Frost for a Thousand Years

In June, when the rice is half-ripe, it is already in the heading and flowering stage.

At this point, you can already tell how well it is growing.

Under normal circumstances, that is, when the soil fertility is sufficient, the rainfall and irrigation are sufficient, and the sunshine is normal, it is basically a bumper year.

Of course, this does not mean that in ancient times, if crops were planted properly, most years would be bountiful.

Natural disasters and man-made calamities are also among the influencing factors.

Man-made disasters are another story. War, famine, riots—with 50,000 troops stationed here, none of these could possibly happen.

Therefore, Song Shi'an's current focus is on preventing and controlling one of the great scourges that the ancients could only helplessly surrender to and cry on the ground: locust plagues.

Those in the know understand just how powerful the locust clan is.

At the head camp, at the turn of summer, Song Shi'an launched a general mobilization for locust control among all officials:
"First, the campfire trapping method, which is to be carried out by the village heads and field officials of all villages. Taking advantage of the locusts' attraction to light, fires are lit at night to attract the locusts, and then they are burned to death and buried in pits. However, fire prevention must be taken seriously, and the situation must be monitored at all times."

"Second, organize locust-sweeping teams, mobilizing women and children to catch and kill locusts. A reward of one coin will be given for every ten locusts caught."

"Third, all farmers and soldiers can dig up insect eggs in their spare time and exchange them for food."

"Fourth, all villages organize patrol teams, take turns on duty, and beat gongs to drive away pests."

Finally, we encourage people to raise ducks and will not levy a breeding tax.

After Song Shi'an finished speaking, Jia Guihao asked with some confusion, "Your Excellency, why are you raising ducks?"

Then, the prefectural magistrate immediately teased him: "General Jia is used to being a city dweller; he doesn't know that ducks eat locusts."

After he finished speaking, everyone was amused.

Jia Guihao's face flushed red, looking quite embarrassed.

Actually, it's really his fault.

Unlike today, in ancient times, even if a ruler was physically inactive and ignorant of farming, it did not affect his control over the state apparatus.

In ancient times, agriculture was the absolute foundation.

As the successor of a noble family, it is quite dangerous to completely detach oneself from production.

Even though there are many incompetent people in Dayu now, they still understand the most basic production knowledge.

People like Jia Guihao are just too extravagant and absurd.

"That's it." Song Shi'an clapped his hands. "The autumn harvest is just around the corner, less than two months away. We cannot let our guard down and must prioritize food production. We must also continue to uphold the fine tradition of frugality and avoiding extravagance."

"Yes."

With Song Shi'an leading the way in labor and frugality, these people were less inclined to adopt bureaucratic practices. Coupled with the notion that there is indeed the power of example, everyone was happy to follow suit and acted decisively.

The locust-sweeping rally has now concluded.

Just as Song Shi'an was about to leave, San Gou ran to his side and whispered, "My lord, someone from the palace has arrived."

"The palace?" Because the Crown Prince needed to understand the situation here, eunuchs often came to the palace. Song Shi'an always had the Prefectural Magistrate receive them, so he showed a hint of suspicion at this furtive way of conveying the message.

"Grandpa Xi has arrived."

It wasn't until he added the details that Song Shi'an understood what he meant.

In the past, when people came from the palace, it meant that the Crown Prince sent someone to investigate and understand the situation.

Eunuch Xi is indeed now one of the Crown Prince's men, fully supporting him, but he won't be allowed to come unless it's something extremely important.

And the Crown Prince will not encounter any major problems.

therefore,

He was sent by the emperor.

"Where is Father-in-law?" Song Shi'an asked.

“The army clerk is receiving you,” San Gou said. “He also relayed your meeting to the eunuch.”

“Alright, wait for me for half an hour while I change my clothes, and then I will go to see my father-in-law,” Song Shi’an said.

"Yes." San Gou nodded.

Then, Song Shi'an returned to his quarters, a large room that was fairly spacious but also very simple, similar to the conditions in the Sheng'an military camp.

Meanwhile, Xin Yue was sharpening her sword in the main room. When she saw him come, she was a little puzzled: "Why do you have time to come back at noon?"

"It's about balancing career and family."

After making his joke, Song Shi'an walked into the inner room, taking off his clothes as he went.

