Frost for a Thousand Years

"what?!"

The empress suddenly stood up, and the old woman was so frightened that she instantly lost her color.

All the officials gathered outside the palace gates; she had never seen such a sight, not even when the emperor was alive.

No, she believed that it was precisely because the emperor was not present that she was being bullied like this.

Ye Changqing, standing before him, was holding his forehead, looking just as pained as he was.

"Ye Qing, what are they doing?" the Empress asked him with considerable unease.

Before the emperor left, he said that if anything happened, Ye Changqing could be completely trusted. He was extremely loyal and had outstanding abilities, not much less than Song Shi'an.

However, the Empress was not able to fully implement the Emperor's will, because she always felt that the Emperor's words were a sign of his wariness towards her.

After all, she was from the Hua family of Qinzhou, and those nobles had a very good relationship with her. It was because she didn't trust her own family that she made Ye Changqing her ally.

Men are always wary of their wives after marriage, afraid of being taken advantage of.

But now she realizes that she really needs help. Otherwise, something terrible is bound to happen.

"Your Majesty," Ye Changqing shook his head and said calmly, "this is what I fear most."

However, there's no way to prevent it.

The Embroidered Uniform Guard was able to roam the world unchallenged.

If Song Shi'an could send one Imperial Guard to the West Market to read the imperial edict, why couldn't he send more Imperial Guards to perform other tasks?

It can't be stopped, it's simply impossible to stop it.

If Sheng An could make all the decisions on his own, and all military and political affairs were handled by him, how could such a situation possibly be out of control?

But he didn't blame the emperor.

The emperor knew of his loyalty and talent; the emperor was just too confident that he could solve everything.

This is why he even brought a ten-year-old child, the King of Changsha, to the land reclamation ceremony.

Knowing full well the danger, yet still bringing her son along—isn't that a sure thing, treating it purely as a vacation?
"What are you most afraid of?" The Empress became even more nervous at his words. "Could it be that these people will stage a coup? Do these civil officials really dare to influence the position of the Crown Prince of our Great Yu?"

When faced with a crisis, very few people can remain calm; the vast majority lose their rationality, their ability to think, and their already low emotional intelligence.

Ye Changqing, the civil official, suddenly changed his expression.

"If the military officers trusted by Her Majesty the Empress can resolve these issues," Ye Changqing said, bowing to the Empress Dowager. "Then please let the generals stabilize the situation."

After saying this, Ye Changqing was about to leave.

Clenching her fists, the Empress's face paled. However, she refused to believe that the people of Qinzhou couldn't govern the country, and then said to the eunuch beside her, "Go and invite the nobles to the palace!"

…………

Many officials gathered in front of the palace.

The vast majority of them were officials of the fifth rank or lower, not even considered high-ranking officials. However, each of them had a father who was a high-ranking official, and he was currently at the land reclamation ceremony, delivering letters to them.

"Have you heard? As soon as the Embroidered Uniform Guard arrived in Sheng'an, they took the imperial edict to the West Market and read it aloud."

“That’s the West Market. In less than half an hour, the news that His Highness Prince Jin has become emperor will spread throughout Sheng’an.”

"Moreover, the Prince of Zhongping has been executed for assassination. It seems the world of Great Yu is about to change..."

These officials gathered together, their minds heavy with worry and anxiety.

"What did your father say in his letter?" one person asked the person next to him.

"He said the retired emperor was still alive, the Prince of Jin had ascended the throne, the Prince of Qin and Lord Song had taken control of all the Imperial Guards, and Jia Guihao and his more than 10,000 troops had also been taken over. They were safe..."

"Did your father say the same thing?"

"My father-in-law said the same thing, and it's almost identical, and it's definitely his handwriting."

"I am me too."

After reconciling the accounts, they were surprised to find that all the letters were genuine, and the contents of the letters were almost identical, as if they had been planned together.

Or rather, it was a standardized requirement to say this.

The people who made the demands were naturally Song Shi'an and the King of Qin.

Why?

Because the letter's description of them contained not a single negative aspect, and it even failed to express any dissatisfaction with them through subtle and euphemistic writing.

