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

After dealing with Magistrate He and the neighbors, Yang Yuyan had her maid lead the messenger to a side hall to rest, while she led her daughters back to the inner courtyard.

As soon as she stepped through the hanging flower gate, Cai Zhen tugged at her sleeve and shook her: "Mother, quickly look at Father's letter! Has he really become a general?"

Cai Yan chimed in, "Mother, did Father say when he'd be taking us to the capital?"

Yang Yuyan sat down, opened the brocade box, and found only a letter inside.

She opened the envelope and found the letter was extremely thick. Even before reading the contents, she could feel the intense longing within it.

Knowing that her two daughters were anxious, she didn't keep it to herself; she read it aloud as she watched.

Qin An's family letter is written in great detail.

He recounted in great detail his journey from leaving the frontier to suppressing the rebellion and returning to the capital to meet the emperor.

Before leaving the frontier, Qin An also sent back a letter home, and Yang Yuyan already knew that he had gone to suppress the rebellion.

When Yang Yuyan recounted how Qin An had completely quelled the Qishan rebellion, Cai Zhen couldn't help but clap her hands: "Father is so amazing!"

When the text mentioned returning to the capital to present the captives and receiving the emperor's personal bestowal, Cai Yan's eyes lit up: "Father, you've won the emperor's favor!"

Yang Yuyan smiled and nodded, continuing to read.

As she read on, her voice slowed down, but she eventually revealed the details of the marriage alliance with the Han family and the taking of Li Qingwan as a concubine.

The air suddenly became still.

Cai Zhen's smile froze, and she tugged at Cai Yan's sleeve.

Cai Yan pursed her lips and whispered, "Mother, Father... wasn't he also doing this for better career prospects?"

Yang Yuyan snapped out of her daze and forced a smile: "I know, it was me who advised him to take a concubine."

But the letter still felt a little cold to the touch.

She always said she didn't care about titles or status, but when she actually heard another woman's name, her heart felt like it was being bitten by insects.

"What if he doesn't want us anymore?" Cai Zhen's eyes reddened. "Li Qingwan... she sounds like a young and beautiful woman."

"No, he won't." Cai Yan took her sister's hand. "Father isn't that kind of person. He definitely still cares about us. Mother, let's go to the capital to find Father! Let's go now!"

Yang Yuyan shook her head and pointed to the end of the letter.

"Look, your father said, 'He will be going to Ligang Village soon. The battle situation is uncertain and the capital is in turmoil, so he will not be able to bring you here for the time being.' He is going to the battlefield again."

"Going to war again?" Cai Zhen asked anxiously. "Father is indeed capable, but who can predict what will happen on the battlefield?"

Cai Yan frowned as well: "What kind of place is Ligangzhai? Is it powerful?"

After learning that Qin An had gone on another expedition, they no longer cared about anything else.

All he cared about was Qin An's safety.

Yang Yuyan didn't say anything, but simply picked up a list.

Those were gifts that Qin An sent back, and some of them were quite valuable.

But she had no time to care about the gifts. Looking at her two worried daughters, she whispered, "Let's write back to your father and tell him to be careful in everything."

Cai Zhen and Cai Yan exchanged a glance, neither of them mentioning the trip to the capital again.

All three of them felt heavy-hearted; the joy they felt upon hearing the good news had long been overshadowed by their worries about Qin An.

Back in the room, Yang Yuyan found paper and pen: "Why don't you write a few words for Father too? He'll be happy to see them."

Cai Zhen snatched a piece of paper, leaned over the table, and wrote: "Father, you must kill many rebels, but don't get hurt! I can already draw my small bow; I'll teach you to ride a horse when you come back..."

Cai Yan wrote in a delicate style: "Father, Mother made your favorite cured meat, waiting for you to come back to eat it. It's cold on the battlefield, remember to wear warm clothes..."

Looking at her daughters' handwriting, Yang Yuyan also picked up a pen and wrote: "Everything is well at home... I hope you take care and return in triumph soon."

The mother and her two daughters all had so much to say to Qin An.

None of them wasted any more time; they simply buried themselves in their books.

After an unknown amount of time, seeing that the letter paper was almost used up, Yang Yuyan finally called for the two women to stop.

She folded the three letters and put them in an envelope. Yang Yuyan then asked her maid to call a messenger, who, in addition to the letters, also handed her a heavy purse.

"It's kind of you, sir, to make this trip. Please accept this small token of our appreciation." The messenger couldn't refuse, so he thanked him and accepted the gift.

After the messenger left, Cai Zhen took out the gifts Qin An had sent. The most exquisite of them were two hairpins adorned with red gold and kingfisher feathers, and two pieces of lotus-root-colored brocade.

"Wow! This hair ornament is so shiny!" She handed one to Cai Yan. "Sis, you'll definitely look good wearing this."

Cai Yan smiled as she put it on and twirled around, exclaiming, "Mom, look!" Yang Yuyan's smile softened as she watched her daughters' excited expressions.

From these gifts, she could clearly feel Qin An's concern for her and her daughter.

As long as this concern exists, my previous worries were unnecessary.

This good mood lasted until evening.

In the evening, Yang Yuyan, as usual, had her two daughters soaking in a steaming bathtub.

