Chapter 74: Magnates
Shi Yan was not being modest; he had only practiced archery for a few days. Pulling a bow and shooting an arrow from fifty paces away, he barely hit the edge of the arrow target with one arrow, while the other two missed completely.
Seven-year-old Pei Xuan and Pei Feng were both better than him.
In comparison, Meng Liulang, who effortlessly pulled a bow from a hundred paces away and hit nine out of ten arrows, could truly be called a divine archer.
Meng Liulang was already extremely handsome, and when pulling a bow and shooting arrows, his gaze was sharp and his heroic bearing compelling. The Pei Clan women practicing archery nearby, regardless of old or young, all cast their gazes over.
Pei Qinghe shot a single glance, and the women immediately withdrew their gazes, focusing on practicing archery.
Little did they know, Meng Liulang was also amazed in his heart.
In the barracks, the soldiers trained in formations and military formations every day, wielding spears and practicing archery. Hitting five out of ten arrows was considered a master. These Pei Clan women before his eyes all had precise archery; even the worst among them hit six out of ten arrows.
Bow and arrow are long-range killing weapons. With such a group of divine archers, who would dare to recklessly provoke Pei Family Village?
“Heroines surpass heroes.” Shi Yan praised endlessly: “Today I have truly broadened my horizons.”
Pei Qinghe, however, said: “Arrow targets are inanimate objects that do not move. In real battles where one fights to the death, no one stands there stupidly waiting. Shooting arrow targets is nothing much; it just practices eyesight and accuracy.”
She casually picked up the bow and arrow, without any visible effort, and the arrows shot out like a string of beads. The ten arrows clustered densely at the bullseye.
Shi Yan watched Pei Qinghe’s heroic poise while shooting arrows and almost forgot to breathe.
It was also Meng Liulang’s first time seeing Pei Qinghe’s archery, and he was suddenly moved: “Sixth Sister Pei has superb archery!!”
Pei Yan could no longer hold back and turned her head: “This is nothing. That day we encountered bandits, in the dead of night, from hundreds of meters away, Cousin Sister Qinghe raised her hand and killed one with each shot, never missing.”
Pei Qinghe glanced over, and Pei Yan grinned sheepishly, quickly shrinking her neck and continuing to focus on practicing archery.
Only then did Shi Yan speak: “Sixth Sister Pei has superb archery!”
Pei Qinghe looked at Young Master Shi and smiled faintly: “As long as I did not disappoint Young Master Shi.”
She rarely showed off her skills on ordinary days. Young Master Shi was, of course, an exception.
Meng Liulang, unwilling to be ignored, coughed: “Shooting arrow targets is boring. Why not go into the mountain forest together, hunt some wild game, and let everyone have a good meal in the evening.”
Pei Yan excitedly turned her head again: “I’ll go too.”
Pei Qinghe glanced over again: “Has the injury from hunting the black bear last time healed?”
Pei Yan grinned guiltily: “It healed long ago. I learned my lesson; in the future, when encountering fierce beasts, I’ll climb a tree and never impulsively run around.”
Pei Qinghe ignored her and called out Zhang Kou, Pei Yun, Mao Hongling, and more than twenty others to go into the mountains for hunting.
The soldiers had all gone to harvest the winter wheat. Meng Liulang only brought two personal soldiers. Young Master Shi had more than twenty guards around him. These guards included Shi family servants and masters hired with heavy gold. Their only task was to protect the young master’s safety.
With such an entourage, Meng Liulang could not help but mock: “Young Master Shi is indeed delicately pampered.”
Shi Yan smiled: “I do not have Young General Meng’s skills and capability. When traveling outside, I can only bring more guards. I have made Young General Meng laugh.”
Pei Qinghe smiled and chimed in: “Everyone has their strengths. Young Master Shi, due to his physical condition, cannot practice martial arts, yet he is shrewd and capable, managing the Shi Family Grain Store prosperously, enthusiastic and generous, widely building good relationships, and can be called a young hero.”
