Chapter 99: Public And Private
“I respect you and admire you; that’s a personal matter. Fully supporting the Pei Family Army has nothing to do with personal feelings. I am optimistic about the future of the Pei Family Army, and placing a heavy bet at this time is for the future of the Shi Family.”
Can public and private matters really be distinguished so clearly?
Pei Qinghe was momentarily at a loss for words.
Shi Yan continued, “Even if we step back and say public and private can’t be clearly distinguished, the one who suffers is me, and you have no losses. What do you have to worry about?”
Strangely enough, the one confessing was extremely composed, not embarrassed at all. Instead, Pei Qinghe seemed somewhat guilty.
Pei Qinghe couldn’t help but laugh. “That makes sense. Actually, I was just putting on a show earlier; I wasn’t the least bit embarrassed inside. Don’t underestimate me; my heart is both cold and hard.”
Shi Yan also laughed and changed the subject. “The roads are unsafe now, and with so much gold and silver, I’m afraid we’ll encounter refugees or bandits.”
Pei Qinghe was already prepared. “I’ve brought fifty people to go with you.”
Shi Yan acted decisively without any hesitation, nodding. “I’ll gather thirty more family retainers and have dry rations prepared. We’ll set off in one hour.”
For these trivial matters, he could just instruct Dong Erlang, but today Shi Yan went personally to avoid the awkwardness of facing each other.
Pei Qinghe couldn’t help but scratch her head. How did she inexplicably get the feeling of being a heartless woman?
While Pei Qinghe and Shi Yan were talking, everyone else kept their distance and couldn’t hear what the two were saying. Shi Yan’s expression was especially normal, so no one suspected anything.
One hour later, several carriages and dozens of fine horses left the Shi Family Fortified Village.
Shi Yan had been physically weak since childhood, but after being carefully nurtured, his body was much stronger than in his youth. However, every cold winter, he basically didn’t go out. This time to go to Liaoxi, he specially took a custom-made carriage. The carriage had iron-lined walls that could block bow and arrow attacks. Inside the carriage, there was also a layer of fur to block the wind and keep warm.
During a rest stop, Shi Yan invited Pei Qinghe onto the carriage for tea.
Shi Yan was so straightforward and open, so Pei Qinghe couldn’t be petty and smiled as she boarded the carriage. She immediately saw a familiar black bear skin and couldn’t help but chuckle. “Isn’t this the black bear skin I sent you last year?”
“Exactly.” Shi Yan smiled. “Such a complete black bear skin is a rare treasure. Grandfather was reluctant to use it, so he gave it to me.”
If it were anyone else, they would have stored the black bear skin away as a collectible long ago. Shi Yan was a pragmatist and directly took it out to use.
Pei Qinghe greatly appreciated such a practical approach. “What’s there to be reluctant about? Good things are meant to be used. Next spring, when I go hunting in the mountains again, I’ll hunt an even better one for you.”
Shi Yan glanced at Pei Qinghe. “By spring, you’ll be leading the newly trained refugees into the mountains to exterminate the mountain bandits!”
Pei Qinghe raised an eyebrow and smiled. “Is my plan that obvious?”
Shi Yan pulled out a small wooden drawer, took out a small box of dried meat and a box of dried fruit, opened them, and placed them in front of Pei Qinghe. “The Pei Clan women have fought several tough battles, but the refugees haven’t killed anyone or seen blood yet. Only actual combat can train elite soldiers. Train troops in winter, and when spring warms up, it’s perfect to enter the mountains for more training. By the way take out the remaining mountain strongholds, and then the Yan Mountains will be your territory.”
“Backing onto the Yan Mountains, we can advance to attack or retreat to defend. If a large army or a horde of refugees comes, we can retreat into the mountain forest.”
Pei Qinghe picked up a piece of dried meat and ate one after another.
Shi Yan poured her a cup of tea and continued with a smile. “The Pei Family Army doesn’t lack food or clothing now; what it lacks is weapons and warhorses.”