“Oh dear.” Then a wise person saw through the matter, “Whether Song Shi’an controls the military and political power or not, at least our fathers are controlled.”

"I should have never let him go. How come he still has to suffer this in his old age?"

"But now Sheng'an is controlled by the Sheng'an Ling and the Weiwei. Whether civil or military, they are all considered to be the Crown Prince's...Wu Wang's faction."

"Yes, if the King of Wu does not comply and a great war breaks out, wouldn't our fathers be in grave danger?"

They were all so pessimistic, except for a fifth-rank official named He Liang, who, as if playing a game of 'Who is the Spy,' sensed his own difference from the crowd's comments.

Because his father wrote him this:
My son, your father has already taken the lead in supporting the Prince of Jin as emperor. The fortune of the He family depends on this. You must work with the officials in the capital to stop the Empress Dowager from sending troops!

Damn it, all the other dads are letting their families know they're safe, but my dad is in this state and still wants to start a business!

Awesome.

"Gentlemen," He Liang could only frown as he stepped forward and said, "Since the Emperor Emeritus personally abdicated the throne to the Prince of Jin, wouldn't our father be safe if the new emperor returned to Sheng'an? Wouldn't the Great Yu then be at peace?"

He brought a new perspective to everyone.

Everyone turned to look at him.

"Yes, yes, as long as His Majesty returns to Sheng'an, there won't be any more problems."

"What if the King of Wu is unwilling? He seems to have tens of thousands of soldiers under his command."

"Don't worry," He Liang said confidently. "How can those old, weak, and disabled soldiers stationed in the fields compare to the elite troops of the Imperial Guard?"

"Yes, yes, Lord He is right, and the army is commanded by Lord Song and the Prince of Qin..."

When the name 'Song Shi'an' was mentioned, everyone realized that they were not betting on the King of Jin or the King of Wu.

The question is whether or not to trust Song Shi'an.

Song Shi'an is too awesome. His ID alone is enough to scare people to tears. Even the emperor fell into his hands. Who else can beat them?

Just then, a carriage stopped outside the barricades in front of the palace.

Sun Situ and Sun Heng were in the car.

"Father, you are truly wise," Sun Heng said almost worshipfully. "Not only did you not attend the land reclamation ceremony, you also forbade us to go. Unexpectedly, a war broke out, and it turned into such a mess. Those officials were even directly taken hostage by Song Shi'an!"

"Hmph." Sun Situ smiled rather arrogantly and said, "I realized long ago that the emperor's personal visit was to deal with Song Shi'an. Once the military farms are completed, Song Shi'an will surely die. Of course, this death may mean a complete withdrawal from politics. But in any case, it will be a bloodbath."

"Was Song Shi'an's victory also within Father's foresight?" Sun Heng asked.

“Yes.” Sun Situ responded, then added, “To say that would be too arrogant.”

"Does Father think Song Shi'an will lose?"

“No, not exactly.” Sun Situ shook his head and said somewhat seriously, “I expected it to be this messy, but I didn’t expect it to turn out like this.”

The result was that the emperor's pay was doubled.

"Then Father, what should we do at this time?" Sun Heng asked with great concern.

They were indeed mortal enemies with Song Shi'an before, that goes without saying.

But ever since Sun Qian challenged the strongest of the contemporary generation and was beaten to tears, and the Sun family also surrendered, there has been no longer any such thing as mortal enemies.

The Sun family has all gone offline.

“What should we do?” Sun Situ smiled. “I can win together with the Duke of Li, but we must not let him win alone.”

After he finished speaking, he pointed ahead.

"Okay father."

Sun Qian quickly helped open the carriage curtain, helped his father down, and pondered the meaning of those words.

As soon as they got off the car, all the officials gathered around.

"We pay our respects to Minister Sun."

Everyone waited for him to come down and paid him the highest respect, like a star surrounded by the moon, allowing Sun Situ to enjoy the absolute center position.

Now Sun Heng understood what his father meant.

It is our inescapable duty to restore the glory of civil servants!
Sun Situ alighted from his carriage and, seeing the officials eagerly awaiting him, smiled and said, "Gentlemen, you are too kind. What is the meaning of this?"

