Chapter 5: Clan Leader
Madam Lu stretched out her finger and pointed at Pei Qinghe’s nose, about to burst into angry cursing.
The last person who did this was a group of bandit leaders, who from a great distance pointed at her and spewed filthy language endlessly. She pulled a bow and shot an arrow, sealing the throat with one shot from five hundred steps away. The bandit leader was pierced through the throat by the arrow and died on the spot.
The remaining bandits were horrified and fled in disorder like birds and beasts. She led troops in pursuit, and in less than half a day, that group of bandits was completely slaughtered.
After that, no one dared to point at her with a finger again.
There was no expression on Pei Qinghe’s face; she only gave Madam Lu a faint glance.
Cold, formless baleful aura rushed towards her face.
Madam Lu’s back hairs stood on end. The finger pointing at Pei Qinghe smoothly changed direction: “Madam Feng, look, this is the daughter you raised. Sharp-tongued, defiant and rebellious, disrespectful to elders.”
Madam Lu used to throw her weight around at home in the past, and setting rules for her daughters-in-law was commonplace. Madam Feng had always feared her mother-in-law, but now she mustered her courage to retort: “Qinghe is intelligent and decisive, wise and brave, she did the right thing.”
“You…” Madam Lu was quite infuriated and glared fiercely.
“Grandmother!” Pei Qinghe called out in a tone that was neither light nor heavy.
Madam Lu’s heart trembled fiercely again.
Pei Qinghe had studied military books since childhood and was obsessed with practicing martial arts. The young men and women of the Pei Clan’s younger generation were all beaten by her into complete submission.
People with capability and skill, regardless of gender, would receive the respect they deserved. The elders would automatically restrain their tempers a bit in her presence.
Even she, as the blood-related grandmother, couldn’t quite stand up straight in front of her strong and powerful granddaughter.
Madam Lu unwillingly responded: “What is it?”
Pei Qinghe said faintly: “All the men of the Pei Clan are dead, twenty-four cousin brothers, none over eight years old. The Pei Clan needs someone to take charge. I will be the clan leader. Does Grandmother have any opinion?”
Madam Lu had four sons: the eldest son Pei Boren had three sons and two daughters, the second son Pei Zhongde had five sons and one daughter, the third son Pei Shuyi had three sons, and the youngest son Pei Jili had two sons and one daughter.
The four sons and eleven adult grandsons were all beheaded, only the youngest son of the third house Pei Feng and the youngest son of the fourth house Pei Yue survived.
Of the four granddaughters, the two who were already married were not implicated. The remaining were thirteen-year-old Pei Qinghe and twelve-year-old youngest daughter of the eldest house Pei Yan.
The daughters-in-law all became widows, immersed in grief over losing husbands and sons. Several young granddaughters-in-law had each fainted from crying several times. Not to mention taking charge, they couldn’t even speak a complete sentence.
In terms of capability, Pei Qinghe should indeed take charge. But Madam Lu was unwilling from the bottom of her heart. With Pei Qinghe’s temper, if she took the position of clan leader, would she be willing to give it up to the cousin brothers later?
Madam Lu frowned in opposition: “No! There’s no reason for a woman to be clan leader! Feng Ge’er is seven this year, Yue Ge’er is also five, in a few years they will grow up.”
Endure what?
How to endure?
In the previous life, after Madam Lu died of illness, the young Pei Yue also fell seriously ill and died on the road. Pei Feng made it to Youzhou alive, but a few years later while hunting in the mountains, he was mauled and torn apart by a fierce beast, dying a miserable death.
None of them grew up.
Distant painful memories surged to her heart. Pei Qinghe’s cold, rock-hard heart stung with pain. She suddenly turned her head and called out loudly: “Pei Feng, Pei Yue, come here.”
The two boys stumbled over.
Seven-year-old Pei Feng only reached Pei Qinghe’s chest. He inherited the good looks of the Pei Clan men, fair and handsome, missing two front teeth, and his speech whistled: “Cousin Sister Qinghe, what do you want me for?”
Five-year-old Pei Yue was even shorter, his upturned head only reaching Pei Qinghe’s waist, his round chubby face reddened by the wind. He sniffed hard, and the snot went back in.
The two of them were still too young to be beaten by Cousin Sister Qinghe; before, they had only watched the excitement of the cousin brothers being beaten with bruised faces and swollen noses, howling.
In their hearts, heaven and earth, Cousin Sister Qinghe was the greatest!
Pei Qinghe said: “I want to be clan leader. In the future, both of you will listen to me. Do you agree?”
Pei Feng nodded repeatedly and responded loudly: “Agree.”
Pei Yue puffed out his little chest, his voice even louder than Pei Feng’s: “I listen to Cousin Sister in everything.”
Pei Qinghe turned to look at Madam Lu.
Madam Lu’s blood surged, her face darkened: “The two of them are still young and don’t understand anything.”
Pei Qinghe nodded slightly: “Grandmother is right. Then I will ask the sensible elders.”
Madam Lu: “…”
Pei Qinghe didn’t even look at her grandmother’s ugly expression, turned around, and said loudly: “Please have the elders of each house come forward. I have important matters to discuss.”
The Pei Clan had five direct branches and twelve collateral branches. Originally, the person in charge of each house was a man, but now all the men were dead, so women had to step up.
In no time, a dozen elderly old women tremblingly came forward. The eldest Madam Li was eighty-one this year, with all white hair, poor eyesight and hearing, and a hunched back. In terms of seniority, Madam Lu had to address her as aunt.
Pei Qinghe first bowed and folded hands to the elders, then raised her head, her bright and sharp gaze sweeping around: “The Pei Clan has suffered a calamity. The remaining more than three hundred people must survive.”
“The Pei Clan needs someone to step forward and hold up the family. I volunteer myself to be the Pei Clan leader. Do the elders have any objections?”
“This old woman supports Qinghe Yatou.” Madam Li was no longer hard of hearing. She fumbled for Pei Qinghe’s hand and gripped it tightly: “Qinghe Yatou has been capable and competent since childhood. In this situation, it has to be Qinghe Yatou to hold up the family.”
Immediately someone echoed: “I agree too.”
“Qinghe has good martial skills, brave and strategic. She is the most suitable to be clan leader.”
At the critical moment, Pei Qinghe stepped forward and dealt with Prince Zhangwu and his group. Regardless of what methods were used, in the end, she obtained a large amount of cotton clothes, money and grain, and medicinal materials. There were also Eastern Palace Guards escorting them. These were all real and tangible benefits.
The clan members were not fools. Not support Pei Qinghe, but support the lisping Pei Feng or the sniveling Pei Yue instead?
Her own blood-related granddaughter was so capable, yet Madam Lu had a sour face, her selfishness almost written on her face.
“What time is it now? Still caring about gender distinctions. If not for the Crown Prince pleading, all the Pei Clan men would be dead. Now only these ignorant young boys are left, who are completely useless.”
“Eldest sister-in-law, you are also over sixty. Your health isn’t great. You might not make it to Youzhou and die halfway. What is there to be reluctant about?”
The speaker was Madam Chen of the direct second house, who was proper sisters-in-law with Madam Lu.
Madam Chen was two years younger than Madam Lu, also over sixty, with a fiery temperament and direct speech.
Madam Lu was choked and after a long while spat out: “This girl has too wild ambitions and too much courage. I’m afraid she will bring disaster later.”
Madam Chen said with a numb face: “The Pei Clan has already committed the grave crime of treason, two hundred ninety-seven heads were chopped off, and the family business was confiscated. What greater disaster could there be?”
Madam Lu: “…”
