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

The capital of the Great Qian Dynasty, within the inner palace of the imperial city.

The autumn sun shines warmly, the palace walls stand tall, and the layers of vermilion palaces are solemn and majestic. Only the Qingrou Palace, where Consort Rou resides, is quiet and secluded all year round, with few people around.

Consort Rou, Lin Wanqing, was the birth mother of the sixth prince, Xiao Yunchuan. She was gentle and quiet, and never competed for anything or coveted wealth and glory.

Unfortunately, he was frail and sickly for many years, and spent most of his time recuperating in the palace, avoiding involvement in the palace intrigues and rarely taking the initiative to meet the emperor.

In recent years, Emperor Xiao Jinghuan of the Great Qian Dynasty has been busy with state affairs all day long. In his spare time, he has mostly stayed in the palace of Consort Xu. For two whole years, he has never set foot in Qingrou Palace.

This afternoon, a messenger eunuch hurriedly entered Qingrou Palace, bringing a sudden imperial edict that instantly threw the entire cold and quiet palace into chaos.

"Your Highness, His Majesty's imperial carriage will soon rest at Qingrou Palace!"

As soon as the words were spoken, the palace maids serving in the hall immediately stopped what they were doing, looked at each other in surprise, and began to whisper among themselves.

"His Majesty is coming to our Qingrou Palace? This is so sudden!"

"Yes! It's been two whole years since His Majesty last set foot here. He's been resting in Consort Xu's palace every day. Why has he suddenly come here today?"

"Could it be that Consort Xu has fallen out of favor? But Consort Xu is the most beautiful woman in the harem and the most favored by the Emperor. She is like a bewitching concubine, keeping His Majesty firmly in her grasp. How could this be..."

The palace maids became increasingly unrestrained, speculating about the emperor's intentions and making irresponsible remarks about the imperial concubine, their words crossing the line to the extreme.

Just then, a soft cough suddenly rang out.

Lin Wanqing, dressed in an elegant, plain-colored palace dress, slowly walked out of the inner hall, her hand resting on a pillar. Her face was slightly pale, and her eyes were gentle yet carried a hint of majesty.

She stared intently at the whispering palace maids and softly rebuked them, "How dare you!"

"How do I usually teach you?"

"Within the inner palace, it is most taboo to speak recklessly or make irresponsible remarks."

"The Emperor's heart is unfathomable, and the Imperial Concubine enjoys a high status. How dare you, mere servants, speculate or speak ill of her in private?"

"If such reckless words were to spread and reach the ears of His Majesty and the Imperial Concubine, it would be a calamity that would implicate their lives. How many heads do you have to behead?"

Beneath the gentle words lay an unquestionable sense of discipline and authority.

Several palace maids trembled instantly, their faces turning pale. They quickly bowed their heads and admitted their mistake.

"This servant knows her mistake and will never dare to do it again!"

Seeing that everyone had calmed down and behaved themselves, Lin Wanqing nodded slightly, said no more, stood quietly in the hall, straightened her clothes and posture, and waited quietly for the emperor to arrive.

……

Before long, the sound of eunuchs announcing their greetings could be heard outside the palace, and the imperial procession gradually approached, exuding a majestic aura.

"His Majesty has arrived!"

Xiao Jinghuan was dressed in casual clothes, walked with ease, and had a dignified and composed expression.

Lin Wanqing quickly stepped forward and bent her knees to perform the full kneeling ceremony.

Before she could bend down and land, Xiao Jinghuan had already strode forward, gently helping her to her feet, his voice soft and gentle:

"My beloved consort is frail and sickly, so why be bound by customary etiquette? From now on, when I come here, there is no need for me to kneel; you may do as you please."

This sudden display of closeness and gentleness left all the palace maids present stunned and astonished.

Even Lin Wanqing, who was usually calm and composed, showed a look of surprise in her eyes, and felt a surge of warmth in her heart.

Xiao Jinghuan looked around the entire Qingrou Palace. The courtyard was quiet and elegant, without any vying for attention with flowers or luxurious decorations. It was simple and unpretentious everywhere, which was completely different from the extravagant and bustling palaces in the harem.

He sighed softly and said with feeling, "Several years have passed since I last visited. It is still the quiet and peaceful place here, untouched by the hustle and bustle, which brings peace to my heart."

Lin Wanqing smiled softly and replied gently, "Your Majesty is busy with countless affairs of state and is exhausted both physically and mentally."

"If you are feeling weary from the busy affairs of the court, you may come to my Qingrou Palace to rest for a while. It is always quiet and peaceful here, which is the most suitable place for self-cultivation and tranquility."

