Ask the mountains and rivers

Chapter 413 The Great Battle (Part 1)

Peijia Village and Bohai Commandery each won a major victory. The Chang Le Army, Runan Army, and Fang Army were almost completely wiped out, and all their commanders were killed. This news spread rapidly throughout the north, shocking all the military generals there.

The Pingyang Army, Taiyuan Army, Puyang Army, and Changshan Army, which had previously maintained close ties with Pei's army, were overjoyed. Those who had been somewhat hesitant before immediately solidified their stance and sent messengers to Yan County to express their determination to recognize Pei Qinghe as the Emperor of the North. A few other forces that had harbored wishful thinking dared not hesitate any longer and respectfully wrote letters to him.

The people eagerly awaited General Pei's ascension to the throne. They had long heard that General Pei was known for his strict military discipline and care for the people, making life the best it could be under his rule. Each year, they only had to pay 30% of their land tax, with no other exorbitant taxes or levies. In times of food shortage or lack of seeds for spring planting, they could borrow grain or seeds from government offices or local grain shops at a very low interest rate of 10%.

A folk song has spread in the north. The song is only a few lines long and easy to remember.

In the land of Yan, a new dragon rises.

The Xie clan perished, and the Pei clan rose to power.

This shows how much General Pei has won the hearts of the people. As the saying goes, "He who wins the hearts of the people wins the world." This northern land is already in General Pei's grasp.

However, General Pei, who is seen as omnipotent by everyone, is now embroiled in a fierce and bitter battle.

Pei's army and the Xiongnu cavalry probed each other's strength, engaging in constant skirmishes every two or three days, resulting in casualties on both sides. As the weather grew increasingly hot, the Xiongnu cavalry, accustomed to the cold, became restless and uncomfortable, significantly impacting their fighting capacity. Pu Nu dared not and could not delay any longer, and thus launched a true great battle.

As before, Pu Nu sent men to attack a county town and ordered a large force of cavalry to be stationed within a twenty-mile radius. It was clear he was trying to lure them into a trap.

Yang Hu's expression was grave, and he said in a deep voice, "General, the Xiongnu barbarian army is near Qi County, waiting for our army to move out. We cannot fight this battle."

Lu Feng, who was always radical, said: "We have been going out of the city to fight the Xiongnu barbarians in the open field before, and we have at least a 50% chance of winning. Why can't we fight anymore?"

“This is different.” Li Chi also disagreed: “Before, when we sent troops, we fought against small groups of Xiongnu barbarians. This time, the Xiongnu barbarians have sent out all their cavalry. How can fighting two thousand cavalry be the same as fighting twenty thousand cavalry? Judging from this situation, as long as we send troops, the Punu will send out all their cavalry to give us a head-on attack.”

Meng Liulang raised an eyebrow and said, "If we don't send troops, are we just going to stand by and watch Qi County be massacred? When it comes to war, if there's a 20% chance of winning, we can send troops to try. If there's a 50% chance of winning, it's worth the risk."

Then, he cupped his hands and volunteered for battle: "I, Meng Ling, am willing to lead the charge. Please give the order, General!"

Without a word, Lü Feng followed: "I'll go with Meng Liu!"

Yang Hu and Li Chi exchanged a silent glance, then looked at Pei Qinghe together.

Whether to fight or not, and how to deploy troops, is entirely up to Pei Qinghe. If Pei Qinghe is unwilling to send troops, Meng Liulang and Lü Feng will have to obediently remain in Liaoxi City. Conversely, if Pei Qinghe decides to send troops, Yang Hu and Li Chi will abandon all hesitation and consideration, vying to be the first to engage in battle.

This demonstrates the prestige and decisiveness of the army's commander.

Pei Qinghe had clearly thought this through beforehand, and calmly said, "This battle is definitely going to have to be fought."

Meng Liulang and Lü Feng were overjoyed, while Yang Hu and Li Chi remained silent.

