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

Outside Qishan City, autumn is deepening, and the bleak wind swirls withered yellow leaves across the open fields.

The government army camp stretched for miles, its banners fluttering in the wind, exuding a chilling atmosphere.

The smell of medicine had not yet dissipated inside Qin An's tent.

He was shirtless, the wound on his shoulder had scabbed over, but the dark bruise had not yet faded, constantly reminding him of the danger of that day on the battlefield.

The military doctor said the toxins had been cleared and he would recover after resting for a while, but the occasional numbness in his right arm made him dare not slack off in the slightest.

He still sets aside time each day to practice halberd techniques, but the intensity has slowed down considerably.

That afternoon, a deafening cheer and the sound of horses' hooves suddenly broke the peace that had lasted for days.

Qin An's heart skipped a beat. He donned his armor and stepped out of the tent, just in time to see Han Quan striding towards him, his face beaming with excitement: "Captain, General Zhang has arrived with the main force!"

Qin An looked up and saw dust billowing in the distance as a massive army was approaching, its banners obscuring the sun and its armor gleaming—the imperial army's follow-up force.

A smile played at the corners of his lips.

After facing the pressure of Qishan City alone for days, I can finally relieve some of it.

Before long, Zhang Xu, dressed in military uniform and surrounded by his generals, arrived in front of Qin'an Camp.

Upon seeing Qin An, Zhang Xu quickly stepped forward, his gaze falling on Qin An's shoulder, and asked with concern, "Qin An, how are your injuries?"

"Thank you for your concern, General. I am now out of danger." Qin An bowed and spoke in a calm tone.

Zhang Xu finally breathed a sigh of relief and patted him on the shoulder: "You kid, you always make people feel both relieved and worried. This time, you deserve great credit for taking Yun Chui City and bringing the army to Qi Shan."

After exchanging a few pleasantries, Zhang Xu summoned his generals to hold a military meeting in the central command tent.

The tent was brightly lit, and the generals lined up on both sides, their eyes all fixed on Zhang Xu, who sat in the main seat.

Zhang Xu cleared his throat and said in a deep voice, "Now that our main force has arrived, the Qishan rebels are trapped in an isolated city and are like turtles in a jar."

"The reason I have gathered you all here today is to discuss how to take Qishan City in one fell swoop and completely quell the rebellion."

As soon as he finished speaking, Luo Kai stepped forward and cupped his hands, saying, "General, I believe that although Qishan City is fortified, the rebel army is already at its last gasp. With Song Yu as our inside man, we can easily break through the city by coordinating our efforts from within and without."

Many generals nodded in agreement, believing the plan to be feasible.

After all, Song Yu was lurking in the heart of the rebel army. If they could coordinate an attack from within and without, it would undoubtedly save a lot of casualties.

However, Qin An frowned slightly.

In this matter, he did not consider Luo Kai's feelings and stepped forward to retort, "General, this humble general thinks it is inappropriate."

All eyes immediately focused on him.

Facing the gazes of the crowd, Qin An continued, "Although Wang Bo is not a great leader, he is not an incompetent one either. Song Yu's retreat at the last minute led to Lu Lin's death in battle. Wang Bo must be deeply suspicious of him and be very wary of him."

"If we rashly let Song Yu act now, and Wang Bo finds out, it will alert him and may even put Song Yu in danger."

"A coordinated attack from within and without is certainly a good strategy, but we must wait for the best opportunity to strike decisively."

Silence fell in the tent as the generals pondered Qin An's words.

Luo Kai also frowned. Although he advocated a quick victory, Qin An's concerns were not without reason.

General Han Anjiao stroked his beard and slowly said, "Commander Qin is absolutely right. The rebels are already at their wits' end. We don't need to rush things. If we act too hastily and ruin the whole plan, it will be a loss. It's better to wait and see how things develop, and then make our plans when chaos breaks out among the rebels in the city."

"This humble general secondes it!"

"I second that!"

More and more generals agreed with Qin An's view, believing that they should act cautiously and wait for the right opportunity.

Looking at the generals in the tent, Zhang Xu had already made up his mind.

He nodded: "Qin An is right. The rebels are like grasshoppers in autumn, they won't be able to jump around for many more days. Send down the order, the entire army will surround the city, there will be no slackening, just wait for something to happen inside the city."

"Yes!" The generals accepted the order and left the main tent to make their own arrangements for the siege.

After the military conference ended, Qin An was preparing to return to his tent when someone called out to him, "Captain Qin, please wait."

Qin An turned around and saw that it was Han Anjiao.

Han Anjiao, though his hair and beard were gray, was in high spirits and was looking at him with a smile.

"General Han, what are your orders?" Qin An asked, bowing respectfully.

Han Anjiao stepped forward, looked Qin An up and down, and said with a smile, "Judging from your complexion, your injuries have recovered quite well. I, an old man, was really afraid that such a fierce general like you would perish here."

"Thank you for your concern, General. I am glad I have fulfilled my mission," Qin An said politely.

Han Anjiao waved his hand and changed the subject: "Captain Qin, I have a private matter to discuss with you today."

Upon hearing Han Anjiao say it was a private matter, Qin An's heart skipped a beat, and he already had some guesses in his mind.

After all, Han Anjiao had previously expressed his desire to marry into her family.

I thought that since I had refused before, the other party would not bring it up again.

It seems that Han is still a little reluctant to give up.

Although he already had some guesses in his heart, Qin An remained calm and said, "Please speak, General."

Han Anjiao pulled Qin An aside and whispered, "I have a niece named Li Qingwan. She is sixteen years old, beautiful, well-educated, and of marriageable age."

"I see that you are young and promising, and exceptionally brave, so I wish to betroth her to you. What do you say?"

Although he had already suspected it, Qin An was still taken aback when Han Anjiao brought up the old matter again and said it himself.

He instinctively wanted to refuse: "General, this is absolutely impossible. As you know, I am already married and have a wife at home."

Han Anjiao waved his hand, interrupting him: "I know this, but it is common for a man to have three wives and four concubines. Although Qingwan is my niece, she is gentle and willing to be your concubine and serve you."

Qin An was still hesitant, so Han Anjiao said again, "Captain Qin, don't underestimate this marriage. You come from humble origins and have made great military achievements, but your foundation in the court is still shallow."

"If we want to go further, military merit alone is far from enough. My Han family ancestors were founding heroes. Although we have declined now, even a starved camel is bigger than a horse. We still have a lot of connections and resources in the court."

"If you marry into my Han family, I will use all my resources to pave the way for you and help you rise to the top."

Han Anjiao's words were like a boulder, stirring up a thousand waves in Qin An's heart.

He was not unaware of the importance of one's background.

In the Daxing Dynasty, the concept of social class was deeply ingrained. Without a background, no matter how high one's achievements, it was difficult to truly integrate into the upper class.

Zhang Xu is a case in point. Despite his numerous military achievements, he remained in the middle ranks and struggled to enter the central leadership.

However, the Han family was a founding noble family, and even in its decline, it was not something a general from a humble background like him could easily climb up to.

The fact that they were willing to let their own female relatives become concubines was something Qin An found hard to believe.