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

Yuwen Rong had no objection to Qin An openly grooming his brother-in-law.

It's mainly because Li Jing himself is capable enough.

Although he is still young, his growth rate in military affairs is comparable to Qin An's growth in combat power, which cannot be judged by ordinary standards.

Yuwen Rong pondered for a moment, then waved his hand and said, "Alright! Give Li Jing ten thousand men and let him do as he pleases. He must not be greedy for credit."

Li Jing immediately knelt on one knee, his voice filled with barely concealed excitement: "This subordinate obeys!"

For the next month or so, Li Jing certainly did not disappoint.

He led 10,000 troops, cutting through the heart of the Wang family territory like a sharp blade, and successively conquered more than ten cities controlled by the Wang family.

With the fall of Luocheng and the collapse of the royal family's main force, the remaining local garrison either surrendered at the first sign of trouble or scattered like birds and beasts after a brief resistance.

Li Jing personally led every battle, gradually earning a reputation for his abilities.

Meanwhile, Qin An was stationed in Luocheng, where he reorganized the surrendered rebel army, selected the strongest men to supplement the various units, and unified the allocation of the captured money, grain, and weapons, greatly reducing the pressure on food supplies.

Yuwen Rong took charge of the overall command, dividing the army into several routes to launch successive attacks, gradually eroding the remaining territory of the Wang family.

All the efforts the Wang family had put in over a year to start the uprising had come to naught.

With his territory shrinking drastically and his troops suffering heavy losses, Wang Chong, with his remaining forces, could only eke out a living under the pressure of the government army.

Just when the government troops thought that the Wang family was at its end and that a few more battles would be enough to completely quell the rebellion, trouble came.

First, Wang Chong led his remaining troops and fled to the territory of Ligangzhai.

Li Mi did not kill him, but instead gave him a small town to settle down in, and also allocated two thousand shi of grain and a batch of military equipment.

Immediately afterwards, Dou Xia of the Chang Le Army also dispatched a force of three thousand men to garrison the north of the last few cities of the Wang family.

This was both helping the Wang family fend off the government troops and sending a signal to the imperial court.

If you want to destroy Wang Chong, that means you're going to war with three families at the same time.

Qin An was also present, and remained silent for a moment after listening.

Luo Kai, unable to contain himself any longer, slapped his thigh and exclaimed, "Are Li Mi and Dou Xia out of their minds? Back then, Wang Chong looked down on their two peasant families and was extremely wary of them. Now they're rushing to help them. What a bunch of cowards!"

"This isn't cowardice," Qin An suddenly spoke up. "Li Mi and Dou Xia are both shrewd and capable men; they won't just stand by and watch the Wang family be wiped out for the sake of a moment of pride."

"They also knew that although Wang Chong was cowardly and greedy, the Wang family's territory was in their way. Once the Wang family fell, they would become the next piece of meat for the imperial court to eat."

Qin An was not surprised that the Li Gangzhai and Chang Le Jun families, who had lost nearly 20,000 men because of Wang Chong, were still willing to help him.

It can only be said that those who manage to stand out in this chaotic world must have some real skills.

Personal grudges are insignificant compared to one's own great cause.

Cheng Zhiyuan snorted: "But both families are struggling right now, how much can they really help?"

"Even if we can't help much, we should still help," Qin An said calmly. "Even if it's just money and supplies, it can help the Wang family hold out for a few more months. Those few months will be enough for them to readjust their plans."

The tent fell silent for a moment.

Yuwen Rong, however, didn't care at all. He stood up and said, "Since they want to live a few more days, then let them live a few more days. Issue the order for all troops to return to their posts and rest. Do not forcibly advance for the time being. We will wait until we have completely conquered Luoyang before making any further moves."

Qin An nodded; this was exactly the result he wanted.

After continuous battles, his cavalry were exhausted, and the wounded needed time to recover.

Under such circumstances, a new voice emerged within the government and military.

Since all three have shown signs of fatigue, once they have rested and recuperated, they may have a real chance to wipe them out in one fell swoop.

This idea is not without basis.

Li Gangzhai and Chang Le Army suffered heavy losses in their previous efforts to support the Wang family.

Now, in order to ensure that the Wang family is not quickly wiped out, Sun has no choice but to withdraw troops from his own defenses.

This created a vulnerability for them.

If a large army can be concentrated to launch a surprise attack on one of the routes, it is highly likely that the enemy will be caught off guard, creating an opening, and thus completely taking down the weakest of the three.

Both Yuwen Rong and Qin An realized this, but neither of them said it outright.

Especially Qin'an.

He knew better than anyone that what was truly changing the situation was never the enemy on the front lines.

Rather, it was the person sitting on the throne of the Emperor of Daxing.

But he couldn't tell these things to anyone.

Ten days have passed in the blink of an eye.

That evening, Qin An and Yuwen Rong were discussing the next military plan in the council hall.

The hall was crowded with generals, including Li Jing, Luo Kai, Cheng Zhiyuan, and Xue Ju.

Models of the last few cities belonging to the Wang family have already been displayed on the sand table.

Just as everyone was discussing how to launch a pincer attack on the largest of the two buildings from the north and south, hurried footsteps suddenly came from outside the door.

A captain pushed open a half-open door, poked his head in, and said breathlessly, "General, an imperial envoy has arrived outside the city and is at the north gate!"

