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

With no pursuers, Qin An's group was completely safe.

But Qin An felt little joy.

Because he encountered another huge problem.

Leading five thousand remnant soldiers, they traveled along the official road for a whole day, passing through two cities along the way, but they could not stop to rest.

The first city was a small county town with low walls and a garrison of only a few hundred men.

Qin An sent someone to knock on the door, saying that he was under the command of General Zhang Xu and needed to enter the city to rest and replenish supplies.

The city gate guard was very polite, but his refusal was also very firm.

The city has limited food supplies and simply cannot afford to accommodate 5,000 soldiers.

He could only have a dozen or so bags of grain and a few boxes of medicine lowered from the city wall, which was considered his duty.

The second city was larger, with high and thick walls and a considerable number of defenders.

Qin An thought he would be able to enter the city this time, but the captain guarding the city wall looked at him for a long time and only replied with one sentence.

"Without orders from above, we dare not open the city gates to receive the defeated army. General, please do not be offended; this is the rule."

That is indeed the rule.

Without a transfer order, a military order, or approval from a superior, who would dare to let an army of unknown origin enter the city?

Who knows if you're a rebel in disguise?

Who knows if there will be any unrest after you enter the city?

Who knows if the pursuers behind you will follow and kill you?

These are all legitimate reasons, so legitimate that no one can find fault with them.

The problem was that Qin An did not have any documents that could order the cities along the way to accept them.

"General, we can't go any further." Xue Ju rode up to Qin An's side, lowered his voice, and pointed to the rear of the column. "The wounded soldiers can't hold on any longer. Many of their wounds are starting to fester. If we don't find a place to settle down soon, something terrible might happen."

Qin An reined in his horse and glanced at the ranks behind him. The wounded soldiers lay on makeshift stretchers, their faces ashen, their lips cracked and bleeding.

Some were unconscious, some were groaning in their sleep, and some were gritting their teeth silently, but their foreheads were covered in cold sweat.

Five thousand remaining soldiers, like a group of lonely ghosts wandering in the wilderness.

They had no logistics, no supplies, no orders, and no one even recognized them as soldiers of the imperial court.

This is more despairing than war.

In war, at least you know where the enemy is, but now the enemy is everywhere, yet nowhere to be found.

Luo Kai urged his horse forward, his voice heavy: "Qin An, we can't go on like this. We have to find a place to stop."

"Even if it's just a small town, as long as we can get into the town and get medicine and food, our brothers will be saved. If we keep going like this, we'll die on the road without the rebels even chasing us."

Qin An certainly understood this principle.

However, the cities along the way were either too small to accept them or too large to accept them.

He can't launch a direct attack.

To forcibly attack one's own city is tantamount to rebellion. In that case, not only would the defeat of the army be a crime, but ten heads would not be enough to be chopped off.

Qin An gripped the reins tightly, a bitter feeling welling up inside him.

He led his brothers out of the encirclement of 100,000 rebels, but now they can't even find a place where they can lie down and recuperate.

Just then, a cloud of dust rose from the distant official road.

Several knights dressed in brocade robes were riding towards them. The leader was a young man with a handsome face and a composed demeanor typical of a scion of a noble family.

The man waved from afar, his voice carrying through the dust: "Brother Qin~"

Qin An squinted as he watched the figure get closer and closer. He then saw the face clearly on horseback, paused for a moment, and then dismounted.

It was actually Li Zheng!

After parting ways on the battlefield of Baekje, the two had never seen each other again. Unexpectedly, they reunited under such circumstances.

Li Zheng also dismounted, walked quickly to Qin An, looked him up and down, and then took a deep breath.

Qin An seems to have grown considerably since his time in Baekje.

Not only did he become taller and stronger, but the murderous aura around him almost solidified, creating an astonishing sense of oppression.

"I've received the news, General Zhang..." Li Zheng said, but seeing the troops behind Qin An, he swallowed back the greeting that had already reached his lips. "I've heard about your situation too."

Qin An gave a bitter smile: "Brother Li, you've already seen my situation. The cities along the way won't accept us. We have no food or medicine, and the brothers are about to collapse."

Li Zheng nodded, his expression becoming serious: "I know, that's why I rushed over overnight."

He didn't beat around the bush and stated his purpose directly.

He took out a scroll of silk from his bosom, which was stamped with the red seal of the Li family's clan emblem.

"In the name of the second young master of the Li family, I vouch for General Qin and his soldiers. I have already made arrangements in Anyang City; you can go directly there. Food, medicine, and barracks are all prepared."

Qin An was taken aback, not expecting Li Zheng to suddenly appear and offer timely help.

But looking at the scroll, he did not immediately take it.

After a moment of silence, Qin An slowly spoke: "Brother Li, I appreciate your kind intentions, but you are only the second young master of the Li family and do not represent the entire Li family."

"The Li family is currently under His Majesty's suspicion and in a difficult situation. If we were to invite trouble upon ourselves by accepting my defeated army, I, Qin, could not bear that responsibility."

Li Zheng remained unmoved, instead stepping forward and shoving the silk scroll directly into Qin An's hand.

