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

Ryunosuke's exclamation, filled with shock and fear, echoed throughout the tent.

He clutched the secret letter in his hand, gripping it tighter and tighter, his face filled with anger.

The edges of the letter were crumpled by his grip, as if it might be torn to shreds at any moment.

Takenaka Hyōe stood in the tent, his face extremely grim.

Just now he was thinking that no matter how capable Su Mu was, he was just a garrison commander guarding the South Pass River Estuary, and the Crown Prince did not give him an important position.

Looking back now, I realize how naive my thoughts were.

That was the Duke of Zhenbei, personally appointed by the emperor, a war god in the hearts of the people. How dare the crown prince suppress him like this?

It is clear that the Crown Prince's repeated defeats in the East China Sea have made the Emperor realize that the Crown Prince is not capable of leading troops into battle.

So an imperial edict was issued, ordering Su Mu to replace him.

After a long silence, the guard in the bamboo grove slowly spoke: "General, Su Mu... this man is brave and resourceful, calm and collected. Compared to the Crown Prince, he is a hundred times more difficult to deal with."

"With him as the commander-in-chief, the entire Daqian army will surely be transformed, and the battles to come... will be much more difficult."

Ryunosuke did not answer immediately.

He slowly sat back in the main seat, placed the letter on the table, rested his hands on his knees, lowered his head, and remained silent for a long time.

His breathing was heavy, as if he was trying to calm some surging emotions.

Then he spoke, his voice hoarse and tinged with self-mockery: "I never imagined... that after so many years of leading armies, I would be afraid of a centenarian today."

Takenaka Hyōe did not comment on Ryūnosuke's words, but simply stood quietly and waited.

Ryunosuke stood up, walked to the basin of water in the corner of the tent, bent down, scooped up a handful of water, and splashed it hard on his face.

Water droplets streamed down his cheeks, wetting his collar, and a chill spread across his skin.

He leaned against the basin of water, gazing silently at his reflection, and murmured, "Ryunosuke, this battle isn't over yet. The outcome is still uncertain. If you lose your composure now, how will you lead troops in the future?"

After saying that, he scooped up some water and splashed it on his face.

He then turned and walked back to the head of the table, his gaze now calm.

"Strategist, immediately summon all the generals to discuss the next phase of the battle."

"Also... we need to find a way to boost morale in the army."

"The impact of the defeated soldiers at Nanguanjiangkou must not be allowed to continue to spread."

Takenaka Heibei clasped his hands in a fist and said, "This humble general will take care of it immediately."

Then, he turned around and quickly walked out of the tent.

Seeing that the commander-in-chief had regained his confidence, the frustration in Takenaka's bodyguards was greatly reduced.

He had only one thought in his mind.

That is, tens of thousands of troops cannot be suppressed by a centenarian.

……

early morning.

Haizhou City, the government office.

The morning mist had not yet dissipated, and a thin layer of dew covered the courtyard, making the bluestone pavement gleam with a damp light.

Su Mu pushed open the door and came out, his body hunched over, slowly moving his stiff arms a few times.

Although he has achieved a lot of anti-aging, he is still in the physical condition of a seventy or eighty-year-old.

So even after sleeping all night, my bones still feel a bit tight.

He was just about to take a walk around the yard to stretch his muscles when he heard the sound of sword practice coming from the direction of the training ground.

He followed the sound and saw Xiao Yunchuan standing in the center of the courtyard, brandishing his long sword.

The sword light gleamed blindingly in the sunlight.

Sweat streamed down his forehead, soaking the front of his robe, but he was so focused that he didn't notice Su Mu's arrival at all.

Su Mu stood under the eaves, silent, and watched quietly for a while.

This kid's swordsmanship has improved a lot since he was in the capital.

In the time it takes to drink a cup of tea, Xiao Yunchuan finished practicing a set of sword techniques, sheathed his sword, and turned around to see Su Mu.

Upon seeing this, he quickly stepped forward and bowed respectfully.

"Master, why are you up so early? Why didn't you sleep a little longer?"

Su Mu smiled.

"As I get older, I don't need to sleep much, and I wake up on my own before dawn."

"But you, at your age you should be able to eat and sleep well, so why are you practicing swordsmanship from dawn till dusk?"

Xiao Yunchuan scratched his head and laughed, "Because my disciple is too eager to improve."

"During the Battle of Nanguanjiangkou, I watched from the city wall as you, Master, stood alone in front of 30,000 troops, killing enemy generals with one sword and repelling 10,000 soldiers with one palm... I thought to myself, when will I be able to do something for the people like you, Master?"

"Compared to the hardships you endure, Master, fighting on the battlefield for the people of the Great Qian Dynasty, my hardships in sword practice are nothing!"

