Frost for a Thousand Years

"Lord Du, please take your time."

As Song Jing was leaving the Secretariat, Eunuch Lian happened to be blocking his way at the door, accompanied only by a young eunuch in plain clothes.

"Eunuch Lian, what brings you here?" Song Jing asked in surprise.

"Ah, you must know," Eunuch Lian sighed, then extended his hand and said, "Please, let's talk in private."

"it is good."

When Eunuch Lian arrived today, he did not make a big fuss, nor did he have a large entourage or any pomp and circumstance. Therefore, the meeting was not very formal, and both of them were quite relaxed.

After they moved aside, the accompanying eunuch stood at a distance from them, keeping a watchful eye on everything around him to prevent anyone else from getting close.

"What does Lord Song mean?" Eunuch Lian asked uncertainly. "Although there are some disagreements with His Highness about the matters at the imperial palace, everything is negotiable."

Upon hearing this, Song Jing's expression remained unchanged.

Unlike the others who fawned over the palace's chief eunuchs, or at least smiled as a sign of respect.

But Song Jing did not.

Lian Gonggong is not a person with low emotional intelligence.

Therefore, it is absolutely impossible for someone to say something like, "What does Lord Song mean by this?" when trying to persuade someone.

If you think this isn't vivid enough, let me give you another example.

A couple had a fight, and the other person wanted to make up, so they said: "What do you mean?"
This is not the attitude of trying to solve the problem properly.

This is blaming.

If Eunuch Lian said this, it must have been at the Crown Prince's request, instructing him to be neither servile nor arrogant when inviting someone to serve.

"Who knows what this brat means?" Song Jing completely went along with Eunuch Lian's words. "I can't control him. If he really listens to me, then I'll save myself a lot of trouble."

"That's not how it is." Eunuch Lian sensed Song Jing's attitude and said with a smile, "Young Master Song has done things for the country and the people. His previous battle against Beiliang and his subsequent mission to Yan are achievements that will be recorded in history."

“Even if this is a merit, he did it on his own initiative.” Song Jing said in advance, “This time when he returned from Huai County, he went straight to the palace without even settling down at home in Sheng’an. He didn’t discuss the matter of resigning with me even once.”

“So you have to give me some advice,” said Eunuch Lian. “Huai County still really needs Lord Song.”

It's still very necessary.

Is the request being made so reluctantly?

This prince truly believed that with the land reclamation program having reached this stage, the rest was just a simple matter of wrapping things up.

"What use is he?" Song Jing waved his hand dismissively. "No need."

“Your Highness, we really need…” said Eunuch Lian. “His Highness has always been cultivating Young Master Song to become a prime minister.”

“Father-in-law,” Song Jing said, looking at Eunuch Lian, “you have fulfilled your duties. I will discuss this with him when I return, but I really can’t guarantee that anything will change. During the time he was the prefect of Huai County, more than a few people from my hometown wrote to me to curse me… I think the Song family needs to quiet down for a while.”

After he finished speaking, he raised his hands and bowed to Eunuch Lian without bending over.

"Lord, I'll have to trouble you again."

Eunuch Lian raised his hands, bowed slightly, and paid his respects to Song Jing.

Their conversation ended there.

Then, Eunuch Lian relayed the information to the Crown Prince in as much detail as possible.

"..." After listening, he was slightly annoyed, but he controlled his emotions. "There's nothing I can do. Shi An insists on resigning from his official post, so I can't force him to do something he doesn't want to do."

Eunuch Lian knew that the Crown Prince was about to make his mark.

Because you couldn't see any sign of distress or 'there's no other way' in him.

However, in his opinion, it wasn't as difficult as he had imagined.

The most difficult part of the land reclamation work is right ahead.

Song Shi'an is indeed talented and has the courage to accomplish things that others find difficult.

But now the rice has already formed ears.

The autumn harvest is just around the corner.

Now that things have come to this point, all that's left is to mobilize those hundreds of thousands of people to harvest the wheat.

What difficulties are there?

No matter how incompetent or corrupt the officials of Dayu are, at this critical juncture, wouldn't it be better to do things well and report back to the Crown Prince?

Let's talk about building the imperial palace.

The original scale was indeed somewhat demanding, but now only tens of thousands of people are being mobilized, and the pressure on the rest of the military and civilians will not be too great.

It even increased by less than half a percent.

and also.

When I reported this to the Emperor yesterday, if the Emperor felt it was unacceptable, why didn't he just point it out directly?

He was the Crown Prince's father; how could he not remind his son of such a momentous matter?

In summary.

Song Shi'an may not be able to replace others in other areas, but he can handle the final stages of the military-agricultural settlements.

