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

The setting sun, like blood, spilled across the land of Duanyun Pass in Pingzhou.

The setting sun sank heavily into the western sky, its daytime intensity fading, leaving only a dark crimson. Thin rays of light pierced through the cool autumn breeze, obliquely covering the majestic walls of Duanyun Pass.

The dark blue bricks, weathered by a century of wind and rain, are covered with mottled cracks and are tinged red by the afterglow of the setting sun, as if they were soaked in a layer of undried blood, desolate and solemn.

Inside the pass, the Daqian army's camps stretched as far as the eye could see, their orderly ranks extending for miles. The military camps, which should have been solemn and imposing, now exuded an undeniable weariness and gloom.

Fifteen days in total.

The vanguard army of the Great Qian Dynasty was stationed at Duanyun Pass, always on high alert, day and night, and never relaxed its guard in the slightest.

The anticipated large army of Yan and border warfare remained completely silent from beginning to end.

Everyone thought that the entire nation was mobilized to attack Pingtung and launch a war of revenge.

Therefore, the Third Prince Xiao Yunche personally led a large army to guard the pass, ready to face a fierce battle.

Fifteen days and nights of vigil were met only with deathly silence.

The wilderness beyond the pass was empty and desolate, overgrown with weeds. Only the autumn wind swept through, rustling the grass like waves. Not even the scouts of the Yan Kingdom appeared once.

A taut string will eventually loosen if stretched for too long.

The endless, pointless vigilance wore down the soldiers' fighting spirit and vigor when they first arrived at the border, leaving them with only endless boredom, anxiety, and physical and mental exhaustion.

As dusk deepened, the bugle call for the changing of the guard sounded from the city wall, its deep echoes sweeping across the military camp.

A group of vanguard soldiers, clad in armor and wielding long spears, descended the stone steps of the city wall in the afterglow of the setting sun.

The heavy armor weighed down on everyone, causing their shoulders to hunch slightly. The tireless shifts and guard duty over the past few days had left everyone's eyes bloodshot, their faces tired and haggard, and their brows furrowed with weariness.

The group gathered in twos and threes on the open ground outside the main camp, unloading their spears, rubbing their aching arms, and whispering among themselves, their voices filled with suppressed complaints and bewilderment.

"When will this ever end?"

A young soldier sat down against a pillar in the tent, looked up at the darkening sky, and sighed deeply, his voice full of frustration.

"We've been guarding this place for half a month, enduring wind and rain, sleeping day and night, and what's the result? We haven't even seen a shadow of the Yan people!"

Upon hearing this, an old soldier next to him put down his water bag and echoed with a helpless expression: "Who says otherwise? Before we left, there were rumors that the Yan Kingdom was poised to invade the border of our Great Qian Kingdom. His Highness urgently dispatched troops to guard Duanyun Pass. We thought we were here to fight a tough battle and make meritorious contributions, but in the end, we've been wasting our time here every day."

"I'm becoming more and more suspicious now." Another soldier frowned, lowered his voice, and looked deeply doubtful. "Do you think the military intelligence His Highness the Third Prince received might be fake news? After the great defeat of Yan fifteen years ago, its national strength has been greatly weakened, and its elite troops have been wiped out. How could it possibly dare to invade our Great Qian territory?"

"In my opinion, Your Highness is simply being overly anxious and overly cautious!"

Upon hearing this, several soldiers around him nodded in agreement, finally finding an outlet for their pent-up resentment.

"It's all for nothing that we, tens of thousands of soldiers, have been forced to guard this harsh border region, living in constant fear and unable to even get a good night's sleep. It's a complete waste of our energy!"

"If we continue this pointless stalemate, we'll be worn down and killed here even before the Yan people attack!"

"I really want to go back to Jingzhou City... at least it's peaceful and carefree, and I don't have to face these cold city walls every day, guarding a battle that may never come."

The crowd chattered amongst themselves, their voices heavy with weariness and war-weariness. The once high morale of the army had quietly waned as they waited day after day.

Just as the resentment among the crowd was growing, a slightly more experienced and older soldier suddenly raised his hand, signaling everyone to be quiet.

He quickly scanned the surroundings to make sure there were no patrolling officers or anyone else approaching before leaning down slightly, lowering his voice, his expression so solemn it was almost eerie.

Upon seeing this, everyone stopped complaining and subconsciously moved closer, their eyes filled with curiosity.

"What's wrong? Did you hear something?" someone asked in a low voice.

The veteran's eyes flickered, carrying a hint of uncertainty and a profound, unspoken gravity, as he slowly spoke:

"You spend your days complaining about how boring it is, but you don't know that beneath the surface of this southern border, there are already turbulent undercurrents."

"Let me tell you, this battle is unavoidable; it's inevitable, and it will be a massive and incredibly tough one!"

Everyone was stunned, their faces full of confusion.

"What do you mean? The Yan state has clearly made no move whatsoever, so how can you talk about a hard battle?"