Su Mu nodded appreciatively: "Good, this young man is teachable."

"Work hard, and you will definitely achieve great things."

Xiao Yunchuan suddenly cupped his hands and said solemnly, "Master, I have a favor to ask."

"you say."

"Please, Master, allow me to join the army, become an ordinary soldier, and fight on the battlefield."

"As a prince, my disciple should take the lead in protecting the people."

"Now that I have come to the East Sea, I should not keep hiding behind my master."

"Therefore, I hope Master will grant my request."

As he spoke, he knelt on one knee, his attitude earnest and his gaze resolute.

Su Mu looked down at him and remained silent for a moment.

Although this young man is the sixth prince, he has no airs at all, and now he wants to start from the bottom, which is truly rare.

Without hesitation, Su Mu nodded and agreed: "Alright, since you have this intention, I will let you join the army."

"However, I can only serve as an ordinary soldier."

"If you want to get promoted, you have to show your true skills on the battlefield and let the soldiers of the three armies see your abilities."

Xiao Yunchuan's eyes suddenly lit up with surprise, and he nodded emphatically, "Disciple understands!"

Just then, the Third Prince Xiao Jingyu and Han Shixun walked in from outside the courtyard gate.

The two were stunned when they saw Xiao Yunchuan kneeling on the ground.

Su Mu beckoned to Han Shixun: "Shixun, come here."

Han Shixun strode forward.

"Mr. Su, what are your orders?"

Su Mu pointed at Xiao Yunchuan and said, "From today onwards, Yunchuan will be under your command as a soldier."

Han Shixun's eyes widened suddenly, thinking he had misheard.

"Elder Su... the Sixth Prince has joined my camp? This..."

Xiao Yunchuan stood up, cupped his hands in greeting to Han Shixun, and said with a smile, "General Han, from now on I am a soldier under your command! If I do anything wrong, please feel free to point it out, don't hold back!"

Han Shixun quickly cupped his hands in greeting, his voice tinged with urgency.

"Elder Su, even if the Sixth Prince wants to join the army, he shouldn't start as a common soldier. At the very least, he should be a captain!"

Su Mu waved his hand and laughed, "It's alright. Yun Chuan hasn't even shown his abilities on the battlefield yet, how can he be appointed a captain so quickly?"

"Just treat him like an ordinary soldier, arrange things for him as you would like, go ahead."

Han Shixun opened his mouth, wanting to say something more, but saw Xiao Jingyu nod slightly to him, indicating that he should do as he was told.

Han Shixun had no choice but to clasp his hands in obeisance and accept the order: "This humble general... obeys."

Afterwards, he led Xiao Yunchuan away from the government office and headed towards the military camp.

Xiao Jingyu walked to Su Mu's side and asked with a smile, "Why did Elder Su let Yun Chuan join the army? He is the Sixth Prince."

Su Mu shook his head, a helpless smile on his face.

"This young man is full of vigor and ambition, and he is determined to kill the enemy and serve his country. If we don't agree, I'm afraid I won't have any peace and quiet in the future."

Xiao Jingyu couldn't help but laugh upon hearing this.

Su Mu looked up at the sky, then turned to Xiao Jingyu: "Your Highness, would you like to accompany this old man for a walk? Let's stroll through the streets and alleys of Haizhou City and see how the people here are doing."

Xiao Jingyu smiled and said, "I would be more than happy to."

The two walked out of the government office side by side.

The streets of Haizhou City were much busier than they had been a few days ago.

Shops along the street gradually opened, a few people lined up in front of breakfast stalls, and a few children squatted on the ground at the alley entrance, drawing grids and playing.

The sunlight slanted in from the east, making the bluestone pavement feel warm and cozy.

The two walked slowly, looking around as they went.

Su Mu's gaze lingered on the shops that were opening and the few passersby, and he looked at them for a while before looking away.

"Your Highness, how are Yichun and Yidong recovering from their injuries?" Su Mu asked.

Xiao Jingyu replied with a smile, "Thank you for your concern, Elder Su. Their injuries have improved a lot. Now that Zhixia and Zhiqiu are taking care of them, I think they will be able to return to the battlefield soon."

Xiao Jingyu suddenly asked, "Elder Su, among all these princes, who do you think is most suitable to be the future crown prince?"

Su Mu remained silent for a moment, his steps unwavering, his voice calm yet earnest: "Your Highness's question suggests you already have a suitable candidate in mind, don't you?"

"The future crown prince must be someone who has the people in his heart."

Hsiao Ching-yu did not deny it.

"Old Su, to be honest, we didn't have it before, but now... we do."

Su Mu nodded, not pressing for details about who it was, but looked at Xiao Jingyu and smiled, "That's good, that's good."

"I trust Your Highness's judgment."