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

In the Jiangnan region of the Great Qian Dynasty, in the east wing of the Jinling government office...

The morning mist hadn't completely dissipated, still lingering in the courtyard.

Although it was early, Su Mu got up early and led Su Qingxue, Xiao Yunchuan, and the two sisters Xiao Zhiqi to practice martial arts.

The plan of the day is in the morning.

Su Mu knew that the morning was the time when the spiritual energy of heaven and earth was at its richest, making it the best time to cultivate.

Since Su Mu returned from Zhenhaiguan, he has been teaching Su Qingxue and the others the art of breathing techniques!

This breathing technique is the foundation of the Nine Yang Turtle Breathing Technique.

It enables practitioners to achieve a state of calm and tranquility, allowing their Qi to settle in their Dantian (lower abdomen), which is highly beneficial for the cultivation of the body's bones and meridians.

Su Mu originally intended to teach the Nine Yang Turtle Breathing Technique to the others.

However, he later discovered that the Nine Yang Turtle Breathing Technique was only suitable for men to practice, not women, because the Nine Yang Turtle Breathing Technique generates a strong yang energy during practice, which is contrary to the constitution of women.

Forcing yourself to cultivate will have the opposite effect.

Therefore, he first taught Su Qingxue and the others the breathing technique, so that they could open up their dantian and lay the foundation for subsequent cultivation.

As for Xiao Yunchuan, once he had fully mastered the breathing technique, Su Mu taught him the entire Nine Yang Turtle Breathing Technique.

Now that I've accepted him as my apprentice, I must teach and instruct him properly.

"The key to breathing is to focus your energy in your dantian," Su Mu said, while pressing his palm up and down in his chest, demonstrating to the others.

"Let it stay in the dantian for a moment, and then exhale slowly, the exhalation speed should be a little slower than when you inhale."

"At the beginning, it is normal for the breath in the dantian to be shallow and not be able to stay. Practice breathing exercises every morning to increase the number of times the breath flows in the body and let the dantian become familiar with the breath. After a period of time, the breath will naturally be able to sink down."

Under Su Mu's guidance, Su Qingxue and the other three followed suit, practicing breathing exercises.

……

Xiao Jingyu arrived in the courtyard.

He saw that Su Mu was leading several young people in cultivation, so he didn't disturb them. Instead, he sat in the pavilion, drinking his morning tea and quietly waiting for it to end.

Looking at Su Mu with his full head of white hair and the few young people with their black hair flowing like a waterfall, he felt joy and exclaimed: It really is true that having an elder in the family is like having a treasure!

Since learning martial arts from Su Mu, his two daughters have made rapid progress in their skills and have become sword masters.

I'm afraid even he couldn't beat the two sisters' swordsmanship.

In this chaotic world of war, a woman possessing such swordsmanship is a powerful means of self-defense, capable of preventing many dangers.

As parents, what we want most is for our children to live safely and happily.

At this moment, Xiao Jingyu couldn't help but recall the scene when his two daughters met their demise in the Northern Border. If it weren't for the chance encounter with Old Master Su, his two daughters would probably have been destroyed by the Northern Di people.

Thinking back, he muttered to himself, "Old Su, I, Xiao Jingyu, can never repay the kindness you've shown the Xiao family in this lifetime!"

……

Half an hour later, Su Mu and the others finished their cultivation.

Su Mu saw the Third Prince sitting in the pavilion, so he got up and went over to him.

As for Su Qingxue and the other three, they practiced swordsmanship tirelessly in the courtyard and sparred with each other.

This has become part of their daily training.

Upon seeing Su Mu arrive at the pavilion, Xiao Jingyu immediately poured a full cup of tea and personally served it to Su Mu.

"Mr. Su, you've worked hard. Have a cup of tea to relax!"

Su Mu smiled as he accepted the tea and took a sip: "Early morning cultivation brings joy to both body and mind, and to have a cup of morning tea is truly one of life's greatest pleasures."

Hahaha!

Xiao Jingyu laughed and raised a cup of tea to drink: "Since Elder Su says so, I will join you tomorrow and do morning exercises together to enjoy this rare moment of comfort."

"It's just that I'm getting older now, and my energy can't keep up."

At this moment, Xiao Jingyu realized that it was inappropriate for him to say he was too old in front of Su Mu.

"Please don't be offended, Mr. Su. Not everyone is like you, still full of energy even at over a hundred years old."

Xiao Jingyu's words resolved the awkward situation.

Su Mu smiled and said, "Perhaps this is a blessing from heaven for this old man!"

"By the way, Your Highness, what brings you here so early?"

Xiao Jingyu cupped his hands and replied, "Elder Su, news came from Wang Ben's side that the eighth warship has been successfully launched, and now only two more Youlong warships are needed."

"Lord Wang's speed is truly remarkable," Su Mu couldn't help but exclaim in admiration. "He is indeed a capable man!"

Xiao Jingyu nodded in response: "Yes, Wang Ben deserves much credit for building the warships and annihilating the 30,000-strong Dongyi navy this time."

"Without him, things wouldn't have gone so smoothly."

