Frost for a Thousand Years

Offerings were made to Heaven, Earth, and Humanity.

This is a common procedure in ancient grand ceremonies.

Their objects are all deities.

In this solemn and dignified setting, everyone waited with great seriousness for the emperor to lead them through the ceremony, their expressions tense.

After the emperor rose, he suddenly said, "Crown Prince, I am so old that I am no longer able to perform the three bows to Heaven and Earth. You shall perform the ceremony in my stead."

Everyone was shocked by these words.

Although the crown prince may oversee the country, he is ultimately just the heir apparent. At such grand ceremonies, it is certainly the emperor who will lead the prayers to the gods, conveying the message to Heaven.

This is a matter of etiquette and rules.

Although the emperor was ill and had difficulty moving around, he was by no means incapable of performing the sacrificial rites.

If he were truly unable to move, there would be no way he could have gotten out.

This move was intended to show the world that the emperor had completely delegated power to the crown prince.

In the past, you only needed to be loyal to me, but now you must serve and assist my son with all your heart.

At this moment, the Prince of Jin felt extremely distressed, and his eyes involuntarily stung with tears.

This should have been mine, it was mine!
I regret not going to subdue Song Shi'an.

If even matters like imperial sacrifices are entrusted to the crown prince, isn't he about to issue an edict of abdication and become the retired emperor...?

"Yes, Your Majesty."

The crown prince hurriedly walked up to the emperor and solemnly and formally prostrated himself before him.

"Your Majesty is holy."

At this moment, the civil and military officials, including several princes, who were standing in the middle of the seats on the left and right, and divided into two rows, all prostrated themselves and bowed in unison.

Then, the eunuch Xi Gonggong, who was standing to the side, cued out the procedure.

The emperor returned to his seat, and as the only one sitting, he leaned wearily against it, watching his son lead the officials to pour three cups of yellow wine under the sacrificial animal head of the grand sacrificial altar, and to kowtow three times.

Finally, it's over.

The crown prince and the princes returned to their seats, and the officials gradually returned as well.

“Land reclamation can be successful.”

The emperor's first words drew all eyes to him. He then slowly looked down at Wei Wusheng below him, and then at Song Shi'an below the steps, before saying, "My dear ministers, you have all witnessed firsthand how difficult this has been. The mobilization of 500,000 soldiers and civilians spanned several prefectures. The national treasury was able to cover the shortage of millions of bushels of grain. During this time, we also faced locust plagues, heatstroke, and corruption among eunuchs. It is thanks to the Prince of Zhongshan and the Prefect of Huai County, who have devoted themselves wholeheartedly to the cause and led from the front, that we have been able to hold this grand gathering today."

"The King of Zhongshan is righteous, and the Prefect is righteous."

The crowd responded with enthusiastic applause.

"You could even say that without them, what would we eat today?" the emperor joked.

The emperor laughed, and all the officials smiled in response.

"The Battle of Shuofeng, the mission to Northern Yan, and the current bountiful harvest in Huai County," the emperor said after recounting the achievements. "If these merits were counted separately, anyone who achieved any one of them would be granted the rank of marquis. However, these three achievements were all obtained by Wusheng and Shi'an, so no amount of merit is too much for them."

"Some people say that Song Shi'an has been promoted too quickly in the past few years. He is only twenty-two years old and has already become a prefect. In any case, he should follow the rules and take things one step at a time." The emperor chuckled and said, "People who say such things would be eager to be promoted to one of the Nine Ministers if the same thing happened to them."

These words were clearly meant to put down certain critics and to pave the way for Song Shi'an's upcoming promotion.

Therefore, someone needs to come and support them.

Moreover, he was someone who had previously clashed with Song Shi'an and who wielded considerable power and prestige.

"Your Majesty is quite right," the Duke of Li replied. "Merit should naturally be awarded to the capable. When Emperor Taizu conquered the world, we were willing to follow him to the death precisely because he was fair in rewarding and punishing, and treated everyone equally. Those with outstanding achievements could become generals at the age of sixteen. Those who were mediocre and incompetent were not worthy of entering the court, even if they were sixty or seventy. In our Great Yu, there has never been a rule that one could be promoted and granted titles based on seniority or the length of time one had served in office."

"Yeah yeah."

“These three things, taken individually, are unparalleled achievements.”

"Moreover, although Lord Song is young, he has made outstanding contributions in war, diplomacy, and governance."

It has to be said that this is an era that values ​​IDs.

If Song Shi'an had accumulated so many merits, he would have been promoted to Duke long ago if he had been a nobleman's son.

It is also because Song Shi'an is too powerful that some of his achievements do not seem so impressive.

Take the matter of military farming as an example. If we break it down, the fact that a thorough investigation of the entire population of Huai County revealed seventy or eighty thousand tenant farmers is a truly remarkable achievement.

This is labor force generated out of thin air, coming from the void, equivalent to Song Shi'an giving birth to them one by one.

But since he is Song Shi'an, it's considered standard procedure.

