Frost for a Thousand Years

The Duke of Li is dead...

The man who had dominated the world for many years, and whom even Ji Yuan feared, died before their very eyes.

The cavalrymen who followed were all dumbfounded.

The reason they dared to follow this man was because of his words, "I will take you home."

The strength of the Duke of Li was evident to all. Even though these soldiers had only heard of his heroic deeds of single-handedly destroying two countries, they had all witnessed his prowess during the Battle of Huai County.

That's right, he killed without hesitation.

Yu Xiu, a fourth-rank official in the imperial court, was killed, as was Zhao Yi, the eldest son of a noble family; it seemed that no mercy was shown.

But for the lower-ranking soldiers, such a general is not scary at all.

When in this world has there ever been a story of a great person taking responsibility for failure?

Zhao Xiang almost lost Liangzhou, but the emperor still protected it, and he received almost no punishment.

Those who are capable of killing important figures will not bother with petty squabbles with minor ones.

They valued the Duke of Li's command abilities and his still vigorous fighting spirit despite his advanced age.

But he fell from grace.

And he was even shot dead by the woman in front of him...

Everyone collectively threw away their weapons and bows and crossbows, knelt on the ground, buried their heads in the dust, and accepted being taken prisoner.

These treacherous dogs from Qinzhou wished they could kill them all, just like when the people of Ji were slaughtered, leaving no survivors.

But she always remembered Song Shi'an's appearance.

She harbored hatred, but she had just accomplished the most exhilarating thing in her life—revenge.

Especially when he mentioned Wu Qiong, the other party's obvious indifference and lack of argument made him feel more satisfied than any pain he might have experienced.

"Cut off his head, hang it on the military flag, and withdraw the troops," Xin Yue ordered.

"Yes!"

And so, his subordinates quickly carried out the "splitting of heads" operation against the arrogant Duke of Li.

Moreover, some shrewd people would simply set his body on fire with torches.

It was burned to ashes.

Even the powerful and ambitious Duke Li was not in Qinzhou when he died.

"I believe you can be my comrades, but I hope you won't cause me any trouble."

Then, Xin Yue spoke to the remaining personal guards of the Duke of Li.

They were even more sensible; they put their hands behind their backs, tied them with ropes, lined up, and willingly became prisoners to be taken back to Huai County.

In the end, only one carriage remained.

From beginning to end, no one in the carriage ever got out.

Moreover, not a single sound was ever made.

But Xinyue seemed to know what kind of expression and mood the person inside had.

She walked to the carriage and lifted the curtain.

The King of Wu, huddled inside, stared at her in astonishment, trembling with fear.

This king, once hailed as 'wise,' has been terrified by what he has experienced these past few days.

War is the most powerful force that can change a person's character.

Because no normal person can normally see limbs flowing out, intestines ripped open, and blood plasma mixed together.

"Song Shi'an...is he going to kill me?"

King Wu asked Xin Yue with trepidation.

He was genuinely scared.

Although the plan to hunt Song Shi'an in Huai County was not his idea, he felt genuinely at ease when the emperor did it for him.

He feared Song Shi'an and wished the man would disappear.

It's impossible for the other person not to sense this emotion.

Otherwise, they wouldn't have been able to rebel.

The one who sensed your killing intent has now won.

They were no longer of any use.

How could he possibly still be alive?
“Your Highness,” Xin Yue said calmly as she looked at him, “Shi An told me to do everything possible to protect the Prince of Wu and prevent him from falling victim to the Duke of Li’s poison.”

The King of Wu swallowed hard, feeling no relief whatsoever from those words.

What does it mean to do everything possible to protect the King of Wu?

What does it mean to prevent him from falling victim to the Duke of Li's poison?
If you want to protect something, why say you should protect it as much as possible?

Also, who mentioned the name "Duke of Li"?

Isn't it clearly saying, "The King of Wu was coerced by the Duke of Li, and before his death, he killed the vassal king, committing heinous crimes"?

The King of Wu is not a fool.

This King of Wu is not stupid at all.

Xin Yue knew he understood everything.

To be honest, Song Shi'an had told himself that if he could capture the King of Wu along the way, he could spare his life to avoid being criticized by outsiders for regicide.

