Frost for a Thousand Years

The change of flags and banners happened in an instant.

Moreover, even the army on the side of the Duke of Zhangping did not react in time.

It wasn't until the officers and soldiers in the front ranks saw the waving 'Song' flag that they realized they had now become part of the Central Army.

Meanwhile, Song Shi'an's army was even more bewildered.

What the hell?
The young Grand Secretary didn't say that these are also our people!
A military officer next to Sun Qi suddenly realized what was happening and, seeing that Sun Qi had already sensed it, tentatively asked, "General, did you know about this beforehand?"

knowledge?

I know one!

If I had known, would I have let things turn out this way?
Song Shi'an is awesome.

Also, the Duke of Zhangping is too awesome.

Now, let's take a look at how the two of them deceived everyone step by step.

Shamoji did indeed set a trap with a calculated scheme, using evidence of Sun Tuo and the Duke of Zhangping's conspiracy to sow discord between the court and the Duke, and to set off a wave of anti-Chen sentiment throughout Yangzhou and Yizhou.

But Song Shi'an, whose heart was not in the south, absolutely did not want to fight.

He didn't want to be used by the people of Yangzhou to get rid of the Duke of Zhangping, a thorn in their side.

At the same time, Chen Huo also knew that if this battle continued, there was basically no chance of winning. The best outcome would be to escape to Baiyue, become a mountain king, and end up in a miserable state where he was controlled by others.

Even Sun Jinhua was part of Song Shi'an's scheme...

The killing of Huang Cen and Zhao Ke, two representatives of the resistance, by Sun Qi directly led to a formal war between the two sides. However, it can be said that Sun Qi personally eliminated the staunch supporters of the war for the Duke of Zhangping.

This is why, after their deaths, the situation turned completely one-sided.

The Duke of Zhangping was determined to lose, to be abandoned by his followers, and to eliminate the wavering supporters who had fled south.

In fact, he should have foreseen this change of flag at this moment.

The first key point is, if a war is going to be fought, why send the Prince of Jiangling to fight?

Is the Prince of Jiangling worthy of Song Shi'an?
This is practically free!
Secondly, after the city fell, it was one thing for Song Shi'an to pursue them directly, but since the Duke of Zhangping wanted to hold the city, why didn't he implement a scorched-earth policy?
He's the one who caused chaos in Yizhou. Is it possible that he's starting to care about the common people now?

Finally, and this is the third point.

Actually, Sun Qi knew about their schemes long ago, but he didn't fully understand them; he just sensed something was wrong.

But now that I think about it, even if Song Shi'an hated himself, he wouldn't have let the Yangzhou army die in front of him, be ambushed, or use someone else to kill him, would he?

His purpose in doing so was very clear.

That is, to gather all the people of Yangzhou in this valley, so that they cannot leave or escape, and then the collective will be united in one place, so that they can only do one thing—to unite with the Duke of Zhangping and jointly attack the Baiyue!

Thus, the dilemma is resolved!
Sun Qi did not answer the general beside him. Instead, he rode forward and said loudly, "The rebellion in Yizhou was instigated by Sun Tuo, and Sha Moji further sowed discord, framed loyal officials, and framed the Duke in an unjust manner. If there really was a rebellion, why did the Duke not defend Guangfu City to the death, but instead cherish the people and retreat slowly? The Duke's troops are still the troops of our Great Yu, the righteous royal army!"

Such a quick change of expression!
However, these words did indeed persuade his troops.

Yeah, if they really wanted to rebel, why would they keep running away?
If they really wanted to rebel, why didn't they just join Shamoke at this point?
"Send it to the other side." At this moment, the Duke of Zhangping handed a military order to his son.

The shock Chen Wang felt at that moment was indescribable.

It's as if my worldview has been completely refreshed.

Is this how things are supposed to be played out in the world?

After receiving the letter, he didn't dare to delay and immediately rode his horse to the central government to present it to Sun Qi.

Sun Qi took it and then opened it.

Damn it! Military order from the Ministry of War!

It offers genuine products at fair prices, treats everyone fairly, and possesses supreme administrative power!

Song Shi'an had already endorsed Chen and Huo.

Therefore, even what happened at this moment seemed so legal and compliant, without any abruptness.

The prominent families of Yangzhou were utterly swindled by a conspiracies between people from Qinzhou and Sizhou.

"Military order from the Ministry of War: Our vanguard and the Zhangping Duke's forces shall be merged and stationed at the original location in the North Pass Valley, awaiting the arrival of the main army to attack Nanyue!" Sun Qi announced loudly.

