Ask the mountains and rivers

Chapter 269 Horse Battle
This was the most difficult battle that Pei's army had ever fought.

People around him kept falling from their horses, their screams echoing endlessly. One moment they were fiercely wielding their swords to kill the enemy, and the next they were the victims of the enemy's blade.

kill!

Pei Qinghe's face was cold as she relentlessly swung her knife, her body covered in blood. While killing enemies, she kept an eye on her surroundings out of the corner of her eye, occasionally blowing the bamboo whistle from her mouth.

This was the whistle used to encourage and urge everyone on during daily drills. The Pei family army, fighting valiantly, neither collapsed nor retreated, shouting to continue fighting to the death.

Pei Yan stayed close to Pei Qinghe, clearing away any threats from behind. Pei Yun was on the left, and Pei Xuan and Pei Feng on the right. Pei Qinghe was like a sharp blade, piercing through the Xiongnu barbarians. Under her leadership, the Pei family army did not fall due to heavy casualties; instead, they displayed unprecedented ferocity.

Kill!
Slaughter all the Xiongnu barbarians!
The ruthless Xiongnu barbarians gradually became terrified.

These cavalrymen before me were clearly not very skilled in mounted combat. They were considered elite among the Jingchao troops I had encountered, but compared to the fierce Xiongnu warriors who had grown up on horseback, they were far inferior. Yet their teamwork was exquisite, their bravery and fearlessness were unparalleled, and they were willing to risk their lives for each other—it was truly insane.

After half a day of chasing and fighting, the number of corpses on the ground increased, and the thick stench of blood in the air was nauseating.

Suddenly, a Xiongnu barbarian let out a roar.

Pei Qinghe had practiced the Xiongnu language diligently for more than half a year, and understood it immediately. He shouted loudly, "The Xiongnu barbarians are trying to escape! Stop them!"

This was also the military order Pei Qinghe had given to everyone before the battle: to kill as many Xiongnu barbarians as possible!
This is the territory of Dajing. Every Xiongnu barbarian who dies is one less enemy to be killed, but the Pei family army can continuously recruit and expand its strength. This is one of the advantages of the Pei family army.

The crowd roared in agreement and spurred their horses into pursuit. The Xiongnu barbarians fled on horseback, not even having time to turn and fire their arrows. They had never encountered such a ferocious Jingchao army, much less fought such a difficult mounted battle. That female general was truly too ruthless and terrifying!
Running away when you can't win is an instinct ingrained in the bones of the Xiongnu barbarians. Unfortunately, today they have met a truly formidable foe, and they can't even run away if they want to.

The Pei family army, like maggots swarming from behind, caught up.

Another fierce battle ensued. The Pei family army fought with increasing ferocity, while the Xiongnu barbarians grew more and more fearful, abandoning their companions once again and galloping away at full speed.

Pei Qinghe spurred his horse and continued the pursuit.

She couldn't remember how many swords she wielded or how many Xiongnu barbarians she killed, nor did she have time to care about how many people had died behind her. She continued to lead her troops forward in endless battles.

As dusk fell, the setting sun blazed like fire, and the evening glow filled the sky.

This fierce battle is finally coming to an end.

"General, there's no one ahead, we don't need to chase anymore." The incredibly strong Pei Yan was sweating profusely, his right hand was trembling, and his voice was hoarse from shouting all day.

Pei Yun's voice rang out: "We have won this battle!"

Pei Qinghe snapped out of her frenzy of killing, took a deep breath, and quickly scanned her surroundings. She had brought four thousand cavalry to hunt down the Xiongnu barbarians, but now she only had a few hundred men with her.

Who else is there?

"Everyone has scattered!" Before Pei Qinghe could ask, the quick-witted Pei Xuan blurted out.

Pei Qinghe nodded: "We'll ride back to the city and gather the soldiers along the way."

Pei Feng picked up the thread: "Let's finish off those Xiongnu barbarians."

Pei Feng was already skilled at finishing off enemies when he was seven years old, and he was very adept at it.

