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

That evening.

The Imperial Palace in the capital, the Hall of Mental Cultivation.

Emperor Xiao Jinghuan sat on the dragon bed, his face gloomy and his eyes showing signs of fatigue.

Having just returned from Ziyun Temple, I was already exhausted from the bumpy journey, and the words spoken by the Crown Prince and the Prime Minister only added to my unease, causing my temples to throb.

Crown Prince Xiao Yunfeng spoke earnestly and urged him urgently.

"Father, it's time to act."

"Su Mu is a man of deep cunning. He has been operating in the northern border for more than half a year. The soldiers only know Su Mu and not the imperial court."

"Now he has secretly released Tuoba Lie and colluded with the Northern Di; his intentions are despicable!"

"If we don't capture him before he can react, and he escapes back to the Northern Border, raises his voice, and hundreds of thousands of troops in the Northern Border rebel with him, the Great Qian Dynasty will be in grave danger!"

Prime Minister Li Yuan bowed and echoed his agreement.

"Your Majesty, His Highness the Crown Prince is absolutely right!"

"Su Mu disregards the law and shows contempt for the imperial court. If such a person is not severely punished, what will become of the national law? What will become of His Majesty's dignity?"

Consort Xu sat on the edge of the dragon bed, her eyes red and swollen from crying. She covered her mouth with a handkerchief and sobbed intermittently.

"Your Majesty... my brother is still suffering in the imperial prison, and my two nephews were beaten to death by Su Mu... Your Majesty, if you do not avenge me, I do not wish to live anymore..."

As she spoke, she threw herself onto Xiao Jinghuan's shoulder, sobbing uncontrollably.

Xiao Jinghuan was also hesitant. Su Mu had made great contributions in the northern border, held a large army, and had secretly colluded with the Northern Di... Could such a person really not have any ulterior motives?

That's enough.

Suddenly, Xiao Jinghuan shouted.

The Crown Prince and the Prime Minister both shut their mouths at the same time, and Consort Xu also stopped crying, raising her tearful eyes to look at him.

"It is said that Han You is the commander of the Imperial Guards."

A eunuch's shrill voice rang out from outside the hall: "Summon Han You, commander of the Imperial Guards, to an audience..."

Before long, a burly, middle-aged general clad in iron armor strode into the Hall of Mental Cultivation, knelt on one knee, clasped his hands in greeting, and said, "This humble general, Han You, pays his respects to Your Majesty!"

Xiao Jinghuan commanded:

"Han You, I hereby order you to immediately lead three hundred Imperial Guards to the residence of the Third Prince Xiao Jingyu and arrest General Su Mu, the General Who Guards the North!"

"Take him to the imperial prison to await interrogation; there must be no mistakes!"

Han You's pupils contracted slightly. After hesitating for a moment, he bowed his head and said, "This subordinate obeys the order!"

He stood up, turned around, and strode out of the Hall of Mental Cultivation.

Xiao Yunfeng and Li Yuan exchanged a glance, both seeing a triumphant smile in each other's eyes.

Consort Xu stopped crying, her lips curving slightly upwards before she pulled back her face and continued to feign a heartbroken expression.

……

On the streets of the capital city.

Three hundred Imperial Guards, clad in gleaming armor, wielded swords and spears like a forest, their torches casting a continuous glow that illuminated the entire long street as if it were daytime.

The sounds of horses' hooves and footsteps mingled together, echoing throughout the entire street.

Han You rode on a tall horse, his face solemn.

He knew in his heart that this mission would not be easy.

The Third Prince is His Majesty's younger brother, and the General Who Guards the North is a meritorious official who recovered the northern border. Neither of them is someone to be trifled with.

But he couldn't disobey the emperor's order, so he had no choice but to bite the bullet and go ahead.

People along the way heard the commotion and opened their windows to look out.

Upon seeing the Imperial Guards mobilize, everyone's expressions changed drastically, and they began to discuss among themselves.

"The Imperial Guards have been deployed? Who are they going to arrest?"

