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

The night is dark.

Inside the main hall, the banquet had long since been cleared away, and the lively scene had vanished.

But Su Mu and the others did not leave; they remained seated and waited quietly.

The candlelight flickered in the wind, casting everyone's shadows on the wall, their forms shifting and uncertain.

Xiao Zhi Qiu was restless and kept glancing towards the door.

Xiao Zhixia was just as anxious, her heart burning with worry.

Su Qingxue leaned against her grandfather, yawning sleepily, but she insisted on not going to sleep and wanted to wait for Uncle Xiao to come back.

They waited like that for another half hour...

Finally, footsteps sounded outside the door.

Outside the door, Xiao Jingyu strode in.

His face was somewhat pale, but his eyes held a resolute determination.

The night wind blew in from outside the door, making his robes flutter.

"Father!" Xiao Zhi Qiu was the first to rush forward, grabbing her father's arm and asking anxiously, "What's the situation? What did the court say?"

Xiao Jingyu walked to the center of the main hall, his gaze sweeping over everyone, his voice steady but tinged with weariness.

"His Majesty has issued an edict, appointing the Crown Prince as commander-in-chief and Xu Cheng as vanguard officer, to lead an army of 50,000 to the East Sea to suppress the Eastern Yi bandits."

He paused, then continued:

"I... will go with the army."

Xiao Zhixia suddenly stood up, her expression changing drastically.

"Father, are you going to the East Sea?"

"No! You can't go!"

Xiao Zhi Qiu also became anxious, and her eyes immediately reddened.

"Father, my eldest and second brothers are missing. If something happens to you too... what will we do? The East Sea is so far away, and the Dongyi people are so cruel... you..."

Xiao Zhixia walked up to her father, grabbed his hands, and said with concern and anxiety.

"Father, have you thought about this...?"

"The Crown Prince and you have never gotten along. You have opposed his decisions in court many times, and he has always regarded you as a thorn in his side."

"Now that he's leading the army and you're under his command, if he takes the opportunity to harm you, you'll be isolated and helpless. At that time..."

She didn't finish her sentence, but her meaning was already clear.

Looking into his daughter's worried eyes, Xiao Jingyu felt a surge of indescribable sorrow.

He reached out and gently patted Xiao Zhixia's shoulder, his voice gentle yet firm.

"Zhixia, I've thought about all of these things you've mentioned."

"But your eldest brother and fourth brother, their fate is unknown. If I sit in the capital waiting for news, I will regret it for the rest of my life."

Xiao Zhi Qiu's tears finally fell.

"Father, do you really have to go?"

Xiao Jingyu nodded heavily.

Xiao Zhixia wanted to persuade her further, but in the end she swallowed her words.

She knew her father's temper; once he made up his mind, no one could dissuade him.

There was absolutely no way to get my father to give up like this.

Moreover, she also wanted her eldest brother and fourth brother to survive.

Su Mu sat to the side without saying a word.

He looked quietly at Xiao Jingyu, at his bloodshot yet unusually determined eyes, and an indescribable emotion welled up in his heart.

He knows that feeling all too well.

The feeling of being willing to give anything to protect loved ones.

"Your Highness," Su Mu finally spoke, his voice hoarse, "if you've made up your mind, then go."

Xiao Jingyu turned around, looked at Su Mu, and his eyes were filled with gratitude.

"It's decided."

"Yichun and Yidong are my children. I cannot allow them to disappear on the battlefield without explanation."

"I want to see him alive or dead. Even if it's extremely dangerous, I'm going."

Su Mu nodded and didn't say anything more.

"Alright, then go ahead. I'll take care of things at home for you."

Xiao Jingyu gave Su Mu a deep look, then clasped his hands in thanks and said, "Thank you, Elder Su."

He turned around and waved to the crowd.

"Okay!"

"Go and rest, everyone. I will be setting off early tomorrow morning."

The crowd dispersed and returned to their rooms.

Xiao Zhixia and Xiao Zhiqi reluctantly left the main hall, turning back every few steps.

Su Mu and his granddaughter Su Qingxue also left.

As night deepened, the entire palace fell silent.

……

The east wing, in the courtyard.

The moonlight, like water, spilled onto the bluestone path, casting a desolate white glow.

A night breeze swept by, and the osmanthus blossoms in the courtyard fluttered down, swirling in the moonlight before landing on the ground.

At this moment, Xiao Jingyu stepped into the courtyard and sat down in the pavilion.

Then he carefully placed a long knife on the stone table.

His gaze lingered on the long sword for a long time.

Xiao Jingyu reached out, his fingers gripping the hilt of the sword, and slowly drew the long sword from its sheath.

The blade gleamed with a cold, clear light under the moonlight, its edge still sharp, reflecting the silvery moonlight.

There was a line of small characters engraved on the blade, which were already somewhat blurred, but he could recognize every single one of them.

"A piece of fine jade is presented to Jingyu, wishing you a safe return."

These words were carved by his wife, Lin Qingyao.

