Frost for a Thousand Years

It's not that you win by killing someone, but that you can kill someone only after you win.

These words left a deep impression on the Crown Prince.

The old man's words perfectly encapsulated the essence of politics.

Military strength, having existed for generations, could no longer be the foundation for dominating the court.

He always believed that the reason his power was still so painfully restricted was because he was still just the crown prince, not the emperor.

Their lack of self-respect stems from the fact that the emperor is not yet themselves.

At this moment, he fully understood the emperor's good intentions.

Your Majesty is not a boulder that weighs him down.

Instead, it was a deity holding a sword and guarding him from behind.

This political struggle can never begin or end peacefully.

“But Father…” The Crown Prince removed his hand from his blood-soaked cheek and looked at the man before him. He asked uneasily, “You said that killing could only be done if it was successful. And now, is my ‘killing’ because it was successful?”

If we were to impose direct sanctions now, forcibly strip An Sheng of his power, or even imprison him, wouldn't that contradict what the emperor just said?

He began to punish before he had even succeeded.

The emperor gave a cold smile: "Isn't he imprisoned in this cage because of our success?"

"..."

The crown prince felt a chill run down his spine from those words.

That's it, that's it.

An Sheng was trapped in this land reclamation ceremony, and Wei Wusheng's military power was also removed, which was a victory for the emperor.

If they were to stage this coup, their safest moment would be when they had provisions, soldiers, and a firm foothold in Huai County.

Armed conflict is also a continuation of politics.

However, they placed excessive trust in power politics, believing that given the Crown Prince's character, he would at least retain a bottom line and would never cross the line into a 'hot war'.

This is the underlying logic of court infighting—respectability.

Ultimately, Song Shi'an's belief that the Crown Prince wouldn't resort to drastic measures, and his subsequent relentless pressure, led to the loss of both his military and political power—a defeat in itself.

He was overconfident.

"Father, we can't find any evidence whatsoever regarding the assassination attempt involving Song Shi'an," the Crown Prince said.

“You’re right,” the emperor said. “The only person I’m certain of who will kill me is Sun Wukong.”

"How can we win without any evidence?" the Crown Prince said, somewhat conflicted. "There's no way to explain this to the officials."

"Then there is no need for evidence to kill me."

The emperor raised a finger and pointed: "Do you think the people of Beiliang can be subdued by you?"

"If we have Song Shi'an's letter, it should be possible to succeed," the Crown Prince said.

"When Song Shi'an plays chess, he doesn't think one step ahead of the next, nor does he think several steps ahead of the next," the emperor told him. "He has already thought of the outcome before he even makes a move."

"Could it be that orders have already been given to Beiliang, so that even if this letter is sent, it will be of no use?" The Crown Prince suddenly felt a chill run down his spine.

"I have been thinking about how, if I were Song Shi'an or Wei Wusheng, Northern Liang could become a tool to restrain the emperor. After much thought, I am afraid there is only one way."

The emperor slowly pointed his finger at the crown prince and uttered two words: "North."

"Surrender to Ji Yuan?!" The crown prince was stunned for a moment. "No, it's a feigned surrender to Ji Yuan, used to threaten us."

"Go do it. You don't need to worry about things in Beiliang anymore."

The emperor showed a hint of affection when facing the crown prince.

"Yes, Father."

The crown prince bowed slowly to the emperor.

Then, I left.

The moment he stepped out, the emperor's voice echoed behind him: "Don't think about why or how you did it. Instead, think about what will happen."

The crown prince left with the emperor's instructions.

Upon seeing the blood on his face, Xishan quickly brought a wet cloth to wipe the prince's face.

Until only a bloody mark remained on his face.

"Go to Song Shi'an's place."

At the Crown Prince's command, Xi Shan prepared the carriage.

Escorted by hundreds of imperial guards, the crown prince arrived at Song Shi'an's place.

He couldn't understand why, even though he had control over everyone involved in the land reclamation ceremony, and even though the news was bound to spread and the assassination attempt on the emperor couldn't be kept secret, it shouldn't have been faster than the urgent dispatch from the Embroidered Uniform Guard.

After all, the most important aspect of conveying a message is decision-making.

If no one made the decision, were those outside the ceremony circle supposed to make the decision on their own?
Father is right.

No need to think about it.

He doesn't use criminal methods to solve cases.

The Crown Prince only knew that
After the Prince of Zhongping assassinated the emperor, which implicated the Prince of Jin, the Crown Prince was no longer able to deal with An Sheng.

