Frost for a Thousand Years

"Godfather, Song Shi'an has entered the palace..."

As Xishan lay on the bed in the Imperial Household Department, recuperating with a salary, enjoying the comfort of being waited on hand and foot, a young eunuch approached him and quietly reported.

"he came?"

Hee-sun was quite surprised to hear the name, because he had no reason to come.

If he were to report back to the Crown Prince, it would likely be that damned Wei Wusheng who would come, since it was that beast who beat him.

However, upon hearing his name, Hee-sun still showed extreme disgust.

He initially thought that Wei Wusheng had gone mad and suddenly hit him that day, and that Song Shi'an was still protecting him. But after being teased by the emperor, he finally realized what had happened.

When I went to find Wei Wusheng, he wasn't there. Why did he rush back to the main camp that same day?

Since he looks down on me, a eunuch, he won't take me seriously at all, let alone come back to receive me personally.

There is only one possibility: he was Song Shi'an's man.

They were in cahoots, one playing the good cop and the other the bad cop; they were scoundrels in cahoots!

Given Song Shi'an's hypocritical and aloof character, how could he possibly agree to build a temporary palace, even if it were scaled down?

Moreover, why is he so humble and subservient to himself?

It was purely because he wanted Wei Wusheng to take action.

Sending a prince to beat his own retainer would only result in a few words of criticism.

If Song Shi'an's power had reached such an unparalleled level, then he would personally whip himself with a horsewhip!
"Did he come back alone?" Xishan asked.

“Godfather, he only brought one guard with him, the same female guard who was with him before…” the young eunuch said.

"Oh, so they're going to speak up for him." Hee-sun quickly understood.

Continue playing the good cop, breaking up the fight.

What a hypocrite.

"Did Princess Changqing come to the palace again today?" Xishan asked.

“Princess Changqing had just left the East Palace when he arrived.”

"Such a coincidence?" Xi Shan asked in surprise.

"Yes," the little eunuch guessed. "Could it be that they had planned this all along?"

No, that's unlikely.

Lying paralyzed on the bed, Xishan waved her hand and said firmly, "It should be, it's just a coincidence."

.........

Sitting on the throne in the Eastern Palace, the Crown Prince felt somewhat uneasy.

How come he arrived so soon after Changqing left?
Could it be that this family conspired to have the daughter-in-law bring her son in to plead for leniency first, and then the uncle would come in to strike while the iron was hot and continue to plead for leniency?

wrong.

The moment the Crown Prince thought this, he realized that it was too deliberate and too suspicious.

If they really had planned it together, why did they enter the palace one after the other, immediately leading to speculation and suspicion?

This doesn't make sense.

"That's all."

The crown prince shook his head, trying to stop himself from being so suspicious and doubting the already thin family ties, which would push Changqing, his sister who was not close to him to begin with, even further away.

While we were waiting, we suddenly heard footsteps outside the hall.

The crown prince quickly got up, walked around the screen, and went outside.

Just then, a man dressed in casual clothes, covered in dust, with a face much thinner than before, as if he had suddenly aged several years, also looked at him.

For a moment, this deeply moved him.

You can act in anything, but how do you act in physical condition?
The two people looked at each other.

Slowly, Song Shi'an took a few steps forward, then prostrated himself and knelt down: "Your humble servant Song Shi'an greets Your Highness the Crown Prince."

"..." The Crown Prince was not in a good mood and wanted to act as if he was 'overwhelmed' with their affairs in order to show how hard he was working. It was clear that he was too embarrassed to pretend. "Shi An, get up."

"Thank you, Your Highness."

Song Shi'an stood up.

"Shi'an, sit down." The Crown Prince extended his hand.

Two eunuchs brought over a chair.

Song Shi'an did not sit down, but lowered his head and said in a very heavy tone, "Shi'an has come to resign."

"?!"

This statement startled the Crown Prince, who then asked in bewilderment, "Why is that?"

He is throwing a tantrum.

That's exactly what the Crown Prince thought.

"Your Highness, this is my official seal."

Song Shi'an took out a prefectural seal from his sleeve, which had already been 'checked' when he came in, and presented it with both hands.

Upon seeing this, the Crown Prince became furious. Without even glancing at Song Shi'an, he shouted, "Do you know how many memorials have come in lately, impeaching you and your clan? I have done my best to suppress the matter concerning Xi Shan. How can you resign over a mere disagreement?"

"Song Shi'an, thank you for your protection, Your Highness!" Song Shi'an raised his head, looked at the Crown Prince, and said very seriously, "That is precisely why it is appropriate for me to resign at this time."

