Frost for a Thousand Years

After Song Shi'an's army advanced south, the aristocratic families quickly provided their own grain.

Of course, warfare relies entirely on the state apparatus, and most of the provisions are provided by the imperial court itself. These powerful families in the south mainly ensured that the army had ample food supplies.

During the Song Dynasty's campaign to pacify the south, the most important factor was the 'people'.

He personally led 20,000 imperial guards, which included about 20,000 state soldiers, and with the support of various families, they were equipped with nearly 50,000 laborers.

Ultimately, a total of 100,000 men, claiming to be 200,000, marched south after issuing a proclamation to punish the traitor Duke of Zhangping.

In fact, in ancient times, the number of troops recorded in almost all historical books was greatly exaggerated.

Especially during the pre-Qin period, it was even more outrageous.

A force that is said to number 500,000 typically has a maximum of 100,000 combat troops.

Song Shi'an's force is said to be 200,000, but in reality, his pure combat strength is less than 40,000.

On another front, Ye Changqing and Ran Jin led nearly 30,000 men and tens of thousands of laborers, also known as an army of 100,000.

Fortunately, the Duke of Zhangping is also claiming this.

He actually has about 25,000 border troops at his disposal.

However, his years of management have made his rule very strong, enabling him to mobilize more than 70,000 laborers and barely manage to raise 100,000.

If we disregard all external factors, in this battle, the Duke of Zhangping was at a disadvantage against Song Shi'an in terms of terrain, troop strength, and supplies.

But those are things we truly cannot abandon.

“My lord.” General San Gou, holding some letters in his hand, stood beside Song Shi’an at the desk and said somewhat warily, “In the past few days, no fewer than a dozen people have tried to bribe me to see you. Many of them are men of the Duke of Zhangping. So many traitors… isn’t that a bit suspicious?”

San Gou wasn't teaching Song Shi'an how to do things.

If those people truly intend to surrender and help the Marquis achieve a great victory, he will certainly be pleased. However, if these people harbor ill intentions and use their connections to gain access to the Marquis, only to then betray him, San Gou feels a great responsibility upon himself.

“San Gou is becoming more and more like a famous general.” Song Shi’an raised his finger and praised with a smile, “He can think things through and he can sense when there’s a trap. He’s not far from being able to lead troops on his own.”

Upon hearing this, San Gou chuckled simply and said, "If even San Gou can think of this, then Lord Marquis must know it too."

“I know, and I don’t know,” Song Shi’an sighed. “With the army approaching and the people’s hearts set on it, the men under the Duke of Zhangping naturally have the intention to surrender. I know some of them are genuine, but I don’t know which ones are real. I know some were sent by the Duke of Zhangping to feign surrender in order to confuse the public, but I don’t know which ones are acting.”

This is where the shrewdness of the Duke of Zhangping lies.

Logically speaking, at this time, most people would be suspicious of their subordinates. If someone were to defect and surrender, they would definitely carry out a purge and kill them, even if it would cause the people to fall apart. But who can guarantee that the traitor among them won't kill him directly?
Even under the reign of white terror, this kind of thing had to be done in order to maintain the military's control!

But this man was different. He didn't plant a special agent battalion in his own camp to kill off anyone who seemed amiss. He knew that his wavering subordinates would definitely contact Song Shi'an privately and pass on some tricky, real intelligence, so he simply joined them directly.

It's all a mix of truth and falsehood, so hard to figure out.

What kind of situation would this lead to?

Regardless of whether the intelligence is true or false, Song Shi'an cannot use any of it; it must all be discarded.

“My lord, I still find it a bit strange.” San Gou asked again, “We have all been so vocal about punishing the traitor, and we are less than three hundred miles away from him. Logically speaking, he should be wanted by the court, so why does he not seem so flustered?”

“You’ve hit the nail on the head.” Song Shi’an said with a sudden serious expression, “When a war is about to break out, you can still be a little ambiguous. But now, the challenge has been sent out, and he hasn’t raised a single banner.”

What cards could the Duke of Zhangping play?
Huai County is in chaos. The former crown prince died under mysterious circumstances, and the late emperor was forced to abdicate. The army will follow me to kill Song Shi'an, this traitor, and cleanse the emperor's inner circle!

