Ask the mountains and rivers

Chapter 342 Death in Battle (Part Two)

The next morning, Pei Qinghe woke up and remained dazed for a long time.

She rarely dreams. To dream so vividly about people and events from the past is even rarer.

I feel uneasy, as if an old friend has left.

"I'm going to Quanzhou County," Pei Qinghe said to Shi Yan. "The horse farm has been under construction for almost half a year, and I want to go and take a look."

Shi Yan knew that Pei Qinghe valued the horse farm very much, so he nodded and said, "I will go with you."

After a long day's ride, we arrived at Zhanjia Horse Ranch outside Quanzhou County before evening.

The six-foot-high wooden fence stretched as far as the eye could see.

"We sowed a batch of grass seeds this year, and they've sprouted sparsely. Now it's autumn, and the grass is withered and yellow. After the New Year, we'll sow another batch of grass seeds, and the pasture should slowly grow." Young Zhan Qi spoke of the horse farm's future with shining eyes and a face full of joy.

"Also, the mare we brought back earlier gave birth to more than 300 foals. They are being carefully fed with the best hay and beans every day, and some of the foals can already run."

Pei Qinghe's brows relaxed as she went to the stable to check on the foals.

Some foals were so young they couldn't even stand up. Others were born earlier and are now about the height of a three-year-old child, well-fed and glossy.

“Warhorses are not cattle or sheep; they cannot be fattened up and must retain their wildness,” Pei Qinghe said. “Otherwise, they cannot go into battle or fight.”

Raising warhorses has never been an easy task. The court of Jingchao had also set up horse farms, but the horses bred there were far inferior to those from the grasslands. Some were unfit for battle, and others were barely usable, but they suffered a crushing defeat against the Xiongnu warhorses.

Raising a truly good horse requires countless hours of effort.

Although young, Zhan Qi was calm and meticulous in his work. He cupped his hands and replied, "General, rest assured. I consulted He Mu and the others beforehand and recorded the methods of raising horses in a book. We will raise horses according to the methods of the Xianbei cavalry."

Pei Qinghe pondered for a moment: "That's not enough. Those sixteen Xianbei cavalrymen have been trained in the Pei family army for half a year and are barely qualified. I brought them all with me this time, so let them stay. They can raise horses and also serve as guards at the horse farm, killing two birds with one stone."

Zhan Qi's face lit up with joy: "Thank you, General."

The sixteen Xianbei cavalrymen quickly received their orders. In the Pei family army, Pei Qinghe's words were law. Although these Xianbei cavalrymen were reluctant to leave Pei family village, they had no choice but to obey the orders.

"I wonder when Leader Hemu will return."

"He was eager to take us to war. If he had known we were left to tend the horses at the horse farm, I wonder if he would have asked the general to let us go back."

"Forget about this useless talk. What the Pei family army lacks most is warhorses. You've all seen how much the general values ​​the horse farm. We'll work hard at the horse farm and raise the best warhorses. With warhorses, the Pei family army will be even more formidable in battle."

"That's right. We should take good care of the horses."

After living with Pei's army for half a year, the Xianbei cavalrymen became increasingly fluent in Jingchao dialect, and their accents were no longer so heavy. If you didn't see them and only heard their voices, you could hardly tell they were from a different ethnic group.

After the Xianbei cavalrymen stayed behind, they quickly integrated into life on the horse farm.

One of the Xianbei cavalrymen even won the favor of a woman who worked at the horse farm. This woman was a servant of the Zhan family; her husband had died early, and she had been a widow for nine years. She was twenty-eight years old this year and now worked as a cook at the horse farm.

In Pei's army, widowhood is not fashionable. Many women, after their husbands die, observe a year of mourning before remarrying.

After considering her options, the cook set her sights on a strong and brave 30-year-old Xianbei cavalryman. While marriage was not forbidden in the Pei family army, this was the first time they had recruited a Xianbei man as a son-in-law.

Upon learning of this, Pei Qinghe smiled, readily agreed, and even sent a congratulatory gift. At the end of October, Zhan Fei returned with a large contingent of warhorses.

Pei Qinghe personally rode up to greet him.

Of the two hundred people who went out, only seventy-odd returned unharmed. Pei Qinghe's gaze swept around, but she didn't see that familiar face. Her heart sank: "Where's Fang Datou?"

Zhan Fei's eyes reddened, and he choked out as he reported, "On our way back, we encountered a real band of horse bandits. Brother Fang told me to lead the warhorses and run ahead, while he and his men covered the rear."

"Brother Fang was too badly injured and has died on the grassland..."

General Pei, who was usually composed, suddenly turned extremely ugly and angrily shouted in front of everyone: "What did I tell you when you left that day? If you encountered danger, you could abandon your valuables and warhorses, and save your own lives first! Didn't you understand what I said?"

"Fight when you can win, run when you can't. Who gave him permission to play the hero and stay to fight to the death?"

Zhan Fei had never seen Pei Qinghe so furious. His knees buckled and he knelt down, tears streaming down his face. "Brother Fang insisted that I take the warhorse and run first. I couldn't persuade him otherwise, so I had to flee in panic."

"Before he died, he asked me to deliver his last message to the general. He didn't disgrace the general!"

Pei Qinghe's eyes suddenly welled up with tears.

Hemu also knelt down, his voice choked with emotion: "General, before Brother Fang died, he told me that he must lead the way into the grasslands for you and crush the Xiongnu."

"I, Hemu, swear to the heavens that I will forever be loyal to the general!"

Pei Qinghe's vision was a little blurry.

The figure of that rough-looking soldier with a head a size larger than average and a silly grin seemed to flash before my eyes, then was blown away by a gust of wind and disappeared.

It will never come back.

She closed her eyes tightly, and after a moment, she opened them again, her voice a little hoarse: "You have come back from a long journey with so many warhorses, and you have made great contributions. Go and settle down to rest."

With red eyes, Zhan Feihemu accepted the order and withdrew.

Pei Yan grabbed Pei Qinghe's hand, her eyes red: "Cousin Qinghe, Datou died at the hands of the Xiongnu bandits. I will lead troops to the grasslands in the future to wipe out the bandits and avenge Datou."

Pei Qinghe's eyes welled up again. She wanted to speak, but something was blocking her throat, and she couldn't utter a single word.

Over the years, one by one, the people around me have died in battle. Pei Yi, Zhai Sanlang, Fang Datou... and many more will die in the future.

Born into a chaotic world, the only way to survive was to fight desperately to the death. Each and every life weighed heavily on her heart.

She endured unimaginable pain and immense burdens.

Pei Yan could still shed tears freely, but General Pei couldn't even show the vulnerability of crying in front of others. She had to stand tall and face all storms with unwavering resolve.

Pei Qinghe silently tightened her grip on Pei Yan's hand.

Pei Yan burst into tears. Yang Huai felt sorry for her and went over to comfort her. Pei Yan's crying gradually subsided.

Pei Qinghe remained silent for a long time before speaking, "Fang Datou's body will never come back. Find some of his old clothes, put them in the coffin, and bury it next to Pei Yi's grave. In the future, burn some paper money for him during festivals."

(End of this chapter)