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

At this moment, atop the majestic city tower of Duanyun Pass, the evening breeze rustles...

The high platform offers a panoramic view, overlooking the vast wilderness beyond the pass, with an unobstructed view of the boundless land.

The Third Prince, Xiao Yunche, stood tall and imposing at the highest point of the city wall, dressed in a dark brocade robe covered with silver-scaled soft armor.

He stood with his hands behind his back, his long hair fluttering in the evening breeze. His deep eyes gazed at the boundless wilderness beyond the pass, his gaze calm and profound, without a trace of restlessness, and he exuded an awe-inspiring majesty.

Beside him, Shen Luotang, dressed in white, was graceful and elegant, but her brows were furrowed with an unyielding worry.

Wang Yang, standing to the side, wore a gray robe and had a calm expression, though his eyes also held a hint of anxiety.

The three stood silently, gazing at the desolate land beyond the pass. After a long silence, an invisible heaviness filled the air.

Finally, Shen Luotang broke the silence on the city tower. Her brows were furrowed, and she spoke softly, her tone full of confusion and worry:

"Your Highness, the actions of the Yan Kingdom are truly bizarre and unpredictable."

"For half a month, there was no sound outside the pass. The Yan state did not mobilize troops, did not probe, and did not send scouts. There was no movement at all."

"Such a long period of inaction is definitely not a good thing." She slowly shook her head, her eyes filled with even more worry. "Our army has been on high alert for a long time, but there is no battle to fight. The morale of the troops is gradually being worn down. If we continue to passively wait and lose, it will be extremely detrimental to our defense. It will only make the soldiers restless and cause endless trouble in the future."

Wang Yang nodded repeatedly in agreement, adding with a solemn expression, "What Miss Shen said is absolutely true. In war, morale is of the essence; if we stay in a stalemate for too long without fighting, our morale will inevitably wane."

"Nowadays, a sense of complacency and restlessness is beginning to creep into the army. If this continues, the morale of the three armies will inevitably collapse completely. If the Yan army were to suddenly attack, our army would likely be unable to fight with all its might."

Both men were filled with anxiety, staring at the calm, desolate northern wilderness before them, completely unable to fathom the true intentions of the Yan Kingdom.

Just as the two were filled with worry, Xiao Yunche, who had been silently gazing into the distance, slowly spoke, his voice low and steady, carrying a calmness that seemed to know everything.

"The more critical the moment, the less we must panic."

His gaze was deep, sweeping lightly across the vast land beyond the Great Wall, his tone resolute.

"Our anxiety and the anxiety of our soldiers are exactly the situation that the Yan Kingdom most wants to see."

"They may appear to be holding back, but in reality, they have never stopped planning. In the shadows, pairs of eyes are watching our every move closely, waiting for the right moment to strike."

Wang Yang and Shen Luotang were both taken aback, their faces showing confusion.

Wang Yang immediately cupped his hands and asked, "What do you mean by that, Your Highness? The Yan people have clearly made no move; how can you say they are waiting for an opportunity to strike?"

Shen Luotang, with her sharper mind, grasped the key point in an instant after a moment's thought. Her eyes narrowed, and she blurted out:

"Does Your Highness mean that there are spies from the Yan Kingdom hidden within our army?"

Xiao Yunche nodded slightly, his expression calm and composed: "Not bad."

"Pingzhou has been peaceful for fifteen years, with no war on the border. It seems like the sea is calm and the river is clear, but in reality, there are turbulent undercurrents."

"The Yan Kingdom has been patiently plotting for fifteen years, day and night, to seize its northern border territory; this has been a long-standing scheme."

"These fifteen years of peace were the best time for them to make their plans. They had already secretly planted countless spies and informants throughout the three prefectures of Pingzhou, in cities, government offices, and military camps.

"Now my tens of thousands of troops are stationed at Duanyun Pass. The movement of the army, the changes in morale, and the layout of the defenses are all seen by these spies in the dark and reported back to the Yan Kingdom."

