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

In the following days, Qin An stayed at home and rarely went out.

Yuwen Hua told him to wait for news, so he waited.

Besides practicing halberd techniques in the backyard every day, he would also read military books in his study.

Li Qingwan and Shan Bing knew he had something on his mind, so they didn't ask too many questions. They just cooked his favorite dishes every day and warmed a pot of wine on the table.

Qin An would sometimes pick up his wine glass and take a sip, and sometimes he would just leave it there, not touching it again until the wine got cold.

On the afternoon of the fourth day, Qin An was wiping his halberd in the courtyard when he suddenly heard the sound of horses' hooves outside the door.

Immediately afterward, the gatekeeper rushed in to report: "General, Miss Li has come to visit, accompanied by a young man."

Qin An paused slightly as he wiped his halberd. He leaned the halberd against the wall, stood up, but made no move to go out to greet them.

"Just say I'm not here."

The gatekeeper hesitated for a moment, but still turned to relay the message. Not long after, he ran back, looking troubled.

"General, Miss Li says you were clearly at home; she saw your horse tied up at the door."

Qin An remained silent for a moment, then walked towards the door.

He didn't open the door, but stood inside, his voice cold as he spoke through the vermilion gate: "Miss Li, I am not available to receive guests today."

There was a moment of silence outside the door.

Then Li Zhaoning's voice came through the door, tinged with suppressed anxiety: "General Qin, I've heard about what's happening at the front. Are you alright? Xuanfu has come too; he keeps talking about Master."

Qin An placed his hand on the door panel, his knuckles tightening slightly, but his voice remained indifferent.

"Thank you for your concern, Miss Li. I am doing well. However, I have now joined Prime Minister Yuwen's faction, so it would be best if we kept to ourselves in the future. I am afraid that the Prime Minister might misunderstand."

The silence outside the door lasted a little longer than before.

"General Qin, you..."

Li Zhaoning's voice contained disbelief and a hint of disappointment.

She stopped mid-sentence, as if she had swallowed the rest of her words.

A moment later, her voice rang out again, now with the composure of a young lady from a noble family: "In that case, Zhao Ning will not disturb you any longer. Xuan Mansion, let's go."

Qin An heard the boy's mumbled words coming from outside the door, followed by the sound of footsteps and horses' hooves receding into the distance.

He stood inside the door until it was completely quiet outside before slowly withdrawing his hand.

The halberd still leaned against the wall, sunlight shining on its blade and reflecting a cold light.

The next morning, people arrived at the Yuwen residence.

A steward dressed in black rode up to the gate of the Qin residence. Without even dismounting, he simply said, "The Prime Minister summons you. General Qin, please come with me."

Qin An mounted his horse and followed the steward through Zhuque Street, stepping once again into the gates of the Yuwen Mansion.

This time, the gatekeeper didn't stop him or even announce his arrival; he simply led him to the study.

Yuwen Hua remained seated in the armchair, still holding a cup of tea in his hand.

Yuwen Rong stood beside him; Yuwen Zhi was not present today.

"Qin An," Yuwen Hua said bluntly, his tone as calm as if he were talking about a trivial matter, "I have already covered up the failure to quell the rebellion in court. The blame for the defeat will no longer be placed on your heads."

Qin An knelt on one knee, clasped his hands in thanks, and said, "Thank you, Prime Minister, for your great kindness in saving me."

"Get up." Yuwen Hua raised his hand, picked up his teacup and took a sip. Suddenly, he changed the subject, speaking casually as if he were chatting about everyday things.

"By the way, I heard that Miss Li went to your residence yesterday but was turned away?"

Qin An's heart tightened for a moment, but he dared not show the slightest abnormality on his face.

From these words, he could clearly tell that his every move was being watched by Yuwen Hua.

He was deliberately displaying the power of the Yuwen family, trying to put pressure on himself.

Fortunately, Qin An was not surprised by this.

He stood up, hands at his sides, his voice steady: "It is indeed true, and I dare not deceive the Prime Minister."

"Tell me," Yuwen Hua said without even looking up, continuing to sip his tea leisurely. "What does Miss Li want with you?"

Qin An took a deep breath and uttered his prepared remarks word by word.

"Reporting to the Prime Minister, when I was escorting Young Master Yuwen back to the capital, I accidentally saved the Li siblings. In order to win me over, Li Zhaoning wanted her brother Li Xuanfu to become my disciple."

"That Li Xuanfu was born mentally challenged, but he did have exceptional talent in martial arts. Li Zhaoning also offered him a generous gift, and I was tempted by greed, so I agreed."

Qin An did not hide anything and told Li Zhaoning about all his previous interactions.

After all, you can't hide something like that.

Putting everything else aside, the steed I'm currently riding, the Snow-Treading Black Steed, is beyond my current status to afford.

Since Yuwen Hua had already investigated him, he knew that the horse was a gift from Li Zhaoning, and that he couldn't hide it from him.

Since that's the case, we might as well tell the truth.