He Liang, who was in the lead, stepped forward and said, "We are all gathered here because of His Majesty the Prince of Jin's ascension to the throne."

"Oh? You've heard about it too?" Sun Situ said. "The news spread very quickly."

"Does that mean Lord Situ already knew?" He Liang asked, puzzled.

"Isn't it just that the Imperial Guards issued an imperial edict in the West Market?" he said, feigning ignorance.

Everyone thought his seniority was due to some inside story, but after hearing this, they all felt a little uneasy.

At the same time, I relaxed a little.

It seems that Minister Sun did not get involved in this struggle for the throne.

As a completely rational and objective person, his words carry a lot of weight.

So He Liang told him that their fathers had all received letters, and that he knew exactly what had happened at the land reclamation ceremony and what the current situation was.

“I understand now.” Sun Situ nodded, indicating his understanding.

"Then what should Lord Situ do?"

He Liang asked anxiously.

The others were also staring intently at him, their eyes repeating the same thing: What can be done? What can be done?

"Gentlemen, I think..."

Sun Situ stroked his beard, and after a while, when everyone was getting impatient, he said, "We are subjects, and subjects must be loyal to the emperor."

This sounds like nonsense at first glance.

But everyone quickly realized that this was the most honest and straightforward truth.

Minister Sun took the lead in acknowledging the legitimacy of the imperial edict!
"Then, Lord Situ, please speak up for us and request an audience with Her Majesty the Empress Dowager!"

The title "Empress Dowager" was openly and loudly uttered.

Furthermore, it received unanimous support from Sheng'an officials.

Thus, Minister Sun took the lead in petitioning outside the palace.

"Sir, have you informed them?"

Sun Situ asked the eunuch at the door.

"Lord Situ, and all other officials," the eunuch said with a forced smile, having no other choice, "please wait a moment, we've already gone to inform the Empress..."

“You misspoke, sir. It should be the Empress Dowager,” Sun Situ corrected kindly.

"..."

This one sentence almost killed the eunuch Gaba right there.

Calling her "Empress Dowager" is an unauthorized and excessive honor for the Empress. The Empress is inside; she could kill herself with a single finger.

Calling someone "Empress" is tantamount to openly defying the Emperor's decree. With all the officials present, they could all drown you with their spittle.

No matter which title it is, it's not something a nobody like me can get wrong.

But people, in times of crisis, can always bring out their highest emotional intelligence: "I have already told His Highness that he will reply to you all soon. But since His Majesty is not here, there are many procedures involved in entering the palace, so please be patient and calm."

Your Highness can refer to the Empress and the Empress Dowager.

Your Majesty could also be Wei Ye or Wei Yixuan.

"Then this old man will wait."

Minister Sun smiled faintly and took a slight step back. The rest of the officials, however, did not retreat an inch, standing firmly behind him. Their imposing presence was overwhelming, making even the eunuchs sweat profusely in the cool autumn air.

We can only hope that the Empress Dowager... no, the Empress's reinforcements will arrive soon.

Meanwhile, the eunuchs sent out by the Empress through the side gate had already found those nobles and military generals.

But they didn't leave so quickly.

Everyone was delayed for a while.

Then, at the same time, on the central avenue of the imperial city, a rare gathering of riders, clad in armor and helmets, with swords bestowed by His Majesty at their waists, appeared.

Marquis Xun, Zhao Lun; Marquis Huai, Zhao Lie; Marquis Qu, Ran Mu; Marquis Changling, Han Qi.

The Da Yu Senior Citizens' Team, assemble!
Each one of them was an old man with graying temples.

The four of them are almost three hundred years old combined.

But their pride remains undiminished.

After they assembled, a dozen or so military officers also arrived one after another.

"This humble general pays his respects to all generals!"

The underlings of the noble generals also came to show their support.

And so, the military commanders' ranks were assembled.

They charged toward the palace gates to fight.

Soon, they reached the outside of the barricade.

"Generals, you must not carry your swords as you approach the palace gates," a guard whispered a reminder to the four noblemen who appeared menacing.

"Look carefully, this is the imperial sword bestowed by His Majesty!" Zhao Lie patted his waist, scolded him, and then rushed forward.

The other three elders also followed along.

