Frost for a Thousand Years

With winter approaching, all preparations for the Huai County agricultural settlement have been completed.

Because Song Shi'an had distributed most of the farmers' grain even after the granaries were burned down, the people trusted the new policies very much. Not only did the original people return to their households, but tenants from Huai County and Sizhou also came one after another. In addition, nearly 100,000 people migrated from Qinzhou. The military farms in Huai County expanded from five counties to nine counties in the entire county, and the number of military and civilian soldiers and civilians increased from 500,000 to 700,000.

The original number should have been nearly 800,000, but the chaos resulted in the loss of nearly 100,000 lives.

With all this groundwork laid, Wei Wusheng personally led 30,000 troops into Sheng'an.

Wherever he went, the people welcomed him with open arms.

Some even went so far as to shout "Long live!"

He is more like the ruler of the Wei clan than the current emperor.

The officials, led by the emperor himself, also welcomed the army.

First came the emperor, followed by the four cabinet ministers, then the remaining two ministries, and some first-rank scholars.

Half of the royal family members were absent.

However, given that they had already been completely marginalized after that reduction of the power of the princes and had no say in the court, His Majesty allowed them to throw such a tantrum.

This is actually quite humane.

They had to comply with the previous policy of reducing the power of the princes, because not doing so would be considered disobedience.

There's no need to force ourselves to get these vanity projects nowadays.

After all, even the emperor wouldn't be so unreasonable as to want to rob you of your money while also expecting you to give him face.

A pragmatic emperor should do this: I only rob money.

"Your subject, Wei Wusheng, pays his respects to Your Majesty!"

"Your Highness, you've worked hard."

When Wei Wusheng dismounted and walked up to the emperor, kneeling on one knee with his fists clenched, the emperor immediately helped him up and smiled.

This detail is actually quite insightful.

The emperor could clearly anticipate that the other person would kneel, but he would wait until the other person's knees had already touched the ground and were covered in dust before lifting him up.

Even if he is a de facto emperor, if he doesn't even care about the most basic face, then there's really no point in being emperor.

"Your Highness, without you, there would be no me today, nor would there be the Great Yu Dynasty today."

After praising him, the emperor extended his hand.

At this moment, Eunuch Zhang, who was standing beside him, read out the imperial edict:

"The Edict of Prince Jia of Qin on Pacifying the Rebellion and Establishing Agricultural Colonies"

Disciples:

King Qin quelled the rebellion at Jianmen Pass, his achievements surpassing all others. The Duke of Li, relying on his strategic advantage, plotted rebellion, tearing apart my trusted advisors. You personally led your elite troops to annihilate the villain at Jianmen Pass; you also reclaimed the barren lands of Longxi, saving tens of thousands of starving people. Therefore, I hereby bestow upon you the following extraordinary gifts:
I. Entering the Palace with a Sword

Bestowed: Red shoes (with an inlaid magnet lock on the sword).

Pei: Qing Shuang Sword (the scabbard is forged with the name of a traitor, and it always rings when entering the palace).

Second, praise and worship without naming.

Third, 30,000 mu of land in Lantian were granted.

Fourth, a reward of three million coins.

So be it.

Today, Wei Wusheng has completed the set of marks of a disgraced official.

Praise and worship without name.

The reason why the rest of the items weren't given out all at once was because they were too frightening, and their intentions were as obvious as Sima Zhao's.

It can be said that the emperor must have read the Records of the Three Kingdoms and had a very accurate understanding of how to restrain powerful ministers.

As for these 30,000 mu of land and three million coins, they are actually quite insignificant.

The value of Huai County is millions of acres of land and billions of dollars.

This imperial edict is about brotherly love and respect, and mutual affection between brothers.

"Your subject, Wei Wusheng, thanks Your Majesty!"

Wei Wusheng accepted the commendation very formally.

Then, the emperor himself led him into Sheng'an.

The officials on both sides bowed in respect.

When they passed by Song Shi'an and their eyes met, they looked like silly classmates staring at each other in class, both wearing forced smiles.

"Wusheng, you are now the Prince of Qin, the Minister of the Imperial Clan, and the Grand General." The Emperor held his hand and asked with concern as they walked. "If you don't resolve this important matter in your life, things will get a little strange."

"Your Majesty, this..."

.........

"Your Highness, my sister truly loves you. You wouldn't dislike her, would you?"

Inside the Ministry of War, Song Shi'an and Wei Wusheng sat together on the steps in front of the desk. When the conversation turned to the emperor, Song Shi'an got straight to the point, stating the key points.

This made Wei Wusheng unusually embarrassed, and he remained silent for a long time before finally saying, "I've always treated Qin'er like a younger sister. If we were to really get married, it would feel a little strange."

