Ask the mountains and rivers

Chapter 100 Public and Private (Part Two)

It was customary for women not to enter military camps. Only because of her close ties with the Beiping army and General Meng's invitation did Pei Qinghe go to the Beiping army. She had no intention of even glancing at the Liaoxi army camp before her.

General Li of the Liaoxi Army was greedy and avaricious. Not only did he embezzle funds and exploit his soldiers, but he also secretly sold weapons and armor. He was so wealthy that he even dared to sell warhorses.

In his previous life, the Xiongnu army invaded the border, and the Liaoxi army suffered a crushing defeat. This General Li led his remaining troops to plunder everywhere, not even sparing the Shi family.

Right now, we still need to buy weapons from the Liaoxi Army. Once we have enough weapons, I need to remind Shi Yan a couple of times.

Shi Yan rode in a carriage carrying gold and silver into the military camp.

Pei Qinghe led everyone to rest on the spot. Pei Yan chewed hard, dry biscuits, muttering, "We haven't had a decent meal these past few days of traveling."

Pei Qinghe smiled and said, "After we finish our business, we'll slaughter pigs and sheep when we get back to the village."

Mao Hongling ate politely, slowly munching on her food with cold water, glancing at Pei Qinghe every now and then. She seemed to want to say something, but remained silent.

Pei Qinghe pretended not to know.

They waited until it got dark.

Dong Erlang rode out on horseback to deliver a message: "General Li has asked the young master to stay in the military camp for the night, and he will not be able to leave until tomorrow morning. Sixth Miss, please find a place nearby to set up a tent and rest."

Pei Qinghe nodded.

The next day, it was almost noon before the carriage left the military camp. Shi Yan leaned out of the carriage window and spoke somewhat unclearly: "Please, Sixth Miss, come into the carriage to talk."

Pei Qinghe boarded the carriage nimbly, not in a hurry to open the wooden box, but first looked at Shi Yan, whose face was red and whose eyes were wide open: "How much did you drink last night?"

Shi Yan replied casually, "I didn't drink much. General Li was in high spirits, so I was just keeping him company."

If you want to buy weapons from the Liaoxi Army, you have to be humble and say all sorts of nice things. It's a trivial matter to drink with General Li all night.

Pei Qinghe knew what was going on and said in a low voice, "Thank you for your hard work."

Shi Yan laughed and said, "The Liaoxi Army has been buying military rations from the Shi family for many years, and I am also familiar with General Li. This is not the first time I have accompanied him for drinks. At most, I will be drunk for a day or two, which is not a big deal."

"The gold and silver I brought this time were used to buy five hundred longswords, two hundred spears, and fifty bows and arrows. I don't know much about the quality of weapons, and it's not convenient for me to pick and choose and inspect the goods in the military camp. There are fifteen boxes in total, which fit three carriages. Here are three boxes; please open them and take a look."

As I said before, saying thank you is too formal and too casual. It's better not to say it.

Pei Qinghe glanced at Shi Yan, then reached out and opened the wooden box.

This first box contained longswords, the second box contained bows and arrows, and the long, flat box contained spears. All were brand new, gleaming with a chilling, eerie light.

Pei Qinghe's eyes suddenly lit up, and the corners of her mouth turned up as she lovingly stroked the hilt of the knife: "These are all weapons manufactured under the supervision of the Ministry of War. They may not be considered divine weapons, but they are sufficient for use on the battlefield."

He touched the hilt of the knife, then the bow and spear, his gaze incredibly gentle.

Shi Yan looked away and cleared his throat: "General Li specifically instructed that this matter must not be publicized. There is a war going on in the capital, and it is very chaotic. No more weapons will be delivered in the short term. This deal can only be done once."

Pei Qinghe smiled happily and said, "This one-off deal is enough."

"These weapons, together with the existing weapons in Peijia Village, are enough to equip a thousand men. Next spring, I will lead men into the mountains to suppress the bandits and seize some more from the various mountain strongholds, which will allow us to raise a force of over a thousand men. In this chaotic world, that will be enough to protect ourselves."

