Frost for a Thousand Years

"General, what's wrong?"

When Ran Tuo was summoned in, he saw Zhao Yi looking panicked, and he couldn't help but feel nervous as well, so he asked in a low voice.

He and Zhao Yi were not allies, but because he gave Zhao Yi that idea, their relationship became temporarily 'inseparable'.

Upon seeing this acquaintance whom he had only known for a few days, Zhao Yi immediately stood up from his desk, walked up to him, grabbed his arm, and said in a low but firm voice, "Wu Jue is dead!"

These four words left Ran Tuo completely dumbfounded.

Then, fear instantly swept over my entire body.

"Dead?" He never expected it to be like this.

Because everyone believed that the ambush was Wei Le's last stand.

Because compared to the previous orderly retreat, the casualties this time were too great.

Which general meticulously prepared such a scheme for so long, just to pull off such a big move?
The reason why a feigned defeat is a feigned defeat is because casualties and order are controllable.

But if you lose such a big battle in an ambush in the valley, losing several thousand men, it will really destroy morale and lead to a complete collapse of your army.

"Who could have imagined that Wei Le would not retreat after the military settlement ceremony, but instead destroyed the bridges, backed onto the river, and fought a decisive battle with our army?" Zhao Yi said painfully. "Wu Jue spent a whole day without making a breakthrough, and then at night he was surrounded by enemy cavalry reinforcements, who specifically targeted and killed him!"

"He was caught and he's dead..." Ran Tuo said in a panic. "What about his Wu family army?"

"With their commander dead, the remaining troops could only flee in panic, countless were killed or captured," Zhao Yi said. "Of course, some were certainly taken over by Wu Lin, but that was too late..."

“That’s the Duke’s most elite army, and Wu Jue is the Duke’s own nephew.” Ran Tuo’s face gradually turned pale. “If the Duke finds out, he will definitely blame the general.”

"Hmm?" Zhao Yi stared at him, his gaze sharp.

“And what about me?” Ran Tuo said. “The Duke certainly won’t let me off the hook either.”

At this point, thinking you can remain unaffected is just wishful thinking.

Zhao Yi was very afraid of the Duke of Li, so he couldn't take the blame alone.

But now, it's clearly not a matter of taking the blame.

“It’s already like this, the person is dead, there’s no point in dwelling on it anymore,” Zhao Yi said very seriously. “We have to go to war, start a major war. Only by fighting and winning can we get the Duke’s forgiveness.”

No, it's not just about forgiveness.

Just like in freestyle skateboarding, if you fall a lot but can still get back up, then everything before that was intentionally designed.

If we win, then Wu Jue is a necessary sacrifice.

They are still the great contributors.

“The general is absolutely right, and I think so too,” Ran Tuo nodded.

"I have already ordered the troops on the right wing that went to provide support to assemble with Wu Lin and continue their fierce attack to avenge Wu Jue," Zhao Yi said. "And tomorrow morning, we will launch a general offensive against Wei Wusheng, regardless of whether the other side places the Emperor Emeritus's carriage on the battlefield!"

What Zhao Yi is doing now is not the most rational countermeasure, but a remedial measure.

To make amends for Wu Jue's death.

However, he did not believe that his decision to start the war was purely a matter of luck.

Wu Jue's performance had already shown him that the Qinzhou army was brave and skilled in battle, unlike any other army. Facing this large garrison army, they were like gods descending to earth, unstoppable.

"Yes, General."

Ran Tuo didn't hesitate at all and immediately agreed.

"The matter of Wu Jue's death must be kept secret and absolutely must not be leaked," Zhao Yi demanded.

"General, rest assured, we are in the same boat, and this time we are determined to win together," Ran Tuo assured him.

"Okay, then go and prepare."

"Yes."

With a resolute look in his eyes, Ran Tuo left the main tent and returned to his own camp.

Upon entering the tent, he summoned several officers to his presence.

He told them directly, "Zhao Yi is finished."

"End?"

Everyone was puzzled; they were still waiting for good news, but now they received such explosive intelligence.

