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

Although he desperately wanted to get rid of Song Yu, this scourge, the precarious situation at hand forced Wang Bo to suppress his overwhelming killing intent.

He was the leader of the Qishan rebels, and certainly not a mediocre person who acted impulsively.

He clearly distinguished between public and private interests, and between priorities and urgency.

With the rebels now freshly defeated, their elite forces wiped out, and morale in turmoil, and the imperial army poised to strike the main peak, the situation is critical, a matter of life and death.

Although Song Yu was guilty, had selfish motives, and harbored disloyal intentions, he was ultimately a capable general with troops under his command.

Killing him now would only exacerbate the internal divisions and cause the already fragile rebel camp to completely disintegrate.

After a long silence, Wang Bo took a deep breath, his murderous intent completely vanished, replaced by a chilling coldness and extreme apprehension.

He stared intently at Song Yu, who was kneeling on the ground, head bowed, humble and forbearing, and said, each word distinct and icy, "Considering the pleas of the generals, and given the chaotic and perilous situation we face, and the need for capable men, I will spare your life today!"

"You may be spared the death penalty, but you cannot escape punishment! You are stripped of all military power and official rank, demoted to a deputy general, and ordered to atone for your crimes through meritorious service! Your remaining troops will be placed under the unified command of the central army. You will have no troops or power, and will serve as a subordinate general!"

"From this day forward, you are to be at my command, on duty every day, and not to leave without permission! If there is even the slightest misconduct or disloyalty in the future, I will execute you without mercy, without any leniency!"

The harsh punishments, rife with suppression and suspicion, are a blatant attempt to check and balance and make things difficult for the victims.

Stripped of his military power, demoted from his post, placed under house arrest with the army, and monitored daily, Song Yu's foundation was completely severed, leaving him with no capital to cause trouble and forcing him to submit and be manipulated by others.

Upon hearing this, all the generals under his command breathed a sigh of relief.

No one felt the punishment was too harsh; they only said it was a fair and appropriate punishment.

Upon hearing this, Song Yu, who was kneeling on the ground, felt no emotion whatsoever; in fact, she felt a slight sense of relief.

What he wanted was not power or military authority, but the opportunity to stay by Wang Bo's side and the qualification to infiltrate the core of the rebel army.

Being powerless, oppressed, and restricted at every turn, seemingly humiliating and pathetic, is actually the best cover.

The more down on one's luck and the more forbearing one is, the less likely one is to arouse suspicion, and the more safely one can lie low and wait for the opportunity to strike.

He kowtowed deeply, his voice respectful and without a trace of resentment: "Your subordinate thanks Your Majesty for sparing my life! Your subordinate is willing to atone for my crimes through meritorious service, and will obey Your Majesty's orders without any disloyalty or complaint!"

Beneath his lowered brows, a cold glint flashed silently.

Wang Bo's suspicion and harassment, the exclusion and contempt of others, and the humiliation and frustration of living under someone else's roof all turned into his unwavering determination to betray the rebels and destroy them.

He will repay all the humiliation and forbearance he endures today a hundredfold, a thousandfold, in the future!

From then on, Song Yu completely restrained all his sharpness, shed his ruthless and aggressive nature, and became law-abiding, low-key, and patient.

He stood before the tent every day, waiting for orders, working hard without complaint, never arguing or fighting, and remaining silent.

Despite Wang Bo's constant harassment and the generals' constant exclusion, he remained respectful and showed no sign of change.

Everyone thought that Song Yu, who had been defeated and lost all his power, had completely lost his edge, was filled with fear, and had completely submitted to Wang Bo.

Unbeknownst to anyone, beneath this humble exterior lay a ruthless heart, plotting the whole affair and patiently awaiting its repercussions.

Within the main peak of Qishan, the undercurrents grew increasingly turbulent. Outside the main peak, the government army's offensive was already unstoppable.

After Lu Lin's death and the collapse of the defense line, Zhang Xu proceeded steadily and cautiously, never rushing to attack the main peak or engaging in a rash decisive battle.

Following Qin An's overall plan, he slowly advanced the battle line, clearing out all remaining strongholds and scattered rebels around Qishan one by one, recovering prefectures and counties, pacifying refugees, and consolidating his territory.

