Chapter 134: Journey
Gu Lian and Feng Chang both looked toward Pei Qinghe.
Pei Qinghe nodded slightly: “Go on! Whatever Grandmother asks, just answer truthfully.”
The two cupped their hands together, accepted the order, and left.
Madam Lu questioned repeatedly, and upon learning that the young Son of Heaven had not blamed Pei Qinghe, her anxiety from the past two months finally eased, and she let out a long breath: “Good, good, good. You handled this errand well.”
Madam Li, Madam Fang, and the others all breathed a sigh of relief.
Although the family had split, one stroke of the brush cannot write out two Pei characters. They had been worrying day and night for Pei Qinghe. At least there was no great disaster in the short term.
Madam Lu smiled amiably and asked: “What was the Emperor’s reaction after reading the letter?”
Gu Lian replied: “The Emperor had me bring a letter to Sixth Sister.”
And then, that was it.
Madam Lu’s smile froze.
Madam Fang gleefully poked at Madam Lu’s heart: “The Emperor has Qinghe on his mind. Who would want to read a letter from an old woman like you.”
Madam Lu was so angry she rolled her eyes.
Gu Lian felt secretly happy inside.
She only cared about Sixth Sister Pei. She did not care at all about the Pei Family old and young.
Turning around, Gu Lian went to find Pei Yan: “Miss Yan, why is Young Master Shi in Pei Family Village?”
Pei Yan excitedly told her about Shi Yan coming to seek refuge. Gu Lian grinned broadly: “That’s great!”
“That Meng Liulang is arrogant, awkward in temperament, and has a bad temper. How does he compare to Young Master Shi.”
Pei Yan immediately corrected: “Shi Yan is now a Pei Family Village person, not some Young Master.”
Gu Lian grinned: “You’re right. He should be called Chief Steward Shi.”
……
To “clean up” the barracks, they had to bring carts.
Zhao Hai had taken on several apprentices, all skilled at driving carts. Warhorses were precious and not to be used for pulling carts, so they harnessed oxen, mules, and donkeys, which could still pull carts, just at a slower speed.
Pei Qinghe rode a fine horse, proceeding slowly.
Shi Yan sat in the ox cart, looking around with great interest.
Pei Qinghe casually smiled and said: “Are you used to sitting in the ox cart?”
The flatbed ox cart specially used for goods was quite simple, far less grand than a luxurious carriage. And with the severe cold, cold wind blew in one’s face, chilling the face, and opening one’s mouth filled it with cold wind.
Shi Yan, who had taken off his fine clothes and put on thick cotton clothes, smiled: “It’s a bit cold, but the view is quite wide.”
Without a canopy to block wind and rain, turning one’s head let one see everything—how could it not be wide?
Pei Qinghe was amused: “When we have more money later, I’ll buy you a carriage.”
Shi Yan was not pretentious at all and immediately smiled in agreement: “Then I’ll wait for it.”
Pei Yan turned her head and tsked: “You’re not holding back at all.”
Shi Yan smiled leisurely: “Following Sixth Sister, I can endure hard days, but of course I’m happier with good days. Since Sixth Sister is good to me, why should I hold back.”
Pei Yan complained to Pei Qinghe: “Cousin Sister, he’s bullying me.”
Pei Qinghe smiled and glanced at Pei Yan: “You kill one Xiongnu barbarian per slash, while Shi Yan has no strength to tie up a chicken. How could he bully you.”
At these words, everyone in the group laughed.
When defending Changping County Town, Pei Yan had killed quite a few Xiongnu barbarians. She often boasted of one slash per barbarian without missing. Pei Qinghe was deliberately teasing her.
Pei Yan did not blush at all, but puffed up with pride, head held high and chest out: “I’m just a tiny bit worse than you. The Pei Family Army’s number two female general is none other than me, Pei Yan.”
Pei Yun glanced over.