"The Yan state is delaying because it is waiting for our army's morale to collapse, for our army to reveal its weaknesses, and for the best opportunity to attack."

Upon hearing these words, Shen Luotang and Wang Yang were immediately shocked and surprised.

They only saw the surface calm and the army's slackness, but they never expected that the Yan state's plan had already penetrated deep into the heart of the army camp, with spies lurking in the shadows, watching with predatory eyes!

"In that case, Your Highness, we shall immediately conduct a thorough investigation of the entire army, root out all Yan spies, and eliminate any potential threats!" Wang Yang's expression turned solemn, and he immediately volunteered in a deep voice.

Shen Luotang immediately echoed, "Eliminating spies and stabilizing morale are of utmost urgency!"

Just as Xiao Yunche was about to answer, a series of hurried footsteps came from the stone steps of the city tower.

The captain strode up the city wall, walked up to the three men, immediately bowed respectfully, and spoke urgently:

"Your Highness, this humble general pays his respects! I have urgent military news to report immediately!"

Xiao Yunche withdrew his gaze from beyond the pass, turned his head slightly, and said calmly, "What is it? Just speak frankly."

The captain raised his head, his expression solemn and undisguised, and recounted in detail the chaos he had just heard about in the army.

"Your Highness, rumors have spread throughout the army, causing widespread chaos!"

"Many soldiers privately discussed that His Highness was overly cautious and worried unnecessarily. They believed that the Yan Kingdom was simply incapable of invading, and that our army was merely stationed at the border and suffering endless hardships."

"In addition, alarming rumors are spreading, with many in the army saying that His Majesty has been captured by the Yan people and is being held hostage!"

"The soldiers are filled with fear and panic. They all say that with the monarch captured, this battle is baseless and without any real basis. If the Yan army uses His Majesty's life as leverage, our army will be caught in a dilemma, and we will surely be defeated!"

"These negative rumors have been spreading for days, escalating rapidly. Morale among the troops is wavering, with a growing sense of war-weariness and fear of conflict. The morale has plummeted, seriously impacting military discipline and morale!"

"Your Highness, if this is not stopped soon, the consequences will be unimaginable! We beg Your Highness to make a decision!"

After he finished speaking, the city tower fell into a deathly silence.

Wang Yang and Shen Luotang's expressions changed drastically. They both gasped, their eyes filled with disbelief and solemnity.

The situation they feared most and least wanted to see has finally come to pass.

The longer the delay, the lower the morale of the troops, the more rumors spread, and the greater the chaos among the people!

Once such rumors that undermine morale take root, tens of thousands of soldiers will be filled with fear and lose all will to fight. Even if the troops are well-trained and the passes are strong, they will be rendered useless and vulnerable to attack!

Wang Yang frowned, his face full of anxiety. He was about to offer a suggestion to calm the troops when he saw Xiao Yunche beside him. Instead of being angry or flustered, Xiao Yunche slowly curled his lips and revealed a faint smile.

Calm and composed, confident and composed, without the slightest sign of panic.

Everyone was stunned.

Wang Yang, filled with doubt, quickly asked, "Your Highness, the army's morale is on the verge of collapse, rumors are spreading throughout the army, and the situation is critical. Why are you laughing so lightly? Could it be that Your Highness already has a foolproof plan?"

Xiao Yunche nodded slightly, his expression calm and composed. He turned to look at the captain who was bowing and waiting in front of him, and spoke in a deep voice, each word clear and orderly, directly issuing the order.

"You shall immediately select two loyal, reliable, meticulous, and discreet trusted soldiers to secretly spread three messages throughout the army. There is no need to conceal or keep a low profile; let the messages spread quickly to every corner of the camp."

The captain immediately bowed and accepted the order: "Your Highness, this humble general will obey your command! Please inquire, Your Highness, what are the three pieces of news?"

