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

The capital city, the imperial prison.

The damp, musty smell mixed with the rusty odor permeated the dimly lit cell.

The torches on the wall flickered, casting shadows of the iron railings on the ground.

Xu Shigui huddled on a pile of hay in the corner, disheveled and dressed in rags.

That once arrogant face is now full of haggardness and dishevelment.

His eyes were sunken, his cheekbones were prominent, and his chin was covered with messy stubble. Where was the slightest bit of the general's imposing presence?

He has been locked up here for almost two months.

Every day, he waited.

Wait for the Crown Prince's men to come, wait for the Prime Minister's men to come, wait for them to tell you that things have taken a turn for the better and you can leave.

But every day, all that awaits me is disappointment.

"Da, da, da."

Footsteps echoed from the end of the corridor.

A moment later, two figures appeared in the dimly lit corridor.

"Father! Father!"

Xu Zhaowen and Xu Zhaowu walked quickly to the prison gate and looked at the disheveled old man inside through the iron bars.

Both of them looked unwell, with dark circles under their eyes, clearly indicating they hadn't slept well for several days.

"Wen'er! Wu'er!" Xu Shigui rushed to the railing, his withered fingers gripping the iron post tightly, and asked anxiously, "How is it? What did His Highness the Crown Prince say? What did the Prime Minister say? Will they help me?"

Xu Zhaowen took a deep breath, trying to make her voice sound as steady as possible.

"Father, His Highness the Crown Prince has made it clear that he will do everything in his power to protect you."

"His Highness said that you have served the court for many years, and even if you have not made any great contributions, you have certainly worked hard. He will not sit idly by."

Xu Shigui's cloudy eyes suddenly lit up, and he grinned, revealing a mouthful of yellow teeth.

"Good! Good! I knew His Highness the Crown Prince wouldn't abandon me! I, Xu Shigui, am utterly loyal to him, and he will surely remember that!"

Xu Zhaowen and Xu Zhaowu exchanged a glance, their expressions growing even more unpleasant.

"However..." Xu Zhaowen hesitated for a moment before speaking.

Xu Shigui's smile froze, and a hint of fear flashed in his eyes.

"But what? Tell me quickly!"

Xu Zhaowu gritted his teeth and took over the conversation.

"Father, a major event has occurred in the palace tonight."

"Su Mu... that old fellow Su Mu has won another battle! He killed the Northern Di general Man Tu, routed Tuoba Han's 50,000-strong army, and even recovered Qingzhou!"

Xu Shigui's pupils contracted sharply, and the color drained from his face instantly.

"What? They killed the Northern Barbarian general, Man Tu, and even recaptured Qingzhou?"

Xu Shigui froze on the spot, as if struck by lightning, and didn't move an inch.

Xu Zhaowen continued, "What's even more terrifying is that His Majesty summoned all civil and military officials tonight and announced in court that Su Mu has been appointed General Who Guards the North, a rank of the third grade!"

"The General Who Guards the North..."

Xu Shigui murmured and repeated those five words, his expression changing from shock to fear, and then from fear to despair.

General of the Northern Garrison, a third-rank official.

This was two ranks higher than his original position as a general.

Xu Shigui spent most of his life in officialdom before finally climbing to the position of general.

Su Mu, an old farmer, rose from cook to General of the North in less than half a year after joining the army, two ranks higher than him.

Moreover, those people in the imperial court will probably never dare to question it again.

Because his achievements are undeniable.

Kill Yeluqi, kill the barbarian, defeat an army of 50,000, and recover two states.

With such a record, it is no exaggeration to confer the title of general.

Xu Shigui's legs went weak, and his body slid down the iron railing, collapsing onto the cold stone ground.

"It's over... it's over..."

"If he recovers the entire northern border, being ennobled and appointed a general will be just around the corner... At that time, I will be able to wash away the fact that I harmed him, deserted, and lost cities..."

"No...it's not just that it can't be washed off...His Majesty will definitely kill me...he will definitely kill me...behead me and confiscate my property..."

Xu Zhaowen's face also turned pale.

"Father, it's not that serious, is it? You are, after all, an official appointed by the imperial court. Even if you are guilty, it shouldn't be this serious..."

"What do you know!" Xu Shigui suddenly raised his head, his eyes bloodshot, his voice hoarse. "I deserted in the face of battle, that's a capital offense! I framed a meritorious official, that's also a capital offense! I lost cities and territories, that's still a capital offense! One of these offenses is enough to get my head chopped off, but with all three combined, if His Majesty doesn't kill me, it would be an injustice!"

Xu Zhaowu's legs also started to tremble.

"Father...then...what should we do?"

Xu Shigui closed his eyes and took a deep breath.

When he opened his eyes again, there was a hint of determination in them.

"Now, the only one who can save us is your aunt."

"Aunt?" Xu Zhaowen was taken aback.

"Your Highness, the Imperial Concubine! Your aunt, His Majesty's favorite concubine!" Xu Shigui's voice became urgent. "She has influence with His Majesty. If she could just whisper a few good words in his ear for me, perhaps His Majesty would show leniency and let me go..."

He grabbed Xu Zhaowen's hand.

