Chapter 164

These sounds, like thunder, echoed through the azure sky; even amidst the shouts of ten thousand troops, they were crystal clear.

Moreover, these words were shouted in Mongolian, like a long wind sweeping across the battlefield; at this moment Kublai was pulled down from his horse by his subordinates, and the royal flag was also shot down by Guo Jing. Those nearby knew the prince wasn't dead, but how could the unseen over‑a‑hundred‑thousand Mongol troops tell truth from falsehood? They were all terrified, hearts pounding.

In battle, the side with higher morale wins; these words instantly sapped the Mongol soldiers' spirit even more.

Guo Jing and the others on Xiangyang's city wall heard these words, immediately turned toward the sound, and saw the Mongol troops to the northwest rolling and tumbling, continually scattering to both sides.

Others only saw blades flashing; Guo Jing, with his deep inner strength, could see clearly that three men were advancing side by side in the Mongol ranks.

One wore a yellow robe with black hair, another a green robe with a long beard, and the third a gray robe with white hair—these were Feng Yi, Huang Yaoshi, and Hong Qigong.

Surrounded on all sides by Mongol troops brandishing swords and spears, Feng Yi led the way, crowned by a ball of bloody light and a ball of dark aura.

Huang Yaoshi and Hong Qigong stood left and right, both empty‑handed, yet wherever their palm winds went, enemy spears snapped and halberds broke, leaving the dead and wounded strewn about; the Mongol soldiers cried out in anguish unlike any before.

The Mongol soldiers were fierce and confident in their numbers, originally unafraid of Feng Yi and his two companions, but those who faced them saw clearly: as their fallen comrades hit the ground, white smoke rose from their bodies, instantly turning into yellow fluid, leaving only their armor.

Even though the Mongols were brave and fierce, they had never witnessed such a sight; those in the rear simply surged forward to kill, while those at the front were terrified out of their wits, trembling without cause.

They felt that the person before them was like a demon king, like a heavenly deity, like a Buddha—utterly beyond human resistance.

After Feng Yi had settled Hong Lingbo, he set off for the Western Regions, anticipating that the Mongols would tighten their checks; the group split up, with a disciple of the Beggars' Sect who knew the way scouting the route to Karakorum.

Feng Yi, Huang Yaoshi, Hong Qigong, Lu Youjiao, Zhen Zhibing and a few others first went to White Camel Mountain.

Huang Yaoshi and Hong Qigong knew the approximate location of White Camel Mountain, but not the exact spot; the group crossed the Gobi, traversed the grasslands, and climbed over high mountains.

Fortunately, the nomadic peoples differed greatly from the Han who settled in the Central Plains; they lived in individual tribes as units, moving with water and grass, their numbers never large, and over the years the clan members always gathered together, familiar with one another.

Feng Yi and his companions asked herdsmen and hunters along the way; their efforts were not in vain, and they eventually found White Camel Mountain.

As for the mountain manor, Ouyang Feng's snake servants were still there; although Ouyang Feng had not returned for nearly twenty years, the snake servants revered him as a deity, unaware of his death, and dared not leave on their own.

Feng Yi spoke and laughed without restraint, making people feel like they were basking in a spring breeze; yet when he dealt with people, his ruthlessness surpassed even Ouyang Feng's, truly causing Hong Qigong, Huang Yaoshi and others to shudder, let alone outsiders. Thus he obtained the corpse‑dissolving powder without effort.

Moreover, this corpse‑dissolving powder is merely a mother toxin that is hard to cure; even a tiny amount can be used to produce large quantities from corpses.

Having obtained the corpse‑dissolving powder, Feng Yi immediately ordered Lu Youjiao to send Beggars' Sect disciples racing back to Xiangyang to report, while they themselves hurried to Karakorum.

Present‑day Karakorum, after the campaigns of Genghis Khan and Ögedei Khan, had become the center of the world.

From Vienna on the Danube to Bianliang on the Yellow River, from the cold Russian steppes of the north to the scorching Arabian desert, much of Eurasia lay under this city's power and prestige.

For this reason, papal missionaries, Persian merchants' camel caravans, envoys of the Southern Song court, and tribute bearers of the Goryeo kingdom all gathered here.

Those checkpoints were as good as nonexistent, allowing Feng Yi, Huang Yaoshi, Hong Qigong and the others to easily slip into Karakorum.

The Mongols lived in tents; their curtains resembled Han homes, except that hides replaced walls, and inside the curtains were partitioned into rooms—nothing more than the powerful occupying larger spaces.

Moreover, Ögedei Khan's consort, Delekhana, known historically as the Empress Naimen, who ruled as regent, had the largest tent, occupying dozens of rooms.

The curtains were made of cowhide, tougher than cloth and able to bear weight; Feng Yi and his two companions, all first‑rate in lightness skill, stole in at night, and the tents did not collapse. They easily found it.

