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

Just as Qin An was pondering this, the sound of jade pendants came from outside the hall.

A woman dressed in a bright red palace gown walked in gracefully.

She looked to be in her early thirties, with a dignified face and an air of authority that commanded respect without anger.

Her appearance was like a breath of fresh air, instantly diluting the decadent and licentious atmosphere in the hall.

Even the beauties around Yang Ming subconsciously became more reserved.

The person who arrived was none other than the current Empress, Xiao Mei.

Xiao Mei walked into the hall and gave Yang Ming a graceful bow.

Her gaze swept over the beauty in Yang Ming's arms, then over Qin An kneeling beside him, and finally landed on Yuwen Rong. She nodded slightly and then spoke calmly.

"Your Majesty, I still wish to go to Xingshan Temple to pray for the prosperity of Daxing. Rebellions are raging everywhere, and the people are displaced. As the Empress Dowager, I cannot stand idly by. Please grant me permission."

Upon hearing Xiao Mei's words, Qin An's heart stirred instantly, and he roughly understood why he had been brought here.

Xingshan Temple was considered a national temple in Daxing, but it was still some distance from the imperial city.

The Empress needed a carriage to accompany her on her journey there.

Now that I'm a member of the Imperial Guard, isn't this related to me?

Upon hearing Xiao Mei's words, Yang Ming's smile faded slightly, and he waved his hand.

"Your Majesty, you've brought this up several times already. Is such a trivial matter really worth your personal trip? As for the prayers, let the monks chant sutras for a few days; why make such a fuss?"

"Your Majesty, I have made my decision." Xiao Mei's voice was not loud, but very firm. "If Your Majesty is worried, you may send the Imperial Guards to escort you."

Yang Ming frowned, seemingly a little impatient, but there was nothing he could do about the empress.

Xiao Mei was different from the other concubines in the harem. She never competed for favor or power, but once she made up her mind about something, she would never back down.

Moreover, she was praying for him and for Daxing, a reason he could not refute under any circumstances.

It was precisely because he knew the temperament of his wife that he brought Qin An over on Yuwen Rong's recommendation.

He set down his wine cup and sighed, "Very well, since the Empress has made up her mind, I grant her request. Only the matter of the guards..."

He turned to look at Yuwen Rong and hesitated for a moment.

He naturally wanted Yuwen Rong to personally escort him, since in his heart, Yuwen Rong was the most reliable shield.

But he couldn't bear to let Yuwen Rong leave his side, even for just a few days.

Yuwen Rong clearly saw through his thoughts and clasped his hands in a fist and said, "Your Majesty, Qin An is highly skilled in martial arts and is capable of undertaking this task."

Yang Ming's gaze then fell back on Qin An. He looked him up and down, and suddenly laughed.

"Yes, yes, you mentioned him fighting the rebels before. Okay, he's the one."

He gestured with his chin toward Qin An, his voice returning to its languid tone, "Qin An, the Empress is going to Xingshan Temple to pray for blessings. You are leading troops to escort her. If the Empress loses even a single hair, I will hold you accountable."

Xiao Mei then looked at Qin An properly.

Her gaze was calm and gentle, carrying a dignified air that seemed out of place in this opulent palace.

She nodded slightly, her gaze sweeping over Qin An before she spoke with approval.

"I have heard of General Qin, a young hero on the Baekje battlefield, a fierce general who struck fear into the hearts of the rebels on the front lines. With General Qin escorting me, I am at ease."

Qin An was a little surprised, not expecting that even the Empress, who lived deep in the palace, had heard of him.

He quickly clasped his hands and said, "This humble general will swear to protect the Empress's safety with his life and will not dare to be negligent in the slightest."

He appeared respectful, but inwardly he was secretly bitter.

Protecting the Empress on her travels may seem glamorous, but it's actually a hot potato.

Doing it well is one's duty, but making even the slightest mistake is a capital offense.

Moreover, the area around the capital is not peaceful these days, with refugees everywhere, and no one knows what kind of accident might happen.

But the emperor and empress had already spoken, and Yuwen Rong had personally recommended him, so he had no choice but to accept.

After leaving the side hall, Qin An didn't even go home. He only sent a short letter to the Qin residence before plunging into preparations for his trip.

The officials sent by the Ministry of Rites had arranged the ceremonial guards, carriages, and sacrificial supplies, and the accompanying palace maids, eunuchs, and officials of rites each had their own designated personnel in charge.

Qin An didn't need to worry about those formalities; he had only one duty: to protect.

He mobilized his imperial guards and carefully studied all the routes from the palace to Xingshan Temple.

The main roads, side roads, forests along the way, and abandoned villages where people might be hiding were all clearly marked.

He had to send scouts to scout every road in advance, and he had contingency plans for every possible ambush point.

Yuwen Rong would occasionally come over for a look, and seeing that he had arranged everything perfectly, he stopped asking questions.

……

Three days later, the Empress officially set out.

The procession of the imperial carriage was even grander than Qin An had anticipated.

The phoenix palanquin, carried by thirty-six men, was covered with bright yellow brocade, with tassels hanging from the four corners, and the golden phoenix on the top of the palanquin shone brightly in the sunlight.

There were twelve palace maids in front and behind, carrying feather fans, incense burners, and whisks, and eight eunuchs accompanying them.

