Chapter 215: Bad News
The joy of Emperor Jian’an’s grand wedding had not yet faded when a piece of devastating news struck.
Tao Wudi personally led troops out of the city at midnight for a sneak attack. The Wuyi Army suffered a great defeat, its commander was beheaded, and the soldiers scattered in fleeing disorder.
Seeing the situation turn unfavorable, the Changle Army actually withdrew its troops as well. They did not forget to submit a memorial, full of bitter remorse and self-deprecation for their incompetence.
Emperor Jian’an turned pale with anger and collapsed stiffly to the ground.
Eunuch Shen beside him rushed forward without thinking and threw himself down, serving as a cushion for the Son of Heaven. He was knocked until his head bled profusely. By the time the imperial physician hurried over and the Son of Heaven was moved to the dragon couch, Eunuch Shen covered his nose and stood up, limping as he was helped away.
Empress Zhang wiped tears at the side of the dragon couch.
Upon hearing the news and entering the palace, General Zhang saw Empress Zhang in such a state. General Zhang was full of displeasure and sternly rebuked her, “As empress, how can you be so weak? His Majesty merely had a surge of qi and blood; the imperial physician’s acupuncture will wake him soon. What is there to cry about?”
Empress Zhang was greatly in awe of her father and did not dare cry anymore. With red eyes, she stayed by the Son of Heaven’s side.
Chancellor Pang and other high ministers successively entered the palace and waited outside the Son of Heaven’s sleeping chamber.
An hour later, Emperor Jian’an finally opened his eyes. The first person he looked at was his father-in-law, and the first words he said were, “Has the rebel army come to attack the city?”
General Zhang gravely replied, “The rebel army has won a great victory and their morale is high. If they do not come today, they will come tomorrow. Your Majesty, rest assured—with the Bohai Navy here, we will certainly hold the city gate.”
Emperor Jian’an’s panicked heart was slightly eased.
General Zhang continued, “Please issue an imperial decree, Your Majesty, ordering all garrisons in the Northern Lands loyal to the Imperial Court to send troops.”
With the precedents of the Changle Army and Wuyi Army, Emperor Jian’an felt uneasy in his heart, lacking both confidence and assurance. He said softly, “If they refuse to come, or if they come but suffer defeat like the Changle Army, what then?”
General Zhang unusually sighed, “At a time like this, we cannot worry about so much. No matter how many come, they can tether the rebel army. We must first ensure Bohai Commandery is not lost.”
“The matter brooks no delay; Your Majesty should decide early.”
Emperor Jian’an took a deep breath. “I will follow my father-in-law’s advice and issue the decree at once.”
Meng Liulang stepped forward boldly, cupped his hands, and requested to go to the city gate.
At such a time, personal disputes could be set aside; preserving Bohai Commandery was the top priority. General Zhang did not object and even, pinching his nose, lavished praise on the brave and valiant Beiping Army.
Where does he get the face?
In recent months, the Beiping Army had been recruiting new recruits and needed military expenses and money and grain, but the Zhang father and son repeatedly obstructed them. They feared the Beiping Army’s momentum growing to threaten the Bohai Navy. Such selfishness was truly contemptible. Now he was praising the Beiping Army.
Meng Liulang sneered inwardly and, under Meng Dalang’s repeated meaningful glances, barely restrained his cold mockery.
……
The Wuyi Army suffered a great defeat and fled in disorder, the Changle Army quietly withdrew, and the rebel army returned with a vengeance, fiercely attacking the city once more. The Son of Heaven issued a decree, summoning loyal armies to reinforce the Emperor.
The news reached Pei Family Village.
Pei Qinghe, who was bitterly training cavalry, did not even furrow her brows. “The Pei Family Army is weak in both soldiers and generals; we can barely protect the common people of Yan Prefecture and Beiping Commandery in safety. We lack the capability to fight the rebel army, so we will not move out for now.”
In the Pei Family Army, Pei Qinghe’s words were military orders. She held her troops back, and not even one person came to persuade her to send troops.
