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

Inside the Hall of Mental Cultivation.

Han You knelt on one knee, his forehead pressed against the cold floor tiles, his voice urgent.

"Your Majesty, I have been ordered to go to the Third Prince's residence to arrest Su Mu. The Third Prince... the Third Prince refuses to hand over the man and has even brought his guards to confront me."

"This humble general dares not lay a hand on the Third Prince, and has no choice but to return to report."

"Please forgive me, Your Majesty."

"Rebellion! Rebellion!" Xiao Jinghuan suddenly stood up and swept the teacups off the table.

The teacup shattered, and tea splashed everywhere.

The Crown Prince and the Prime Minister, among others, were so frightened that they retreated repeatedly.

"Xiao Jingyu! My own younger brother!"

"How dare he defy my decree? Is he plotting a rebellion?"

The crown prince's lips curled up slightly, revealing a smug smile.

He then suppressed his emotions and put on a worried expression.

He stepped forward, cupped his hands, and said, "Father, please calm down. My third uncle has always been loyal. This time, he has probably been deceived by Su Mu."

"That old man Su Mu is all sweet talk and bewitching people. Uncle San was caught off guard and did such a foolish thing. Father, please take care of your health and don't upset yourself."

He was verbally defending the Third Prince, but his words were full of implications.

Xiao Jingyu was not the mastermind; Su Mu was.

However, Xiao Jingyu was "deceived" by Su Mu, which means he failed to recognize talent, was negligent, and was incompetent.

Prime Minister Li Yuan also came over and nodded repeatedly.

"Your Majesty, His Highness the Crown Prince is right."

"The Third Prince is always loyal. He must have been deceived by that old scoundrel Su Mu's sweet talk this time."

"Once His Majesty arrives at the Prince's residence, the Third Prince will surely realize his mistake and hand over Su Mu upon seeing the imperial procession."

"Your Majesty, please calm your anger and take care of your health."

The two men, acting in concert, ostensibly pleaded for the Third Prince, but in reality, they were adding fuel to the fire.

They know His Majesty's temperament all too well.

In the current situation, the more people speak up for the Third Prince, the more His Majesty will feel that the Third Prince has too much power in the court, and that even disobeying the imperial edict will be pleaded for on his behalf.

Sure enough, Xiao Jinghuan's expression turned even uglier.

Consort Xu stood up from the dragon bed and wiped away non-existent tears from the corners of her eyes with a handkerchief.

"Your Majesty, the Third Prince usually relies on your magnanimity to act arrogantly in court, and he doesn't even respect His Highness the Crown Prince and the Prime Minister."

"To dare openly defy His Majesty's decree is clearly tantamount to disrespect for the emperor!"

"If Your Majesty doesn't go in person, the Third Prince might think that Your Majesty is afraid of him!"

She paused for a moment, then walked to Xiao Jinghuan's side.

"Your Majesty, please consider..."

"If Su Mu is truly innocent, why is the Third Prince protecting him so desperately?"

"If he has nothing to hide, why wouldn't he dare let someone take Su Mu away?"

"I dare to guess that the relationship between the Third Prince and Su Mu is probably more than just 'admiration'."

There must be some unspeakable secret between them.

These words were like a knife, precisely piercing the most sensitive spot in Xiao Jinghuan's heart.

Without further hesitation, Xiao Jinghuan turned around abruptly and strode out of the hall.

"Han You, prepare the carriage!"

"I will go to the Third Prince's residence myself! I want to see if Xiao Jingyu dares to even turn me away!"

The Crown Prince and Li Yuan exchanged a glance and quickly followed.

……

The main hall of the Third Prince's residence.

The hall was brightly lit by candlelight, yet the atmosphere inside was incredibly tense.

Xiao Jingyu stood in the center of the hall, his brows furrowed, his eyes fixed on the door, looking worried.

Xiao Zhixia and Xiao Zhiqi stood behind him, their expressions solemn.

Su Qingxue nestled beside her grandfather, her little hands tightly gripping the hem of his clothes.

"Your Highness! Your Highness!"

The butler stumbled in, his face pale, his voice hurried and filled with fear.

"Something terrible has happened! His Majesty... His Majesty has arrived in person! The imperial carriage is already at the main gate! The Crown Prince and the Prime Minister are following behind him..."

The hall was deathly silent.

Xiao Zhi Qiu's face turned pale instantly, and he blurted out, "What? My imperial uncle has come in person?"

Xiao Jingyu closed his eyes and took a deep breath.

When he opened his eyes again, they were filled with exhaustion and helplessness.

"Old Su, it's too late."

He walked up to Su Mu, his eyes resolute, seemingly prepared to fight to the death.

"There's a secret passage in the backyard of the Prince's mansion that leads directly outside the city. Take Qingxue and leave now!"

"I will hold them off here."

Su Mu looked at Xiao Jingyu and replied:

"Your Highness, what will you do if I'm gone?"

"His Majesty's presence here confirms your crime of disobeying the imperial edict."

"At best, they will be stripped of their titles and dismissed from office; at worst, they will be imprisoned and punished."

"The entire Prince's mansion, with its hundred or so inhabitants, will be implicated."

Xiao Jingyu gritted his teeth, his attitude remaining firm.

"Elder Su, you recovered the northern border for the Great Qian Dynasty, killed the Northern Di King, and preserved the country and its people."

"You are a hero of the Great Qian Dynasty and a savior of the people."

"I cannot let you die at the hands of those treacherous officials. You may leave; I can bear the consequences."

Su Mu shook his head and refused.

"Your Highness, I will always remember your kindness towards Qingxue."

"Therefore, this old man cannot leave."

