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

Luo Kai's sudden words left Qin An speechless for a moment.

Now that things have come to this point, he has nothing left to hide.

"To be honest, I am not optimistic about the future of Daxing either. In the imperial court, there is constant factional strife, with civil officials fighting against each other and military generals being hampered at every turn."

"Local officials levied exorbitant taxes and levies, which were as numerous as hairs on a cow, and the people had long been dissatisfied. This rebellion was merely the culmination of long-standing grievances."

Luo Kai's body trembled.

Although he already had such thoughts, hearing Qin An say the same thing made his heart feel even heavier.

Qin An ignored Luo Kai's reaction. He paused, and his gaze sharpened.

"But no matter what, we are still generals of Daxing now, receiving the emperor's bounty and serving the emperor loyally. Right now, the most important thing is to break through the encirclement, reunite with General Zhang, and preserve our troops. As for the future... let's get through this first."

Luo Kai nodded, the confusion in his eyes gradually fading, replaced by a resolute light: "You're right, there's no use thinking about it anymore, let's get through this first."

The two men huddled together in front of the spread-out map, studying the marching route by the dim light.

The map was densely marked with the rebels' territories.

The Wang family rebels' flags, marked in red, covered almost half the area, like a giant net trapping them in the center, leaving only a few narrow passages.

"To get from here to Black Mountain, we must pass through three cities controlled by the Wang family." Luo Kai pointed to three red dots on the map, his brows furrowed.

"The Wang family has been operating in this area for three generations and has deep roots. The city not only has garrison troops, but also a lot of local militia, probably no less than 10,000 people in total. If we try to force our way in, our small force will probably be wiped out."

Qin An's fingertip slowly slid across the map, from the starting point to Black Mountain, then back again, before suddenly stopping at a narrow mountain pass.

"This is Qingshiyu. There are cliffs on both sides and only one narrow path for passage, which is only wide enough for two horses to walk side by side. If we can pass through here, we can avoid the three cities of the Wang family and save at least two days of travel."

"But this place must be heavily guarded." Luo Kai shook his head, his tone certain. "Qingshi Valley is a shortcut to Black Mountain. The Wang family couldn't possibly have overlooked this oversight. They might have already laid a trap."

"So I plan to split our forces into two groups," Qin An explained, pointing to the map with a sharp glint in his eyes.

"I will lead the cavalry as the vanguard to forcefully break through Qing Shi Yu and attract the attention of the Wang family's main force. Brother Luo, you will lead the infantry to bypass the mountain path on the flank. Although that mountain path is difficult to travel, it is highly concealed."

"Once I've mobilized the Wang family's forces, you can take the opportunity to cross the blockade and meet up at the north entrance of Qingshiyu."

Luo Kai immediately objected: "Absolutely not! You only have a thousand or so cavalrymen, while the Wang family has deployed at least five thousand troops to defend Qing Shi Yu. The disparity in strength is too great. If we cannot break through quickly, we will definitely be surrounded and unable to retreat!"

"Don't worry, Brother Luo." Qin An smiled slightly, his eyes filled with confidence. "Don't forget that I also have the title of 'Qin Shicheng' on the Baekje battlefield."

"Although the Wang family is powerful, they have only recently started their rebellion and are bound to be in chaos. Their generals are all scheming and have their own agendas. This is a good opportunity to fish in troubled waters. Moreover, cavalry is fast, so if we can't win, it will be easy for us to escape."

Looking at Qin An's confident demeanor, Luo Kai remained silent for a long time before finally letting out a long sigh.

"Alright, I trust you. Go ahead and do it. I'll lead the infantry to catch up as soon as possible. I'll support you no matter what."

"Thank you for your trust, Brother Luo." Qin An solemnly clasped his hands in a fist salute. "With our brothers united, we will surely break through the encirclement."

……

The next morning, just as dawn was breaking, Qin An led 1,500 cavalrymen to set off first.

Instead of attacking the cities controlled by the royal family, he sped along the desolate mountain paths, trying to avoid the rebels' notice.

Scouts were only sent out to scout the road when necessary.

Three days later, in the central command tent of the Wang family rebels, a group of generals were arguing incessantly around a map.

A charcoal fire burned inside the tent, but it couldn't dispel the chill on everyone's faces.

The leader was Wang Zhong, a direct descendant of the Wang family, who was in charge of guarding the rebel forces in this area.

"A scout reports that Qin An is leading over a thousand cavalrymen and is operating in the vicinity of Qingshiyu, their movements are elusive." Wang Zhong tapped the map with his finger on Qingshiyu, his voice chilling.

"This man has repeatedly achieved great feats on the battlefield, and is especially skilled at raids. He is not easy to deal with. In my opinion, we should hold Qing Shi Yu and the surrounding cities, not give him any opportunity to take advantage of us, and wear them down until they are dead."

"General, you are being far too cautious," sneered a bearded general beside him. "A mere thousand or so cavalrymen, and a weary force at that. What is there to fear? This humble general is willing to lead five thousand troops to battle at Qing Shi Yu and present Qin An's head to you!"

"Fool!" Wang Zhong roared. "Qin An is a cunning strategist, a master of feints and diversions. With your small force, you won't even catch a glimpse of him; you'll just fall into his trap and die in vain!"

Just then, the tent flap was suddenly flung open, and a gust of cold wind rushed in, causing the oil lamp to sway precariously.