After washing the sword blade thoroughly with water, Xin Yue dried it with a dry linen cloth and put it back in its sheath. Then she walked to Song Shi'an's side, crossed her arms over her chest, and watched him straighten his gilded black gauze hat: "You wear this official robe less than three times a year. The last time was at the opening ceremony."

Ancient official robes were usually divided into three sets: court robes, official robes, and everyday robes.

"Courtesy clothes" can be understood as casual wear. They also have ranks and embroidery, but the material is relatively rough and sturdy.

"Official attire" is formal wear. For Song Shi'an, it was the attire of a prefect, which he would wear when holding large meetings and receiving guests at his residence, making it even more formal.

Finally, there is the court dress, which consists of a red silk outer garment and lower garment, a white gauze inner garment, and a crown with beams on the head. All of these are exquisite embroidered by the ladies of the South, with gold thread stitching, and the fabric is the finest silk.

It is the formal dress worn by officials when they pay homage to the emperor or participate in important ceremonies.

"Grandpa Xi has arrived," Song Shi'an said.

"..." Xin Yue was slightly surprised, after all, this was the chief eunuch in charge of the seal, the second-in-command. "Is it something very important?"

"It's probably carrying the emperor's intentions," Song Shi'an said.

"Why at this critical juncture?" Xin Yue asked.

"I'm not quite sure," Song Shi'an shook his head and said calmly, "but it's probably not a good thing."

Fun fact: If a high-ranking leader suddenly contacts you, it's almost never a good thing.

"Xiao Wei is with Fan Wuji. I'll go inform him now, and he'll be back tonight," Xin Yue said.

After a brief silence, Song Shi'an nodded: "Okay."

.........

"Is this where the Prefect usually receives guests?"

Seated, looking around the shabby and simple house, Grandpa Xi sipped his tea and began to speak.

The registrar standing to the side nodded and bowed in response, "Your Excellency, the Prefect usually teaches us to be frugal and avoid extravagance. All official receptions are conducted in this manner. The Prefect's own residence is even more simple than this."

Upon hearing this, Eunuch Xi smacked his lips and said sarcastically, "The Prefect is truly incorruptible and of noble character."

The eunuch standing to the side also wore a disdainful smile.

Only after the chief clerk glanced aside with a smile and had a minor official bring forward a wooden box did he continue, "Our prefect is diligent and frugal in order to cultivate land for the country and replenish the national treasury. But when someone as noble as you, sir, comes, the prefect will certainly treat him as his personal honored guest and receive him with sincerity."

Only then did the two eunuchs smile.

"Then, thank you very much, Lord Prefect."

Grandpa Xi waved his hand gently, and the other grandpa accepted it.

"Then you should rest first, and I will go and inquire about the prefect's arrangements."

"please."

The registrar and the minor official left the room.

There were Imperial Guards on duty at the entrance.

Inside the house were Grandpa Xi and his godson.

"It's quite heavy, I'd guess it's worth five hundred gold..."

The young eunuch eagerly opened the box, but was soon stunned and frozen in place.

When Eunuch Xi saw the silver inside, his face immediately fell: "This Lord Song is truly a man of noble character."

Five hundred taels of silver, according to the exchange rate of Dayu, is equivalent to fifty gold coins.

As a gift to make an introduction, it is indeed a generous one.

But he was the chief eunuch.

Damn it, are they trying to fob me off like a beggar?

"That's all? He's disrespectful to you, Godfather!" The little eunuch's eyes welled up with tears as he wiped them away. "I feel so sorry for you, Godfather."

"Alright, who cares about our grievances?" Eunuch Xi said helplessly. "Lord Song is a man of integrity and uprightness."

“The entire Song family, numbering in the thousands, travels the trade route with Northern Yan and doesn’t have to pay taxes to His Majesty. The Song family is making a fortune, and they’re only giving you, Godfather, five hundred taels… that’s really unreasonable.”

The young eunuch, knowing that the truly dissatisfied person was Xi Shan, continued to fan the flames.

"Perhaps they really are short of money due to the high costs of land reclamation," said Eunuch Xi, rising to his feet and placing his hand on the small box of silver. His face was serious. "How can we possibly accept this money?"

