Frost for a Thousand Years

Chapter 309 Hongmen Banquet

"This is getting more and more interesting..."

When Wei Yiyuan learned that Song Shi'an had attended Sima Yu's funeral, he genuinely smiled.

It can be said that, apart from those who knew the truth, he was the one who paid the closest attention to this matter in the entire Sheng'an.

Before the emperor summoned the princes who were then the Princes of Jin and Wu, he met with Sima Yu first, and then began to follow, surround, and even go to his door to arrest the old man.

When the news broke later, he pressed for details.

Therefore, after discovering who Sima Yu had met that day, he began to believe that the old man possessed something.

The day Sima Yu was summoned to the palace to interpret the dream happened to be one or two days before the provincial examination.

But why did Sima Yu tell Song Shi'an about this matter?

"This must be what they call the 'rebellious minister who appears in a dream'..."

Wei Yiyuan was genuinely delighted.

If the emperor dreams of a high-ranking official who will rebel in the future, it only means that the official is too powerful and difficult to control.

Even before the rise of a prominent figure in the Great Yu Dynasty, when he was not even a successful candidate in the imperial examinations and was still a good-for-nothing who fell into the river while listening to music in a brothel, it was already predicted that he would become a great man in the future.

"Doesn't this feel a bit like destiny?"

"Isn't that quite believable?"

"Father, did you really receive a divine oracle?"

Upon learning that the dream had nothing to do with him, Wei Yiyuan felt both relieved and filled with anticipation for the future.

If the Crown Prince, Wei Wusheng, and Song Shi'an really become an unbreakable alliance, how can I possibly survive?
"Yiyuan!"

Just then, the Prince of Jin, who had never sought him out since giving up the struggle, hurriedly rushed into his study.

Anxious.

"Second Brother, why are you so agitated?"

Although Wei Yiyuan knew that his second brother was right to be steady lately, he couldn't help but tease the Prince of Jin because he was always being lectured by him for being too impetuous.

"Could that dream be related to Song Shi'an?"

"Otherwise, why would he go to Sima Yu's funeral?"

"But before Your Majesty had this dream, no one had ever heard of Song Shi'an."

"Therefore, this is the true traitor who appeared in the dream."

Wei Yiyuan raised his hands and made an exaggerated bowing gesture towards the air, saying with utmost reverence, "This is the Son of Heaven, who listens to the will of Heaven and communicates with the gods."

"Why can't we just make a far-fetched connection and forcibly label him as a so-called 'rebellious minister who appeared in a dream'?" the Prince of Jin retorted.

Although he was a filial son, he was not so foolish as to actually believe that the emperor could communicate with the gods.

If that's the case, then how could there be emperors who lost their kingdoms?
"If it were just a far-fetched connection, would there be such tension? Who would mistake someone who appears after the dream for someone from the dream?" Wei Yiyuan retorted.

Indeed, what you think about during the day, you dream about at night.

If the match is not perfect and very similar, then even the most incompetent emperor could not possibly find an enemy out of thin air.

"Since Sima Yu leaked the information to Song Shi'an, why did Song Shi'an still attend his funeral? He clearly knew that if he went, no one else would go!"

This is what puzzled the Prince of Jin.

A man of composure throughout his life, he found it hard to understand why others would choose to die.

Isn't that stupid?

“This is Song Shi’an,” Wei Yiyuan said. “He knew that the King of Wu would definitely learn of this dream after he became the Crown Prince. Therefore, he wanted the Crown Prince to know that he also knew about this dream!”

"What is the purpose?" the Prince of Jin asked, his tone highly competitive.

Wei Yiyuan slowly stood up and said solemnly, "His goal is to be equal to the Crown Prince. You can question me, and I can question you."

"..." The Prince of Jin's pupils dilated, and he finally fully realized the extent of this terrifying fellow's abilities.

Because according to the Prince of Jin... no, according to common sense, the emperor cannot be questioned.

Only ministers and princes can suffer injustice; the emperor can never suffer injustice.

If the emperor was wronged, all the officials would have to apologize and feel guilty for their incompetence.

