Frost for a Thousand Years

The sharp blade swept across his Adam's apple, a cold shadow flashing in the moonlight, and in the next instant, it drew a deep crimson rainbow...

With wide eyes, Wei Yiyuan, kneeling on the ground, stared at the man before him in disbelief.

A "whoosh" sound rolled inside his mouth, followed by a large spurt of blood.

The assassins on the left and right released their hands from pressing down on the shoulders.

Wei Yiyuan collapsed headfirst at the feet of the Prince of Jin.

With a soft 'poof', three inches of dust were splashed up.

"..." The Prince of Jin, gripping his sword tightly at the hilt, gritted his teeth. But in the end, he didn't turn back. Instead, he threw the sword to the ground, lowered his head, and asked, choking back tears, "When will you come to kill me?"

The Prince of Jin understood the meaning behind the Emperor's gaze.

He did not show favoritism to anyone.

On the contrary, if one follows one's own wishes, it would be a whitewashing of the emperor's eternal reputation, since the Great Yu dynasty would be preserved and continue to exist.

The emperor's resistance at that time stemmed from his foresight that his future nephews would kill his brothers one by one.

He transferred his hatred for the emperor onto his sons.

This was even more painful for him than killing the emperor.

“How could I possibly kill Your Majesty?” Wei Wusheng slowly sheathed his sword and said to the Prince of Jin, “You are His Majesty, and no one dares to kill Your Majesty.”

"Then who do you want His Majesty to kill?" Prince Jin turned around angrily and questioned Wei Wusheng excitedly, "Who else do you want to eliminate through my hands?"

“Your Majesty is very angry now, but in my opinion, it’s only because I am easy to bully,” Wei Wusheng said calmly.

"You're easy to bully?" The Prince of Jin laughed, asking in bewilderment, "You're standing behind me, holding a sword and holding me hostage. How does that make you easy to bully?"

"His Majesty."

Wei Wusheng took the imperial edict from the person beside him and threw it in front of Prince Jin, discarding this supreme imperial power as if it were worthless trash.

The Prince of Jin held the imperial edict and looked at him.

“The imperial edict was written by Emperor Emeritus Shi An,” Wei Wusheng said. “Not a single word was taught; it was all Emperor Emeritus’s own words.”

"..." Prince Jin opened the imperial edict, read it, and then his cheeks trembled. He raised his head and retorted, "Isn't that exactly what you wanted him to write? Isn't it Father Emperor's wisdom that prevents him from guessing what you want to do? How can this be considered bullying you?"

"How can you say you've bullied me?" Wei Wusheng retorted angrily, "What was the deal between the Emperor Emeritus and you? To banish me to the Cold Palace, force Song Shi'an to abdicate, and then execute Wei Yiyuan as the mastermind behind the assassination. Even without us, you still condoned your brother being killed by your father!"

"..." The Prince of Jin's cheeks flushed instantly, and he was speechless.

"Wei Yiyuan, he's going to die!"

Wei Wusheng walked directly up to Prince Jin, glared at him, and roared, "You can't bear the guilt if he didn't die in front of you? You have no responsibility if he didn't die at your hands? If you didn't hear him shouting 'Second Brother' before he died, would you be able to sleep well tonight?!"

"Enough with your disrespect! Stop talking!"

The Prince of Jin reached out his hand, his eyes brimming with tears, and interrupted him.

Lies don't hurt, truth is the knife.

The pain of being stabbed repeatedly caused the Prince of Jin unbearable agony.

"Yes, Your Majesty."

Wei Wusheng also restrained his temper and then raised his hand.

The Prince of Jin was startled by his sudden movement and his body tensed up...

But the next moment, Wei Wusheng simply placed his hand in front of his collar and slowly straightened the wrinkles in his python robe.

However, this scene of brotherly affection and respect did not allow the Prince of Jin to feel a trace of warmth.

The way he ran his fingers over his clothes made the anger simmering in his chest grow heavier with each movement. His brother's concern made him afraid to even breathe.

“Your Majesty,” Wei Wusheng lowered his hand and said to him, “You have already done your part in restoring order. Now, it is time to set things right and rebuild this crumbling edifice.”

With the assassination attempt on the bandit leader Wei Yiyuan resolved, it was time for this young and vigorous emperor to take charge.

He chose this path himself; there was nothing he could do about it.

