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

On the third night.

The main hall of the Qin residence was brightly lit, yet unusually quiet.

Li Qingwan and Shan Bing stood side by side under the corridor, one with red eyes but stubbornly holding back her tears.

Yang Yuyan straightened Qin An's collar, which was already impeccably neat, but her fingers lingered on his clothes.

Because Qin An had to go to the military camp overnight, he set off for the expedition early the next morning.

Although Yang Yuyan was very reluctant, she had already experienced this several times before, and eventually calmed down first.

Seeing Li Qingwan and Shan Bing's red-rimmed eyes, she wiped away her tears and nudged Qin An, saying, "Go and say a proper goodbye to your two sisters!"

Qin An nodded and walked towards the two women.

The two women talked on and on, and although Yang Yuyan had already given them instructions, Qin An listened quietly without showing the slightest impatience.

"Remember to write a letter."

In the end, the two of them almost said the same thing in unison.

After they finished speaking, they looked at each other, their eyes becoming even redder.

Qin An placed a kiss on each of their foreheads.

His lips lingered on Li Qingwan's forehead for a moment, then on Shan Bing's forehead for a moment, before he stepped back and slowly squatted down.

He squatted down to the same height as their slightly protruding bellies, reached out, and very gently covered them with his hands, his palms touching those two warm curves.

"Wait for Dad to come back." Qin An's voice was very low, as if he were whispering to his two unborn children, or as if he were making a promise to himself.

After saying goodbye, he stood up, ready to leave.

But at that moment, Cai Zhen couldn't hold back any longer and threw herself into his arms: "Father, I can't bear to part with you."

She has never been good at hiding her emotions.

She had just started to have some good days and felt that she had something to look forward to, but then Qin An was leaving again, which made her completely lose her composure.

Cai Yan's eyes were also red, but she was much more reserved than Cai Zhen, and she just stared longingly at Qin An.

Seeing their behavior, Qin An didn't care about anything else and pulled them into his arms.

"Don't cry! This temporary separation is only for a better reunion. When your father returns, you will all be fully grown up."

Upon hearing Qin An's words, the two women instantly envisioned themselves as adults, which brought a hint of anticipation to their faces.

"Yes, we will definitely grow up healthy, and Father will see the changes in us when he returns."

"Hehe, I'll definitely surprise you, Father, and show you what I'm capable of!"

After calming his two daughters down, Qin An's gaze fell on his adopted son, Qin Yong.

"After I'm gone, as the only male in the family, you must shoulder your responsibilities and protect your aunt and sisters!"

Qin Yong didn't say much, he just nodded heavily.

After explaining everything, Qin An strode towards the door.

He never looked back.

……

As soon as Qin An stepped out of the mansion, he noticed two familiar figures standing under the lanterns at the alley entrance.

Li Zhaoning held Li Xuanfu's hand, and it was unclear how long they had been waiting.

The night breeze gently swayed the hem of her dark skirt, and the lantern light shone from the side, casting a warm yellow glow on half of her face.

The other half was hidden in the shadows, and the expression was not visible.

Qin An was somewhat surprised to see the siblings there. "You... what brings you here?"

Li Xuanfu let go of his sister's hand and ran over, stopping in front of Qin An.

Looking up at Qin An in his military uniform, he moved his lips as if he wanted to say something, but then swallowed his words.

In the end, he simply cupped his fist towards Qin An and mumbled, "Master, you must come back soon."

Qin An patted the back of his head, his hand lingering on the furry head for a moment, then looked up at Li Zhaoning.

She was wearing a simple, dark-colored dress today, standing in the night breeze, the hem of her dress fluttering slightly in the wind.

His expression was calm, as calm as a deep pool, its surface still, concealing what lay beneath: "I've come to see you off!"

Looking at the eldest daughter of the Li family in front of him, who had a peculiar voyeuristic fetish, Qin An opened his mouth, but didn't know what to say.

In fact, having reached this point, he naturally realized that this woman had some unusual feelings for him.

However, both he and Li Zhaoning were very rational.

They were perfectly aware that there were many problems between them, but neither of them had ever thought of bringing them up.

In the end, Qin An simply nodded.

The two walked side by side in the deserted alley in the dead of night. The cobblestones glistened slightly with dew, and their boots made a light, crisp sound as they stepped on them.

Li Xuanfu followed a few steps behind, head down, quietly stepping on Qin An's shadow.

After walking for a while, Li Zhaoning finally spoke, her tone as indifferent as if she were talking about someone else's business.

"Although the imperial court has mobilized 100,000 troops this time, the entire Hebei region has fallen into the hands of Dou Xia. The Wang family is entrenched along the Luocheng line, and Li Gangzhai has well-trained troops and ample supplies after occupying Yangkoucang. The three rebel armies seem to be each occupying their own territory, but once the imperial army presses in, it is hard to guarantee that they will not join forces again."

She glanced at Qin An, and seeing that he didn't react, she continued speaking.