After Song Shi'an had made all the preparations, he went to see Xi Shan in person.

Upon meeting in the meeting hall, Xishan immediately bowed and said, "Greetings, Lord Prefect."

"You flatter me, Your Excellency," Song Shi'an said with an even greater bow, "You must be very tired from your long journey."

"No one can compare to the hard work and dedication of the Prefect in cultivating the land day and night."

“Shi’an’s land reclamation is for the sake of the emperor and the crown prince,” Song Shi’an said with high emotional intelligence. “You, the eunuch, are in charge of the palace’s internal affairs, which is also for the sake of the emperor and the crown prince. It’s all the same—serving the country and working hard.”

"Shi'an, you flatter me." Xishan smiled.

“Father-in-law, a banquet has been specially prepared for you, please.” Song Shi’an extended his hand.

"Your Excellency, please."

The two of them left the house together and departed.

They went to the open-air banquet.

The two sat together in the seats of honor.

Moreover, Song Shi'an personally vacated the more prestigious position on the left.

“Your Excellency, you are the master of the house and should sit here,” Xi Shan declined.

“Sir, please do not refuse. You are a respected elder, and no one is more deserving to sit here than you.”

"This, this..." Eunuch Xi feigned reluctance, "Then we can only respectfully comply."

"please."

Song Shi'an smiled politely.

The banquet has now begun.

On either side were the highest-ranking civil and military officials, each of whom fawned over the visitors from the palace, offering toasts and blessings to each one.

During this time, the general even personally performed a sword dance to amuse the eunuchs.

The banquet was held in a very comfortable manner, and Xishan was served so well that it lasted for several hours.

Later that evening, Song Shi'an personally escorted him to his room to rest.

It was at this point that we started discussing serious matters.

The two, both slightly tipsy, sat facing each other in their chairs.

"Your Excellency is too hospitable, you've made me a little tipsy, I don't know where to begin..." Eunuch Xi waved his hand with a smile.

"Whatever Your Highness the Crown Prince or His Majesty commands, Shi An will do his utmost," Song Shi An said solemnly.

"That's enough from Lord Fu."

The eunuch smiled with admiration and said, "The Prefect has done an excellent job in the land reclamation. The autumn harvest is the grandest event in the Great Yu Dynasty. Therefore, His Majesty intends to come here in person to share the joy with the people."

Upon hearing this, Song Shi'an understood everything.

"To receive such high regard from His Majesty, Shi'an... is filled with trepidation!" Song Shi'an lowered his head, clenched his fists, and said tremblingly.

“Because the Prefect did something that others couldn’t do, which is a greater achievement than the war against Beiliang. Of course, that achievement was also made by the Prefect.” Eunuch Xi lowered his voice and said with a smile, “The Prefect is undoubtedly the pillar of the Great Yu.”

"It is all thanks to the protection of His Majesty and His Highness the Crown Prince that the land reclamation has proceeded so smoothly," Song Shi'an said modestly.

"You're too modest." Eunuch Xi didn't continue arguing with him and quickly returned to the main point, "This autumn harvest ceremony is a gift from the Prefect to His Majesty. Of course, it's also a gift from the Crown Prince to His Majesty. As a prince, His Highness the Crown Prince must demonstrate his sincere filial piety..."

"What does Father-in-law mean?"

"It's not our intention, it's His Highness the Crown Prince's filial piety," he corrected.

"Shi'an understands." Song Shi'an nodded and said, "This grand ceremony will definitely be a great success."

“It should not only be lively, but also taken seriously.” At this point, Eunuch Xi looked up, pointed to the bare roof beams, and joked, “Wouldn’t the Prefect allow His Majesty to live in a place like this?”

"Shi'an dares not," Song Shi'an said. "If Your Majesty does not mind, you may stay at my Song family's old residence, although it is a bit far from the main camp."

“It’s not really appropriate for His Majesty to live in the Prefect’s hometown,” said Eunuch Xi. “Since there are still two months until the autumn harvest, why not build a temporary palace for His Majesty here?”

“…” Song Shi’an’s expression froze. “A temporary palace?”

"There are a total of 500,000 people in the garrison. It shouldn't be difficult to spare 100,000 people to speed up the construction of a temporary palace, right?" asked Eunuch Xi.

