Ask the mountains and rivers

Chapter 367 Public Opinion
Poor Minister Qin of the Ministry of Rites, his legs went weak the moment he stepped out of the city gate of An County.

The coffin was already prepared at home. He came to An County with the intention of dying, never expecting to be lucky enough to return alive.

Qin Shilang wiped his eyes with his wide official robe, got into the carriage, and bumped his way back to Bohai County.

Pei's army was only a hundred miles away. Bohai County had entered a state of war, and the city gates had been sealed off. Minister Qin hurriedly entered the city through a side gate, not daring to stop along the way, and went directly to the palace to see the emperor.

Emperor Jian'an was full of hope, but after hearing the message brought back by Vice Minister Qin, the light in his eyes dimmed considerably, and he fell silent.

Vice Minister Qin, a veteran of the Eastern Palace and as loyal as Prime Minister Pang, couldn't help but whisper, "Your Majesty, since General Pei has said he's not plotting a rebellion but only seeking revenge against the Zhang family, why not hand over General Zhang and his son?"

To put it bluntly, since they're all just puppet emperors anyway, why can't anyone hold real power? Why does it have to be the ambitious Zhang family?
Wouldn't General Pei, whose loyalty, righteousness, bravery, and courage are unparalleled in the world, be even more worthy?

Emperor Jian'an was filled with bitterness but couldn't express it. He waved his hand weakly and said, "You may leave now. I need to think about it."

No sooner had he finished speaking than General Zhang charged straight in.

In the past, although General Zhang was arrogant, he at least put on a show. Now, with Prime Minister Pang Gao Yong detained in Peijia Village and the Beiping army gone, no one in the court can restrain or control General Zhang. He even entered the Imperial Study without reporting to the Emperor—how arrogant!

This shows a complete disregard for the emperor; they're not even going to put on an act!

Qin, filled with anger, coldly rebuked, "Why didn't the General inform His Majesty beforehand that he wished to see the Emperor? Such rashness and rudeness—do you have even the slightest sense of duty as a subject?"

General Zhang had no time to waste on idle chatter with a civil official. With a wave of his hand, his personal guards rushed over like tigers and wolves and "invited" Vice Minister Qin out.

Emperor Jian'an remained silent.

The indignant Vice Minister Qin was shoved by Zhang's rude guards and nearly fell. No one dared to help him up; instead, mocking laughter rang out.

Finished!

The Northern Court of Dajing is truly finished!

Qin, the Vice Minister, was so angry that he couldn't catch his breath and collapsed to the ground.

Half an hour later, Minister Qin was awakened by the golden needles in the hands of the imperial physician. Before Minister Qin could catch his breath, Eunuch Shen came over with a second imperial edict: "His Majesty has issued an edict requesting Minister Qin to go to An County again to deliver another imperial edict."

Minister Qin asked incredulously, "There's a second imperial edict?"

Eunuch Shen sighed repeatedly, looking at him with pity as if they were both in the same boat: "The Emperor refused to agree to the conditions proposed by General Pei. The Emperor has given the entire Youzhou to General Pei and wants to enfeoff him as the Prince of Yan. Only Minister Qin can shoulder such a heavy responsibility."

With Prime Minister Pang absent, the most senior and loyal civil official is Vice Minister Qin.

Minister Qin gave a bitter smile: "So be it! The Emperor has ordered me to go, and as a subject, I cannot refuse. I will go to An County now. Please ask Eunuch Shen to send someone to the Qin residence with a message: if I do not return, then proceed with the funeral."

Eunuch Shen and Vice Minister Qin had known each other for several years and had a close personal relationship. Upon hearing this, he felt a pang of sorrow. Then he thought, if something were to happen to Vice Minister Qin, his family would at least hold a funeral. But on the day he died, who would be there to collect the body of this rootless eunuch?
The two looked at each other, and both shed a few tears.

"...Gather troops in Youzhou? And appoint me as the King of Yan?"

Pei Qinghe looked at the imperial edict in her hand, and the sarcasm in her tone made the still somewhat shameless Minister Qin feel ashamed: "Is Your Majesty going to use the empty title of Prince Yan to exchange for the lives of so many members of my Pei family?"

Qin Shilang's face burned with embarrassment as he spoke in a humble tone: "General, you are loyal and righteous, and you are devoted to the country and its people. You certainly do not want the northern lands to be engulfed in war. Not to mention that the covetous Xiongnu barbarians could send troops at any time, I'm afraid that Qiao and General Situ will also covet the northern lands."

"We implore the general to withdraw the troops for the sake of the greater good!"

Pei Qinghe coldly replied, "There's no need for such useless nonsense. As long as the Zhang father and son live, I will not retreat!"

Minister Qin gritted his teeth, mustered his courage, and raised his head: "There are not only members of the Zhang family in Bohai County, but also the Emperor and all the civil and military officials. If General Pei sends troops to fight the Bohai Army, innocent people will surely be harmed. If the Emperor is caught in the crossfire, wouldn't that damage General Pei's reputation for loyalty and righteousness?"

Pei Qinghe completely ignored Minister Qin, turned around and gave an order. Pei Feng strode forward and invited Minister Qin out.

Qin Shilang stumbled again in the cold wind, almost falling. Then, trembling, he was helped onto the carriage.

……

While launching a propaganda campaign, General Zhang was also busy on the other hand, urgently dispatching men to reinforce the city walls. Hundreds of catapults were prepared, and boulders and boiling oil were ready.

Panic gripped Bohai County; the people hid in their homes, afraid to venture out. The bandits swept through like combs, the soldiers like fine brushes; the discipline of the Bohai army was no better than that of the former Fanyang and Liaoxi armies. They could barely maintain order in their camps, but now that the army had entered Bohai City, how could the people not suffer?
The people, whose money and grain had been robbed and whose wives and daughters had been humiliated, dared not curse General Zhang, but instead blamed Pei's army for their resentment.

The name Pei Qinghe was renowned throughout the northern counties, deeply loved and supported by the people. Only Bohai County was an exception. This was territory occupied and managed by the Zhang family for decades; the people didn't even recognize the young emperor, only General Zhang.

Pei Qinghe didn't keep General Zhang waiting long. A few days later, he launched the first formal attack.

Before attacking the city, Pei Qinghe sent out the loud-voiced Tao Feng to engage in a verbal battle below the city walls.

What a Tao Feng! He shouted at the top of his lungs, cursing the Zhang family ancestors, his words flowing endlessly like the Yellow River bursting its banks.

The Bohai military officers arguing on the city gate were no match for Tao Feng. Clearly defeated in the verbal battle, they roared in exasperation, "Bring me an arrow! I'll shoot this murderer dead!"

Tao Feng specially rode his horse to the city gate for this verbal battle. According to battlefield custom, the verbal battle should be fought with words, not arrows. The Bohai Army, agitated by the insults, no longer cared about such matters.

Pei Qinghe's gaze sharpened, and she swiftly blew the bamboo whistle.

Lost in his rage, Tao Feng heard the sharp whistle and immediately became alert, turning his horse around and galloping away. As he ran, he swayed from side to side, and an arrow shot from the city wall narrowly grazed his face, leaving a bloody mark and almost costing him his life.

Ignoring his angry curses, Tao Feng spurred his horse forward frantically.

Pei Qinghe drew his bow and fired the first arrow. The arrow flew up the city wall before the eyes of millions. The next moment, the Bohai military commander standing on the wall fell backward, causing a panicked commotion.

From such a distance, he killed their general with a single arrow! Could it be that this Pei Qinghe is truly a war god sent down from heaven, as the rumors say?
(End of this chapter)