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

Early morning, in the backyard of the Mozhou government office.

A thin layer of ice had formed on the surface of the pond, shimmering silvery-white in the morning light.

Su Mu moved a small stool, sat by the pond, and held a fishing rod in his hand.

The fishing rod was made of bamboo and was very simple.

Actually, Su Mu's purpose was not really to fish.

I just want to find a quiet place to be alone and think things through.

Although the northern border has been recovered, there has been no movement from the Northern Di King.

Logically, after losing the northern border, losing a general, and having his two brothers captured, the Northern Di king should be furious and immediately send troops.

But almost half a month has passed, and there has been no news from the Northern Di.

It's too quiet.

Su Mu always advocated being prepared for danger in times of peace and that one must have a sense of crisis.

"Old Su."

Gu Changfeng's voice came from behind, soft and respectful.

Su Mu didn't turn around, he just hummed in response.

Gu Changfeng walked up behind him, cupped his hands, and said, "Elder Su, Tuoba Han and Tuoba Lie... they request to see you."

Su Mu's brows twitched slightly, and a hint of surprise flashed in his eyes.

Should I ask to see him?

Despite being imprisoned for so long, these two have remained stubborn, never begging for mercy or revealing any information.

Why did you suddenly change your personality today?

"What did they say?" Su Mu asked.

Gu Changfeng shook his head: "No, he just said he wanted to see you because he has something important to discuss."

Su Mu remained silent for a moment, then placed his fishing rod on a rock on the bank, stood up, and stretched his legs.

"Bring them here."

Gu Changfeng paused for a moment, a look of hesitation on his face.

"Old Su, those three people...should we increase our precautions? Just in case they..."

"Need not."

"They can't cause any trouble in front of this old man. Go on."

"Yes." Gu Changfeng turned and strode away.

Su Mu walked slowly into the pavilion and sat down, his hands behind his back.

Soon after, footsteps were heard.

Gu Changfeng walked in front, followed by three soldiers who were escorting Tuoba Han, Tuoba Lie, and Sikong Yu.

All three men wore iron shackles, which rattled as they walked.

"Old Su, the person has been brought."

Su Mu nodded, his eyes sweeping over the three of them, his gaze calm and composed.

"Release them."

Gu Changfeng gritted his teeth and waved to the soldiers behind him.

The soldier stepped forward, took out a key, and with a few clicks, unlocked the three men's shackles.

Tuoba Lie flexed his wrists, cupped his hands slightly, and spoke sincerely.

"Thank you, General Su."

His face no longer held the coldness he had when he was first imprisoned; instead, it showed more respect.

Tuoba Han rubbed his wrists, which were red from being shackled by the shackles, and said nothing, but gave Su Mu a deep look.

Sikong Yu stood behind the two with his head down, his expression calm.

Su Mu pointed to the stone bench opposite the stone table and said in a hoarse voice, "Sit."

The three of them exchanged a glance and sat down on the stone bench.

Su Mu picked up the teapot on the stone table, poured three cups of tea, and pushed them in front of the three people.

The tea was steaming.

On such a cold day, seeing a cup of hot tea made Tuoba Han's Adam's apple bob. He picked up the teacup and took a sip.

Tuoba Lie also picked up his teacup, took a small sip, and put it down.

"General Su, I have a favor to ask." Tuoba Lie got straight to the point, looking directly at Su Mu.

Su Mu picked up his teacup, took a slow sip, and calmly looked at Tuoba Lie without saying a word.

Tuoba Lie took a deep breath and continued, "General Su, my elder brother, the Northern Di King Tuoba Feng, will never let the matter of the Northern Border go unresolved. He will definitely lead a large army south to attack the Northern Border again. At that time, the flames of war will reignite, and the people will suffer greatly. The people of the Northern Border, who have finally enjoyed a few days of peace, will once again be plunged into misery."

He paused, his voice becoming even more earnest.

"I beg General Su to release my second brother, Tuoba Han, back to the Northern Di, so that he can persuade my eldest brother not to send troops. Let the Northern Di and the Great Qian turn swords into plowshares and end the war forever."

Su Mu put down his teacup, his old eyes narrowed slightly, and the corners of his mouth slowly turned up, revealing a cold smile.

"Are you trying to negotiate with this old man?"

Tuoba Lie's pupils contracted sharply as he realized Su Mu's meaning and quickly explained.

