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

Upon hearing Qin An mention that the rebels still had trump cards, Zhang Xu was taken aback, then quickly realized, "You mean... Yuwen Zhi?"

The atmosphere inside the tent instantly became heavy upon hearing this name.

Although this person is an incompetent fool, he represents the face of the Yuwen family.

If anything were to happen to them, the Yuwen family would certainly not let it go.

Especially when you have the opportunity to save the other person.

"Yes!" Luo Kai sighed. "Yuwen Zhi is still in Li Mi's hands. If we kill Shan Tong, what if Li Mi, cornered as a dog, decides to kill him?"

Cheng Zhiyuan also said, "The Yuwen family is powerful. If they blame us, none of us can bear the consequences."

Everyone started talking at once, and their earlier enthusiasm had vanished.

Killing a single person is easy, but the consequences are something they can't afford to bear.

Zhang Xu frowned and pondered, "In Qin An's opinion, what should be done?"

Qin An said, "Shan Tong is a fierce general under Li Mi, and Li Mi will certainly not want him to die. It would be better to keep Shan Tong alive; perhaps we can use him to exchange for Yuwen Zhi in the future."

"Trade back to that good-for-nothing?" Luo Kai asked dismissively. "Is it worth it?"

"We have to exchange it even if it's not worth it," Qin An said. "The Yuwen family has deep-rooted influence in the court. If they hold us accountable for Yuwen Zhi's death, even if we take Xinyang City, we may not have a good ending."

Zhang Xu nodded: "Qin An is right. Let's secure Shan Tongguan first and send someone to Xinyang City to sound out Li Mi's opinion."

Although everyone was unwilling, they could only nod in agreement.

Upon hearing this, Shan Tong suddenly burst into laughter: "So you're afraid of the Yuwen family! Hahaha... Qin An, aren't you so capable? What, you have someone you're afraid of?"

Qin An looked at him coldly: "This is not fear, but weighing the pros and cons. Don't worry, as long as Yuwen Zhi can return safely, I will guarantee that you and your sister will live."

Dan Tong's laughter stopped abruptly. He stared intently at Qin An, his eyes filled with complex emotions.

The wind outside the tent whipped up dust, but the atmosphere inside remained heavy.

Everyone knew that exchanging him for Yuwen Zhi was just a temporary measure.

If that good-for-nothing were to return to the army, he would likely bring even more unpredictability to the war.

As Qin An watched the twilight deepen outside the tent, a sense of unease rose in his heart.

If possible, he naturally wouldn't want to bring it up.

But there is no other choice in this matter.

Given the Yuwen family's influence in the court, ensuring Yuwen Zhi's safety was paramount.

Rather than being passively asked to do something later, it's better to take the initiative. You might be able to build a good relationship and perhaps even avoid a disaster.

……

Just as the government troops were making their decision, Li Mi was sitting in the main hall of the city lord's mansion in Xinyang City, his fingers unconsciously tapping on the table.

The siege had left him with a persistent sense of anxiety.

The sound of patrolling soldiers' footsteps coming from outside the window added to the somber atmosphere.

"Report—" A bodyguard stumbled into the hall, his face drained of color. "My lord! Luoma Slope... has been lost!"

Li Mi suddenly looked up, causing the teacup on the table to shake and spill most of the tea: "What did you say? Where's Shan Tong?"

"General Shan... General Shan has been captured! His five thousand brothers... they've all been wiped out!" The soldier's voice trembled with sobs. "Miss Shan... she's also been taken away by Qin An!"

"Clang!" Li Mi slammed his fist on the table, and a fine crack immediately appeared on the fine pear wood tabletop.

He abruptly stood up, the sword at his waist clanging against his armor with a sharp sound from the sudden movement: "Useless! All useless! Five thousand men! Gone just like that?!"

He paced anxiously in the lobby, veins bulging on his forehead.

Shan Tong was his most valiant general, whose military achievements over the years could be piled up like a mountain. Now that he had been captured, it was as if one of his arms had been cut off.

What pained him even more was the loss of those five thousand soldiers.

Xinyang City was already short of troops, and after this defeat, it will probably be difficult to even defend the city.

"My lord, please calm your anger." Xu Mao stepped out from behind the screen, his face showing some fatigue and a clear sense of helplessness in his eyes. "Things have come to this point, and anger is useless. The most urgent task is to find a way to remedy the situation."

Xu Mao also harbored some resentment towards Shan Tong's recklessness.

Dan Tong's impulsive action directly disrupted his entire plan.

However, his relationship with Shan Tong was indeed quite close.

In addition, he also understood the principle that it is easy to find a thousand soldiers but difficult to find a good general.

Since Shan Tong did not die on the spot but became the enemy's prisoner, it would be best to rescue him if possible.

Li Mi stopped and looked at Xu Mao: "Make amends? How? Shan Tong is already Qin An's prisoner. Do you expect me to open the city gates and fight Qin An to the death?"

"Of course not," Xu Mao said, cupping his hands in greeting. "Qin An captured Shan Tong simply to use him to blackmail us. Don't we also have a card they're reluctant to let go of?"

Li Mi was taken aback: "What brand?"

"Yuwen Zhi," Xu Mao slowly uttered three words.

Li Mi suddenly realized, slapping his forehead: "Look at my memory! I completely forgot about him!"

A hint of regret flashed in his eyes.