Pei Qinghe finally showed her first smile of the day: "The important task of finishing off the enemy is entrusted to you and Pei Xuan."

Pei Feng and Pei Xuan responded in unison.

Pei Qinghe turned his horse around and rode back to the city. Along the way, he constantly rallied the remaining troops, and whenever he encountered fierce battles, he would simply charge in and kill the Xiongnu barbarians. On the battlefield, killing the enemy was the primary task; there was no need to, and should not, be reckless. The Pei family army was already accustomed to fighting side-by-side and working together to kill the enemy.

"General, Zhai Sanlang is seriously wounded!" A seasoned warrior, accustomed to life and death, Pei Qinghe dismounted and walked to the side of Zhai Sanlang, who was bleeding profusely and barely breathing.

Zhai Sanlang had been stabbed in the abdomen, his internal organs were injured, and he had lost too much blood. His lips were pale, and he no longer had the strength to speak. With his last bit of strength, he raised his eyes to look at Pei Qinghe.

Four years ago, the Xiongnu barbarians massacred the city. He and a group of children hid in a cellar and survived. He and his companions spent their days carrying corpses and searching for food, starving and waiting to die in despair.

Then, Pei Qinghe arrived. She gave them food, brought them to Pei Family Village, and gave them a new life and hope.

In recent years, he has been practicing martial arts and studying like crazy, and he always charges ahead in every battle. He wants to fight alongside the general to conquer the world.

The general was like the blazing sun in the sky, relentlessly chasing its light. Sadly, he is dying today and will never again fight alongside the general.

“General,” Zhai Sanlang’s voice was weak, almost inaudible, “General.”

A heart full of youthful infatuation, finally revealed without concealment, was forever frozen in his eyes.

Pei Qinghe was not made of stone or rock; her eyes suddenly welled up with tears. She reached out and gently stroked Zhai Sanlang's face. Zhai Sanlang closed his eyes with a smile.

Pei Qinghe turned her head to the side.

Everyone felt a pang of sorrow; some choked back tears, while others cried out loud.

They won this battle, but it was an extremely brutal victory. Almost none of the Xiongnu barbarians escaped the battlefield alive; their own casualties were far greater, nearly twice that of the Xiongnu barbarians.

Zhai Sanlang was just one of them.

Pei Qinghe took a deep breath and stood up: "Let's leave the corpses for now and go back to the city to let the wounded soldiers get treatment."

The number of people behind them increased again, and by the time they reached the city gate of Tuhe County, nearly two thousand people had gathered.

Yang Hu and Lü Feng, who had been waiting for half a day, rushed out.

Yang Hu first checked on Yang Huai, and after confirming that Yang Huai hadn't broken any arms or legs and had only suffered minor injuries, he breathed a sigh of relief. Then he looked at Pei Qinghe, who was covered in blood: "General, how did the battle go?"

Pei Qinghe smiled: "We won!"

Although it was a difficult and brutal battle, we ultimately won!

This was the first direct battle between the Pei family army and the Xiongnu barbarians. The Pei family army, with their fearless bravery, won the battle!
Yang Hu was extremely excited, Lü Feng was so shocked that he couldn't speak, and the soldiers on the city gate had already started shouting.

The earth-shattering cheers startled the entire Tuhe County.

After hiding for two days, the people finally couldn't resist peeking out.

"Did you hear the shouts?"

"I heard it! It sounds like they won a battle."

"It's not just a feeling, I heard it very clearly, we won!"

"Even the Liaoxi army couldn't defeat the Xiongnu barbarians, yet the Pei family army managed to win battles? Is the female general really that capable?"

"I've heard that General Pei has never lost a battle; she's a general who wins every single one. She's also the first female general in the imperial court!"

"These past two days, the Pei family army has been patrolling the city, and they haven't stolen a single grain of food, nor have any of them rushed in to bully the people. Now they're even fighting to the death for us, fighting against the Xiongnu barbarians. This is a true army!"

(End of this chapter)