Ask the mountains and rivers

Chapter 134 Travel
Gu Lian and Feng Chang both looked at Pei Qinghe.

Pei Qinghe nodded slightly: "Go! Just answer whatever Grandmother asks."

The two bowed and accepted the order before leaving.

After repeated questioning, Madam Lu finally felt relieved after learning that the young emperor had not blamed Pei Qinghe. She let out a long sigh of relief and said, "Good, good, good. You did a good job on this mission."

The Li and Fang families standing nearby all breathed a sigh of relief.

Although they had separated, the name Pei was still part of the same family. They worried about Pei Qinghe day and night. At least there wouldn't be any major disaster in the short term.

With a gentle smile, Madam Lu asked, "What was His Majesty's reaction after reading the letter?"

Gu Lian replied, "His Majesty asked me to deliver a letter to the Sixth Miss."

Then, it was gone.

Lu's smile paused.

Fang chuckled and stabbed Lu in the heart: "The Emperor is thinking of Qinghe. Who would want to read a letter written by an old woman like you?"

Mrs. Lu rolled her eyes in anger.

Gu Lian felt secretly pleased.

The only person she cared about was Sixth Miss Pei. She didn't care about the Pei family, young or old.

Turning her head, Gu Lian went to find Pei Yan: "Miss Yan, why is Young Master Shi in Pei Family Village?"

Pei Yan excitedly recounted Shi Yan's arrival to seek refuge. Gu Lian grinned broadly, "That's wonderful!"

"That Meng Liulang is arrogant, stubborn, and has a bad temper. How can he compare to Young Master Shi?"

Pei Yan immediately corrected him: "Shi Yan is now a resident of Pei Family Village, not some young master."

Gu Lian grinned: "That's right. We should start calling you Steward Shi."

……

To "clean up" the military camp, you need to bring a vehicle.

Zhao Hai took on several apprentices, all of whom were skilled cart drivers. Since warhorses were too precious to be used for pulling carts, oxen, mules, and donkeys were used instead; they could still drive, just at a slower pace.

Pei Qinghe rode his steed slowly forward.

Shi Yan sat in the oxcart, looking around with great interest.

Pei Qinghe casually asked with a smile, "Are you used to riding in an oxcart?"

The flatbed oxcarts used for loading goods were quite rudimentary, far inferior to the luxurious horse-drawn carriages. Moreover, the weather was bitterly cold, with a biting wind blowing in your face, making your cheeks feel icy, and every time you opened your mouth, you were met with a mouthful of icy wind.

Shi Yan, who had taken off his fine clothes and was now wearing a thick cotton coat, smiled and said, "It's a little cold, but the view is quite expansive."

Without a canopy to shelter you from the wind and rain, you can see everything when you turn your head. How could it not be spacious?

Pei Qinghe was amused: "When we have more money in the future, I'll buy you a carriage."

Shi Yan didn't mince words and immediately replied with a smile, "Then I'll be waiting."

Pei Yan turned her head and clicked her tongue: "You're not being polite at all."

Shi Yan smiled leisurely and said, "I can get through hard times following the Sixth Miss, so of course I'd be even happier if there were good times. The Sixth Miss is good to me, so why should I be polite?"

Pei Yan complained to Pei Qinghe, "Cousin, he bullied me."

Pei Qinghe glanced at Pei Yan with a smile: "You can take down a Xiongnu barbarian with a single strike. Shi Yan is too weak to even kill a chicken, how could he possibly bully you?"

Upon hearing this, everyone in the group laughed.

While defending Changping County, Pei Yan killed many Xiongnu barbarians. He often boasted that he never missed a strike. Pei Qinghe was intentionally teasing him.

Pei Yan didn't even blush, and proudly held her head high: "I'm only slightly inferior to you. I am Pei Yan, the second female general of the Pei family army."

Pei Yun glanced over.

Pei Yan immediately changed her mind: "Never mind, I'll let my cousin Yun have a turn and reluctantly be ranked third among the female generals." Pei Yun raised an eyebrow and smiled: "I don't need you to let me have a turn. Let's practice a few moves during the break."

