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

Upon learning that someone had been sent from the front lines, Qin An dared not delay and immediately summoned the messenger.

Zhang Xu sent his military advisor, Wang Jin, a refined and cultured middle-aged man.

"General Qin." Wang Jin bowed and said, "General Zhang asked me to bring you a message. Xinyang City has been surrounded. Xu Mao's defenses are very tight. A direct attack would result in too many losses, so we can only stall for time."

Qin An said, "General Zhang wants me to..."

"Exactly." Wang Jin nodded. "General Zhang said that your cavalry is the sharpest knife in our hands. Once your training is almost complete, could you go to the outskirts of Xinyang City to see if you can find an opportunity to harass the rebels' supply lines or lure them out of the city?"

Qin An pondered for a moment: "The new recruits need some time to adjust, but if it's just harassment, we can give it a try. How about this, three days later, I'll lead men over to cooperate with General Zhang's army."

Wang Jin was overjoyed: "With General Qin's words, General Zhang can rest assured. This subordinate will go back to report immediately."

After seeing Wang Jin off, Qin An immediately returned to the cavalry camp and summoned Luo Sheng, Xue Ju, and others.

"Three days from now, we'll head to Xinyang City," Qin An said bluntly. "General Zhang wants us to harass the rebels' supply lines and cause them some trouble."

Luo Sheng's eyes lit up: "Finally, we can fight again?"

"Yes, but we can't be reckless," Qin An said seriously. "Xu Mao is cunning and has definitely laid defenses on the supply line. Our main purpose this time is to reconnoiter, find their weak points, and then strike and run. We shouldn't linger in battle."

He looked at everyone and said, "Luo Sheng, you'll have to work hard. Take more new recruits with you, familiarize them with the battlefield, and mainly be responsible for perimeter security."

"The rest of you follow me and will be in charge of the main attack. Remember, our objective is harassment, not a direct confrontation, understand?"

"Understood!" everyone replied in unison.

Over the next three days, the cavalry battalion intensified its training once again.

Qin An specifically practiced harassment tactics, including how to quickly approach the target, how to launch a surprise attack, and how to escape unscathed.

Every step was practiced repeatedly until everyone knew it by heart.

Although the new recruits were nervous, they gradually found their rhythm under the guidance of the veterans.

The tension in his eyes was replaced by excitement.

The transition from infantry to cavalry was a rare opportunity.

Now they finally have a chance, and they are eager to prove themselves and make a name for themselves on the battlefield.

Three days later, at dawn, Qin An assembled all his subordinates and personally inspected the troops.

Five thousand cavalrymen stood in neat square formations. Although their armor varied in age, it was all polished to a shine, and their sabers and halberds gleamed coldly in the morning light.

The new recruits stood in formation, their chests rising and falling slightly, yet they tried their best to keep their backs straight, not daring to slack off in the slightest.

"Let's go!" Qin An mounted his horse, pointed his halberd forward, and his black cloak unfurled in the wind, like a soaring eagle.

Five thousand cavalrymen followed closely behind, their hooves pounding the morning dew as they galloped toward Xinyang City.

……

The sound of horses' hooves echoed continuously on the official road, the dust they raised mingling with the morning mist, resembling a yellow dragon winding its way forward.

After three days of rapid march, Qin An's 5,000 cavalry finally arrived at the imperial camp outside Xinyang City on the afternoon of the fifth day.

From a distance, the camps stretching for more than ten miles resembled a lurking giant beast, with banners fluttering in the wind and patrolling soldiers in gleaming armor, their movements exuding a chilling aura.

The guards at the camp gate, seeing that it was Qin An's cavalry, quickly let them pass and even specially assigned a guide to lead the way.

"General Qin, General Zhang is waiting for you in the command tent." The guide reined in his horse and pointed to the largest tent in front of him.

Two large banners bearing the character "Zhang" stood prominently outside the tent, each ten feet tall.

Qin An dismounted, handed the reins to his personal guard, straightened his armor, and strode toward the commander's tent.

The moment the tent flap was lifted by the guards, a strong smell of sweat wafted out. The tent was already full of generals, with Zhang Xu at the head.

Sitting beside him were several high-ranking generals, including Luo Kai and Cheng Zhiyuan.

"Qin An is here!" Zhang Xu immediately stood up to greet him as he entered. "Please sit down, we've been waiting for you."

Qin An bowed respectfully and sat down in the empty seat next to Zhang Xu.

His gaze swept over the people in the tent, and he noticed that each of them had a map on a table in front of them, clearly indicating that they were discussing military affairs.

"Now that everyone is here, let's begin our discussion." Zhang Xu cleared his throat and pointed to the map of Xinyang City on the table. "Gentlemen, what are your thoughts on how to attack Xinyang City?"

There was a moment of silence in the tent before Luo Kai spoke first: "General, I still maintain that Xinyang City has high walls and thick fortifications, and Xu Mao is very good at commanding troops. It is simply not worthwhile to attack it head-on."

"We tried attacking the east gate these past few days, but we lost nearly a thousand men before we were able to retreat. If this continues, the morale of our brothers will probably plummet."

Cheng Zhiyuan nodded in agreement: "General Luo is right. Although the rebels have lost their cavalry, they still have 20,000 infantrymen defending the city. Our 40,000 troops seem to have the advantage, but when it comes to attacking the city, we are still far behind."

"The art of war says, 'Surround them with five times the strength.' We are less than three times the strength, so it will be difficult to completely surround Xinyang City, let alone attack it."

