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

Compared to Qin An's panic, Xiao Mei was much calmer.

She merely smoothed her slightly disheveled clothes without showing any unusual reaction, remaining as dignified and composed as ever.

She looked down at Qin An kneeling on the ground, her voice regaining the majesty and composure of an empress, yet with a hint of reassurance in her tone.

"Get up! General Qin was only concerned for his lord; what crime has he committed? If it weren't for you, I would have fallen to the ground. Not only are you innocent, but you have rendered meritorious service and deserve a reward!"

Upon hearing Xiao Mei say that he deserved a reward, Qin An's first reaction was that what he had just received was already the best reward.

This is the Empress, the mother of the nation. How many people can have close contact with her?

Of course, Qin An could never say such a thing aloud.

Seeing that Xiao Mei didn't intend to pursue the matter, Qin An instantly breathed a sigh of relief, stood up, and stood to the side with his hands at his sides.

Xiao Mei stopped looking at him and instead turned her gaze to the boy who was squatting on the ground continuing to eat.

She lifted her skirt, stepped through the mud, and walked towards the boy.

Qin An's heart tightened, and he was about to say something when Xiao Mei waved her hand to stop him.

She walked up to the boy, bent down, and helped him up.

The child was filthy and smelly, his hair was matted into clumps of mud, his fingernails were full of black mud, and his face was covered with grain scraps and snot.

Xiao Mei acted as if she hadn't seen any of this, and used her clean sleeve to wipe the corner of his mouth.

He then had a palace maid bring him some more food and put it in his hand.

"Are you alright?" Her voice was gentle, completely different from when she had scolded Qin An earlier.

The boy looked up at the gentle and beautiful woman in front of him, his dark eyes darting around before he suddenly grinned and said, "You're so beautiful, just like my mother."

Upon hearing this, Xiao Mei couldn't help but chuckle.

Instead of blaming him for his earlier outburst, she showed him unexpected pity: "What's your name? Where's your family?"

As the boy stuffed dry food into his mouth, he mumbled, "My name is Laifu... My mother was sick and died, my father was killed by bandits, and my grandmother died too. I'm all alone now... I haven't had a full meal in a long time."

Xiao Mei's eyes reddened, and her maternal love overflowed instantly.

She reached out and gently removed a blade of grass stuck to the boy's head.

"Laifu? What a nice name!" Looking at the other's pitiful appearance, Xiao Mei couldn't help but feel compassion: "Would you like to come with me?"

The boy was stunned for a moment, then quickly realized that this woman, who was as beautiful as an angel, wanted to adopt him.

He nodded vigorously, like a chick pecking at rice.

But as soon as she spoke, Xiao Mei herself was troubled. She was the Empress, living deep in the palace. The sudden appearance of a child of unknown origin by her side was not only against the rules, but would also attract countless rumors and impeachments from court officials.

She stood there, one hand still on Laifu's shoulder, her expression momentarily hesitant.

Her gaze lifted from the boy, inadvertently sweeping over Qin An standing to the side, before suddenly stopping.

"General Qin," she said.

Qin An clasped his hands in a fist and said, "Your subordinate is here."

"I cannot bring him back to the palace." Xiao Mei's voice regained its usual rationality and composure, but there was a hint of pleading in her tone.

"Would you be willing to adopt this child for me? All expenses will be covered by me from my private treasury."

Qin An was taken aback.

He glanced at the dirty boy, then at Xiao Mei, hesitated for a moment, and then nodded, saying, "This subordinate obeys."

The boy was quick-witted; upon hearing this, he immediately knelt on the ground and kowtowed to Xiao Mei, calling out in a clear voice, "Mother!"

Xiao Mei was caught off guard by his calling her "Mother".

Although she was happy inside, a hint of helplessness flashed across her face.

She then bent down, wiped the mud off his forehead with a handkerchief, and said gently, "I am not your mother. Your mother is watching over you from heaven. You can simply acknowledge General Qin as your godfather."

She straightened up, looked at Qin An, and said solemnly, "This child has a hard life. General Qin, you must take good care of him. I will send people to visit him regularly."

Qin An was momentarily stunned.

I thought Xiao Mei just wanted me to help take care of her, but I never expected that she would actually find me a son.

Could I be considered to have become a father unexpectedly?

But he still clasped his hands in a fist and said, "This humble general will certainly not fail in his mission."

He walked up to the boy, bent down, and asked, "What's your name?"

"Lai Fu".

"What's your full name?"

The boy shook his head.

Qin An turned to Xiao Mei, clasped his hands in greeting, and said, "Please, Your Majesty, bestow a name upon him."

Xiao Mei looked into the boy's dark, bright eyes and recalled how he had wolfed down his food earlier.

He recalled how stubbornly he got up after being knocked away by Qin An, rubbing his back. A smile appeared on his lips.

"This child is tough and brave, so let's name him Qin Yong. May you one day be as brave as him, the bravest in the army."

The boy stared at her blankly, seemingly not quite understanding what the new name meant, but he grinned, revealing a gap-toothed front tooth.

Qin An patted the back of his head and told him to stand behind him.

……

The carriage set off again, continuing its journey towards Xingshan Temple.

After the recent incident, the atmosphere in the group was much more somber than when they arrived.

