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

The capital city, the Crown Prince's residence.

The sky was overcast, with low-hanging dark clouds that made it seem as if snow might fall at any moment.

The bare branches in the courtyard trembled in the cold wind, making a creaking sound.

Several servants stood hunched over under the eaves, holding hot tea in their hands, none of them daring to utter a sound.

Inside the main hall, the charcoal fire burned brightly, creating a warm and inviting atmosphere.

Crown Prince Xiao Yunfeng sat in the main seat, holding a cup of hot tea in his hand, slowly blowing away the foam.

However, his complexion was not good.

A few days ago, he received a message by carrier pigeon, saying that the King of the Northern Di was leading an army of 100,000 to press on the border.

Therefore, he has been concerned about the war in the north these past few days, wondering if Su Mu can stop the 100,000-strong army of the Northern Di King.

If they can't hold them off, and the northern border is lost again, and turmoil breaks out again, who will be able to go to the northern border between him and his second brother?

If they succeed, Su Mu's contribution will be even greater, and his third uncle, Xiao Jingyu, will have even more influence in the court.

Third Uncle Xiao Jingyu has always been a supporter of Second Brother!

"Prime Minister, what's the progress of the investigation into the Xu brothers' matter concerning Su Mu's granddaughter?"

Xiao Yunfeng put down his teacup, raised his eyelids, and looked at Li Yuan, who was sitting at the lower end of the table.

Li Yuan smiled sinisterly, a hint of smugness flashing in his eyes.

He bowed slightly and lowered his voice, as if afraid of being overheard.

"Your Highness, this is precisely the matter I have come here today."

"Those two brothers, Xu Zhaowen and Xu Zhaowu, aren't entirely useless. They spent some money and hired people from Lingfeng Pavilion to finally find out that Su Mu's granddaughter, Su Qingxue, is currently at the Third Prince's residence."

Xiao Yunfeng's brows furrowed suddenly, utterly surprised.

"At Uncle's residence? Uncle is so thoughtful."

"It seems Third Uncle is determined to stick with Su Mu. When did he find this Su Qingxue?"

Li Yuan stroked his beard, his tone tinged with emotion.

"It's quite a coincidence that before Su Mu joined the army, he rescued the two daughters of the Third Prince, Xiao Zhixia and Xiao Zhiqi, from the Northern Di people by chance."

"Su Mu then entrusted his granddaughter to them, and the two of them took Su Qingxue back to the capital and moved into the Prince's mansion, where they stayed for more than half a year."

Xiao Yunfeng was even more surprised.

"So, Su Mu already knew the Xiao Zhixia sisters before he joined the army? At that time, he hadn't made any contributions, and his third uncle didn't know him either. This... is truly an incredible coincidence."

He stood up, walked to the window with his hands behind his back, and frowned as he looked at the gray sky outside.

"But Su Qingxue is at Third Uncle's residence. Given Third Uncle's caution, he will definitely protect her closely. With the Xu brothers' limited abilities, it is almost impossible for them to enter Third Uncle's residence and take her away. This method is probably not going to work."

Li Yuan also stood up, walked behind Xiao Yunfeng, and whispered, "Your Highness, anything is possible with human effort. Just because they can't do it doesn't mean others can't. Let them spend money to find powerful figures in the martial arts world, both the underworld and the legitimate world. There will always be someone willing to take on this job. Money makes the world go round. As long as the money is right, there's nothing that can't be done."

Xiao Yunfeng turned around, looked at Li Yuan, remained silent for a moment, and slowly nodded.

"Have someone relay this to them, telling them to be careful and not to leave any evidence against them."

Li Yuan cupped his hands in greeting: "Your subject understands."

Xiao Yunfeng sat back down in the main seat, his face showing even deeper worry.

"Compared to that matter, I'd rather know how things are in the Northern Border. Can that old man Su Mu hold off the Northern Di King's 100,000-strong army? If he can't..."

He didn't finish his sentence, but his meaning was clear.

Li Yuan's expression also turned serious, and he was about to speak...

"Your Highness! Your Highness!"

A series of hurried footsteps came from outside the door, and a subordinate dressed in blue rushed in, knelt on one knee, and held up a letter with both hands.

"Your Highness, a message has arrived by carrier pigeon from the North! Important news!"

Xiao Yunfeng and Li Yuan exchanged a glance, their hearts leaping into their throats.

"Bring it here quickly!" Xiao Yunfeng's voice was strained.

His subordinate handed him the letter, which Xiao Yunfeng snatched and unfolded.

His gaze swept from the first line to the last, his expression shifting from eagerness to shock, from shock to disbelief, and then from disbelief to gloom.

