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

Ninghai City, Central Military Tent.

Crown Prince Xiao Yunfeng sat in the main seat, his gaze fixed on the map.

Han Shixun and several other generals sat on either side.

The crown prince's face showed no expression, but his heart was far from calm as it appeared.

he thought...

My third uncle, Xiao Jingyu, has been deep behind enemy lines for more than ten days, and his fate is unknown.

The scouts sent out returned one after another. Some said that the Dongyi people had carried out a large-scale sweep near Wanhu City, while others said that they had found traces of battle in the mountains and forests to the east. However, there was still no definite news.

Is Uncle San still alive, or has he already died at the hands of the Dongyi people?

The crown prince couldn't say for sure which outcome he hoped for.

If his third uncle were to die, he would lose one of his biggest rivals in the imperial court.

In his eyes, his third uncle had always supported his second brother Xiao Yunshan, and had a very high prestige in the court. Even his father would seriously consider what he said.

Without him, the second brother would lose an arm, making the crown prince's position even more secure.

But if my third uncle dies, if he really loses his life in the East Sea, how will I explain it to my father?

Furthermore, without Uncle Three's wisdom, how can this battle be fought?

For a moment, the Crown Prince's evil gaze flickered uncertainly.

"Your Highness!" Xu Cheng lifted the tent flap and strode in. He walked up to the Crown Prince, clasped his hands in greeting, and said, "The spies I sent out have returned."

The crown prince's eyes lit up, and he leaned forward slightly: "How is it?"

Xu Cheng's expression was complicated.

"The Dongyi people are conducting a large-scale sweep around Wanhu City, with multiple forces moving back and forth."

"This humble general suspects that the Third Prince is still alive, and that the Dongyi people have already discovered traces of his activities and are doing everything they can to capture him."

He paused, his tone tinged with urgency: "Your Highness, the Third Prince has gone deep behind enemy lines alone and held off the Eastern Barbarians for so long, which in itself has bought us precious time."

"The Dongyi people are currently in a state of chaos and instability due to his actions, making this the perfect opportunity for us to send troops to Wanhu City!"

"This humble general suggests that we immediately send troops to catch them off guard!"

The crown prince did not answer, his brows furrowed as he pondered the pros and cons.

"Your Highness!" Han Shixun also stood up from his seat, his voice urgent, "General Xu is right! If we send troops now and launch a frontal assault on Wanhu City, the Dongyi people will be thrown into chaos in their rear, and they will certainly be unable to defend themselves from both ends! This is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity!"

Upon hearing this, the crown prince remained calm, but in his heart, he had already begun to make plans.

My third uncle did indeed tie down the Dongyi people's forces behind enemy lines, which was both a good thing and a bad thing for him.

The good thing is that the Dongyi people have no spare strength to attack Ninghai City, so he can take the opportunity to reorganize his troops and consolidate his defenses.

The bad thing is, if Uncle San really creates an opportunity but he doesn't send troops, will the generals doubt his ability to command troops?

But what if we send troops? What if we fall into the Eastern Barbarians' ambush and suffer heavy losses? Where would that leave the Crown Prince's face?

"Generals," the Crown Prince finally spoke, "how do you know this isn't a trap set by the Dongyi people? What if they're using Uncle San as bait to lure us into rashly sending troops, and then setting up an ambush? In that case, not only will we be unable to save Uncle San, but we'll also lose Ninghai City."

"No matter how capable Uncle is, he's still just one person."

"One person can shake the tens of thousands of troops of the Eastern Barbarians? That's just too far-fetched."

"In my opinion, the Eastern Yi people's sweeping around Wanhu City these days is probably not to capture Uncle San, but to mislead us and make us think that there is an opportunity to take advantage of, so that we will take the initiative to attack."

Zhao Huaizhong quickly stepped forward and continued, following the Crown Prince's lead: "Your Highness is wise! This humble general also believes that sending troops at this time is too risky."

"What if this is a trap set by the Eastern Barbarians? If we rashly attack, we'll surely fall right into their trap!"

"This humble general suggests sending out several more groups of scouts to further ascertain the strength and weaknesses of the Dongyi people. When the time is truly ripe, we should then seize Wanhu City in one fell swoop!"

The crown prince's lips curled slightly upward, and he nodded.

"General Zhao is right."

"To send troops out rashly is a grave mistake."

"Pass down the order to strengthen reconnaissance and pay close attention to the movements of the Dongyi people. No one may send troops without my order."

Han Shixun's face was grim. He gritted his teeth, suppressing his anger, and said, "Your Highness, I do not request the mobilization of the main army. I only ask that Your Highness allow me to lead three thousand soldiers to meet the Third Prince!"