They gradually eroded the rebels' operational space, cutting off their food and supplies and eliminating their escape routes and external support.

The vanguard of the entire government army was entrusted to Qin An.

Holding the ancestral halberd left by Lu Lin, Qin An, clad in black armor, led his iron cavalry, unstoppable in their advance.

After this battle, he completely broke free from his constraints and no longer needed to hide his strength; his full combat power was revealed.

His divine halberd gleamed brilliantly, unparalleled in its killing power. His three thousand Xuanjia cavalrymen were seasoned veterans, fierce and invincible, sweeping across the battlefield with unstoppable momentum.

In just a few days, the government troops broke through more than ten rebel fortresses and eight cities, recovering more than half of Qishan's territory.

They advanced triumphantly, their forces heading straight for Yun Chui City, the last strategic stronghold in the heart of Qishan!

Yun Chui City, nestled against the mountain and surrounded by steep cliffs, is the last natural barrier leading to the main peak of Qi Mountain.

The city walls were tall and thick, and the moats were deep and wide, making it easy to defend and difficult to attack. It housed the last tens of thousands of rebel troops and a large amount of food and supplies.

Once Yun Chui City is breached, the government troops can advance unimpeded, reach the main peak, and completely encircle Wang Bo's main force.

The entire campaign to quell the rebellion will then come to an end.

But this fortified city turned out to be the toughest nut to crack on the army's advance.

Qin An, as the vanguard, only led cavalry. Faced with such a heavily defended city, even he was somewhat at a loss for what to do for the time being.

The army was pinned down outside Yun Chui City, and its advance came to an abrupt halt.

Qin An could only choose to steadily set up camp and rest, while resting his soldiers and building siege weapons, and spying on the city's defenses day and night, waiting for the right opportunity to break through the city.

News of the government troops' offensive stalling and coming to a standstill quickly reached the main stronghold on the Qishan Mountain.

The rebel leaders, who had been living in fear and depression for days, breathed a sigh of relief, their tense minds easing slightly.

After a brief period of calm, everyone's attention was focused on Qin An.

This young government officer has become the deepest nightmare and the greatest threat in the hearts of all the rebels.

When he first entered the battlefield, no one took this unknown young general seriously.

But in just a few months, everyone witnessed his formidable strength.

His cavalry was like a sharp knife, constantly squeezing the rebels' living space.

Moreover, our side is raising the banner of brotherhood, emphasizing loyalty above all else.

Unfortunately, all of his brothers died at Qin An's hands.

If we can't avenge our brothers, the foundation of our regime might be shaken.

It can be said that as long as Qin An is not eliminated, the rebels will never have peace and will never have a chance to turn the tide!

Inside Yun Chui City, more than ten rebel leaders, both high and low, gathered together. Everyone had a solemn expression and looked wary. They discussed matters in hushed tones, creating a tense atmosphere.

"Qin An is terrifying! So young, yet his combat prowess is unmatched! If we allow him to continue running rampant like this, we will all be wiped out sooner or later!"

"That's right! General Lu Lin was incredibly brave, yet he was severely injured in one move and killed in thirty rounds! The outer defenses collapsed completely, and most of the territory was lost, all because of this man!"

"Our army is currently holding out in a defensive position, barely managing to stabilize the situation, but Yun Chui City will inevitably fall sooner or later! If this scoundrel is not eliminated, Qi Shan will surely be destroyed!"

"..."

The crowd spoke amongst themselves, each word filled with apprehension and murderous intent; their hearts were filled with nothing but fear and an endless thirst for killing.

Someone suggested in a deep voice, "In a direct confrontation, no one can defeat him! A brute-force attack is definitely not the best strategy! The only way to eliminate this man is through cunning and unorthodox methods!"

His words were a wake-up call for everyone, and the leaders fell into deep thought, racking their brains to come up with a plan for the assassination.

After a long silence, Gongsun Yun, the leader sent to guard Yun Chui City, revealed a ruthless and calculating glint in his eyes and spoke in a low voice: "I have a plan to get rid of Qin An!"