Frost for a Thousand Years

As night fell, thousands of Imperial Guard soldiers assembled at the drill ground.

Torches were lit around the area for illumination.

The person in the lead was the newly promoted General Three Dogs.

Standing on the platform in the training ground, he shouted, "Everyone, take off your clothes!"

After the order was given, the soldiers collectively laid down their weapons, then removed their armor, outer garments, and trousers, leaving only their underwear.

"The upper body is armored!"

San Gou then gave the order, and these naked soldiers put on armor directly with their bare bodies.

Although there are padding inside the armor, wearing it directly inside must be quite uncomfortable.

Therefore, no one could have imagined such a peculiar outfit.

After the armor was put on, dozens of carts of clothes and trousers were brought over and passed around one by one.

Everyone took a set and quickly put them on.

Thus, a plainclothes army of 1,600 men was formed.

"Distribute rations, each person can only carry one day's worth, and they must be hidden well and not revealed," San Gou said to the grain official.

"It's the general."

The grain official received the order and then began distributing the grain.

The three dogs on stage had very serious expressions.

He came from the Imperial Guard and was even a stable boy for a captain. He had extremely high combat skills, but ultimately he wasn't part of the elite force. Now, Song Shi'an had directly entrusted this elite of the elite to him.

One-third of the family's wealth was spent here.

What a trust.

What a heavy responsibility he shouldered.

Without a doubt, this was a very serious operation.

Everyone disguised themselves as civilians and traveled light. If they encountered battle or were discovered in advance, there was a risk of total annihilation.

Even if they manage to escape, carrying only a day's worth of rations, if they run out of food, it's like a kite with a broken string drifting too far from the agricultural settlement. Even a powerful army like the Imperial Guards would face the risk of collapse.

In short, they had no way out.

This force can only be like a deep-penetrating scimitar, using the initial disguise to enter the opponent's territory, and then fiercely roaming the heartland of the Duke of Li, fighting and devouring at the same time, completely destroying his already immature foundation of rule.

In this battle, San Gou played the role of the 'key man'.

This was not something he requested himself, but he knew that Song Shi'an could only entrust such a task to his most trusted confidants.

Then, who else but me?

"General, we are ready."

After everyone had finished disguising themselves, his lieutenant spoke.

"Okay, let's go."

After San Gou made a gesture, these "straw sandal soldiers" left the training ground one after another and headed east...

……

The main hall of the agricultural settlement, the temporary hall.

A large-scale troop movement began at night.

The emperor knew beforehand, but the sudden change made him quite nervous.

And there is also some fear.

Because all the guards in the palace completed the handover quite naturally, the maids were completely replaced by a group of unfamiliar faces during the shift change, and not a single eunuch was left.

The big one is coming.

"Your Majesty, Lady Xinyue requests an audience."

At this moment, a maid came in and reported to him.

"Let him in."

The emperor had many impressions of this woman and had heard most of her stories, so he did not look down on her because of her gender.

"See Your Majesty."

Xinyue walked in and bowed.

"Hmm," the emperor said to her from his seat, "Did Shi An send you?"

“Yes, Your Majesty,” Xin Yue said to him. “The change of guards here is also for security reasons, please understand.”

"I understand, I understand."

What can the emperor do?
I only took a nap, and everyone around me was quietly replaced without leaving a trace, like silky flowing water.

If I had any rebellious thoughts, I probably wouldn't feel any pain until my head fell off my neck.

"Your Majesty, do you have any questions that you would like answered?" Xin Yue asked.

Doubt? How could I possibly have doubts?
What can I say?

"I want to know, is war about to break out?" the emperor asked.

“Yes, Your Majesty,” Xin Yue said. “The rebel army of over ten thousand men came from Qinzhou, and the Prince of Qin has already dispatched nearly ten thousand troops from various prefectures to meet them.”

"The Qinzhou army is strong and well-equipped, while the local troops are weak. Can they win?" the emperor asked.