Li Yuan stood aside, watching Xiao Yunfeng's increasingly ugly face, his heart filled with unease.

"Your Highness, what is the situation in the North?"

Xiao Yunfeng didn't say anything, but simply handed over the letter.

Li Yuan took it and looked down at it!

His pupils suddenly contracted, and a chill ran down his spine.

"What? Su Mu not only recovered the entire northern border, but also killed the Northern Di King Tuoba Feng? His 100,000-strong army was routed, and fierce generals such as Ge Lie, Temur, and Hurchi were all killed in battle?"

"This...this is an incredible achievement! Since the founding of the Great Qian Dynasty, no one has ever accomplished such a feat! Su Mu...how did Su Mu do it?"

Xiao Yunfeng remained silent.

He sat there, his face ashen.

"No wonder Uncle San is so protective of Su Mu's granddaughter. It turns out he had long recognized Su Mu's potential and wanted to cling to him."

"That old man Su Mu really gave the Great Qian Dynasty a big surprise!"

"Reclaiming the northern border, slaying the Northern Di King, achieving godhood in one battle—truly unprecedented and unparalleled."

He paused, a look of apprehension in his eyes.

"My third uncle has always opposed me becoming the crown prince and wants to support my second brother."

"If he helps my second brother win over Su Mu now, my second brother's strength will increase greatly. At that time, my position as the crown prince will be threatened."

Li Yuan's eyes slowly brightened, and the corners of his mouth turned up slightly, revealing an extremely sinister smile.

"Your Highness, I believe that this is not a bad thing at all, but rather a golden opportunity."

Xiao Yunfeng frowned: "What do you mean?"

Li Yuan walked to Xiao Yunfeng's side and whispered something.

"Your Highness, look at the last paragraph of this letter. Su Mu not only did not kill Tuoba Lie, but also released him back to the Northern Di and sent three thousand soldiers to escort him and help him unify the Northern Di."

"Such a momentous matter should have been reported to the imperial court for His Majesty's decision. Su Mu, however, acted on his own initiative, letting the tiger return to the mountain. Clearly, he disregards His Majesty!"

His voice grew faster and more excited.

"Your Highness, this is a ready-made incriminating charge! We can accuse him of treason and collusion with the enemy, and of amassing power through military force! No matter how great Su Mu's achievements are, they cannot withstand such charges!"

Xiao Yunfeng's eyes suddenly lit up, then dimmed again.

"Treason and collusion with the enemy... Isn't that a bit too much? Su Mu just killed the King of the Northern Di and made an unparalleled contribution. If you turn around and accuse him of treason and collusion with the enemy, I'm afraid no one will believe it."

Li Yuan smiled, a smile full of confidence.

"Your Highness, we don't need to make His Majesty completely believe us; we just need to plant a seed of doubt in his heart."

"Your Majesty is inherently suspicious. Su Mu's achievements are so great that they threaten the emperor's position, which already arouses suspicion. Now, he has taken it upon himself to release the Northern Di prince and even sent troops to assist him—what is this if not treason? Even if it isn't, it is still a case of holding military power and disrespecting the emperor!"

He paused, a glint of light flashing in his eyes.

"At that time, Your Highness will join forces with the court officials to submit a memorial. Even if His Majesty does not punish Su Mu, he will certainly become suspicious of him."

"Furthermore, with the Imperial Concubine whispering in His Majesty's ear, even if Su Mu isn't dismissed from his post, he'll be stripped of his military power, becoming a figurehead general. At that point, what will Your Highness have to fear?"

Xiao Yunfeng's eyes grew brighter and brighter, and a cold smile appeared on his lips.

"The Prime Minister is right. I hadn't thought of that at all."

He stood up, paced around the hall with his hands behind his back, and then suddenly stopped.

"Prime Minister, immediately summon the officials who are on good terms with us and discuss this matter in secret."

"Once the official military report from the North arrives in the capital and His Majesty learns of it, we will all go to court together and impeach Su Mu! The charges against him are treason, collusion with the enemy, and hoarding military power!"

Li Yuan cupped his hands, his eyes filled with malice.

"Your Highness is wise! I will take care of it immediately!"

He turned and strode quickly out of the main hall, his steps light and quick.

Xiao Yunfeng stood by the window, sneering.

"Su Mu, so what if you won the battle? So what if you killed the King of the Northern Di? No matter how great your achievements are, they can't outweigh His Majesty's suspicions. I'd like to see how long you can be so smug."

"I, the Crown Prince, will show you that the swords in the imperial court are far more terrifying than those on the battlefield!"