Frost for a Thousand Years

Losing the military farms is not unacceptable.

Because the emperor had this idea in mind, he insisted on dragging the two of them into the mess before leaving, so Song Shi'an and Wei Wusheng had no choice but to back down, even if they didn't want to.

So he agreed with unusual ease.

After all, wise men like them, or more accurately, wise men like Song Shi'an, had long anticipated the outcome of discarding someone after they've served their purpose.

The real controversy today lies in just four words: defying orders and becoming independent.

After the Crown Prince used such strong language to characterize Qin Kuo and Zhu Qing, both of them became serious.

Wei Wusheng was immediately displeased, but after Song Shi'an glanced at him out of the corner of his eye, he restrained himself.

"Qin Kuo and Zhu Qing were promoted by you, so I don't want you to know about this difficult situation," the Crown Prince said with great difficulty. "But Ji Yuan's army is pressing in from the front. Any change could lead to danger for Bei Liang and Liangzhou. And if Liangzhou is in danger, it could shake the foundation of the Great Yu Kingdom."

The Crown Prince's tone was completely tense, showing no sign of relaxation, and he had already labeled the military and political leaders of Northern Liang as traitors.

This is the choice the Crown Prince hopes An Sheng will make.

Song Shi'an took the position of a first-rank prefect, becoming a powerful regional official and thus entering the core leadership position of the empire.

Wei Wusheng took the top-grade Zongzheng (宗正) title; the golden body of the "manager" of the imperial clan was enough to save his life.

The price was to send Zhu Qing and Qin Kuo away, just like the Crown Prince had sacrificed to Eunuch Lian.

The emperor is no longer going to act.

"Your Highness," Song Shi'an asked calmly and earnestly, "Is it truly true that you defied orders and declared yourself emperor?"

“Yes,” the Crown Prince said. “After Ji Yuan’s army made its move, the military intelligence from the front was reported back. At the first moment, General Xiao Qun issued an order for Zhu Qing to deploy troops and also sent reinforcements. However, the army of Nanshuo County did not move and even set up checkpoints along the road connecting to Liangzhou to block them.”

"Did the imperial court personally send the Embroidered Uniform Guard to investigate?" Wei Wusheng asked.

“Time is of the essence, and there is no time to investigate,” the Crown Prince said. “However, Chen Ling and Xiao Qun can jointly vouch for the fact that he disobeyed orders and declared himself emperor.”

These two men, due to their positions as aristocratic families and nobles, should have been checking and balancing each other. The emperor's initial arrangement was intended to create a check and balance between them.

But now, they've banded together.

The most prestigious governors and the most prestigious provincial governors shamefully engaged in fraternal politics.

Jordan teaming up with Magic Johnson is an example of this.

The target was merely a commoner who had been promoted to captain due to his pioneering work and then further promoted on official business, as well as a civil official with only a minor family background. The outcome was self-evident.

If that's still not clear enough, then be more specific and precise.

The provincial first and second provinces joined forces to stifle the development of non-provincial capital cities.

If Wei Wusheng, who is in the central government, and Song Shi'an, who is about to enter the central government, do not support their subordinates, they will not last a single round.

However, their backers are also mired in trouble and unable to extricate themselves.

If they do not give up at this point, the imperial court will have a legitimate reason to label them as the behind-the-scenes backers of the Northern Liang group's resistance to orders.

The old emperor's methods were too ruthless and cruel.

His methods were utterly devoid of mercy. In the annals of history, this is an indelible stain on his record.

But as a father, he would rather lose face than let this crown prince ascend the throne.

This is fatherly love.

Xinyue, I was right, this emperor clearly loves his son.

"Fourth Brother." Just as Song Shi'an remained silent, Wei Wusheng suddenly spoke up and asked, "Do you really believe they will become independent?"

exploded.

“I don’t want to believe it either, but the evidence is right in front of me,” the Crown Prince replied. “Xiao Qun and Chen Ling personally vouched for them, and false accusation is a capital offense. Moreover, the urgent message sent back by the court is consistent with what they said in their impeachment letter. It is a fact that Beiliang has lost control.”

The Crown Prince's core reason was that both the first and second provincial governments agreed.

If we really want to argue this point, then we need to prove that the nobles and aristocratic families made false accusations.

In other words, if Chen Ling and Xiao Qun were impeached with another piece of solid evidence, they could be sentenced to death for a serious crime.

From this perspective, it would be absolutely reckless to rashly start a war with noble families and powerful clans.

Song Shi'an was about to stop Wei Wusheng, but before he could speak, Wei Wusheng almost humbly reminded him: "Fourth Brother, think about it. With their small force, they are sandwiched between Liangzhou and Qi. How can they stand on their own? Besides, their families are all in Sheng'an."

Fortunately, Xiao Wei is still intelligent.

At this point, Xiao Qun and Chen Ling were not involved, which meant they had to face even more enemies.