The two sides are not even in the same league. Even if Wei Wusheng were to lead them personally, the difference in strength would still be enormous.

"Because our army is a righteous force, we are able to win," she said.

Yes, the righteous army will win.

If you're willing to be an idealist, then be an idealist.

"Good, that's good." The emperor nodded, responding perfunctorily.

"But I humbly request Your Majesty's support for our army," Xin Yue said.

"What can I do?" the emperor asked, somewhat puzzled.

"The Emperor will personally lead the expedition," Xin Yue said.

Upon hearing this, the emperor's heart tightened.

However, a light appeared in his eyes.

He was definitely a puppet emperor, but rather than being locked up here, constantly being monitored by guards and maids, like a canary, being able to lead his own soldiers into battle as emperor would at least prevent his life from being too useless.

This will be a significant part of history in the future.

"Very well, I am willing to go." The emperor agreed firmly without much hesitation.

“Your Majesty, that’s not what I meant.” Xin Yue explained when she saw that he had misunderstood. “I would like to request the Emperor Emeritus to personally lead the expedition.”

The emperor was taken aback, and slowly typed out a "?".

what!
What the hell are you talking about?
It's a blessing that my father survived this year.

You're sending an old emperor, half-buried and nearly dying because of your anger, to personally lead a military campaign at this time?

Is there no humanity left? Is there no law left?

Putting aside the disrespect for the emperor, isn't this mistreatment of the elderly also wrong?

In the past, Song Shi'an's behavior would have earned him a blacklist from officials recommended for the civil service examination!

"Say it again, who will lead the expedition in person?" the emperor asked, quite puzzled.

“Sending the Emperor Emeritus is a last resort,” Xin Yue said. “The rebel leader Wu Qing’s reason for raising an army in rebellion is to falsely accuse the Prince of Qin and Shi An of openly murdering the emperor and seizing power. The rebels also use this as their slogan, making them arrogant. Therefore, it is necessary to have the Emperor Emeritus appear now so that the rumors will be dispelled and the world can be at peace.”

It is impossible to bring peace to the world.

The private soldiers in Qinzhou eat and use the same things as the nobles; they will not acknowledge the emperor.

With the Duke of Li among them, at a single command, even if the opponent is the emperor, those fierce and ruthless troops can rush over and chop the 'imposter emperor' into mincemeat.

But they would be directly labeled as undisguised rebels.

The bandit leader was stubborn and unyielding, but his followers would definitely waver, thus weakening the local power.

A coup d'état is essentially about winning over as many friends as possible and minimizing the number of enemies.

Make as many friends as possible, and as few enemies as possible.

Once the Duke of Li becomes isolated, his previously accumulated military advantage will vanish.

Ultimately, it will evolve into the most fanatical form of poaching.

The two sides' trusted troops fought a brutal battle, hacking and slashing each other until the road was completely destroyed. Whoever lost was the rebel.

"Does the retired emperor really have to lead the expedition personally?" The emperor, still concerned for his father, pleaded, "Even a decree from the retired emperor, written in his own hand, isn't acceptable?"

“Even if there is an imperial edict in person, the other party will say it is a forgery,” Xin Yue said. “None of this is as vivid as the Emperor Emeritus actually being there.”

"My father is so old, can't we just stop torturing him?" The emperor felt that Song Shi'an was really going too far.

“It is indeed heartbreaking to see the Emperor Emeritus at such an old age,” Xin Yue said. “But the Emperor Emeritus has accomplished nothing in his life and has failed the people of the world. Now is the perfect opportunity for him to atone for his sins.”

"..." The emperor was dumbfounded.

He couldn't believe that there were such vicious people in the world who could say such vicious things.

The Emperor has already promised them everything and personally given up everything, yet he still gets this kind of evaluation.

Do you know how devastating the phrase "a life without accomplishments" is to an emperor who strives for good governance?

That's outrageous! It's really outrageous!

But the emperor couldn't easily refute it.

Because this was almost his father's Achilles' heel.

