Frost for a Thousand Years

Stone Court, a chaotic city.

It is currently under the control of Samoyed and the Prince.

He also brought with him several vassal tribes that were relatively loyal to Nanyue.

There were over 40,000 soldiers capable of fighting, and the rest were women and children, totaling nearly 80,000.

Logically speaking, this city has now been purified, leaving only the royal family of the Southern Yue Kingdom and the Shamo family, and should be united against external forces.

However, because of Sun Tuo's death, Sun Zun, the King of Ba in the city, was especially wary of the current young emperor and his relatives.

The army of several thousand men remained in their mansions within the city, refusing to attend any meetings.

This gave Samoy a huge headache. He had originally planned to use the meeting to openly and legitimately deal with the Sun family members and completely remove them from the Sun family.

But the other party gave a decisive response—I'm not coming to the meeting.

If you're going to kill me during a meeting, then how can you kill me if I don't come to the meeting?

If you want to exploit me, how can you exploit me if I don't sell?

"Has the Empress Dowager still not received any news?"

Samoyed asked his subordinates anxiously in the royal court.

“King Sha, we’ve inquired everywhere,” his subordinate said. “After Song Shi’an broke through the northern pass, he didn’t find the Empress Dowager. The kings of those tribes have all scattered and fled.”

"Where's the racing king?" Samoyed asked.

“Nowhere to be found.” He shook his head and said, “I heard that the casualties in that battle were extremely heavy. Those who managed to escape had less than a thousand soldiers with them. That King of Chariots probably just returned home in a sorry state.”

This battle broke the backbone of the barbarian coalition.

This silenced every barbarian who clamored to kill Yu, preventing them from making careless boasts anymore.

Damn it, Song Shi'an killed the king like he was killing a dog, showing no mercy whatsoever, and didn't even consider them as targets for united front work.

What he needs to do is launch a carpet bombing campaign across this land.

The goal was not to subjugate all nations and peoples, but simply to minimize the threat posed by individual tribes to the Great Yu.

Qiu Juhuan went from being a top-level tribe to an ordinary tribe.

The Southern Yue Empire was reduced from a medium-sized state to an isolated city.

The ambitious racing champion died before achieving his goal and had already retreated to the mountains.

Now, all we need to do is completely eradicate the Shamo family tribe, or reduce it to a small tribe, and then there will be no one in the entire Southern Yue region who can rise to prominence.

If they want to pose another threat to the Great Yu, there is only one way—all the barbarians must unite.

However, this cannot be achieved in the short term, or even in the medium to long term.

Because a leader needs to be a ruthless person whose strength is at least significantly superior to that of the others.

"That despicable Song Shi'an..."

After his men withdrew, Samoy clenched his fists, seething with hatred.

His dream of becoming a powerful and ruthless leader has been shattered completely.

“Shamo, we have to go.” The old Sha King, sitting on his seat, said to him with great concern, “Qiu Juhuan will be here soon, and those traitors who accepted Song Shi’an’s promise will also be here. Zang Tu has even recognized Song Shi’an as his father and is personally leading the way to wipe out the tribes of Nan Yue. If we continue to guard this city, when the city falls, I’m afraid we won’t even be able to protect the Shamo family.”

"Father, you should go to the tribe," Samoyed said resolutely. "At least you'll be there to guard the home. I'll stay here and wait for that Song Shi'an fellow to come!"

"You're no match for him, don't be foolish!" the usually composed Old Shah reprimanded loudly. "Shamoji thinks he's so clever, but who could have imagined that Chen Huo would be able to join forces with Song Shi'an!"

“Father, it’s no use saying these things now.” Samoyed hates hindsight bias the most, so he doesn’t review the past at all. “There are still 80,000 people here, and enough food for half a year. Song Shi’an can’t possibly besiege us for half a year. If Ji Yuan attacks from the north, he will have to go back.”

"What if Ji Yuan doesn't attack?" the old Sand King asked, his soul seemingly piercing the darkness.

“Then I’ll die.” Samoy said, not at all like he was joking. “If he doesn’t retire in six months, I’ll give him my life and die here!”

Samoy is a pure gambling addict.

I'm betting that the timing will change.

As long as things change, and he holds the line in the isolated city, the young man will still have the confidence to start over.

What if the timing doesn't change?
I'd give you my life and that would be the end of it.

"Let's go!" Old Sha Wang stood up, stamped his foot, and said almost in despair, "We are no match for Song Shi'an. He is a monster, a demon. No one can escape from him alive. If you disobey him, you will suffer annihilation, and your entire family will be..."

"Guards, escort the prince back to his home in Samo!"

Samoy was stubborn and determined to confront Song Shi'an head-on, so before his father could finish speaking, he sent someone to escort him out of the royal court.

"Song Shi'an is a traitor, stop being so stubborn!"

His father's voice gradually drew out until it could no longer be heard.

