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

Three days later, at Ziyun Mountain.

The morning mist enveloped the entire mountain peak like a light veil, and sunlight peeked through the clouds in the east, gilding the Taoist temple on the summit with a faint golden hue.

Ziyun Temple is built on the edge of a cliff, with three sides suspended in the air and one side backed by a mountain. From a distance, it looks like a crane spreading its wings and about to take flight, perched in the clouds and mist.

In front of the mountain gate, the blue stone steps were still covered with morning dew, and several young Taoist priests were sweeping them. The rustling sound of bamboo brooms brushing against the stone surface was particularly clear in the quiet mountain forest.

Crown Prince Xiao Yunfeng, Second Prince Xiao Yunshan, and Third Prince Xiao Yunhai stood side by side on the platform outside the mountain gate, followed by Prime Minister Li Yuan and several attendants.

Xiao Yunfeng stood with his hands behind his back, gazing at the tightly closed door of the meditation room deep within the Taoist temple, a confident smile playing on his lips.

Xiao Yunshan stood beside him, his face calm, revealing neither joy nor anger.

Xiao Yunhai was the youngest, his eyes darting around, looking at his eldest brother and then at his second brother, wondering what they were thinking.

Not long after!

The door to the quiet room slowly opened.

An old Taoist priest, dressed in a blue robe and with white hair but a youthful face, walked out from inside.

He was tall and slender, with a straight back like a pine tree. He had a thin face, rosy skin, and white hair and beard, but almost no wrinkles on his face. His eyes were as bright as stars, and he exuded an air of otherworldly elegance.

This person is the head of the Ziyun Temple, Master Ziyun.

Xiao Yunfeng stared at the Daoist Ziyun in front of him, his expression complex.

Not long ago, he heard that this Taoist priest was practicing the art of longevity and was already over ninety years old, but he looked no more than forty.

Seeing it today, I can see that it truly lives up to its reputation.

He even wondered what if his father had truly learned the secret to immortality here…

When will he be able to sit on the throne of God?

"His Majesty has emerged from seclusion."

Master Ziyun stepped aside and bowed slightly.

Then, Emperor Xiao Jinghuan came out of the quiet room.

He was wearing a bright yellow Taoist robe, his hair was tied up with a jade hairpin, and his complexion was a bit rosier than before he entered the temple, but his eyes still looked somewhat tired.

Consort Xu followed behind him, dressed in a light purple palace gown, with exquisite makeup and a radiant complexion.

"Your Majesty, I respectfully welcome you upon your return from the pass!"

The three princes knelt down at the same time and shouted in unison.

Xiao Jinghuan's gaze swept across the three faces, and he nodded slightly.

"Why are you all here? I'm just going into the mountains for a few days of quiet meditation; there's no need for such a grand display."

"Get up, everyone."

Xiao Yunfeng stood up, stepped forward, and cupped his hands, saying, "Father Emperor works tirelessly for the country day and night. As princes, we cannot share his burdens in court. We can only do our best to show our filial piety when Father Emperor emerges from his seclusion and welcomes him back to the palace."

He spoke with such sincerity that his eyes even reddened slightly, making him appear to be a dutiful son to anyone who saw him.

Xiao Yunshan also cupped his hands in greeting: "Elder brother is right. It is our duty to welcome Father Emperor."

Xiao Jinghuan smiled and patted Xiao Yunfeng on the shoulder.

"Good, it's kind of you to have this thought."

"Let's go, let's go down the mountain and return to the palace."

He was about to take a step when he suddenly saw Master Ziyun standing to the side, and he stopped in his tracks.

"Master Ziyun, I am grateful for your care these days. I will send someone to deliver incense money after I return to the palace."

Master Ziyun bowed deeply, his voice clear and melodious.

"Your Majesty is too kind. I was merely doing my duty. If Your Majesty has the time, you are welcome to come to Ziyun Temple for meditation again at any time."

Xiao Yunfeng gave Master Ziyun a deep look, secretly making plans in his heart.

Once Su Mu's matter is settled, he must come alone to properly inquire about the art of immortality.

The group slowly descended the mountain along the bluestone steps.

At the foot of the mountain, the imperial carriage was already prepared, its golden chariot resplendent and surrounded by numerous guards.

Xiao Jinghuan boarded the imperial carriage, with Consort Xu by his side.

The three princes mounted their horses and followed behind.

Prime Minister Li Yuan rode a chestnut horse at the very end of the procession.

The procession moved slowly forward, heading towards the capital along the official road.

After walking about five or six miles, Xiao Yunfeng gave Li Yuan a wink.

Li Yuan understood, spurred his horse to the side of the imperial carriage, and lowered his voice to say, "Your Majesty, I have important matters to report."

Xiao Jinghuan lifted the curtain and glanced at him.

"What is it?"

Li Yuan swallowed hard, looking as if he wanted to say something but hesitated, his voice carrying a hint of heaviness.

"Your Majesty, it concerns General Su Mu, the General Who Guards the North."

Xiao Jinghuan frowned slightly.

"Su Mu? What happened to him?"

Li Yuan sighed, raising his voice slightly to ensure that the surrounding princes could hear him.

"Your Majesty, Su Mu won a great victory in the northern border, recovering five prefectures and thirteen cities, and killing the Northern Di King. This is indeed a great achievement, but he has made a grave mistake."

"What terrible mistake?" Xiao Jinghuan's voice turned somber.

Li Yuan took a deep breath and spoke slowly and deliberately.

"Su Mu released Tuoba Lie, the Left Wise King of the Northern Di! He didn't report to the court and acted on his own! Moreover, he even sent troops to escort Tuoba Lie back to the Northern Di, helping him ascend to the throne of the Northern Di!"

Upon hearing this, Xiao Jinghuan's expression changed.

