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

A biting wind howled on the city wall.

Tuoba Han knelt on the ground, his forehead hitting the cold stone bricks with a thud, breaking his skin and drawing blood down his forehead.

At this moment, facing death, he was afraid of dying; he was more afraid of dying than anyone else.

"General Su, please don't kill me... I can do anything... I can lead the way, I can be a guide... I know every road and every checkpoint in the Northern Di... I will help the Great Qian unify the Northern Di..."

Su Mu lowered his head, his cloudy old eyes looking at the once arrogant Right Wise King of the Northern Di. There was no pity in his eyes, only a chilling indifference.

He still gripped the Dragon Slayer Sword tightly in his hand; the bloodstains on the scabbard had dried, but the stench of blood lingered.

"Let you go?"

"In the past three years, how much blood of the people of Daqian has you spilled on your hands? The blood on your hands is no less than that on your elder brother. There is absolutely no way I will let you go."

Tuoba Han's body stiffened abruptly, and all color drained from his face.

"Take him away and execute him."

Su Mu waved his hand, his tone filled with anger.

Two soldiers stepped forward, grabbed Tuoba Han's arms, and dragged him outside.

Tuoba Han struggled desperately, the shackles rattling, and he screamed, "Su Mu! You can't kill me! You promised you wouldn't kill me!"

Su Mu did not look at him.

"Drag it down."

Tuoba Han was dragged to the city wall, where soldiers pressed down on his shoulders and forced him to kneel.

He looked up at Su Mu's hunched back, at his full head of white hair, his eyes filled with despair.

A flash of light appeared.

Blood gushed out, and a human head rolled to the ground.

Tuoba Han's headless corpse swayed twice on the city wall before collapsing with a thud. Blood flowed down the cracks in the bricks of the city wall, particularly striking in the twilight.

Tuoba Lie stood a few steps away, watching his second brother's body fall into a pool of blood, watching the head roll away, his expression calm.

There was no sadness.

"Good riddance," he suddenly said, with a heroic air of facing death. "Good riddance indeed."

Su Mu turned around and looked at him.

"Aren't you afraid?"

Tuoba Lie raised his head and met Su Mu's gaze with a calm expression.

"But what's the use of being afraid? From the day I was captured, I knew that my life was no longer my own."

"If you want to kill me, I'll offer my neck for slaughter."

He closed his eyes, tilted his head slightly, and exposed his neck.

"General Su, please give me a quick death."

Silence fell on the city wall.

A cold wind blew by, causing Tuoba Lie's black hair to flutter slightly and his robes to rustle.

Su Mu looked at his resolute expression and a complex look flashed in his eyes.

He didn't draw his sword or strike; he simply stared at Tuoba Lie quietly for a long time.

"If I let you go back to the Northern Barbarians..."

"Are you confident that you can subdue the Northern Barbarians and seize their throne?"

Tuoba Lie's body jolted, and he opened his eyes, staring at Su Mu in disbelief.

His mouth was slightly open, and his eyes were full of surprise.

"Why...why did you let me return to the Northern Barbarians?"

Su Mu walked to the battlements with his hands behind his back, gazing at the boundless snowfield to the north, and replied:

"Because I think that if you become the king of the Northern Barbarians, you will be a good leader."

"If you have brains and become king, perhaps the Northern Barbarians and the Great Qian can coexist peacefully."

He paused, a deep light flashing in his eyes.

"War is not a good thing for the people of any country. The people of Daqian do not want to fight, and neither do the people of Beidi. I can kill you, I can kill Tuoba Han, I can kill Tuoba Feng, but I cannot kill all the people of Beidi."

"Only peace can allow people to live and work in peace and contentment."

Tuoba Lie was stunned.

He stared blankly at Su Mu's wrinkled face and his cloudy yet clear eyes, a feeling he couldn't quite describe welling up inside him.

He originally thought that Su Mu would press his advantage, march north, and counterattack the Northern Di just as the Northern Di had previously invaded Daqian, bringing the Northern Di into Daqian's territory.

Given Su Mu's current strength and the morale of the Great Qian Dynasty, this is not impossible.

But he was wrong.

Su Mu wasn't incapable of fighting; he simply didn't want to continue the bloodshed.

Because what he cared about was not fame and fortune, nor territorial expansion, but the well-being of all people.

"General Su..." Tuoba Lie's voice choked slightly, "Aren't you afraid that after I return, you'll turn your back on me? Aren't you afraid that I'll regroup and invade the south again?"