"My beloved consort is the most understanding." Xiao Jinghuan's eyes softened, and he turned to the chief eunuch Li Fuquan standing beside him, instructing, "I will have dinner at Qingrou Palace tonight."

Having served the emperor for many years and possessing a meticulous mind, Li Fuquan immediately bowed and accepted the order.

"This old servant obeys the decree and will go to the imperial kitchen to make the arrangements immediately."

Xiao Jinghuan added a word of advice, his tone showing some consideration: "There's no need to add extra dishes or go to great lengths. Just serve whatever my beloved concubine usually eats."

Li Fuquan understood immediately, withdrew, and personally went to the imperial kitchen to oversee the meals.

A moment later, the imperial kitchen eunuchs brought in several dishes and neatly arranged them on the jade table.

The moment the table full of dishes came into view, Xiao Jinghuan's gentle expression vanished, and his imperial countenance instantly turned furious!

The table was set with only a few dishes, all of which were plain and bland vegetarian dishes: green vegetables, tofu, and bamboo shoots. There was no meat or oil in them, and the colors were simple and the presentation was rough. It was far inferior to the daily meals of ordinary officials' families, let alone the royal diet!

The dignified Imperial Consort of the Great Qian Dynasty, the birth mother of the Sixth Prince, was frail and needed nourishment and recuperation all year round, yet she ate such coarse and bland meals every day!

Xiao Jinghuan slammed his hand on the table, his face contorted with rage, and he shouted angrily:

"How dare the Imperial Kitchen! Consort Rou is frail and needs constant nourishment and rest. Is this all you serve her—simple and coarse meals?"

Anger instantly swept through the hall. The eunuch who was serving the dishes was so frightened that his legs went weak and he knelt down on the ground, trembling all over and his face as white as paper.

Li Fuquan, who was standing to the side, frowned. He had been by the emperor's side for many years and was very perceptive. He could see through the trickery at a glance.

The meals in the imperial harem were all set according to regulations. The meals for a concubine of the rank of Imperial Noble Consort were of extremely high standard and could not possibly be so coarse. Clearly, someone was secretly making things difficult for her and cutting corners!

Li Fuquan immediately stepped forward and said in a deep voice, "His Majesty is here. Answer the truth! Who exactly authorized the embezzlement of Consort Rou's meals?"

The kneeling eunuch, terrified, kowtowed repeatedly, his voice trembling as he truthfully reported, "This...this servant dares not conceal anything...it was...it was the head maid from Consort Xu's palace who relayed the message, ordering the Imperial Kitchen to reduce the food supply to Qingrou Palace, allowing only light vegetarian meals and forbidding the provision of nourishing meat dishes...This servant and the others were merely following orders and dared not disobey the Consort's decree, Your Majesty!"

"You bastard!"

Xiao Jinghuan was furious, his imperial might overwhelming.

He had always known that jealousy and rivalry were inevitable in the harem, but he never expected that Consort Xu would become arrogant and domineering, daring to secretly cut back on the concubines' meals and make things difficult for the frail and sickly Lin Wanqing!

Seeing the emperor's fury, Lin Wanqing quickly stepped forward and gently advised him, soothing him: "Your Majesty, please calm down and do not let such a trivial matter aggravate your health."

"Your Majesty, I am physically weak and have a light appetite. Eating too much meat is difficult to digest. This vegetarian meal is just right for my taste and there is nothing wrong with it."

Looking at her gentle, kind, and tolerant nature, Xiao Jinghuan felt increasingly guilty.

"You are too kind, always yielding and giving in."

"Others deliberately made things difficult for you and cut corners, and you suffered all kinds of grievances, but you never told me and silently endured all the suffering."

He immediately looked at Li Fuquan and decisively ordered, "Issue my imperial decree: from this day forward, the dietary standards of Qingrou Palace shall be raised to the highest level of the Imperial Concubine!"

"The Imperial Kitchen prepares daily nourishing medicinal meals and health-promoting dishes exclusively for Consort Rou's health maintenance. These are handled by designated personnel, and no one is allowed to interfere or with the preparation!"

"Anyone who violates this rule will be severely punished immediately!"

"This old servant obeys! This old servant will go and oversee the matter immediately!" Li Fuquan solemnly accepted the order.

After Li Fuquan left, Lin Wanqing waved for all the palace maids in the hall to leave, then personally went into the inner room, brought out a plate of exquisite pastries she had made herself, and handed it to Xiao Jinghuan.

"Your Majesty, please try this. It's a sweet and refreshing osmanthus cake that I made myself in my spare time. It's a small token of my appreciation."

