Frost for a Thousand Years

Outside the palace.

Gu Yixin and Ouyang Ke walked together, supporting each other.

The two men were invited by Grand Secretary Song Jing to hold an impromptu cabinet meeting.

Moreover, according to reports from his servants, it was important military intelligence.

However, due to secrecy, the two did not know the specific details of the military intelligence.

Of course, the two of them vaguely guessed something...

After all, the news of the successful reunion of the Duke of Zhangping and Song Shi'an came a long time ago.

They should be attacking Beiguan now.

"Could it be that it broke so quickly?" Gu Yixin asked in disbelief.

“According to Song Shi’an’s pace, it’s not particularly fast,” Ouyang Ke said. “But a military report came earlier saying that we should wait until the enemy forces were fighting amongst themselves before entering the pass to pacify Nanyue. In that case, things are progressing a bit faster.”

“Yes, the Southern Yue army is not strong, but it has the advantage of terrain, and everyone can participate in the war,” Gu Yixin said. “Hopefully, they have really taken it.”

As the two chatted, they entered the palace.

Next, we went to the Cabinet Hall.

At this time, Song Jing and Zhang Fu, the Grand Eunuch of the Directorate of Ceremonial, were already waiting there.

They rose, exchanged greetings with the remaining two elders, and then took their places.

From Song Jing's barely concealed smile of joy, Ouyang Ke guessed that he had succeeded.

"Grand Secretary Song, has Shi An made another contribution?" Ouyang Ke asked jokingly.

Song Jing quickly and modestly replied, "It is thanks to the soldiers of the Southern Expedition who fought and bled."

As he spoke, Zhang Fu handed the letter to Ouyang Ke.

After he finished reviewing it, he handed it over to Gu Yixin.

"Great! That was a brilliant victory!" Gu Yixin exclaimed excitedly.

At the same time, I am also glad that I previously ranked the essay "The Unity of the Nine Provinces" as the top scholar.

Fortunately, he chose the right side politically and did not criticize the national policies set by Song Shi'an.

In fact, at first, he also felt that the hype should be tempered and that the Northern Expedition should not be rushed.

Even though he was a civil official and not particularly skilled in military affairs, he was very politically astute.

What do the prominent families of Yangzhou want?

What did the Duke of Zhangping rely on?

What were the strategies of the various kingdoms of Nanyue towards Dayu?

And what is the result that Song Shi'an himself wants?

It can be said that the four forces have four differences.

If their differences cannot be resolved, then for each of them, it means they have to fight against the other three.

The problems in the South are not so easy to solve.

But who would have thought that the seemingly most intense conflict between Song and Chen would actually turn their differences into a united force?

Because Song and Chen formed a team, the plans of the Jiangnan aristocratic families, who were originally from Dayu, were dashed, and they could only join in turn.

One against three cannot succeed, but three against one is guaranteed to succeed.

But even now, Gu Yixin can't imagine how the Duke of Zhangping came to believe Song Shi'an.

I racked my brains but couldn't come up with a single idea!
"The casualties are not too bad. The main force of the Imperial Guard and the border troops of the Duke of Zhangping suffered even fewer losses," Song Jing said. "Moreover, Zang Tu and Qiu Juhuan have clearly submitted. Among the remaining tribal barbarian kings, only the Shamo family and the Sun family of Shiting have the strength to fight and dare to stand up."

"What happens after we take it down?" This was what Ouyang Ke was more worried about.

Because everyone knows that the Southern Yue Kingdom is easy to conquer but difficult to occupy.

Song Jing replied, "Song Shi'an's idea is to build a city at Beiguan and establish a trading post. Then, he would change Nanyue to Jiaozhou, divide it into six prefectures, and enfeoff the princes as prefects."

As soon as he said this, Ouyang Ke held his breath and became somewhat serious.

Because as soon as he heard it, he knew it would cost money.

Moreover, it will cost a lot of money.

"But the prerequisite is that we occupy Shiting and completely wipe out the influence of the Sun and Shamo families," Gu Yixin said.

