Ask the mountains and rivers

Chapter 101 Cold-blooded
Two months passed in the blink of an eye.

Several major events have occurred in the past two months.

Rebellions broke out in the Jiangnan region, and counties fell one after another. The rebel army grew like a snowball, and wherever it went, the government officials were the first to suffer, followed by the powerful clans and wealthy families.

Some wealthy families, seeing the rebel army approaching and their own lives hanging in the balance, simply joined the rebels to seek a way to survive. Others, relying on their own fortified villages, established their own independent regimes. Bandits and vagrants sprang up like mushrooms after rain.

The imperial court was utterly powerless to intervene. The capital, already in complete chaos, was in utter disarray. Several armies, claiming to be purging corrupt officials from the court, were already embroiled in internal strife before even capturing the capital.

The Beiping Army and the Bohai Army wanted to rescue the Crown Prince, while the other armies wanted to take the opportunity to declare themselves kings. Some of them were even appeased and recruited by the Prince of Wei, but they turned around and stabbed the Beiping Army and the Bohai Army in the back.

Youzhou was too far from the capital, making communication difficult. Just moments before news arrived that the Beiping and Bohai armies had entered the capital. The next moment, news came that General Meng had been struck by a stray arrow, his fate unknown.

Meng Liulang, who was left behind in the Beiping military camp, could no longer contain himself and led the last five hundred men to rush to the capital.

The bodyguard Xiao Mo held Meng Liulang back tightly: "Sixth Young Master, the general instructed before he left that no matter whether we win or lose this battle, you must not move."

Meng Liulang's eyes were bloodshot as he roared, "If you're afraid of death, then stay. I'm going to save Father and my elder brother!"

Xiao Mo refused to move aside, and in desperation, Meng Liulang kicked him hard. Xiao Mo was knocked to the ground, but gritted his teeth and grabbed Meng Liulang's leg: "Even if you kill me today, Young Master Liu, I will stop you."

"When the general left, he left a letter for you, young master. He said it should only be opened in the most critical moment. Why don't you open the letter first and see what the general said?"

Meng Liulang turned around angrily and took out a letter his father had left a few months ago.

A few words, very concise.

No matter what happens in the capital, do not act rashly. In times of crisis, you can go to Pei Family Village to find Pei Qinghe.

Meng Liulang read the letter over and over, his fist clenching and unclenching: "I'm going to Pei Family Village."

Two days later, Meng Liulang arrived at Peijia Village with several hundred soldiers.

Peijia Village, which I haven't seen for several months, has changed completely.

A wall about ten feet high encloses Peijia Village. Several three-story wooden buildings have been built at the entrance to the village, and people are on lookout duty in the buildings.

Before Meng Liulang and his men could get close, a sharp bamboo whistle rang out. The displaced people who were clearing the wasteland, each holding a hoe, looked over warily, their eyes fierce, as if they might rush over and fight at any moment.

"We haven't been here for months, and nobody here recognizes us anymore." The bodyguard, Xiao Mo, sighed, his tone tinged with melancholy: "New people replacing the old."

Hearing these sarcastic words, Meng Liulang felt uncomfortable and glared at them, saying, "What new and old people? Shut your dog mouth."

Xiao Mo indeed shut up.

In the past, Meng Liulang would ride straight into Pei Family Village. But given the current situation, he couldn't force his way in and had to wait outside the village.

After waiting for a moment, a familiar figure appeared before me.

"General Meng!" Pei Qinghe, who had grown a year older and whose features had matured, was now even more dashing and heroic: "It's been a long time. How have you been?"

They were polite and courteous, but also quite distant.

Meng Liulang felt inexplicably wronged.

The two, who were once inseparable, suddenly grew distant. Was it because their father had led troops to the capital?
Pei Qinghe is also a member of the Crown Prince's Palace, so why would she quarrel with her father and go against his wishes over such a small matter?

Xiao Mo remained calm and nudged Meng Liulang with her arm.

Meng Liulang snapped out of his daze and bowed, saying, "Miss Pei Liu, I have come today to discuss important matters." Pei Qinghe smiled slightly, "In that case, General Meng, please come inside." She then instructed Pei Yun beside her, "Have someone prepare some food and drink and send it over."

Pei Yun accepted the order and left.

Meng Liulang had no choice but to order the soldiers to rest where they were, while he himself took a few personal guards and followed Pei Qinghe into Pei Family Village.

Pei Yun quickly brought steamed buns and hot water. The soldiers had food and drink, but they still felt a little uneasy.

“When we came before, we stayed in the village and had meat and soup. Look at us now, we’ve become complete outsiders.”

"I heard that our general wanted Miss Pei to go to the capital with him to rescue the Crown Prince, but Miss Pei refused, and they parted on bad terms. They haven't been in contact for months. What else could they be but outsiders?"

"I wonder what the Sixth Young Master wants to discuss with Miss Pei. I reckon it's probably not going to work out."

……

"I just received news that my father was wounded by a stray arrow from behind while leading his troops into battle." A few days had passed, and Meng Liulang was no longer so agitated. His tone was low: "Judging by the timeline, this should have happened more than half a month ago."

"I will lead my troops to the capital and rescue my father."

Pei Qinghe's expression remained unchanged, her voice calm: "Since you've decided to go, why did you come to see me?"

Meng Liulang blurted out, "My father left me a letter before he left, instructing me to come see you if I encountered any danger."

“Sixth Miss Pei, you are brave and resourceful, and you have so many people with you. As long as you are willing to come to the capital with me, you will definitely be able to rescue my father. Perhaps, you can even rescue the Crown Prince, set things right, and make a contribution to the cause of the new emperor.”

Meng Liulang became more and more agitated as he spoke, and suddenly stood up and approached: "Your father and brothers died unjustly. Don't you want to avenge your father and brothers, clear the Pei family's name, and restore the Pei family's reputation?"

Pei Qinghe took two steps back to keep her distance: "If you came here just to say this nonsense, you don't need to."

"We must survive first, then we can have a future. The capital is in turmoil, and countless people will die. The Pei family consists of women, children, and the elderly; we have neither the ability nor the desire to get involved."

"Meng Liulang, we have known each other for a while, and I have a few words of advice for you today. General Meng asked you to stay so that the Meng family could have a way out. No matter what happens, you should not leave the camp without permission."

“You’re just sending the last five hundred men to the capital; it’s nothing more than throwing them to their deaths.”

Meng Liulang was furious: "Pei Qinghe! Do you look down on me like that?"

Pei Qinghe said calmly, "Warfare requires real swords and spears; empty talk is useless. You only have five hundred men; what use are they?"

"If you want to jump into the mud, don't drag me down with you."

Meng Liulang's forehead veins bulged as he glared fiercely at Pei Qinghe: "Only today have I realized how cold-blooded and ruthless you are!"

Pei Qinghe twitched the corners of her mouth, her eyes devoid of any smile: "Congratulations, General Meng, for finally seeing my true colors."

Meng Liulang's chest heaved violently. He glared at Pei Qinghe again, then turned and angrily left.

"Wait a minute!"

Meng Liulang paused, without turning around: "What else do you have to say..."

A sudden, sharp pain shot through the back of his head, and Meng Liulang's vision went black as he collapsed.

(End of this chapter)