Chapter 905 - 91: Revival Amid Ruin, Struggle for the New Sovereign

Yingtian Prefecture.

The final chaos is like the convulsions of a dying beast.

The news of Digunai’s suicide and his personal guard escorting his corpse to surrender was like the final thunderous blow, shattering the already weak resistance of the remaining Jin Army.

However, the collapsed order did not immediately restore, instead it gave birth to an apocalyptic madness.

Some Jurchen stragglers, plunged into despair, knowing they had no fortune, started their final looting and destruction.

And it was not just the Jurchen stragglers, their henchmen too.

They rushed into the official warehouses and wealthy residences that had not yet evacuated, seizing anything portable like gold and silver, setting fire to stores and houses they couldn’t take; even more vicious ones launched indiscriminate attacks on pedestrians in the streets, creating bloodshed and terror.

Flames soared within the city, smoke obscured the sun, cries, the clash of weapons, and the sounds of collapsing buildings mixed together.

Yet, this tide of chaos was soon overwhelmed by an even greater wave driven by hope and anger.

Gu clan members lurking in the city, clerks who turned themselves around, and even ordinary merchants and citizens quickly organized themselves after the initial panic.

They formed neighborhood units, armed with sticks, kitchen knives, and even door bolts, relying on familiar alleys to block and disperse the scattered looters.

Moreover, there were those risking danger, banging gongs and shouting, to guide the Northern Army’s scout and infiltration teams, clearing stubborn holdouts and extinguishing fires.

When dawn broke, and Yue Fei’s vanguard cavalry finally arrived at the east gate of Yingtian, what they saw wasn’t a tightly shut city gate and an enemy line, but an open door and a dense mass of people stretching beyond view.

That was not an army, but civilians.

They wore varied clothing, faces showing hunger, many still bearing smudges and minor injuries from the previous night’s chaos.

But their eyes shone with astonishing brightness.

They held no flowers or colored ribbons, only makeshift items they’ve found—bundles of green willow branches, some steamed coarse grain cakes, even just a bowl of clear water.

Someone called out first: "Royal Army! It’s the Grand Tutor’s soldiers!"

Instantly, a tsunami-like cheer erupted from the crowd, reaching the heavens: "The Royal Army has returned!"

"Welcome General Yue! Welcome Grand Tutor Gu!"

"Drive out the Jin dogs! Heaven shines again!"

Many knelt down, while more stood on tiptoe, craning their necks, tears in their eyes, desperately wanting to see the increasingly close, flapping Gu clan flag, and the legendary Grand Tutor beneath it.

For Kyushu.

—"Gu Clan"; "Grand Tutor," these four words are very heavy.

Especially in this stage just after great turmoil.

Just these four words alone are enough to bring hope to so many!

Yue Fei reined in his horse in front of the city gate, looking at this scene of people welcoming with tears, this iron man, his tiger eyes couldn’t help but redden slightly.

He took a deep breath and waved to command: "Order all troops, strictly observe discipline, do not disturb the people! Quickly extinguish remaining fires, clear remnant enemies, stabilize the streets!"

Then, he dismounted, and did not immediately enter the city, but turned to look towards the north path.

About half an hour later, Gu Hui’s procession slowly arrived on the central avenue.

Without the lavishness of an Emperor’s sedan chair, yet there is a natural solemn majesty.

He did not ride a carriage, but like a regular general, mounted on a green horse, wearing the iconic dark robe, his expression calm, with clear eyes looking at this old capital, once taken through disaster, now returned to Han hands.

This was the first time in his life that Gu Hui set foot in Yingtian.

Even as the most outstanding descendant of the Gu Clan in this generation, he had never seen Yingtian from childhood to adulthood.

At this moment, even Gu Hui’s expression became somewhat complex.

Especially seeing the city walls once glorious now slightly desolate, and those eyes looking at him, stirred ripples in his thoughts involuntarily.

"Could it be these were the gazes faced by the ancestors of the clan back then?"

This question naturally popped into his mind.

In that instant, his thoughts became even more complex.

Yet he ultimately said nothing.

But amidst these gazes, he stepped into Yingtian Prefecture.

....

—The situation has been completely settled.

With Song Army formally stepping into Yingtian Prefecture, everything and everything returned to the right track.

As the army continued to step out of Yingtian.

Various problems appearing in the surrounding cities with Yingtian Prefecture as the center were rapidly resolved.

Rebel troops; displaced people.

All issues were solved easily with the name of the Gu Clan.

It’s worth mentioning—Lord Gu Hui adjudicated Digunai.

It was not to vent anger.

Nor was it because he had such a small mindset to target a dead person.

It was merely to make this new ideology more deeply ingrained in people’s minds.

Actually, in Gu Hui’s view, Digunai himself had such thoughts too, otherwise, he wouldn’t have sent his corpse over.

This was also expressing an attitude.

Hope Gu Hui could leave a way of life for the Northern Border.

Just that he, being an Emperor, also a formidable hero, no matter how, could not accept being judged alive.

Compared to Zhao Gou, he had much more heroic spirit.

Of course, besides him.

Including those loyal to him, every one of them faced judgment.

Only compared to Digunai.

Most of these people died by the law.

This was also Gu Hui’s purpose.

Public trials can remain, but the existence of law still cannot be shaken in any way!