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

The Crown Prince's Residence, Main Hall.

The figure of Lin Yuanshan, the Minister of Revenue, had just disappeared outside the door, and before the footsteps outside the hall had completely subsided, another figure walked in.

The man wore a dark gray robe with a plain belt around his waist. He had no jade ornaments or pendants, and his attire was extremely simple.

He brushed past Lin Yuanshan as he entered, bowing slightly with a smile on his lips.

Lin Yuanshan returned the greeting perfunctorily, then quickly walked out of the courtyard gate.

The middle-aged man stood under the corridor, turned his head to glance at Lin Yuanshan's departing figure, and the smile on his lips deepened.

He withdrew his gaze, straightened his robes, and walked along the corridor toward the main hall.

This man is named Murong Yunqian, the most trusted senior advisor in the Crown Prince's residence.

He was skilled in music, calligraphy, and painting, and was quite well-known among the literati in Beijing.

But what the Crown Prince truly valued about him was not his refined tastes, but rather his perspective on people and events, and his strategic thinking.

This person rarely speaks first when facing the Crown Prince, but every time he does, he manages to give the Crown Prince a foothold in his hesitation.

This is why he is the only senior advisor in the Crown Prince's residence.

When Murong Yunqian entered the main hall, Crown Prince Xiao Yunfeng was standing by the window with his hands behind his back, his brows furrowed and his expression somber.

Hearing footsteps, he turned around, his eyes filled with a suppressed urgency:

"Mr. Murong has arrived, please have a seat."

Murong Yunqian sat down on the chair below him, not in a hurry to speak, but quietly looked at the Crown Prince, waiting for him to start the conversation.

The crown prince waved his hand, signaling all the servants in the hall to leave.

After the footsteps of the servants had faded into the distance, he returned to his seat, rested his hands on his knees, leaned slightly forward, and asked:

"Mr. Murong, are you aware that news has just arrived from the East Sea that Su Mu has already reclaimed the entire East Sea?"

Murong Yunqian frowned, revealing a surprised expression.

"Report back to the Crown Prince."

"This is a military secret of the imperial court, and I have not heard of it before."

"However, General Su's recapture of the East Sea and protection of the Jiangnan region is a joyous occasion for the Great Qian Dynasty, and should also be a good thing for the Crown Prince. Why then does the Crown Prince look worried?"

The prince stood up, walked to the table, picked up the teapot, poured a cup of tea, filled the cup to the brim, and then sighed deeply.

"Mr. Murong, you may not know this, but the Emperor has already issued an edict, allocating 200,000 taels of gold from the national treasury, and ordering Minister of War Wang Ben to personally escort it to the East China Sea to fully support Su Mu in building warships and training a navy, and then crossing the sea to conquer the Eastern Yi."

Murong Yunqian picked up the teacup in front of him, held it in his hand without drinking, and after thinking for a moment, replied, "That's a good thing too, it's an opportunity for the Great Qian to expand its territory."

"If the Crown Prince's position as heir apparent is secured under such circumstances, he will become a powerful and accomplished emperor upon his ascension to the throne."

"But the empire that Su Mu conquered was not conquered for me, the Crown Prince."

The crown prince's voice suddenly turned cold, carrying an air of anger.

"He did it for his sixth brother."

Murong Yunqian's hand paused, the teacup hovering in mid-air: "Sixth Prince?"

The crown prince turned around, his eyes blazing with anger.

"That's right."

"My sixth brother, Xiao Yunchuan, became a disciple of Su Mu and went to the East Sea with the army. He killed a general of the Eastern Barbarians on the battlefield and made a meritorious contribution."

"After reading the report, the Emperor was overjoyed and personally praised him, saying that this is what a son of the Xiao family should be like."

"Mr. Murong, do you know how many years it has been since Father Emperor praised us sons like this?"

Murong Yunqian put down his teacup but did not reply immediately.

His gaze lingered on the prince's expression for a moment before he spoke again, his tone steady yet focused on the real issue.

"His Highness the Crown Prince is worried that Su Mu and the Third Prince are joining forces to support the Sixth Prince in vying for the position of Crown Prince."

The crown prince did not deny it; instead, it was as if his most private thoughts had been exposed.

"I never imagined that the greatest threat would be my youngest brother."

"He used to roam the martial world all day long, and I, the Crown Prince, never took him seriously."

"But now, he has Su Mu as his master, his third uncle protecting him in the court, and he has also made military achievements."

"What do I have left? The Prime Minister has fallen, the Xu family has been wiped out, and there are very few people left in the court who can speak up for me."

