Chapter 204

Jiang Mingyu followed Tukesulu as they stormed into Zangzhou City, and at once saw a group of civilians huddled in a corner, trembling with fear. Tukesulu walked over, seized an old man by the collar, and whispered sharply: "Where's the main camp? Speak quickly!"

The old man shook violently and pointed westward: "Over there! Right over there!"

Tukesulu released him, cast a cold glance, then led his men toward the west. Zangzhou City was large; they had just broken in, and the camp had not yet sensed the intrusion.

They carefully avoided patrols of Zangzhou troops, silently eliminating several ill-fated squads. Soon, Jiang Mingyu led his men to the outer perimeter of the main camp.

He surveyed the scene, secretly pleased. After Liu Yi's capture, these hastily conscripted Zangzhou soldiers had lost all morale; they lay sprawled on the ground, snoring soundly, utterly careless.

He glanced at the rockets in his men's hands, a surge of excitement rising within him. The oil for these fire arrows had been carried across countless lands—now, at last, they would be put to use.

Best of all, the wind blew directly toward the camp tonight—everything was perfectly in place.

He gave a signal to his men; they immediately lit the rockets and fired them into the camp. After a volley of fiery hisses, the entire dry camp erupted into a roaring sea of flames.

Tukesulu was about to charge in and clean up the wreckage when Jiang Mingyu called out to stop him: "Hold on, hold on. Let them roast a while longer. When most of them are dead, we can walk in and finish the job."

Jiang Mingyu understood: though his forces claimed 120, 00 men, a direct clash with the enemy's 100, 00 would cost him dearly even if he won. Better to strike suddenly while the fire raged.

The flames grew fiercer; only then did the Zangzhou troops realize what was happening. They scrambled in all directions, trying to extinguish the fire and locate the enemy.

But how could such spreading inferno be easily quenched? In moments, even the soldiers attempting to fight the fire were consumed entirely.

When the newly appointed Regional Military Commissioner An Zhichao awoke from sleep, half the camp had already turned to ash. He stared in terror at the surrounding flames and corpses, a wave of despair rising in his chest.

"What… what is this? Who did this? Who did this?" he croaked.

An Zhichao was handsome—brow like a brush, eyes like stars, instantly captivating. Too bad his abilities bore no relation to his appearance. Had Feng Hou not been utterly without options, he would never have appointed such a pretty fool as a general.

The moment he saw the flames, his legs went weak. He hurriedly fled the camp with a few trusted aides. The camp could be rebuilt; soldiers could be recruited again. But if he, the Regional Military Commissioner, died, wouldn't Feng Hou lose a loyal confidant in vain?

The Zangzhou troops, already lacking morale, saw their commander flee without looking back—and instantly descended into chaos. Half an hour later, carried by the wind, the entire camp burned to black ash, utterly lifeless.

Zhu Ge Yu watched the carnage in the flames, a cold smile curling his lips: "We don't need to lift a finger. Just go clean up the remains."

Jiang Mingyu listened closely—only silence echoed through the camp. Not a single cry remained. He was secretly astonished: this single fire had utterly erased An Zhichao's 100, 00 troops.

Even more astonishing—he had taken Zangzhou without shedding a drop of blood, in a single night. If this got out, no one would believe it.

The fire burned all night, gradually dying down by dawn. Zhang Jiaqi, under Zhu Ge Yu's orders, had patrolled from night until morning and found no trace of An Zhichao.

Jiang Mingyu finally admitted: that slippery An Zhichao must have slipped out of the city under cover of darkness. But he had no interest in such a worthless fool—even if he escaped back to the capital, Feng Hou would surely punish this sycophant.

"Oh dear, what a lucky little bastard," Zhu Ge Yu shook his head. "If I'd caught him, I'd have chopped him into mincemeat."

"Forget it, forget it," Jiang Mingyu soothed. "Let's just enter the city. Zangzhou is ours now."

"Oh yes, yes!" Zhu Ge Yu's eyes lit up. "Come on, come on—let's see what treasures Zangzhou City has."

With that, the two led their troops toward Zangzhou City.

Deep in the night, Jiang Mingyu sat in the main hall, facing a middle-aged man in official robes, head bowed—it was the Governor of Zangzhou, Zhou Xiaofeng.

"You're Governor Zhou Xiaofeng?" Jiang Mingyu asked bluntly.

Zhou Xiaofeng nodded frantically, and before Jiang Mingyu finished speaking, he collapsed to his knees, banging his head repeatedly: "My Lord Jiang, I surrender! I surrender!"

His 100, 00 troops had been reduced to ash. What could a civil official do? Besides, he knew exactly what Jiang Mingyu was like—resisting meant certain death. Better to surrender meekly; perhaps he might still save his life.

Seeing his compliance, Jiang Mingyu, who had been exhausted from days of fighting, felt a slight relief. He opened his mouth to speak, when Zhu Ge Yu coughed beside him as a reminder.

Jiang Mingyu snapped back to awareness, smiling slightly embarrassed: "Then stay in the city for now. I'll call for you when I need you."

Zhou Xiaofeng, relieved to not only survive but retain his position, bowed deeply in thanks and withdrew.

Zhu Ge Yu watched Zhou Xiaofeng's retreating back and shook his head: "Master, what's gotten into you? You nearly handed Zangzhou over to him!"