The veteran took a deep breath, lowered his voice even further, almost whispering in everyone's ears, and every word resonated deeply.

"You all don't know yet, do you? Recently, news has been quietly circulating within the pass... Our Great Qian Emperor has already been kidnapped by the Yan people! He is currently being held hostage in the Yan palace!"

hum!

The short sentence resounded like a thunderclap in everyone's ears.

The soldiers gathered together turned pale instantly, their pupils contracted sharply, and the fatigue and irritation on their faces were instantly replaced by extreme shock, their blood almost freezing in their veins.

Everyone froze in place, staring blankly at the old soldier. For a moment, no one uttered a sound, and the empty camp was instantly deathly silent, with only the bleak autumn wind sweeping by.

After a few breaths of stunned silence, a young soldier finally gasped, his voice filled with disbelief and panic.

"What...what did you say?"

"His Majesty has been kidnapped by the Yan people? How is that possible! His Majesty resides deep within the palace, heavily guarded; how could he have fallen into the hands of the Yan people?"

"I have no way of verifying the truth of the news, but it has been circulating quietly throughout the military these past few days, so it is definitely not unfounded," the veteran said solemnly.

Panic instantly swept over everyone, and their previous complaints and annoyance turned into a deep-seated fear and bewilderment.

"If His Majesty has indeed been taken hostage by the Yan Kingdom, then who will preside over our Great Qian Dynasty now?"

"Yes! With no leader in the court and no head among the people, who are we, the soldiers guarding the border, to take orders from?"

The most despairing concerns followed one after another, suffocating everyone.

A soldier, his face pale and his voice trembling uncontrollably, said, "The most terrifying thing isn't being without a leader! What if the Yan people really lead an army to attack us in the future? If we can't defeat them, what will we do if they use His Majesty's life as leverage to force our army to surrender?"

Upon hearing this, everyone fell silent instantly, their faces turning ashen.

This is an unsolvable deadlock.

To not surrender would be to disobey the emperor's orders, watch helplessly as His Majesty died tragically, and be condemned for all time as disloyal, unjust, and treacherous.

However, if they surrender, tens of thousands of border soldiers will surrender without a fight, Duanyun Pass will fall, the northern border will be wide open, and the Yan cavalry will be able to drive straight in, flatten Pingzhou, and advance directly to the Central Plains. The entire Great Qian Dynasty will be in grave danger!

Both advancing and retreating lead to certain death!

"This war... is impossible to fight!" someone said hoarsely, filled with despair.

"Shh! Keep your voice down!"

The veteran who spoke first changed his expression drastically, hurriedly raising his hand to stop the panicked whispers of the crowd, his face full of fear.

"How can such treasonous and demoralizing words be spoken in the barracks? If any patrolling soldiers overhear them, it's a capital offense under military law, punishable by death!"

The words "life and death" instantly suppressed everyone's panic.

Everyone fell silent instantly, their faces drained of color, and their eyes filled with fear and confusion.

No one dared to utter another word. They all composed themselves, no longer daring to discuss the matter freely. Filled with fear and unease, they quietly dispersed and returned to their respective tents.

The crowd may appear to have dispersed, but the gloom and despair in their hearts have already taken deep root.

Rumors are invisible, yet they are more damaging than swords. In just a few days, they have spread and proliferated like an invisible plague in every corner of the Daqian military camp.

All the whispers, complaints, and panicked discussions of these soldiers were heard by a patrol captain not far away.

The captain, clad in black and silver armor, stood quietly in the shadows of the tent, his posture upright, his face taut, his brows furrowed, and his eyes filled with heaviness and worry.

This wasn't the first time he'd heard such rumors.

In the past three to five days, similar rumors have been circulating in the military and have become increasingly rampant.

From initially questioning the Third Prince's overreaction and wasting military resources, and complaining about the tedious and useless garrison duty, to the current desperate rumors of His Majesty's capture, the lack of a ruler for the Great Qian Dynasty, and the inevitable defeat in this battle, the rumors have become increasingly outrageous and widespread, and their impact on morale has become increasingly devastating.

Having served in the military camp for many years, he deeply understands that morale is the foundation of the army.

In the military camp, the worst thing is to spread rumors and cause unrest among the soldiers. If the soldiers are in disarray, their will to fight will be completely lost.

If the will to fight collapses, the army will be defeated without a fight.

These absurd and deadly rumors are now rampant, eroding the morale of the soldiers day and night. If they are allowed to spread further, without a single soldier from Yan attacking, the tens of thousands of elite Daqian troops guarding Duanyun Pass will collapse on their own and be defeated without a fight!

This is no small matter and must be reported to the Third Prince immediately to eliminate the hidden danger and stabilize the morale of the army!

The captain made up his mind and dared not delay for a moment. He straightened his armor, turned around, and strode quickly toward the Duanyun Pass city tower.