Frost for a Thousand Years

Chapter 248 You and Song Shi'an will die together!

"Your Majesty, His Highness the Prince of Zhongshan has arrived at the palace gate."

Chen Bao entered the palace to report.

"Hmm," the emperor said calmly.

Then, Chen Bao added in a low voice, "His Highness the Prince of Zhongshan arrived at the palace on horseback, dressed in plain clothes."

Upon hearing this, a change in expression finally appeared on his face.

It's obvious that I dislike it.

I don't want the royal carriage, I don't want the royal robe.

He refused everything the emperor offered.

Your life was given to you by me, do you still want it?

"Let him in."

The emperor said coldly.

"Yes."

Chen Bao slowly withdrew.

The emperor picked up the letter, which had been copied and had large characters, and began to read it again.

There was no hidden beginning or end, nor any hints as to how Wei Wusheng should act.

Of course, Song Shi'an was definitely counting on him to rescue him.

It's just that it uses emotions.

So, Wusheng, you came here with feelings?

Or did they come with hatred?
He crumpled the letter into a ball and tossed it aside.

The emperor waited for his son to arrive.

A little while later, Wei Wusheng arrived.

He didn't have a single royal item on him.

"Your subject, Wei Wusheng, pays his respects to Your Majesty."

Slowly, Wei Wusheng knelt down and bowed respectfully.

"Is it General Wei Wusheng of the Left, or Prince Wei Wusheng of Zhongshan?" the emperor asked coldly.

Upon hearing this, Wei Wusheng slowly placed a Left General's seal in front of him, then bowed again: "Your Majesty, I humbly request that Song Shi'an be allowed to return to Yu."

The emperor immediately became furious: "Are you threatening me, just like you did that day?"

"No one can threaten His Majesty, and neither can I," Wei Wusheng said calmly.

"Then what do you mean by this?" The emperor laughed. "Do you want to be a loyal minister, putting me on the position of a foolish ruler, saying that I am muddle-headed, indulge treacherous officials, and persecute loyal ministers?"

The emperor's words were already extremely serious.

Chen Bao was so frightened that he dared not breathe.

But Wei Wusheng remained as calm as ever, seemingly stubborn.

The more it's like this, the more repulsive it becomes.

It seems as if it has no weaknesses.
"Your Majesty, I dare not say that."

After dealing with the emperor's erratic behavior, Wei Wusheng said, "I believe that the country can do without Wei Wusheng, but it cannot do without Song Shi'an."

"Stop being so arrogant, you two are both useless!" The emperor finally lost his patience with their annoying antics. "You want to force me to abdicate? You want to threaten me? You're not qualified!"

"Your Majesty is wise. The country can live without Song Shi'an, and it can live without Wei Wusheng."

Wei Wusheng bowed again and prostrated himself, saying, "Your Majesty, I am willing to give up all titles, salaries, and official positions. I also implore Your Majesty to strip Song Shi'an of all titles, official positions, and salaries. As for the soldiers of Beiliang, I beg Your Majesty to treat them kindly and not to punish them because of my and Song Shi'an's arrogance."

I don't want anything anymore.

"Inverted!"

The emperor slammed his fist on the armrest of his dragon throne, his chest ruptured instantly, and he gasped for breath several times. He raised his trembling hand and pointed at the unresponsive Wei Wusheng before him: "You unfilial son! Since you care so much about that Song Shi'an, then die with him, die together!"

"Thank you, Your Majesty, for granting me death."

Wei Wusheng bowed again.

At this moment, Chen Bao hurriedly knelt down beside Wei Wusheng and pleaded anxiously, "Your Highness, why are you like this! You are His Majesty's son, why did you say such hurtful words? Don't you know how much His Majesty has worried about Song Shi'an's matter? Do you know how much His Majesty cares about your matter!"

"He doesn't know, and he won't believe it!" Clutching his chest, the emperor shook his head in anguish. "He hates me; he has never forgotten his hatred!"

"I don't dare."

Wei Wusheng also became a little nervous and trembled as he spoke.

"Dare not? Ah, it's not that I don't hate, it's that I dare not." With a bitter smile, tears welling in his eyes, the emperor said, "I was wrong. As a father, I not only killed my own son, but I also harbored hatred for my own flesh and blood, even naming him 'Wusheng' (meaning 'disobedient'). How vicious... how wicked I was!"

"Your Highness, this is your father!" Chen Bao said, tears streaming down his face. "Please speak from the heart. Don't cut a father's heart with a dull knife."

"..." Upon hearing this, Wei Wusheng's eyes were also blurred with tears. He lowered his head and choked up.

But still, he didn't look up or speak.

"I know you hate what happened in the past. I can't argue with that; if I was wrong, I was wrong," the emperor said. "But back then, my hatred for you stemmed from my love for your mother. I truly couldn't bear to part with her."

"Your Highness, your mother was born a commoner. How many beauties were born commoners?" Chen Bao also chimed in, trying to persuade him earnestly.

The Empress, the Four Noble Consorts, and then the Beauties.

The salary of a beautiful woman is equivalent to that of a prefect of the third rank.

The emperor was far too fond of Consort Chen.