“Since we are going to oversee the construction of the temporary palace, in addition to the officials from the Imperial Stud, the palace itself also needs to send people.” The Crown Prince raised his head and looked at Eunuch Lian. “I would like to entrust this matter to you.”

The crown prince knew how serious the corruption among the eunuchs was.

However, without the supervision of the palace, it would be even more difficult to control if officials were left to do it on their own.

However, he had a solution.

“Your Highness, this servant is willing to serve you.” Lian Gonggong hesitated for a moment, then added, “But Eunuch Xi has already been to Huai County, and besides, his injuries are almost fully healed…”

"Where is the Prince of Zhongshan? Is it convenient for him to go?" the Crown Prince asked with a smile.

"Yes, that's right." Eunuch Lian lowered his head.

How could I have forgotten about this?

"Also, do you know why I want you to go?" the Crown Prince asked seriously.

"This slave doesn't know."

"I am very frightened," said Eunuch Lian.

Back in Chen Bao's time, Eunuch Lian wasn't even ranked in the top five among the chief eunuchs.

And now, he is also the fourth eunuch.

Based on seniority and status, there are many other people who could be entrusted with such an important task.

"Among all the eunuchs in charge of ceremonial affairs, I believe you are the most dutiful." The Crown Prince raised his finger and pointed at the other person, his expression very serious.

“Serving Your Highness is my duty…” Eunuch Lian understood the Crown Prince’s meaning.

He didn't embezzle much.

Now, we want to send someone who is not greedy.

“The Great Yu spent too much on its previous mission to the Yan Kingdom, so the funds available for building this temporary palace are quite limited. Of course, local gentry can also provide assistance,” the Crown Prince said. “Honest people are like clever housewives in ordinary households, meticulous in their calculations yet able to manage everything in an orderly manner.”

The Crown Prince is using manipulation, hoping that Eunuch Lian will not be greedy at all. He also wants his subordinates to be incorruptible.

"If this matter is handled well, His Majesty will be pleased at the autumn harvest ceremony," the Crown Prince said with a smile. "You will be credited with the greatest contribution."

It was as if Eunuch Lian could see an imperial seal right in front of him.

Of course! How could a eunuch dare to steal the sacred artifact?
Can't a powerful eunuch who holds the seal of office also desire the imperial seal?

I long to serve the emperor in the nearest place!

"Your Highness, this servant will do everything in my power for you, even risking my life on the construction of this palace!"

Eunuch Lian knelt down and prostrated himself in worship, seizing this opportunity for advancement.

"Don't worry," the Crown Prince reassured him calmly. "Just do your job well, and things will fall into place naturally. With the support of the court and the palace, you will have a smooth journey ahead."

.........

The news that Song Shi'an was returning to the capital at this time quickly spread throughout Sheng'an.

This immediately caused a huge uproar.

After all, he was the chief architect of the land reclamation project. Could his return at this time be related to the incident where Grandpa Xi was whipped with a top?

Wasn't that top spun by the Sixth Prince? How come it was Song Shi'an who came back?

While the discussion was raging in the capital, political turmoil also occurred in Sheng'an.

To appease the people, the imperial court issued a notice of official changes at the Ministry of Personnel: "Prefect Song Shi'an of Huai County has fallen ill and is temporarily reassigned. Assistant Prefect Ji Zhi will temporarily assume the prefectural affairs and continue to encourage agriculture and sericulture as before."

But those in the know understand that this is a ruse.

The land reclamation project has reached this crucial juncture, with only two months left until the harvest. This is the time to claim credit, so why can't we wait until the land reclamation project is over to get sick?
Therefore, there is only one conclusion—Song Shi'an and the Crown Prince had a disagreement, and Song Shi'an resigned from his post.

The direct trigger was the Huai County Imperial Palace!
At this moment, Wei Yiyuan was in a private room on the second floor of a restaurant in the outer city, looking out the window.

In the heart of the bustling city, a stage was erected, with both a stage and a stage. On the stage, a person dressed in a yellow tiger-skin skirt, with a messy body and a monkey-like face, held a large yellow stick in his hand. He moved nimbly and skillfully, and each movement drew cheers from the audience.

"Hey! Give me a stick!"

Wei Yiyuan, who was in a private room at the tavern, also clapped his hands with a smile on his face.

After a while, a retainer came to his side and reported: "Your Highness, I have spoken with the owners of that stage and they said they wanted to buy it, but they are not willing, even though they have asked for two thousand taels of silver."

"Then let's keep adding more," Wei Yiyuan said casually, then continued watching the opera troupe perform in the bustling city.

“Your Highness, I don’t understand. These operas perform ‘Journey to the West’ in Sheng’an City every day. Although they receive some reward money, it’s only a few thousand coins each time. They also have to pay taxes to the Sheng’an officials. We’ve already contributed two thousand taels and still have to support them. Why are they unwilling?”

