Chapter 183: This Is Clearly a One-Sided Brutal Crushing

Jin Zeyu awoke, but he wished he were dead.

His mouth was an empty, agonizing void, and a sharp, fracturing pain shot through his wrists.

The excruciating pain couldn’t dull his senses. He was tied to a war chariot, being dragged forward. Directly ahead loomed Wumu City.

He was surrounded by the soldiers of Da Wei, a vast and mighty force brimming with the will to fight.

’They’re going to attack Wumu City!’

The soldiers around him were on high alert, ready to charge. He recognized none of them and couldn’t speak a word. Jin Zeyu struggled in agony, but he was completely immobile.

"Stop moving. If you pass out again, you’ll miss this spectacular battle."

Hearing the familiar voice, Jin Zeyu whipped his head around. He had to strain his neck desperately to see Mu Yunlian beside him, mounted on a horse and clad in armor.

"Ugh... Mmph..."

Jin Zeyu could only make muffled sounds, but his face was contorted with rage. It was clear he was spewing silent, venomous curses.

The army slowly came to a halt, arranging its formation. Wumu City was just a short distance ahead, its walls faintly visible from their position.

Mu Yunlian reined in his horse, then leaped lightly onto the war chariot to stand before Jin Zeyu.

Facing his former ally, Mu Yunlian felt not a shred of sentiment for their past connection, only disgust.

"I thought you would send men to launch a sneak attack, but I never expected you to come in person. Your stupidity truly leaves me speechless."

"Don’t look at me with that betrayed expression. There was never any loyalty between us, only mutual exploitation."

"I chose you back then because I had no other option. The Eldest Prince and Second Prince had no shortage of followers, and they certainly wouldn’t place their trust in a foreigner. But you... you were coddled by the Beimeng King, obsessed with feasting and fun, utterly self-important."

"The Old Beimeng King was devoted to paving the way for you, watching over everything. How could he possibly have overlooked our partnership? It was simply that the Beimeng people have no head for business, and I happened to be able to bring you wealth. So he tacitly permitted my existence, even opening doors for me, while secretly planting his own men to ensure all the wealth I generated would ultimately end up in your hands."

Mu Yunlian used Jin Zeyu to get close to the Beimeng King, while the Beimeng King used Mu Yunlian to amass wealth for Jin Zeyu.

Both Mu Yunlian and the Beimeng King knew the full picture. Only Jin Zeyu, caught in the middle, truly believed he was Mu Yunlian’s patron, that he had done Mu Yunlian a great favor that demanded repayment.

Mu Yunlian looked at him. "In my original plan, I was indeed prepared to support you until you held absolute power."

His plan was to help Jin Zeyu rise to power, earn merit as a kingmaker, secure an official post to gain a foothold in Beimeng, and finally, turn Jin Zeyu into a puppet while seizing complete control for himself. That was the game he had designed.

But this all hinged on one condition: he had to survive the Old Beimeng King’s attempts on his life.

The Old Beimeng King had already prepared plenty of officials for Jin Zeyu; he had no need for a foreigner like Mu Yunlian. He let Mu Yunlian amass wealth because he recognized his skill. All he wanted was Mu Yunlian’s money; he would never allow him to influence Jin Zeyu or destabilize the foundations of the Beimeng Country. That was why the Old Beimeng King was determined to kill Mu Yunlian.

In fact, he had already tried to have him killed many times, but had simply failed.

A question appeared in Jin Zeyu’s eyes, demanding to know why he had changed.

Mu Yunlian said, "Don’t you already know? It was because of Her Majesty."

"We knew each other in our youth but were separated for many years by an accident and lost all contact. I never imagined that when we met again, she would be the Emperor of a nation. She is where my soul finds its home. She is the only one I would ever bow to."

"She is wonderful. So wonderful that you grew covetous the moment you laid eyes on her. You even secretly commissioned a portrait to hang in your study so you could gaze at it whenever you pleased."

