Chapter 241: The Tyrant Rules

In the capital city of Jingzhou, the Chongzheng Hall was silent, save for Fei Hou's raging fury. He had just received military intelligence from the Jingzhou border: Jiang Mingyu's army was advancing straight toward Jingzhou, filling Fei Hou with shock and wrath.

His gaunt frame and snow-white hair revealed days of exhaustion. With a formidable enemy at the gate, he had lost all interest in state affairs. Fei Hou flung the memorial scroll from his hand to the ground, cursing Jiang Mingyu for his insolence—he should have been flayed alive from the start.

Fei Hou roared in fury: "That beast Jiang Mingyu dares lead an army straight at Jingzhou! I should have flayed him alive back then—he now dares invade the imperial capital? He's begging for death!"

An elderly minister ventured cautiously: "Your Majesty, Jiang Mingyu's forces are at their peak—do not underestimate them. Perhaps we should temporarily seek peace to defuse this crisis..."

"Get out!" Fei Hou bellowed. "Make peace with rebels? What would become of my dignity? I'd rather burn everything to ashes than endure such humiliation!"

The old minister pleaded: "Your Majesty, calm yourself. Jiang Mingyu's power is overwhelming—we cannot hold Jingzhou. Better to stabilize him first, deal with other rebel forces, then reclaim power later—it's not too late!"

"You old dog, daring to urge me to seek peace? You must be colluding with Jiang Mingyu! Guards, execute this traitor!"

The old minister knelt, begging: "Your Majesty, think thrice! Do not destroy your own walls! Jiang Mingyu will surely reach the capital—better to retreat temporarily, preserve your strength, and rise again. That is the wisest path!"

"Say one more word, and I'll exterminate your entire family!" Fei Hou exploded.

As the guards dragged him away, the old minister still shouted: "Your Majesty, don't act rashly! Temporary peace with Jiang Mingyu is the wise choice!"

Fei Hou's eyes flashed with icy fury. "You know full well we face a dire enemy, yet still urge me to negotiate with rebels—you've been colluding with Jiang Mingyu all along! Guards, take this traitor out and execute him publicly!"

The old minister knelt, weeping: "Your Majesty, I speak only out of loyalty, to help you avert disaster—I mean no treason! Please, think thrice!"

Fei Hou sneered: "Then get out! Since you oppose conscription, I'll send your entire family to the front lines—let you feel the hardship of commanding troops!"

The old minister wept bitterly: "Your Majesty, you've lost all sense of strategy! Making peace with wolves? How can this be? I only seek peace for the state and the people!"

Seeing his guards hesitate, Fei Hou roared again: "Why are you still standing there? Drag him out and execute him! Are you all plotting treason too?!"

The guards could only obey, dragging the old man toward the execution ground—but he still shouted defiantly: "Your Majesty, think thrice! This will doom the nation!"

Fei Hou watched the old minister dragged away, his heart filled only with roaring rage. He coldly scanned the court officials—all of them froze in silence, none daring to speak.

"I've endured enough. Issue the edict for immediate conscription! Anyone who resists—execute their entire clan!"

All faces turned pale; all bowed in fearful silence. Fei Hou asked again: "Who among you will lead troops to confront Jiang Mingyu?!"

The hall remained utterly silent. Every official wore terror on their faces—no one dared answer. Fei Hou's fury deepened, yet he could do nothing.

Fei Hou's face darkened with rage as he swept his gaze across the hall. All remained mute, terrified of becoming the next scapegoat.

Finally, a bearded officer in armor stepped forward, voice ringing clear: "Your Majesty, General Tian Jiu volunteers to lead the troops and die for the state!"

Tian Jiu knew that if he didn't step forward, Fei Hou would randomly pick someone else to blame. At this life-or-death moment, he had no choice but to risk everything.

Fei Hou sneered: "If you achieve no victory within a month, your fate will be obvious. Go—fight to the death!"

Tian Jiu stood at attention, his heart already filled with despair. With his weak, exhausted troops, how could he possibly resist Jiang Mingyu's army? Within a month, he would surely die for the nation.

At noon, Jiang Mingyu's army neared Guangshui County, the first key city on Jingzhou's border. Gazing at the distant city, Jiang Mingyu's eyes turned cold as he murmured:

"Had Fei Hou not driven me to the brink, how could I have risen in rebellion against him? I owe him a great debt. Jiang Mou has returned—and I shall repay this immense favor with interest."

Zhang Jiaqi, beside him, asked anxiously: "Brother, why haven't our scouts returned? Has something happened? Jingzhou is in chaos—who knows what dangers await us?"

Jiang Mingyu sighed: "Order the army to conceal and camp. Wait for the scouts' return before deciding. If they don't return in two days, send another patrol."

Zhang Jiaqi nodded, troubled. The situation in Jingzhou had grown unpredictable—who knew what tricks Fei Hou might pull? But her greatest fear was for Jiang Mingyu's safety. If anything went wrong, she would die with him.

Meanwhile, Fei Hou was frantically preparing for war in Jingzhou. He ordered Tian Jiu to hold Guangshui County at all costs, commanding him to repel Jiang Mingyu within a month—or face extermination of his entire clan.

Tian Jiu accepted the order with a face of utter despair. He knew full well that with his pitiful troops, defeating Jiang Mingyu was impossible. By month's end, he would likely die in Guangshui.

Yet with the crisis so dire, he had no choice but to fight. Tian Jiu rallied his troops, preparing for a final, desperate battle against Jiang Mingyu. His heart was broken—but he would fight to the end, never dishonoring Fei Hou's trust.

Just as Jiang Mingyu's army began setting up camp, a group of dust-choked scouts rushed back, their faces frantic. Jiang Mingyu hurried forward, and the scouts knelt urgently:

"My Lord, we've learned Fei Hou has sent Tian Jiu with sixty thousand troops—they've already taken position in Guangshui County and are preparing to face us!"

"Sixty thousand?" Jiang Mingyu gasped. "Jingzhou was supposed to be drained of conscripts—where did these men come from?"

The scout explained quickly: "Fei Hou ignored the people's suffering and forcibly drafted soldiers from Jingzhou's last remaining civilians. The move sparked rebellion—everyone fled. Tian Jiu could only gather these sixty thousand hastily conscripted men and rush them to Guangshui."

Jiang Mingyu sneered: "Fei Hou has forced civilians into the army—he's lost all popular support. His end is near."

Jiang Mingyu pressed further: "When you left Jingzhou, how were Guangshui's defenses?"

The scout replied anxiously: "After arriving, Tian Jiu immediately fortified the walls and drilled his troops. Guangshui's defenses are now strong—taking it will be difficult."

Jiang Mingyu fell into thought. Guangshui had always been the northern gate to the capital, heavily fortified. Now, with Tian Jiu's reinforcements, capturing it would be even harder.

Zhang Jiaqi suggested: "Why not bypass Guangshui entirely and strike straight for Jingzhou? That would force Tian Jiu to divert troops from Guangshui to defend the capital."

Jiang Mingyu shook his head: "Guangshui is the vital chokepoint of Jingzhou. We must take it first—otherwise, leaving an enemy behind will cripple our morale."