Frost for a Thousand Years

Wei Wusheng never saw the look of disgust in the emperor's eyes when he was born.

He had always wondered just how ominous he was.

But at that moment he realized that what others dislike about you is what you should be.

Your Majesty, you are afraid.

because,

I am an omen of misfortune.

That cold, sharp gaze sent a chill down Hee-sun's spine.

He had witnessed Wei Wusheng's anger; on that day, the other man had whipped him like a spinning top with a horsewhip.

But my fear back then was less than one ten-thousandth of what I feel now.

His legs gave way, and he collapsed to the ground. Looking at the emperor beside him, his staunch supporter, he desperately sought a glimmer of hope—"Your Majesty, tell me you haven't lost. You still have one last trump card."

Xishan had never seen the emperor truly lose.

Even when he was driven to the brink of despair multiple times, he always managed to use his extraordinary wisdom to resolve the crisis at the last moment.

It can even teach the crown prince a practical art of imperial strategy.

But now, are you really out of ideas?
As a single tear slid down the emperor's cheek, Xishan's heart died.

"General San Gou!" Xi Shan crawled to San Gou's feet like a dog, looked up at him, and pleaded, "Please beg the Lord for mercy, I... this servant has never had any disloyal intentions!"

His words and his face trembled in sync.

My neck turned completely red, my heart pounded like it was on a rollercoaster, and even breathing felt like suffocating pain.

He was filled with regret and despair; he fucking hated himself.

Why did you have to speak up and offer advice to His Majesty, even calling Song Shi'an a treacherous minister and a rebel?
I'm just a eunuch, a rootless man. The emperor has always treated me like a dog, so how could he possibly take my opinion into consideration?

My mouth is so foul...

"General San Gou." Unconsciously, tears streamed down his face. He clutched San Gou's legs, head held high, his voice choked with sobs, "Please forgive me, Your Highness… He could kill me as easily as crushing an ant. But if you spare me, I can serve him. I know the Crown Prince's secrets, many secrets…"

The emperor was completely unconcerned and showed no anger at Xishan's cowardly pleading with San Gou.

The emperor found the secrets he spoke of laughable.

The emperor wondered, if Chen Bao had taken the position instead of Xi Shan, would he have won?
No.

It was Chen Bao who rejected him, not the other way around.

The dog had started pulling at him. Looking down at him, San Gou slowly drew the sword from his waist.

The resounding sound was like a dragon's roar, deep and resonant.

Under the lamplight, the shadow of a sword is imprinted on the hanging beam.

Its sword tip grew longer and longer.

"General Three Dogs..."

Swallowing hard, Xishan closed her eyes in anguish and stammered, "Can...can I still forgive him?"

A gust of wind came whistling in.

Then, blood splattered everywhere.

A head rolled on the ground and came to rest at the emperor's feet.

Even in the moment of his death, his wide-open eyes were filled with fear.

Blood splattered all over the emperor's dragon robe, with a few drops of crimson at the very top scattered across his neck.

The emperor didn't even blink; the sudden fall of this life-threatening event did not stir any emotion in him.

But General San Gou still spoke with a cold, emotionless voice, "Your Majesty has been frightened."

.........

After Wei Wusheng came out of the main hall, there were Imperial Guard soldiers standing a dozen or so steps away from the hall.

Anxiety was written on everyone's face.

However, as the emperor's personal guards, they also knew that His Majesty had been taken hostage.

They have a duty to protect, and they should do something.

Therefore, they were all frozen in place, watching as the King of Qin, whom even their own brothers had personally captured and brutally forced to kneel, was brought back to this place.

Until Wei Wusheng raised the hand holding the imperial edict.

Before he could speak, someone knelt on one knee: "Greetings, Your Highness, the Prince of Qin!"

Then, everyone else knelt on one knee, clenched their fists, and shouted, "Greetings, Your Highness, the King of Qin!"

