Frost for a Thousand Years

Very few people actually got to see the emperor, let alone the natives of Qinzhou.

However, even if one has never met the emperor, it is reasonable to think that the person in front of them could not possibly be the Prince of Jin.

How could the Prince of Jin have aged so much?
So the soldiers in the front row were all stunned.

They looked at each other and whispered amongst themselves.

"Is this the emperor? He doesn't look fake."

"Putting a fake emperor here in front of tens of thousands of people, are they trying to fool them?"

"Since this is the emperor... is what the general told us—that the emperor has been killed by Song Shi'an and Wei Wusheng—false?"

"The emperor wasn't killed, and the Prince of Jin even became emperor, which means he abdicated the throne himself. So what about us..."

The rebels became myself.

This is the scariest thing.

Ran Tuo was now even more certain that he had been brought here to stage a coup, and that they had no legal basis to purge the court of corrupt officials.

Those captains were indeed very enthusiastic, wanting to settle things in one battle, but not everyone was so impulsive. When he came, the old man had given him instructions: the most important thing in this battle was to gain something, not to win.

The people of Qinzhou were indeed rebellious against the emperor, and they could indeed be united under certain circumstances, but after all, they were eight families, and it was impossible for everyone to have completely the same idea.

Like the Wu family, they would definitely support all of the Duke of Li's decisions, since this man had already staked the fate of the nation on him.

But the rest of the people were mostly thinking about what they had 'gained' from this battle.

Can you fight?
We can definitely win.

If the probability of winning is quite high, the potential gains from this battle would be enormous, making it worth the gamble.

However, if the probability of winning this battle is not high, or even if there is a risk of losing, then it would be a huge loss if the nearly two thousand elite family members he brought were to be lost.

Anyone who has seen "The Warlords" knows that historical records often depict armies of hundreds of thousands, making it seem like a thousand or so people are unimportant. But in reality, a family that can support a full-time army of several thousand people is quite impressive.

Without these few thousand people, the Ran family's words carried no weight in the imperial court. Locally, they couldn't control the local militia and the common people either.

But now it seems that the probability of winning this battle has decreased considerably...

Ran Tuo had been observing Zhao Yi's expression. From the shock and tension in his eyes, he could tell that this emperor was incredibly genuine, practically 24k innocent.

Zhao Yi was truly impressed.

Damn it, this emperor looks like he's about to die, like he's going to kick the bucket any second. You dragged him over from the military agricultural settlement a hundred miles away, and then led him to the front of the army like a dog on a leash. If I were to steel myself and shoot him with a ballista, he'd be dead right here!
Wei Wusheng, do you even have a heart?!
No matter what, he's still your father!
Zhao Yi gripped the reins tightly, his face turning deathly pale. The thoughts that crossed his mind were more numerous than those of his entire previous life combined, almost overwhelming him. He even started imagining how history would record it.

As a member of the elite nobility born and raised in Sheng'an, he had read as many history books as the scholars and deeply understood one principle: emperors are not to be killed!

Assassination, assassination, poisoning, or bribing palace maids to kill are all acceptable methods.

But the one thing that absolutely cannot be dying by one's own hand...

Wei Wusheng couldn't see Zhao Yi's expression because they were too far apart. However, he understood Zhao Yi's feelings quite well.

It must feel as bad as eating shit.

It must be said that Song Shi'an's method was really good. It hit Zhao Yi's weak spot right away, completely demoralizing this general who was leading a large army for the first time.

But this can be done...

Wei Wusheng stared at the dragon throne, his expression somewhat complicated.

"Send someone over to tell Zhao Yi that the Emperor Emeritus has summoned him," Wei Wusheng said in a chilling tone.

"Yes!"

A flag bearer rode forward and headed directly towards Zhao Yi.

Upon seeing him arrive, Ran Tuo picked up his bow and crossbow, nocked an arrow, drew it fully, and looked at Zhao Yi, signaling with his eyes—if you want to fight, shoot him dead.

On the surface, it was meant to encourage Zhao Yi and tell him not to be afraid, but in reality, it was a test of his courage.

