Frost for a Thousand Years

Chapter 240 Love Shi An, or Love Gold?
The Palace of the King of Wu.

Because of military matters, Zhao Yi was unable to leave, so only Ye Changqing accompanied him.

The two people were in the pavilion in the courtyard.

Everyone was quite nervous.

Even though they knew that Song Shi'an had only been in Yan for a short time, they were still worried.

"Now it seems that fighting this battle might not be a good thing," Ye Changqing said seriously.

"Do you think we can't win?" King Wu asked.

"No, that's not it, but there are just too many variables," Ye Changqing said. "If we can exchange an envoy for peace, that would certainly be good. But I'm afraid Song Shi'an's thoughts are not those of ordinary people."

“He’s definitely not an ordinary person.” King Wu understood as well. “Plus, he became famous at a young age, so he must be a bit arrogant.”

“Arrogance is one thing, but having too strong principles is another,” Ye Changqing said. “Generally speaking, these kinds of things are nothing more than mutual compromise and seeking a middle ground that can satisfy both sides. But if you want to win, then it’s not that simple.”

"He brought so much 'gold,' surely he can't win a single battle?"

The King of Wu revealed the secret of the 20,000 gold coins to Ye Changqing, and even Zhao Yi was unaware of it.

After all, this matter is too confidential.

“Small wins, or even medium wins, are achievable,” Ye Changqing said, getting to the heart of the matter. “But if he wants to achieve a complete victory like Shuofeng, then that would be very dangerous.”

"But if it were him, he would definitely do it."

The most frustrating thing for the King of Wu right now is that he really can't control Song Shi'an.

He can use it for his own purposes, but he has absolutely no way to interfere with the other party's methods.

As the two were discussing, the head eunuch of the Prince's residence came to report: "Your Highness, His Majesty summons you to the palace."

"Now?" King Wu asked.

"Yes, Your Highness," the eunuch replied.

"Very well, I'll be right there."

After the King of Wu finished speaking, the eunuch withdrew.

At this point, only he and Ye Changqing remained.

Although it was really hard to say these words, he didn't want to make the same mistake again. Besides, he didn't understand why he was wrong at all.

"Changqing." Ever since he sensed that Song Shi'an was difficult to get close to, the Prince of Wu had become more reliant on his elders and had taken the initiative to confide in them. "Tell me, what exactly does His Majesty want me to do?"

"Your Highness, are you referring to the criticism you received when you spoke ill of Song Shi'an in the palace?"

Ye Changqing asked with some sensitivity.

"You didn't speak up before, citing that it wasn't appropriate for a subject to discuss this matter," King Wu asked somewhat anxiously. "But before, we were completely open with each other. Sometimes, Yi would even advise you to be a little more careful and not to be too impulsive, right?"

"Your Highness, I am still the same as before."

Ye Changqing knew that the King of Wu was somewhat uneasy, so after hesitating, he said, "But just like His Majesty's reprimand of you that day, I cannot discuss this matter in front of Your Highness at this moment."

"What can't we talk about?"

The King of Wu stared into his eyes, a hint of confusion in his expression.

"..." After a moment of silence, Ye Changqing finally spoke and asked, "Your Highness, what is your opinion on His Majesty's reprimand that day?"

“What Father Emperor said is certainly reasonable, but I don’t think there’s any solution at all,” the Prince of Wu complained somewhat dissatisfiedly. “If I say that Song Shi’an is bad, His Majesty will complain that I am not benevolent and will complain about it. But if I say that Song Shi’an is good and fight for him in everything, he might blame me for not being resourceful and criticize me for not knowing how to manage my subordinates.”

In any case, the emperor has the final say on everything.

No matter what you do, it's wrong.

Only the emperor is right.

What makes someone smart?
Come, tell me.

What does it take to be a qualified crown prince?

Ye Changqing sensed the helplessness of the King of Wu. He used to be known as a 'wise man' and was famous for his decisiveness and sense of responsibility, but now he was at a loss.

He couldn't understand this principle.

"Changqing, what should I do?"

The King of Wu asked, his words almost pleading.

"Do as Your Majesty says."

Ye Changqing said calmly.

"What if I am really troubled by this?" King Wu asked in return.

"Then His Majesty will tell His Highness what to do."

"..."

Ye Changqing's words made King Wu's mind go blank.

React suddenly.

His meaning was to do as the emperor instructed, to defend Song Shi'an, to speak up for him, and to stand up for him, as if they were one body. And then, His Majesty would naturally instruct him on how to be wary of Song Shi'an.

Why not just say it directly?

Is the emperor still playing the riddle game?

"Emperors are lonely and cannot be truly understood. Your Majesty, I hope you possess the imperial wisdom to ensure that no one will bully you after you ascend the throne."

Seeing that he was still confused, Ye Changqing finally bluntly said those words.

"..."

Only then did the King of Wu realize how difficult it had been for his father.

The emperor did not want to be seen through at a glance.

He even hoped that his son would be able to see through him in certain ways, even to himself.

Only in this way can one contend with shrewd elders like the Duke of Li and Minister Sun.

He immediately understood why Ye Changqing was unwilling to explain the matter.

