Frost for a Thousand Years

The twilight, like blood, splashed on the palace gates, and the hundred-foot-high red steps, soaked with the setting sun, rose with a thick, dark red layer.

Outside the palace gates, officials led jointly by Song Jing and Ouyang Ke prostrated themselves on the ground.

When the retired emperor returned, he walked through the central axis of the main gate. The people stayed at home to avoid him, but many still saw the imperial carriage heading towards the palace through the cracks in their windows.

But no one knows whether this retired emperor is still alive.

Because, according to legend, he possessed many destinies.

He had already died at the hands of Song Shi'an and Wei Wusheng during the Tuntian Grand Ceremony.

However, such rumors did not spread widely, because the rumor that the retired emperor had appeared on the battlefield and intimidated Zhao Yi into not daring to send troops had also recently spread throughout Sheng'an City.

According to some reliable sources, this is largely true.

Of course, since the common people didn't witness it themselves, many conspiracy theories arose.

There are also some mysterious claims, such as that the retired emperor did not die, but was extremely weak and could not withstand any further attacks, and was a substitute for the retired emperor in front of the army.

But this is clearly not plausible.

The biggest plot hole is that Zhao Yi is Zhao Lie's own son and a frequent attendee of court. How could he not recognize the old emperor?

Could a fake emperor scare away the real Zhao Yi?
But there's no way around it; the prerequisite for all rumors to gain followers is that no real evidence appears.

Now, everyone is waiting for accurate news from the highest levels of the empire, and for it to be confirmed by many people.

Did the retired emperor actually arrive in Sheng'an alive?

This point is extremely important.

This means that the legitimacy and authority of the ruling group led by Song Shi'an in the Sheng'an court are questionable.

When the government comes to power in the future, will the people of the world listen to the imperial edict of the Great Yu Emperor or the words of Song Shi'an alone?

Dusk, like congealed blood, settled into the palace roof, thousands of black feathers weaving a swirling shroud above the palace. Crows' beaks tore through the rosy clouds, letting out hoarse cries, like rusty hinges twisting the aging twilight…

A sense of oppression lingered in the hearts of these imperial officials, making them hesitant to raise their heads. Their unease and fear were profound and lingering.

The old emperor's carriage did indeed enter, but whether it was actually the old emperor inside remains to be seen.

Or rather, is he a living old emperor?

Nobody knows.

If the old emperor had died long ago, the old emperor in the carriage would already be a corpse.

In front of all the officials, Song Shi'an sent the old emperor's body into the palace.

Then, under the pretense of an imperial edict from the retired emperor, he was summoned to the palace and declared to be the "regent entrusted with the care of the young emperor" of the Great Yu.

After entrusting his final words, the retired emperor passed away.

None of the officials saw the old emperor until the moment he breathed his last.

Is that scary?

This is extremely frightening.

It's as if everything in this world is fake, nothing is real, there's no way to know, and we can't even check the accounts.

Song Shi'an said he was a trusted minister entrusted with the care of the young emperor, and he was.

Song Shi'an said that the old emperor gave him the following order, which was...

Even if Song Shi'an were to suddenly kill someone in the court years later, he could use one reason: "When the Emperor Emeritus entrusted me with the care of his son, he said that this person must be killed!"

The powerful noble families and aristocratic clans of the Dayu Dynasty had become too influential, and the dynasty thus entered an era of white terror.

But Song Shi'an's single sentence, "Those who know me and those who condemn me, only history will tell," rendered all the slander and attacks powerless.

Beneath the vermilion walls, there is no more sunlight.

Just then, Han Qi and Ran Mu, the only two nobles in Sheng'an who had not been severely punished but were under the court's surveillance, walked behind the officials with the help of the officials.

Originally, given their status, they should have been in the first row, alongside Ouyang Ke and Sun Situ. But now, their very survival depended on the court's favor, so naturally they dared not concern themselves with these so-called seat disputes. At the end of the line, they knelt obediently, burying their foreheads in the dust.

They were relatively good; they didn't participate too much in the rebellion, nor did they flee.

Unlike Xun Hou and Zhao Lun's family, who have basically become wanted criminals by the court and are about to face the same fate as Zhao Yi's family, being completely reduced to ordinary people.

