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

"Your Majesty, this is absolutely unacceptable!"

All eyes in the hall instantly turned to Xiao Jingyu. Everyone knew that the Third Prince was openly defying the Emperor's will and arguing for Su Mu!

Xiao Jingyu's gaze was intense, and his words were firm and resounding, echoing throughout the hall.

"Although General Su is over a hundred years old, he is still physically strong and his divine might remains undiminished. He guards the territory of the Great Qian Dynasty and has never been defeated in a hundred battles. He is the true pillar of our Great Qian Dynasty!"

"With Elder Su here, neighboring countries dare not act rashly, and barbarian enemies dare not covet an inch of our land!"

"Now that we have achieved a great victory in the East China Sea and crushed the Eastern Barbarians, the morale of our three armies is at its peak. Tens of thousands of soldiers who fought their way back from the east are eagerly awaiting Your Majesty's reward for their merits and to appease the heroes!"

"His Majesty's forceful order for Elder Su to retire from military service may seem like a favor, but in reality, it chills the hearts of the entire army!"

"Once the morale of the army collapses and the soldiers become resentful, it could easily trigger unrest within the army. At that time, the court and the country will be in turmoil, the borders will be unstable, and the consequences will be endless, Your Majesty!"

These words were all reasonable and hit the nail on the head, expressing the concerns that the officials dared not speak out.

Upon hearing this, the fake emperor on the dragon throne instantly darkened his face, a sharp anger flashed between his brows, and a cold snort suddenly rang out!

"Hmph! This is outrageous!"

He slammed his hand on the armrest of the dragon throne, his majestic voice carrying the deliberately crafted rage of an emperor, looking down at the steps below with an imposing aura.

"This empire belongs to my Great Qian!"

"The soldiers of the three armies are my soldiers!"

"Having received the emperor's bounty and served the emperor faithfully, I show compassion to veteran officials, reward meritorious ministers, and properly appease retired generals. Who among them would dare to complain?"

"Does my third brother perhaps believe that my soldiers dare to disobey His Majesty and intend to rebel?"

As soon as the words were spoken, the air pressure in the hall instantly plummeted to freezing point.

The fake emperor's gaze was fixed on Xiao Jingyu, his sharp eyes filled with reprimand and pressure as he continued his cold reprimand:

"My third brother is becoming increasingly reckless and outspoken!"

"Old Su is over a hundred years old, with white hair. He has spent half his life toiling and fighting for the country, and he is already exhausted both physically and mentally."

"My heart aches for my veteran ministers, and I cannot bear to see them don armor and fight on the battlefield any longer. Allowing them to return home to rest and enjoy their lives is an immense act of kindness in honoring my meritorious officials!"

"You've misinterpreted my intentions, smearing my benevolence as malicious intent to strip meritorious officials of their military power? This is utter nonsense!"

"Now the Great Qian Dynasty is at peace throughout the land, and the seas are pacified, with no more large-scale wars."

"The generals in the court, including Xu Cheng, Qin Hao, and Han Shixun, are all brave and capable, fully qualified to take on important responsibilities, guard the four directions, and protect the country! My decree is upright and just; what is wrong with it?"

The emperor was furious, and the court fell silent; no one dared to utter a word in his defense.

Just then, a composed figure strode out of the ranks; it was none other than Xu Cheng, the garrison commander of Kyoto!

His expression was respectful yet his attitude firm. He bowed deeply and clasped his hands in a gesture of respect: "Your Majesty, I am filled with trepidation!"

"Although I have been stationed in the capital for many years and have held some military power, I have no regrets about my loyalty and duty to my country."

"But when it comes to battlefield conquest, commanding troops, and safeguarding the nation, I am utterly inferior to General Su!"

"General Su was a legendary figure after a hundred battles. His strategic planning and decisive victories enabled him to quell the great threat in the East China Sea and crush the powerful enemy of the Eastern Barbarians."

"I am of mediocre talent and limited vision, utterly incapable of shouldering the heavy responsibility of protecting the Great Qian territory; I am utterly unfit for such a great task!"

As soon as he finished speaking, Qin Hao followed closely behind, striding forward and bowing his head, saying frankly, "I am no match for Elder Su! Without Elder Su's presence, the morale of the army would be unstable, and the border defenses would be insecure!"

Immediately afterwards, You Zhongyi, Han Shixun, and all the core generals of the Eastern Expedition stepped forward together, speaking in unison with earnest words!