In essence, the two were still ruler and subject.

Even the closest relationships between two people have a clear boundary.

In some ways, he was no different from Song Shi'an.

They were all subjects of the King of Wu. Therefore, as colleagues, they would inevitably feel a deep sense of shared compassion.

What if, at some point, the King of Wu also worried that Ye Changqing would become as uncontrollable as Song Shi'an, and went to complain to the emperor?

As far as Ye Changqing was concerned, the King of Wu was certainly a position he could take.

But he must not hear it, much less say it.

Therefore, it was a mistake for me to complain to him about this and seek his advice...

"Changqing".

The King of Wu rose and stepped forward, took the other man's hand, looked into his eyes, and asked sincerely, "I really don't want to be all alone. Can we remain unchanged forever?"

Ye Changqing smiled and nodded, saying, "Your Highness, Changqing will never change."

.........

The emperor has been moving around less and less lately, spending most of his time leaning on his dragon throne or lying on his bed.

Today, he even summoned the King of Wu directly in front of his bedchamber, with his feet on a golden tiger.

"My son, please see your father."

When the King of Wu arrived, he prostrated himself in respect.

"Please take a seat," the emperor said.

So Chen Bao brought over a small round stool.

The King of Wu sat opposite him, while the Emperor was on the bed.

"Show him that letter," the emperor said.

Chen Bao bent down and presented the letter to the King of Wu with both hands.

The King of Wu took it, glanced at it, and exclaimed in surprise, "Did Kang Xun send this?"

"Hmm," the emperor said calmly.

King Wu continued reading the letter.

His expression gradually turned serious.

My hands started to tremble.

The Prince of Yan has actually set his sights on Song Shi'an...

Moreover, the demands they made were truly generous.

They even refused the offer of five thousand gold coins and proposed a military alliance.

These four words carry a lot of weight.

Our country seems to have deep ties with many countries, but in reality we adhere to a 'non-aligned policy,' meaning we have no second political 'ally.'

Yes, there is only one: San Dong.

The formation of a military alliance between Yan and Dayu does not necessarily mean that war will break out, but if Yan wants to attack Qi, Dayu will need to send troops. If Dayu attacks Qi, Yan will also need to send troops.

When Qi attacked Yan and Yu, both sides jointly dispatched troops.

Even though it was just a written alliance and it was difficult to make it completely mandatory, it at least had a real deterrent effect on the State of Qi.

The King of Wu was very tempted.

but,
Not cost-effective.

Without Song Shi'an, he would lose a major ally, and how could he contend with the Prince of Jin's faction?

“Father.” Therefore, remembering Ye Changqing’s words, the King of Wu raised his head and said quite seriously, “Song Shi’an is a capable and loyal minister. Even if we have to pay five thousand gold pieces, we cannot give it to Kang Xun.”

“After all, he is your man, so I must seek your consent,” the emperor said. “However, this is not just five thousand taels of gold; there may be more than ten thousand taels left, all of which can be taken into the national treasury.”

The matter can be accomplished.

The remaining gold will not be given to Song Shi'an, but will be taken back.

Don't underestimate this sum of over ten thousand gold coins; it can do a lot of things.

Furthermore, the emperor was not stingy with these funds.

His perspective was never narrow.

If he were still young, he would have made full and extensive use of Song Shi'an without any hesitation.

But this does not mean that either the King of Wu or the King of Jin could make good use of this guy who might be a traitor who appeared in a dream.

"Father."

The King of Wu put down the letter, knelt before him, and said emotionally, "Sending Song Shi'an to Yan can indeed bring at least a dozen years of peace. However, if we use him and the military-agricultural colonies succeed, the impact will last for hundreds of years. It may even unify the world."

Do you firmly believe that Song Shi'an was able to successfully establish military colonies?

“His talent is the best in our Great Yu, and even if he can’t, we must still cultivate the land,” King Wu insisted. “Whether it’s the noble families or the powerful clans, their influence is too great.”

"Whether Song Shi'an is here or not, do you still want to establish military farms?" the emperor asked.

“It would be best if there were peace and stability in Song Dynasty… but we cannot ignore the problems that exist.” King Wu said excitedly, “The disaster in Yizhou alone has shaken the six prefectures of my Dayu.”

"Good, Song Shi'an has written down the methods on paper," the emperor said. "If you have this intention, and your subordinate Ye Changqing is also a capable and loyal minister, the land reclamation will not fail."

"Father," King Wu said, his voice almost choked with emotion, as he looked up at him. "Although I am somewhat wary of Song Shi'an, I truly admire him from the bottom of my heart. You could call him arrogant, or proud, but you can never call him treacherous, because everything he does is for the sake of the country and its people. If our Great Yu cannot even tolerate someone like him... then who else would be willing to serve the country loyally?"

The King of Wu's reaction was very good.

In fact, it was quite touching.

"Alright, say that at the morning court tomorrow."

The emperor gazed into his tearful eyes and said.

"Thank you, Father!"

The King of Wu once again prostrated himself in worship.

I feel fortunate that I wasn't scolded.

His correct response made the emperor willing to teach him through his actions.

I, the Emperor, will be the villain.

(End of this chapter)