At 100 years old, he joined the army in place of his granddaughter, and became a national war god.

Early morning, Cangzhou government office.

The sky was overcast and the clouds hung low.

Winter has arrived, and the weather has become very cold.

The cold wind felt like knives cutting my face.

Tuoba Han stood in front of the map in the main hall, his brows furrowed, his finger tracing from Qingzhou to Cangzhou, and then back from Cangzhou to Qingzhou.

Half a month has passed since the king summoned him back to the Northern Di.

However, Tuoba Lie did not come to Cangzhou for a long time.

The king only gave him three days to hand over the reins, but the commander-in-chief didn't come. Who was he supposed to hand over the reins to?

This became his excuse to stay in Cangzhou.

Tuoba Han wished he wouldn't come.

If he doesn't come, the military power in Cangzhou will still be in his hands.

As long as he holds military power, he still has a chance to turn the tide.

He, on the other hand, was waiting for news from the Thirteen Envoys of the Black Cloud.

Thirteen top assassins infiltrated Qingzhou to assassinate Su Mu; they should have succeeded by now, right?

"Report!"

Just then, a hurried shout came from outside the door, shattering the tranquility of the main hall.

A messenger stumbled into the main hall, knelt on one knee, his face pale and panting.

"Your Highness! Something terrible has happened!"

Tuoba Han's smile froze on his face, and his heart sank.

"What is it?"

"A scout reports that the Great Qian army has arrived! They are only ten miles from Cangzhou and will soon be at the city gates!"

Tuoba Han's pupils constricted, utterly shocked.

The Great Qian army has arrived?

Su Mu didn't die?

Did the Thirteen Envoys of Black Cloud fail?

His mind went blank, and he felt dizzy.

"Su Mu!"

"You think you're so tough? Even the Thirteen Envoys of the Black Cloud couldn't kill you?"

He took a deep breath, forced himself to calm down, turned around abruptly, and strode towards the door.

"Come! Follow me to the city wall!"

……

Cangzhou City, South Gate.

Tuoba Han climbed the city wall, held onto the battlements, and looked south.

Dust filled the air on the distant official road, obscuring the sky and the sun.

A dark mass of troops surged out from the horizon, like a moving forest.

The banner of the Great Qian Dynasty fluttered in the morning breeze, embroidered with a large character "Qian".

On the city wall, the Northern Di soldiers looked at the approaching black torrent, their faces growing increasingly grim.

"Don't panic!" Tuoba Han drew his long sword and shouted sharply, "Hold your ground! Cangzhou is a fortified city, they can't break through! Arrows are cocked, boulders and logs are ready, await my command!"

……

It is located five miles from Cangzhou City.

Su Mu pulled on the reins, and the Akhal-Teke horse reared up high, letting out a loud neigh.

He raised his withered left hand, and the army slowly came to a stop.

The army of 50,000 was arrayed on the open field, a dark mass that stretched as far as the eye could see.

Cavalry in front, infantry behind, their formation orderly and their momentum overwhelming.

Zhou Huchen spurred his horse forward, clasped his hands in greeting, and said, "Elder Su, we're only five li from Cangzhou City. Shall we continue?"

Su Mu shook his head.

"No rush, let's set up camp first."

"Set up camp?" Zhou Huchen was taken aback. "Old Su, aren't we here to attack the city? Let's strike while the iron is hot and press our advantage..."

"Strike while the iron is hot, and attack a city requires assessing the situation." Su Mu interrupted him. "Cangzhou is a high-lying city with deep moats. It can't be taken in a day or two. Let's set up camp first, stabilize our position, understand the terrain, and then make further plans."

"Furthermore, I must first send a gift to Tuoba Han."

"Gifts?" Zhou Huchen was even more puzzled.

Su Mu did not explain, but turned to look at You Zhongyi.

"Zhongyi, take a few brothers and deliver the gifts we prepared for Tuoba Han to the city gate."

You Zhongyi clasped his hands in a fist and said, "This humble general obeys!"

He turned around and selected five of the best special forces soldiers, each with an iron shield. They mounted their horses and galloped out of the main force towards Cangzhou City.

