Frost for a Thousand Years

Chapter 219 Entering Yan Territory, Danger Lurks Everywhere

When the gates of Cangliao Pass opened, the cavalrymen who had been loitering ahead quickly turned back to report to the main army.

Xiang Ping, sitting on the grass, revealed a hint of 'relief'.

“This Lord Song,” Zuo Ziliang, standing to the side, felt genuine admiration for the man’s wisdom. “He is truly a man of uncanny foresight.”

"He understands people much better than I imagined."

Xiang Ping suddenly remembered the conversation between the two of them yesterday.

Then, I realized what was happening.

This kid is just provoking himself.

Or did she realize how much she liked him, so she deliberately pretended to be politically naive?

It's both.

But what it lacked was kindness.

Perhaps this kid can actually accomplish what was impossible in the mid-dynasty period: land reclamation.

"General Xiang." At this moment, Zuo Ziliang looked at the General Who Guards the East. "Before entering the pass, I have an urgent letter to send to Sheng'an. Do you have any instructions for this matter, General?"

It was practically an open invitation: "We can still patch things up now. How am I supposed to explain this to the emperor?"

But who dares to understand this explicit implication?
At that time, Zuo Ziliang will say: "Your Majesty, I have read this statement, and it is the same as what General Xiang asked me to say."

"Please convey my greetings to His Majesty on my behalf, Lord Zuo," the general said.

"Yes, I will." After saying that, Zuo Ziliang looked ahead and added, "The Embroidered Uniform Guard is indeed ruthless in its dealings. But this time, I accompanied the delegation north and saw everything along the way. Whether it was the general or Envoy Song, they all wanted the mission to be successful. They had no other thoughts."

Not all the Embroidered Uniform Guards were the emperor's hyenas, viciously attacking everywhere.

Since we are human, we have feelings.

Zuo Ziliang also liked some honest, capable, and selfless officials.

Judging from the current situation, he seems to really like Song Shi'an, who is rumored to have been criticized for almost not behaving like a proper subject.

"Then, thank you, Lord Zuo."

General Xiang nodded slightly to him.

……

"It's amazing."

The envoy next to Song Shi'an was practically the deputy of the civil officials in this mission. Zhou Tongde knew that after the gate opened, the way he looked at Song Shi'an had changed, and he couldn't help but murmur, "My lord, this is the first time I've seen an envoy sent with ten thousand troops."

"Keep a low profile," Song Shi'an said modestly, waving his hand.

If I continue to serve as the Deputy Envoy of State, you will witness all sorts of violent diplomatic missions.

After the city gates were opened, a cavalryman rode up quickly, clasped his hands in salute, and said, "Please welcome Lord Song to Yan!"

"Where is Lord Lu?" Zhou Tong expressed his dissatisfaction with the unequal treatment of the person who came, seeing that only a soldier had arrived.

At the same time, there is also some caution.

“My lord,” the cavalryman explained, “Lord Lu is waiting for you all at the city gate.”

“Okay.” Song Shi’an reached out and pressed down, reminding the others not to be too hostile.

There's a good chance they've already had a fight.

Then Lu Chao won.

So he stood guard at the door, afraid that Huang Tong would go crazy and force the door shut.

Get through customs quickly, that's the important thing.

So Song Shi'an led the way.

Several Imperial Guards, led by Zuo Ziliang, also followed behind in civilian clothes.

The remaining soldiers, carrying the chests of gold, followed slowly.

"My lord, please have the rest of you remove your armor and take off your spears and lances," he said. "When entering the pass, you may only carry a short knife or a sword."

"Remove your armor," Song Shi'an said.

This is also a rule of diplomatic protocol, ensuring equality between both sides and guaranteeing safety.

To put it simply, a few dozen fully armored elite cavalrymen could slaughter several streets in the capital.

Early diplomatic missions were quite irregular.

For example, the very famous Han envoy.

To resolve a country's political instability, they might choose to—in the middle of the night, take a knife and kill all the envoys from the opposing country.

It can only be said that there are many psychologists among the envoys of the Han Dynasty: specializing in treating people's indecisiveness.

Soon, all the cavalrymen had removed their equipment, leaving only their swords.

Song Shi'an, in particular, carried a Kui Xing sword inlaid with rubies, a gift from Old Wei.

Of course, this thing is purely decorative; it's short and thin, and has very little lethality.

"My lord, these boxes of things..." the cavalryman said again.

"This is a gift for the Prince of Yan."

After Song Shi'an said that, he stopped asking questions and extended his hand, saying, "Please."

And so, they finally entered Cangliao Pass.

The moment the gates closed, Lu Chao felt a sense of relief. He quickly went to Song Shi'an's side and asked, "My lord, can the troops retreat now?"

"Alright." Song Shi'an said as he dismounted, then took his arm and said reassuringly, "Lord Lu, why are you so anxious?"

"How could I not be anxious?" Lu Chao's face flushed. "I'm here, eagerly awaiting the arrival of Prefect Song. I'm really looking forward to meeting you, this young hero, the newly appointed top scholar. And you, on the contrary, bring thousands of troops to attack! How frightening!"

"I'm so sorry, please forgive me, Lord Lu."

Song Shi'an stopped and bowed to him.