"Then tell me, why is it appropriate?" The Crown Prince was still angry and sulking, his tone quite unpleasant.

“The powerful families of Huai County have all moved out to cultivate the five counties. The more than 400,000 people are all tenants of the Great Yu Dynasty. Although the grain may not last until the autumn harvest, this year will definitely be a bumper harvest. With the court allocating some more grain, the Great Yu treasury will surely be full in just two months,” Song Shi’an said. “I no longer have much need to stay in Huai County.”

"When the cunning rabbit dies, the hunting dog is cooked," the Crown Prince said. "This is what you said before, at the banquet for the Minister of Works. Now that the military farms are completed, should I also abandon you?"

“That’s not the case,” Song Shi’an said, shaking his head.

"But all the people in the world can see is that my sixth brother beat a eunuch, and then they want Song Shi'an to take responsibility," the Crown Prince laughed. "Shi'an, do you want me to bear such a bad reputation?"

"Your Highness, please bear this infamy."

"?" The crown prince was dumbfounded.

Is it really necessary to speak so directly?
“Your Highness, His Majesty previously promised me a share of the road to Yan, which is a great honor, and I am deeply moved,” Song Shi’an said. “Therefore, after I devised a plan to deceive my Song clan, I used this item to make amends.”

"This is your share to begin with, and besides, it's for the country's sake, so why can't it be done?"

"But this move will only make my Song clan more spoiled and hateful to the world."

"So, I suppressed it for you!" the crown prince said earnestly.

“The memorial has been suppressed, but the opinions of the people cannot be silenced.” Song Shi’an said sincerely, “The Song family is already standing at the forefront of the storm. While it is a time of great glory, it is also a time of great temptation and even greater danger in the future.”

"Are you scared?"

The crown prince stared at him and asked.

“Your Majesty,” Song Shi’an lowered his head and said after a long while, “I am afraid.”

Song Shi'an was actually afraid?

"Song Shi'an, you're actually afraid?" The Crown Prince spoke his mind directly and asked incredulously, "You weren't afraid when you risked your life in Shuofeng City, when you were besieged by Ji Yuan's 100,000 troops, you weren't afraid when you were almost boiled alive by Kang Xun, and now there are just some rumors. Are you afraid now?"

Song Shi'an was speechless for a while before smiling and saying, "Jingming's son was just born. He wrote to ask me what name he wanted, and said he insisted that I choose it... I haven't met my nephew yet." "I just met him," the Crown Prince said.

Song Shi'an was clearly taken aback.

"Changqing just took Yang'er into the palace, and they're going to see the Emperor now," the Crown Prince said.

"Is that so?" Song Shi'an said.

"Fair-skinned and very cute," the Crown Prince said affectionately. "Her hands are very large; even on a baby, I could see that. Her fingers are long and slender."

"That really does resemble Jingming."

As Song Shi'an spoke, a sense of peaceful happiness appeared on his lips.

"Shi An, are you afraid?" The Crown Prince understood his meaning; he didn't want to implicate his family and wanted to retire gracefully. So he asked seriously, "Or are you disappointed in me?"

"Your subject dares not," Song Shi'an quickly replied.

The Crown Prince smiled and said, "In your study, you once said that my ambition should be to unify the world, and you also said that you would assist me in fulfilling this great wish. Now, the land reclamation has been completed, but it has only filled the gap in the Great Yu. It is still a long way from unifying the world, isn't it?"

“Da Yu is still the strongest among all the kingdoms. Your Highness is still young, so you will definitely have a chance,” Song Shi’an said.

“But you are unwilling to travel with me.”

“Shi’an is willing to walk alongside Your Highness.” Song Shi’an said, “Even if I no longer oversee the land reclamation, I can still do other things. Perhaps it’s scholarship, or perhaps it’s history writing. To be honest, I really want to leave something behind in the literary world.”

"The Cultivation Palace is my decision, and Xishan was indeed sent to convey my orders!" the Crown Prince suddenly snapped. "But if you were unwilling, you could have spoken to me. Now, we haven't even had a chance to talk, and you're already abandoning me?"

“The Great Yu Kingdom was founded on loyalty and filial piety, and Your Highness’s filial piety is not wrong.”

"What's wrong with it? You know perfectly well that it's wrong!" the Crown Prince exclaimed. "Or is it that Xishan's aggressive, harassing, and sarcastic behavior has become unbearable for you? If that's the case, I'll go and behead Xishan right now, how about that!"

Having come this far, Song Shi'an could no longer keep talking about resigning without giving a reason.