Not to mention what happened later, when they stole the fields of powerful families and forced them to relocate, and obtained a million bushels of grain from merchants to fill the country's deficit.

Today, we're going to seal off a big one.

Everyone started discussing it amongst themselves.

Could he be a twenty-two-year-old official of the second rank?
But if the emperor has gone this far, a second-rank official might not be enough.

That's a first-rank official?
Who could possibly be squeezed out of the Nine Ministers?

Those who manage to squeeze out of the Nine Ministers are not considered to be in charge of real power.

Could it be a high-ranking official in charge of a region...?

"Prefect Song Shi'an of Huai County, listen to the imperial decree." At this moment, Eunuch Xi said.

"Sir, obey the order."

Song Shi'an stepped forward and knelt down.

"The Emperor, by the Will of Heaven, decrees:
The current Prefect of Huai County, Song Shi'an, wielded the plow and hoe in the Central Plains, transforming barren land into fertile soil. After a year of toil, the granaries overflowed with grain; the nine types of farmers achieved excellent results, and the cries of anguish from the villages ceased.

He was promoted to Governor of Sizhou and granted the title of Marquis of Huaixiang.

Admire this. "

When this imperial edict was issued, all the officials were somewhat shocked.

At the age of twenty-two, while many students were still taking the imperial examinations to become scholars, he had already become a high-ranking official in charge of a region.

Although not a local tyrant like a prefectural governor, it was still a position with real power.

They far surpassed the lower-ranking officials among the Nine Ministers of the Central Government.

That's terrifying! This kid has a limitless future.

However, they were also making some unfounded speculations.

Having been granted this position at the age of twenty-two, how should one bestow titles and rewards upon him going forward?

Could it be that Ouyang Ke's life ended at the age of twenty-five, having risen to the position of prime minister?

His position today speaks volumes.

Among civil officials, he was to be compared to the Duke of Li.

Song Shi'an raised his head and looked at the Crown Prince.

He was smiling gently and seemed genuinely happy.

But the emperor, sitting at the highest position behind him, did not have the same expression.

Some of them were unusually serious.

Now I understand completely.

Lao Song has thought it through completely.

What is this damned emperor up to?

How can one, after reaching such a high position, still be able to fall down with a thud, thus locking in Song Shi'an's upper limit?

Director Qi's shot made Comrade Ruijin's path to advancement much more difficult.

If two of your own men were to become traitors.

Then how can he still have the face to be a high-ranking official?
Just yesterday, the Crown Prince promised to spare Qin Kuo and Zhu Qing's lives.

Today, on this occasion, the emperor will try to label the Northern Liang group as reactionaries.

Old man, you're really good at playing Werewolf.

Before the hunter died, he took the wolf away with a single shot.

Song Shi'an, why aren't you accepting the imperial decree...?

The crown prince was getting anxious because he paused for a while.

Could it be that he's going to refuse outright in this situation, thus disrespecting the emperor?
do not do that.

Once the military power of Beiliang is relieved, Qin Kuo, Zhu Qing, and others are transferred away, and Wu Sheng is appointed as the head of the clan, you will have your day to make your mark.

"Your Majesty, take the order."

Song Shi'an raised his head and accepted the imperial decree with both hands.

The Crown Prince finally breathed a sigh of relief. Song Shi'an returned to his seat.

"King Wei Wusheng of Zhongshan, heed my decree."

Next, it was Xiao Wei's turn.

He walked down the steps and prostrated himself in worship.

"The Emperor, by the Will of Heaven, decrees:
King Wei Wusheng of Zhongshan, wielding the axe, led his troops to victory and repeatedly achieved great feats. He stationed his troops in Huai County, and his effective management of agriculture and military affairs ensured that the granaries of Dayu were full and the national treasury was overflowing.

Special purpose:

He was transferred to the position of King of Qin and rewarded with five thousand gold pieces.

He was appointed Minister of the Imperial Clan Court, in charge of the imperial genealogy.

Admire this. "

Finally, Wei Wusheng became the King of Qin.

Born out of wedlock to a mother who was a dancer, he became a noble prince comparable to the Prince of Jin.

If he had obtained this title during the struggle for the throne, he could have become one of the players and competed for the final treasure.

However, everyone knew that this was the emperor's doing.

He became the Zongzheng (宗正), in charge of the Zongrenfu (宗人府), and managed all the imperial family members. He seemed to be second only to the emperor and above all others, with immeasurable honor, but his military power was completely stripped away.

Of course, Wusheng had nothing back then, so no one felt that this matter was unfair to him.

"Your Majesty, take the order."

Wei Wusheng was much more straightforward than Song Shi'an, but he showed no expression at all when it came to something quite disrespectful.

This made some of the older civil servants in the audience feel a little strange and uneasy.

Is there a problem with this process?
No.

What's the problem?

Neither of them expressed their gratitude.

There are cases where people accept the imperial decree without expressing gratitude, but it is also possible for two people to do so simultaneously.

That's a bit strange.

It was as if some game had been played without their knowledge, so An Sheng was used to everything.