At this, Mu Yunlian’s gaze turned even colder, his eyes as sharp and chilling as a blade.

Mu Yunlian’s look of disgust felt like it was tearing open Jin Zeyu’s chest, exposing his vile thoughts for the world to see.

"I told you she was my wife, that we are in love, yet you still lusted after her. You pursued her to the border with your army, led men into Da Wei territory alone, and even deluded yourself into thinking you could marry her. And you have the audacity to speak to me of betrayal?"

"Her Majesty and I simply left. We did nothing to harm you. You brought all of this upon yourself."

He turned to look toward Wumu City. "Watch closely. This is the price you must pay for disrespecting Her Majesty."

The two armies clashed. A brutal siege began. Had the two sides been evenly matched, it should have been an arduous battle. But...

"BOOM!"

A heaven-shaking blast. For Jin Zeyu, it was a nightmare revisited. He watched, wide-eyed, as a black sphere flew hundreds of meters through the air, soared over Wumu City, and then plummeted and exploded.

The soldiers of Wumu City were utterly powerless to retaliate. In the blink of an eye, they were blown off their feet.

"BOOM! BOOM! BOOM!"

Dozens of cannonballs rained down in succession. The walls of Wumu City were nearly obliterated, and the casualties among the soldiers were immense.

The Beimeng people were expert horse archers, but even the finest bowman could not shoot that far.

Their cavalry was blasted into disarray by a single shot before they could even ride out of the city.

Jin Zeyu watched, his eyes nearly splitting from rage. This wasn’t a war; this was a one-sided, brutal suppression.

"Mmmph... mmmph..."

He was agonized, enraged, but could not utter a single word. In the end, he could only watch as Da Wei’s cavalry charged straight into the city, cutting a path of slaughter. The sight made him so furious that he coughed up blood and fainted.

When Jin Zeyu awoke again, he was tied to the battlements of Wumu City. The spot where the Beimeng King’s Banner once flew had been replaced by the bright yellow Da Wei Dragon Flag. Flanking it were Black Dragon Flags, bearing a dragon’s head on a black background.

Wumu City had completely fallen.

Some of the soldiers had fled, others were dead. Only a small number of the wounded and broken were taken captive.

Jin Zeyu was sick with regret.

He was the Beimeng King. He had only just ascended the throne and had not even held the sacred coronation ceremony.

Now, he was a cripple and a captive, and he had lost Wumu City.

"Aaargh... Aaargh..."

Jin Zeyu shrieked from the city wall with his ruined throat for an entire day, until he finally, literally, died of rage.

Mu Yunlian ordered, "Take his body down and toss it outside the city walls."

Whether the people of Beimeng wanted the body back, or dared to come claim it, was their problem.

------

「Luoyan City.」

Xiao Yang and Prince Jing were arguing about whether to return to the Capital City, and who should be the one to go back.

Xiao Yang didn’t want to go back, and Prince Jing didn’t want to go back either.

Prince Jing said, "You are the Emperor. You should naturally return to the palace to preside over matters of state. A nation cannot be without its sovereign for even a day. It is time for you to go back."

Xiao Yang replied with a serious expression, "I don’t think it’s time to return. You should go back and arrange for more people to be sent here. We need a lot of manpower on the Beimeng front."

Prince Jing replied politely, "I can stay and watch over things here, and wait for Your Majesty to send someone to take over."

Xiao Yang was perplexed. "What are you so afraid of? I’m perfectly fine now. No one would dare bully you."

Prince Jing rolled his eyes at her. "If you don’t go back, the court will never know peace."

Xiao Yang thought, ’If I go back, I won’t have any peace either.’

Their argument grew more heated until their gazes suddenly landed on Xiao Hong, who was passing by the doorway.

Xiao Hong, clutching a large stack of scrolls, shot them an extremely cold and aloof glare before walking away without a single word.