Frost for a Thousand Years

This dragon throne is extremely terrifying.

When he came out, Zhao Yi's heart tightened, and he almost felt like he was suffocating.

Because his army was fighting under the banner of killing the traitor who murdered the emperor, what would happen if the emperor came out at this time?

However, he absolutely did not believe that the other party was capable of doing such a thing.

Hua Zhang was also dumbfounded. He nervously rode his horse to Zhao Yi's side and asked in a low voice, "Hasn't His Majesty already passed away?"

Like the other soldiers, they received the same news that the emperor was dead.

After all, having a legitimate reason for one's actions is something that must be upheld, and such a secret must absolutely not be revealed.

When Cao Pi usurped the Han throne, Liu Bei declared himself emperor because Emperor Xian of Han had been executed.

When studying history, one should not only consider emotions, nor should one harbor naive ideas.

Liu Bei certainly knew whether Emperor Xian of Han was dead or not, but he couldn't criticize such behavior simply because it was deliberately spread as a rumor, let alone call him a hypocrite.

For the Shu Han group, Liu Bei's actions were absolutely correct and in the best interests of the group.

Of the Three Kingdoms, only Sun Wu's rule was illegitimate, because no matter how they tried to justify it, they could not come up with a strong claim to prove the legitimacy of their regime.

Similarly, the Duke of Li could have caused the late emperor's death after capturing Song Shi'an, but now he has to fight to the death with the Crown Prince and others, and the emperor is dead.

Some might say, isn't it easy to expose such a thing? Just let the emperor slip out and show him off, and their sense of justice would be completely erased, wouldn't it?
Is the emperor treated like a dog, only taken out for a stroll when he wants to?
"Impossible, absolutely impossible," Zhao Yi shook his head and denied.

However, this is not to deny that the emperor is not dead, but rather to believe that given His Majesty's pride, it would be impossible for him to agree to Song Shi'an to such an extent.

Compromising with him can be interpreted in one way: after the twelve granaries were burned down, the Great Yu dynasty was very likely to be destroyed, and handing it over to Song Shi'an would at least ensure that Wei Wusheng would control the power, and the rule of the world would still belong to the Wei family.

This further illustrates the emperor's pride.

No matter what, he refused to be a slave to a conquered nation.

However, this does not mean that he can be easily manipulated by Song Shi'an.

In addition, as the Duke of Liguo said, the emperor might be here this year. He has been traveling by boat to Huaijun. How could someone with such a sick body possibly accompany the army?
"Impossible, absolutely impossible." Zhao Yi clenched his fists and gritted his teeth, betting that the other side's move was a bluff.

But Hua Zhang, standing to the side, could tell that he was afraid.

If the emperor is really dead, then all that's being pushed out is an empty chair. What's he panicking about?
There's only one truth: the emperor was killed by their lies.

In that case...

We would all become true, unquestionable rebels.

Although he wasn't particularly opposed to joining the rebels, and Hua Zhang didn't care whether he was a minister or not, what bothered him was two words—the odds of winning.

Sure enough, the soldiers were dumbfounded when they saw the dragon throne.

The slogans that had been shouted loudly just moments before also gradually stopped.

"That...is that the dragon throne?"

"Like the dragon throne they're talking about, it's golden, and it has dragons on it."

"What does that mean? Is the emperor also here?"

"Wasn't it said that the emperor was killed?"

"Yes, this chair might just be a dragon throne. And the so-called emperor, could it refer to the Prince of Jin?"

"If it was the Prince of Jin, then the emperor was still killed..."

The soldiers were still quite naive and didn't question the propaganda department's reports, since they were presented in such a convincing manner that they believed the emperor was dead.

But Zhao Yi was not so optimistic.

How could it possibly be the Prince of Jin!
At this point, to push out a dragon throne and then have the Prince of Jin appear, isn't that just plain stupid?

Doesn't this indirectly prove that the emperor had actually been murdered?
Sweat streamed down his forehead and down his cheeks, pooling at his chin. Zhao Yi's heart leaped into his throat.

