I, the villainous eldest prince, will suppress everything!

Ten days later, in Huozhou, at the Dong family's residence.

As one of the six great families in Jiangnan, the Dong family managed Huozhou like an ironclad fortress. Huozhou only recognized the Dong family and not the imperial court.

However, the Dong family mansion is now draped in mourning, with white banners and lanterns hanging everywhere, and faint cries can be heard coming from deep within the mansion.

The head of the Dong family was beheaded by the Crown Prince at the Yellow Crane Tower, and his head and body were sent back together.

Inside the mourning hall, several of the Dong family elders were present, all sitting in chairs with canes, their expressions solemn.

The women and children cried incessantly around the coffin, giving the coffin a headache.

Marquis Wuyang, Dong Jin, waved his hand at them, telling them to get down quickly, as it was not the time to cry yet.

After the group's cries faded into the distance, Dong Jincai looked at the old men and said:

"Gentlemen, you need to make a decision quickly!"

"The Lu family of Fengcheng is finished. 100,000 Liangzhou cavalry swept through the city, destroying it completely and burning it to the ground."

"If we do nothing, we'll end up like the Lu family."

"Our Huo family has several hundred members, and the youngest is still an infant."

How could they not know what Dong Jin had said? But now they were torn between fighting or surrendering to the Liangzhou cavalry.

After discussing it for several days, the elders of the Dong family had differing opinions and could not come up with a solution.

They exchanged another glance, and one of them spoke up: "Jin'er, you've been a marquis in the capital for so many years, you're already capable of handling things on your own. This time, it's up to you to make the decision."

Upon hearing this, Dong Jin was filled with trepidation. Despite having been a marquis in the capital for so many years, his influence within the Dong family of Huozhou was actually quite limited.

Because he was chosen as a marquis because none of the eldest sons of the Dong family wanted to go to the capital.

Being a marquis in the capital is nothing compared to being a local tyrant in Huozhou.

However, since the old man had said so, Dong Jin couldn't very well remain silent.

He said, "Gentlemen, what I mean is, we cannot surrender, nor should we yield."

One person asked, "What do you mean?"

Dong Jin said, "My sister, Consort Hui of the current Emperor, was killed by the Crown Prince, and my nephew, the Third Prince, was also killed by the Crown Prince. The Crown Prince and our Dong family have a blood feud."

"Even if we want to surrender, the Crown Prince will not let us go. He will definitely eliminate us completely and uproot the Dong family."

When the Third Prince and Consort Hui were mentioned, the old men all sighed deeply and shook their heads.

It's such a pity about the Third Prince and Consort Hui. If the Third Prince could successfully ascend the throne and become the next emperor of the Great Zhou, and Consort Hui were to become the Empress Dowager, then the Dong family would also benefit and become the head of the six great families. It would be a foregone conclusion, and the Dong family would once again usher in a period of great prosperity.

It's a pity that both mother and son died at the hands of the Crown Prince. All the manpower and resources spent on them over the years were wasted.

"We can't surrender, we have to fight?"

An old man slammed his cane into the ground, making a sound, and said.

"But what do we have to fight against the Liangzhou cavalry? How can the soldiers of Jiangnan compare to those of Liangzhou? We can't win this battle."

The Jiangnan region was prosperous and had enjoyed peace for a long time. The soldiers only knew how to feast on meat and fish every day. They could bully the common people, but when they encountered the Liangzhou cavalry, they were doomed.

The Liangzhou Iron Cavalry had been in constant conflict with the Western Regions for many years, living on the edge of a knife and rolling in piles of corpses, making them incredibly powerful!

Dong Jin stepped forward and said, "We have to fight even if we can't win. When did our Dong family become fish on someone else's chopping board? Even if we can't win, we'll still take a big bite out of the Crown Prince and let him know that our Dong family is not to be trifled with."

"Moreover, I have already sent people to contact the other two major families. With the three families joining forces, we may not be unable to clash with the Liangzhou Iron Cavalry."

"Are you talking about the other two great families?"

Suddenly, an unfamiliar voice entered the mourning hall. Before the person arrived, their belongings were thrown in.

They are two gold medals engraved with surnames.

These two gold medals are exactly the same, except that the words engraved on them are different.

It was jointly cast when the six great families gathered, one piece for each family.

At this moment, the two gold medals were thrown in, indicating that both companies had been eliminated.

Immediately afterwards, a man strode in, stepped on the two gold plaques without hesitation, and glanced at everyone in the mourning hall.

"Pei Yunhe!"

Someone recognized the man and called out.

Several of the old men from the Dong family stood up, looking at Pei Yunhe in disbelief.

Having spent many days fighting alongside the army, Pei Yunhe had lost his composure and gained a more ruthless and bloodthirsty aura, with a precious sword at his waist.

"Pei Yunhe, what are you doing here?"

Dong Jin took a step forward, not giving an inch, and his momentum was in no way inferior.

After sizing Pei Yunhe up and down a few times, Dong Jin said, "I heard you've become the Crown Prince's lackey, leading the Liangzhou cavalry in a bloodbath in Jiangnan these past few days. Have you come here now to persuade him to surrender?"

This is the only possibility.

Pei Yunhe rested his left hand on the hilt of his sword, tapping his fingers lightly, and said with a smile, "As expected of someone who has served as a marquis in the capital for several years, you still have some discernment."

"That's right, don't you know who I am?" Dong Jin muttered to himself, feeling extremely smug.

However, his expression was not good, and he said, "Pei Yunhe, go back! Go back and tell the Crown Prince that our Dong family swears to never surrender!"

Pei Yunhe glanced at him: "Do you keep your word?"

As far as he knew, the head of the Dong family always made the decisions, but after the head of the Dong family died, it should be the old masters of the Dong family who made the decisions together.

Dong Jin? Forget about him, he's not even a legitimate son.

Just as Dong Jingang was about to say that he kept his word, an old man leaning on a cane stepped forward and said, "Pei Yunhe, just say what you have to say."

Seeing that the old man had rushed ahead of him, Dong Jin couldn't say anything and could only take a step back.

"Of course, of course." Pei Yunhe unsheathed the sword from his waist and held it horizontally in front of everyone. "His Highness the Crown Prince asked me to pass on a message to your Dong family: I killed the Third Prince and Consort Hui. I have a blood feud with the Dong family. It's either you or me who dies."

"I beg you all to die."

Upon hearing this, and seeing the sword in Pei Yunhe's hand, the Dong family members were all furious.

The old men's canes pounded so loudly they seemed to have punched holes in the floor.

Dong Jin raised his arm and angrily shouted, "Pei Yunhe, do you think our Dong family is powerless? That we can bully you at will!"

Pei Yunhe glanced at Dong Jin again and said, "In front of the Liangzhou Iron Cavalry, your Dong family is as good as no one."

"You have only one day. If the Dong family does not die, the Liangzhou cavalry will attack the city immediately. At that time, no one in Huozhou City, regardless of age, gender, or livestock, will be spared."

"Think it over carefully. Is it your family that dies, or the entire city that dies with you?"

After saying this, Pei Yunhe threw the sword in his hand on the ground, turned around and left...