"We are all inferior to General Su! We are unfit to shoulder the heavy responsibility of guarding the Great Qian Dynasty!"

The fact that a group of battlefield generals all resigned to show weakness was not due to incompetence or cowardice, but rather a direct expression of their stance:

They only recognize Su Mu as their commander and will never take over the military power that was split up!

This scene completely struck a nerve with the fake emperor!

Today, he feigned compassion and forcibly stripped Su Mu of his power, intending to take advantage of the great victory to dismantle the military power under Su Mu's command, allowing each of his deputy generals to command troops and check and balance each other, thus completely dismantling Su Mu's absolute prestige and control in the army!

However, the fact that all the generals pledged their loyalty and refused to accept power was tantamount to directly exposing his scheme in public!

The fake emperor flew into a rage, abruptly rising to his feet, his dragon robe fluttering wildly. A barely suppressed, sinister glint flashed in his eyes as he roared in fury:

"Rebellion! Rebellion!"

"I see you have completely rebelled!"

"You who receive the salaries and titles of my Great Qian Dynasty, are you truly my court soldiers, or Su Mu's private retinue?"

"I have issued my imperial edict, and you dare to disobey and openly defy it! Do you still have any respect for me as emperor, or for the laws of the Great Qian Dynasty?"

In his rage, he no longer concealed his ruthlessness and shouted sharply:

"Where are the Imperial Guards?!"

"Xu Cheng and Qin Hao have openly defied the imperial decree, formed cliques for personal gain, and shown utter contempt for the emperor! Drag them away immediately and imprison them in the imperial jail to await their fate!"

As soon as he finished speaking, more than a dozen imperial guards on duty outside the hall rushed in, wielding steel knives!

The cold blade reflected the lights in the hall, its gleam sharp and menacing. The footsteps were firm and resounding as they headed straight for Xu Cheng and Qin Hao, intending to capture them on the spot!

At the critical moment, Su Mu, who had remained silent and composed, suddenly became completely clear-headed.

He took in everything before him and instantly saw through the fake emperor's sinister plot!

This person impersonated an emperor, controlled the court, secretly possessed martial arts skills, and endured many days of stagnation. He was not doing this for a momentary power struggle!

First, he broke his promise to the world and treated the victorious generals with cold indifference. Then, he pretended to reward them and forcibly stripped Su Mu of his military power. Now, he is taking the opportunity to launch an attack and arrest a large number of generals who have made contributions to the eastern expedition!

Their purpose is obvious.

Step by step, he dismantled the core of the military, eliminated loyal and capable generals, purged the pillars of the Daqian military, completely seized control of the court and military power, and finally undermined the court and disrupted the government, waiting for an opportunity to completely overthrow the Daqian dynasty!

What a ruthless scheme, what a treacherous plot!

Crown Prince Xiao Yunfeng and Prime Minister Li Yuan stood side by side, looking at the chaotic scene before them, where swords were drawn and the emperor and his ministers were at odds. Both of them could not hide their wild joy and pleasure.

The pent-up frustration and apprehension that had been building up for days vanished at that moment!

What they feared most was that Su Mu's achievements would overshadow the emperor, his military power would be secure, and his prestige would be unparalleled, completely suppressing the power of the Eastern Palace and cutting off his path to the throne as crown prince.

But now the emperor is targeting and deliberately suppressing Su Mu step by step, clearly intending to completely weaken and eliminate his power!

Li Yuan lowered his voice, a sinister smile playing on his lips, and whispered in the Crown Prince's ear:

"Your Highness, this is going to be interesting."

"His Majesty's actions, seemingly aimed at stabilizing the court, are actually paving the way for Your Highness's future!"

"Once Su Mu's military power is stripped and his fierce generals are eliminated, no one in the court will be able to rival His Highness. From then on, the position of Crown Prince will be as secure as Mount Tai!"

Crown Prince Xiao Yunfeng's eyes gleamed with excitement, unable to contain his joy, and a smile spread across his face.

Yes!

As long as Su Mu, this mountain blocking my way, is overthrown and all obstacles are cleared, the position of Crown Prince of Daqian, the future supreme ruler, can only belong to him, Xiao Yunfeng!

The biggest winner of today's dramatic upheaval in the court is him!

Just as the Imperial Guards were about to take action, the entire palace was filled with panic, and the situation was completely out of control!

