Chapter 251: Deterrence
This group of bandits numbered about several hundred, coming swiftly and suddenly. Moreover, each had a weapon in hand.
Cold killing intent flashed in Pei Qinghe’s eyes, and she suddenly blew the bamboo whistle in her mouth. Several sharp whistle sounds rang out in succession in everyone’s ears.
This was the military order to “kill without mercy, leave no survivors.”
Pei Yan grinned ferociously, grabbed his long saber and charged forward, splitting a bandit into a bloody gourd.
Pei Xuan had a petite figure, but her saber technique was extremely agile. With one slash, she severed a bandit’s right leg, and the bandit howled miserably as he fell to the ground. Pei Feng swiftly finished him off, stabbing through the bandit’s chest.
Captain Sun’s legs and feet weren’t that nimble, but relying on his height and strength, he swung the long saber in his hand with whistling force.
Pei Qinghe’s gaze quickly swept over, confirming that the Pei Family Army held the upper hand, then she looked toward the Guangning Army side. The Guangning Army’s combat power was much weaker; on any other day, they might have mounted up and fled. Tonight, fighting alongside the Pei Family Army, the Pei Family Army’s brave and fierce prowess greatly stimulated the Guangning Army, doubling the soldiers’ courage as they shouted and yelled in battle.
Pei Qinghe’s gaze searched among the bandits, quickly locking onto a figure. Then she raised her saber and killed her way over.
Pei Qinghe on the battlefield was a true God of Slaughter. No one could block her path as she killed her way forward.
The bandit leader soon sensed something was wrong and quickly retreated, but it was already too late. Pei Qinghe had killed her way right up to him.
A flash of cold light.
The bandit leader felt a chill at his neck and collapsed amid the intense pain and the horrified gazes of those around him.
Capture the leader to rout the enemy. Killing the enemy leader on the battlefield immediately crushes their morale. This group of “bandits” indeed lost their formation and killing intent, turning tail to flee one after another.
“Do not pursue a desperate foe!” Pei Qinghe shouted loudly.
Pei Yan had no choice but to halt his pursuit of the enemy and continue fighting to the death with the bandits.
This “night raid” had almost turned into a one-sided slaughter. The bandits were chilled to the bone by the killing and fled in panic in greater numbers, with figures dropping one after another.
When the sky began to lighten faintly, there were no bandits left standing on the battlefield. Without needing Pei Qinghe’s instruction, Pei Xuan and Pei Feng led men to finish off the wounded.
Yang Hu watched Pei Xuan and Pei Feng killing and chatting while finishing off the wounded, feeling a chill in his heart and deeply grateful once more.
Fortunately, at the critical moment, he had made the right decision to bow his head and surrender to the Pei Family Army.
No one wanted to be enemies with such an army.
“General, we lost thirty-two men. The bandits had one hundred sixty-eight killed,” Pei Xuan reported after counting.
Pei Qinghe said: “Bury our men here on the spot. Leave all the bandits’ corpses where they are.”
Hundreds of men worked together, and half an hour later, the thirty-two corpses were laid to rest. Pei Qinghe led the army away on horseback.
Over a hundred corpses lay in gruesome poses on the spot. Over a hundred heads were piled together in one place.
The bloody stench attracted a dozen wild dogs and a flock of vultures.
Half a day later, Zhang Yun led a team of Bohai Navy men to arrive.
Looking at the corpses strewn everywhere and the over a hundred heads, Zhang Yun’s face was extremely unsightly. It was as if he had been slapped hard across the face, his skin stinging fiercely.
“Young Master, how should we dispose of these corpses?” his personal soldier asked softly, not daring to look up at his young master’s embarrassed and angry face.
Zhang Yun said coldly: “This group of bandits dared to sneak attack General Pei; they deserved to be killed. Are we supposed to collect their corpses too? Leave them here to feed the wild dogs!”
Then, he spurred his horse back to Bohai Commandery.
