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

Not long after Liu Yuzhou left to carry out his orders, a series of hurried footsteps suddenly broke the tranquility.

Han You, dressed in full armor and covered in dust, strode into the courtyard, his expression weary and solemn, his brows furrowed with deep disappointment and anxiety.

He led five thousand imperial guards on a night-and-night whirlwind journey to Ziyun Mountain, hoping to destroy the rebels' lair and retrieve the emperor's carriage. But he returned empty-handed.

In the pavilion, Xiao Jingyu, seeing him return, could not contain his eagerness and stood up first to ask, his tone full of anxiety:

"Commander Han! What's the situation at Ziyun Temple on Ziyun Mountain? Have you found any trace of the Emperor? Have you captured any remaining members of the traitorous faction?"

This is what he is most concerned about at this moment. The Emperor's whereabouts are unknown. As long as he does not return, the foundation of the Great Qian Dynasty will be unstable and the court and the country will not be at peace.

Han You stopped, bowed deeply to the two men, and replied in a deep voice, his tone full of frustration and helplessness: "Your Highness and General Su! I have failed your trust."

"Our five thousand Imperial Guards rushed to Ziyun Mountain at full speed, sealing off the entire mountain range layer by layer. We searched every hall, secret room, tunnel, and outbuilding inside and outside Ziyun Temple. The entire temple was deserted and completely clean!"

"All the Taoist priests and servants in the temple have left, and not a single person can be seen."

"We searched high and low, traversing mountains and valleys, cliffs and dense forests, exhausting every possible hiding place, but we still could not find even the slightest trace of His Majesty and Eunuch Li. They were nowhere to be found, neither alive nor dead!"

"Judging from the traces at the scene, the other party withdrew extremely calmly and cleanly, and was by no means in a hurry to escape."

"They must have received advance warning before our arrival, and then evacuated, concealed their whereabouts, and vanished without a trace."

Upon hearing this, Xiao Jingyu's face instantly darkened, his brows furrowed tightly, and his anxiety intensified.

The Purple Cloud Taoist was meticulous in his planning and cunning in his mind. He even calculated the evacuation with perfect precision, leaving no flaws whatsoever!

He sighed softly, feeling utterly powerless.

"Withdrawing in advance and disappearing without a trace... in this way, in the vast world, with its sea of ​​people and mountains, trying to find the whereabouts of the Emperor and Li Fuquan would be like finding a needle in a haystack, an impossible task!"

The trail went completely cold, and the investigation reached a complete standstill.

Su Mu, standing to the side, remained calm and composed, showing no sign of panic, but a deep glint flashed in his eyes as he slowly spoke:

"Not surprising."

"This Taoist Ziyun is no ordinary hermit or wandering Taoist."

"This person has been patiently plotting for years, planting spies in the inner palace, cultivating assassins to create a false emperor, and scheming to seize the country and usurp the throne. Every step is meticulous and watertight."

"The moment Yunjizi was exposed and executed in the Golden Palace, he was able to receive the news immediately from Ziyun Mountain and calmly leave. This is enough to prove that he has already spread his spies throughout the capital, the court, and even the forbidden area of ​​the palace. Every move of the court and every step of our deployment is under his control."

Han You grew even more anxious upon hearing this, and once again cupped his hands in a gesture of supplication, his voice tinged with panic:

"General Su, Your Highness!"

"Now that all leads have gone cold and all traces have vanished, we have no way to investigate. His Majesty's fate is unknown, and his whereabouts are unknown. What should we do now?"

As the commander of the Imperial Guards, he had failed in his duty to protect the emperor and lost contact with him. He felt guilty day and night, and was already extremely anxious and unable to eat or sleep. He was completely out of his mind.

Xiao Jingyu was also in turmoil and anxious. He turned to look at Su Mu, who had a calm expression, and asked for his advice.

"Elder Su, things have come to this point. You have a comprehensive understanding of the situation and unparalleled strategic acumen. We urge you to make the final decision!"