“Wu Jue’s reckless advance with light troops fell into Wei Wusheng’s trap and was killed,” Ran Tuo said. “The cavalry that were separated from the main force will probably suffer heavy losses as well. Although Zhao Yi’s support prevented Wu Lin from being unable to escape, this incident serves as a warning that the Wu family army will never fight for Zhao Yi again.”

"After something like this, who can believe him?" The other officers sympathized with and empathized with Wu's army, so they also said indignantly, "With an old, dying emperor on the front lines, Zhao Yi doesn't dare to move. These young masters from Sheng'an are incapable of fighting; they're no longer from Qinzhou!"

Can someone who grew up in the capital city and whose ancestral home is Qinzhou still be considered a Qinzhou native?
No, they are the descendants of useless nobles.

“Now Zhao Yi is desperate and wants to redeem himself. He will launch a full-scale attack on the front tomorrow,” Ran Tuo continued. “Regardless of whether the other side will use the emperor as a shield, he will fight with his back to the wall, just like Wei Le who killed Wu Jue, and put himself in a do-or-die situation.”

“I’ve always believed that if it really came down to a fight, we would have a very good chance of winning,” someone said. “After all, in those battles on the right flank, even if the enemy seemed to be feigning defeat, the soldiers don’t understand the difference between winning and losing. They just couldn’t win.”

The feigned defeat tactic was used by the general and could not be revealed to the lower-ranking soldiers.

After all, they risked their lives on the battlefield.

In close combat, the vast disparity between the two sides becomes tangible and real.

"What's there to panic about?" Ran Tuo retorted immediately when he saw someone thinking that way. "If we can win, will we get all the credit? If we can't win, why should we risk our lives?"

Ran Tuo wants to join a team that can win the championship even without him.

And during garbage time, they frantically rack up easy scores.

He won't play attacking balls, because that could lead to injury and making him a scapegoat.

"The captain is right. If Zhao Yi is so timid that he can't lead us to victory, then there's no need for us brothers to get completely involved."

"Yes, yes, preserving our strength is the most important thing."

"Otherwise, like Wu's army, they fought the most battles, lost the most people, and now they've gained nothing!"

After conveying the spirit of the meeting, Ran Tuo looked at the people and said coldly, "Wu Jue's death is a secret, so don't reveal it. If it gets out, the others won't go all out."

""yes.""

...

At this time, in the camp at night, several generals who were originally under Wei Wusheng's command also gathered together.

The highest-ranking general among them spoke in a low voice: "A letter has arrived from the other side, saying that Wu Jue is dead."

"Wu Jue is dead?!"

One person had just started to speak excitedly when the person next to him covered his mouth and angrily scolded, "You better keep your voice down!"

"You mean Wu Jue is dead? Really? How come we haven't heard a thing?" someone questioned.

“This is a huge matter, and it’s not even that real,” the general shook his head and said. “We’re here, and we can’t get any information. We have no way of knowing who has the upper hand and who is at a disadvantage.”

Although they were feignedly trusted by the Duke of Li and the King of Wu, it was simply because they didn't want the army's structure to collapse. They were made to be cadres who were simply responsible for military discipline, and it was impossible for them to truly consider them as their own people.

They also did not want to be considered as one of the Duke of Li's own people.

Now it's all out in the open; the traitor is already King Wu.

Wei Wusheng? He was a king of equal rank.

Song Shi'an? That's the current prime minister.

They were all pure and great good people, and their beloved leader.

We can treat each one separately.

When the Duke of Li arrived here, he beheaded three generals.

They currently lack complete control over the military, and if they were to rebel, there is a high probability that they would be directly executed.

"But things have come to this point. If we don't react at all, and Zhao Yi really loses, will we also become traitors...?"

After someone uttered those words, the atmosphere immediately became tense.

Everyone looked rather unwell.

Joining before the war begins means being an ally, enjoying the benefits of being a shareholder.

Joining a conflict when there is a full-scale war but no fighting in certain areas is called an uprising, which is a choice of political line and allows one to enjoy the same treatment as one's own people.

A full-scale war may break out, and local wars may also occur, but joining the war when it reaches its climax is called surrender. It is a choice of submission made based on an assessment of the military situation, and can be considered a vassal force.

They've started a full-scale war, and localized conflicts too, and they're already on the verge of losing—and they're joining in now...