Or, to put it another way, with the late emperor's death, the Prince of Jiangling, as a prince, was not allowed to enter the capital to attend the funeral. The new emperor disregarded human relations and must have something to hide, and his accession to the country was illegitimate!

He can't even come up with a legitimate reason for his actions?
Why isn't the Duke of Zhangping flustered?

Just then, a soldier entered the tent, clenched his fists, and saluted Song Shi'an, saying, "Young Grand Secretary, Zhao Han requests an audience!"

Zhao Han was a Jinshi (a successful candidate in the highest imperial examinations) from Yangzhou. He had served as a sixth-rank prefectural official, but later resigned. Because of his high level of scholarship and great talent, the governor of Kuaiji Prefecture offered him a large sum of money to become his retainer and advisor.

That prefect later rose to the position of Chief Administrator (the second-in-command among the state's civil officials), and his reputation spread far and wide, making him a highly respected figure outside the official system whom many students sought to meet.

In reality, he was just a political broker.

But his identity is especially valuable.

A native of Yangzhou, a scion of a prominent family, a Jinshi (successful candidate in the highest imperial examination), a retainer of a high-ranking official, and also had many connections in the capital, such as the famous Minister Sun, who was his 'teacher'.

He came here on Ma Xin's recommendation. At the same time, Song Shi'an did need a local guide who was quite capable of mediating disputes to serve him.

"Okay, please come in."

Song Shi'an put down the letters in his hand, but instead of hiding them, he piled them up in the open.

After a while, a man in plain clothes, who was about thirty-five years old, rather young, thin, and with a somewhat rugged appearance, walked in and bowed to Song Shi'an: "I am Zhao Han, and I pay my respects to the young Grand Secretary."

"Mr. Zhao, you are too polite." After responding, Song Shi'an looked at him and asked jokingly, "Sir, you are a man of great talent and from a distinguished family, so why are you dressed in plain clothes?"

"Your Excellency, although I was fortunate enough to pass the imperial examination, I later became a merchant. According to the Great Yu Law, merchants are not allowed to wear silk or satin, so this outfit is just right for me," Zhao Han said with a smile.

There is indeed such a saying in Dayu: politicians should not engage in business.

But that's basically all bullshit.

I let my daughter go into business, I let my son-in-law go into business, and I let my son who doesn't hold an official position go into business. Isn't that enough?
He was a Jinshi (a successful candidate in the highest imperial examinations) and had many resources at his disposal. He could have easily let his younger brother or older brother become a businessman and he could have been the big boss behind the scenes. However, he voluntarily gave up such a high level of education and the privileges that came with it. Why?

These are the smartest people.

You are a Jinshi (successful candidate in the highest imperial examination), still retaining your scholar status, serving as an advisor to those important figures, and at the same time doing some business in private. You have grasped money, fame, and power in your own hands and are unwilling to let go. Your greed has gone too far. How can the court not be wary of such a person?

Let's not go that far. Can the powerful families of Yangzhou, and Ma Xin, the governor of Yangzhou, tolerate him?

Therefore, I only focus on making money, making money openly and honestly, and being a good middleman, which is how I have the convenience I have today.

“That’s true.” Song Shi’an smiled, then extended his hand. “Please sit down.”

"Thank you, Young Master Xie."

Zhao Han sat on the side where Song Shi'an reached out, and from this angle, she could see the stack of letters, including one that was open and the handwriting was visible.

If this is indeed a loyal mole, his letter was exposed and Zhao Han saw it. And if that mole is dead, then he will be implicated.

Therefore, Zhao Han only caught a glimpse of such a sensitive thing before turning her gaze away and looking straight ahead.

“Mr. Zhao, I have a question,” Song Shi’an said, “If someone from Chen Huo’s side wanted to defect to me and was willing to support me, would I agree to it?”

"Your Excellency, I believe that three things should be considered when determining whether this person is trustworthy," Zhao Han said.

"Oh?" Song Shi'an asked curiously, "Which three things?"

"Reporting to the Grand Secretary," Zhao Han began, "firstly, does he have any reason to submit to the court?"

“Explain in detail,” Song Shi’an said.

