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

Afterwards, Su Mu led his generals and soldiers off the warship and onto the dock.

The dock was now packed with people.

Tens of thousands of Kyoto residents spontaneously gathered here, crowding the riverbank in layers. Men, women, and children all craned their necks, their eyes fixed intently on this battle-hardened army.

Upon seeing the elderly figure at the head of the group, with his white hair and upright posture, his long-suppressed emotions erupted instantly.

"General Su is back!"

"The heroes of my Great Qian have returned."

"General Su is mighty! The men of the Great Qian Dynasty are mighty!"

"Thank you for protecting our great land and ensuring the safety of our people!"

A deafening roar of cheers suddenly erupted, echoing for a long time.

Countless people were moved to tears and bowed to the soldiers.

In the Battle of the East China Sea, the Eastern Barbarians came with overwhelming force, with countless ships, and once approached the sea borders of the Great Qian Dynasty, causing shock and panic among the people.

It was Su Mu who was appointed to lead the army in a time of crisis, and together with his troops, they fought a bloody battle, defeating the foreign enemy with overwhelming force, annihilating the main force of the Eastern Barbarians, and completely eliminating the great threat to the sea frontier of the Great Qian Dynasty.

To the millions of ordinary people, Su Mu was not a veteran general holding a high position in the imperial court, but a guardian deity who protected the region and ensured the stability of the country!

Su Mu, clad in silver armor, was covered in dust, yet his back remained straight and his bearing imposing.

He walked slowly at the front of the procession, listening to the cheers around him. A touch of gentleness quietly appeared in his usually cold and solemn eyes.

He slowly stopped, his gaze sweeping over the simple and warm faces around him, without a trace of the arrogance of a victorious hero, nor any hint of self-importance.

He first nodded slightly, then bowed slightly, giving a solemn salute to the thousands of people.

"Thank you all for your kindness, fellow villagers. We, the old man and the soldiers, are very grateful."

His voice was strong and steady, and it carried clearly through the noisy crowd on the dock.

Seeing this, the people cheered even louder, their admiration growing stronger.

Everyone knows that General Su was a man of great merit, yet he remained humble and kind, always caring for the people. Such integrity is unmatched in the entire history of the Great Qian Dynasty.

The soldiers were also extremely proud, walking with their heads held high and chests out, raising their hands to interact with the people as they went.

……

On the other side of the dock, on a high platform.

Crown Prince Xiao Yunfeng's face was so dark it was almost dripping with water, and his eyes were churning with barely suppressed anger and jealousy.

As the crown prince, he was stationed in the capital and was here today to welcome the triumphant army. He should have been the center of attention, surrounded by everyone.

But from beginning to end, all the glory and all the applause fell on Su Mu alone.

The common people only knew General Su, and no one paid any attention to him, the crown prince!

Standing beside the Crown Prince, the current Prime Minister Li Yuan's face was also ashen, his narrow eyes filled with malice and dissatisfaction.

He stared intently at Su Mu, who was greeting the people, his anger almost bursting forth.

After a moment of silence, Li Yuan finally couldn't hold back any longer. He lowered his voice and let out a cold snort, filled with sarcasm and resentment.

"Outrageous! Absolutely outrageous!"

"Su Mu has just led his army back to the capital, yet instead of immediately coming to pay his respects to the Crown Prince and receive the imperial edict, he is here seeking fame and fortune, trying to win over the people. He has absolutely no respect for the emperor!"

"Does he really think that by achieving a victory in the East China Sea, he's the number one person in the Great Qian Dynasty?"

"To dare to call oneself a war god who protects the nation, to place oneself above imperial authority and to despise the crown prince, is utterly ignorant of one's own limitations and shameless!"

Every word and sentence is full of harsh criticism and malice.

In Li Yuan's eyes, Su Mu's actions were entirely a deliberate display of power, showing his arrogance and disregard for the royal family and the court.

He remained silent, but the hatred and fear in his heart grew ever deeper.

Su Mu's prestige grew day by day, and he was supported by the military and the people. Such power had long been the greatest threat to the royal family!

Just as the two were filled with resentment and suspicion, a hurried yet respectful sound of footsteps suddenly came from behind them.

It was General Xu Cheng.

Dressed in military uniform, with a solemn expression, he led his wife and children forward quickly, walked straight to Su Mu, and without hesitation, led his whole family to bow in salute, their posture extremely respectful and devout.

"This humble general, Xu Cheng, along with his entire family, respectfully welcomes General Su and the Third Prince back to the capital in triumph!"

Xu Cheng's voice was strong and clear, his tone full of sincere respect, and his bow was meticulous and extremely solemn.

Seeing this, Su Mu quickly stepped forward and raised his hand to help, a gentle smile on his face.

"General Xu, you are too polite."

"You are also one of us, and you have made great contributions. There is no need for such a grand gesture."

But after he finished speaking, Xu Cheng did not get up. Instead, he lowered his back even further, his brows furrowed with deep self-blame and guilt, and his voice was low and hoarse, full of regret.

"Old Su, this humble general is useless!"

"When I returned to the capital, His Majesty personally promised that once the army returned in triumph, he would personally go to the dock to welcome the old general and the soldiers back to the capital, to reward them for their meritorious service on the battlefield."

"But I am incompetent and failed to persuade His Majesty. Even today, with the army returning to the capital, His Majesty has still not come in person. It is my dereliction of duty that has caused me to fail the old general and the soldiers who fought so hard!"