Pei Yan immediately changed her tune: “Forget it, I’ll yield to Cousin Sister Yun and barely rank as number three female general.”
Pei Yun raised an eyebrow and smiled: “Do I need you to yield? We’ll spar a few moves when we rest.”
Pei Yan grinned: “Not comparing riding and shooting, nor weapons, just comparing strength, how about that?”
Pei Yan was tall and sturdy, with astonishingly great strength. Pei Yun was proficient in riding and shooting, and her nine-section whip was formidable, but purely in strength, she indeed could not match Pei Yan.
Pei Yun hooted: “Might as well compare appetite, and you’d be the undisputed number one General.”
Everyone burst into laughter, very lively.
After half a day on the road, they stopped by the official road to rest. Zhao Hai first fed water and food to his precious livestock.
Pei Qinghe and the others sat in a circle, each taking out dry rations.
Dry biscuits were convenient to carry but hard and difficult to eat. After Bian Shulan took over the kitchen, she came up with new dry rations.
Soybeans, broomcorn millet, and goosefoot millet mixed together, stir-fried in a large pot until cooked, then ground in a stone mill. Packed into slender bags to hang at the waist or over the shoulder, grab a handful to eat. Easier to swallow than dry biscuits. If boiled with hot water, it became a bowl of fragrant mixed flour paste.
In the evening, simmering a pot of meat broth and adding some wild vegetables made the paste even more fragrant.
One four-foot-long grain bag, with two per person, was ten days’ rations.
Most importantly, this allowed batch stir-frying of dry rations, much faster than making biscuits.
Pei Qinghe ate a handful of dry rations and drank half a canteen of water, sincerely praising: “These dry rations are really well made.”
Zhao Hai felt proud, puffing out his chest.
“Someone is scouting us.” Pei Yun stood up: “I’ll take people to check.”
Pei Qinghe nodded slightly.
What Pei Family Village lacked most was warhorses. Over two years ago, they had captured more than a hundred horses, then bought some more at high prices, and recently captured a batch from Xiongnu barbarians, adding up to just over three hundred warhorses.
This trip had two hundred people total. Pei Yun selected fifty and charged out on horseback.
Pei Yan chuckled: “Cousin Sister Yun stays in the village all day, and once out, she’s like a horse let loose.”
Pei Qinghe said: “Next time, you guard the village.”
Pei Yan immediately shouted: “Cousin Sister Yun, wait for me, I’m coming too.”
She mounted a horse and rode off.
Pei Qinghe had a bit of a headache and turned to Shi Yan: “Cousin Sister Yun can take charge of a sector, and Second Sister-in-law has now been honed. But Pei Yan just doesn’t improve no matter how we train her.”
Shi Yan smiled: “You’re too used to her. She always follows you, unwilling to use her brain or think deeply to make decisions. She won’t improve even in another two years.”
Pei Qinghe sighed: “It’s indeed my fault. Next time, I’ll have her lead troops alone to hone her.”
An hour later, Pei Yun and her group rode back.
“Something’s not right.”
Pei Yun looked serious: “There are about thirty of them, all with horses, and surprisingly good horsemanship, keep running ahead. I didn’t know their background, so I didn’t shoot arrows or attack first.”
Pei Qinghe pondered for a moment: “They shouldn’t be ordinary refugees or bandits. Perhaps retainers from some magnate’s household, just passing by. They don’t want conflict with us.”
“Everyone, stay alert and be vigilant.”
Shi Yan said quietly: “Could these people also be heading for the Beiping Army Camp?”
Pei Qinghe’s eyes flashed: “That’s possible. The Beiping Army is now stationed in Bohai Commandery, guarding the new Son of Heaven. There’s plenty left in the Beiping Army Camp, and no shortage of those coveting it in secret.”
“In any case, everyone be careful.”
The next day, that group continued to tail them.
Pei Qinghe ignored them and kept traveling. Ten li outside the Beiping Army Camp, the group that had tailed them for two days finally showed themselves.
