Frost for a Thousand Years

At 3:45 AM, 14,000 Qinzhou soldiers, including 3,000 cavalry and over 10,000 infantry, tore through the morning mist on the plain. Their dark banners billowed in the north wind, revealing dragon-shaped patterns. The entire army seemed to halt abruptly, like a dark tide, with only the clanging of armor plates clicking together. Eight Qinzhou warhorses galloped forward to the beat of drums, their riders bearing officers in different colored armor—the eight captains commanding the army.

Looking out, it was a vast expanse of people, banners obscuring the sun, magnificent and powerful.

Zhao Yi stood on his horse, with hundreds of cavalrymen behind him, and kept his horse in place.

The eight captains dismounted ahead of time and walked to him. Then, they all knelt down.

The eight schools crawled on their knees like plows, carving a furrow in the ochre-colored earth. The ten thousand soldiers also knelt down with a roar, and in an instant, the plain fell silent.

"Wu Jue, the valiant cavalry captain of Qinzhou, leading two thousand Wu family soldiers, pays his respects to General Zhao!"

"Wu Lin, the Wandering Colonel of Qinzhou, leading 1,500 members of the Wu family army, pays his respects to General Zhao!"

"Zhao Xiao, the Yunhui Colonel of Qinzhou..."

"Hua Zhang, the Commandant of Qinzhou..."

"Ran Tuo, Tiger-like Colonel of Qinzhou..."

The eight captains were all young officers from noble families, known for their bravery and skill in battle. Unlike the sons of noble families, they were natives of Qinzhou and had never received any favors from the imperial court, nor had they ever even been to Sheng'an.

This can be seen from the positions held by these eight people.

The number of captains in the Great Yu was countless, and they could only be considered mid-to-high-level officers. Each of them controlled less than a thousand troops, but these men could bring with them two thousand troops, which basically made them as powerful as a general.

Because the officials of the Great Yu were mostly high-ranking but incompetent, and their salaries were often difficult to pay in full, their ranks and positions looked intimidating. The private army of Qinzhou, on the other hand, was the property of the nobles. On the one hand, it was to conceal their strength, and on the other hand, they did not have the authority to appoint generals, so their highest rank was 'Colonel'.

These eight talented individuals from the clan brought with them the strongest army in Qinzhou.

This is the Duke of Li's trump card.

They are an absolutely loyal and invincible force, impossible to turn against.

At this moment, Zhao Yi's passion and vanity had reached their peak.

At such a young age, he was able to stand in such a position and command such a powerful army, which caused a subtle change in his feelings...

This was given to me by the Duke of Li.

The crown prince did not provide him with such a large platform.

He was indeed a subject of the Crown Prince, but first and foremost, he was a native of Qinzhou.

"Gentlemen, the Duke is preoccupied and cannot appear in person," Zhao Yi said from his horse.

Upon hearing this, all the people placed their hands on the ground, touched their foreheads to the ground, prostrated themselves, kowtowed, and shouted loudly, "May the Duke live a thousand years!"

In ancient times, emperors and princes were referred to as "Empress" and "Princes," but in Qinzhou, these terms are not used.

Their ruler was not the one in Sheng'an.

"Please rise, gentlemen, and follow me into the tent for a meeting!"

"Yes, General!"

And so, all of these people entered the commander's camp with Zhao Yi, and the army was settled by the trusted officers of the Huai County garrison.

"Hua Taipu is responsible for our army's logistics and is not here for the time being, but he supports us in our war at all times," Zhao Yi said.

Hua Zheng was the patriarch of the Hua clan in Qinzhou. Once again, these people, like robots, rigidly knelt on one knee, clenched their fists, and bowed to Hua Zheng in the distance, expressing their strong loyalty.

The existence of the Qinzhou nobility can be attributed to a problem left over from history.

But there's no point in shifting the blame, because this powerful force has ruined the Great Yu Dynasty for a thousand years.

Even a powerful monarch like Wei Ye never considered weakening these 'vassal lords'.

Zhao Yi also realized, because of the overwhelming support for the Duke of Li, that the Crown Prince's ideas were too naive.

