Frost for a Thousand Years

Song Shi'an did not deceive the officials; the old emperor was indeed alive.

These veteran officials happened to encounter this final burst of energy before their time.

Everyone had a friendly conversation with the old emperor, and time pulled them back to their youthful days, as if their temples were gradually turning black under the lush candlelight, returning them to their most spirited and vigorous time.

Why do conversations among the elderly bring people back to sincerity? Even the most cunning old man, who has spent his whole life scheming against others, becomes exceptionally tolerant at the end.

Because face-to-face interactions between the elderly are becoming increasingly rare, and it's uncertain who will die first.

To be able to reminisce with old friends before dying is such a rare experience.

Holding the old emperor's hand, and looking at the emperor's closed eyes, Sun Situ couldn't help but feel a tear welling up in his eyes.

After the Emperor Emeritus passed away, Eunuch Zhang beside him shouted, "The Emperor Emeritus has passed away!" The officials collectively took a few steps back, and under the guidance of Minister Sun, they knelt down and wept loudly.

Of course, there is an element of acting in such crying.

It's understandable to feel sad when a friend dies, but who would weep as if they had lost their own parents?

This is actually part of the 'rites', just like how people in some regions raise their hands and jump up and cry when they see the sun rise.

But the tears of Han Qi and Ran Mu, the only remaining nobles of Sheng'an, were utterly sincere.

With the old emperor dead, there will be no one to protect the people of Qinzhou anymore...

They used to complain about the emperor, thinking he was heartless. They wondered why he treated Song Shi'an so well, given his many great achievements. But now they realized that if the emperor hadn't shielded them from Song Shi'an, they might have been crushed long ago.

As for the failure of the ambush to kill Song Shi'an in Huai County, which resulted in the loss of the throne, they were not too angry about it.

There's no way around it; anyone would lose to Song Shi'an.

Despite having a significant advantage, the Duke of Li suffered a crushing defeat and even died on his way back to Qinzhou.

"My lords, we have received an imperial edict from the Emperor Emeritus."

Crying serves as a form of 'etiquette,' though it's not as strict. It's still like the people of a certain region who stop crying on their own; their hearts will also stop on their own. But how can gratitude for the emperor's kindness ever end? So in this situation, the eunuchs performing the ceremony will proceed as if going through a routine, timing it so that when they've cried enough, they can move on to the next step.

Upon hearing this, the officials, quite tactfully, gradually stopped crying.

As long as it's not a choked sob or a painful cry, it's easy to stop.

And so, Eunuch Zhang opened the imperial edict.

The historian standing beside him also stood upright, taking notes.

The late emperor's last edict:
I have received the mandate of Heaven and now return to the Daoshan Mountain. The concubines and maids of the six palaces who have no heirs shall each be given three hundred taels of silver, and may choose whether to stay or leave. Those who wish to marry into officialdom shall be matched by the Court of Imperial Clan Affairs; those who wish to remain in the weaving workshop shall be given embroidery looms by the Bureau of Imperial Works.

As the Empress Dowager grew old, she moved to a secluded garden near the imperial mausoleum to rest and recuperate. Except for the three major festivals of New Year's Day, Winter Solstice, and the Emperor's Birthday, no official was allowed to visit or disturb her peace.

The funeral rites for my emperor shall be as follows:
First, human sacrifice is prohibited; terracotta figurines shall be used instead of sacrificial offerings.

II. The coffin shall contain only the three items designated by imperial decree:
Broken blade from the conquest of Northern Qi (placed on the right)

Wu Zidao's "Autumn Harvest in Huai County" (placed on the left)

King Wei Yi of Changsha seeks handwritten Buddhist scriptures (thoughtful).
"All of you ministers, assist the new emperor and, together with Song Shi'an, the governor of Sizhou, devote yourselves to the affairs of the king. Launch a northern expedition to quell the rebellion and unify the world—this edict is proclaimed far and wide, so that all may know it."

The final imperial edict of the retired emperor was completely inconsistent with his public persona.

However, these elderly officials were all able to understand.

Of course, these were the few things that the emperor could decide.

Moreover, this is helping the imperial court save money, so Song Shi'an would definitely be happy to do so.

This entire passage doesn't provide a lot of information.

However, there are some points worth interpreting.

The Empress Dowager moved to the Imperial Mausoleum Garden, and all officials were forbidden to disturb her peace.

To put it very bluntly, the Empress Dowager cannot interfere in politics.

If anything happens in the future, and some officials want to use the Empress Dowager against her and bring her back into the spotlight, this imperial edict will be just the right solution.

This is invalid.

It can only be said that this is a form of protection, a protection for the Empress Dowager herself.

Of the entire edict, only the last sentence carries weight.