Power was transferred smoothly at this moment.

There was no struggle.

This is natural.

Because the Imperial Guards were never loyal to the emperor alone, but to the emperor's position.

Whether it is the King of Jin or the King of Qin, it doesn't matter.

In any case, this Great Yu circulated in the hands of the Wei family.

This is what champion fans are like.

Wei Wusheng walked on so openly and brazenly, all by himself.

Then, he said to the people around him, "Call Wei Le over."

"Yes!"

Without a second thought, the man went to report to Wei Le, the commander of the Imperial Guards.

Despite his fear, Wei Le still came.

Furthermore, he explained, "Your Highness, it was Lord Song who ordered us to withdraw just now, so we left the main hall and are waiting for orders at the temporary residence."

The implication was that I didn't run away.

But when he looked at the King of Qin, the unease in his heart had not completely dissipated.

After all, the kick that made him kneel down was one he himself had given.

“General Wei.” Looking at him seriously, Wei Wusheng said, “You are the commander of the Imperial Guards. All the Imperial Guards at this land reclamation ceremony are under your command.”

Wei Le knew, of course.

But isn't he already a fart now?

And if I really took it upon myself to give orders, would I even be able to see the sun rise tomorrow?

"Please give the order, Your Highness, King Qin," Wei Le said, clenching his fists.

“This raging fire is beyond saving,” Wei Wusheng said very seriously. “However, the many officials here are all important ministers of the court, including many elderly and venerable ministers. They also have their children and families with them. Protecting them is protecting the foundation of our Great Yu.”

"Yes," Wei Le promised with utmost seriousness. "This humble general will do everything in his power to search for and rescue you, and to protect all of you who are already in a safe place."

Now is the time to win people's hearts.

This is also a moment to vindicate the rebels.

"Not only the officials in the court, but also the eunuchs, palace maids, cooks, and servants—if you see them, do everything you can to save them," said the King of Qin.

"Yes." Wei Le nodded, then asked in a slightly lower voice, "What if we encounter traitors..."

Wei Le was speechless. Were they rebels or righteous troops?

How should I define these arsonists?
“If you encounter any armies you do not recognize in the city, they are the righteous army. Put the righteous army first and clear the way for them,” Wei Wusheng said. “As for the real rebels, I will personally quell them.”

History is written by the victors.

Regarding the right to define "rebels," the winner is undoubtedly the one who decides.

What puzzled Wei Le was who the rebels were.

How can this story be reconstructed?

How can we make all of this make sense?
I can't understand what's going on in the minds of these important figures; it's truly baffling to them.

However, one thing he was certain of was that as long as he obediently followed orders and did everything as instructed, without having any of his own ideas, he could survive.

Even after the change of power, they can still become the ones being courted.

"As ordered!"

After bowing, Wei Le turned and left.

However, before leaving the residence completely, he suddenly had a sudden impulse and shouted, "By order of the King of Qin, all soldiers of the Left Battalion, follow me and spare no effort to rescue and protect all the ministers!"

People can become smarter.

Don't worry about what to do if you encounter an opportunity or a benefactor but don't know how to flatter them.

At that point, your instinct to seek wealth and status will make you behave in a way that even you find unfamiliar.

This is what it means to be winner-takes-all.

Wei Wusheng knew that Song Shi'an had succeeded.

They won it all.

Of course, the vast majority of this world does not yet belong to them.

Even the soldiers of Jia Guihao County, which are dozens of miles away, are still the Crown Prince's men.

Unlike before, the emperor, the referee, can no longer suppress them.

They were able to confront the Crown Prince fairly and squarely.

Finally, he became the swordsman.

"Wu Sheng!" Just as Wei Wu Sheng was about to start, another person who seemed confused approached, but upon seeing his expression, quickly changed his address, "King Qin, please wait a moment!"

"Your Majesty... no, Your Majesty." Wei Wusheng's lips curled slightly as he asked with a smile, "What are your orders?"

