position can't be too low-ranking; it has to carry some weight.

Then it can be used as a political gift to appease the other side's anger.

"Who is it?" Conson asked.

Stepping forward, Gongsun Xing covered his mouth and whispered that he knew.

Upon learning this, Conson remained unusually calm.

“Your Majesty, if there is absolutely no other choice, we can hand this person over to the State of Yu,” Gongsun Xing said. “But for now, it is best if we can refuse to acknowledge him.”

"This king knows."

Conson knew very well that he couldn't handle this.

But he knew even more clearly that the State of Yu would not let this go so easily.

"A prefect was ambushed and killed by a group of bandits on our border." Kang Xu smiled disdainfully and looked at Gongsun Xing. "Do you think it was bandits? Or was it a cavalry force from Qi that crossed the border for hundreds of miles, drove straight in, and killed him?"

"Your Majesty, we cannot afford to pay the compensation," Gongsun Xing advised.

A weak nation has no diplomacy.

They still have some diplomacy because they are not too weak.

And given the current standoff between the two major powers in the North and South, they still have value.

Therefore, a choice must be made at this critical juncture.

"That bastard Ji Yuan bribed our men to kill the Yu envoy!" Kang Xun exclaimed angrily. "Is this all there is to it? Are we really going to form an alliance with him?!"

This is the disastrous consequence of Chen Xing's incident.

Kang Xun harbored a grudge against the Qi traitor.

“But Your Majesty, Chen Xing has probably already returned to his country. If he sends the hostage over, we will be unable to renege on our alliance,” Gongsun Xing said.

"Then send him back!" Kang Xu no longer wanted the hostage.

"Your Majesty, he will absolutely not accept it," Gongsun Xing warned.

Seal off the border completely, and forbid anyone from entering or leaving the pass.

You want to pay it back? We don't want it.

"Then give him to Wei Ye."

Before he knew it, Conson started acting impulsively.

Helpless, Gongsun Xing could only smile bitterly and remind him, "Your Majesty, Ji Yuan will arrive in our Xiangcheng much faster than Wei Ye."

There is no solution to this question.

"What can we do then? If Wei Ye's army besieges the city, who can stand against him?" This was Kang Xun's biggest concern. He couldn't change the distant ruins, but the current catastrophe was enough to destroy a country.

"Your Majesty, now that my Great Yan is at war with Wei Ye, who has the greatest advantage and who has the greatest disadvantage?" Gongsun Xing asked.

"..." Kang Xun paused and said impatiently, "Yan is at the most disadvantaged, while Qi is at the most advantageous."

Where is Wei Ye?

If he had to make a judgment between advantages and disadvantages, Conson had to admit: "Disadvantages."

"It would be detrimental to both countries but beneficial to one," Gongsun Xing said. "Therefore, Wei Ye should be against fighting this battle from the bottom of his heart."

“We cannot gamble on something that could lead to the downfall of the nation,” Conson said, raising his voice.

"My lord, I have a plan."

If Gongsun Xing had no other choice, he wouldn't dare to expose the person who killed Yu Shi.

"What are your plans, Prime Minister?" Kangxun asked.

"We'll pretend we don't know anything about the murder of the envoy. If Wei Ye questions us, we'll say we're investigating. Once he's about to send troops, we'll hand him over," Gongsun Xing said.

"This only solves the superficial problem; what about the real one?"

The real problem is that the Great Yu absolutely does not approve of the alliance.

“If we reduce the number of troops on the border with Qi and increase the number of troops stationed in the south, this would be an alliance with Qi against Yu,” Gongsun Xing said with a smirk. “But if Qi voluntarily withdraws its border troops, and we reduce our own troops to save manpower and pay, without reinforcing the south, what do you think?” “This is just normal cost-saving…”

After muttering to himself, Kang Xun suddenly realized what was going on and looked at Gongsun Xing: "Then the State of Yu should attack Qi, not us!"

.........

"Report! Your Majesty, the envoy has been ambushed and killed on the way!"

Inside the Leyang Imperial Palace, Ji Yuan and Chen Xing were discussing important military and national affairs when a messenger arrived with urgent news.

Upon hearing this, both of them showed joy.

Ji Yuan stood up and patted Chen Xing on the shoulder: "Lord Chen, your flash of inspiration is worth more than 100,000 soldiers!"

Chen Xing said somewhat embarrassedly, "It was His Majesty's money that was spent, and I wasn't the one bribing him. I just came up with some underhanded tricks."

