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

The next day, before dawn, the army had already lined up in battle formation on the training ground.

One hundred thousand armored soldiers stretched out in a dark mass, their banners fluttering in the morning breeze.

Yuwen Rong stood on the command platform, clad in gleaming armor, holding a phoenix-winged gilded halberd, exuding an imposing aura.

Qin An lagged half a step behind him, his halberd standing beside him.

The sacrificial offerings for the flag-raising ceremony have been prepared, with the three kinds of animals placed on the incense table, ready to be launched at the appointed time.

Just then, a rapid sound of horses' hooves suddenly came from outside the camp gate.

A eunuch galloped up on horseback, nearly stumbling as he dismounted, and cried out in a shrill voice, "Wait! His Majesty is coming in person to see the army off..."

Yuwen Rong and Qin An exchanged a glance, both seeing surprise in each other's eyes.

We had not received any prior notice. The emperor's personal attendance at the oath-taking ceremony was an extremely important event. Logically, officials from the Ministry of Rites should have come several days in advance to arrange the ceremony.

But now that they knew the emperor would be coming, the two had no time to think. They immediately donned their armor and led their troops to the camp gate to welcome him.

As a result, the wait only made everyone more and more agitated.

The sun slowly climbed to its zenith, and it was already high in the sky when the emperor's carriage finally arrived.

The procession stretched for hundreds of paces, with banners obscuring the sun, and golden maces and axes gleaming blindingly in the sunlight.

The imperial carriage stopped in the center of the training ground. The eunuch lifted the curtain, and Yang Ming, dressed in a bright yellow dragon robe, slowly stepped down.

Following closely behind, alighting from another phoenix palanquin, was none other than Empress Xiao Mei.

Today, she wore a crown with nine phoenixes holding pearls and a bright red robe with gold trim. Her makeup was exquisite and dignified. She followed the emperor with a composed gait, her eyes fixed straight ahead, exuding an air of elegance.

Qin An stood in the queue and glanced at it from afar, feeling a little dazed.

The dignified and majestic First Lady before us is completely different from the woman who, in private, was drunk and delirious, whispering intimate words to Yang Yuyan.

Yang Ming ascended the temporary platform, and 100,000 soldiers knelt down in unison, shouting "Long live the Emperor!"

He stood on the stage, his gaze sweeping over the sea of ​​heads below, and delivered a speech to boost morale.

"...The rebels are nothing but a rabble; they will be annihilated once the heavenly army arrives... Soldiers, you have fought for the country against the traitors; on the day of your victory, everyone will be rewarded..."

His words were short, but full of energy.

After speaking, Yang Ming stepped down from the platform and walked straight toward Yuwen Rong.

He actually put his arm around Yuwen Rong's shoulder: "Arong, I'm entrusting this army of 100,000 to you. You are the person I trust most. I will be waiting for your good news in the capital..."

Without waiting for Yuwen Rong's response, she grabbed his arm and walked towards the edge of the training ground, saying that she had a few words to say to him privately.

Yuwen Rong lowered his head slightly to listen.

The emperor walked and talked, sometimes nodding, sometimes patting his shoulder, his manner as intimate as if he were treating his own nephew or niece.

Everyone watching this scene had their own thoughts in their eyes.

This single act made everyone realize that the emperor's treatment of Yuwen Rong was unparalleled.

Xiao Mei did not go with the emperor.

She stood beside the high platform, her gaze sweeping across the ranks of soldiers before settling on Qin An.

She waved to Qin An, signaling him to come closer.

The man in the throat quickly stepped forward, about to bow, but Xiao Mei waved her hand and said, "No need, let's go for a walk."

Although Qin An sensed something was amiss, he dared not disobey and followed Xiao Mei toward the training ground.

Xiao Mei only spoke after the crowd had separated them at a distance that was neither too close nor too far, enough for her to speak without being noticed.

"General Qin, are you surprised to see me?" Xiao Mei's tone was completely devoid of her previous dignified and imposing manner; the corners of her mouth even curled up slightly, carrying a mischievous smile. "Surprised or not?"

Qin An lowered his gaze, clasped his hands in a fist and said, "Your Majesty's arrival is truly unexpected."

"If I had expected it, it wouldn't be a surprise." Xiao Mei said, then suddenly took half a step forward and placed her hand on his chest.

Qin An instinctively tried to retreat, but he couldn't dodge.

Xiao Mei pressed her hand twice against his chest through his armor, her fingertips brushing against the supple gold thread beneath his battle robe, before withdrawing her hand and nodding in satisfaction.

"It's alright, I put it on. I was worried you'd be keeping the things I gave you as a precious possession and wouldn't want to wear them."

Qin An tensed up as she pressed him down, and his gaze involuntarily drifted towards the emperor.

Yang Ming was facing away from them, engrossed in talking to Yuwen Rong.

He breathed a sigh of relief, his eyes somewhat unfocused: "Your Majesty's gift is too generous; how could this humble general dare not wear it?"

Seeing his uncomfortable expression, Xiao Mei's smile deepened, and her voice carried a hint of teasing.

"General Qin, aren't you usually quite bold? Why are you acting like a mouse in front of a cat today? I don't eat people."