"Many of the officials under Chen and Huo were from Yangzhou, and most of their families moved to Guangfu. Another group were his confidants, who came from Qinzhou," Zhao Han said. "The rest were officials appointed by the court, and their families were either in Sheng'an or other prefectures, not natives of Yangzhou. For officials like these, their loyalty to the court, while not necessarily sincere, was often forced upon them by circumstances."

Your weakness is in the hands of the imperial court. Isn't it normal for you to want to return to the embrace of your motherland?
"And the second one?" Song Shi'an asked again.

“Secondly, they have no way out,” Zhao Han said. “Under the very nose of the Duke of Zhangping, to dare to send someone to meet with the young Grand Secretary in private, it must be either a scheme devised by Chen and Huo, or he cannot survive without submitting to the court.”

“For example, someone like Huang Tong,” Song Shi’an said. Huang Tong was the Northern Yan man who assassinated the Yu envoy and was then about to be sold off by the Duke of Qin.

Because his country was too weak and had no intention of protecting him, he had no choice but to save himself.

As a result, he not only obtained gold, but also became a general of a great power. Kang Xun and his men dared not touch his family in Northern Yan, for fear of causing a diplomatic incident between the two countries.

“Yes, young Grand Secretary,” Zhao Han said with a smile. “Although I haven’t seen the letters that Shamoji sent out, if the chaos in Yizhou is real and it’s on official business for Zhangping Kingdom, he must have sent someone to carry out specific tasks… Such a person, if he doesn’t want to be a scapegoat, can only atone for his crimes through meritorious service. His words are surely more sincere than some empty gestures of goodwill, aren’t they?”

"And what about the third one?" Song Shi'an asked with growing interest and anticipation.

“Those who have a grudge against Chen Huo must be sincere,” Zhao Han said. “Those around him who have climbed to that position and become his people have been there for at least several years, or even more than ten years. Those who have deep grudges will definitely want to strike at his weak point and kill him when they have the chance to take revenge.”

"But?" Song Shi'an looked at him and asked.

“But,” he replied with a calm smile, “the young Grand Secretary has no connection with any of these people, not even a single day of interaction. As for those who hate him, whether it is true hatred or genuine love, Chen Huo surely knows better than the young Grand Secretary.”

This is like Zhou Yu beating Huang Gai.

Of course, this is a fictional story, and even if its logic is self-consistent, it cannot be used as an example.

However, there are historical records of Huang Gai feigning surrender and Cao Cao being fooled.

Cao Cao would believe that the hatred described in Huang Gai's letter was real enough to fool even Cao Cao.

And doesn't this further illustrate...?

“Therefore,” Zhao Han stood up, looking at the stack of letters next to Song Shi’an, and said quite frankly, “you should not believe any of these so-called pledges of loyalty. Even if some of them are true, if even one out of ten is false, that false one will be fatal enough to cause your army to lose soldiers and armor.”

Song Shi'an smiled.

He liked this man quite a bit.

"So, according to you," Song Shi'an said, "no one believes that this stack of letters is basically just pieces of waste paper, completely useless?"

“Young Grand Secretary, I don’t think this is useless.” He looked at Song Shi’an and said, “I think that since it is impossible to distinguish between the true and the false, why not make dozens of copies of each of these letters, put them in bamboo tubes, and send them downstream to return to the Duke of Zhangping?”

Upon hearing this, Song Shi'an's expression froze for a moment.

Looking at him, she coldly asked, "What about those truly loyal ministers who are devoted to the court?"

“Apart from those whose families are not with them, their ruler is the Duke of Zhangping, and the salary they receive from the Duke of Zhangping also comes from the Duke of Zhangping. Today they are loyal to the Duke of Zhangping, and tomorrow they are loyal to the court. Such flexible loyalty is not worth having. However, simply sending them letters is a bit too deliberate and not genuine enough.”

Despite uttering such insidious words, Zhao Han maintained a sunny expression, saying, "Even if some people are truly forced into this situation, compared to the victory in this battle, it is a necessary sacrifice."

Song Shi'an's move was intended to completely disrupt Chen and Huo's camp and destroy their base in one fell swoop.