No one gave the guards a hard time.

It was so powerful it made people tremble.

“Father, they’re here,” Sun Heng reminded him.

Sun Situ looked over and sneered at the group of roughnecks, "These old good-for-nothings are still as brainless as ever."

The others were somewhat nervous, but Sun Situ didn't take them seriously at all.

Sun Heng was relieved.

At that moment, an official came over and whispered, "Minister Sun, it seems that Ye Changqing just came out of the palace and is now heading towards the Sheng'an Magistrate's residence."

"Oh? Is that so?"

Sun Situ nodded and began to ponder.

"His coming out of there means he just met with the Empress Dowager?" Sun Heng said.

"Son, you're so smart. You even discovered this secret."

Sun Situ nodded sarcastically at his stupid son.

“Father, what I mean is…” Sun Heng blushed and said, “Which faction does Lord Ye belong to? Is he on the side of the nobles?”

"Which side is Zhao Yi on?" Sun Situ asked.

"Zhao Yi must be on the side of the King of Wu... but his father seems to be on the side of both the King of Wu and the King of Jin..."

“Then let me tell you.” Looking at his son, Sun Situ said, “In this world, there is not only taking sides, but also feelings. The younger you are, the more feelings you have.”

“…” Sun Heng didn’t quite understand, and could even be said to be completely confused.

Sun Situ could only sigh, "Everyone else is concerned with winning or losing, but His Highness Prince Wu, he's the only one who cares."

The true veterans of the court have already seen through everything.

That is, the King of Wu has been kicked out of the game.

He had become a worthless pawn.

From the moment his father lost to Song Shi'an.

After passing the barricades, we were not far from the palace gate.

Zhao Lie and the others continued walking forward.

The eunuch who had informed them quickly followed, saying hastily, "Gentlemen, His Highness said there are many people at the main gate. Please enter through the side gate first..."

Should I avoid their direct confrontation?

Zhao Lie wasn't going to tolerate it and refused outright.

Because someone was taking the lead, the military officers were able to directly confront the civil officials.

"Gentlemen, what brings you all here?" With the Duke of Li absent, Zhao Lie naturally became the opinion leader and spoke first.

“We have come to report to the Empress Dowager and discuss matters of state,” Sun Situ replied.

"Oh? So you gentlemen have come to pay your respects to the Empress." Zhao Lie emphasized the word 'Empress'. "What a coincidence, the Empress has also summoned us."

One came to pay homage, the other summoned him.

It's obvious who is close and who is distant.

"Then we'll go into the palace first."

Zhao Lie nodded to Sun Situ and then strode inside.

"Stay."

The other civil officials were somewhat at a loss, but only Minister Sun spoke up indifferently.

"What is it, Situ?" Zhao Lie turned around and asked.

"You mean, when we went to pay our respects first, the Empress Dowager summoned you?" asked Sun Situ.

"Yes, the Empress summoned us," Zhao Lie said, enunciating each word clearly.

“Your Excellency says,” Sun Situ said to the eunuch at the door, “that we went to see the Empress Dowager first, but she summoned them instead?”

"This..." The eunuchs were frantic. They had originally planned to let them sneak in, but they insisted on forcing their way through the main gate.

Why insist on going through this back entrance?

Who the hell would argue like this at a time like this, refusing to let go of the main entrance?
Oh, Song Shi'an.

"Why make things difficult for you, Eunuch? The truth is, the Empress summoned us, but did not see you," said Marquis Xun, Zhao Lun, to Minister Sun.

However, as soon as he finished speaking, Sun Situ glared at him and said, "Who do you think you are? You dare to speak to me?"

"..." Zhao Lun's mind went blank for a moment.

“That scoundrel Zhao Xiang, a defeated general, a traitor to the nation, a menace for all time, deserves no pity for his death.” Raising his finger, Sun Situ said disdainfully, “Get out of here.”

Zhao Lun's face turned completely red. He gripped the hilt of his sword and roared, "You old bastard, you've gone too far!"

"Calm down!" Zhao Lie quickly pressed his hand on his, telling him not to do anything foolish.

"The Grand Minister of Works, the head of the Three Dukes, who dares to be so presumptuous?"