"What monster, what demon, what ghost? He's just a person." Samoyed drew his sword and swung it at the table in front of him, cleanly severing a corner. "If he's human, then he will die!"

.........

Song Shi'an's dog-raising strategy was a great success.

His subordinate, Prince Song Tu, is truly a local; he's incredibly useful.

Even places that Song Shi'an wouldn't notice, he would take the initiative to lead the way, and successively wiped out many hidden camps and tribes guarding key routes.

As Song Shi'an's army marched forward, the laborers following behind gradually caught up.

Then, fifty miles outside Shiting, they finally joined forces with another Yu army.

"Ran Jin, pays his respects to the Chancellor!"

"Ye Changqing pays his respects to the Grand Chancellor!"

When the two armies met, the two men dismounted simultaneously, quickly approached Song Shi'an, and clasped their fists in salute.

"General Ran, Changqing," Song Shi'an said jokingly, placing his hands on their shoulders, "you traveled a longer distance, yet you arrived almost at the same time. I still couldn't win as quickly as you."

"The number of enemy troops we faced was also different," Ran Jin said modestly. "It was all thanks to the Chancellor drawing away the main force of the army."

“You can’t say that,” Song Shi’an said with a hint of disdain. “In my opinion, these barbarians don’t have any main force.”

"They are indeed too weak," Ye Changqing said with a sigh. "Let alone the Imperial Guards, even if the state troops encountered them, if the difference in numbers was not significant, it would be a one-sided victory."

“The Southern Yue are taking advantage of our reluctance to fight, and our reluctance to fight for a long time, so they have repeatedly provoked us.” Song Shi’an put his hands on his hips and paced slowly in place. “Therefore, in this battle, we must completely destroy the Sun regime.”

Ye Changqing understood his meaning and replied, "The land of Nanyue is full of hills and mountains, with numerous tribes and blocked roads. If Dayu wants to develop it, it will need to relocate at least 500,000 people and spend more than ten years to completely turn it into one of our states. So no matter how many victories we win in this battle, if we don't conquer Shiting, we will ultimately be unable to completely break their backbone."

In a battle, winning or losing doesn't depend on the process; the most important thing is the result.

For Song Shi'an, this was definitely a great victory.

But if he fails to capture the capital, no matter how many victories he wins, as long as he retreats, the barbarians here will have something to say—"We drove Song Shi'an away."

Therefore, it is very necessary for Shi Ting to plow the fields.

“Our total strength should be around 180,000,” Song Shi’an estimated before speaking. “Among them, there are about 70,000 soldiers and over 100,000 civilian laborers. If we fight for half a year, the consumption of food and supplies will be too great, which will damage our national strength.”

"Prime Minister, please set a date," Ran Jin said solemnly.

"Fifteen days."

Song Shi'an gave a serious response.

Ye Changqing and Ran Jin were both slightly surprised by the timing.

Because this is too fast.

It is, after all, a rather large city.

“If the inside is a solid iron plate, then this timeframe is indeed a bit rushed,” Song Shi’an added at this point.

"What does the Chancellor mean?" Ye Changqing understood his meaning. "There are still disagreements within this Stone Court?"

Song Shi'an smiled slightly and said, "The distinction between Yu and Han is quite subtle. I gave Zang Tu the surname Song, and he began to call the people of the Baiyue region 'barbarians'."

Liu Lu: I've been Japanese for a long time. Before Ran Jin could even react, Ye Changqing instantly understood: "There are two Sun family vassal kings in this Southern Yue Kingdom, aren't there?"

The biggest problem for the Sun family right now is that they are not pleasing either side.

This is also why Sun Tuo was criticized by those barbarian kings.

In fact, they all had barbarian ancestry.

His two relatives were half barbarian.

They felt no sense of belonging to the Central Plains, nor were they recognized by the tribes of the Baiyue region.

At this point, a gentle pull is all it takes.

Then it can be changed.

After all, the surname Sun is there for all to see.

“The Sun family has two kings. One is Sun Zun, the King of Ba, who is Sun Tuo’s brother and has troops in Shiting City. The other is Sun Hao, the King of Gui, who is stationed in the auxiliary city of Shiting, located on the upper reaches of the Yue River,” Song Shi’an said. “Changqing, no one is better at explaining the pros and cons than you.”

"Ye Changqing obeys."

……

Song Shi'an's army has already besieged Shiting.

The army and laborers of Dayu totaled 170,000.

The barbarian army, on the other hand, numbered 50,000.

More than 20,000 of them were led by Song Tu.

Some of these troops were surrendered soldiers from Beiguan, some were recruited by him from the Zang clan, and the rest were all allies from small tribes that he had won over.

Currently, he is Song Shi'an's fiercest hunting dog.

The remaining 30,000 barbarian troops were those who went with Shamoy to attack Qiu Juhuan.

Because of Song Shi'an's arrival, they immediately changed their tactics and began beating Shamoi.

