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

Faced with Yang Yuyan's proactive concern and inquiry, Xiao Mei sighed and drank the wine in her glass in one gulp.

The dignified facade on her face finally softened under the alcohol, revealing an unconcealable sense of loneliness.

In front of her former best friend, she no longer hid anything and spoke frankly about things she had previously been unable to confide in Qin An.

"Don't let my position as Empress fool you; my relationship with His Majesty is actually..."

She paused, as if considering how to say it, "Our relationship has never had any major problems. He still cherishes our past relationship."

"Then..." Yang Yuyan asked tentatively, "What's wrong?"

Xiao Mei looked at her, then suddenly pointed to herself and gave a bitter smile: "The problem lies with me, can't you see that?"

Seeing Yang Yuyan's blank expression, she poured herself another glass of wine and drank it down, using the momentum to blurt out what she had to say.

"My body is naturally different from others; it has a particularly strong attraction to men. When he was young, he was able to resist a little because of his strong physique."

"At that time, he not only didn't care, but he also clung to me like a precious treasure, wishing he could come to my palace every day, but..."

"But as he grew older, he became somewhat afraid to face me and preferred to seek out younger concubines, which gave him a sense of accomplishment..."

After pouring out all the bitterness in her heart,

Xiao Mei's voice lowered.

"Nowadays, when he comes to my place, he basically just sits for a bit and then leaves. Sometimes he won't even sit down. He'll say a few words and then make an excuse about writing folded paper and run away."

Yang Yuyan was stunned.

How could she not tell that Xiao Mei's marital life was not harmonious!

Yang Yuyan hadn't expected that Xiao Mei would bring up such a thing, leaving her completely at a loss for words. She could only gently squeeze Xiao Mei's hand.

Xiao Mei spoke her mind freely, and instead of holding back, she became even more unrestrained.

She leaned on Yang Yuyan's shoulder, looking at her with hazy, drunken eyes, and suddenly blurted out a sentence.

"We're about the same age, you should understand how I feel, right? At this age, the needs in that area... are actually greater than when we were younger, you know?"

Yang Yuyan paused, her hand holding the wine glass still, and her expression became somewhat subtle.

She considered her words carefully, but decided to tell the truth: "Well... I really can't empathize with that."

Xiao Mei blinked, propping herself up to sit up straight: "What do you mean? You... can't do it anymore?"

"It's not that I'm incapable." Yang Yuyan's face was already flushed, and her voice was lowered even further. "It's... it's that he's too good."

Xiao Mei blinked, then suddenly realized what she meant.

Yang Yuyan's husband was seven or eight years younger than her. Qin An, on the other hand, was young and vigorous.

She leaned closer to Yang Yuyan, her resentment instantly replaced by curiosity, and asked a more explicit question in a low voice.

"Qin An is so much younger than you, tell me honestly, can he handle you?"

Yang Yuyan's face flushed bright red, but she did not flinch.

Perhaps emboldened by the alcohol, or perhaps because she didn't want her husband to be looked down upon, she put down her wine glass, looked intently into Xiao Mei's eyes, and shook her head.

"Your Majesty, I won't lie to you about this. He's no ordinary man. Although I'm getting older and my needs are indeed greater than before, he can handle me... with more than enough skill."

Xiao Mei raised an eyebrow, half believing and half doubting: "Really? Don't you dare brag about him."

"Why would I brag for him?" Yang Yuyan's tone was even more certain than before. "I'm not lying to you, he wants it every day, sometimes several times a day. He also has two concubines at home. He can go on for one or two hours at a time. Sometimes I'm even afraid of him."

To make her words more convincing, she even stretched out her forearm as a gesture.

As Xiao Mei listened, her expression changed from disbelief to surprise, and then from surprise to envy.

Finally, he just sighed deeply, picked up his glass, took another swig, and muttered under his breath, "You really are lucky..."

She picked up her chopsticks, took a piece of venison, put it in her mouth, chewed it, and suddenly laughed again, putting her arm around Yang Yuyan's shoulder.

"Alright, let's not talk about it anymore. Come on, have another drink. I've found you a good husband..."

Qin An, who was outside the hall, heard every word of these words.

He stood under the eaves, his back soaked with sweat, nervously scanning his surroundings to make sure no one was approaching, while inwardly groaning.

This Empress is really treating Yang Yuyan like family; she even dares to say such things.

But when he heard Yang Yuyan counting on her fingers to defend himself, the corners of his mouth couldn't help but curl up slightly.

The two inside the hall were completely unaware that Qin An outside had been startled by their words and was still chatting enthusiastically.

Perhaps because they shared these most private topics, the last barrier between them completely disappeared without them even realizing it.

Xiao Mei rarely had someone to confide in, so she chatted with Yang Yuyan for an entire day.

The conversation shifted from private chatter to everyday matters concerning their children, and then back to reminiscing about the past.

He became visibly more cheerful, and the stiff smile on his face turned into a genuine, heartfelt laugh.

As dusk approached, Xiao Mei reluctantly took Yang Yuyan's hand and escorted her to the palace gate.

When she saw Qin An waiting outside the hall, she had already suppressed her drunken state and private behavior.

However, there was still a hint of intimacy in his tone.

As they parted, Xiao Mei held Yang Yuyan's hand tightly, saying, "Yuyan, you must come to the palace to keep me company more often. I'm so bored in this harem. Having you to talk to makes the days a little easier."