All we can do is tread on the blood stained the ground, and walk into the ever-darkening night, into even greater darkness.

"I understand."

The Prince of Jin, with a solemn expression and eyes as clear as water, responded to Wei Wusheng's expectations in a steady voice. Then, he ordered, "The head of the traitorous King Wei Yiyuan, shall be taken to the altar."

When he finished speaking, no one responded.

But Wei Wusheng didn't want him to lose face, so he quickly clenched his fists and said in a show of support, "Yes, Your Majesty."

Then, the assassins cut off Wei Yiyuan's head, wrapped it in the royal banner, and followed the Prince of Jin toward the altar.

.........

"Grandson, I'm so glad you're alright. My heart is aching!"

After the entire Imperial Guard was taken over, they quickly went to participate in the search and rescue work for the Colonial Land Reclamation Ceremony, trying their best to find all the survivors who were hiding somewhere.

Therefore, more and more people were taken to the altar.

The ministers, still shaken, embraced their families and servants, weeping as they reunited with their loved ones.

"My lords, His Highness the Prince of Qin has ordered us to conduct a swift search and rescue operation, and to do everything in our power to bring everyone here," Wei Le announced loudly. "If your family members or household stewards have not yet arrived, please tell us your names here... preferably your childhood nicknames, so that your families will not be afraid of the rebels and dare not come forward. We will continue the search and rescue operation!"

A powerful army became their shield.

And at this time, they also searched for survivors for the adults.

This is the first grace that changed the world.

They have to accept it whether they want to or not.

And once you accept it, you should be filled with gratitude.

Soon, these high-ranking officials of the court went to the Imperial Guard for help.

With Yu Xiu's support, He Shaofu, accompanied by several senior officials, asked Wei Le, "General, what exactly is going on?"

"Lord Shaofu, Lord Langzhong," Wei Le bowed first, then replied, "There were rebels, and some people were even holding the granaries hostage. But everything has been resolved. His Highness Prince Qin and Lord Song Shi'an, entrusted by His Highness Prince Jin, completely quelled the rebellion."

His Highness Prince Qin and Lord Song Shi'an, acting on the orders of His Highness Prince Jin.

This statement contains a wealth of information and is extremely important.

It is impossible for a king to bestow the title of king.

A king may not command another king.

Of course, there are obvious differences between the Crown Prince, the Noble King, and the Three-Character King, but there are none between the King of Qin and the King of Jin.

Why would someone claim to have been entrusted with such a great achievement by the Prince of Jin?

It's like putting someone else's name on a great academic paper as the first author.

What message does this convey?

The An Sheng duo wants to push Prince Jin to the throne.

Both of them breathed a sigh of relief, and a satisfied smile unconsciously appeared on their lips.

Since this was an outcome that satisfied everyone except the Crown Prince, the court officials were naturally even more satisfied.

"My lords," Wei Le said in a low voice, "to be honest, His Highness Prince Jin was aware of this long ago. So at the first moment the incident occurred, he invited Prince Qin and Lord Song to join him, and under His Majesty's instructions, they worked together to quell the rebellion."

The patch is here.

Everyone knew that Song Shi'an and Wei Wusheng were under close surveillance, and they were even taken to the emperor.

If they aren't traitors, then who are?
But now, things have turned around.

They are all loyal ministers.

They went there not because they were arrested for rebelling, but because someone had rebelled and asked them to come and help quell the rebellion.

"As expected of His Highness Prince Jin, he is truly wise, decisive, calm, and experienced." Since these rebels can justify their actions, they won't be too embarrassed to choose sides later, so He Shaofu doesn't need to worry. He immediately praised with a beaming smile, "His Highness Prince Qin is even more courageous than the rest of the army, turning the tide of the battle... and Lord Song is truly loyal and has the demeanor of a renowned minister."

So why would Yu Xiu give all these opportunities to others?

On the one hand, his mentor Ouyang Ke taught him: only be the right person, do fewer right things.

On the other hand, this licking really made him, a scholar from a prestigious family, uncomfortable.

He truly couldn't bring himself to say those critical words.

"My lords," Wei Le said gently, extending his hand, "please explain the situation to the other lords so that they will not worry too much."

"Yes, General, you've worked hard."

He Shaofu nodded and said politely.

The two turned to leave, but Yu Xiu suddenly remembered something and turned back to ask, "General, is there anything else?"

Wei Le was stunned and didn't react.

