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

The square outside the palace had been swept clean, and the bluestone pavement was polished smooth by water spraying, reflecting the blue sky and white clouds.

Tall banners, embroidered with sun, moon, dragon and phoenix patterns, were erected around the square, fluttering in the wind.

Officials from the Ministry of Rites moved back and forth, directing the Imperial Guards to form ranks, their faces solemn.

"Captain Qin, this way please." A Ministry of Rites official in a scarlet robe walked quickly to Qin An, his tone very serious, "The ceremony of presenting captives is a matter of national dignity. His Majesty is personally attending, and there is no room for error. We need to practice every day for the next three days. I urge you to pay close attention."

Qin An nodded and replied, "Thank you for your guidance, sir."

For the next three days, Qin An and Zhang Xu, along with other generals, went to the square to drill every day at dawn.

The official in charge of the Ministry of Rites held the gift list and explained the procedures again and again.

There were strict rules about when to march in as a procession, when to escort prisoners to kneel, when to await the imperial edict, and even the angle of the kowtow and the tone of the response.

"When presenting prisoners, one must place the knife on the left hand and hold the prisoner's shackles with the right hand. One's steps must be steady, each step three feet, without deviation."

The official held a ruler and gestured on the ground, saying, "When His Majesty ascends the tower, he must stand still, holding his breath, and look straight ahead. He must not look up or gaze around without permission."

Qin An patiently practiced again and again.

He had spent years fighting on the battlefield and was used to bold and unrestrained movements. Now, he had to follow the rules like a puppet, and he felt very uncomfortable.

However, he knew the importance of this matter, which concerned the dignity of the court and his own future, so he dared not slack off in the slightest.

At noon on the third day, the ceremony of presenting the prisoners officially began.

Qin An, dressed in bright silver armor with a crimson cloak over it and a sword at his waist, stood on either side of the other generals.

Behind them, two hundred elite soldiers escorted dozens of rebel leaders, all of them shackled, dressed in rags, with their heads bowed, their former arrogance completely gone.

On both sides of the square, civil and military officials were already lined up according to their rank, dressed in neat court robes, standing solemnly.

The streets in the distance were crowded with people, but the Imperial Guards kept them three zhang away, so they could only stand on tiptoe and watch, not daring to make a sound. The scene was so solemn and dignified that it made one's heart tighten.

"They're here!" someone whispered.

Following the gaze of the crowd, Qin An saw the main gate of the palace slowly open, and a procession of ceremonial guards escorted the bright yellow dragon carriage to the foot of the city wall.

The emperor, dressed in a dragon robe with twelve imperial symbols, ascended the city tower surrounded by his officials and surveyed the square from his vantage point.

"Long live the Emperor! Long live the Emperor! Long live the Emperor!"

With a shout from the master of ceremonies, everyone in the square roared "Long live the Emperor!" The sound soared into the sky.

Qin Anfu lowered his head, able to clearly hear his own heartbeat, which, amidst the shouts of millions, gave him the illusion of resonating with the heavens and earth.

The official in charge of the ceremony carried the victory report, walked slowly to the center of the square, unrolled the scroll, and read it aloud in a loud voice.

"The Emperor of Daxing issued an edict: Wang Bo and other rebels from Qishan have colluded with other traitors and wreaked havoc on the region. I hereby appoint Zhang Xu as commander and Qin An as vanguard to lead the army to suppress them... After half a year, the rebels were quelled, more than thirty ringleaders were captured alive, and more than ten thousand heads were taken..."

After the victory report was read aloud, the official in charge of ceremonies shouted, "Present the captives!"

Qin An and other generals escorted the rebel leaders to the center of the square and forced them to kneel down.

The sunlight was blinding, and Qin An could feel countless gazes falling on him—some curious, some admiring, and some scrutinizing.

"Is that Qin An? He doesn't look very old."