Xiao Yunche's eyes were deep and his speech was slow and deliberate as he slowly delivered three bombshell pieces of news that were enough to turn the tide of the entire army.

"First, rumors were spread in the army: This prince has a deep-seated hatred for His Majesty. My birth mother, Consort Wen, was suspected and neglected by His Majesty and was banished to the Cold Palace, where she eventually died in despair."

"I have long harbored resentment towards Your Majesty, and my hatred runs deep. Even if the Yan Kingdom were to use Your Majesty as a hostage to coerce my army into surrendering, I, Xiao Yunche, would not care in the slightest whether Your Majesty lives or dies, and I would never abandon an inch of the border or retreat even half an inch to protect Your Majesty!"

Upon hearing this, the captain, Wang Yang, and Shen Luotang's pupils shrank instantly, their faces filled with shock. They never expected His Highness to release such earth-shattering news!

"Secondly, inform all soldiers that this battle is not a provocation by the Yan state, but rather a proactive attack launched by our Great Qian against Yan!"

"Our Great Qian is at the height of its power, with ample military strength. The Yan Kingdom, occupying the southern border, has always been a major threat to our Great Qian. This time, our garrison at Duanyun Pass is not a passive defense, but rather a preparation for action, emulating the way we crushed the Eastern Yi in the past. When the time is right, we will march south and conquer the entire territory of the Yan Kingdom, bringing all of our southern lands into the territory of Great Qian!"

"This battle is not a defensive one, but a conquest! Unifying the southern frontier is imperative!"

"Third, send a message to the entire army: I have just received an urgent secret letter from the court. Hundreds of thousands of elite imperial guards have been mobilized and are rushing to Duanyun Pass in Pingzhou to provide reinforcements."

"The leader of this army is none other than General Su Mu, the Great Qian's Guardian God of War!"

"Once War God Su arrives at the border with hundreds of thousands of troops, our army will join forces to launch a major northern expedition, pacify the Yan territory, and completely eradicate the scourge from the north!"

The three instructions, each word resounding and building upon the previous one, were delivered with great force and momentum.

Atop the city wall, silence fell for a moment.

The captain stood there, stunned, unable to recover for a long time. Wang Yang and Shen Luotang were also shocked, staring blankly at the calm and composed Xiao Yunche, their hearts filled with turmoil.

A few breaths later, Wang Yang was the first to react. He pondered the subtleties of the matter and was instantly enlightened. The shock in his eyes turned into extreme admiration. He couldn't help but clasp his hands deeply and exclaim in praise!

"Brilliant! Your Highness's plan is a stroke of genius, achieving three goals at once, truly ingenious!"

His face was full of admiration, and he repeatedly expressed his feelings and analyzed the situation.

"The first message completely eliminated the biggest concern in the hearts of the soldiers! Originally, the soldiers were afraid of fighting because they were worried that His Majesty would be captured and threatened by the enemy, leaving them in a dilemma."

"Now that news has spread that His Highness has a grudge against His Majesty and is not afraid of being threatened, the soldiers' minds are no longer bound by any constraints, and they no longer have any concerns about acting rashly!"

"The second message has reversed the entire army's perception of the battle situation! It has transformed the exhausting, passive defensive posture into a glorious war of proactive conquest and territorial expansion!"

"From a passive, defensive posture to an active, decisive attack, this instantly boosted the soldiers' morale and dispelled any feelings of war-weariness or complacency!"

"The third message is even more crucial in stabilizing morale and consolidating the foundation! General Su Mu, the God of War who protects the nation, is the pillar of our Great Qian army, undefeated in a hundred battles, and his fame resounds throughout the world!"

"The news of hundreds of thousands of elite troops rushing to the rescue boosted the morale of the entire army, instantly stabilizing the troops and eliminating any fear or panic!"

At this point, Wang Yang expressed his sincere admiration.

