Immortality: Starting with a grave, I'm invincible when burying corpses.

Sitting at the table, staring at the two completely different secret letters, Mu An's eyes narrowed involuntarily. He tapped the table lightly with his left hand, making a crisp sound.

The person sitting there was completely shrouded in shadow, his head slightly lowered, making it impossible to discern his thoughts at that moment.

Several of his trusted men stood in front of his desk, each one standing ramrod straight.

The only sound in the quiet room was the tapping of fingers on the table.

After a long, long time, a sound as calm as a lake rang out in the room.

"Send someone to invite the Marquis of Yongning, and tell him that I have important matters to discuss with him."

The voice abruptly stopped, then took on a chill.

"Make all preparations. In seven days, the Anshan Patrol Inspectorate will be officially merged into the Qishan Patrol Inspectorate. As planned, continue to expand the army to 30,000 men. Focus on city defense and military formations as the core of training. Within two years, I want to see a fighting force!"

"Here you go!"

……

The struggle in Qi'an City did not last long. Mu'an received the secret letter in mid-September and received the news in December.

In November, the former Vice Minister of War died in court after remonstrating with the emperor, striking his head against a pillar and staining the Tianqi Hall with his blood.

The following day, a coup occurred in the palace. The guards at the Vermilion Bird Gate, Black Tortoise Gate, and Azure Dragon Gate rebelled, and Jun Cheng'an's eight hundred elite soldiers forced the palace to surrender.

The new emperor abdicated and was enfeoffed as the Prince of Chu. He was placed under house arrest deep within the palace, while the old emperor left Tianqi Garden to temporarily regain control of the government.

At the beginning of the new year, the reign title was changed to Tianxin.

In the second month of the first year of the Tianxin era, the emperor issued an edict establishing Prince Qi, Jun Cheng'an, as the crown prince.

Mu An was not surprised to learn that Jun Yunhua had been placed under house arrest.

This was something that had been expected long ago. Neither Jun Yunxin nor Jun Yunhua were as good at politics, nor were they ruthless enough.

Without killing the old emperor, Jun Yunhua could never truly seize power, and this was precisely the kind of thing that was impossible to achieve from the very beginning.

The gap between the two sides is too great. One side is shrewd and calculating, planning before acting, and has great power in its hands, while the other side relies entirely on Jun Yunxin's "strategic deterrence".

The old emperor had calculated every step Jun Yunxin took, and he had figured out her thoughts and intentions. Such a person must have also considered the possibility of an accident.

Even if Jun Yunxin had truly made a ruthless decision back then, it would probably have only led to the fragmentation of the Great Qi Dynasty.

Thinking about it this way, it's actually a good thing for the world that Jun Yunhua can retain his wealth and status and live as a carefree prince, saving them from endless wars.

Jun Yunxin understood this before she died, which is why she asked Mu An to promise her in her final moments not to get involved in the royal family's conflicts.

She did a lot, yet it seemed like she did nothing at all, to the point that Jun Yunhua's ascension to the throne became a complete farce.

Mu An didn't want to discuss whose fault it was that things had turned out this way.

But he knew one thing: truth lies only beneath the gunfire, and dignity only on the edge of a sword.

He trusted no one but the sword in his hand and the soldiers under his command.

On the first day after receiving the news, he didn't say a word, but took Liuyun to the Tiger Army's garrison in Lingzhou.

He reminisced with the marshal of the Tiger Army and engaged in a friendly exchange.

The two former colleagues fought for half a day, and in the end Mu An had a slight advantage, putting Liu Yun on Bai Lingshan's neck.

After the battle, the Tiger Army retreated 300 li. They still guarded Lingzhou, but retreated to outside the sphere of influence of Mu An and Lin Li.

The next day, Mu An went to Lingzhou City to visit Commander Shangzhang of the Dark Feather Guard.

The previous commander was very easy to talk to, and he didn't mention the past. He only talked about their respective identities in the Dark Feather Guard and how to carry out their work in the future.

The Seven Stars of Azure Jade can also cooperate with the Heavenly Cadres.

He even offered to introduce some skilled martial artists to Mu An to help supplement the Dark Feather Guard's ranks.