At that moment, Empress Naimen was summoning her son Guyuk back; mother and son were discussing important matters when Feng Yi and his two companions struck, taking both their lives.

In Karakorum they unleashed the ice‑soul silver needles, corpse‑dissolving powder and various poisons all at once, causing a massive bloodbath; the three took advantage of the chaos to flee.

The unit tasked with apprehending criminals in Karakorum was the Divine Wing Camp; each warrior possessed three fine horses, could replace them when tired on long pursuits, and covering five or six hundred li a day was ordinary, making it hard for ordinary assassins who escaped Karakorum to evade the pursuers' dragnet.

Fortunately, before the assassination, Feng Yi and his companions had arranged for relay personnel along the way and prepared horses; they needed no change of mount and actually fled from the desert back to the Central Plains.

Along the way the Mongols certainly suffered heavy losses, yet Zhen Zhibing and some Beggars' Sect disciples left their lives in the Mongolian desert.

When they set out there were fourteen contingents totaling over three hundred people, but upon returning to the Central Plains fewer than ten remained.

After Feng Yi and his companions returned to the Central Plains, the Mongol cavalry naturally lost its advantage and could not pursue.

Feng Yi and his companions briefly rested, then hurried to Xiangyang; from afar they saw Kublai's banner fall and seized the moment to attack.

They could not ride horses, for if they did, even before closing in they would be spotted by the Mongol rear troops, inevitably drawing a volley of arrows.

They could only rely on lightness skill to sneak into the formation; once inside the Mongol ranks, their most formidable archery would be greatly diminished.

Feng Yi and his companions fled from Gelin back, and those martial‑arts experts died because in open terrain they could not withstand the Mongol cavalry's arrow fire.

Corpse‑dissolving powder turns toxic on contact with blood; although the poison on Feng Yi's weapons is inexhaustible, he feared spatter from Mongol soldiers' blood onto himself and his companions, so he wielded his weapons while Huang Yaoshi and Hong Qigong used their palms, whose winds could effectively block blood spray.

Thus, the Mongol soldiers facing Feng Yi bore white smoke on their bodies and uttered shrill cries as they fled; seeing their comrades run and then collapse with a thud, they turned into pus.

Although the Mongols were countless elite troops who had destroyed nations, this unimaginable scene exceeded comprehension, frightening them into breaking ranks; dragging their wounded, they charged back into the Mongol formation, throwing its order into chaos.

Since Kublai took command of the army, he had never encountered such a thing; in shock and anger he shouted, 'Beat the drum three times!' His eyes blazed: 'Sound the horn!'

Drumsticks made of horse leg bones struck the hide drum; after three beats, a huge ram's horn rang out in the air, filling the universe with heroic and tragic spirit.

The Mongol army's discipline was strict; hearing the drum, they instantly ceased fleeing, and the hundred‑plus‑thousand strong let out a shout, as if a thunderclap from a clear sky, making the mountains and rivers tremble.

Kublai cried out, 'Do the descendants of Genghis Khan have a battle they cannot win?' and the order‑bearer shouted it aloud.

None!

The Mongol troops' morale was mighty.

'The Song dogs sent men to disturb Karakorum, killing our officials and burning our supplies; if we do not take Xiangyang today, we swear not to withdraw our troops—will that do?'

'Yes!' the troops roared in unison, their voices shaking heaven and earth.

Kublai took a feathered arrow from his quiver, dropped to one knee, gazed up at the heavens, and declared, 'I, Börte‑jin Kublai, swear to Eternal Heaven and to the great Genghis Khan that if I do not take Xiangyang, I shall have such an arrow!'

He raised both hands high and snapped the arrow forcefully, breaking it into two pieces.

Zixiong anxiously asked, 'How can that be?'

'Why not?' Kublai glanced at him and said, 'We have a hundred‑thousand‑strong Mongol army here—could we possibly fear a mere Feng Yi?'

Zixiong frowned slightly, his bright eyes filled with worry, thinking, 'Is the lord gambling everything on this one throw?'

The Mongols' morale reached its peak, and they shouted in unison, 'Kill!'

In an instant the sound of the huji seemed to rise from deep within the earth, blending with the fierce beat of the hide drum to burst forth in the air as a soul‑shaking roar; the Mongol army's three ten‑thousand‑strong divisions surged toward Xiangyang like a tide.

Seeing this, Guo Jing also spoke from his dantian qi: 'Today's battle—so long as the city stands, we stand; we shall perish together with the city.'

He alone spoke, and everyone below and atop the walls, over a hundred thousand strong, heard him clearly. Seeing his might, the Song troops were utterly convinced, and upon hearing his words they involuntarily chorused in reply: 'As long as we are in the city, the city stands; we shall perish together with it.'

A hurricane‑like sound lingered endlessly atop Xiangyang's walls.

