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

In the main hall of the Third Prince's residence, the lights were on, and people were drinking and making merry.

A dozen or so huge candlesticks illuminated the entire main hall as if it were daytime.

The long table was laden with delicacies from land and sea.

Roasted whole lamb, steamed sea bass, braised pork knuckle, eight-treasure duck...

It was incredibly fragrant.

Several jars of fine wine were placed on the corner of the table, their rich aroma filling the air and refreshing the soul.

Since Su Mu was the one hosting the dinner, Xiao Jingyu had Su Mu sit in the main seat.

To host this banquet as a host.

Su Qingxue sat beside him, her little face flushed from eating, with a little sauce still on the corner of her mouth.

Xiao Zhi Qiu and Su Qing Xue sat next to her, wiping her mouth as they did so, laughing as they did so.

Qin Hao, sitting to Su Mu's left, holding a bowl of wine, stood up and said in a loud voice, "Elder Su, this humble general toasts you! You led us through countless battles in the Northern Territory, reclaiming it and establishing unparalleled achievements. Now you have been exonerated and granted the title of Duke. The brothers in the Northern Territory will surely be overjoyed to hear this!"

"Furthermore, this morning I received news from the Ministry of War that His Majesty has bestowed rewards upon me and all the soldiers in our northern border region."

"All of this is thanks to Elder Su. On behalf of the brothers in the North, I would like to offer Elder Su a toast."

"Okay, come on, cheers."

Su Mu smiled, picked up his wine bowl, and clinked it against Qin Hao's.

Qin Hao was overjoyed, raised his wine glass, tilted his head back, and drank it all in one gulp.

Tuoba Lie sat to Su Mu's right, also picked up his wine bowl, and said sincerely, "Elder Su, I would also like to offer you a bowl."

"The Northern Barbarians and the Great Qian have been at war for three years, and countless people have died. If it weren't for you, the Northern Barbarians and the northern border of the Great Qian would still be suffering from the flames of war. I offer this bowl on behalf of the Northern Barbarians to you!"

Su Mu picked up his wine bowl and clinked glasses with Tuoba Lie.

The Third Prince, Xiao Jingyu, sat at the lower end of the table, holding a wine cup, and watched with a smile as everyone toasted each other.

He had a smile on his face, but beneath that smile lay worry.

At times like this, he would think to himself, "How wonderful it would be if my two sons were here?"

But a good man's ambition lies in all corners of the world, and he couldn't keep his son by his side just because his old father missed him.

However, he had something weighing on his mind these past few days.

His two sons, Xiao Yichun and Xiao Yidong, have not sent any letters home for two months.

They would send letters home every month.

In order not to disturb Su Mu and the others' enjoyment, Xiao Jingyu took a deep breath, dispelling his worries, and then picked up his wine glass and walked towards Su Mu.

"Come, Elder Su, I'd like to offer you a bowl as well."

"You have been granted the title of Duke of Zhenguo, and Qingxue has been granted the title of Princess Anning. This is a double blessing."

"I wish you a smooth life ahead and that you enjoy the happiness of family life."

Su Mu picked up his wine bowl and replied:

"Thank you, Your Highness."

"These past few days, Your Highness has taken great care of me. This bowl is my humble offering to Your Highness."

The two exchanged a smile and drank it all in one gulp.

Xiao Zhi Qiu clapped his hands and laughed, "Great! I'm so happy today! I wish every day could be like this!"

Su Qingxue clapped along, "Qingxue is happy too! Grandpa is here, Sister Zhiqiu is here, everyone is together, Qingxue is the happiest!"

Everyone burst into laughter, and the atmosphere was as lively as during the Chinese New Year.

Amidst the laughter and chatter, a servant from the Prince's mansion strode in through a side door, looking flustered and walking hurriedly.

He walked to the Third Prince's side, bent down, and whispered a few words in Xiao Jingyu's ear.

Xiao Jingyu's wine glass hovered in mid-air, and the smile on his face slowly froze.

Finally, his pupils contracted sharply.

With a loosening of his finger, the wine glass crashed to the ground and shattered, spilling wine everywhere.

The laughter in the main hall stopped abruptly, and everyone's eyes fell on Xiao Jingyu.

Xiao Zhixia was the first to stand up, her face grave. She asked urgently, "Father, what happened?"

Su Mu put down his wine bowl and looked at Xiao Jingyu's face, which had turned deathly pale in an instant. An ominous premonition welled up in his heart.

He had known Xiao Jingyu for so long, and he had never seen him so out of control.

So he asked anxiously:

"Your Highness, what has happened?"

Xiao Jingyu's lips trembled, his expression filled with tension and worry.

"I just...I just received the news."

"The Eastern Barbarians invaded the East China Sea... The 30,000-strong garrison army of the Great Qian Dynasty... was almost completely wiped out..."

As soon as those words were spoken...

The main hall was deathly silent.

Qin Hao suddenly stood up, and the chair slid backward with a piercing creak.

His face turned ashen, and he exclaimed in shock, "What? The Eastern Barbarians have invaded? The entire army of 30,000 of the Great Qian has been wiped out?"

Tuoba Lie's brows were furrowed.

Although he came from the Northern Barbarians, he had heard of the brutality of the Eastern Barbarians.

Those were Japanese pirates who came from the sea. They traveled by ship as if on flat ground, their swordsmanship was strange and their methods were cruel. They burned, killed, looted, raped women, and committed all kinds of evil.

The smile on Xiao Zhi Qiu's face vanished, replaced by worry.

"Father...where are my eldest and second brothers? Aren't they guarding the East Sea? How...how are they?"

Xiao Jingyu closed his eyes, and a tear slid down his cheek.

