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

Inside the main hall of the God of War's Mansion, the cheerful laughter and lively atmosphere that had just been filling the air vanished instantly after Wang Ben delivered his urgent report that "there are unusual developments along the entire border of Yan State."

The smiles on the faces of the soldiers vanished, replaced by a solemn and serious expression.

Not long ago, the Great Qian Dynasty swept across the Eastern Barbarians, decisively defeating them in one battle. Its iron cavalry trampled the entire territory of the Eastern Barbarians, and its might shook the four seas and eight wastelands.

After this battle, all the surrounding countries respected the mighty military power of the Great Qian Dynasty and dared not act rashly in the slightest.

No one could have predicted that the Yan Kingdom would have such audacity to openly provoke the might of the Great Qian Dynasty and send troops to invade its southwestern border at the height of its military might and prestige!

The atmosphere in the hall instantly became as heavy as iron, and a chilling aura quietly spread.

Su Mu slowly concealed the gentleness in his eyes, his expression returning to calm and dignified. A sharp glint flashed in his battle-hardened eyes as he looked at Wang Ben, who stood in the hall looking hurried. He said in a deep voice, "Prime Minister, please calm down. Please tell me in detail about the specific situation at the border."

Wang Ben dared not delay. He immediately took out a tightly sealed, urgent letter from his bosom, its edges still bearing the dust of its journey, and handed it to Su Mu with both hands, his tone urgent and solemn:

"Elder Su, this matter concerns the safety of three prefectures and the southern border of the nation; it is of utmost urgency!"

"This letter was handwritten by the Third Prince Xiao Yunche and delivered by his personal guards from the border, traveling day and night to reach the capital and be directly into the Third Prince's hands!"

Su Mu took the letter, his gaze focused, and read it carefully, word by word.

At the same time, Wang Ben loudly recounted the situation at the border, making sure everyone in the hall was aware of it.

"Recently, the Yan army has been frequently appearing around the border of Duanyun Pass in Pingzhou. Their movements are secretive. They move in batches and repeatedly probe, never engaging in direct combat, but repeatedly harassing villages outside the pass to investigate the strength of the defenses."

"Their intentions are obvious: to constantly probe the deployment of our troops, the strength of our city's defenses, and our food supplies at Duanyun Pass, waiting for an opportunity to find a weakness in our defenses. Once they have figured out the details, they will gather a large army, break through Duanyun Pass in one fell swoop, and drive straight into the heart of Pingzhou!"

"Prince Xiao Yunche is stationed in the three southern prefectures, commanding all the troops in Jingzhou, Suizhou, and Pingzhou, totaling no more than 40,000 soldiers."

"The 40,000 troops stationed along the vast defense line of the three states are already stretched thin and vulnerable. Now, the Yan Kingdom has mobilized its entire military force to stockpile troops on the border, ready to launch a full-scale attack. Once they launch a major offensive, the troops of the three states will be absolutely unable to withstand the fierce attack of the Yan Kingdom's iron cavalry. Duan Yun Pass is in imminent danger, and the people of the three states are in imminent danger!"

Everyone in the hall held their breath, listening intently to the situation analysis, their hearts heavy with gloom.

Su Mu quickly read through the handwritten letter in his hand. Every word in the letter was earnest and urgent, and between the lines was a pressing situation of danger on the border and the watchful eyes of the Yan army, which was exactly the same as what Wang Ben had said.

He slowly closed the letter, his fingertips slightly heavy, already having a clear understanding of the entire situation.

The Yan state had been plotting this for a long time, and the abduction of the Emperor of Daqian was the best proof of that.

Their ultimate goal is to take advantage of the turmoil in the imperial power of the Great Qian Dynasty and the temporary lack of a leader in the court, to seize the opportunity to instigate war, invade the southern border of the Great Qian Dynasty, and erode the foundation of the Great Qian Dynasty!

"The Yan bandits have gone too far!"

The honest and straightforward Zhao Tieniu could no longer contain himself. He clenched his fists tightly, his eyes widened in anger, and a fierce fighting spirit burned in them as he shouted:

"Our Great Qian has just pacified the Eastern Yi, its might shaking the world. How dare the mere Yan state, a small and insignificant nation, snatch teeth from the tiger's mouth and provoke the Celestial Empire!"

"In my opinion, there's no need to hesitate. We should immediately mobilize a large army, march south, and utterly crush the entire territory of Yan!"

"Let all the nations of the world see that those who dare to invade the borders of the Great Qian Dynasty and defy its divine might will only face annihilation!"

"That's right!"

Xu Cheng, Han Shixun, You Zhongyi and other generals echoed his sentiments, their eyes burning with fighting spirit and their blood surging.

They were all veterans of the battlefield. For military generals, the ultimate goal of their lives was to fight on the battlefield and to protect their country and fight against the enemy.

Having not fought a major battle for a long time, everyone was filled with a burning desire for war. Now that the Yan bandits had taken the initiative to attack, everyone was excited and eager to lead their troops into battle, crush the Yan army head-on, and uphold the prestige of the Great Qian Dynasty!

The soldiers in the hall were filled with fighting spirit and high morale. Everyone was eager to fight and wanted to conquer the northern border in one battle and completely eliminate the hidden dangers of the Yan Kingdom.