"Let Tuoba Lie go?"

Xiao Yunfeng rode up at the opportune moment, cupped his hands and said, "Father, this is absolutely true. Su Mu not only did not kill Tuoba Lie in the Northern Border, but also escorted him out of the border with courtesy and sent three thousand elite soldiers to escort him."

"May I ask if I may? Is Su Mu a general of the Great Qian Dynasty or a general of the Northern Di?"

Xiao Yunshan frowned sharply, about to speak, but Xiao Yunfeng interrupted him.

"Father, Su Mu holds considerable military power in the northern border, and now he has released Tuoba Lie and is secretly colluding with the Northern Di."

"If he harbors disloyal intentions and joins forces with the Northern Barbarians, coupled with the military strength of the northern border, the consequences would be unimaginable!"

"One should always be wary of others. Such a significant matter, yet he didn't consult the court or report to the Emperor, acting on his own initiative. Isn't this nothing more than using military power for personal gain?"

Li Yuan immediately followed up and continued speaking.

"Your Majesty, His Highness the Crown Prince is right. Su Mu is a man of great prestige in the Northern Territory, wields a large army, and has been secretly colluding with the Northern Barbarians."

"If he harbors rebellious intentions, the northern border is in danger, and the Great Qian Dynasty is in danger!"

"In my opinion, we must take strict precautions, strip him of his military power, and imprison him to await trial!"

Xiao Jinghuan's face grew increasingly gloomy.

He was by nature suspicious and what he feared most was that generals who held great military power might have rebellious intentions.

Su Mu has achieved unparalleled feats in the Northern Frontier, and his prestige is at its zenith. If he truly wanted to rebel...

"And there's more!" Xiao Yunfeng pressed on, "The brothers Xu Zhaowen and Xu Zhaowu were killed by Su Mu!"

"Just a few days ago, Su Mu entered the capital without authorization, abandoning his post without the imperial decree!"

"After he arrived in the capital, for reasons unknown, he killed Xu Zhaowen and Xu Zhaowu!"

Inside the imperial carriage, Consort Xu's body trembled violently, and tears welled up instantly.

She rushed to Xiao Jinghuan's side, grabbed his arm, and spoke in a shrill voice.

"Your Majesty! Your Majesty must do justice for me! Zhaowen and Zhaowu are my nephews, my only remaining family in this world!"

"Why did Su Mu...why did he kill them? What crimes did they commit? Your Majesty, you must seek justice for me!"

Her cries were heart-wrenching, and tears streamed down her face.

Looking at Consort Xu's tear-streaked face, and then at the Crown Prince and Li Yuan's worried expressions, Xiao Jinghuan felt a surge of anger.

"Su Mu... how dare he abandon his post? How dare he enter the capital without permission? How dare he kill a court official?"

Xiao Yunshan finally couldn't hold back any longer. He rode forward, cupped his hands, and said, "Father, I believe that General Su fought valiantly in the northern border, recovered lost territory, and killed the Northern Di King. This is an indisputable fact."

"He must have had his reasons for letting Tuoba Lie go. Perhaps he had urgent military intelligence to report when he went to the capital? Perhaps he killed Xu Zhaowen and Xu Zhaowu because those two brothers had committed an unforgivable crime? We cannot draw conclusions before we have investigated the matter thoroughly."

Xiao Yunfeng sneered and turned to look at Xiao Yunshan.

"Second brother, why are you speaking up for Su Mu like this? Do you perhaps have some kind of relationship with him? Or are you also trying to emulate him and show disrespect to the emperor?"

Xiao Yunshan's face darkened.

"Brother, what do you mean by that? I'm just stating the facts and don't want Father to be misled by one side of the story."

"One side of the story?" Li Yuan interjected. "Second Prince, it is an undeniable fact that Su Mu released Tuoba Lie. It is also an undeniable fact that he abandoned his post and entered the capital without permission. It is also an undeniable fact that he killed Xu Zhaowen and Xu Zhaowu."

"With so many facts laid out before us, what else is there to investigate? Are we supposed to wait until he rebels before we start investigating?"

Xiao Yunshan's fists clenched so tightly they cracked, but he alone couldn't out-argue the Crown Prince, the Prime Minister, and the Imperial Concubine.

He glanced at his father's gloomy face and knew that there was no point in saying anything now.

Xiao Jinghuan remained silent for a long time.

Inside the imperial carriage, only Consort Xu's low sobs and the clatter of horses' hooves on the official road could be heard.

"Issue my decree."

Xiao Jinghuan finally spoke, his voice as cold as the winter wind.

Everyone held their breath.

"Upon returning to the palace, an imperial decree was immediately issued to imprison Su Mu in the imperial prison to await interrogation."

"Treason, treason, abuse of power, dereliction of duty, and disregard for human life—these are multiple offenses, and according to the law, the offender should be executed!"

A smug smile appeared on Xiao Yunfeng's lips.

Li Yuan lowered his head, his eyes filled with malice.

Consort Xu leaned on Xiao Jinghuan's shoulder, her sobs gradually subsiding, but tears still clung to the corners of her eyes.

Beneath those tears lay hatred.

Xiao Yunshan's face turned ashen. He wanted to say something, but ultimately swallowed it back.

He knew that if he tried to persuade his father at this moment, it would only enrage his father further and might even implicate him.

"Father is wise."

"Your Majesty is wise."

Xiao Yunfeng and Li Yuan cupped their hands and said in unison.

Xiao Jinghuan leaned back in the dragon carriage and closed his eyes.

"Return to the palace."

The imperial carriage continued its journey.

No one in the group spoke.

As Xiao Yunshan rode his horse, gazing at the capital city drawing ever closer, his heart was in turmoil.

Su Mu is probably doomed!