After the mutiny, the Crown Prince could no longer forcibly remove Wei Wusheng from his military command.

If things get chaotic here, the Northern Liang army will have even less chance of taking it back.

Yes, it depends on who benefits from these events.

All of this points to them.

Song Shi'an, it's not that I've always been wary of you.

After all, the feeling you gave me was never kind.

"The prince has arrived——"

The prince alighted from the carriage.

In front of an inn, a soldier named San Gou was on duty.

This person was Song Shi'an's confidant.

"See His Highness the Crown Prince."

The three dogs knelt on one knee and bowed with clenched fists.

Meanwhile, they were observing the situation.

The Crown Prince brought many elite soldiers with him on this trip, as well as some Imperial Guards.

Although he met the travel standards, he often put on a show of relaxing his guard and trusting Song Shi'an when he was around.

"Tell Lord Song that the Crown Prince has come to see him and wishes to meet him alone."

"Yes."

San Gou went inside.

After a while, he came out.

At the same time, a woman with a high ponytail and a murderous look in her eyes, the one named Xinyue, also came out.

"Greetings, Your Highness." Xin Yue clenched her fist and bowed.

Even with such impeccable manners, one could still sense a distinct distance from her.

It seems that she doesn't like anyone except Song Shi'an.

No matter who they look at, they won't have a gentle gaze.

"Ah."

The prince smiled at her.

And so, the prince went inside.

Beside him was Shen Kang, the commander of the Embroidered Uniform Guard.

He clearly said he wanted to talk alone, but he still brought someone with him, and Xin Yue sensed his wariness.

Song Shi'an was right, the Crown Prince was really about to overturn the table.

But if that's the case, how can he possibly turn the tide...?

everything is over.

The Crown Prince felt sorry for Song Shi'an.

If only he were one of my own, instead of Wei Wusheng's.

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

Upon meeting, Song Shi'an gave a slight bow, displaying composure and calmness.

"Shi An, please sit down."

The crown prince extended his hand and said to him. Song Shi'an sat down.

The crown prince is right across from us.

Standing beside him was Shen Kang, who held a curved sword in his hand.

This was a serious meeting, but Song Shi'an remained calm throughout, as if this was something he had also thought of.

No, this couldn't possibly be what he thought of.

The Crown Prince did not believe that Song Shi'an would be so kind. Even if he had anticipated that the Emperor would shamefully overturn the table, discard him after he had served his purpose, and even put him under house arrest, he could still face it calmly.

It's not the other way around.

Given his personality, it would be normal for him to do the opposite.

“Shi’an, this place is too simple. Your old house is only ten miles away. Why don’t you move there?” the Crown Prince said.

He couldn't understand how Song Shi'an managed to leak the intelligence from here.

However, Song Shi'an's residence was thoroughly searched dozens of times by the Embroidered Uniform Guard and soldiers to ensure there were no problems.

If we simply leave him there, send heavy troops to monitor him, and replace all his servants and eunuchs with maids and eunuchs, how can he possibly control the world and carry out this grand game of chess while living in a single room?

However, Song Shi'an completely ignored this suggestion, saying, "Your Highness, there's no need to pick a place to kill Shi'an."

These words stunned Shen Kang.

“Shi An, I will not kill you, it is impossible for me to kill you,” the Crown Prince said. “But I will not lie to you either, there are some things that may really involve you.”

Before he could finish speaking, Song Shi'an said, "It was I who sent people to assassinate the emperor."

Shen Kang was taken aback once again.

The same applies to the crown prince.

"Your Highness is simply saying that I was the one who did this," Song Shi'an said nonchalantly. "Even though the facts are right in front of us, I still feel that it must have been me."

"Since not..."

Before the Crown Prince could finish speaking, Song Shi'an interrupted, saying, "The Emperor had a dream in which I and the Sixth Prince killed all his brothers. This dream has haunted him to this day, and no matter what I do, it seems like I'm doing it to overthrow the Wei dynasty. And now, even you have started to truly believe that I am going to be the gravedigger of the Great Yu."

These words show an utter disregard for one's entire family, treating it like a fart.

Logically speaking, Shen Kang should have drawn his knife and threatened him at this point.

But he suddenly realized that Song Shi'an was seeking death.

“Shi An, you’re right to criticize.” The Crown Prince wasn’t angry, nor did he feel ashamed. He stared at him and asked in return, “Since you didn’t have such thoughts, why are you holding military power in Beiliang?”

