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

In late spring, the rain has just stopped in the Forbidden City, and the layers of glazed tiles, freed from the days of mist, gleam with a warm, golden luster under the sunlight.

The Imperial Study was quiet and still, with only a wisp of ambergris incense rising and swirling around the sandalwood desk, spreading throughout the entire palace.

Emperor Xiao Jinghuan of the Great Qian Dynasty sat upright on the Nine-Dragon Imperial Throne, but his brows were furrowed with deep contemplation. His fingertips tapped lightly on the cool jade edge of the table, the rhythm slow and heavy, revealing the turmoil in his heart.

On the desk was a thick stack of urgent reports, all of which were victory reports and lists of military merits from the East China Sea front.

The Eastern Expedition, which lasted for several months, ended in a complete victory for the Great Qian Dynasty.

Su Mu led the expedition, sweeping across the East China Sea with thunderous force, conquering the entire territory of the Eastern Barbarians, recovering lost lands, reorganizing surrendered soldiers, recruiting brave warriors, obtaining 300,000 elite new soldiers, and supervising the construction of hundreds of warships, thus laying the foundation for a century of peace and stability in the East China Sea of ​​the Great Qian Dynasty.

This battle expanded the territory and demonstrated the power of the Great Qian Dynasty overseas. It was the most glorious and unprecedented victory since the founding of the Great Qian Dynasty. The unprecedented military achievements naturally corresponded to an unprecedented grand reward ceremony.

Xiao Jinghuan was already certain of the rewards bestowed upon Su Mu and the Sixth Prince Xiao Yunchuan, and no one in the court or among the people dared to raise any objections.

The Eastern Expeditionary Army was full of talented people. Qin Hao, Xu Cheng, Zhao Tieniu, You Zhongyi and other generals and deputy generals were all meritorious in this battle, each with outstanding achievements and great merits.

If the rewards are too lenient, they will not be enough to demonstrate the court's favor and will dampen the loyalty of the soldiers on the front lines.

If the rewards are too generous, it is necessary to balance the checks and balances in the court and the authority of the titles to avoid excessive concentration of military power and the creation of hidden dangers.

This dilemma left Xiao Jinghuan, who was usually decisive, in a state of hesitation, unable to make a decision for a long time.

Li Fuquan, the chief eunuch standing beside the emperor, bowed deeply and held his breath.

Having served the emperor for decades, he had long since mastered the emperor's mind and understood the ways to survive in the court.

Seeing that the emperor had been deep in thought for a long time, his brows still furrowed, he quietly stepped forward, picked up the jade pot, and refilled the emperor's empty white jade teacup with warm tea. His movements were gentle and silent, and he dared not disturb him in the slightest.

When the tea was about seven-tenths full, he slowly retreated to his original position, still standing with his hands at his sides, without saying a word.

After a long silence, Xiao Jinghuan slowly raised his eyes, his gaze falling on Li Fuquan, and broke the silence in the hall with his voice: "Li Fuquan."

"This old servant is here." Li Fuquan quickly bowed and replied, his attitude extremely respectful.

Xiao Jinghuan gazed at the densely packed list of military merits on the table and asked in a deep voice:

"This great victory in the eastern expedition has been achieved by all the generals, who have made outstanding contributions. Qin Hao, Xu Cheng, Zhao Tieniu, You Zhongyi, and others have followed General Su through thick and thin, accumulating numerous merits. Tell me, how should I best reward them?"

As soon as he finished speaking, Li Fuquan felt a sudden tightness in his chest, and a thin layer of sweat quietly seeped out from his back.

This is no simple inquiry; it is clearly a matter of paramount importance concerning the fate of the Great Qian Dynasty, the morale of the army, and the nation!

Military merits and rewards are related to the career path of military officers, the structure of the court, and the morale of the army. Even the slightest mistake can be a disaster that shakes the foundation of the country.

As a mere palace eunuch, he served the emperor year-round and dared not touch the core of the court's affairs, much less discuss the bestowal of titles and appointments.

If he were to offer a suggestion casually today, and it were to please the emperor, there would be no problem. However, if there were any issues with the subsequent rewards or if it caused dissatisfaction among the court officials and soldiers, all the blame would ultimately fall on him, and he would be condemned to death!

Upon realizing this, Li Fuquan immediately showed fear, slightly bent his knees, and became even more respectful, repeatedly kowtowing and saying:

"Your Majesty, please forgive me!"

"This is a matter of paramount importance concerning the fate of the nation, the morale of the army, and the destiny of the country; it is entirely within the Emperor's discretion!"

"This old servant is merely a palace servant attending to Your Majesty's daily needs. I am short-sighted and ignorant, and have never been involved in military or political affairs. I would never dare to presume to discuss matters of state and rewards, lest my humble opinions mislead Your Majesty and disrupt the court!"

His tone was earnest, his expression fearful, and every word he uttered was watertight, completely disclaiming any involvement and adhering to the bottom line that eunuchs should not interfere in court affairs.

Seeing this, Xiao Jinghuan was not angry, but nodded slightly, knowing his concerns.

In the imperial court, everyone is cautious and seeks to avoid harm, which is the norm.

After a brief silence, Li Fuquan raised his eyes, carefully observing the emperor's expression, and softly advised him in a gentle tone:

"Your Majesty, in my humble opinion, this matter need not be rushed."

