Frost for a Thousand Years

The ceremony for the military settlement was set ablaze, and even from the distant mountains, those enormous, towering flames could be seen. Jia Guihao, ten miles away, had already been informed of the matter by Anju Hou.

So, in the main general's camp, he was restless and heavy-hearted all night.

His deputy, Zhou Mo, was also an official of the princeling faction.

To be precise, the vast majority of mid- to high-ranking officials here belong to the Crown Prince's faction. Therefore, even if it's impossible to know every soldier inside and out, or which ones are Song Party members planted in the army, the control over the army is still very strong.

"General," Zhou Mo said, looking at his anxious expression, "Are you worried about something?"

“Of course I’m a little wary,” Jia Guihao said, launching into his explanation when asked. “His Majesty gave me a strict order: no soldier is allowed to approach without his permission. But the problem is, with the land reclamation ceremony in such a state, if I really don’t go, will it cause problems?”

Serving a ruler is like serving a tiger; this is no exaggeration.

He said that no matter what happens, you shouldn't come over.

But what if something happens the next day? Will they say, "I'm in this state, why didn't you come?"
Even if I tell you not to come, you won't come, will you?

Of course, given this emperor's temperament, he wouldn't lack such a basic level of understanding. If something were to actually happen, the crown prince would likely blame himself for failing to protect the emperor.

Even if they are criticized, it doesn't really affect their status as princelings, but it does hinder their progress.

“General, you should think about a question,” he said suddenly.

"What's the problem?" Jia Guihao looked at him, his eyes serious.

Deputy General Zhou Mo lowered his voice and asked very seriously, "Why did His Majesty order your troops to stay away and not approach beforehand? And then, tonight, this sudden fire just happened?"

"You mean..." Jia Guihao frowned, hesitating to speak.

So you don't know what I mean?
Zhou Mo was somewhat convinced.

However, he also knew, and everyone knew, that Jia Guihao was a good-for-nothing. When he served as the Western Commandant in the city, he accepted bribes, bullied his subordinates and fawned on his superiors. He had a bad reputation and no one respected him. But he also had a good reputation. Whenever there was a minor problem, people knew that spending some money on him could solve it.

Furthermore, he engaged in witchcraft and superstition, and boasted that when Song Shi'an was guarding against the north wind, the whole country was in a state of urgency. At that time, the crown prince of Wu was betting on him and was filled with anxiety every day. So he brought a deity to pray for snow for the king of Wu. Then the next day, it really snowed in Beiliang.

He always talked about this with great relish, and even made it his own skill.

Without a doubt, he was loyal. It was precisely because of this loyalty that, despite his extremely poor abilities, he rose to become the third most important figure in the princeling faction, reaching the rank of fourth-grade official at a young age, with a promising future ahead of him.

“General,” Zhou Mo leaned closer and said, “I suspect that His Majesty had foreseen this fire, or rather, the potential unrest.”

"Since there were signs beforehand, how could the fire have been allowed to start?" Jia Guihao asked, puzzled.

"His Majesty may not have foreseen the fire, or perhaps he simply doesn't care," Zhou Mo said after deep thought. "His Majesty is waiting for someone to rebel, and then, taking advantage of that rebellion, he can quell it."

Jia Guihao's expression gradually turned serious.

"Why keep us at a distance of ten miles?" Zhou Mo asked. "We have no problem; we are all His Highness the Crown Prince's people. But what if there are other people mixed in with our people? If we approach at night, wouldn't that make the situation even more chaotic?"

His argument was logical and well-founded, not merely a guess.

Therefore, even Jia Guihao understood, muttering, "Your Majesty, they are about to take action against the Sixth Prince."

"Very likely." Zhou Mo didn't rule it out, which could be considered a disclaimer.

But both of them knew that if things continued like this tonight, one of them would definitely win.

“But,” Jia Guihao said with considerable concern, “according to scouts, the direction of the fire is towards the granary. And several of the flames are as large as the sun, seemingly from the granary. If that’s the case, then the price His Majesty is paying is far too high, isn’t it?”

"That's the crux of the problem," Zhou Mo said gravely. "We can die, we can destroy people, but we really can't burn this granary. If the fruits of the nation's agricultural reclamation are reduced to ashes, not only will the nation's hard work go to waste, but how will we ensure the stability of these 500,000 soldiers and civilians?"