At this point, Song Shi'an could argue: "Didn't I already write a letter for you?"

But it's best not to do that.

The military intelligence from Northern Liang, which threatened to surrender to Ji Yuan, will soon be relayed back.

His stubbornness at this point will only further solidify his motive to assassinate the emperor.

So he smiled, shook his head, and said, "Even with Beiliang under my control, you still don't tolerate me. If I had nothing, would Your Highness be able to make a more decisive decision?"

He is humiliating himself again.

The prince has grown up.

The price of growing up is losing your sense of shame.

"The crime of assassinating the emperor will be borne by Prince Zhongping. He will soon be taken to Sheng'an for execution," the Crown Prince said. "The crime of Wusheng is instigating the Northern Liang group to rebel. But considering his outstanding achievements, I will demote him to a commoner and imprison him in the Imperial Clan Court."

The Crown Prince has made arrangements for his two brothers.

"You will not have committed any crime." Finally, it was time to make arrangements for him. "But after these events, those people in the court will not tolerate you. You can retire with honor, and your father's title will be promoted to county marquis, to be passed down through generations."

"No, keep your county magistrate title as your treasure."

Song Shi'an finally stopped acting, pointed at the man in front of him, and said, "Your Wei family has no right to crown me."

Anger was expressed through contempt.

This also proves the success of the Emperor.

His move dismantled Song Shi'an's political maneuvering.

Of course, there are costs involved.

What's damaged is a cultural heritage spanning hundreds of years.

What was destroyed was the potential continuation of the Great Yu dynasty.

The world will be without loyal ministers.

The powerful families will become increasingly prosperous.

Even nobles, though dissatisfied, could return to the emperor's side to protect this crumbling empire.

"Shi An, I will send troops to escort you to the mansion, along with Xin Yue. You don't need to get involved in what happens next."

Even when he was being verbally abused like this, the crown prince didn't retaliate. He continued talking to himself, as if he were just an empty shell.

Despite being humiliated to such an extent, the Wei family was still unable to punish the other party. Here, Shen Kang saw the insignificance of imperial power.

At the same time, we also saw the dark future of Dayu.

No, I can't see the future.

Slowly, Song Shi'an stretched out his hand and said to him, "I'm not going anywhere. I'll wait for you to come and kill me."

Song Shi'an ordered him to leave.

This attitude of being ready to die is truly frightening.

When you find someone you can't control no matter what you do, and you try to tame them, only to have them die right in front of you, that's a profound sense of powerlessness.

The crown prince did not speak again and stood up.

Shen Kang protected him and they left the place.

After they went outside, San Gou and Xin Yue just stared at him.

San Gou was quite cautious and kept his head down.

Xin Yue stared unwaveringly, relentlessly torturing him.

The crown prince left without saying a word.

After boarding the carriage, the nearly one hundred soldiers immediately surrounded the rather spacious post station, inside and out.

Previously, the bodyguards were replaced.

Currently, it is under direct military control.

Forget about news, not even a fly could get out.

Xin Yue quickly pushed open the door and saw Song Shi'an inside, sitting in his seat with a blank expression.

She closed the door, walked over, and whispered, "Shi An, why don't we run away through the tunnel tonight?"

"Do not."

Song Shi'an, however, was not intimidated at all, and said, "Whoever runs first is a coward."

…………

The emperor's residence.

The Duke of Li sat facing him.

"Zihui, head of the military agricultural settlements, you will accompany the Crown Prince," the Emperor said.

"Your Majesty," the Duke of Li asked, "has the situation deteriorated to this critical point?"

“Just as you know, a crisis,” the emperor said.

This tapping is straightforward.

The emperor had long known about the Duke of Li's manipulation of the Duke of Qin of Northern Yan.

They just don't say it.

The essence of maintaining a relationship is this: I know everything, but I don't say it.

"Your Majesty, I obey your command."

The Duke of Li made no attempt to conceal it.

Of course, we need to express our stance clearly.

“The Crown Prince is still young; you must teach him how to do things,” the Emperor said.

“The Crown Prince is young now,” said Duke Li, “but after a few lessons, he will know everything.”

"I hope so."

The emperor sighed, no longer caring much about the future.

"His Majesty."

The Duke of Li looked him into the eyes and said sincerely, "We, the people of Qinzhou, will protect His Highness the Crown Prince well." (End of Chapter)