Just then, Song Ce's maternal grandfather, Cui Ting, came over with the help of others and a cane, and scolded him.

"Who's being so insolent?" Zhao Lun glared at him again. "The Empress summoned us, and we wanted to enter the palace, but he's blocking our way. If he's not that old bastard, then who is?"

"No manners whatsoever! No manners whatsoever!" Cui Ting attacked again, "Insulting the Three Dukes is bad enough, but to bring a sword into the palace is tantamount to rebellion!"

“This is not a rebellion,” said Ran Jin’s father, Ran Mu. “We are here to purge those true rebels.”

"Where are the traitors?" The old bastard hadn't shown any aggression towards Sun Situ earlier, unlike Song Shi'an, so he asked calmly.

“Now that Her Majesty the Empress has summoned us to the palace, anyone who obstructs us is a traitor!” Zhao Lie said.

"Anyone who enters the palace with a sword is a traitor." Cui Ting walked to the door, holding his cane, and stood in front of these people, speaking righteously.

“We may remove our swords, but if you continue to obstruct us, are you not traitors?” said Marquis Han Qi of Changling.

"Hahaha, I chickened out..."

As soon as he finished speaking, Cui Ting mocked him.

Sun Situ chimed in, "It's obvious who the old bastard is, haha."

"You old bastard, are you looking for death?!"

Zhao Lun was already seething with anger, and he couldn't hold back any longer, so he rushed up to Cui Ting.

"Wait!" Han Qi suddenly had a bad memory and quickly shouted.

But it was too late. The moment he touched Cui Ting, the old man closed his eyes, showed a pained expression, and fell to the ground.

"Someone's been assaulted! A high-ranking official of the imperial court, a second-rank official, has been assaulted by Zhao Lun!"

At the same time, Sun Situ shouted loudly from behind Cui Ting.

"I didn't move! I didn't touch him at all!"

Zhao Lun panicked and quickly raised his hand to prove his innocence.

At this moment, all the civil officials gathered around.

The situation quickly became uncontrollable.

The sheer number of troops overwhelmed the generals, throwing them into complete disarray.

This scene was also quickly relayed to the Empress by the eunuch.

"What? These people haven't even dealt with these civil officials before?"

Upon hearing this, the Empress rubbed her forehead, speechless, and couldn't help but complain in a tearful voice, "No, is there anyone capable of taking responsibility? Is there anyone left in Sheng'anli who can be of any use?!"

.........

"Five granaries burned down, are there seven left?"

Sitting on the edge of the bed, Ouyang Ke asked his son beside him for confirmation.

“Yes, that’s what Senior Brother Yu said in his letter,” his son said. “The remaining seven seats are almost completely unharmed.”

"That is not bad."

Ouyang Ke nodded, quite calmly.

“However, Huai County is too close to Qinzhou. If we were to bring troops here, it might disrupt the balance,” his son said.

“It’s alright,” Ouyang Ke said. “As long as Sheng’an doesn’t take sides, true peace won’t be broken.”

Just then, a servant came over and said to him, "Master, the military officers and civil officials are fighting at the palace gate."

His son was dumbfounded.

"Who are the military generals? Who are the civil officials?" Ouyang Ke asked.

"The four noble marquises led a group of generals. On the civil side, Minister Sun was in charge, followed by Right Chancellor Cui. There were even more civil officials, but the military generals were wearing armor," the servant said. "It seems that the civil officials went first, and the Empress Dowager..."

"Don't talk nonsense." Ouyang Ke's son knew his father's personality, so he interrupted the servant's sensitive address.

"Yes," the servant replied. "His Highness summoned the nobles first."

"What's the situation?" Ouyang Ke asked.

"It's a complete mess, with no clear winner or loser," the servant said. "But it's obvious that the civil officials are better at arguing than the military officers. As a result, no one can get into the palace, so they're fighting outside."

After listening to his description, Ouyang Ke pondered for a while and then extended his hand: "Official hat."

"Father, aren't you sick?" Ouyang Ke's son asked as he picked up his official hat.

Pressing down on the bed, Ouyang Ke slowly got up.

"The illness should be cured by now." (End of Chapter)