Yang Yuyan nodded emphatically: "Your Majesty, rest assured, I have remembered."

Even though she had already said that, Xiao Mei was still a little uneasy and turned to look at Qin An.

"I order you to send Yu Yan to the palace more often in the future. If she continues as before, I will hold you accountable!"

Qin An: ? ? ?

But in the end, he could only nod.

After Xiao Mei finished speaking, she had a maid bring a token and handed it to Qin An.

"Take this. With this, you can bring Yu Yan into the palace anytime without anyone stopping you."

Qin An accepted the letter with both hands, bowed, and said, "This subordinate obeys!"

Yang Yuyan bowed to Xiao Mei before following Qin An out of the palace gate.

……

After the carriage drove out of the palace walls, Yang Yuyan leaned against the carriage wall, her face still flushed with a slight intoxication, and sighed softly as she looked at the palace lanterns passing by outside the window.

"I never imagined that she would have so many troubles even after becoming empress."

Qin An paused for a moment, then lowered his voice and said, "When you talk to her in the future, there are some things you must never mention to outsiders, such as her affair with His Majesty."

Yang Yuyan was stunned for a moment, then realized something, and her blush deepened: "You... heard everything?"

Qin An didn't speak, but just glanced at her.

Yang Yuyan raised her hand and punched him lightly, but without much force. Instead, she leaned against his shoulder and her voice became a little lighter.

"Of course I know these palace secrets cannot be divulged." She paused, then suddenly chuckled softly, a hint of satisfaction and smugness in her voice. "However, there are some things I'm not afraid to tell you."

"What is it?"

"She said she envied me." Yang Yuyan closed her eyes, unable to suppress the smile on her lips. "To be envied by the Empress, my life has been worthwhile."

Qin An looked down at the woman leaning on his shoulder, said nothing, but simply reached out and pulled her closer into his arms.

It was already dusk when they returned to the Qin residence.

Qin An helped Yang Yuyan down from the carriage, walked through the corridor, and pushed open the bedroom door.

He picked Yang Yuyan up and placed her on the couch, then patted her shoulder with a smile, saying that she hadn't changed her clothes or taken a bath yet.

Qin An ignored her, pinned her down, and buried his face in the crook of her neck.

"Just now outside the palace, you said I could handle you with ease?" His voice was muffled, with a hint of barely perceptible laughter.

Yang Yuyan's face flushed instantly, and she turned her head away, not daring to look at him: "Those were private words spoken with the Empress, did you really take them seriously?"

"I took it seriously." Qin An looked up at her, his eyes deep, and began to untie her clothes.

"Since Madam has spoken up for me, I must prove it to you, lest you exaggerate in front of the Empress."

Yang Yuyan wanted to say something, but his actions stopped her from saying anything.

The gauze curtains fell, obscuring the spring scenery that filled the room.

After an unknown amount of time, Yang Yuyan gripped the bedding tightly with her fingers, tilted her head back, and let out a sigh that was almost a sob.

The sound was intermittent and confused, yet it carried a deep sense of satisfaction and pride.

"With you as my man... I wouldn't trade the throne of empress for you..."

……

And so the days went by.

As before, Qin An went to the Imperial Guard camp to perform his duties, train new recruits, and patrol the imperial city. Occasionally, Yuwen Rong would pull him to the martial arts arena to spar a few moves.

But after Yang Yuyan arrived in the capital, she also had an additional job.

That meant sending Yang Yuyan to the palace from time to time to keep Xiao Mei company.

It's unclear whether it was because of the previous loss of contact or because Xiao Mei was indeed too lonely.

Her relationship with Yang Yuyan grew stronger and stronger, even more so than their close friendship when they were young.

Qin An had occasionally overheard their conversations, and the topics were anything but ordinary.

It can only be said that once a mature woman opens up and starts talking, the explicitness in her words is something that most people cannot handle.

As a result, life was so peaceful that Qin An almost forgot that the world of Daxing was collapsing piece by piece elsewhere.

But the news that's meant to come will eventually come; it's just a matter of time.

First, Yangkou Warehouse was lost.

The important town that had stockpiled a large amount of grain for the imperial court was besieged by Xu Mao for two whole months. The defending general was killed in battle, and the granary changed hands.

On the day the rebel army of Ligangzhai opened the granaries and distributed grain, people from within a hundred miles carried sacks and flocked to the city.

Standing atop the city wall, Li Mi personally handed the first bag of grain to an old woman leaning on a cane, which made Li Gang Village famous.

When the news reached the capital, the imperial court was completely silent.

Immediately following, Dou Xia declared himself king in Hebei and captured eleven cities in succession.

Wherever he went, granaries were opened and grain was distributed, and taxes were reduced or exempted. The people of Hebei welcomed the king's army with food and drink.

Of the two governors sent by the imperial court, one was killed and the other surrendered.

The Wang family firmly established themselves in Luocheng, radiating outwards to the four surrounding prefectures. Wang Chong proclaimed himself King of Zheng, openly establishing his own government and challenging the imperial court.

Rebel groups of all sizes sprang up like mushrooms after rain.

Some dared to declare themselves kings after occupying a mountain, while others dared to attack a city after gathering a hundred or so men.

Despite the attempts by Yuwen Hua and others to maintain a facade of peace and stability, the news of this precarious situation inevitably reached the ears of Emperor Yang Ming!