Frost for a Thousand Years

Chapter 116 My son is coming back!

Imperial College, Registrar's Office.

Several scholars are organizing the classic texts.

One of the officials, leaning back in his seat, said with considerable displeasure, "This Song Shi'an is truly a great scourge."

"Why are you suddenly bringing up Song Shi'an again?" the official beside him asked, puzzled.

"Haven't you all heard?" Dian Cheng said in a low voice, "Shuofeng is lost."

"Such a thing is true?" someone exclaimed in surprise. "Really?"

"That's right, His Majesty has urgently summoned several generals." When talking about this matter, he was full of disdain. "With the loss of Shuofeng, can Beiliang still hold on? With Beiliang suffering such a crushing defeat, the entire Liangzhou is in danger."

This official had always disliked Song Shi'an.

It's been like this ever since I read his essay "The Strategy of Military Colonization".

As a member of the Song family, he actually managed to write such an article that rivaled the interests of powerful families.

Even if you're an illegitimate son and don't get much, you can't rebel against your father like this.

Of course, this article was ranked first in the first class of policy essays by the Prince of Jin, or rather the emperor, so he certainly did not criticize it.

But he has always been very hostile towards Song Shi'an.

Then, after Song Shi'an recited that poem at Sun Situ's residence, he immediately launched into a full-blown attack: What's the use of being talented if you don't respect the elderly? A person like that will never amount to anything in their life!

He volunteered to be the magistrate of Shuofeng County, but he also scolded: "He's gone mad with greed for wealth and status, he's self-righteous, and he doesn't know what the world is like!"
He instigated the Sixth Prince to seize the troops of Langya, and was instantly overjoyed: "This is a traitor! This is a traitor whose entire family will be exterminated!"
"Alas, if it's really lost, then it's dangerous." A look of worry appeared on the faces of those around them. "The Qi traitors will then look down on our Great Yu."

"If he hadn't been lost, it would be even more incredible to have him back."

He chuckled, a hint of mockery in his voice.

"The key issue now isn't him, but rather that the entire northern army and its supplies have been lost..."

The magistrate snorted and complained, "I always thought this kid was rebelling, and we shouldn't have sent troops to support him."

He had barely finished speaking when the door was suddenly pushed open.

Everyone was startled.

But when they saw who it was, they turned pale with fright.

Everyone was trembling and shaking.

The clerk hurriedly got up and faced the group with great fear.

Zuo Ziliang, the deputy commander of the Embroidered Uniform Guard, led four Embroidered Uniform Guards directly into the room. With a single glance, two of them grabbed the clerk.

"Master Zuo, what's wrong with you...?"

As the magistrate spoke tremblingly, his lower body went limp like a noodle.

Beside them, a member of the Imperial Guard held a pen in one hand and a manual made of several thin wooden plaques strung together in the other. After writing something down, he picked it up and faced the group: "Did he say that if this kid hadn't been lost, it would be even more terrible to bring him back, and that he was cursing our army to defeat?"

That's exactly what I said, not a single word is wrong.

Dian Cheng didn't dare to talk back, but he wanted to explain.

But the question wasn't directed at him.

The others nodded in fear and said in unison, "Yes."

They clearly said it, and the Embroidered Uniform Guards heard it all. How dare they cover it up?
"Did he say: I just think this kid is rebelling, and we shouldn't have sent troops to support him, questioning and slandering the emperor's decisions?" he asked again.

The remaining few nodded repeatedly: "Yes."

The previous charge was already frightening enough, but this one was 'impeaching' the emperor. The clerk's mind went blank for a moment, followed by Hong Wen's 'warning, warning'.

Finally, he fainted on the spot.

"take away."

Without any hesitation, Zuo Ziliang dragged the man out of the Imperial Academy.

Upon exiting the Registrar's Office, he looked at the man's identity information book and frowned: "The Registrar of the Imperial Academy's Registrar's Office is only a fifth-rank official."

“This is the biggest one we’ve caught today,” said a member of the Imperial Guard standing nearby. “Those high-ranking officials seem to be mostly silent now.”

"He's probably been tipped off. This nobody has no faction and no access to important figures." Zuo Ziliang was disappointed. "A mere fifth-rank official dares to discuss state affairs?"

"What can we do? It feels like everyone's on edge, seeing threats everywhere." The others felt helpless.

"You're spouting idioms all the time, are you trying to pass the imperial examination?"

After complaining, Zuo Ziliang breathed a sigh of relief and said, "It would be great if we could catch someone of the third rank, the fourth rank would be good enough, and if all else fails, the fourth rank would be fine too."

There are several thresholds for official positions in Dayu.

The seventh rank is one.

The fourth rank is one.

Those of the fourth rank and above are considered high-ranking officials.

Among them, Sheng'an, a fourth-rank official, was also allowed to attend court assemblies.

Sun Heng, the Left Supervisor of the Court of Judicial Review, was a fourth-rank official, considered half a step into the imperial court.

“That’s right. Our Embroidered Uniform Guard went out and spent most of the day to catch a fifth-rank official. Isn’t that a disgrace to Eunuch Chen?” someone else chimed in.

