Ask the mountains and rivers

Chapter 148 Gu Lian (Part 1)

Pei Qinghe's expression was indifferent, revealing no emotion: "Fine, I will keep an eye on you. If you betray me, I will personally take your life."

Gu Lian kowtowed three times.

She got up and went outside. The cool night wind blew into her clothes, but it couldn't extinguish the flame in Gu Lian's heart.

Gu Lian hurried back to her house. A dozen or so women who had come out of Black Bear Village with her were waiting for her outside.

“Gu Lian, if you’re going to Quanzhou, we’ll go with you.”

"That's right, let's go together. We'll live together, and we'll die together."

The village of Peijia contains over ten thousand people, whose origins are incredibly diverse. Only about two hundred are genuine members of the Pei family. The rest have arrived over the past two years. Gu Lian and her group, who came from Black Bear Stronghold, were the first wave, followed by Feng Chang and other refugees from the mountains. Large numbers of refugees have poured in, each with their own unique background and identity.

Since everyone worshipped and followed Miss Pei, it was inevitable that they would form small cliques in private. With the various mountain strongholds wiped out, the number of women increased, and almost all of them were led by Gu Lian.

Among the later refugees, a few capable individuals rose to prominence, but none could compare to Feng Chang. Gu Lian and Feng Chang also fought the fiercest among them.

Pei Qinghe observed everything but did not suppress them excessively. Only when Gu Lian and Feng Chang were arguing fiercely would Pei Qinghe issue a warning to balance the two sides.

Now that Gu Lian is leading two hundred people to Quanzhou, all these women have come, expressing their willingness to stand with Gu Lian through thick and thin.

Gu Lian's face turned cold. She opened the door, lit the candles, and said to the women with a stern expression, "The matter of mustering troops is to be decided by the Sixth Miss. You should all go back and wait. It would be good if you could come along, but if the Sixth Miss asks you to stay, then you can stay in Pei Family Village with peace of mind."

The women immediately replied, "Of course! You don't think we'd go against Sixth Miss's wishes and follow you recklessly, do you?"

"How can this be."

Hearing these words, Gu Lian was not angry at all. Instead, she breathed a sigh of relief and smiled, "It's good that you are all clear-headed. Our lives were given to us by the Sixth Miss, and we must not have any disloyal thoughts."

She paused, then lowered her voice considerably: "Do you know why Sixth Miss values ​​me more than Feng Chang?"

Pei Qinghe outwardly treated everyone equally, but in reality, she subtly elevated Gu Lian's status. Everyone understood, but kept quiet. At this moment, Gu Lian suddenly revealed this, surprising everyone, who all looked up at her.

In the candlelight, the scars on Gu Lian's face were particularly clear and menacing: "Because I am a woman."

"Without Sixth Sister, I am nothing. Only by loyally following Sixth Sister can I, Gu Lian, live with dignity and lead troops to Quanzhou. I will have a brighter future."

"In this world, men are superior to women. When there is war and chaos everywhere, women have an even lower status and can be abandoned, humiliated, or killed at any time. Only in the Pei family army do women have a higher status than men."

“I am loyal to the Sixth Sister and will never betray her. Because if I leave the Pei family army, I will have nowhere else to go.”

"Therefore, the Sixth Miss trusts and values ​​me more. No matter how envious Feng Chang is, there's nothing he can do."

Gu Lian suddenly smiled, the scar on her face seeming to leap with joy: "With the world in chaos, our Pei family army is about to shine. I'll go to Quanzhou first to scout things out. Perhaps, one day we'll all have the chance to lead our own armies."

……

"Qinghe, do you trust Gu Lian?"

As soon as Gu Lian left, Mao Hongling arrived, asking in a worried whisper, "Gu Lian is ruthless and quick-witted. Will she develop ulterior motives after going to Quanzhou?"

"Or else, I'll lead the troops to Quanzhou!"

Pei Qinghe smiled at Mao Hongling: "Gu Lian volunteered, and I approved it. How can I change my mind so easily? What will people think?"

"Within the Pei family army, there are only about two hundred true members of the Pei family. The rest are outsiders. If I don't even dare to give Gu Lian a proper position, what about Feng Chang? Should I use him or not?"

Mao Hongling was speechless for a moment, then sighed, "I was too timid." Pei Qinghe smiled and took Mao Hongling's hand, "Second sister-in-law, you're not timid, you're just worried about me. Don't worry! I'm aware of every step I take."

"You can't tell what someone's heart is like; no one can guarantee what they'll become in the future. I value Gu Lian, but I'll also keep a close eye on her. If she harbors any disloyalty, I'll take her life myself."

Mao Hongling nodded: "It's good that you have a plan in mind."

"By the way, Gu Lian is taking two hundred men with her. What are your plans regarding the troop mobilization?"

Pei Qinghe said, "I will be in charge of the troops."

Pei Yun could command her own troops, but Gu Lian no longer had that privilege.

The next day, Pei Qinghe brought the troop register and counted two hundred men. Gu Lian took the list and eagerly began to read it.

A dozen or so familiar names immediately caught my eye.

Besides these women who all came from Black Bear Village, half of them were female soldiers.

Gu Lian felt a surge of warmth in her heart and looked up at Pei Qinghe: "Thank you for your trust, Sixth Miss."

Pei Qinghe laughed and said, "Quanzhou County is a bit smaller than Changping County, but it still has tens of thousands of people. If you take two hundred men to garrison there, those two hundred men will have to be of one mind with you and obey your orders. Even so, it won't be easy to control Quanzhou County."

"Gu Lian, you go and lead the troops! Let everyone see your abilities and skills."

Gu Lian suppressed her excitement and bowed respectfully, saying, "I will never let Sixth Miss down."

Three days later, Gu Lian led two hundred people on their journey.

The Pei family army was short of warhorses, possessing only a little over three hundred in total. When Pei Yun went to Changping County, she took fifty with her. Upon arriving at Gu Lian's place, Pei Qinghe provided twenty more warhorses. They were also given ample supplies of weapons and provisions.

Ji Junze also set off to return to Quanzhou County.

Pei Qinghe personally led everyone to see them off.

Ji Junze stayed in Pei Family Village for several days, with Steward Shi accompanying him every day. He held the renowned Sixth Miss Pei in awe and had no opportunity to get close to her.

Pei Qinghe smiled as she saw him off: "When I have some free time in the future, I will visit Magistrate Ji and Young Master Ji in Quanzhou County."

Ji Junze cupped his hands in a respectful bow: "My son and I await the arrival of the Sixth Miss."

Shi Yan became much more familiar with Ji Junze, smiling as she saw him off to the carriage. She whispered something to him, and Ji Junze grinned.

Pei Qinghe glanced at Shi Yan with a smile, and clicked her tongue inwardly.

Young Master Ji, as innocent as a white rabbit, returned to Quanzhou County after a day's carriage ride.

Magistrate Ji led the people in welcoming Pei's army. The Pei-branded flag fluttered in the wind above the city gate of Quanzhou, and Magistrate Ji felt at ease.

The Pei family army marched for two days, their military bearing impeccable and their soldiers full of energy. The group of female soldiers, in particular, attracted much attention.

The onlookers were amazed, some recounting the Pei family army's glorious achievements with great enthusiasm. Occasionally, a few made sarcastic or cynical remarks.

Gu Lian ignored them all and led two hundred men into Quanzhou County in a majestic manner.

(End of this chapter)