Creating a persona of greed for money for oneself is not a bad idea.

As his leadership skills have grown stronger, Qin An has long since learned some ways to manage his subordinates.

As someone in a position of power, one has no fear of their subordinates being greedy.

The more flawed something is, the easier it is to control.

If Yuwen Hua believes that he can be controlled through benefits, he might trust him even more.

Furthermore, one may even reap more benefits in the future.

With this in mind, Qin An's tone became even more earnest.

"Li Zhaoning brought Li Xuanfu here yesterday for this very reason, but I am now a member of the Yuwen family. Li Zhaoning's actions clearly indicate that he wants to continue to win them over. I cannot cause trouble for the Yuwen family, so I did not let them in."

Yuwen Hua slowly put down his teacup and tapped the table lightly with his fingers, the sound being particularly clear in the quiet study.

"You did the right thing." He looked up, a satisfied look on his face, then asked, "Do you think the Li family will continue to have contact with you after this incident?"

Qin An's eyes flickered for a moment.

After a moment's thought, he guessed some of Yuwen Hua's intentions.

This is clearly an attempt to use him as a spy planted within the Li family to gather intelligence about them.

Although the Yuwen family currently wields immense power in the imperial court, to the point that they could be described as having absolute authority.

However, the Li family has a deep-rooted foundation and should not be underestimated.

It's normal for Yuwen Hua to be wary of the Li family.

After understanding some of Yuwen Hua's thoughts and schemes, Qin An was instantly overjoyed.

Isn't this giving me a legitimate opportunity to get close to the Li family?

Moreover, he hadn't forgotten that Li Zheng had given him his first task: to properly nurture Li Xuanfu.

I was initially a little worried that this mission would be difficult to complete due to the existence of the Yuwen family.

It now seems there's still a chance for things to turn around.

Many thoughts flashed through Qin An's mind. After a moment of contemplation, he nodded.

"The reason why Miss Li wants Li Xuanfu to become my disciple is because that simple-minded child, perhaps because of the life-saving grace, has a high regard for me."

"If Li Xuanfu insists on practicing martial arts with me, they will probably come to contact me again."

Upon hearing Qin An's reply, Yuwen Hua seemed to understand something: "The Li family's idiot son? I've heard about it too. In that case, there's no need for you to sever ties with the Li family."

Qin An was slightly taken aback, then clasped his hands in a fist and solemnly said, "This humble general is dull-witted, please enlighten me, Prime Minister."

"Since you've promised, you have to keep your word." Yuwen Hua's voice was soft, like a barely perceptible breeze brushing past your ear. "If Miss Li comes looking for you again, you should still see her and maintain contact, understand?"

Qin An remained silent for a moment, then looked up and said, "I understand what the Prime Minister means."

After confirming Yuwen Hua's plan, Qin An couldn't help but complain inwardly.

Isn't this just another undercover operation?

How many undercover agents should I go undercover?

Although he was extremely willing, Qin An still showed a troubled expression.

"This humble general is willing to give it a try, but... Li Zhaoning is meticulous. Now that she knows that this humble general has joined the Prime Minister's faction, she will probably be wary of this humble general. If this humble general takes the initiative to contact her, I'm afraid she will not easily reveal any useful information."

Yuwen Hua waved his hand and laughed nonchalantly: "It's alright, do what you should do, there's no need to force it. Success is good, failure is fine too. It's just a random piece, I don't need it."

He stood up, walked to Qin An, lowered his voice, but still carried that nonchalant composure.

"Speaking of which, I do have a small suggestion. Isn't that young man from the Li family mentally challenged? Mentally challenged people often speak without thinking, and they might inadvertently reveal some information."

"Since you are his master, it is your duty to get closer to him."

Qin An sneered inwardly, but on his face he showed a look of sudden realization, cupped his hands and said, "Thank you for your guidance, Prime Minister. This humble general has remembered it."

Yuwen Hua nodded in satisfaction, sat back down in his armchair, picked up his teacup, took a sip, and seemed about to see his guest off.

Qin An, sensing the situation, bowed respectfully, preparing to take his leave.

Just as he retreated to the doorway, Yuwen Hua suddenly called out to him.

"Oh, right, there's one more thing." Yuwen Hua's voice remained casual, as if he were talking about something insignificant.

"I heard that you've settled down on the frontier, married a wife, and have a daughter. Are your wife and daughter still living there? It's not good for a husband and wife to be separated!"

Qin An paused, as if he had been nailed to the spot by something.

He slowly turned around to meet Yuwen Hua's gaze. The gaze remained calm, as if it were just a casual question, but Qin An knew it was not casual.

He never mentioned Yang Yuyan and his daughter to anyone in the capital.

Since Yuwen Hua knew about it, it means he had investigated me thoroughly.

Now that he's brought this up himself, it's clear he has ulterior motives.

This is to ask him to bring Yang Yuyan and her daughter over.

It seems like they're thinking of themselves, but in reality, they're leaving themselves vulnerable!