Frost for a Thousand Years

Chapter 106 Shuofeng City, they're fucking good at defending it.
This rain lasted for three days.

The siege also stalled for three days.

The Qi army was resting in their camp.

Inside the commander's tent, there was also some unease about the upcoming Battle of Shuofeng.

“Logically speaking, nearly 20,000 of us have died from malaria, mainly civilians, but surely many more must have died in Shuofeng City?” a general questioned. “How come the resistance seems as strong as ever?”

"Many must have died, but it's unclear how many are still capable of fighting," someone echoed.

"Some farmers say that all the medicinal herbs in the vicinity have been harvested by Yu's army. Did Wei Wusheng anticipate the malaria outbreak?"

“In the height of summer, especially when the city is under siege, malaria is the most common disease,” Chen Xing explained. “It wasn’t exactly unexpected, but rather that the precautions were very thorough. This kind of behavior is like what Song Shi’an would do.”

"General Mi and Xiao Qun have clashed several times, each losing several hundred men, but they haven't actually fought," someone suggested. "Your Majesty, why don't we attack Xiao Qun first? We can follow the example of Wuwei and surround Shuofeng without attacking."

Everyone looked at the emperor, who was clasping his hands together, resting his chin on his hand, and deep in thought.

After a while, he raised his head and reminded him, "The moisture in the wind is getting colder and colder."

This remark made the atmosphere even colder.

The northernmost city of Qi, near the Xiongnu, may see snow in half a month.

And this north wind will only last for a little over two months before winter arrives.

Now, Shuo County, on the other side of the Chishui River, has been almost completely devoured.

They basically relied on supplies from the State of Qi, which came from afar.

Although Shuojun produces half of the grain in Liangzhou, that's a force of over 100,000 men. If half a prefecture could supply them, the war would be far too easy.

Once it snows, resupply will be more than five times more difficult. The original transport capacity was about 50%, but now it's only 10%.

The fact that the fighting continued until winter meant that Ji Yuan had been fighting in Beiliang for a full year.

The nation's strength has already been pushed to its limit.

So, it's not like it was back in Wuwei.

There are only two options now: fight or retreat.

There are only two options inside.

They abandoned the north wind attack on Xiao Qun and the two subordinate state troops.

Continue to allocate a small number of troops to distract the enemy, while focusing on fighting the north wind.

The capital to be half-hearted is gone.

Ji Yuan was struggling with one problem.

Is it worthwhile to win a Pyrrhic victory and take over the entire Northern Liang Valley, and then spend another three years accumulating resources?

But for him, there was no need to dwell on this issue.

When is the most profitable time?
Once Wuwei is captured, the troops will cease fighting. Then, they will cultivate land and garrison troops on the north bank of the river, waiting for a change in circumstances, such as Wei Ye's death, before seizing the opportunity to take the other half of Shuojun.

Now, he has increased his bets so much that there is no turning back.

The worst thing you can do is give up halfway through.

"We'll attack after the weather clears," Ji Yuan finally decided. "We'll send an envoy to scout ahead."

.........

The Qi army rested, and the Yu army also gained valuable rest time.

In the cramped and dimly lit main hall of the military camp, Wei Wusheng sat on his seat, with Xin Yue, the guard, standing beside him. Under his command were the main generals and civil officials, all sitting on the floor.

Ran Jin, Zhu Qing, Qin Kuo, Wang Dalong, and Zheng Tong were three main battalion generals, one vanguard general, and a clerk in charge of military administration.

Just then, Song Shi'an walked in.

Then, he casually took the half-eaten cake from Qin Kuo's hand, who was sitting on the ground, and started eating it.

"You son of a bitch, if you want food, go get it from the cook yourself!" Qin Kuo kicked him.

Song Shi'an lay down next to Qin Kuo like a dead dog and started eating a pancake.

Everyone looked at his exhaustion with gratitude.

As a general, it's rare to have such a comfortable battle to fight.

Rarely do people have the ability to focus all their attention on killing the enemy without having to worry about anything else.

Even Ran Jin, the highest-ranking nobleman here, Marquis of Chenxiang, showed considerable respect for Song Shi'an.

If we win this battle, he will absolutely deserve the credit, without the slightest doubt.

Deserved.

"Gentlemen," Zheng Tong began, "after this rain, will Ji Yuan take the opportunity to withdraw his troops?"

This sparked everyone's interest.

“Logically speaking, he has already made enough money with Tongmen Pass and Wuwei, so he could stop now,” Zhu Qing said.