'All of you ministers, assist the new emperor and, together with Song Shi'an, the governor of Sizhou, devote yourselves to the affairs of the king.'

I've shown you all; the retired emperor came back alive, he just died of old age.

His death was recorded by historians before he died, and announced by eunuchs after he died.

Before meeting everyone else, the only person he had met alone was Song Shi'an.

In conclusion, Song Shi'an's status as a regent was legitimate and unique.

"Gentlemen, please rise," the eunuch said.

After bowing three times, everyone stood up and left the main hall, heading outside.

Since the retired emperor had just died, these people did not want to make a scene, so they did not start talking outside the palace, but walked in silence.

Among them, Song Jing walked in the middle, supporting his father-in-law, with some close officials beside him.

To his left was Minister Sun, who was also accompanied by some gentry from Jiangnan, walking slowly.

On the right, but slightly behind, Ouyang Ke deliberately slowed down, citing physical weakness as the reason. The minister supporting him glanced at Song Jing with a hint of resentment in his eyes.

This Song Shi'an is too good at eating alone.

The position of regent minister was of paramount importance.

In later years, he could be considered a figure akin to the founding father of the nation.

The Minister of the Imperial Secretariat was the head of all officials, and he had even stood up for Song Shi'an during that battle, yet he did not allow the emperor and Ouyang Ke to have a private meeting.

Even if it's only for a few minutes?
As long as that process exists and is recorded by historians, then Ouyang Ke's appointment as a regent can be considered to have official endorsement.

Everyone knows the story of Liu Bei entrusting his son Liu Shan to Zhuge Liang at Baidi City, making Zhuge Liang Liu Shan's regent.

Most people know that there was another person to whom the orphan was entrusted, and that person was Li Yan.

Few people knew that Zhao Yun, Liu Yong, Ma Qi, Chen Zhen, and others were also present.

Therefore, the process of entrusting the young emperor with his care before his death is extremely important.

There are primary and secondary members, witnesses, representatives of the royal family, and representatives of factions.

However, Song Shi'an's actions were a bit too domineering.

It can be said that this directly set the tone for authoritarianism.

Furthermore, he also had his own 'golden rule,' which was that the emperor had stated in his will that they should unite around the center of Song Shi'an and take the future national goal of Dayu as unifying the world.

But there's nothing you can do; no one can argue with a dead person.

No one dared to ask the emperor questions he dared not ask at this time.

Even if the emperor himself remained lucid until his death, only exchanging pleasantries with these old ministers and never acting as regent, what difference would it make?

The future of the Great Yu Dynasty...

Confusion and gloom were indeed weighing on their minds, making it difficult for them to see the road ahead.

However, at the end of the alley, the man standing in the center, waiting, responded to them with this gesture: I am the future.

Seeing the future, these people took the initiative to step forward and show goodwill.

After all, he was the only regent appointed by the emperor.

"My lords."

Song Shi'an led the way in bowing, and the others bowed back to him.

"Father, I have something to attend to. Please take my grandfather back first," Song Shi'an said to Song Jing.

"Okay." Song Jing nodded to him, then helped Cui Ting leave.

Before leaving, Cui Ting placed her hand on his shoulder and patted him gently, her eyes filled with admiration.

This gentleman wasn't a fan of the champion; as Song Jing's father-in-law, he had long been actively involved in organizing the group.

When Sun Situ insulted Song Shi'an, he and Song Jing even huffed at Sun Situ.

He also arranged the imperial examination for Song Shi'an while he was in prison, not to mention his crazy deeds of smashing someone's head with a cane in the imperial court.

Choi and Soong are definitely the core members of the Soong Party.

After the two left, Song Shi'an bowed to Sun Situ and said, "There are some things I would like to discuss with Lord Situ. Is that convenient?"

In front of everyone, Song Shi'an invited Sun Situ.

Although the others were fine, they could only wait patiently in the back, with very polite smiles.

This is the absolute authority of the top leader, a power that fascinates people.

"How dare I ask for your guidance? If you are honored to grace my humble abode with your presence, I have a cup of tea to offer," Sun Situ said jokingly.

He originally wanted to find Song Shi'an, but some things from the past made it difficult for him to be the one to take the initiative to invite him.

If Song Shi'an were petty, he might say something like, "When we go to the Situ residence this time, do we still have to sit at the small table?"
That Minister Sun must be incredibly embarrassed.

The only safe course of action for reconciliation is for the victim at the time to break the ice.

However, Sun Situ did not believe that Song Shi'an was a victim...

Damn it, they humiliated and insulted me, and then hung me up in the hall of shame. I'm the one who's wronged.

"See you later."

Song Shi'an and Sun Situ each bowed and parted ways.

Then, Song Shi'an took a few steps forward and walked up to Ouyang Ke, greeting him with pleasantries: "Prime Minister Ke, are you feeling better?"

