Ask the mountains and rivers

Chapter 168 Reducing Food Supply
May arrived in the blink of an eye.

The fields of wheat, heavy with ripe grain, swayed in the wind, filling one with a sense of joy at the impending harvest.

The Pei family army's current rations are mostly supplied by the Shi family. The more than 10,000 mu of reclaimed wasteland are planted with the best grain seeds, and with the hard work of the diligent villagers of Pei family village, a large amount of grain can be harvested every year.

Every year, the wheat harvest is a major event in Peijia Village. Daily drills have to be suspended for several days, and everyone goes to the fields to harvest the wheat.

Pei Qinghe would walk around the field every day, pick a few ears of wheat, and put them in his mouth: "The wheat harvest will be ready in a while."

Shi Yan was a true expert. Without even tasting the wheat, he glanced at it a few times and said, "The wheat can be harvested in seven or eight days."

Pei Qinghe smiled and nodded, then turned to ask Shi Yan, "How long will the grain we've stored be enough to feed the whole village?"

Shi Yan seemed to have an account book in his mind, which he could flip through anytime, anywhere: "We have a lot of grain stored up, enough to eat for more than half a year. A few days ago, we also gathered more than 500 refugees. The spring wheat grew well this year, and after the harvest, it should be enough to eat for a year."

What kind of life did she lead in her past life? She worried about feeding everyone all day long, and sometimes she might not have enough to eat next.

What kind of life are we living now? We have a year's worth of food reserves!
No need to rack their brains for military rations, they can eat their fill with everyone every day! They have plenty of energy to train the troops! The Pei family army currently has three thousand elite soldiers, and if you include the troops under Pei Yun, Gu Lian, and Feng Chang, they can field an army of nearly five thousand!

It should be noted that the Beiping Army at its peak numbered only five thousand men!
Pei Qinghe looked at Shi Yan with a smile, her gaze extremely gentle.

Shi Yan felt a slight pang in his heart and continued, "However, the world is in chaos, and there are refugees fighting in various places."

"All the armies are conscripting men and robbing wealthy households, so the people have no way to farm in peace. Two of the Shi family's grain trade routes have been cut off. The other routes are still in operation, but the amount of grain they can buy is decreasing significantly, by about 30% to 40%."

"We need to be prepared to tighten our belts."

Pei Qinghe sighed softly, "Training soldiers is extremely physically demanding, so we have to make sure everyone is well-fed. Otherwise, where will they get the energy to train?"

Shi Yan thought for a moment and said, "The soldiers who are training need to be well-fed, while the rations of the rest need to be reduced."

"I'll handle this; you don't need to worry about it."

Reducing food rations is the most offensive and thankless task, and the easiest way to get scolded.

Shi Yan took the initiative to take the blame for Pei Qinghe.

Pei Qinghe's gaze softened further: "No, I will announce this myself. I am the leader of Pei Family Village, and I will bear the responsibility for my reputation, whether good or bad."

Putting aside romantic feelings between men and women, Pei Qinghe is a leader who commands respect and admiration.

Shi Yan didn't say much, just nodded and accepted the order.

Before the wheat harvest, Pei Qinghe gathered all the leaders together and sincerely told them to conserve their rations: "I'm being upfront. Training soldiers requires physical strength, so they need to eat their fill. The rest of you will have your rations reduced by 20% per meal. If anyone is dissatisfied, just let them come to me. I can let them go."

The leaders in charge of farming were somewhat restless. One of them mustered his courage and stood up: "There's war and chaos everywhere outside. We only came to seek refuge with Sixth Sister because we had no other way to survive. We were lucky enough to have a few days of full meals. Sixth Sister, please don't send us away. We'll reduce our daily rations by 30%."

Another one stood up: "Sixth Miss, we are also willing to train. We are all worthless, but we dare to fight and are not afraid of death."

With someone taking the lead, the others grew bolder and one after another expressed their willingness to leave. Some wanted to train so they could have enough to eat, while others volunteered to reduce their rations; in short, no one was willing to go.

Nobody's a fool. With constant warfare outside, people are forced to abandon their homes and become refugees. The dream of peacefully farming is simply unrealistic. Before the wheat harvest, they fear natural disasters, but even more so, they fear man-made calamities. Who knows where a band of bandits might appear and steal the grain they've painstakingly cultivated over months? The abuse of wives and daughters is also commonplace.

What's more terrifying than bandits is the army.

When the army arrived, they looted the land. The Pei family army was completely different from those bandit soldiers. Pei Qinghe established many military regulations, and discipline was strict. Heinous acts like stealing, robbing, and raping women were practically nonexistent in the Pei family army… those who violated military discipline were hung under a tree north of the village!

Pei Qinghe's ruthless methods are awe-inspiring to all.

In Peijia Village, Pei Qinghe is like the sky above everyone's heads.

As soon as Pei Qinghe spoke, everyone immediately fell silent: "Everyone should go back and explain this to everyone. I'll say it again: those who want to leave, go ahead; I will not force anyone to stay. Those who want to stay, please conserve your food. I, Pei Qinghe, will share your joys and sorrows, and we will all eat from the same pot. If I have food, everyone else will have food."

This is what makes Pei Qinghe so captivating.

The common soldiers were ragged and hungry, while the general ate heartily; this was the norm in the army. The Pei family army, however, was completely different.

Pei Qinghe always wore simple clothes, had no money on him, and ate the same food as everyone else. He led the way in abiding by all the established military regulations.

The leaders dispersed and went back to tell everyone what had happened.

As expected, no one was willing to leave. A few people complained and said strange things, but before they could even get in front of Pei Qinghe, they were all scolded by the crowd and couldn't lift their heads.

Bian Shulan and Pei Qinghe discussed, "We need to ensure everyone is well-fed and has the energy to work during the harvest season. We can reduce rations after the wheat harvest!"

Pei Qinghe readily agreed with a smile.

On the first day of the wheat harvest, everyone went to the fields to cut the wheat. No one slacked off or tried to avoid slipping; everyone worked harder than the last.

Everywhere you look, people are busy and bustling, and everyone's face is filled with the joy of a bountiful harvest.

Pei Qinghe's eyebrows relaxed, and she smiled.

The sound of galloping hooves shattered the peace.

Feng, the magistrate of Yongnu County, sent a messenger to report that several groups of soldiers in uniform had appeared out of nowhere and were looting grain everywhere. Another group had also arrived from outside Yongnu County, but Feng, leading his troops, killed most of them, and the rest fled and disappeared without a trace.

"Sixth Miss, Chief Feng has captured two prisoners and found out where they came from. They are all from the Fanyang Army." Wang Erhe, the messenger, whispered angrily, "Please be on guard as soon as possible, Sixth Miss."

Fan Yangjun finally couldn't resist making the first move.

First, they sent several groups of soldiers to plunder grain, disturb the peace of the people in Yan County, and provoke the Pei family army.

It's clear that any commander who becomes the head of an army is not stupid. General Lü is trying to provoke the Pei family army into launching a preemptive strike. Defending is always easier than attacking, as they are better off waiting in comfort.

Pei Qinghe's eyes flashed with a cold light: "Go back and tell Chief Feng to continue guarding Yongnu County. If anyone comes to steal grain, don't be polite, just kill them."

Wang Erhe bowed and accepted the order. After taking a sip of water and resting for a short while, he hurriedly mounted his horse and rode away.

Pei Qinghe ordered increased vigilance and patrols while continuing to harvest the grain.

Three days later, Gu Lian sent a messenger on horseback to deliver a message.

Quanzhou County was also attacked by military bandits.

(End of this chapter)