"Yi Chun and Yi Dong... their whereabouts are unknown, and their fate is uncertain."

Xiao Zhi Qiu's legs went weak, and he almost collapsed to the ground.

Xiao Zhixia grabbed her and supported her, her own hands trembling.

Xiao Yichun and Xiao Yidong are Xiao Jingyu's two sons, and also the older brothers of Xiao Zhixia and Xiao Zhiqi.

The two brothers learned martial arts from a young age and were determined to protect their home and country.

After reaching adulthood, he volunteered to guard the border in Donghai. Over the years, he has made numerous military achievements, which is a source of pride for Xiao Jingyu.

Now that their fate is unknown, how could Xiao Jingyu not worry and feel heartbroken?

Su Mu stood up, walked to Xiao Jingyu, and spoke in a calm voice.

"Your Highness, this matter is of great importance. What do you intend to do?"

Xiao Jingyu took a deep breath and forced back the tears that welled up in his eyes.

He raised his head, looked at Su Mu, and his voice returned to calm.

"Elder Su, the Ministry of War must have already submitted this military report to His Majesty."

"I must go to the palace immediately to see His Majesty and find out what happened."

"Yichun and Yidong... I cannot let them disappear without a trace."

"I want to see him alive or dead."

Su Mu nodded and patted him on the shoulder.

"Go ahead, I'll take care of things here for you."

Xiao Jingyu nodded without hesitation, turned around and strode out of the main hall. His steps were hurried, and the hem of his robe knocked over a wine cup on the table, spilling wine all over the table, but he didn't care.

The main hall remained quiet for a long time.

Su Mu walked back to the table, picked up the wine bowl, but hesitated to drink.

He stared at the dark night outside the window, his brows furrowed.

The Eastern Yi invaded.

The 30,000-strong army was almost completely wiped out.

The whereabouts of the two young generals are unknown.

The East China Sea of ​​the Great Qian Dynasty is once again in turmoil.

"General Qin, how much do you know about those people from the Eastern Yi?"

Qin Hao cupped his hands in greeting and replied, "Reporting to Elder Su."

"I've heard of those Japanese pirates from the East when I was in the northern border."

"They come from islands outside the East China Sea of ​​the Great Qian Dynasty. They are skilled in shipbuilding and sailing. Whether at sea or on land, they are swift and elusive."

"Their swordsmanship is strange, unlike the orthodox martial arts of our Great Qian Dynasty. They follow a wild path, and their attacks are ruthless, targeting vital points."

Tuoba Lie also came over, his face solemn: "A few years ago, when I was in the Northern Barbarians, I had dealings with several Eastern Barbarian merchants."

"They said that the Eastern Barbarians were constantly at war, with the various lords fighting each other. The defeated had nowhere to go, so they went to sea to become pirates."

"These people have no concept of family and country. They burn, kill, loot, and commit all kinds of evil. They don't reason with people, they only talk about force."

"How could such a fragmented and chaotic nation suddenly be able to muster military strength and even dare to wage war against the Great Qian?"

Su Mu remained silent, listening intently to their conversation.

Qin Hao continued, "Six years ago, when I was a centurion, I served in the East China Sea for three months."

"The Great Qian's East China Sea defense line stretches for thousands of miles from north to south."

"Cities are scattered along the coast like stars in the sky, such as Wanhu City, Haizhou City, Ninghai City, and Zhenhai City. Each city served as a barrier against Japanese pirates."

"But now, the entire army of 30,000 has been wiped out at the East China Sea border city, and a gap has been torn in this defensive line."

"Once the Dongyi people break through this defense line and advance unimpeded, that will be the most prosperous Jiangnan region of the Great Qian Dynasty."

"The land there is fertile, rich in resources, densely populated, and bustling with merchants; it is the granary and money bag of the Great Qian Dynasty."

"If the Dongyi people were allowed to set foot in Jiangnan, burning, killing, looting, and causing widespread suffering, it would be a bloodbath even more devastating than in the north."

"Elder Su, the crisis facing the Eastern Barbarians is even greater than that facing the Northern Border."

Su Mu remained silent for a long time before slowly speaking.

"I'm wondering how many troops the Eastern Yi people used to almost completely annihilate their 30,000-strong army."

"Since they have the strength, they will certainly not be satisfied with just conquering one or two border towns. Their goal is probably Jiangnan."

Qin Hao gasped and sighed deeply:

"Jiangnan...that is the foundation of the Great Qian Dynasty."

Su Mu nodded, his eyes filled with seriousness.

"The northern border has just been pacified. If the south is thrown into chaos again, the Great Qian Dynasty will be plunged into turmoil once more."

He turned around, looked at Qin Hao and Tuoba Lie, and spoke in a steady voice.

"General Qin, you will set off for the northern border early tomorrow morning to reorganize the troops, conduct rigorous training, and ensure the defense of the northern border."

"Although the Northern Border has made peace with the Northern Barbarians, we must still guard against anyone taking advantage of the chaos to cause trouble."

Qin Hao clasped his hands in a fist and said, "This humble general obeys!"

Su Mu then looked at Tuoba Lie: "Tuoba Lie, you should also return to the Northern Barbarians and stabilize the royal court."

"Peace in the North was hard-won; we cannot allow it to be disrupted again because of the situation in the East China Sea."

Tuoba Lie nodded: "Don't worry, Elder Su, I've got the Northern Barbarians covered."

"Alright!" Su Mu nodded solemnly. "The world is like this, we must be vigilant."

"After all, a thousand-mile dike can be breached by an ant hole."

Su Mu thought to himself, "I hope those two boys from the Xiao family can survive that great battle."