The God of War Who Protects the Nation: Starting with Saving a Mother and Daughter in Distress

The night was deep, and the stars and moon hung high in the sky.

The main camp of the imperial army was brightly lit, with rows of tents neatly arranged, sentries standing guard, and a strict atmosphere of discipline and military might.

After achieving a great victory and defeating Song Yu's main force during the day, Zhang Xu led his entire army to consolidate their positions, count casualties, and repair the defenses. At the same time, he sent people to investigate the movements of the rebels and wait for an opportunity to strike.

Inside the central command tent, candlelight flickered as the generals gathered, quietly discussing tactics for the subsequent enemy suppression. The atmosphere within the tent was calm, and everyone's expression was solemn.

Just as everyone was discussing matters, a personal guard announced from outside the tent: "General, Commandant Qin has returned with his troops and requests an audience!"

Upon hearing this, everyone inside the tent looked up, their eyes filled with joy.

News had already arrived that Qin An had led a small team to pursue the rebels, and everyone was filled with worry.

Everyone breathed a sigh of relief upon hearing that Qin An had returned safely.

"Send it quickly!" Zhang Xu said immediately, his eyes filled with approval and anticipation.

The tent flap was lifted, and Qin An strode into the tent. He was covered in blood-stained black armor and dusty from his journey, yet his posture was upright and his steps were steady, showing no sign of fatigue or timidity.

He walked to the center of the tent, bowed to Zhang Xu in the main seat, and said in a firm and resounding voice, "This humble general, Qin An, returns to camp to report!"

Zhang Xu quickly raised his hand: "Qin An, no need for formalities. You have rendered great service by leading a small force deep into enemy territory, defeating enemy generals one after another, and crushing the remnants of the rebel army!"

Everyone was worried about your safety; it's a blessing that you returned safely.

The generals inside the tent all cast approving glances their way.

Luo Kai, filled with concern, said, "Brother Qin, you are a young hero! You have truly accomplished a great feat by defeating the remnants of Song Yu's army!"

Although Qin An's status is now lower than his, Luo Kai no longer treats him as his former subordinate.

In his eyes, Qin An was fully qualified to be his equal.

Qin An nodded slightly in thanks, then his expression turned serious, he abandoned all formalities, and spoke solemnly.

"General, although I failed to kill Song Yu on the spot while pursuing the remaining enemy, I unexpectedly discovered a fatal flaw in the rebel army, which is crucial to the overall battle situation. I am reporting this now!"

Upon hearing this, all the generals in the tent instantly stopped smiling and looked at each other with serious expressions, creating a tense atmosphere.

Zhang Xu leaned forward slightly, his gaze sharp: "Tell me in detail."

Qin An organized his thoughts and slowly recounted his experiences along the way in a clear and organized manner.

Upon hearing that Lu Lin had led his troops to provide reinforcements, everyone frowned.

Especially after learning that Lu Lin was able to fight Qin An for three hundred rounds without a clear winner, he felt even more heavy-hearted.

They now have a good understanding of Qin An's capabilities.

On the battlefield, he could easily kill a hundred men single-handedly. Even if he wasn't the top general of his time, he was definitely a rare and fierce warrior.

Before this, although they knew that Lu Lin was strong, they did not expect that he would have such a skill.

Such a fierce general is a great deterrent on the battlefield.

This can be clearly seen from Qin An's crackdown on the rebels.

Qin An ignored what everyone was thinking and finally revealed the key information.

"This humble general has some limited insight. From the conflict between Lu Lin and Song Yu, it can be seen that although the rebels appear to be banding together and have a large following, they are actually riddled with internal factions and deep-seated contradictions. They are by no means a monolithic entity!"

Before Qin An could finish speaking, everyone already understood what he was thinking.

Luo Kai excitedly voiced what everyone was thinking: "You mean, we can use a divide-and-conquer strategy to weaken the rebels?"

Since Qin An had chosen to report it, there was naturally nothing to hide, so he nodded.