“That’s natural,” Song Jing said. “Song Shi’an wrote to me saying that this war will make Nan Yue unable to raise its head for twenty years.”

How come I can't hold my head up for twenty years?
屠。

However, it wasn't the common people who were slaughtered, but the rebels who resisted, as well as the Sun family's royal family and Shamok's nine generations of relatives.

"Will the Duke of Zhangping be given an important position?" Ouyang Ke asked.

"This is something we can only reach a conclusion through discussion among everyone," Song Jing said.

Then, all three of them fell silent.

This is a problem left over from history.

He has now appealed to the imperial court and should be commended.

But after all, he was a powerful warlord before. If we don't seize the opportunity to reclaim power and recall him to Sheng'an, it would be a waste.

“If we send him back to Sheng’an, it will be detrimental to the country’s governance,” Ouyang Ke explained. “He is a capable general who has been defending the borders for many years with great success. Taking back his military power would firstly cause him to panic, and secondly, it would not set a good example for other honest nobles and generals who also hold military power.”

Even though the Duke of Zhangping has so loyally shown goodwill to the court, why should the military power be taken back? What will the other generals who are not part of the Song faction think?
Having surrendered and returned to Sheng'an, how can my safety be guaranteed?

“But not taking it over indefinitely is also not conducive to centralizing power,” Gu Yixin said.

"That means we can take it back later, but we can't discard it now that it's served its purpose," Song Jing summarized precisely.

"The so-called 'receiving' is just that the Duke of Zhangping is getting old, and we are considerate of his hard work, so he is returning to Sheng'an to retire," Ouyang Ke said with a smile.

A few cabinet members, laughing and joking, decided a person's fate.

Even if he holds a high position of power.

Such a system is absolutely ahead of its time.

"What was Shi An's suggestion?" Gu Yixin asked.

"The imperial court has taken back Guangfu City and Guicheng, and has sent loyal and suitable generals and officials to guard them. The border troops and state soldiers of the Duke of Zhangping, as well as some of the imperial guards, have been reorganized into a single force," Song Jing explained. "Finally, he will be left with 5,000 elite troops to guard Shiting and serve as the new governor of Jiaozhou."

Gu Yixin and Ouyang Ke looked at each other upon hearing this suggestion.

After a long while, Ouyang Ke spoke up: "Where is the Prince of Jiangling?"

“The Duke of Zhangping wants to keep him by his side,” Song Jing said. “Over the years, they have developed a father-son relationship.”

The Duke of Zhangping was so insistent on this because he was worried that this foolish boy would become a victim of the succession struggle in the dangerous environment of Sheng'an.

Even though Wei Wusheng has now gone to Huai County to cultivate land, his influence is still felt everywhere.

“It is acceptable for the Duke of Zhangping to reside in Shiting, provided that the Prince of Jiangling is sent back,” Ouyang Ke insisted.

“The fact that the king is commanding troops in the south is already a threat, not to mention that he is in the Baiyue region. If something goes wrong, it could shake the very foundation of the state,” Gu Yixin said very seriously.

"Should we follow Elder Ouyang's suggestion and report this to His Majesty so that he can make the decision?" Song Jing asked.

The things approved by the cabinet have to go through a process, which is His Majesty's seal.

So Song Jing means, that's it?

“Okay.” Ouyang Ke nodded.

“That’s good,” Gu Yixin said. “Nanyue also needs a general from Dayu to keep order. There is no one more suitable than him.”

All three agreed.

That's settled.

If you doubt someone, don't use them; if you use someone, don't doubt them. To unify the world, you can't be hesitant and restrained.

Moreover, given the complex situation in Nanyue, without politicians of the caliber of Zhangping Guogong, Gongsun Xing, and Chen Xing, it would have been easy for them to be beheaded within a few years.

You have to understand, that's five thousand soldiers controlling a million barbarians.