But soon, he spoke earnestly, "Your Majesty is well, so you can all rest assured."

This is no nonsense.

Only if His Majesty is well can their current acts of flattery and factionalism be legitimized.

Otherwise, they would be seen as a vested interest group supporting the rebels.

"it is good."

Yu Xiu nodded.

Then, the two went over and met with the court officials. He Shaofu loudly announced, "I have good news for you all: the rebels have been completely quelled. It was accomplished by His Highness Prince Jin entrusting His Highness Prince Qin, along with Lord Song. Furthermore, His Majesty is perfectly safe and sound, and has not been frightened in any way!"

The Minister of the Imperial Household, who had been resentful of being turned away from the Emperor's "Noah's Ark" and complaining that His Majesty didn't care about these old ministers, was now happy that the Emperor had survived.

Such a rapid change of face naturally signifies such a rapid change of the political landscape.

"Who are the rebels?" an old minister asked.

The others all looked at them.

In fact, they already had the answer in their hearts.

However, they wanted to know whether this matter had anything to do with the Crown Prince.

Or, to put it another way, should Song Shi'an and his group involve the Crown Prince?

If we want to enthrone the Prince of Jin, what will happen to the original Crown Prince?
The crown prince is the heir apparent. If the heir apparent is without fault, and another crown prince is to be established, then at least one fault must be found in the crown prince in order to reasonably remove him from office.

The key question is, what is the answer?

The regent's efforts failed, and the space was lost.

Planning a rebellion is going too far.

"The rebels have just been pacified; we must prioritize the overall situation."

"Yes, we must not wage war again, nor should we start another war."

“Especially in Huai County, all the grain for our Great Yu's military farms is here. If something goes wrong, chaos will break out again, and Ji Yuan from the north will take advantage of the situation to invade. This is not good.”

Although the esteemed officials could accept the situation of the King of Jin's ascension to the throne, they were also worried that the King of Qin would continue to confront the Crown Prince.

"Yes, this is no joke."

"There are many soldiers and civilians here. If we go down the river, we can reach the capital in a few days."

"Furthermore, many of the areas surrounding the capital are the hometowns of your esteemed officials... including myself, of course."

The more people talk, the more stable things become.

But if they don't join the group, this instability will be even more difficult to maintain.

"My lords," Yu Xiu said, "I believe that His Highness the Crown Prince is not here, and we do not know why. As for His Highness's matter, we should wait for His Majesty's explanation."

Fueled by this statement, everyone began to ponder, and He Shaofu seized the opportunity to add fuel to the fire: "If the Crown Prince's situation becomes clear, we should do everything in our power to uphold... to uphold His Majesty's determination."

“That’s right, that’s right…”

At this point, the ministers finally determined their strategy.

They could join the group to support the Prince of Jin, but only if Song Shi'an could resolve the issue of the crown prince.

Give the crown prince a crime that everyone can accept.

"The Prince of Jin has arrived!"

Just then, a eunuch's loud voice suddenly rang out.

Everyone looked in that direction.

"The King of Qin has arrived!"

Immediately afterwards, the eunuch shouted again.

Nearly a hundred elite soldiers escorted the two kings to the altar. The officials also rushed over, and the oldest, He Shaofu, was surprisingly the fastest, reaching the front of the group and kneeling down first, prostrating himself.

The rest of the people knelt down and prostrated themselves one after another.

"Your humble servants pay their respects to His Highness Prince Jin and His Highness Prince Qin!"

Looking at these officials, Wei Wusheng felt incredibly relieved.

Similarly, the Prince of Jin also felt a sense of 'reassurance'.

When you do something, if it is absolutely correct, you will not be afraid.

You are very determined.

But what if he's not so right? Or perhaps he's not right at all?

Then you can only hope that everyone else is doing it this way.

The Prince of Jin certainly wanted to become a true emperor and win a true championship, but he couldn't do it right now.

He can only take the shortcut of forming a team to win the championship.

"Please rise, gentlemen!" said the Prince of Jin with great sincerity.

"Thank you, Your Highness."

The group slowly stood up.

They all looked at the Prince of Jin expectantly.

At this moment, the Prince of Jin waved his hand.

A soldier approached, holding a head wrapped in the royal banner, drawing everyone's attention. Then, the Prince of Jin announced, "This is the head of Prince Zhongping, Wei Yiyuan!"

