Frost for a Thousand Years

"Your Highness, please."

After searching the Jiangling Prince, who was dressed in a python robe, the gatekeepers outside the palace gates extended their hands to invite him into the hall.

Meanwhile, Song Shi'an walked in directly without any formalities.

This annoyed Wei Yixing, and as they walked along the alley, he couldn't help but ask, "Why don't you search me?"

Anyone who said that would lose their head, but Song Shi'an liked this cute boy, so he smiled and said, "Because I can wear a sword and shoes in the palace, I can still enter even if I wear a sword."

"Why are you allowed to wear a sword and shoes in the palace?" King Jiangling asked again.

Is your head made of candle, you little brat?
Damn it, I saved your Wei family, so it's not unreasonable for me to have the privilege of wearing a sword and shoes in the palace, is it?
From beginning to end, did I ask for any other privileges?
"That's because of my merits and my hard work."

Song Shi'an remained calm throughout, showing absolutely no emotional fluctuations.

However, those words really convinced the kid.

The King of Jiangling had very simple values; he didn't care whether someone was a thief or not, he only recognized the strong.

The standard for the strong is merit and effort.

“I will also claim these credits and achievements,” King Jiangling said with great certainty.

“Yixing, as a prince, your body is too delicate,” Song Shi’an said. “You may be able to gain some merit and achievements, but you will never gain the same merit as me.”

"How could that be? It's just defeating Ji Yuan, isn't it?" Wei Yixing said. "I can do it myself. There's nothing to be delicate about. Besides, Wei Wusheng did all of this, so why can't I?"

“You can say these things to me, but whatever you do, don’t say them to the emperor,” Song Shi’an cautioned. “Otherwise, he’ll think I’m the one who instigated you to go to the battlefield.”

"Don't worry, this is something I want to do myself," said the Prince of Jiangling. "You advised me against this, and I will tell the Emperor the truth. You bear no responsibility whatsoever."

"That's great."

Song Shi'an nodded.

The two of them then entered the Taiyuan Hall.

The emperor was already seated on the dragon throne, waiting.

"Your subject, Wei Yixing, pays his respects to Your Majesty."

The Prince of Jiangling prostrated himself and bowed to the emperor.

"Your subject Song Shi'an greets Your Majesty."

Song Shi'an clasped his hands in a gesture of respect and bowed slightly.

The two men were on the same line, but the king was kneeling while the minister was standing, creating a stark contrast.

"Rise," the emperor said.

Wei Yixing stood up, and Song Shi'an straightened up.

"Yixing, I heard you are going to join the army on the northern expedition, is that true?" the emperor asked.

The Prince of Jiangling returned to Sheng'an with Song Shi'an, but due to his special status, he did not stand in the front row to receive the emperor's welcome.

They then quietly followed the rear guard into the city.

After arriving in the city, they were assigned to the new Jiangling Prince's Mansion.

Everyone thought this was a move to place him under house arrest, turning him into a carefree prince.

After all, he was leading troops.

Of course, such opinions are everywhere. If Song Shi'an had to take everything to heart, he would be living a very tiring life.

Moreover, he and the King of Qin overstepped the imperial authority to rule the world; wasn't that the greatest disrespect?

“Your Majesty,” Wei Yixing raised his head and said, “This matter was requested by your younger brother and has nothing to do with the Junior Grand Secretary.”

Song Shi'an: "..."

Damn it, did they ask you about this?
The emperor knew, of course, that this matter was related to Song Shi'an, but how could such a thing be brought up in the open? So he said sarcastically, "The young Grand Secretary has many elite soldiers and generals under his command, so naturally he doesn't need a greenhorn like you to go to Beiliang. Do you need to emphasize that?"

"Your Majesty, my brother is not a burden," the Prince of Jiangling said anxiously and insisted. "My brother started killing bandits when he was twelve years old, and he has no fear in the face of Ji Yuan!"

"Do you expect the enemies of Beiliang to be mountain bandits or barbarians?" the emperor said mercilessly. "I am your elder brother, but I am still the emperor of this Great Yu. If you go to the battlefield and ruin my great plans, causing soldiers to die to save you and suffering heavy losses, how can I face the world?"

"Your Majesty!" The Prince of Jiangling knelt on one knee, clenching his fists, and said with great passion, "Your subject will only die in battle, not wait to die, and will not let anyone save me from death. Your subject bears the honor of the family on his shoulders and values ​​the Wei family more than anything else. Rest assured... Your subject will not bring shame upon you!"