The nobles in Sheng'an are easily timid because they have been corrupted by the aristocratic families of the Central Plains, resulting in the weakness of the aristocratic class. However, the proud and fierce soldiers of Qinzhou are different because they have been brainwashed by long-term education on gratitude and favors. The more populist they are, the more easily they become servants.

Of course, it's not just about absolute gratitude, but also the privilege of being granted to "treat ordinary people like ginseng," which are all reasons for them to maintain their vested interests.

“General, since there are only five thousand Imperial Guards there, and we have the advantage in numbers, shouldn’t we take advantage of the situation and launch an attack, giving them no chance to catch their breath?” said Zhao Xiao, the Captain of Yunhui and the commander of the private army of the Duke of Zhangping.

The young captain was eager to make a name for himself.

"But they are well-rested and ready, while our army is on a long and arduous expedition. There is no need for such haste," Zhao Yi said. "The battle will be fought, but there is no need to rush it."

“Yes, General.” Zhao Xiao nodded in acknowledgment, then said, “We have also heard some things about this sorcerer, Song Shi’an.”

"Hmm, what's the story you've heard about Song Shi'an?" Zhao Yi asked curiously.

Commander Hua Zhang said, "They are cunning and treacherous. Their greatest skill is using underhanded tricks to manipulate public opinion and people's hearts."

"The battle against Beiliang was just like that; it was all his so-called clever strategy. He cleverly seized Luo Ting's military power, occupied Wulei by assassination, and fought against Ji Yuan, but it was all just to delay time. He even tricked the other side into believing that Beiyan had reinforcements, all just to wait for the snow to fall," Zhao Xiao said. "As far as we know, none of his achievements and military merits were earned through direct combat."

“So, don’t give him any chance to play tricks,” Hua Zhang said. “If we hesitate, he will have already made his arrangements. If we drag things out, he will come up with some psychological warfare. In short, as long as we use our brains, we will fall into his trap.”

That's an incredibly apt description.

All those who lost to him, weren't they just too smart?
If you try to outsmart him, you'll be led by the nose and gradually drawn into his trap.

If I were Zhang Gong, when I hosted him at the banquet, I would have tied him up hand and foot, put a knife to his neck, and then go to Wei Wusheng to negotiate: let us out and escort our property out, or I would kill your minister.

By doing this, wouldn't it be a perfect way for both people and money to make a clean getaway?
As for whether such things will happen?

Furthermore, if I were Kang Xun, and you threatened me and forced me to cook you alive, but I refused, I would simply tie you up and lock you in the palace, and tell the Dayu: "We won't release you until you give Kang Yi the body; you can decide what to do with it yourselves!"

So, it's all because those stupid smart people overthink things and haven't gone back to the basics.

After studying for several years, I'm completely confused.

For example, in this great battle, if it were me, I would directly send a large army in, launch a fierce attack, engage in a war of attrition where each side would fight to the last moment, and I would do everything I could to capture Song Shi'an alive, parade him around the Central Plains with his head down, and force him to say: I am a traitor, I am a traitor.

"You're right, this battle will not drag on."

Zhao Yi nodded, agreeing with this statement.

Furthermore, this time he also had the personal endorsement of the Duke of Li.

An attack like that of rebels!

After receiving approval, each captain looked intently at Zhao Yi, awaiting orders.

"Gentlemen, listen to my command."

Addressing the group, Zhao Yi said, "The entire army will rest in place for a day, with extra food and guaranteed sleep. Tomorrow at Chenshi (7-9 AM), the army will launch a three-pronged attack. I will personally lead four colonels in the center, Colonel Wu Jue will lead two colonels on the left flank, and Colonel Zhao Xiao will lead two colonels on the right flank. The entire army will move out simultaneously. No one should be greedy for merit or rush forward recklessly. No one should avoid battle or procrastinate. Anyone who delays military operations will be executed on the spot!"

"!"

The Qinzhou army was poised to strike, determined to win this crucial battle and plant the Qinzhou flag in Sheng'an.

.........

At this moment, the Duke of Li and the King of Wu were sitting in a carriage, marching without stopping.

"Duke, is it feasible to let Zhao Yi lead the troops to fight against Wei Wusheng?" Although the King of Wu knew that he was a puppet and whether he would become emperor in the future was another matter, he ultimately did not want to lose to Song Shi'an and become the other party's puppet again.