Everyone was shocked to hear this.

Was that all there was to it?
This is absolutely amazing!

Another prince met his sudden death in his youth.

In the past ten years or so, as many as three princes have died unnatural deaths...

That ratio is way too high.

"This thief is the mastermind behind the assassination attempt on the emperor. After the assassination failed and he was put on trial, he remained unrepentant and colluded with the eunuch Xi Shan to seize the granary, launch a coup, and persecute loyal officials!" Prince Jin angrily denounced him, becoming more and more intense and engrossed in his speech.

It was as if they wanted to drown out the pleas of their brothers when they were being slaughtered by their own hands with an even louder voice.

It hurts, it hurts so much!

The Prince of Jin's tears trembled in his eyes.

But the officials focused on another key figure – Xi Shan.

Xishan is going to die.

Or perhaps, Xishan is already dead.

However, Xishan is clearly one of the Crown Prince's people. If Xishan is directly labeled a traitor, how should the Crown Prince be treated?

Song Shi'an, are you even able to resolve all of this?
Can we trust your political maneuvering?

Should we join this group or not?

At this moment, the Minister of the Imperial Household Department disregarded everything and exclaimed, "Your Highness Prince Jin is wise!"

"His Highness Prince Jin is renowned for his virtue."

The rest of the people had no choice but to follow suit and flatter.

"And this suppression was entirely thanks to His Highness Prince Qin and Governor Song," Prince Jin continued. "They led the Imperial Guards to wipe out the rebels and wrest back seven granaries from them."

"His Highness the Prince of Qin is valiant! Governor Song is loyal and righteous!"

He Shaofu clung tightly to the rebels' coattails, showering them with enthusiastic praise.

This put the officials who had already agreed to join the delegation only if they treated the Crown Prince correctly in a very passive position.

"Your Highness the Prince of Qin is valiant! Governor Song is loyal and righteous."

And just like that, the post-war settlement was completed.

"Imperial decree..." Prince Jin turned to Wei Wusheng and said, "Should we wait for Shi An to arrive?"

“No need,” Wei Wusheng said. “He must have other things to do.”

"Then, let's get started."

Prince Jin nodded.

Then, the army escorted the two kings to the top of the altar.

At the same time, Wei Le ordered the army to temporarily pull aside the families and servants of these officials.

After deliberation, the officials in the center, led by the Minister of the Imperial Household, said, "We have received an imperial edict; let us line up and kneel to welcome it."

And so, these disheveled officials, still maintaining the dignity of high-ranking officials, stood in two rows on either side.

"The imperial edict arrives——"

A eunuch shouted.

At the top of the steps, Prince Jin and Wei Wusheng, who were at the very front, prostrated themselves before the eunuch.

The other ministers also immediately knelt down.

The newly arrived eunuch was trembling with fear when he stepped onto the platform. Even when he opened the imperial edict, his hands shook.

It wasn't until Wei Wusheng, who was standing at his feet, raised his head, looked at him, and whispered a reminder: "This is your wealth."

These six words are full of the allure of power.

This newcomer, who wasn't even a high-ranking eunuch, saw his bright future ahead.

And, remember this:
Yes, I am not the Prince of Jin's eunuch.

I am the King of Qin's eunuch!

Then, maintaining a loud and clear voice, he read aloud:
"Fengtian Chengyun Emperor, the imperial edict said:

I, having inherited the weighty responsibility of the seven ancestral temples and ruled for fifty years, have always feared that my virtue was insufficient to defile the sacred vessel. However, since Crown Prince Yiyun assumed regency, the imperial seal has been mistakenly placed in the hands of wolves, and the jade tablet has nearly fallen victim to the schemes of petty villains. Their crimes are threefold:
The eunuch Lian Song was in charge of the Huai County government, which led to the destruction of fertile fields and the overgrown weeds. This shows his poor judgment in recognizing talent.
Secondly, he listened to the slander of Chen Ling and Xiao Qun in Liangzhou, which led to the imprisonment of Qin Kuo and Zhu Qing, implicating their entire families. This shows that he was misled in his judgment.

The Director of Ceremonial Affairs, Xi Shan, was blind to talent and lacked discernment in his personnel choices. He allowed Xi Shan to secretly conspire with the rebellious Prince Yi Yuan to usurp the throne. If it weren't for Prince Yi Xuan of Jin rushing to the rescue with his Golden Guard seal, blood would have been spilled on the imperial court!