“And this is a military settlement.” Jia Guihao was terrified and said with great fear, “It has plenty of weapons and farm tools. It’s like hundreds of thousands of armed rebels suddenly appearing in the capital region.”

The reason why there is the saying "rising up in rebellion" in ancient times is because the control of iron tools was very strict in ancient times, especially in the prefectures and counties under the Qin law.

When ordinary people want to rebel, they can only "cut down trees to make weapons and raise bamboo poles as flags".

Even so, it could spread like wildfire, causing a global upheaval.

These 500,000 soldiers and civilians did not need to cut wood for weapons; they had hoes and sickles. They did not need to raise bamboo poles as flags; they had banners and bugles.

That's terrifying, that's terrifying!

“That granary will definitely be heavily guarded and will not be easily lost,” Jia Guihao said. “His Highness the Crown Prince gave me the map and defense layout for the Grand Ceremony of Land Reclamation, so I know that.”

“Then there’s one possibility…” Zhou Mo swallowed hard and guessed, “His Majesty has already lost control of the situation.”

"You're saying His Majesty has lost control?" Jia Guihao couldn't believe it.

"It's not impossible," Zhou Mo said.

"It's out of control... and it's nighttime again." Jia Guihao thought of the most terrifying thing, "Is it possible that the Sixth Prince will succeed? No, he will get away with it."

"If we lose control completely, the outcome is still uncertain."

Zhou Mo thought the emperor was very powerful and omnipotent.

They also thought Song Shi'an was very capable and omnipotent.

But the emperor is old, while Song Shi'an is still so young. If something really happens, he won't be able to escape.

"What should I do..." Jia Guihao grabbed his hair, his mind in turmoil.

"No matter what, we will listen to His Majesty," Zhou Mo said. "No matter what happens, we must not abandon our posts or deploy a single soldier."

“But if there really is a rebellion and His Majesty is at a disadvantage, he will definitely ask us for help,” Jia Guihao said.

“That means someone forged His Majesty’s imperial edict,” Zhou Mo said. “We will only follow His Majesty’s previous instructions.”

Jia Guihao understood what he meant, and became anxious: "I know what you mean, but what if it's true? What if something happens to His Majesty because we couldn't save him?"

“Then…” Zhou Mo made a chop gesture, “we will then join forces with the Crown Prince to avenge His Majesty!”

Jia Guihao felt a chill run down his spine.

He even felt that if the Crown Prince himself came, he would be asked to do the same.

Because the crown prince cared more about the throne than his father, the emperor.

Even if the emperor is kidnapped, he still has an overwhelming advantage and will issue an order to attack.

This is inevitable.

However, Jia Guihao is not the crown prince.

If the emperor dies at such a time, who will take responsibility?
He originally thought that he was a loyal member of the princeling faction and that nothing would happen to him.

But after seeing Lian Song's death, he no longer dared to believe so readily.

His status is no higher than Lian Song's, his power is no greater than Lian Song's, and his ability is no stronger than Lian Song's. So why is he different?
How many more penises does he have than Lian Song?

Oh, it’s true.

"Let's talk about it later, let's talk about it later."

Jia Guihao dared not make a decision easily, much less agree to his request.

"General, no matter what, we must win this battle for the throne first," Zhou Mo said excitedly. "It's better to be pragmatic than to seek empty promises; everything should be geared towards His Highness the Crown Prince's victory."

In Zhou Mo's view, this coup was no less serious than the mutual betrayal between Prince Ning and the former crown prince.

That was a life-or-death struggle.

"General Zhou," Jia Guihao said, "you will select two thousand cavalry, but you must ensure that they are all our men. The soldiers must also be from our direct line."

“General, we don’t have any truly loyal followers or personal guards,” Zhou Mo advised. “These are just the county soldiers of Huai County. They’re not close to us. Whoever wins will be on their side.”

“But those officers are close to us,” Jia Guihao said with great certainty. “They have all received a lot of favors from me.”

“Alright.” Zhou Mo reluctantly agreed, but still asked, “General, this camp is the foundation. We must not make any rash moves.”

"Don't worry, I know what I'm doing," Jia Guihao said very seriously. "I know better than anyone who's asking for help."