Despite his lifelong frugality, he lavishly constructed his imperial mausoleum, and he was so wary of Wei Wusheng because his life's pursuit was to become an emperor who would leave a good name in history. He worried that his unfilial son would give him a bad posthumous title, and he feared that his life would be in vain.

Xin Yue's use of "a life without merit" was a warning to herself: if you don't comply, we'll give your father the most detestable posthumous title.

"Why are you telling me such a thing?" the emperor said resistantly.

“Shi An has more important things to do and has no time to attend to this,” Xin Yue said.

"What about Wei Wusheng? He was the one leading the troops, the one who wanted to fight against the Duke of Li. Why didn't he come to the Emperor Emeritus to talk to him?" the Emperor asked.

“Your Majesty, he is willing to go to the Emperor Emeritus,” Xin Yue replied, “but Shi An is not so keen on him doing so.”

"Does Shi An care about the Prince of Qin but not about me?"

"No, he felt sorry for the retired emperor."

What does it mean to feel sorry for the retired emperor?

"Because the King of Qin said that if the Emperor Emeritus did not agree, he would tie him up and send him to the front line."

"..."

The emperor was silent.

This time, Song Shi'an was relatively honest.

But Wei Wusheng is really too arrogant.

Even Ji Yuan felt that this humiliation was a bit too much.

He could casually attribute it to his own father.

Yes, Father is right.

If this kid really becomes emperor, he'll definitely call his father a foolish emperor, a tyrant, a tyrant, a tyrant, and a tyrant—he'll call him all those names.

"I understand."

The emperor also understood that Xinyue's visit to him was not an order, but a discussion.

Even if he doesn't do that, the other party will find other ways.

That's exactly what Wei Wusheng said—they were tied up and sent to the front lines.

So he went to persuade his father out of a pitiful filial piety, in order to protect his father. "Please, Your Majesty."

Thus, Xin Yue's mission of relaying the message was accomplished.

Accompanied by his guards, the emperor went to the retired emperor's bedroom.

Upon hearing of his arrival, the elderly retired emperor was helped to sit up from his bed.

"Your subject greets the Retired Emperor."

After the emperor entered, he prostrated himself and knelt down.

But deep down, I felt a lot of unease.

Because when he voluntarily chose to become a puppet emperor, his father was unwilling.

My disobedience to him must have made him think that his son has no backbone and is a disgrace to him...

Until the emperor raised his hand and said tremblingly:
"Ziyu, get up quickly, the ground is cold."

The emperor felt a lump in his throat and rose, clearly distressed. The retired emperor extended his hand, and a guard moved a chair to the opposite side, where the emperor sat down.

The father and son faced each other.

"Ziyu, what's the situation?"

After the emperor composed himself, he said to him, "Sheng'an has issued an edict acknowledging my status as the new emperor. The empress has also become the empress dowager."

This was all within the Emperor Emeritus's expectations. He showed no surprise and said, "When you were still the Prince of Jin and Zisheng was not yet the Crown Prince, you thought of winning over Minister Sun and supporting Sun Qian, just so you could deal with the nobles later. But do you see now? The nobles don't need to be dealt with."

"..." The emperor closed his eyes, nodded, and looked particularly remorseful.

If the nobles are powerful, then Song Shi'an's edict will not directly stabilize the entire Sheng'an.

"You've always thought I haven't suppressed the nobles and have always favored them," the retired emperor said. "But have you ever considered that, from their perspective, I've spent my entire life suppressing them?"

"Your subject knows he was wrong, Your subject has wronged Father." The emperor shed tears of remorse.

Because the powerful aristocratic families and noble families were also powerful, the Prince of Jin felt that the emperor was living a very stifled life.

Even if you become emperor, you'll still feel very stifled.

But now that such a thing has happened, he has become Song Shi'an's puppet, and the Prince of Wu has become the Duke of Li's puppet. Only then did he realize how much power the emperor had when his father was in power.

Even if taxes couldn't be collected, even if there was a food shortage, the emperor had already controlled as much power as possible within his capabilities.

