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

Beijing!

News of the victorious return of the army that quelled the rebellion had already reached the capital city of Daxing.

At this time, the official roads outside the capital were packed with people.

There were officials from the Jingzhao Prefecture maintaining order, but most of the people came spontaneously to watch the spectacle.

"I heard that a great victory was won at the front. Luoyang has been completely recovered. Now there are no more rebels who can threaten the capital."

"I've also heard that the fighting at the front is going well, but it's said that the rebels haven't been completely wiped out yet. Why did they suddenly turn back?"

"Who knows? Perhaps there are other plans in the court."

"..."

The people gathered together, talking amongst themselves.

There are many well-informed people in the capital who are familiar with the situation on the front lines.

The more they knew, the more confused they became.

The front lines have won a great victory, shouldn't they press on and pursue the enemy? Why are they suddenly turning back?

No matter how many doubts they had, the fact that the army had returned in triumph was undeniable.

As they peered out curiously, they finally heard some movement ahead.

The first to appear were light cavalry scouts.

A dozen or so riders galloped from the end of the official road, their armor gleaming in the sunlight. They charged straight through the city gate, shouting, "The army is returning in triumph! All bystanders, make way!"

Immediately afterwards, a grayish-yellow plume of dust rose from the distant official road, moving slowly forward like a long dragon.

A low murmur arose in the crowd, and some people stood on tiptoe to look.

"Yuwen? That's right, the army that quelled the rebellion at the front has returned. I had heard before that General Yuwen Rong was the number one warrior in our Daxing, but I always felt that his reputation was overrated. This time, the suppression of the rebellion has completely proven his prowess."

"I've heard that General Yuwen displayed incredible prowess on the front lines, with no one able to match him. No wonder the army was able to return in triumph so quickly. With General Yuwen around, Daxing has nothing to worry about!"

"..."

Upon seeing the two characters "Yuwen" on the banner, many people immediately became excited.

In this suppression of the rebellion, Yuwen Rong truly made a name for himself.

The storyteller made it sound like a miracle that he could fight three fierce generals, Xiong Zi, Wu Tian, ​​and Wu Yun, all by himself and still gain the upper hand.

Behind the great banner came a vast army.

Eight thousand cavalrymen were arranged in four columns and led the way.

Qin An was at the very front of these eight thousand cavalrymen.

The ground trembled slightly wherever the horse passed.

Some of the people whispered among themselves, "Who is that general leading the way? He looks so young."

A middle-aged man who seemed to have seen a lot of the world immediately chimed in.

"You don't recognize him? General Fenwei, Marquis Fengyi Qin An! Don't let his early twenties fool you, he's already a decorated war hero. He was among those who presented prisoners last time."

"I've heard that General Qin's strength is second only to General Yuwen's; with his halberd, he can make the rebels cry out in despair!"

"That's not all. Let me tell you something you don't know: General Qin has actually been commanding the frontline army all along. He is the true commander-in-chief of this rebellion!"

"Impossible, right? There were 100,000 troops when they set out. How old is Qin An? Even if he learned from birth, he couldn't possibly command 100,000 troops."

"..."

The discussion gradually grew louder.

Some people started cheering, while others threw the paper flowers they had prepared in advance onto the road.

Colorful scraps of paper fell on the cavalrymen's horses' heads and shoulders, but no one bothered to brush them off.

Qin An stared straight ahead, his face expressionless.

But if you get close, you can see that the back of his hand holding the reins is very taut.

"So he's back after all! I wonder if this return is a blessing or a curse?" Qin An sighed heavily in his heart.

If he could, he would rather fight the enemy on the front lines.

In his view, returning to Beijing at this time would be like putting himself in a huge vortex.

But unfortunately, he had no choice.

Firstly, he couldn't disobey the imperial edict. On the surface, he was still the general of Daxing, and there was also Yuwen Rong above him, so he had no say in the matter.

Secondly, his wife and children are still in the capital. If something were to happen, he couldn't just sit idly by.

"Never mind, now that we're back, we'll just have to take it one step at a time. In any case, we'll protect my wife and children first."

Just as many thoughts were flashing through Qin An's mind, the cheers of the people on both sides poured into his ears, like a tide, one wave higher than the next.

Seeing such a lively scene, he felt not much excitement, but rather a sense of heaviness.

Back then, when the army of 100,000 set out on their expedition, they also left through this city gate.

But now, only 30,000 have returned.

The losses were certainly not that great; they were ordered to return to the capital, but the fighting on the front lines could not be ignored.

In the end, more than 30,000 troops were left behind to guard the front lines and defend the cities that had been won with their lives.

But this also means that of the original 100,000 troops, one-third were completely wiped out in this war.

No matter how loud the cheers are, they can't hide this fact.

"One general's success is built on the bones of ten thousand soldiers; such is the truth!" Qin An sighed inwardly.

Li Jing followed closely behind him.

Li Jing did not wear standard general's armor, but instead wore a black battle robe with a half-body chainmail over it.

A month of leading troops alone had tanned him considerably, and the youthful exuberance in his eyes had faded.

His eyes kept scanning the crowd on both sides, as if he were looking for someone.

Cheng Zhiyuan rode up beside him and nudged him with his elbow: "Don't bother looking. Women of respectable status wouldn't show their faces at the city gate. Humph, if you want to see your niece, you'll have to go home first."

Li Jing glanced at him sideways, said nothing, and simply tugged at the front of his battle robe.