He paused, then continued, "Do you think I, sir, will lose my power and my position as heir apparent because of this?"

Murong Yunqian was silent for a moment, then slowly said, "Your Highness, although the situation is thorny, it is not a dead end."

The prince raised his head: "Does the master have a solution?"

"The Sixth Prince is far away in the army, while the Crown Prince is in the court, and is closest to His Majesty."

"There's a saying that those near the water get the moon first. As long as the Crown Prince puts more effort into being filial to His Majesty and maintaining his position in the court, His Majesty will not easily depose the eldest son and establish the younger one because of military achievements."

Murong Yunqian spoke calmly and deliberately, trying his best to find a solution for the Crown Prince.

"Moreover, the Crown Prince still has Consort Xu as a potential connection."

"The Imperial Concubine is incredibly skilled in palace politics. She is the most favored concubine by His Majesty. A single word from her in front of His Majesty is more effective than ten words from anyone else."

After listening, the Crown Prince's tightly furrowed brows relaxed slightly: "Then, in your opinion, what should I do now?"

"Your Highness just said that Minister Wang of the Ministry of War was ordered by His Majesty to escort supplies and silver to the East Sea?" Murong Yunqian asked.

The crown prince nodded and replied, "Exactly!"

"Let's go to the Minister of War's residence first," Murong Yunqian said with a smile, offering his suggestion to the Crown Prince. "Since Wang Ben is about to escort supplies to the East Sea, it would be a good idea for the Crown Prince to personally visit and inquire after him. This would show consideration without losing face."

"More importantly, Wang Ben is a close advisor to His Majesty. On his trip to the East Sea, he brought not only gold, but also His Majesty's trust in Su Mu."

"His Majesty will surely appreciate the Crown Prince's actions, recognizing that His Highness has shared his burdens and cares deeply for the people, making him a truly capable official."

The prince's eyes lit up, and he nodded: "What you say is absolutely right, sir."

"Your words have enlightened this prince."

"Then I'll trouble Mr. Murong to accompany me on this trip."

Murong Yunqian stood up: "I would be delighted."

……

at the same time.

On another street in the capital.

The Second Prince, Xiao Yunshan, rode a chestnut horse, wearing a dark blue cloak, and moved slowly forward.

His face was calm, but his brows were furrowed, as if he had something on his mind and was somewhat sullen.

His advisor, Ji Siyuan, rode alongside him on horseback.

"Mr. Ji, you said..." the Second Prince began, turning slightly to look at Ji Siyuan, "What will the Crown Prince's reaction be after learning about Sixth Brother's situation?"

Ji Siyuan pondered for a moment, then cupped his hands in reply, "Given His Highness the Crown Prince's temperament, he must be feeling extremely uncomfortable."

"The Sixth Prince is young, yet he was able to kill enemy generals in the army. He is also Su Mu's personal disciple. The Crown Prince cannot be unaware of such importance."

The second prince's lips curled up into a smile.

"Mr. Ji is right. My sixth brother used to talk all the time about wanting to be a chivalrous knight and travel the world. I just thought of him as a child who hadn't grown up yet."

"I never expected that his trip to the East Sea would impress me so much, but..."

He paused for a moment, his gaze falling on the approaching gate in front of him.

"No matter how good he is at fighting, he's still just a teenager."

"What truly enabled him to stand up were Su Mu's and his third uncle's legs; if either one were cut off, he would be unable to stand steadily."

Ji Siyuan did not respond.

The second prince continued, "However, the one who should be most anxious right now is not me, but the crown prince."

"He is the crown prince, and he is the one who is most afraid of being overthrown."

"I imagine he's already on his way to the Minister of War's residence."

Ji Siyuan said in a low voice, "Your Highness is absolutely right. In my opinion, the Crown Prince will definitely not let go of such an opportunity to curry favor with His Majesty."

"Now, all he can do is take advantage of his proximity to the source."

The second prince's smile deepened, as if some confirmed deduction had finally come to fruition.

"In that case, I'm even more determined to go."

"I want to make him even more anxious."

"The more anxious he is, the more likely he is to make mistakes. The more he tries to curry favor with the Emperor, the more likely he is to arouse the Emperor's suspicion."

After pondering for a long time, Xiao Yunshan suddenly asked, "Mr. Ji, what do you think? If the Crown Prince's sword happens to strike my sixth brother, can I simply sit by and wait for the outcome?"

"Let's go."

"Go and see off our Minister."

After saying that, he burst into laughter, spurred his horse on, and rode forward at a fast pace!