“Our Great Yu only has the Minister of the Imperial Secretariat, where would we get a chancellor?” Ouyang Ke joked. “Aren’t you being too kind to me, Chancellor An?”

“You’re being too kind, Prime Minister Ke. How can I possibly bear such a heavy responsibility?” Song Shi’an said, and then walked over to his side.

The minister who had been supporting him stepped aside, allowing Song Shi'an to take his place. Then, he personally helped Ouyang Ke walk forward.

The remaining officials followed behind them.

His pace was consistently slower than the two of them.

(TV news positioning)
"Prime Minister Ke, I've never dared to face what happened to Brother Yu before," Song Shi'an said heavily. "I have some words of apology that I want to say, but I can't put them into words. I don't know who to talk to."

“I know.” Ouyang Ke’s tone also became serious as he said, “I heard Yu Yan say that your carriage passed by his residence several times and stopped a few times, but you never got out of the carriage.”

“Sigh, I can’t say I tried my best to stop it back then. His willingness to act as bait to lure the traitor was indeed a great help. I was really relieved that someone could share the burden.” Song Shi’an said self-reflectively, “But neither he nor I really expected that Wu Qing, at his age, could still do this… Every time I think about it, my heart aches.”

To be honest, Song Shi'an had dreamed about that moment many times.

So far, no one has given him such a strong visual impact as the Duke of Li.

This was also the only time he miscalculated the power of people.

It can be said that the tactical arrangement was extremely reasonable.

Duke Li should have died under the combined attack of himself and Yu Xiu.

But something incredible happened.

“It was all of his own free will. He has long harbored the ambition to achieve great things and make a name for himself. You don’t need to do this.” Ouyang Ke said, then suddenly added, “I have the idea of ​​having Yu Yan succeed Yu Xiu as his official position. Shi An, what do you think?”

He was testing the waters.

Because Song Jing had already made a deal with him, and the two of them had made things clear.

Their power will increase in the future, but this needs to be clearly defined.

One is a household registration officer, and the other is an official.

Ouyang Ke wanted to demonstrate his skill in front of all the officials.

Of course, this is not a war that is started casually.

The fact that Song Shi'an took the initiative to help him out of the palace was to make up for the fact that he was the only minister entrusted with the care of the young emperor, and it was to give him face.

Therefore, Song Shi'an solemnly replied, "It is both reasonable and logical."

You should promote people, and cultivate your own trusted confidants.

I agreed.

"Well then, thank you, Shi An."

Ouyang Ke responded with a slight smile.

If you give me face, I'll give you face in return.

But both sides knew that the other was not someone to be trifled with.

Sharing power is inherently a sensitive issue that is prone to problems.

At the beginning of the 'new dynasty,' they were both partners in the initial investment, so the two of them were bound to get along extremely well.

If you yield, I will also step back.

But when the spoils weren't divided equally, that's when they got really angry and upset.

“Cough cough…” Ouyang Ke suddenly coughed, and his body trembled.

"Then Prime Minister Ke should return to his residence and rest as soon as possible."

After seeing him off at the palace gate, Song Shi'an bowed to him with great politeness.

Looking at Song Shi'an bowing to him, and then at the officials witnessing behind him, Ouyang Ke, though not easily appeased by these "few and pitiful" people, did not want to create a rift with them now. So he put his hand on Song Shi'an's waist and patted him gently: "Alright, after you go to Lord Situ's place, come here and let my wife make you some fish."

"Minister Ke, Shi An will definitely choose a day to visit you."

The two of them thus completed a friendly political show.

Everyone left the palace.

However, everyone stayed there; Song Shi'an didn't speak, and they didn't leave.

"Gentlemen, am I blocking your way?"

Song Shi'an feigned confusion, then moved aside and stood to the side.

These people hurriedly left in a panic, but before leaving, each of them bowed to Song Shi'an.

This regent received extraordinary treatment.

I know exactly who did the worship.

Who didn't pray?

Indeed, no one fails to worship.

Song Shi'an was very satisfied with everyone's current state.

A few days ago, someone was indeed being aggressive, trying to ride the wave of trending topics and make a name for themselves in history.

But now, such people no longer exist.

My eyes feel so much clearer now.

The ministers continued walking, and Song Shi'an inspected them one by one.

In the end, only Han Qi and Ran Mu remained. They were promising candidates for noble rank, and their presence here already drew attention, so their greeting to Song Shi'an was particularly formal.

Both old men were somewhat humbled.

"Then, gentlemen, I'll take my leave now."

Sun Situ was still waiting for him, and Song Shi'an still had things to do.

"Shi An." Just then, Han Qi quickly called out to him, and then, together with Ran Mu, the two of them walked up to him and said very cautiously, "We are quite old, so may we call you Shi An?"

