Ask the mountains and rivers

Chapter 233 Ambush (Part Two)

They are happy to hear of battle; these are the true elite soldiers!
Pei Yun saw this, a slight smile playing on her lips, and remained motionless, quietly lying in the forest.

The Xiongnu scouts went ahead to explore, and a few of them entered the mountains and forests, glanced around briefly, and then turned back. They had lost their commander, suffered an unprecedented defeat, and were pursued and ambushed after their retreat. Now they were like stray dogs, their only thought being to return to the grasslands as quickly as possible.

The spies were only thinking about escaping back as quickly as possible and had no intention of carefully exploring the route.

The Xiongnu barbarians behind, believing the scouts' report, quickly spurred their horses forward. As they passed through the desolate official road and the quiet mountain forests, suddenly sharp arrows flew in swift succession.

"There's an ambush!"

"Dismount and engage in battle!"

At times like these, quickly dismounting and using the horse as cover to fire arrows in return, closing the distance for close combat, is the way to fight for your life and win.

The Xiongnu barbarians had lost all morale and even the courage to fight back. Some who had managed to escape the rain of arrows fled in silence, galloping forward at breakneck speed.

Pei Yun fired only three arrows before charging out of the forest with her sword.

Gu Lian followed closely behind and rushed over as well.

Five hundred elite soldiers from the Pei family army, like a sharp blade, ruthlessly cut off the escape route of the Xiongnu barbarians.

The fleeing Xiongnu barbarians, instead of turning back to rescue their companions, used their superb horsemanship and excellent warhorses to escape amidst billowing dust. Those Xiongnu barbarians who couldn't escape cursed and shouted, drawing their swords in a desperate fight.

On one side were the defeated and exhausted Xiongnu barbarians fleeing in disarray, and on the other side was the well-rested and prepared Pei family army. The first clash was a one-sided and devastating defeat.

Blood and flesh splattered everywhere, and screams of agony filled the air.

Pei Yun calmly wielded her sword while keeping a close eye on the situation out of the corner of her eye. Gu Lian, however, was completely blinded by rage, charging forward the fastest and most fiercely.

No wonder she was so badly injured that day. Fighting recklessly, risking her life like that, makes her extremely vulnerable on the battlefield. Did she think she was the invincible Pei Qinghe?

Pei Yun frowned and shouted, "Form battle formation!"

Gu Lian then slowed her pace slightly, waiting for the four elite soldiers behind her to catch up. The five-person squad, supporting each other on the battlefield, maximized their effectiveness.

One by one, the Xiongnu barbarians fell, dying in resentment and despair.

Pei's army also suffered casualties, but they fought with increasing ferocity. More and more Xiongnu barbarians fled on horseback, but Pei Yun had given strict orders not to pursue those who fled, but to fight and entangle with the Xiongnu barbarians who remained.

The ambush lasted from the scorching midday sun until sunset.

Gu Lian was covered in blood, from the countless Xiongnu barbarians she had killed, and she couldn't even tell which of her own blood was hers. She licked the hot, metallic blood from her lips: "Miss Yun, we have won a great victory today!"

Pei Yun had injured her left shoulder, and after a quick stop to stop the bleeding and bandage it, her face was slightly pale, but her eyes were full of smiles: "That's right, we won this battle!"

It's unknown how many escaped, but in any case, hundreds of Xiongnu barbarians' corpses remained here. Dozens were also captured alive.

This is not a place to linger; we must return to Beiping County as soon as possible, lest the Xiongnu barbarians turn their horses around and launch a surprise attack.

At Pei Yun's command, the Pei family army placed their comrades' corpses on the horses' backs, tied dozens of prisoners up like dead pigs, and threw them onto the horses' backs.

The army departed, leaving behind a field of corpses and blood.

A flock of crows circled in the sky for a long time before cautiously landing and pecking at the ground with glee. Several jackals sprang out of the forest and began to devour the food.

Day after day, Pei Yun and her entourage rode into the military camp. Doctor Bao led several military doctors over. Wounded soldiers who could walk and move went to the wounded soldiers' camp on their own, while those who could not move were carried there on makeshift wooden frames.

Pei Yun's injuries were not serious. After arriving at the wounded soldiers' camp, she said to Bao Hao, who had a worried expression, "I'm fine. You should treat the seriously injured first."

Before coming to Beiping, the two were engaged. For the past six months, they had spent every day together, and their feelings for each other had quickly deepened. Bao Hao knew Pei Yun's temperament, suppressed her anxiety, and deftly cleaned, stitched, and bandaged the wounded soldier's wounds.

For the past five years, he has been the military doctor for the Pei family army. There are wounded soldiers every day. Although his medical skills are not particularly outstanding, he is very adept at treating external injuries.

The wounded soldiers' tents were packed with soldiers, and the medics were working non-stop. They were busy until late at night, when most of the wounded soldiers were asleep. Only after bandaging up her wound did they approach Pei Yun, whispering softly, "Let me take a look at your left shoulder injury."

Pei Yun hummed in agreement.

She cut open the clothes covering the wound, revealing a bloody mess. She bandaged it, feeling both heartache and pain, her eyes red as she silently tended to Pei Yun's injuries.

Pei Yun was in so much pain that cold sweat poured down her forehead, yet she still managed to laugh: "I'm the one who's injured, and I haven't even cried, so why are you shedding tears?"

She wrapped the bandage tightly, her voice choked with emotion: "I'm useless. I can't lead the troops into battle with you. Seeing you come back wounded makes my heart ache."

He casually wiped away Pei Yun's sweat.

Pei Yun looked at the young face so close to hers, and her heart stirred. Suddenly, she leaned in and kissed him on the lips.

He froze, completely wrapped up.

Pei Yun looked calm and said to Bao Hao, "I'm tired."

Bao Hao, blushing, helped Pei Yun lie down. Pei Yun closed her eyes and fell into a deep sleep. Bao Hao stayed by Pei Yun's side until dawn.

Pei Yun slept for half the night and didn't wake up until the evening of the next day. She dressed the girl and changed her bandages. Pei Yun then got up to go see Gu Lian.

Gu Lian suffered three injuries, some minor and some serious. Wang Erhe stayed by Gu Lian's side, taking care of her food, drink, medicine, and feeding her, doing so with great care and attention.

Gu Lian used to be indifferent to Wang Erhe, but now that she is lying in bed recuperating from her injuries, having such a caring person by her side has made her savor a different kind of warmth.

“I’m talking to Miss Yun. Erhe, you stay outside and keep watch.”

Wang Erhe happily agreed and went out.

Pei Yun saw this and smiled knowingly, but said nothing more. She got straight to the point: "We won the ambush, and I have already sent someone to deliver a message to the general."

Gu Lian sighed softly, "I heard that the general was also injured. I wonder how serious his injury is."

Pei Yun sighed as well: "Injuries are common in battle. The general should not be seriously injured. The Pei family army suffered many casualties in this ambush. We need to continue recruiting new soldiers and train them diligently."

Gu Lian responded and then suggested, "We've captured dozens of Xiongnu barbarians; we can use them to train our troops."

"Our general is ambitious and dislikes civil war. He will surely have many battles with the Xiongnu barbarians in the future. We should focus on practicing tactics to fight the Xiongnu barbarians."

Pei Yun's eyes lit up: "No wonder the general often praises you, you are indeed smart, bold and quick-witted."

Having such capable subordinates is also a challenge for her. She needs to become stronger to manage her capable subordinates.

Gu Lian, being so quick-witted, immediately smiled and said, "In the general's heart, no matter how capable I am, I can't compare to Miss Yun."

(End of this chapter)