Ask the mountains and rivers

Chapter 343 Ambition
Next to Pei Yi's grave, a new grave has appeared.

Pei Qinghe burned paper money in front of the grave. The yellow paper money burned in the flames, reflecting the silent desolation in Pei Qinghe's eyes.

Pei Yan, Pei Xuan, and Pei Feng were all there, each turning away to secretly wipe their tears. War is the cruelest thing in the world; one vibrant life after another vanishes and perishes. Familiar faces leave one after another, never to return.

“Cousin Qinghe,” Pei Yan, usually carefree and easygoing, was unusually melancholic and downcast: “If I die on the battlefield, you must bring me back. I don’t want to be buried in a foreign land.”

Pei Xuan and Pei Feng chimed in softly, "Me too."

Pei Qinghe turned to look at her closest cousins. Pei Yan was already an adult, Pei Xuan had just reached marriageable age, and Pei Feng was only fourteen years old, his face still showing some youthful innocence.

On the battlefield, the enemy doesn't care if you're young. Everyone wants to live, and everyone wants to win. Yet, people will always die one after another.

"Don't say such discouraging things." Pei Qinghe's voice was a little hoarse, but the flames in his dark eyes reignited: "All of you, train hard and live well."

"The world is in chaos, with constant civil wars and the need to defend against foreign enemies. The people suffer the most and face the greatest hardship. For their sake, we must keep winning battles."

Jingchao has a total of nineteen prefectures. If they only seek self-preservation, occupying Youzhou with 50,000 troops would be sufficient. No one wants to provoke the Pei family army now.

The rebel armies in Jiangnan and the Imperial Guards had been fighting for years, a thousand miles away, and were unable to reach Youzhou. The Bohai Army in neighboring Jizhou dared not make any rash moves. The garrison in the north, under General Song of the Pingyang Army, took the initiative to form an alliance through marriage. After the Pei family army's great victory over the Xiongnu barbarians last year and the preservation of Liaoxi Commandery, the other garrison generals wrote letters to express their goodwill.

Some wanted to follow General Song's example and send their daughters to Pei's army. Others shamelessly asked to marry Pei's daughters. Some even secretly promised to send troops to help Pei's army when it went out to fight.

Pei Qinghe declined all marriage proposals. The Pei family army was currently quite powerful, and it wasn't wise to expand too hastily. The territories of the Liaoxi and Fanyang armies weren't yet fully under their control; they needed time to consolidate their power. Those willing to send troops to assist were sincere and worth befriending.

Pei Qinghe did not become complacent or lose his composure, nor did he stop expanding his strength. He became even more rigorous and fierce in training his troops.

Since we've chosen this path, let's keep going.

Encouraged, Pei Yan said, "I will always follow my cousin Qinghe and wait for the day when you conquer the world and rule the land."

Pei Xuan and Pei Feng's eyes lit up simultaneously as they looked at Pei Qinghe with eager eyes.

Pei Qinghe replied, "Even on that day, we cannot stop. With powerful external enemies like the Xiongnu, who could invade the border at any time, causing unrest in the land and unrest among the people, I cannot stop my campaigns."

"The battlefield is the cruelest and most ruthless place. Today, Fang Datou's grave stands here. One day, it might be yours or mine. Whoever survives must wipe away their tears, persevere, and lead the Pei family army forward."

Everyone responded in unison.

Pei Qinghe took a deep breath and poured a pot of wine in front of Fang Datou's grave: "You can watch from the ground, and I will definitely avenge you."

Pei Yan swore, "Fang Datou, you will not die in vain. I, Pei Yan, swear to heaven that I will kill all the Xiongnu barbarians in the future to comfort your spirit in heaven."

Pei Xuan sighed softly, "Sleep peacefully!"

Pei Feng's eyes reddened, and he said nothing, only silently crying once.

After Pei Qinghe and her group left, He Mu, who had been standing at a distance, came to the grave, burned a pile of paper money, and wept bitterly.

The next day, Hemu came to see Pei Qinghe. "General, I want to go to the horse farm to raise horses." Hemu knelt down respectfully and requested, "Most of the warhorses we bought from the Xianbei this time are mares, and there are also stallions that haven't been bred yet. Adding to the more than seven hundred horses we brought back last year, there are nearly two thousand in total. With careful service and care, the herd can double in two or three years at most. Five years later, the horse farm will be able to produce good horses continuously."

"I am willing to raise the best warhorses for the general. In the future, when the general leads his troops to fight on the grasslands, I, Hemu, will be the general's most loyal hunting dog and lead the way for the general."

Pei Qinghe stared intently at Hemu: "I have already sent all your cavalry to the horse farm. Hemu, you are a smart man, you know that you have no choice but to go to the horse farm, which is why you came to me to show your loyalty."

Hemu replied in a low voice, "Without Brother Fang, I would have died on the grasslands. Brother Fang gave me a way out, so I will serve the general in his place. If the general needs warhorses, I will go and raise them. Please trust me, General!"

Mentioning the deceased Fang Datou, Pei Qinghe's eyes reddened slightly, but her expression remained calm: "The daily affairs of the horse farm are all handled by Zhan Qi. After you arrive, you must obey Zhan Qi's orders and only take care of raising the horses. You don't need to worry about anything else."

Hemu responded in a deep voice.

Hemu was decisive and efficient; he rode to the horse farm that very day. When he arrived, it was getting late, and the sky was filled with a magnificent sunset.

Sixteen Xianbei cavalrymen, their faces beaming with joy, came to greet their leader.

Hemu said to them, "Don't call me leader anymore. The general has made me the head of the horse farm guards. From now on, you should call me Hemu Mumu."

Everyone immediately changed their tune: "Hemutoumu, you and Master Zhan brought back over a thousand horses this time, half of which were pregnant mares. You've truly made a great contribution!"

“Even on our grasslands, a tribe with two thousand warhorses is considered a large tribe.”

"In a few years, when we have bred a steady stream of good horses and the Pei family army has enough warhorses, will the general lead us to the grasslands to fight the Xiongnu?"

Hemu frowned and said in a deep voice, "The decision to fight is left to the general. We should just do our jobs well and take good care of the horses."

Everyone responded in unison.

One of the cavalrymen asked about Fang Datou.

Hemu's eyes showed grief as he whispered, "Brother Fang asked me to cover the escape of the warhorses, but he died at the hands of the bandits."

Everyone fell silent. That foolish soldier who loved to boast around the campfire that he was a fierce general in the Pei family army was dead. Separation by death is the most unbearable sorrow in the world.

"There's no need to be sad," Hemu said, rousing himself. "Brother Fang will be watching over us from heaven. He'll be very pleased and gratified if we take good care of the general's horses."

Then, with a smile, he teased the most handsome cavalryman: "You've already married into the family and become the husband of Lady Jingchao. You're living the happiest life."

The cavalryman who had married into the family grinned: "There are other women in the horse farm, and many young and capable women in Quanzhou County. You will have your chance in the future. It's a pity that you are not as handsome as me."

Everyone laughed and spat.

Hemu smiled and, surrounded by the crowd, entered the horse farm enclosed by a wooden fence.

……

(End of this chapter)