As he spoke, his voice trembled, and his eyes shone with a light that seemed to hold back tears.

He really, really wanted to prove himself.

Without a doubt, he was a pure general.

However, Song Shi'an was not a pure subject.

"Since you've said so, then you may go with the young Grand Secretary," the Emperor said sternly. "However, you must obey the young Grand Secretary's orders. If you disobey orders in battle or refuse to comply, I will issue a decree from Sheng'an to execute you on the battlefield without mercy!"

"Yes!"

King Jiangling clenched his fists with great joy, filled with excitement at the prospect of defeating Ji Yuan.

"Go down, I have something to discuss with the young Grand Secretary." The emperor waved his hand.

"Yes."

The Prince of Jiangling got up and left.

Before leaving, he glanced back at Song Shi'an, his attitude not exactly ingratiating, but rather subtly endearing, as if he were showing off something.

"Shi'an, is my younger brother really going to Beiliang?" The emperor looked at him with considerable unease. "He will surely behave himself in Sheng'an."

The emperor's meaning was already quite clear.

When war breaks out, we brothers will be in Sheng'an; we won't unite to rebel against you.

You shouldn't take him there.

What if he dies on the battlefield?

“Your Majesty,” Song Shi’an said, knowing his concerns, “You originally wanted me to bring him back. I even had a dispute with the Duke of Zhangping because I had promised His Highness the Prince of Jiangling to take him to fight Ji Yuan, which is why I was able to bring him back. Now, it would be bad to go back on my word.”

"Why take a promise made to a child seriously? He's already in Sheng'an," the emperor said.

"Your Majesty, I know your concerns. I also know some of your unspoken worries."

Looking at the emperor, Song Shi'an spoke frankly: "Your Majesty and I are in harmony, that is something we both know. The discord between Your Majesty and me is what the world speculates. What we both know is in our hearts, and no one would believe it if we spoke it aloud. But what the world speculates about is a matter of public opinion, impossible to silence or convince. So, at this time, a prince of the Wei clan, your brother, is leading the army on a northern expedition. Isn't that enough to make all those rumors vanish? And to let the world know that I am not the only one who wants to launch a northern expedition to punish Ji?"

Song Shi'an's words were quite blunt.

He practically pointed out a fact.

That is, everyone in the world felt that the emperor was a puppet.

What he wants to do is entirely up to Song Shi'an.

However, there was genuine affection involved.

The evidence is that after the cabinet was set up, Song Shi'an could have completely sidelined the emperor, but he still gave him the right to discuss, deliberate, and even make decisions.

"I know how sincere Minister Song is," the Emperor said after a moment's hesitation. "But I'm especially worried about Wusheng."

The Prince of Zhongping was also one of his brothers, yet Wei Wusheng killed him without hesitation, showing him no respect whatsoever.

This prince is young, favored by the late emperor, and has an impetuous and arrogant temperament. What if such a person, without his protection, offends Wei Wusheng and is killed?
To be honest, this emperor wasn't stupid at all.

Song Shi'an also felt that Xiao Wei's inner darkness would truly make him unable to tolerate such a brother.

After all, when facing the late emperor, he asked, "Your Majesty, have you treated your brothers well?"
“Your Majesty, I can assure you,” Song Shi’an said, “the Prince of Jiangling will always be within my sight and under my command. Only I have the power to execute him. But I will never use that power.”

The emperor actually believed this.

Compared to Wei Wusheng, Song Shi'an was not a man who was prone to killing.

Many people's lives were spared because of Song Shi'an's reputation.

"Then I can rest assured," the emperor said.

“Your Majesty, this is the final journey,” Song Shi’an said. “The credit for unifying the world belongs to both me and the King of Qin. But in the history books, it was you who achieved it during your reign. The greatest credit still belongs to you.”

Song Shi'an is once again making empty promises to the emperor.

Once the world is unified, he will be an emperor for all ages.

Even if he abdicates in the future, his name will be recorded in history.

"Shi'an, go ahead and do it with peace of mind," the emperor said. "I will fully support you."

"Thank you, Your Majesty."

The meeting between the two then came to an end.

Song Shi'an left Taiyuan Hall.

As I walked out, I happened to see a woman with a slightly dark complexion not far away.

She was still as alluring and captivating as ever.

She seems to have been designated a beauty.

However, there are some subtle differences compared to when Song Shi'an and Sun Tuo made love on the dragon throne.