The meaning is quite obvious.

We kept him around because we didn't want people to have anything to say about us.

But keeping him around would indeed serve no purpose.

Even if he could be imprisoned in the Wu Prince's residence forever, if something happened and someone took advantage of the situation, this legitimate prince, who had once been officially named 'Crown Prince,' would ultimately be a considerable hidden danger.

"Does what you said before mean nothing?" But King Wu didn't want to die at all. He could accept being a prisoner king now, and he felt that there was no problem staying in the palace.

Can Song Shi'an still be forgiven?

"Your Highness," Xin Yue shook her head and said to him, "regardless of victory or defeat, one should be open and honest, shouldn't one?"

These words, coming from a woman, made the original sarcasm even more powerful.

King Wu's survival instinct led him to believe that this was merely a business trip away from the country. In the end, he completely lost control of the situation and became a puppet.

But he was genuinely provoked.

"I have one last question," King Wu said, looking at Xin Yue with great seriousness, "Can Song Shi'an truly be of use to me?"

Did he initially intend for Wusheng to become emperor?
“Your Highness,” Xin Yue shook her head again and said, “Shi An only seeks fame for all eternity; he doesn’t care who the emperor is.”

The King of Wu understood.

I understand completely.

He underestimated the situation.

You're being too narrow-minded about this man.

He himself was never his imagined enemy.

I am no match for the wings he cherishes.

"King Wu," Xin Yue asked one last time, "I want to ask, have you ever regretted it?"

"..."

Recalling the past, all those times when he could have done better, the King of Wu's face immediately fell, and he sobbed, "I regret it, I regret it..."

This is ironic.

Wei Ye's precious son has become so shameful at this time.

Moreover, he cried so hard that Xin Yue lost the will to let him die.

Just then, the King of Wu wiped away his tears of regret and suddenly said, "Finally, lend me your strength."

Before Xin Yue could react, he suddenly stood up.

Immediately afterwards, he jumped off the carriage and came toward him.

The guards rushed over to subdue her, but Xinyue raised her hand in time to signal them to stop.

After dismounting from his carriage, the King of Wu drew his sword from her waist and ran directly to the center of the army. Facing the stunned soldiers, he shouted, "I have told your Lord Song to give up. I will never surrender!"

With that, he placed the sword against his own neck, his eyes brimming with tears as he looked at the army that had once belonged to him, and declared with utmost passion, "I'd rather be a bone in a grave than a king in prison!"

As soon as he finished speaking, blood splattered.

The former crown prince also fell to the ground.

Two important figures died suddenly in a single day.

To everyone's surprise, the Duke of Li was shot to death by a woman, while the King of Wu did indeed commit suicide.

There were more than 700 people present, all of whom witnessed this scene.

"Record the facts as they are, without altering a single word."

Looking at the King of Wu lying on the ground, blood still flowing from his neck, Xin Yue said.

King Wu was indeed incompetent and quite green; he squandered a good hand like this, truly a waste.

However, if a person dies with integrity, their evaluation in history books will not be too fair.

Even though the Duke of Li lost, he did not choose to live.

The saying "Better to be a bone in a tomb than a king in prison" will also be used to conclude its meaning.

Wei Yiyun, a crown prince who is not bad.

Thus, the emperor's dream was almost complete.

Unwanted things followed one after another.

The soldiers wrapped Wei Yiyun in a horsehide and placed him in the carriage. After the blocked road was cleared, Xinyue mounted her horse and hung the Duke of Li's head in front of the army. On the left and right, the banners of 'Qin' and 'Song' were also flying.

"Return to camp in triumph."

.........

At Jianxing General Camp, Hua Zheng surrendered completely to Wei Wusheng.

The King of Qin led his army into the garrison camp.

Sitting in the seat that originally belonged to him as the chief commander of the land reclamation, Hua Zheng stood opposite him with great respect.

"Master Hua, please sit down," Wei Wusheng said, extending his hand.

"This humble subject dares not," Hua Zheng hurriedly replied.

