239: The king's flag changes on the city wall

“Report! He Jin is dead! His younger brother, He Yuan, killed his brother He Jin. He Jin’s head is already hanging on the Capital City wall, and He Yuan also said that the imperial government has been returned to the Mu family. Everyone can withdraw their troops now!”

A group of people went to the city wall to observe. Hanging on the city wall was indeed He Jin’s head. They were immediately at a loss. The war hadn't even started, so why had the enemy died first?

What should be done?

The three families held urgent consultations.

Finally, an announcement was issued to stabilize morale.

“He Yuan is a scoundrel and must be executed! The He family cannot sacrifice a pawn to save the rook and fool the heroes of the world! We, a righteous army, must exterminate the entire He family!”

As soon as this announcement was released, the Capital City was shaken.

Three days later, a second riot occurred. Lower-ranking military officers in the Capital City revolted. Overnight, three thousand members of the He family were massacred, and blood flowed like a river.

When three thousand He family heads were hung on the city wall,

the Lords were nearly driven mad.

The war hadn't even started, so why were the enemies’ heads falling off one by one?

Then the Mu family’s Old Emperor personally stood on the city wall and shouted to the Lords, asking them to go home, as there was nothing wrong with the Capital City.

How could this be tolerated?

If they went back now, wouldn’t everyone have come for nothing? Did they really think they were here to support the Old Emperor?

No one was willing to give up.

Soon, the Lords’ second announcement was released.

“There are many treacherous officials in the imperial court. The Old Emperor has been held hostage. We swear to kill all treacherous officials, high and low, in the imperial court and rescue the Old Emperor from dire straits!”

The Old Emperor looked at the announcement and was himself bewildered. At this point, where was the imperial court? The ministers of the entire court had either fled or surrendered, and the remaining ones had all been wiped out in the bloody night.

He went to the city wall to explain himself, but no one believed him.

The three armies prepared to attack the city together.

Inside the Imperial Palace, a group of eunuchs and low-ranking military officers saluted the Emperor: “Your Majesty, they are determined to rebel. We swear to defend the Capital City to the death and will never retreat.”

The Old Emperor chuckled: “Good!”

The eunuchs, led by Liu Jin, and the low-ranking officers, led by Meng Da, actually organized the Capital City’s defense.

The Old Emperor was pleasantly surprised to find that with the army pressing on, he had regained political power without any effort.

Mu Jiu sent people several times to sneak into the Capital City, wanting to take the Old Emperor away.

The Old Emperor refused to leave no matter what.

“I haven't held power for more than a few days in my entire life. Are you not going to let me enjoy it? No, I absolutely refuse to leave!”

The Old Emperor personally went to the city wall to encourage the soldiers and then encountered an Angel from the Gongsun family. The Angel was beautiful, with pure white wings, and flew onto the city wall, holding a flaming long saber.

With a gentle flick of the Angel’s long saber, the Old Emperor’s head was severed.

The Old Emperor’s last words were: “Oh, I’m dead!”

The Emperor passed away!

Liu Jin and Meng Da fought to the bloody end, dying for their country.

By the time the news reached Tongtian City, it was already a few days later. Mu Jiu was very sad and hid in her room, refusing to come out.

Northern Darkness was anxious, not knowing what was wrong with his mother, and restlessly paced around the courtyard.

Han Xin also sat in Han Huohuo’s courtyard.

Han Huohuo couldn't help but smile bitterly: “I always thought history was a very serious topic, but now that we are in history, I only feel absurdity.”

Han Xin didn't know what to say. He cupped his hands and said: “Lord, everyone is now saying that the eunuch Liu Jin controlled the imperial court and the Old Emperor, and that it was Liu Jin who went mad after his final defeat and killed the Emperor. The Gongsun family was the first to attack the Capital City and directly massacred all the eunuchs and palace maids, so there is no longer any corroborating evidence.”

Han Huohuo thought for a long time and couldn't help but curse: “Twisting black and white, these guys are truly shameless.”

Han Xin shrugged: “That’s politics.”

The Old Emperor died, not in a humiliating way; at least he died in battle, but all the Lords who participated in the war concealed this fact.

Soon, a rumor spread throughout the land that the Old Emperor had been hiding under his bed, was dragged out by Liu Jin, and had his head chopped off with a swift stroke.

The Gongsun family was heartbroken, killed all the eunuchs to avenge the Old Emperor, and then supported a young prince to ascend the throne as the new Emperor. On the day the city fell, the young prince had just turned three months old.

Originally, the Gongsun family didn't want to do this.

However, after the Old Emperor’s death, the warlords began to fight amongst themselves. Sun Yong enthroned the eldest prince as Emperor, gaining the moral high ground, and many followed him.

The Gongsun family, left with no choice, had to produce a three-month-old puppet to counter this.

The Old Emperor’s death was not the end of an era, but merely the beginning of a chaotic world.

War broke out everywhere, and everyone was seizing territory.

Only Cold Blade remained particularly silent, guarding the Southwest gateway, observing coldly.

Han Huohuo guessed that Cold Blade was likely at the final critical juncture of his Three-Eyed Race class advancement and could not be distracted at this time.

Mu Jiu finally came out, her eyes still showing tear stains.

She took out a note that the Old Emperor had written to Han Huohuo. He probably knew he was bound to die, so he wrote a note to his son-in-law.

The Old Emperor was actually very pitiful. He had many sons, and each son hoped he would die soon. Some upright sons thought he was a muddle-headed ruler who had lost the Mu family’s empire, which was an unforgivable sin, and wished him to go to hell. Those sons with evil dispositions only thought about how to replace him.

Yet, only one daughter truly treated him as a father, not an Emperor.

“Once I die, they will fall into chaos. In my opinion, it won't settle down for at least a few decades. I have high hopes for you, my worthy son-in-law!”

Han Huohuo held the note, not knowing whether to laugh or cry.

Should he seek revenge?

Han Huohuo didn't even know whom to seek revenge on. In the chaos of war, who knew who had killed the Old Emperor?

He just felt it was unfair to Liu Jin. He knew Liu Jin was the most loyal, yet he was slandered by this group as the culprit for the country’s downfall.

Across millions of square kilometers of land, war broke out everywhere.

Sun Yong’s main army had just suffered a defeat, being continuously pursued for five hundred miles by the Gongsun family’s Angel army, abandoning their armor and weapons, suffering countless casualties.

“It’s over, it’s over, Old Man Gongsun is going to take my life!”

Just as Sun Yong was despairing, a mysterious mech unit blocked the Angels, forcing the Angel army, which was already at the end of its strength, to retreat.

Sun Yong was overjoyed and immediately reorganized his troops.

When he went to search again, that mech unit had suddenly vanished without a trace.

“I know, it must be the Barbarian King’s troops. They don’t want the Gongsun family to grow too powerful, which is why they helped us.”

“Commander Sun is wise. Fortunately, after that scoundrel Yang Lin died, we endured and didn’t seek revenge on the Barbarian King. Otherwise, His Royal Highness the Barbarian King wouldn’t be helping us now.”

“Go, lead a unit, go and execute the entire Yang Lin family, and send their family members’ heads to His Royal Highness the Barbarian King.”

“Yes!”

When a whole cartload of heads arrived at Tongtian City, Han Huohuo and Master Ouyezi were discussing the problem of alloys.

Then the cart arrived.

Someone explained that these were the heads of Yang Lin’s entire family, and men, women, old people, and children rolled out, scattered all over the ground.

Master Ouyezi was so frightened that he almost fell ill again.

“Enough, enough, I don’t need them. Please, don’t send me any more heads.”

Master Ouyezi pleaded with a mournful face.