Five horses, five men, and five shields, in the morning light, shot straight toward the city gate like an arrow released from a bow.

……

Beneath the walls of Cangzhou.

You Zhongyi spurred his horse to the moat and reined it in just before the arrows could reach him.

He raised his head, looked at the Northern Di soldiers on the city wall with their bows drawn and arrows nocked, and a slight sneer appeared on his lips.

"Listen up, you barbarians from the north on the city walls!"

His voice was loud and clear, carrying far and wide in the morning breeze.

"Our Master Su has prepared a great gift for your Prince! He instructed me to tell Tuoba Han that leading troops into battle is the right path, and resorting to assassination is utterly awful! Save your breath!"

The five special forces brothers behind him burst into laughter, their shrill and arrogant laughter echoing below the city.

With a wave of his hand, You Zhongyi sent five men off their horses and throwing them forcefully toward the city gate.

The sack scattered in the air, and bloody human heads rolled to the ground, scattering everywhere.

Thirteen human heads stood out starkly in the morning light.

You Zhongyi laughed loudly, "Tuoba Han, come out and collect the corpse!"

On the city wall, Tuoba Han's face was ashen, his lips were trembling, and his eyes were bloodshot.

All thirteen Black Cloud Envoys were present.

Their heads were neatly stacked below the city walls, as if in defiance of him.

"Su Mu!" Tuoba Han roared hysterically, his voice cracking, "Release the arrows! Release the arrows! Shoot them dead! Shoot them dead for me!"

On the city wall, archers drew their bows and unleashed a rain of arrows.

You Zhongyi and the others were prepared, raising their iron shields to block in front of them.

The arrows struck the shields with a crisp "clang, clang, clang," scattering sparks, but they did not harm them in the slightest.

"Brothers, let's retreat!"

The six men turned their horses around and galloped away, with a hail of arrows chasing after them, but they were always a few steps behind.

The dust kicked up by the horses' hooves obscured the archers' vision. By the time the dust settled, the six men had already run out of range and were unharmed.

Tuoba Han stood on the city wall, his hands gripping the battlements, panting heavily.

His eyes were fixed on the heads below the city walls, on those heads that were still dripping blood.

"Su Mu..."

"I, this king, will never share the same sky with you!"

He turned abruptly, drew his long sword, and slashed it at the battlement, sparks flying everywhere.

On the city wall, the Northern Di soldiers looked at each other, none of them daring to speak.

"Second Brother."

A steady voice came from behind.

Tuoba Han's body stiffened abruptly, and he turned around abruptly.

Tuoba Lie appeared on the city wall at some point, standing at the top of the steps with his hands behind his back, his face calm and his gaze deep.

He was dressed in a black outfit with a dark blue cloak over it, a long sword at his waist, and looked travel-worn, clearly having rushed over.

Behind him followed Kublai Khan and a dozen or so personal guards.

Tuoba Han's pupils suddenly contracted, and a chill ran down his spine.

When did my third brother enter the city?

How come none of his informants noticed?

Didn't his spies say that Tuoba Lie was always in Yingzhou?

How did you suddenly appear in Cangzhou?

Bald Lie stood to the side, his face also filled with shock.

Tuoba Lie walked to the front of the battlements, glanced down at the scattered heads below, then looked up at the dark mass of the Daqian army camp in the distance. There was no fear or anger in his eyes, only an unfathomable calm.

"Second brother, where has your usual composure gone?"

"Just two defeats and you've become so agitated? How can you command troops or defend a city in this state?"

Tuoba Han's face turned bright red, his lips trembled, he wanted to refute, but he couldn't utter a single word.

He knew that his third brother was telling the truth.

He lost his composure; he was so angered by Su Mu that he lost his composure.

Tuoba Lie turned around, looked at Tuoba Han, his gaze calm.

"The deaths of the Thirteen Envoys of Black Cloud are indeed your loss and a lesson for you, but that is not a reason for you to break down."

He paused, his voice softening slightly.

