Frost for a Thousand Years

This sentence did not touch Wei Wusheng's heart.

Even the almost-spoken term 'disobedient' couldn't stir any emotion in him.

He never imagined he could be so heartless.

Even though this man was about to die, this was their last meeting.

why?
Am I really a demon from purgatory, devoid of any humanity?
No, that's not the case.

When Song Shi'an encountered a crisis, he was genuinely worried and distressed.

This is enough to prove that I am still a human being, with a beating heart, and that my blood and flesh are still incredibly vibrant.

"Okay, I'll take you to Sheng'an."

Wei Wusheng said.

Thank you.

The emperor looked at him, unable to even raise his head or nod, and his voice was extremely weak.

“It will take at least two days to get to Sheng’an by water,” Wei Wusheng said. “Do you have any messages you would like me to pass on?”

Waterways are currently the most stable and comfortable mode of transportation.

In addition, it is currently the autumn flood season, and the water flows downstream, so the arrival time will be the fastest.

If even this can't be delivered before he dies, then it can only be said that no matter what, he has no chance to end his life in Sheng'an.

Wei Wusheng spoke calmly.

After a brief silence, the emperor looked into his eyes and asked, "Have you considered how to guard against Song Shi'an?"

At this moment, only the two of them were there.

No one could hear their conversation.

The sound disappeared into the night, leaving no trace.

Accompanying this was the clanging sound of friction.

After drawing his sword, Wei Wusheng slowly placed it against the emperor's neck.

There was not a trace of kindness in his cold eyes.

Decisive, like an assassin.

They can coldly execute the person in front of them without any personal feelings.

Looking at him, the emperor smiled knowingly.

He felt a deep sense of approval for the child in front of him.

But he also knew that his approval meant nothing to Wei Wusheng.

He doesn't care about his own feelings.

The old emperor himself is not worthy.

"That's all, that's all."

The old emperor said.

"Wait, I'll have someone take you away."

Wei Wusheng sheathed his sword, then turned and left.

Soon after, Eunuch Zhang led his men to carry the emperor onto a sedan chair, and then onto a medium-sized but very light, empty boat.

There were only a dozen or so armored soldiers on the ship, but fifty soldiers rowing it.

This ensures the ship's speed to the greatest extent possible.

They were even able to arrive in Sheng'an before the Prince of Jin and his officials did.

At night, the emperor lay quietly on his bed in the ship's tower and summoned Wei Wusheng's eunuch, a fairly honest and kind-hearted eunuch.

"Your Majesty the Retired Emperor," Eunuch Zhang said with some heartache upon seeing him, "why didn't you tell Prince Qin that you went to Sheng'an despite your poor health because you didn't want to die by his side?"

The emperor is about to die.

If he were to die beside Wei Wusheng, it would be a huge political disadvantage.

In the future, there will definitely be people who attack the combination of Song Shi'an and the King of Qin from this angle.

You forced the old emperor to abdicate, making him the retired emperor, and then he died in the military camp where the land was being cultivated. From beginning to end, what exactly did the old emperor say? What is the truth? And what about the death of the former crown prince? Can you figure out all these things clearly?
The former crown prince died, and the emperor died a few days ago.

Who wouldn't suspect a conspiracy?

Even though Song Shi'an was really wronged.

At least he didn't kill the old emperor.

Who can you blame if you're so angry that you die faster than expected?
Old Emperor, you can't take being ridiculed.

Therefore, the retired emperor's insistence on going to Sheng'an despite his illness, even if it meant seeing the officials, relatives, and historians before his death, would at least allow the regime of Wei Wusheng and Song Shi'an to maintain its legitimacy.

"Do you think he could not know?" the old emperor asked with a smile.

"Does Your Highness know?" Eunuch Zhang asked, somewhat surprised. "Since you know, why is Your Highness so unmoved... Is it really possible for you to be so resolute?"

The old eunuch found it utterly unbelievable.

Let alone father and son, no matter how much you hate someone or how unforgivable they are, if they are on their deathbed and offer you their final apology and compensation, wouldn't you feel even the slightest bit of pity?

“He is in pain,” the old emperor said. “If he could truly be moved by it, he would not be himself. He would not have accomplished such a great feat.”