Why was he so obedient to the emperor even after the emperor had oppressed him so much in the early years of his reign?
It is not servility.

In a stable and highly centralized dynasty, the emperor was supreme.

Now, the Crown Prince has assumed the responsibility of overseeing the country; he is not just a stepping stone to becoming emperor, but has already taken on the role of emperor.

At this point, does Song Shi'an really dare to exchange sincerity with the other party, unwilling to endure even the slightest grievance?

"Second Brother, have you noticed?" Wei Yiyuan smiled slightly, "You are the most suitable ruler for Song Shi'an."

The King of Wu could not tolerate someone, but the King of Jin could.

Even if I knew that this dream existed.

"I missed out on him." Prince Jin finally felt regret, but still tried to justify himself, "But I really didn't believe before that he could shake the foundations of the aristocratic families and nobles..."

"And now?" Wei Yiyuan asked.

“Right now, the powerful families and noble families are still strong,” said Prince Jin. “But if given the opportunity, I am willing to gamble with him.”

Historically, there are very few stories of a minister who single-handedly saved the day from collapse.

Only those who try to turn the tide end up in tragedy.

But some people always come close to success.

And there are always those who prolong the crumbling regime for a few more years.

"Your Highness."

Just then, there was a knock on the study door.

Wei Yiyuan glanced at the door and said, "Come in."

Upon hearing this, the man pushed open the door and entered, but upon seeing that the Prince of Jin was still there, he froze for a moment.

Logically speaking, whenever the King of Zhongping summoned him for an audience, he was always alone.

"Give it to me," Wei Yiyuan said.

The Prince of Jin watched as the somewhat young, short retainer cautiously took a slip of paper from his sleeve, handed it to the Prince of Zhongping, and then slowly withdrew.

After Wei Yiyuan stretched out, he said, "The Crown Prince is in the Eastern Palace. Tonight, he only summoned Song Shi'an and Wei Wusheng to a banquet. They have already set off."

"!" The Prince of Jin was dumbfounded. "You placed someone by the Crown Prince's side?!"

Wei Yiyuan put his finger to his lips and smiled mysteriously.

"Just to know that you will also receive such news tomorrow?" the Prince of Jin asked rhetorically.

“No one tries to hide a lot of news, and the whole city knows about it by the next day.” Wei Yiyuan made a gesture like a Korean going crazy. “But the opportunity can change in an instant.”

"Yes, like military intelligence, speed is key." The Prince of Jin understood his meaning. "Then what use is it to know this news in advance?"

"Well..."

Wei Yiyuan was thinking.

"If he is a traitor who appeared in a dream, why would the Crown Prince summon him? Could it be that..."

Murders during meetings are all too common.

"Then why call Wusheng over as well?"

“Let’s put it this way,” said the Prince of Jin. “Now that Wusheng and Song Shi’an are dead together, only Song’s family will be angry. But since we’re going to strike at the banquet, we’ll definitely slaughter the Song family members at the same time. So there won’t be any resistance from the court officials.”

"That's true, except that public opinion will be very strong."

"Public anger is the easiest thing to quell."

"Second Brother." Suddenly, Wei Yiyuan thought of something. "Since the Emperor is keeping this dream a riddle, and those who know the truth are unwilling to reveal it, isn't it possible that whoever speaks first is right?"

Before the rumors are debunked, they are what the public believes to be the truth.

The fact that the rumor wasn't refuted promptly, but rather overturned much later, is basically the truth.

If there has been no denial, then it is the complete truth.

So why do we sometimes prefer not to refute rumors and let them fester? It's to prevent something even worse from being dragged out.

The best approach is to use another trending topic to overshadow this one.

"What do you want to do?" The Prince of Jin was a little scared.

Since you're all riddle makers, then I'll just make one up.

"Which important figure in the court doesn't care about this matter? A fourth-rank official can die so easily. How can everyone not feel insecure and worry about offending taboos? Since this time, the Crown Prince not only summoned Song Shi'an, but also brought Wei Wusheng over."