Heaven's warning has pierced my heart:
He was deposed as Crown Prince, and his fiefdom was transferred to the Kingdom of Wu, with his estate reduced by nine-tenths but retained by one-tenth.
Prince Yixuan of Jin, having stopped the flow of the river with a dagger, quelled the rebellion and brought peace to the country, displaying the vigor of my prime. Therefore, I hereby appoint him as the successor to the throne and change the era name to Anshun.

"I am too old and frail to bear the weight of the letter carried by the red sparrow, therefore I abdicate at this auspicious time and become the Retired Emperor!"

The eunuch finally finished reading it all.

It was very smooth, without any jamming.

Perfect, absolutely perfect.

But the Prince of Jin beneath his feet was now somewhat panicked.

He obtained the throne he had always dreamed of at this moment.

Can I really do it?
No, can I really do it?

do not care.

No matter what, I am still the emperor.

He was living peacefully as before, and rightfully so, the Emperor of Anshun!
"Your subject, Wei Yixuan, receives the imperial decree!"

Prince Jin slowly rose and accepted the imperial edict.

Then, he turned around.

The King of Qin followed his lead and turned around as well.

The two kings looked at their ministers.

When they raised their heads, what they saw in their eyes was not entirely the sacredness of welcoming a new emperor.

Clearly, there was some hesitation.

The Prince of Jin's heart pounded.

Without the support of the officials, even with an imperial edict, he would not be able to legitimately inherit the throne.

What are you all thinking?
The officials were all speculating about the imperial edict, and simultaneously pondering a particular passage—

Since Crown Prince Yiyun assumed regency, the imperial seal has been mistakenly placed in the hands of treacherous officials, and the jade tablet has nearly fallen victim to the schemes of petty villains. His crimes are threefold:
These three crimes.

Firstly, it is a minor offense, which may or may not be punished.

Thirdly, it is a fabricated charge that can be punished severely or lightly.

Only the second one constitutes a real crime, a serious crime that could lead to the removal of the emperor from the throne.

But there was no indiscriminate attack...

"Your Majesty, we respectfully welcome Your Majesty's ascension to the throne!"

After figuring things out, Shao Fu immediately joined the group.

This time, the others did not insist and followed suit, saying, "Your Majesty, we respectfully welcome Your Majesty's ascension to the throne!"

Yes, that was the right thing to do.

The crown prince is indeed guilty, but all three crimes were committed because he listened to slander, and someone else is taking the blame for each one.

The dead, those guilty of one crime and those guilty of three crimes, have already been carried on.

Of the two crimes, Xiao Qun and Chen Ling bear the primary responsibility.

The final conclusion reached regarding the crown prince was that he was unsuitable to be emperor.

The crown prince had no choice but to accept it.

As for rebelling over this, there is no need.

His crime doesn't warrant death; he would die if he truly rebelled.

The unanimous outcry made the Prince of Jin realize that everything had been settled.

The King of Qin smiled with satisfaction.

Then very quickly, someone shouted:
"May His Majesty live ten thousand years! May the King of Qin live a thousand years!"

The second time, all the officials followed suit.

"May His Majesty live ten thousand years! May the King of Qin live a thousand years!"

The third time, the Imperial Guards collectively dropped their spears to the ground:

"May His Majesty live ten thousand years! May the King of Qin live a thousand years!"

"Everyone loves you, please be safe."

The emperor raised his hand and bestowed the gift.

"Thank you, Your Majesty——"

The officials then rose to their feet.

"The fire is not yet extinguished. Please stay at the altar tonight. I will have the soldiers move tents here. You have all worked hard, please rest early."

"Thank you, Your Majesty——"

And so, the officials were dealt with.

The emperor and the King of Qin then departed.

They descended from the altar under the escort of the army.

"I wish to see Shi An, may I?"

This emperor was too uncertain about the future, and Wei Wusheng could not communicate with him properly.

"Of course, once he's finished with his work..."

No sooner had Wei Wusheng finished speaking than Song Shi'an and Xin Yue rode up on horseback.

He then nimbly dismounted, carrying a box, and approached the emperor: "Your Majesty."

"Shi'an, what is this?" the emperor asked.

Song Shi'an opened the box and faced him.

Inside was a dragon robe.

After a long silence, the emperor said, "Your coordination was quite quick." (End of Chapter)