Frost for a Thousand Years

The military camps for agricultural settlements are quite different from those for wartime camps. Since the main purpose is agricultural settlement, and Huai County is located in the heart of the region with a high level of security, even the main camp is primarily focused on production and construction. The various camps are spread out, with people living in the middle, making the area very vast. The barracks of Deputy General Zhao Yi and Commander-in-Chief Hua Zheng are quite close, but they are still more than ten miles apart, which would take almost half an hour to travel by horse.

Not long after he sent his men out, the news that had spread throughout the army also reached Zhao Yi.

"General," a man entered, knelt on one knee, and reported with his fists clenched, "rumors have suddenly spread throughout the military settlement."

Upon hearing this, Zhao Yi, who was sitting at the desk, was stunned.

The Imperial Guards sitting to the side were also dumbfounded.

"What rumors?" Zhao Yi asked.

“Soldiers and civilians in the army said…” After hesitating, the personal guard spoke very cautiously, “The Prince of Zhongping presented His Majesty with a performance of ‘Journey to the West’ at the Grand Ceremony of Land Reclamation, and during the performance, the person dressed as Sun Wukong attempted to assassinate His Majesty… Fortunately, the assassination failed.”

Upon hearing this, the two looked at each other, staring at each other with wide eyes.

"Anything else?!" The Imperial Guard stood up in astonishment and asked.

“The Prince of Zhongping has been imprisoned by the Embroidered Uniform Guard, and the Prince of Jin has also been placed under house arrest,” he replied, head bowed.

"Nonsense!" the Imperial Guard immediately retorted angrily. "Prince Jin has not been placed under house arrest at all!"

"That's not the key point." Zhao Yi pressed his hand down, his expression very serious. "The question is, how did this news get leaked?"

“It couldn’t be me,” the Imperial Guard said, trying to prove himself. “General Zhao, I only saw you after I arrived.”

"No, no, that's not what I meant," Zhao Yi said. "Besides, even if it spread from here, it couldn't have spread throughout the army so quickly."

“That’s true.” The Imperial Guard realized, “I’ve only been here a short time, how could the whole army know? There’s only one possibility… that someone was already spreading rumors in the army before I arrived.”

"Right, that is it."

"How could that be?" The Imperial Guard felt quite aggrieved. "After His Highness gave the order, I rushed here at full speed. How could someone else get here before me? All the officials at the Grand Ceremony of Settling Farms were temporarily detained in the post station area."

"There's a mole."

Zhao Yi's three incisive words instantly plunged the Embroidered Uniform Guard into panic.

Someone sent a messenger to deliver the message before the Crown Prince even released the news, or rather, before he could.

This person wields considerable influence in Huai County.

Not only can it allow information to circulate, but it also provides a thorough understanding of the local transportation and the availability of replacement horses or people.

Otherwise, how could they be faster than the Embroidered Uniform Guard?

"Oh no." Zhao Yi's heart sank, his hands began to tremble, and his expression became especially uneasy. "This rumor is being spread too deliberately. The Prince of Zhongping is imprisoned, and the Prince of Jin is under house arrest, it's as if..."

“This was specifically said to Hua Taipu.”

After the Imperial Guard finished speaking with a sudden realization, he felt a chill run down his spine upon closer examination.

The commander of the army stationed for farming was Hua Zheng.

Although there was no tiger tally, there was a crown prince's decree, which was just as convincing.

Even if he were a confidant of the Crown Prince and could mobilize a large army, he might not necessarily come out on top if he were to actually fight the enemy.

In the end, both sides suffered heavy losses.

The army will crumble in an instant.

"This is too vicious. Who on earth leaked this information..." The Imperial Guards also began to tremble. "If this person is not found out, His Highness the Crown Prince will not be safe either."

“No.” Zhao Yi couldn’t control the Crown Prince’s side; all he could do now was to stabilize the army. So he solemnly said, “I’m going to Hua Taipu’s place to explain to him personally.”

If it's information to be revealed to East China University of Political Science and Law, then he probably already knows it.

At that moment, his own people went over to "invite" him over.

What will he think?
Of course, he had ambushed the axemen himself, preparing to take them down during this opportunity!

The Feast at Hongmen is an indispensable part of historical stories.

"General, you mustn't," the Imperial Guard said. "If you go there, you're very likely to be taken control of by the enemy first."

If Zhao Yi is captured and the army is taken over by Hua Zheng, then the Crown Prince will be completely finished.

This move almost drove East China University of Political Science and Law to a rebellion.

He had an army of over 40,000, and he had surrounded the core area of ​​the agricultural settlement.

Even more crucially, there's an abundance of food here.