"You two, go find your aunt now! Make sure she pleads for me before His Majesty!"

Xu Zhaowen and Xu Zhaowu exchanged a glance and nodded heavily.

"Father, don't worry! We'll go find Auntie right away!"

The two turned and walked away quickly, their footsteps gradually fading into the corridor.

Xu Shigui slumped onto the cold stone ground, leaning against the iron railing, panting heavily.

The torchlight shone on his aged face, flickering uncertainly.

"Su Mu..." he muttered to himself, his voice filled with hatred and resentment, "You caused all of this. Why would a centenarian like you join the army?"

"Damn it!"

……

The main hall of the Prince's Mansion.

It was late at night, but the candlelight in the hall was still bright.

Xiao Jingyu sat in the main seat, holding a teacup in his hand, with a smile on his face.

"Dad, what's making you so happy?"

Xiao Zhi Qiu skipped and hopped out of the back room, followed by Su Qing Xue.

"Yes, Uncle Xiao." Su Qingxue walked up to Xiao Jingyu, looked up at him with her big eyes full of doubt, "Qingxue has been in the Prince's mansion for so long, and this is the first time I've seen Uncle Xiao so happy."

Xiao Jingyu put down his teacup, reached out and patted Su Qingxue's head, grinning from ear to ear.

"Qingxue, your grandfather is going to be a great general!"

Su Qingxue's eyes widened suddenly, her mouth slightly open, her small face full of disbelief.

"The Great General? My grandfather?"

"Yes! General Who Guards the North! A third-rank official!" Xiao Jingyu's voice was full of excitement. "His Majesty announced it in court tonight! Your grandfather killed the Northern Di general Man Tu outside Yuzhou City, defeated Tuoba Han's 50,000-strong army, and also recovered Qingzhou! His Majesty was overjoyed and appointed your grandfather as General Who Guards the North!"

Su Qingxue stood there, stunned, unable to process what she had just witnessed.

Although she didn't know what being a Grand General meant, she had known since childhood that being a Grand General was very prestigious.

Grandpa... Grandpa really became a great general!

She remembered that day in the dilapidated courtyard of Qin Family Village, when her grandfather, hunched over and leaning on his cane, said to her, "Qingxue, don't be afraid, Grandpa won't let you join the army."

She remembered that day at the village entrance, when her grandfather rode his horse and galloped towards the military camp without looking back, his white figure growing farther and farther away, smaller and smaller.

She recalled those days in the Prince's mansion, how every night she would look up at the northern sky, secretly call out "Grandpa," and then wipe away her own tears.

She wondered if her grandfather, now a great general, could come to the capital to find her.

She misses her grandfather very much!

Su Qingxue's tears finally fell, but she smiled more happily than anyone else.

"Grandpa is amazing!"

Xiao Zhi Qiu also became excited, and happily said while holding Su Qing Xue's hand:

"Qingxue! Your grandfather is a great general! The General Who Guards the North! That's amazing!"

"Uncle Xiao," Su Qingxue turned around and looked at Xiao Jingyu, her eyes full of expectation, "Could you take Qingxue with you to see Grandpa? Qingxue misses Grandpa so much..."

Xiao Zhi Qiu chimed in, "Dad, I want to go too! I want to see how impressive Grandpa Su is!"

Xiao Jingyu's face immediately darkened.

"No, none of you can go."

He stood up, walked to Su Qingxue, squatted down, looked her straight in the eye, and spoke in a gentle but firm voice.

"Qingxue, listen to your uncle. Your grandfather has now become the General Who Guards the North. His achievements are too great. Many people in the court are envious of him, jealous of him, and even want to harm him."

"If they find out you are Su Mu's granddaughter, they will definitely try every means to capture and harm you to threaten your grandfather."

A flicker of fear flashed in Su Qingxue's eyes. She bit her lip and remained silent.

Xiao Jingyu gently patted her shoulder.

"Therefore, you absolutely cannot show your face now, and you must not let anyone know about your relationship with Grandpa."

"You can stay here at your uncle's house and live peacefully. Eat well and sleep well. When your uncle returns from the northern border, he will bring you news of your grandfather."

He turned to look at Xiao Zhi Qiu, his tone becoming sterner.

"Zhiqiu, during this period, you are not allowed to take Qingxue out shopping or visiting others, and you must not let outsiders know that Qingxue is living in our residence, do you understand?"

Although Xiao Zhi Qiu usually likes to joke around, he is never ambiguous when it comes to serious matters.

She stopped laughing and nodded seriously.

"Father, don't worry, I know what's important. No one will touch a hair on Qingxue's head."

Xiao Jingyu nodded with satisfaction, then looked at Su Qingxue, a smile returning to his face.

"Qingxue, although you can't go to the Northern Border, you can prepare a gift for Grandpa. Your uncle will take the gift to him and give it to him."

Su Qingxue's eyes lit up instantly. She wiped away her tears and smiled like a flower.

"Really? Can I prepare a gift for Grandpa?"

"Of course, what would you like to give as a gift?" Xiao Jingyu asked.

Su Qingxue was extremely excited and skipped away, calling out as she went, "Thank you, Uncle Xiao! I'll go prepare a gift for Grandpa right away."