Cheng Zhiyuan chuckled and looked ahead again: "I heard His Majesty is going to personally inspect the troops outside Chengtian Gate. What do you think His Majesty will do to reward us for this brilliant victory?"

Luo Kai chimed in quietly, "A victory? Can such a war, which started strong but ended weak, really be considered a victory? I'm still a little worried about the brothers left behind on the front lines."

These words were like a cold wind, freezing the smile on Cheng Zhiyuan's face for a moment.

No one responded.

The procession continued onward.

A high platform had already been erected outside Chengtian Gate.

The bright yellow curtains billowed in the wind, and the Imperial Guards stood in two rows on either side, their helmets and armor gleaming, their swords and spears dazzling.

A red carpet, a hundred paces long, was laid out in front of the platform, with black wooden plaques painted in gold on both sides, each bearing a list of titles and honors.

Emperor Yang Ming stood in the center of the high platform.

Today he was dressed in an ochre-yellow robe, covered with a bright yellow dragon-patterned armor, and a Longquan sword inlaid with gold and jade hung at his waist. From a distance, he really did have the air of an emperor on horseback.

Yuwen Rong rode his horse to the end of the red carpet, dismounted, and unsheathed the broken sword from his waist with his bare hands. Holding it in both hands, he strode towards the high platform.

Qin An and other generals followed closely behind.

When he reached a point ten steps in front of the stage, Yuwen Rong knelt on one knee, his voice booming like a bell.

"Your subject, Yuwen Rong, was ordered to lead the expedition. Thanks to Your Majesty's divine might and the valiant efforts of our soldiers, we recaptured Luoyang and defeated countless enemy troops. Now, we return to the capital in triumph and have come to report back!"

On the high platform, Yang Ming stepped forward and personally helped Yuwen Rong up.

He patted Yuwen Rong on the shoulder, his voice filled with undisguised excitement and joy: "You've worked hard! I knew you could do it, you are my number one warrior."

When facing Yuwen Rong, Yang Ming did not put on any airs of an emperor, and his tone was full of friendliness.

Hearing his words, Yuwen Rong felt a warmth in his heart.

Perhaps in the eyes of others, Yang Ming is putting on a show to win people's hearts.

But he knew in his heart that this emperor was truly unquestionable in his dealings with him.

"It's no trouble at all. It's my honor to be able to share Your Majesty's burdens!" Yuwen Rong's eyes were full of sincerity.

"Are you alright? I've been waiting for news of you day and night in the palace. Every time I hear good news, I wish I could drink a cup with you!"

Yuwen Rong stood up and smiled sincerely: "If it weren't for Your Majesty's command and coordination in the court, and the hard work of Qin An and others under your command, I wouldn't have been able to fight so smoothly on the front lines."

Upon hearing Yuwen Rong mention Qin An and the others, Yang Ming then looked at the group behind him.

His gaze swept across the faces of the generals one by one, and he nodded: "Good, good! Rise, all of you. You are all my valiant generals, and I will reward you handsomely!"

Having said that, he turned around, took an imperial edict from the eunuch's hand, unfolded it himself, and read it aloud.

The emperor personally proclaimed the decree, which was an extremely rare honor.

Qin An and the others bowed again, listening to the high-pitched yet authoritative voice echoing outside Chengtian Gate.

"Yuwen Rong, who led the army to quell the rebellion, made great contributions to the country and was specially appointed as the Grand General Protector of the Nation, while still in charge of the Imperial Guards."

"Qin An, for his valiant service to the king, repeatedly defeated powerful enemies, slaying generals and capturing flags, was specially appointed as General of Anxi and granted a silver seal and blue ribbon."

"Li Jing, though young, is capable of handling matters independently, and is hereby specially appointed as General Anyuan."

"Luo Kai is commendable for his loyalty and bravery; he is hereby granted the title of General Yaowu."

"Cheng Zhiyuan, General of the Feudal Army."

"Xue Ju was appointed General of the Central Army."

"Han Quan is hereby appointed General Guangwei."

……

The names were read out one after another.

The emperor was clearly very satisfied with the suppression of the rebellion, and bestowed generous rewards, with general positions being granted in large numbers.

Anyone who has made a contribution will be rewarded.

Qin An's heart skipped a beat when he heard the words "General Anxi".

He showed no outward expression, only bowing his head in gratitude, but inwardly he was churning with turmoil.

He knew the generals of Daxing all too well.

After being promoted from a junior officer, he was given the title of "general".

Above that is the Lieutenant General.

Above the Lieutenant General are the Four Armies (front, rear, left, right), the Four Pacifications (east, south, west, north), the Four Peace, the Four Garrisons, and the Four Expeditions.

These twenty official generals each had a title and were in charge of military affairs in their respective regions.

Among them, the Four Expeditions are the highest-ranking generals besides the Grand General, and the General of the Cavalry, General of the Chariots and Cavalry, and General of the Guards, whose ranks are comparable to the Three Dukes. The Four Pacifications are next in rank.

The "Anxi" general among the Four An Generals is not a position that just anyone can hold.

This was a high-ranking general who truly held real power in the imperial court, and could definitely be considered a high-ranking official in the military.

A year ago, he was just a general.

In terms of rank, it was just a miscellaneous title, nothing more than the position of a Lieutenant General.

During the war, some extra value was added, barely enough to qualify him as a general of the fourth army.

Once the war is over, that little bit of value will simply vanish.

Now, things have taken a turn for the worse; he's gone from a Lieutenant General to one of the Four Guardians.

That's a real promotion of three levels!

At this moment, even Qin An himself had some doubts about what he had done to deserve such a reward.