"What does the Emperor Emeritus mean? This servant doesn't understand." Eunuch Zhang shook his head and asked blankly.

"In Beiliang, surrounded by Ji Yuan's 100,000 troops, what sustained an innocent prince? That's right, it was his gnashing hatred," the emperor said. "Before his rebellion truly succeeded, my Imperial Guards, and countless other eyes, were secretly watching him. Do you know how they treated me when we weren't looking?"

"Complaints and disgust?" Eunuch Zhang asked tentatively.

“Respect, loyalty, and no offense whatsoever.” The emperor looked at the old eunuch and said, “You said before that if I had made amends sooner, I could have prevented all of this from happening. I’m willing to believe that it might really be true. But even if he could forgive me, what has brought him to me is endless hatred.”

How much forbearance must a person who has suffered so much injustice and unfair treatment, and was sent to a battlefield where he is destined to die by his own father, still be able to keep every word of the emperor watertight in private?
This is a performance that would only be put on to kill him.

"Then, Your Majesty, are you sad?" Eunuch Zhang asked, looking at him with pity.

When asked this question, the retired emperor paused for a moment.

Even this rootless man, Eunuch Zhang, seemed to have developed a sense of empathy and wanted to experience the sorrow of the imperial family.

"No!"

Suddenly, the emperor issued a forceful denial. Then, he chuckled maliciously at Eunuch Zhang, "Facing Ji Yuan, even the slightest bit of womanly compassion would lead to a deadly end. This brat dared to hold a sword to my neck, so he'll never have a sword held to his own. I've finally found the true heir. The Prince of Jin wants to be emperor? Can he even be emperor!"

Wei Ye is definitely wrong.

However, he overturned his previous self.

Despite his seemingly domineering and imposing demeanor, he actually possesses many weaknesses.

He cared too much about family ties, and he cared too much about being remembered in history.

But now, with family ties to hell and historical records certain to be unfavorable, he finally saw the mirror of humanity before his death and made his final reconciliation with himself.

He has finally found a true successor who can ensure the continuation of the Great Yu Kingdom.

He had finally found someone who could stand against Ji Yuan.

The process was completely wrong, but the result was correct.

Eunuch Zhang didn't know what to say, so he just looked at the sickly person with some 'fear'.

The imperial family is truly insane.

Even in this state, he's still thinking about the foundation of the Great Yu Dynasty.

Crazy. Everyone who sits in this position is a fucking lunatic.

"In the Prince of Qin's residence... no, it's the Prince of Zhongshan's residence."

After laughing, the retired emperor gradually calmed down. Then, he suddenly spoke up and said, "There is a eunuch who was planted by Wei Yiyuan earlier."

.........

Sheng'an, Song Mansion.

News from the front lines kept coming back.

They were first taken to the Song family mansion, and after being examined, they were then sent to the palace.

Those who were allowed to go to the palace were only doing things that weren't very important.

Of course, it cannot be said that everything is important.

The royal family now serves as a symbol of 'etiquette'.

A great nation like ours cannot be disrespectful. But true core power must be firmly held in the hands of the three Song dynasties.

"Previously, I believed rumors and falsely accused Lords Qin and Zhu of usurping power. My crimes are grave, and I am willing to accept all punishments from the court. Now, Ji Yuan is cultivating land on the opposite bank and dares not act rashly. I will temporarily assume the position of acting governor of Liangzhou, awaiting the court's formal appointment. I submit to all..."

Song Ce read aloud the letter sent by Xiao Qun to Song Jing and Song Shi'an.

After hearing his response, Song Shi'an was sincerely impressed and exclaimed, "This Xiao Qun is truly a loyal and patriotic man with the demeanor of a great general!"

"Among the nobles, he is a rare, unassuming general," Song Jing also praised.

They were originally very worried about the situation in Northern Liang.

Rationally speaking, Xiao Qun would cooperate.

But who can be considered a rational person?

Now that the nobles are being slaughtered so readily, even the Duke of Li is dead, Xiao Qun's fate is intertwined with theirs, and it's highly likely that he will be of one mind with the remaining nobles of Qinzhou.

