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

Su Mu continued to gaze at the city wall, his eyes deep and unfocused. He did not respond, as if he had not heard Xu Cheng's request to fight, and was lost in his own thoughts.

Seeing this, Xu Cheng was filled with doubt and was about to ask again when Xiao Jingyu gently raised his hand and quietly stopped him.

Xiao Jingyu shook his head slightly, lowered his voice, and said softly, "General Xu, please calm down and do not disturb Elder Su's plans."

"You've followed Elder Su on his campaigns for many days, yet you still don't understand his military strategies?"

"When Su Lao was in command of troops, he was never in a hurry to launch a strong attack. In every battle to besiege a city, he would first win the hearts and minds of the enemy, so as to achieve victory with minimal losses."

Upon hearing this, Xu Cheng instantly understood, immediately composed himself, and solemnly cupped his hands in greeting: "This humble general has learned much!"

After saying that, he silently stepped aside, stood still, and waited quietly for Su Mu's military orders.

Before the battlefield, there was a moment of silence, with only the howling wind and the sound of military flags fluttering echoing through the heavens and earth.

After a long silence, Su Mu finally withdrew his gaze, and his clear, cold voice broke the stillness:

"Tie Niu, bring me the strong bow."

"Zhongyi, bring me that prepared secret letter."

"yes!"

Zhao Tieniu and You Zhongyi, standing beside him, both accepted the order in unison.

Although the two men did not know what ingenious plan Su Mu had in order to retrieve the bow and the letter, they had unwavering faith in Su Mu's strategy and dared not delay for even a moment. They quickly turned around, retrieved the items, and hurried back to the front of the battle.

Zhao Tieniu was a burly man, holding a dark and heavy specially made longbow for attack.

With a sturdy bow and a full-curved string, it is a specially made armor-piercing longbow for the army, with a range far exceeding that of ordinary weapons.

Yu Zhongyi stepped forward, holding a neatly folded letter in both hands, and reported in a low voice:

"Old Su, the task you entrusted to me has been completed."

"This letter has already been revised and handwritten by the scout who is most skilled at imitating handwriting in the army. It is a complete replica of the handwriting of Fujiwara no Shigenobu, the Minister of the Eastern Barbarians, and is so good that it can be mistaken for the real thing."

Su Mu nodded slightly, his expression calm: "Very good, Zhongyi. Secure this letter firmly to the arrow, making sure it is tied tightly and does not fall off midway."

"Yes, sir!"

You Zhongyi immediately bent down and skillfully bound the secret letter tightly to the shaft of a fine iron arrow, securing it securely and without any risk. Then, he presented the longbow and arrow together with both hands and handed them to Su Mu.

Su Mu reached out and took the longbow and arrows, his fingertips tracing the cool bow, his gaze returning to the east gate tower ahead.

On the city wall, Ito Shinmu, Minamoto no Yoshikiyo, and a group of Eastern Yi generals were intently looking down at the outside of the city, keeping a close watch on the actions of the Great Qian commander-in-chief, full of vigilance, wondering what the other party intended to do.

Under everyone's watchful eyes, Su Mu raised his hand to nock an arrow and suddenly exerted force with both arms!

hum!

A deafening roar suddenly erupted!

He forcefully stretched the specially made longbow to its maximum limit, the bow taut like a full moon, brimming with immense power.

Su Mu's eyes were sharp, his sights fixed on the flagpole bearing the totem of the Eastern Yi Emperor, which stood tall in the center of the city tower.

The next instant, release, and fire the arrow!

Whoosh!

A piercing sound tore through the air!

The arrow, imbued with immense power, transformed into a sharp black streak, carrying a howling gale, and instantly traversed a hundred-foot distance across the battlefield, so fast that it was imperceptible to the naked eye!

Click!

A crisp, ear-piercing cracking sound rang out!

Absolutely accurate!

This arrow, traveling a thousand miles, struck the thick flagpole in the center of the city tower. The powerful impact instantly snapped the solid wooden flagpole, which was as thick as a bowl, in half!

Splash!

The tall black flag bearing the totem of the Eastern Barbarian Emperor crashed down with a loud thud as the flagpole broke, falling heavily onto the bricks and stones of the city tower!

This arrow!

A hundred feet away, it accurately hit the thin rod with powerful and domineering force, and its accuracy was unbelievable!

On the entire East Gate tower, all the Dongyi soldiers stared in disbelief, and the whole place was deathly silent!

Everyone's breath caught in their throats, their eyes filled with utter shock and terror.

On the high platform of the city tower, Ito Shinmu froze, his pupils contracted, and a chill ran from the soles of his feet to the top of his head. He couldn't help but gasp, his heart trembling violently!

"Such a distance, and the arrow cuts the shaft with pinpoint accuracy... How could such terrifying archery exist in the world!"

He had fought for half his life and seen countless archers, but he had never seen such amazing archery skills that could hit a willow leaf from a hundred paces away and break through solid wood!

"This Su Mu is too..."

Minamoto Yoshikiyo, standing to the side, turned deathly pale, his back instantly soaked in cold sweat, overwhelmed with lingering fear and terror.

His eyes were fixed on the broken flagpole, his heart was pounding, and his whole body felt cold.

If Su Mu's arrow had been aimed at the flagpole, it would have been fine. But if the crosshair had been slightly off and aimed at His Majesty the Emperor on the city wall!

The consequences would be unimaginable.