When the two armies are fighting, the envoy will not be killed.

What would happen if we beheaded the envoy?
A major war was naturally imminent.

Regardless of whether the emperor is present or not.

Therefore, Ran Tuo wanted to know whether their commander had been burdened with infamy and had actually committed regicide before starting this war.

"Wait!" Zhao Yi raised his hand to stop him.

Ran Tuo slowly lowered his crossbow.

He then gave a wink to his confidants around him.

They understood what was meant.

This means that if a fight really breaks out, one should not exert oneself and should conserve strength as much as possible.

Zhao Yi hesitated, feeling extremely tormented.

On the one hand, they could not let down the Duke of Li. Even if he was not the leader in this battle, but the second or third in command, the Duke of Li would be under tremendous pressure if their side did not fight.

On the other hand, the emperor is right there, and I insisted on starting the war. If he is injured or even killed in this battle, who will be held responsible?

Many history enthusiasts know that there is only one case of emperor being assassinated in the street in Chinese history, and that was Cheng Ji.

But little did anyone know, Cheng Ji's superior was Jia Chong.

Indeed, Jia Chong's superior was Sima Zhao, and he was undoubtedly the ultimate mastermind behind it all.

But the result?

Cheng Ji was executed, and his entire clan was exterminated.

Someone will definitely have to take the blame for regicide!
Zhao Yi's superior is the Duke of Li, so he can't possibly betray him.

The Duke of Li is nominally the Crown Prince, but even the Crown Prince cannot betray his position.

Damn it, even the Duke of Li didn't teach him how to do it...

"Zhao Yi, the Emperor Emeritus summons you to the front lines!"

Wei Wusheng's cavalry arrived, and he spoke to Zhao Yi.

Zhao Yi's heart tightened.

The other generals in the front row were also somewhat apprehensive.

Those from Qinzhou were alright, but the generals of these garrison troops were in complete disarray.

Their fighting spirit was far inferior to that of the people of Qinzhou; in fact, their participation in the war was a compromise. The higher-ups said the emperor had been killed, but now an emperor had appeared here. Zhao Yi didn't know how to explain this, but they were certainly not willing to initiate a war.

Cheng Ji could be Zhao Yi, or it could be one of them.

This is how the chain of suspicion was formed.

Of course, ultimately it all depends on the head coach's determination.

The weight of the world, not just tens of thousands of tons, was pressing down on Zhao Yi's shoulders...

He was already covered in sweat.

"Are you sure it's His Majesty?" Zhao Yi asked in return.

"If it's not His Majesty, then who else could it be?" the cavalryman said solemnly. "King Qin has heard rumors that His Majesty has passed away. Who is uttering such a curse?"

"..."

Even the cavalryman's words made Zhao Yi tremble on the spot.

That's too ruthless. They did indeed use the pretext of eliminating the regicide traitors to purge the emperor's inner circle, which also meant that they had already decided that the emperor was dead.

The emperor is not dead.

Some people say the emperor is dead, so what does that mean?
Nature is a curse.

What should one do if they curse the emperor?
Exterminate nine generations of their family.

"The military agricultural settlements are completely isolated from the outside world, and then a new emperor was suddenly appointed. How could I possibly know what His Majesty is really like?" Zhao Yi could only retort in this way, avoiding the previous topic.

"The Emperor Emeritus is right there; the general may go and see him," the cavalryman said.

"What if it's one of your tricks in war? If I go and get hurt by a sneak attack, what should I do?" he countered.

"Wait a moment, General."

The cavalryman turned back, discussed the matter with Wei Wusheng, and then rode back, saying, "His Highness the King of Qin said that both armies could retreat one hundred paces each, beyond the range of the ballistae. Is this acceptable?"

Zhao Yi had no reason to refuse.

If you acknowledge the other party as the emperor, can you disobey the emperor's summons?
If they do not acknowledge the other party as the emperor, then the Prince of Jin is the new emperor, and they should be even less inclined to commit insubordination.

All legal support vanished at this moment, because of Song Shi'an's open and overt scheme.

This person is so cunning!
"The entire army shall retreat one hundred paces!"