If he were to actually rebel, the Crown Prince's situation would immediately be in crisis.

Furthermore, the princelings are not of one mind either.

What if Wei Wusheng and Song Shi'an take this opportunity to cause trouble?
"General," the Imperial Guard said, a plan forming in his mind, "Hua Taipu has only been here for two days and has little control over the army. In that case, it will be difficult for him to mobilize his troops easily. You should personally lead five hundred cavalrymen to take him down temporarily; he will definitely be caught off guard."

"No, no, no." Zhao Yi waved his hand. "He can't control the army, but if I bring my troops there, they will definitely fight me to the death. I can't gather a few thousand soldiers, but if I manage to gather a few hundred and they engage me, then it will be completely over."

Hot war must be avoided at all costs.

Because Zhao Yi's control over this army was not very strong.

After all, before this, they were the Sixth Prince's army.

"How many people are you taking with you?" the Imperial Guard asked.

"No one else is allowed," Zhao Yi said seriously. "It's just me."

"No, that's absolutely not allowed," the Imperial Guard hurriedly advised. "It's too dangerous for one person to go. If anything happens to you, the entire army will be in grave danger."

"No, I can only go alone."

When asked about this, Zhao Yi said with great confidence, "I know very well that he has no reason to rebel. His only fear is being misunderstood as wanting to rebel. And we are both from Qinzhou, so we have nothing in common."

This is why noble families generally do not actively participate in the struggle for succession.

They all knew very well that no matter who came to power, the fact that the people of Qinzhou belonged to the whole country would not change.

At most, he went from being wealthy and powerful to becoming a regent.

Such a change is something one can choose sides for, but there is absolutely no reason to abandon everything to risk one's life.

Therefore, he had to go and lobby.

"No need to say anything more, here's my fish tally. And the tiger tally, which can be used to mobilize these five hundred imperial guards."

Zhao Yi handed everything over to the Embroidered Uniform Guard and instructed them: "Even if I am really controlled, never launch a coup."

If it really escalates into a hot war, then it will be completely out of control.

"..." The Imperial Guard was very conflicted, but what the other party said made a lot of sense, so he could only say helplessly, "Then, please take care, General."

After saying that, Zhao Yi left the barracks.

He mounted a horse and hurried towards East China University of Political Science and Law.

Along the way, he happened to run into the clerk he had sent out to invite him.

"General, what's going on?" the clerk on horseback asked, puzzled.

"What did Master Hua say?" Zhao Yi asked.

"He said he was feeling slightly unwell and couldn't travel," the clerk said. "If you need anything, please come over."

"I'll be right there," Zhao Yi said.

"General, please be careful!" the chief clerk said after winking. "I overheard some things along the way..."

"No need to say more, I'm going to resolve this matter and stabilize morale."

Zhao Yi raised his hand to interrupt, then headed straight for East China University of Political Science and Law.

……

At this moment, Hua Zheng sat in front of the desk, his expression sharp.

"Have the two hundred soldiers who are ready stand by in the barracks. If Zhao Yi comes with an army, have them put on their armor and move closer to me. If he comes alone, have them not act rashly without my orders."

"Yes, General!" Hua Zheng was now perfectly clear-headed.

I am keenly aware that the situation is currently in a state of great chaos.

There are indeed bad people.

But more often, it's people who take advantage of such bad things to stir up trouble and make matters worse.

The crown prince certainly didn't want to do that.

Although he was determined to be an only child and wished all his brothers were dead, he also knew that things had to be done in order, one by one.

At this land reclamation ceremony, the only person he wanted to deal with was Wei Wusheng.

We must not panic or rush.

If Zhao Yi came alone, it means he's alright.

No, I'm definitely fine.

I was completely baffled when I heard about assassinating the emperor.

And so he waited anxiously.

After a while, the guard came in and hurriedly reported to him: "General Zhao came alone on horseback, and there were no guards behind him."

Upon hearing this, Hua Zheng immediately breathed a sigh of relief.

If this is the case, it at least illustrates one point.

The assassination attempt on the emperor had nothing to do with the Prince of Jin.

Those rumors must have been exaggerated.

If the Prince of Jin is indeed placed under house arrest, then I, as a former member of the Prince of Jin's faction, will definitely be implicated.

After all, it is absolutely impossible to stage a coup without soldiers and rely solely on verbal battles.

"Alright, you stay outside, I'll wait for Zhao Yi to arrive."

Hua Zhengping closed his eyes peacefully.

Finally, Zhao Yi arrived.

Upon opening the door, one only saw a person sitting in front of the desk, expressionless.

"I'm sorry, I lied to you." Hua Zheng looked up at him and said, "I'm not feeling unwell."