"You're too kind, my lord. As long as you arrive in Yan, please consult with me on everything you do, and I'll be very grateful," Lu Chao said, supporting Song Shi'an.

"Hmm, why does Your Excellency have such concerns?"

"Lord Song, do you think you're not famous for your decisive and efficient actions in the north wind?"

"You flatter me; it's just a little bit of hardship."

"..." I wasn't praising you!

After exchanging pleasantries, Lu Chao looked behind him and asked Song Shi'an, "Does Your Excellency have a list of the envoys?"

"Lord Zhou, come here." Song Shi'an beckoned Zhou Tong.

Then, Zhou Tong came over and reported: "A total of forty-one people, including twenty-two guards, six military officers, and officials..."

And so, they carried out the important reconciliation.

Confirm everyone and make sure everything matches up.

The sight of those truckloads of "gifts" made Lu Chao a little nervous.

The contents inside, in principle, do not need to be checked.

The quantity is too large, which inevitably raises suspicions...

At this moment, Song Shi'an covered his mouth and whispered to him, "Sir, this is a very important gift."

Since he had already said that, Lu Chao couldn't really interfere.

However, he remembered a very important matter the king had entrusted to him: "What about the young master?"

"This is also part of our diplomatic mission," Song Shi'an said. "The person will be sent to Ji County, sir, please rest assured."

"Please treat them well and ensure their safety," Lu Chao said.

“Now that I’m already inside the pass, how can I give instructions to my men?” Song Shi’an said with a smile, then patted his shoulder. “Young Master and Madam have a very good relationship with me. We’ve been chatting and laughing all the way here, just like family.”

The phrase "the lady has a very good relationship with him" caused the rest of the delegation to simultaneously break into uncontrollable smiles.

"That's good."

Lu Chao ignored the question and pretended not to understand.

After everyone had registered, the group entered the barbican and proceeded further in.

At the end of the barbican is the inner gate, and inside are neatly lined up troops on both sides. At the front are officers.

Leading the group was naturally the commander-in-chief, Huang Tong.

His heart was in particular turmoil.

But I still couldn't help but look at the guy who had put me in such a dangerous situation...

And as he was looking, the other person's gaze happened to meet his.

I was shaken at first glance.

There's a lion in Song Shi'an's eyes!
No, why is this bastard staring at me?

Song Shi'an sensed that this person had a problem with him, so he stared back at him, showing no sign of backing down.

"My lord, this is Huang Tong, the commander of Cangliao Pass," Lu Chao introduced. "He has always been in charge of the defense of Cangliao Pass."

Fuck your mother!
Huang Tong's mind went blank for a moment, and he wished he could tear Lu Chaosheng to pieces!

Being in charge of the defense of Cangliao Pass all this time, doesn't that mean that the ambush troops outside the pass are related to him?
Doesn't that mean that the Yu Kingdom envoy who died earlier was somehow connected to him?

After he finished speaking, the Yu people suddenly looked at him with cold scrutiny in their eyes.

Fuck your mother!

"The general is truly magnificent."

However, Song Shi'an was quite friendly and took the initiative to bow.

"I have long admired the name of Prefect Song. Meeting you today, I can confirm that you are indeed a man of great talent and handsome appearance."

He and Song Shi'an also exchanged compliments.

"Then I will go with Lord Lu. Farewell."

Song Shi'an smiled and nodded at him, quite politely.

He did as he was told, watching the distance ahead. Meanwhile, his clenched fist tightened even more…

“Then, Lord Song, please come with me to the carriage.”

Without any hesitation, Lu Chao directly invited Song Shi'an to get in the car.

Song Shi'an understood and got into the carriage with him.

We need to leave here as soon as possible.

This place is very dangerous.

Duke Qin was practically a loyalist to Qi, so he would certainly not welcome Song Shi'an's arrival, and might even have been hostile.

It's still unknown whether he'll be willing to sell his younger brother.

What if they protect their underling to the death for the sake of their reputation?
There are too many uncertainties.

Just as the two left the pass and were traveling along the imperial road, they encountered Hu Xianjun's army, which had come to reinforce Cangliao Pass. They were unaware that Yu's army was about to retreat and were marching at a rapid pace.

"Hey everyone, you're in such a hurry!" Song Shi'an joked as he poked his head out of the carriage to observe.

This infuriated Lu Chao, who couldn't help but complain, "Yes, it's true. On a whim, Governor Song can send tens of thousands of troops on a non-stop march."

"I am over-flattered."

I wasn't complimenting you!
…………

Hu Xianjun led his troops to take over Cangliao Pass.

At this moment, the enemy slowly retreated.

In the barracks, Huang Tong came over and asked anxiously, "General Hu, what is Lord Qin thinking?"

The Duke of Qin had three generals under his command: the Vanguard General, the Central General, and the Rear General, who were equivalent to the Generals of the Imperial Guard in the Great Yu Dynasty.

Huang Tong, who had just been promoted to lieutenant general, was also below him.

Hu Xianjun's arrival was indeed on Qin Gong's orders.

Keep an eye on Huang Tong.

This means that if Duke Qin wanted this person, he could bring him over in the next moment.

Facing this anxious man, he slowly placed his hand on Huang Tong's shoulder and said in a low voice, "General, please rest assured, the scapegoat has been found."

(End of this chapter)