The Mongol troops' crossbow cannons bombarded the impregnable city walls; behind them the great army began to hoist ladders, pressing forward wave after wave, surging upward to set the ladders atop the ramparts, and the soldiers swarmed up like ants.

mentions Xiangyang, Wang Jian

Let's read the original prompt: "After ALL 【N】 lines, output a names list (even if empty):

Cannons and flying arrows crisscrossed in the air, the chaotic twang of bowstrings shaking everyone's eardrums.

The smell of scorched flesh, the clear ring of arrow-bolts, the rumbling of rolling logs and stones, the shrill cries, and the sound of strong arrows piercing leather armor.

The Mongol army below the city was like wheat being harvested in autumn—cut down in swaths, then more; like a sky-full of locusts flying, burned in batches, yet more remained.

Soon, the ground below Xiangyang was coated with a layer of bloody flesh-mud.

The Mongol troops slightly retreated; then war drums sounded loudly and densely, the slightly retreating Mongols brandished swords and spears, charging forward madly like ocean waves, endless, slamming against Xiangyang's solid walls.

All this only made the Pacification Commissioner Lü Wenhuan's legs go weak, his whole body sweating, his teeth clenched in slaughter; he felt that nothing in his life had been as terrifying as this.

Fortunately Guo Jing had long been among the Mongol troops, familiar with their various siege tactics, prepared in advance; no matter how the enemy used bows, fire weapons, piled stones, or siege towers to attack the city, the defending Song soldiers, occupying high ground, solved each one.

But Guo Jing, from the city wall, saw Feng Yi, Huang Yaoshi, and Hong Qigong surrounded by the Mongol army, and only felt his breathing quicken.

For although the three were peerless under heaven, facing ten thousand alone is already difficult; but if they opened the gate to meet them, they'd likely give the Mongols a chance to seize the city.

Suddenly a figure rushed to Guo Jing's side—it was Huang Rong.

Guo Jing turned his head to look at his wife, his eyes flickering, face full of pity: 'Rong'er, your body hasn't healed yet—why did you come?'

It turned out Huang Rong had already given birth, bearing Guo Xiang and Guo Polu; Guo Jing had let her look after the children and recover her health, but the battle was in full swing, Huang Rong couldn't set her mind at ease, couldn't hold back, and came to fight side by side with her husband.

Huang Rong stood beside her husband, seeing the half-sky filled with rosy clouds, a scenery beyond compare; the enemy forces below the city showed their ferocious faces faintly visible; looking again at Guo Jing, she saw him standing tall on the city wall, heroic and vigorous, her heart filled with boundless affection and longing.

The couple loved each other, their affection deepening over time; today, with a powerful enemy pressing the border, whether they could repel it is hard to predict.

Huang Rong thought: 'I and Brother Jing have been husband and wife for twenty years; if we together resist the strong enemy and both spill our blood on the city wall, this life would not have been lived in vain.'

In a glance, seeing below the city, her face suddenly turned pale, she stared blankly.

In the corner of Huang Rong's eye, three figures flickered in the Mongol army formation; she recognized her father Huang Yaoshi and her master Hong Qigong among them.

Huang Rong said: 'Brother Jing, Chief Lu has sent the prepared medicine, saying that Feng Yi and others are coming to attack, let's go out together to kill them—have you decided?'

Husband and wife of one heart, Guo Jing knew his wife's thoughts, gazing at the bloody battlefield. For the first time he felt intensely the impending separation of loved ones, a sharp pain in his chest, he said in a deep voice: 'The Tatar army's morale is too high; we must dampen their spirit. Commander Lu, General Wang, you must hold the city well, do not relax; I will lead two thousand elite troops for another assault!'

Wang Jian heard and said: 'No, although the Tatars have suffered heavy losses, they are still numerous; if you go out, how can we defend the city?'

'Not bad.' Lü Wenhuan, standing behind Guo Jing, stroked his beard and nodded: 'Master Guo, the Mongols are like madmen; what use is bringing two thousand?'

In their eyes, Feng Yi and the others' life or death didn't matter.

Scout soldiers came reporting in a steady stream: 'The east gate again has an enemy ten-thousand-strong reinforcement…… the north gate Tatar's siege towers have been erected……'

Lü Wenhuan rolled his eyes and said: 'Master Guo, did you hear? You cannot go out!'

Guo Jing saw his hand stroking his beard trembling constantly, frowned; Huang Rong went straight to Zhu Ziliu and said: 'Brother Zhu, distribute the medicine Chief Lu sent to all the martial heroes, let everyone charge out!'

Guo Jing said: 'Just follow Rong'er's wish. But we must certainly warn our people to wear protective clothing and try not to let the poisonous water touch them!'

It turned out Chief Lu had long sent someone to deliver corpse-dissolving powder; even a little could produce countless amounts using corpses.

But Guo Jing had once seen Ouyang Feng's poisonous shark scene, flesh turning to poison, too horrifying. Once this poison is used, it's a thousand enemy casualties for eight hundred self-loss; after all, ordinary people in melee, what ability do they have to avoid getting blood on themselves?