Seeing the two's anxiety and panic, Su Mu remained calm, raised his hand to the stone bench beside him, and reassured them in a composed tone.

"Commander Han, don't panic. Sit down and explain the situation in detail."

At this moment, Han You was filled with guilt and anxiety. He dared not relax for a day until the Emperor was found. He had no mind to sit still and could only stand there with his head bowed, his expression becoming more and more solemn.

Seeing that both of them were in a state of mental confusion and had their priorities reversed, Su Mu stopped beating around the bush and spoke decisively, his voice steady and powerful, each word resounding throughout the courtyard:

"No need to search anymore, Your Majesty."

Xiao Jingyu and Han You froze, instantly standing there in disbelief, their pupils shrinking!

Xiao Jingyu suddenly stepped forward and asked urgently:

"Elder Su! What do you mean by that? My imperial brother's fate is unknown, and he's in enemy hands. How can we not search for him?"

Looking at Xiao Jingyu's anxious face, Su Mu smiled calmly and slowly explained the deeper advantages and disadvantages, each word insightful and each sentence piercing the heart:

"Your Highness, please calm down and think it over carefully."

"Master Ziyun has a vast network of informants throughout the court and the country. His influence is immense, his plans are far-reaching, and he is backed by the enemy state of Yan. His methods of concealment are among the best in the world."

"Now that the other side has deliberately disappeared and hidden the imperial carriage, it is extremely difficult for us to search for it in the vast land with only the power of the court. It is absolutely impossible to find it in the short term."

"More importantly, the worst thing to do right now is to launch a large-scale, nationwide search."

"If we mobilize a large number of troops and launch a nationwide investigation, it will surely cause a huge uproar and become the talk of the town!"

"By then, all the people of the world, all the civil and military officials, and all the border troops will know that the Emperor of the Great Qian has been captured, his fate is unknown, and the court is empty!"

"With public morale in turmoil and the government in disarray, various ambitious forces and foreign enemies will inevitably seize the opportunity to attack and take advantage of the situation!"

"This is exactly the situation that Daoist Ziyun and the enemies of Yan Kingdom most wanted to see! Our large-scale search for the Emperor plays right into their hands, throwing us into disarray and destroying our own foundation!"

His words were clear, logical, and insightful, instantly dispelling all the enemy's sinister schemes!

Su Mu had a far-sighted vision and a calm mind. He harbored his own selfish motives, but he always put the overall situation of the world first.

Having witnessed this upheaval in the court, the machinations of treacherous officials, and the scheming of foreign enemies, he had long seen through Xiao Jinghuan's indecisive nature, poor judgment of character, inability to manage his subordinates, his heavy reliance on treacherous officials, and his negligence in guarding against them, which nearly led to the downfall of the vast empire of the Great Qian Dynasty.

In contrast, the Third Prince Xiao Jingyu is wise, steady, diligent, loves the people, has a grand vision, acts fairly, and cares about the world. He is far more suitable than Xiao Jinghuan to lead the Great Qian Dynasty and ascend the throne.

Since the enemy has plotted rebellion, the emperor has been captured, and the court is in vain, we might as well go with the flow and stabilize the overall situation.

If Xiao Jinghuan can be found, the government will be returned to its original owner.

If it is difficult to find, then the best outcome would be to establish a virtuous ruler and stabilize the country, so that the people of Daqian can stay away from turmoil and war.

In Su Mu's mind, the throne was never something that could be taken for granted by any one person; the stability of the country and the well-being of the people were the most important things.

Looking at Xiao Jingyu, whose expression was shaken, he once again offered earnest and earnest advice:

"Your Highness, the most urgent matter is never finding the Emperor, but stabilizing the overall situation!"

"Stabilize the political order, stabilize the morale of the army, and stabilize the hearts of the people!"

