Chapter 108: Changping
That’s right!
This is County Magistrate Wang’s true dilemma.
Pei Family Village has risen, the Pei Family Army has appeared out of nowhere, annihilating all the mountain bandits in the Yan Mountains. The next step is to raise the banner in revolt, and Changping County Town is a place the Pei Family Army must seize.
If County Magistrate Wang leaves, he will die; if he stays, he might die too. Either way is a dead end. As for being accomplices in rebellion, County Magistrate Wang doesn’t care much. What’s reputation to a dead man!
Do those county magistrates who were beheaded by refugees storming the county office from the south have any good reputation?
He just wants a way to survive.
Pei Qinghe softly comforted the bitter-faced County Magistrate Wang: “What happens later is hard to say now. At least for the moment, I can help you defend the county town.”
“If we can defend it, the common people will have a way to survive, and you will have a way to survive too.”
County Magistrate Wang dryly forced out: “What if we can’t defend it?”
“If we can’t defend it, I can only lead people to hide in the Yan Mountains first.” Pei Qinghe said calmly: “I’ve already hidden some grain in the mountains, enough to hide for a few months until the Xiongnu people leave, then come down. As for you, County Magistrate, defending the county town and sharing life and death with the common people is enough to leave your name in history.”
Leave what name?
Want what history?
He just wants his head safe and sound, to drink some fine wine every day, and muddle through life in a daze.
County Magistrate Wang is not a fool and knows he can’t change Pei Qinghe’s decision, so he quickly bowed and cupped his hands: “This official will follow Sixth Sister Pei’s instructions.”
Pei Qinghe glanced at County Magistrate Wang and said flatly: “First thing, from now on, you are not to drink a single drop of wine. Stay sober.”
County Magistrate Wang, with his vital point gripped, gritted his teeth and agreed.
Then, a series of orders came down: “From now on, close the city gate. No one is allowed in or out. Those who privately flee the city will have their family wealth confiscated and be thrown into prison.”
“Grain stores will open as usual every day, grain prices must not rise. Each household is limited to buying three days’ worth.”
“Oil shops and salt shops will do the same.”
No matter how fiercely the Xiongnu cavalry come or when they arrive, the county town must remain stable. With a great enemy at hand, pacifying the people is the top priority.
First, curb the fleeing magnates. Second, ensure supplies of grain and other necessities.
As long as the common people have grain to eat, they won’t cause trouble.
County Magistrate Wang agreed to each one.
Pei Qinghe looked at County Magistrate Wang and emphasized: “These errands, you will handle personally.”
“You go arrest the fleeing magnates, sit at the grain stores, and pacify the panicked common people.”
County Magistrate Wang’s expression stiffened somewhat: “Sixth Sister Pei, I haven’t left the county office in a long time. These trivial matters have always been handled by Secretary Li. How about…”
“With a great enemy at hand, Secretary Li can’t steady the people. I am the daughter of a traitor in exile, equally unsuited to take charge.” Pei Qinghe said coldly: “You, Wang Xiang, are Changping County’s county magistrate, an imperial court official. Only you stepping forward can reassure the common people.”
“Leave defending the city and fighting to me. The rest of the trivial matters are yours.”
County Magistrate Wang’s mouth was bitter, his heart even more so. He let out a long sigh: “Fine, if Sixth Sister Pei wants me to be the bad guy, I’ll do it.”
Don’t think County Magistrate Wang is muddled from drinking all day; he has sharp eyes and a clear mind.
At a time like this, blockading the city gate, arresting fleeing magnates, and having grain stores sell at fixed prices—all these things offend people. But Sixth Sister Pei, defending the city and protecting the common people, will earn their respect and admiration, winning hearts.
Pei Qinghe slowly drew her long saber, gave it a slight wave, and with a flash of the blade edge, a corner of the hard wooden table fell off: “County Magistrate, you seem rather unwilling.”
Cold sweat poured down County Magistrate Wang’s forehead like rain, but his words came quick: “To serve Sixth Sister Pei is the fortune of my life. I am willing from the bottom of my heart.”
“I’ll head out of the county office now and carry out Sixth Sister Pei’s instructions.”
With that, he swiftly lifted his feet and left the county office.
In front of a crowd of common people, County Magistrate Wang loudly announced the blockade of the city gate and ordered more than twenty bailiffs in the county office to patrol the streets and catch those fleeing privately.
The bailiffs gripped their knives and charged out of the county office with fierce momentum.
The common people no longer dared to watch the fun and hurried home, bolting their doors and pushing tables and chairs behind them for good measure before feeling secure.
Soon, people trying to flee were caught.
Cries and pleas seeped through door cracks into the houses, making hearts and livers tremble.
Handling such small matters naturally didn’t require Sixth Sister Pei to step in. County Magistrate Wang personally held court to interrogate, threw them into the county office prison. The bailiffs sent to confiscate property were like fierce tigers.
After dark, the county town was pitch black, not even daring to light oil lamps.
Only the county office burned more than ten torches, bright as day.
Though the county office wasn’t small, it couldn’t house eight hundred people. Pei Qinghe left two hundred there and led six hundred to the city gate.
The Northern Lands are bitterly cold, with great day-night temperature differences. Cloth clothes by day, biting cold winds at night.
Everyone was prepared; each team set up a simple tent, laid out thick cotton quilts, and ten people squeezed together, staying quite warm.
Pei Qinghe spent a large sum of silver to buy a great quantity of cotton and cotton cloth from the Wang Family. Now, every Pei Family Army soldier has thick cotton clothes and cotton shoes, and each team gets three cotton quilts. At night, the quilts came in great use.
Pei Yan, carefree, fell headfirst into deep sleep.
Mao Hongling, weighed down by worries, couldn’t sleep and softly said to Pei Qinghe: “Qinghe, will the Xiongnu people come?”
Pei Qinghe said lowly: “They might come, or they might not.”
Mao Hongling sighed worriedly: “We do have quite a few people now. But those who can truly fight are still just us Pei family members. These refugees we’ve recruited and trained for a year can barely handle mountain bandits. If we really encounter Xiongnu cavalry, it’ll be like an ant trying to stop a cart.”
Xiongnu people excel at horse combat, come and go like the wind, and are extremely ferocious. Even the Guangning Army, the worst of regular imperial court armies, was badly defeated by the Xiongnu in one clash.
Can these eight hundred people hold Changping County now?
Pei Qinghe was utterly unafraid: “Defend first and see. The Xiongnu are split into several routes, looting everywhere. Maybe after looting Anle County they won’t come. Or maybe just a small group. We can use them to train troops.”
“If we hold, Changping County will be our turf from then on. We can recruit soldiers, buy horses, and raise the Pei Family Army banner.”
“If we can’t hold, we still have a fallback. The grain hidden in the mountains is enough for half a year.”
Mao Hongling was stunned: “You mean, if we can’t hold the county town, we just leave?”
Pei Qinghe nodded.
“But what about all these common people in the city?” Mao Hongling was shocked, looking at Pei Qinghe as if at a faithless betrayer: “You’re just going to abandon them?”
Pei Qinghe countered: “Not leave and wait to die?”
Mao Hongling still felt it wasn’t right: “But we shouldn’t abandon the city and flee…”
Pei Qinghe looked up at her.
Mao Hongling suddenly realized: “We’re not an army; we came spontaneously to defend the county town. If we lose it, there’s no blame.”
Pei Qinghe said: “Remember, no matter what happens, preserve your own life first.”
