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

"General! You mustn't! You absolutely mustn't!"

Gongsun Yu's expression changed drastically. He could no longer maintain his composure and calm demeanor. His expression was one of great alarm. He hurriedly stepped forward and raised his hand to try to stop Murong Di. His tone was full of urgency and anxiety.

He knew very well that at this moment, the Emperor of Daqian could not be killed!

Today, Xiao Jinghuan is no longer simply the ruler of an enemy state, but the biggest bargaining chip for the Yan state to check and balance the Daqian, control the war situation, and coerce peace negotiations.

By keeping him alive, the Yan state would have absolute initiative, able to fight or make peace, and move forward or backward at will.

However, once the Emperor of Daqian is killed, all the checks and balances will be rendered useless. Daqian's million-strong army will have no more scruples and will surely launch a fierce counterattack with all its might. At that time, Yan will be plunged into an abyss of no return!

At the same time, Vice General Tian Cheng, who was standing not far away, also stepped forward quickly, his face full of anxiety, and loudly tried to dissuade him.

"General! Calm down! Don't fall for the Emperor of Daqian's trick!"

"He's deliberately provoking you, deliberately seeking death! He's using reverse psychology, General!"

The two men spoke up at the same time, their voices urgent, desperately trying to restrain the enraged and out-of-control Murong Di.

The blade remained firmly pressed against his neck, icy cold and deadly, the killing intent palpable.

Despite being on the brink of life and death, Xiao Jinghuan remained steadfast and composed throughout the entire ordeal, showing no trace of the fear or panic that ordinary people experience when facing death.

He silently felt the biting cold on his neck, sensing the death that could come at any moment.

Only his deep eyes were eerily calm, and his heart was crystal clear.

Xiao Jinghuan knew better than anyone else that Murong Di dared not kill him.

Not only Murong Di dared not, but no one in the entire Yan Kingdom, including the King of Yan, dared to easily take his life.

He was the Emperor of the Great Qian Dynasty, the most important hostage in the confrontation between the two countries, and the greatest asset of the Yan Kingdom.

Killing him would be far more risky than beneficial, and the cost would be enormous. Given the King of Yan's composure and strategic acumen, he would never allow Murong Di to ruin the entire battle plan due to a moment of impulsiveness.

Despite his overwhelming rage and arrogance, Murong Di was ultimately just a military commander and had no right to make such a crucial decision concerning the fate of both nations.

Besides, Xiao Jinghuan had already resolved to die.

From the moment he gullibly believed slander and became infatuated with beautiful women, and was framed by his most favored concubine, ending up in the enemy camp and becoming a hostage, he had already resolved to die.

From the moment he was betrayed by Xu Jinniang, he suddenly realized his mistake and was filled with remorse.

It was his incompetence and poor judgment of people that led to the collapse of the Great Qian Dynasty, causing countless soldiers to shed blood on the border and the entire country to face the flames of war.

Now, as an emperor, he is powerless to protect the country or quell the rebellion. Instead, he has become a tool for enemy states to coerce the Great Qian Dynasty, dragging down the war situation of the entire country and the lives of countless citizens and soldiers.

Such an emperor is no longer worthy of sitting on the throne, nor worthy of ruling over the vast land!

As long as he lives, the Yan state will forever hold the trump card to counterbalance the Daqian state. The Daqian soldiers will be hesitant and restrained, constantly on the defensive, and the war will inevitably fall into a stalemate, resulting in countless deaths and injuries.

If he were to perish here today, dying in the enemy camp, the Yan Kingdom would have no more bargaining chips and no more leverage to threaten the Great Qian.

At that time, the Great Qian will have no more scruples. The court and the people will be united in their hatred of the enemy, and the soldiers will be filled with grief and indignation, their fighting spirit soaring. The God of War, who protects the country, will lead a million iron troops and will surely be able to conquer Yan and flatten the border without any hindrance!

Rather than lingering on in misery, becoming a pawn in the enemy's hands, and dragging down the country, it is better to die now, to die a worthy death, and to exchange one's own life for the peace of the Great Qian Dynasty and for the fearlessness of the soldiers!

Upon realizing this, Xiao Jinghuan lost all will to live and instead became even more calm and composed.

Facing the cold blade, he looked at Murong Di, whose eyes were bloodshot and who was enraged beyond control, and suddenly laughed again, his voice filled with extreme mockery and frankness, each word piercing to the heart: "What?"

"The knife is already at my throat, my head is within reach, yet you hesitate to make a move?"

Xiao Jinghuan slightly raised his head, his neck arched slightly, and deliberately pushed his neck halfway towards the blade. The cold blade barely cut through the surface of his skin, and a fine drop of blood seeped out, dazzling and eye-catching.

His gaze was disdainful, his tone arrogant, and every word struck at Murong Di's pride: "You dare not kill me, simply because you are afraid."

"You fear that once I die, the Yan Kingdom will have no leverage to restrain the Great Qian, and my million soldiers of the Great Qian will have no more scruples. They will surely advance unstoppable, sweeping through your Yan Kingdom's territory and slaughtering your entire army!"

"Hahaha!" Xiao Jinghuan laughed loudly, his laughter open and unrestrained, carrying endless desolation and mockery, echoing throughout the camp. "So the incomparably powerful Yan Kingdom, which swept across the southern border, is nothing more than this!"

"The so-called iron army of Yan can only rely on kidnapping other countries' rulers and coercing hostages to gain victory!"

"Unable to engage in direct combat, they can only resort to such despicable means to seek victory. How weak and incompetent is the Yan state!"