"Who knows... We common folk don't understand what's going on in the imperial court..."

"However, judging from the direction, it's heading towards the Third Prince's residence."

The procession quickly arrived at the gate of the Third Prince's mansion.

Han You reined in his horse, dismounted, took a deep breath, and strode up the steps.

"Bang bang bang!"

The heavy knocking echoed through the silent night air.

The mansion gates opened, and the steward, Old Liu, poked his head out. Upon seeing the massive, dark mass of Imperial Guards outside, his expression changed drastically.

"General Han... General Han, this is..."

Han You said in a deep voice, "By order of His Majesty, arrest General Su Mu, the Commander of the Northern Garrison! Please summon the Third Prince to speak!"

Old Liu's face turned pale. He nodded repeatedly, then turned and ran inside to report.

Before long, the main gate opened wide.

Xiao Jingyu strode out, followed by a group of guards from the Prince's Mansion, each with a stern face and their hands on the hilts of their swords.

Xiao Jingyu stood on the steps, looking down at Han You with a calm expression.

"General Han, what brings you here to surround my residence with your troops in the dead of night?"

Han You clasped his hands in a fist salute, his voice steady yet tinged with difficulty.

"Third Prince, I have come on His Majesty's orders to arrest General Su Mu, the General Who Guards the North. Please grant me permission to enter and apprehend him."

Xiao Jingyu sneered, stood with his hands behind his back, and remained motionless.

"General Su is my honored guest and a meritorious official of the Great Qian Dynasty. You think you can just take it like that? I'd like to ask you, what crime has he committed?"

Han You gritted his teeth and said with a forced smile, "This is His Majesty's decree, Third Prince. I am merely following orders. Please do not make things difficult for me."

Xiao Jingyu did not back down an inch.

"What if I refuse to hand it over?"

Han You's face stiffened.

The Imperial Guards soldiers behind him exchanged glances, their grips on their swords tightening slightly.

The person opposite them was the Third Prince, His Majesty's own younger brother. How could they dare to actually make a move?

Xiao Jingyu took a step forward, his gaze sharp as a knife, sweeping over the Imperial Guard soldiers.

"Han You, go back and tell His Majesty that General Su is in my residence. Anyone who wants to take him away will have to step over my dead body first!"

Behind him, the guards of the Prince's Palace drew their swords in unison, the glint of their blades as white as snow, so bright in the torchlight that it was blinding.

Cold sweat beaded on Han You's forehead.

He led three hundred imperial guards, but the opponent was the Third Prince. Did he really dare to make a move?

Taking action would mean offending the most prestigious prince in the Great Qian Dynasty.

If we don't take action, we can't disobey the emperor's order.

He was caught in a dilemma.

After a stalemate lasting the time it takes for an incense stick to burn, Han You finally gritted his teeth and ordered the soldiers behind him: "You stay here and surround the Prince's mansion. We will take action after I return and report to His Majesty."

After saying this, Han You quickly mounted his horse and headed straight for the palace.

Xiao Jingyu stood on the steps, watching their departing figures, and secretly breathed a sigh of relief.

He knew this was only temporary.

As long as news arrives from the northern border, the Crown Prince and the Prime Minister's conspiracy will fall apart on its own.

"Everyone, stand guard. Anyone who dares to break into the mansion, kill them without mercy."

Xiao Jingyu gave orders to the servants and guards in the palace with a firm and resounding tone.

He then turned around, walked back into the mansion, and headed towards Su Mu's room.

……

"Elder Su, the Imperial Guards have surrounded the Prince's Mansion, but they dare not rush in."

Su Mu sat by the window, gazing at the night outside, his expression calm as still water.

"Your Highness has worked hard."

Xiao Jingyu shook his head and said in a low voice, "Elder Su, will the news from the Northern Border arrive in time?"

Su Mu shook his head and said, "I'm not sure either."

"We can only leave it to fate."

"However, it won't be so easy for the emperor to capture this old man."