Qin An frowned slightly upon hearing this.

He looked down at the map. Xinyang City was square, with four gates in the east, west, south, and north.

Surrounded by a moat and with numerous watchtowers on the city walls, it was indeed a tough nut to crack.

Zhang Xu sighed and pointed heavily at the map: "That's why I said we can only fight a protracted war. From today onwards, we will concentrate our forces and block the east and south gates at all costs. As for the other two gates..."

He looked at Qin An, "Then I'll have to trouble General Qin."

Qin An looked up: "What does the general mean?"

"You lead the cavalry to patrol the west and north of the city," Zhang Xu said in a deep voice. "Firstly, to guard against the rebels breaking out from these two gates, and secondly, to cut off their possible supply lines. No matter how powerful Xu Mao is, the food supplies in Xinyang City will eventually run out. We'll wear them down until they can't hold on any longer."

This tactic may seem passive, but it's the safest approach at the moment. Qin An pondered for a moment, then nodded: "This subordinate obeys. However..."

"Just what?" Zhang Xu pressed.

Qin An looked up at the people in the tent, his tone grave: "This humble general is worried that while we can afford to wait, the imperial court may not."

The tent fell silent instantly; even breathing could be heard clearly.

The expressions on everyone's faces gradually became complicated, clearly indicating that their words had struck a nerve.

Luo Kai gave a wry smile: "General Qin is right. With 40,000 troops stationed outside, the daily consumption of food and provisions is astronomical. The imperial treasury is already empty, and I'm afraid it won't last much longer."

"If someone in the court uses this opportunity to cause trouble, saying that we are afraid to fight and are not advancing..."

He knew very well that his emperor was an impatient man, and it wouldn't be an exaggeration to say that he was extremely fond of quick success and instant benefits.

Furthermore, given that Daxing is currently in a precarious state, he doesn't believe the emperor will give them that much time.

Cheng Zhiyuan frowned as well: "I'm even more afraid that Li Mi and Xu Mao will secretly contact other rebels. If that happens, we'll be attacked from both sides, and our situation will be even more difficult."

A gloomy atmosphere suddenly filled the tent.

Qin An's concerns were not unfounded.

Throughout history, the worst thing in foreign wars is to drag things out for too long; the patience of the imperial court is often exhausted more easily than the enemy's supplies.

Even though Daxing's foundation was indeed very strong, it couldn't withstand the drain caused by the emperor's three eastern expeditions and the massive construction projects.

Furthermore, there are other battles taking place in Daxing, and we may not be able to afford to drag this out any longer.

Zhang Xu tapped his fingers on the table, remaining silent for a long time before slowly speaking: "I understand what you all are saying. But now, do we have any other choice?"

He stood up, walked to the tent entrance, and looked towards the distant direction of Xinyang City, his voice tinged with helplessness.

"A direct assault would result in more deaths, while a retreat would render all previous sacrifices futile. We can only proceed cautiously, taking it one step at a time, and first completely divide up Xinyang City to extinguish their hopes."

He turned to Qin An and said, "General Qin, your cavalry is highly mobile. I'll leave the west and north sides of the city to you. Remember, don't strive for merit, just avoid mistakes. As long as you prevent the rebels from finding an opportunity from your side, that will be a great achievement."

"Understood, Your subordinate." Qin An rose and cupped his hands in greeting. "I will certainly not fail in my mission."

Zhang Xu nodded, then said to the other generals, "You should all perform your duties, strengthen the camp defenses, and send small groups of troops to harass the city every day, so that the rebels don't get too comfortable."

"Yes!" the generals replied in unison.

The military meeting adjourned, and the generals left, leaving only Zhang Xu and Qin An in the tent.

"Qin An!" Zhang Xu looked at him, his tone softening slightly. "I know you still had something to say at the meeting earlier."

Qin An was silent for a moment, then said, "General, I think that simply surrounding him is not enough. Xu Mao is extremely shrewd. The longer we besiege him, the more likely he is to come up with a way to break the stalemate. Perhaps... we should proactively find something for them to do?"

A glint of light flashed in Zhang Xu's eyes: "What are your thoughts?"

"This humble general plans to send some men to other territories of Ligang Village!" Qin An said in a low voice, "to spread some news that Li Mi is surrounded and in critical condition, and see if the rebel army will come to 'rescue' him."

Upon hearing this, Zhang Xu excitedly slapped his thigh: "This is a good idea! This is a typical open strategy. Even if the rebels in other directions know that the news is false, they will probably still be uneasy."

He instantly understood Qin An's intention in doing so.

Once the news spread, the rebel forces in other directions of Ligang Village, even if they knew Li Mi was not in danger, had no choice but to show their loyalty.

Not to mention, Li Mi only rose to power halfway through his career, so who wouldn't worry about being labeled a "remnant of the previous dynasty"?

As long as rebels from other directions dare to come, our side will gain some benefits, more or less.

This can be considered as weakening the strength of Ligangzhai.

After accepting Qin An's suggestion, Zhang Xu calmed down, stroked his beard, and pondered, "That's a good idea, but you have to be careful. Spreading news in Ligang Village's territory isn't so easy."

"Understood, sir. I will send the most elite scouts to handle this," Qin An replied.

Zhang Xu nodded: "Go ahead. Your cavalry has just arrived. Set up camp and rest outside the camp first. It's not too late to start the operation tomorrow."

"Yes." Qin An cupped his hands in farewell and turned to leave the command tent.