That's called being captured, baby!
The Chinese have a long-standing tradition of believing that surrendering means losing half the battle.

But the timing of surrender divided those who surrendered into different classes.

Their social status and position are worlds apart.

"Gentlemen, I don't think Zhao Yi will amount to anything. He's already planning a rebellion, yet he's still being intimidated by the retired emperor."

"Yes, and at such a young age, he's already so shrewd, trying to preserve his strength by sitting on the sidelines and watching the tigers fight. He's even lost the advantage of youthful vigor."

"He's definitely going to lose."

"We're being watched too closely; it'll be hard for us to get out of here."

The crowd was filled with worry as they discussed it.

Just then, someone spoke up: "If Wu Jue is dead, Zhao Yi couldn't possibly not know. If he knew that this person was dead, he couldn't possibly do nothing."

“That makes sense. Wu Jue is a relative of the Duke of Li. If he dies first in this battle, while Zhao Yi on the front lines remains inactive, how can they possibly let this kid go?”

"In other words, if Wu Jue really dies, Zhao Yi will definitely take action."

"If he responds, it means Wu Jue is really dead."

After this back-and-forth reasoning, everyone understands:
"Therefore, now is the best time to break away."

At dawn, Zhao Yi summoned all his generals and announced that the general offensive would be launched at daybreak.

All troops are fully equipped and ready to go.

However, not long after the order was issued, the news that "Wu Jue is dead and our army has suffered a great defeat" spread throughout the entire camp.

Shocked, Zhao Yi angrily confronted Ran Tuo: "Didn't I tell you to keep this absolutely secret? How did the information get leaked?!"

"I'm innocent, General! I really kept it a secret..."

Although Ran Tuo told his subordinates about these things, he didn't think that his men were so big-mouthed that they could spread rumors so quickly.

Which son of a bitch did this...?

"Reporting to the General!" Just then, a guard rushed in and hurriedly reported to Zhao Yi, "Our army has mutinied! Several armies have attacked our camp simultaneously, and they've taken... a great many soldiers with them, and they're still fighting..."

"Speak!" Zhao Yi said excitedly.

"They are using the slogan that Wu Jue is dead and the general has suffered a great defeat..."

"Beasts!" Zhao Yi roared, clenching his fists. "Who? Who betrayed me!"

"General, why ask who it is at this point?" Ran Tuo was speechless and said excitedly, "Even if they surrender, we people of Qinzhou will not surrender to the other side!"

"..."

Zhao Yi's mind went blank, and the next moment, he suddenly collapsed to the ground, muttering, "It's over, it's all over, it's all fucking over..."

.........

During the rebellion of the military colonies, dozens of people were captured and taken to the camp. In front of them was the Duke of Li.

These people knelt on the ground, while the Duke of Li, with a sword at his waist, walked slowly in front of them.

Then, a glance.

Suddenly, more than ten soldiers appeared, and they took the heads of the kneeling people, leaving one person between them, and then used knives to cut off their necks.

The piercing screams and agonizing struggles played out before the eyes and ears of the survivors.

Their suffering seemed to be a hundred times greater than what they had endured.

Terrified, they buried their heads in the ground and kept kowtowing and begging for mercy.

No, just ask me whatever you want!
Torture is acceptable, but what about the interrogation part?
They just dragged them over and started killing them. That's not fair!
"I don't like wasting time." After those people had their heads cut off, the Duke of Li said to the remaining people, "Everyone says Song Shi'an has come, have you really seen Song Shi'an? Raise your heads, one by one."

"Your Excellency, I have never met Song Shi'an!" the first person said hurriedly and tremblingly.

"Have you heard of it?" asked the Duke of Li.

"I've heard of it!" he said hastily without a moment's delay.

"Who said that?"

“Not here. The person who told me that isn’t here.” He shook his head.

The Duke slowly drew his sword. "Duke! He's really not here! I've really heard about him! And I've really never seen him!" he roared hysterically.

Meanwhile, the Duke of Li's sword slowly pointed at another person.

"I've never seen him, I've only heard of him, but the person who spoke of him isn't here!"

After interrogating several people, none of them had actually seen Song Shi'an.

