Chapter 112: Fight To The Death
Breaking through Anle County Town only took two days.
This Changping County Town has already been under attack for eight days, with no sign of the city walls being breached. On the contrary, nearly four in ten of the Xiongnu Barbarians’ side have been killed or wounded.
The Xiongnu Barbarians are accustomed to raiding for grain and fodder every few days. The Beiping Army, which claims to be the elite of the Jing Dynasty, still has some fighting power, but armies like the Guangning Army are completely disregarded by the Xiongnu Barbarians. The common people of the Jing Dynasty are like pigs and dogs in their eyes.
Having suffered a major setback in Changping County Town this time, the Xiongnu Barbarians were furious beyond measure. They no longer cared about the shame, continuing their fierce assault on one side while sending men to call for reinforcements on the other.
The main force of Xiongnu soldiers had already looted a large amount of wealth and young men, preparing to return to the Grassland. One detachment nearest by, about five hundred cavalry, received the plea for aid and hurried over.
When this group of cavalry arrived outside Changping County Town, seeing the dilapidated city gate and their companions’ heavy casualties, they were all stunned: “Just for this rundown county town, you’ve been here half a month and still haven’t breached it?”
Not only had they failed to breach it, but they had also suffered heavy casualties.
The Xiongnu Barbarians huddled together, chattering away, and made up their minds: after breaking Changping County Town, they would massacre the city for three days to vent their rage.
That evening, the Xiongnu Barbarians lit fires to cook, wantonly amusing themselves with the captured women. They had eaten their grain for half a month, with little left, and now five hundred reinforcements had arrived, which was far from enough. These barbarians then killed several captured common people and boiled human flesh along with it to eat.
After the third watch, the Xiongnu camp finally quieted down.
Two hundred figures slipped quietly out from the side gate under cover of night.
The Northern Lands’ autumn night wind chilled to the bone. Yet Pei Yan felt her blood boiling. She stuck closely behind Pei Qinghe, gripping her long saber tightly.
Who could have imagined that the city gate, sealed for over half a month, would quietly open tonight. Even less could anyone imagine that with Xiongnu reinforcements arrived, Pei Qinghe, who had been staunchly defending the city walls, had no intention of fleeing and instead decided to launch a night raid out of the city tonight.
“You all couldn’t have imagined it, and the Xiongnu Barbarians outside the city are even less likely to. Two hours ago, Pei Qinghe gathered the true main force of the Pei Family Army, her gaze sharp as a blade edge sweeping over everyone’s faces: “If we keep defending like this, Changping County Town can’t hold. We must launch a proactive attack to have a chance of victory.”
“While the Xiongnu Barbarians have received reinforcements and are relaxed and careless, tonight we will set fire to their grain and fodder and warhorses. Force them to retreat.”
“This battle will decide victory or defeat, extremely perilous, with life and death unknown. Whoever dares not go, stay behind now.”
Pei Yan spoke first: “Where you go, we go!”
The usually cautious Mao Hongling also had a face full of resolve: “In this battle, we cannot lose, only win. Otherwise, the common people of Changping County will have no way to survive. Qinghe, I will go with you.”
Feng Chang and Gu Lian were also part of the Pei Family Army’s main force, and they all voiced their willingness enthusiastically.
Everyone had eaten their fill and slept for two hours, so their spirits were high at this moment. Though the cold wind blew, it could not extinguish the fire in their hearts.
The Xiongnu Barbarians’ camp was no more than seven or eight li from the city gate. There wasn’t even a single night sentry. It showed how arrogant and overconfident the barbarians were, never imagining anyone would dare to sortie and raid.
Pei Qinghe circled far around and approached the warhorse gathering place from the rear.
The barbarians’ weapons were simple, but their warhorses were all top-quality. Nearly a thousand warhorses, a dense black mass, made one’s eyes greedy just looking at them.
How great it would be if they could take them away.
Pei Qinghe sighed inwardly, but her hands did not slow. She quickly lit a torch and brought it to the horses’ tails. Pei Yan and the others did the same, each going to ignite the tails.
With their tails burned by fire, the searing pain made the warhorses neigh madly and charge forward. The warhorses in front, startled by those behind, also bolted forward in frenzy.
Some warhorses carried fire on their tails, darting about wildly. The flames quickly ignited everything that could burn.
The sleeping Xiongnu Barbarians were trampled to death by the panicked warhorses, or their bodies caught fire; some were stunned by the terrifying screams, grabbing knives and waving them wildly, wounding companions nearby in the chaos.
The entire Xiongnu camp fell into ruin in an instant, like Asura Hell.
Pei Qinghe waved her long saber, ceaselessly harvesting barbarian heads, while using sharp bamboo whistle sounds to direct the crowd.
Don’t get entangled in battle, hurry back to the city.
Pei Yan wielded a saber and killed two barbarians. Hearing the bamboo whistle sound, she turned and ran without hesitation. As she ran past a barbarian whose body was on fire, she slashed him casually, letting him completely escape his misery.
Mao Hongling’s speed could not match Pei Yan’s, and she was held up by an exceptionally ferocious barbarian.
A familiar long saber swung over, slashing the barbarian under the blade. Amid the blood and blade edge, Pei Qinghe said, “Hurry and go!”
Mao Hongling had no time to respond and ran with all her might.
The crowd guarding on the city wall nervously watched the firelight emerging in the distance, the sounds of killing, clashing, and warhorses neighing wildly, carried into their ears by the wind.
All the common people in Changping County Town were awakened by this terrifying sound. They huddled under the bed or in wardrobes.
“Have the Xiongnu barbarians attacked?”
“I heard another group of barbarians has come outside the city.”
“We’re done for! None of us will survive!”
No one knew which household started crying first, but soon the cries spread everywhere. The tragedy after Anle County fell shrouded everyone’s hearts like dark clouds.
“Sixth Sister Pei is back. Open the city gate quickly!”
The people defending the city saw the familiar figures and shouted excitedly, their voices choked with sobs: “Sixth Sister Pei is back!”
In the dim morning light, the slightly red sunrise leaped out, and the first ray of sunlight shone on Pei Qinghe’s face.
She was covered in bloodstains, her hair disheveled
The side gate opened, and Pei Qinghe led the crowd rushing in.
County Magistrate Wang, who had waited one night, silently counted in his heart and stopped when he reached the one hundred sixty-eighth person.
Two hundred went out, but thirty-two fewer returned.
The true main force of the Pei Family Army consists basically all of Pei Clan women. They left the city for a night raid, fighting to the death to protect the common people of Changping County Town. Perhaps they would never return to the city.
County Magistrate Wang turned his head, wiped the corner of his eye with the dirty sleeve of his official robe, and said in a hoarse voice: “Sixth Sister Pei, how will this battle go?”
Pei Qinghe raised her head and drank a bowl of warm water, slightly quenching her thirst: “We won! However, it was too chaotic, and it’s impossible to count exactly how many Xiongnu Barbarians died.”
“Everyone, listen to my command. All go up to the city wall to defend. In case the Xiongnu barbarians, like cornered dogs, fight to the death to attack the city.”
The injured were helped to the medicine, and those with strength all went up to the city wall.
Pei Qinghe galloped through the night, her strength consumed by more than half, yet she did not go to rest. She patrolled once around, and finally, stood on the city wall, looking toward the direction of the Xiongnu Barbarians’ camp.
No words were needed; her mere presence there was like a stabilizing needle. Everyone’s hearts settled down.
Half a day later, Pei Qinghe said, “The Xiongnu have withdrawn troops.”