But seeing his wife's order, with his father-in-law, master, and Feng Yi inside the Mongol army formation, he had no choice but to comply.

Lü Wenhuan saw several people not obeying his command, Zhu Ziliu went down to prepare, he could only sigh.

On this side, Feng Yi, Huang Yaoshi, and Hong Qigong kept charging toward the front of Hulagu's army; but the Mongol forces were too numerous, killing a batch then another layer, the three also had to prevent the poison water from touching themselves; despite their profound inner strength, it was still difficult, and after a long time they finally broke through to within a li of Hulagu.

Feng Yi suddenly shouted: 'Chief Hong, hairpin!' Hong Qigong flung out a handful of ice soul silver needles.

His 'Heavenly Flower Rain Scattering Golden Needles' being so close and his hand so fast, the Mongol soldiers could not possibly dodge.

In an instant Feng Yi, Huang Yaoshi, and Hong Qigong killed over ten; the nearby Mongol soldiers faltered; Feng Yi let out a long whistle and called: 'Island Master Huang, Chief Hong, lend me your aid!'

Leaping up, Huang and Hong each struck a palm onto Feng Yi's feet.

Feng Yi's leaping force plus the two palms turned directly into a white rainbow, shooting out, flying over the Mongol soldiers' heads.

The Mongol troops were astonished; they all shouted at once; Feng Yi had already flown more than ten zhang away, his strength not yet waned, someone yelled: 'Release arrows!'

Feng Yi roared loudly in midair and threw his black sword; this throw gathered his lifelong energy; a black light descended from above, swooping toward Hulagu hundreds of meters away.

Hulagu's personal guards pulled him down from his horse, spearmen shielded him in front.

Feng Yi's few moves were as quick as lightning, but the arrows came like wind-blown rain, shooting toward him.

Feng Yi waited for the arrows, lifted his true qi, performed a somersault in midair, leapt over ten or more Mongol soldiers, and landed on a horse.

At that moment, Feng Yi rode his horse straight toward Hulagu, charging only a few zhang, when arrowheads rained down like a violent storm.

Feng Yi's body sprang up with a bang; the horse's spine was broken by his tread, he bounced out several zhang again, leapt over the warriors, and lunged at Hulagu.

These moves were like a rabbit leaping, a falcon dropping; before anyone could react, Feng Yi had floated to Hulagu and his retinue.

The guards escorted Hulagu away; who knew Feng Yi flicked his blood-red blade, tracing a whirl of light, puff puff puff, seven or eight were cut down and fell, emitting white smoke.

Several zhang away, Feng Yi lightly floated a palm strike forward!

'Boom—rumble' suddenly the sky thundered.

Everyone was startled; especially Feng Yi felt the thunderclap right by his ear, not only his head swam, but it felt as if a great mountain pressed on his body, his body sank involuntarily.

Feng Yi didn't know why this happened, but he knew the fleeting opportunity must not be lost; seeing Mongol soldiers rush up, he shouted loudly, his hair flying, robes billowing, he flicked his wrist, a long whip lashed out from his bosom, his body twirled, the whip swept in a circle, vigorous and mighty, unstoppable.

In the martial world there is a saying: 'Train the long, not the short; train the hard, not the soft.' Meaning short weapons are easy to learn but hard to master; soft weapons are harder to practice than hard ones.

Feng Yi, versed in all arts, channeled his strength into the golden dragon whip, making it swift and powerful, sweeping toward the crowd's heads and faces. His whip carried force like an iron rod, the thumping sounds continuous, seven or eight Mongol soldiers struck on the face fell instantly.

Hulagu's guards were all warriors, yet some still rushed forward; Feng Yi struck with his left palm, four or five felt their bones about to shatter, cried out, spat blood, like a broken kite they flew away.

This move was the Eighteen Dragon-Subduing Palms; Feng Yi and Hong Qigong had been together half a year, discussing martial arts, naturally they employed it.

Hong Qigong knew Huang Yaoshi had given his all to Feng Yi; how could he fall behind?

Feng Yi charged again, casually grabbed the blood blade, with a swoosh threw it at Hulagu; a few guards also shielded Hulagu to dodge. Who would have thought that as Feng Yi threw the blade, he had already leapt up, struck a palm, unleashing full force, swift and accurate, with a bang Hulagu spat blood, his body flung several zhang by the immense impact, somersaulted and collapsed; his momentum not yet spent, he rolled another five feet before stopping, but he was already dead on the spot.

Hulagu fell to the ground; his guards were all astonished, then swords and spears rose together; Feng Yi roared loudly, waved his palm to strike; suddenly heard: 【A dripping sound in the mind, the host violated the system mission……】

At this moment Guo Jing raised his spear and let out a long cry: 'Today let the Mongol Tatars know the fine skills of our Song men!'