"Those in the court who advocate war now are all people who have never been on the battlefield, while those who truly understand military affairs dare not utter a word. There are also many problems with the allocation of supplies. If the war drags on, logistics will inevitably break down. Your mission..."

Her speech suddenly slowed down: "Be extra careful."

Clearly, she had no confidence in this attempt to quell the rebellion.

Although she knew that Yuwen Rong and Qin An were both very skilled fighters, what good were they?

The trend of turning against the trend is now established, and it's something that one or two people can't change.

"Your Li family..."

Qin An instinctively wanted to ask a question, but before he could finish speaking, he swallowed the words back.

Saying these things at this time is a bit of a downer.

But he didn't know what else to say.

For a moment, the atmosphere became a little silent.

Li Zhaoning simply accompanied him as he continued walking forward.

As you walk to the alley entrance, you can see the lights of the military camp in the distance, stretching into the night like beacon fires burning to the horizon.

She stopped and said, "Just drop me off here."

Qin An nodded, bowed his head and said to Li Xuanfu, "Practice your skills well," then glanced at Li Zhaoning.

His gaze lingered on her face for a brief moment before he mounted his horse.

But at that moment, Li Zhaoning finally couldn't hold back any longer and whispered, "No matter what, you must come back safely. I don't want to see anything happen to you!"

Qin An stopped and turned to look at her.

The light from the lantern shone from behind, casting a half-light and half-shadow on her profile.

There were too many unspoken things in those eyes.

It's not that I don't want to talk about it, it's that I can't talk about it, I mustn'

But they remained quietly there, wrapped up in a thin layer of restraint.

Qin An opened his mouth, wanting to say a lot, but in the end he only firmly replied, "I will definitely come back!"

Li Zhaoning smiled, tucked a strand of hair that had been ruffled by the night wind behind her ear, and said nothing more.

Qin An mounted his horse immediately, and the sound of the black steed's hooves gradually faded away on the bluestone road.

Li Zhaoning stood at the alley entrance, watching that figure until it completely disappeared into the depths of the night before letting out a soft breath.

She took her younger brother's hand and turned to walk back.

Li Xuanfu remained very quiet until he had walked a short distance before looking up at his sister. His lips moved slightly as he asked, "Sister, you and Master..."

Although Li Xuanfu was naturally a bit slow-witted, he wasn't completely stupid.

Even he could see something out of it.

As Cai Zhen said before, he would wholeheartedly support Qin An becoming his brother-in-law.

But Li Zhaoning didn't let him continue, and sighed softly, "No need to say more, it's actually quite good this way."

This was something Li Xuanfu couldn't understand.

But he was more obedient to his older sister.

Since he wasn't allowed to continue, he stopped talking and simply tightened his grip on her hand.

……

The military camp was brightly lit.

Torches were stuck on iron frames around the drill ground, and the smell of burning pine resin mixed with the smell of horse manure and rust wafted through the air.

Qin An dismounted, tossed the reins to the groom who came to greet him, and strode toward the central military tent.

The moment the tent flap was lifted, a warm breeze carrying a mixture of the smells of alcohol, sweat, and rust rushed out. Everyone inside turned their heads in unison.

Luo Kai, Cheng Zhiyuan, Han Quan, Xue Ju, and Li Jing—five familiar faces, five pairs of eyes that shone brightly in the firelight.

Looking at his former brothers-in-arms, Qin An instantly banished his previous distracting thoughts.

"General Qin!" Luo Kai strode over and punched him in the chest with considerable force, causing Qin An to stumble back half a step.

Luo Kai's hearty laughter shook the dust off the tent ceiling: "We've been waiting for you! The whole camp is all ready, and you, the commander, are still at home cuddling your wife!"

Cheng Zhiyuan sat on the table, holding a wine jar, swinging his legs, his chubby face glowing red, and grinning.

"Come on over and have a bowl! Tonight we're all drunk, or we'll only be able to drink cold water tomorrow!"

Xue Ju sat upright to one side, polishing his long spear. The spear blade gleamed coldly in the lamplight, reflecting his stern face.

He looked up at Qin An, his hand still wiping his spear, and made a rare joke: "General, you're late. According to military regulations, you should be punished with three bowls of rice."

Han Quan remained silent.

He simply picked up the wine jar and filled the empty bowl in front of Qin An. The wine splashed against the rough earthenware bowl, and a few drops landed on the table.

Li Jing stood on the far side.

Compared to six months ago, he has grown taller and thinner.

The angles of his face became more defined, and he already had the features of a seasoned general on the battlefield.

He clasped his hands in greeting and said, "Brother-in-law."

Qin An looked at his old brothers who had fought their way out of Black Mountain City and suddenly smiled.

He picked up the wine bowl, tossed it towards the crowd, and the wine rippled in the bowl, reflecting the firelight overhead.

"Enough with the chit-chat, brothers, let's fight side by side once again!"