"Now the Great Qian army is at the city gates, with 50,000 troops pressing in, and Su Mu is personally overseeing the situation."

"If Cangzhou is lost, there will be no more defensible terrain in the north, and Your Majesty's great cause of unification will surely be in vain."

"Now is the time for brothers to join forces and fight against foreign enemies."

Tuoba Han remained silent.

He stood there, his hand on the hilt of his knife, his chest heaving violently.

Looking into Tuoba Lie's calm yet resolute eyes, the resentment, anger, and humiliation in his heart surged like a tide, yet he had nowhere to vent them.

Bald Lie leaned closer and whispered, "Your Highness, the Third Prince is right. With a formidable enemy at hand, we brothers mustn't lose our composure. Think about it, if Cangzhou falls, how will we explain it to the King? Will we even have a way out?"

Tuoba Han gritted his teeth and remained silent for a long time.

He closed his eyes, took a deep breath, and when he opened them again, most of the anger in his eyes had subsided, replaced by a sense of helplessness and exhaustion.

"Third brother..."

"Are you really willing to join forces with Second Brother? Second Brother has suffered so many defeats and lost so many cities, and you're still willing..."

Tuoba Lie walked up to him, reached out his hand, patted him on the shoulder, and looked at him sincerely.

"But you're my second brother. If I don't help you, who will?"

Tuoba Han looked at Tuoba Lie as if through a layer of fog, never able to see his true face.

But in the end, he agreed.

At least on the matter of unifying the northern border of the Great Qian Dynasty, the brothers shared the same goal.

"Okay, Second Brother, I'll listen to you."

Seeing this, Bald Lie quickly cupped his hands and said, "Congratulations on your joint efforts, Your Highnesses! What is there to fear in conquering the Northern Border? What is there to fear in conquering the Great Qian?"

On the city wall, the Northern Di soldiers looked at each other, then joined in shouting, "Your Highness is mighty! The Northern Di will surely win!"

Tuoba Lie ignored the cheers.

He turned around and gazed at the Great Qian Army camp outside the city, his eyes looking into the distance.

"Second Brother, now that the enemy is at the city gates, how do you plan to deal with it?"

Tuoba Han sighed and said with a wry smile, "To be honest, Third Brother, my mind is a complete mess right now. Su Mu arrived too quickly, and the entire Black Cloud Thirteen Envoys were wiped out. I was caught off guard. Do you have any good ideas?"

Tuoba Lie stretched out his hand, felt the cold wind blowing from the north, and then looked up at the gray sky.

His lips curled up slightly, revealing a meaningful smile.

Winter is here.

Tuoba Han was taken aback: "What?"

"The weather in the North is getting colder and colder." Tuoba Lie withdrew his hand and touched the stone bricks on the city wall. The bricks were icy cold. "These stone bricks on the city wall are cold and slippery in winter. What would happen if we poured a layer of water on them?"

Tuoba Han's eyes slowly brightened.

"When water freezes into ice, the city walls become slippery and hard, making it impossible to climb ladders or break battering rams..."

"That's right." Tuoba Lie nodded, his gaze deep. "Cangzhou is well-fortified, with ample food and water supplies. We have no shortage of food, drink, or defensive provisions!"

"Su Mu is coming in with great force, with 50,000 troops pressing in, and their morale is high."

"We won't fight him head-on; we'll wear him down!"

"Winter is coming, and the North is freezing cold. Let's see how long they can hold out."

"Excellent! Excellent plan!" Tuoba Han slapped the battlement, a smile finally appearing on his face. "Men! Pass on my order: immediately pour water on the city walls! Every brick must be soaked! Also, order plenty of firewood and charcoal to be prepared so the soldiers can take turns keeping warm!"

"Yes, sir!"

On the city wall, the Northern Di soldiers busied themselves, carrying buckets of water and splashing it onto the wall.

Water flowed down the stone bricks and quickly froze in the cold wind, turning into a thin layer of ice.

Tuoba Lie stood in front of the battlements, gazing at the Great Qian army camp outside the city.

"Su Mu, you want a quick victory? I won't give you that chance."