Chapter 221: Offense And Defense
After marching for ten days, they left Yan Prefecture and entered Guangning Prefecture’s territory.
The common people in Guangning Prefecture were much more reverent toward the Pei Family Army, and no one dared to come forward at all.
Pei Qinghe maintained a marching pace of sixty li per day. Captain Sun, who was scouting ahead, moved much faster and had already scouted more than a hundred li further, sending new news every day.
“Reporting to General Pei, there is a group of rebel bandits ahead. Captain Sun did not slaughter them massively to save time and led the vanguard camp to drive the bandits away.”
“Captain Sun has scouted the movements of the Xiongnu barbarians. The Xiongnu barbarians are now in Guangning Prefecture’s territory, not attacking county towns but specifically robbing villages with no power to resist.”
Pei Xuan listened in great anger: “Pah! These Xiongnu barbarians bully the weak and fear the strong, despicable and shameless!”
Pei Qinghe glanced over: “The Xiongnu barbarians send out troops to rob grain, silver, and people. Robbing villages is the easiest. They’re not fools, so of course they won’t start by tackling hard nuts.”
Pei Feng frowned and said: “The Guangning Army has so many men, why don’t they proactively attack? They just stupidly stay inside the city walls defending, watching innocently as common people are killed and robbed?”
Pei Qinghe said indifferently: “This can’t be blamed on the Guangning Army. The Xiongnu barbarians grow up on horseback from childhood and are the best cavalry. They come and go like the wind; if the Guangning Army leaves the city, they won’t even touch the Xiongnu barbarians’ horse tails.”
“In terms of combat power, the Xiongnu barbarians are ferociously savage by nature, each one a capable fighter. For the Guangning Army to hold the city is already impressive.”
In short, the Guangning Army simply lacks the capability for proactive attacks!
It’s not just the Guangning Army either. The Fanyang Army and Liaoxi Army face the same situation against the Xiongnu barbarians; they all have to avoid their edge and focus on defending cities.
The only army truly capable of clashing head-on with the Xiongnu barbarians is the Beiping Army.
Once the Beiping Army leaves, Youzhou’s border defense has a fatal gap. Now, the Pei Family Army has filled the Beiping Army’s position. They haven’t truly faced battle yet and haven’t undergone real tests.
Pei Qinghe herself is of course unafraid of the Xiongnu barbarians. But in a battle between two armies, personal bravery is not enough to decide the victory or defeat of a campaign. If the Pei Family Army behind her are all cowards, even if she becomes the God of Slaughter, it would be useless.
After years of training troops, this is the true time to test the Pei Family Army’s combat power and courage.
“It’s good that you have confidence. But you must not be arrogant and underestimate the enemy.” Pei Qinghe warned solemnly: “Also, we came this time to help the Guangning Army defend the city. Do not quarrel with the Guangning Army over matters of going out to battle. The Guangning Army has much more experience fighting the Xiongnu barbarians than we do, and there are always things worth learning from them.”
Pei Xuan and Pei Feng obediently agreed.
Pei Zhi, a few years older, stood by with arms crossed watching the fun. Suddenly she was called: “Pei Zhi!”
Pei Zhi quickly dropped her arms: “Here!”
Pei Qinghe said: “Yang Hu is now the commander of the Guangning Army. You must not offend or disrespect him in public, damaging his general’s prestige.”
Pei Zhi obediently replied: “Understood.”
This time, it was Pei Xuan and Pei Feng’s turn to wink and watch the fun.
Pei Qinghe shot them a glance, and Pei Xuan and Pei Feng immediately straightened up, looking extremely serious: “Pass down my order: from today onward, march eighty li per day and arrive at Guangning Prefecture as soon as possible.”
“Yes!”
Three days later, the Pei Family Army’s vast forces appeared under the city walls of Guangning Prefecture.
Captain Sun had arrived at Guangning Prefecture a step ahead, and the Guangning Army had already received the news. Brothers Yang Huai and Yang Hu led a group of military generals to open the city gate to welcome them.