"Yes, so all of Qin Kuo and Zhu Qing's family members have been taken into custody and detained in Dali Temple for investigation."

Upon hearing the Crown Prince's words, Wei Wusheng felt a chill run through him.

This fourth brother didn't come to discuss anything with them; he came to give them a notification.

If you abandon Qin Kuo and Zhu Qing, they will die.

If you try to protect the duo, they'll die too. And you'll get dragged into it as well.

Even if it's not a capital offense, the punishment for negligence in hiring people and for harboring traitors is inescapable.

“However, the fact remains that impeachment is impossible. The court will not condemn someone without even conducting an investigation,” the Crown Prince said. “Even if there was indeed disobedience to the governor and prefect, there may be other hidden reasons.”

Give a beating, then offer a sweet treat.

This matter can be taken very seriously, or it can be handled more gently.

“Indeed.” Song Shi’an nodded in agreement. “The fall of Tongmen Pass was due to the collusion of an inside agent among the officials of Liangzhou, which led to the loss of half of Northern Liang.”

This sentence was so aggressive that it made even the crown prince tremble.

There might be some disobedience, but what if there are spies in Liangzhou causing trouble?
It should be noted that this situation occurred before Qin Kuo and Zhu Qing had recaptured half of Beiliang.

"Of course," the Crown Prince said, barely suppressing his nervousness. "It's not impossible that Chen Ling and Xiao Qun were misled by their subordinates."

They turned the tables on him.

Even if Beiliang can really give it up, you can't convict my people, and you also have to make Xiao Qun and Chen Ling hand over some people to take the blame.

This is why AI can never replace humans.

It lacks a very important attribute—taking the blame.

"Therefore, their families are only being controlled and investigated." The Crown Prince could not make his bias too obvious, so he said reasonably, "If Zhu Qing and Qin Kuo are unharmed, their families will naturally be unharmed as well."

“In that case,” Song Shi’an asked the Crown Prince, “why not just have His Majesty issue an imperial edict ordering Zhu Qing and Qin Kuo to unconditionally obey General Xiao Qun’s orders, and allowing reinforcements to enter Shuofeng?”

“That’s right,” Wei Wusheng added, “Whether someone is loyal or treacherous can be determined by whether they accept the imperial decree.”

These two are serious.

But if they were to actually take it seriously, then the Crown Prince's trap would have been set up for nothing.

Everyone knows that it was Song Shi'an and Wei Wusheng who disobeyed orders and wanted to establish their own rule, not the two county officials.

“Under normal circumstances, I would definitely investigate thoroughly. Using an imperial edict to test loyalty would be the most correct and fair method,” the Crown Prince said with utmost seriousness. “But the situation is different now. Ji Yuan is in Beiliang. If they really have the intention to establish their own independent state, sending this imperial edict may alert them and prompt them to raise an army and declare independence.”

The Crown Prince's words were reasonable and well-founded.

With his intelligence, he couldn't possibly come up with such a thing so easily.

It was definitely taught by the emperor.

That's a really good reason.

"Then there's no way to judge; they're doomed," Wei Wusheng said angrily.

“Wusheng, I absolutely do not want to see this happen,” the Crown Prince said. “If this matter can be resolved smoothly, I guarantee that no one will lose their head. In fact, their positions will not be demoted too much.” The two fell silent.

The crown prince also fell silent.

After holding back for a while, he said with great hesitation, "I don't know if this matter has actually happened, but if they are forced to rebel out of fear, it will definitely break my heart. If we could... no, this won't do."

This guy is putting on an act again.

"Your Highness, do you have a solution?" Song Shi'an asked, taking the initiative to cooperate.

"No, no, that's not good," the prince said, waving his hand.

"Your Highness, please show them a way to survive," Song Shi'an said, clenching his fists.

Having come this far, the Crown Prince could only tell the truth: "They resist Xiao Qun's words, they are afraid of the court's words, but if it were Shi An and Wu Sheng, I believe they would be able to listen to them."

"Our words?" Song Shi'an was taken aback, then said, "We are in Sizhou, thousands of miles away, and we have never corresponded with them. If they really have the intention to establish their own independent state, what use are our words?"

The Crown Prince did indeed offer a choice.

Perhaps this is the solution he can truly accept.

Song Shi'an personally ceded Qin Kuo and Zhu Qing, which was also known as Northern Liang.

The charge of 'self-reliance' could be used as an excuse to claim that one was ostracized by certain officials, leading to discord between the state and the county, and that one would be dealt with leniently.

Meanwhile, An Sheng was promoted at the land reclamation ceremony.

In this way, all the problems were resolved in a dignified manner.

But that's child's play.

The total amount of profit is limited and almost conserved. The Crown Prince and the aristocratic families all profited, so how could Song Shi'an possibly profit as well?