They were all wrong.

If both of them had listened to His Majesty properly, they would never have ended up like this.

"Ziyu, why did Song Shi'an summon you here?" the Emperor Emeritus asked.

"Father." After returning to the main topic, the emperor felt even more guilty towards his father. He held back for a long time before finally speaking, "The Duke of Li is using the pretext that Song Shi'an murdered the emperor, and is avenging the emperor by eliminating the traitor."

"My old brother is still as decisive as ever," the Emperor Emeritus remarked with a smile.

“Father, this won’t do,” the emperor said. “He’s using this pretext to incite the army’s anger. If he really takes this place, you might be forced to commit suicide by him.”

This is something that anyone can understand.

“I know,” the Emperor Emeritus said. “I would also like Song Shi’an to win, rather than the Duke of Li. But my old brother here is not easy to beat.”

The retired emperor surrendered to Song Shi'an in order to save the Great Yu.

Even if he hated Song Shi'an and loathed Wei Wusheng, this was all he could do.

At least the Great Yu dynasty still exists, and it has been passed down to the Wei family.

If the Duke of Li wins, then the Great Yu will definitely split apart.

It is possible to split it into two, three, or even five countries.

It was like a warlord alliance, similar to the Northern Yan Kingdom.

"Therefore, Song Shi'an wishes for you to personally lead the expedition," the emperor said in a low voice.

This amused the retired emperor, who casually said, "Tell him that I am unwilling to lead the army in person."

I have personally led the army for so many years, and I have protected the Great Yu Kingdom. Now you're telling me to become a puppet to boost morale?

The pig's head used in the grand feast was also meant to boost morale.

What do you take the emperor for?

"Father," the emperor said, seeing his father's firm stance, "the power is now entirely in his hands. If you do not agree, you may be condemned with a bad posthumous title a hundred years from now."

"He's smart; he knows what I care about."

What was once thought to be a fatal flaw suddenly became less important to the dying Emperor Emeritus. He said with a sense of relief, "Let future generations judge me. Only history will tell the truth. As long as I can say 'I have done my best' when I meet my ancestors in the afterlife, that will be enough for me."

The Great Yu Dynasty was already in its final stages, nearing its end.

I tried, I worked hard, I made mistakes, and I made amends, but in the final moment, I was not controlled by my emotions and made the right judgment to continue the dynasty. So I am not useless.

A person who is both pragmatic and idealistic will still want to be pragmatic at the end of their life.

"But……"

Hearing this, the emperor was quite distressed. He wanted to continue persuading him, saying that if he didn't agree, Wei Wusheng would kidnap him. However, he realized that Wei Wusheng couldn't kidnap his own father.

How could such a strong-willed person be humiliated by being bound by others?

If that unfilial son really did that, the emperor would choose death.

At this moment, the door was pushed open.

Xinyue stood outside.

Beside her was a child.

The ten-year-old Prince of Changsha, Wei Yixun.

The Emperor Emeritus's face darkened.

The emperor turned around in surprise, looking quite nervous.

She led her dazed younger brother in, then placed a hand on his head and gently stroked it.

Wei Yixun was dumbfounded and had no idea why he had come here.

This beautiful woman also gave him a chilling, eerie feeling.

Of course it will feel cold and damp.

The emperor's eyes widened as he watched Xin Yue's other hand reach down from her high ponytail to grasp a sharp silver hairpin, which she slowly moved downwards. The coldness in her eyes was terrifying.

The retired emperor was indeed a man of pride; physical humiliation could not threaten him.

He was also a heartless person, otherwise both of his sons wouldn't have died because of him.

If he were young, he could have easily discarded such a young illegitimate son like a firecracker...

"I am willing to personally lead the army into battle."

.........

At night, 1,600 farmers, carrying hoes and sickles, marched eastward from Song Shi'an's controlled territory and finally reached the area under the control of the Duke of Li.

This area was once used for military farming.

Therefore, the camps and villages were evenly distributed.

