Chapter 172: Warfare
The Fanyang Army’s large banner had a red background with gold edges, and in the middle was a Lu character.
The soldier holding the large banner rode a fine horse, waving the flag, looking majestic.
Pei Qinghe stood on the wall, drawing a sharp arrow with her right hand, pulling the bow and shooting.
The sharp arrow left the string, slicing through the sky like lightning, piercing the throat of the soldier hundreds of meters away. The soldier didn’t even get out a cry of agony before heavily falling off his horse. His body was trampled by the warhorses that followed. That Lu character banner was also trampled to pieces by the warhorses that came after.
Pei Qinghe swiftly shot the second arrow.
Pei Yan, Mao Hongling, and others fired several arrows together. Sharp arrows fell like rain, and the cavalry charging at the front fell one after another. Even those not hit in vital spots were trampled to death in the chest and abdomen by the warhorses behind.
Pei Qinghe’s gaze was cold as ice, her right hand drawing the third arrow.
The warhorses’ speed was astonishing, charging nonstop. More kept falling.
General Lu was commanding from the rear, standing on the war chariot watching this scene, his heart aching so much it felt like it was dripping blood.
Warhorses were precious, and cavalry consumed the most money and grain. To raise eight hundred cavalry, he didn’t know how much effort he had poured in. He led troops to attack the Pei Family Army, relying precisely on these eight hundred cavalry.
Cavalry charging into battle was the most ferocious. As long as they endured this wave of arrow rain, they could reach the wall. No matter how high the Pei Family Army’s wall was, it couldn’t compare to a city wall, and no matter how sturdy its gate was, it couldn’t match a city gate.
He kept consoling himself that casualties were inevitable in battle. Pei Qinghe was famous for her divine arrows, and this wave of sacrifices was already anticipated.
However, witnessing this scene with his own eyes still made General Lu’s heart ache terribly.
General Lu gritted his teeth and personally beat the military drum.
With the cavalry charging, the infantry also surged forward like tides.
They had already come, no need for harsh words, no need for hesitation. Both sides knew this was a battle of life and death, and neither would retreat.
The cavalry also had bows and arrows in hand, and soon they raised arrows to fire back.
Some Pei Family Army soldiers on the wall were hit by arrows and fell backward.
A sharp arrow grazed past Pei Qinghe’s ear. Her earlobe felt hot; she didn’t need to look to know it had been nicked by the sharp arrow.
Pei Qinghe blew the bamboo whistle, and the archers wearing soft armor all crouched down with her, continuing to shoot arrows.
To reach the wall, the Fanyang Army paid a heavy price.
After all, it was a regular army; no matter how lax the training, it far surpassed mountain bandits and roving bandits. Though the formation was somewhat disrupted, they still charged through.
The infantry carried giant wood, heavily ramming the wall and wooden gate.
Dong! Dong! Dong!
One thunderous crash after another shook the wall and made hearts tremble.
The Pei Family Village’s wall was solidly built, able to withstand fierce beasts and refugees. However, compared to the sturdy and towering city gate, it was far inferior. Under the continuous impacts of the giant wood, cracks had already appeared.
Just one wall away, angry shouts and curses kept coming into the ears.
“Pei Family Army, come out and die quickly!”
“Drop your weapons and kneel, and we’ll spare you!”
“Pei Qinghe, you little wench, obediently surrender, and our General Lu will reluctantly take you as a concubine… Ah!”
A sharp arrow silenced the filthy language. That soldier who spoke boldly was shot in the mouth by the sharp arrow, piercing straight through the back of his skull, and died on the spot.
Pei Yan was furious. They were too close; bows and arrows had lost their effect. She threw down her bow and arrow, drew her long saber, and was about to jump down the wall.
Pei Qinghe’s cold voice came into her ear: “Are you seeking death? Fall back!”
The wall below was full of Fanyang Army soldiers. If Pei Yan charged down like that, no matter how many she killed, she would still die.
This hot-tempered lioness Pei Yan immediately retreated from the wall.
Dong dong dong!