At this moment, Ran Tuo spoke up: "General Zhao, this bluff is nothing more than a delaying tactic. Why not fire ballistae in that direction, shoot them down with one arrow, and then launch a main attack?"

As he spoke, a ballista was being prepared to be nocked. Zhao Yi saw this and immediately flew into a rage: "What are you doing? Stop!"

Fuck you.

Shooting arrows at the dragon throne? How many heads the hell do you have?
Zhao Yi could see that these people from Qinzhou were reckless and tough, but they were indeed lacking in political acumen, even completely clueless.

Compared to them, I am quite resourceful.

"Wait, wait a little longer."

Zhao Yi raised his hand, signaling the troops to calm down. Then, his gaze sharpened as he looked across the field.

.........

Wei Wusheng, mounted on his horse, watched the change in morale on the other side and gave a disdainful smile.

If this dragon throne alone can intimidate them, then if the emperor actually comes out, won't the other side have to surrender on the spot?
of course……

It is impossible.

Wei Wusheng knew very well that his mission was to buy time. The opposing army was led by Zhao Yi, and he had not seen the Duke of Li, so there was one possibility—he had gone to another battlefield.

That old fellow is truly cunning and shrewd.

He doesn't seem any easier to deal with than Ji Yuan.

“Your Highness, the Emperor’s carriage is right behind us,” Wei Le said.

The commander of the Imperial Guards was Wei Le. He led a large army out, and naturally he couldn't entrust his hometown to this outsider, so he brought it along as well.

"Hmm." Wei Wusheng nodded calmly.

"Your Majesty would like to ask if there is anything else you wish to ask," Wei Le said.

The implication was that he wanted to say something to him.

Even Wei Le could tell.

Wei Wusheng couldn't possibly be unaware of this, but his cold and stern face was somewhat frightening.

"Your Highness, then this humble general will go and report..." Wei Le didn't want to make a fool of himself, so he prepared to leave.

"General Wei," Wei Wusheng called out to him, then turned to look at him and asked, "As a fellow member of the Wei clan, what do you think of my actions?"

The position of Commander of the Imperial Guards is extremely important, wielding considerable rank and power. He was, in a sense, a core member of the Wei clan.

His grandfather was even a prince, the youngest son of the great-grandfather.

Even after several generations, he will still be able to inherit his father's marquisate.

He may not have a share in the Great Yu's empire, but it is something he is committed to protecting unconditionally.

"This humble general dares not comment on Your Highness," Wei Le said.

“Speaking out is no crime,” Wei Wusheng said. “And I will consider what you say.”

"..." Wei Le was silent for a while, then he spoke, "As the commander of the Imperial Guard, I believe that the Emperor Emeritus is a man of perfect wisdom. I dare not guess the Emperor Emeritus's wisdom, but in any case, all of this must be for the sake of the Great Yu's empire."

The emperor's actions against Wei Wusheng and Song Shi'an were definitely not out of hatred.

If it were simply hatred, then after the granary was taken hostage, there was no need to admit defeat; one could have simply killed them.

If you clearly have a way to physically eliminate the other party, would you still let someone who hates you have the last laugh?

Since the emperor conceded defeat at that moment and relinquished power, it precisely demonstrates his selflessness.

“I’m asking about myself. How well have I done?” Wei Wusheng asked.

"It is perfectly justifiable that Your Highness has done all of this."

Wei Le understood the saying, "Don't advise others to do good if you haven't experienced their suffering yourself."

Having served the emperor for so many years, he knew all too well the emperor's merits and demerits.

Because he personally carried out the tasks many times.

There must have been wrongful killings, even if not many.

It cannot be said that he killed many people correctly, so those he killed wrong people deserve to be forgiven.

As an emperor, killing many people, most of whom were killed in the right way, is commendable. However, those who were killed unjustly can certainly vehemently accuse him of being a tyrant!
Wei Wusheng was such a person.

The difference is that the emperor failed to kill him and was instead killed by the emperor.

Wei Wusheng remained silent; this undeniable statement calmed his mind.