If we hadn't been so eager to seize the granary when we attacked Yangkou Granary that we hadn't taken Yuwen Zhi with us, we wouldn't be in this situation now.

They used Yuwen Zhi as leverage, and with the secret assistance of powerful families in the city, they easily captured Xinyang City.

However, after that incident, Yuwen Zhi was so frightened that he fell seriously ill. Li Mi didn't want such a useful card to be wasted, so he didn't bring Yuwen Zhi along.

He has always held a grudge about this matter.

Upon hearing Xu Mao's offer to exchange Yuwen Zhi for Shan Tong, Li Mi's first reaction was a sense of reluctance.

Judging from the process of capturing Xinyang City, Yuwen Zhi was an exceptionally useful card, far more valuable than the general Shan Tong.

"But..." Li Mi frowned, "Isn't it too much of a loss to exchange Yuwen Zhi for Shan Tong? He's a member of the Yuwen family. If used properly, he might be able to force the imperial court to withdraw its troops..."

"My lord is mistaken!" Xu Mao hurriedly said, "Although Yuwen Zhi is a good card, securing a single pass is more important right now!"

"General Shan enjoys extremely high prestige in the army, and most of the brothers have followed him through thick and thin. If they find out that our lord is refusing to come to our aid for the sake of an unrelated Yuwen Zhi, it will surely chill everyone's hearts! At that point, we'll be in chaos even before Qin An attacks the city!"

He paused, his tone becoming increasingly earnest: "General Shan is brave and skilled in battle, and utterly loyal to our lord. Keeping him is better than having 100,000 soldiers. Although Yuwen Zhi is also useful, he is an incompetent fool. Keeping him will only make the Yuwen family resentful, and he will not be of much use. Trading an incompetent fool for a fierce general is a fair trade no matter how you look at it."

Li Mi remained silent for a moment.

He knew Xu Mao was right, but he still felt somewhat resentful.

Yuwen Zhi was like a hot potato; keeping him might cause him to explode, but throwing him away felt like a waste.

"Fine." Finally, Li Mi sighed. "As you say. Issue my order: summon all the generals!"

Once everyone had gathered, Li Mi no longer showed any reluctance; instead, he exuded an air of unwavering loyalty and righteousness.

He glanced at his generals and deliberately raised his voice: "Shan Tong is my right-hand man, Li Mi's right-hand man. No matter the cost, I will bring him back! Anyone who dares to compromise on this matter will face my ruthless blade!"

Upon hearing Li Mi's words, they all knelt down, saying, "Our lord is benevolent! We swear to follow you to the death!"

Li Mi looked at the scene before him and nodded in satisfaction.

This is exactly the effect he wanted.

A promise can reassure people.

In this way, I wouldn't have lost too much.

"Xu Mao," Li Mi looked at Xu Mao, "you pick someone to go to the government army camp to talk about exchanging hostages. Remember, be firm, but don't make any absolute statements. Make sure you get Shan Tong back for me."

Xu Mao thought for a moment and said, "Wang Dang is calm and has a sharp tongue, so he's the most suitable person to go."

"Alright," Li Mi said. "Have him set off immediately, carrying Yuwen Zhi's personal letter, so that the government troops know that the cards we hold are not just for show."

……

Inside the commander's tent of the government army camp.

Zhang Xu was discussing with Qin An, Luo Kai, and others how to negotiate with Li Mi when a report came from outside the tent: "General, the rebels have sent an envoy named Wang Dang, who wants to discuss exchanging hostages with you."

Zhang Xu smiled and said, "You've come at the right time. Let him in."

A moment later, Wang Dang strode into the commander's tent with his head held high. He wore a suit of faded armor and had a somewhat arrogant look on his face.

His gaze swept over everyone in the tent, finally settling on Zhang Xu: "So you are General Zhang Xu, the commander of the imperial court?"

"General Wang, you're too kind." Zhang Xu gestured to the chair beside him. "Sit down and let's talk."

Wang Dang didn't stand on ceremony and sat down with an air of authority: "General Zhang is a straightforward man, and I won't beat around the bush either. My lord said he wants to use Yuwen Zhi to exchange for General Shan Tong and Miss Shan Bing."

Although Zhang Xu and others had discussed and decided to exchange Shan Tong and others for Yuwen Zhi before this,

However, they also know the principle of asking for an exorbitant price but settling for a lower price, and they cannot easily expose their bottom line.

"Yuwen Zhi?" Luo Kai scoffed. "That good-for-nothing who only knows how to cry? Does he even deserve to be exchanged for General Shan?"

When he said this, he made no attempt to hide his mockery and contempt for Yuwen Zhi.

They acted as if they didn't take the other party seriously at all.

Wang Dang's face darkened: "General Luo, please watch your words! Lord Yuwen is an official of the imperial court, of noble status. He is more than capable of replacing General Shan and his sister!"

"Is that so?" Qin An spoke, his voice icy. "General Shan was captured by our army after a bloody battle. Yuwen Zhi was nothing but a defeated general. If he hadn't been captured, he would have already lost his head. How can the two be compared?"

Wang Dang glanced at Qin An, a hint of apprehension flashing in his eyes, but he still spoke with unwavering resolve: "General Qin's military achievements are undeniable, but surely General Qin is aware of the Yuwen family's power?"

"If anything were to happen to Yuwen Zhi, not only General Qin, but even General Zhang would probably be unable to bear the consequences."