Frost for a Thousand Years

Chapter 90 The ringleader must be punished, but those who are coerced will be spared.

"The ringleaders must be punished, but those who are coerced will not be questioned."

These eight words gave Wei Wusheng a sense of mystery.

Although the principle is very simple, the summary is too concise.

Then, Song Shi'an said, "These past few days, Your Highness has invited various sects and rebels to send one person who can speak on your behalf to a gathering at the mountain villa outside Shuofeng City."

"Can they come?" Wei Wusheng was unsure.

“The patriarch can’t come, and his sons and sons-in-law probably won’t come either. But they should be able to send someone to manage things.” Song Shi’an smiled slightly. “Although we don’t have the energy or the time to take down all these fortified villages, we should be able to destroy one before Ji Yuan arrives, no problem.”

"Indeed, we do have that power. And I think if we go all out, destroying one or two of them wouldn't be a problem."

How do you control ten people with a gun that only has two bullets?
Just fire and kill one randomly.

"How should we eliminate the ringleader?" Wei Wusheng asked. "Among these clansmen, the most powerful and the most disregardful of the imperial court is the Wang family of Qi County, right? Yes, the one you just flicked away."

When asked about this, Song Shi'an said somewhat apologetically, "When I entered the city, I made some small arrangements at the Chishui River, involving only a dozen or so people. Your Highness was quite busy at that time, so I didn't inform you."

“It’s alright.” Wei Wusheng raised his hand and said nonchalantly, “I’ve said before, you don’t need to report on domestic affairs. Just do your job.”

"Thank you for your trust, Your Highness."

"So, have these arrangements worked?"

This is what Wei Wusheng cares about.

In response, Song Shi'an replied rather calmly, "When you're fishing, you have to be prepared to come back empty-handed. But as long as you know there are definitely fish in that place, and you have enough time, you're sure to catch something."

.........

Qixian County, Chishui River ferry crossing.

Two people dressed in gray clothes and wearing headscarves arrived on horseback.

After tying the horses to the tree, the two went down the slope and saw an old man wearing a straw hat standing on the riverbank with a small boat next to him, so they quickly went over.

However, just as they were about to reach the boat, suddenly, four burly men wielding knives rushed out from the reeds and surrounded the two men.

The old man in the straw raincoat quickly raised his hand and shouted, "It's not my fault...it's not my fault!"

Because they were caught off guard, the two didn't even have time to pull out the knives from their waists. They just stood back to back in a panic, sweating profusely.

One of them stammered, "What are you doing? We...we are the Sixth Prince's men!"

"Sixth Prince?" Upon hearing this, the man with the knife's expression changed abruptly, and he immediately said to his companion, "It's that traitor Yu! Kill him quickly!"

Upon hearing the words "Yu the Bandit," both men paused for a moment, but one of them reacted quickly, waving his hand and smiling obsequiously, "Are you the military officers of the Holy Emperor of Great Qi? We are not Yu the Bandit, we are men of the Prince!"

Which prince?

The man with the knife retorted.

"Lord Wang Shen of Qi County, he has been corresponding with His Majesty!" He spoke very quickly, fearing that the other party might suddenly kill him.

The man with the knife asked skeptically, "Is that true? You're not lying to me, are you?"

"No, no! We are truly loyal to the Holy Emperor of Great Qi!"

As he spoke, he quickly took out a letterbox, held it out, and handed it to the other party: "Sir, this is the letter to be delivered. When it arrives over there, your side will have someone to coordinate with me. So this letter... it's best not to open it."

The man with the knife sheathed it, walked over with some suspicion, and took the letter tube.

Just as Wang Shen's men were still having a good time, two men suddenly flashed past and, taking advantage of their momentary lapse in attention, put knives directly to their necks.

"Spare me! Spare me!" The man was terrified, "We truly pledge our loyalty to His Majesty the Holy Emperor of Great Qi!"

"Kneel down and tie him up."

The leader, who was wielding a knife, gave the order.

After the two men knelt on the ground, he went to the man who had been negotiating and slapped him across the face: "You call yourself the Holy Emperor of Great Qi? Is Ji Yuan your father or your mother? So filial."

He was stunned in an instant.

Then, another slap: "You're not from Dayu, are you? If you're not, then get the hell out of here, you traitor of the Sword Sect!"

"Can I have a turn too?"

At this moment, someone nearby asked in a low voice.

“Come on, each of you give me a slap.”

After receiving permission, everyone smacked the man who was yelling "Yu the thief" across the face.

Half of his face was swollen.

Blood flowed from his nose all over his mouth.

Looking up at these people, he asked indistinctly, "May I ask who you gentlemen are?"

"Take them all back with you!"

The leader made a move, and the two were immediately pulled up.

"Sir...Sir, I've done everything you asked me to do...Please don't kill me!"

The old man in the straw raincoat begged for mercy, trembling with fear.

"To prevent leaks, you still need to come back with us, sir."

Looking at him, the leader said, "Don't be afraid. If you go there, Lord Song will definitely not kill you. He will even give you money."

.........

Wang's fortified village.

In the highest pavilion, a fat man with a fierce face was discussing matters with his head steward.

"Logically speaking, if there were someone on the other side of the river to meet them, they shouldn't have been gone for so long," Wang Shen said.