The Embroidered Uniform Guards were also palace personnel, answering only to the emperor. However, the emperor couldn't possibly instruct them on every trivial matter. Therefore, their direct superior was Chen Bao.

The second leader is none other than Grandpa Xi.

Among the eunuchs of the Directorate of Ceremonial, Chen Bao held the seal of office, and Eunuch Xi was in charge of writing.

"Let's go to Dali Temple."

Zuo Ziliang decided that his next trip would be to this crucial government office.

"Left leader, are you looking for Sun Heng from the Dali Temple?" he reminded him. "That man is the eldest son of Minister Sun."

Arresting people also requires considering the potential impact.

Eunuch Chen always taught them that they had to use their brains when doing things.

"So what?" Zuo Ziliang scoffed, then instantly became serious. "Even if it's Minister Sun, you can't just say whatever you want!"

.........

Sheng'an, a private room in a restaurant.

"That Song Shi'an is a damn bastard!"

A richly dressed young man, his face flushed, raised his finger and began to curse.

"Yes," others chimed in with disdain, "He looks down on this and that just because he has a few lousy articles. He even said something like, 'Why shouldn't a man carry a hunting rifle and take over fifty states beyond the pass?' Does he deserve it?"

"He's not worthy of his father's attention!"

The young master, his face flushed, thought back to when he and Song Shi'an were once classmates in a private school. The day Song Shi'an passed the provincial examination with top honors, he personally went to invite him to dinner, but the boy ignored him completely. Therefore, he harbored a deep resentment towards Song Shi'an: "Now, we've suffered a great defeat, and he's died in the north wind. He's brought disaster to his parents and his entire family. They all have to die."

"Yeah, that kid is a damn jinx..."

Before he could finish speaking, several armed officials rushed in.

"How dare you! Who are you!" The young master stood up, pointed at the lowly officials, and said without flinching, "Get out!"

At this moment, Jia Guihao, the Commandant of Sheng'anxi, walked in and pointed at him, saying, "Who are you pointing at, kid? Put your hand down."

Seeing that the other person's official robes indicated a fifth-rank official, he lowered his hand and his tone softened considerably: "What is this, sir?"

"Caught."

Jia Guihao pressed down with his hand and said decisively.

Everyone was arrested on the spot, and the two who were shouting loudly were held down by two people.

"What are you doing!" The drunken young master suddenly became enraged, struggling wildly. "My father is Li Gong! My father is Li Gong!"

"I know, I know, your father is Li Gong." Jia Guihao picked at his ear and said to his two subordinates beside him, "Did you hear that? His father is Li Gong."

"Yes, sir. His father is Li Gong."

"I heard it too, his father is Li Gong!"

……

A frenzy of arrests swept through Sheng'an City.

In the outer city, Sheng Anxi Commandant was arresting all the sons of officials who had slandered the court and Song Shi'an during the political struggle, as well as low-ranking officials, even those outside his jurisdiction.

Because of his connection to the King of Wu, the other three captains could only stand by and watch. Meanwhile, the Embroidered Uniform Guard was tasked with catching the big fish.

But after a whole day of work, including visiting the Dali Temple, his highest achievement was still defeating a fifth-rank official.

So when he returned to the palace, he was severely scolded by Eunuch Chen.

Criticizing them for incompetence is perhaps too ostentatious; they're catching the big fish while trying to catch the small ones.

However, even a seasoned eunuch like Chen could guess that the matter had been communicated to the authorities.

The wisdom of this aristocratic family is not so simple.

If Sun Situ only had a noble lineage, could he have ranked first among the Three Dukes?
Even in the imperial prison, Song Jing could sense that something was wrong with the atmosphere at the Dali Temple.

So, at night, he summoned a young seventh-rank prison warden and asked, "Sir, what happened?"

"Lord Song, you can just call me Little Liu," the prison warden said with a smile.

"Alright, Lord Liu, what happened?" Song Jing asked.

"Well..." The warden hesitated for a moment before lowering his voice and saying, "Right now, Sheng An is arresting people."

"Catch whom?"

Song Jing was very curious.

"I don't know where the news of Shuofeng's defeat came from, and then the Imperial Guards and constables started arresting people all over the city, and dozens of people were arrested," he explained.

"A defeat?" Song Jingxin's heart skipped a beat.

"This is just a rumor, it hasn't been confirmed. And if it were true, why arrest someone?" The warden quickly reassured him, "Lord Song, please wait for the official news."

"Will you tell me the real news?" Song Jing asked.

“Well… I’m in a bit of a bind,” the warden said. “But if it’s something the whole city knows about, I’ll definitely come and tell you.”

“If the whole city knows about it…” Song Jing looked to the side and sighed, “then it’s either a complete victory or a complete defeat.”

The north wind is now like a patient being rescued.

As long as the surgery continues, he is still alive.

At the moment of his death, his fate was no longer Schrödinger's cat.

"Your Excellency," the prison warden said in a low voice upon seeing this, "Although we officials didn't discuss state affairs much today, judging from the expressions of those important figures, they seem to have won."

