Chapter 104: Choice
Meng Liulang had been tied up for a long time. Once unbound, he swiftly flipped over and landed on the ground. He tore out the rag from his mouth and sneered, “No need to think about it. I’m leaving right now.”
Xiao Mo’s scalp tingled again as his young master’s sharp gaze swept over. “Do you want to stay in Pei Family Village as a son-in-law, or follow me?”
Xiao Mo was utterly helpless and had no choice but to agree: “This lowly one will follow Young Master.”
Meng Liulang coldly ordered: “What are you standing around for? Leave those five who are to become sons-in-law behind. Everyone else, follow me.”
Xiao Mo cupped his hands and accepted the order.
Meng Liulang walked out expressionlessly. From start to finish, he didn’t glance at Pei Qinghe once.
Pei Qinghe also walked out, turned back to her house, and went in the opposite direction from Meng Liulang, getting farther and farther away.
The soldiers followed Meng Liulang out of Pei Family Village. Such a big movement alarmed Madam Feng.
Madam Feng quietly entered her daughter’s house and softly comforted, “Eldest Young Master Meng comes from a general’s family, proud and arrogant, unwilling to stay long in Pei Family Village. It shows you two have no fate.”
Pei Qinghe turned her head, her face clean and expression normal: “I’m tired and need to rest for a bit. It has nothing to do with Meng Liulang.”
Madam Feng smiled and followed Pei Qinghe’s words: “You’ve been up the mountain for over half a month this time. You really should rest well. I’ll go make you some midnight snack.”
Pei Qinghe did not refuse Madam Feng’s kindness and smiled with an “mm.”
After Madam Feng left, Mao Hongling quietly came. She chatted idly about irrelevant things, only relaxing once she confirmed Pei Qinghe’s emotions were stable.
Then, Pei Yun and Pei Yan came together.
Pei Qinghe laughed in exasperation: “Alright, I really have nothing. You all coming one after another—afraid I’ll cover my face and cry bitterly?”
Pei Yan bluntly said in her rough manner: “Meng Liulang is so handsome and brought five hundred men. With him not staying, don’t you have even a bit of regret in your heart?”
Pei Yun gave Pei Yan a reproachful glance and softly continued: “Qinghe, if you’re upset, tell us about it. Don’t keep it bottled up.”
Pei Qinghe thought for a moment and sighed: “I do have some regret.”
“But people have their own aspirations; you can’t force them. Meng Liulang is young and vigorous, unwilling to bow his head. Either I remain single, or I marry in a son-in-law.”
“No fate, then part ways amicably.”
Searching her heart, Pei Qinghe did have a bit of fondness for Meng Liulang. But it was far from the point of this life, him or no one.
Pei Yan said boldly: “One Meng Liulang gone, better ones will come later.”
Pei Qinghe smiled, then suddenly asked Pei Yun: “Do you still miss your Hong family cousin?”
Pei Yun was silent for a moment: “I occasionally think of him still. Wait another year or so, and I’ll forget him clean.”
Pei Qinghe patted Pei Yun’s shoulder, giving silent comfort.
When Madam Feng brought steaming hot midnight snack, Pei Qinghe’s rare romantic love had long been thrown to the back of her mind, and she buried her head eating heartily.
Three days later, Pei Family Village held a unique wedding banquet.
The five men marrying in were all Beiping Army soldiers. And they were marrying true Pei Clan female dependents. With Bian Shulan’s precedent, even the most rigid Madam Lu didn’t object. She just kept a straight face.
After a month or so of rest and training, Pei Qinghe led people into the mountains again.
This bandit suppression, Pei Xuan and Pei Feng got their wish to follow along. They were the two youngest in the team, but their skills were not weak at all. Pei Xuan alone could beat three refugees just trained for a few months.
Pei Qinghe specially instructed: “You two are going into the mountains for bandit suppression for the first time. Don’t run around recklessly. Stay by my side.”