However, if he were to actually persuade himself to let go at this moment, Wei Wusheng really couldn't guarantee that he could uphold the principle of 'no crime for speaking out'.

“But Your Highness,” Wei Le suddenly said, “the intimidating effect of the dragon throne is gradually weakening, and the soldiers on the other side are also getting restless. If Your Majesty can step in, it will definitely greatly reduce their momentum.”

“Of course he has to step in.” Wei Wusheng didn’t think he had any other choice.

Xin Yue used Wei Yixun as a threat to get him out.

Even if this method doesn't work, Wei Wusheng will still use his own methods.

“Your Highness… no, we desperately need the Emperor Emeritus right now.”

Finally, Wei Le expressed his specific attitude for the first time.

Wei Wusheng remained silent for a while before saying, "You take charge."

"Yes."

He clenched his fist in salute and accepted the order.

Wei Wusheng rode back from the army and circled around to the front of a royal carriage.

He was on horseback.

The eunuch lifted the carriage curtain, revealing the retired emperor sitting inside.

He was still on horseback.

"Now, you're the one looking down on me."

The emperor looked up, smiled, and said...

“All of this is because of Song Shi’an’s wisdom,” Wei Wusheng said. “Without it, there would be no His Majesty and I today.”

"He is indeed wise, but it can't be entirely attributed to him," the retired emperor said. "Wasn't Ye Changqing also mature beyond his years, wise and decisive? Did the King of Wu win with him?"

“Ye Changqing is no match for Song Shi’an,” Wei Wusheng retorted.

"That's true." Seeing that he didn't accept the praise, the emperor said quite naturally, "In this way, he can turn the tide and survive, he has such keen insight, and he is so loved by the people. He is indeed much better than Ye Changqing."

The only thing the two are not much different about is their wisdom.

However, in high-level situations, intelligence is not the most important factor.

Those important figures were no less wise than Song Shi'an.

Even the emperor wasn't necessarily much worse than him.

Therefore, his phrase "with keen insight" is very important.

His choice to select Wei Wusheng, and the fact that he hasn't yet been feared or purged by Wei Wusheng, shows his excellent judgment.

“However, you are not entirely lucky,” the emperor said. “Song Shi’an chose you because of that desperate situation where the north wind was sure to kill you, and you went.”

The two hearts were on the same frequency; their souls resonated.

"Then the people in your dream are us, right?" Wei Wusheng asked with a smile. "Now it seems, who else but you?"

The retired emperor knew that calling them traitors and rebel kings would not only not anger him, but would actually please him.

“Since it’s certain, you should have struck sooner,” Wei Wusheng said. “Your Majesty, you’ve missed so many opportunities. So many chances to follow the will of the people and bring down the guillotine. Why did you have to be coerced by me and watch helplessly as the person you despise does what you fear?”

The emperor didn't take these taunts to heart and just smiled.

“Your Majesty, I won’t put you in a difficult position,” Wei Wusheng said. “How about we make a deal?”

The retired emperor remained silent, calmly observing him.

“I invited His Majesty here. When His Majesty sits on that dragon throne, he will issue an order for Zhao Yi to withdraw his troops,” Wei Wusheng said. “Regardless of whether the other side agrees or withdraws, His Majesty only needs to say these words.”

"And then?" the retired emperor asked.

Quite calmly, Wei Wusheng said, "Your Majesty's previous mistreatment of my brothers was not entirely your fault; my brothers also had their problems. I can promise Your Majesty that if the Prince of Wu is obedient and enjoys his comfort in his palace, and if Your Majesty is sensible and has no intention of rebellion, I can let them go."

Of course, Wei Wusheng imposed many restrictions.

Moreover, none of these conditions can be quantified.

What constitutes obedience?

The thought of rebellion is not even an action, but a subjective judgment.

It can be said that Wei Wusheng made no actual promises and dared not make any oaths.

He didn't even utter a single word about letting his youngest son, Wei Yixun, go.

"You can do whatever you want, the knife is in your hand."

The emperor continued to look at Wei Wusheng with complete indifference, which annoyed him.

