Chapter 114: Recruiting Soldiers
The next morning, Zheng Xiaoying came again. This time, only two others came with her.
“Sixth Sister Pei, my parents both agreed.” Zheng Xiaoying’s eyes sparkled, her voice loud and clear.
A man and a woman gazing eagerly from a dozen meters behind her were clearly Zheng Xiaoying’s parents. The parents of the other two girls were standing together, each in their own state of anxiety.
Pei Qinghe asked the three for their names and ages, then called Pei Yan over: “These three will all follow you.”
Pei Yan had dark skin, a tall and sturdy build, and was powerfully built. Zhang Kou’s voice boomed like a bell when he spoke. In terms of appearance alone, she looked more like a female general than Pei Qinghe. Hearing this, she grinned: “Got it! Give me three months, and I’ll guarantee they’ll be transformed.”
Pei Qinghe smiled and gave her a glare: “Don’t train them too harshly either. Let them adapt gradually.”
Zheng Xiaoying and the other two still didn’t know what kind of life awaited them, but each was thrilled and excited.
After this precedent was set, more people soon expressed their desire to join the Pei Family Army. This time it was Zhao Da and his group. Over forty ruffians had been conscripted to the city wall, but after several days of defending the city, half had been killed by the Xiongnu people who charged up the wall. Now only twenty-one remained.
Zhao Da was the first to kneel: “If Sixth Sister Pei hadn’t stepped in, Changping County Town would have been overrun by the Xiongnu people like Anle County. We would have all died long ago.”
“From now on, we’re all Sixth Sister Pei’s people. Please accept us, Sixth Sister Pei.”
The rest of the ruffians all knelt as well, chattering: “We’ll follow Sixth Sister Pei’s orders from now on.”
“As long as Sixth Sister Pei gives us something to eat.”
Zhao Da was of course no good sort. In the past, he had gathered a gang to sneak around stealing, robbing, and bullying neighbors. Among the refugees taken in by Pei Family Village, there were quite a few like that too.
Right now they were short on manpower, so Pei Qinghe wasn’t overly picky. Anyway, after taking them in, they would train every day, and there would never be a shortage of opportunities to go into battle later. Training troops was like waves sifting sand; only those who survived would be Pei Family Army members.
Pei Qinghe called Feng Chang over: “This group will all follow you from now on. Don’t hold back—just train them hard. If anyone dares to desert, deal with them according to Pei Family Village custom.”
Under that small grove of trees north of Pei Family Village, the gourds hanging there had never stopped.
Feng Chang nodded in agreement and led Zhao Da and the others off to settle in.
For several days in a row, people kept coming to seek refuge. Men made up the majority; few were willing to let women serve as soldiers.
During these days, Pei Qinghe sent people to bury all the corpses from the Xiongnu camp. Besides the Xiongnu people, there were many common people from Anle County. Left exposed too long, they could cause plague, so whether Xiongnu people or Anle common people, all were buried properly.
During this time, Pei Yun sent someone over with some news.
A few days earlier, the remaining Xiongnu soldiers had fled on horseback in disarray. When they passed Pei Family Village, they had intended to loot it. The villagers hid inside in time, with dozens of archers ambushed along the several li of wall. A volley of arrows killed some, then Pei Yun led four hundred people to jump down from the wall and fight the Xiongnu remnants to the death.
The Xiongnu people’s last bit of fighting spirit was utterly crushed, and they fled in panic.
Pei Qinghe laughed upon hearing this: “Cousin Sister Pei Yun really came through.”
Besides her, the only one who could truly defend the village, fight in battle, and take charge of a sector was Pei Yun.
It seemed the Xiongnu people wouldn’t—and didn’t dare—come again.
Once the good news spread, everyone in Changping County Town was jubilant. The common people finally opened their doors and went out onto the streets. County Magistrate Wang, looking black and blue, let out a long sigh of relief and instructed Secretary Li to bring a pot of wine.
Secretary Li smiled obsequiously: “There are too many wounded soldiers in the city. Sixth Sister Pei had all the wine moved to them to clean their wounds. Otherwise, I could go to the city gate and ask Sixth Sister Pei to send over one or two jars of fine wine.”
County Magistrate Wang: “…”
County Magistrate Wang waved his hand feebly: “No need. This county magistrate is quitting alcohol completely starting now.”
“County Magistrate, Sixth Sister Pei is here at the county office,” a yamen runner reported hurriedly.
County Magistrate Wang shot to his feet, all traces of his earlier dejection gone, and went out full of energy to greet her.
Secretary Li lowered his head with a sly grin and hurried after him on swift feet.
Pei Qinghe had no time for beating around the bush and got straight to it: “I need to go to Anle County.”
County Magistrate Wang was startled and blurted out: “Anle County was slaughtered by the Xiongnu for several days and had a large batch of common people taken captive. It’s probably an empty city now. What is Sixth Sister Pei going there for?”
To put it bluntly, even the Imperial Court wasn’t bothering with it—why should Pei Qinghe go?
Pei Qinghe glanced at County Magistrate Wang: “The situation in Anle County is all hearsay. I need to go see for myself what it’s really like. Once I’ve seen it, I’ll decide what to do.”
What else could she do?
She didn’t even disdain refugees, so naturally she’d take in everyone still alive in Anle County and bring them to bolster Pei Family Village. Sixth Sister Pei’s ambition was truly great—one Changping County Town was not enough.
County Magistrate Wang grumbled inwardly but kept an admiring look on his face: “Sixth Sister Pei is so kind-hearted, thinking to give the surviving common people of Anle County a way to survive. This official hadn’t even considered that—I’m truly ashamed.”
Pei Qinghe twitched the corner of her mouth: “I’m only taking a hundred people to Anle County. If we run into any crisis, I’ll send someone to Pei Family Village for help, and Pei Yun will immediately send reinforcements.”
County Magistrate Wang cupped his hands and accepted the instruction.
…
Pei Qinghe left the steady and meticulous Mao Hongling to hold Changping County, and set out on horseback to Anle County with Pei Yan, Feng Chang, Gu Lian, and others.
Changping County was connected to Anle County by a single official road, just two days’ horse ride away. Along the official road, mutilated corpses and bones occasionally appeared, with swarms of insects busily gnawing and carrying them off. Bloated wild dogs would dart out from time to time.
Seeing such scenes too often would numb even the softest heart. You want to vomit but can’t, want to cry but no tears come.
During a dismounted rest, Pei Yan dully chewed on a dry biscuit and took a big gulp of cold water. Midway through eating, she suddenly let out a long sigh: “Why is it so hard to just stay alive?”
Pei Qinghe also found the dry biscuit in her mouth tasteless and set it down: “The world is in chaos, and Prince Wei’s dragon throne isn’t secure at all. Who knows how long the melee will last. The ones suffering pitifully are all the common people.”
Pei Yan was silent for a moment, then suddenly said softly: “Cousin Sister Qinghe, whatever you want to do, I’ll follow you.”
Pei Qinghe reached out and ruffled Pei Yan’s messy hair: “Good. Stick with me—always follow me.”
The familiar dialogue stirred memories from two years ago.
Pei Yan grinned and leaned her head over like an ostrich.
After resting, the group continued onward by horse. Two days later, Anle County came into view.
The city gate stood wide open, the city wall scorched black from fire, eerily empty like a dead city.
Pei Qinghe gave a light sigh and rode through the city gate. Suddenly, a rustling sound reached her ears. With the corner of her eye, she caught sight of several fleeing figures, and her heart settled.
Good, there were still people alive in Anle County.