"The Third Prince is known for his unparalleled wisdom and is well-versed in the ways of checks and balances in the court and the rewards and punishments for military merits. Whenever there are difficult situations in the court, he can always accurately grasp the situation."

"Now that the eastern expeditionary army is about to return, once the Third Prince returns to the capital, His Majesty will summon him to the palace for a detailed discussion. We will surely be able to devise a foolproof plan that will not only live up to the merits of the soldiers but also stabilize the court and the hearts of the people."

A word to wake up the dreamer!

A glint of light flashed in Xiao Jinghuan's eyes, his tightly furrowed brows relaxed slightly, and he patted the table in realization, saying, "That's right! I was momentarily confused and forgot about my third brother!"

"My foremost strategist is still alive; why should I trouble myself alone?"

"Your words have just awakened me."

Xiao Jinghuan's expression softened slightly, and he murmured softly, "Judging by the time, General Su and my third brother leading the eastern expeditionary army should already be on their way back to the capital, right? I'm getting impatient."

Just as the Imperial Study had begun to quiet down, a series of light, soft footsteps sounded outside the door, accompanied by the soft announcement from a palace servant: "Consort Xu requests an audience with Your Majesty..."

As the voice faded, the palace door was gently pushed open, and a slender, graceful figure slowly walked into the palace.

It was Consort Xu.

She was dressed in simple palace attire, without heavy makeup. Her usually gentle and bright face was now devoid of smiles. Her exquisite phoenix eyes were red and filled with tears. Her long eyelashes trembled slightly, barely holding back the tears that were about to fall. Her expression was sad and desolate, as if she had suffered all kinds of grievances and was all alone and helpless.

Upon entering the hall, Consort Xu did not perform the proper etiquette. Instead, she raised her eyes to gaze at the emperor seated on the dragon throne. Her eyes instantly reddened, her nose tingled, and tears welled up in her eyes. She looked pitiful and evoked pity in everyone.

Seeing this, Xiao Jinghuan's worries instantly dissipated, and he quickly softened his tone, asking gently:

"My beloved concubine, why are you like this? Who has upset you, causing you to be so tearful and distressed?"

Upon hearing the Emperor's gentle inquiry, Consort Xu could no longer contain her grievances. She quickly stepped forward, curtsied, and said in a voice heavy with sobs and tears, "Your Majesty... I miss my brother..."

As soon as she finished speaking, tears finally rolled down her cheeks and slid slowly down her fair skin.

"I grew up under the protection of my elder brother. In the past, the Xu family was prosperous and I still had my relatives by my side."

"But now, my elder brother and two nephews have all passed away, and the Xu family's collateral branches have withered away. In this vast palace and across this vast land, I am utterly alone and helpless, without even a single relative to confide in..."

Her voice was filled with sobs, each word tinged with sorrow, fully expressing the loneliness and grievances of being alone in the deep palace, with no relatives or friends to turn to. Her appearance was poignant and moving.

The years in the deep palace are long, and the high walls lock away all tenderness. The concubines, without relatives or friends, are ultimately like rootless duckweed in this treacherous harem, arousing pity.

Upon seeing this, Xiao Jinghuan felt a pang of pity. He quickly rose from his throne, gently took Consort Xu's arms, and softly comforted her, "My beloved consort, do not cry. Do not be too sad. As a consort, you are highly favored. I am your greatest support. With me here, no one will dare to bully you in the slightest."

He patiently and gently comforted Consort Xu for a long time, gradually soothing her grief, and the somber atmosphere in the palace eased slightly.

Consort Xu gradually stopped crying and raised her hand to wipe away the tears on her cheeks. However, the gloom and resentment in her eyes did not dissipate, but instead quietly deepened.

Her gaze inadvertently swept over the pile of military merit reports on the table, and her eyes fell on the first draft of the imperial edict of reward on the top page. The six large characters "Su Mu, the God of War Who Protects the Nation" were conspicuous and pierced her eyes.

In an instant, all the tenderness in Consort Xu's eyes vanished, replaced by a deep-seated hatred hidden in her eyes.

She hesitated for a moment, then casually asked in a low voice, "Your Majesty, I just heard from the palace servants that after this great victory in the eastern expedition, Your Majesty intends to bestow upon Su Mu the title of God of War to Protect the Nation. Is this true?"

Xiao Jinghuan did not notice the strangeness in her expression, taking it as a casual inquiry. He nodded frankly, his tone full of praise and certainty: "Of course it is true. General Su's merits are worthy of this supreme honor."

"In this eastern expedition, he helped me recover the territory of the East China Sea, crush the foreign enemies of the East Barbarians who had plagued us for a hundred years, and enhance the prestige of our Great Qian Dynasty."

"Furthermore, he had the foresight to recognize talent, reorganized 300,000 elite troops, and supervised the construction of the invincible Dragon Warship, thus forging a maritime barrier for the Great Qian Dynasty."

Xiao Jinghuan spoke with a firm tone, full of satisfaction and respect: "Since the founding of the Great Qian Dynasty, no emperor has ever expanded the territory and aweeded the world like me."

"This monumental achievement is largely due to General Su!"

"Such unparalleled achievements deserve the title of God of War who protects the nation; no one can replace him."

As soon as she finished speaking, Consort Xu suddenly raised her eyes, a hint of solemnity and urgency in them, and spoke softly, each word piercing to the heart:

"Your Majesty...aren't you afraid that Su Mu's achievements will overshadow your own, that he will amass power and rebel in the future?"