Does it really have to be this pretentious?
Mingming Xinyue was able to threaten you with your son's life and succeed, yet now she's acting so fearless.

Aren't you afraid I'll ruthlessly expose your meaningless pride?
"I do have one requirement."

The emperor slowly raised his finger and said, "After you enter Sheng'an, I want you to ensure that all six prefectures of Dayu are preserved."

Burning all the food supplies does not necessarily lead to the complete and rapid overthrow of the regime.

The King of Jiangling was still in Nanyue, the King of Wu was still in the hands of the Duke of Li, and the King of Jin was by his side.

But the world will definitely be torn apart, and it's unknown how many people will become emperors and how many will become kings.

But if power is handed over to Wei Wusheng, he only needs to defeat one Duke of Li to stabilize the Great Yu kingdom.

The two looked at each other, gazing at each other for a long, long time.

Finally, Wei Wusheng spoke up: "Okay."

There are no restrictions this time.

I promise you.

The emperor nodded, then winked at the coachman beside him.

And so, right in front of Wei Wusheng, his car drove into the battlefield.

Wei Wusheng, on horseback, turned around and looked at the old emperor, exercising the last bit of power in his life.

Zhao Yi, standing in front of the opposing army, had his pupils dilated as he stared intently at the royal carriage, his heart pounding as he watched it move forward.

The moment he stopped, his heartbeat seemed to freeze.

Until the carriage curtain was opened, a eunuch helped an elderly man down, and they slowly walked step by step toward the dragon throne...

fuck!

.........

The Duke of Li arrived at the military agricultural settlement in Huaiyang.

Upon arrival, he did not immediately begin to suppress the rebellion.

Instead, he leisurely reviewed the memorials submitted by various officials.

While he was thinking like this, the officers at headquarters were extremely anxious.

It should be noted that the number of people being turned is constantly increasing, and dozens of villages are being demolished almost every day.

If this continues, this place will become an isolated island in less than two days.

Even the county seat might be lost.

"Duke, should we send troops to capture Wang Shuishan first?"

"Those people are becoming increasingly difficult to control, all because Song Shi'an's army has come to their aid."

"And judging from the posture of those rebels, they intend to join forces with him."

The Duke of Li did not respond to the officials' suggestions, but continued to look at the sand table and rearranged the flags.

This puzzled the officials.

Because the garrison troops that were turned did not move in that direction; in fact, they moved in the opposite direction.

“Jiangpu Camp, their next target,” Li Guogongdao said.

All the officials and generals gathered around, which was quite incomprehensible.

“Joining forces with Wang Shuishan is a bluff,” Duke Li judged. “They don’t intend to unite their troops; they want to disrupt the situation so that our army can focus all its efforts on besieging Wang Shuishan and then move south to take Jiangpu Camp. This place is very close to the ferry crossing on the river; if we control this place, we can control the waterway.”

His words immediately made these people feel a sense of crisis.

Because the movements of these rebels were known to all, everyone's first thought was that the two forces would join together to form a larger force, and then besiege the main camp that had the large granary, completely turning this entire area into 'Song territory'.

Therefore, in recent days, almost all the extra forces have been mobilized here, both to block them and to put pressure on Wang Shuishan, fearing that they might successfully join forces.

Unbeknownst to them, the road to Jiangpu Camp was essentially blocked. If they were to suddenly retreat and rush there, it would be an immediate trap.

"That's it, that's it!"

"If he were to do that, then he would have control of the great river."

"Our encirclement will also fail."

They realized the seriousness of the problem and all looked at the Duke of Li.

"All generals, listen to my command! Send out all the cavalry from the main camp, each carrying only two days' worth of rations. Move out lightly, bypass the rebels' route, and rescue Jiangpu," Duke Li ordered.

"Yes!"

This was the first order given by the Duke upon his arrival, and it was issued with such decisiveness.

The officers all went to carry it out.

The meeting ended here.

Gao Yunyi was the only one left behind.

"Duke," Gao Yunyi bowed and said, "what are your orders?"

"You and Song Shi'an were both Juren and Jinshi of the same year, right?" the Duke of Li asked.