He slowly closed his eyes, a tear sliding down his cheek and dripping onto the blade with a soft pattering sound.

"Qingyao, I'm so sorry. I didn't take good care of Yichun and Yidong."

His fingers gently traced the words on the knife, as if caressing his wife's face.

"Don't worry, I will definitely find them."

"If they are harmed by the Dongyi people, I will use this knife to avenge them. If they are still alive, I will take them home."

Inside the room, Su Mu had heard Xiao Jingyu talking to himself early in the morning.

He never expected that Xiao Jingyu had such a deeply affectionate past.

"Your Highness."

Just then, a hoarse voice came from inside the room.

Su Mu opened the door and walked out, wearing a long robe.

Xiao Jingyu quickly stood up and put the long sword back on the stone table.

"Mr. Su, you're still awake?"

Su Mu walked into the pavilion, sat down on the stone bench, and his gaze immediately fell on the long sword.

"I couldn't sleep, so I came out for a walk."

"This knife is quite old."

Xiao Jingyu remained silent for a moment before sitting down again.

"yes!"

"This sword has been with me for almost twenty years."

Su Mu didn't speak, he just listened quietly.

Xiao Jingyu lowered his head, his gaze fixed on the blade, and spoke in a low voice:

"When I was young, I was competitive and enjoyed the feeling of fighting on the battlefield."

"At that time, my wife, Lin Qingyao, was also a general. She was highly skilled in martial arts and loved to fight on the battlefield."

"My husband and I fought side by side and never lost on the battlefield."

"Fifteen years ago, ten kingdoms in the southern Yan region launched a joint invasion, advancing all the way to the heart of the Central Plains."

"The king and Qingyao led the troops into battle and routed the allied forces of Yan."

"At that time, I was young and impetuous, and I was determined to cut off the head of the commander of the allied forces, so I chased them all the way into Yan territory."

"Qingyao was worried that I would be ambushed, so she led three thousand soldiers to follow behind me."

At this point, Xiao Jingyu's voice trembled, and he paused.

"And then?" Su Mu asked.

Xiao Jingyu took a deep breath.

"Then we fell into an ambush. The allied forces from Yan set up an ambush on both sides of the canyon and rained down arrows."

"Although we fought our way out of the encirclement, Qingyao... she took a hidden arrow to save me."

"The arrow pierced her heart, and she died instantly..."

He didn't continue speaking and remained silent for a long time.

The moonlight spilled into the pavilion, illuminating Xiao Jingyu's sorrowful face filled with memories.

His lips trembled slightly, and tears welled up in his eyes.

Those memories came flooding back all at once.

"From that time on, I sheathed my sword, relinquished my military power, and vowed never to go to the battlefield again in my life."

He looked up at Su Mu, his eyes filled with bitterness.

"Old Master Su, do you think I'm useless? I can't even protect my wife and children."

Su Mu was silent for a moment, then replied:

"Your Highness, people who are too sentimental are often prone to getting stuck in painful memories and unable to extricate themselves."

Xiao Jingyu paused for a moment, then gave a wry smile.

"Old Su is right, memories are the most painful."

He picked up the long sword again, his fingers gently tracing the blade, a fire gradually igniting in his eyes.

"But my love for my wife will never change."

"Yichun and Yidong are the lingering memories Qingyao left for me."

"They cannot be harmed. I will risk my life to bring them back."

He raised his head, his gaze resolute.

"If they live, I will take them home; if they die, I will use this sword to avenge them."

Su Mu looked at Xiao Jingyu with eyes full of respect, and cupped his hands in greeting, saying:

"Your Highness, in my life, there are not many people I admire, but you are one of them."

"You are a good husband, a good father, and a good prince."

Xiao Jingyu's eyes reddened slightly. He stood up and bowed deeply to Su Mu.

"Elder Su, the reason I came here so late at night is to ask you for a favor."

"Please speak, Your Highness!" Su Mu replied without hesitation.

Xiao Jingyu raised his head, and the desolate look in his eyes vanished instantly, replaced by a firm resolve.

"My journey to the East Sea is fraught with peril."

"If I am not able to return, please ask Elder Su to take care of Zhixia and Zhiqiu for me."

"Don't let them seek revenge, don't let them get involved in the court's infighting, let them live peacefully."

After listening, Su Mu nodded solemnly.

"I promise you, as long as I have a breath left, no one will be able to harm them."

"Mr. Su, I can't thank you enough."

Su Mu walked over and patted him on the shoulder.

"Go, take your knife, and go find your son."

"I'm in the capital, waiting for you to come back for a drink."

Xiao Jingyu nodded vigorously, cupped his hands in greeting, picked up his long sword, and strode out of the courtyard.

Su Mu stood in the pavilion, gazing in the direction Xiao Jingyu had left, remaining motionless for a long time.

"What a deeply affectionate and righteous prince," he murmured to himself. "He took up his sword again for his family; he's truly a man of unwavering integrity."

"We hope you can return safely with your two sons!"