Ask the mountains and rivers

Chapter 45 The Visitor (Part Two)

The air seemed to freeze in an instant.

Meng Liulang was the first to be affected, and he was stunned by this bizarre scene, his back covered in cold sweat.

The soldiers' throats also tightened.

Pei Qinghe's unhurried voice rang in everyone's ears: "These bandits are all from Black Bear Stronghold. They usually burn, kill, rob, and commit all sorts of evil deeds. Killing them is considered doing justice for Heaven. I don't want to alarm the government and cause a lot of trouble, so I'll just dig a pit and bury the corpses to settle things."

"General Meng's arrival today is timely. If anyone asks in the future, I will say that General Meng took action to resolve the Black Bear Stronghold issue for the women of the Pei family."

Meng Liulang was still in a daze and subconsciously replied, "How could I steal your military merits?"

“The women of the Pei family were exiled here, and it is already a miracle that they have survived. How can they be credited with military merit?” Pei Qinghe said solemnly, “Furthermore, Black Bear Stronghold lost so many people, they must be holding a grudge and will come to seek revenge in the future. It is safest to completely wipe out Black Bear Stronghold.”

Meng Liulang hesitated for a moment, then turned to look at the group of soldiers.

The soldiers' eyes lit up, and they were all eager to try: "Sixth Young Master, please agree!"

"The general instructed us to take care of Pei Family Village. Now that Pei Family Village is in big trouble, it is only natural that we should step in."

“If we have a survivor to lead the way, we’ll go into the mountains and wipe out Black Bear Village. Once the government and the imperial court know that it was our Beiping army that did it, they won’t suspect Pei Family Village.”

"You're right! We'll definitely help you with this!"

The readily available military merits must be taken.

Encouraged by the soldiers, Meng Liulang felt his blood boil and turned to look at Pei Qinghe: "Don't worry, Miss Pei, leave the rest to us."

With a ready-made scapegoat to take the blame, Pei Qinghe was in a very good mood: "Cut off the heads of these corpses, prepare them with quicklime, and we can take them back to the military camp to report our achievements."

Decapitation is a routine operation on the battlefield.

The soldiers were overjoyed that Miss Pei was so helpful and immediately said, "Leave these kinds of miscellaneous tasks to us."

Pei Qinghe glanced around, and Mao Hongling and the others all stepped aside.

Dozens of soldiers stepped forward, drew their long knives, and beheaded the bandits. They then dug a pit three feet deep and threw all the corpses in to bury them.

Such physically demanding work is indeed more suited to the soldiers.

At Pei Qinghe's command, all the bandits who had been hanging for days and nights were brought down. The first five all starved to death.

Good heads shouldn't be wasted; the corpses were thrown into the pit along with the bodies. The second batch of three were barely alive, barely breathing. The four that were just hoisted up yesterday were still somewhat alive.

Pei Qinghe pointed to the short, ugly man and said, "This is the third leader of Black Bear Stronghold. With him leading the way, we can reach Black Bear Stronghold in a day."

"Most of the bandits in Black Bear Stronghold have been killed. There are still about a dozen bandits and a bunch of women and children left in the stronghold. General Meng's men are enough."

Meng Liulang joined the army at the age of ten and spent six years in the Beiping army camp. He had also fought on the battlefield with his father and elder brother, and considered himself knowledgeable and experienced. However, today, upon arriving at Peijia Village, everything he encountered far exceeded his expectations.

He asked with a complicated expression, "Aren't you coming along to wipe out Black Bear Stronghold?"

Pei Qinghe said, "I have killed three groups of bandits in recent days, and I am really exhausted."

She was used to fighting and killing. However, it was always best if someone else could take the lead and she didn't have to lift a finger.

Meng Liulang looked at Pei Qinghe's bright, dark eyes and remained silent. After a moment, he suddenly said, "My name is Meng Ling."

Pei Qinghe smiled and said, "My maiden name is Qinghe."

Qinghe, Pei Qinghe.

Meng Ling gave her a deep look, then strode over to the soldiers: "Everyone, hurry up, once we've finished cleaning up here, we'll head into the mountains to wipe out the bandits." An hour later, Meng Ling led dozens of soldiers into the mountains.

As darkness fell, more than twenty grain trucks entered Peijia Village.

"So much grain! Enough to feed us for half a year!" Wu Xiuniang exclaimed excitedly, her eyes shining as she counted all the grain. "Qinghe! This General Meng is so generous and kind!"

Mao Hongling softly continued, "There must be a reason why they suddenly sent so much grain when we have no relatives or friends here."

Pei Qinghe smiled and said, "This is His Highness the Crown Prince's favor towards our Pei family. With the support of the Beiping Army, we can establish a stable foothold here."

They had enough food to last for half a year, a cellar full of silver, horses, bows and arrows, weapons, and more than two hundred energetic and capable clansmen who worked together.

This kind of start is far better than in my previous life.

"What should we do next?" Pei Yun's beautiful eyes sparkled with hope and expectation for the future.

Pei Yan excitedly interrupted, "Is that even a question? We're cultivating fertile land while continuing to train our troops."

It's rare for Pei Yan to say something so insightful.

Pei Qinghe raised an eyebrow and smiled: "Pei Yan is right. It's good to have someone to look after you and help you, but it's more important to have your own strength. Starting tomorrow, we'll train every morning."

At dawn the next day, the sound of bamboo whistles rang out, and dozens of thatched huts began to stir.

Several large iron pots were simmering with thick porridge, served with pickled vegetables and steamed buns. After eating their fill, they lined up and left the village to do their morning exercise by the wasteland.

Pei Qinghe would occasionally blow his bamboo whistle.

The bamboo whistles rang out loudly and crisply, with a brisk rhythm. The group's steps gradually synchronized.

Pei Jia led the mule to plow the field, glancing up every now and then with a proud and smug look on his face: "Our sixth young lady is really amazing."

Pei Yi, who was leading a donkey, chuckled and said, "Of course. Look, we've only been here a few days, and we've already killed three groups of bandits and seized a ton of money and grain. Now the Beiping army is even sending us supplies!"

"Following the Sixth Sister, I have enough to eat and wear every day. Even if they chase me away now, I'll stay here and refuse to leave."

The two were refugees fleeing famine, and their fate was either to starve to death or to die from illness or exhaustion.

Who would have thought they would live such a good life today?

Pei Jia, who used to be as thin as a skeleton, has now gained weight. Pei Yi has also become more robust, and his features have even been described as handsome.

There are now two iron plows in the village. Pei Jia and Pei Yi get up early every day to pull the plows and till the fields, without feeling tired at all.

Fang Datou, who had lost his right arm, and the coachman Zhao Hai were busy tending to their warhorses.

Zhao Hai was a bachelor, without parents or a wife, so he could settle down anywhere. He traveled a long way to Peijia Village and stayed there without saying a word.

He knows how to raise mules and donkeys, drive carts, and is pretty much as good at raising and feeding horses. He can learn it with a little practice.

There's also Doctor Bao brewing medicine in the thatched hut, and the five adult men in Peijia Village.

The women of the Pei family were the ones who killed the bandits; the five men were hiding in the thatched hut at the time. There was nothing to be ashamed of. The sixth daughter of the Pei family led the women in an unstoppable advance; the five of them rushing in would only cause chaos.

In the evening, Pei Qinghe led his clansmen back to the village.

The group didn't come empty-handed; they brought back several wild rabbits and a roe deer. They also dragged back more than ten logs using ropes.

(End of this chapter)