No, a commoner.

At the very front, Ouyang Ke, though his head was down, had his gaze fixed between the two guards holding long halberds at the palace gate.

A long, narrow passageway leads into the depths of the palace.

With his back to the officials, Song Shi'an walked alone.

Led by Eunuch Zhang, we arrived at Xuanyu Hall.

The two halberd bearers standing outside the hall were two of the three hundred warriors of Beiliang.

Upon seeing Song Shi'an, they knelt on one knee, heads bowed, but the smiles on their faces and the excitement in their eyes were barely contained.

Song Shi'an smiled and extended his left hand.

The two looked up at the scar on his palm. Almost in tears, they each showed their left hands.

That scar was as deep as a ravine.

Who could have imagined that the army that was once considered a bunch of unlucky wretches sent to their deaths to silence public opinion would now be standing in the imperial palace?

Now, no one can use us as sacrifices anymore.

Even the former emperor is in our hands!

The sword that Langya drew back then has now been rewarded handsomely!

Song Shi'an personally pushed open the door.

The old dragon, lying on the bed, looked at him from the side, his eyes still holding a glimmer of light.

In Song Shi'an's eyes, there was no anger, no regret, and no disgust.

On the contrary, I also captured the unexpected joy of seeing you at the moment of parting, which came from the bottom of my heart.

And kneeling beside this bed was the hereditary historian, Ma Yong.

He was holding a book in one hand and a pen in the other, recording a crucial, historic moment.

The chair next to the bed had already been placed there.

Without any hesitation, Song Shi'an walked up to the old emperor and sat down.

"Your Majesty, are you alright?"

He didn't originally need to address him that way, but Song Shi'an respected him as an opponent, so he used the address he was most used to.

As for the current emperor, in Song Shi'an's eyes, he has never been 'Your Majesty'.

"Not good..." The old emperor forced a smile and said, "I was able to return to Sheng'an thanks to Prince Qin."

“This is a place you know best. The fact that you can settle down here shows His Highness Prince Qin’s sincerity,” Song Shi’an said. “You should know that he doesn’t care about rumors.”

Song Shi'an was trying to get justice for his good brother.

The old emperor thought that he had forced himself to return to Sheng'an, clinging to life, because he didn't want to die at Wei Wusheng's hands and suffer the criticism of the world. He believed it was a way of making amends on his deathbed, and that Wusheng should be somewhat moved.

But Song Shi'an wants to make it clear that you were able to come back because Xiao Wei had a kind heart, giving you the opportunity to return to your roots and take one last look at the place where he grew up. He doesn't care about being criticized by the world for murdering his own father; you should be the one who is grateful.

Song Shi'an's deliberate emphasis made the old emperor laugh fearlessly once again: "Thank you, Wusheng... I treated him so badly, yet he still has such a kind heart."

"..."

Song Shi'an frowned slightly, looking somewhat unaccustomed to the situation.

Because he regarded him as a major boss in the early and mid-stages, and an opponent who had encountered difficulties there many times, at the end, instead of fighting against him, the opponent smiled in a fawning manner.

You disgust me.

Staring at the man, Song Shi'an cursed him with genuine disgust.

The historian stared wide-eyed, completely bewildered by these five words. After looking up to confirm that Song Shi'an's expression would convey these words, he prepared to record them.

"Don't record this sentence," the old emperor said to the historian. "Don't record anything that follows either."

"..." The historian moved the pen that had been hovering over the paper away and placed it on the edge of the inkstone on the ground, choosing to obey the decree.

"Why are you putting on this act of feigned innocence?" Song Shi'an looked at the utterly desolate and pitiful emperor and said, "When Wusheng was born, his mother had already passed away, leaving him utterly alone. And you, because of this, felt even more hatred and gave him such a name. Now, he has defeated Ji Yuan, defeated Zhao Yi, defeated the King of Wu, and you suddenly think he looks like the ruler of the world, capable of inheriting your legacy and prolonging the life of the Wei clan. So, at this moment, you want to pave a so-called thorny path for him one last time?"