Only Su Mu remained calm, his eyes undisturbed.

Having commanded troops and experienced countless battles, he knew all too well that a war involving the entire nation was no child's play.

Wherever their iron hooves roamed, flames of war spread, bringing not only triumphant glory, but also scorched earth, displacement of countless people, and devastation of lives.

When war breaks out, countless people will lose their homes and lives, and countless soldiers will be buried far from home. Therefore, we must be cautious.

After the clamor subsided slightly, Su Mu raised his eyes to look at Wang Ben, the current prime minister, who was standing to one side, and asked in a deep voice:

"Prime Minister Wang, in your opinion, how should we handle the current situation?"

Upon hearing this, Wang Ben no longer hesitated. He immediately bowed and, with a firm and resolute tone, stated his thoughts directly:

"Lord Su, I believe this battle is unavoidable; we must take the initiative to send troops to aid the three prefectures!"

"The Yan Kingdom dared to kidnap my Great Qian Emperor, provoking the majesty of the Celestial Empire. Now they are even encroaching on my border territory. This enmity is irreconcilable!"

"If our Great Qian continues to endure and retreat, passively defending itself, it will only embolden the Yan Kingdom and make all the other states think that Great Qian is incapable, thus fueling their desire to invade!"

"Duanyun Pass is the first vital barrier in the southern frontier. Once it falls, the Yan army's iron cavalry can advance unimpeded, exposing the fertile lands of Pingzhou, Jingzhou, and Suizhou to their full force. Millions of people in these three prefectures will be plunged into the flames of war, displaced, and slaughtered!"

"For the sake of the nation, for the sake of the people, and for the sake of the prestige of the Great Qian Dynasty, we, the Great Qian, must immediately mobilize troops to reinforce the border, defend Duan Yun Pass to the death, take the initiative to meet the enemy head-on, and deliver a crushing blow to the Yan Kingdom, extinguishing its arrogance!"

Everyone was greatly shocked upon hearing this, their eyes filled with excitement and joy.

Throughout history, the civil officials have advocated for peace while the military officials advocated for war, and such disagreements between the two sides have been commonplace in the imperial court.

Today, however, Prime Minister Wang Ben, who is the head of the civil officials, is determined to fight. With civil and military officials united and the court in harmony, there are no more factional differences or disputes between the court and the people. With just one order, the whole country can unite to fight against foreign enemies!

After listening quietly to Wang Ben's entire explanation, Su Mu slowly nodded, the somber look in his eyes fading, replaced by a fierce and resolute fighting spirit.

He had already made up his mind.

The Yan state's abduction of the emperor and its premeditated war have already eliminated any possibility of reconciliation.

This battle is by no means a minor dispute or trouble, but an inevitable one to protect the country and ensure its safety, and there is no way to avoid it!

"good!"

Su Mu suddenly stood up, his voice booming like a bell, resounding throughout the entire main hall!

"The Prime Minister is absolutely right!"

"Since the Yan traitors harbor wolfish ambitions and deliberately provoke trouble, then our Great Qian will gladly accept this battle!"

The soldiers in the hall were instantly filled with fervor, their fists clenched, their eyes burning with excitement, and their blood surging within them.

"Old Master Su is wise!" Wang Ben bowed respectfully, his expression solemn and dignified.

"With the government and the people united in purpose, victory is assured!"

Su Mu's gaze was calm as he quickly made arrangements.

"Prime Minister Wang, you must immediately go to the palace to meet with the Third Prince and report in full the strategy we have discussed and our determination to fight. The final decision on sending troops to reinforce the capital and leading the expedition will be made by the Third Prince, and an imperial edict will be issued immediately!"

"Your subject obeys!" Wang Ben dared not delay, bowed to accept the order, turned around and strode away, his steps hurried, heading straight for the palace.

After Wang Ben left, Su Mu turned to the group of battlefield generals in the hall and gave a deep order:

"All soldiers, return to your camps, organize your troops, inspect your weapons, and prepare provisions. Be ready to depart for the southern frontier at any time, awaiting the imperial decree to dispatch troops!"

"We obey!"

Everyone bowed in unison to accept the order, then turned and left the main hall one by one to return to their respective posts to prepare for battle.

In the blink of an eye, the vast main hall of the God of War's Mansion returned to its empty and quiet state, with only Su Mu standing in the hall.

The hall was silent, with a gentle breeze passing through it.

Just then, a cold, solemn, and incredibly familiar mechanical voice suddenly boomed in the depths of Su Mu's mind!

[Ding! Main quest has been issued!]

[Main Quest: Lead the troops to reinforce the three prefectures, rush to Duanyun Pass, deter the invading Yan army, and defend the southern border!]

[Mission Rewards: 5 years of reverse aging, 300 days of lifespan, and a divine-level granary!]

[God-level granary introduction: Built-in constant storage capacity, enough to supply the food needs of an army of 300,000 for a whole month. The host can freely summon and use it anytime, anywhere. Once the daily consumption is completed, the granary's storage capacity will automatically be replenished overnight, allowing for permanent recycling!]

The familiar system notification sounds rang out in layers, clear and distinct, each word audible.

Su Mu was slightly taken aback, a long-lost smile flashing across his eyes, and he sighed inwardly.

System task, it's been a while!