Shi Yan chuckled: “With such lavish praise from Sixth Sister Pei, I am almost overwhelmed.”
Pei Yan thought to herself, is this the treatment of magnates? She had never seen Cousin Sister Qinghe praise someone like this! Look at Young General Meng’s sour face—he was so petty-minded.
Pei Yun and Mao Hongling exchanged a glance, each holding back laughter, continuing to watch the fun.
Meng Liulang listened as Pei Qinghe praised Young Master Shi, his teeth itching with anger. With his pride, he certainly would not stoop to questioning her face-to-face. In the following hunt, Young General Meng shot arrows one after another, performing heroically and harvesting abundantly.
Pei Yan, Pei Yun, and the others also harvested quite a bit.
Pei Qinghe, on the other hand, did not take much action, staying by Young Master Shi’s side, occasionally smiling and whispering.
Shi Yan smiled apologetically: “I came into the mountains but cannot hunt and have instead become a burden.”
Pei Qinghe smiled in response: “There are plenty of people who can shoot arrows and hunt. Young Master Shi’s capabilities and ambitions lie elsewhere; no need for self-deprecation.”
In short, the magnate’s treatment was enviably superior.
That evening in Pei Family Village, bonfires were lit, and the aroma of roast meat wafted ten li.
Meng Liulang had probably eaten too much roast meat and felt bloated and stuffy, tossing and turning sleeplessly that night. Hearing his personal soldier’s snoring, Meng Liulang felt irritated and kicked him: “With such loud snoring, how can this young master sleep?”
Personal soldier Xiao Mo was not annoyed, rolled over, and continued snoring.
Two days later, the Dong Brothers returned.
“Young Master, everything has been arranged properly with County Magistrate Wang,” Dong Dalang reported in a low voice: “The refugees gathered here in Pei Family Village are all counted as tenant farmers.”
Dong Erlang brought back a large batch of bricks and stones materials, enough to start building the wall that very day.
Shi Yan nodded slightly, without overstepping, and called over the more than ten artisans he had brought, instructing them to follow Sixth Sister Pei’s orders.
After handling these matters, Young Master Shi bid farewell and departed.
Pei Qinghe personally saw him off five li before returning.
The winter wheat harvest was complete, and the sullen Meng Liulang also bid farewell to Sixth Sister Pei. Pei Qinghe gave him a letter: “Please have Young General Meng deliver this letter to General Meng.”
Meng Liulang held the thick letter and could not help but add: “You write to my father every month.”
Pei Qinghe smiled: “Indeed.”
Meng Liulang waited a moment but got no follow-up, feeling somewhat disgruntled. He rode fast horses back to the Beiping Army Camp, personally handed the letter to General Meng, and again pried: “Why does Pei Qinghe write to Father every month?”
General Meng was concise: “Don’t pry into matters that are not your concern.”
Meng Liulang felt disgruntled again.
That night, Meng Liulang was sleepless again: “Xiao Mo, tell me, why does Sixth Sister Pei always write to my father?”
Xiao Mo yawned: “Do you even need to think about it? The Pei family women want to stably settle in Changping County, so they need a backer. Writing to the general is to maintain good relations.”
Meng Liulang murmured: “It’s more than that. Every time she writes, Father soon sends a letter to the Eastern Palace. This half year, letters from the Eastern Palace have increased a lot. I always feel there’s some connection.”
“I also heard my brothers privately gossip that Crown Prince in the Eastern Palace has successively clipped Prince Wei’s wings, Prince Wei’s faction’s power is declining, far from before…”
Snore~ Snore~~
What responded to Meng Liulang was a series of loud snores.
General Meng wrote letters by candlelight, all nonsense like inquiries of well-being.
Pei Qinghe’s letter was enclosed together in the envelope. It was sent out of the barracks and delivered by fast horse to the Eastern Palace.
In the twelfth lunar month, the weather was bitterly cold with heavy snow, and the new year arrived in the blink of an eye.