Su Mu nodded in agreement: "Such a capable minister, who is also extremely loyal to the Great Qian Dynasty, is truly rare. After this battle is over, I will have to report to His Majesty and ask him to reward him handsomely."

"Old Su's idea coincides with Jing Yu's."

"By the way, there's one more thing to report to Elder Su: the 300,000-strong navy has been conducting drills in the waters around Wanhu City and Zhenhai Pass for a month."

"It's time we went to see how our training was going."

Upon hearing this, Su Mu nodded and replied, "Yes, it's time."

"Furthermore, the newly launched Youlong warships also need to undergo training to make the soldiers more familiar with them."

"After all, no matter how powerful the warships are, the final victory or defeat still depends on the soldiers who command them!"

"Old Su is brilliant!" Xiao Jingyu praised, cupping his hands in respect. "I believe that with the water skills of Chu Tianba and his men, the naval troops they train will be exceptionally powerful!"

Su Mu smiled and stroked his beard, his eyes narrowing into slits: "I trust their abilities; I've always trusted the people I employ."

"Alright, let's get ready. Tomorrow we'll set off for Longjiang Shipyard to sail the newly built Youlong Warship to Wanhu City so the brothers can train on the ship."

Xiao Jingyu stood up and cupped his hands in greeting: "Yes, Your Majesty, I will go and make preparations immediately."

Just as Xiao Jingyu got up to leave, You Zhongyi rushed in from outside the door.

"Old Master Su, Your Highness, General Han has returned from the capital, and he brought many things with him."

Upon hearing the news of Han Shixun's return, Su Mu and Xiao Jingyu exchanged a glance and smiled.

So the two of them moved on to that place.

……

Outside the government office, a long line of soldiers stood ready, protecting the wagons loaded with supplies.

Han Shixun stood tall and proud at the front of the line, waiting for Su Mu and the others to arrive.

At this moment, Zhou Wenjin, the Prefect of Jinling, had already arrived at the gate.

Looking at the overflowing supplies, he asked in surprise, "General Han, what are all these?"

Han Shixun shook his head and replied, "Lord Zhou, you will know the answer when Elder Su and the Prince arrive."

Zhou Wenjin couldn't help but chuckle when she saw Han Shixun's smug expression.

However, he had already roughly guessed it.

These are supplies that Han Shixun brought from the capital, and they are most likely military supplies.

Before long, Su Mu and Xiao Jingyu appeared.

Han Shixun immediately ran forward, shouting, "Old Su, Your Highness, I've brought back many good things, come and see!"

"Why is this kid so happy?" Xiao Jingyu teased, looking at Han Shixun's expression and excited voice. "If you didn't know better, you'd think he had won a battle."

"I can understand, he's only twenty years old!" Su Mu smiled with relief.

The two walked up to Han Shixun and asked him directly, "Shixun, what are all these things?"

Han Shixun replied excitedly, "Reporting to Elder Su and Your Highness, these are supplies that His Majesty ordered the Ministry of Revenue to allocate to the army."

As he spoke, he cautiously approached Su Mu and the other man and whispered, "Moreover, this time, His Majesty has allocated another 200,000 taels of gold to our army, allowing us to expand the Longjiang Shipyard and build ten more Youlong warships."

hiss!

Upon hearing this, both Su Mu and Xiao Jingyu gasped in surprise.

They never expected that the emperor would actually give them money to build warships.

Did the sun rise in the west?

"This..." Xiao Jingyu still found it hard to believe, because he knew his elder brother very well. He was always very cautious about the use of the national treasury and would never act without a profit. "Did His Majesty make you sign any pledge?"

Xiao Jingyu worried that this was a trap set by the emperor for Han Shixun, so that the young general would jump into it.

Han Shixun shook his head vigorously and replied, "No, His Majesty only instructed me to take these supplies back to Jinling and hand them over to you two, and to convey his imperial edict."

"What imperial edict?" Xiao Jingyu immediately pressed for an answer.

Han Shixun took out a slip of paper from his sleeve and said with a smile, "I was worried I would forget, so I wrote it down on a slip of paper."

"His Majesty instructed me to tell Elder Su and the Prince: From this day forward, the Great Qian Navy will rise to prominence. The entire court will fully support you in building the Youlong Warship and crushing the Eastern Barbarians. His Majesty can fulfill any of your needs."

Xiao Jingyu, still somewhat skeptical, asked again, "Does Your Majesty really say that?"

Han Shixun's gaze was firm, without the slightest hesitation.

"Your Highness, it is absolutely true. When His Majesty learned that our Great Qian Navy had defeated the Eastern Barbarians' 30,000-strong navy, he was overjoyed and immediately ordered the allocation of silver and supplies."

Upon hearing this, Xiao Jingyu laughed and said to Su Mu, "It's rare, Elder Su! My elder brother has finally seen the light! Hahaha!"

Su Mu laughed and said, "This is a good thing. With the emperor and his ministers of one mind, what is there to worry about in achieving the great cause of the court?"

"Now that His Majesty has allocated the funds, we must proceed with bold action and build ten more Dragon-type warships!"

"Your Highness, you are in charge of handling these silver and supplies."

"Yes, Your Majesty! I will make the arrangements immediately!"

Xiao Jingyu walked along, laughing loudly as he went...