"King of Qin, how is His Majesty?" King of Jin asked anxiously.

"Your Majesty?" Wei Wusheng asked in confusion, "Aren't you His Majesty?"

“I’m talking about Father Emperor,” Prince Jin said, pointing to the main house not far away. “There are no guards at the door and no soldiers around. At this moment, if someone tries to take advantage of the chaos, Father Emperor will be in danger. Besides, he is old and sick. I’m afraid he won’t be able to withstand this alone.”

The Prince of Jin was so anxious that even Wei Wusheng was somewhat confused.

Looking at him blankly for a while, he asked, "Do you really miss him that much?"

These words made the Prince of Jin's heart tremble, and he pleaded with great distress, "He is our father."

Wei Wusheng's heart felt as if it had been frozen by frost, and he froze instantly.

Even his expression became wooden.

He originally thought that the Prince of Jin was putting on a show of filial piety and benevolence, trying to appear as a wise and benevolent ruler.

He had absolutely no feelings for this old emperor.

After all, his position as crown prince was given to the King of Wu by the emperor.

He might even hate his own father.

But Wei Wusheng was wrong.

You are the Prince of Jin, the successor favored by the emperor. He teaches you everything step by step and hopes that you can become the person he imagines, so that when you ascend the throne, you can control the court and dominate your destiny, just like he does.

Later, your repeated wrong choices made him realize your political shortsightedness, while your brother, who made correct choices time and again, threatened your position. For the throne, you were willing to completely oppose your father.

Even so, he didn't punish you.

Even at the very end, he was still worried about you.

He made that request to himself: Please treat your brothers well.

So how could the Prince of Jin possibly hate the Emperor?
How could a son's performance for a father who has poured out boundless love for him be a mere pretense?

The King of Jin was frightened by Wei Wusheng's expression.

At the same time, he realized that he had made a mistake in saying, "He is our father."

Just as he was about to speak up to change the subject, Wei Wusheng suddenly said calmly, "Your Majesty can now live out your remaining years as the Retired Emperor. Your Highness need not worry."

"..." The Prince of Jin pursed his somewhat dry lips, looked at his younger brother in front of him, felt the pressure, and asked, "So, what are you going to do next?"

The rebels have won a victory and need to win over the people and restore order, but the first thing they need to break down is the old order.

The King of Jin knew there was nothing he could do.

However, he wanted to minimize the impact.

Let's reduce the amount of bloodshed. Even if he loses face, he can't save anyone's reputation with 'An Sheng' right now.

“Next, of course, it will be Prince Jin who leads us to suppress the rebels,” Wei Wusheng said solemnly, staring at him.

"and many more!"

The Prince of Jin stretched out his hand, saying reluctantly, "Wusheng, don't do this, don't do this..."

.........

After they came out, Song Shi'an and Xin Yue led a group of cavalrymen and galloped toward the granary.

Soon after, we arrived there.

There are twelve granaries here, and the army stationed here numbers over 1,200.

Upon seeing Song Shi'an arrive, they immediately panicked.

Since the emperor's orders had not yet been issued, all that was known was that after the unusual horn sounded, the burning of the grain suddenly stopped.

Then, Song Shi'an came over...

Damn it, aren't you a war criminal? How did you get here?!

Therefore, they quickly became on high alert.

Until Xin Yue held up the tiger tally and loudly proclaimed, "The Imperial Guard tiger tally is here, and the army is under the command of Song Shi'an, the governor of Sizhou!"

She said it three times in a row.

After a moment of stunned silence, several officers quickly rode over.

Xin Yue didn't even dismount; she simply tossed the tiger tally over.

After confirming the situation, they all dismounted, knelt on one knee, and bowed to Song Shi'an.

"Please give the order, Lord Song!"

Song Shi'an rode over, and the man slowly stood up, raised his hands, presented the tiger tally, and handed it back to him.