Good heavens, a military order from the Ministry of War.

The Yangzhou generals, who were slow to realize the truth but then suddenly understood, were truly convinced.

At the same time, it also made me wary of Sun Qi.

This kid looks so innocent, but who knows if he and the young Grand Secretary had already made plans together?

Does Sun Qin not realize that his current actions make him seem like a traitor, and that he will be scorned by his family and ostracized by the prominent families of Yangzhou in the future?

It's no use anymore; this is the inevitable trend!
Song Shi'an won!
Moreover, by appointing himself as the vanguard general, he was giving him an opportunity for reconciliation.

Otherwise, if he holds a grudge from that day and retaliates fiercely, accusing him of splitting the Great Yu, then he would truly be finished.

"Join forces." The Duke of Zhangping raised his hand.

Then, Sun Qi also gave the order: "Join forces!"

Thus, within this valley, the two armies gradually merged...

The barbarian soldiers observing these scenes from above could only desperately report to Samogi!
"Your Majesty! We've been tricked! Chen Huo and Song Shi'an have joined forces! He's even changed his flag to one with the character 'Song' on it!"

Samogi, who was standing dumbfounded on the city wall, was suddenly shaken upon hearing these words.

Yes, after the two armies joined forces, there was no fierce battle.

Rather, it's a relationship where you are in me and I am in you.

It's like that saying from the Central Plains: "How can we say we have no clothes? We share the same robes with you."

They are comrades-in-arms.

They want to kill me, an outsider.

Song Shi'an!
In an instant, Samogi's cheeks flushed red, and he was almost brought to tears; his eyes were bloodshot.

"Shamoji! Are you a spy from the Kingdom of Yu?!"

The king, accompanied by several other kings and generals, stormed over in a huff.

If it weren't for the general protecting Shamokichi, the princes would have already been able to get close enough to attack the Queen Mother.

"Me, a spy for the Yu Kingdom? What would I gain from that!" Shamoji turned around and shouted sharply, "Did you even understand Song Shi'an's plan? Do you think it's honorable to point fingers at a woman like me!"

Samogi hates Song Shi'an, that liar.

This made her even angrier than the person who had lied to her.

How can this guy be so cunning?

And Chen Huo!

He has irrefutable evidence that you are a traitor. Is Song Shi'an your father? You agree to do whatever he says.

Can't you see the death of the Duke of Li at all?
“Your Majesty, you may blame us,” the king said, “but the fact that you fell for Song Shi’an’s trick shows that you are not qualified to be the ruler of Baiyue. We do not recognize the Sun family’s throne.”

"..." Samogi gritted her teeth and looked at the other person, wanting to talk back, but she knew she was helpless.

"I won't join in the excitement of attacking Qiu Juhuan," said the king.

"Yes, I'm not collecting anymore!"

"I will send someone to tell my king to withdraw the allied forces!"

In an instant, the alliance of Baiyue completely collapsed.

The allied forces attacking Qiu Juhuan will become an isolated force.

Only Samoi and Qiu Juhuan remained, one-on-one.

What can we do? We can't control it.

“We do not recognize the throne, but we do recognize the Shamo family,” the king said. “Shamoji, if the North Pass falls and the Yu people are allowed in, we will all suffer. Therefore, it is your responsibility to stand with us at the North Pass and resist the Yu traitors.”

It definitely can't be the Nanyue Kingdom.

The Sama family and the Son family will also be downgraded to a feudal kingdom.

But that's a story for later.

Now, the Samo family and the Sun family must be the main force, leading them to defend this city.

Otherwise, if Song Shi'an is let in, then these so-called kings will really perish.

Biting his lip and glaring hostilely at them, Shamoji warned, "It's come to this now, so feel free to curse. But if you don't want to die together, you'd better stick with me. At worst, we'll all die together!"

.........

Song Shi'an's army was also on its way without stopping.

Moreover, after receiving a reward that both sides had joined forces and successfully merged into one place, Song Shi'an accelerated the process.

He ordered Zhou Cheng, the Left Vice Minister of War, to lead the rear guard, while he and San Gou made a surprise attack on the valley before the North Pass.

Generally speaking, camping in a valley is quite unsafe.

However, that valley was huge, like a plaza, covering several square kilometers, flat and open. They were stationed in the center, so even if they were ambushed, they could fight back on the spot.

Of course, if the other side were Ji Yuan, Song Shi'an would definitely not do such a thing.

Barbarian soldiers, especially those from the southern barbarians, had very limited combat capabilities.