Xiao Jinghuan picked up a piece and savored it carefully. It was soft, sweet, and delicious, and he couldn't help but praise it repeatedly: "The taste is excellent, even more exquisite and delicious than what the imperial kitchen craftsmen make."

As he spoke, he looked up at Lin Wanqing and saw a faint sorrow lingering in her eyes, her brows furrowed as if she had something on her mind. He then asked gently:

"My beloved concubine seems troubled. Are you thinking of Chuan'er?"

Upon hearing this, Lin Wanqing nodded gently, her eyes filled with concern and worry, and sighed softly, "In the end, it's the thought of a mother."

"Chuan'er is young and inexperienced, and has never experienced hardship. He has been following General Su across the sea to the East China Sea battlefield for more than half a year now."

"The battlefield is treacherous, swords have no eyes, and thousands of miles away, there is no news at all."

"Your Majesty, I worry about you every day, wondering how safe and well my child is."

Seeing her worried expression, Xiao Jinghuan suddenly burst into laughter, his face full of relief and joy, his anger completely gone.

Lin Wanqing was slightly surprised: "Why is Your Majesty so delighted?"

Xiao Jinghuan smiled and began to explain in detail.

"My beloved consort, there's no need to worry. Today I'll tell you about Chuan'er's achievements! You are no longer the innocent child who used to playfully frolic around my knees!"

"In this eastern expedition, in order to hone himself and emulate the soldiers' achievements, he voluntarily relinquished his noble prince status and willingly started as an ordinary soldier, eating and living with the army, fighting alongside them, enduring hardship and showing no signs of a prince's pampered nature!"

"In the Battle of Ninghai City, the Dongyi general Cunhai was fierce and skilled in battle, holding the city gate to the death and hindering the army's advance."

"At the critical moment, Chuan'er bravely fought the enemy, fearlessly went into battle, and personally killed the Eastern Barbarian general, helping our Great Qian army to conquer Ninghai City in one fell swoop, making outstanding contributions!"

"At such a young age, he possesses courage and wisdom, unwavering resolve, and fearlessness in the face of death—this is the true spirit that the men of the Xiao family of the Great Qian should have!"

Xiao Jinghuan became more and more gratified as he spoke, his eyes full of praise: "Since becoming General Su's disciple, Chuan'er's martial arts have improved greatly, his temperament has matured, and he is calm, resolute, and capable of shouldering great responsibilities."

"His early experience on the battlefield has been invaluable training, and he is destined for greatness!"

Upon hearing of her beloved son's meritorious service and valiant fighting, Lin Wanqing's worries instantly vanished, her brows relaxed, and a relieved smile appeared on her face.

"If Chuan'er knew that he had gained His Majesty's approval and received the careful guidance of General Su, he would be overjoyed and would work even harder."

Just as the two were chatting, hurried footsteps came from outside the hall. Li Fuquan, looking excited, rushed into the hall, knelt down, and loudly reported:

"Your Majesty, good news! Victory has arrived from the front lines in the East China Sea!"

"General Su Mu and Prince Xiao Jingyu led an army of 300,000 across the sea, sweeping across the entire territory of Dongyi in five days!"

"Execute Emperor Ito Jinmu of the Eastern Barbarians, annihilate all the rebellious civil and military officials of the Eastern Barbarian court, completely destroy the Eastern Barbarian court, and occupy all of the Eastern Barbarian territory!"

"Now that the entire territory of Dongyi has been pacified, General Xu Cheng, the vanguard commander, has returned to the capital with news of the victory and is now waiting outside the palace for an audience with the emperor!"

The earth-shattering news of victory resounded throughout the palace!

Xiao Jinghuan was terrified, his face filled with unbelievable joy!

He jumped to his feet, unable to contain his shock and excitement, repeatedly exclaiming, "Excellent! Excellent! Excellent! Swift as lightning! Unprecedentedly swift!"

"Destroy the Eastern Barbarians in five days!"

"General Su is indeed the pillar of our Great Qian Dynasty! With him here, I have no worries!"

After his initial excitement subsided, he immediately issued his decree in a deep voice.

"Li Fuquan, convey my imperial edict!"

"Immediately summon all civil and military officials to the Golden Palace for a meeting! Let us celebrate this great victory and reward those who have contributed!"

"This old servant obeys the decree!"

Xiao Jinghuan had no time to linger. He turned and hurriedly bid farewell to Lin Wanqing, saying, "My beloved consort, please rest well. I will return to the palace to preside over state affairs!"

As soon as he finished speaking, he hurried out of Qingrou Palace with great joy and shock, rushing to the Golden Palace!