"You have guarded the granary very well."

After surveying the scene, Song Shi'an generously addressed the men, saying, "The rebels, in their despicable and cunning ways, have seized control of the granaries. It is entirely thanks to you gentlemen that seven of them were able to be defended, saving millions of bushels of grain from disaster. His Majesty has decreed: all those who guard the granaries will be promoted one rank on the spot!"

After he said that, they were all dumbfounded.

no.

One second it was a capital offense for failing to guard the granary, how come it's now a great achievement for protecting the grain?
These officers had all thought they were doomed this time, and that it would be good if only they died and their families were spared.

After all, these twelve granaries are the lifeblood of the Great Yu Dynasty.

Everything was burned down, and no one could suppress the anger of the 500,000 soldiers and civilians who rebelled.

But anyway, since the emperor told us: "You've all done a great job by leaving seven seats for us."

is it possible?

That's not something the emperor said!

There is only one truth: the rebels succeeded in their rebellion. That's what the rebels said!
But does that... matter?

"Thank you, Your Majesty! Thank you, Lord Song!"

One person takes the lead in receiving the reward, and the rest follow suit with thunderous applause, and power is once again smoothly transferred.

Who cares who we're guarding the grain for? As long as we can get the job done, and Ji Yuan is the one holding the tiger tally, then we're all happy!

"Now everyone, listen up! Evacuate from here and move towards the altar for the military farms," ​​Song Shi'an ordered. "Furthermore, this is a strict order: without my permission, no one is allowed to approach within a hundred paces of the granary. Anyone who disobeys will be executed."

Their original mission was to not leave the granary no matter what happened.

The emperor even issued an order that no one should leave the granary, regardless of who gives the order.

Even if it's an imperial edict.

But the situation is different now.

With Song Shi'an under control, the burning of the granary has ceased.

They all understood.

"Yes, Lord Song!"

The order was issued quickly.

These centurions and commanders all left with their brothers.

Of the twelve granaries, the remaining seven were completely empty.

Then, at Xin Yue's request, the signalman accompanying Song Shi'an blew a series of short and long blasts.

About ten minutes later, more than twenty assassins arrived one after another.

They all gathered in front of Song Shi'an.

As Song Shi'an's gaze swept over these people, his expression turned serious: "The original agreement was that thirty-five brothers would come here after the matter was accomplished. But now, only twenty-two remain."

As Song Shi'an spoke, he closed his eyes.

A tear slid down her cheek.

This sadness is not feigned.

He was a suicide soldier you personally recruited. You invested all your money in him, giving him the best equipment. He risked his life for you, completing countless missions brilliantly, but in the end…

I still didn't live to see the day you became king.

"I will never forget any of my fallen brothers! I will ensure that their families and descendants enjoy wealth and honor for generations to come." Song Shi'an looked at them and said passionately, "And all of you who have accompanied me here, I will not enjoy this glory alone. However, the war is not over yet."

With that, Song Shi'an dismounted.

Xin Yue, who was standing to the side, also dismounted.

The imperial guards he brought also hurriedly dismounted, knelt on one knee, and dared not be higher than Song Shi'an.

"Gentlemen, please continue to protect me."

Song Shi'an slowly bowed to these assassins.

"We swear to go through fire and water for our lord!"

These assassins also knelt on one knee, expressing their loyalty to Song Shi'an.

“Then, please defend these last seven granaries,” Song Shi’an said. “These granaries are my lifeline. They are the lifeline of the Great Yu!”

Song Shi'an could not afford to slack off.

Although he successfully rebelled and forced the emperor to abdicate, making the Prince of Jin his puppet emperor, he knew clearly that his real trump card was still the grain.

Therefore, only by holding these grains firmly and securely in one's own hands can one temporarily secure one's position.

"Yes!"

Subsequently, these dozens of assassins all took up positions around the four sides of several large granaries.