"Indeed, judging from Song Yu's behavior, he is not as loyal as the intelligence suggests; on the contrary, he is a deep and cunning person."

"A being like this must have grand ambitions and is unlikely to remain subservient to others for long. Furthermore, after this battle, the two sides have accumulated deep resentment. I judge that he will definitely harbor ulterior motives."

Upon hearing this, the central command tent fell silent, and all the generals wore thoughtful expressions.

If what Qin An said is true, then dealing with Wang Bo's rebel army would be much easier.

Zhang Xu's mind flashed with some information about Song Yu, and his eyes gleamed. He nodded repeatedly, his face full of approval: "Good! Well said!"

Zhang Xu stood up, put his hands behind his back in the tent, glanced at the generals, and gave the order in a deep voice.

"Immediately issue the order to halt the entire army's advance and instead proceed cautiously and hold the line."

"At the same time, I need more intelligence, including the movements of the various rebel units, factional relationships, and troop deployments. I need to understand all the details of internal conflicts in order to gather sufficient intelligence for a plan to sow discord and defeat the enemy!"

Clearly, Zhang Xu chose to trust Qin An's judgment and was not in a hurry to advance.

If we could really sow discord within the rebel army, it would undoubtedly save us more time and avoid sacrificing so many brothers' lives.

Soon, detailed intelligence from various places kept pouring back, completely confirming Qin An's judgment.

The internal conflicts within the rebels were far more intense than anyone had anticipated.

Although General Wang Bo was the leader of the rebel army, this rebel force was not formed by him.

It was after he raised the banner of rebellion that he gathered together various bandits from the area east of Qishan.

He didn't seem like a rebel leader, but rather a leader elected by rebels from various mountain strongholds.

Like Lu He and Wu Xing, who died at the hands of Qin An, they were originally bandit leaders who ruled the mountains.

Before joining this Qishan rebel army, Song Yu already had a considerable reputation and influence.

Even after the merger, it remains the largest power under Wang Bo.

Wang Bo and Song Yu had been secretly vying with various factions and competing against each other.

It was only because of the imperial army pressing in that this conflict was completely suppressed.

After the intelligence was compiled, Zhang Xu immediately convened a military conference for the entire army, gathering all generals to discuss the final battle plan.

Inside the main tent, the generals stood on both sides, each expressing their own opinions.

An old general was the first to offer his opinion, saying, "General Zhang, since we are going to implement a strategy of sowing discord, in my humble opinion, our army should avoid the weak and attack the strong. Our main force should keep a close eye on the elite troops under Wang Bo and Lu Lin, concentrate our firepower to severely damage the enemy's main force, and at the same time deliberately let Song Yu's remnants go and not encircle and annihilate them!"

This veteran general was named Han Anjiao. He did not belong to Zhang Xu's border army, but was one of the generals sent by the imperial court to suppress the rebellion.

Han Anjiao also came from a very prominent family; he was a member of the Han family, a founding meritorious family of the Daxing Kingdom.

However, the Han family has declined considerably, and now he serves as the deputy general of this anti-rebel army.

As soon as Han Anjiao said this, everyone immediately understood his intention.

By avoiding the weak and attacking the strong, Wang Bo's direct forces could be continuously depleted, allowing Song Yu's remnants to regroup and grow stronger. As the strength of the two sides shifted, the balance of power was completely disrupted.

At that time, Wang Bo will inevitably be wary of Song Yu's counterattack, while Song Yu will resent Wang Bo's suppression, thus escalating the conflict between the two.

They might turn on each other, and become embroiled in internal strife and conflict!

In this way, we can naturally reap the benefits and quell the rebellion in one fell swoop!

Upon hearing this suggestion, most of the generals in the tent echoed it, all feeling that the plan was sound, feasible, and would achieve twice the result with half the effort.

Zhang Xu nodded slightly, looked at everyone, and was about to make a final decision.

But at that moment, a figure stepped forward to object: "General, this humble general believes that this plan is unacceptable!"