“When exterminating mountain bandits in the mountains, warhorses aren’t useful, but buying weapons is the most urgent matter.”
Pei Qinghe drained the tea in one gulp. “You’re right. The existing weapons in Pei Family Village are only enough to equip three hundred people. Now we’ve trained eight hundred soldiers, so we’re short on quite a few. Unfortunately, the Beiping Army went to the Capital City and took all the warhorses and weapons with them. We can’t shear the Beiping Army’s wool anymore.”
The regret of parting ways with General Meng due to irreconcilable differences didn’t need to be mentioned. With Shi Yan’s shrewdness and meticulousness, he should be able to discern some of it.
Pei Qinghe had a look of regret for not getting enough benefits.
Shi Yan couldn’t help laughing again and, seeing she didn’t like the dried fruit, took out another box of beef jerky.
Pei Qinghe practiced martial arts every day, expending a lot of energy, and had a huge appetite. The dry rations on the road could only barely fill her stomach. Finishing a box of beef jerky and then drinking a cup of clear tea to cut the greasiness was perfect for continuing the journey.
They traveled entirely on official roads, occasionally encountering traveling merchants and common people, and sometimes refugees following from afar. The group of dozens of women and dozens of strong men, all riding fine horses and carrying bows, arrows, and long sabers, clearly looked not to be trifled with. Anyone without some weight behind them wouldn’t dare approach.
To hurry, they camped in the wilderness for several nights in a row.
Pei Qinghe divided everyone into three shifts to take turns guarding at night.
The bonfire burned continuously, with everyone gathered around it, hiding in simple tents, sleeping in their clothes.
“Today, a group of people kept following us. I don’t know which bandits they are. They might strike at any time.”
Pei Qinghe whispered instructions to Pei Yan. “You guard the first half of the night; be alert.”
Pei Yan nodded.
This group of bandits clearly lacked patience and charged over hastily before nightfall.
A rabble without proper weapons—some even holding hoes and wooden sticks. Without Pei Qinghe even making a move, Pei Yan led the night guard shift to charge over, slashing down with a few strokes of their sabers and killing several. The dozens of bandits scattered in panic.
Pei Yan wanted to pursue, but Pei Qinghe stopped her. “No need to chase. These are just local villagers who saw our large caravan and wanted to get some easy pickings.”
The local customs in the Northern Lands are fierce; villagers farm when busy and band together to loot passersby when idle—nothing unusual. They were all poor wretches; couldn’t squeeze two taels of oil out of them, not worth chasing down to kill.
The next day, they encountered another group of bandits.
This group of bandits had clearly received some training and was organized with command.
Pei Qinghe pulled her bow and shot an arrow, killing the bandit leader. The remaining bandits immediately panicked, half were killed, and the survivors fled in disarray.
Pei Qinghe said coldly, “Kill as many as you can; don’t pursue.”
Young Master Shi sat safely in the carriage, watching Pei Qinghe slay in all directions through the window.
Dong Erlang also poked his head over to watch and sighed. “Sixth Sister’s arrows are godlike, and her long saber is powerful. Those bandits couldn’t even withstand a single stroke. How can there be such a powerful miss in the world!”
Shi Yan gazed at Sixth Sister Pei wielding her saber and killing as easily as chopping melons and vegetables; that sharp figure was deeply imprinted in his eyes.
After Dong Erlang exclaimed, he turned and was chilled by his master’s gaze, breaking out in goosebumps.
Shi Yan withdrew his gaze and returned to normal. “The bandits have been driven off; continue the journey.”
Two days later, they finally arrived at the Liaoxi Army’s barracks.
The Beiping Army set up sentry posts ten li away, one every li. The Liaoxi Army was much looser, with sentry posts only every five li.
Pei Qinghe stopped five li away. “It’s inconvenient for me to go to the barracks; I’ll wait for you here.”