“The guilty ones are those who plotted the rebellion, the Duke of Li, Zhao Yi who was killed after showing no remorse, and those stubborn rebels who resisted,” Wei Wusheng said. “You were originally coerced by the King of Wu and threatened by the Duke of Li. What crime have you committed by abandoning darkness for light at this time?”

"Your Highness, I am guilty." The other party could say that, but Hua Zheng could not take it seriously, so he continued, "Being coerced is not enough to absolve me of my crimes. I knew that a new emperor should be established, but I listened to slander and disobeyed the imperial decree. I was even responsible for the logistics supply of the rebel army when Your Highness was fighting against the rebels... This sinful subject deserves to die."

"Don't say that," Wei Wusheng said with a smile. "I wouldn't call it a crime, but I have certainly made some mistakes. And these mistakes are simply due to being misled by bad people, aren't they?"

It's like in a marriage, where all the mistakes are someone else's. The only mistake is your own: marrying the wrong person.

Can meeting the wrong person be used as an excuse?

How old is she? Why is she acting like a child, believing everything she's told?

Clearly, the King of Qin had not forgiven him.

“Deceiving the enemy is a small matter, but it is the failure to handle national affairs that is the real problem. The Huai County military farm was just completed when this war broke out, resulting in the loss of grain and supplies, the loss of merchants, and the death and injury of countless civilians and soldiers.” Hua Zheng continued to take the blame upon himself, saying, “My mistakes can never be made up for.”

"Stability is paramount. The fact that the Grand Master of the Palace has taken the initiative to stop the fighting is already for the benefit of the people," Wei Wusheng said. "Aside from the dead, the money we lost and the land we damaged will gradually be restored starting next year. Grand Master of the Palace, don't you agree?"

“Yes, the military farms cannot be stopped, nor can the development of Huai County,” Hua Zheng said very seriously. “But restoring the military farms also requires food and money. Your Highness, please allow me to donate all my wealth to contribute to the military farms of my Great Yu… as a way of atonement.”

Wei Wusheng's eyes lit up when he heard this.

That's right.

What problem can't be solved with money?

However, he can't be so obvious.

After hesitating for a moment, he tried to smooth things over for the other person, saying, "Grand Master, don't blame yourself too much. You're not the only one who's been deceived."

Hua Zheng's brain is just like Einstein's; it turned in an instant. He said, "Your Highness, I will take the lead and join those officials in donating our family wealth to help with the land reclamation!"

Damn it, how did Wei Wusheng become so cunning after hanging out with Song Shi'an for several years?

Indeed, not a single one can be missed.

However, donating their wealth is not a bad thing for them.

They definitely chose the wrong side and even caused trouble. If they could spend some money to erase their mistake, wouldn't they be happy to do so?
In any case, officials have opportunities to be corrupt.

If we are too lenient with them, leaving everything as it is and not giving them any punishment, it will only make them fearful, living in constant anxiety about the reckoning that may come at any time.

"Then I'll leave this matter to the Grand Master of the Imperial Stud." Wei Wusheng smiled and said, "You've really been a great help."

"Your Highness, this is all my duty."

Even when blackmailed like this, East China University of Political Science and Law still doesn't think its actions are wrong.

If he had followed Zhao Yi and joined forces with Duke Li Run, his head would have been chopped off too.

Being able to live and breathe is the best thing ever.

But I wonder where the Duke of Li is now...

Just then, a soldier came in, went to Wei Wusheng's side, and whispered something to him.

East China University of Political Science and Law turned its head away, refusing to listen or look.

Then Wei Wusheng suddenly stood up and said with great joy, "Good! The traitor Wu Qing has been killed, and the world is at peace!"

East China University of Political Science and Law was stunned.

That Duke of Li... that Duke of Li is actually dead?

You mean that Duke Li?

They survived such a difficult battle back then, and now they're dying at the hands of a few juniors?

"Congratulations, Your Highness... Congratulations on eliminating the traitor and restoring peace to the world," Hua Zheng said with congratulations.

“Taipu, let me tell you,” Wei Wusheng shared with great joy, “Song Shi’an had long anticipated where Wu Qing would flee after his defeat, so he took advantage of the chaos to ambush eight hundred elite Imperial Guards in the valley leading back to Qinzhou. Sure enough, Wu Qing delivered himself there.”