If he did that, not only would Liangzhou be overthrown, but he would likely lose at least three or four counties, and tens of thousands of troops would fall into his control.

If Ji Yuan were to establish a relationship with him again, then Northern Liang would be in great danger, and the entire Liangzhou would also be in great danger.

Liangzhou is in danger, and the noble forces involved in Qinzhou will also take advantage of the situation to cause trouble.

The butterfly effect will disrupt Song Shi'an's overall plans.

Fortunately, Song Shi'an did not misjudge him.

“Since Xiao Qun is cooperating so well, we should also show our sincerity,” Song Jing said. “He will be the new leader of the nobility.”

Although there was still the Duke of Zhangping in Zhennan, he had been weakened by the emperor because of the Crown Prince's rebellion, which separated him from his family. He was then unable to exercise real leadership over Qinzhou because of the distance between the north and south.

“If Xiao Qun is willing to love his country, then our country will love him too,” Song Shi’an said decisively. “His position as Governor of Liangzhou will remain unchanged, and his son will also enter the court. In the future, he will join my staff.”

Song Shi'an did not intend to prevent the nobles from living, but on the condition that regional stability be guaranteed and that they verbally express patriotism.

Do not engage in any rhetoric that could sow discord within Dayu.

Their political stance must also closely align themselves with Song Shi'an.

“The Duke of Li has been eliminated, Zhao Lie has been suppressed, and Hua Zheng is willing to offer his family property and land as tribute. We should also reduce the power of the other aristocratic families as much as possible.” Song Jing nodded. “At this time, maintaining Xiao Qun’s status and giving him appropriate favors is also a good example.”

“This is meant to show the remaining nobles that they want to preserve their current wealth and status, but the blessings of their ancestors are no longer effective,” Song Shi’an said sternly. “What they need to do is to show the new dynasty their value. If they have no value, then they have no reason to exist.”

"Should the hereditary titles be abolished?" Song Ce asked. "For example, the next generation of a county marquis becomes a township marquis, the next generation of a township marquis becomes an earl, and there are no more titles after the earl, so as to eliminate the so-called noble class."

“No, no.” Song Shi’an waved his hand and replied, “One must eat one bite at a time. These nobles will definitely disappear. But doing this now doesn’t have much practical significance.”

“Moreover, Wu Qing’s son is not dead yet,” Song Jing said. “Let’s first make Wu Jing desert his people, and let the other nobles voluntarily break away from him. After we’ve completely eliminated him, then we can deal with this big problem.”

"I understand." Song Ce nodded, feeling that this was indeed more suitable.

He also discovered the circumstances under which his own brother would become fierce and domineering.

They only flex their muscles when it's absolutely necessary to put on such a political show.

But every time he shows off his muscles, it's followed by a sweet treat after the initial blow.

Kill someone brutally, then forgive those who were injured, and finally comfort the audience who experienced these bloody scenes.

Therefore, he is able to ensure that the powerful forces always stand by his side.

It will never truly provoke public outrage.

"What about Chen Ling?" Song Jing asked his son. "He's one of Sun Situ's men."

“Let’s discuss this with Minister Sun,” Song Shi’an said. “Zhu Qing and Qin Kuo were impeached before, and we used that to retaliate against the emperor, which means we impeached Xiao Qun and Chen Ling in return. Now that Xiao Qun has rendered meritorious service in resisting the enemy, his merits and demerits are offset, so we can naturally let him go. But we can’t just let Chen Ling’s matter go like this.”

"Demote him to the third rank," Song Jing said. "Recall Sheng An to serve as a court official."

“Yes, that’s acceptable.” Song Shi’an thought it was fine. “However, he is, after all, the governor of a prefecture. Even if he doesn’t have military power, we’ve already sent him the imperial edict to launch our attack. If he resists, it won’t be good. So, we still need to discuss it with Minister Sun and have him send a letter over to appease and promise us.”

Tell Chen Ling that he is willing to come back, and I will personally meet him at the gate of Sheng'an City.

“Then what about the Situ Mansion…” Song Jing wanted Song Shi’an to go, but hesitated, “You scolded him before.”

"Then I just won't yell at him this time, okay?"