He had personally led the army and martial heroes out of the city to rescue. Tens of thousands of troops fought below the city until dark; although the Mongol soldiers were brave, the Song troops' weapons were coated with corpse-dissolving poison, a situation everyone feared.

The yellow water fear produced by Feng Yi alone—how could it compare to that manufactured by a thousand people?

When the system issued this prompt, "Not good." Feng Yi had a terrible thought pop into his mind: "Could it be..." Instantly drenched in cold sweat, he shouted: "Hubulie is dead, quickly send out troops..."

This cry was heard by all troops; the Mongol army, having been slaughtered by Guo Jing and others, was already terrified. Upon hearing this long whistle, they fell into disarray at once and began to rout.

But before Feng Yi could finish his shout, he felt his body lighten, as if he were amidst a cloud mass; his abundant and robust true qi actually vanished completely. In an instant he was utterly exhausted, his body swayed, he collapsed to the ground, and suddenly a shower of arrows came shooting over.

Previously the system had assigned Feng Yi the task of helping Hubulie unify the world, but he did not want to go against his conscience; not only did he turn a deaf ear, he even went on to slay this founding emperor who established the Yuan dynasty!

Who would have thought that at the moment the goal was achieved, his righteous and proud inner strength actually left his body. Feng Yi had fought his way here all along relying on his deep inner strength, and in an instant he had no inner strength left.

His whole body felt sore and weak, he couldn't dodge in time, and many shadows flickered before his eyes—whether kin or foe, they flashed past, near yet far, impossible to grasp. At the final moment, he suddenly felt a thread of sorrow: "Is it really worth it for me to be like this?"

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At this moment, Huang Yaoshi and Hong Qigong let out a cry of alarm; although they did not know why Feng Yi had suddenly collapsed, being far apart, they could only anxiously worry, unable to exert any strength to help Feng Yi!

At this moment, the Mongol soldiers turned into yellow fluid, and the collapsing momentum became unstoppable; the commanders killed fleeing soldiers, yet they could not check the tide of defeat.

Guo Jing and others seized the momentum to charge and slaughter, while inside the city Lu Wenhuan and Wang Jian also opened the gates and sallied forth.

Mongol troops suffered countless casualties, no longer a fighting force; they only thought of how to escape this nightmare that had turned into yellow fluid, so they lost all will to fight, fled in panic, trampling each other, casualties uncounted, along the way discarding flags and weapons, not forming ranks, scattering northward in flight. On the walls of Xiangyang, one hundred thousand soldiers and civilians shouted in unison to bolster the army's might.

At this moment, Hong Qigong and Huang Yaoshi went to meet the rioting troops, killing their way over; when they reached the spot where Feng Yi had just collapsed, there was nothing but a puddle of flesh— not even a trace of his silhouette remained!

Hong Qigong's hands trembled, and he was at a loss.

Huang Yaoshi shielded him, shoved aside several rioters, and shouted urgently: "Elder Seven, do you really want to be trampled to death by the rioters?"

Although Hong Qigong felt anguish, he fully understood this point: now the Mongol army of tens of thousands had become a routed force, Feng Yi had turned into a puddle of flesh, and they too would meet the same end if they stayed; thus, following behind Huang Yaoshi, they seized a horse and charged toward Xiangyang.

Since the Mongols and the Song forces first clashed, there had never been such a crushing defeat; Guo Jing and others pursued the victory, pressing on for over thirty li, while Lu Wenhuan, dispatching messengers at a moment's notice, summoned Guo Jing back to defend the city, and only then did the Song army return in triumph.

In this battle the Song army won a complete victory, but it was regrettable that Feng Yi died amidst the chaotic troops, leaving not even a whole corpse. Huang Rong, Zhu Ziliu, Guo Fu, the Wu brothers, and others all sighed in silence.

The Pacification Commissioner Lu Wenhuan, however, led his personal troops and officers, blowing trumpets and beating drums, forming ranks outside the city to welcome the triumphant army!

Feng Yi is dead, and he doesn't care at all; in fact he thinks Feng Yi's death is good, because of Feng Yi's actions, not a single official liked him!

If he could kill officials on sight when facing the Mongols, why couldn't he do the same to the Great Song? Such an unstable element is best dead!

The common folk also gathered outside the city, arranging wine, soup, incense and candles, and performing bows to offer comfort.

Huang Yaoshi, Hong Qigong and the others stood on the city wall, their hearts feeling as if filled with lead, so heavy they could hardly breathe.

Guo Jing returned with the troops, looked at his master and father-in-law, saw them utterly despondent, and asked what had happened.

Guo Fu lamented: "Feng Yi is dead!"

In an instant, a tremendous sorrow surged like a tide upon Guo Jing's heart; he could no longer restrain himself, he burst into loud weeping, tears pouring down like rain, and he sighed: "If it were not for Hero Feng's efforts to turn the tide, I fear... alas..."