Left with no other option, Zhao Yi had to issue this order.

His army slowly retreated.

Meanwhile, Wei Wusheng's soldiers also kept their distance from them.

In the middle, a huge open space was left.

Just like when Ji Yuan wanted to see Wei Wusheng, no one could eavesdrop or interfere.

Zhao Yi rode over on his horse.

He dismounted when he reached a spot not far from the emperor's dragon throne.

He stepped forward, and after struggling for a while, knelt on one knee, clenching his fists: "Yi greets Your Majesty!"

This kneeling made Ran Tuo purse his lips, revealing a heavy expression.

There's no need to fight this battle.

No, it's not entirely certain whether they'll fight or not, but what is certain is that their commander's fighting spirit is no longer as unstoppable as it was before.

When the Emperor Emeritus saw that Zhao Yi was still kneeling in front of him, his face softened, a rare occurrence for him.

"Only you still respect me so much," the retired emperor said.

"Your Majesty!" Upon hearing this, Zhao Yi exclaimed excitedly, as if he had found a powerful sword. "Has Your Majesty been kidnapped? Has he been forced? This humble servant will fight this battle to purge the court of those close to the emperor and save Your Majesty from this dire situation!"

The retired emperor couldn't help but laugh and said, "Child, it's not time for you to meddle in this world yet."

He is a pawn of the Duke of Li, and now he has no personality of his own.

The Emperor Emeritus could easily guess how much manipulation the Duke of Li had done to him.

Therefore, it's not necessary to ask to know Zhao Yi's situation.

“Your Majesty, the time has come for this humble general to step forward,” Zhao Yi pleaded. “If Song Shi’an comes to power, the Crown Prince will be in great danger. We nobles will not fare any better.”

Zhao Yi was tied to the boat, or rather, he thought he was already on board and could only share life and death with it.

"So, how should you resolve this situation?" the emperor asked.

"I will tell the soldiers that His Majesty has been taken hostage. They can all see that Your Majesty is so weak, yet you are still being used in this way, which makes sense," Zhao Yi said earnestly.

The emperor continued to laugh.

He thought the child was really cute.

Zhao Yi's face flushed with embarrassment, but what could he do?
"It was the Duke of Li who ordered you to lead troops to attack, wasn't it?" the emperor asked.

"Yes," Zhao Yi replied.

"Didn't he tell you what you should do if the emperor actually appeared, since you were using the pretext of regicide?" the emperor asked again.

"The Duke didn't specify that much; he probably didn't expect this either..."

"What Song Shi'an could think of, the Duke of Li couldn't?" "..." This sentence left Zhao Yi speechless.

My brain felt like it had been gored by a mad bull.

shocked.

What Song Shi'an could think of, the Duke of Li could not?
What Song Shi'an could think of, Duke Li Guogong certainly could also think of.

If the Duke of Li could have foreseen that the emperor would be used as a shield at this time, why didn't he tell me?

There is only one answer.

He wanted to force himself to commit regicide!

He didn't even want to leave any evidence of regicide!

"Your Majesty, I have no other choice!" Zhao Yi also became fanatical, standing up impulsively and saying fiercely, "What is my relationship with the Crown Prince? If Song Shi'an had taken over the country, he could have spared the Crown Prince's life because he could have kept the Crown Prince in a cage. But how could he let a military general like me, a member of the Crown Prince's faction, go?"

From afar, all the soldiers saw Zhao Yi suddenly stand up, his emotions extremely volatile.

"What exactly happened here?"

"Since he's kneeling down in front of everyone, he must be the emperor."

"What exactly did the general and the emperor clash about...?"

The emperor knew that the child was also pitiful.

His master, the crown prince, became a puppet, and he was also used by the Duke of Li, becoming his pawn.

Now we've reached this dilemma, a situation where we're caught between a rock and a hard place.

He had no way out, only...

“Your Majesty, you should go back. Arrows will hurt you here,” Zhao Yi pleaded. “I will lead the army to fight Wei Wusheng. If we win, we win; if we lose, we lose. I really don’t want to be treated like a puppet, manipulated by anyone.”

What is real and what is fake?