"I dare not face you, I have no face to care about you," the Emperor said, his voice filled with anguish. "To name my own son Wusheng and to commit such a heinous act, I feel ashamed. Of all my princes, you are the most outstanding. Who would dare to meet Ji Yuan alone on the battlefield? I cannot praise your achievements. I want to ask if Wusheng can forgive his father... but how can I? Wouldn't I just be like those mean fathers in the marketplace, favoring other children, and then turning around and fawning over them when they succeed?"

These words moved Chen Bao to tears. "Everything you have, you earned yourself. I will not take anything back." The emperor covered his face with one hand, and after a long silence, said, "I only ask that you, Wusheng, do not hate me any more in the future. I was truly wrong..."

"Father."

Suddenly, Wei Wusheng looked up.

And this was the first time he had uttered those two words.

The emperor was stunned, staring at him in astonishment, his soul deeply shaken.

It was fear, it was tension, and there was also a hint of joy that was hard to detect but impossible to ignore.

“Father,” Wusheng said, tears streaming down his face, “I have never hated you. I only feel that I have done something wrong. So, I want to desperately gain your approval, so that you can… see me.”

"Wusheng, I have seen you." The emperor said, trembling. "You are very good. You are the best among all the princes. Without you, Shuofeng cannot be defended. This Wei family's empire cannot be held."

Upon hearing these words, Wusheng finally burst into unrestrained sobs.

The sincerity of the emotions made Chen Bao, a rootless man, feel as if he could personally experience the deep and complex feelings between father and son.

“Father, I am not threatening you.” At this moment, Wei Wusheng looked at the emperor sincerely. “Song Shi’an is my only friend, and I cannot bear to part with him. Therefore, I want him to come back. I know that there are other capable ministers in Dayu, but I… only have this one friend. Can I request to go to Yan as a hostage in exchange for Song Shi’an’s return to the country? I do not want to betray this friendship.”

“You wretch,” the emperor said after struggling for a moment, “I also tell you, I don’t hate you, nor do I hate Song Shi’an. I wanted him to stay in Yan because I knew no one could control him. I wanted to ensure that the Wei family’s rule would last longer…”

“He won’t bully Fourth Brother, and he doesn’t have that much ambition,” Wei Wusheng assured him.

"I am a dying man, and all I want is to see you brothers live well," the emperor insisted. "To prevent brothers from killing each other, I would rather the politics be chaotic than let the Jin-Wu faction's politics degenerate into palace intrigue."

"Father..."

"Stop talking!" The emperor turned his face away and said through gritted teeth, "Send His Highness back, and say nothing more."

Wei Wusheng wanted to say something more, but the other party was no longer willing to talk.

"Father, I, Wusheng, shall step down."

Left with no other option, he could only bow tremblingly to the emperor.

Then, he slowly got up.

When their eyes met, the father and son exchanged tender glances, their affection genuine and heartfelt.

Wiping away his tears, Wei Wusheng slowly turned around.

With his back to the emperor, he walked out of the main hall.

Wei Ye's sorrowful expression gradually transformed into a profound one, and the emperor's majesty returned once more.

Even Chen Bao dared not continue to put on airs, lest the emperor feel that he was secretly mocking him.

The most ruthless are those in the imperial family.

Without that dream, it seems none of this would exist.

But Chen Bao also felt that even without that dream, it was still an inescapable fate.

How could the emperor possibly feel at ease?
He always felt that Wei Wusheng hated him, and therefore hated Wei Wusheng even more for his hatred.

This is a paradox.

If Wei Wusheng could forgive the emperor, the two could reconcile.

But the suspicious emperor simply couldn't believe that Wei Wusheng could truly forgive him.

This throne can really drive people crazy.

With a heavy heart, Wei Wusheng walked forward, choking back tears.

Until they reached the outside of the palace gates.

The King of Wu raised his head and asked, "Wusheng, what's wrong? Why are you crying?"

Wei Wusheng didn't speak, but simply walked to his side. Then, he slowly knelt down as well, prostrating himself towards the palace with him: "Wusheng, kneel with your fourth brother."

A warm current swirled across the King of Wu's chest.

He is worthy of being the emperor.

It's really amazing!

No matter what they do, they can always shift the blame.

Wu Sheng may still harbor resentment, and Song Shi'an will also have some resentment. But what will the world think?
The entire court opposed Song Shi'an's return to the country. Then, the two good brothers, King Wu and Wei Wusheng, knelt in the palace for a whole night, begging the emperor to bring Song Shi'an back.

The emperor had taken control of the hearts of all the people and scholars in the land.

More importantly, this move completely binds him and Wei Wusheng together, making them a certified member of the same party!
Regardless of what Wei Wusheng thought, he was his closest ally.

“Wusheng, your fourth brother will definitely bring Song Shi’an back,” the King of Wu said to him.

"Thank you, Fourth Brother."

Wei Wusheng looked at him and nodded slightly.

Song Shi'an will definitely come back.

But Wei Wusheng was not happy at all.

It wasn't quite the joy I had imagined.

My heart feels like it's covered in frost and snow for a thousand years; I can't feel any warmth.

Shi An, what else is real?

Wei Wusheng wanted to ask.

Someone as wise as Song Shi'an would surely be able to answer.

But what he wanted to ask even more was...

Shi An, are you for real?