Frost for a Thousand Years

Chapter 252 Expelling Ji Hui from the Yan Kingdom!

In the lobby of the mission's guesthouse, everyone was waiting anxiously.

Although not everyone likes Song Shi'an, they are all currently in the Yan Kingdom, and what the future holds is very important to them.

Among them, San Gou and Xin Yue, who were close confidants of Song Shi'an, were naturally the most panicked.

Just then, a eunuch arrived at the embassy.

Everyone rushed forward.

The envoy, Zhou Tong, asked directly, "Sir, how is Magistrate Song?"

The eunuch smiled and then asked, "May I ask who the Moon Envoy and the Zhou Envoy are?"

“I am,” Xin Yue stepped forward.

Zhou Tong also said, "I am Zhou Tong."

"Could we go back and discuss this in more detail?" the father-in-law asked.

Upon hearing this, the others voluntarily chose to leave.

Only three people remained.

After ensuring privacy, the father-in-law said, "This matter must be kept secret even from the two of you."

"Definitely," Zhou Tong said.

"Please speak, Father-in-law," Xinyue said anxiously.

"The lord has given an order." After receiving permission, the eunuch said, "Please have the Moon Envoy, under the supervision of Envoy Zhou Jie, take out the royal gifts and escort them to the palace before nightfall."

Upon hearing this, the two were simultaneously startled.

They all realized it very quickly.

Xin Yue couldn't help but smile, but she quickly suppressed it.

It turns out that a large amount of gold was returned in order to appoint Song Shi'an as prime minister.

Now that gold is required again, doesn't that mean Song Shi'an won't be able to become prime minister?
They actually did it!
"Yes." Zhou Tong bowed politely.

"Thank you, Eunuch." Xin Yue also performed a male curtsy.

"Then let's go back to the palace."

The eunuch didn't waste any words; he finished his instructions and left.

Only these two people are left.

Because the gold had always been a secret, only the Embroidered Uniform Guard, Song Shi'an, and San Gou Xin Yue knew about it. But Zhou Tong, as the deputy, actually vaguely knew that it was gold, so he cautiously asked, "Envoy Yue, you know what the magistrate instructed, right?"

“Yes,” Xin Yue said, “Please come with me, Lord Zhou, and the rest of the Imperial Guards to retrieve the gold.”

This money can only be used by one person, and that is Song Shi'an.

However, Zuo Ziliang had to be present when Song Shi'an took the money.

But now that both of them are gone, this sum of money is especially difficult to move. Previously, when Xin Yue wanted to take out five hundred gold coins, she had to guarantee it with her life.

“He means…” Zhou Tong asked again to confirm, “that Governor Song was not retained as the Chancellor of Yan, right?”

“My lord, please do not doubt,” Xin Yue advised. “His Majesty’s willingness to accept gifts means that he has already rejected Kang Xun. This request to bring gold into the palace must mean that he wants to sign an alliance. My lord, please take the gold and come to the palace with me immediately.”

Stop dawdling when it's time to sign the contract, hurry up and bring the money!
"...Oh, okay!"

I don't know about Zhou Tong in other aspects, but if you tell him that an alliance is about to be signed, he'll definitely agree without hesitation.

This is a great achievement, almost as significant as the Battle of Shuofeng.

Even if you are the third or fourth champion, you can still benefit a lot from the glory.

And so, the five thousand gold coins were released from the treasury once again.

.........

Inside the main hall of the Yan Kingdom, on a table were two covenant documents.

The content is exactly the same.

Two copies were made, only the signature and seal remained.

The above content includes the following points:
Firstly, the two countries will trade, and the road into Yan will be repaired within three months of the signing of the alliance.

Secondly, three years later, Kang Yi and his wife and children were sent back to the State of Yan.

Thirdly, the hostage prince Ji Hui of Qi was sent back to his country.

Fourth, the border troops of the two countries will remain unchanged; the border troops with Qi will also remain unchanged.

"Your Highness," Song Shi'an reminded him, "Although it wasn't mentioned in the alliance, shouldn't we give an explanation for killing my Yu envoy?"

"Don't worry," Kang Xun said. "It must be that person. There's definitely no one taking the blame. However, we can't guarantee whether they're alive or dead."

"Whether he lives or dies is not important. I just want to give my colleagues an explanation," Song Shi'an said with a slight smile.

After the death of the governor of Ji Commandery, he was posthumously granted the title of Earl and was given a cenotaph as a second-rank official. His son was also promoted three ranks.

But all of these are just empty words.

His son merely inherited the official position he was entitled to.

To comfort the deceased and to reassure his subjects, the emperor had to provide an explanation.

This confession is the murderer's head.

Live?

That's impossible.

If he were to speak carelessly and expose the Duke of Qin, it would be disgraceful for both countries.

“Ah—” After finishing the business, Kang Xun looked at the elegant young man and said with great emotion, “When I had just ascended the throne, I hit it off with Chen Xing, the envoy from Qi. At that time, he was in the Yan royal palace and stayed with me for about half a month. Now, we meet again after eleven years.”

“I will visit Your Highness again within eleven years,” Song Shi’an said.

"Why eleven years?" Conson complained. "Couldn't you have come sooner?"

“As long as I’m earlier than Lord Chen, it means my sincerity is even greater than his,” Song Shi’an joked.

Conson raised his finger and laughed, "You slippery little devil."

Happy times are always short.

Even though they might be political adversaries, the King of Yan always took these talented envoys to heart and became true friends because they didn't have a one-to-one relationship of interests.