For him, there was little difference between being held hostage by the Duke of Li and being held hostage by Song Shi'an.

But he had a grudge against Song Shi'an. He had personally laid a trap, but he lost. Being caught by the other party hurt his self-esteem the most.

Therefore, it's more dignified to live a life of hardship and domestic violence with your current partner than to bow down to your ex.

“Zhao Yi’s loyalty and courage are still trustworthy,” said the Duke of Li. “As for the eight schools in Qinzhou, they only need one person to manage them. If the great war begins, they will fight without any hesitation.”

It's like releasing tigers and wolves from their cages back onto the grasslands.

Killing is in their nature.

“Indeed.” King Wu also felt that if he sent someone more intelligent and thoughtful, Song Shi’an would outmaneuver him. So he nodded and said, “We really can’t give Song Shi’an the opportunity to play tricks.”

"Does Your Highness also think that Song Shi'an and Ying Ren relied on trickery?" Duke Li asked with a smile.

“He certainly possesses wisdom, and it is profound, but these victories seem to have all come from winning over people’s hearts,” said the King of Wu. “If we cannot grasp human nature and do not care about the way he weighs things, we should not be so easily fooled.”

"Indeed," Duke Li sighed, "To possess such political acumen at such a young age, let alone in the future, is already a formidable threat right now."

Duke Li did not deny the ideas of King Wu and Zhao Yi, because what was needed at this time was recklessness.

But deep down they knew they were still too 'clothes-wearing'.

How could Song Shi'an's political maneuvering be considered a clever trick or skill?
His perfect balance is the very essence of politics: compromise.

Everyone else falls for his tricks except you, because everyone else is a fool?

The officials are fools, the nobles are fools, even the emperor is a fool, only you hot-blooded warriors are truly wise?
It's not that they're smart, it's that they're young.

But the Duke of Li had to admit that what he needed most right now was their youth.

This reckless, fearless drive used brute force to draw all the attention of the battlefield, buying himself ample time.

Song Shi'an, I, an old man, have come to challenge you.

"Lord, do they have any way to seize our army's weakness, or any effective way to bluff Zhao Yi into falling into their trap?" King Wu asked with great concern.

He was afraid that Song Shi'an could create something that would "tailor teaching to individual students" and just happen to suppress Zhao Yi.

"That's what I'm afraid of."

To his surprise, even the Duke of Li revealed a hint of worry. And his next words were equally uncertain: "I've said all I can say. What Zhao Yi does is beyond my control..."

At this moment, King Wu realized just how terrifying this An Sheng duo was.

Even if the two people are separated, they can still be of one mind and communicate with each other from afar.

As you get older, when faced with a true dual-core team, you might sigh and say, "My teammates are terrible," and you can understand that.

"Of course, it's only a matter of time," the Duke of Li said confidently. "In the end, there will definitely be a fight."

"Yes, there's no reason not to fight."

The King of Wu echoed his words, looked out the carriage window, and said, "The arrow is on the string, and it must be released."

.........

The emperor's carriage was bumpy all the way.

His old bones were being tormented terribly; it felt like every joint in his body was about to fall apart.

Compared to the leisurely and comfortable journey on the large ship, this hurried journey made him truly feel the reality of his life coming to an end.

He wasn't like this when he was a little younger.

However, every army has its rest periods, and while preparing a meal on the spot, the retired emperor finally breathed a sigh of relief. The old eunuch from the Prince of Qin's residence brought the food to the emperor and served him his meal.

"Where is the King of Qin?" the retired emperor asked.

"He will dine with the soldiers in the central army," the eunuch said.

"Did you come from Sheng'an to serve the Prince of Qin with the army?" the retired emperor asked.

“Yes, Your Majesty,” the eunuch said. “Prince Qin is frugal. When he first opened his palace, he only brought some eunuchs and maids with him and did not accept any further rewards. As for me, I started serving Prince Qin when he was still a prince and was with Consort Zhang.”

Unlike other kings who were extravagant, Wei Wusheng was simple and approachable. Even as his status rose, he did not expand his palace or recruit retainers.

The fact that this eunuch was able to come along with the army to cultivate land shows that he trusted him greatly.

