Ask the mountains and rivers

Chapter 240 Bohai
Pei Qinghe led five hundred elite soldiers, riding swiftly.

On the third day, the Guangning army caught up. The commander of the army was none other than Yang Hu.

Pei Qinghe dismounted with a smile, and Yang Hu strode forward, cupping his hands in greeting: "Yang Hu greets the General."

Pei Qinghe smiled and said, "General Yang, please rise."

As Yang Hu looked up, he quickly glanced around, but unfortunately, he didn't see Pei Zhi. Instead, Pei Xuan and Pei Feng both made faces at him.

Pei Qinghe glanced over discreetly. Pei Xuan and Pei Feng immediately resumed their serious expressions.

The Guangning army suffered heavy casualties and is recruiting new soldiers. Yang Hu only brought two hundred elite soldiers with him this time, which was perfect for traveling with the Pei family army so they could look out for each other.

This also implies that they bow down and follow Pei Qinghe's lead.

“Please let Pei’s army go first,” Yang Hu said readily, “Guangning’s army will follow closely behind.”

Pei Qinghe didn't stand on ceremony, nodded, and led his troops ahead.

When it was time to camp out for the night, the well-trained Pei family army quickly erected sturdy and spacious tents. The kitchen lit a fire to boil water, and everyone was given a bowl.

Everyone in the Pei family army brought a bamboo bowl. They grabbed a handful of fried noodles, poured boiling water over them, and soon a bowl of noodles with cured meat and vegetables was ready, steaming hot and fragrant.

On the Guangning Army's side, the soldiers munched on rough, dry biscuits, smelling the aroma wafting from the next tent, filled with envy.

Yang Hu couldn't help but swallow hard. The Guangning Army was trying to emulate the Pei Family Army in every way, but unfortunately, there were some things they couldn't learn in a short time.

With the help of Pei's army, the Guangning army barely managed to feed its soldiers. The cooks in the kitchen were not only mediocre cooks, but also lacked sufficient oil, salt, sugar, and meat!
Speaking of which, the food provided to Pei's army was truly enviable. They ate fried noodles during the day and hot water-soaked noodle soup at night, and they even gave each person half a clean radish.

Damn it, which army carries such abundant supplies on its expedition?

Pei Feng arrived, followed by several soldiers carrying heavy bamboo baskets: "General Yang, this is what the general asked me to deliver. Please, brothers of the Guangning Army, have a taste of this."

The large bamboo basket was full of fresh, green radishes, which had been washed and cut.

Yang Hu thanked him repeatedly, completely forgetting even the mischievous face Pei Feng had made earlier.

After Pei Feng left, Yang Hu made the soldiers, whose mouths were watering, line up to receive radishes: "These were sent by General Pei. Everyone who eats them should remember the general's kindness."

Needless to say?
Their brand-new military uniforms, new shoes and socks, the food they ate, and now even the radishes—everything was given to them by General Pei. They remembered it all!
The radish was crisp and refreshing; I ate half of it and felt very happy.

The following evening, Pei's army roasted cured pork, the oil sizzling and the aroma wafting for miles. Guangning's army also joined in for a meal.

A day later, Pei's army somehow produced several baskets of dried fruit. Each person received only a small handful. But after a long and tedious day of marching, what could be more blissful than to eat a bite of such sweet and soft dried fruit?

Anyone who doesn't remember the general's kindness deserves to be struck by lightning!

A few days later, Pei's army, the Guangning army, left Youzhou and entered Jizhou.

Upon entering Jizhou, the local customs changed drastically.

“Cousin Qinghe, the people here in Jizhou fear the army like tigers.” Even the most carefree Pei Yan frowned: “We didn’t do anything, and they ran away from afar.”

Pei Qinghe sighed softly: "They were bullied by the Bohai Army. Before, the rebel army ran rampant in Jizhou, and countless innocent people died tragically. No wonder they are afraid when they see the military flag."

"Pass down my order: raise the Pei family army flag, and forbid them from entering villages or approaching the county town." With Pei Qinghe's command, the Pei family army raised their flags, with Sun Cheng leading the way. The Pei family army indeed did not harm the people in the slightest.

The Guangning army followed suit. Occasionally, some soldiers would try to sneak into nearby villages for food and drink, or to have some fun. Two of them were swiftly and decisively killed by Yang Hu, and the Guangning army's wavering morale immediately stabilized.

After traveling for two days, they encountered three groups of bandits.

The first two groups of bandits were small in number and scattered easily. The third group of bandits, however, numbered as many as a thousand, some of whom were armed with sharp weapons.

Pei Qinghe drew her bow and shot arrows, felling three bandits in a flurry. Pei Yan and the others followed suit, killing many bandits, while more charged forward, howling in pain.

Pei Qinghe coldly ordered, "Kill them!"

Gu Lian and Feng Chang each led their troops forward. Feng Chang, in particular, hadn't had the chance to go on any campaigns in the past two years while garrisoning the county town. Now that he finally had a chance to show his face before the general, he was exceptionally brave.

Feng Changyun was right. He found the bandit leader, beheaded him with a single stroke, and then, holding the head up with the tip of his blade, roared, "Throw down your weapons and kneel down or I'll kill you!"

The bandits finally retreated in panic, many were killed, and many more knelt down and begged for mercy.

Pei Qinghe wanted to continue on his journey and had no interest in gathering these bandits, destroying their weapons, and driving them all away.

"In Jizhou, bandits run rampant, but it's far worse than in our Youzhou." Pei Yan straightened his chest, his tone full of pride: "There are almost no bandits in Youzhou. And in our Yan County, the people live in peace and tranquility."

Pei Qinghe's face showed no smile as she said indifferently, "The emperor ascended the throne in Bohai County, yet he couldn't even govern Ji Province well."

How can such wooden puppets possibly subdue the land and bring peace to the world?

However, Emperor Jian'an's bloodline was indeed the most legitimate, and he gained the support of many civil and military officials. A single imperial edict summoned numerous garrison troops.

General Zhang intends to use Emperor Jian'an's banner to recruit followers and win popular support; he will not resort to violence until the very last moment.

It's unknown how long Emperor Jian'an will live.

On the 28th day of the twelfth lunar month, Pei's army and the Guangning army finally arrived in Bohai County.

The gates of Bohai County were wide open, and an army was already waiting to enter the city. The guards at the gates were the Beiping Army.

The Beiping army was constantly fighting and losing men. New recruits were constantly being recruited, but not many veterans survived. Today, there were a few veterans guarding the city gate. When they saw the Pei-character flag, they were immediately excited.

The veterans had all followed Meng Liulang to Peijia Village back then. Tao Feng and a few others stayed behind, all following Meng Liulang in his campaigns. Of the five hundred men from that time, less than a hundred are still alive.

They ran to report to Meng Liulang.

"General, General Pei has led his troops to the city walls."

General Pei?
Meng Liulang's gaze was complex; no one knew what he was thinking at that moment.

Upon hearing the news, Meng Dalang hurried over. He had a severe limp, and walking quickly made him unsteady. Meng Liulang immediately snapped out of his daze and helped his elder brother up.

Meng Dalang's face was full of joy, and his eyes shone with light: "General Pei defeated the Xiongnu barbarians and greatly enhanced the prestige of our nation. He is a role model for us all."

"Let's go! Follow me to welcome General Pei!"

(End of this chapter)