The price to pay was that those truly loyal ministers also had to be buried alive with them.

Once he starts indiscriminate killing, and the morale of the army wavers, it will be much easier for Song Shi'an to launch another attack.

Absolutely, it's better for me to die than for my friend.

"Have you always been this ruthless?" Song Shi'an questioned.

“Young Grand Secretary, it was indeed cruel of me to say such things,” Zhao Han said honestly. “But I believe that these petty tricks I’m showing off are insignificant in the face of your great wisdom.”

"Don't flatter me, I never thought of doing such a thing," Song Shi'an raised his hand to clarify.

"Young Grand Secretary," Zhao Han said suddenly and sincerely, "you know that if we really fight like this, even for you, it will take at least a year and a half. Everyone is hoping that you will lead this battle, which means that this battle should not be fought."

Song Shi'an looked at him without saying a word.

Zhao Han became even more agitated: "On the contrary, for the country and the people, those battles you fought before, which everyone opposed, were correct and deserved to be fought."

To put it simply, in the context of the Great Yu Kingdom, anything that the ruling class unanimously agrees on is harmful to the common people.

Anything that the ruling class unanimously opposes is beneficial to the people.

Every single thing Song Shi'an did before was met with numerous obstacles.

Therefore, all of those are just.

What he's doing now is surprisingly getting a huge response, with people even voluntarily donating money.

So, is this correct?
"However, those powerful families have provided not only grain but also manpower, and they're probably spreading the word everywhere that you are determined to suppress the rebels and are determined to behead the traitor Chen Huo." Zhao Han said with shining eyes, "This battle is definitely going to have to be fought. Therefore, I believe that in the event of a battle, we should aim to defeat the enemy without a fight and achieve a swift victory for you, Young Grand Secretary, so as not to delay your progress in unifying the world!"

We have to fight. We've already taken the money, how can we not fight?
Therefore, Zhao Han believes that this battle, which should not be fought but must be fought, should be won with minimal cost.

Instead of what the people of Yangzhou had hoped for, Song Shi'an was trapped here, causing the people of Qinzhou and Sizhou to fight each other, and the people of Yangzhou to take the opportunity to govern themselves.

This Zhao Han was not a pure Yangzhou native, or rather, he was not narrow-minded.

How much gold should I give you?

Song Shi'an smiled and asked.

"Whatever amount the young master offers, I will be eternally grateful," Zhao Han said, bowing his head slightly.

Although he said that, it was clear that he wasn't after money.

"How could someone who has passed the imperial examination and is from a prominent family become a broker for money? If he wants money, wouldn't it be enough to just get a higher official position? What could be more profitable than being an official?"

Song Shi'an's eyes seemed to see through everything as he said, "Is it because Scholar Zhao is giving up a good official position that he has so much passion but can't put it to use in Dayu?"

A scholar passed the imperial examination and became a Jinshi, but he didn't want to become a high-ranking official, so he simply resigned.

Isn't this because politics is too corrupt, and he's unwilling to compromise his integrity as a bureaucrat?

"The young Grand Secretary is so young, yet he is able to write such articles, and he puts knowledge into practice and has made such achievements." Zhao Han said this with deep emotion, "I can only look up to him with boundless respect... I would rather die than become someone like the young Grand Secretary."

This is the power of Song Shi'an's example.

He's awesome.

Even brokers like him couldn't resist wanting to help him achieve his grand ambitions.

“Sir, I had already thoroughly researched you before Governor Ma recommended you,” Song Shi’an said proactively. “Please, come with me.”

"Han is willing to serve."

Zhao Han bowed to Song Shi'an and accepted the invitation.

“What you said is a good idea, sir. I will consider it carefully,” Song Shi’an said.

"Thinking it over carefully" means "I don't agree."

However, Zhao Han was not discouraged, because if it was this person, he would definitely have a more brilliant solution than himself.

He wanted to witness firsthand the young Grand Secretary's solution to achieve both goals!
Zhao Han nodded, then said, "Young Grand Secretary, I've brought someone with me this time."

"Who?" Song Shi'an asked curiously.

Without a trace of jest, Zhao Han said very seriously, "A woman who admires you even more than I do." (End of Chapter)