We are all high-ranking members of the Dark Feather Guard, civilized people, and we don't fight.

Let's share a glass of fine wine; we're all brothers when we're out in the world.

On the third day, Mu An carried three jugs of fine wine to visit the Flower Arrangement Martial Saint.

This time they were really drinking, and Lin Li was also there. Although the atmosphere was a bit cold, it was actually very harmonious.

Mu An knew that Lin Li didn't want to make the atmosphere awkward; it was simply because she was sick and had become less and less cheerful, emanating a chill from her just sitting there.

The flower-arranging grandmother was probably too old for her to think much. Even though Jun Yunxin was gone, she didn't leave but chose to stay and continue doing what she used to do.

This veteran has completely joined their ranks and is now one of their own.

When wolves come, we have sticks; when friends come, we have fine wine. It's that simple.

On the fourth day, Mu An went to Lingxiao Pavilion.

The painting master did not leave, but instead lived in seclusion here.

When Mu An arrived, the Painting Sage was painting. Mu An didn't disturb him too much, but chatted briefly and inquired about some matters related to cultivation.

The existence of the Painting Sage is Mu An and his group's greatest source of confidence. He and Princess Yongning have agreed that he will stay in Yongning County for five years.

These five years were also a golden period for Mu An to cultivate in peace, enough for him to completely digest all the legacy left by Princess Yongning.

On the fifth day, Mu An arrived at Qishan, the place he had always been loyal to.

The people of Qishan Village were definitely among the most enthusiastic people Mu An had ever met. Mu An's arrival and guidance greatly inspired the entire Qishan Village.

The welcoming party that stretched for miles became a reality. On both sides of the mountain road were elderly people and children from the village, each holding up Qishan specialties in their hands with bright smiles on their faces.

Hearing the praises, greetings, and eulogies for his great achievements.

Looking at the three-year-old child kneeling on the ground to greet him, and the old man with hardly any teeth left, for a moment, Mu An thought he had arrived in a place bathed in sunlight.

That sincere smile, that realistic portrait, and that unified attitude.

Mu An couldn't help but close her eyes.

It was so bright that he couldn't open his eyes.

He had no doubt that if he were to say something like that now,

It's getting cold; it's time to put on more clothes.

The next second, the people of Qishan Village could drape a yellow robe over him, and who knows, even the dragon throne might already be ready.

Fortunately, Mu An did not have this idea, and the foundation of Daqi was not something that could be shaken by their small group.

Having witnessed too many grand scenes, Mu An knew that in this world, only by becoming a terrestrial immortal could one find a sliver of solace in this cold world.

Everything else is external.

He simply had a friendly chat with several leaders of Qishan, looked to the future, and formulated a preliminary three-year development plan and a five-year plan.

The Yongning County-Qishan integrated defense line was constructed, and regional autonomy was initially achieved.

Mu An originally wanted to stay for two more days so that he could get a better understanding of the true situation in Qishan.

However, the eerie atmosphere of Qishan made him hesitate. He arrived in Qishan in the morning and rushed back to Qing'an County overnight.

He feared that if he stayed in Qishan for too long, he would truly turn into the shape of the sun.

Its infectious power is so strong that even if an entire ocean were filled in, it would be quickly evaporated and dyed into the shape of the sun.

This is a great terror; once trapped in it, only a saint can escape!

……

March of the second year of Tianxin.

On the streets of Qing'an County, a group led by a little girl is marching proudly towards the middle of the road.

The group consisted of nine people in total: three girls and six boys. They all stood with their heads held high, and when they reached the middle of the road, they stopped and stood there muttering something to each other.

The little girl's clothes were bright and made of the finest fabric, and she wore a small jade lock around her neck, making her look quite extraordinary.

Eight children of different ages surrounded her, and one of the clever ones even lay down on the ground, indicating that the little girl could use him as a stool.

"Get up! Stand up!" The little girl didn't appreciate it and instead slapped the boy who wanted to be a stool on the head.

The boy, who was two or three years older than her, was so hit that he covered his forehead and almost burst into tears.

He dared not cry, for if he did, he would be slapped again.