Meanwhile, the remaining brothers in the cellars of the granaries also stayed inside, waiting for possible orders.

With this, Song Shi'an's power grab was completely successful.

"Shi An," Xin Yue said to him, "should we go over to the Sixth Prince's side?"

"No."

Song Shi'an shook his head and said, "Let's leave this moment completely to him."

.........

"Your Highness, please come this way!"

After Wei Wusheng led his troops out of the temporary palace, he was stopped by a group of soldiers dressed in Imperial Guard armor. Upon meeting them, each of them wrapped a red cloth around his arm.

This was something we had discussed with Song Shi'an beforehand. If the coup succeeded, those people with red cloths tied around their hands would be their loyal followers.

"Well, thank you for your hard work."

Wei Wusheng nodded, then mounted his horse and headed in the direction they had led him to.

The Prince of Jin was also riding a horse nearby, but he was quite resistant to the destination: "Wusheng, what exactly do you want me to do?"

Wei Wusheng remained silent.

Continue heading in that direction.

Finally, there was a stone house ahead.

"Your Highness, we've arrived," the lead assassin said.

"Good." Wei Wusheng ordered, "All Imperial Guards, surround this place from a hundred paces away. No one is allowed to enter or leave."

"Yes!"

The real Imperial Guards were thus deployed outside to serve as a perimeter.

"Your Majesty, please dismount."

After dismounting, Wei Wusheng addressed the Prince of Jin.

"I am not the emperor yet, don't call me that."

After the Prince of Jin responded negatively, he also dismounted.

And so, led by the Red Turban assassins, they arrived at the outside of that house.

At that moment, the door was opened.

Wearing armor and with disheveled hair, Wei Yiyuan was led out by two assassins, one on each side.

The moment he saw Prince Jin, his face lit up with joy. Wei Wusheng beside him also excited him, and he said eagerly, "Song Shi... no, Lord Song really listened to my advice! With Wusheng and my second brother joining forces, plus me, and Lord Song controlling the court, how can we not stand against the Crown Prince!"

He was quite excited.

However, no one responded to his excitement.

The King of Jin's face was filled with sorrow.

Wei Wusheng's face was cold and stern.

Wei Yiyuan was somewhat frightened.

“Your Majesty, please,” Wei Wusheng said.

"Your Majesty?" Upon hearing this, Wei Yiyuan looked at the Prince of Jin and exclaimed joyfully, "Second Brother, you've become the Emperor! You've finally become the Emperor!"

"Wusheng, I beg you!"

The King of Jin faced Wei Wusheng and roared.

At that moment, a sword was presented to the King of Jin by a bodyguard.

Wei Yiyuan stared blankly.

He should have known.

Such a massive coup, burning down so many granaries, someone must be held responsible.

Since the goal is to make the Prince of Jin emperor, he cannot be a criminal; he must even be a meritorious official.

therefore,

After the disgraced prince Wei Yiyuan, who had attempted to assassinate the emperor, launched a coup under the banner of the Prince of Jin, colluding with rebel forces and burning down several granaries, the Prince of Jin, at this critical moment, stepped in to save the collapsing empire and turn the tide, personally leading troops to suppress the rebels.

Furthermore, they killed the culprit, King Zhongping.

How could this not be a perfect ending?
"Second brother! Save me!"

Wei Yiyuan saw the Prince of Jin pick up the sword and hurriedly called out.

"Wusheng, don't do this!"

With red eyes, the Prince of Jin roared at Wei Wusheng.

Wei Wusheng slowly drew his sword from his waist.

With a cold gaze, he stood behind the Prince of Jin.

Before the Prince of Jin stood Wei Yiyuan, who was being forcibly forced to kneel on the ground by the two men.

Compliance test.

If the King of Jin doesn't strike with that sword, the sword behind him will strike.

Biting his lip, the Prince of Jin painfully raised his sword...

"Second Brother, no!!!" (End of Chapter)