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

Now that the matter has been discussed openly and it's confirmed that Qin An and Li Zheng have a close relationship, Li Zhaoning naturally no longer hides it.

"My father was framed by a villain and became the target of His Majesty's suspicion. He had no choice but to send my younger brother and me to the capital as hostages!"

Qin An paused slightly in his hand holding the wine glass, not expecting there to be such a hidden story.

At the same time, his curiosity was also piqued.

What exactly happened to the Li family that led them to this point?

Moreover, since they were going to the capital as hostages, they could have gone through official channels. Why did they end up almost dying at the hands of bandits?

But he didn't want to ask too many questions about it.

Li Zhaoning was indeed beautiful and intelligent; she saw through Qin An's doubts at a glance.

"Our Li family is willing to express our loyalty, but we are afraid that someone will prevent us from doing so, so we took a risk, but we did not expect that things would almost go wrong."

Li Zhaoning's words were unclear, but Qin An understood them instantly.

Clearly, there are people in the imperial court who wish the Li family would die soon.

"Even though the Emperor distrusts the Li family, a fallen camel is still bigger than a horse, and they are not a family that ordinary people can afford to offend. Could it be...?"

Thinking this to himself, Qin An suddenly felt a little numb.

He instantly realized that he had unknowingly gotten himself into big trouble.

Li Zhaoning looked up at Qin An, her gaze sincere: "I concealed my identity before simply to avoid trouble. Now that I've laid it all out, I hope the General will forgive me."

Qin An remained silent for a moment, then downed the wine in his cup in one gulp: "Since she is Brother Li's sister, then everything is easy to discuss."

A glint appeared in Li Zhaoning's eyes.

Qin An's statement, coupled with his second brother's willingness to give him the bow, gave her a glimmer of hope.

"To be honest, I've learned about the general's achievements recently. The general is a rare talent; at such a young age, he has already been granted a title and appointed a general. His future is truly limitless!"

Qin An was not flattered by Li Zhaoning's praise. Instead, he humbly replied, "Miss Li is too kind. It's just that I've been lucky."

Li Zhaoning gently stroked the rim of the cup with her fingertips. "General, you are too modest. Your future is clearly visible, but..."

Qin An looked up at her; the wine in his cup reflected the moonlight, gleaming with a cold light.

"The capital is not like the battlefield!" Li Zhaoning's tone shifted, becoming more meaningful. "It's a complex and treacherous place, fraught with peril. Although my Li family is not as powerful as the Yuwen family, we still have some foundation. If you ever encounter difficulties in the future, General, please don't hesitate to ask!"

Upon hearing this, Qin An immediately understood the recruiting intent.

This left Qin An somewhat amused and exasperated.

Li Zheng had tried to recruit him twice before, and now Li Zhaoning is coming again?

After being recruited by the Li family once again, Qin An was not proud of it; instead, his heart sank.

When he was still a nobody, the Li family's recruitment could be seen as a way of attracting talent.

But now that he is a general who holds real power in the court, the Li family is still trying to recruit him.

This made him realize that the emperor's suspicions were not unfounded, and that the Li family probably already harbored rebellious intentions.

Daxing was already in turmoil, and if the Li family, a noble family, also harbored rebellious intentions, it meant that Daxing was probably doomed.

A multitude of thoughts flashed through Qin An's mind in an instant. Faced with Li Zhaoning's suggestive offer, Qin An pretended not to understand the implied meaning: "Miss Li is overthinking it."

He slammed his wine glass down on the table, spilling a few drops of wine. "I'm just a military officer. I don't understand court intrigues. I only want to do my duty."

Li Zhaoning's smile faded slightly, but he did not give up: "General, you jest. With your talent, how could you be content to be merely a warrior charging into battle?"

After learning about Qin An's deeds, she indeed thought highly of him.

Since such an opportunity has come up, naturally I'm not going to let it slip by.

Unfortunately, Qin An didn't want to think about that at the moment.

"It's late." He stood up, the sword at his waist making a soft clanging sound. "We're heading to the capital tomorrow, Miss Li should rest too."

After Qin An finished speaking, he turned and left without any hesitation.

Li Zhaoning watched his retreating figure, picked up her wine glass and drank it all in one gulp, a faint smile playing on her lips.

The more Qin An evaded the question, the more it showed that he understood.

A smart person who knows how to conceal their talents is the one the Li family is willing to go to great lengths to win over.

……

When I returned to the room, the candlelight was flickering.

As soon as Qin An lifted the curtain and entered, he saw a petite figure in his room.

Dan Bing, dressed in an ill-fitting personal guard uniform, seemed lost in thought, so engrossed that she didn't even notice Qin An entering.

"What are you doing here?" Qin An frowned when he saw Shan Bing appear in his room.

As instructed, Shan Bing always avoided being seen, so his blatant behavior tonight was truly unusual.

When Shan Bing came to her senses and saw Qin An return, she instinctively wanted to say something, but then changed her mind.

Her tone carried a hint of provocation: "My legs are my own, I can go wherever I want, what's it to you?"

Upon hearing that familiar provocative tone, Qin An instantly understood what was going on.

"Why are you disobeying me?" He suddenly grabbed Shan Bing's chin, his voice a little hoarse.

To be honest, after getting to know Li Zhaoning, he realized many things and his temper did get a bit too fiery.

Now, after being provoked by her, I'm starting to want to put out the fire.