"What are you saying, my lords? You are both descendants of founding nobles and elders. Calling me by my name is an honor," Song Shi'an said politely.

"Shi An, you've made us feel utterly ashamed." Han Qi covered his face, his cheeks flushed, and said with great remorse, "I've heard about what happened in Huai County, and some young men from Qinzhou have gotten involved. Although I swear I have never had any correspondence with them, they are still members of our family... This is a capital offense, no matter how minor."

“Marquis Changling, please don’t say that,” Song Shi’an raised his hand and said, “This matter has already been settled. They are military officers who were simply coerced by the rebels. The Qinzhou army is also the Great Yu army. His Majesty has also said that they are all innocent.”

“But in the end, we’ve caused trouble for His Majesty and for you, Shi’an,” Ran Mu said.

Both of these men came from families that had private soldiers.

Ran Tuo from Ran Mu's family even gave Zhao Yi some dirty tricks.

They are, in a sense, a family of war criminals.

"Gentlemen, what are you going to do?" Song Shi'an looked at them in confusion.

“What I mean is,” Han Qi said, “it’s a mistake, it’s a mistake that has ruined the country. It’s definitely not right for us to still be eating the emperor’s food and not be punished. We are willing to donate our family wealth to fully support the land reclamation. But this is far from enough as atonement.”

"So what do you two want to do?" Song Shi'an continued to ask.

"Shi An just mentioned nobles," Han Qi said. "The Great Yu should not have such a thing as nobles. These hereditary marquises should not be given to us either."

"We request that the titles be revoked, which would save the court some money," Ran Mu said.

In the past, noble was the highest honorary title.

This signifies that they can run rampant in their fiefdoms and treat their people like ginseng roots planted in the ground.

But now, the title of "noble" is just a label.

Like capitalists, landlords, and feudal remnants, this is a bad class background, and if investigated seriously, it can be fatal.

“There are no nobles in this Great Yu.” However, Song Shi’an said rather tolerantly, “Your hereditary marquis titles were given by Emperor Gaozu. His Majesty can take them back, but His Majesty will not take them back. As for telling me, there is no need.”

Song Shi'an ignored him.

He will not abandon the principle of seeking truth from facts and not pursuing empty rhetoric.

Taking away their titles at this time would not bring any benefits, but would only make the other nobles tremble with fear.

Ultimately, what's the point of having a title like Marquis of Ten Thousand Households if you've made a mistake?
It's nothing more than having a few more horses, more servants, and a higher standard of headdress and jade belt.

Not enough, not enough.

"Lord Song." Seeing that Song Shi'an was unmoved, Han Qi continued to pester him, "You are a trusted minister entrusted with the care of the young emperor, and the late emperor only met with you. Please advise us on how to leave this man from Qinzhou so that we can have peace of mind."

Having said that much, Song Shi'an stopped being polite with him.

Looking at Han Qi with that pleading gaze, he said, "General Han Yuan guarded Wuwei for months, and committed suicide after the city fell, upholding the dignity of our Great Yu. You are a meritorious official, and also the father of a meritorious official. Some family members' problems cannot be entirely attributed to you. However, you have already suffered the pain of losing your son, and I believe that your son should not continue to serve in the army."

"Thank you for your consideration, Lord Song!" Han Qi said gratefully. "I am already grieving enough for the death of one son. If my second son were to go to the battlefield and something were to happen to him, I would have no reason to live. I will have him resign from his position as general, and all my other sons and nephews will also retire from the army."

“If you don’t want to be a general or a military officer, there are other things you can do.” With one sentence, Song Shi’an cleverly removed Han’s military power.

"Then, Lord Song, what about my family, the Ran family?" Ran Mu asked.

After thinking for a moment, Song Shi'an said, "Ran Jin is still a good general. He should follow me from now on."

Nobility is both a status and a class.

Having hereditary military power and fiefdoms is a manifestation of their privileges.

However, this does not mean that abolishing all military power and fiefdoms would eliminate the nobility.

As long as these nobles, not all of them possess such power.

The term "noble" thus became a symbol.

After getting such a wonderful ending, the two of them were very glad that they hadn't run away back then.

Together, they gave Song Shi'an a deeply respectful bow, and the heavy burden in their hearts was thus lifted.

Noble families, meritorious officials, and powerful ministers—these people have all been nominally united with the government.

At this moment, there is another, even more powerful force discussing Song Shi'an's future.

"Prince Qi, does Song Shi'an intend for Wei Yiyun to become emperor, or is he merely paving the way for Wei Wusheng's succession? We have the right to know the truth about our family's empire, don't we?"

The four princes of the imperial clan all looked sharply at Prince Qi, the Minister of the Imperial Clan. (End of Chapter)