“Yes, the only barrier left for the Great Yu is the river. Even if he goes back now, it will be considered a great achievement.” Ran Jin analyzed from the perspective of military strategy. “For him, he can either wait for the situation to change or conserve his strength and make a comeback.”

"After all, Ji Yuan is in his prime."

The sixth prince nodded.

"Then there's at least a 50% chance they'll back out."

Qin Kuo also supported the view that the battle might already be over.

Then, everyone looked at Song Shi'an.

I look forward to his thoughts.

Until he spoke up: "The possibility of withdrawal is zero."

"Tsk." Qin Kuo clicked his tongue and retorted, protesting his precise sabotage.

"Why?" Ran Jin asked Song Shi'an, showing him respect and humility.

“Because,” Song Shi’an murmured, looking at the hanging beam, “he is Ji Yuan.”

Song Shi'an did not praise him.

While it is indeed a very formidable opponent, it is not invincible.

In Song Shi'an's view, Emperor Wei Ye of Yu and Emperor Ji Yuan of Qi were of the same kind of personality.

They are by no means weak or mediocre.

Now, they're both tired of being pressured by the same person to keep adding to their positions.

The smile curve of stock price hasn't appeared yet, so who will be the first to sell?
Ji Yuan: I didn't sell during the two consecutive limit-up days, and now you want me to liquidate my entire position?
"Hmph, you think you know Ji Yuan?" Qin Kuo still had a problem with Song Shi'an having hundreds of people wield knives to attack him earlier, so he retorted habitually.

"I understand Ji Yuan as well as a farmer understands rice."

The two bickering made Wei Wusheng and the others laugh.

The nonsense and banter in the military camp are just a way to console ourselves in the face of adversity.

"Then you know him so well? Tell me, if he's not attacking the city, what will he be doing?" Qin Kuo asked.

"How would I know what he'd do? I'm not a mind reader."

After complaining, Song Shi'an muttered to himself, "But since I'm just idling around anyway, if I were him, I'd send someone to persuade him to surrender..."

Before Song Shi'an could finish speaking, a soldier suddenly entered the tent and reported, "Your Highness! Ji Yuan has sent an envoy to the city gate with a staff and banner, requesting an audience!"

"!"

Upon hearing this, everyone, including Xin Yue, widened their eyes and stared at Song Shi'an as if he were a demon.

His eyes lit up, but he didn't care that he had guessed Ji Yuan's behavior correctly. He looked at Wei Wusheng and suddenly had a whimsical idea: "Your Highness, we're just killing time anyway, why don't we do something silly?"

Everyone looked puzzled.

Blindfolded, the Qi envoy entered Wei Wusheng's tent. Then, the black cloth bandage was removed. However, guards with halberds stood on either side, strictly controlling his position and gaze, forbidding him from glancing around.

Of course, it doesn't mean you can't gather intelligence just because you can't see it.

Smell and sound can both reveal important information.

The smell of blood was faint, and there was no obvious putrid stench, which indicated that the city's logistical support had not yet collapsed, and that in addition to defending the city, there was still room to handle miscellaneous matters.

The sounds heard along the way can also reflect some of the population density.

In conclusion, he came to a bad conclusion—the north wind seemed to be able to hold out for a while longer.

"What does His Majesty want to say to you?" Wei Wusheng asked casually.

"His Majesty sent me to persuade them to surrender," the envoy replied.

These words caused the guards in the tent to reveal fierce expressions and glare at him.

"Persuade to surrender?"

Wei Wusheng remained relaxed, pointing to himself and asking in confusion, "Didn't you inquire about who my father is before you came?"

"Emperor of the Yu Kingdom".

"In that world, is there any prince who surrenders!"

Wei Wusheng was furious and questioned him.

"Besides war, we can also negotiate peace."

The envoy, not wanting to offend anyone, said with a smile.

"What are the conditions for peace talks?" Wei Wusheng asked.

"His Majesty is willing to retreat the entire army ten miles, allowing General Wei to lead the troops and civilians out of the city, so that the north wind can rise into the sky," the envoy said. "But the general needs to sign a peace treaty first."

"Is this peace talks? Then won't my Shuojun be completely lost?"

"But the army was spared."

The envoy still exuded an air of confidence.

"Then please go back. This prince does not accept such peace talks." Wei Wusheng waved his hand dismissively.

"General Wei, may I also state your request?" the envoy asked humbly. "We can discuss anything."

"My terms for peace are this: the north bank of the Chishui River will belong to your emperor, you will withdraw your troops, and I guarantee I will not pursue you outside the city," Wei Wusheng said.

"But this north already belongs to us..."

