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

The smoke of battle had not yet dissipated, and corpses littered the fields, staining the barren earth with blood.

The news of Lu Lin's tens of thousands of elite troops being wiped out swept through the entire Qishan rebel base camp like a storm.

Inside the main camp, everyone was terrified and morale was low; a sense of oppressive despair permeated every camp and building.

Since the uprising at Qishan, Lu Lin has been Wang Bo's sharpest blade, the most recognized fierce general in the rebel camp, guarding the most crucial defense line on the front line and steadily suppressing the government army's advance.

No one could have predicted that in just one day of decisive battle, this leader of the Five Tigers, who had dominated the battlefield for half his life and was unparalleled in bravery, would be defeated, killed in battle, and have his entire army wiped out.

Faced with this situation, rebel leader Wang Bo immediately summoned his generals to discuss countermeasures.

In this situation, Song Yu, clad in blood-stained and tattered armor and covered in dust, led his remaining two thousand or so soldiers steadily into the main camp on the Qishan Mountain peak.

After fleeing and scattering along the way, the remaining three thousand soldiers are now reduced to a mere two thousand or so. They are all disheveled, their helmets and armor askew, their faces filled with shame, their morale low, and they have lost all trace of the bravery and ferocity of soldiers.

He dismissed his soldiers and sent them back to their camp to rest. Alone, he removed his weapons and strode towards the central command tent, empty-handed.

Upon his return, he knew he had become the target of public criticism.

With Lu Lin dead, the defense line collapsing, and tens of thousands of elite troops perishing on the battlefield, all the anger and hatred of the entire army would be poured out on him.

Wang Bo must hate him to the core, and all the generals in the camp harbor resentment.

But he had no other choice.

According to the secret plan agreed upon with Zhang Xu, he had to return to the core of the rebel army, infiltrate Wang Bo's side, and become the most deadly pawn inserted into the heart of the rebels.

Only by enduring what ordinary people cannot endure and suffering what ordinary people cannot suffer can one defeat the Qishan rebels in the final battle and secure one's own survival and future.

The deep scheming and meticulous planning had already overshadowed the remaining guilt and unease in Song Yu's heart.

At this moment, his heart was as cold as iron, completely calm and undisturbed.

Inside the main tent of the central army, the lights were dim, and the atmosphere was chilling and biting.

Wang Bo sat in the main seat, clad in dark brocade armor, his face ashen, his eyes bloodshot, and his entire being radiating an almost out-of-control, overwhelming rage.

The inkstone on the table was crushed, and ink splattered everywhere, flowing down the table, just like his shattered state of mind at this moment.

Dozens of rebel leaders and generals, large and small, stood on either side of the tent, their faces grim and brows furrowed. No one spoke, and the deathly silence was suffocating.

"Lu Lin, my Lu Lin, you died so tragically!" Wang Bo was heartbroken.

Lu Lin was his most trusted and trusted general, and his greatest asset in consolidating the Qishan base and resisting the imperial army.

Since they started their uprising together, Lu Lin fought for him in the north and south, risking his life and making outstanding military achievements that no one could match.

But now, with his death and the loss of his elite troops, the promising battle situation has completely collapsed. The outer defenses of Qishan have all fallen, and the imperial army has advanced rapidly, pressing forward step by step, and is now at the heart of Qishan.

He desperately needed to vent his anger.

"Song Yu, you dare to come back!"

A chilling roar suddenly erupted, shattering the deathly silence of the tent.

Wang Bo suddenly raised his hand, clenched his fist tightly, veins bulging, and stared intently at the figure slowly walking into the tent, his killing intent palpable, as if he were about to draw his sword and execute him on the spot.

Song Yu walked calmly to the center of the tent, knelt heavily on both knees, lowered her head, and adopted an extremely humble and respectful posture, without the slightest rebuttal or resentment.

"Your subordinate is incompetent!"

His voice was hoarse and deep, each word earnest and filled with remorse, perfectly portraying a defeated and guilty man who knew his sins.