But one of them was pointed at and said to be the one who told him Song Shi'an was there.

"You saw Song Shi'an?" Duke Li asked.

"Yes...yes!" he said, his voice cracking. "I saw a man in official robes, eight feet tall, very handsome. They say that's Song Shi'an. I've never had the chance to see such a high-ranking official, so I don't recognize him. But someone said that's Song Shi'an, so I...I don't know if it's him or not! Your Excellency, have mercy!"

"Song Shi'an is not here."

The Duke of Li sheathed his sword, his expression turning serious again.

These people still dared not breathe.

Because this person is too cruel.

"Release them all," said the Duke of Li, waving his hand.

"Yes!"

Although his subordinates had some ideas, the Duke of Li was too ruthless, and they could only obey his orders without any hesitation.

And so, these people finally managed to escape.

"Do you know why I let them go?" asked the Duke of Li.

"I don't know," the subordinate said, bowing his head.

"A fake Song Shi'an is enough to make these unruly people turn against me. A fake Song Shi'an is enough to terrify us." Duke Li chuckled disdainfully, then turned back to his barracks with swift and decisive action.

Song Shi'an is definitely not here.

Given Song Shi'an's nature, if he were present, he would definitely appear before everyone and use his cult-like influence to command these people to charge forward without fear of death.

He desperately wanted everyone to see him here.

But now, of the dozens of prisoners captured, not a single one has actually seen him.

This kid is bluffing again.

But it must be said, he is indeed powerful.

Just like the emperor, the mere title was enough to intimidate all kinds of demons and monsters.

This child must be eliminated.

Once he is dealt with, the unrest can be easily quelled.

This world will be completely returned to our hands.

So, is he actually behind me?

It's definitely there, it must be there.

where?

Right there.

It must be there.

"Greetings, Duke!" At this moment, the scout arrived, entered the camp, knelt on one knee with his hands clenched into fists, and hurriedly reported, "General Zhao's military intelligence!"

Upon hearing this, the generals in the barracks all looked at each other in bewilderment.

Then, led by one person, they quietly withdrew.

They dared not listen to things they shouldn't have, since the Duke hadn't told them to.

“Speak,” said Li Guogongdao.

In fact, the Duke of Li had been keeping an eye on the situation on the 'front lines', but because he was not there, he could not make micromanagement decisions and could only issue orders to attack, attack, and continue attacking.

Fortunately, a fight did break out over there.

"Colonel Wu Jue was ambushed and killed in battle while pursuing Wei Le. Before General Zhao Yi launched a major battle, the original garrison commanders in the army surrendered at the same time, and fled with thousands of troops..." the scout said tremblingly. "General Zhao Yi had no choice but to lead the remaining troops to retreat more than ten miles and temporarily cease fighting."

"You worthless scoundrel! You're not worth discussing things with!"

The Duke of Li angrily drew his sword and slashed off a corner of the table.

What angered them was Wu Jue's death, but what angered them even more was that this outstanding talent among the nobility was so weak and incompetent, practically a coward!
Your Majesty, I have wronged you. Your suppression of the nobles has indeed been very effective.

Whether it was Zhao Yi or the old nobles in Sheng'an, they were all crushed into useless pieces.

Wow, you really are something. Did you foresee all of this?
You're probably hoping I lose right now, aren't you?

If I lose, you'd be happy if Song Shi'an, whom you fear most, and Wei Wusheng, whom you despise most, took over the world, wouldn't you?

The scout dared not speak, his head bowed, trembling with fear.

The current Duke of Li is as murderous as Yama, the King of Hell.

With a look of disdain in his eyes, the Duke of Li smiled and said, "Your Majesty, I will not lose."

.........

Yunze Township, Qihuting.

That esteemed person is currently strategizing and planning within this mountain villa.

Good news kept coming to this place.

Zhuangzi was defeated one by one by their 'sparks spreading like wildfire' tactics.

In just three days, the Duke of Li will only have that one military settlement left.

They even have to lose the county seat.

Since the pressure here is so great, and no bad news has come from the land reclamation ceremony, it means that Wei Wusheng's frontal resistance is also very well fought.

At least, we didn't lose.