Looking at the Crown Prince, he countered, "Your Highness, do you know how much it cost to build this temporary palace?"

Because Song Shi'an spoke politely, the Crown Prince also spoke politely: "It will require the labor of 100,000 people, and it will be extra labor, so the cost will naturally be high, probably about 30% of the income from the military farms."

"According to the specifications mentioned by Master Xi, we will need to hire a large number of craftsmen for carving, and purchase wood, floor tiles, and wall paint."

"Then 60%."

"The construction of the temporary palace must conform to the specifications of the imperial palace, and the palace will definitely come to supervise the construction."

"..." The crown prince was silent for a moment, then asked, "Are they very greedy?"

Song Shi'an smiled faintly and remained silent.

"How much will it ultimately cost?" the prince asked nervously.

“Your Highness hasn’t even settled the debt of gratitude yet,” Song Shi’an said. “Having local powerful families provide the funds is a price that will take a long time to repay.”

Once you lend money, you owe someone a favor.

If they don't repay, they will be completely untrustworthy.

If I want to repay it, I don't have the money.

Then the only option was to sell official positions and titles, using the fruits of land reclamation to exchange for them.

In this way, not only will all the work done this year be for nothing.

We will have to continue to repay those families who contributed funds in the future.

"So, as I said, only 20% of the original scale is needed," the Crown Prince insisted. "Isn't this already generous enough to show consideration for the local area?"

"A 20% standard is equivalent to the labor of 100,000 people for a year."

The reduction was 20 percent of the land reclamation results.

"So, I can't do anything to show my filial piety at all?" The Crown Prince truly felt wronged.

Song Shi'an asked again, "Your Highness, how many times will His Majesty visit the Huaijun Imperial Palace?"

"enough!"

The Crown Prince was utterly devastated, enraged by the outrageous nobility of this upright official: "Xi Shan has been beaten; this will surely be recorded in history. Song Shi'an was a loyal and upright minister who served the country and its people. And I, on the other hand, am a foolish and incompetent crown prince who, even in the face of such national circumstances, still does not know how to be frugal, wasting resources and causing hardship for the people! You've been wronged to be associated with me!"

After hearing this, Song Shi'an fell into a long silence.

The Crown Prince, having been opened up, continued, "I know your difficulties, and I feel sorry for you. But do you know my difficulties? My elder brother is dead. Since becoming Crown Prince, I have been living in constant fear. Now that the land reclamation project is complete, I want His Majesty to see these achievements and to make the autumn harvest ceremony more grand... This is the only year left, is that not allowed?"

"Your Highness, of course."

Song Shi'an slowly knelt down, held up the official seal with both hands, and said, "You are the Crown Prince, you can do whatever you want."

These words pierced the prince's heart.

To be honest, he knew he was wrong a long time ago.

The construction of the imperial palace only exacerbated the already strained national treasury.

The success of this land reclamation project was all thanks to Song Shi'an.

We really can't do without him.

He was responsible for finishing up the rest of the work, right up until the autumn harvest and the grain was stored in the granary.

However, Song Shi'an was too great; he radiated light from head to toe.

The spotless cleanliness made everyone else appear dirty.

including yourself.

Ye Changqing wanted Song Shi'an to tarnish his own reputation because he felt that such a minister, coupled with the Sixth Prince, would truly win the hearts of the people and would be impossible to control.

The Crown Prince's purpose has long since changed.

At that time, he did indeed want to accomplish the great task of unifying the world.

But now that he has truly become the crown prince, and seeing the forces around him, all of which possess considerable power, he only wants to do his job well.

Then we'll discuss how to make the Great Yu Dynasty prosper.

Right now is an excellent opportunity.

Song Shi'an was willing to relinquish power.

Furthermore, the only remaining activity in the Tuntian system is the autumn harvest.

It's not difficult anymore, it really isn't difficult anymore.

Then, let's grant his wish...

"Shi'an," the Crown Prince said, choking back tears, facing Song Shi'an beneath him, "I truly need you. I truly cannot live without you. Can you really not continue with the land reclamation?"

But verbally, they still try their best to persuade her to stay.

"Your Highness, Shi An will always be loyal to you."

Song Shi'an slowly placed the prefect's seal in front of him.

Then, he slowly stood up.

He bowed to the crown prince standing before him and said, "Even if I am not in a position of military farming, Shi An is still willing to serve my Great Yu."

After saying that, he slowly withdrew from the main hall.

He stopped at the threshold, turned, and left the East Palace. (End of Chapter)