.........

Shen Kang rode his horse, accompanied by several Imperial Guards, galloping along the road with torches in hand, to seek help from Jia Guihao.

To be honest, he felt that Song Shi'an was quite crazy.

Because I know more than anyone else.

When the Crown Prince went to confront Song Shi'an and Wei Wusheng, he brought himself with him.

Logically speaking, he should definitely feel that he is undoubtedly a princeling.

They won the coup, so the first thing they have to do is kill him.

But he actually let himself go to deliver the message.

In case, he told Jia Guihao the actual situation.

Then, Jia Guihao would report the actual situation to the Crown Prince.

He could easily join the Crown Prince's faction and work with him to eliminate these rebels.

And, the false emperor, the Prince of Jin.

But he was really too smart.

He perfectly grasped the psychology of the Embroidered Uniform Guard.

If the Prince of Jin is the rightful emperor, then aren't the Embroidered Uniform Guard the emperor's rightful henchmen?
They will not lose their jobs.

They are still themselves.

Of course, the most crucial reason is not here.

Shen Kang frowned, thinking about the description the Imperial Guard had given him of the brilliant confrontation between Song Shi'an and the Emperor.

Even the old emperor lost.

Can the Crown Prince be a match for Song Shi'an?

It is absolutely impossible.

The Crown Prince will be played to death by Song Shi'an, and will die without a proper burial.

If he were to join the princeling faction to suppress the new regime, he would be abandoning his upright and respectable identity as the commander of the Embroidered Uniform Guard and becoming a true rebel.

Need to consider?
Don't even think about it!
And so, he and the Imperial Guards arrived at Jia Guihao's military camp.

Upon entering, he immediately revealed his Embroidered Uniform Guard badge, and without even dismounting, loudly proclaimed, "Shen Kang, Commander of the Embroidered Uniform Guard!"

Upon seeing this, the soldiers guarding the gate quickly retreated, not daring to charge at all.

This detail alone made Shen Kang realize that the Crown Prince was incapable of achieving anything.

Jia Guihao is an utterly incompetent fool.

At night, on horseback, the soldier guarding the gate didn't even see his own badge clearly. He let him in simply because of his flying fish robe, showing respect for the clothes before the person.

This kind of military discipline is simply absurd.

Along the way, he carried his waist token and arrived at the commander's camp without stopping.

After dismounting, he said to the soldiers at the gate, "Shen Kang, the commander of the Embroidered Uniform Guard, wishes to see General Jia."

His personal guard confirmed the waist tag and identity, and then said, "Please wait a moment, Master Shen, I will go and report right away."

Soon, the other party went inside.

"Shen Kang is here?"

When Jia Guihao heard this name, he knew things were really serious.

Because this was the commander of the Embroidered Uniform Guard, the emperor's most trusted confidant.

At the same time, he was also a confidant of the Crown Prince.

Many of His Highness's affairs are accomplished by these Imperial Guards. They know far more secrets than I do.

He came. Why?
A mask of pain appeared on Jia Guihao's face.

He was genuinely a little afraid of trouble. Was the emperor out of control of the situation?

"Please come in quickly."

There was no other way; he couldn't leave people hanging outside.

"Yes."

So the guards went out and invited him over.

Upon seeing him, Jia Guihao greeted him with a smile and said, "Master Shen, it is my pleasure to welcome you. Please forgive me for not greeting you sooner."

"General Jia," Shen Kang said, cutting to the chase without any pretense, "you should know about the fire at the Grand Ceremony for Settling Farms, right?"

Jia Guihao tried to put on an act, saying that he dared not act without His Majesty's order. If he hadn't noticed the towering fire at all, wouldn't he be as useless as a good-for-nothing? Besides, it was too fake.

He then said with a heavy heart, "The scouts reported that I had indeed heard about this matter. However, His Majesty has ordered that no matter what happens, I am not allowed to mobilize a single soldier, so I did not dare to go and investigate."

“His Majesty said you did a very good job, and that is indeed the right thing to do,” Shen Kang said.

"How is His Majesty now?" Jia Guihao asked with great concern.

"His Majesty is in good condition and there are no problems for the time being," Shen Kang said with a heavy heart. "But the rebels have completely lost their minds and are unable to break through His Majesty's palace. Instead, they have attacked the granaries and have already burned down five large granaries."