There were only so many people in total, and they even sent 800 Imperial Guards to block their retreat.

Song Shi'an wasn't thinking about how to survive the siege at all; he was thinking about how to swallow an elephant whole and completely digest it.

From beginning to end, his wisdom surpassed that of the Duke of Li.

Just how terrifying is this guy?

This Song Shi'an is truly a monster.

I won't go against this guy, absolutely not, absolutely!
"Then I will go and convey this good news to the Emperor Emeritus."

Wei Wusheng smiled, nodded at him, and then left.

The old emperor was not in good health, but because Wei Wusheng would never let his father go, he took him everywhere and continued to torment the old man relentlessly.

Of course, he's past that naive age.

The reason is simply that we don't want to risk adding to our already won situation due to some overly 'reckless' actions.

Divide slaves.

However, he did have something good to share with the emperor.

His favorite son, his King of Wu, did not disgrace him.

In his final moments, he drew his sword and committed suicide, shouting: "I'd rather be a bone in a tomb than a king in prison!"

How imposing it is!

Fourth Brother, if you had had that kind of courage back then, why did you lose like this?

How foolish, how foolish!

With a smile, Wei Wusheng entered the Emperor Emeritus's room. Just as he was about to speak, he saw the Emperor leaning back in his chair, slumped over, head bowed. He looked like an old, dying elephant, his eyelids wrinkled and unable to open.

Hearing the noise, he opened his eyes with difficulty and, seeing that it was Wei Wusheng, managed to squeeze out a voice: "What... happened?"

"Wu Qing is dead."

Wei Wusheng looked at him and answered.

"it is good."

After uttering this word, the old emperor closed his eyes and nodded, as if using all his strength to respond to the good news.

Then, she slowly opened her eyes, looked at him groggily, and asked, "Where is the King of Wu?"

After a brief silence, Wei Wusheng said, "He's fine. He was sent back to Sheng'an first."

The emperor remained silent.

There was no expression on his face.

They didn't even bother to expose the absurd lie that An Sheng was currently in Huai County and that they should send the King of Wu back to Sheng'an first.

"Once you've packed up, you can go back to Sheng'an too."

Wei Wusheng looked at him and said.

The old emperor looked at him expressionlessly for a long, long time before finally saying, "Thank you."

Wei Wusheng turned around and left.

They walked outside the barracks.

But his mood didn't seem as cheerful as Xinyue's.

Having successfully avenged himself and gained everything, he didn't seem so happy.

why?

What's wrong with me?
"Your Highness." Just then, an officer came over and reported to him, "The prefects and magistrates of the surrounding counties of Huai County are all heading this way, requesting an audience."

The victor's reward—a flood of supporters followed.

They were all afraid that if their attitude wasn't proactive enough, it would seem like their loyalty wasn't pure enough.

"What brings this civil official to see me?"

Wei Wusheng ignored him completely and walked away.

.........

Inside the carriage, Song Shi stayed quietly, with General San Gou personally driving the carriage for him.

He has completely handed over Huaiyang County to trustworthy people to manage.

Furthermore, he instructed Gao Yunyi and Fan Wuji to become his trusted lieutenants after their heart-to-heart talk with Wang Shuishan, and to go and appease him.

Now, Song Shi'an is going to the land reclamation ceremony with his official wife, Xin Yue, where they can reap the rewards of their victory.

After all, it would be too authoritarian not to report such a great thing to the emperor.
Suddenly, the carriage gradually slowed down.

And then, slowly, it came to a stop.

"My lord."

The driver, San Gou, leaned back and said to him.

Song Shi'an was puzzled, so he also lifted the curtain in front of him.

Then, he saw that the top officials of various counties around Huai County, totaling more than twenty people, who had somehow learned of his whereabouts and gathered together, were already waiting on his way back.

As soon as he poked his head out, the county officials, dressed in formal robes, all knelt on the ground, placed their hands on the soil, pressed their foreheads to the backs of their hands, and, filled with boundless anticipation, bowed in unison:

"We pay our respects to the Governor." (End of Chapter)