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

Faced with Han Anjiao's enthusiasm, Qin An was momentarily at a loss for words.

He declined, saying, "General, this matter is too sudden, this humble general..."

Han Anjiao saw his doubts and smiled, "Don't you think this matter is too strange? Let me be frank, although Qingwan is my niece, she is not a direct descendant of the Han family. It is not impossible for her to be a concubine."

"The reason I am willing to help you is because the Han family has no successor. I am old, and the younger generation in the clan are all mediocre. Only Qingwan's younger brother, Li Jing, is quite talented, but he is still young."

"The world is about to descend into chaos, and the Han family needs a strong external ally. You, Qin An, are the person I have chosen."

"You are so young yet possess such courage and strategic thinking; your future is limitless. Marrying you is the best choice for the Han family."

Han Anjiao's honesty dispelled much of Qin An's doubts.

His words came from the bottom of his heart, without any concealment.

Qin An had to admit that his proposal was indeed very tempting.

Marrying into the Han family would mean he would gain a powerful ally and avoid many pitfalls in his official career.

Moreover, when he left home last time, Yang Yuyan had mentioned that if he met a suitable woman, he could take her as a concubine without having to worry about his family.

Taking a concubine was not difficult for him.

However, Qin An still had a slight hesitation in his heart.

He was not a power-hungry person, but he knew that power was essential to gain a foothold in this chaotic world and protect those around him.

"I appreciate the general's kindness, but the war is not over yet, and Qishan City has not been captured. Let's discuss this matter later."

Qin An ultimately did not agree immediately; he needed time to consider it.

Han Anjiao didn't press the matter and nodded: "Alright, take your time to consider it. My word always stands."

After saying that, Han Anjiao turned and left.

Qin An watched his retreating figure, his mind filled with countless thoughts.

……

In the days that followed, the government troops, following Zhang Xu's orders, launched a tight siege of Qishan City.

The army built camps outside the city and dug deep trenches, cutting off all contact between Qishan City and the outside world.

The rebels inside the city were initially on high alert, patrolling the city walls daily to guard against an attack by government troops.

But as time went by, the government troops showed no signs of attacking the city, and simply remained quietly outside the city, causing the rebels to gradually relax their guard.

Although Qishan City was large, it could not withstand a prolonged siege.

Although the city's food supplies have not yet run out, daily consumption is enormous and reserves are dwindling.

More importantly, a sense of despair spread among the rebels.

Trapped in the isolated city with no way out, their morale plummeted.

Conflicts within the city gradually increased.

Different factions of rebels frequently clashed over food and water supplies.

Some generals even indulged in drinking and merrymaking all day long, numbing themselves to the world's troubles, and military discipline was completely abandoned.

Song Yu silently observed everything from inside the city. He did not rush to take action, but secretly contacted those rebel generals who were dissatisfied with Wang Bo or who had nowhere else to turn.

He instructed Wu Zhi to secretly send people to spread rumors about accepting amnesty.

"Now that the imperial army is pressing in, we are like cornered beasts fighting for survival. Wang Bo is stubborn and self-willed. Following him will only lead to our death. We might as well find an opportunity to surrender to the imperial court and perhaps we can still have a way to live."

"With the army besieging the city, we have no hope. Since defeat is inevitable, we might as well preserve our lives to be of use."

"..."

These words, like seeds, took root and sprouted in the hearts of the rebels.

Many of the rebels were forced into joining the rebellion.

Some of them were even government officials and soldiers who had previously surrendered to the rebels.

They had longed for amnesty, and upon hearing these remarks, they were immediately tempted.

Furthermore, under Wu Zhi's covert guidance, they all secretly gravitated towards Song Yu, who in the past could rival Wang Bo.

One night, several rebel generals secretly arrived at Song Yu's residence.

The leader was Xu Jin, a former government official who was later forced to surrender and rebel.

"General Song, we have heard that you can lead us on the path of amnesty. Is this true?" Xu Jin asked bluntly.

Song Yu feigned surprise and quickly waved his hand, "Brother Xu, be careful what you say! How could I not know about this? If this gets out, our lives will be in danger."

Xu Jin stepped forward and said in a deep voice, "General Song, now that things have come to this, why hide it anymore? We were all forced onto this path; who doesn't want a way to survive?"

"The city is now in a state of panic, and Wang Bo has lost all support. If General Song raises his voice, we are willing to follow him to the death and raise the banner of amnesty together!"

The other generals chimed in, "That's right, General Song, we trust you! Please lead us to a way to survive!"

Looking at the earnest gazes of the crowd, Song Yu was secretly pleased, but his face showed a troubled expression: "Generals, it's not that I'm unwilling, it's just that this matter is too risky..."

"General Song, fortune favors the bold! We are now in dire straits. If we don't take a gamble, we will only face death!" Xu Jin said excitedly.

"You've really put me in a difficult position!" Song Yu pondered for a moment, as if he had made a huge decision: "Fine! Since you generals trust me so much, I, Song Yu, will accompany you even at the cost of my life! But this matter needs to be carefully considered, and we must never let the news leak out."

Everyone was overjoyed to see him agree and expressed their willingness to follow Song Yu's arrangements.

As Song Yu watched the departing figures of the group, a subtle smile appeared on her lips.

He knew that the time was gradually ripe.

……

Three months passed quietly, and Qishan City was besieged like an iron barrel.

The situation inside the city was getting worse; food supplies were running out, more and more soldiers were starving to death, and signs of rebellion were becoming increasingly apparent.

That day, Qin An and Luo Kai were patrolling outside the camp. An autumn breeze blew by, carrying a hint of coolness.

Luo Kai suddenly laughed and said, "Qin An, I heard that General Han wants to marry his niece to you?"

Qin An was taken aback, not expecting the matter to have spread. He smiled and said, "Brother Luo, you've heard about it too?"

"Who in the entire camp doesn't know you? General Han has praised you to everyone quite a bit," Luo Kai joked. "What, are you still hesitating?"

Qin An sighed, "Brother Luo, you know my background. The Han family is a noble family, and I feel that a marriage alliance with them is a bit..."

"You think you're a kept man?" Luo Kai bluntly pointed out, "Qin An, you're mistaken. In this world, it's not shameful to achieve great things by relying on external forces."

"Although the Han family has declined, even a fallen camel is bigger than a horse. Their resources can save you a lot of trouble, and I hope you can go further!"

Qin An felt a warmth in his heart. Luo Kai had always taken good care of him and genuinely cared about him.

Since things had already come to this point, Qin An no longer hesitated and began to speak frankly with Luo Kai.