I have always admired Prime Minister Zhuge Liang, but that doesn't elevate Meng Huo's status. The difference in quality between the Southern Barbarians and the Northern Barbarians is vast; even the barbarians of Jiaozhi were quite incompetent. Prime Minister Zhuge Liang's greatness lies in his governance of the Southern regions.

His ideas were very advanced.

Compared to Sun Quan, whose primary method of dealing with Jiaozhou was warfare, along with frequent raids on laborers to serve as soldiers and laborers, Zhuge Liang, while achieving some degree of control, failed to truly win over the local inhabitants. Zhuge Liang, however, understood that the barbarian tribes were neither invincible nor could their lands be truly occupied. Therefore, he subjugated them by force, then relocated Han Chinese, including some nobles, to the southern regions. He led the local people in education, farming, weaving, and establishing villages, achieving a lasting and beneficial ethnic integration.

Therefore, Song Shi'an also faces this situation.

This is a piece of land that will cause a lot of trouble if it is not touched.

However, once it was started, it became extremely difficult to handle.

But he came here to solve this problem.

In the spirit of "since we're already here".

He rode his horse without stopping for a moment, and finally reached the outside of the valley in the middle of the night.

However, space in the valley was limited, so he did not put all his troops inside. Instead, he stationed the vast majority of his soldiers outside the valley.

At the same time, thousands of troops were dispatched to set up a continuous line of torches along the roadsides in the valleys, like installing streetlights, to ensure that no place within sight was shrouded in darkness.

At this moment, Chen Huo's men also took the initiative to come over.

At the mouth of the valley.

Upon seeing Song Shi'an, Chen Wang immediately dismounted, strode forward, and bowed deeply to him: "Chen Wang greets the Junior Grand Secretary."

Song Shi'an walked up to him, took his arm, helped him up, and said with a smile, "Your Excellency is too kind."

He was the eldest son of the Duke of Zhangping and would inherit the title of Duke in the future, so Song Shi'an still gave him a considerable degree of respect.

"Your Excellency's kindness is truly overwhelming," Chen Wang said, quickly offering another polite bow.

"Duke, have you been waiting long?"

Song Shi'an reached out his hand, reminding him to lead the way.

"My father is very much looking forward to meeting the young Grand Secretary."

Chen Wang led him inside.

Beside Song Shi'an was only San Gou.

After entering the valley, we gradually went deeper.

The two chatted all the way.

As they approached the campsite, Chen Wang stretched out his hand toward a narrow path leading up the mountain and said, "My father is on the mountain."

"I know."

Song Shi'an smiled faintly and followed him upstairs without the slightest hesitation.

That night, the road was very dark, especially the mountain road, and they relied entirely on the torches held by San Gou and Chen Wang.

"Young Master, the road is steep, please slow down."

Chen Wang even took the time to help him up.

"Don't worry, my legs are fine."

The main reason is that Song Shi'an is too young. It's quite a contrast that someone of his age holds such a high position.

Of the four elders in the cabinet, the remaining three, including his father, would probably need crutches to go up the mountain.

Finally, Song Shi'an arrived at a cliffside clearing on a hillside.

There was a person who had been waiting there, with his back to him.

Moreover, he was all alone.

"My lord, is this safe?" San Gou raised his doubts. "Aren't there barbarians on this mountain?"

At this moment, Chen Wang hurriedly explained, "After entering the valley, my father ordered a search of the mountains and stationed troops on all the surrounding high ground. There is no one here, but the foot of the mountain, the mountaintop, and the surrounding area are all occupied by our people."

What he meant was that it was safe here.

Whether it's personal safety or the safety of conversation.

"it is good."

Song Shi'an gently agreed and then walked in that direction.

Halfway there, the Duke of Zhangping slowly turned around.

The two met for the first time.

Song Shi'an was beaming with pride and high spirits; even his eyes shone with positivity as he looked at the other person.

The old man, Duke of Zhangping, examined it carefully, even squinting slightly to see it more clearly. After a long while, he said with emotion, "It is similar."

"Was my father like this when he was young?" Song Shi'an asked.

"Their eyes are different, their smiles are different, but they're all cut from the same mold," he said.

This is the sense of time.

The connections between people are all based on past memories.

If it weren't for Song Shi'an's father as a link, these two would just be ordinary collaborators.

In fact, all Naruto fans are hoping for more "familiar faces" in Boruto.

The Duke of Zhangping smiled, then reached out and tossed a pouch from his sleeve to Song Shi'an.

Song Shi'an grabbed it and then tossed the letter tube from his sleeve into the other person's hand.