Upon hearing the name Zhang Jieyu, the Emperor Emeritus's expression turned somber.

This was an old friend, someone of a higher generation than himself. Although the age difference wasn't too great—it was normal for the emperor's concubines to be younger than his sons—an elderly person like him, if he didn't cause trouble and lived an honest life, was still highly respected in the palace.

But she got into trouble.

She even dared to accept a prince whose name was personally given to her by the emperor.

It could be said that they've started to act like they're taking advantage of their seniority.

The emperor was aware of the matter, but since the other party had only made this one mistake and had not overstepped any other boundaries, and since Wei Wusheng had not appeared before him, the emperor overlooked the person and did not punish him severely.

“He hates me, doesn’t he?” the retired emperor suddenly said.

He was asking a question he already knew the answer to.

If there was no hatred, why would one day turn back and say, "Has Your Majesty ever treated your brothers well?"
It was clearly like stabbing a knife into his heart.

If you didn't hate them, would you say such a thing?
“Your Majesty, there is no emperor who has done anything wrong. The Sixth Prince will not hate you,” the eunuch said.

“But there are emperors who have made mistakes.” He knew the other was restraining himself, so he said tolerantly, “I am no longer the emperor, just an old man. You are also an old man, there is no difference between you and me. Just like those old people, let’s say some things without any taboos.”

"Your Majesty, there are no taboos," the old eunuch said after a moment's thought. "Your Majesty, do you mean there are no taboos?"

"Ah, it means there are no taboos."

"Then please allow me to break this taboo." The old eunuch couldn't help but have his eyes glisten with tears as he said this. "There is no emperor who has ever done anything wrong. I won't say what has become of the Sixth Prince, but back then, he didn't hate you."

The emperor's heart skipped a beat.

“His mother died when he was born, and he was raised by Consort Zhang from a young age. Before he could understand anything, Consort Zhang also died.” The old eunuch wiped away his tears and said, “He was just a child. What could he know about hatred? If his father’s hand had touched his face, all he would have thought of would be to hide in fear. But if you say that you just want to touch him, he will not only feel no hatred, but he will not even feel any fear.”

The emperor closed his eyes and took a heavy breath.

He told him to say it, but he's feeling a bit uncomfortable now.

According to him, he did have many opportunities to make up for the mistake. Wusheng was kind and pitiful at that time, and he would forgive him.

"You're afraid that because of one evil deed, he'll never forgive you for the rest of his life, so you're always wary of him regarding the throne, afraid that he'll treat you badly when you're old and change your posthumous title after you die." The eunuch, getting excited, continued, "You've taken the name 'Wusheng' too seriously. You've also taken the posthumous title too seriously. I've served Your Highness for so long, and I know that the fault has never been the name 'Wusheng' itself."

"The last time, when can we make up for it?" the retired emperor asked regretfully.

He knew the other party was right.

To him, the most vicious thing was 'disobedience', but to the most vicious thing was the lack of love.

The Emperor's love was given to everyone, but not even to Wei Yiyuan.

“When we returned from Beiliang,” the eunuch said, “that was the last chance.”

"What should I do? Should I not test him?" the Emperor Emeritus asked earnestly, "or should I not let him separate from Song Shi'an and let them do as they please?"

The eunuch shook his head, his eyes shining, denying the Emperor Emeritus's statement.

The retired emperor also looked at him with great resentment, wanting to know what he could have done to make up for his previous mistakes.

Why was that expedition the last chance to reconcile?

After a long silence, the eunuch choked up and said, "You, just praising him is enough."

"........."

The retired emperor remained silent.

My heart is frozen by frost, devoid of any hope.

He never imagined that he, a great ruler, would be so unlike himself on his deathbed.

The decisive and ruthless spirit of his youth is completely gone.

He was constantly hampered and threatened by others.

But he also knew that this was not due to his incompetence, but rather his indecisiveness.

Just like the once weak and helpless Wei Wusheng, the old emperor, unable to walk, unable to sit in bed, and unable to control the court, is increasingly eager for end-of-life care.

Why are the elderly and children often mentioned together?

Because the elderly are like children.

However, the elderly no longer have their parents to support them.

