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

After handing over the new tasks, Qin An couldn't wait to return to his tent and immediately began packing his belongings.

He didn't have many belongings: a few changes of clothes, a gleaming iron spear, and a heavy money bag.

In the past six months, he has killed countless Baekje soldiers, sold the spoils of war for a lot of money, and with the military pay, he has actually saved up a considerable amount of silver.

He carefully tied the money bag to his waist, and then rummaged through the bottom of the box and pulled out a small wooden carving and a small bow and arrow.

He made these himself in his spare time and delivered them to his two daughters as gifts on time.

Thinking of his two daughters, Qin An couldn't help but smile.

Cai Yan must have grown taller again, right?

How is Cai Zhen's archery skill progressing?

And then there's Yang Yuyan, who raised two children alone; she must have suffered a lot...

He walked outside the tent and looked at the soldiers drilling in the setting sun, feeling a mix of emotions.

The dangers of the front lines were like a sword hanging over my head, but the thought of seeing my family soon made all my fear and anxiety disappear.

"Captain, is everything packed?" Wang Hu came over, carrying something wrapped in oilcloth. "These are some candies the brothers pooled their money to buy. Take them back for the children to try."

Obviously,

Qin An took the oilcloth bag; it felt heavy in his hand.

Looking at Wang Hu's dark face with his honest smile, he felt a warmth in his heart: "Thank the brothers for me."

"No need to thank me, it's nothing." Wang Hu scratched his head. "Captain, when do we set off?"

"Tomorrow morning!" Qin An patted his shoulder. "Make sure the brothers get a good rest and are fully refreshed. Although this trip to Xingye County will be easy, we can't let our guard down."

"Don't worry, Captain, there won't be any problems!"

Back in his tent, Qin An carefully placed the wooden carving and candy into his bundle, and then checked the tip of the iron spear again to confirm that it was extremely sharp.

Although this trip home is a blessing, as he himself said, we cannot be careless.

Baekje soldiers often infiltrated the rear, and even on their way home, they were not necessarily safe.

As night deepened, the camp was filled with the sounds of snoring. Qin An, however, was wide awake. He sat on the couch, stroking the wooden rabbit by the moonlight.

"My wife, Yan'er, Zhen'er, wait for me, I'll be back soon!"

……

As dawn broke, Qin An led his cavalry squad on their way.

More than a hundred warhorses stood in neat formation, their hooves shattering the silence of the camp.

Luo Kai personally escorted him to the camp gate and patted him on the shoulder: "Go early and come back soon. I'll be waiting for you in the camp."

"Please rest assured, Commander!"

The team headed south at a very fast pace.

The cavalry's advantages were on full display; a journey that would normally take six or seven days could be completed in less than three days at this speed.

At first, Qin An was quite anxious, but as they got closer to Xingye County, his expression gradually became serious.

Most of the villages along the way were dilapidated, with wild grass growing among the broken walls. Occasionally, you could see a few ragged refugees sitting by the roadside with empty eyes, like soulless clay sculptures.

"Captain, look over there." Wang Hu pointed to a field not far away.

Looking around, Qin An saw that the crops in the field had long since withered and died, and several unburied corpses were scattered on the ridges of the field. Crows circled above the corpses, emitting mournful cries.

"Scattered soldiers from Baekje?" Qin An frowned.

"It doesn't seem like it!" Wang Hu shook his head. "Look at the clothes the corpses are wearing. They're all civilians from Daxing. I think they were most likely killed by conscripted soldiers."

Qin An fell silent.

He had heard that in order to gather enough soldiers, the local officials were like tigers and wolves, and anyone who resisted would be slaughtered.

But he never expected the situation to become this serious.

As you walk further on, the scene becomes increasingly bleak.

A once bustling town is now reduced to charred roof beams, with the air thick with the smell of burning.

A few surviving elderly people sat at the entrance of the town. When they saw them passing by, they just glanced at them blankly without any reaction.

"Is this... a raid by the Baekje people?" a young cavalryman couldn't help but ask.

Qin An shook his head and pointed to the head hanging on the flagpole at the town entrance: "Those are our Daxing military uniforms. This was a mutiny, and it was suppressed."

The procession fell silent instantly, with only the sound of horses' hooves echoing through the empty streets.

Everyone's face was heavy with sorrow; the cruelty of war is not only evident on the battlefield.

Qin An's heart clenched.

Will Xingye County end up like this?

Baishan Village isn't far from the county seat. What if Yu Yan and the others...?

He dared not think any further and suddenly spurred the horse: "Speed ​​up!"

The warhorse seemed to sense its master's anxiety and quickened its pace.

Qin An lay prone on the horse's back, the wind whistling past his ears, but he felt that the wind carried the smell of blood and the wailing of despair.

Okay, the situation Qin An was worried about, encountering the enemy, did not occur.

After a smooth journey, two days later, the city wall of Xingye County finally came into view.

Unlike the ruins along the way, the city walls of the county town were relatively intact, and soldiers guarded the city gates, conducting quite strict checks.

"We are from the logistics battalion, here to receive new recruits." Qin An stepped forward and showed the documents given to him by Luo Kai.

Seeing that they were soldiers, and glancing at the cavalry squad behind Qin An, the guards dared not delay and quickly let them pass: "Sir, please come in. The magistrate is already waiting at the county office."

Upon entering the county town, Qin An found that the situation here was much better than along the way. Although there weren't many pedestrians on the streets, at least some shops were still open.

However, everyone's face was filled with fear and unease, their eyes darting around, as if they were afraid of getting into some trouble.

Upon arriving at the entrance of the county government office, a yamen runner had already announced our arrival.

County Magistrate He Qiang personally came out to greet them.

When he saw Qin An, he was taken aback for a moment, then his face broke into a wide smile: "Oh my, who is this? I never imagined that the young man who was once a constable in my Xingye County would now be a centurion commanding the cavalry. He's truly a promising young man!"

Qin An looked at the oily face in front of him and felt a surge of disgust.

He still remembered how, when he was a constable, Magistrate He had been extremely strict with the people.

Although he had become a centurion, he still dared not be presumptuous in front of the county magistrate.

We still need to do a good job of putting on a good show.

He cupped his hands in a respectful gesture: "Lord He, you flatter me. I owe my current position entirely to your patronage."

"Not at all," Magistrate He smiled, his eyes narrowing into slits. "Centurion Qin is exceptionally gifted. Even without me, he would still rise to prominence. Please come inside; I have already prepared tea."

Upon entering the county government office, Qin An spotted many familiar faces.

Several of his former colleagues, who had served as constables with him, gathered around him, greeting him with beaming smiles.

"Centurion Qin, you're finally back!"

"I knew from the start that you were destined for greatness, and I was right!"

"I hope the centurion will continue to mentor me in the future!"

"..."

For a moment, it felt as if Qin An had returned home in glory.

But he himself showed no joy whatsoever, merely going through the motions, his gaze sweeping across the crowd, yet he did not see Han Quan's figure.

He was a little confused. Han Quan had already become the chief constable before he left. Logically, he should have been there for this occasion!