That is, she had a protruding belly.

Samogi also looked at Song Shi'an, then bit her lip lightly, seemingly with a hint of resentment. However, it was more of a longing in her eyes.

She admires strong and noble people. The emperor of Dayu was indeed very noble, but he was clearly just a puppet.

Ultimately, she still wanted to be Song Shi'an's woman.

However, the defeated empress dowager was nothing more than a plaything.

Even though the dates clearly didn't match, and she was already pregnant, His Majesty the Emperor still kept the baby, as if to curry favor with Song Shi'an—your child could also be a prince or princess.

The bond between the two families has been strengthened.

Song Shi'an ignored her and, after leaving the palace, had the coachman take him to the training ground.

At this moment, Ouyang Ke had already arrived ahead of time.

"Prime Minister Ke, His Majesty has already given his approval; the Prince of Jiangling may lead the expedition."

At the entrance to the training ground, Song Shi'an took the initiative to speak.

"That's good," Ouyang Ke said. "The most important thing in the world is stability. When you and the Prince of Qin are not around, we don't want this Prince of Jiangling, who is also a prince who has led troops, to stay in Sheng'an."

Ouyang Ke was not a royalist; he was a supporter of the imperial court.

All he ever wanted was stability.

This is why Sima Yi won unanimous support from the powerful families when he usurped power, and even gained many followers.

Because their interests are aligned in the general direction.

"When Sheng'an has Ke Xiang, Shi'an will be at ease."

Song Shi'an bowed respectfully to Ouyang Ke.

"please."

Ouyang Ke smiled faintly and extended his hand.

The two of them entered the training ground under the escort of the guards and then walked up to the high platform.

Then, a long horn blast rang out.

In the vast and magnificent training ground, ten thousand Liao soldiers, clad in scale armor, marched out from their respective camps, their footsteps clanging with each impact.

Under the leadership of Prince Song Tu, the soldiers quickly formed ranks.

Ten thousand soldiers, a vast and mighty army, appeared before them in perfect formation.

At a command, the barbarian soldiers lowered their masks, revealing a series of eerie masks painted with various ghostly totems. It was as if countless evil spirits were attached to their faces, giving people an extremely strong sense of oppression.

"Shi'an, these ten thousand sets of armor have been fitted onto them," Ouyang Ke said.

"Prime Minister Ke, I need 30,000 Xuanjia armors, all equipped," Song Shi'an said.

"We have already done everything in our power to gather blacksmiths from all over the country in Beijing to oversee the construction," Ouyang Ke said.

"Can it be fully equipped before the expedition?" This was what Song Shi'an cared about.

“It’s possible, albeit barely,” Ouyang Ke said. “But, are we going to equip the entire barbarian army with that? Even our own Imperial Guards don’t have such weaponry.”

Seeing that the old prime minister still had such a disagreement, Song Shi'an smiled and said, "How many of them will survive this battle depends entirely on the abilities of these barbarians. Shi'an's request to strengthen them is not to raise an army for self-importance."

Do not doubt their loyalty just because they are barbarian soldiers.

Just like Gao Yang of BAIC, his most elite soldiers happened to be the Han Chinese army.

After his Han Chinese army was destroyed, he suffered a mental breakdown.

"Why say such things?" Ouyang Ke said unhappily.

"Minister Ke, please don't be angry. I was just joking." Song Shi'an quickly apologized with a smile. "I know you're just worried that these people might have ulterior motives. But I won't let them betray their master."

"That's good," Ouyang Ke said. "The armor you requested will be gathered before the great battle begins, so there's no need to worry."

"In this way, it is truly a blessing from Heaven for our Great Yu," Song Shi'an said with great satisfaction.

“Shi’an.” Ouyang Ke slowly turned his head to look at Song Shi’an and reminded him, “In preparation for this battle, it is not only the aristocratic families who suffer, but also the common people of the world.”

With war mobilization reaching this level, it's impossible for ordinary people not to feel pressured.

Ouyang Ke had already sensed that he had reached that terrifying limit.

"Ke Xiang".

Song Shi'an's expression gradually turned serious, and then he looked at the barbarian soldiers and said, "I will end this chaotic world."

.........

Beiliang, a camp on the opposite bank of the Chishui River.

Outside the commander's camp, snow suddenly began to fall.

Ji Yuan slowly walked out, raised his head, looked at the snowflakes swirling down from the sky, and said, "They're coming." (End of Chapter)