Pei Xuan and Pei Feng nodded solemnly in agreement.
Attacking a stronghold is active offense, completely different from passive defense. Pei Qinghe specially picked a tall tree and climbed up like a spirit ape. From high above, she shot fire arrows. The arrows landed in the stronghold, sparks crackling from the arrow tails.
Immediately after, Pei Yun and Pei Yan pulled bows and shot arrows one after another. Several fire arrows quickly ignited the stronghold. Once the fire started, the mountain bandits of Fierce Dragon Stockade panicked, shouting about qi deviation and going to fetch water to put out fire. Thick smoke rose everywhere, choking people into constant coughing.
In the firelight, sharp arrows whistled nonstop, occasionally hitting someone who fell to the ground.
Pei Qinghe’s fearsome reputation was too great; the mountain bandits soon had thoughts of retreat. The quick-witted ones found the back gate of the stronghold and fled via the small path.
But they were ambushed right there.
Miserable cries rose one after another.
Feng Chang led a team in fierce fighting and stole a glance at Gu Lian’s side during the chaos, grinding his teeth in secret.
This Gu Lian killed mountain bandits even more ferociously than him.
……
Within one day, they broke through Fierce Dragon Stockade. Over the next few days, Pei Qinghe led people searching everywhere for stragglers, killing clean all the hidden mountain bandits.
However, there were always some stragglers who escaped. Personnel limited, and the mountain forest easy to hide in. No way around it.
The spoils from Fierce Dragon Stockade were even more than from Clear Wind Stockade.
The crowd happily descended the mountain.
Just as they reached the foot, they met Zhou Shi hurrying with a letter.
Zhou Shi was full of anxiety and stuffed the letter in her hand into Pei Qinghe’s: “Qinghe, Eldest Young Master Meng sent someone with a letter.”
Pei Qinghe’s eyes flashed, and she quickly opened the letter.
The first sentence in the letter made Pei Qinghe’s right hand tremble slightly.
General Meng died in battle! Meng Erlang and Meng Wulang also died in warfare. Meng Dalang’s leg was injured, leaving him unable to lead troops again. The Meng Family father and sons dead and wounded, truly only Meng Liulang left.
Pei Qinghe gravely read on.
“…Of the twelve Imperial Guards in the Capital City, two are loyal to Crown Prince. After we father and sons led troops to the Capital City, someone opened the city gate and let us in. Bohai Navy also entered the city together.”
“In the melee, countless dead and wounded. Beiping Army left with only defeated remnants.”
“The Emperor decreed poison wine to execute Crown Prince. Crown Prince is dead, Crown Princess poisoned too. Fortunately, Prince Zhangwu of the Eastern Palace was timely rescued away by Bohai Navy.”
“Liulang’s temperament is impulsive. Please Sixth Sister Pei must keep Liulang there, don’t let him come to Capital City to die in vain.”
Unfortunately, this letter came too late.
Meng Liulang had already led troops away for over a month. Now unknown where he was.
Pei Qinghe read the letter again and sighed softly without a sound.
In this imperial throne struggle, Prince Wei still won after all.
Crown Prince burned to death in his previous life, poisoned to death this life—just a different way to die.
Prince Zhangwu still went to Bohai Commandery.
Of course, Prince Wei only barely won. The twelve Imperial Guards suffered heavy losses, unknown if they can block Jiangnan Rebel Army’s advance. A pile of messes to clean up; short-term, Prince Wei can’t free a hand against Pei Family.
Pei Qinghe tucked the letter into her sleeve and led the crowd down the mountain.
Pei Qinghe only let Pei Yun see Meng Dalang’s letter once. Pei Yun frowned and sighed: “Imperial Court in chaos, the world follows in great disorder. We must prepare in advance.”
Pei Qinghe nodded and said gravely: “There’s still one Eagle Stockade; we’ll wipe it out too. After that, no more mountain bandits in Yan Mountains.”