Upon learning that the dream had nothing to do with him, Wei Yiyuan decided to create chaos: "Then we'll make it up. We'll say that the emperor had a dream before the provincial examination, in which he dreamt of Song Shi'an and Wei Wusheng, and summoned Sima Yu to interpret the dream. The rest, let them make up their own connections!"

Using the emperor's dream to endorse the "sage ruler and virtuous ministers".

Let's see if you, the Crown Prince, can sit securely on your throne!

.........

Song Shi'an raised his hands.

The eunuchs on either side groped his body.

From the inside out.

After confirming that there were no sharp weapons, he passed the final security check before entering the palace.

Ahead, Grandpa Xi waited for him with a lamp lit, his face bearing a very friendly yet focused smile.

This laugh no longer counts as a laugh.

The palace felt somewhat cold and gloomy at night. Song Shi'an walked over.

The pace never stops.

Xishan stood directly behind him, slightly bent over, and led the way towards the East Palace.

At the Sima residence, the two exchanged polite greetings and bowed to each other.

However, in the one-on-one situation, there was no such action at all.

To be precise, it was Song Shi'an who ignored him.

“Summoning Your Excellency to the palace is an important meeting; surely Your Excellency should keep it a secret?” said Eunuch Xi.

"I haven't told anyone about this."

"Of course, it's not exactly a secret, but we need to be cautious at this critical juncture," said Eunuch Xi.

Song Shi'an did not respond.

I won't engage with him.

'This critical juncture' is clearly a trap of opinions.

What? If you know nothing, how would you understand what's going on at this critical juncture?

"Young Master Song, is it because of the argument we had about Huang Tong that you don't like me anymore?" Xi Shan asked curiously.

“Your Excellency, this is all for His Majesty’s sake.” Song Shi’an finally smiled. “There is only right and wrong, not hurt feelings.”

"Yes, Lord Song is right." Xi Shan smiled as well. "Then from now on, let's stick to the facts and not hurt feelings, shall we?"

"Okay, let's stick to the facts."

Hee-sun sent a solo application.

Song Shi'an: Agreed.

The two of them walked all the way to the outside of the East Palace.

Just a few dozen steps in front of the palace, a man was already waiting.

So when Song Shi'an saw him, the two looked at each other in bewilderment.

"His Highness the Crown Prince said he wanted to discuss matters with His Highness the Prince of Zhongshan and Lord Song," said Eunuch Xi. "Therefore, he did not meet His Highness first."

After saying that, he slowly retreated from the area.

There was not a single person in this area, which was several dozen paces in circumference.

The Crown Prince did not meet with them one by one, but instead gave them time to talk and discuss before meeting him.

Thinking that he had indeed neglected Xiao Wei these past few days, Song Shi'an said, "I'm sorry..."

Wei Wusheng raised his hand to signal him to stop.

Then he stretched out his hand and said, "Let's go into the hall and talk."

"Yes."

Song Shi'an felt somewhat relieved.

This young Wei is too mature.

The Crown Prince said they could speak privately first, but that doesn't mean they could actually speak.

There was no one within a radius of several dozen steps.

But is it possible that the Imperial Guards secretly hung it on that tree?

The two of them then walked openly toward the Eastern Palace.

The gate was pushed open by a eunuch, and the crown prince sat upright, his face as still as water.

As soon as they entered, the two eunuchs guarding the gate left.

At this point, only three people remained.

Xiao Wei, this is a great opportunity! Go and kill the Crown Prince now, and the world will be ours!

just kidding.

"Your subject Wei Wusheng pays respects to Your Highness the Crown Prince."

"Your subject Song Shi'an pays respects to Your Highness the Crown Prince."

The two men approached, slowly prostrated themselves, and bowed reverently to the prince.

"Please get up."

The crown prince said it casually.

The two people stood up.

Just then, footsteps suddenly came from behind, and there was more than one person.

Is this some kind of crazy thing? Are they really going to kill me and Xiao Wei right here?
Song Shi'an was a little nervous, but he didn't show it.

He slowly turned his head, and Wei Wusheng did the same.

Then, four Imperial Guards entered, two by two, each escorting a merchant who was bound hand and foot. Both were covered in blood and looked to have been tortured horribly.