Qin An's lips twitched, but he still dared not meet her gaze. He forced himself to say, "Your Majesty is a woman of unparalleled beauty and captivating charm. This humble general dares not look directly at you."

Xiao Mei chuckled softly upon hearing this.

She tilted her head slightly and glanced around.

The nearest guards were about twenty paces away, and the emperor was still talking to Yuwen Rong. Everyone's attention was focused on the emperor and his minister.

She looked away, her smile fading slightly, and her voice lowered to a whisper that only Qin An could hear.

"General Qin, tell me the truth." Her expression suddenly turned serious, and she looked directly at him. "How confident are you in this battle?"

Qin An was about to speak subconsciously, those well-known platitudes already on the tip of his tongue.

"This humble general will do his utmost to live up to Your Majesty and Her Majesty's expectations..."

But before he could finish speaking, Xiao Mei suddenly did something that made his blood freeze for a moment.

After confirming that no one was watching, Xiao Mei suddenly grabbed Qin An's hand and pressed his palm against her chest.

Even through the intricate embroidery of the robe, Qin An could still feel the softness and warmth beneath his palm, and the pounding of his heart beneath that thin fabric.

Her heart was beating fast, a stark contrast to her expression.

Qin An's pupils suddenly contracted, and his hand instinctively tried to pull back.

Xiao Mei pressed down on the back of his hand, her fingertips cool, but with considerable force.

Qin An dared not struggle to break free.

Making too much noise would inevitably attract attention, and the emperor was only a few dozen steps away.

He stiffly turned his head, his gaze sweeping towards Yang Ming.

The emperor had his back to them, holding Yuwen Rong's arm with one hand and pointing to the distant mountains with the other, talking animatedly, completely unaware of what was happening here.

Qin An felt his heart pounding at its limit, the veins in his temples throbbing, and cold sweat seeping from his vest, soaking his close-fitting gold armor.

"Could this be considered a husband's current situation...?" Qin An's mind was in turmoil when this thought suddenly popped into his head.

Extreme tension caused his fingers to tighten unconsciously.

Xiao Mei hissed softly, her brows furrowing slightly, but she did not dodge.

She simply looked up at him, her gaze carrying a hint of reproach, but more so a sense of persistence.

She stared directly at Qin An, gritting her teeth as she said, "I'll ask you one more time, how confident are you in this battle? Tell the truth, otherwise..."

Clearly, Xiao Mei was resorting to her old tricks again, using this very thing to threaten him.

Qin An's mind was in complete chaos.

The touch of his palm, the dignified yet alluring face before him, the oblivious emperor not far away, and the densely packed 100,000 soldiers all around.

All his senses were so overwhelmed that he could barely think.

But he knew Xiao Mei wasn't joking.

The fact that this woman dared to do such a thing right under the emperor's nose clearly demonstrates her determination.

Qin An took a deep breath, his voice low and blunt, each word seemingly squeezed out from between his teeth.

"Since Your Majesty insists on hearing the truth, this humble general will speak frankly. This battle will be difficult. Even if we gain some advantage on the battlefield, it will be almost impossible to completely eliminate the rebels."

He didn't finish his sentence, but Xiao Mei understood.

Daxing is rotten to the core; the rebels can't be completely wiped out.

Even if Dou Xia is wiped out today, someone else will emerge tomorrow.

In the imperial court, a group of people who only knew how to talk about war on paper advocated for war, while those who actually understood military affairs dared not speak up.

Food supplies, logistics, reinforcements—everything was a problem. This battle was never about winning; it was just about staying alive.

Xiao Mei remained silent for a while, her gaze passing over his shoulder and landing on the distant, continuous banners.

Her expression didn't change much, but the light in her eyes dimmed slightly for a moment, like a candle flame being blown by the wind and then stabilizing again.

Her voice was so soft that Qin An almost mistook it for the wind: "So you don't think it's a good idea either, right?"

Qin An did not answer.

His silence was the answer.

Xiao Mei didn't press the matter further.

She simply sighed softly, released his hand, took a half step back, and restored the distance befitting an empress.

She reached out and straightened her slightly disheveled clothes, her movements composed, as if nothing had just happened.

But a trace of lingering melancholy remained in those eyes.

"No matter what, you must come back alive." Xiao Mei's voice regained its usual composure, and her tone became softer.

"Yu Yan is still waiting for you at home. She is my best sister in this life, and I don't want to see her sad."

Qin An opened his mouth, wanting to ask why he had acted that way, but after circling the words around his lips a few times, he ultimately swallowed them back.

Sometimes, it's better not to ask than to ask.

He lowered his eyelashes, clasped his hands in a fist salute, and said, "This humble general will remember!"

After a while, the emperor and Yuwen Rong finally ended their private conversation.

Seeing Xiao Mei and Qin An together, he didn't think much of it.

After all, Qin An's wife was Xiao Mei's good friend. It's only natural that she, with nothing else to do, would care about her "brother-in-law."

Thinking this, Yang Ming even reflected, "The Empress is indeed very thoughtful. I had somewhat overlooked a valiant general like Qin An."

With this in mind, Yang Ming walked straight over, stood in front of Qin An, patted him on the shoulder, and gave him an encouraging look.

"Do a good job, and when you return victorious, I will give you a great reward!"

Upon hearing the word "reward," Qin An's gaze instinctively turned to Xiao Mei!