"Ridiculous! Utterly ridiculous!"

Every sentence is piercing to the heart, every word is like a knife!

Every word struck Murong Di's proudest and most sensitive spot, crushing his arrogance and pride underfoot!

Murong Di trembled violently, his aura of ferocity surged, and the killing intent in his eyes almost overflowed. The veins on the back of his hand, which was gripping the hilt of his sword, bulged...

He fought on all sides, and no one had ever dared to humiliate him like this or trample on the dignity of the Great Yan!

"General! Be careful what you say! Don't fall into their trap!" Seeing that Murong Di was completely enraged and his mind was in chaos, Gongsun Yu feared that he would make a terrible mistake in a moment of impulse, so he quickly stepped forward again to dissuade him, his tone earnest and urgent, "This is Xiao Jinghuan's deadly trap! He is determined to die, and he wants to provoke you so that you will kill him with your own hands!"

"With his death, there will be no way to verify the facts, and our army's advantage of holding the emperor hostage will be completely lost!"

"At that time, the Prince of Yan will surely be furious and punish you! It will also cause chaos in our army, allowing the Great Qian army to launch a fierce counterattack, resulting in a complete defeat! General, you must not act rashly!"

Tian Cheng followed suit, emphatically advising, "General, the overall situation is paramount! Don't let the enemy's provocations cloud your judgment and jeopardize important military and national affairs!"

The two men took turns trying to dissuade him, their words earnest and reasonable, and they held onto Murong Di, who was on the verge of losing control.

Clang...

Murong Di suddenly sheathed his long sword.

The crisp sound of it being sheathed broke the silence, and the chilling glint instantly disappeared.

Murong Di exhaled a long breath, and the madness that was on the verge of getting out of control gradually faded away, replaced by a deep and cold chill.

He stared intently at Xiao Jinghuan, his gaze complex, containing anger, resentment, fear, and even a hint of heartfelt admiration.

He had to admit that the Emperor of the Great Qian Dynasty, now a prisoner, truly possessed unyielding integrity and a courage and boldness that surpassed that of ordinary people.

Faced with life and death, most kings and generals in the world would kneel down and beg for mercy, clinging to life and fearing death. But Xiao Jinghuan, trapped in a desperate situation with a knife at his side, was not afraid at all. Instead, he was determined to die, using himself as bait and cleverly using a provocation tactic. He would rather die than compromise his imperial integrity. He can truly be considered a tough nut to crack, unyielding to both soft and hard approaches!

Murong Di suppressed the rage in his eyes, his voice cold and hoarse, carrying a deep chill, as he slowly spoke: "I didn't expect that you, a foolish and incompetent ruler who has brought about the downfall of your country, would still have some backbone, unafraid of death, and with an unyielding spirit."

"You want to provoke me into killing you, using your death to disrupt the morale of my Great Yan army, break my military plans, and allow the Great Qian to march north without any scruples and crush my Great Yan?"

"Xiao Jinghuan, your plan was brilliant, but unfortunately, you misjudged me!"

Murong Di's lips curled into a cold smile, his eyes sharp as an eagle's, each word resolute: "Do you think I'm a reckless brute who doesn't know his place? That a few words of provocation can throw me into disarray and ruin my plans? You're delusional!"

As soon as the words were spoken, the huge weight that had been hanging over everyone's hearts finally lifted.

Gongsun Yu and Tian Cheng both breathed a sigh of relief, their tense bodies instantly relaxing, and a thin layer of sweat had already appeared on their backs.

The brief standoff just now was fraught with danger; a single misstep could have led to a catastrophe that would have completely overturned the war between the two nations. Fortunately, Murong Di ultimately maintained his composure and did not fall into the trap.

The way the two looked at Xiao Jinghuan again had completely changed.

Awe, astonishment, and fear were intertwined.

They had never seen an emperor so desperate and penniless, yet still exuding an aura of power, with a resilient mind and a calculated approach.

Trapped in enemy territory and in grave danger, he not only refused to seek survival but instead relentlessly pressed the enemy forward, setting a trap with his life on the line. His courage and strategy were astonishing!

Upon hearing this, Xiao Jinghuan showed no sign of disappointment; his expression remained calm, and his eyes were undisturbed.

He never expected that he could force Murong Di to his death with just a few words.

What he wanted was not a life-or-death situation, but to use this confrontation to disrupt the enemy's mind, blunt their morale, and let the Yan army know that the Emperor of Daqian was not afraid of death and that the spirit of Daqian would never bend. In this way, he would damage the morale of the enemy army!

Since he couldn't die, he would continue to endure, wait for the situation to develop, and seize the opportunity to break the deadlock.

At that moment, Murong Di's eyes turned cold. He composed himself and gave a stern order to his personal guards, his voice ringing out throughout the area: "Guards!"

Upon hearing the commotion, dozens of personal guards entered the main tent and stood at attention, awaiting orders.

"Tie up this damned Emperor of the Great Qian Dynasty, along with his personal eunuch!"

"They were then taken to the drill ground and displayed to the entire army!"

"This general will make all the soldiers of my Great Yan witness this with their own eyes!"

"Let everyone see clearly that the once high and mighty Emperor of the Great Qian Dynasty, who ruled the world, is now a prisoner of our army!"

"Let the entire army know that the fate of the Great Qian Dynasty has run its course, and the enemy ruler has been defeated! Our Great Yan will surely win this battle, conquer all before us, and sweep across the land, crushing the Great Qian Dynasty!"