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

"Tuoba Lie, the King of the Northern Barbarians? Why would he come to the capital?"

"Qin Hao, why did you come with Tuoba Lie?"

"What exactly is going on?"

Emperor Xiao Jinghuan muttered to himself, his eyes full of confusion.

Crown Prince Xiao Yunfeng's smile froze on his face, his lips slowly drooping, and an ominous premonition welled up in his heart.

He thought to himself: Tuoba Lie is here? What's he doing here? Wasn't he released by Su Mu? Why is he here at this time?

Prime Minister Li Yuan's face turned deathly pale instantly, and an ominous premonition surged up within him.

He subconsciously looked at the Crown Prince, who was also looking at him; both of their eyes were filled with complex emotions.

"Impossible...impossible..."

"Why would Tuoba Lie come to the capital? He should hate Su Mu to the core. Su Mu killed his elder brother and imprisoned him for so long..."

"Your Majesty, be careful, there might be a trap."

Prime Minister Li Yuan bowed and reminded the emperor.

Xiao Jinghuan did not answer, but quietly pondered, suppressing the anger in his heart in that instant.

Therefore, the hall was deathly silent.

After observing the situation, Xiao Jingyu seized the opportunity, stepped forward, and cupped his hands, saying, "Your Majesty, Tuoba Lie had a prior agreement with General Su. General Su released him not to betray the country, but to allow him to unify the Northern Barbarians and submit to the Great Qian."

"He must have come to Kyoto for this very reason."

"Brother, the submission of the Northern Barbarians is a cause for great joy!"

"This is an achievement that even the late Emperor could not accomplish; Your Majesty, you have the opportunity to do it!"

His voice was loud and clear, echoing throughout the hall.

Xiao Jinghuan frowned, his eyes darting around.

He glanced at Xiao Jingyu, then at Su Mu, and finally at the outside of the hall.

"Bring them in."

Xiao Jinghuan's voice returned to normal, and his demeanor regained its imperial bearing.

"Summon... Qin Hao of the Northern Border and Tuoba Lie, King of the Northern Di, to an audience!"

soon.

Two figures strode in from outside the main hall.

Qin Hao was covered in dust and grime in his armor, his face weary, but his eyes were full of light.

Tuoba Lie wore a black sable fur coat and walked with a steady gait.

The two walked to the center of the hall and knelt on one knee.

"This humble general, Qin Hao, greets Your Majesty!"

"Tuoba Lie of the Northern Barbarians pays respects to His Majesty the Great Qian Emperor!"

Xiao Jinghuan stared at Tuoba Lie, sizing him up.

He had never met Tuoba Lie, but he had heard the name countless times.

The Left Wise King of the Northern Barbarians was brave, resourceful, and highly skilled in martial arts. He was Tuoba Feng's most capable subordinate.

Now, he has become the King of the Northern Barbarians.

Moreover, this Northern Di king even knelt before him.

A sense of pride welled up in Xiao Jinghuan's heart.

"Rise."

Qin Hao and Tuoba Lie stood up.

Xiao Jinghuan looked at Tuoba Lie and asked in a deep voice, "Tuoba Lie, why have you come to the capital?"

Tuoba Lie clasped his hands in a fist salute.

"Your Majesty, I have come here to fulfill my promise to General Su."

"The Northern Barbarians have submitted to the Great Qian and will never again invade."

"The Northern Barbarians wish to submit to the Great Qian Dynasty, pay tribute annually, and maintain friendly relations for generations to come. We beseech Your Majesty's permission."

Inside the hall, a commotion erupted.

Xiao Jinghuan's eyes widened suddenly, his body trembled, and his face was filled with shock and surprise.

"Are you serious? The Northern Barbarians... are submitting to the Great Qian?"

Tuoba Lie raised his head, his gaze calm.

"Your Majesty, it is absolutely true."

"General Su released me back to the Northern Barbarians not because I was a traitor, but for the sake of peace between the Northern Barbarians and the Great Qian Dynasty."

"He asked me to unify the Northern Barbarians, rectify internal affairs, and then come to the Great Qian to meet the Emperor and submit to him."

"I have come today to fulfill this promise."

He paused, his voice becoming even more sincere.

"Your Majesty, the Northern Barbarians and the Great Qian have been at war for three years, with countless people dying and countless lives lost."

"The people are suffering terribly, and the soldiers are exhausted."

"General Su said that the people are the ones who suffer the most in war."

"He didn't want to see bloodshed anymore, he didn't want to see families torn apart, so he gave me a chance, and he also gave the Northern Barbarians a chance."

He bowed deeply.

"Please grant my request, Your Majesty."

Xiao Jinghuan turned around and looked at Su Mu.