A young man dressed in fine clothes swaggered in. He was about eighteen or nineteen years old, with a handsome face, but with a hint of arrogance. A jewel-encrusted scimitar hung at his waist. He was Wang Teng, the youngest son of Wang Chong, the leader of the Wang family.

"Is Qin An really worth all this arguing about?" Wang Teng's lips curled into a sneer as he glanced at the generals in the tent with an arrogant look of condescension.

"Now my Wang family has occupied seven cities, our military strength is at its peak, and we command tens of thousands of soldiers. What is there to fear from a general who has suffered repeated defeats?"

Wang Zhong frowned and said, "Young master, you may not know this, but Qin An is a man..."

"I know who he is," Wang Teng interrupted impatiently, his tone tinged with contempt. "Isn't it just that he won a few battles in Baekje and gained some empty fame?"

"He was just lucky; he only ran into a rabble. Now that he's faced with my Wang family's army, he's nothing but a skeleton in a tomb, utterly vulnerable!"

A glint of fervor flashed in his eyes, clearly showing his eagerness to prove himself.

"I will personally lead the army into battle and behead Qin An! Then let's see who dares to say I'm just a rich kid who relies on his father, and who dares to disobey me!"

Wang Zhong was greatly alarmed and quickly stepped forward: "Young Master, you mustn't! Qin An is cunning and a brilliant strategist. You must not underestimate him! Qing Shi Yu is a treacherous place; if we lose it..."

"Insolence!" Wang Teng slammed his hand on the table, causing the teacups to jump.

"I am the young master of the Wang family, the future heir. Do you think I should listen to an outsider like you? Issue my order: gather ten thousand troops and follow me to Qing Shi Yu!"

"I'll make Qin An know that the consequence of offending the Wang family is a death without a burial place!"

Seeing that Wang Teng was determined to do his own thing, the generals looked at each other, but none of them dared to dissuade him.

Everyone knows that this young master is deeply favored by Wang Chong, has a bad temper, and is narrow-minded. If you offend him now, you will only suffer the consequences and may even be accused of "treason" and lose your life.

The atmosphere inside the tent instantly became heavy, with only Wang Teng's eyes gleaming with a determined light.

……

Two days later, Qin An led his cavalry to an open area outside Qingshiyu.

The morning mist had not yet dissipated, and a biting chill filled the air. The distant mountains were hidden in the mist, like giant beasts lying in wait.

A scout, clad in frost, galloped out of the fog, dismounting as ice crystals fell from his armor as he urgently reported the news.

"General, the Wang family's rebel army has already deployed its forces at the valley entrance, led by Wang Chong's youngest son, Wang Teng!"

"Wang Teng?" Qin An reined in his horse, and the Snow-Treading Black Cudgel snorted. He paused for a moment, then chuckled.

"So he's just a greenhorn. Wang Chong actually sent him to guard Qing Shi Yu. It seems he really doesn't take us seriously."

Li Jing, standing to the side, said worriedly, "General, could this be a trap? The Wang family has a long history of fighting on the battlefield. Why would they send a pampered young master to lead the troops? Perhaps they want to lure us into underestimating them."

"You don't understand." A glint of light flashed in Qin An's eyes as he lightly tapped his palm with his riding whip.

"This Wang Teng is young and arrogant, he must want to use my head to make a name for himself. Very well, how can I refuse such a great gift delivered to my door? It's a good opportunity to use him to dampen the Wang family's arrogance."

He leaped onto the Snow-Treading Black Cone, his halberd pointing straight at the valley entrance ahead, its cold light gleaming in the morning light.

"Brothers, follow me and charge! Whoever captures Wang Teng alive will be rewarded with fifty taels of gold and promoted three ranks!"

"Kill!" shouted the 1,500 cavalrymen in unison, their voices shaking the plains like thunder from a clear sky.

They spurred their warhorses forward, like a black torrent, stirring up clouds of dust, and charged toward the rebel ranks at the valley entrance.

Outside Qing Shi Yu, Wang Teng sat triumphantly on a snow-white steed, wearing armor inlaid with silver threads, which made his face even more handsome, but also made him seem even more out of place on the battlefield.

He deployed his 10,000 troops in a massive square formation on the plain.

The front row consisted of infantrymen holding shields, while the rear row was made up of archers and crossbowmen. Banners fluttered in the wind, displaying a variety of colors.

They even arranged for drummers to play music behind the lines, making it seem like a grand military parade rather than a battle.

"Where is Qin An? What are you dawdling about? Why aren't you here to die?" Wang Teng asked his adjutant beside him, pointing impatiently with his riding whip.

The adjutant was an old general with a weathered face. At this moment, he was frowning and looking at the smoke and dust that was getting closer and closer in the distance, looking very worried.

"My lord, our army should defend the strategic pass, not array itself on this open plain. The Qin'an cavalry is elite, and fighting on the plain is disadvantageous for our army," the lieutenant advised with a distressed expression and anxious voice.

"What do you know!" Wang Teng retorted, his face full of disdain. "I just want to show Qin An the power of the Wang family! To let him know what heavenly soldiers and generals are all about!"

"I'll personally behead him later, and bring his head back to camp. Let's see who dares to say I'm a hothouse flower then!"

Before the words were finished, the deafening sound of horses' hooves came from afar, striking everyone's hearts like a drumbeat.