“Your Majesty,” Song Shi’an stood up, looking down at the old emperor with disdain, and said sarcastically, “No need. Even if you do nothing, I can handle it for him. His father, who has gone astray and repented, is of no help whatsoever to him becoming a great emperor for all time.”

Trying to ride the wave of the situation?
No, you can't.

"That's amazing." The old emperor was not angry at all after being scolded so harshly. On the contrary, he said with admiration, "When I was leaving, I asked the King of Qin a question: how should he restrain you in the future? He didn't say anything, but put his sword to my neck."

Song Shi'an stared into his eyes, his face showing no sign of rejection.

The old emperor knew that Song Shi'an felt that he was still indulging in self-pity, putting on a show to win over the hearts of the ministers for his son, which seemed childish.

That is indeed the case.

The old emperor's few words of advice had no effect on Song Shi'an.

He didn't think it was fake, nor did he think His Highness knew that the old emperor would tell him this, and he certainly didn't think that his words would change the bond between him and Wei Wusheng.

Why would an emperor stage a whitewashing act before his death? I disagree.

"I have nothing to entrust to you. You have already obtained everything, and you are capable of doing everything."

The old emperor knew that Song Shi'an would not be grateful and would not accept any information, so he said quite simply, "I sent you here only to ask you for a favor. Is that alright?"

Song Shi'an sat down in the chair and calmly replied, "Your Majesty, please speak."

At this point, the historian also knew that everything could be recorded.

And so, the recording began.

Song Shi'an's life was one of "knowing me and condemning me, only history can judge."

"After I die, all the concubines and maids in the palace who have no children will be given a severance payment. If any of them wish to remarry, we will help them find a match," the old emperor said. "If they voluntarily stay in the palace, you can arrange some spinning and embroidery work for them, enough to support themselves."

Upon hearing these words, Song Shi'an smiled faintly.

"Of course, this is on the premise that you are of no use. If you wish to give it to yourself or as a reward to the officials, please do so," the old emperor said.

“Your Majesty need not do this,” Song Shi’an said. “I do not need it, nor will I use women from the palace as gifts to win over my colleagues in the court.”

To what extent did you make your buddy sexually repressed?

"The Empress Dowager has a difficult personality and is somewhat stubborn," the old emperor said. "However, I have already heard about your affair with her. I believe that after this, she will no longer overstep her bounds and interfere in court affairs. However, it is not good for her to meet with Yixuan too often. There is a residence called Yixing Garden at the Imperial Mausoleum, and I will order her to reside there from now on."

What the Empress Dowager wanted was the joy of motherhood and children.

Her only thought for happiness in the rest of her life was to be in the palace, spending every day with her son.

We greet each other morning and evening, admire flowers and the moon, and enjoy the happiness of family life.

The old emperor did not want to see this happen.

It wasn't that he was selfish and wanted his wife to die a miserable old age.

Rather, he knew very well that the emperor, given the empress dowager's personality, would definitely have wild thoughts.

If they encounter certain events, coupled with the instigation of some villains in the palace, they will inevitably have some brainless thoughts.

If the emperor sees her every day, who knows what foolish things he might force his son to do.

For example, assassinating Song Shi'an, an outsider, and seizing back our throne.

But what can this woman accomplish when she's paired with Wei Yixuan, an emperor who isn't particularly outstanding to begin with?
When Song Shi'an encounters this mess, will he kill the Empress Dowager or the Emperor?
“Your Majesty, even if the Empress Dowager stays in the Imperial Garden, the new emperor can visit her often. The mother and son meet several times a year,” Song Shi’an promised.

"Ah."

The emperor blinked in thanks. Then, he began racking his brains, trying to remember what else he wanted to say. After remembering, he said somewhat hastily, "Chen Bao, you know him, right?"

Song Shi'an said, "It's because he was unwilling to do what you asked him to do that Xi Shan came about later."

Song Shi'an had a very good impression of this person, though.

Because the emperor had practically hinted that Chen Bao should kill him.

If he were to replace Hee-sun, winning wouldn't be so easy for me.

However, Chen Bao deliberately disobeyed orders and said things he shouldn't have, and was immediately relegated to guarding the imperial tombs.