The palace maids hurried along with their heads down, not daring to utter a word.

The Ministry of Rites official wiped his sweat with a handkerchief the whole way, muttering to himself, probably planning how to explain things when he got back.

Only Xiao Mei seemed unaffected.

The side curtain of her phoenix carriage was still half-open.

For reasons unknown, Qin An rode up alongside the carriage, getting even closer than before, to within an arm's length.

He could hear her commands at any time.

"General Qin," Xiao Mei's voice came from behind the curtain, her tone much gentler than before, "That child from earlier, were you truly willing to take him in, or were you doing so out of consideration for me?"

Qin An glanced at the gauze curtain and said truthfully, "I am truly willing. That child has good potential and is born with superhuman strength. If we nurture him well, he will be a great talent in the future."

From Qin An's previous performance, Qin An could clearly see that the child had good talent.

He got a free adopted son; he's really hit the jackpot.

I feel that your heart is more important than this. At that time, the Queen also liked and valued this child quite a bit.

This is an invisible bond that can also bring him closer to the Empress.

This is definitely not a good thing for me.

Although Qin An didn't know much about the affairs of the imperial harem, he did know that Xiao Mei was the emperor's first wife.

Given Emperor Yang Ming's debauchery, the fact that Xiao Mei was able to firmly hold the position of Empress speaks volumes about her importance in the Emperor's heart.

Having such a powerful backer on your side will definitely be beneficial to your future.

"That's good." Xiao Mei's voice carried a hint of relief.

She paused for a moment, then asked, "General Qin, I heard you also come from a poor background?"

Qin An did not hide anything and briefly explained his background.

From the frontier to Baekje, from Baekje to the capital, and from the front lines to the royal guards.

He spoke concisely, without embellishment or complaint; he was simply stating his facts.

Xiao Mei listened quietly, her gaze peering through the gap in the gauze curtain at the young general.

He rode on his horse, his posture as straight as a pine tree, his profile resolute and austere.

Just now in the refugee camp, the sharpness and decisiveness with which he reprimanded her, the speed and strength of his arm when he protected her, and the warm touch when he accidentally touched her chest.

These images were jumbled together in her mind, making her momentarily lost in thought.

"General Qin," she suddenly spoke, a hint of emotion in her voice, "you just said that your wife is considerably older than you and has twin daughters with her?"

Qin An nodded: "Yes."

Xiao Mei remained silent for a long time.

The carriage curtain fluttered in the wind, reflecting the dazed look on her face.

She turned her head slightly, her gaze passing over the car window and landing on the distant horizon, her voice so soft it was as if she were talking to herself.

"I also have a close friend. I heard she had twin daughters, but then we stopped corresponding, and I haven't heard from her since... I wonder how she's doing now?"

Qin An didn't reply, but simply rode his horse quietly beside him.

……

The convoy arrived at Xingshan Temple at dusk. The monks, who had already been informed, lined up outside the temple gate to welcome them.

The abbot, who was over seventy years old and had white hair and eyebrows, personally led Xiao Mei into the temple.

Qin An dismounted, leaving most of the imperial guards to defend the outer perimeter, and led a group of personal soldiers into the temple.

Xiao Mei was assigned to a separate Zen courtyard behind the temple.

With its ancient cypress trees reaching for the sky and secluded stone paths, the courtyard is indeed a good place for quiet contemplation.

Qin An divided his personal guards into three squads: one squad guarded the main gate of the temple, one squad guarded the back gate, and one squad patrolled outside the temple wall.

He himself rested in a side room on the east side of the temple, ready to be summoned at any time.

After everything was arranged, he learned from the monk in charge of receiving guests that the Empress was not just going through the motions, but was going to fast for seven days and chant sutras to pray for blessings.

Qin An stood at the door of the side room, looking at the old cypress tree in the courtyard, and remained silent for a while.

Before he came, he thought he would be able to return to the capital in just a day or two, and he even sent a message to Li Qingwan saying that he would be back soon.

Looking back now, I realize I was too happy too soon.

The rules for fasting are very strict.

He abstained from meat and fish, avoided women, and recited scriptures for six hours every day.

Xiao Mei was eating vegetarian food and chanting Buddhist prayers in front, and Qin An and his guards naturally followed suit.

The first two days were fine. Although the vegetarian food was bland, the monks in the temple were quite skilled. The tofu tasted like meat, and the wild vegetables were seasoned to be refreshing and delicious.

By the third day, his soldiers had started complaining, their mouths practically watering at the thought of food.

Qin An was cursing inwardly, but he couldn't show it on his face. He could only reassure everyone that it would pass.

He then instructed the kitchen to prepare a more diverse range of food, which at least quelled the discontent among the crowd.

It's truly a leisurely life.

Apart from the chanting of sutras, the temple was filled with birdsong. There was no hustle and bustle of the court, no scheming of Yuwen Hua, and no trivial official duties of the Imperial Guards.

Besides patrolling the camp, Qin An spent his days reading and practicing calligraphy in his room, and occasionally strolling into the courtyard to practice his halberd techniques.

The monks in the temple watched from a distance, not daring to approach and disturb them.

While Qin An was accompanying the Empress in her vegetarian meals and chanting Buddhist prayers, a group of dusty cavalrymen arrived in Xingye County, a thousand miles away!