shen yi di nu 556+

602

Breaking Through the First City

When Feng Yu Heng returned to the hall once more, nobody mentioned the four-colored lake anymore. Lu Shang nodded apologetically to Feng Yu Heng, and Xuan Tian Ming took the initiative to change the topic, saying to Lu Shang: “This prince has appointed the former prefect of Guan Zhou, Zhao Tian Qi, to the position of leader of the North. I hope that uncle Lu can work with him. The North has been left in a bad state by that Duan Mu An Guo. It truly needs some proper correction.”

Lu Shang nodded, “Your Highness, please do not worry. This old official understands this. Based on my age, I cannot continue doing this for many more years. These northern provinces require a younger leader that can remain in power for a longer period of time. That Zhao Tian Qi can be considered a good official. Although he had been controlled by Duan Mu An Guo the entire time, he did not commit any atrocities. I went to Guan Zhou a few times, and the citizens of Guan Zhou respect him a great deal.”

Xuan Tian Ming said: “This prince was also thinking this way. Originally, I had wanted uncle Lu to take care of this matter; however, although the North is comprised of three provinces, Guan Zhou and Song Zhou are separated from Jiang Zhou by that ghostly forest. For you to travel back and forth would truly be inconvenient. If you put all of your efforts on that side, I fear that the matters of Jiang Zhou would be left unattended. Moreover, uncle Lu, Jiang Zhou is the true border. If you don’t keep an eye on this border, father Emperor would feel uneasy.”

Lu Shang waved his hand and sighed, saying: “Even if I die of old age, I need to guard this border for his Majesty. I hope that your Highness and his Majesty can feel at ease on this matter.” He thought for a bit then told Xuan Tian Ming: “In order to reach Qian Zhou’s first city, Bin City, you must go around the four-colored lake before needing to deal with another mountain pass. Qian Zhou is not divided by prefectures. Every city has its own city lord that has a position equivalent to that of Da Shun’s prefect. That mountain pass is even more extraordinary than the ghostly forest. Once you pass through that, the temperature will suddenly drop. You must ensure that there are no soldiers caught off guard and end up freezing to death. This is considered a form of defense that Qian Zhou has for itself.”

These words caused Feng Yu Heng to furrow her brow. She had finally managed to get over some of the nauseating feeling caused by the four-colored lake. She asked: “Why is Qian Zhou so cold?” To be able to freeze someone to death if they were caught off guard. Not even the North Pole was this cold; moreover, the difference between the two sides of the mountain pass was like two different worlds?

There was not a single person that could answer this question. Lu Shang shook his head. He was a general. He could talk about killing the enemy, but analyzing this sort of thing was not his forte.

It was Xuan Tian Ming that thought for a bit then said: “This prince once flipped through some ancient texts. According to those texts, 500 years ago, Qian Zhou was not as cold as it is now, especially in the cities further South. In fact, when the sun was at its hottest, that four-colored lake would even have a season where it melted. Of course, the southern cities mentioned here definitely includes the cities in the three northern provinces, but they also include the few cities just beyond that pass. But over the following centuries, Qian Zhou grew colder and colder with each passing year. It seems that there is a drastic change in temperature every 50 years until the most recent century. During this time, it would happen once every ten years. After some calculation, this is the end of another ten-year period. Qian Zhou’s climate will undergo another drastic change.”

Feng Yu Heng furrowed her brow tightly and pondered, while Lu Shang interjected, saying: “This cold is not limited to just Qian Zhou. There have also been some changes here. After the new year, it has gotten much colder than before, especially in Jiang Zhou. Not to hide it from your Highness, but there is someone freezing to death every day. This is not a result of the government not doing its best. Instead, it’s possible that some people will pass away while laying in their own heated-brick beds.”