Frost for a Thousand Years

Chapter 239 Your Majesty, do you still want Song Shi'an?
The King of Yan was at Gongsun Xing's residence.

The two of them took a walk together in the courtyard.

"Your Majesty, Song Shi'an must be quite irritable, right?" Gongsun Xing asked with interest.

"How did you find out?" Conson asked, somewhat puzzled.

“His plan definitely didn’t include becoming prime minister of Yan,” Gongsun Xing said. “And he had no other choice in doing so.”

“But he was really angry…” Kang Xun looked at Gongsun Xing and said, “That day, he also warned me that if he stayed in Yan, Wei Wusheng would personally lead his troops north.”

"Then the king didn't blame him, did he?" Gongsun Xing asked with some concern.

“No,” Conson said.

"I hope Your Majesty will be patient with this brat for now," Gongsun Xing said with a slight smile. "If things really come to a head and word gets out, then things will become much more difficult."

“What makes it difficult?” Conson asked.

"Wei Ye would absolutely agree to exchange Song Shi'an for peace, with the condition of joint defense. But after all, Song Shi'an is an envoy sent on behalf of the country. If he becomes the prime minister of Yan, he will have gained wealth and status, and there's nothing wrong with that," Gongsun Xing pointed out incisively. "However, if he is sent on behalf of the country, and news comes that he is under house arrest in Yan and suffering there, Wei Ye will have to save face. How could he dare to openly exchange a loyal minister for peace?"

“But this Song Shi’an is truly incorrigible,” Kang Xun said. “It’s as if all the bribes in the world have no effect on him.”

"Because he is a loyal minister," Gongsun Xing said.

Conson revealed a hint of suspicion.

It was rather strange to hear such a naive term as 'loyal minister' coming from the mouth of his wise prime minister.

Just like some ordinary people use "good person" and "bad person" to define a person.

Where are there truly good people?
Similarly, where are there truly loyal ministers?

If a person is purely loyal, how can he gain power in such a turbid world?

You mean you're the only loyal minister in the whole world, and those treacherous ministers in high positions made it easy for you to sit in those high positions?

“Your Majesty, he is currently loyal to the Great Yu,” Gongsun Xing said. “But if the Great Yu is not loyal to him, can this loyalty still be maintained?”

"That's true, no one can withstand betrayal."

Even the emperor doesn't want you, he wants those five thousand gold pieces, so why are you still talking about "jade can be broken but its whiteness cannot be changed"?
Love is mutual.

"So, if we appoint Song Shi'an as the prime minister of Great Yan, would that really strengthen our state?" Kang Xun asked.

“He is all alone in Northern Yan, without any constraints. Naturally, he has no scruples. Moreover, even in Yu, his nine clans cannot hold him back. Wouldn’t he be able to act even more freely?” Gongsun Xing judged. “If he can really be put in power, not to mention anything else, the Duke of Qin will surely fall.”

They might even be killed.

Conson nodded seriously, showing his approval.

Then he added, "But after his woman left the palace, she sent a message to the head of the Embroidered Uniform Guard, probably to send a message to the Great Yu."

"Your Majesty, let him go," Gongsun Xing suggested. "If he's not even allowed to deliver the message, that would truly be house arrest."

"Won't his return change the emperor's mind?"

"Your Majesty, rest assured, no one can persuade that emperor," Gongsun Xing said confidently. "Besides, he is absolutely wary of this monster."

Hearing this, Kang Xun breathed a sigh of relief: "I have begun to look forward to this prime minister being of service to me."

.........

Sheng'an Imperial Palace.

The two old men walked slowly.

The emperor, who was slightly younger, was being helped by Chen Bao.

"Zihui," the emperor said, "do you think Song Shi'an's trip will be able to persuade the Yan Kingdom to send away Ji Yuan's son?"

“If it were him, the chances would be very high,” said the Duke of Li. “No one but him could come closer to success.”

"Even for him, it would still be very difficult to do, wouldn't it?" the emperor asked knowingly.

"Hmm." Duke Li nodded and said, "In the entire Northern Yan, there is only one capable person, and that is Gongsun Xing. And this person has actually controlled the government for so many years, and his power may be no less than that of Kang Xun."

"Does he really have to unite with Qi?" the emperor asked again.

"Your Majesty, I am not entirely certain," the Duke of Li said frankly. "The politics of Yan are very complex and highly unpredictable. Qin Che is one of the destabilizing factors. In addition, there is the influence of Qi in the west, so everything is still uncertain."

“But Song Shi’an is in great danger, that much is certain,” the emperor said.

“This young man has passion in his heart,” said the Duke of Li. “He is much more clear-headed than those who live a life of debauchery.”

"He is ambitious, but at least for now, his ambition is to be remembered in history." The emperor also gave him a very high evaluation.

The two continued walking forward.

In ancient times, transportation was extremely difficult and news spread very slowly. Even if a messenger arrived by express courier, a new situation might have already arisen that required completely different countermeasures.

It can be said that Song Shi'an is now like a kite with a broken string.

Worrying.

"Zihui, let's stop fighting," the emperor suddenly said.

