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

The East China Sea is vast and boundless, with its blue waves stretching for thousands of miles.

On the sea outside the customs of Daqian Town, the sea breeze was blowing and the waves were surging.

A medium-sized official ship, adorned with a jade national flag, was carefully cutting through the waves and slowly sailing toward Zhenhaiguan.

The ship was plain and unadorned, without soldiers, armor, weapons, or escorting warships. Its posture was extremely humble and respectful, as if it dared not reveal any fighting spirit and provoke the mighty army of the Great Qian Dynasty.

On the deck, Yun Lanzhi, the prime minister of Liuyu Kingdom, dressed in the robes of a civil official, stood with his hands behind his back, his expression solemn, his gaze fixed on the distant Great Qian Sea.

The closer he got, the more his brows furrowed, and his heart was filled with mixed emotions.

As the prime minister of the Liuyu Kingdom, he is here today as an envoy to meet the commander of the Daqian Navy, bearing the royal mandate and the heavy responsibility of the entire nation.

Since the royal court assembly ended five days ago, and Yu Linyuan killed the Eastern Yi spy singers, cut off trade with the Eastern Yi, and refused the alliance treaty, the Liuyu Kingdom has completely severed ties with the Eastern Yi.

To demonstrate Liuyu's sincerity, dispel Daqian's doubts, and clearly state his position, Yu Linyuan specially appointed him as a plenipotentiary envoy, leading a team of envoys to Daqian's Zhenhaiguan to explain everything in person and express the determination of the Liuyu Kingdom's court.

That is: Liuyu will never form an alliance with Dongyi, will never participate in the war against Daqian, and from now on, it only wishes to be friendly neighbors with Daqian and trade with them. Furthermore, King Yu Linyuan will personally go to the capital of Daqian to pay a visit to the Emperor of Daqian in order to establish a bond between the two countries.

The sea breeze howled, causing Yun Lanzhi's robes to flutter, yet his heart remained restless for a long time.

Because he didn't know what the Daqian's attitude was towards this matter.

But since we're here, we might as well make the best of it!

……

Before long, a colossal object suddenly came into view at the edge of the horizon.

Nine giant ships lay across the sea, like nine floating steel mountains, steadily guarding the East China Sea.

The ship's height soared into the clouds, its armor was dark and heavy, its cannons were menacing and cold, its blue dragon flag fluttered wildly, and the two characters "Da Qian" (Great Qian) swirled in the wind, its imposing power as overwhelming as the sea and mountains pressing down on it.

On the sea, countless small and medium-sized warships were neatly arrayed, forming a formidable military formation, layer upon layer, stretching as far as the eye could see.

At this moment, the warship, which had been quietly moored, was bustling with activity...

The soldiers of the Daqian Navy were busy carrying heavy military equipment such as catapults, crossbows, and artillery ammunition onto the ships in an orderly manner. The cold gleam of their iron armor illuminated the entire sea area, and a chilling atmosphere of war was palpable.

Yun Lanzhi gasped, "Could it be that the Great Qian Dynasty is preparing to launch an attack on the Eastern Yi?"

"These are the warships of the Great Qian Dynasty?"

During the previous naval exercises, he, the King, and Hemingway observed from afar, only catching a glimpse of the tip of the iceberg of the Great Qian warships, yet they were already filled with awe.

Today, facing the true face of the Great Qian warship up close, Yun Lanzhi still couldn't help but gasp, his eyes filled with extreme shock.

These warships were magnificent in size, exquisite in craftsmanship, sturdy and pressure-resistant in hull, and equipped with complete and sophisticated weaponry, far surpassing the ships of Ryukyu and Dongyi.

Only now did he fully understand what a world of difference truly meant.

The Dongyi people, arrogant and conceited, spent their days plotting to cross the sea and invade the borders, encroaching on the territory of the Great Qian Dynasty. This was nothing but a pipe dream.

With this navy alone, they are more than capable of sweeping through all the island nations in the East China Sea.

Just as Yun Lanzhi was trembling with shock, a rapid sound of wind breaking suddenly came from the sea!

Three Great Qian patrol warships swiftly changed course, riding the wind and waves, and instantly formed a triangular formation to encircle the Liuyu official ship at extremely high speed, blocking all its paths of advance and retreat in an instant.

The ship was filled with armored soldiers, swords drawn, bows and crossbows nocked, all on high alert, and a chilling atmosphere instantly enveloped the entire Liuyu official ship.

At the bow of the ship, a tall and upright young general clad in silver armor stood proudly, his eyes sharp as an eagle's, staring intently at Yun Lanzhi on the deck.

Ye Qingzhou looked down from his high vantage point, his sharp gaze sweeping across the jade-adorned official ship. His booming voice echoed across the sea, each word carrying authority:

"This is the restricted waters of Daqian Town Customs. Ships are prohibited from proceeding! State your identity and purpose, or you will be killed without mercy!"

