Ask the mountains and rivers

Chapter 429 Turmoil (Part Two)

The spirited woman with a cold and stern face strode forward; it was Pei Qinghe.

As fate would have it, Pei Qinghe had just arrived in Yan County that day to discuss the enthronement ceremony with Prime Minister Pang and Vice Minister Qin. Just then, Prefect Tang rushed over, frantically requesting reinforcements. Having heard the whole story, Pei Qinghe was furious and arrived with a cold expression.

Song Dalang, who was originally leisurely and self-satisfied, suddenly panicked, spat out his tea, and hurriedly stood up to bow.

Pei Qinghe twitched the corners of her mouth, but there was no smile in her eyes: "So it's General Song. What brings you to the Prefect's residence today?"

Song Dalang was sweating profusely and didn't dare to look up and meet Pei Qinghe's eyes: "Reporting to the general, I just came to take a stroll."

Pei Qinghe glanced at him coldly, then turned to Prefect Tang: "Prefect Tang, you speak."

Prefect Tang was a seasoned official. He had dealt with Pei Qinghe quite a bit in recent years and knew well how intolerant General Pei was of any wrongdoing. His angry expression clearly indicated that he knew the inside story and had come specifically for this purpose.

How could this possibly be hidden?
Prefect Tang bowed respectfully and recounted the whole story.

"So, General Song is here to take people away," Pei Qinghe said coldly. "If Prefect Tang doesn't release them, General Song won't leave today?"

Song Dalang was caught between a rock and a hard place, his handsome face turning red with frustration.

Instead of trying to curry favor, Prefect Tang simply replied, "That's exactly right."

Pei Qinghe didn't give Prefect Tang a friendly look either: "Can't you, as the Prefect of Yan County, handle such a small matter? You even have to go to the Prime Minister's residence to ask for help! The Prime Minister is supposed to handle important matters of state and civil administration. If you have to trouble the Prime Minister with such a small matter, what's the point of having a Prefect like you?"

Prefect Tang broke out in a cold sweat and bowed deeply in fear, admitting his incompetence: "Your subject is utterly incompetent."

"You're not incompetent, you just don't want to offend anyone." Pei Qinghe bluntly exposed Prefect Tang's shamelessness: "For so many years, this is how you've managed to be a prefect. Ordinary people being trampled by horses and injured can't harm you, Prefect Tang, in the slightest. But General Song and his son are people you absolutely cannot offend. You sent someone to invite Prime Minister Pang, hoping he would share some of the blame for you. Whether Prime Minister Pang comes or not, you've already decided to release them, haven't you?"

Prefect Tang could not even stand; his knees buckled and he knelt down.

"In the past, the court was full of mediocre people like you who held positions without doing their jobs, unwilling to take responsibility or work diligently. Now that I am in charge, I will not tolerate such behavior." Pei Qinghe hadn't shown such anger in a long time, and her words were as cold as knives: "I'll give you one more chance."

"Go to court now and begin the trial. I, the general, want to personally watch how you conduct the trial."

Prefect Tang was sweating profusely and dared not hesitate for a moment: "General, please calm down. I will certainly handle the case impartially and will never tolerate or condone any wrongdoing."

Pei Qinghe glanced at Song Dalang and said, "Young General Song, please come along."

At this moment, Song Dalang wished he could tear the troublemaking military officer to pieces, but he still dared not meet Pei Qinghe's eyes: "Yes."

Prime Minister Pang and Vice Minister Qin, who had come with Pei Qinghe, exchanged silent glances, each sighing with emotion.

In the past, if a military general injured a merchant on horseback, what was such a trivial matter? No one needed to intervene; the general could easily leave. The merchant would be lucky to receive some money for medical treatment.

General Pei, however, could not tolerate such bullying and oppressive behavior. He seized upon this incident today and lashed out severely. Clearly, he intended to set an example and warn all military commanders holding significant power.

Therefore, it is clear that General Pei's claims of being "uninformed about politics" and "inept at administrative affairs" were merely self-deprecating remarks. General Pei not only understood politics, but was also skilled and decisive in handling them.

The ensuing court hearing was an eye-opener for Prime Minister Pang and Vice Minister Qin. Pei Qinghe remained silent throughout, sitting only beside Prefect Tang. Song Dalang sat nervously on the other side.

The military officer brought into the courtroom was one who had fought alongside Song Dalang against the Xiongnu barbarians and the Bohai Army. When he was led in, he held his head high and stood tall, but when he saw Pei Qinghe's face, his arrogance vanished instantly, and he knelt down with sweat beading on his forehead.

Prefect Tang, as if possessed by a judge, slammed his gavel: "Who is there in the hall? State your name."

The military officer's voice trembled slightly: "This humble general's surname is Jiang, and his given name is Huan."

"Today you rode your horse recklessly through the streets and injured a roadside vendor. Is that true?" Prefect Tang had never been so imposing in his life.

Jiang Huan dared not refute or deny it, and responded in a low voice.

Prefect Tang then ordered the injured civilians to be carried to the courtroom. After the civilians identified the victims, the court ruled that the military officer Jiang Huan should pay for their medical treatment. According to the law, since the injury was not intentional, the officer could be exempted from imprisonment but would be punished with a beating.

They were flogged right there in court.

Jiang Huan was given forty solid lashes, his back was almost bruised and battered, and he screamed in agony.

Song Dalang felt like he was sitting on pins and needles as he listened to the sound of the paddle striking his own face. His only consolation was that his father hadn't come. Otherwise, today would have been far too humiliating.

The thought had barely crossed his mind when a familiar figure appeared outside the courtroom.

A middle-aged military officer with a dignified appearance entered the courtroom with a look of shame. He bowed to Pei Qinghe and apologized, saying, "It is my fault for not managing my subordinates properly. My officers have caused trouble in Yan County, which has alarmed the general."

Pei Qinghe was a little more polite to General Song: "General Song, you arrived quickly."

How can it not be fast?

As soon as Pei Qinghe entered the prefectural governor's mansion, the news reached General Song's ears. General Song rushed over without delay, just in time to witness Jiang Huan being beaten bloodied and bruised.

General Song continued to plead guilty out of shame.

Pei Qinghe said calmly, "It is indeed not an easy task to rectify military discipline and manage subordinates. There are few military armies in the world with such strict discipline as the Pei family army. General Song is already one of the best generals in the north. I am planning to promote the military discipline and regulations of the Pei family army to other armies. It is good to start with the Pingyang army and have a discussion with General Song first."

General Song replied solemnly, "I humbly request your guidance, General."

Pei Qinghe said, "The most important thing is actually just two sentences. First, cherish the people as you would your own children. Second, discipline your soldiers as you would your own children, with clear rules and no leniency."

He paused for a moment, then added, "For specific military regulations, you can refer to the Pei family army. I've had dozens of copies made, and I'll have them delivered to the general later."

General Song repeatedly bowed and expressed his gratitude.

Song Dalang stood obediently behind his father and bowed to express his gratitude.

When the father and son left, they carried Jiang Huan, who had been beaten unconscious, away with them. Jiang Huan's back was badly injured, and he could only lie face down on the door, which at least covered his face. In broad daylight, they carried him out of the courtroom and all the way back to the temporary residence of the Song father and son.

(End of this chapter)