Chapter 263: Dispatching Troops
General Pei, whose name resounds in the Northern Lands, is actually such a young and refined miss?
When Pei Qinghe’s bright and sharp gaze fell upon him, Lu Feng trembled in his heart again and subconsciously lowered his head to bow and fold hands: “Lu Feng has seen General Pei!”
Pei Qinghe said indifferently: “Young General Lu, no need for formalities.”
Lu Feng steadied his mind, put down his hands, and raised his head: “Xiongnu Barbarians are ravaging Liaoxi Commandery. General Pei is leading troops to Liaoxi to fight the Xiongnu Barbarians, and our Fanyang Army is also willing to send troops to contribute. Father sent me to lead three thousand soldiers here to follow General Pei’s military order.”
Pei Qinghe tugged at the corner of her mouth: “General Lu once sided with King Qiao and sent troops against the Pei Family Army, yet now he’s willing to send troops to help me fight the Xiongnu Barbarians. Truly unexpected!”
Lu Feng was young after all, and his face wasn’t thick enough; it flushed hot with embarrassment. He straightened his chest forcefully and said: “Siding with King Qiao was because Father looked down on General Zhang, who used the Son of Heaven to command the ministers. Sending troops to Pei Family Village was to fight for territory, but we couldn’t beat General Pei and even lost several hundred warhorses.”
“Before, it was all internal fighting and personal grudges. Now the Xiongnu Barbarians have launched a large-scale invasion of Liaoxi. If Liaoxi is defeated, the other commanderies in Youzhou will fall into chaos next. With a great enemy at hand, past personal grudges don’t matter. We should join forces to resist the foreign enemy together.”
These words had been repeatedly instructed by General Lu, and Lu Feng had them memorized perfectly. Shouting them out now with a flushed face, they carried a somewhat stirring power.
Pei Qinghe raised her brows and finally looked straight at Lu Feng: “These words were told to you by General Lu, right!”
Lu Feng responded boldly: “Yes. If it were me, I would have sent troops to support the Guangning Army last year. Why wait until this year?”
General Lu was greedy for life and afraid of death with poor character, but Lu Feng was full of righteous spirit, exuding the bold demeanor of a young military general.
Pei Qinghe nodded inwardly, her tone softening considerably: “Since General Lu is willing to send troops, he has at least some sense of justice. Let’s march together first to fight the Xiongnu Barbarians. We’ll talk about other matters after the battle.”
Other matters?
If they lost, it would be total defeat, no need to say more. If they won this battle, and General Lu wanted to stay within Youzhou, he would have to bow his head to her in submission.
Lu Feng clearly understood this point as well and nodded in agreement.
Pei Qinghe called over important figures from the Pei Family Army, as well as Yang Hu, Yang Huai, Song Dalang, and others. Lu Feng greeted them one by one; some he was quite familiar with, like the brothers Yang Hu and Yang Huai, others he had long heard of, like Pei Yun, Pei Yan, and Mao Hongling. Song Dalang of the Pingyang Army, however, was the first time Lu Feng had met him.
Lu Feng was straightforward in thought and spoke his mind directly: “The Pingyang Army is still in Bingzhou, so far away—how did they also send troops?”
Song Dalang replied solemnly: “My sister is betrothed to Pei Feng, so the Song family and Pei family are relatives by marriage. When the Pei Family Army goes to war, it’s only right for the Song family to contribute. Besides, when it comes to fighting Xiongnu Barbarians, why hesitate?”
The last sentence made Lu Feng’s blood boil; he slapped Song Dalang’s shoulder hard: “Well said! With a foreign enemy at hand, everyone should unite to fight the Xiongnu Barbarians.”
Song Dalang endured the pain in his shoulder and grinned.
Yang Hu came over warmly: “We all follow General Pei’s orders and unite to drive back the Xiongnu Barbarians.”
Everyone looked at Pei Qinghe with fervent gazes.
These were gazes of admiration and trust.
Pei Qinghe had won every battle without a single defeat. In everyone’s hearts, she was like the God of War. They all firmly believed that as long as they followed General Pei, they could defeat the Xiongnu Barbarians.
Such trust was truly precious.
Pei Qinghe felt the weight of a thousand catties on her shoulders, her heart heavy, but her face showed no sign of it as she smiled calmly: “The Fanyang Army has come a long way; go settle and rest first. Once Captain Sun and Tao Feng return with news of the battle situation, we’ll plan the next step.”
Lu Feng bowed and folded hands in agreement.
To catch up with the Pei Family Army, Lu Feng had been on a forced march the whole way and was truly exhausted. Now slightly relaxed, he directed all soldiers to set up military tents and settle in.
Lu Feng knew the soldiers’ tempers well and warned them sternly: “Do not clash with the Pei Family Army, Guangning Army, or Pingyang Army, and absolutely do not tease or insult the Pei Family Army’s female soldiers. If any trouble arises, don’t blame me for turning hostile.”
Lu Feng was General Lu’s eldest son, had led troops in the Fanyang Army for over a decade, had considerable prestige, and struck ruthlessly. The soldiers didn’t dare disobey and all agreed.
They had brought only over a hundred military tents; after setting them up, twenty men had to squeeze into each. The soldiers were utterly worn out and each buried their head to sleep soundly.
By evening, it was time for dinner. The soldiers took out their military rations—rock-hard dry biscuits that could kill a man. They had to tear off a bite forcefully, hold it in their mouths, and chew slowly.
“Young General Lu,” the sweet and lovely Pei Xuan miss came over with a smile, followed by over a hundred people carrying dozens of clay pots: “General sent me to bring some hot soup.”
With so many people, it wasn’t easy for everyone to have hot meals. The kitchen could only boil hot soup to soak some noodle paste; tearing dry biscuits and putting them into the hot soup was also delicious.
Lu Feng thanked her repeatedly. The clay pots were two feet high; each person took a bamboo tube and ladled a portion of hot soup.
“There’s actually meat in the soup!”
“And radish and cabbage!”
After the soldiers’ exclamations, they all beamed with joy. The rock-hard dry biscuits that could kill a man became soft and warm in the hot soup, with meat flavor. For them, it was a rare delicacy.
The next morning, General Pei surprisingly sent freshly stir-fried military rations again.
Grains like wheat, millet, and beans were stir-fried, mixed with sesame and peanuts, ground in a stone mill, then seasoned with salt or sugar, and packed into slender grain bags. Each soldier received two bags of military rations—one salty, one sweet.
The soldiers happily imitated the Pei Family Army, tying the grain bags around their waists or slinging them over their shoulders: “The Pei Family Army lives so well.”
“Isn’t that the truth? Eating so well every day—if it were me, I’d be willing to fight to the death for General Pei too.”
General Lu lived in luxury with endless gold and silver, but for these big soldiers, their military pay was deducted again and again; even having enough to eat was hard.
Looking at the Pei Family Army by contrast, everyone had enough to eat, with ruddy faces and heads held high. How could they not envy?
Lu Feng overheard the soldiers’ whispers, his face burning. He coughed forcefully and promised all soldiers: “After this battle, I’ll discuss with the general to ensure everyone gets full military pay. We’ll also improve the meals so everyone can have enough to eat.”
The soldiers immediately flattered him loudly, but privately muttered: “Our general is just a iron rooster; how would he bear to let us eat our fill and dress warmly.”
“Waiting for him to pay military pay is worse than directly joining the Pei Family Army!”
“Shh! Keep it down! Don’t let the young general hear!”
“The Pei Family Army’s military discipline is famously strict; violate it once, and it’s death. We’re used to being lax—how could we endure it? Stop daydreaming!”