The Duke of Li is the head of the nobility and can be considered the patriarch of our Qinzhou people. How could I not trust him?

"Go back to Qinzhou."

The emperor gave him only four words in response to such a long question.

Zhao Yi's mind went blank for a moment.

"Go back to Qinzhou?" Zhao Yi asked, puzzled.

"If all you're thinking about is survival, isn't this the way to survive?" the retired emperor retorted. "Or are you also seeking wealth and power in this battle?"

"I don't want wealth and status, I only want the Crown Prince to be well, and I don't want to become Song Shi'an's prisoner..." Zhao Yi denied.

"Then back to Qinzhou."

The emperor repeated the same statement.

He completely exposed some of his thoughts.

unwilling.

They ran away before even starting a rebellion; who would be willing to accept that?

After rebelling, he became a new generation of noble leaders. What a splendid he must have been!

But the emperor's words of enlightenment made him realize that since the Duke of Li had a son, why was he the leader of the new generation of nobles?

Is the Duke a good person?

Was the emperor a good person?

Damn it, damn it, can't you guys be a little simpler? Why are your minds full of insidious schemes?

The emperor knew that Zhao Yi had died.

"Child," the Emperor Emeritus said in his final words, "I don't want to harm you, but I made a deal with Wei Wusheng, and I have to help him in this battle."

"Your Majesty, I cannot retreat either."

Although Zhao Yi was very scared and nervous, if he backed down at this moment, he would be a fish on a chopping board to be manipulated at will.

No matter what the Duke of Li says, he has already been branded as one of the leaders of the traitors. If he backs down now, he will be castrated by his own men and offered his head to Song Shi'an.

The conclusion is that there's nothing to discuss.

"it is good."

The retired emperor nodded without reprimanding him. On the contrary, he kindly extended his hand and said to him, "Come here, child, I have something to teach you."

"..." Zhao Yi slowly walked over, knelt down on one knee, and listened to the teachings from the Emperor Emeritus at almost the same distance.

And at that moment, the emperor spoke his words: "Don't let anyone teach you."

"?"

Zhao Yi was stunned.

The next moment, the emperor suddenly clutched his chest, his body slumped in pain, and he collapsed to the ground with a thud.

Zhao Yi's pupils suddenly widened.

"Zhao Yi murdered the emperor! His crime is unforgivable!" Upon seeing this scene, Wei Wusheng immediately shouted.

Immediately afterwards, Wei Wusheng's cavalry rushed out and charged towards him.

Zhao Yi felt like an unlucky guy who was the first to arrive at a murder scene, had just picked up the murder weapon from the ground with blood on his hands, and then the police came out to arrest him. His heart sank instantly...

"Go quickly to rescue the general!" Upon seeing the enemy's unsportsmanlike cavalry being dispatched, Ran Tuo hurriedly gave the order.

So they also sent out cavalry.

Zhao Yi was so frightened that he wet himself. He quickly got up, took a few steps back, and fled towards his men.

The arriving soldiers then pulled him onto a horse and took him back to the army.

Wei Wusheng's men also sent people to rescue the emperor.

Once everyone on both sides was safe, Wei Wusheng immediately gave the order: "Avenge His Majesty! Kill the traitor Zhao Yi!"

"General, we must retreat!"

Zhao Yi was completely distracted, so Ran Tuo had no choice but to yell at him.

"...Retreat, retreat first."

Zhao Yi's face was pale, and his mind blankly issued commands.

So their army retreated.

The shield bearers in the front row were highly disciplined; they did not panic and trample, but retreated while fighting off the invading enemy.

Before the two sides actually engaged in combat, Zhao Yi's army had already created distance between them.

"Withdraw." Seeing that the enemy had already fled in disarray, Wei Wusheng raised his hand, signaling the pursuing troops not to advance rashly and to stop while they were ahead.

"Your Highness, the Emperor Emeritus has been put into the carriage," Wei Le said to Wei Wusheng.

"It is said that the Emperor Emeritus was wounded by Zhao Yi with a dagger, bleeding severely and in critical condition. He is currently being treated by the imperial physician in his tent," Wei Wusheng said.