"This plan can not only instantly stabilize the demoralized morale of our army, but also deceive the Yan spies lurking within the ranks!"

"With true and false information mixed together, it's difficult to distinguish the real from the fake. Spies will be unable to discern our army's true deployment and the court's movements, so the intelligence sent back to Yan will inevitably be chaotic and distorted!"

"Upon hearing that our Great Qian has taken the initiative to attack Yan and that the God of War is personally leading a large army to its aid, the ruler of Yan will surely be filled with apprehension and fear, and will dare not rashly send troops!"

"In one fell swoop, you stabilized the morale of the army, disrupted the enemy's plans, and misled the spies—truly a triple victory! Your Highness's wisdom is unfathomable; I admire you greatly!"

Shen Luotang, who was standing to the side, slowly came to her senses, her eyes clear and bright, full of admiration, and she nodded slightly:

"Your Highness is a master strategist, insightful in understanding people's hearts, adept at blending the real and the unreal, and perfectly in control of the situation. This plan is indeed ingenious and can instantly reverse the current crisis."

Despite the two's high praise, Xiao Yunche remained calm and showed no sign of pride.

He looked at the captain in front of him and urged in a deep voice, "There's no time to lose. Act according to orders immediately and spread the three messages throughout the entire army as quickly as possible!"

"Your humble servant obeys!"

The captain was greatly shaken and dared not delay for the slightest. He solemnly clasped his hands in salute, turned around and quickly left to go downstairs and arrange various matters.

……

Silence returned to the city gate tower.

The composure and confidence on Xiao Yunche's face, which had been radiating composure and wisdom just moments before, slowly faded away.

He raised his eyes again, gazing at the vast and boundless territory of the Yan Kingdom beyond the pass. In the depths of his eyes, a heavy gloom and an unconcealable worry reappeared. His brows were tightly furrowed, and his heart was as cold as a deep pool.

Those three brilliant strategies that just now intimidated the entire army and confused the enemy, seemingly in control of the overall situation and with the upper hand at every step, were actually all feints and deceptive tricks.

It is true that he has made an enemy of His Majesty and is not afraid of being threatened.

However, the claim that the Great Qian Dynasty took the initiative to attack Yan and conquer the northern border is false.

The claim that hundreds of thousands of elite troops from the imperial court rushed to the aid of the army and that the war god Su Mu personally led the expedition was a lie he fabricated out of thin air to appease the troops!

His actions were ultimately just an attempt to cover up the truth.

He knew better than anyone else in the army that the current situation was far more dangerous and unpredictable than anyone else could see.

Spies were lurking in the army, waiting for an opportunity to cause trouble.

The State of Yan remained patient and unassuming, harboring murderous intent.

The imperial court is thousands of miles away, and communication has been cut off. To this day, not a single reinforcement or imperial edict has reached the border.

He had no way of knowing whether the imperial court in the capital would send reinforcements, whether it would consider the safety of the tens of thousands of soldiers at Duanyun Pass, or whether it would rush to the aid of Pingzhou in its crisis.

The road ahead is uncertain and full of variables. He felt equally uncertain, equally apprehensive, and equally filled with endless worries.

However, as the commander-in-chief of the three armies and the commander-in-chief guarding the border, he was the only pillar and source of confidence for tens of thousands of soldiers.

He must not panic.

If he shows even the slightest panic or hesitation, the already precarious morale of the army will collapse completely, beyond redemption.

Therefore, he could only feign composure, spread a thick fog of deception, stabilize the morale of his troops, mislead spies, and intimidate the Yan state.

Xiao Yunche stood quietly on the city wall, gazing at the dark twilight and the distant northern border, his eyes concealing a heaviness that no one could see.

Right now, all he can do is stall.

Maintaining morale for even one day increases the chances of survival for the troops.

Delaying the battle by one day gives us one more day to wait for news from the imperial court.