Ask the mountains and rivers

Chapter 121 Conflict (Part 1)

Upon returning to the village, Pei Qinghe immediately summoned everyone and told them about Bohai County's support for the Zhangwu County Prince.

Reactions were mixed.

Mao Hongling's eyes shone brightly, filled with joy: "The ascension of Prince Zhangwu to the throne as the new emperor is a great thing for our Pei family. What else is there to discuss? We should go to Bohai County to pay our respects immediately."

After pondering for a moment, Wu Xiuniang said, "With the Prince's ascension to the throne, our Pei family must present a generous gift."

Pei Yun said, "The situation is unclear right now. We should wait and see before making a decision."

Pei Yan said nonchalantly, "We'll do whatever you say."

Feng Chang and Gu Lian had limited experience, and it wasn't their place to speak in this situation. Pei Jia, Pei Yi, and Fang Datou were even more bewildered.

However, they all understood what Pei Yan was saying, and immediately expressed their unwavering support for all of Pei Qinghe's decisions.

Pei Xuan and Pei Feng were too young to vote, so they could only listen from the sidelines. Pei Xuan whispered to Pei Feng, "In my opinion, Qinghe won't go."

Pei Feng refused to admit defeat, but he knew very well that Pei Xuan was more quick-witted, so he humbly asked for her advice: "Why don't you go?"

Pei Xuan glanced at Pei Feng: "Once you go, you have to follow orders. Cousin Qinghe is so capable, she can be the leader herself, why should she bow down to others?"

Pei Feng suddenly realized and nodded in agreement: "You're right, we really shouldn't have gone."

Pei Qinghe had excellent hearing and managed to hear their conversation amidst the noise. She looked over approvingly and said, "Pei Xuan, stand up and tell everyone what you just said."

Pei Xuan was not intimidated at all. Under everyone's gaze, she stood up and said loudly, "Cousin Qinghe shouldn't have gone. The Pei family army was built by Cousin Qinghe. Why should someone else reap the benefits?"

In a moment of impulsiveness, Pei Feng also stood up and shouted, "Anyway, there are rebel armies everywhere. Our Pei family army should also raise its flag and establish itself!"

The unspoken understanding was thus revealed.

Everyone was filled with mixed emotions and looked at Pei Qinghe.

Pei Qinghe stood up and stood still, her gaze sweeping over everyone's faces. Her voice clearly reached everyone's ears: "The court is divided, and chaos is imminent. With our current manpower, we can protect ourselves, but we are not qualified to get involved in the struggle for the throne."

"It's too early for them to raise their own flag and establish themselves independently."

“The King of Wei is the mortal enemy of the Pei family. We have close ties with the Crown Prince’s faction. When the Prince ascends the throne, we must send him generous gifts to congratulate him. The Pei family members are all exiled criminals and cannot leave Youzhou. I will select a loyal, reliable, and eloquent person to go to Bohai County.”

All women of the Pei clan should not appear in public; they should choose women from other surnames.

Feng Chang's heart skipped a beat, and he quickly got up.

Unexpectedly, Gu Lian on the other side spoke first: "Sixth Miss, I am willing to go!"

Feng Chang inwardly regretted being a step too slow, and said, "Bohai County is quite far away, and a round trip would take more than half a month. The journey would be arduous, and we would also have to escort such a heavy gift, so it would be more appropriate for me to go."

Gu Lian raised an eyebrow and retorted, "Anything you can do, I can do too. How come you're more suitable? Don't forget, I'm better at riding and archery than you."

Feng Chang calmly replied, "The hardships of traveling and sleeping in the open are self-evident. Once we arrive in Bohai County, we will have to show our faces and interact with people. In our Pei Family Village, we respect the Sixth Sister, and women can stand on their own. But outside, it's not the same. It's more appropriate for men to take the lead."

Gu Lian said, "Precisely because the world is like this, it is even more appropriate for me to go. People cannot be so harsh and difficult on a woman like me. The Pei family army does not need to be ostentatious; the more low-key, the better."

Before Feng Chang could object, Gu Lian solemnly cupped her hands and said, "Please give the order, Sixth Miss. I, Gu Lian, will do my utmost to ensure this task is completed smoothly." Pei Qinghe readily agreed, "Alright, go and select one hundred men to accompany us. We will depart tomorrow!"

Gu Lian was overjoyed and accepted the order with clasped hands.

Feng Chang was furious that he couldn't win against Gu Lian, and he was seething with anger.

Pei Qinghe looked over and said, "Feng Chang, you should go with Gu Lian too. Listen to Gu Lian on small matters, and discuss and handle difficult matters together."

Feng Chang breathed a sigh of relief with delight and accepted the offer with a cupped hand.

“Remember, when you two go out on business together, you must not act impulsively, and you must not let disputes interfere with the important matters,” Pei Qinghe said coldly. “If anything goes wrong, I will punish you severely.”

As more and more refugees joined, Pei Family Village gradually accumulated more village rules. One rule remained unchanged: anyone who harbored disloyal thoughts was hanged under a tree in the north of the village.

Gu Lianfeng dared not meet Pei Qinghe's cold gaze and lowered her head in agreement.

Pei Qinghe gave the two a few words of advice, telling them to go back and gather people to pack their luggage. After they left, Pei Qinghe and Wu Xiuniang discussed the gift list.

Such a commotion couldn't be kept secret from everyone. By nightfall, the news had reached everyone's ears.

Madam Lu arrived with a stern face, accompanied by Madam Li, the eldest of the family, as well as Madam Fang and others. More than ten elderly people stood neatly in front of Pei Qinghe.

Pei Qinghe smiled at the nervous-looking Madam Feng and said, "Mother, you take the little dog Xiaoyu out first. I'll talk to Grandmother and the others."

Suppressing her worries, Madam Feng took her dog, Xiaoyu, and left the house.

Even through the thick door, one could hear Madam Lu's furious roar: "Pei Qinghe! Why don't you go to Bohai County to pay homage to the new emperor?"

"Our Pei family is known for its loyalty and utmost devotion to the Crown Prince. What do you intend to do now?"

"You want to raise a flag and declare independence? What kind of righteous army are you? You're nothing but traitors!"

Pei Qinghe glanced at Madam Lu indifferently: "Our Pei family has committed the grave crime of treason; we are traitors to begin with!"

Madam Lu hadn't been this angry in a long time. Her blood boiled, her face flushed crimson, like a watermelon ready to explode at the slightest touch: "You, you...you rebellious wretch!"

"Let me tell you, with me around, you'll never bring shame upon the Pei family!"

"I absolutely disagree!"

Lu's angry shouts were deafening.

Fang and the others chimed in, saying, "Qinghe, we'll all agree to you building a new village, erecting walls, recruiting refugees, training soldiers for self-defense, leading people to guard the county town, and fighting the Xiongnu barbarians to the death. But raising a flag and establishing ourselves as independent is a matter of our Pei family's reputation."

"Don't even mention your grandmother's disagreement; we're not willing either. How will we face our deceased husbands and children in the afterlife?"

“If you take this step, you'll truly become a traitor. There's no turning back.”

"Let's go to Bohai County and submit to the new emperor. Once the new emperor has executed the King of Wei and secured his throne, our Pei family can clear our names."

"The Prince has always had feelings for you. If you are willing to go and seek refuge with him, you can enter the palace and become an imperial concubine. This is the safest and most promising path."

(End of this chapter)