"Is there such a thing?!"

Jia Guihao wasn't too surprised, because this matter was basically the same as the conclusion he and Zhou Mo had reached.

Shen Kangquan told him everything truthfully.

"General, you should know who the rebels are, right?" Shen Kang asked.

"Please speak frankly, Mr. Shen," Jia Guihao said earnestly.

“The Prince of Zhongping who attempted to assassinate His Majesty is innocent. The assassin was arranged by Song Shi’an to muddy the waters and prevent His Majesty from taking advantage of the situation to weaken him,” Shen Kang said. “And he also has a considerable number of assassins hidden in the tunnels, and he is secretly colluding with Qi Lian, a captain of the Imperial Guard, to rebel under the name of the Prince of Jin. By the way, the Prince of Qin is also the leader of the rebels.”

Explode! Explode!

Jia Guihao never expected things to escalate to this extent.

That's ruthless! Tonight's scale is no less than the struggle for the crown prince position in Ningwang back then.

"General," Shen Kang said, "please select several thousand troops, and they must be your trusted personal guards. Set off now and come with me to wipe out the rebels in the granary and protect all the remaining grain!"

When it came to food, Shen Kang was very anxious.

This is indeed of utmost importance.

“Master Shen…” But Jia Guihao was very wary and asked, “Does this have His Majesty’s decree?”

"My general," Shen Kang said wearily, asking in exasperation, "at a time like this, does His Majesty still have time to draft an edict?"

"It is also true."

Jia Guihao nodded blankly, looking at Shen Kang who was very anxious, and finally said, "Then please wait a moment, Mr. Shen. I will go and mobilize the troops first, which may take some time. Okay, I will go with you."

"General, as soon as possible. One granary holds hundreds of thousands of bushels of grain," Shen Kang said. "And absolutely do not use unfamiliar people, absolutely not."

"Understood, please wait a moment."

Jia Guihao hurriedly left the main camp and rode his horse to the training ground, which had been prepared in advance.

Zhou Mo is here too.

"General, the Embroidered Uniform Guard has arrived?" Zhou Mo quickly stepped forward, helped Jia Guihao dismount, and then asked.

“Shen Kang came in person,” Jia Guihao said. “It was exactly what we guessed. However, His Majesty is still safe and sound. Those rebels wanted to use the granaries as leverage. Five have been burned down, and the remaining seven are still being held.”

“We can’t go,” Zhou Mo said. “It’s already like this, we should wait for His Highness the Crown Prince’s letter.”

“We have to go.” After refusing, Jia Guihao said in a low voice, “His Majesty is too ruthless. He has the palace completely sealed off. There is no way he can be harmed. Those rebels only dare to target the granaries. Even if they burn them all down, at most it will be the end of the Great Yu Dynasty. They cannot win the coup. The next day, His Majesty will still deal with them.”

Core item build: His Majesty is still alive.

If His Majesty dies, then everything will be fine.

But if he didn't die, then things are going to get difficult.

“Disobeying orders and refusing to save someone is a capital offense,” Jia Guihao warned sternly, gripping his shoulder.

This is really painful.

Zhou Mo didn't know what to say.

He definitely wanted the crown prince to win.

Moreover, the crown prince must win.

But the emperor didn't die. The next day, he dealt with all those people and blamed them for disobeying orders by not coming to their aid. What should we do?
Jia Guihao is the kind of person who, after being caught, can mention other people's names dozens of times in a confession.

"Is it possible that Shen Kang has already betrayed us?" Zhou Mo asked, staring into his eyes.

"How much has Shen Kang done for the Crown Prince? How many secrets does he know?" Jia Guihao didn't believe it.

At this moment, a soldier hurriedly came over and reported: "General, among these Imperial Guards who came, two of them went north!"

"North?" Zhou Mo pondered. "Isn't that the direction of Jianxing?"

"So, they went to report to the Crown Prince!" Hearing this, Jia Guihao became even more certain and then muttered to himself, "Why would they suspect Shen Kang? It doesn't make sense."

“Then General, we must separate,” Zhou Mo said. “This camp is of utmost importance.”

"Okay, then you stay here!"

The emperor called for his help, and if he went and solved the problem, that would be a great achievement.