The old man with white hair and a hunched back stood in the hall, his eyes calm as still water, his face showing no pride or desire for credit, only a touching serenity.

"Su Mu..." Xiao Jinghuan's voice choked slightly, "You released Tuoba Lie to make him submit? You sent troops to escort him back to the Northern Barbarians to allow him to unify the royal court?"

"And then, submit to the Great Qian?"

Su Mu sighed and replied:

"Your Majesty, this old minister has been fighting in the northern border for more than half a year, killing countless Northern Di people and countless soldiers of the Great Qian Dynasty."

"This old minister knows that if we continue fighting, although we may be able to destroy the Northern Di, the Great Qian will also suffer heavy losses."

"It is better to turn hostility into friendship than to suffer mutual destruction."

"Tuoba Lie is brave, resourceful, principled, and responsible. If he becomes king, the Northern Di will not engage in reckless military campaigns, and the northern border of the Great Qian can enjoy a century of peace."

He raised his head and looked at Xiao Jinghuan.

"Therefore, I took it upon myself to let Tuoba Lie go!"

"When a general is in the field, he may disobey some of the emperor's orders."

"The situation was urgent at the time, and there was no time to report to the imperial court."

Xiao Jinghuan's eyes reddened.

He strode up to Su Mu, grasped Su Mu's hands in both, and said excitedly:

"General Su, you have recovered the northern border for me, killed the Northern Di King, and now you have brought the Northern Di under your rule. This is an unparalleled achievement!"

"I...I'm so confused!"

"I almost... I almost listened to slander and wrongly killed a loyal and virtuous person!"

He turned around abruptly, his eyes blazing with anger as he stared at Crown Prince Xiao Yunfeng and Prime Minister Li Yuan.

The Crown Prince and the Prime Minister were both pale-faced, knowing that the situation had drastically changed.

"Your Highness, Prime Minister, didn't you say that Su Mu was a traitor and a collaborator with the enemy?"

"Didn't you say that Su Mu colluded with the Northern Di and plotted treason? Now that the King of the Northern Di has personally come to the capital to submit, what else do you have to say?"

"You are bewitching me and framing loyal officials!"

"What should be the punishment?"

The crown prince quickly cupped his hands and said.

"Father...Father...Your son...Your son was also misled by the news from the North...Your son did not know that Su Mu wanted the Northern Di to submit...Your son..."

His voice was broken and incoherent.

Li Yuan also knelt down, his forehead hitting the blue bricks with a thud.

"Your Majesty...Your Majesty...I was also...deceived by the Xu brothers. I was unaware of the specific situation in the Northern Border..."

Xiao Jinghuan snorted coldly, about to speak.

Prime Minister Li Yuan suddenly raised his head, a sinister glint flashing in his eyes.

"Your Majesty, even if letting Tuoba Lie go was somewhat understandable, Su Mu killing Xu Zhaowen and Xu Zhaowu is an undeniable fact!"

"Xu Zhaowen and Xu Zhaowu were descendants of officials appointed by the imperial court. Su Mu killed them without authorization, showing utter disregard for the law. What should his punishment be?"

He gritted his teeth, staring intently at Su Mu, as if grasping at the last straw.

"Your Majesty, the evidence against Su Mu for murder is irrefutable! Before Wanbao Pawnshop was burned down, someone personally witnessed Su Mu coming out of it."

"This isn't a frame-up, it's not a false accusation, it's the truth! Does that mean Su Mu doesn't deserve to be punished for killing someone?"

The crown prince's eyes lit up slightly, and he quickly echoed, "Father, the Prime Minister is right."

"The submission of the Northern Barbarians is a joyous occasion, but the fact remains that Su Mu committed murder."

"Merit is merit, and fault is fault; they should not be confused."

Consort Xu also came to her senses, covered her mouth with a handkerchief, and began to sob.

"Your Majesty, my two nephews died so tragically... Even if they were at fault, they should have been handed over to the authorities for trial. How could they be killed privately? Su Mu has no regard for the law and treats human life like dirt..."

The atmosphere in the hall became tense again.

"Report!"

An imperial guard soldier ran in from outside the palace and knelt on one knee to report to the emperor.

"Your Majesty! A man has arrived outside the palace, claiming to have important evidence to present to you in person!"

"He said he possessed irrefutable evidence that Xu Zhaowen and Xu Zhaowu, under the Prime Minister's orders, kidnapped Su Mu's granddaughter!"

Upon hearing this, Li Yuan was immediately shocked.

Who is this?

They actually claim to have evidence?

The prince's body jolted violently, and the color drained completely from his face.

He lowered his head, not daring to look at anyone.

Xiao Jinghuan waved his yellow robe sleeves and gave the order:

"Let him in!"