Upon realizing this, Minamoto no Yoshikiyo trembled all over, daring not to think any further, and immediately shouted sharply:

"Your Majesty, danger! Retreat immediately! Do not approach the edge of the city wall! This kind of archery skill can take a person's head from a hundred feet away; beware of a sudden, unexpected arrow!"

The guards reacted instantly, rushing forward to firmly protect Ito Shinbu in the center, forcibly escorting him away from the edge of the city wall, not daring to be careless in the slightest.

The entire Dongyi army on the city wall was stunned by this earth-shattering arrow. Their morale, which had just barely recovered, was shaken once again, and a heavy shadow fell over everyone's hearts.

Just then, an Eastern Yi soldier guarding the edge of the city wall rushed forward, holding the arrow carrying the secret message in both hands. He hurried to Ito Shinmu, bowed deeply, and urgently reported:

"Your Majesty! There's a letter attached to this arrow!"

Upon hearing this, Ito Shinbu's gaze darkened, his heart filled with doubt, and he immediately reached out and took it.

He quickly unfolded the letter, his eyes scanning the handwriting and contents.

After reading just a few lines, Ito Shinbu's face instantly changed from surprise and doubt to ashen, and then to raging fury!

An intense rage surged through him, his hands gripping the letter so tightly his knuckles turned white, his aura surging wildly, and he couldn't help but roar in fury:

"Damn it! Fujiwara no Shigenobu and Tachibana no Tadataka, those traitorous retainers!"

"How dare you betray your country for personal gain, collude with the Great Qian Dynasty, and betray the secrets of our capital's defenses!"

A furious roar echoed through the city walls, filled with boundless rage and disbelief.

Upon hearing this, Minamoto no Yoshikiyo and the other generals were greatly alarmed and quickly stepped forward: "Your Majesty, what has happened?"

Enraged, Ito Kamuya's arm trembled as he hurled the secret letter at Minamoto no Yoshikiyo.

"See for yourselves!"

Minamoto no Yoshikiyo quickly reached out and took the letter, then bent down to carefully read its contents.

The letter was written in neat handwriting, clearly the signature of Fujiwara Shigenobu, and the contents were clearly stated.

He and a group of Dongyi ministers, including Tachibana no Tadakatsu, had long been secretly colluding with the Daqian. In order to protect their own wealth and status, they were willing to betray their country and surrender to the enemy. They told Su Mu all the core secrets about the weak defenses and empty garrison of the eastern gate of the capital. They took the initiative to guide the Daqian army to attack the eastern gate, attempting to use the power of Daqian to overthrow the Dongyi royal family and exchange it for their own glory and wealth!

Every word and sentence is shocking!

After reading all the content, Minamoto Yoshikiyo felt his blood surge, his eyes blazing with fury, and his face filled with rage.

"It really was those traitors!"

He gritted his teeth and roared coldly, instantly understanding the whole story.

"No wonder the Great Qian army abandoned the nearby gate and attacked the east gate from afar! No wonder the enemy knew our defenses so well!"

"It turns out that it was this group of traitors who secretly leaked information, colluded with foreign enemies, and ruined our army's initial advantage!"

The veteran general, who had been loyal to the country for decades, hated traitors and collusion with the enemy the most. At this moment, he was so angry that he trembled all over and his killing intent was chilling.

"Your Majesty! I request permission to immediately lead troops into the palace, arrest Fujiwara no Shigenobu, Tachibana no Tadataka, and all the other traitors, and execute them in public to uphold the law and serve as a warning to others!"

Minamoto no Yoshikiyo clasped his hands in a gesture of challenge, his tone sharp and menacing.

Ito Shinbu suppressed the surging anger within him, striving to steady his chaotic mind. After a brief moment of thought, he shook his head in a deep voice:

"No."

"Your Majesty! What use is there in keeping such traitors alive!" Minamoto no Yoshikiyo urged urgently.

"With a major battle imminent, morale among the troops is wavering."

Ito Shinbu's gaze was deep and utterly calm.

"Executing high-ranking officials and spreading rumors of internal strife at this moment will only cause the morale of the entire army to collapse completely. Before the external enemy is defeated, internal strife will arise first, and our army will be defeated without a fight!"

"These traitors and villains will be dealt with one by one after this battle, once the enemy forces of the Great Qian are defeated, and their entire families will be exterminated. There will be absolutely no leniency!"

Upon hearing this, Minamoto no Yoshikiyo suppressed his anger, gritted his teeth, and bowed, saying, "Your subject obeys!"

A high-ranking official in the imperial court secretly betrayed the country, selling out state secrets and putting them in dire straits.

……

Su Mu had been waiting for a long time, and he knew that the time was now completely ripe!

He then turned to look at Zhao Tieniu, who was already unable to contain himself, and said in a deep voice, "Tieniu, the time has come."

"It's your turn to make your move. Use all your skills to completely crush the last vestige of morale of these Eastern barbarian bandits!"

"Hahaha! It's finally my turn!"

Upon hearing this, Zhao Tieniu's spirits instantly lifted, his eyes flashing with brilliance, and he was already impatient to get started.

He strode forward and took the items that his personal guards had prepared.

On a long spear, a tattered yet highly recognizable gilded armor was prominently displayed.

It was the golden armor that Ito Jinmu left behind when he was defeated and fled during the Battle of the East China Sea!

This armor is irrefutable evidence of the defeat and rout of the Eastern Barbarian Emperor, and a symbol of the Eastern Barbarian army's crushing defeat and humiliation!

Zhao Tieniu mounted his horse, gripped his spear, and held the Emperor's Armor high on the spear tip. His horse neighed and galloped straight towards the East Gate!