Without Gongsun Xing, how can I govern the country?
Without Song Shi'an, how can I relieve my worries?
While waiting, the five daughters finally entered the palace once again.

Xinyue was brought in as well.

Upon seeing Song Shi'an standing there, her gaze was instantly locked on, and she immediately lost her focus.

I didn't lose him...

"Your wife is here," Conson reminded her with a smile.

Song Shi'an smiled in response, then walked up to Xin Yue. He gently took her hand with his right hand: "Once the alliance is signed, I will be able to leave the palace."

"Yes." Xin Yue looked at him, suppressing her joy and emotion, and nodded gently. "Please inspect it, Your Highness."

Song Shi'an turned around, walked up to Kang Xun, and extended his hand.

"Eunuch Yang, open it."

Kang Xun said to Eunuch Yang.

And so, the eunuch who had received a hundred taels of silver from Song Shi'an opened the two boxes.

Five thousand gold pieces, dazzling and gleaming.

Conson had never seen so much gold before.

The national treasury rarely held four thousand taels of gold.

Of course, there were definitely copper coins and silver of gold and other values.

Having 10,000 gold in the national treasury does not mean that the national treasury has 10,000 gold in cash; it simply means that the gold reserves are that much.

The majority of the currency was still copper coins, which had a wider circulation.

“Your Majesty.” Eunuch Yang walked up to Kang Xun and nodded in confirmation.

no problem.

"Now, please sign the contract."

The alliance agreement with the State of Qi still needs to be finalized by playing with tortoise shells to set a date.

The alliance agreement with the State of Yu was signed immediately once the money was received.

To be honest, even without the five thousand gold pieces, Conson was still quite tempted.

Because opening up that road would generate invaluable profits.

Therefore, he felt that he had won the bargain.

Even if you offered me three thousand gold pieces, I would still agree.

The people of Dayu are truly generous.

Two copies were made, and Song Shi'an signed his name and stamped them.

Then, Conson personally signed the document and affixed his royal seal.

After the ceremony was completed, the two covenant documents were placed into two exquisite little boxes.

Kang Xun personally handed one to Song Shi'an.

"Your Highness, we need to send that brat Ji Hui away as soon as possible," Song Shi'an said as he took the item with both hands. "If he doesn't leave, I won't leave either."

"If I leave Ji Hui here for the rest of my life, does that mean you'll have to leave Yan here for the rest of your life too?"

"I have a sudden idea," Conson asked.

"Your Majesty, please don't joke. Shi An will really be frightened."

When Song Shi'an came to this era, he felt that the ancients were truly not homophobic.

Because many of their actions were really a bit too ambiguous.

These are just petty words.

My wife is still here!
"Eunuch Yang, escort the magistrate back to his residence and let him rest well."

Conson has stopped making empty promises.

The contract was then signed.

Song Shi'an, Xin Yue, and several other members of the delegation then drove back to the embassy in China.

After everyone returned to their lodgings, Eunuch Yang also had to return to the palace.

Just then, Song Shi'an called out to him under the moonlight: "Please wait, sir."

Eunuch Yang was very annoyed by Song Shi'an because he had previously leaked the contents of the alliance agreement with the State of Qi (which was not signed or stamped).

But I'm also a little afraid of him.

After all, he had received 100 gold coins from him and had also helped him with some tasks.

"What is this, my lord?"

When asked this question, Song Shi'an looked at Xin Yue beside him and then gently patted her waist: "You go back first."

Xin Yue was taken aback, glanced at his ulterior motives, and then left.

At this moment, it was dark and windy, and only the two of them remained.

Song Shi'an took the initiative to inquire about his well-being, but the other party responded with wariness.

"My lord, you're making us a little scared." It wasn't until Eunuch Yang finally couldn't hold back any longer.

"If the Prince of Yan didn't trust you, would he have sent you to escort me?" Song Shi'an asked with a smile.

"..." Eunuch Yang was stunned.

“That day, the Prince of Yan drove everyone away.” Song Shi’an smiled. “I have already shown him how powerful we are.”

"I didn't understand..."

“The leak of the alliance document is such a trivial matter that it’s laughable,” Song Shi’an said.

Yang Gonggong remembered that even though the guards had been driven away that day, Song Shi'an and the Prince of Yan talked for a long time in the main hall.

Afterwards, this trivial matter of the covenant was indeed not taken to heart...

"Father-in-law, please do Shi'an another favor."

Song Shi'an grasped his hand.

"This is not allowed..."

Before Eunuch Yang could finish his objection, Xin Yue walked over carrying a box.

It passed into Song Shi'an's hands, and then he presented it to Eunuch Yang with both hands.

Two hundred gold coins!
The moment he got his hands on it, he weighed it in his hand.

"Father-in-law, please inform Shi An of the departure date and journey when Ji Hui was sent out of Yan," Song Shi An said.

"What do you want this for?" Eunuch Yang asked warily.

“Only if he truly leaves Yan will my mission be considered a success. If he stays in Yan, I won’t be able to explain myself when I return to Dayu.” Song Shi’an looked into his eyes and reminded him, “In Yan, I’m just a few eyes and ears. My attendants and guards are all here; I can’t do much.”

"This……"

“Father-in-law, as long as I ensure Ji Hui leaves, I can complete my mission.”

"..."

Eunuch Yang knew he couldn't refuse the two hundred taels of gold.

(End of this chapter)