The giant wood kept ramming the wall nonstop.
The cracks grew larger and larger.
Pei Qinghe led a group of archers to leap down the wall, quickly retreating dozens of steps, setting down their bows and arrows, each drawing their own weapon.
Pei Yan and Mao Hongling stood to Pei Qinghe’s left and right, while Captain Sun, Tao Feng, and other leaders were all ready in formation.
Dong dong dong!
The wall was finally rammed open with a crash, collapsing with a boom, revealing a breach large enough for about three people to pass through. Several soldiers yelled as they rushed in.
Pei Qinghe’s figure was swift; she flashed forward, her long saber flicking up, and a head flew into the sky accompanied by blood.
Pei Yan gave a ferocious laugh, pounced forward, and finished one with a saber strike.
Mao Hongling used a spear, calmly piercing an enemy’s chest.
Captain Sun was a master in the army, his skill surpassing Mao Hongling and Pei Yan; he waved his long saber, blood splashing. Tao Feng, from the Beiping Army, wielded his saber to kill with particular efficiency.
Pei Xuan was sweet-looking, but her long saber was exceptionally fierce. Pei Feng silently wielded his saber to kill; at this moment, he had no time to see how Pei Xuan was doing. On the battlefield, swords had no eyes; it was kill or be killed. Enemies could suddenly appear swinging blades, allowing no distraction.
Dong dong dong!
The Fanyang Army kept smashing the wall, the breach growing larger, and more and more Fanyang Army soldiers surged in. The Pei Family Army’s elite soldiers, ready in formation, swiftly advanced with waving sabers.
From above, the Fanyang Army in black military uniforms and the Pei Family Army in gray military uniforms were like two torrents, crashing fiercely together. The gray was like a sharp knife, piercing the black torrent, blooming blood flowers.
General Lu continued beating the military drum, ordering the whole army to attack.
This was a tough battle.
After General Lu surrendered to King Qiao of Heaven, his ambition gradually swelled. Occupying Fanyang Commandery still left him unsatisfied. The Liaoxi Army was far away, and the Guangning Army had been former colleagues, inconvenient to turn against for the time being. After much thought, the only option was to squeeze the soft persimmon that was the Pei Family Army.
Pei Qinghe herself was indeed powerful, but the so-called Pei Family Army was just a group of refugees. No matter how much Pei Qinghe trained troops every day, what kind of elite soldiers could she train in just two short years?
On the battlefield, no matter how brave one person was, it couldn’t decide victory or defeat. Enough ants could bite an elephant to death. How many generals had died under soldiers’ chaotic blades?
As long as the Pei Family Army was defeated, even if Pei Qinghe luckily survived, she would have no capital left to hold Yan Prefecture. The Fanyang Army could then swallow Yan Prefecture whole, doubling their territory.
What made General Lu even more covetous was that Yan Prefecture still had many magnates. Pei Qinghe only had them offer tribute respectfully, without robbing or killing.
General Lu sneered at this.
Woman’s benevolence, unable to achieve great things. Once he took Yan Prefecture, families like Shi, Wang, Peng, and Yue would all be robbed and killed clean.
And the Lu Family that played both sides, hmph! Daring to take his silver! Daring to sell medicine everywhere! Later, he would slaughter Madam Lu, leaving only a few who knew how to make medicine.
General Lu heavily struck the military drum. Amid the intense drumming, Fanyang Army soldiers rammed another section of wall, and large numbers of soldiers surged into Pei Family Village.
General Lu standing on the war chariot could finally glimpse the “battlefield.”
In his heart, the brave and valiant Fanyang Army officers and soldiers clashed with the refugee army, yet failed to gain the upper hand. The refugee army was even more ferocious and fierce!
The most terrifying was Pei Qinghe in soft armor. She waved her long saber, harvesting Fanyang Army soldiers’ lives like a god of slaughter.
With the commander brave and invincible, the originally uneasy and tense Pei Family Army’s morale soared. Five people formed a military formation, several small formations merging into a large one, bit by bit devouring the Fanyang Army.