Of course, Song Shi'an had already sent envoys to these people to make advance arrangements and negotiate terms.

Among them, the most powerful king, Wu Wang, made an outrageous demand for Shi Ting from Song Shi'an.

Yes, he agreed.

Thus, a total of 220,000 people, claiming to be 500,000, besieged this first city of Nanyue, leaving it completely surrounded.

Looking out from the city wall, it was so densely packed that the boundary was nowhere in sight.

Samoy's hands, which were supporting him on the city wall, began to tremble.

Don't worry, the vast majority of them are civilian laborers working in the logistics department.

The actual force attacking the city numbered only a few hundred thousand...

But it's only a few hundred thousand?
Samoyed didn't know what he was saying.

The largest battle he fought alongside Sun Tuo involved only 60,000 to 70,000 men.

He swallowed hard, feeling nervous.

"King Sha and King Ba still refuse to fight!"

Just then, one of his men came up to the city wall and reported to him.

"If he doesn't want to come, then he doesn't want to come!" Samoy roared. "Send men to keep a close watch on him. If he does anything underhanded, wipe him out on the spot!"

In fact, Samoyed didn't take the people under King Ba's command too seriously.

Faced with such a large enemy force, it doesn't make much difference whether the defending force is 80,000 or 82,000.

He was just worried that this guy would stab him in the back at a crucial moment.

"Yes, Sand King!" the subordinate replied and then withdrew.

"Once I defeat Song Shi'an, I'll kill all of you kings of the Sun family one by one," Shamoyi murmured with an extremely ruthless look in his eyes. "And my little nephew, the emperor."

Samoyed no longer needs Sun Tuo's banner.

He would be a national hero as long as Song Shi'an was driven out.

He could then become emperor himself.

However, the emperor's dream was abruptly shattered by a loud bang.

Song Shi'an's catapults launched the initial attack on Shi Ting.

Then, from all directions, armies as numerous as ants began to devour the capital of Nanyue...

……

"The fall of the city is inevitable, sooner or later."

Ye Changqing smiled slightly and said to Gui Wang.

In the royal court, Prince Gui, Sun Hao, hesitated greatly, his brows furrowed: "Lord Ye, how should I respond to you?"

“The Shamo family is already a pile of bones in a tomb; the young Grand Secretary will surely capture them,” Ye Changqing said. “If Prince Gui insists now, he will eventually have to surrender. Why not surrender now and earn a reputation as a loyal minister?”

"And what about His Majesty?" Prince Gui countered.

"Which one are you referring to?" Ye Changqing asked.

"Of course, it's our Emperor."

"The young emperor must abdicate. In this land of Nanyue, there can only be vassal kings, not emperors," Ye Changqing said firmly.

"Isn't there room for negotiation when the young Grand Secretary is so domineering?" Prince Gui said, feeling very aggrieved. "We never said we wouldn't submit, did we?"

"Submission is not just about being willing to submit; it requires concrete actions," Ye Changqing explained. "The young Grand Secretary doesn't need the entire Southern Yue people to respect him; he wants them to obey him."

You said you can talk about it, you can love the young Grand Secretary, but do you have to do anything to love the young Grand Secretary?

"Then how can our safety be guaranteed?" Gui Wang asked. "If we rebel together, and then the Baiyue region is to be purged, and you cannot fully control this place, how can I resist? I am surnamed Sun, and I am different from those barbarians."

You'll have to leave eventually, won't you?

"Prince Gui, what is it about this desolate land that you care about?"

Ye Changqing walked up to him, puzzled, and asked, "Your surname is Sun, and your ancestors came from the Central Plains. Can the king of Baiyue be compared with the marquis of Dayu?"

Upon hearing this, a glint of light flashed in his eyes.

How could Sun Hao not want to be a nobleman of a great nation?

but……

"As for the saying 'when the cunning rabbit dies, the hunting dog is cooked,' there's no need to care about that."

Ye Changqing fully activated his humiliation mode, lecturing, "The Duke of Li is indeed not fit to live, and the former Crown Prince is also in danger, but you, Prince Gui, are really no big shot who can threaten the Grand Secretary. Your territory is only one county, and your army is only a few thousand. What do you think the Grand Secretary is afraid of?"

"..." Gui Wang was completely convinced by Ye Changqing, so he stopped acting. "I want three hundred gold coins, a hereditary county marquis title, and a third-rank official position."

"I can agree to anything you ask."

Ye Changqing waved his hand generously.

"it is good!"

Prince Gui made a decisive decision, then continued, "All of my men are now under Lord Ye's command."

"Alright." Ye Changqing gave his first order, "Pile sand on the dam to store water."

"..." Gui Wangren was shocked and stammered, "This is, after all, my birthplace."

"Anyway, we're going to Dayu."

Ye Changqing put his hand on his shoulder and patted him, comforting him, "Those are all external things!" (End of this chapter)