“Your words will certainly be useful, but I don’t want you to get involved,” the Crown Prince said, showing great appreciation for talent. “If they really establish themselves as independent, they will turn around and attack you, which will also damage your reputation.”

“Yes, even if they listen to what we say and hand over their military power to confess their crimes,” Wei Wusheng said, rising from his seat with a particularly disdainful smile, “there will be impeachments, saying that Wei Wusheng can mobilize the Northern Liang army with just a letter, and that he is the real traitor.”

"..." The Crown Prince was taken aback by such a shocking statement.

Before he could react, Wei Wusheng clasped his hands in a salute, then turned and left.

"Your Highness!" Song Shi'an stood up and hurriedly called out to persuade him to stay.

But he had already pushed open the door and left, resolute and determined.

So Song Shi'an immediately turned around, bowed to the Crown Prince, and nervously explained, "Your Highness is just a little reluctant to believe that those two would really rebel, so he is a little anxious. Please forgive him, Your Highness."

"It's not his fault." The Crown Prince smiled tolerantly, then said with some self-reproach, "Wusheng is a sentimental person. As brothers who fought side by side, he wanted to protect them, which is perfectly reasonable."

“But disobeying orders is disobeying orders,” Song Shi’an said. “The military and political affairs of Liangzhou are overseen by the Governor-General and the Prefect. Especially in military matters, General Xiao Qun has the privilege of being granted the authority to act on behalf of the emperor, and they must obey him. If Your Highness is worried about the imperial edict, or if the Crown Prince's decree frightens you, Shi’an is willing to write a letter in his own hand…”

"No," the Crown Prince refused directly, saying, "Wusheng is right, this matter has nothing to do with you. You are the meritorious contributors to the land reclamation, and you should not get involved."

"But Your Highness..."

"Don't worry, no matter what, I will handle it personally." The Crown Prince stood up, walked to Song Shi'an, put his hand on his shoulder, and smiled. "The Grand Ceremony of Settling Farms is also a major event, concerning the spirit and morale of our Great Yu. You don't need to worry about the Northern Liang."

"...Thank you for your understanding, Your Highness."

Song Shi'an eventually gave in to him.

"Shi'an, go and comfort Wusheng, he's not in a good mood right now," the Crown Prince joked.

"Let Your Highness have some peace and quiet."

Song Shi'an took the initiative to avoid suspicion.

"Then you go ahead and do your work, I won't bother you anymore."

"Shi An, farewell."

And so, their conversation ended.

The moment Song Shi'an left, the Crown Prince's face suddenly darkened.

He leaned back in his chair, sitting slightly to the right, one hand supporting his cheek, staring blankly ahead, without saying a word.

The best-case scenario did not occur.

Wei Wusheng directly rejected the Crown Prince with anger and sarcasm.

Although Song Shi'an played the good cop, he was also resistant to the idea of ​​Qin Kuo and Zhu Qing handing over power.

What? If that's what the Crown Prince thinks, why didn't you just agree without any formalities?
The Sixth Prince just said that writing a letter would lead to his impeachment as a backer, and now the Crown Prince is shamelessly asking them to do this. Isn't that pure hypocrisy and selfishness?

The two of them always work together so perfectly.

This 'ruler and minister' relationship really needs to be broken up.

"Your Highness, after returning to the military camp, the Sixth Prince has refused to see anyone."

The Imperial Guards entered, reported, and then left.

A while later, someone else came to report.

"Your Highness, after returning to his barracks, Lord Song did not go to see the Sixth Prince."

They were being secretly monitored.

The results of the surveillance were generally satisfactory to the Crown Prince.

This conversation made it very clear that the emperor wanted to dismantle An Sheng.

If you continue to band together, the emperor will surely take action.

Judging from the result, the crown prince won.

But there was no joy in winning at all.

Because Song Shi'an said: You want to win, then you can win.

After letting out a long sigh, the crown prince became serious.

The problem with Northern Liang can only be solved by brute force.

Just as he was about to accept, at dusk, an ordinary imperial guard hurriedly requested an audience with the crown prince.

After being granted entry, he entered the tent and reported, "Your Highness, Lord Song has instructed me to deliver this letter to you."

Without a doubt, this letter was meant to persuade Northern Liang to surrender.

To the Crown Prince's astonishment, Song Shi'an had casually chosen an ordinary Imperial Guard soldier to write such an important letter, as if to say:
"Your Highness, I know I'm under control. No matter what, this letter will be safely delivered to you."

Instantly, the prince felt ashamed and his cheeks turned red.

Song Shi'an is not trying to save himself.

It can be said that he was completely indifferent to his own life and death.

Your Highness, you may take the fruits of the land reclamation project if you wish.

Your Highness, if you wish to strip someone of their military power, then so be it.

Your Highness, if you want to take back control of Northern Liang, then so be it.

If you need anything else, just say so.

Even if it doesn't go that far, I'll still obey you. (End of Chapter)