"Then Song Shi'an proposed that the three counties of Heguangfu, Guicheng, and Xinbeiguan be combined into one prefecture, with the imperial court sending some officials. In addition, some officials should also be sent to Xinjiaozhou to serve as ministers to the barbarian kings, as well as county-level assistants, etc." Song Jing said.

“It just so happens that the successful candidates in this special imperial examination can be directly assigned there,” Gu Yixin said. “Xin Jiaozhou is bitterly cold, and Xin County is also on the frontier. Successful candidates who are willing to go there can be promoted to the first rank.”

"Your suggestion is excellent, Your Excellency," Song Jing praised.

"What about the money?"

At this moment, Ouyang Ke casually said something.

Such matters require a large budget, not only for travel expenses, but more importantly, for the allocation of funds to establish a new prefectural government.

Just like how some local officials are transferred to poorer or less developed areas, the top official can "bargain" with the province to get some money to go there.

Although Ouyang Ke was in charge of the Ministry of Revenue, he wasn't a money-generating machine. He'd been spending money constantly lately, and it was giving him a real headache.

Having managed the funds for so long in the Ministry of Personnel, Song Jing naturally knew how difficult it was to obtain them. Therefore, he slowly rose and bowed to the bewildered Ouyang Ke.

Ouyang Ke: "..."

The kind of person who suddenly bows without saying a word and then sits back down is the most cunning!

"Then I'll try to squeeze it in a bit more," Ouyang Ke said helplessly.

If the five granaries in Huai County hadn't burned down, he wouldn't be in such a predicament.

Of course, if the granaries in Huai County hadn't burned down, this cabinet wouldn't exist.

"Then who should be chosen as the prefect of this new prefecture?"

Gu Yixin suddenly asked.

Because this is an urgent matter, we need to decide on a candidate as soon as possible.

"Shi An, what are your thoughts?" Ouyang Ke slowly looked at Song Jing.

"..."

After a long pause, Song Jing spoke up: "Song Shi'an proposes, Song Ce."

After he finished speaking, a chill filled the air.

They're not even going to act anymore.

Song Jing could have given a hint or laid the groundwork, but given his personality, he wouldn't engage in such disgusting pretense and evasiveness.

The result is that being too abrupt makes it difficult for people to accept.

Furthermore, Song Ce was promoted to the third rank in the imperial court without doing anything, which is a bit too much like accidentally intruding into the imperial family.

This is purely a case of the younger brother gaining power because of his elder brother.

"Regarding the selection of the prefect, I would also like to mention Song Ce," Song Jing said. "As for the positions of prefectural assistant and inspector, there is not much progress yet."

Once this was said, the other two became much easier to accept.

To be fair, let each person say one.

It's just a little bit of power being abused.

“Song Ce, it’s indeed time for you to gain some experience.”

"That's true."

.........

On the way to Shiting, Song Shi'an encountered some enemy troops.

After all, within the grand narrative of the barbarians, this can be considered as resistance against foreign invasion.

Therefore, Song Shi'an fought and won battles along the way.

This Song paint is indeed quite good.

And that kid from the Prince of Jiangling is not bad either.

That's right, he was taken along, and because of the previous conflict, he kept clamoring at Song Shi'an. The young Grand Secretary found it too noisy, so he sent him to fight and kill the barbarians.

The kid immediately forgot his grudge against Brother Song and happily went off to fight.

A pure killing machine.

"My lord, a letter has arrived from Sheng'an." General San Gou walked up to Song Shi'an, handed it to him, and added, "It's from the Cabinet, and the Emperor has already stamped it."

In other words, it is a national policy that has already been decided.

After opening the letter, Song Shi'an read it carefully, then smiled: "It seems that Jingming will arrive here before I return to Sheng'an."

"Congratulations on your meeting, Lord Marquis," San Gou said with great joy.

"I suggested almost all of them, and most of them were approved," Song Shi'an said, his tone gradually softening. "The cabinet's opinion on the Prince of Jiangling is the same as mine."