“If the Xiongnu barbarians ride back to the grasslands, we won’t be able to catch up even if we want to. What I’m afraid of is that they won’t fight.” Pei Qinghe’s eyes flashed, bursting with a chilling killing intent: “Now that they’re in a position to fight to the death, it suits my purposes just the way it is.”

"Sun Cheng, lead five hundred vanguard battalions to scout ahead and find out the distribution of the Xiongnu barbarians' forces."

Sun Cheng bowed and accepted the order amidst the envious gazes of the crowd. Pei Qinghe then issued a series of orders: "General Meng, General Lü, and General Li, lead your troops first, each with five thousand men, and head straight for Qi County."

Meng Liulang, Lü Feng, and Li Chi responded in unison.

"General Yang, stay behind!"

Yang Hu was taken aback and blurted out, "With the general in charge of the rear, why should I stay behind?"

Then, he quickly realized what was happening and immediately reminded the general with a solemn expression: "In the past, our army's morale was low and our combat strength was weak. We relied entirely on the general to personally lead the troops to boost morale and defeat the Xiongnu barbarians. Now we have more than 60,000 elite troops, which is more than twice the strength of the Xiongnu barbarians. Why doesn't the general stay in the city and calmly wait for the good news of the army's victory?"

Pei Qinghe smiled faintly: "In a great battle between two armies, how can I, as the commander-in-chief, be afraid of death and hide in the city?"

Meng Liulang, Li Chi, and Lü Feng were all moved and came to persuade him.

Pei Qinghe said, "You don't need to persuade me anymore, my mind is made up. In this battle, we will not only fight, but win a great victory, and do our best to kill the Xiongnu barbarians. The Pei family army has a military discipline of not killing surrendered soldiers. Pass down my order that this military discipline need not be followed in this battle against the Xiongnu barbarians. Kill as many as you can!"

The generals had no choice but to bow and agree.

Pei Qinghe also selected Pei Yan, Gu Lian, Feng Chang, and other military generals to join the expedition. Pei Xuan and Pei Feng each led troops to set up ambushes. Once the Xiongnu barbarians fled in disarray, these two ambushes would be of great use.

After the agreement was reached, the soldiers put on their soft armor if they had it, and their leather armor if they had it. The archers carried their bows and arrows and quivers, and the spearmen carefully cleaned their sharp iron spikes. All the weapons were wiped clean. In addition, each person carried enough dry rations for five days, as well as a water bag.

The gates of Liaoxi City swung open, and Sun Cheng led his vanguard out of the city, five hundred cavalrymen disappearing into the dust. A little over half a day later, the main army set out, the Pei-character banner fluttering in the wind.

In addition, there were the flags of the Beiping Army and the Guangning Army, as well as the Lü and Li flags. The latter two armies had both joined the Pei family army, and their flags had long been changed. For this major battle, Pei Qinghe had specially prepared the Li and Lü flags.

As the general of the Pei family army, she will soon become the emperor of the north, and her various armies will naturally be able to raise their own banners.

Looking at the fluttering Li-character flag, Li Chi was filled with a mix of emotions, but he didn't show it on his face and simply rode away on his horse.

Lü Feng, on the other hand, was overjoyed and laughed heartily a few times. He said to his personal guards, "General Pei gave me this brand-new military flag. From now on, we can call ourselves the Lü Family Army."

"My lads, today follow me to fight the enemy and strive for a truly bright future."

The soldiers of Fanyang Army responded with a resounding roar. Regardless of their combat strength, their spirit and morale alone already displayed the demeanor of battle-hardened veterans.

Standing atop the city wall, Yang Hu watched the endless army recede into the distance like a tidal wave, his heart filled with the same surge of passion.

Staying with him in Liaoxi City was Meng Liulang's elder brother, Meng Bing. The two stood side by side.

"Can we win this battle?" Yang Hu seemed to be asking Meng Bing, but also seemed to be talking to himself.

Meng Bing smiled slowly: "With the general personally leading the troops, everyone is of one mind, and morale is high. Victory is assured!"

(End of this chapter)