"Hey, you're getting cocky." Song Jing knew this kid was mischievous, so he didn't pursue the matter and quickly changed the subject, saying, "The position of Governor of Liangzhou just happens to be vacant, and this is something we can arrange. What do you think?"

When asked about this, Song Shi'an looked at Song Ce and said, "His uncle."

The high-ranking officials in the country are fixed.

If someone steps up, someone else must step down.

An official who is "fabricated" is definitely not a high-ranking official.

Previously, Song Shi'an became the prefect, while the previous prefect was also nearing retirement age.

Now, the governors of the other prefectures have neither committed any wrongdoing nor reached retirement age, nor are there any suitable positions for them to be transferred to laterally, so there is simply no way to place them.

Chen Ling's demotion was a good opportunity to arrange things for Song Chen.

Cui Ting is Song Jing's father-in-law.

His son, who is also his brother-in-law.

A typical maternal relative.

“Okay.” Song Jing agreed and decided, “Ce’er’s maternal grandfather is of retirement age. He has retired from the second rank, and it makes sense for Ce’er’s uncle to take over as a prefect.”

"Fortunately, all of this is going smoothly," Song Shi'an said. "Once the emperor arrives tomorrow, we will get these things done as soon as possible."

The most important thing at this stage is to maintain stability.

With the fire in Huai County extinguished, the military turmoil in Qinzhou brought to a halt, and the political struggle in Liangzhou concluded, Song Shi'an's comprehensive policies could finally be implemented through his staff.

Just then, a trusted confidant rushed in from outside the mansion and reported, "Lord, Marquis, Young Master, the Emperor Emeritus is almost at Sheng'an!"

"Huh?!" Even Song Shi'an was surprised.

The other two also stood up abruptly from their seats, which was quite unbelievable.

The Emperor Emeritus's return isn't something that's urgent. Even if he really wanted to come back, he should have discussed it with me beforehand. How come he's already almost at Sheng'an?
At this moment, the confidant explained, "According to Eunuch Zhang, the Emperor Emeritus felt that his days were numbered, so he ordered Prince Qin to send him to Sheng'an City overnight. He traveled by water, in a light cabin, without stopping for a moment, so it was almost as fast as an urgent message. As soon as he disembarked, Eunuch Zhang came to report to him."

If that's the reason, then it makes sense.

In ancient times, waterways were the fastest route.

Jianxing is not far from Sheng'an, only about 500 li away.

But there was only one thing that mattered most to Song Shi'an:
"Is the retired emperor dead?"

"He's still alive!"

.........

After the retired emperor's ship arrived at the ferry crossing in Shengan, it headed towards the capital.

Moreover, they entered Sheng'an City in broad daylight, carrying the banner of the retired emperor and riding in an imperial carriage of imperial specifications.

Before he entered, Song Jing and Ouyang Ke, along with other officials, had also urgently convened a meeting to discuss and make a decision.

They used the Imperial Guards to block the roads and close the doors, and directly welcomed the retired emperor to the capital.

Considering the Emperor Emeritus's health, no meetings were arranged for him; he went directly to the palace.

However, after he entered the palace, the sixty-four soldiers accompanying him all put on the finest armor and replaced all the guards at the palace gate, in front of the Taiyuan Hall, and the Xuanyu Hall of the sleeping quarters.

Even the Empress Dowager's palace underwent a change of guard.

These sixty-four men were Wei Wusheng's confidants.

Among them were quite a few soldiers who were devoted to the sect.

Their sweat was redder than the blood of the Imperial Guards.

These people ensured that the retired emperor was absolutely monitored while in the palace.

However, considering the need for the retired emperor to know the situation in the city, he was given the only official historian.

He had heard everything about Sheng'an City.

"Those who know me and those who condemn me, only history will tell."

On the dragon bed, the dying emperor repeated these words, then smiled and sighed, "I have never been able to achieve these eight words in my entire life."

A young man in his early twenties thus grasped the state of mind that he would only attain upon his death.

The retired emperor recalled that dream again.

Everything is so heartbreaking.

But in the end, he still changed things.

"Summon Song Shi'an, the regent entrusted with the care of the young emperor." (End of Chapter)