"Yes!" Wei Le said.

.........

Zhao Yi was truly stunned. He never expected the emperor to be so shameless, and he collapsed to the ground.

Even if it was a staged accident, if the emperor died in the future, there would still be people with ulterior motives who would spread rumors that it was because of their sneak attack on the battlefield that they had left behind a lingering effect and were the culprit for His Majesty's death.

"General, the Duke has sent a letter saying that he has defeated part of Song Shi'an's rebel army and beheaded nearly ten thousand. He requests that you also attack Wei Wusheng as soon as possible!"

Just as he hurriedly returned to his tent, the Duke of Li urged him to start the war as soon as possible, as if it were a matter of life and death.

He was roasted over a fire.

Now, there's no way to move forward or backward.

Besides Ran Tuo, there were several other noble captains in the tent, wanting to say something but unsure how to begin.

"Let's let the general calm down first, and then we'll come back later," Ran Tuo suggested.

After looking at each other, they all agreed.

And so, Ran Tuo left with the other captains.

After a while, Ran Tuo returned, knelt down in front of Zhao Yi, and said very seriously, "General, what are your thoughts?"

"What were you thinking?" Zhao Yi said, somewhat distressed. "What can I do now? The emperor collapsed in front of an army of over ten thousand, and now he's blaming me. What am I supposed to do?"

"General," Ran Tuo asked, "you really didn't make a move, did you?"

"Why would I do anything?! You don't believe me either?!" Zhao Yi exclaimed excitedly.

"No, General, that's not what I meant," Ran Tuo said. "Since you haven't taken any action, no one knows whether His Majesty is alive or dead. Your concerns are unnecessary."

"What do you mean?" Zhao Yi felt that this kid seemed to have a plan.

"This battle is one that the Duke of Li wants to fight, and of course, it's one that all the nobles want to fight," Ran Tuo said. "But isn't the Duke of Li the most enthusiastic one the most?"

"What do you mean?" Zhao Yi continued to ask.

"The right flank is commanded by Wu Jue and Wu Lin together," Ran Tuo said softly. "Since we're going to fight, why don't we give the order for the right flank to launch an attack?"

They even lied to the Allies?!

Zhao Yi was an honest man who was also well-versed in military strategy. He replied, "The main battle is always fought first, followed by attacks from the left and right flanks. If we let the flanks launch the attack first and our army does not move, they will be trapped and face the risk of total annihilation."

They all move together.

If someone moves first and someone else doesn't, then the person who moves is in danger.

This is how Zhang Lingfu died.

"The Duke of Li's troops will not surrender," Ran Tuo said seriously, looking at Zhao Yi. "Moreover, their strength is not weak, and Wei Wusheng cannot annex them all at once. If we can win, we can even drag down the vast majority of their people. Then we can advance further and take over the Tuntian Grand Ceremony in one fell swoop. What's wrong with that?"

Zhao Yi knew that his fear lay in not having an absolute guarantee of victory.

At this point, he either has to run away or fight on.

That's also an option; if you can't win, then run away.

It wouldn't hurt to first assess whether the Duke of Li's men had a chance of winning...

"No, we're letting Wu Jue go first not to conserve our strength."

Zhao Yi slowly stood up. The usually naive and passionate man finally showed the self-interest of a mature politician: "This is our strategy!"

…………

"My lord, the captured prisoners have confessed; they are all Imperial Guards."

"Several thousand Imperial Guards were disguised as civilians."

"They claimed that it was led by Song Shi'an's confidant, General San Gou, but they did not know where the order came from."

"All we know is that they are being directed by military orders in a certain direction."

This is what Gao Yunyi was ordered to do by the Duke of Li.

Standing on a sand table, according to all the captured prisoners, they did indeed have a plan.

The Duke of Li is right. These rioting people, though seemingly acting independently with a clear direction, are actually constantly adjusting their actions.

Do these rebels even have brains?
There is no doubt that someone is manipulating these rebels right behind the Duke of Li.

And that adult guessed
Song Shi'an, stirring up a riot right under their noses! (End of Chapter)