"This is ridiculous! Treating someone else's own sister like a sister and saying such things, how can my sister ever get married?" Song Shi'an said with great displeasure.

Wei Wusheng was indeed morally blackmailed by him.

Thinking of the girl in the Song residence who, out of concern for her brother, would frequently interrupt the adults' conversations and was subsequently yelled at by her father, a smile involuntarily crept onto his lips: "Qin'er is indeed a remarkably lively and adorable girl, and as the daughter of Grand Secretary Song, she is worthy of anyone, but alas..."

“Your Highness, please state your concerns,” Song Shi’an said.

"Many things are arranged by parents and matchmakers, and as the elder brother, you can also make the decision. But I am not from a high-ranking family. Although I am of royal lineage, my maternal line is humble, no different from that of a commoner."

Wei Wusheng never considered himself a prince. He despised the emperor, so he felt more sympathy and romanticized love for his mother, whom he had never met. Therefore, deep down, he saw himself as the King of Qin, who belonged to the people: "I, Wei Wusheng, am not an emperor. Qin'er is with someone else, forced into marriage by order. But this is your sister. I want her to choose her own husband."

These words immediately made Song Shi'an laugh.

The mighty King of Qin is actually indulging in pure romance here.

“Your Highness, I really don’t understand what you’re being so reserved about.” Song Shi’an extended his hand as if introducing someone, and said, “Such a handsome face, such a tall stature, such a talented man, even if you weren’t the king, my sister would still like you.”

"This..." Wei Wusheng was still embarrassed, "Then, I must thank my brother-in-law."

"If you say that, Your Highness, aren't you also my brother-in-law?"

"Oh right, Jingming also married Changqing."

The two of them are now incredibly close.

You could even say that Xinyue could be considered his sworn sister.

“Your Highness, it’s not just about feelings,” Song Shi’an said, his tone growing serious. “Also, our relationship needs this marriage to become even stronger.”

The Anson Coalition needs complete integration, as this is the foundation of their regime.

"Yes." Wei Wusheng nodded and said seriously, "This time, we need to use this marriage to quell the situation in the south."

The problems in the south were mainly caused by the Duke of Zhangping, the King of Jiangling, and Shamogi and his ilk.

Although their perspectives are different, the fact that they chose to cause trouble at this time is simply a protest against Yu and Song.

Everyone was against Song and denied the legitimacy of his regime. But no one was against Wei Wusheng.

This is also a double-edged sword of the 'politics' game.

They opposed the Song dynasty on the grounds of usurpation, and could use the pretext of "purging the court of corrupt officials" to justify their actions.

You can't oppose the Song dynasty while simultaneously opposing Wei Wusheng. Because if you oppose Wei, you're also building momentum for the Prince of Jiangling. What you're showing—opposing one king and installing another—is pure power grabbing and rebellion.

Therefore, the only slogan that the Duke of Zhangping could muster, the slogan of justice, was to oppose the Song Dynasty, not the Wei Dynasty, and at the same time respect the emperor.

However, if Wei Wusheng became Song Jing's son-in-law and Song Shi'an's brother-in-law, Song Shi'an would gain another layer of prestige through this relationship.

"And what about you and Xinyue?" Wei Wusheng suddenly asked.

"I'm so anxious! We chose an auspicious day, but it's not here yet!" Song Shi'an complained. "I should have paid a little more to bring the auspicious day forward."

"You can add this?"

"Just kidding," Song Shi'an said.

We should still show some respect to the gods. In feudal society, with its backward medical care, this was the most effective form of spiritual therapy that could provide a sense of security to the working class.

"What about the South?" Wei Wusheng asked.

“There’s no other way, we definitely have to fight,” Song Shi’an said. “That bitch Shamoji ruined all my plans.”

"Is the problem with the Duke of Zhangping very serious?" Wei Wusheng asked again.

“Very powerful.” Song Shi’an admitted truthfully, “This man has been in the south for too long, living in seclusion rather than in court, and his influence is deep. Compared to the Duke of Li, although his power is not as great, he has the advantage of being difficult to deal with.”

“And then there’s my younger brother,” Wei Wusheng said. “He’s so young, yet he’s bloodthirsty and violent. And he’s incredibly brave.”

Among all the princes, he was the only one who became a border general.

They have that talent, and it's outstanding.

"This thing in the hands of the Duke of Zhangping is a real headache." After thinking about it for a while, Song Shi'an suddenly looked up and asked, "Your Highness, may I hire someone to kill him?"

Wei Wusheng's expression froze, suddenly becoming serious, seemingly angry, but it didn't frighten Song Shi'an at all. He then said abstractly, "If you want to hire someone, I'll pay for everything."

