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

Qin An was indeed getting tired of Yuwen Zhi, because it was this incompetent fool that put the imperial army in a passive position.

The arrival of the rebel envoy was clearly intended to sow discord.

How could the rebels possibly negotiate peace?

Not only Qin An noticed this, but everyone else saw it out at a glance.

However, the rebels' move actually struck at their vital point.

Because of Yuwen Zhi's incompetence, it's hard for our side not to take on the challenge.

If they don't launch a vigorous attack on Xinyang City, Yuwen Zhi, eager for revenge, might actually impeach them.

If the imperial court were to hold them accountable, replacing generals on the eve of battle would be a minor matter; they might even be accused of treason.

Zhang Xu was clearly aware of this, which is why he said that he would conquer Xinyang City in three days.

Meanwhile, inside the Xinyang City Lord's Mansion, candlelight blazed brightly.

Li Mi, dressed in a black brocade robe, sat upright in the main seat, lightly tapping the table with his fingers.

On the map in front of him, the area around Xinyang City was marked with dense red circles, which marked the location of the government army's camp.

Xu Mao stood to the side, his eyes gleaming with calculation.

Dan Tong sat in the corner, his back ramrod straight, but his face was pale, and the injury on his right shoulder was still throbbing.

"Is Zhang Xu really going to attack the city in three days?" Li Mi asked, raising his eyes, his voice revealing neither joy nor anger.

Xu Mao bowed and said, "Yes, my lord. When the messenger returned and reported, Zhang Xu slammed his fist on the table and said that he would surely raze Xinyang City to the ground in three days."

"Hahaha..." Li Mi suddenly laughed, "Well done, Mr. Xu, this divisive tactic is brilliant! That Yuwen Zhi is indeed a fool, he took the bait with just a little prodding."

Dan Tong raised his head, his brows furrowed: "Sir, although this move may force the government troops to attack the city, Xinyang City's forces are insufficient. If we really have to fight head-on, I'm afraid..."

"General Shan is overthinking it." Xu Mao waved his hand. "What we need is not to defend to the death, but to wear them down. The government army has 40,000 troops, and attacking a city will consume the most of their strength. If we rely on the city's defenses, every government soldier we kill will weaken their strength."

"Once they suffer more than half their casualties, the siege of Xinyang City will naturally fall without a fight."

He walked to the map and pointed to the arrow towers and barbicans on the city wall: "My lord, please look, I have already ordered the two southeast gates to be reinforced, and three pits have been dug behind the city wall, with enough rolling stones and oil stockpiled. If the government troops dare to launch a strong attack, they will surely not return alive."

Li Mi nodded: "Sir, your plan is thorough. We will proceed as you have suggested. Issue the order to all the soldiers in each battalion to prepare. In three days, give us a fierce attack!"

"yes!"

The meeting adjourned, and the generals left, but Shan Tong remained sitting in the corner, staring blankly at the candlelight.

Xu Mao walked over and poured him a cup of hot tea: "General Shan, are you still lost in thought?"

Dan Tong gave a bitter laugh, picked up his teacup, and drank it all in one gulp. The scalding tea couldn't warm his icy heart. "Third Brother, do you think I did something wrong?"

"Oh? What makes you say that, General?"

"I left Ah Bing..." Shan Tong's voice choked with sobs. "Was I too cruel to leave her with Qin An? But if I didn't do that, would the families of those brothers be able to accept her when she returned here? Although Lord Li doesn't say it, I'm afraid he also harbors resentment towards me."

These days, he walks on thin ice in the rebel camp.

When he said "This shameful thing has nothing to do with the Shan family from now on" during the hostage exchange, he was trying to save Shan Bing's life, but it was misinterpreted by the soldiers in the camp. Some people said that he was afraid of death and used his sister to save his own life.

Some even say that he had already defected to the enemy and deliberately sent his sister to deliver a message to Qin An, causing the rebel army to suffer heavy losses.

During yesterday's drill, a lieutenant spat at him in public and called him "the court's dog." If Wang Dang hadn't stopped him, they probably would have already started fighting.

He had fought alone for many years; when had he ever suffered such humiliation?

But he could only endure it, because half of what those people said was true.

The rebel army did indeed lose tens of thousands of men because of the siblings.

Xu Mao patted his shoulder: "General, my lord and I both understand what you said. If we were in your shoes, I might not have made such a decision. Although it is unfair for Miss Bing to stay by Qin An's side, it is the best solution at present."

He changed the subject, his tone becoming serious: "As for the rumors circulating in the camp, the general need not take them to heart. Those people are just looking for an excuse to vent their frustrations after their defeat."

"General, you followed our lord in the uprising, beheading corrupt officials, destroying granaries, and saving countless lives. For these alone, no one can erase your contributions."

Dan Tong raised his head, a hint of emotion flashing in his eyes: "Third Brother really believes me?"

"If the lord didn't trust you, why would he still put you in charge of the personal guard?" Xu Mao smiled. "General, now is the time when we need men. You can't be discouraged. In three days, the government army will attack the city, and we will need you to hold down the western city, which is the main direction of the enemy's attack."

Dan Tong clenched his fists, and his breathing became heavy.

He recalled Qin An's cold, stern face, the humiliation at Luoma Slope, and his sister's tearful eyes; a fierce determination welled up from the bottom of his heart.

"Rest assured, sir." Shan Tong stood up, his back ramrod straight. "I, Shan Tong, am not that useless! In three days, I will make the government troops taste their power! Qin An... I will personally behead him sooner or later to wash away today's humiliation!"

Xu Mao looked at the renewed fighting spirit in his eyes and nodded with satisfaction: "This is the General Shan I know. Go, prepare well, and don't disappoint our lord."