Su Mu turned around, his eyes looking at the leader, a slight smile playing on his lips.

"Since I dared to let you go back, I'm not afraid of you turning against me. If you do, I can capture you once, and I can capture you a second time. At that time, it won't just be as simple as locking you up in a prison."

Tuoba Lie's Adam's apple bobbed, and he bowed deeply.

"General Su, tell me your conditions?"

"The conditions are simple: the Northern Barbarians must submit to the Great Qian Dynasty and implement a dual system under one dynasty."

Tuoba Lie's brows furrowed slightly.

"One regime, two systems? What does that mean?"

Su Mu replied with a serious expression:

"This means that the Northern Barbarians were incorporated into the territory of the Great Qian Dynasty and accepted the Great Qian's investiture and control."

"But the Great Qian will not interfere in the internal affairs of the Northern Di. The Northern Di can continue to govern according to the original system and the original laws. Your people can continue to live their lives as before."

"You, Tuoba Lie, may continue to be the King of the Northern Di, and the throne shall be passed down through generations."

"What the Great Qian Dynasty wants is for the Northern Barbarians to never invade the south again, and for peace to reign in the north."

"As for how you manage and govern yourselves internally, I will not concern myself with that."

"You pay tribute to the Great Qian every year, and the Great Qian will not interfere in your internal affairs."

"You help Daqian guard the northern border, and Daqian will help you deter those neighboring countries that covet the Northern Barbarians. It's a win-win situation where each gets what they need."

Tuoba Lie's pupils contracted sharply, his heart churning with turmoil.

One regime, two systems.

He had never heard this word before, but as soon as Su Mu said it, he understood what it meant.

The Northern Barbarians did not have to be annexed or assimilated; they could maintain their own system, their own culture, and their own monarchy.

As long as they submit to the Great Qian, as long as they cease their southern invasions, and as long as they pay tribute annually, the Great Qian will not harm them.

This is the best way out for the Northern Barbarians at present.

The Northern Barbarians were severely weakened after this battle.

Tuoba Feng died, Ge Lie died, and all the fierce generals such as Temur and Hurchi were killed in battle. The 100,000-strong army collapsed and morale plummeted.

The surrounding tribes were eyeing them covetously, and once they learned of the Northern Di's defeat, they would surely take advantage of the situation to plunder.

If the Great Qian were to march north at this time, the Northern Di would only face annihilation.

However, if they submit to the Great Qian, with the Great Qian as their backer, those neighboring countries will not dare to act rashly.

The Northern Barbarians can recuperate and gradually recover their strength.

Tuoba Lie took a deep breath, raised his head, and stared intently.

"General Su, I have another question."

"explain."

"How can I trust that the Great Qian Dynasty won't go back on its word? You're in charge today, but if you're no longer in court tomorrow, and someone else takes your place, who can guarantee that the Great Qian Dynasty won't turn against you?"

Su Mu smiled slightly, a profound meaning flashing in his eyes.

"I cannot answer that question for you."

"What I can do is to do my best to maintain peace between the Great Qian and the Northern Di for a few more years or decades."

"As for what will happen in the future, no one can say for sure. But if you don't do it, the Northern Barbarians will perish now. If you do it, at least there will be several decades of peace."

These remarks were made with a sense of finality.

This also demonstrates Su Mu's attitude.

Tuoba Lie looked at Su Mu, at his cloudy yet resolute eyes, and felt an indescribable respect welling up in his heart.

He knelt down with a thud and kowtowed deeply.

"General Su, I promise you! If I can return to the Northern Barbarians, I will surely reform them, submit to the Great Qian Dynasty, implement a system of two dynasties, and never again commit crimes! I will pay tribute to the Great Qian Dynasty every year and protect the peace of the Northern Frontier for generations! If I break this oath, may I be struck down by heaven and earth!"

Su Mu bent down, his withered hand supporting his arm, and pulled him up.

I hope you will keep your word.

"Tomorrow, I will have someone send you back to the Northern Barbarians."

"Guards, take him away!"

The soldiers behind him immediately stepped forward and led Tuoba Lie away.

Su Mu watched Tuoba Lie's departing figure, not worried that Tuoba Lie would go back on his word.

Because he has one more card!

That's the loyalty card that the system rewarded me with!

If you use it on Tuoba Lie, then Tuoba Lie will never betray you in this lifetime!