“That’s my Great Yu’s land. Now I promise not to plunder it. Isn’t that peace talks?”

Wei Wusheng's naive words made the envoy almost laugh.

Just as he was about to reply, a voice suddenly came from outside the tent: "Your Highness, Northern Yan..."

Before he could finish speaking, Wei Wusheng rebuked him, "I was in the middle of negotiations with the Qi envoy, didn't you know that!"

"……Yes!"

The soldiers quickly retreated.

The messenger, however, felt a chill run down his spine. He did his utmost to appear normal, fearing that any inappropriate reaction might invite disaster.

"Does Your Majesty have a compromise?" Wei Wusheng asked.

Forcing himself to remain calm, he smoothly replied, "General, yes, His Majesty has three other options."

The conversation between the two continued.

This professional envoy, fulfilling his mission, used his senses to investigate the situation in the city. After chatting with Wei Wusheng about a bunch of meaningless nonsense, he returned alive to the Qi army's main tent and quickly reported all the intruding 'Northern Yan' envoys to Ji Yuan.

"Could it be that Kang Xun of Liaodong is planning to attack us?"

"The Prime Minister just sent him gold and silver, and he promised not to send troops to interfere."

"But this Kang traitor is two-faced and has even submitted to the false Yu. Seeing our army growing stronger, he must be feeling uneasy."

"If he dares to attack now, we will surely raze his Xiangcheng to the ground next year!"

"But if he comes to cause trouble now and blocks Tongmen Pass, which is a crucial strategic point for Qi, we might be trapped in this Northern Liang Valley..."

"fake."

Just as the generals were carefully analyzing the situation, Ji Yuan's two straightforward words exposed Wei Wusheng's bluff.

It's not that the envoys from the Northern Yan Kingdom couldn't enter the city.

When the heavy rain started, the Qi army all returned to their camp.

It's possible that the Northern Yan Kingdom had some spies here, disguised as farmers, who secretly requested to enter the city at night.

Entering the city is possible, but actually entering the city is absolutely impossible.

Mentioning this person, Ji Yuan revealed a look of disdain: "Kang Xun, would he dare?"

Indeed, he dared not.

Even after submitting to the State of Yu, in his interactions with the State of Qi, he would always very warmly inquire about His Majesty's well-being from Ji Yuan.

Of the four states in the world, Qi and Yu are the only legitimate states.

The southern Vietnamese were embroiled in tribal conflicts, and the so-called emperor was just a high-ranking chieftain.

In the Northern Yan Kingdom, the land was bitterly cold, the entire population was mobilized for war, and the terrain was extremely favorable, with the Great Wall providing a barrier, so no one wanted to attack them.

On the contrary, Northern Yan has become complacent towards Great Yu in recent years, and is even more afraid of Ji Yuan.

"Indeed, he still has a deep fear of His Majesty."

Everyone nodded in agreement, thinking that Kang Xun wouldn't dare.

But Ji Yuan was not at all relieved that the matter was impossible and that the so-called Northern Yan envoy was definitely fake.

why?
Even with common sense, this thing must be fake.

But what if it’s true?

Very dangerous.

Finally, Ji Yuan frowned and said, "The army will continue to rest and recuperate. Send an urgent messenger back to Qi to confirm the deployment of Kang Xun's border troops."

And just like that, the sky cleared up.

Three more days passed.

The scout cavalry returned with confirmed news: "Your Majesty, the Northern Yan army has made no move and is stationed at their respective passes."

.........

Three days of heavy rain, followed by three days of clear skies.

The north wind, which had been absent for a long time, had stopped for six days.

However, the city's defenses outside the city had not been repaired in time, because after the weather cleared up, the army surrounded the city but did not attack.

Rest means taking a break from both sides.

But where are the favorable winds?
It was delayed for another six days.

"I didn't expect your plan to actually fool Ji Yuan and make him stop attacking the city for three whole days."

Wei Wusheng was very satisfied with Song Shi'an's "shameless" behavior.

“He definitely wasn’t fooled. With Ji Yuan’s intelligence, he would never believe it,” Song Shi’an explained. “But there’s nothing we can do. If Northern Yan gets involved at this time, it will give him a huge headache. Even someone as decisive as him has no choice but to send someone back to verify it.”

Wei Wusheng asked curiously, "What would happen if we verified it?"

"That makes things simple."

Song Shi'an revealed a hearty smile: "We're going to suffer a lot."
-
I recommend a novel by my good friend, "Can You Instantly Kill Me with Just One Martial Vein?" It's a fantasy novel, and it sounds really interesting!

(End of this chapter)