"But at this crucial time of autumn harvest, manpower is extremely scarce, and we also need to control locusts. We simply cannot spare 100,000 people..."

"Where did these locusts come from? I haven't seen any locusts." Grandpa Xi waved his hand and laughed.

"Then building this palace requires not only manpower but also money. Where will the money come from?" Song Shi'an asked with great surprise.

When asked this, Hee-sun did not answer.

He simply crossed his legs, lightly brushed the lid of his teacup across the surface, and looked like he was about to die and deserved a beating. No matter how much Song Shi'an asked about money, he acted as if he hadn't heard a word.

……

"Your Highness, you've come at the perfect time." The registrar saw Wei Wusheng dismount and hurriedly ran over to greet him, saying, "The Prefect is with Eunuch Xi, so I can't go over."

"What happened?" Wei Wusheng asked as he walked.

"As requested by the Prefect, I gave Eunuch Xi a gift of five hundred taels of silver, but it was returned by the eunuch accompanying him. He refused to accept it no matter what I did..." the Registrar said anxiously. "I asked if it was too little, but he didn't answer. So I asked if one thousand taels was enough, but he still didn't answer. I kept increasing it to five thousand taels before he finally spoke up, saying that it was all from the heart."

"Then you're going to give me five thousand taels of silver?" Wei Wusheng asked, his face blank.

"The Prefect is unavailable at the moment, and the Prefectural Magistrate cannot make the decision. Perhaps Your Highness could suggest something..."

"What do you mean?" Wei Wusheng's lips curled into a smile. "I'm saying, five hundred taels of silver, take it or leave it."

"..."

The registrar stood there dumbfounded.

Wei Wusheng, carrying a riding whip, walked briskly to Xishan's bedroom.

Upon seeing that it was the Prince of Zhongshan, the Imperial Guards at the door were about to clench their fists in salute when Wei Wusheng made a shushing gesture and then waved for them to leave.

Since he was a prince, the Imperial Guards dared not disobey and had no choice but to leave.

Wei Wusheng just stood there at the door.

Listening to the conversation between the two people inside.

Even the arrogant Song Shi'an could only humbly bargain with the emperor's chief eunuch, trying to keep the palace's specifications as simple as possible.

Finally, he pushed the door open.

"You scoundrel! Can't you see I'm with my father-in-law..."

Song Shi'an instinctively cursed back.

But when they saw that it was Xiao Wei, they were immediately stunned.

Just as Eunuch Xi was about to lose his temper, he saw that it was the Prince of Zhongshan, so he immediately stood up and quickly bowed to him: "This servant greets Your Highness, the Prince of Zhongshan."

Wei Wusheng extended his hand and asked Eunuch Xi, "Is the construction of the temporary palace His Majesty's intention? Is there an imperial decree?"

"Your Highness," Xi Shan raised her head, looked at Wei Wusheng, and said tremblingly, "His Majesty didn't say anything, but this is His Highness the Crown Prince's filial piety..."

"If this is what Your Highness says, is there a decree from the Crown Prince?"

Wei Wusheng didn't retract his outstretched hand and questioned him again.

"Your Highness." Song Shi'an gestured with his hand, offering a soft reminder and hinting with his eyes.

Xiao Wei, stop being so stubborn!

Being upright and being stubborn are two different things.

If this eunuch were to try and sow discord between the emperor and the crown prince at this time, it would be troublesome.

"Your Highness, the Crown Prince hasn't given our Crown Prince's decree either..." said Eunuch Xi, bowing his head.

"There's neither an imperial edict nor a Crown Prince's decree," Wei Wusheng retorted. "This palace, could it be that you, Xishan, built it out of personal desire to curry favor with His Majesty?"

"Your Highness!" Song Shi'an said impatiently in a low voice.

"Your Highness may insult Xishan however you wish."

Xi Shan's temper flared up immediately, and she wiped away her tears, saying loudly, "But His Highness's filial piety cannot be taken lightly. Besides, even if this is my personal wish, land reclamation is a matter of national importance. Isn't making His Majesty more comfortable also a matter of national importance?"

These words immediately made Wei Wusheng a target of anger.

The next moment, he pulled out a riding whip and lashed Xishan like a spinning top. (End of Chapter)