Pei Qinghe raised her hand, signaling the cavalry behind her to stop, then dismounted.
Pei Yan, tall like a black tower, rushed over like the wind: “Cousin Sister Qinghe! You actually came leading troops yourself!”
Pei Qinghe hummed in acknowledgment, reached out to pat Pei Yan’s arm, signaling her to step aside.
Yang Huai, Yang Hu, and the others hurried forward, cupping hands excitedly: “General Pei personally leading troops to aid us, the Guangning Army from top to bottom is endlessly grateful.”
General Yang’s death in battle, along with three thousand elite soldiers killed or fleeing in disorder, was a fatal blow to the Guangning Army. The Guangning Army’s morale is currently low, and there’s no need to say much about their combat power. At such a time, the Xiongnu barbarians came. Yang Huai and Yang Hu had no choice but to rally their spirits and lead troops to defend the city.
In their brothers’ expectations, for the Pei Family Army to send a few hundred elite soldiers to help would already be extremely righteous.
They never imagined that two thousand elite soldiers would come at once, half of them cavalry. Pei Qinghe personally led the troops and even brought three months of military rations.
A thousand words were unnecessary. Yang Huai secretly vowed in his heart that after this battle, as long as he luckily survived, he would willingly marry into the Pei Clan in the future and fight for the Pei Family Army.
Pei Qinghe said warmly: “The Pei Family Army and Guangning Army are of the same branch, mutual assistance is only right. No need for idle talk, let’s enter the city first.”
The first to enter the city were one thousand cavalry.
Calling them cavalry was actually not quite precise. True cavalry have perfect harmony between man and warhorse as one. They can charge, retreat, raise knives to kill, and form horse formations.
The Pei Family Army originally had only a few hundred horses. At the end of last year, the Zhan Family brought back over eight hundred horses, allowing the Pei Family Army to have this one thousand cavalry. They had only trained for half a year. They looked majestic and proper, but were really just infantry riding horses.
Even so, it was enough to make the Guangning Army’s officers and soldiers envious to the point of drooling and to elicit cheers like a tsunami from the common people of Guangning Prefecture.
After the one thousand elite soldiers entered the city, came the Pei Family Army’s one thousand infantry. Unified gray military uniforms, neat marching steps, paired with uplifting postures and confident spirits, were amazing. Seventy percent were male soldiers, with about thirty percent female soldiers, drawing even more attention.
Even the Beiping Army of that year didn’t have such flair.
The Pei Family Army’s military banner was planted on Guangning Prefecture’s city wall, fluttering alongside the Guangning Army’s military banner.
The common people who came to welcome the Pei Family Army into the city eagerly discussed all the powerful aspects of the Pei Family Army. They lingered for a long time, unwilling to leave.
The originally panicked public sentiment settled down today.
Brothers Yang Huai and Yang Hu also felt much more secure in their hearts.
Captain Sun, who arrived a few days early, had already found a suitable open ground. The Pei Family Army’s two thousand men set up camp on the spot, settling in orderly: sharpening knives, feeding warhorses, lighting fires, setting up stoves to cook, all without any disorder.
Pei Yan easily squeezed Pei Xuan and Pei Feng aside, sticking closely to Pei Qinghe’s side.
In the past, she followed Cousin Sister Qinghe every day. This parting of nearly a month was unprecedentedly long. Pei Qinghe smiled: “No need to follow so closely. I’m here now and won’t leave without a victory.”
Pei Yan grinned: “Anyway, tonight I’m sleeping with you.”
Pei Qinghe smiled faintly.
“General Pei,” Yang Huai personally came to invite her, posture respectful: “General Yang has prepared wine and water, please join General Pei for dinner.”
The General Yang in Yang Huai’s mouth was Yang Hu, who had been commander for just over a month.
Pei Qinghe nodded with a smile: “Good. I’ll go right now.”
……
