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

"Old Su, look! We've arrived at the South Gate Estuary!"

Chu Tianba's voice came from the bow of the ship, carrying a hint of relief.

Everyone followed his gaze...

A gray-blue fortress rises from the ground. Although the walls are not high, they are built against the mountain, with steep cliffs on both sides. The river flows through the waterway at the foot of the fortress.

The waterway is narrow, allowing only two large ships to pass side by side. Several watchtowers are perched on the rock walls on both sides. Although they look somewhat old, the easily defensible terrain still makes them appear as a natural barrier.

The gates of the fortress were tightly shut, and several iron chains lay across the entrance to the waterway, with wooden stakes and spikes attached to them, blocking the entire waterway.

On the dock, dozens of guards stood in neat rows, holding spears and crossbows, ready for battle.

Leading the group was a burly captain, his hand on the hilt of his sword, his face grave, his eyes warily fixed on the dozen or so approaching ships ahead.

"stop!"

"Who goes there? The South Gate and the river mouth are sealed off. Without a pass, you are not permitted to pass!"

The fleet slowly approached the shore.

Xiao Yunchuan leaped off the bow of the boat and landed on the bluestone slab of the dock.

He held a bright yellow imperial edict and a heavy military seal token high in his hands, his voice booming.

"His Majesty's decree is here! General Su Mu, Duke of Zhenbei and Grand Marshal of the Eastern Expedition, is here on imperial orders to lead the army! Why are you all kneeling to receive this decree?"

The captain's gaze fell on the imperial edict and the token, his pupils suddenly contracted, his legs went weak, and he knelt down with a thud.

The dozens of guards behind him also knelt down in unison.

"Greetings, General Su!"

Xiao Yunchuan carefully put away the imperial edict and token, then stepped aside.

Su Mu slowly walked off the ship and onto the dock.

The captain raised his head and secretly glanced at Su Mu.

With his white hair and thin frame, he looked no different from any other ordinary elderly person on the street.

No one would ever imagine that the old man before them was the centenarian war god who struck fear into the hearts of the Northern Di royal court in the northern border.

"This humble general...this humble general will immediately go and fetch the city garrison officer to come and greet us!"

The captain scrambled to his feet, turned, and ran wildly into the city gate.

Not long after, a captain dressed in armor ran out from inside the pass.

He rushed to Su Mu, knelt down with a thud, his forehead touching the ground, his voice trembling.

"Zhou Shouyi, the garrison commander of Nanguan Jiangkou, was unaware of the arrival of General Su and the Sixth Prince. I apologize for not welcoming you properly, General Su! And please forgive me, Sixth Prince!"

Su Mu smiled and said, "No need for formalities, Commandant Zhou. Please take this old man into the pass to have a look."

Zhou Shouyi quickly stepped aside to make way.

"General Su, please! Sixth Prince, please! Everyone, please!"

The group passed through the gate of the city and entered the interior of the South Gate River Estuary.

The city gate was not large, and it was surrounded by a wall made of bluestone. In the very center was a two-story watchtower, with a large blue dragon flag of the Qianlong era flying on the top of the tower, fluttering in the wind.

Su Mu stopped by the city wall, looking at the scattered arrows and piles of rolling stones, and then at the guards on the wall.

Scattered in twos and threes, scattered here and there.

"Master Zhou,"

How many troops are stationed inside the pass?

Zhou Shouyi's face stiffened slightly, he lowered his head, and his voice became somewhat hesitant.

"Reporting to General Su, there were originally three thousand soldiers guarding the south gate of the river."

"But... half a month ago, His Highness the Crown Prince ordered that troops be drawn from various passes to reinforce Haizhou City."

"At the mouth of the South Gate River... 2,900 men were transferred out, and now only..."

"Only... one hundred people remain."

Su Mu remained silent.

Su Mu's silence sent a chill down Zhou Shouyi's spine.

Xiao Yunchuan began to question him.

"One hundred people?"

"How come there are only a hundred men left at such a crucial pass? Aren't we just handing Haizhou City's escape route to the Dongyi people?"

"Brother's move is practically a desperate gamble!"

Zhou Shouyi knelt on the ground, his forehead pressed against the ground, his voice trembling.

