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

In the Jiangnan region, in the city of Jinling.

The afternoon sun shone through the thin clouds, bathing the entire city in a warm, gentle light.

The city of Jinling was built along the water, and the great river outside the city was like a green ribbon, winding around the west side of the city. Boats shuttled back and forth on the river, making it a lively place.

The city was bustling with people.

The calls of vendors along the street filled the air.

Cloth shops, grain shops, ironware shops, paper and ink shops, taverns, and teahouses stood side by side.

On the main street of the East Gate, in a two-story restaurant, three or four men sat by the window on the second floor. Several small dishes and a pot of warm wine were laid out on the table. They ate, drank and talked.

"Have you heard? Our Great Qian's General Su is coming to Jinling City."

"General Su? That centenarian war god who recaptured the northern border and pacified the East China Sea?"

"What is he doing in Nanjing?"

The man who spoke first waved his hand, a smug expression on his face.

"No way, you guys don't even know about such important news?"

The others at the table immediately shook their heads.

The man became even more smug and continued, "Although those Eastern Yi bandits were driven away, you must know what they did in Wanhu City and Zhenhai Pass before they left, right?"

"Those heartless bastards massacred the city, set fires, and looted everything. They didn't even spare the old, weak, women, and children. The two cities were burned to the ground."

The other man's face darkened, and his hand holding the wine bowl froze in mid-air.

"I've heard about it."

"I have a distant cousin who does business in Ninghai City. A few days ago, he came to Jinling and said that the entire city of Wanhu was burned down, and the only survivor was an infant in swaddling clothes."

"so……"

"General Su reported this matter to the imperial court, and His Majesty has approved it. We will recruit soldiers and build warships along the coast of the East China Sea to form a navy, cross the East China Sea, and fight our way to the doorstep of the Eastern Barbarians!"

"To march on the doorstep of the Eastern Barbarians?"

"So, it's highly likely that General Su came to Nanjing to recruit soldiers?"

"Of course! Jinling is the largest city in Jiangnan, with a large population, many boats, and many people who know how to swim. It's the perfect place to recruit soldiers."

"Then what are we waiting for?"

The youngest man put his wine bowl on the table, as if he had made up his mind.

"I'm planning to join the army! Anyone want to go with me?"

Count me in!

The other man at the table also stood up.

"I've wanted to go for a long time, but before it was because the crown prince was in charge, and I didn't want to fight with that kind of useless person."

"Now that General Su is personally leading the troops, following him in battle is the right thing to do."

"I'm going too! Not for anything else, just to stand up for the people who died in Wanhu City."

"That's right! We men of the Great Qian Dynasty can't just stand by and watch others bully us!"

The group became increasingly excited as they talked, and their voices grew louder, attracting the attention of diners at several nearby tables.

After listening for a while, someone put down their chopsticks, stood up, said "Count me in too," and joined their group.

"Let's go wait at the city gate! General Su hasn't arrived yet, let's go grab a spot!"

"Yes, let's go!"

The group left the restaurant after paying for the drinks and headed towards the city gate.

……

At the city gate, a number of people had already gathered on the open ground on both sides.

At this moment, a group of people dressed in official robes had already lined up outside the city gate.

The man at the front was about fifty years old, slightly plump, with a fair complexion and long beard. He wore a black gauze hat, a scarlet official robe, and a jade belt around his waist. He was Zhou Wenjin, the governor of Jinling.

Behind him stood a dozen or so subordinate officials, some wearing green robes and others wearing blue robes, arranged in order of rank.

Everyone bowed their heads, straightened their clothes, and were clearly on high alert.

"Is that the governor? He came out in person?"

"General Su is the Grand Marshal of the Eastern Expedition and the Duke of Zhenbei. It is only right that Lord Zhou comes out to greet him."

"What's more, there's also the Third Prince."

"I've lived in Nanjing for thirty years, and this is the first time I've ever seen such a spectacle."

"They're coming! They're coming on horseback! Can you see them?"

At the end of the official road, dust slowly rose.

A line of people appeared from afar.

Inside the carriage, Su Qingxue was leaning on the window sill, peering out through the gap in the curtain.

Her face was slightly flushed by the sunlight, and her eyes curved into two shallow crescent moons.

"Sisters, we're almost there!"

"I see the city gate! It's huge! Much bigger than the city gate of Ninghai City!"

Xiao Zhi Qiu moved closer to her and squeezed in to peek out, her eyes shining.

"Of course! Jinling City is the largest and most prosperous city in Jiangnan."

"I've heard that this city has a better selection than the capital, with all sorts of beautiful fabrics, fun gadgets, and delicious snacks!"

"Can Qingxue buy new clothes?" Su Qingxue turned her head, her eyes sparkling.

"sure!"

"Not only will I buy you new clothes, but I'll also take you to eat candied hawthorns and see the lanterns. Nanjing's lanterns are famous!"

Xiao Zhi Qiu spoke with great enthusiasm, as if he had already planned out the itinerary for the next few days.

"Once we're settled, let's go out and explore for three days and three nights!"

Xiao Zhixia leaned against the other side of the carriage, quietly watching her two younger sisters' actions.

He smiled from time to time.

At the front of the procession, Su Mu rode on his Akhal-Teke horse, his eyes fixed on Jinling City.

I was filled with so many emotions.

Decades ago, when he was young, he passed through this place while doing business. At that time, Nanjing had not yet developed into the big city it is today.

Coming back now, it feels like a completely different city.

He turned his head slightly to look at Xiao Jingyu beside him and said with a smile, "Jinling City is completely different from what it was decades ago."

"Revisiting this place again this time has a special feel to it."

Xiao Jingyu smiled slightly: "Did Elder Su visit Jinling when he was young?"

I guess so.

"Back then, I was a businessman. I had traveled to Jiangnan several times and spent a day in Nanjing."

"Let's go into town."

With that, Su Mu led his team toward Jinling City.

……

"My lord, they've arrived."

"Look!"

One of them pointed ahead and then spoke to Zhou Wenjin.

His eyes were filled with excitement.

Zhou Wenjin immediately said to the officials behind him, "Everyone, perk up! Don't let Elder Su and the Prince see our Nanjing officials looking so listless."

The officials immediately cupped their hands and said, "Yes!"

Then he straightened his clothes and waited quietly.

Su Mu's troops slowly came to a stop at the city gate.

Zhou Wenjin strode forward, followed closely by the officials of all ranks. They stopped in front of the warhorses at the front of the procession and bowed in salute.

"Your humble servant, Zhou Wenjin, Prefect of Jinling, along with all the officials of Jinling Prefecture, respectfully welcomes the Duke of Zhenbei, the Grand Marshal of the Eastern Expedition, General Su, the Third Prince, and the Sixth Prince to Jinling!"