Facing the fully armed and imposing Daqian navy, Yun Lanzhi remained calm and immediately bowed with hands clasped, displaying the utmost sincerity and humility.

"I am Yun Lanzhi, the Prime Minister of the Kingdom of Liuyu!"

"I have crossed the sea alone, without a single soldier, and without any ill intentions. I have come to Zhenhai Pass on the orders of the King of Liuyu to request an audience with the Grand Marshal of the Eastern Expedition of the Great Qian Dynasty, to present my credentials in person, and to state the position of the Kingdom of Liuyu!"

"We hope the general will do us a favor and convey this message!"

Upon hearing that the Prime Minister of Liuyu Kingdom had come specifically to request an audience, Ye Qingzhou's wariness lessened slightly, but given the strict military discipline, he still dared not relax his guard in the slightest.

He carefully examined the official ship in front of him and saw that there were indeed no armored soldiers or weapons on board, only a few civil servants and attendants. They were sincere and open-minded, so he did not ask any further questions.

Ye Qingzhou said in a deep voice, "Since you sincerely wish to see me, abandon ship, board the ship, and follow me into the pass."

"Only the Prime Minister is permitted to accompany the emperor; all other personnel must remain on the ship and are not to move without authorization!"

"Of course!" Yun Lanzhi agreed without hesitation.

To demonstrate Liu Yu's sincerity, he had already resolved to enter the camp alone, without a single person or weapon, in order to completely dispel the suspicions of the Great Qian Dynasty.

A moment later, Yun Lanzhi boarded the Great Qian warship alone and sped off with Ye Qingzhou toward the Zhenhai Pass camp.

……

Zhenhai Pass, the central command tent.

The tent was brightly lit. Su Mu sat in the main seat, his white hair and aged face giving him a deep and calm gaze. He was dressed in full armor, exuding an imposing aura without anger.

To the side, sat the Third Prince, Xiao Jingyu.

The two were sitting opposite each other, discussing and finalizing the details of the expedition.

"Elder Su, the 300,000-strong East China Sea Navy has been fully assembled, with weapons and provisions in place, and is ready to go."

"Tomorrow morning, we can set sail, cross the East China Sea, and strike the homeland of the Eastern Barbarians."

"In this battle, we must subdue the Eastern Barbarians and secure the eastern sea borders of the Great Qian Dynasty forever!" Xiao Jingyu said in a deep voice, his tone firm, but his eyes were filled with anger.

He had been looking forward to conquering the Eastern Barbarians for far too long.

The crimes committed by the Dongyi on the land of Daqian are finally coming to an end.

Su Mu nodded slightly, his gaze calmly fixed on the outside of the tent, his voice steady yet weathered: "Very good, we will set sail early tomorrow morning and head straight for Dongyi."

"The Eastern Barbarians have always harbored treacherous intentions. Their wolfish nature persists, and they have been stirring up maritime disputes for years. Now they even dare to collude with foreign powers to invade our Great Qian territory."

"Their crimes are unforgivable; they must pay for this in blood."

Xiao Jingyu clenched his fists and gritted his teeth: "Yes, we must let them know that those who slaughter the people of our Great Qian will be punished no matter how far away they are."

Just as the two were finalizing the arrangements for the army's departure the next day, a soldier's voice came from outside the tent to report. Immediately afterwards, Ye Qingzhou quickly lifted the curtain and entered the tent, kneeling on one knee to respectfully report:

"Your Excellency Su and Your Highness! Yun Lanzhi, the Prime Minister of the Liuyu Kingdom beyond the Great Wall, has crossed the sea alone to sincerely request an audience and wish to discuss state affairs in person!"

Upon hearing this, a faint smile flashed across Su Mu's aged eyes. He then stroked his chin and beard and laughed.

Xiao Jingyu, standing to the side, also nodded in agreement, a smile on his face.

At this moment, the two already knew each other's intentions.

Xiao Jingyu chuckled softly and slowly said, "It seems that the previous military exercise in the East China Sea had a very good deterrent effect."

"King Liuyu is indeed insightful and perceptive, and he has clearly seen the advantages and disadvantages of the situation."

"Now, the fact that the prime minister has been specially dispatched to personally come alone to request an audience clearly shows that he wants to completely distance himself from the Eastern Barbarians and present a pledge of allegiance to our Great Qian, indicating his stance."

Su Mu nodded slightly, his expression calm and composed, and said with a smile, "If the lips are gone, the teeth will be cold; weighing the pros and cons is the norm in the games between nations."

"The Kingdom of Liuyu woke up in time, abandoned darkness and turned to the light, and severed all ties with the Eastern Barbarians, which relieved our Great Qian of the burden of dealing with two fronts and saved us a lot of trouble."

He then calmly raised his hand and said in a composed tone, "Let him in."