Ask the mountains and rivers

Chapter 172 War (Part 1)

The banner of the Fanyang Army is red with gold trim, and has the character "吕" (Lü) in the center.

The soldiers, carrying large flags, rode fine horses and waved their banners, looking majestic and awe-inspiring.

Pei Qinghe stood on the wall, drew a sharp arrow with his right hand, and shot the arrow.

The arrow, released from the bow, pierced the sky like lightning, striking the soldier hundreds of meters away in the throat. The soldier didn't even have time to scream before he fell heavily from his horse, his body trampled by the following warhorses. The Lü-character flag was also crushed by the approaching horses.

Pei Qinghe swiftly fired a second arrow.

Pei Yan, Mao Hongling, and the others unleashed a barrage of arrows. The arrows rained down, and the cavalrymen at the forefront fell one after another. Even those not struck in vital areas were trampled to death by the horses behind them.

Pei Qinghe's gaze was as cold as ice as she unleashed a third arrow with her right hand.

The warhorses were incredibly fast, galloping endlessly, yet constantly collapsing.

General Lü, who was stationed at the rear, watched this scene from his chariot and felt his heart ache so much it was almost bleeding.

Warhorses are precious, and cavalry is extremely expensive. He had spent countless efforts to raise eight hundred cavalrymen. It was precisely these eight hundred cavalrymen that he relied on when he led his troops to fight the Pei family army.

Cavalry charges are the most ferocious. As long as they can withstand this volley of arrows, they can reach the walls. No matter how high the Pei family army's walls are, they cannot be higher than the city walls; no matter how sturdy the gates are, they cannot be stronger than the city gates.

He repeatedly reassured himself that casualties were inevitable in war. Pei Qinghe was renowned for his archery skills, so this wave of sacrifices was expected.

However, witnessing this scene with his own eyes still caused General Lü immense heartache.

General Lü gritted his teeth and personally struck the war drum.

As the cavalry charged, the infantry followed suit like a tidal wave.

Since we're already here, there's no need for harsh words or hesitation. We both know this is a life-or-death battle, and neither of us will back down.

The cavalrymen also had bows and arrows, and quickly raised their arrows to return fire.

One of the Pei family soldiers on the wall was hit by an arrow and fell backward.

An arrow grazed Pei Qinghe's ear. Pei Qinghe's ear tip burned; she knew without looking that the arrow had pierced her earlobe.

Pei Qinghe blew a bamboo whistle, and the archers wearing soft armor squatted down with him and continued shooting arrows.

Fan Yangjun paid a heavy price in order to reach the wall.

They were a regular army after all; no matter how loosely trained they were, they were far superior to bandits and outlaws. Although their formation was a bit chaotic, they still managed to charge forward.

The infantrymen carried the giant logs and rammed them heavily against the walls and wooden gates.

Boom!Boom!Boom!
The loud bangs shook the walls and sent shivers down people's spines.

The walls of Peijia Village were sturdy enough to keep out wild beasts and bandits. However, they paled in comparison to the solid and towering city gates. Cracks had already appeared from the repeated impacts of the massive logs.

Just a wall away, angry shouts and curses kept reaching my ears.

"The Pei family army, prepare to die!"

"Throw down your weapons and kneel down, and I'll spare your lives!"

"Pei Qinghe, you little vixen, if you surrender obediently, our General Lü will reluctantly accept you as a concubine... Ah!"

An arrow silenced the foul language. The soldier who had uttered the arrogant words was struck in the mouth by the arrow, piercing the back of his head, and died instantly. Pei Yan was furious. Too close, the bow and arrow were useless. She threw down her bow and arrows, drew her long sword, and prepared to leap off the wall.

Pei Qinghe's cold voice rang in my ears: "Are you courting death? Step back!"

The walls were surrounded by soldiers of the Fanyang Army. If Pei Yan charged down like this, no matter how many people he killed, he would still die.

Pei Yan, the irritable lioness, immediately retreated from the enclosure.

Boom boom boom!
The giant tree continued to crash into the wall.