“I’m sorry, I lied to you too.” Zhao Yi walked over and sat down next to him, saying, “Inviting you here was not to participate in the land reclamation affairs.”

The two of them confessed honestly.

And this is clearly a good start.

"Uncle Hua," Zhao Yi looked into his eyes and said sincerely, "Are you willing to believe me?"

The age difference between the two is not particularly large, only about ten years.

However, in terms of seniority, East China University of Political Science and Law is older.

To be more formal, this title is fine.

“You’ve never called me that before,” Hua Zheng said.

“Yes, because you grew up with the Prince of Jin, while I grew up with His Highness the Crown Prince,” Zhao Yi said. “We didn’t have much interaction.”

Huazheng remained silent.

“But we are all from Qinzhou,” Zhao Yi said. “Since Emperor Gaozu entered the Central Plains, noble families have been related by marriage for generations. How could we not have the blood of a common ancestor in our veins?”

"so what?"

“Therefore, this Great Yu belongs to us,” Zhao Yi said bluntly. “You absolutely cannot rebel; it is impossible for you, both morally and logically.”

"Then why did you lie to me about going there!" Hua Zheng shouted.

“Because this matter involves the Prince of Zhongping, I must keep you calm to prevent you from becoming fearful!” Zhao Yi said without hesitation.

"Then tell me the truth, how is the Prince of Jin?" Hua Zheng asked.

“Prince Jin is definitely not under house arrest,” Zhao Yi said bluntly. “To put it another way, it’s not even certain whether Prince Zhongping did it. But there’s nothing we can do; the evidence is conclusive, and we can’t find any problems. Even His Majesty can’t protect him.”

That's the truth.

Everyone could see that the emperor's desire for harmony among the brothers was genuine.

"If the Crown Prince really attacks the Prince of Jin, what will the Empress think?" Zhao Yi earnestly asked. "And if he really attacks you, what will the Empress think?"

"Then why did you bring me here?" Hua Zheng asked excitedly. "I want to hear the absolute truth!"

"Okay, I'll tell you."

Zhao Yi stopped pretending and said, "The Emperor has never trusted Song Shi'an, and the Sixth Prince is closely connected with him. Therefore, His Majesty came to Huai County to take control of the military farms and strip the Sixth Prince of his military power. As for you?"

“Once I get involved in this matter, I can openly declare myself the Crown Prince’s executioner and break away from Prince Jin,” Hua Zheng murmured. “From now on, the struggle for the throne will be a foregone conclusion.”

There is no doubt that the idea is good.

However, the execution of the plan went terribly wrong.

"Then what should we do?" Hua Zheng asked, looking at him.

"We don't need to do anything; we just need to have complete control over the army," Zhao Yi said.

“Impossible.” Hua Zheng stared into his eyes and said with extreme seriousness, “I’m talking about if something really changes.”

Zhao Yi stared into his eyes for a long time before saying, "The war is still raging in Beiliang. If anything goes wrong, the matter of the Sixth Prince will not be over."

Despite the chaos, we must still be wary of those who might take advantage of the chaos to rebel.

Even though Wei Wusheng was not stripped of his military power in the Northern Liang group, he remained an X factor.

East China University of Political Science and Law now understood.

The best way for him to clear himself of the identity of the Prince of Jin's faction was to do this matter diligently for the Crown Prince.

After that, there was no doubt about his identity.

After all, his noble backing was still very strong.

However, just as they were having a serious conversation, the barracks door was suddenly pushed open.

The guard at the door had long been silenced by a knife held to his throat.

Four warriors, fully armored and with swords at their waists, strode in, exuding a menacing aura.

"Are you all planning a rebellion?" Zhao Yi immediately rebuked.

"We will absolutely not rebel!" the leader said. "But we also heard what was said just now."

"So what? Do you want to defy the Crown Prince's orders?" Zhao Yi retorted.

Huazheng, who was standing to the side, was already trembling with fear.

Could this be a mutiny?
"We will absolutely not disobey the Crown Prince," the leading general said. "We have followed the Sixth Prince in cultivating the land for so long, and the cultivation has been quite successful. Yet, with a single order, the Prince has been replaced, and he has even lost his imperial tally. What is this Sixth Prince really like? Is he a loyal subject or a traitor? Please tell us, General!"

"Please tell us, General!"

The four men pressed forward simultaneously.

Only then did Zhao Yi realize who the message was intended for.

These military generals had absolutely no intention of rebelling.

But if Wei Wusheng is branded a traitor, then they would be forced to become his accomplices...

When the nest is overturned, no egg remains unbroken. (End of Chapter)