“I can’t lie. He knows some secrets; you can learn more from him than from others.” The old emperor was most worried about this former comrade. “Logically, I should be the one protecting him. But I’ve already passed away before him…”

“Eunuch Chen is a good man,” Song Shi’an interrupted, saying casually, “I like good people.”

"Thank you."

After receiving such a response, the old emperor was finally able to put his mind at ease.

Logically speaking, no matter who is in power, Chen Bao is bound to be implicated.

They were either silenced because they knew too many of their secrets.

Either the intelligence he possessed was exploited by his new successor, who wanted to know everything, and thus his final years were not peaceful.

Who in this world can let him go?
It really is only Song Shi'an.

Because this arrogant young man didn't care at all what secrets the old emperor had.

"Your Majesty, have you prepared your message for the new emperor?" Song Shi'an asked.

He had three requests for himself: one for his concubine, one for his wife, and one for his friend.

But the son, who should have said something, left no message.

Song Shi'an was not worried that he would bypass him and secretly pass on the message.

Because he simply couldn't send it out, and the Prince of Jin would never receive it.

Do you think you and Xiao Wei's men are just sitting around doing nothing?
The emperor remained silent.

He was thinking about what he could say to the next emperor.

“I will relay everything His Majesty says to the new emperor truthfully,” Song Shi’an promised again, “without any alteration, not even the punctuation.”

The emperor was thinking.

After thinking for a while, he understood.

Instead of looking at Song Shi'an, she slightly raised her eyebrows, staring blankly at the person in front of her, and sighed:

“You must not follow in the footsteps of the late emperor, but strive to cultivate benevolence.”

These words made Song Shi'an realize the horror of death.

Because he has never died, he doesn't know that this is how people die.

It has become so unfamiliar.

The emperor's last words to his son were: Don't follow your father's example, do some good deeds.

It was precisely because there was no trace of acting that Song Shi'an felt a chill run down his spine.

Could it be that when one dies, due to difficulty breathing, a heavy body, drooping eyelids, and the torment of illness, with no good dreams day or night, one becomes gentle and compassionate under the heavy burden of these physical sufferings, and even reconciles with the whole world?

Is it true that a person's words are always good when they are about to die?

"it is good."

"I did not refuse," Song Shi'an said.

"I am dying, please summon all officials to the palace..."

After coughing a few times with some difficulty, the old emperor spoke to the historian beside him.

The historian immediately stood up and hurriedly passed by Song Shi'an, preparing to go outside to deliver a message.

Because Song Shi'an gave permission, the guards at the gate did not stop them.

Song Shi'an just looked at him.

Just watch.

For a long, long time.

Finally, he turned around and prepared to leave.

Suddenly, the old emperor called out to him: "Shi An."

He stopped and turned around.

"I'm so sorry I couldn't satisfy you and even made you look so timid and pathetic..."

The emperor looked at him and said in a somewhat reassuring tone, "Ji Yuan is younger and stronger than me. He will not be so disappointed when he dies by your sword."

Ultimately, the emperor was just too old.

If he were ten years younger, he wouldn't have acted the way he does now when he was fighting with Song Shi'an.

At the very last moment, he would lead his soldiers to fight Song Shi'an head-on.

It's like how the Duke of Li died during the breakout, not in his bed.

"Oh."

Song Shi'an casually agreed, then turned around and walked out of Xuanyu Hall.

He was alone on the steps, while below the long flight of steps, dozens of officials, clutching their robes, were running desperately toward him, each with tears in their eyes and their emotions running high.

Song Shi'an walked down the steps, and the people all stopped and looked up at him.

He walked step by step down to the bottom, turning his back on the crowd.

The officials behind him then lifted their feet and hurriedly climbed the steps, rushing towards the second section of the sleeping quarters.

As Song Shi'an walked step by step, he suddenly raised his head and looked at the sunset on the horizon.

I won... but why doesn't it feel as good as I expected?

After the officials entered Xuanyu Hall, they saw the living Emperor Emeritus, who was still sitting on his bed, his face rosy and glowing. He exchanged a few words with each of them, until he shook hands with the last official, Minister Sun, and after gazing at him for a long time, he slowly closed his eyes...

Immediately, officials wept bitterly, and the death knell tolled.

"The Emperor Emeritus has passed away—" (End of Chapter)