Huang Yaoshi, seeing the triumphant army, chanted at length: "A general after a hundred battles, his name and body shattered; facing the river Liang, looking back ten thousand miles, old friends forever gone. The Yi River rustles, the west wind cold, the hall filled with attire like snow. The heroic lament is not yet finished..."

Xin Qiji was the person Huang Yaoshi most admired of his generation; seeing the vast lands of the Central Plains fallen to barbarians, he aspired to restoration, yet his fate was fickle, his lofty ambitions hard to fulfill, after a hundred battles he could only sing heroic songs in his remaining years, thinking: "Today's battle relied entirely on Feng Yi; may Master Jiaoxuan, if he knows in the springs below, find comfort therein!"

But hearing the wails of lament to heaven and earth from within Xiangyang—some weeping for husbands, some grieving for sons and grandsons, some mourning fathers—

Huang Yaoshi suddenly raised his head and let out a long whistle; its desolate sorrow made all who heard it feel heartache.

Hong Qigong's face filled with pity, he sighed: "Feng Yi once said, in this vast world, beings take a hundred forms, strange and wondrous!"

He disliked scheming for power, had no ambition to establish merit and career, nor did he intend to aid anyone in seeking hegemony over the world; he simply did not want the Five Barbarians' chaos in China or the Jingkang incident to repeat!

But for the common people of the world, whether Mongol or Han, their aims are actually the same: to overthrow the present emperor and establish a new order; yet in this process there would still be casualties strewn across the wilds and piles of corpses like mountains,

If there were gods, spirits, immortals, or buddhas, would they merely gaze down from the heavens upon the mundane world below, and would they only favor that one in ten thousand true son of heaven?

Allowing them to turn misfortune into blessing and adversity into auspiciousness, yet feeling no pity for every commoner's tears, nor for the anguish of each who lost a son or father, and turning a blind eye?

Because of power and for their own selfish desires, they let innocent people die for them!

Those generals, when they sent each so‑called true son of heaven to the dragon throne, gained riches and honor, but what did those who died on the battlefield obtain?

Perhaps few people even understand why they fight, let alone know whether death could bring them what they want, or what their families would become!

And what kind of joy have those warriors who survived a hundred deaths and returned home in their old age ever experienced, and who could know?

Hong Qigong reflected on the journey thus far, the process of blood spraying and flying, bloody and brutal, which gave him, a master of his caliber, an intense shock he had never felt before.

He suddenly realized that it did not matter who owned the world; what mattered was that he no longer wished to see people killing each other in a death‑struggle, and this was ultimately a delusion!

And Hong Qigong's retelling of these words also made Guo Jing and the others shudder in their bodies.

One generation of emperors, one generation of ministers—these rulers got what they wanted, but for the common folk they actually made no difference, and they would even lose their own kin.

Yet even though Feng Yi has died, they still care—what about the soldiers? Aren't they too meritorious?

And how many of them actually care?

Lu Wenhuan's delighted expression made him also feel that this was a great victory, and he was quite pleased…

In this moment, having been subtly influenced by Feng Yi over time, everyone thought of the Mongol army's heavy casualties, the Song army's losses not light either, especially the sight of every household in Xiangyang observing mourning, which sparked a completely new train of thought.

Guo Jing and Huang Rong suddenly understood why Feng Yi, though he clearly aided the Han people, nevertheless scoffed at the Great Song.

Because those emperors, dukes, and marquises all want to eat "human flesh".

Never before had Guo Jing ever viewed the myriad things of the world through Feng Yi's perspective, and he was utterly bewildered for a moment.

Huang Yaoshi burst into loud laughter, flicked his sleeves, turned, and strode westward; Huang Rong called out: "Father…"

Huang Yaoshi paid no heed, walking on while laughing loudly to himself, yet within that laughter one could no longer discern joy or sorrow.

Hong Qigong declared openly: "Oh the myriad beings, truly pitiable, lamentable, and pitiful!"

Saying this, he also laughed long and departed.

The two burst into prolonged laughter that shot up to the heavens, as if bringing a hint of joy to the departed lives.

But it also seemed like a satire!

Under desire, all beings are mere pawns!

…

Hubulie, the Great Khan of the Mongols, founded the Yuan dynasty, unified the realm, and achieved unparalleled merit.

But now, everything has become unknown.

For the succession of the Mongol khanate is fraught with great uncertainty, and the doings of the Song dynasty are beyond description.

The succession of the Mongol Great Khan is not a simple father-to-son inheritance; it requires convening a great assembly, where the imperial clan's nobles and senior ministers jointly recommend and support the candidate.

Because Chengjisi Han had designated his third son Wokuotai as his heir during his lifetime, but at the same time, following the Mongol custom of the youngest son inheriting the family estate, he left most of his lands, people, and troops to his youngest son Tuolei.

Chengjisi Han commanded over 100,000 elite troops; he gave 100,000 to Tuolei, while his other sons and a few brothers each received only a few thousand.