Now, Wei Wusheng finally understands the difficulties of having many brothers.

If only a few of my brothers could just disappear out of thin air.

The late emperor's last words before his death were: "Treat your brothers well."

He truly listened, so he wanted to focus his limited love on a very few brothers, and in this way, those individual brothers received more kindness.

“Your Highness, there has been a lot of criticism in the court regarding my leadership of the Ministry of War this time, since I am not a military officer,” Song Shi’an said. “I brought you back this time for two reasons. First, I wanted you to marry Qin’er, so that I could be protected a little. Second, Sheng’an cannot do without someone. At least one of us needs to stay.”

Even though Cao Cao was incredibly powerful, his rear was thrown into chaos many times when he led his troops into battle.

Therefore, to be a powerful minister, one must be stable.

"Many of the battles in Beiliang and Huai County were fought by you. Those corrupt scholars in the court are just making trouble out of nothing," Wei Wusheng said.

"It's nothing more than some trivial but persistent harassment."

When criticizing Wei Wusheng, they said that his championships were all won by riding on Song Shi'an's coattails, and that he didn't even have an FMVP award, so what value did it have?

When criticizing Song Shi'an, they said, "You're not even the leader of the An Sheng duo, and your salary is lower than theirs. What kind of dual core are you?"
I have no idea whose people these are, it's so hard to guess.

"Are you really going to lead troops to Zhennan?" Wei Wusheng asked. "I don't doubt your abilities, but the south has many forks in the road, and is full of swamps and miasma. Northerners often feel unwell when they go south. I'm afraid your body won't be able to handle it."

Compared to Song Shi'an, Wei Wusheng's physique is truly outstanding.

After all, he had practiced martial arts since childhood, unlike Song Shi'an, who spent his youth practicing strange and ingenious skills in taverns. His physical fitness was definitely not comparable.

"Your Highness, don't worry, I'm fine," Song Shi'an said. "Besides, I have to go to the south."

Wei Wusheng knew why.

Even if he leads troops there and wins the battle.

However, in matters of united front work, pacifying the people, and subduing barbarians, he was far inferior to Song Shi'an.

Yizhou had been in great turmoil before, Yangzhou was not close to the imperial court, and now Nanyue has begun to pursue militarism.

If you don't look into it closely, they're all minor issues.

But if you take it seriously, it's a complete mess.

To repel external threats, one must first secure internal stability.

“Okay, leave Sheng’an to me,” Wei Wusheng said trustingly.

"Your Highness," Song Shi'an said with a smile, placing his hand on his shoulder, "the planning and preparation will take quite some time, but it won't delay your wedding."

.........

"Sister-in-law, I'm getting married..."

Song Qin walked up to Xin Yue, looking somewhat bewildered and shy, and spoke.

Upon hearing this, Xin Yue immediately smiled and said mysteriously, "I already knew."

Do you know I'm going to marry the King of Qin?

“Not only did I know, but I also suggested it to your brother a long time ago,” Xinyue said.

"Oh dear, why didn't you tell me this..." Song Qin nudged Xin Yue's shoulder, looking extremely embarrassed and awkward.

“After all, it’s the King of Qin getting married, it’s a huge deal. I couldn’t bring it up with you before it was done,” Xin Yue explained. “I was just afraid you’d be disappointed.”

Upon hearing this, Song Qin blushed immediately: "I have no expectations... Sister-in-law, you're being so embarrassing."

"If you're really going to force yourself, then don't get married."

"Hey, it's not that hard," Song Qin waved her hand. "I'm just at the age where I should be getting married."

The way this young girl was in love made Xin Yue want to laugh.

Suddenly, however, she frowned, her expression hardened, and she covered her mouth.

"Sister-in-law, is that you?"

"Xin Yue, are you there?"

Song Shi'an went straight to Xin Yue's room. After seeing Song Qin, he said with great disdain, "Go out and play. I have something to discuss with your Xin Yue."

"Hmph!" Song Qin got up and left arrogantly, but before leaving, she gave Xin Yue a very mischievous smile.

"Why are you making faces at me, kid?"

Song Shi'an was speechless. Just as he turned around, Xin Yue looked at him with a serious expression.

After the two looked at each other for a while, Xin Yue said, "Shi An, squat down."

Song Shi'an didn't understand, but he did as instructed.

"Crouch down, get a little closer."

"Oh well."

Until she placed her hand behind Song Shi'an's head, gently embraced him, and pressed it against her stomach, she softly said, "Call me Father."

What the heck? Shouldn't you be calling her "Mom"?
After his initial shock, Song Shi'an suddenly realized something.

Holy crap, the guaranteed drop came out! (End of Chapter)