It even has a bit of a temper.

"The sacrifices have been performed, and the merits have been rewarded." The emperor raised his wine cup and said with a smile, "Not only those of you who have been involved in the land reclamation, but also all my beloved ministers who have been managing things in Sheng'an, you have all worked hard this year. Please enjoy this banquet and relax completely."

The emperor happily raised his cup, and everyone followed suit, drinking it all in one gulp.

Then, the banquet began.

The first performance was the Yangzhou Dance from Jiangnan.

The young women moved gracefully and lightly among the guests. Their colorful flowing sleeves, like a flowing rainbow, swept across the cups and goblets, carrying with them a subtle fragrance, captivating the officials and bringing them great joy.

Who doesn't like hosting a banquet?

"Xinyue."

Song Shi'an acted as if nothing had happened, even raising a glass with Xin Yue at this time.

"Peace of mind."

Although Xin Yue was very nervous, Song Shi'an standing beside her made her feel at ease, so she returned the favor.

At this moment, as she gradually adapted, she remained remarkably calm whenever her gaze swept over the Duke of Li, without revealing any murderous intent.

However, the Duke of Li took notice of this girl.

She seemed to have some contempt for herself.

"His Majesty."

At this moment, following procedure, the Crown Prince stepped forward and bowed to the Emperor, saying, "On this grand ceremony of land reclamation, your son presents you with a gift."

"Oh?" the emperor feigned curiosity.

At this moment, two eunuchs came over and unfurled a scroll in front of the emperor.

What comes into view is a long image.

"Your Highness, this is 'Autumn Harvest in Huai County' painted by Wu Zidao, the greatest painter in the land," the Crown Prince said.

"Excellent, excellent." The emperor was delighted with the painting and continued, "Let every official see this first painting of Great Yu, a painting depicting abundant harvests and overflowing households."

Two eunuchs took the painting and showed it to each of the officials in turn.

"As expected of Master Wu Zidao, his painting style is truly authentic and his skills are superb."

"At this time of abundant harvest for all people, I have witnessed the grandeur of the Great Yu Dynasty."

"It's truly breathtaking, and I'm moved to tears..."

The painting is good, and the composition is good.

"Hang this painting in the palace, I want to see it every day," the emperor said with great pleasure. "Zisheng, remember to thank Master Wu properly."

"Yes, Father."

After the Crown Prince demonstrated his filial piety, it was time for the Prince of Jin.

"Father, I present you with a 'map of the territory'."

After presenting this gift, the King of Jin explained, "This was made by artisans from the South, who used clay to depict the mountains, rivers, and vast territory of my Great Yu."

Upon seeing the sand table, the emperor jokingly asked, "Why is the Northern Liang intact?"

“Father, Beiliang has always belonged to my Great Yu. It will soon be returned to us,” said the Prince of Jin.

"Well said." After praising it with delight, the emperor then pointed out, "However, the ambition of only half of Beiliang is a bit too stingy."

“Father is absolutely right. Your subject was short-sighted,” Prince Jin said, bowing his head in apology.

The one who spoke to the Crown Prince just now was the least disappointing father.

And now, the Prince of Jin is his most disappointing father.

This tactic of belittling one and praising the other certainly made Prince Jin appear somewhat pitiful and pathetic.

However, this is also the art of emperors.

Previously, only the Prince of Jin was competing with the Crown Prince.

Therefore, this is a deliberate attempt to suppress the officials in front of them.

The prince was thoroughly enjoying himself.

"Father, I present you with a handwritten copy of the scriptures. May they bless our Great Yu Kingdom with peace and prosperity, and may the weather be favorable. May Father live ten thousand years."

The King of Changsha sent more than one set of scriptures; they piled up in a whole stack.

The emperor picked up a book, opened it, and after seeing the gold-flecked characters, smiled and nodded: "Wei Yixun, it really is your handwriting."

"Your Majesty, I would never dare to deceive you. Every single word was copied by me."

The child smiled smugly, very proud.

The emperor patted his head and accepted the gift.

"Father." At this moment, Wei Yiyuan leaned over and said with a smile, "Your son's gift to Father will be presented later."

"Then I'll look forward to it."

Even those who were part of the Prince of Jin's faction back then, as long as they weren't Prince of Jin himself, the emperor still gave them considerable face.

In the end, only Wei Wusheng remained.

And so, in full view of everyone, he walked up to the emperor.

A eunuch stood to the side carrying a wooden tray covered with a red cloth. The tray was only slightly bulging, which aroused everyone's curiosity about what kind of treasure could be so small.

Until the emperor lifted the red cloth.

On the wooden plate is a tassel.

Everyone was immediately shocked.

Each prince was dumbfounded.

Only the emperor remained remarkably calm. He simply waited, enduring Wei Wusheng's humiliation.

"His Majesty."

With both hands clenched into fists and a military salute, Wei Wusheng said, "What I am presenting is the first ear of rice after the autumn harvest from the military farms, which I personally cut with a sickle." (End of this chapter)