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

Upon hearing Zhang Xu's question, Qin An shook his head.

At the same time, he was also filled with doubt as to why the other party would summon him alone.

Instead of offering an explanation, Zhang Xu first shared some good news.

"Because of the tough battles we fought in Baiji, many people in the court have remembered them," Zhang Xu said with a complicated tone. "His Majesty rewards those who have contributed, and our entire army has been promoted."

"I've been promoted to a lieutenant general. Luo Kai and Zhou Lang have also been promoted. As for you..."

Qin An's heart skipped a beat.

Seeing that Zhang Xu was still keeping him in suspense, he couldn't help but feel a little anxious.

Seeing his expression, Zhang Xu laughed heartily: "With your contributions, a promotion is naturally within your reach. Congratulations, Captain Qin!"

The news came suddenly, and Qin An was stunned for a moment before rising and clasping his hands in thanks: "Thank you for Your Majesty's great favor! Thank you for your guidance, General!"

Zhang Xu waved his hand, gesturing for him to sit down, but his tone turned somber: "You've been promoted, which may seem glamorous, but we both know that this border region, though seemingly peaceful, is actually a cold bench."

Qin An felt a chill run down his spine.

Although he was not good at court intrigue, he understood Zhang Xu's meaning.

Border troops are far from the central government, making it difficult to earn merit and slow to get promoted. They can also become scapegoats if they are not careful.

Given Zhang Xu's ambition, he was naturally unwilling to be trapped in this remote place.

"The general means..."

"I'm not reconciled!" Zhang Xu slammed his hand on the table, a fierce glint in his eyes. "I, Zhang Xu, have fought my way through half my life, earning my reputation through real battles, not through anyone's charity!"

"We were able to show our might in the Battle of Baiji, and we can do the same on the frontier!"

Qin An was silent for a moment, then asked, "What are your plans, General?"

Zhang Xu stood up, walked to the map, and traced his finger across the interior of Daxing.

"Do you see? Right now, there's chaos and turmoil within Daxing. Although the imperial court has been sending people to suppress it, the results have been less than satisfactory."

"If we can achieve something here, His Majesty will naturally remember us. A transfer back to the central government, or even a higher position, is not impossible!"

Qin An already knew that Zhang Xu was an ambitious man.

Hearing his words now is not surprising.

Just as Qin An was lost in thought, Zhang Xu turned around, his gaze falling on Qin An with expectation.

"Qin An, I have witnessed your performance in Baiji. Your ability to lead cavalry has been proven."

"Although you have been promoted to captain, I want you to do one thing: build a cavalry force of three thousand men!"

Qin An looked up abruptly, his eyes filled with surprise: "Three thousand men? General, we only have a little over a thousand cavalrymen right now. Where are we going to find the manpower to form three thousand cavalrymen?"

"Manpower is not a problem," Zhang Xu said confidently. "I have already petitioned His Majesty to transfer a group of able-bodied men from the interior to supplement the border troops, and His Majesty should approve it."

"As for warhorses, there are quite a few in the horse farm. Although they can't compare to the magnificent horses you captured in Baiji, they can still be put to use with a little training."

"I will have weapons and armor allocated from the warehouse, prioritizing your unit."

He walked up to Qin An and patted him on the shoulder: "I know this is difficult. Three thousand cavalrymen is equivalent to thirty percent of our troops. To train them into the kind of elite force you led in Baiji is even more difficult."

"But Qin'an, this is our chance! If this army succeeds, we'll have a foothold, and we might even be able to carve out a path to the central government!"

Looking at the ambition and trust in Zhang Xu's eyes, Qin An felt his blood begin to boil.

He was never one to be subservient to others, and his battles in Baiji taught him that strength was the foundation for survival.

Building a stronger cavalry force would not only fulfill Zhang Xu's request, but also fulfill his own long-cherished wish.

"This humble general is willing to go!" Qin An rose and clasped his hands in a fist salute. "Please rest assured, General, Qin An will certainly not fail in his mission. Within three months, these three thousand cavalrymen will be ready for combat!"

"Good!" Zhang Xu laughed loudly. "I knew I hadn't misjudged you! From this day forward, you are the captain of these three thousand cavalrymen. You can freely deploy them within our ranks. If you need anything, just say the word, and I will fully support you!"

It was already late at night when we left the central command tent.

Qin An looked up at the sky, which was full of stars, just like the one he had seen when he first joined the army.

But at this moment, his goal became clearer: to build an invincible cavalry force that could dominate the world.

……

In the days that followed, Qin An began intensive preparations.

Zhang Xu's request was quickly approved, and the court transferred 5,000 able-bodied men from the interior. Although most of them were farmers who had never seen a warhorse, let alone had any riding skills, they were young and strong, and their eyes revealed a simple and tenacious spirit.

Qin An personally selected the cavalry.

He didn't look at the backgrounds of these young men, nor at their strength, but instead had them stand in front of the horses to observe their reactions when facing the warhorses.

Some were trembling with fear, while others had shining eyes and tried to reach out and stroke the horse's mane.

"Pick out those that dare to approach the warhorses without fear in their eyes," Qin An said to Luo Sheng. "A cavalryman must first be unafraid of the horse before he can even talk about riding it."

Luo Sheng followed the instructions and ultimately selected 3,200 people.

Qin An then filtered out another two hundred people who were too thin or slow to react, leaving exactly three thousand people.

"From this day forward, you are the cavalry of Daxing!"

Qin An stood on the drill ground, looking at the young men in front of him dressed in coarse clothes with bewildered eyes, and spoke in a loud voice.

"I don't care if you were farmers or artisans before. Once you join my cavalry battalion, you have to forget your past!"

"What you will learn is how to ride a horse, how to wield a sword, how to survive on the battlefield, and how to strike fear into the hearts of the enemy!"

He paused, his gaze sharp as he swept over the crowd: "The training will be grueling, it might even kill you. Those who want to quit now, it's not too late!"

The drill ground was silent; no one moved.

Most of these young men joined the army because they couldn't make a living in their hometowns.

They knew this was an opportunity to change their fate, and no matter how hard or tiring it was, they couldn't give up.

"Very good." Qin An nodded. "Luo Sheng, take them to collect their warhorses and weapons. Basic training will begin tomorrow!"

In the days that followed, the drill ground of this border town became the liveliest place.

Every day before dawn, Qin An would lead his cavalry battalion into training.

First, they familiarize themselves with the warhorses by having the soldiers lead them on the grass, feed them, groom them, and build a bond with the horses.

Then comes learning horsemanship, from the most basic mounting and dismounting, to maintaining balance on horseback, and then to walking slowly and trotting quickly.

Falling off a horse is a common occurrence.

Almost every day, soldiers would fall off their horses, suffering minor abrasions or even fractures.

Knowing that Zhang Xu was preparing for the domestic battlefield, Qin An felt no pity whatsoever.

His only wish was to quickly build up this cavalry force so that it could be deployed to the battlefield at any time!