"Your Majesty," the eunuch said, having watched Wei Wu grow up, "you need to see him and have some heartfelt words. Even if it can't make up for much, just an apology would be enough. You're not the emperor anymore; you don't have as much authority to maintain."

"No, he won't want to see me," the Emperor Emeritus shook his head.

"How will we know if we don't try?" the eunuch continued, trying to persuade him. "His Highness the Sixth Prince is indeed a good person. He has been kind and compassionate to all of us. So I hope that such a person doesn't harbor too much hatred. The more hatred he harbors, the more he kills, the more pain he will suffer."

Anyone could see the darkness in Wei Wusheng's heart; he didn't even need to act.

Why aren't others afraid of him?
Because they all knew that this person had a grievance and a debtor, and the people he hated were the Wei family, so they would never cause any trouble.

Therefore, no one will sympathize with or condemn it.

After all, the maximum limit of his killing was only all the people with the surname Wei in Sheng'anli.

The old eunuch did this simply because he was concerned about the child's mental health.

Unlike Song Shi'an, Wei Wusheng would not be able to control himself if he were to truly turn evil.

The retired emperor did not speak, and his eyes remained closed.

After delivering the meal, the old eunuch went to Wei Wusheng's tent and, seeing him planning tactics, whispered, "Your Highness, there are some matters concerning the Emperor Emeritus."

"What is it?" Wei Wusheng asked, looking at the map without even looking up.

"This..." After hesitating for a moment, the old eunuch finally spoke after the other person raised their head, "Could you please come over for a moment?"

"Sure," Wei Wusheng agreed without hesitation, then added, "Does he have some deal he wants to tell me?"

"During this march, the Emperor Emeritus's health has deteriorated..."

Upon hearing this, Wei Wusheng's face darkened, and he said with great concern, "Can't hold on anymore?"

"Not exactly, but it's much worse than before," he said.

"Have the imperial physicians keep a close watch on him at all times," Wei Wusheng said solemnly.

"Yes, Your Highness." The old eunuch accepted the order, then asked, "Would you like to go over there now?"

"No, notify the entire army to speed up their journey."

Wei Wusheng waved his hand and said solemnly, "Even if the Emperor Emeritus dies, he must die in front of Zhao Yi, otherwise it would be a waste."

"..."

At this moment, the old eunuch fully felt the power of hatred and was completely dumbfounded.

Even if Yama, the King of Hell, were alive, he wouldn't say something as hellish as "otherwise it would be a waste," right?
.........

Zhao Yi immediately led his army south, heading towards Wei Wusheng.

This is the flat Central Plains, where there is no such thing as terrain ambush or unexpected attack.

He split into three groups, and the opponent also split into three groups, in order to counterattack.

The troops on both flanks have also basically taken their positions.

Finally, Zhao Yi's army and Wei Wusheng's army faced off head-on.

The two formed a huge square formation and approached each other in an orderly manner.

At one point, the distance between the two armies was less than a mile.

Looking into the distance, they can all see each other.

From there, they traveled another hundred paces.

Three hundred meters away, we're practically face to face.

The war drums sounded, booming and rumbling.

Zhao Yi, quite cunningly, positioned his elite, fully armored soldiers at the front, each wielding a gleaming spear and halberd.

The two sides' combat capabilities are clearly not on the same level.

As expected, the Duke of Li was right.

Song Shi'an had clearly reassigned the more elite Imperial Guards elsewhere.

Those soldiers disguised as civilians were most likely Imperial Guards.

Song Shi'an, do you even know you've been arrested by the Duke?!
"Killing the king and rebelling against the monarch is a crime punishable by Heaven!"

At that moment, thunderous slogans rang out.

This is their arrangement of the Anson & An duo.

Although the Qinzhou army could be considered a rebel army, they must still identify themselves as a righteous force.

"Killing the king and rebelling against the monarch is a crime punishable by Heaven!"

"Killing the king and rebelling against the monarch is a crime punishable by Heaven!"

Countless people wielded their halberds to the ground, issuing a righteous judgment, their momentum soaring to unprecedented heights, completely overwhelming the opposing side.

Zhao Yi, riding on horseback, was quite pleased with himself.

However, at that moment, a stable boy suddenly exclaimed, "General, they've pushed out a dragon throne!" (End of Chapter)