Ask the mountains and rivers

Chapter 409 The Struggle for Supremacy (Part 1)

This time, the first person to turn pale and shout angrily was Meng Bing.

The Pei family army traveled all the way to western Liaoning to fight the Xiongnu barbarians, yet these two northern garrisons actually joined forces to launch a surprise attack on the Pei family army's main camp. This is utterly despicable and shameless!

Pei Qinghe had been leading troops for several years, and his cunning had deepened. He never showed his emotions. "General Meng, there is no need to be alarmed. Pei Family Village has been under construction for eight years. It is far more solid and sturdy than ordinary county towns. With my second sister-in-law in charge and four thousand infantrymen, we can hold it."

It was because Mao Hongling stayed behind that Meng Bing was particularly anxious and impatient. Although they were a couple who married later in life, they were kindred spirits and had genuine feelings for each other.

The thought that Mao Hongling only had four thousand old, weak, and disabled soldiers while the enemy had two large and powerful armies made Meng Bing break out in a cold sweat. She wished she could sprout wings and fly back to fight alongside Mao Hongling.

Meng Liulang coughed and suggested, "How about we send our elder brother back with two thousand soldiers to reinforce?"

Pei Qinghe replied, "Punu is only sixty li outside Liaoxi City, with thirty thousand cavalrymen eyeing him covetously. How could they allow reinforcements to pass through? Sending out two thousand infantrymen is just sending them to their deaths, isn't it?"

Meng Liulang immediately shut up and gave his elder brother a helpless look.

Pei Qinghe looked at Meng Bing, who was anxious and confused, and her voice softened considerably: "Right now, the war in Liaoxi is more important. Whether it's Bohai County or Pei Family Village, as long as they hold their ground and don't come out, there shouldn't be any major problems defending the city."

"I invited everyone here to discuss the upcoming battle against the Xiongnu barbarians. The battles in Bohai Commandery and Peijia Village will be put on hold for now."

Meng Bing composed herself and bowed in agreement.

Yang Hu, Li Chi, Lü Feng, and the others agreed and gathered around the sand table. This sand table was made by Yang Hu himself, and it was much more vivid and intuitive than a flat map.

“Our forces outnumber the Xiongnu barbarians by two to one. We have the advantage of city walls, while the Xiongnu barbarians have the ferocity of cavalry,” Pei Qinghe said in a deep voice. “In the past month or so, we have fought the Xiongnu barbarians several times, with each side suffering victories, defeats, and casualties. The Punu people now understand very well that the old trick of luring the enemy out of the city is useless against us. We are not afraid to go out of the city for open battle.”

"Punu will launch a siege sooner or later. We should defend and wait for the enemy to attack, keeping the Xiongnu cavalry tied up here. We will wear down their morale and strength, and wait for the best opportunity to win in one battle."

"We must kill as many Xiongnu barbarians as possible. This is Liaoxi, our territory. We can continuously recruit new soldiers to replenish our forces, while the Xiongnu barbarians are becoming fewer and fewer with each kill. The advantage is on our side."

The generals were filled with fervor. Yang Hu was the first to chime in: "General, you are right. In this battle, we are united in purpose and our fighting spirit is boiling. We have the advantage of terrain and the support of our men. More importantly, the morale of the army has been raised. The soldiers are no longer afraid and dare to fight and kill. No matter how powerful the Xiongnu barbarians are, they are still human. One blow from their blades will kill them too."

Lu Feng couldn't wait to volunteer for battle, and Li Chi also boldly offered to lead the troops out of the city.

Gu Lianfeng, Changsun Cheng, and others also passionately requested that troops be sent.

Some might ask why Pu Nu didn't lure the enemy out of the city and encircle them with his army? That's the advantage of having the terrain. The scale and movement of the cavalry wouldn't escape Pei Qinghe's notice. Each time Pei Qinghe launched an attack, his forces were at least two or three times larger than the Xiongnu barbarians.

Such a hard-fought battle resulted in heavy casualties on both sides. It all came down to which side would be unable to hold out and would have to initiate a large-scale decisive battle.

After a half-day military meeting, all the officers dispersed. Meng Bing, however, remained, shamelessly staying behind.

In private, Pei Qinghe used a more intimate way of addressing him: "Second Brother, are you still worried about Second Sister-in-law?"

Meng Bing shamelessly replied, "Yes, Pei Family Village only has four thousand soldiers. A small portion of them are elderly and weak who have been seriously injured, and some are new recruits who have been training for a year and a half. The truly capable elite soldiers have almost all been brought out. No matter how calm and meticulous your second sister-in-law is, she only has this many men at her disposal. Those two northern armies, combined, have more than ten thousand elite soldiers. How can they possibly defeat or hold them?"

Pei Qinghe raised an eyebrow and said, "Don't forget, there are still 30,000 to 40,000 villagers in Pei Family Village. When there is a shortage of manpower, they can also take up knives and kill the enemy."

Peijia Village has been continuously absorbing refugees. After entering Peijia Village, these refugees first farm for one or two years. Those with strong character and good physical fitness are quickly selected to join the army and train for one to two years before they can go into battle to fight the enemy.

It goes without saying that the Pei family army's soldiers are the most powerful in the north. Even the ordinary villagers in Pei family village train for half a day during the off-season. These "ordinary" villagers, given a knife in times of war, are ready-made soldiers. They certainly can't compare to the well-trained elite soldiers of the Pei family army, but they would have no problem fighting the northern garrisons.

Moreover, Peijia Village has more than a dozen large granaries, storing enough grain to feed the entire village for more than a year. There are also several armories, with enough swords, spears, weapons, and armor to equip a regular army of 30,000 men.

Pei Family Village was the headquarters of the Pei Family Army, and also Pei Qinghe's old lair. How could she not have left herself a backup plan or made any preparations?
Meng Bing gave an awkward smile: "I actually know all of what the general said. But I still feel uneasy."

Pei Qinghe chuckled: "Relax and see what Second Sister-in-law is capable of."

……

"Second Aunt, there are about seven or eight thousand people outside right now."

A wooden tower, several meters high, stood about a mile outside Pei Family Village. From its top, one could see for miles around. Pei Wan, Pei Wang, Pei Yu, and Pei Lang each looked out from their towers before reporting to Mao Hongling.

Twelve-year-old Pei Wan has a pretty face and bright eyes full of heroic spirit. She drew her long sword and said, "They found out that there are only four thousand old, weak and disabled soldiers in our Pei Family Village. They want to take advantage of Aunt Qinghe leading the troops outside. Please give me five hundred men, Second Aunt. I will lead the troops out first and teach them a lesson."

Ten-year-old Pei Yu was a little shorter, but equally bold: "I'll go with Pei Wan."

Eight-year-old Pei Lang and seven-year-old Pei Wang were both small in stature but bold in spirit, holding smaller bows and arrows, looking valiant and proud.

With Pei Qinghe as their role model, every descendant of the Pei family was outstanding. When the army arrived outside Pei Family Village, with a life-or-death battle looming before them, not one of them showed any fear or timidity. They were all eager to lead the troops and fight the enemy.

The gentle and reserved Mao Hongling smiled slightly, her soft eyes revealing a murderous aura: "You few continue to keep an eye on the movements outside. Report back immediately if you have any news. As for killing the enemy, with me here, you don't need to risk your lives."

Mao Hongling dismissed the siblings and then quickly issued a military order, commanding all archers to lie in ambush and three hundred spearmen to be ready.

The villagers of Peijia Village, regardless of age or gender, all went to collect weapons.

(End of this chapter)