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

The next morning, at the Crown Prince's residence.

Crown Prince Xiao Yunfeng sat in the pavilion by the pond, holding a cup of morning tea in his hand, sipping it slowly, a contented smile on his lips.

The Crown Princess sat beside him, holding a handful of fish food in her hand, scattering it into the pond one by one.

The koi fish rushed over, red, white, and gold mingling together, their tails slapping the water's surface with a splashing sound.

"Your Highness, look at that golden koi fish, isn't it beautiful?"

The Crown Princess pointed to the largest koi in the pond and said with a smile.

Xiao Yunfeng glanced at it, nodded, and said casually, "Hmm, I'll have someone fish it out another day and keep it in the study."

The Crown Princess smiled and responded, then continued feeding the fish.

Two maids stood behind the pavilion, one serving tea and the other fanning, their movements gentle, as if afraid of disturbing the prince's enjoyment.

At this moment, a eunuch strode in from outside the garden gate, came to the pavilion, and bowed.

"Your Highness, the Prime Minister has arrived and says he has important matters to discuss."

Xiao Yunfeng frowned slightly and put down his teacup.

"So early? What brings you here, Prime Minister?"

"The Prime Minister didn't say, he only said it was very urgent."

Xiao Yunfeng pondered for a moment, then stood up, straightened his robes, and said to the Crown Princess, "You play here for now, I'll be right back."

The Crown Princess nodded obediently: "Your Highness, please take care."

Xiao Yunfeng strode out of the back garden, walked through the long corridor, and headed towards the study.

He walked quickly, his brows furrowed, a vague sense of foreboding creeping into his heart.

Li Yuan rarely visits this early in the morning.

Li Yuan was already waiting in the study.

He didn't sit down, but paced back and forth in the study, his face ashen.

As soon as he saw Xiao Yunfeng enter, he immediately went to greet him, not even bothering to bow, his voice urgent.

"Your Highness, something terrible has happened! Something terrible has happened!"

Xiao Yunfeng's heart sank. He quickly walked behind his desk, sat down, and asked in a deep voice, "What happened? Tell me slowly, Prime Minister."

Li Yuan took a deep breath.

"Last night, the Blood-Clad Tower's secret hideout in the east of the city—Wanbao Pawnshop—was massacred! The entire stronghold was burned to the ground, and none of the assassins or managers survived!"

Xiao Yunfeng's pupils constricted, utterly shocked.

Li Yuan swallowed.

"The brothers Xu Zhaowen and Xu Zhaowu were trading at the Blood Robe Tower last night and have not returned yet."

"According to the report from the people I sent to investigate, charred corpses matching their build were found at the scene, and it is very likely... very likely that they also died in that fire."

"What?!"

Xiao Yunfeng's expression changed instantly.

"Xu Zhaowen and Xu Zhaowu are also dead?"

"Isn't the Blood-Clad Tower supposed to be a top-tier assassin organization in the martial arts world? How could their underlings be wiped out in such a bloody massacre? Who has such power? Could it be someone under Uncle Three's command?"

Li Yuan shook his head, his brows furrowed.

"I also suspected the Third Prince, but ever since Su Qingxue was arrested, my spies have been keeping an eye on the Third Prince's residence. They couldn't find Wanbao Pawnshop at all, so it couldn't have been done by the Third Prince's men."

"Who could it be? Who would risk offending the Blood-Clad Tower and wiping out the entire secret service for a mere girl? Could it be...?"

Xiao Yunfeng paused, a hint of fear flashing in his eyes.

Li Yuan's expression also changed. The two exchanged a glance and simultaneously thought of the same name.

"Su Mu?"

Li Yuan nodded, his expression grave.

"Besides him, I can't think of anyone else."

Xiao Yunfeng shook his head violently, his voice urgent.

"Impossible! Su Mu is far away in the northern border. Father has not yet issued an edict summoning him to the capital. How could he dare to abandon his post? Besides, even if he were to come, the news would have reached him in advance. How could he possibly appear in the capital without a trace?"

"Impossible, absolutely impossible."

"Your Highness..."

A cool, clear female voice came from outside the door, unhurried and with a hint of sarcasm.

"Don't underestimate that old man's courage."

Xiao Yunfeng and Li Yuan simultaneously turned their heads sharply and looked towards the door.

The study door was pushed open at some point.

A black figure stood at the doorway, backlit, making it impossible to see the face. Only the figure's graceful curves were visible. The person was dressed in a black outfit, wearing a black bamboo hat, with a light veil hanging down to cover half of their face, revealing only a pair of clear, cold eyes.

Li Yuan's expression changed drastically. He pointed at the door and his voice was shrill.

"Who are you? How dare you trespass into the Crown Prince's residence? Guards! Guards!"