"General Su, it is my incompetence... I have also written to His Highness the Crown Prince, requesting that at least one thousand soldiers be left to guard the area."

"But His Highness the Crown Prince replied that if Haizhou City falls, it will be futile to defend Nanguan Jiangkou no matter how many people defend it."

"If we can't break through, a hundred men will suffice. This humble general... this humble general dares not disobey military orders..."

Su Mu still did not answer.

He walked to the edge of the city wall, gazing at the wide river beyond the pass, his eyes calm as still water.

After a while, he turned around, looked at Zhou Shouyi, and said soothingly, "Get up!"

"You did nothing wrong in this matter."

"The one who is wrong is the Crown Prince."

"You've been diligently guarding this pass, which is already a great service."

Then, Su Mu gently patted Zhou Shouyi on the shoulder: "You've worked hard!"

Upon hearing this, Zhou Shouyi suddenly raised his head, his eyes red, deeply moved.

Su Mu's words were unexpected.

He thought he would be punished!

Unexpectedly, Su Mu comforted him.

Chu Tianba stood aside, watching Su Mu comfort the city guard who was quite frightened, and sighed inwardly.

If it were any other general in this situation, they would probably have already angrily rebuked the city's garrison officer for incompetence and lax discipline.

But Old Su didn't.

He understood the situation and did not hold a grudge against a minor official who had no power to change the situation.

This is true "compassion for the plight of those below".

Wei Honglie's gaze held a deeper meaning.

He thought to himself, "General Su's reputation is well-deserved; no wonder the soldiers in the Northern Frontier are willing to fight to the death for him."

"We made the right choice in following General Su."

Just as everyone breathed a slight sigh of relief...

"Report!"

"My lord! Something terrible has happened!"

A scout, soaking wet and terrified, stumbled in from outside the pass.

"The Eastern Barbarians...the fleet of the Eastern Barbarians!"

"Dozens of large ships! Are heading down the Nanpan River!"

"We've already passed the northern bend, and I estimate... we'll reach the pass in less than the time it takes for an incense stick to burn!"

Inside the fortified city, silence fell instantly.

Zhou Shouyi's face changed drastically, filled with terror.

He staggered back two steps, grabbing the city wall to steady himself, his voice trembling: "How...how many people?"

The scout swallowed hard and replied, "My rough estimate is... at least... at least thirty thousand!"

"Thirty thousand?"

Chu Tianba also exclaimed in surprise.

"Our brothers from Qianlong Village, plus the hundred brothers guarding the city here, make a total of three hundred men!"

"Thirty thousand against three hundred? This isn't war!"

The brothers of Qianlong Village were in an uproar.

Encountering such a large-scale scene on my first battlefield.

That's a real test of skill!

Even the usually composed Wei Honglie was taken aback upon hearing this news. He walked over to Su Mu's side and said, "Three hundred against thirty thousand, Elder Su, the disparity in strength is too great."

"How about... how about we retreat? Before they arrive, let's retreat into Jiangnan..."

"Once we get to Jiangnan, we'll find a way to fight our way back."

Zhou Shouyi also looked at Su Mu.

"General Su... Nanguan Jiangkou was originally easy to defend and difficult to attack, but even if it's difficult to defend, a hundred men can't hold off thirty thousand!"

All eyes were on Su Mu, some with fear, some with anticipation, and some with bewilderment.

Su Mu stood by the city wall, his body hunched over, as immovable as a mountain.

After thinking for a moment, he turned around and looked at everyone.

"There's no need to retreat. If we retreat, the entire East China Sea will fall into the hands of the Eastern Yi bandits, and the tens of thousands of troops in Haizhou City will be completely wiped out."

"I will absolutely not allow this to happen."

"So what if there are 30,000 people? The South Gate River Estuary is surrounded by mountains on both sides, and the waterway is narrow, so large ships can only enter in a single file."

"Although they outnumbered each other, only a few hundred could actually charge up at once."

Chu Tianba was quite surprised and asked, "Elder Su, what do you mean...?"

Su Mu smiled and said, "Now, it's time for the brothers of Qianlong Village to show their talents."

"So what if it's 300 against 30,000?"

"We will not lose this battle."