With a thud, the two men were forced to kneel down.

The prince gently raised his hand.

One of the merchants, who seemed to be the owner, spoke up tremblingly: "I am...I am a spy from Qi, acting on His Majesty's orders...on the orders of Ji Yuan, to bribe officials of Dayu and fabricate rumors."

"How did you do that?" the Imperial Guard glared at him fiercely.

"Ji Yuan gave us ten thousand gold coins and told us to spread rumors about Lord Song. As long as we kill Lord Song, all the remaining gold will be ours." He lowered his head and stammered, "The phrase 'sage ruler and virtuous minister'... I also paid to spread it in Sheng'an."

“!” Wei Wusheng’s eyes widened in surprise.

Your mother!

Song Shi'an was also stunned for a while.

Then, the Imperial Guards obtained an imperial edict, bowed their heads, and presented it to Wei Wusheng with both hands.

"Ji Yuan's imperial edict..."

"Your Highness, it has been verified, and it is true," the Imperial Guard replied.

"Shi An." Wei Wusheng finished reading and handed it to him.

Then the Imperial Guards relayed the imperial edict to Song Shi'an's audience.

Sheng'an Machinery, all entrusted to your care.

The imperial edict contained only these eight characters.

After the two had witnessed this scene, the Crown Prince suddenly said, "All the officials they bribed have been apprehended. Tomorrow, announce to the world that their entire families will be executed."

"Your Highness, may you live a long and distinguished life." Song Shi'an turned his head and bowed solemnly to the Crown Prince.

"All of you, step back. No one is allowed at the door," the prince said.

"Yes."

Everyone except An Sheng left.

At this moment, the Crown Prince walked up to Song Shi'an, looked at him with a complicated expression, and after holding back for a long time, finally spoke: "Shi'an, to be honest, His Majesty had already informed me before the court meeting that I had asked you to stay in Yan."

It's been exposed.

"Your Highness is also in a difficult position, Shi An understands."

“No, even if I refused with all my might and insisted on having you, His Majesty would still agree.” The Crown Prince grasped Song Shi’an’s hand, his face flushed with shame. “I want to be the Crown Prince so much that I can’t refuse my father. I’m afraid that if I don’t obey him, he will make the Prince of Jin the Crown Prince…”

"Your Highness, Shi Aneng..."

"I'm sorry!" The Crown Prince was completely flustered. He looked up at Song Shi'an, his eyes glistening with tears. "I was wrong. If I hadn't offended you, you wouldn't have come back. Now, Father has appointed me as regent, and I can make decisions. But how could I possibly say, 'Come back, Shi'an, do you think you can help me unify the world?'"

Song Shi'an remained silent.

Lowered his head.

His expression was full of complexity.

This makes the understanding and comprehension I just mentioned seem so hypocritical.

Of course, it seems more sincere now.

“Wusheng, something has happened in Sheng'an that I cannot say. You can talk to Shi'an about it,” the Crown Prince said. “You can talk about anything. There are no taboos.”

"Your Highness," Wei Wusheng looked at the other party and finally asked, "What do you say about wanting me and Shi An?"

"What more could I possibly want from you?" the Crown Prince exclaimed, agitated. "I have failed Shi An, and I have failed you as well. I was too narrow-minded to listen to that wise ruler and virtuous ministers!"

These words left the two of them stunned.

“However, you are not narrow-minded people,” the Crown Prince said. “You are willing to die for the sake of the world. You are willing to give up your royal title for Song Shi’an.”

“You probably think I’m just talking nonsense from a position of privilege, advising you to be magnanimous? No, that’s not it.”

The Crown Prince waved his hand, then stood before the two men and declared, "The military agricultural settlements shall begin immediately. Shi An, you will be in charge of all manpower in Sizhou. Wu Sheng, you will command all the troops needed for the military agricultural settlements in Sizhou."

These words stunned both of them.

He not only failed to separate An Sheng.

They even ordered the two to stockpile troops and grain in the capital region.

“Sheng An is right at your feet.”

The crown prince raised his hand and bowed to the two men: "If I am without virtue, you may take it yourself."

(End of this chapter)