Ask the mountains and rivers

Chapter 114 Recruitment
The next morning, Zheng Xiaoying came again. This time, she came with only two others.

"Sixth Miss, my parents have both agreed." Zheng Xiaoying's eyes shone brightly, and her voice was loud.

A pair of eager-looking men and women standing a dozen meters behind them were clearly Zheng Xiaoying's parents. The parents of the other two girls stood together, each with their own anxious hearts.

Pei Qinghe asked the three women their names and ages, then called over Pei Yan: "The three of them will all be with you."

Pei Yan had dark skin, a tall and strong build, and a booming voice. In terms of appearance alone, she looked more like a female general than Pei Qinghe. Hearing this, she grinned and said, "Alright! Give me three months, and I guarantee they'll be completely transformed."

Pei Qinghe smiled and glared at her: "Don't train them too hard, let them adapt slowly."

Zheng Xiaoying and the other two were unaware of what kind of life they were about to lead, and each of them was overjoyed.

After this precedent was set, more people quickly expressed their desire to join Pei's army. This time it was Zhao Da and his group. More than forty thugs were conscripted to the city walls, but after a few days of defending the city, half of them were killed by the Xiongnu who stormed the walls. Now only twenty-one remain.

Zhao Da was the first to kneel down: "If it weren't for Sixth Sister's intervention, Changping County would have been conquered by the Xiongnu like Anle County. We would all be dead by now."

"From now on, we will all belong to Sixth Miss. Please accept us, Sixth Miss."

The other thugs all knelt down and said in a cacophony, "From now on, we will all obey Sixth Miss's orders."

"All we need is for Sixth Sister to give us a bite to eat."

Zhao Da was certainly no good; he used to gather a group of people to steal, rob, and bully the neighbors. Among the refugees recruited by Peijia Village, there were also many like him.

Now is a time of manpower shortage, so Pei Qinghe isn't overly picky. After all, once recruited, they'll train daily, and there will be no shortage of opportunities to go to the battlefield. Training soldiers is like sifting through sand; only those who survive will become true members of the Pei family army.

Pei Qinghe called Feng Chang over: "From now on, this group of people will all follow you. Don't be shy, just keep training. Anyone who dares to desert will be dealt with according to the usual practice of Pei Family Village."

Under that small grove of trees north of Peijia Village, gourds have been hanging down without ever stopping.

Feng Chang nodded in agreement and led Zhao Da and the others to settle in.

For several days in a row, people came to join him. The majority of them were men; very few were willing to send women to the army.

In the past few days, Pei Qinghe ordered his men to bury all the corpses in the Xiongnu camp. Among them were not only Xiongnu people, but also many ordinary people from Anle County. Leaving corpses exposed for too long could cause plague, so whether Xiongnu or Anle residents, all were to be buried for peace.

During this time, Pei Yun sent someone over with a message.

A few days ago, the remnants of the Xiongnu army fled in disarray on horseback. When they passed Peijia Village, they intended to plunder. The group managed to hide in the village, where dozens of archers were lying in ambush along the walls for several miles. A volley of arrows killed some of them, and Pei Yun led four hundred men down the walls to fight the remaining Xiongnu soldiers.

The last vestiges of the Xiongnu people's spirit were completely extinguished, and they fled in disarray.

Pei Qinghe laughed after hearing this: "Cousin Yun is really great."

Besides her, the only one who could truly defend the village and fight independently was Pei Yun.

It seems the Xiongnu will not, and dare not, come again.

After the good news spread, everyone in Changping County was overjoyed. The people finally opened their doors and took to the streets. Magistrate Wang, whose face was covered in bruises, breathed a long sigh of relief and ordered his clerk, Li, to bring a pot of wine.

Master Li said with a smile, "There are too many wounded soldiers in the city. The Sixth Miss had all the wine moved there to wash their wounds. Otherwise, I can go to the city gate and talk to the Sixth Miss to bring back a jar or two of fine wine."

Magistrate Wang: "..."

Magistrate Wang waved his hand weakly: "No need. From this moment on, I will completely abstain from alcohol." "Your Excellency, the Sixth Miss has arrived at the county office," a yamen runner hurriedly reported.

Magistrate Wang quickly stood up, his previous dejection gone, and went out to greet them with great enthusiasm.

Li, the clerk, chuckled to himself and followed closely behind, his feet moving like the wind.

Pei Qinghe had no time to beat around the bush and said directly, "I need to go to Anle County."

Magistrate Wang was startled and blurted out, "Anle County was massacred by the Xiongnu for several days, and a large number of people were abducted. It's probably a ghost town now. What would Sixth Miss want to do there?"

To put it bluntly, even the imperial court doesn't care anymore, so why should Pei Qinghe go?

Pei Qinghe glanced at Magistrate Wang: "The situation in Anle County is all hearsay. We have to go and see for ourselves to know what it's really like. We'll decide what to do after I've seen it."

What else can I do?
They didn't even discriminate against refugees, and naturally recruited all the surviving people in Anle County to populate Pei Family Village. Pei Liu's ambition was truly considerable; Changping County alone was not enough for her.

Magistrate Wang inwardly grumbled, but outwardly displayed admiration: "Sixth Miss is kind-hearted and wants to give the surviving people of Anle County a way to live. I was ashamed that I did not think of this."

Pei Qinghe twitched the corner of her mouth: "I will only take one hundred men to Anle County. If we encounter any danger, send someone to Pei Family Village to deliver a message, and Pei Yun will immediately send reinforcements."

Magistrate Wang bowed and accepted the order.

……

Pei Qinghe left the steady and meticulous Mao Hongling to guard Changping County, and rode off to Anle County with Pei Yan, Feng Chang, Gu Lian and others.

Changping County is only separated from Anle County by an official road, a two-day journey by horseback. Along the roadside, mutilated corpses and skeletons are frequently visible, with swarms of insects and ants busily gnawing and carrying them away. Every now and then, one or two wild dogs with bulging bellies will dart out.

Seeing such scenes too often will numb even the softest heart. You feel like vomiting but can't, you want to cry but can't shed a tear.

While resting, Pei Yan ate dry biscuits in silence and drank a large gulp of cold water. As she ate, she suddenly sighed, "Why is it so hard to live?"

Pei Qinghe also found the dry biscuit in her mouth tasteless and put it down: "The world is in chaos, and the King of Wei's throne is not secure at all. Who knows how long the chaos will last? It is the ordinary people who suffer the most."

Pei Yan was silent for a moment, then suddenly whispered, "Cousin Qinghe, whatever you want to do, I'll follow you."

Pei Qinghe reached out and ruffled Pei Yan's messy hair: "Okay, you stay close and follow me all the way."

The familiar conversation stirred up memories from two years ago.

Pei Yan grinned and leaned her head in like an ostrich.

After resting, the group continued their journey. Two days later, Anle County came into view.

The city gates were wide open, the city walls were charred black, and the city was empty, like a dead city.

Pei Qinghe sighed softly and spurred her horse through the city gate. Suddenly, a rustling sound reached her ears. Pei Qinghe caught a glimpse of several fleeing figures out of the corner of her eye, and her heart settled.

Fortunately, there are still people alive in Anle County.

(End of this chapter)