"Let the enemies of Yan and the treacherous traitors in the shadows see clearly that even though the Great Qian Dynasty has temporarily lost its ruler, the court remains stable and the government is as firm as Mount Tai!"

"Their plot to disrupt the foundations of our Great Qian Dynasty and invade while the emperor is missing has been thwarted and completely failed!"

These words were like a bucket of cold water poured over his head, instantly calming Xiao Jingyu, who was in turmoil and obsessed with finding his brother!

He was so focused on his brotherhood and the safety of his elder brother that he was only thinking about finding him, but he completely neglected the well-being of the people and the vast land, and almost put his personal interests before his public duty and disrupted the foundation of the Great Qian Dynasty!

Yes!

The affairs of the emperor are insignificant compared to the affairs of all the people under heaven!

Once the country is thrown into chaos and the government is in turmoil, riots will inevitably break out within the country and war will inevitably break out abroad. In the end, it will be the millions of ordinary people of the Great Qian Dynasty who will suffer!

Xiao Jingyu let out a long sigh, cleared his mind of all distractions, and solemnly bowed to Su Mu, filled with shame and admiration:

"Elder Su's insightful observation and comprehensive understanding are truly remarkable. It was my impatience, confusion, and misplaced priorities that nearly ruined the entire empire! Thank you, Elder Su, for your guidance!"

"It's only human nature, nothing to be surprised about." Su Mu nodded slightly, calmly comforting him, "The bond between brothers is thicker than water, and it's only natural that they're anxious to find their brother."

"However, in times of chaos and conflict between nations, the overall situation must be prioritized and the greater good taken into account."

The tone shifted, a chilling glint flashed in Su Mu's eyes, and he made a deep assessment of the situation:

"Moreover, in my humble opinion, His Majesty is certainly safe and sound at this moment, having already been secretly transferred by the traitors of Yan and imprisoned within the territory of Yan!"

"The Purple Cloud Taoist belongs to the Yan Kingdom, and this rebellion is all part of the Yan Kingdom's plan."

"By kidnapping the emperor and disappearing, they must be trying to use him as a hostage to stir up trouble, demand benefits, and launch an offensive on the southwestern border of our Great Qian Dynasty!"

The Yan Kingdom has endured for fifteen years, harboring deep resentment and plotting for a long time. It will never let this go so easily. A storm is brewing on the border!

Just as the two were finalizing the overall plan and considering their next steps, steady footsteps sounded again from outside the courtyard.

Qin Hao, a valiant general on the battlefield, strode into the courtyard, dressed in full military uniform with a solemn and dignified expression. He stepped forward, cupped his hands, and respectfully reported:

"This is to inform General Su and the Third Prince!"

"All the soldiers who returned from the East Sea have settled into the military camps outside the capital. The provisions, tents, and defenses have all been arranged. The military discipline is strict, the morale is stable, there has been no disturbance, no oversight, and everything is in perfect order!"

The safe return of the East China Sea army is the strongest trump card and the most reliable source of confidence for the Great Qian Dynasty!

Su Mu nodded slightly upon hearing this, his expression calm: "Excellent. With the army firmly stationed and morale high, our Great Qian has the confidence to face any external enemy!"

Xiao Jingyu, who was standing to the side, had now completely sorted out his thoughts and calmed his mind. The gloom in his eyes had completely disappeared, replaced by a firm and steady light.

He abruptly stood up and laughed loudly, "With Elder Su presiding over the court, the army safely stationed outside, and all officials diligently performing their duties, I now fully understand how to proceed!"

"Maintain stability in the court, appease the people, guard the borders, and be vigilant against the enemy from Yan! We will never allow ourselves to fall into disarray, nor will we give the enemy any opportunity to take advantage!"

"Lord Su, I must return immediately to oversee and arrange matters at court. I shall take my leave now!"

After saying this, Xiao Jingyu bowed respectfully, his steps steady and his gaze firm. He turned and strode away, having already taken complete control of the situation!