Dan Tong clasped his hands in a fist salute and left. Although his back still showed some fatigue, it also showed a lot of determination.

Xu Mao watched his retreating figure and sighed softly.

The hardest thing in this world is never scheming against enemies, but understanding people's hearts.

For the next three days, a somber atmosphere prevailed throughout Xinyang City.

Inside the government army camp, soldiers were busy sharpening weapons and moving ladders.

Zhang Xu climbed the watchtower every day to observe the defenses of Xinyang City, and his brow was never relaxed.

Luo Kai and Cheng Zhiyuan led the infantry in practicing siege formations, their battle cries echoing through the sky.

Qin'an's cavalry battalion drilled outside the camp, the yellow sand kicked up by the horses' hooves obscuring the sky.

He knew that the cavalry would not be involved in the siege; his task was to guard against a surprise attack by the rebels outside the city or to support the infantry attacking the city.

But every time he saw the direction of the watchtower, he would think of "Little Ice," the female soldier disguised as a man.

These past few days she's been behaving herself, feeding the horses with her personal guards every day. Her dark face is mostly covered by her bright eyes, and if you don't look closely, you really wouldn't recognize her as a woman.

Yuwen Zhi, on the other hand, became the busiest person in the camp.

He would wander around the various camps every day, gesturing and "instructing" the soldiers on their preparations for battle. One moment he would complain that the siege ladders were not sturdy enough, and the next he would scold the archers for being too weak, which caused the soldiers to complain.

Zhang Xu could only turn a blind eye because he was a member of the Yuwen family, but the coldness in his eyes grew stronger.

……

On the morning of the third day, before dawn, the bugle call to assemble sounded in the government army camp.

Forty thousand troops were arrayed beneath the walls of Xinyang City, their banners obscuring the sun and their armor forming a forest.

Zhang Xu, clad in gleaming silver armor, stood at the front of the battle, his spear pointed directly at the city walls: "Soldiers! Three days ago, the rebel envoy arrogantly boasted, treating us as nothing! Today, let them see the might of the men of Daxing! After the city falls, rewards will be distributed according to merit, and I will not break my promise!"

"Break down the city! Break down the city! Break down the city!"

Thirty thousand infantrymen shouted in unison, their voices soaring into the sky, even causing the rebels on the city walls to change color.

Yuwen Zhi, dressed in a brand-new brocade robe, sat under the canopy behind Zhang Xu, pretending to look at the city tower.

"General Zhang, look at that arrow tower on the west side of the city. It has the strongest firepower. We should send a team to burn it down first!"

Zhang Xu frowned slightly. The arrow tower was in a dangerous location and was surrounded by hidden crossbows. How could it be burned down so easily?

But he was too lazy to argue with this fool, and simply said, "Don't worry, Lord Yuwen, I have my own arrangements."

He turned to the messenger and said, "Order Luo Kai to lead 5,000 men on the left flank to attack the western city!"

"yes!"

Upon receiving the order, Luo Kai brandished his broadsword and charged towards the front lines: "Brothers, follow me!"

Five thousand infantrymen, carrying ladders and pushing battering rams, surged toward the western city like a tidal wave.

The rebels on the city wall were already in full battle array. Li Mi stood in the center of the city wall, with Shan Tong beside him drawing his bow and nocking an arrow, his eyes fixed on the city below like those of a hawk.

"Fire!" Li Mi gave the order.

Arrows rained down, and government soldiers fell in droves, their screams echoing everywhere.

Luo Kai roared, brandishing his spear to deflect the arrows, and urged his soldiers to hurry: "Quickly! Set up the siege ladders!"

With great difficulty, a few siege ladders were brought close to the city wall. As soon as the soldiers started to climb, they were pushed off the ladders by the rebels on the city wall, or their brains were smashed by rolling stones.

As soon as the battering ram reached the city gate, it was set ablaze by oil. The raging fire engulfed the entire ram, and even the soldiers pushing it became human torches.

"Useless! All of them are useless!" Yuwen Zhi, watching from under the canopy, grew impatient and slammed his fist on the table, cursing, "General Zhang, how did you train these soldiers? They haven't climbed up the ranks after all this time! Send another five thousand men!"

Zhang Xu's face turned ashen. The battle had barely begun, and they had already lost nearly a thousand men. Deploying more troops would be like adding fuel to the fire, a pure suicide mission.

But seeing Yuwen Zhi's eager expression, as if he wanted to give the order himself, he could only grit his teeth and say, "Order Cheng Zhiyuan to lead 5,000 men on the right wing to reinforce Xicheng!"

Cheng Zhiyuan accepted the order and left, but the situation did not improve. The rebels continued to throw stones and oil, and the corpses of the government troops piled up into small mountains under the city walls. The stench of blood permeated the air, and even the wind carried a rusty smell.

Qin An stood in front of the cavalry formation, looking at the tragic scene below the city, his brows furrowed.

He knew Zhang Xu was forced into this situation, but such a sacrifice was not worth it.

He rode up to the canopy and said in a deep voice, "General, a direct attack like this is not the way to go. We need to think of a way to draw away the fire from the city walls."

Yuwen Zhi interjected, "What do you mean by 'lead'? It's you people who are afraid of death! Qin An, take your cavalry and charge! I don't believe we can't break through these walls!"

Qin An gave him a cold look: "Cavalry excels at plains warfare; attacking a city is suicide. If Lord Yuwen doesn't understand military strategy, then please shut up!"

Although he was wary of the Yuwen family's power, he did not want to offend them easily if possible.

But even with Yuwen Zhi being so foolish, he had no intention of giving him a kind look.