"You are worthy of this responsibility." His tone left no room for doubt. "My sister Zhaoning made it very clear in her letter that you saved her and my brother's lives, which is a great favor to the Li family. I, Li Zheng, am helping you today to repay the debt of gratitude on behalf of my sister and brother. No one can find fault with that."

Qin An wanted to say something, but Li Zheng raised his hand to stop him and pointed to the wounded soldiers lying on stretchers behind Qin An.

Several wounded soldiers were already unconscious, their faces were ashen, and their lips were cracked and bleeding.

"Even if you don't think about yourself, think about these brothers. How much longer can they hold on?"

Qin An followed his gaze.

An old soldier with a missing arm was changing his own dressing by biting on a strip of cloth, large beads of sweat rolling down his forehead.

A young soldier with an arrow wound in his abdomen lay curled up on a stretcher, each breath accompanied by a hoarse whistle.

He gripped the silk scroll tightly in his hand.

"I will remember this kindness."

……

Anyang City was a medium-sized city with high and thick walls and well-organized garrison.

With Li Zheng's silk scroll clearing the way, the city gates opened quickly. To Qin An's surprise, a physician was already waiting at the city gate.

The wounded soldiers were carried into the city in batches, with hot water, medicine, and clean strips of cloth readily available.

An old physician knelt on the ground to change Luo Kai's dressing. His movements were swift and skillful. As he changed the dressing, he muttered that the wound had already become infected and that if he had waited two more days, he would have lost his arm.

Luo Kai grinned and said, "It's good that it's safe. It's good that it's safe. It can still kill people."

Li Zheng watched from the sidelines, offering no instructions, but quietly arranging for people to deliver the provisions to the military camp.

He even had hot water and clean clothes prepared in advance, and the best black beans were prepared for the warhorses' feed.

Cheng Zhiyuan walked around the military camp and came out with his eyes a little red.

Xue Ju asked him what was wrong, and Cheng Zhiyuan just muttered that the brothers could finally sleep in a place with a roof over their heads.

That evening, Li Zheng hosted a banquet in the city to entertain Qin An and his generals.

The banquet wasn't extravagant, but at a time like this, having both wine and meat was a rare treat.

Li Zheng did not sit in the main seat looking down on others, but sat at the same table with everyone and personally poured wine for Luo Kai.

"General Luo, I heard you handed over command to Qin An at Qing Shi Yu?" Li Zheng asked casually, holding a wine pot, as if chatting with an old friend. "Under those circumstances, not many people could have done that."

Luo Kai took the wine glass, paused for a moment, and said, "That's because Qin An is better than me, and I admire him."

"I admire anyone who can impress General Luo." Li Zheng picked up his wine cup and drank it all in one gulp.

After a few drinks, the atmosphere gradually warmed up.

Luo Kai became more talkative, pulling Li Zheng aside to recount the details of the Battle of Qingshiyu and the brutality of the breakout from Heishan City.

Li Zheng listened attentively the whole time, occasionally interjecting with a word or two.

There was no insincere flattery, nor any condescending pity; he simply gripped his glass tightly when he heard the crucial part, as if he were holding his breath for them.

"This Second Young Master Li is quite an open-minded person," Luo Kai said to Cheng Zhiyuan in a low voice, holding his wine glass.

Cheng Zhiyuan nodded and took a swig of wine: "He's much better than Yuwen Zhi. That Yuwen Zhi was arrogant and looked down on us soldiers like we were peasants. This young master Li, on the other hand, seems like a decent person."

Xue Ju added from the side, "Moreover, they are genuinely helping, not just talking. Look at those wounded soldiers; they've taken care of everything perfectly since they entered the city."

Han Quan didn't speak, but unusually, he took the initiative to toast Li Zheng with a glass of wine.

Li Jing sat in the corner, watching Li Zheng and his generals chatting and laughing, his gaze carrying a hint of scrutiny.

Li Zheng seemed to notice his gaze and walked over with a wine glass in hand: "This must be Li Jing, right? Zhao Ning mentioned you in his letter. You held Xu Mao back for a whole day this time. You are a formidable young man."

Li Jing paused for a moment, stood up, took the wine glass, and said, "Second Young Master, you flatter me." His tone was much more polite than usual, but the scrutiny in his eyes had not completely disappeared.

Qin An sat in the room, but remained silent.

He held his wine glass, occasionally taking a sip, but mostly just listening quietly to everyone talking.

Li Zheng raised his glass to him several times, and he only nodded in response, his face showing little expression.

After the banquet, Li Zheng kept Qin An behind alone.

The two sat in the side hall, the candlelight casting their shadows on the wall, flickering on and off.

"Brother Qin," Li Zheng said bluntly, "you've been silent all evening. Is there something you're unhappy about with me? Or perhaps with the Li family?"

Qin An held the teacup, neither drinking nor putting it down.

After a long silence, he raised his head and looked directly at Li Zheng.

"Brother Li, I only have one question for you."

"Please speak."

"Is the Li family planning a rebellion?"

The side hall fell silent instantly.

The candlelight flickered twice, making a faint crackling sound.

Li Zheng's expression froze for a moment, and he subconsciously wanted to deny it.

He had already raised his hand, ready to say a few polite words to change the subject.

But Qin An's gaze was like a knife, pointing straight at him, making all the excuses he had prepared stuck in his throat!