"Once I'm gone, your sins will be impossible to clear. I will bear all the blame myself."

He lowered his head and looked at Su Qingxue, his eyes full of affection.

"Qingxue, are you scared?"

Su Qingxue raised her head and looked into her grandfather's eyes.

"Don't be afraid, Grandpa is here, Qingxue is not afraid of anything."

Su Mu smiled and patted her head.

"Good boy."

He straightened up, a cold glint flashing in his eyes.

"Your Highness, I have a favor to ask."

"Please go on, Mr. Su."

"When His Majesty enters later, I will take full responsibility."

"Please don't speak up for me, don't plead for me."

"Once I've fought my way out and returned to the Northern Territory, I'll devise a countermeasure."

"As long as I am here, the Northern Army is here, and His Majesty dares not touch you."

Xiao Jingyu's pupils suddenly contracted.

"Mr. Su, you need..."

"I don't want to kill anyone in the Prince's mansion, but if pushed too far, I don't mind letting the Emperor know. Although I am an old man, I am not so old that I can be slaughtered at will."

Outside the hall, footsteps grew closer and more frequent.

"His Majesty has arrived!"

The eunuch's shrill voice echoed through the night sky, piercing and sharp.

The Imperial Guards swarmed in through the main gate, the torchlight illuminating the entire courtyard as if it were daytime. Swords were drawn, arrows were nocked, and the air was thick with murderous intent.

The soldiers lined up on both sides, making way for a wide passage.

Hundreds of eyes were fixed on Xiao Jingyu and Su Mu in the hall.

Xiao Jinghuan strode in.

His face was ashen, his eyes were filled with rage, and his gaze swept over Xiao Jingyu before landing on Su Mu.

Crown Prince Xiao Yunfeng and Prime Minister Li Yuan followed behind, their eyes fixed on Su Mu.

Han You, the commander of the Imperial Guards, stood at the palace gate, his hand on the hilt of his sword, his eyes wary.

The air in the hall seemed to freeze.

Xiao Jinghuan stood in the center of the hall, staring coldly at Xiao Jingyu, and said, word by word:

"Xiao Jingyu, how dare you!"

"You dare disobey my decree? You dare block my imperial guards? Do you think that in this Great Qian Dynasty, my word doesn't count, only yours does?"

Xiao Jingyu clasped his hands and said, "Your Majesty, please calm your anger. Your subject dares not."

"Your Majesty, I simply feel that General Su is a great hero who has made great contributions to the recovery of the northern border, and he should not be arrested without cause."

"Your Majesty, I humbly request that you investigate this matter thoroughly and give General Su a chance to defend himself."

"To defend oneself?"

The Crown Prince sneered and stepped out from behind Xiao Jinghuan, his gaze sharp as a knife.

"Third Uncle, Su Mu released Tuoba Lie, abandoned his post, and entered the capital without permission. He killed Xu Zhaowen and Xu Zhaowu..."

"With so many facts laid bare, what is there left to argue?"

Li Yuan nodded in agreement, then said sarcastically, "Third Prince, why are you protecting Su Mu? Is there some unspeakable secret between you two?"

Xiao Jingyu suddenly turned his head, staring at Li Yuan with eyes that seemed to spit fire.

"Li Yuan, you're talking nonsense! You're slandering me!"

"Enough!" Xiao Jinghuan shouted, interrupting the argument.

He turned around and stared at Su Mu.

He was stunned when he saw Su Mu.

This was the first time he had met Su Mu, and he was shocked by Su Mu's appearance.

He never expected that the General Zhenbei, who fought for him in the north and recovered lost territory, would have such white hair.

I couldn't help but wonder: how did this centenarian manage to live like that?

After the initial shock, anger surged up again.

"Su Mu, do you know your crime?"

Su Mu stood there, his tone firm and neither humble nor arrogant.

"This old minister is unaware of what crime he has committed and begs Your Majesty to enlighten him."

"You didn't know?" Xiao Jinghuan sneered. "You released Tuoba Lie, colluded with the enemy, abandoned your post, entered the capital without permission, and killed Xu Zhaowen and Xu Zhaowu, disregarding human life. You didn't know?"

Su Mu snorted coldly, faced the emperor directly, and said, "This is utter nonsense."

These words stunned Xiao Jinghuan.

"Your Majesty, I released Tuoba Lie so that the Northern Di would submit and turn hostility into friendship."

"I came to the capital to see my granddaughter."

"As for killing Xu Zhaowen and Xu Zhaowu, it was because they kidnapped the old minister's granddaughter, and they deserved to die."

"This old minister is innocent."

The crown prince sneered, "You say I'm innocent, and that's it? Where's the evidence?"

Su Mu ignored the Crown Prince and looked at the Emperor, continuing, "As for you, the Emperor, it's one thing to be in the court and disregard the lives of the soldiers on the border, but instead you listen to the slander of these court officials and harm loyal and virtuous people."

"What a tyrannical ruler!"

"You..." Xiao Jinghuan was furious. "You...you actually dare to call me a tyrant?"

Su Mu remained unyielding and continued, "So what if I insult you?"

"A ruler should have compassion for the soldiers who sacrifice their lives for the court, and should love and cherish the people, serving the country and its people."

"When have you ever done that?"

Xiao Jinghuan's face turned ashen from the words, and he was about to order the Imperial Guards to arrest Su Mu!

At this moment, an Imperial Guard soldier ran in from outside the palace, knelt on one knee, and was panting heavily.

"Report!"

"Your Majesty! Two men have arrived outside the palace, claiming to be Qin Hao, a subordinate of the Northern General Who Guards the North, and Tuoba Lie, the King of the Northern Barbarians!"

"We request an audience with His Majesty!"