These words made Song Jing look at him seriously.

He waved his hand awkwardly, signaling Song Jing not to press the matter further.

Even without being asked, he understood.

Judging from his expression, he won.

That means those who want to win are happy, and those who want to lose are upset.

.........

With Song Jing imprisoned in the Dali Temple prison, the personal freedom of the Song family members was naturally completely restricted.

Song Ce, Song Qin, Madam Cui, and Madam Jiang remained in the main hall.

Except for emergencies, when someone needs to go, they will be taken there by maids or servants, and they will eat, drink, and sleep there.

The doors to the main hall were closed, but the lights inside were always on, and there were Imperial Guards standing guard outside.

Despite spending so many days together, Madam Cui still had not forgiven or pardoned Jiang.

One morning, as usual, the four of them sat cross-legged, following Song Jing's instructions before they were imprisoned, using the soreness in their bodies to concentrate and avoid speaking carelessly.

"Song Ce." Song Qin looked at her twin brother, the only ninth-rank official in the family, and asked, "You say it's been so long, and the war still isn't over?"

After she asked that question, both women looked at Song Ce.

"That's how sieges are; some can last for several years," Song Ce explained to her.

"Will that last for several years?"

Song Qin was starting to despair. Was she going to be locked up for this long?
Don’t do this kind of thing!

"I don't think so." Song Ce thought for a moment and then said, "Ji Yuan has committed too many troops, and they have come from afar. If they fight for several years, the pseudo-Qi state will not be able to afford it. Dragging it out for so long will actually be advantageous to our Great Yu."

"How long will the fight last?" Song Qin pressed.

"That's really uncertain. Ji Yuan's personality is hard to predict. But logically speaking, once winter comes, the Xiongnu will invade the north of their pseudo-Qi, making transportation and supplies much more difficult. If they still can't conquer it, they'll probably retreat," Song Ce analyzed.

“Logically speaking, it should be around this time of year that winter arrives,” Jiang said earnestly.

"It mainly depends on the snowfall," Song Ce said. "For transportation, the cold is not the key factor, but the muddy roads caused by snow will slow down the speed to less than 30% of the original speed."

"But it should be snowing by now." Song Qin could feel that Sheng An was quite cold.

When you sit cross-legged on the ground, your bottom feels cold.

“It’s hard to say.” Song Ce shook his head. “Sometimes it might snow a month early, and sometimes it might snow half a month late. Throughout history, the outcome of many wars has been determined by unpredictable weather.”

"If Song Shi'an manages to hold on, won't our family become even richer?" Song Qin asked expectantly.

These words immediately lifted everyone's spirits.

"The fact that Father was imprisoned means that 'he' is the main culprit. The fact that Father has been imprisoned for so long without being sentenced means that the higher-ups are waiting for 'his' outcome."

Returning to the question his sister had asked, Song Ce murmured, "Whether he is rich or not, I don't know, but he has performed a great service."

Upon hearing the words "Tian Gong," Jiang's eyes lit up.

"My Song family is already wealthy; do we need him to make us even wealthier?"

At this moment, Madam Cui glanced at Jiang and said sarcastically, "For the sake of her own future, she even got Aji imprisoned."

Jiang didn't speak, but lowered her head and gently bit her lip.

Suddenly, it became noisy outside.

Moreover, it's getting noisier and noisier.

The sound seemed to come from outside the mansion; it was the shouts of the crowd.

How could there be such a commotion in the imperial city?
All four of them began to feel uneasy.

Just then, the door was slowly pushed open.

It was Shen Kang, the commander of the Embroidered Uniform Guard.

Upon seeing this, Song Ce quickly stood up and bowed to him, saying, "Master Shen."

"Young Master Song, ladies, and Miss Song."

Shen Kang smiled slightly, looked at the tense crowd, and explained, "The noise you heard is the cry of the people after Shuofeng won the battle."

"They won the battle?!"

Jiang immediately stood up.

Madam Cui's eyes widened in disbelief.

Song Qin smiled and said happily, "Then Dad, you can get out of prison?"

“Yes.” Shen Kang replied, then quickly added, “But Miss Song, I was referring to Madam Jiang’s statement. As for whether Lord Song can be released from prison, that depends on the Dali Temple’s verdict.”

“We’ve won a battle, we’ve won a battle…” Jiang murmured a few times before suddenly grabbing Shen Kang’s arm. “Master Shen, what about my son? He’s Song Shi’an.”

"Don't be rude!" Madam Cui roared at Madam Jiang.

However, Shen Kang was very kind and replied, "Song Shi'an, everything is fine."

As the mistress of the house, Madam Cui could no longer stand it: "Don't you dare treat Master Shen like this..."

Before she could finish speaking, Jiang turned around, clutching her clothes tightly, tears welling in her eyes, and choked out, "My son is coming back!"

"..."

These words stunned Madam Cui on the spot.

The pride and arrogance that had always graced his face vanished completely.

He couldn't even retort after being glared at by her.

The previous hierarchy was completely disrupted by her words.

Her son, who had performed a great service, was coming back...

(End of this chapter)