Perhaps Temujin wanted to give extra compensation to his youngest son, whom he loved most but who could not succeed him; those who know history will surely understand that this move was a major source of disaster.

Even in modern society, could a majority shareholder who holds absolute control willingly let someone else take the chairman's seat?

Thus, Tuolei, following Mongol custom, acted as regent alone for two years before convening the great assembly to settle the selection of the Great Khan; the assembly then dragged on for over forty days without reaching a decision.

Zhuchi had always been on good terms with his younger brother Tuolei, and their wives were sisters; the second brother, Chahatai, however, had always been at odds with the eldest, using doubts about Zhuchi's lineage as an excuse to sideline him while fully backing their younger brother Wokuotai's ascent.

By then Zhuchi was dead, and under Chahatai's strong advocacy and the influence of Chengjisi Han's dying wish, Tuolei reluctantly agreed to support Wokuotai's accession.

But whoever occupied Wokuotai's position could not rest easy, so a few months later, the thirty-nine-year-old Tuolei died suddenly.

Wokuotai began seizing troops from the Toluid lineage; although Mongke and others were extremely unwilling, Tolui's chief wife Suoluohetien overruled opposition and carried it out resolutely.

According to Mongol custom, at this time she could fully control the family's property, enjoying equal status and power with her husband, becoming the head of the Toluid lineage.

Thus, Wokuotai appeared to be bullying the orphaned widows of his brothers, while the Toluid lineage seemed magnanimous.

Wokuotai naturally felt this and issued an edict ordering Suoluohetien to marry his eldest son Guiyou.

A widowed aunt marrying her nephew is not too out of step with steppe customs; this move was a coup de grâce, aiming to swallow the entire Toluid lineage.

But Suoluohetien refused to comply, replying that she wished to raise her children to adulthood, hoping they would never part, a polite yet firm refusal.

The Toluid lineage remained a major force in the Mongol Empire; for a time, Wokuotai could not override it, and in major military and political affairs he also had to consult Suoluohetien and seek the Toluid lineage's opinion before acting.

The Toluid lineage also accumulated great wealth through managing their appanages in the Han lands of the Central Plains.

Wokuotai reigned for thirteen years, then died suddenly!

His death plunged the Mongol Empire into renewed chaos over succession, because the "heir apparent" Shiliemen was still a minor, while the Mongols were engaged in the "eldest son's western campaign", leaving the core forces absent.

Empress Naimazhen, as Wokuotai's widow, assumed regency and took control of central authority. She did not want Shiliemen to ascend, plotting to have her biological son Guiyou become Great Khan, rallying all the princely houses to her side, indulging excessively, and throwing governance into disorder.

Thus Yelü Chucai was sidelined; the Toluid lineage's sons, under Suoluohetien's strict discipline, upheld ancestral laws and kept to themselves amidst the chaotic court.

So after Wokuotai's death, the Great Khan's seat remained vacant for five years; Empress Naimazhen then organized a great assembly to let Guiyou ascend, and the Toluid lineage also arrived early to show support for Guiyou.

As the steppe tradition goes, like choosing a wolf king in a pack, only the strong can command respect and become king.

As Wokuotai's eldest son, Guiyou was already thirty-six years old, having campaigned east against Goryeo and west against the Kipchaks.

But the love‑hatred entanglements of the paternal generation—Jochi, Chagatai, Wokuotai, and Tolui—naturally passed down to the next generation.

In the Mongol western campaign, Jochi's son Batu and Tolui's son Mongke were on close terms, yet they fell out with the descendants of Chagatai and Wokuotai.

At a banquet, Wokuotai's eldest son Guiyou and Chagatai's grandson Buli publicly insulted Batu, after which they parted on bad terms.

After ascending the throne, Guiyou indeed harbored grand ambitions; he first tightened court discipline and strengthened centralization, for which he did not hesitate to arrest and execute his mother's favorite minister Fadima, and even retrieved the edicts and tokens that Empress Naimazhen had lavishly distributed to the princes in her efforts to curry favor.

He also meddled in Chagatai's lineage affairs, carried out succession maneuvers, and won over the Toluid lineage by appointing his aunt Suoluohetien to oversee the distribution of gifts at the great assembly.

Having settled these two power blocs, he then turned to eliminating Jochi's son Batu, leading a large army westward on the pretext of inspecting his fiefdoms in the Western Regions, preparing to launch a surprise attack on Batu.

The ever‑watchful Toluid matriarch Suoluohetien sent word to Batu and also did a great favor for the Jochid lineage.

Batu, upon receiving the news, was undaunted, marching eastward; it was clear that a showdown among the Golden Family was inevitable…

Yet Guiyou followed the tradition of his uncle Tolui and father Wokuotai dying young, actually succumbing to illness on his "western tour".

He and the Batu lineage had nearly come to blows, already become sworn enemies, irreconcilable.