The atmosphere instantly somber upon hearing this.

Every word and phrase was filled with self-reproach.

Su Mu's gaze sharpened slightly as he carefully observed the genuine guilt in Xu Cheng's eyes, and he understood what was going on.

He smiled faintly, his expression calm and peaceful, and gently comforted her.

"General Xu, there's no need to blame yourself."

"The actions of an emperor are governed by a system of checks and balances; how could a mere military general like you possibly have the power to influence them? This matter is none of your concern, so there's no need for you to hold a grudge."

After saying that, the Third Prince Xiao Jingyu stepped forward and gently helped Xu Cheng up.

Taking advantage of the moment when everyone's attention was elsewhere and no one was paying attention, Xiao Jingyu leaned down slightly, lowered his voice, and asked quietly with a hint of seriousness and urgency in his tone.

"General Xu, I ask you, why did His Majesty change his mind at the last minute?"

What exactly happened?

This was also the biggest question in the minds of Xiao Jingyu and his soldiers.

Upon returning home in triumph, the entire nation rejoices. It is both reasonable and emotionally appropriate for the emperor to personally welcome them, demonstrating the monarch's compassion for his soldiers and his desire to reward meritorious officials.

This unusual behavior is really too strange!

Xu Cheng frowned, his expression full of helplessness and confusion, and replied in a similarly low voice:

"Third Prince, this matter is extremely strange, and I cannot figure it out at all."

"His Majesty's attitude was firm before, and he made a personal promise, which is known to all officials and common people in the court."

"But just a few days ago, His Majesty abruptly canceled the welcoming ceremony."

"None of the ministers in the court knew the reason behind it, and no one had heard a word about it."

The two whispered in hushed tones, subtle yet clear.

Su Mu's cultivation was extraordinary, and his senses were far beyond those of ordinary people. Within a radius of several dozen feet, no movement of the wind or grass could escape his perception.

He heard every word of the conversation.

Su Mu's gaze darkened slightly, the gentleness in his eyes slowly fading, replaced by a deep and solemn expression.

Although His Majesty may occasionally make foolish mistakes, he is by no means a muddle-headed ruler.

Especially on matters of national importance and the stability of the country, he has always been calm, measured, and meticulous. He would never act rashly or break his promises without cause.

This sudden change of heart, avoiding meeting the victorious heroes and staying indoors, must have some unknown hidden story behind it!

After a brief moment of contemplation, Su Mu composed himself, took two steps forward, and gently patted Xiao Jingyu and Xu Cheng on the shoulders. His voice was steady and powerful, carrying a calming force.

"Don't panic, there's no need to speculate."

"Now that the army has returned to the capital, the overall situation is settled."

"Let us set aside our doubts for now, go and meet the Crown Prince, receive the imperial decree, and then we will know once we try."

"This old man must carefully examine what exactly is the reason that would make His Majesty risk breaking his promise to the world and chilling the hearts of the soldiers!"

As soon as he finished speaking, Su Mu turned his gaze and strode straight toward Crown Prince Xiao Yunfeng on the high platform.

With a composed gait and upright posture, he returned from countless battles, yet showed no humility or obsequiousness, only the awe-inspiring righteousness that comes with years of battlefield experience.

On the high platform, when Crown Prince Xiao Yunfeng saw Su Mu finally step forward, the dissatisfaction in his heart subsided slightly. He then adopted the noble posture of a crown prince, holding his head high and walking down the steps with a somewhat arrogant air.

Upon reaching Su Mu, Xiao Yunfeng adopted a gentle demeanor, appearing humble but actually harboring arrogance in his eyes, and greeted him with a slight bow.

"General Su, you fought in the East China Sea, defeating the enemy thousands of miles away. You must have had a tough journey."

The polite words of sympathy were followed by a complete lack of genuine concern.

Su Mu raised his eyes, his gaze calm and unwavering, staring directly at the pretentious Crown Prince before him. He offered no return greetings, nor uttered a single word of insincere politeness. His tone was direct and cold, getting straight to the point.

"Your Highness, there's no need for formalities. Where is the imperial edict? What is His Majesty's decree? Just speak frankly."

The moment these words were spoken, the atmosphere instantly became stiff and cold.

Throughout the court and among the general populace, no one dared to be so disrespectful to the Crown Prince. Even veteran officials with distinguished service had to adhere to the proper etiquette between ruler and subject and treat each other with humility.

Su Mu, however, disregarded these formalities, his attitude was indifferent, his aura imposing, and he did not take the Crown Prince seriously at all.

Li Yuan, who was standing to the side, suddenly flew into a rage, his face turned ashen, and he shouted out in a stern voice!

"Su Mu! How dare you!"

Standing before you is the Crown Prince!

"Even if you have pacified the East Sea and achieved great military exploits, you are still only a subject! No matter how great your achievements, you cannot be disrespectful to the Crown Prince and act arrogantly and rudely! With such arrogance and disrespect, do you still have any regard for the laws and regulations of the Great Qian Dynasty, or for the hierarchy of the royal family?"

Li Yuan spoke sternly and harshly, deliberately raising his voice to suppress Su Mu's arrogance in public and solidify his crime of being arrogant and disrespectful of imperial authority.

But his rebuke had barely finished...

boom!

A swift and unparalleled black shadow suddenly darted out from behind Su Mu, moving with lightning speed and whistling wind!

Then he suddenly kicked Li Yuan!