"From now on, as long as I, Pei Qinghe, am alive, the Shi family will be safe. Anyone who dares to touch the Shi family, I will take their life, even if it means going to heaven or hell."

Huh? Why isn't anyone agreeing? Pei Qinghe turned her head and saw that Shi Yan was already asleep, his head slightly tilted, emitting soft snores.

I wonder how much wine General Li made me drink last night.

Pei Qinghe disembarked from the carriage nimbly and silently, and made a gesture to Dong Erlang. Dong Erlang promptly came over to serve his master.

Upon hearing that so many weapons had been purchased, Pei Yan's eyes lit up, and Mao Hongling was also overjoyed. Strong military power was the foundation for self-defense and self-reliance.

"If only we had a large number of warhorses." Human desires are never satisfied. Seeing that he had weapons, Pei Yan began to covet more.

Mao Hongling retorted to Pei Yan, "There aren't enough warhorses in the military camp, so buying more is no easy task."

Pei Qinghe raised an eyebrow and smiled: "We have weapons now, and warhorses will come later. The best days are yet to come!"

Shi Yan slept for another day before fully sobering up. Afterwards, he hurried along the way, heading straight for Pei Family Village. Along the way, he encountered two groups of thieves, both of whom were dealt with by Pei Qinghe and his men.

Shi Yan smiled and praised, "I often travel far away, and no matter how many servants and guards I bring, I always have to be on my guard. Traveling with the Sixth Miss, I don't have such worries. I can eat and sleep very peacefully every day. The first time I saw the Sixth Miss, I wanted to recruit her. It's clear that I have a discerning eye for talent."

Everyone laughed.

Flattery will get you everywhere. And Young Master Shi is a master of this art, a true expert in flattery.

Pei Qinghe smiled and replied, "Young Master Shi is so young, yet he travels around doing business and dealing with all sorts of people. He is shrewd and capable, unlike anyone I have ever seen. If one day Young Master Shi is willing to come to Pei Family Village, I will definitely reserve the position of General Advisor for him."

Shi Yan chuckled: "I'm not qualified to be a strategist. I know nothing about leading troops and fighting battles. At most, I'm just a steward."

Pei Qinghe said, half-jokingly and half-seriously, "I don't have the face for that now. In a few years, when the Pei family army is famous throughout the north, I will formally invite the young master to join us."

Amidst laughter and conversation, Peijia Village came into view.

Five miles away, someone was already on guard. Upon seeing Pei Qinghe and his group, they immediately blew bamboo whistles. One whistle after another quickly echoed throughout the entire Pei family village. A large group of people came out to greet them.

Shi Yan did not stay long. After having a hearty lunch, he took his leave, saying, "I have been away from home for more than half a month and must return as soon as possible."

Pei Qinghe rode his horse and escorted him for ten miles.

After the carriage had gone quite a distance, Shi Yan peeked out and waved goodbye to Pei Qinghe.

As the carriage traveled further and further away, Pei Qinghe's figure became a black dot. Only then did Shi Yan withdraw his gaze.

A dozen or so wooden crates were moved into the warehouse.

When it was opened, the cold light emanating from the weapon dazzled everyone, and they all beamed with joy.

Pei Yun did a quick mental calculation and was thrilled: "So many weapons, enough for everyone to have a long sword."

Pei Qinghe smiled and nodded: "For daily training, we'll still use wooden swords and spears. After the New Year, we'll distribute the weapons, and I'll lead them into the mountains to suppress bandits."

Suppressing bandits is great! Destroying a bandit stronghold can yield a large amount of money, food, and supplies, and can rescue a number of women. It can also attract more refugees to come here.

Pei Yun rubbed her hands together eagerly: "I want to go too. I've guarded the village twice already, so we'll have to change people next time."

(End of this chapter)