Meng Liulang guarding the city gate had clearly received the news and looked at Zhang Yun with mocking eyes: “Who knows which blind group of bandits dared to sneak attack the Pei Family Army. Now you should know the Pei Family Army’s power.”
Zhang Yun glared fiercely at Meng Liulang: “The Beiping Army is hailed as the Northern Lands’ number one elite soldiers. Who would win against the Pei Family Army?”
Meng Liulang was quite tall and always had a somewhat condescending air when looking at people: “The Beiping Army is loyal to the Emperor, and the Pei Family Army is also unwaveringly loyal elite soldiers. How could they possibly fight each other? Young Master Zhang, this analogy of yours is not quite appropriate.”
“I also advise Young Master Zhang on two points. Everyone’s eyes are sharp; don’t do petty, unseemly deeds. If you make all the generals lose heart, this Northern Lands will truly be unstable in the future.”
Zhang Yun kept a stiff face, expressionless: “Thank you, General Meng, for the reminder.”
Once Zhang Yun’s group had entered the city, Meng Liulang spat forcefully at the dust.
Zhang Yun returned to the Zhang Family disheveled and dejected.
Just as he entered the study room and before he could speak, a slap came flying at him.
Slap!
Zhang Yun’s left cheek burned, his eyes seeing stars.
General Zhang was still not appeased and furious, delivering another slap. Zhang Yun’s right cheek now also bore a palm print, quite symmetrical on both sides.
“How did I instruct you?” General Zhang said angrily. “Why did you privately send men to sneak attack the Pei Family Army and Guangning Army?”
“Such matters can’t be hidden from discerning eyes. Now everyone knows the Zhang Family sent men to sneak attack and failed, getting killed in droves.”
“And with the Emperor, how do you plan to explain?”
Zhang Yun actually regretted it too, clutching his face and sighing: “It was my younger sister who sent me a letter privately, urging me to act and teach Pei Qinghe a lesson. I thought, taking advantage of the first day the Pei Family Army and Guangning Army were on the road, to catch them off guard. Who would have thought…”
Pei Qinghe had anticipated and prepared, instead killing the “bandits.”
The Zhang Family’s face had been thrown to the ground by Pei Qinghe and trampled hard.
General Zhang grew more annoyed the more he thought, cursing angrily: “Jingwan has lost her head too. She should stay in the palace as Her Majesty the Empress properly; why compete with Pei Qinghe.”
“Even if Pei Qinghe enters the palace as Imperial Consort in the future, she can’t steal her phoenix throne.”
Zhang Yun quite understood his younger sister, sighing deeply: “Such a formidable person; once she enters the palace in the future, how could my sister contend with her.”
General Zhang’s face darkened, and he said coldly: “I’ll go into the palace right now to see the Emperor and clean up this mess for you siblings.”
Zhang Yun mentioned Emperor Jian’an privately with no respect: “Does the Emperor still dare to hold this against us?”
General Zhang glared impatiently: “As long as he sits on the Dragon Throne for a day, he is the Son of Heaven. Our Zhang Family are loyal ministers, not rebels or traitors; how can we disrespect the Emperor.”
“Stay home these next few days to reflect; don’t go out embarrassing yourself.”
With two solid palm prints on his face, how could he go out?
Zhang Yun grumbled inwardly but didn’t dare provoke further, obediently agreeing.
General Zhang went into the palace to see the Son of Heaven, first blaming himself that the Bohai Navy failed to eliminate all the bandits, then praising General Pei’s unparalleled prowess with admiration.
Emperor Jian’an’s expression was indifferent: “General Pei went sixty li out of the city and encountered bandits. This shows how rampant the bandits are. Can the six wan elite soldiers under the General not even deter the bandits?”
The guilty General Zhang had no choice but to cup his hands and apologize.
Emperor Jian’an stopped while ahead and comforted him further.
The ashamed General Zhang then went to the Imperial Harem to see Her Majesty the Empress.