"My lord, an army emerged from the military settlement ceremony, well-equipped and composed entirely of cavalry, and directly routed our main force!"

The military situation at the front arrived urgently.

"They are all cavalry, and well-equipped, are you sure?" the official asked.

"Yes, my lord."

The official showed no panic, instead chuckled, "Good, this proves that the Sixth Prince has won a major victory. This Duke of Li can only make this last-ditch effort!"

The garrison camp in Huaiyang had only that many cavalrymen in total.

How could the garrison troops be so well-equipped?
This indicates that all the armor was concentrated in this one army.

He founded the Vanguard Suicide Squad.

The purpose is then very clear.

The official remained calm in the face of danger and continued to oversee the situation.

One day later, another military report arrived!
"My lord, that army is flying the banner of the Duke of Li. They have inflicted heavy losses on many of our soldiers and broken up many formations along the way, but they have not lingered in battle at all. They are heading this way. Now... they should be less than twenty miles away!"

"Then let him come!"

The official finally got angry and said, "Give the order: all the nearby troops and all the civilians, move closer to me. If he can't kill me, I will kill him!"

He's here to take down the command center.

This official can withdraw, but if he does, the intelligence network will collapse at that moment.

After all, communication was difficult in ancient times, and there was no such fantastical method as sending messages by carrier pigeon.

Otherwise, no one would wait under the bridge for their date, waiting until they drowned without leaving.

Running will disrupt your rhythm.

Then, I won't run anymore.

I'll be right here, waiting for you, Duke Li, to arrive.

If you can't kill me, I'll kill you!

.........

Behind the Duke of Li were four hundred iron cavalry.

They came with eight hundred, but half of them were lost.

But because of his presence, the army was unstoppable, sweeping through tens of thousands of soldiers and civilians who were farming, crushing them to pieces.

He himself killed nearly a hundred people.

Though old, he remains strong and vigorous, his courage undiminished.

He knew that the soldiers and civilians he had scattered were now slowly heading towards him.

They swarmed around like a bunch of ants.

"Song Shi'an, do you really think these troublemakers can save you?"

The Duke of Li, who was only three miles away, looked at the nearly two thousand people who had been prepared in advance.

Each of them carried a straw shield, a wooden shield, and a hoe and sickle.

Among them were some genuine soldiers.

But before the Duke of Li, they were nothing but clay chickens and earthen dogs, worthless and worthless.

He raised his hand and put the iron mask on his face.

Then, fully armed and ready, he let out a loud shout.

Like a Gundam, it just crashed into two thousand people!

……

"My lord, we've been defeated! Our two thousand men were defeated in less than an hour!"

"The Duke of Li is coming to kill us!"

"They're less than a mile away!"

Upon hearing this, the official's eyes widened.

Two thousand people, even if they were two thousand pigs, it would still take Duke Li half a day to catch them.

How could they possibly be so easily annihilated?!
His tactics were essentially no different from Wei Wusheng's.

They all relied on large armies to hold off the enemy's main elite forces.

But the result was that they held out for one day.

His entire force was wiped out in less than an hour!
"My lord, let's go!"

The guard beside him grabbed his arm.

With no other option, he had to leave and hurriedly descend the mountain.

They mounted their horses under the protection of the soldiers and fled the area.

However, to their surprise, the Duke of Li's army had already bypassed the main force and launched a surprise attack.

It wasn't the Duke of Li who personally led the team; it was another elite force.

This guy!
With only a few hundred men at their disposal, they actually dared to divide their forces!

For a time, the two sides were locked in a fierce battle.

Because they were all elite troops, they suffered casualties on both sides.

But they had to protect that person, so they remained in a passive position.

The Duke of Li, who was forced to retreat with less than a hundred riders, arrived!
"..."

The man reined in his horse and stopped running away.

The Duke of Li, covered in blood and with the knife tips dulled from the cuts, slowly removed the iron mask.

The horse stopped in front of him.

The victor's arrogant smile instantly turned grim upon seeing his opponent: "Yu Xiu, are you looking for death?"

"Duke, I have lost."

Yu Xiu responded with a smile, then raised his hand and said, "But, you've lost too." (End of Chapter)