"Yes, General!" Zhou Mo replied, then grasped Jia Guihao's hand again, "You absolutely must not get into trouble, you must protect yourself."

"Don't worry about that," Jia Guihao said proudly. "In all these years, from criminal investigation to the military, I've never been injured once."

Zhou Mo: "..."

Is this something to be proud of?!
"Then, General, please go quickly."

"Take care of yourself!"

Jia Guihao dared not delay and immediately led the two thousand cavalrymen he had prepared, after calling upon Shen Kang, toward the land reclamation ceremony.

This can be considered the most elite force among the troops of Huai County.

Under the moonlight, they galloped along the main road, kicking up clouds of dust, without a moment's rest.

They walked very quickly over the ten-mile distance.

Because they were light troops without any supplies, they arrived at the location in less than thirty minutes.

When they arrived, it was Ximen.

Then you can see that a lot of soldiers are stationed on the outer perimeter.

"Why aren't they putting out the fire?" Jia Guihao reined in his horse and stopped, immediately becoming alert.

What does it mean if someone doesn't use it?

"Sigh." Shen Kang feigned exhaustion and said, "If everyone here is confined to the main hall, and there aren't even city walls here, and it's pitch black, what if the rebels escape through the gaps? What is the meaning behind His Majesty's scheme?"

"Ah yes."

Jia Guihao realized that there really was no problem.

The granaries have been burned down. If we let them escape, wouldn't we be losing out completely?
"Alright," Jia Guihao commanded. "Everyone, maintain formation, three horses abreast, don't trample or cause any congestion, go and put out the fire and kill the enemy!"

However, this surprised Shen Kang slightly: "General, you're not moving?"

"I'll cover the rear to prevent the enemy from breaking through," Jia Guihao said. "This has always been our unit's military strategy."

Oops.

Shen Kang started to panic.

This is the kid we're after. If he gets away, the operation to strip him of his military power will have failed.

"Since I've brought the people, I'll go save the granary!"

After grumbling for a moment, Shen Kang followed the army inside without hesitation.

There's no way to make him suspicious.

Fortunately, Jia Guihao did not suspect anything. After having dozens of elite cavalrymen by his side, he let the soldiers go in.

Wait until you beat him before going in.

If he doesn't win, and the rebels are even going to win, then he will have no choice but to retreat critically.

After Shen Kang led two thousand cavalrymen into the area, he said to one of the Imperial Guards, "Take them to the granary!"

"Yes!"

The man left with his cavalry.

He then turned his horse around and headed towards the emperor's side hall.

Upon arrival, he dismounted, took out his waist token, and went inside.

They finally found the Prince of Jin… no, the Emperor.

"Your Majesty, Jia Guihao has arrived."

He knelt on one knee, just as he was about to report the situation, when the emperor said calmly, "For important military matters, you can report to Minister Song; he is with the retired emperor."

"……Yes!"

Although Shen Kang hesitated, it was the emperor's order, and he had to carry it out unconditionally.

So he went to see the retired emperor.

Upon entering, one sees the retired emperor and Song Shi'an sitting facing each other.

He had no choice but to walk up to Song Shi'an, clench his fists, and say, "Jia Guihao's cavalry has arrived, but he has some guards outside the west gate under the pretext of covering the rear."

"Yes, I know." Song Shi'an smiled and said casually, "The soldiers at the watchtower have already reported to me, and I've taken care of it."

"Yes." Shen Kang still didn't dare to look up.

Song Shi'an then complained to the old emperor, "Look, Your Highness would rather use these insects than trust me."

…………

Jia Guihao remained outside, maintaining the range of the crossbows from the watchtower, waiting with a strong sense of self-preservation.

"Keep an eye out and see if any soldiers come out."

"Yes."

Jia Guihao was still unsure about the situation here, so he was prepared to run away at any moment.

However, soldiers who quietly emerged from Song Shi'an's tunnel surrounded them from behind without them noticing.

Suddenly, dozens of torches lit up.

"Take down Jia Guihao!"

Upon hearing this voice, Jia Guihao turned his head in surprise.

Then he saw a dozen arrows come flying in, instantly killing several of his guards...

"Don't shoot! Don't shoot! I'm Jia Guihao! Don't kill me!"

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