"If all else fails, we'll take them away by force," San Gou whispered.

“The Duke of Zhangping has no intention of returning to Sheng’an, and he also won’t allow the Prince of Jiangling to be brought back to Sheng’an,” Song Shi’an said. “But he is somewhat willing to stay in the new prefecture in Yangzhou.”

In any case, you absolutely must not go near the emperor or Wei Wusheng.

"Reporting, the Duke of Zhangping requests an audience with the Junior Grand Secretary."

At this moment, a guard entered and reported.

"Perfect timing, please come in."

Song Shi'an stood up immediately.

As the Duke of Zhangping walked in, he bowed to him.

The other party politely returned the greeting.

Then he sat down in the tent.

As the commander-in-chief and junior Grand Secretary, Song Shi'an undoubtedly holds the top position.

The Duke of Zhangping had no objection to sitting sideways.

He has become a man who no longer strives for anything.

After the two of them were left, the Duke of Zhangping took the initiative to speak up: "Young Grand Secretary, it is fine for you to send Yixing to fight, but it would be bad if something went wrong at this time."

“The Prince of Jiangling is naturally brave and strong; he should have no problem defeating these barbarians,” Song Shi’an said with a smile. “I know the Duke’s good intentions, but there’s no need for such formalities between us.”

The Duke of Zhangping did not think that he would take the opportunity to kill the Prince of Jiangling, but rather that he was afraid that if something happened to the Prince of Jiangling at this time, public opinion would turn to him and say that he had killed the Prince of Jiangling.

Therefore, this is a sensitive time.

"If I were to take you with me, I could bear any consequences. No one would think I have any ambitions," the Duke of Zhangping reminded him again.

The fact that someone died at the hands of the Duke of Zhangping is at most because he failed to raise his child properly, not because the Duke of Zhangping plotted to seize his 'throne'.

That's completely irrelevant.

“The Prince of Jiangling will grow up eventually, and the Duke’s wings can’t protect him forever,” Song Shi’an joked.

But the Duke of Zhangping did not respond with a smile to this joke. After a moment of silence, he said, "Young Grand Secretary, my son Chen Wang can go to Sheng'an. But the Prince of Jiangling cannot go."

The Duke of Zhangping was willing to accept the constraints imposed by the imperial court and send a hostage there.

He was unwilling to let the Prince of Jiangling go.

“My lord, I swear I will take good care of Yixing,” Song Shi’an said. “I will definitely protect him.”

"You already used the word 'protect'."

The Duke of Zhangping persisted.

To protect something also means there is danger.

A prince capable of leading troops is too sensitive.

"Duke, I think Yixing should be allowed to make his own decision."

Song Shi'an continued to probe.

The Duke of Zhangping remained silent.

Just then, a furious shout of "Get out of the way!" came from outside.

The two of them looked over at the same time.

Then, Wei Yixing came in carrying the head of a barbarian king, threw it in front of Song Shi'an, and then held his head high with great arrogance, only slightly suppressing the curve of his lips.

They practically had "Do you think I'm awesome?" written all over their faces.

"Oh, it's pretty good," Song Shi'an said casually. "What is this thing?"

"Barbarian King".

Wei Yixing gave a rather aloof response.

Look closely, this is the barbarian king, not some lowly lackey.

Song Shi'an nodded, still dismissive, and didn't take it seriously for a moment.

This greatly alarmed Wei Yixing: "I personally beheaded the barbarian king in battle!"

"That's enough," Song Shi'an said. "It's just killing a barbarian king, not Ji Yuan's captain. What's there to be happy about?"

"Can Ji Yuan's captain compare to a barbarian king?" Wei Yixing retorted.

“That’s definitely not comparable,” Song Shi’an replied. “This barbarian king is roughly equivalent to a centurion of Ji Yuan. He can kill his men at will.”

Duke Zhangping: "..."

Completely enraged, Wei Yixing clenched his fists and couldn't help but say, "Ji Yuan hasn't met me yet!" (End of Chapter)