That's two million dollars!

"Haven't you noticed? Although they're all acting out scenes from 'Journey to the West,' they never finish a single chapter. Every time, it's still not enough," Wei Yiyuan said.

"Indeed, they're deliberately trying to keep you in suspense."

"With so many people and such a grand spectacle, why do you only earn a little money from tips?" Wei Yiyuan asked.

"Your Highness, why is this?"

“Because,” Wei Yiyuan said, raising his finger, “they are making a name for themselves, making themselves known to everyone in Sheng’an. Then they can acquire land and charge money, letting people pay to watch them.”

He saw through this business model immediately.

"Then where should we claim land?" the retainer asked in surprise.

Wei Yiyuan said, "If it were me, I would rent a restaurant and turn it into a theater. I would not charge for watching the show, but I would charge a high price for tea and charge an entrance fee."

"Your Highness is wise!" The retainer's eyes lit up. He was so impressed by Prince Zhongping's talent that he said excitedly, "These common people can watch the same play countless times without getting tired of it, and those high-ranking officials are even more willing to spend money. If we buy the opera troupe, we can live off 'Journey to the West' for the rest of our lives."

After deducting costs, one can easily earn at least several thousand taels of silver a year.

“Five thousand taels won’t be a loss,” Wei Yiyuan said, then added, “By the way, mention my name.”

The fact that they were able to refuse the previous offer of two thousand taels of silver so readily suggests that the other party's employer is also a powerful figure.

Therefore, even five thousand taels might be rejected.

But if Wei Yiyuan were to reveal his identity as the Prince of Zhongping, that would be a different story.

For an ordinary wealthy merchant to be able to curry favor with a fourth-rank official who could attend court was already considered an unwitting intrusion into the imperial court.

If he could come into contact with royalty, and even a prince, his life would be set for the future.

Very few people wouldn't try to curry favor with you.

“Yes.” The retainer nodded. “Your Highness, I will continue the discussion.”

"We must take down this 'Journey to the West' opera troupe," Wei Yiyuan said with a smirk. "I need it for a great purpose."

"Yes."

They withdrew from the doorway.

Soon after, another person came in and whispered to Wei Yiyuan, "Your Highness, His Highness the Crown Prince has sent Eunuch Lian and Si Ping (the head of the Ministry of Works) out of the capital."

"They really went out?"

Upon hearing this, Wei Yiyuan was somewhat surprised.

Because he didn't expect that Song Shi'an would actually cultivate half of the land and give away the fruits of the revolution.

Shouldn't the two of them have some back and forth and discuss the terms?
“Yes,” the man said.

"Fourth Brother, you've really solved your biggest problem."

Wei Yiyuan realized that the emperor hoped the crown prince would succeed him smoothly and had no demands on him except to safeguard the country. After becoming the crown prince, the crown prince also became a mediocre person with no great ambitions, who only wanted to hold onto imperial power.

If unification is truly their goal, why would they sacrifice the achievements of land reclamation at this time?

They still couldn't control the powerful minister Song Shi'an.

"So, Song Shi'an, did he really just back down in a fit of anger?"

Wei Yiyuan had some doubts, and at the same time, he thought of his second brother's words: that what everyone thought Song Shi'an couldn't do, he could definitely do. Therefore, he had a slight suspicion: "Could it be that the land reclamation has reached this point, and can it fail without Song Shi'an?"

.........

"Eunuch Lian and Si Ping have already left Sheng'an."

Wu Qiong reported to the Duke of Li.

The Duke of Li, seated in his seat, frowned and looked at Wu Qiong, asking, "What do you think?"

“My son thinks that Song Shi’an is competing with the Crown Prince. The Crown Prince is also competing with Song Shi’an,” Wu Qiong said.

"That's right," said Duke Li. "Then who do you think will win?"

“My son thinks…” Wu Qiong said after some hesitation, “Although Song Shi’an is a genius, he is really being a bit too arrogant this time.”

"So, even without Song Shi'an, the military-agricultural colonies can still be established?"

“Father,” Wu Qiong analyzed earnestly, “Song Shi’an himself relinquished the credit, so those who take over will certainly do their utmost to make this a success and inherit the credit for this land reclamation project. In this situation, I don’t understand who would be corrupt, who would neglect their duties, and who wouldn’t give it their all?”

“You understand human nature, but you’re still too short-sighted in your official duties.”

"Please enlighten me, Father?"

To this, the Duke of Li replied calmly and confidently, "If you have the will to do something well, and put in your utmost effort, you can accomplish it. Then there is nothing difficult in this world." (End of Chapter)