Hearing the shouts, seven or eight guards outside the courtyard rushed over, wielding long knives, and surrounded the entrance to the study, pointing their blades at the woman in black.

The woman in black remained motionless, not even glancing at the guards.

She simply stood there, arms crossed, utterly calm.

Xiao Yunfeng stared at her for a moment, then suddenly waved his hand.

"Step back."

The guards looked at each other, hesitated for a moment, then sheathed their swords and left the courtyard.

Xiao Yunfeng sat behind his desk, leaning slightly forward, his gaze fixed intently on the woman.

"The young lady was able to enter my Crown Prince's residence so easily and walk silently to the door of my study. Her martial arts skills are truly remarkable."

"The guards here, though not top-notch, are certainly not ordinary. The fact that you can enter and leave as if there is no one here suggests that you are no ordinary person."

He paused, his gaze sharpening further.

"What brings you here, young lady?"

The woman in black stepped lightly into the study.

"I'm just here to deliver a message to His Highness the Crown Prince."

"What news?"

"The person who massacred the Blood-Clad Tower last night and killed the Xu brothers, Xu Zhaowen and Xu Zhaowu, was none other than General Zhenbei, Su Mu."

Xiao Yunfeng and Li Yuan's faces turned deathly pale at the same time.

"What?"

"Su Mu... Su Mu really came to the capital? How... how dare he? He abandoned his post without the imperial decree; that's a serious crime!"

The woman in black gave a cold laugh.

"Not only did he come, but he also moved into the Third Prince's residence."

"Last night, he single-handedly slaughtered all the assassins of the Blood-Clad Tower."

Xiao Yunfeng's mind raced.

Su Mu arrived, without making a sound.

Moreover, he not only came, but also killed Xu Zhaowen and Xu Zhaowu, and destroyed the Blood-Clad Tower.

If he finds out that it was the Crown Prince and the Prime Minister who were behind it...

"girl,"

"Why are you telling me all this? Who are you?"

The woman in black turned around and walked towards the door.

"The enemy of my enemy is my friend, Your Highness. Farewell."

She stepped out of the study, her toes lightly touching the ground, and like a falling leaf, she floated up and flew to the roof of the opposite house.

With a few leaps, it disappeared into the morning light.

The guards gave chase for a few steps, but they couldn't catch up.

The study was completely silent.

Li Yuan closed the door, turned around, and his face was completely drained of color.

"Your Highness, that old bastard Su Mu has dared to be so audacious as to enter the capital without permission and even kill the Xu brothers!"

"What if those two brothers betray us before they die? Su Mu and the Third Prince probably already know we were behind it! What should we do?"

Xiao Yunfeng remained silent, sitting behind his desk with a flicker in his eyes, as if he were pondering something.

Then, he suddenly laughed.

Li Yuan was taken aback: "Your Highness, why are you laughing!"

Xiao Yunfeng raised his head, a sinister glint flashing in his eyes.

"Prime Minister, think about it. Is the death of Xu Zhaowen and Xu Zhaowu a good thing or a bad thing for us?"

"Your Highness means..."

Xiao Yunfeng stood up and walked forward.

"The Xu brothers are dead, and there's no way to verify their statements. What they said and didn't say, nobody knows. Even if Su Mu suspects us, he has no evidence."

"Xu Zhaowen and Xu Zhaowu were the descendants of officials appointed by the imperial court. Su Mu, a border general, entered the capital without imperial permission and killed them."

"What is this? This is dereliction of duty, this is disregard for human life! Add to that his previous acts of releasing Tuoba Lie, treason, and amassing military power, with these charges combined, do you think Father Emperor will still protect him?"

Li Yuan's eyes grew brighter and brighter, revealing a sinister smile.

"Your Highness is wise! In that case, Su Mu has simply walked into the line of fire!"

"Although the Xu brothers are dead, their deaths can be used to convict Su Mu! If Consort Xu finds out that Su Mu killed her two nephews, she certainly won't let it go!"

Xiao Yunfeng nodded, walked back behind his desk and sat down, smiling leisurely.

"Now, we're just waiting for Father to return to the capital."

Li Yuan suddenly remembered something, stepped forward, cupped his hands and said, "Your Highness, His Majesty will be returning to the capital in three days. Why don't you set off in advance to Ziyun Temple to welcome His Majesty? Firstly, it would be a way to show your filial piety, and secondly, it would be a way to inform the Imperial Concubine about the death of the Xu brothers before His Majesty returns to the capital."

Xiao Yunfeng suddenly realized what was happening, and a smile appeared on his lips.

"The Prime Minister is right. I will set off early tomorrow morning to Ziyun Temple to welcome Father Emperor back to the capital."