Upon hearing this, the Duke of Li remained remarkably calm, his expression unchanged, and simply asked, "What about the Sixth Prince, and Hua Zheng's side?"

"Let them send troops over, but don't fight," the emperor said. "As long as the Yan Kingdom hands over someone of sufficient importance, and has Kangxun personally hold a state sacrifice for the envoy who was assassinated earlier, this matter can be considered settled."

Wei Ye's health is failing.

If he were to die during the course of launching this great war, and the succession was not yet secured while a war was still raging on the front lines, it would cause a major problem.

Anger as it may be, the fate of the nation is paramount. "Then it seems we'll have to garrison troops in the north," said the Duke of Li, "even if Kangxun doesn't send reinforcements."

"Yes, the situation on the border is more sensitive now," the Emperor said. "At that time, Zihui, could you go and put in charge?"

"Your Majesty, I am too old." After saying this with a sense of helplessness, the Duke of Li added, "The Sixth Prince is young and resilient. He just won a battle in Shuofeng and is very prestigious in the north."

"Without Song Shi'an, how could he have won that battle?" The emperor quickly waved his hand, "He was too inexperienced."

Wei Wusheng could not go.

Hua Zheng couldn't either, because he was involved with the Prince of Jin.

The Prince of Jin is no longer likely to be given any real power.

Because the position of crown prince is to be given to the King of Wu.

"But Your Majesty, this old minister is truly no longer able to travel. Even when going out, I must ride in a carriage; I can no longer ride a horse," the Duke of Li said again, politely declining.

"Alas." The emperor sighed, then suddenly thought of something, "Then let Jing'er go? He's reached the point where he can stand on his own."

Wu Jing, the eldest son of the Duke of Li.

The outstanding young people in the veteran faction have sufficient ability, prestige, and seniority.

He is currently the Governor of Qinzhou, and he is doing a very good job in this position.

If Northern Liang were lost, Southern Liang would become the first line of defense. Qinzhou would then be the heartland of the northern battlefield.

"He has not yet taken command of a large army on his own, especially not a single person in charge of a defensive line..." Duke Li was still hesitant.

"It's time to let go." The emperor placed his hand on his shoulder. "This great responsibility of guarding the border still belongs to us, the people of Qinzhou."

The rapid rise of the younger generation, led by Song Shi'an, gave people the illusion that the era of the nobles might be over.

But when it comes to the crucial moment, who is the true master of the Great Yu? It all comes down to fists.

"Thank you for your favor, Your Majesty..." Duke Li sighed, "But these young people have not experienced real trials, and I am very afraid that they will mislead Your Majesty's affairs."

“None of us have experienced this, but we are all old,” the Emperor said. “Unlike Zhao Xiang, Jing’er can do it well. Even if he doesn’t, I will accept it.”

Accepting defeat is the dignity of big shots.

At this point, the lack of capable people is a legacy of history, a consequence of our ancestors' failure to properly curb the power of the nobility.

Why insist on using nobles?

If the nobility were gradually dismantled and power flowed entirely to the younger generation or southern families, then the people of Qinzhou would be wiped out.

Having been a Celestial Dragon for so many years, with supreme power passed down through generations, how could one not be hated?
If there were a chance to overthrow it, it would be attacked by the masses.

"It is entirely up to Your Majesty to decide." The Duke of Li bowed slowly to him. "My Wu family is willing to protect Your Majesty's empire for generations to come."

The die was cast, and that's how the situation was decided.

The Duke of Qin and the Duke of Li are about to become one.

Just then, an urgent report arrived.

The military report was quickly sent to the palace.

Moreover, the one who arrived was a panting cavalryman.

This was an imperial decree issued by Wei Ye, prioritizing military matters above all else; cavalry were even allowed to ride within the palace grounds.

After dismounting, the cavalryman hurriedly ran to the emperor, knelt on one knee, and presented the military report with trembling hands, saying haltingly, "Your Majesty... this is an urgent dispatch from the Yan Kingdom, delivered from the border..."

After saying that, he collapsed to the ground in exhaustion.

"Take him to the imperial physician immediately," the emperor said sternly to the eunuch.

"Yes."

Several eunuchs carried the messenger away.

Chen Bao picked up the military report and presented it to the emperor: "Your Majesty."

"A letter from Yan State, delivered by our Great Yu with the 800-li express courier service?" The emperor held the letter, somewhat puzzled.

"Something big must have happened." Duke Li immediately became nervous.

Then, the emperor opened the letter tube.

Holding this letter, he approached the Duke of Li.

The two old men stared intently at the letter, each frowning.

It's not that anything major happened, it's just that I can't see clearly.

But after seeing it clearly, the Duke of Li immediately changed his expression: "Your Majesty, Kangxun wants to keep Song Shi'an in Yan as prime minister."

"..." The emperor was also stunned for a moment, and said heavily, "How insidious!"

"It must have been Gongsun Xing who came up with this idea."

A hint of displeasure flashed across the Duke of Li's eyes.

However, it vanished without a trace in an instant.

The emperor, having reluctantly read through the entire letter, sighed, "This Song Shi'an, I truly cannot bear to part with him."

(End of this chapter)