"In the battle the day before yesterday, the government troops were as powerful as thunder and their offensive was overwhelming. The remaining soldiers under my command were exhausted from the long battle and their morale was broken. They were unable to hold the flank defense line."

"The inadequate defense by my subordinates indirectly led to General Lu Lin being attacked from both sides, resulting in the complete defeat of his army, the death of a general, and the burial of tens of thousands of soldiers in the wilderness. This has cost us our Qishan territory and damaged the prestige of our rebel army!"

"My crimes are heinous, deserving of death a hundred times over! I return today seeking neither explanation nor forgiveness, but willingly accept all punishment from my lord, to atone for my sins with my death, and to comfort the spirits of General Lu Lin and the fallen soldiers in heaven!"

His words were a frank admission of guilt, taking full responsibility for every word, adopting the lowest possible stance, and attributing all the mistakes to his own incompetence.

They made no mention of the strange circumstances of the battle, the government troops' scheming, Lu Lin's disregard for the collateral branches, or Wang Bo's secret suspicions.

He has a deep understanding of people's hearts.

At this moment, the public was furious, and any explanation would be futile. It would only be seen as shirking responsibility and making excuses to survive, which would only increase Wang Bo's murderous intent.

Only by fully confessing one's crimes, humbly pleading guilty, and awaiting punishment can one minimize public hostility and gain a glimmer of hope for survival.

The generals under his command reacted with varying expressions upon hearing this.

Everyone was initially filled with anger and wanted to speak out to condemn and request that Song Yu be executed to uphold military law.

But seeing him kneeling calmly, sincerely confessing his guilt, and offering no rebuttal, my anger subsided somewhat.

After a moment of silence, a man dressed as a Taoist priest stepped forward and bowed to Wang Bo, who was in the main seat.

"My lord, General Song's defeat and retreat in the face of battle are undeniable and irrefutable! However, I dare to suggest that now is not the time to settle scores!"

His tone was earnest, and every sentence was based on the overall situation.

"Now that the government army has won a great victory, its momentum is strong, and it is gradually encroaching upon our territory. In recent days, it has recovered all the outlying prefectures and counties, and its army is constantly compressing our living space. Its advance is already approaching the main peak stronghold! Our army has just suffered a defeat, losing General Lu Lin and tens of thousands of elite troops. We are now severely weakened, morale is low, and we urgently need manpower!"

"General Song has fought for many years since he raised his army. He is brave and skilled in battle and has a great reputation. Although he only has remnants of his troops left, they are still veterans who have been through many battles and their fighting strength is still considerable. If we kill Song Yu now, it would be tantamount to cutting off our own arm and destroying our own Great Wall. It will only make the morale of the army more scattered and give the government army an opportunity to take advantage of us!"

Upon hearing this, several generals under his command echoed his sentiments.

"Brother Gongsun is absolutely right! My lord, with a formidable enemy at hand and external threats still unresolved, we must not allow internal strife to fester!"

"General Song's crimes are undeniable, but considering his years of hard work and dedication in battle, we will allow him to atone for his crimes for now. We can pursue his punishment later after we have repelled the government troops and stabilized the situation!"

"I implore my lord to reconsider!"

The generals pleaded one after another, their voices earnest, all focused on the current critical situation, unwilling to lose another general and disrupt the formation when the army was pressing in.

Wang Bo sat in the main seat, his face ashen, his anger surging, and his killing intent lingering.

He knew better than anyone else that Song Yu's actions, seemingly cowardly and incompetent, actually concealed his own selfish motives.

This sudden, seemingly defective retreat was by no means accidental!

He wished he could immediately order Song Yu to be dragged out of the tent, beheaded, and displayed to the public to vent his hatred and comfort Lu Lin's soul!

But Wang Bo also knew in his heart that although Song Yu had been defeated and suffered heavy losses, he still had the foundation of his own territory.

The advice and suggestions from his generals made him realize that this matter was indeed a bit difficult to handle!