"General Su, you misunderstand. I am not negotiating terms, but seeking peace."

"The Northern Barbarians are willing to cede territory and pay reparations to compensate for the losses they have caused to the Great Qian over the years."

"I only beg General Su to show mercy and let my second brother go back, so as to prevent an unnecessary war."

Su Mu sneered, his eyes filled with chilling intent.

"Cease territory and pay reparations? You Northern Barbarians have been burning, killing, and looting in the northern border for three years. How much grain have you stolen? How many houses have you burned down? How many civilians have you killed? Now you're talking about ceding territory and paying reparations? Can you even afford it?"

His voice wasn't loud, but every word felt like a knife stabbing into the hearts of the three men.

Tuoba Han's face turned ashen, unsure of where to begin.

Tuoba Lie lowered his eyes, remained silent for a moment, and continued, "General Su is right. The Northern Di do owe the Great Qian too much. I dare not say that I can afford to pay for it. I only ask that General Su give me a chance to make amends."

Su Mu was well aware of Tuoba Lie's plan. He was simply worried that the Northern Di King would lead his entire army out, and then the Northern Di would be defeated, at which point the Northern Di would decline.

Once the tribes near the Northern Di rebel, the Northern Di will be torn apart and headed for extinction.

However, he did not refuse; he wanted to test the Northern Di King's attitude toward ceding territory and paying reparations.

"It's not impossible for this old man to release them," Su Mu said firmly.

Tuoba Han suddenly raised his head, a glimmer of hope flashing in his eyes.

"General Su, you agree?"

Su Mu waved his hand.

"But releasing Tuoba Han? Absolutely not."

Tuoba Lie frowned.

"So, what General Su means is..."

Su Mu picked up his teacup, took another sip, put it down, and looked at Sikong Yu.

"Releasing Sikong Yu is something I might consider."

Tuoba Lie and Tuoba Han exchanged a glance, quite surprised.

Sikong Yu stood behind the two of them, and his body trembled slightly when he heard his name called.

"General Su, you...you're willing to let me go?"

Su Mu looked at him, a slight smile playing on his lips.

"Didn't you want to save your prince? I'll give you a chance. Go back to the Northern Di and tell the Northern Di king about the cession of territory and payment of reparations. I'm very interested in his attitude."

His voice suddenly turned cold.

"However, this matter is of great importance, and I need to discuss it with the soldiers. You all go back first and wait for my news."

He called out towards the pavilion, "Changfeng, see the guests out."

Gu Changfeng strode into the pavilion, his hand on the hilt of his sword, his eyes warily fixed on the three men.

"Please."

Tuoba Lie stood up and bowed to Su Mu.

"General Su, I await your news."

He turned and walked out of the pavilion, with Tuoba Han and Sikong Yu following behind.

The three figures looked particularly lonely in the morning light.

……

The prison was dimly lit.

Tuoba Lie entered the cell, sat down on the haystack, and gave a meaningful smile.

Tuoba Han sat opposite him, looking at him with a belly full of doubts.

"Third brother, what are you laughing at? That old man Su Mu won't let me go, and you can still laugh?"

Tuoba Lie shook his head, his smile fading, his gaze becoming deep.

"Second brother, although Su Mu did not agree to release you, he said he could consider releasing Sikong Yu. What does that mean? It means he is willing to talk, and if he is willing to talk, there is hope."

Tuoba Han frowned deeply.

"But he said he needed to discuss it with his subordinates. Isn't that just an excuse?"

Tuoba Lie shook his head.

"Su Mu is a man who never shirks responsibility. The fact that he said this means that this matter is indeed not something he can decide alone."

"He is a general, not an emperor. Major matters such as ceding territory, paying reparations, and negotiating peace between two countries must be reported to the imperial court."

He leaned against the wall, gazing at the flickering oil lamp on the ceiling, his voice low.

"Second brother, think about it. If Su Mu is determined to fight, he won't even see us."

"He saw us, listened to what we said, and told us to wait for news, which means he was hesitant."

"He also knew that the northern border had just been recovered, the people needed to recuperate, and the soldiers needed to rest. Fighting another major battle would not benefit anyone."

Tuoba Han remained silent.

He had to admit that his third brother was right.

Tuoba Lie closed his eyes, a slight smile playing on his lips.

"Su Mu is a man who puts the people first; he will not allow war to break out in the northern border again."

"Let's just wait quietly!"