"The Third Prince risked his life alone, fighting for the Great Qian! If he dies, I cannot bear it..."

"Enough!" The Crown Prince slammed his hand on the table with a loud bang, his face darkening. "Han Shixun, you've gone too far!"

"I know your father and your third uncle are old friends, and you have admired your third uncle since childhood. However, with a formidable enemy at hand, you should prioritize the greater good!"

"You have repeatedly defied me, the Crown Prince, for personal reasons, and even attempted to send troops without authorization. Are you disobeying military orders?"

Han Shixun was filled with anger.

He glanced at the Crown Prince, his eyes filled with an indescribable coldness, then abruptly turned and strode out of the tent.

"Outrageous! How dare he be so disrespectful to me, the Crown Prince!" The Crown Prince stared at Han Shixun's departing figure, angrily rebuking him, "Does he even respect me as his commander-in-chief?"

Seeing the atmosphere getting a bit tense, Xu Cheng quickly stepped in to smooth things over, cupping his hands and smiling, "Your Highness, please calm down. Young people are often hot-tempered, and it's inevitable that they'll act impulsively."

"Han Shixun is a rare military talent, but he sometimes acts impulsively. Your Highness is the commander-in-chief and has a broad mind; why bother arguing with him?"

The crown prince's expression softened slightly, but he still snorted coldly, "If it weren't for his father's sake, I would have punished him today for insubordination! I would have sent him back to his camp to reflect on his actions!"

Zhao Huaizhong stood aside, gave a cold laugh, and said sarcastically, "Your Highness, it's understandable that young people are hot-tempered, but no matter how young they are, they should know that the emperor's orders cannot be disobeyed."

"Han Shixun's words just now, if you knew him, you would think he was a general under His Highness's command; if you didn't, you would think he only obeyed the Third Prince's orders."

These words were like a needle, precisely piercing the most sensitive spot in the prince's heart.

A chill ran through his eyes, but he said nothing more, only waving his hand to signal the generals to step back.

Xu Cheng and Zhao Huaizhong left the camp.

Inside the main tent, only Crown Prince Xiao Yunfeng remained.

A sly glint appeared in his eyes.

"Third Uncle, it's one thing for you to oppose me at every turn in the court, but now that you're in the military camp, you can still influence me, the Crown Prince."

"hateful!"

"You want to make a name for yourself in the East China Sea? I'll make sure you don't get your wish."

"The generals want you to come back alive, but I, the Crown Prince, will not save you."

"Your death at the hands of the Eastern Barbarians saves this Crown Prince a lot of trouble."

……

The main hall of the Wanhu City government office was cold and empty.

The Eastern Barbarian commander, Shimazu Ryunosuke, was discussing with his generals when to attack Ninghai City.

"Report!"

As everyone was discussing, a spy strode into the hall, knelt on one knee, and said urgently:

"General! We've found traces of that Daqian guerrilla force!"

"They live in the mountains sixty miles east of Wanhu City, numbering about a thousand, and they frequently appear near our supply lines!"

Ryunosuke Shimazu's fingers suddenly stopped, and anger welled up in his eyes.

"Finally found it." His voice carried a long-suppressed murderous intent. "This fly has been buzzing in my ear for a long time, and today it has finally shown its tail."

"It wasn't easy for me to send out so many teams to sweep through."

He raised his head and glanced at the generals lined up on both sides of the hall.

"Who is willing to go and wipe out this fly for me?"

Before the words were even finished, Sasaki Musashi was the first to step forward, his twin swords crossed behind his back. He knelt on one knee and declared in a loud voice, "General! This humble general is willing to go!"

His eyes were filled with determination.

"In the battle of Ninghai City, I failed to capture Ninghai City, and I feel ashamed."

"Today, I beg the Commander-in-Chief to give this humble general a chance to atone for his sins and perform meritorious service!"

"This humble general will certainly bring back the head of the leader of that Great Qian guerrilla force and present it before the Commander-in-Chief!"

The other generals in the hall remained silent.

They knew that Sasaki Musashi's defeat in Ninghai City had left him seething with anger, and he would retaliate against anyone who dared to compete with him now.

Seeing the eager look in Sasaki Musashi's eyes, Shimazu Ryunosuke nodded in agreement without hesitation.

"Very well, I grant you permission to lead three thousand elite soldiers. Set off immediately. Leave no survivors; kill them all."

Sasaki Musashi clasped his hands in a fist and said, "This humble general obeys!"

Soon after, bugle calls sounded outside the government office, and three thousand Dongyi soldiers quickly assembled.

Saki Musashi mounted his horse and shouted to the three thousand soldiers behind him:

"Set off!"

"Kill all those Great Qian people!"