Ask the mountains and rivers

Chapter 361 The Surprise Attack (Part 1)

Song Dalang strode over and bowed to Pei Qinghe, saying, "I have come here with three thousand elite soldiers on my father's orders to join the general in conquering the Zhang family."

Despite being hundreds of miles apart, Song Dalang managed to reunite with Pei's army before entering Jizhou, having traveled countless miles and put in a great deal of effort.

Pei Qinghe said gently, "I will always remember the kindness of the Pingyang Army."

Song Dalang replied firmly, "The Song family and the Pei family are related by marriage, of the same blood, and will advance and retreat together. Next, when we attack the Zhang family, I am willing to be the vanguard!"

The Lü brothers were getting a toothache from listening. "Well, another one trying to steal the spotlight."

This is a feud between the Pei and Zhang families. The Pei family army has mobilized its entire force to attack the Bohai Navy. What are the Pingyang army doing getting involved?
Of course, while the Lü brothers kept their thoughts to themselves, they outwardly displayed absolute enthusiasm and welcome.

Little did Song Dalang know, he also looked down on them. The Fanyang army was mediocre; last year they dragged the army down when fighting the Xiongnu barbarians, and now they're showing up again with such audacity! They'd better not make a fool of themselves on the battlefield.

Pei Yan smiled and said, "With the addition of three thousand Pingyang soldiers, our strength has greatly increased. Perhaps there will be more surprises to come."

The Pingyang army has made a good start. Once this news gets out, several armies in the north that are secretly allied with the Pei family army may send troops to support the Pei clan. The number of troops is not important; what matters is the momentum of the combined forces attacking the Bohai army.

Pei Qinghe's eyes flickered, and she exchanged a smile with Pei Yan.

With these additional three thousand men, the logistical supply faced considerable pressure. Fortunately, Chief Steward Shi had made preparations in advance, taking out all the available grain reserves before the army set out. The Shi family's grain purchasing teams were also busy out and about, ensuring that the purchased grain would be delivered directly to Shi Yan to guarantee the army's sufficient provisions.

Throughout their march, the Pei family army maintained impeccable discipline and swift movement, never harming the local populace. This earned them a valuable reputation.

After entering Jizhou, the march became less smooth.

Every day, several small groups of troops launch surprise attacks. Most of them are local garrison troops, as well as regular soldiers wearing Bohai Navy uniforms.

The Pei family army arrived filled with rage, seeking revenge for the unjust deaths of their elders. Regardless of the origins or motives of these attackers, the Pei family army had only one word: kill!

Pei Qinghe first dispatched Pei Yan, Pei Xuan, and Pei Feng, who won several battles, greatly boosting morale. Yang Hu, Li Chi, and Lü Feng all volunteered to lead the troops. Song Dalang also shamelessly came along.

Pei Qinghe had originally intended to use this opportunity to train his troops, so he agreed to all of them. Each time, different commanders were sent to lead the attack. Yang Hu was resourceful and skilled in strategy. Li Chi led from the front, charging bravely. When it came to Lü Feng, he was clearly weaker; he won the battles, but not cleanly, and suffered the most casualties.

There was nothing that could be done about it. The Fanyang Army's long-standing laziness and bad habits had been largely corrected by the intense training this year, but they were still far inferior to the Guangning Army and the Liaoxi Army.

Lu Feng felt somewhat ashamed, but Pei Qinghe smiled and praised, "You're much stronger than when we fought the Xiongnu barbarians last year. It's clear you've put a lot of effort into training the troops this year. After this battle, I'll personally go to the camp for a while and train with you."

Lü Feng was greatly encouraged and readily agreed.

The closer they got to Bohai Commandery, the larger the invading forces became. On this day, the enemy troops arrived in overwhelming force, bypassing the main army and heading straight for the supply train. This was a common tactic in large-scale battles: cut off the enemy's supply lines first. If they could salvage the supplies, they would do so; otherwise, they would burn them. Once the supplies were lost, the army would fall into chaos.

This tactic was particularly vicious against the Pei family army. Other armies would plunder and requisition grain everywhere, but the Pei family army never stole grain from the people. They hadn't taken a single grain of food from the people even when they were in Jizhou, and their reputation was excellent. If the Pei family army also fell into a food shortage, they would have to "requisition grain," and the good reputation of the Pei family army, which they had painstakingly built up over several years, would immediately be ruined. Pei Qinghe had been prepared for this. Before setting out, he had instructed Pei Yun: "If I were General Zhang, I would definitely wait for the enemy to tire themselves out, and then send someone to raid and burn the grain supplies. You take five thousand elite troops to escort the grain and supplies."

Pei Yun readily agreed, raising an eyebrow with a murderous glint in her eyes and saying with a smile, "Whoever tries to ambush us, we'll make sure they don't leave alive!"

During the march, Pei Qinghe led the main force ahead, while Pei Yun brought up the rear. Messengers returned daily with messages. After entering Jizhou territory, they had to make contact more than three times a day.

Upon encountering an enemy attack, Pei Yun immediately lit smoke signals. Pei Qinghe promptly dispatched Pei Yan and Yang Huai, leading a cavalry battalion to provide swift assistance.

Pei Yan and Yang Huai galloped off together like two ferocious wolves, charging straight ahead. They rode for almost half a day before finally reaching the battlefield.

By this time, the battle was almost over.

Pei Yan wasn't acting rashly. He ordered all the cavalry to halt and sent scouts to investigate. The scouts quickly returned and reported: "The attacking force numbered about six or seven thousand, mostly cavalry. General Pei Yun led his troops to block their attack, but unfortunately, some of their supplies were burned."

Pei Yan regained her composure and called Yang Huai to lead the troops forward together.

With the arrival of reinforcements, the Pei family army, which already held the upper hand, immediately displayed overwhelming force. They were ruthless, leaving no survivors.

This ruthless and desperate fighting style terrified the Bohai Navy, causing their morale to plummet. The Pei family army never deserted on the battlefield, fighting to the very last moment. The Bohai Navy clearly lacked the Pei family army's ferocity, and some soldiers had already begun to desert.

With Pei Yan and Yang Huai's arrival, the battle situation became increasingly clear: the Bohai Navy was doomed to defeat. A group of soldiers immediately turned and fled.

Pei Yan grinned maliciously and led his troops forward, unleashing a chaotic and indiscriminate slaughter.

The Bohai Army was on the verge of collapse. After this massacre, everyone lost their fighting spirit and scattered in all directions.

Yang Huai led his troops in pursuit for a while before turning back to meet up with Pei Yan: "We have already won the battle, so let's stop the pursuit."

Pei Yan nodded and went with Yang Huai to see Pei Yun.

Despite winning the battle, Pei Yun showed little joy, her expression somewhat grave: "This battle was not easy to win. Many of our men were killed or wounded."

Pei Yan couldn't help but roll her eyes: "Half of the enemy was cavalry, and you relied on five thousand infantry to rout them. What more do you want?"

Last year, when the Pei family army fought the Xiongnu barbarians, most of their cavalry perished, and they had few warhorses left. This time, Pei Yun used infantry to withstand the cavalry attack and won a clean and impressive victory. If word got out, it would surely astonish many people!
Yang Huai was more concerned with practical matters: "How much grain and fodder was burned?"

Pei Yun's expression remained solemn: "Chief Steward Shi has gone to count the grain and fodder. Ask him after he finishes counting."

No sooner had he finished speaking than Steward Shi returned, and Pei Yan and Yang Huai both looked over.

(End of this chapter)