Yuwen Rong paused, looking up at the doorway: "An angel? Who's here?"

"They say it's an imperial messenger from the capital, accompanied by a troop of imperial guards, waiting at the North Gate."

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

"Please come in." Yuwen Rong put down his charcoal pencil and straightened his armor.

Soon, the messenger was led into the hall.

The man was tall and thin with a gaunt face. He was dressed in eunuch's clothes and carried a bright yellow scroll. After entering the room, he did not look to the side, but only gave Yuwen Rong a slight nod.

"The imperial edict has arrived. Yuwen Rong, Qin An, and the generals shall receive it."

Yuwen Rong was the first to kneel down, and all the generals in the hall also knelt down in unison.

The messenger unfurled the scroll, and his shrill voice echoed through the hall.

"The Emperor of Daxing decreed: Yuwen Rong and Qin An have commanded troops skillfully, recaptured Luoyang, and repeatedly defeated the enemy, thus demonstrating the might of our Daxing army. Yuwen Rong is hereby bestowed with a set of golden armor, Qin An with a brocade robe, and all other generals are to be granted titles and rewards..."

The preceding words were all about rewards and honors, and the generals were all delighted to hear them.

But when the messenger read the second half of the decree, his voice suddenly rose a few decibels and his speech became faster.

"Now that the front lines have achieved a great victory and the enemy's forces are gradually being quelled, the court, grateful for the soldiers' hard work, hereby orders Yuwen Rong and Qin An's troops to return to the capital immediately without delay."

Upon hearing this, the entire hall fell silent.

Some people's smiles were still frozen on their faces, while others' fists were already clenched tightly.

Qin An lowered his head, his expression calm, but a dark glint flashed in his eyes.

coming.

"Your Majesty, we accept the decree," Yuwen Rong replied in a deep voice, reaching out to receive the imperial edict.

The messenger said a few more polite words and was then led by his personal guards to the back hall to rest.

As soon as they left, the hall erupted into chaos, as if it had been set on fire.

"What? Return to the capital in triumph? The battle is at a critical juncture, and the court is actually ordering us to go back?"

"Exactly! The Wang family hasn't been wiped out yet, and Li Gang Village and Chang Le Army are watching from the sidelines. If they leave now, all the fighting ahead will have been for nothing!"

"We've already crippled all three rebel armies. If we held out for another two or three months, we might have been able to wipe them out completely. To withdraw now is just a joke!"

Everyone started arguing, their faces turning red with embarrassment.

Cheng Zhiyuan, the most outspoken of them all, stood up abruptly and shouted, "General, we cannot listen to this! A general in the field may disobey the emperor's orders. If we really go back like this, all the blood our brothers have shed over the past six months will have been for nothing!"

Luo Kai also unusually had a serious expression: "General, could it be that someone in the court is interfering?"

Qin An did not respond.

He leaned against the desk, his gaze fixed on the imperial edict.

He remembered that Xiao Mei had mentioned in her letter that the emperor was considering going on an inspection tour.

It seems they couldn't wait any longer.

Several major local victories were packaged by certain people in the court as a sign that the country was at peace.

The emperor sat in the palace, unable to hear the battle cries from the front lines, only hearing the words "great victory."

He thought he was witnessing a peaceful and prosperous era, so he wanted to recall his elite troops to protect the emperor during the tour.

Qin An felt a bitter taste in his mouth.

He knew, of course, that this was completely wrong, and might even be a trap set up by someone.

But he couldn't say.

All he could do was watch Yuwen Rong.

Yuwen Rong remained silent.

He sat in the main seat, his right hand resting on the table, his fingers lightly tapping the surface, making a soft "tap, tap" sound.

The generals' gazes gradually fell on him.

Cheng Zhiyuan opened his mouth, but ultimately didn't say anything.

After a long pause, Yuwen Rong finally spoke slowly: "Have you all argued enough?"

His tone wasn't harsh, but it instantly silenced the entire hall.

He glanced around, then finally looked at Qin An: "Qin An, what do you think?"

Qin An straightened up and said calmly, "This is an imperial decree, and the decision still rests with the General."

He pushed the question back to him.

Yuwen Rong stared at him for a few moments, then suddenly laughed: "Qin An, why do I feel like you're getting more and more cautious these days?"

Qin An's expression remained unchanged: "But this humble general knows his own limitations. Such an important matter is not up to me to make decisions."

Yuwen Rong snorted, turned his gaze away from Qin An, and looked at the others.

"I understand how you feel. To be honest, I'm also feeling resentful. We've finally made it this far, and it's really frustrating that we can't achieve our goal."

Everyone looked at each other, no one said anything.

"Although I don't know why there was such an imperial edict!" Yuwen Rong continued, "I know that the emperor's command cannot be disobeyed. Do you intend to defy the edict?"

Towards the end, Yuwen Rong's attitude suddenly became stern.

The emperor treated him very well, truly regarding him as a brother, confiding in him wholeheartedly, and even sharing women with him.

A scholar will die for one who understands him.

In Yuwen Rong's mind, no matter what the emperor thought, since the imperial edict had been issued, he had to carry it out.

Upon hearing the words "defying the imperial decree," everyone was immediately speechless.

Qin An listened intently from the side, and when he looked at Yuwen Rong, his expression became somewhat complicated.

"Loyalty to the emperor? But for you, I fear it's a dilemma of being both loyal to the emperor and filial to your parents!"