"When we reached a dead end, I, along with Qingxue, fought our way out!"

……

The prison was dark and damp.

The flames of a few oil lamps on the wall flickered in the wind, and the air was filled with the smells of mildew and rust. Rats scurried across the corner of the wall.

Consort Xu walked step by step into the depths of the prison cell, her feet treading on the blue brick floor.

Behind her followed two palace maids, carrying lanterns to light the way ahead.

"We've arrived, Your Highness." The palace maid stopped and pointed to the prison cell ahead.

Inside the cell, a disheveled, ragged old man huddled on a pile of hay.

He was skin and bones, with a full beard, sunken eyes, and prominent cheekbones.

"Brother." Consort Xu stood in front of the prison door, her voice choked with sobs.

Xu Shigui suddenly raised his head, his eyes gleaming.

He scrambled to the cell door, grabbed the iron bars with both hands, and his voice was hoarse.

"Sister! Sister, you've come! My son...is my son really dead? Zhaowen and Zhaowu...were they really killed by Su Mu?"

Consort Xu's tears fell, and she nodded.

Xu Shigui threw his head back and let out a long howl, his voice shrill and echoing in the empty prison cell.

"Su Mu! Su Mu! You old bastard! You killed my son! I'll never forgive you!"

He shook the iron bars desperately, the chains rattling like a wild beast trapped in a cage.

Consort Xu wiped away her tears, leaned closer to the cell door, and lowered her voice.

"Brother, don't worry. His Majesty has already issued an order for the Imperial Guards to arrest Su Mu."

"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!"

Xu Shigui suddenly stopped moving, his eyes widened, and his expression changed from madness to ecstasy.

"really?"

"really."

"Su Mu is doomed this time."

Xu Shigui threw his head back and laughed loudly, the sound piercing and echoing in the prison cell for a long time.

"Hahaha! Su Mu! You've finally met your match! You killed my son, and His Majesty is killing you! This is your retribution! Your end!"

He laughed so hard he almost fell over.

Consort Xu felt a pang of bitterness and resentment as she looked at her brother's deranged state. But even more so, she felt hatred.

Su Mu killed her nephew, ending the Xu family line. She was determined to avenge this.

"Brother, rest assured and wait here. Once Su Mu is executed, His Majesty will definitely release you. At that time, you will still be the General of the Great Qian Dynasty and the pillar of the Xu family."

Xu Shigui nodded repeatedly, his eyes filled with malice.

"Sister, go back and tell the Crown Prince and the Prime Minister that Su Mu is dead. I will serve them faithfully!"

Consort Xu nodded, turned and left the cell.

Behind him, Xu Shigui's laughter still echoed.

……

The capital city, south gate.

Night had fallen, and the city gates were tightly shut.

The soldiers on the city wall yawned and dozed off against the battlements.

Suddenly, the sound of rapid hoofbeats came from afar.

Two fast horses galloped out of the darkness, one after the other, and only reined in when they were almost at the city gate.

"Open the city gates!" the man on horseback shouted.

The soldiers guarding the city poked their heads out and shone their torches down.

The torchlight shone on their faces.

"Who are you? Entering the city at night, do you have a token?"

The armored man took out a token from his pocket and held it high above his head.

"Qin Hao, under the command of the Northern General! Urgent military situation! Open the city gates immediately!"

Upon seeing the token, the city guard's expression changed, and he hurriedly said, "General, please wait a moment, this subordinate will open the gate immediately!"

The city gate slowly opened, and the drawbridge crashed down.

Two fast horses rushed into the city gate, their hooves echoing rapidly through the empty streets.

Qin Hao, mounted on his horse, gazed in the direction of the Third Prince's residence, his heart filled with anxiety.

"Brother Tuoba, we're almost there. I hope we're not too late."

Tuoba Lie nodded and followed closely behind him.

"Old Su is blessed by Heaven; he will surely be alright."

Two horses, one in front of the other, galloped towards the Third Prince's residence.