Regarding the Chagatai lineage, the installed Yesu Mongge Khan was muddled and ineffective; the unjustly deposed Halaxulie Wu Khan thus became an enemy, and the former ally, the Chagatai lineage, lost all hope.

As for the Toluid lineage, they were even more outright enemies.

Tolui was killed by Wokuotai's scheming, and Guiyou almost married Tolui's wife Suoluohetien—she is the mother of Mongke and Kublai, among others.

Within the Wokuotai lineage, things were even more chaotic.

Empress Naimazhen, at the previous great assembly, laid out the stakes, even defying Wokuotai's Khan's edict to discard Shiliemen and push for Guiyou; to this end she also suppressed the then‑living Wokuotai second son Kuoduan, and internal strife was fierce.

Kuoduan then led troops to attack the old Tibetan territories, becoming the famed Prince of Xiliang.

Thus, after Guiyou's death, he left behind a fragmented, alienated Wokuotai lineage.

By then his mother Empress Naimazhen had already died; Guiyou's widow Wouli, known in history as Empress Haomishituo, followed the same pattern, taking over her husband's power and inaugurating the two‑year period of Empress Haomishituo's regency.

But she lacked the vision and breadth of Suoluohetien, nor did she possess Empress Naimazhen's talent for opportunism; she only knew to consult shamans and diviners, speaking nonsense.

At this point the Jochid lineage's eldest son Batu had become the oldest and most senior of Chengjisi Han's grandsons, having served as commander‑in‑chief of the "eldest son's western campaign" during Wokuotai's era.

He convened a great assembly on his own domains, plotting to overturn the heavens, but faced strong resistance; the Wokuotai lineage countered that the heir apparent Shiliemen should be supported, otherwise it would violate Wokuotai Khan's dying wish.

However, Mongke's brother Alibuge said, "Originally it was Guiyou who violated the late Khan's wish, setting aside Shiliemen and taking the throne himself."

"You may break the contract, so why can't we?"

With this logical gap opened, Suoluohetien, mother of Mongke, organized another great assembly in the Toluid lineage's ancestral lands—the birthplace of Chengjisi Han—according to the Mongol custom of the youngest son inheriting.

Mongke's mother enjoyed widespread reputation and connections; Batu also dispatched his brother Bulege with heavy troops to reinforce the front.

Internally stable and united outward, the Toluid lineage's great assembly saw Mongke's brother Hubielie responsible for receiving and monitoring all attending princes; his brother Xuliewu commanded the food service and guards to maintain order; his half‑brother Alibuge guarded the tent gates, controlling the comings and goings of all princes.

These men were Tolui's finest sons, all devoting themselves fully to help Mongke become Khan.

Without mentioning Mongke's mother's reputation and connections, and following the Mongol "alpha wolf" theory, Mongke, now middle‑aged, having participated in the eldest son's western campaign and the war against the Jin, was sufficient to command respect; scanning the Wokuotai princes, one truly could not find anyone his equal.

Precisely because of that, the Wokuotai lineage split apart, Guiyou suppressed his brothers and Batu; they all sought revenge, thus…

Hence the saying "When the time comes, heaven and earth lend their strength; when luck departs, even heroes are not free."

Even the regent Tolui never sat on the Great Khan's throne; after twenty‑odd years, his son Mongke finally reclaimed it.

Mongke reigned for nine years, continuing the practices of his uncle Wokuotai and cousin Guiyou by suppressing his brother Kublai.

Later, Mongke invaded the Song dynasty, dying in battle at Hezhou; his younger brother the Seventh Prince Alibuge, backed by the elders of the old Mongol homeland, was proclaimed Great Khan; Kublai led his army northward, contending with Alibuge, each side fielding elite troops in mutual combat.

In the end Kublai prevailed, but the Mongol army was already gravely weakened; it was not until the ninth year of the Xianchun era of the Song Emperor Duzong that Mongol forces launched another offensive against Xiangyang, capturing it in one fell swoop and destroying the Song dynasty.

Thus, in the decades following Chengjisi Han's death, the Mongol Empire remained mired in internal strife, yet the Song dynasty still fell; although Feng Yi killed Guiyou and Empress Naimazhen, what comes next for the Mongols is unknown, and the fate of the Song state cannot be guessed.

Including Kublai's founding of the Yuan dynasty, the succession of his heirs, Mongolia has continually erupted in civil war; even the capital Dadu has been captured several times, yet the regime endured for nearly a century.

Only when Zhu Yuanzhang appeared out of nowhere, with southern and northern campaigns, was the Mongol rule considered ended.

So whether the Mongols settling in the Central Plains was due to the inability of the vast Han compatriots or to fate, beyond human power, this is fundamentally an unsolvable question.

Imagine, if at the founding of the Song dynasty there had successively occurred events of a regent and a great khan dying violently, with several factions vying for the throne and civil war breaking out, would his foreign enemies give him an opportunity like the Mongols, allowing him to stand firm and even unify the world?

(End of chapter)