The carriages of officials from the Ministry of Rites followed behind.

All around him were the Imperial Guards cavalry led by Qin An, their horses' hooves in perfect formation and their armor gleaming.

The procession left the imperial city and slowly headed west along the official road.

The people along the way had already heard the news and knelt on both sides of the road.

Xiao Mei would occasionally lift the side curtain of the phoenix carriage and nod slightly to the kneeling people, her dignified face bearing a gentle smile.

Qin An rode alongside the imperial carriage, remaining highly vigilant and constantly scanning the surrounding crowd and the distant terrain with his eyes.

On the surface, everything seemed normal, but he knew in his heart that the more calm the occasion, the easier it was for something to go wrong.

After the procession had traveled for about an hour, a corner of the side curtain of the imperial carriage was suddenly lifted.

A palace maid peeked out and said to Qin An, "General Qin, Her Majesty summons you to speak with her."

Qin An rode his horse closer to the imperial carriage, and bowed through the gauze curtain, saying, "What are your orders, Your Majesty?"

There was a moment of silence behind the gauze curtain, then Xiao Mei's calm voice came out: "General Qin, I have heard that there is a new resettlement site for refugees near the capital. Let's change our route and go there first."

Qin An frowned, hesitated slightly, but still advised, "Your Majesty, the situation at the refugee camp is complex and its safety cannot be guaranteed. This humble general suggests that we proceed according to the original route..."

"This is my imperial decree." Xiao Mei's voice instantly turned cold. "Change the route, immediately."

Qin An remained silent for a moment, then clasped his hands and said, "This humble general obeys the order."

He turned his horse around and went to discuss the matter with the officials of the Ministry of Rites.

The official from the Ministry of Rites was an old man with gray hair. Upon hearing this, his expression changed, and he repeatedly said that this was against the rules.

It also indicated that the refugee camp was dirty and chaotic, and had not been prepared in advance; if something went wrong, no one could bear the responsibility.

Qin An only replied, "Her Majesty's mind is made up. If you wish to persuade her, you may do so yourself."

The official from the Ministry of Rites opened his mouth, but ultimately didn't dare to go.

He sighed, wiping the sweat from his brow, and said to Qin An, "Then...then General Qin, could you stall for some time? So I can send someone over there to make some arrangements and cover up those really inappropriate things..."

Qin An knew this was indeed necessary, so he immediately went back to report to Xiao Mei and suggested that the carriage stop for a rest.

But how could they possibly hide their little schemes from Xiao Mei?

"No need to delay." The voice from behind the curtain rang out again, clear and crisp. "Go straight there!"

Qin An was helpless.

He could now see that this empress was quite stubborn.

Once she made up her mind, no one could change it. In the end, Qin An could only give the order expressionlessly: the whole team turned and headed towards the refugee camp.

At the next fork in the road, the caravan veered off the main road and onto a bumpy dirt road.

The further we went, the worse the road became, and a smell gradually drifted into the air, a mixture of feces, sweat, and rotting food.

The palace maids inside the imperial carriage covered their mouths and noses, and even the porters carrying the carriage frowned.

When the group arrived at the refugee camp, Qin An saw a scene that was even more disheartening than the front-line battlefield.

It was a low-lying area outside the city, where simple thatched huts and tattered tents were crammed together, and the muddy ground, soaked by rain, was covered with puddles and garbage.

Several teenagers were barefoot, rummaging through the mud. When they saw the convoy approaching, they stopped abruptly, their dirty faces showing only empty eyes.

The old man was curled up on the tattered mat, motionless, and it was impossible to tell whether he was asleep or dead.

A woman sat at the entrance of the tent, holding a baby whose cries were as faint as a kitten's meow.

Because there was no time to make any cover-up, the camp was thus exposed nakedly to the Empress's carriage.

The curtain of the imperial carriage was lifted.

Xiao Mei, supported by a palace maid, stepped down. She stood by the muddy ground, gazing at the scene before her, motionless for a long time.

Qin An stood two steps behind her, unable to see her expression, but he could see that the hand she was holding the palace maid's arm was trembling slightly.

Clearly, although she knew about the existence of the refugee camp, she never imagined it would be like this.

This had a tremendous impact on her.

But whether out of genuine compassion or not, Xiao Mei did not back down.

Her voice trembled slightly, but she still insisted on giving the order: "Stop!"

The line stopped.

Xiao Mei lifted her skirt and started to walk into the camp.

Qin An stepped in front of her and said in a low voice, "Your Majesty, the situation inside is complicated and safety cannot be guaranteed. Please return to the carriage and get in."

"Get out of the way." Xiao Mei was clearly in a bad mood, and her tone was harsh.

She looked up at Qin An, her eyes glistening with tears, but even more so with stubbornness.

"These are my subjects. As the mother of the nation, how can I not even dare to approach my own people? General Qin, I believe that no child would harm their own mother."

Qin An was instantly paralyzed.

I never expected that this Empress would be so naive.

He even wondered if the other person was just a naive and innocent persona.

But faced with the Empress's domineering nature, he simply couldn't disobey her.

In the end, Qin An stepped aside to make way, then followed closely behind Xiao Mei, less than a step away, his right hand always gripping the hilt of the knife at his waist.