Pei Yan grinned: "Let's not compete in horsemanship or archery, and we won't even talk about weapons. How about we just compare strength?"

Pei Yan was tall and strong, with exceptional strength. Pei Yun was skilled in horsemanship and archery, and her nine-section whip was formidable, but in terms of sheer strength, she was indeed inferior to Pei Yan.

Pei Yun shushed her: "Let's just compare our appetites. You are undoubtedly the number one general."

Everyone burst into laughter, creating a lively atmosphere.

After traveling for half a day, they stopped to rest by the roadside. Zhao Hai first fed and watered his beloved livestock.

Pei Qinghe and the others sat together, each taking out their dry rations.

Dry biscuits are convenient to carry, but they are hard and difficult to eat. After Bian Shulan took over the kitchen, she came up with a new type of dry food.

Beans, sorghum, and quinoa are mixed together, stir-fried in a large pot, and then ground with a stone mill. The mixture is then placed in long, narrow bags, tied around the waist or shoulder, and eaten by grabbing a handful. It's easier to swallow than dry biscuits. If you soak it in hot water, it becomes a fragrant bowl of mixed grain porridge.

In the evening, we would simmer a pot of meat broth, add some wild vegetables, and the resulting porridge would be even more fragrant.

Each person carried two four-foot-long food bags, which were enough for ten days' worth of rations.

Most importantly, this method allows for the large-scale roasting of dry rations, which is much faster than making flatbreads.

Pei Qinghe ate a handful of dry rations and drank half a pot of water, then sincerely praised, "These dry rations are really well made."

Zhao Hai felt proud and straightened his back.

“Someone is spying on us.” Pei Yun stood up. “I’ll take some people to check it out.”

Pei Qinghe nodded slightly.

What Peijia Village lacks most is warhorses. More than two years ago, they captured over a hundred horses, and then bought some more at high prices. A few days ago, they captured another batch from the Xiongnu barbarians, bringing the total to just over three hundred warhorses.

There were two hundred people on this trip. Pei Yun selected fifty people, who then rode off on horseback.

Pei Yan chuckled and said, "My cousin Yun stays in the village all day, but once she comes out, she's like a little wildflower."

Pei Qinghe said, "Next time, it's your turn to guard the village."

Pei Yan immediately shouted, "Sister Yun, wait for me, I'm coming too!"

They mounted their horses and rode off.

Pei Qinghe had a headache and turned to Shi Yan, saying, "Sister Yun can handle things on her own, and Second Sister-in-law has also been tempered. It's just that Pei Yan, no matter how we try to train her, is not quite right."

Shi Yan laughed and said, "You spoil her too much. She always follows you around, refuses to use her brain, and is unwilling to make well-thought-out decisions. She won't be able to learn in another two years."

Pei Qinghe sighed, "It is indeed my fault. Next time, I will let her lead troops on her own to hone her skills."

An hour later, Pei Yun and her party returned on horseback.

"Something's not right."

Pei Yun's expression was solemn: "There were about thirty of them, all of them on horseback, and their riding skills were surprisingly good. They kept running forward. I didn't know where they came from, so I didn't shoot any arrows at them."

Pei Qinghe pondered for a moment: "They shouldn't be ordinary refugees or bandits. Perhaps they are servants of some wealthy family who happened to be passing by and didn't want to cause trouble for us."

"Everyone, stay alert and be vigilant."

Shi Yan said in a low voice, "Could these people also be after the Beiping military camp?"

Pei Qinghe's eyes flashed: "That's also possible. The Beiping army is currently stationed in Bohai County, protecting the new emperor. There are quite a few things left behind in the Beiping army camp, and there are quite a few people secretly coveting them."

"In short, everyone be careful."

The group continued to follow them the next day.

Pei Qinghe ignored him and continued on his way. When they reached a point ten miles outside the Beiping military camp, the people who had been following them for two days finally showed up.

(End of this chapter)