"Don't be modest." Emperor Ji was not stingy with his praise for his subordinates. "If Qi and Yan can form an alliance, Lord Chen will be the one to deserve the greatest credit."

"Thank you, Your Majesty." Chen Xing smiled and bowed, then said, "Then, Your Highness..."

"Yes, I will send cavalry to catch up and urge him to enter Yan as soon as possible," Ji Yuan said.

Both of them are in a relaxed mood now.

The alliance between Yan and Qi was bound to form.

“Kangxun has no other choice.” This was what Chen Xing was most pleased about.

"But we still need to consider that problem we were just talking about..."

Ji Yuan and Chen Xing both calmed down a bit and weren't as agitated anymore.

“If he doesn’t send reinforcements to the south, there’s nothing we can do,” Chen Xing said. “But the good thing is that we can spare 25,000 border troops to put pressure on Wei Ye.”

"Only when both countries are together can Wei Ye feel the pressure to the extreme."

After some thought, Ji Yuan came up with a plan and said, "We'll have to put those ten thousand gold coins to use. Let's find a way to get Yu Yan to fight."

“Hmm.” Chen Xing nodded. “Creating a war is also destroying Song Shi’an’s land reclamation.”

As long as it disgusts Song Shi'an, then the money will be well spent.

.........

"Lord, Kangyi wishes to see you."

In his room at the inn, Song Shi'an sat on the bed, reading the history of Northern Yan and learning about the politics of the neighboring state, when San Gou came to report.

"Oh, then let him come see me," Song Shi'an said casually.

“He said…” San Gou said, “He asked you to come over.”

"Should I go there?"

Song Shi'an frowned, lost in thought, and asked, "Is his wife in the same room as him?"

“Yes, and then his son was alone in another room, with people from the post station guarding the door,” San Gou said.

Because the journey was arduous and everyone had been riding horses all day, the task of guarding the hostages was handed over to the soldiers at the post station.

After all, they were now within the territory of Dayu, in a post station, and patrolled everywhere, heavily guarded. There was no way this family could escape.

"Oh?"

Song Shi'an nodded, then slowly stood up: "Okay, I'll go."

"Would you like me to accompany you?"

“No, you just stay at the gate and change shifts with the other Imperial Guards when it’s time,” Song Shi’an said.

There really is no way to go there alone.

"Yes."

The three dogs obeyed and stayed outside the door.

Song Shi'an went to a house guarded by one person.

Upon seeing him, the soldier at the gate whispered, "My lord, Kangyi said he needed to use the restroom, and two soldiers have already taken him there."

“I know,” Song Shi’an said casually.

The soldier knew what the other party had come for, so he lowered his head and muttered softly, "My lord, with me guarding this place, no one can get close."

"Ah."

After casually agreeing, Song Shi'an went inside.

As the wooden door of the inn creaked open, the dust on the bluestone floor was stirred up by the night wind into fine ripples.

The young master's wife leaned against the tattered reed mat on the folding chair, a porcelain oil lamp beside her elbow flickering with a burst of flame.

The coarse cloth collar had somehow slipped off halfway, and the snow-white breasts surging like waves below the collarbone were bathed in the warm, honey-colored glow of the candlelight. A deep cleavage disappeared into the shadows of the piled-up fabric, and at the bottom, beads of sweat clung to the hemp fibers like crushed stars...

Well, her husband is also a cuckold.

Upon seeing such a wanton young woman, Song Shi'an remained completely calm and went inside.

Upon seeing Song Shi'an arrive, she slowly sat up straight, her clothes slipping off her shoulders and falling so low they could barely cover her.

"This humble servant greets Your Excellency."

"Is this all you can do to repay me?"

Song Shi'an sat opposite her with his legs crossed, and asked with a smile.

“Young master is a hostage, and has nothing to give to the Earl. The only thing he has is me, a woman,” she said timidly.

Do you think I'm lacking in women?

Song Shi'an scrutinized the young master's wife and asked.

"Your Excellency is of high rank and great power, and is handsome and charming, so you are naturally not short of women. The young lady beside you has a beauty that could topple kingdoms."

The struggling flame in the oil lamp suddenly shot up, casting a golden curtain of light on her lowered eyelashes. The young master's wife slowly raised her gaze, looking at him with eyes that had long since shed their shyness and were now full of charm: "But perhaps other people's wives are more alluring."

(End of this chapter)