Chen Wang knew that it was his father's and Song Shi'an's leverage.

I really want to know what's in here...

The Duke of Zhangping opened the pouch, took out the letter, and said, "Back then, in order to befriend Sun Tuo, we exchanged a sworn brotherhood letter, acknowledging each other as brothers. It even had his imperial seal and my ducal seal on it. I never expected that this thing would fall into the hands of Shamoji."

"Who would have thought that Sun Tuo could die at the hands of a woman?" Song Shi'an exclaimed.

"This brocade pouch you wrote to Beiliang doesn't actually exist, does it?" the Duke of Zhangping asked.

Chen Wang was dumbfounded.

What does it mean to not exist?

The next moment, he suddenly realized.

That's it!

Song Shi'an had no real fault, but in order to convince his father of his sincerity, he fabricated one and sent it to the Duke of Zhangping.

Is this thing real?

is fake.

But it's also true.

It's like Song Shi'an personally wrote a proclamation of rebellion, stamped it, and handed it to his own father.

Chen Wang finally understood why his father could trust Song Shi'an.

Even Guangfu City, a city that had been developed for many years, was willing to be given up.

Because Song Shi'an truly wanted to unify the world.

He had no interest in fighting this civil war to eliminate dissidents, and the fact that he voluntarily gave the other side a handle to show goodwill is enough to prove it.

Otherwise, the Duke of Zhangping could use this evidence as a reason for his rebellion, subtly attacking Song Shi'an's base of support.

"Actually, it does exist."

Song Shi'an said.

When he was being threatened, he gave Huang Tong a secret plan in advance, telling him to head north.

This thing is extremely deadly.

Although everyone knew that Song Shi'an had instigated the Northern Liang army to abandon the city and head north, threatening to surrender to Ji Yuan to coerce Xiao Qun, there was ultimately no evidence.

And this is irrefutable proof that he colluded with the enemy.

"Haha." The Duke of Zhangping laughed, "My old friend from Qinzhou, he has no regrets even in death."

After his probing question, Song Shi'an also asked a similarly sensitive and dangerous question: "Was the chaos in Yizhou decided by the late emperor?"

"!" Chen Wang's eyes widened suddenly.

what?
Was it the late emperor who decided to instigate the rebellion in Yizhou, and then ordered its suppression?

The Duke of Zhangping remained silent, and Song Shi'an continued, "Back then, during the struggle between the Prince of Ning and the Crown Prince, you were imprisoned by the Dali Temple because of your involvement. However, afterwards, you retained your title of Duke and were entrusted with the responsibility of guarding the south, and even had a prince with you."

The Duke of Zhangping remained silent.

After Song Shi'an proved that his guesses were correct, he said, "That means you had nothing to do with that matter. As a result, the late emperor trusted you even more."

The emperor was in a frenzy of killing at that time, and even imprisoned the Duke of Zhangping in the imperial prison, but he was able to come out unscathed and was even entrusted with the responsibility of guarding the south.

What does this mean?
This shows that he is extremely loyal!
Everyone else has problems, but you're one of the rare exceptions who has none, so I'll trust you the most from now on! I'll also entrust you with the most important tasks!

"The imperial court can no longer control Yizhou after the locust plague," the Duke of Zhangping finally revealed. "But Yangzhou has both grain and money."

The locust plague, an unexpected event, has made Yizhou, which was already out of control, even more chaotic.

The imperial court simply couldn't provide any grain for relief.

Under these circumstances, the people of Yangzhou took the initiative to offer their help to the nation.

But would a powerful and wealthy family make a losing deal?
As long as he intervenes, Yangzhou's power will expand accordingly, and in extreme cases, it could even rival the imperial court.

Therefore, the emperor had no choice but to resort to this 'last resort'.

They decided to ignite the conflict in Yizhou, then the army intervened forcefully, taking advantage of the situation to absorb displaced people and carry out land reclamation.

Thus, the dilemma is resolved.

But who can do something this big?

"Only history can judge whether I am right or wrong," the Duke of Zhangping sighed. "But history can also misunderstand some people."

In the end, the blame will still fall on the Duke of Zhangping.

The person whom the people of Yizhou hate to the bone is still him.

As long as Song Shi'an doesn't decrypt it.

"Duke, your historical record is not yet finalized."

Song Shi'an did indeed laugh heartily, offering words of comfort.

The upcoming foreign battles will be a big plus.

"Too."

The Duke of Zhangping laughed heartily.

Then, Song Shi'an turned around.

The two of them each burned each other's secrets to ashes. (End of Chapter)