After receiving the imperial decree, General Yang of the Guangning Army let out a long sigh and soon mustered troops to set out.
The Guangning Army had eight thousand soldiers. General Yang took half with him, leaving the other half to guard the barracks. Before leaving, General Yang repeatedly instructed Yang Huai, Yang Hu and others, “You must guard the barracks. Be sure to watch out for Xiongnu barbarians taking the opportunity to invade.”
“If Xiongnu barbarians come, immediately send word to the Pei Family Army for aid.”
Yang Hu muttered softly, “General Pei’s heart is as cold as iron; she wouldn’t even send troops when the Emperor was in trouble. Why would she send troops to help us?”
But General Yang said, “General Pei does not want to be drawn into civil war, so she refuses to send troops. If a foreign enemy comes, she absolutely will not stand idly by.”
He paused, then said to Yang Huai, “I am leading troops to reinforce the Emperor; I do not know when I will return. If I die in battle, you need not observe mourning—marry into the Pei Clan as soon as possible.”
These words sounded too inauspicious, just like making final arrangements.
Yang Huai’s heart skipped a beat, and he blurted out, “How about not going at all! Anyway, the Pei Family Army isn’t going either.”
Yang Hu opened his mouth to echo, “Tao Wudi is so powerful; Uncle, you’d better not go.”
General Yang’s face darkened. “The Son of Heaven has issued a decree—how can we not go? This general has already given the military order and will not change it.”
Then, he led four thousand elite soldiers to the Bohai Navy.
There were always some generals like General Yang who were loyal to the Imperial Court. Garrisons across the Northern Lands successively mobilized. If one looked down from the sky at the entire north, one could see several armies hurrying toward Bohai Commandery from different directions.
At present, the military discipline of the armies was poor; wherever the great armies passed, it was no different from bandits passing through. Countless households had their grain robbed, their wives and daughters humiliated, and people dragged into the ranks. Refugees fleeing into the Yan Mountains suddenly increased.
The mountain bandits in the Yan Mountains had long been annihilated clean by the Pei Family Army. The Yan Mountains had long become the territory of the Pei Family Army.
The Yan Mountain Range stretched continuously; refugees hiding in the deep mountains and dense forests were like water flowing into a river. However, the deep mountains had wild beasts, fierce birds, snakes, rats, insects, and ants, and no stable source of grain. Surviving was no easy matter.
Of the refugees surging into the Yan Mountains, countless died midway while crossing the mountain forests. In the end, only about one or two in ten successfully found Pei Family Village.
Seeing vast fields of peaceful farming peasants and the endless sturdy walls, the ragged refugees hugged their heads and cried bitterly.
“We’ve finally found Pei Family Village.”
“If General Pei takes us in, we’ll have good days ahead.”
“Other armies are more terrifying than bandits. The Pei Family Army never bullies the common people and collects only thirty percent land tax each year. General Pei is a bodhisattva descended from the heavens, come to save us.”
The refugees who had lost their homes and had nowhere to go regarded Pei Family Village as a paradise outside the world. Once they reached here, they had a way to survive.
Faced with the surging refugees, Pei Qinghe also felt heavy pressure.
This month, the refugees coming to seek refuge were several times the usual number. If the trend continued, there would be even more in the future.
Although Pei Family Village had stockpiled much grain, it could not accept refugees without limit or end. She had to ensure the Pei Family Army soldiers ate their fill first and that everyone in Pei Family Village had food. Only then could she consider the surplus to accept some refugees.
“Shi Yan, calculate the stored grain. Reserve one year’s military rations for the Pei Family Army and one year’s grain for the whole village.” Pei Qinghe said softly, “See how much surplus grain there is and how many refugees we can accept.”
In this period, refugees had been pouring in continuously, and as manager, Shi Yan was the busiest one. Every day, the abacus beads were nearly worn out from use. Grain was scrimped and saved, calculated and recalculated.
After Pei Qinghe’s instruction, Shi Yan wordlessly flipped through the account book again, calculated once more, and said in a hoarse voice, “If we reserve enough for one year, we can accept at most two thousand more refugees.”