The cracks are getting bigger and bigger.

Pei Qinghe led a group of archers down the wall, quickly retreated dozens of steps, put down their bows and arrows, and drew their weapons.

Pei Yan and Mao Hongling stood to the left and right of Pei Qinghe, while Sun Cheng, Tao Feng, and other leaders were all on high alert.

Boom boom boom!
The wall was finally smashed open and collapsed with a crash, revealing an opening large enough for three people to pass through. Several soldiers rushed in, yelling and shouting.

Pei Qinghe moved swiftly, flashing forward and flicking his long sword, sending a head flying into the sky amidst blood.

Pei Yan grinned maliciously, lunged forward, and killed one of them with a single slash.

Mao Hongling used a long spear to calmly pierce the enemy's chest.

Sun Cheng was a skilled soldier, even more so than Mao Hongling and Pei Yan. His longsword flashed, splattering blood. Tao Feng, a former soldier of the Beiping Army, was also exceptionally adept at killing with his blade.

Pei Xuan was beautiful, but her longsword was exceptionally fierce. Pei Feng silently swung his blade, killing without a word, and had no time to check on Pei Xuan. On the battlefield, swords have no eyes; it's a matter of life and death. Enemies could suddenly appear, wielding their blades, leaving no room for distraction.

Boom boom boom!
The Fanyang army continued to smash the walls, widening the breach and drawing in more and more soldiers. The Pei family's elite troops, ready for battle, swiftly charged forward, swords drawn.

From above, the Fanyang army in black uniforms and the Pei family army in gray uniforms looked like two torrents colliding violently. The gray uniforms, like sharp knives, pierced through the black torrents, blooming into flowers of blood.

General Lü continued to beat the military drums, ordering the entire army to attack.

It's an uphill battle.

After General Lü surrendered to King Qiao of the Celestial Dynasty, his ambitions gradually swelled. Having occupied Fanyang County, he was still not satisfied. The Liaoxi Army was far away, and the Guangning Army, former allies, was not someone he could easily turn against. After much deliberation, he decided that the only option was to target the Pei family army, this seemingly weaker target.

Pei Qinghe himself is indeed formidable, but the so-called Pei family army is nothing more than a group of refugees. What good is Pei Qinghe's daily military training? What kind of elite troops can he train in just two years?
On the battlefield, no matter how brave an individual is, they cannot determine victory or defeat. Many ants can kill an elephant. How many generals have died under the hail of soldiers' blades?
If the Pei family army is defeated, even if Pei Qinghe survives by sheer luck, he will lose the means to occupy Yan County. The Fanyang army will then be able to swallow Yan County whole, doubling its territory.

What General Lü envied even more was that there were many wealthy families in Yan County. Pei Qinghe only allowed the wealthy families to offer tributes; he neither robbed nor killed them.

General Lü scoffed at this.

A woman's kindness makes it difficult to accomplish great things. Once he takes over Yan County, he will plunder and slaughter the Shi, Wang, Peng, and Yue families.

And then there's the Lu family, so adept at playing both sides! They dared to take his money! And they even dared to sell his wound medicine everywhere! He'll slaughter the Lu family in the future, leaving only a few who know how to make wound medicine.

General Lü struck the military drum heavily. Amidst the fierce drumming, the soldiers of Fanyang Army crashed into another section of the wall, and a large number of soldiers poured into Peijia Village.

General Lü, standing on the chariot, was finally able to catch a glimpse of the "battlefield".

The valiant soldiers of Fanyang, whom he admired, found themselves at a disadvantage against the rebel army. The rebel army, in fact, proved even more surging and ferocious!
The most terrifying was Pei Qinghe, clad in soft armor. She wielded her long sword, reaping the lives of the soldiers of Fanyang like a god of death.

With their commander being incredibly brave and invincible, the Pei family army, which had been initially anxious and tense, was greatly encouraged. The five men formed a battle formation, and several smaller formations merged into a larger one, gradually consuming the Fanyang army.

(End of this chapter)