A deep, cold, and utterly emotionless old voice suddenly resounded throughout the entire Golden Palace!

"His Majesty!"

Su Mu, who had been silent and observing the whole situation, finally spoke!

Instantly, all the civil and military officials, imperial guards, princes and courtiers subconsciously stopped what they were doing and turned to look, their eyes fixed on that tall, white-haired figure!

Everyone could clearly see that General Su, who had been calm and composed just moments before, had now undergone a complete change in his aura!

Those eyes, which were originally warm and weathered, were now completely covered with frost, icy and piercing, and deep in their depths, a terrifying and chilling killing intent was surging!

The killing intent was invisible, yet it made all the civil and military officials in the hall gasp for breath and tremble with fear!

Su Mu slowly raised his eyes, looking directly at the fake emperor on the high platform. His tone was indifferent, but every word was like thunder.

"I am over a hundred years old. I have fought for my country, risking my life without complaint or regret."

"If Your Majesty wishes for me to retire from military service and live out my days in my hometown, I will have no complaints whatsoever and am willing to yield!"

"but……"

His tone suddenly changed, becoming sharp and his killing intent surged!

"If Your Majesty uses the pretext of relinquishing power to deliberately target and frame my brothers who have risked their lives for me, to persecute loyal officials, and to slaughter meritorious ministers!"

"Then this old man will show no mercy to His Majesty!"

boom!

As soon as he finished speaking, the entire hall was shocked and in uproar!

All the court officials turned pale instantly, their pupils contracted sharply, and a buzzing sound filled their ears!

The Golden Palace, the sacred site of imperial power!

Since ancient times, the ruler has been the guide for his subjects. Even if a subject has made great achievements, he can only bow his head and kneel before the ruler and obey his orders!

But today, Su Mu actually spoke out in public, saying that he was not afraid of imperial power or the might of the heavens, and declared that he would not be polite to the emperor!

"He's gone mad! General Su has gone mad!"

"This is the Imperial Palace! To directly defy the Emperor's authority in front of the entire court is tantamount to treason!"

"This is blatant defiance of His Majesty! Does this mean they really intend to... take action against His Majesty?"

Quiet whispers of alarm and disbelief broke out among the officials, their voices rising in disbelief.

Upon hearing this, Crown Prince Xiao Yunfeng was first taken aback, then overjoyed!

The opportunity he had been waiting for had finally arrived!

Su Mu's public utterance of arrogant words and disrespect for the emperor is an undeniable crime of treason!

Before anyone could say anything, Xiao Yunfeng immediately stepped forward, pointed at Su Mu, and shouted sharply, each word piercing to the heart!

"Su Mu! How dare you!"

"In the Golden Palace, before the Emperor's presence, you dare utter such rebellious and arrogant words, openly challenging imperial authority! You are plotting a rebellion!"

"This Great Qian Dynasty belongs to the imperial family, not to you, Su Mu, for your private domain! You have become arrogant and disrespectful to the emperor, relying on your achievements. Today, you dare to act so presumptuously, which is tantamount to treason!"

Upon seeing this, Prime Minister Li Yuan immediately followed the Crown Prince's lead and loudly echoed his sentiment of kicking someone when they're down!

"Bold Shetland Sheepdog!"

"Don't rely on your military power and become arrogant! No matter how many military achievements you have made, you are ultimately a subject of the Great Qian Dynasty!"

"To utter such treasonous words to His Majesty in public, to disregard imperial authority and challenge the emperor's majesty, is a capital offense punishable by death, involving nine generations of one's family! You shall immediately kneel and beg for forgiveness!"

The two men, working in concert and pressing hard, relentlessly seized upon the charge of treason, attempting to condemn Su Mu to utter ruin!

On the high platform, a sudden, extreme chill and tyranny flashed in the fake emperor's eyes, and a secret, cold smile even appeared on his lips.

This is exactly the situation he wanted!

"Su Mu!"

"Judging from what you just said, does that mean if I were to harm any of your generals today, you would even dare to kill me?"

In short, it completely shuts down all avenues of retreat!

Either Su Mu bows his head and confesses his crimes, relinquishes his military power, and allows himself to be slaughtered!

Either they solidify the heinous crime of treason and regicide, and immediately ignite a life-or-death battle between the monarch and his subjects!

Above the imperial palace, a chilling aura filled the air, and the tension was palpable!