Dan Bing frowned as he pinched her, tears welling in her eyes from the pain: "Obey me? Who are you to me? Why should I listen to you?"

Now Qin An was completely certain of her intentions, and the anger in his heart was completely ignited.

He slammed her against the door. Shan Bing didn't struggle; she just bit her lip tightly and let him tear her robes.

The rough fabric rubbed against her skin, causing a stinging pain, but she seemed oblivious, simply staring at him with eyes wide open, her gaze filled with emotions Qin An couldn't decipher.

There was fear, stubbornness, and a hint of desperate resolve.

Her reaction made Qin An hesitate for a moment; her behavior tonight was a little unusual.

But just as Qin An paused, Shan Bing became a little anxious: "You bastard, I knew you couldn't do it, I bet you..."

Qin An, who was still pondering, suddenly lost all interest in thinking about it.

Regardless, let's beat her into submission first.

The next moment, Shan Bing had no choice but to swallow the rest of her words.

His movements were as rough as ever, but Shan Bing's struggles were not as intense as before.

However, Qin An did not grant her wish this time.

At that crucial moment, he still asked the question that had been bothering him: "What exactly are you thinking?"

Dan Bing clung to him like an octopus, her voice trembling with tears: "I'm scared."

Qin An stopped moving.

He could feel the person in his arms trembling, like a fallen leaf in the autumn wind, without any support.

He asked curiously, "What are you afraid of?"

Seeing that he was distracted by talking at this moment, Shan Bing was a little unhappy: "Don't..."

But before he could finish speaking, Qin An interrupted him, taking a step back and threatening, "Confess honestly, or else..."

Threatened at a critical moment, Shan Bing finally confessed: "I'm afraid that once we get to the capital, you won't want me anymore."

"Huh?" Qin An asked, puzzled.

Since she had already spoken out, Shan Bing decided to reveal her true thoughts completely.

"Once we arrive in the capital, with that Miss Li Qingwan there, will you still remember who I am?"

Qin An understood the woman's mindset at that moment.

Since he had decided to bring Shan Bing back to Beijing, he naturally had nothing to hide, and the other party had long known of Li Qingwan's existence.

It's understandable that she would have such concerns.

"She is her, and you are you. As long as you behave yourself, I will not abandon you," Qin An said solemnly.

"Behave yourself?" Shan Bing suddenly grabbed his hand and pressed it to her chest, where her heart was pounding rapidly.

"Qin An, look at me! I'm afraid... I'm afraid that once we get to the capital, I won't even have the right to be near you!"

Everything became completely clear.

Clearly, this woman's body and soul have been completely conquered by him, which is why she is behaving so strangely now.

Understanding this, Qin An couldn't help but feel a little more pity and subconsciously softened his tone: "You don't need to worry about Qingwan. You and she are different. If you are really worried, I will help you find another courtyard when we get to the capital."

Dan Bing's eyelashes trembled, and she suddenly reached out and hooked her arm around his neck: "I don't want to."

Her voice was muffled, revealing her innermost thoughts: "I will stay where you can see me, so you can watch over me and never forget me."

Qin An chuckled and patted her on the back: "With your personality, you're likely to suffer in the capital."

"With you here, what do I have to be afraid of?" Shan Bing raised her head, a sly glint in her eyes. "Didn't you say I'm your woman? You can't just ignore your woman when she's wronged, can you?"

Seeing her stubborn yet dependent appearance, the last bit of gloom in Qin An's heart dissipated.

He lowered his head and kissed her forehead, his voice tinged with helplessness yet unusually firm: "Yes, I'll take care of it."

Only then was Shan Bing satisfied.

However, upon noticing that Qin An was much gentler than before, she frowned and said, "You...you might as well be even harsher on me."

Qin An was taken aback.

"I like it." Shan Bing's voice was as soft as a mosquito's buzz, yet it reached his ears clearly. "I like that you treat me like your possession, I like... crying harder."

Qin An was taken aback. Although he had known for a long time that women liked this kind of thing, he did not expect her to say it so bluntly.

"Heh...you really are a little wildcat. Since you want to cry, then let your tears flow endlessly."

……

The next morning, the group arrived at the outer city wall of the capital.

The majestic city walls gleamed with a bluish-gray light under the morning sun, and the city gates were bustling with activity, a stark contrast to the desolate landscape along the way.

As soon as Yuwen Zhi's carriage arrived at the city gate, a group of people dressed in fine clothes came to greet him. The one in the lead was Yuwen's steward, who bowed repeatedly to the carriage and asked him what was wrong.

"Qin An, that's enough for you." Yuwen Zhi lifted the curtain and peeked out, a smug smile on his face. When his gaze swept over Li Zhaoning's carriage, a sinister glint flashed across his eyes.

Qin An simply nodded slightly and did not speak.

After the Yuwen family members escorted the carriage away, Li Zhaoning walked to Qin An's side.

"General Qin, farewell." She handed over a jade pendant engraved with intricate cloud patterns. "If you encounter any difficulties, you can take this jade pendant to the Li residence in the east of the city to find me."

Qin An did not accept the invitation: "Take care, Miss Li."

Li Zhaoning didn't insist. He placed the jade pendant on the stone table next to him and led the group in another direction.

Li Xuanfu leaned against the carriage window, reaching out his small hand towards Qin An's direction as if trying to grab something, but Li Zhaoning gently pressed it back down.

Qin An watched their figures disappear into the crowd before turning to his personal guards and saying, "Let's go to the post station to settle them in first."