“Yes.” Gao Yunyi was not intimidated by the test and answered calmly, “Fan Wuji and Wang Shuishan, we are all from the same cohort.”

"Hmm." Duke Li nodded and said with a sigh, "These past two years have truly seen a surge of outstanding talents."

“Duke, only Song Shi’an can be considered a man of exceptional talent,” Gao Yunyi said. “We are all fortunate to have these positions because of His Highness’s favor.”

"Then what do you think of Song Shi'an?" asked the Duke of Li.

"After all, we were both successful candidates in the imperial examinations at the same time. To avoid any appearance of impropriety, Your Excellency, please relieve me of my post." Gao Yunyi was in charge of guarding the granary; he couldn't possibly be unaware of how important the granary was. Your Excellency would definitely give such a position to one of your own.

But the Duke of Li had no one of his own.

“No need,” said Li Guogong. “You are the Crown Prince’s faction, not the Song faction. I knew this from the beginning, and I am now certain that you are loyal to the Crown Prince.”

He confirmed things that even Gao Yunyi wasn't sure about.

"When I was building the temporary palace in Huai County, I submitted a memorial to Your Highness expressing my opposition," Gao Yunyi replied, bowing his head.

"Does opposing large-scale construction mean one is not a loyal minister?" Li Guogong said, "Sharing the ruler's burdens makes one a loyal minister, and speaking frankly and offering honest advice makes one an even more loyal minister."

Gao Yunyi dared not answer.

"When all the officials were being replaced, the Crown Prince insisted on keeping you and Fan Wuji. Doesn't that mean he approves of you?" Duke Li asked rhetorically. "Or do you also think that His Highness is the traitor and wants to acknowledge the new emperor established by Song Shi'an?"

"Your Highness's kindness to us is something we can never repay." Gao Yunyi knelt down and prostrated himself, saying, "I am loyal to Your Highness."

Even if others are right here, how can they possibly disagree?

But as soon as Song Shi'an gained power, he immediately knelt down to his old classmate, which was far too unbecoming of a scholar.

"Alright, Lord Gao, please rise." The Duke of Li looked at him resolutely and said, "I'm giving you a task."

"Please speak, Your Excellency," Gao Yunyi replied firmly.

"Help me find someone."

.........

After the Imperial Guards, disguised as the "Straw Sandal Army," turned the soldiers and civilians towards Wangshui Mountain, attracting the vast majority of the army, they were surrounded.

Suddenly, the army that had come this way turned around on the spot. There were more than 10,000 troops in total. They swept towards the Jiangpu branch camp.

However, upon arriving there, the soldiers and civilians discovered that the nearby villages were almost entirely deserted.

The head of the Imperial Guards said to his colleague beside him, "Why has everyone left?"

"I just sent someone to investigate. The retreat was very hasty and chaotic, like civilians fleeing the camp."

"It seems that the Duke of Li's forces have collapsed."

"should be."

The people want to rebel because they can't survive, and there are people leading them to join in.

The people here fled because they couldn't survive, but there was no one to guide them, so they migrated in large numbers to avoid the war.

This situation is very common.

So they didn't think much of it and continued sweeping forward.

After marching for several hours, the more than 10,000 soldiers and civilians finally reached the branch camp.

There were hardly any people left at the branch camp; only a mess remained.

Upon seeing this, the more than 10,000 people immediately began to loot and rush towards the grain and fodder, looking for any remaining food, money, and farm tools.

Jiangpu Camp was easily captured.

But at some point, a fire suddenly broke out.

Fire was everywhere, and with the help of kerosene, it spread instantly.

The civilians in the branch camp were thrown into chaos, with trampling everywhere. The few hundred Imperial Guards soldiers, who were already few in number, were completely unable to control the situation.

Not long after, cavalrymen charged out from the distant woods.

The civilians, trampled on one another, were slaughtered like prey, including many imperial guards who died in the chaos.

Thousands of corpses had their eyes gouged out and were thrown into the river, staining it with blood for miles around… (End of Chapter)