Chapter 237: The Fall of Yizhou

Hu Bo had not yet gone far when a man's roar suddenly erupted from the distant walls of Yizhou.

"Brothers, fight these dogs of Fei Hou!"

It was Chen Tang's furious shout; from the sound alone, Jiang Mingyu knew he would hold out no longer.

If not now, when?

So he feigned indifference and smiled at Hu Bo.

"Enough formalities, Hu Duhu. We both serve His Majesty. No need for pleasantries."

"Your troops are exhausted. Let my forces take the city, shall we?"

"But rest assured, your share of the glory remains yours. I am deeply favored by His Majesty—I won't steal your credit."

He acted as if the glory of crushing a regional lord meant nothing to him.

Thus, Hu Bo became even more certain that this Hu Zhan was unquestionably Fei Hou's trusted man.

He was nothing but a brute born of the battlefield—who knew anything of the court's intricate intrigues?

Saying this, Jiang Mingyu turned to Li Goudan. "Li Vice-General, lead your men and storm the city." Under Hu Bo's grateful gaze, Li Goudan led eighty thousand troops charging toward the ramparts.

The sun sank westward, the horizon stained blood-red. Drums and horns shook heaven and earth; hooves thundered like rolling thunder. Blades clashed, flesh and blood flew. Between the two armies, life and death hung by a thread.

As Jiang Mingyu had predicted, Chen Tang's troops, after days of relentless battle, had reached the brink of collapse. Hit by Li Goudan's fresh forces, the defenders on the walls shattered instantly. Seeing the enemy falter, Li Goudan raised his blood-slicked saber.

"Forward! Break down the gate!" After over ten violent impacts, the gate Hu Bo had longed to shatter burst open with a thunderous crash. Seeing Li Goudan's men surge inside, Hu Bo, relieved that his family was finally safe, cried out at once:

"Brother Jiang, I owe you everything—how can I ever repay such a debt?"

Jiang Mingyu's smile suddenly turned sinister. "Give me your life—that's repayment enough." What? Hu Bo, still smiling with gratitude, froze in shock.

"Brother Jiang, what… what do you mean?" His own men had all followed Li Goudan into the city—he could no longer ask his vice-general what was happening. Jiang Mingyu smiled faintly and raised one finger.

"Hu Duhu, you're mistaken about one thing—I don't bear the surname Jiang."

"Let us meet properly. You've surely heard my name—I am Jiang Mingyu of Zangzhou." With mock solemnity, he bowed to Hu Bo.

Jiang Mingyu? Hu Bo had never dreamed the man who helped him breach Yizhou was Jiang Mingyu—the very man now dominating the northern frontier. With Jiang Mingyu's troops already inside Yizhou, did this mean he had unwittingly aided Jiang Mingyu in seizing the last stronghold of the north?

If Fei Hou learned of this, Hu Bo's entire family would have no chance of survival.

Realizing this, Hu Bo gritted his teeth. His best chance now was to seize Jiang Mingyu by surprise and redeem himself.

But before he could draw his blade, Tukesiluo's sword was already resting against his neck. "Don't move." The strike was too swift for anyone to react—certainly not Hu Bo.

He felt a chill trace his neck, then a warmth surging to his chest. His vision darkened, yet he seemed to hear Jiang Mingyu's voice.

"Hu Duhu, your famed reputation as a battle-hardened general has long reached my ears."

"Fei Hou has been unjust to you—threatening your family's lives. It is utterly despicable."

"Here, before these two armies, I ask you: do you wish to join me in toppling Fei Hou's rule and seeking justice for your family?" Hu Bo's dry lips twitched, his voice hoarse.

"Jiang Mingyu, you want me to surrender?" Jiang Mingyu did not evade. "Yes—but your phrasing is more direct than mine."

Gazing into the young man's eyes—mocking yet tinged with sincerity—Hu Bo stirred. Could this youth truly possess the ambition and power to change the world?

Had he, too, once fought for the people, struggled for his ideals, remained loyal to his nation? Alas, he had become Fei Hou's hound—now an enemy to this hero, with no path back.

He closed his eyes, offering his neck in surrender to death.

"Since I've fallen into your hands, kill me if you will—but I will never surrender." Seeing his resolve, Jiang Mingyu ceased his plea.

"Tukesiluo, kill him." A muffled thud. Hu Bo's head rolled far away, dripping thick crimson.

Amid wails, the two armies clashed within and beyond the city walls.

Brothers who once shared the same land of Dafeng now slaughtered each other. Some fought to protect their homes, others for power, some for vengeance, others to follow a hero.

Rivers of blood, mountains of corpses. What a tragic war this was!

Jiang Mingyu stood at the city gate, watching the rolling head, his eyes flickering with complex emotion.

He admired Hu Bo's loyalty and righteousness, mourned his death, and felt a pang of guilt and sorrow.

He knew Hu Bo was a good general, a good father, a good brother.

He knew Hu Bo was a pitiful man, a helpless man, a sacrificed man.

Why did he have to die?

Was it because he remained loyal to a cruel, lawless ruler?

Was it because he refused to abandon his beliefs?

Was it because he dared not stand against him?

Jiang Mingyu sighed softly, filled with endless regret and reflection. He felt he owed Hu Bo something—and bore responsibility toward the world.

Hearing the cries within the city fade, Jiang Mingyu smiled. "Tukesiluo, take Hu Bo's head and enter the city." Yet he never imagined this head—meant to force Hu Bo's troops to surrender—would go unused.

The reason was simple: after the slaughter, the only men still standing inside the city were Jiang Mingyu's own. From their expressions, it was clear Li Goudan had relished every moment—he grinned at Jiang Mingyu.

"My lord, I've eliminated all of Chen Tang's forces—and his men too." He pointed to a corpse clad in a dragon robe and crowned with a Taiping hat. "That one is Chen Tang." An arrow pierced the emperor's chest, blood still oozing steadily.

Chen Tang? Jiang Mingyu shook his head, coldly scanning the surrounding corpses—no pity, no sympathy.

These were his enemies, his obstacles. The more who died, the closer he drew to his goal.

Yet he knew many among them had been forced into this, fought for survival, sacrificed for their families.

He, too, had once been among them—once fought for the people, struggled for his ideals, remained loyal to his nation.

But he eventually realized this nation was rotten to its core, this dynasty tyrannical and cruel, this world shrouded in darkness.

He could not accept it. He would change it all—he would carve a new world for the people of the realm.