When she saw the youthful energy emanating from her two daughters, Li Qingwan immediately came to mind.

The previous letter had already indicated that Li Qingwan was not very old, only a little older than her two daughters.

Seeing their youthful bodies now, Yang Yuyan can easily imagine how youthful and beautiful Li Qingwan must be.

Thinking of this, she suddenly fell silent.

"Now that I'm getting older, when I see my husband again, I might be old and faded. Will he still love me as much then?"

Although she knew she was indeed a very charming woman, the age gap between them was an unchangeable reality.

She worried that Qin An's previous infatuation with her was simply because he was young and impetuous and had never experienced the beauty of other women.

Now that he has a comparison, will he still like this old woman in the future?

The more Yang Yuyan thought about it, the more pessimistic she became.

The perceptive Cai Yan immediately sensed Yang Yuyan's low mood and guessed what she was thinking.

"Mother, you don't need to worry. Father's love for you is obvious to everyone. Now that you're living a life of luxury and taking good care of yourself, your charm has only increased."

"Based on my observations, I can confirm that Father likes mature women like you, Mother. When Father returns, he will definitely be captivated."

As Cai Yan spoke, she brazenly sized up Yang Yuyan.

She had always admired her mother and hoped that when she grew up, she would have a hot figure with a curvy figure like her mother.

After Cai Yan spoke, Cai Zhen realized what was happening and became even bolder, directly touching her: "Mom, your skin is so smooth. Also, when did I grow so much flesh? It looks so nice."

"Don't be silly." Yang Yuyan gently patted Cai Zhen's small hand, but not hard.

Seeing her younger sister's envious expression, which was practically drooling, Cai Yan chuckled: "Do you want to gain weight or grow up?"

"Of course, it's growing up!" Cai Zhen puffed out her little chest. "When I grow up, I can help Father fight and drive that Li Qingwan away!"

Yang Yuyan gave her a light tap, annoyed: "What nonsense are you talking about? Qingwan is your father's concubine, so she must be treated with the proper etiquette."

After being teased by her two daughters, Yang Yuyan's mood did indeed improve considerably.

Seeing their envious expressions, she instructed them, "You two started your periods last month, so you're considered grown women now. From now on, you'll develop very quickly, and before long, you'll surpass your mother in beauty."

Upon hearing this, both women were filled with anticipation.

Cai Zhen seemed to have thought of something, and her eyes suddenly lit up. "Mother, once I become a young woman, will I be able to have children, like Father and you?"

As she said this, she seemed somewhat eager to try it out.

Yang Yuyan knew exactly what she was thinking, and tapped her on the head: "You're shameless! That kind of thing is still a long way off! We'll talk about it when you come of age."

Cai Yan rubbed Yang Yuyan's back and said softly, "Mother, don't worry, I will keep an eye on her and won't let her do anything reckless."

She clearly knew that her younger sister was incredibly audacious and didn't want her to make any mistakes easily.

Yang Yuyan finally breathed a sigh of relief.

Looking at my two daughters in the steaming hot water, their bodies have gradually grown up, and they can be said to be growing up.

She seemed to be thinking of something, and her face flushed slightly: "From now on, I'm afraid I really will have to rely on them."

……

Qin An had no idea of ​​the commotion his family had caused.

After departing from the capital, he led five thousand vanguard cavalrymen, marching swiftly towards the front line of Ligangzhai.

The closer Qin An got to the front lines, the heavier his heart became.

He discovered that the situation at the front was not good, in fact, it was quite bad.

The imperial court suffered a defeat, and there were remnants of defeated soldiers everywhere.

The bandits passed like combs, the soldiers like fine brushes; wherever the routed army went, the situation was even worse, leaving a scene of utter devastation.

Just then, Qin An witnessed several ragged, defeated soldiers snatching an old farmer's bundle.

Seeing such a situation, how could he tolerate it?

"Stop!" Qin An reined in his horse, drew his longsword, and with a flash of cold light, knocked the bundle from the fleeing soldier's hand.

"All of you, come here! Which department are you from?"

The routed soldiers, seeing his gleaming armor and intimidating presence, collapsed to the ground in fear: "General... we are under General Yuwen's command..."

Upon hearing the title "General Yuwen," Qin An frowned.

He naturally knew that this General Yuwen was not the Yuwen Shu or Yuwen Rong he had met.

It was Yuwen Zhi, the original commander who led the campaign against Ligangzhai.

Yuwen Zhi also came from the Yuwen family.

Qin An now knows the Yuwen family very well.

The Yuwen family held a prominent position in the Daxing court.

With the emperor's favorite minister Yuwen Hua in civil affairs and the commander Yuwen Shu and the fierce general Yuwen Rong who could defeat ten thousand men in military affairs, they could be described as the top forces in the court.

Such a large family naturally has many members, but it also means that not all family members will be able to succeed.

Yuwen Zhi, for example, was a typical spoiled brat from a powerful family, a complete incompetent fool.

It was under his command that the imperial army that was fighting the rebels suffered heavy losses, which forced the court to send them over.

Although he knew the situation at the front was not good, seeing these routed troops made Qin An feel uneasy.