"It shouldn't be. We sent two people, and if anything happens, one of them will come back to report," the steward said. "Could it be that something really has happened?" Wang Shen felt a little uneasy. "If the letter gets out, that would be bad."

"Probably not... It's still quite far from Shuofeng. Wei Wusheng is busy digging the moat, so he shouldn't be able to reach this far," the steward said.

Wang Shen nodded.

However, I still felt uneasy.

Just then, a servant came up to the pavilion and reported to Wang Shen, "Your Highness, the Sixth Prince has sent someone!"

Upon hearing this, both the prince and the steward widened their eyes simultaneously.

Has it already been exposed?!
"Did they say what it was about?" Wang Shen asked nervously.

The other party replied, "The messenger said that the Sixth Prince wishes to invite the princes to a gathering at the mountain villa on the outskirts of Shuofeng County, and other clans will also be attending. If you are unavailable, you can send a steward, someone who can speak with authority."

Upon hearing this, the two instinctively connected the delayed return of the messenger they had sent out with the matter at hand.

"Are you going?" Wang Shen asked.

Upon hearing this, the manager panicked and hurriedly said, "If this matter is related to the letter we sent out, then if I go there, won't I just be waiting to be killed by Wei Wusheng...?"

"That's true." Wang Shen nodded, then asked, "How about we just send anyone? Just as a token gesture?"

“The layout of some of the bunkers in the fortress is known only to those of us inside. That’s why we keep the city gates tightly closed and don’t let anyone out, for fear of leaking some internal secrets,” the steward suggested. “Why don’t we just make up a story and say we’re going, but we won’t. We can delay for a while, and when he comes to question us again, we can say that the steward we sent out was killed by bandits, and that we didn’t refuse to go.”

"That's alright."

Wang Shen thought the suggestion was good, but at the same time he assessed the risks: "Our fortification is the strongest and largest. Even if we really don't obey orders, Wei Wusheng won't send troops to fight us. After all, if we fight, it will take at least half a month and we will lose thousands of soldiers. He is currently focused on resisting Qi, and he won't do such a bad deal."

"Yes, but we can't let him really go crazy. Otherwise, it would be quite dangerous," the steward commented. "Young people don't always do things the way they're told."

"okay."

After weighing the pros and cons, Wang Shen looked north and prayed, "Your Majesty, please come soon. I'm waiting to become the governor of Shuojun."

.........

"Your Highness, we've caught a fish!"

Holding a letter tube in his hand, Song Shi'an climbed up the city wall and excitedly spoke to Wei Wusheng inside the city tower.

"Oh, we're having fish today?" Wei Wusheng looked at him and asked expectantly.

"..." Song Shi'an pursed his lips, at a loss for words.

"I was joking."

Wei Wusheng explained with a smile.

"Your Highness is truly witty."

That's hilarious, hahaha.

"They actually intercepted it?" Wei Wusheng was quite surprised after taking the letter.

“Actually, it’s not just this one. We intercepted a total of three letters treasonous with the enemy as they passed through our area,” Song Shi’an explained. “But this one is particularly blatant. This charge could wipe out the entire Wulei people.”

After Song Shi'an said this, Wei Wusheng began to read the letter.

Then, he slowly nodded: "After the Qi army crossed the river, he was willing to contact the rebel clan and surrender collectively. Afterwards, he requested to be the governor of Shuojun in the Great Qi."

"This is the ringleader."

Song Shi'an said solemnly.

"Should we send troops to attack?"

“It’s too troublesome,” Song Shi’an said disapprovingly. “After all, it’s a siege. Even if it’s just militia inside, we’ll still need to use at least three times the number of troops. Not only will it take up the time we spend building the moat, but if we lose our precious fighting force, the time that Shuofeng can hold off the Qi army will be shortened.”

"Then what's your plan?"

"Your Highness, please allow me to go into the city."

"No."

Wei Wusheng immediately refused, his expression serious.

"Your Highness, please let me go," Song Shi'an insisted earnestly.

“No.” Wei Wusheng shook his head, leaving no room for negotiation. “Since they already harbor rebellious intentions, going there would be suicide. We cannot take that risk.”

“Your Highness, there are risks, but they are definitely not significant,” Song Shi’an said confidently. “It would be quite unwise for Your Highness to attack Wang Shen’s Wulei. However, it is not impossible. As long as this concern remains, even if a rebellion were to occur, it would not lead to a complete breakdown in relations.”

Another point is that he led the way, so how could he not be afraid of dying?

Those who lead the way are most afraid of death.

Wei Wusheng was indeed somewhat convinced by Song Shi'an's reasoned and well-founded deduction.

"Your Highness, please give me one person who will be of great help in this matter," Song Shi'an said again.

"Who is it?" Wei Wusheng asked.

Song Shi'an looked at Xin Yue, who paused for a moment before immediately regaining her serious expression. Then, he said, "Her."

"Xinyue?"

Wei Wusheng looked at Xinyue, and then at Song Shi'an: "Of course you can, anytime."

"Thank you, Your Highness."

Song Shi'an bowed.

“But you…” Wei Wusheng looked at Song Shi’an with a conflicted expression, still very worried, “I really don’t feel comfortable letting you go.”

Hmm, Xinyue can go, but I'm not comfortable with that?

Xiao Wei, aren't you a bit...?

(End of this chapter)