"He's not just young; I heard he's not even twenty yet, but he defeated all the rebel generals and killed Wang Bo. He's a ruthless character!"

"Tsk tsk, to have accomplished such a great feat at such a young age, he's destined for great things in the future."

"..."

Among the group, Qin An was undoubtedly the most conspicuous.

It wasn't just because of his tall stature, but more importantly, because his face appeared remarkably youthful among the group of generals.

Many people are quite curious about how Qin An, at such a young age, has been able to achieve such a level.

Especially after learning about Qin An's achievements from insiders, everyone was amazed.

The five tiger generals of the Qishan rebels were renowned figures.

Yet, all five of them died at Qin An's hands.

Such a result is truly astonishing.

In an instant, Qin An became the most dazzling person in the crowd, and his fame spread rapidly.

The surrounding chatter reached Qin An's ears, but he kept his eyes fixed on the ground in front of him.

Just then, the emperor's voice came from the city tower: "The traitors have brought disaster to the country and its people, and deserve to die ten thousand times over! The rebel leader shall be immediately taken out of the Meridian Gate and executed by slow slicing! The rest of the accomplices shall be beheaded on the spot!"

Without the slightest hesitation, without the utterest pity.

Qin An felt a chill run down his spine; this emperor's ruthless methods were even more severe than the rumors suggested.

Even though Daxing has already reached this point, he has not compromised in the slightest and does not care at all whether it will arouse the other rebels' will to fight to the death.

Upon hearing this, the rebel leaders immediately cried out and struggled, but were held down firmly by the soldiers.

The Imperial Guards stepped forward to take control of the prisoners, dragging them toward the Meridian Gate. The cries gradually faded away, and the square returned to solemnity.

"Rise, my lords." The emperor's voice rang out again. "The generals have rendered great service and merit. Follow me into the palace, and you will be rewarded accordingly."

"Thank you, Your Majesty!"

Qin An rose with the flow of people and followed Zhang Xu toward the palace.

Passing through palace gates, the bluestone slabs underfoot were replaced by gold bricks, with carved beams and painted rafters, resplendent and magnificent, exuding the majesty of imperial power everywhere.

As he stepped into the heart of power for the first time, he felt both excitement and an indescribable sense of awe.

……

Inside the main hall of the imperial court, the air was filled with the fragrance of sandalwood.

The emperor sat upright on his dragon throne, his gaze sweeping over the generals below, and slowly spoke: "You are all meritorious officials in this suppression of the Qishan rebellion. I will not hesitate to reward you to recognize your achievements."

After the emperor finished speaking, a palace eunuch who was already prepared opened an imperial edict.

"The Emperor of Daxing decreed: Zhang Xu, as commander-in-chief, has demonstrated skillful command; he is hereby promoted to General Who Destroys Bandits, and awarded one hundred taels of gold and one thousand bolts of brocade!"

"Luo Kai was promoted to General Who Sweeps Away the Barbarians for his meritorious service and was awarded fifty taels of gold."

"Han Anjiao, General of Jinweiyuan, is hereby awarded fifty taels of gold."

……

As each name was read out, the rewarded generals beamed with joy and bowed repeatedly in gratitude.

Qin An stood in the queue, his heart filled with anticipation, and his palms felt a little warm.

"Qin An..."

When the eunuch called out Qin An's name, the emperor suddenly raised his hand to interrupt: "Qin An, come forward and speak!"

Qin An was startled and quickly stepped forward, saying, "Your subject is here!"

While replying, Qin An was extremely nervous, not understanding why the emperor would personally speak when it was his turn.

"You are Qin An? You look familiar!" The emperor looked Qin An up and down, as if trying to recall something.

Just then, Yuwen Rong, an acquaintance standing below the emperor, suddenly interjected, "Your Majesty, Qin An distinguished himself in battle at Baiji and once received Your Majesty."

He still remembered Qin An, after all, this was the man who had refused to queue in front of him.