After the two forces came to blows, a buffer zone was formed, and the people were evacuated, leaving only the defensive fortifications.

For example, there are camps and sentry posts along this main road.

From the watchtower, they quickly spotted the large group of men.

However, they also realized that this was not the army.

Because it was a clustered formation, without a front, middle, or rear army, without flags, and without cavalry, it could be said that if any general had deployed his troops in this way, it would have been a great disaster, potentially killing everyone.

"Go see what it is," a sergeant said to the soldier beside him.

"They look like refugees..."

The soldier mounted his horse, holding a torch, and headed in that direction.

Upon seeing the soldiers arrive, all the "straw sandal soldiers" shrank back in fear.

This made the soldier even more convinced that these people were refugees.

"Hey!" So he stepped forward with a torch and said to the people, "Where are you from? Why are you traveling at night? It's forbidden to pass ahead!"

He was observing as he spoke.

Among these people, most were laborers, but there were also some women, children, and old men. Everyone was travel-worn and hungry.

As for the others, his torch couldn't illuminate that far, and they couldn't see very clearly.

"We're from Song Shi'an's side!" one of them replied. "We're fleeing famine!"

"Famine refugees?" the soldier asked, puzzled. "Didn't your Lord Song say he was going to distribute food to the people? What, you didn't?"

"He said the granaries were all burned down, there's no food left, and they even took all of General Jia's grain. We're out of food now!" one person said angrily.

"Is that so?" the soldier laughed.

Why is there such a big difference in public opinion between the two sides?

The rebels on Li Guogong's side said that Song Shi'an wanted to distribute grain to the people.

Song Shi'an, on the other hand, said that all the grain had been stolen and that he didn't care whether they lived or died.

"Yes, yes, sir, could you please give us some food?"

“We all know that the Crown Prince has grain, and it hasn’t been burned yet.”

"Please, sir, have mercy and take us in."

The people began to plead.

After looking the group over, the soldier said, "There's no food for you at night. Just wait here. I'll go and inform the Crown Prince. Perhaps he'll be kind enough to take you in."

After saying that, he rode back and reported to the squad leader: "They are refugees fleeing famine. Song Shi'an's grain supply is probably not enough, so it was not distributed to the people. These people really can't survive, so they want to run to the Crown Prince's place."

“I knew it,” the sergeant said. “Since the grain was burned, the losses must have been huge. There wasn’t even enough to feed the soldiers. How could we waste such precious grain on the people?”

"What should I do?"

"Wait a minute, I'll go inform General Bai. You keep an eye on these people and don't let them come over."

"it is good."

And so, after being informed by the squad leader who was being watched, General Bai came over in person.

Looking at those people from the observation tower, he couldn't help but laugh and say, "If Song Shi'an can't even support the people in his territory, how is he going to fight this battle?"

Ordinary soldiers and junior officers don't care who wins or loses, and they don't care about legitimacy or anything like that. What they care about most is their own lives.

Now that Song Shi'an is in this state, following the Duke of Li will definitely give him a better chance of survival.

"Alright, let these people wait. We'll give them an explanation tomorrow," said General Bai.

"Yes."

The squad leader nodded and went to relay the message.

Then, after a while, he returned: "I told those people not to approach the barricades, and to wait overnight. I will give them an answer the next day."

"it is good."

General Bai nodded in satisfaction for this great achievement.

The people then slept sparsely on the ground in front of the camp.

Thousands of people lay on the ground.

Some were right next to the barricades, less than a hundred paces from the nearest soldier.

However, the guards didn't pay much attention and just kept watching from above.

Anyway, they're all helping the common people who have hoes and sickles.

As long as it's outside the red line, you don't need to worry about it.

Time passed quickly, and half an hour later, the villagers were almost all asleep on the ground, making even the sentries on the watchtower drowsy. However, in the blink of an eye, the villagers suddenly all stood up, grabbed hoes and sickles, and swept in like a locust swarm... (End of Chapter)