Jiang Mingyu sighed: "I'm so tired, my mind's foggy. I never expected such a vast place as Zangzhou would fall so easily."

"We've taken Zangzhou, but our quest for dominion has only just begun. Soon we'll march elsewhere. Who will govern such a huge territory?"

Zhu Ge Yu thought a moment, then fixed his gaze on Jiang Mingyu: "In my view, this task is too vast—it must be handled by you personally."

Jiang Mingyu suddenly realized: though he had appointed countless Inspectors and County Magistrates, he himself remained a complete novice.

Zangzhou was larger, more populous, wealthier—but otherwise no different from Shangmu, where he had begun.

No choice. He had to do it himself.

After making his decision, Jiang Mingyu suddenly smiled strangely—a smile that even Zhu Ge Yu found unsettling.

"Master, what's wrong with you?"

Jiang Mingyu still smiled: "I'm going to write a letter to Feng Hou. Tell him I've taken Zangzhou. He'll be overjoyed."

Zhu Ge Yu fell silent. "What kind of madness is this? You sent Ruan Chen's head to the capital. Now you're announcing Zangzhou's fall? Isn't this pure psychological warfare?"

After arranging for the letter to be sent, Jiang Mingyu felt a surge of satisfaction. He wiped the smile from his face and asked Zhu Ge Yu: "How's Liu Yi doing? Did he burn to death?"

Zhu Ge Yu shook his head: "He's still alive, locked in Zangzhou's prison. Want to see him?"

Jiang Mingyu nodded: "Bring him here quickly. I've been wanting to talk to him."

Soon, two soldiers dragged in Liu Yi—hair matted, clothes torn, face ashen.

Seeing Jiang Mingyu, he recoiled as if seeing a ghost, stammering: "Y-you… you're Jiang Mingyu? How… how are you here?"

His shock turned instantly to hatred.

If not for Jiang Mingyu's betrayal, his family in the capital would not have been slaughtered!

Jiang Mingyu smiled warmly, speaking calmly: "General Liu, last night I led my troops to capture Zangzhou. Your 100, 00 men were all burned to ash."

Total annihilation? Liu Yi stared, dumbfounded. After a long pause, he spat: "That An Zhichao was raised on shit?"

Jiang Mingyu feigned sorrow: "That mighty General An fled before the city fell. He's probably already back in the capital."

Jiang Mingyu looked at Liu Yi's state and felt a pang of regret—he believed Liu Yi was capable, wanted to recruit him to his cause. Yet the man was so ungrateful. He spoke sincerely: "General Liu, you and I both served the late Emperor. Why must we kill each other for this corrupt court? Join me. I guarantee you wealth and glory beyond measure. What do you say?"

Liu Yi's hatred deepened. He saw Jiang Mingyu as a traitor who had murdered his entire family—and now dared to try to recruit him? Unthinkable! He spat fiercely on the ground: "Jiang! Get out of my sight! You killed my family—I swear I'll never serve you! I'd rather die than join a traitor like you! Kill me if you must—don't waste your breath!"

The spit landed squarely on Jiang Mingyu's face. He flew into a rage. He had offered Liu Yi a chance at life—yet this fool dared to insult him. "You ungrateful wretch! Take him out and behead him!"

Two soldiers seized Liu Yi's arms and dragged him from the hall. He struggled, screaming: "Jiang Mingyu, traitor! Killing me won't save you! The Great Feng will never let you win!"

A scream rang out—Liu Yi's head fell to the ground. Jiang Mingyu wiped the spit from his face and sneered: "The Great Feng? Hmph. When I've crushed Feng Hou, let's see who dares stand in my way!"

Thus, with a cold sneer, the battle for Zangzhou came to a close.

After reclaiming Zangzhou, Jiang Mingyu assigned Tukesulu and Zhang Jiaqi to oversee the city's internal and external affairs, while he returned to camp. He told Zhang Jiaqi: "Jiaqi, send a few men to scout the surrounding area. What's the situation out there?"

Zhang Jiaqi looked especially cheerful today, her smile bright as a flower. She softly replied and turned to make arrangements.

Jiang Mingyu didn't think much of it—perhaps she was just thrilled by the capture of Zangzhou. He turned to Tukesulu: "Go to Zhou City, find Yifei. Tell her to hand over her business to someone trustworthy and move to Zangzhou."

With such a vast territory now under his control, he didn't want Yifei and her people to suffer in Zhou City anymore.

Tukesulu agreed and left. Zhu Ge Yu asked: "Master, now that we've seized Zangzhou and all its grain, why still let Mistress Yi do business?"

The silver in Zangzhou's treasury could feed Yifei's family for generations.

Jiang Mingyu sipped tea slowly: "At first, I relied on trade to secure grain. Without the coal and iron mines we found early on, how could we have gotten this far from Shangmu's pitiful lands?"

"Now we have some wealth. Trade isn't as vital to me anymore."

"But I'm always on campaign. Even if Yifei comes to Zangzhou, we'll barely see each other."

"So I thought—give her something to do. Wouldn't she be bored alone all day?"

"Besides, the more her business grows, the more it proves her capability."

"We're riding high now—but what if we lose one day? If Zangzhou falls, her business will be our capital for a comeback. It's insurance."

In the following days, Zangzhou remained peaceful and calm. The entire Great Feng was in chaos; no one cared that its master had changed.