Ask the mountains and rivers

Chapter 28 Separation
It was Ms. Xu, whom she had rescued two hours earlier.

Madam Xu, her face pale, knelt down and kowtowed three times to Pei Qinghe. When she looked up, tears streamed down her face: "I heard everything you said to Commander Sun. So many people died last night. I took advantage of this time to leave secretly, and no one knew."

“I’ve been married into the Pei family for ten years, bearing children, being dutiful to my parents-in-law, and getting along well with my sisters-in-law. But now, the Pei family is gone, and my husband and son are dead. The journey has been arduous, and I have to fight bandits. I just can’t take it anymore…”

"Qinghe, please have mercy and let me go! I'll kowtow to you! I'll repay your kindness by being your ox or horse in my next life!"

The soil in the forest was not hard, and it was damp with dew.

Xu kowtowed frantically, her forehead not red and swollen, but covered in mud, looking extremely disheveled.

Mao Hongling was both shocked and furious: "Sister-in-law! What nonsense are you talking about! Where do you think you can go by yourself? You've lost your husband and son, but you still have your daughter. What will happen to Yu'er if you leave!"

Xu's nine-year-old son was beheaded, as was her two-year-old daughter, Pei Yu.

Xu cried so hard that her whole body trembled, her eyes were red, and she didn't say a word, she just kept kowtowing.

She was determined to leave, and didn't even want her daughter anymore.

The other women of the Pei family were also furious and spoke out against Xu for being heartless, cold-hearted, and callous.

"Everyone, please stop talking." Pei Qinghe finally spoke, and the women immediately quieted down: "I said before that once we arrive in Youzhou, those who want to leave can fake their deaths and escape. I will not force them to stay."

“My sister-in-law is right. This is a rare opportunity to get away. Since you’re determined to leave, then go!”

Xu suddenly looked up, her swollen eyes filled with surprise: "You're really letting me go?"

Mao Hongling wanted to speak, but when she looked up, Pei Qinghe's calm profile came into view. The anger in Mao Hongling's heart was suddenly extinguished.

"I'll give you a horse and a weapon," Pei Qinghe said. "Leave now. Remember to change your name and surname, and wherever you settle down, never mention the Pei family again."

"When the day comes that you can no longer endure it, you can come to Changping County in Youzhou to find me."

Xu never expected Pei Qinghe to agree so easily.

She trembled as she kowtowed three more times, then hurriedly climbed onto her horse, turned around, and disappeared into the mountains without looking back.

There was silence.

Only the rustling of wind through the leaves could be heard. Perhaps, along with the rapid, disordered beating of a heart.

Pei Qinghe's gaze swept over the complicated expressions on everyone's faces: "Anyone else who wants to leave, step forward now."

The road to exile was indeed arduous. Changing one's name and hiding one's tracks to make a living on one's own was equally difficult. In a chaotic world, it was not uncommon for men to become refugees. For women, however, their fate was only more tragic.

Most importantly, Pei Qinghe gave them hope of survival.

The Pei family's daughters were unwilling to leave, and the Pei family's wives were also unwilling to depart. Only Xu was the one who heartlessly abandoned her daughter and ran away.

After waiting for a long time, no one else stepped forward.

Pei Qinghe's eyes flashed with a relieved smile, and her voice softened considerably: "We now have weapons and warhorses."

"If everyone works together, we will definitely be able to live a good life in the future."

Mao Hongling loudly echoed, "We'll all follow you. Wherever you go, we'll go."

The crowd responded loudly in agreement.

Pei Qinghe raised her eyebrows and smiled: "Let's take the warhorses out first."

The two refugees, their faces ashen, trembled with fear, awaiting their fate of being silenced. Unexpectedly, they heard two unspoken words: "You two have nowhere else to go. Would you like to come with us to Youzhou?"

Overjoyed at their narrow escape from death, the two nodded repeatedly. As long as they could live, they were willing to go anywhere, no matter how far, let alone Youzhou.

Mao Hongling asked in a low voice, "Aren't you going to kill them?"

Pei Qinghe said, "Leave no criminals alive. These two are just ordinary refugees who were captured by evil people to be used as human shields without knowing anything. They are pitiful people. Why kill them? Take them to Youzhou, and maybe they can beg for food."

The two refugees were moved to tears, and knelt down, weeping, and kowtowed, saying, "Thank you, Your Majesty."

Appeasing and rallying the refugees was something Pei Qinghe was used to doing. A few words were enough to move the two men to tears of gratitude. A few more good meals, and he could truly bring them under control.

Pei Qinghe said, "I am not a female king. My surname is Pei. You can call me Sixth Miss from now on."

The two refugees quickly changed their address: "Yes, from now on we'll listen to Sixth Miss."

Well-trained warhorses were led out of the mountains and onto the official road, galloping forward alongside the steeds ahead.

Pei Qinghe stopped only after crossing ten miles from the post station, carefully hiding his warhorse again. He left Mao Hongling and five others to guard the horse, while he rode back to the post station.

The sun was blazing overhead, and it was nearly noon.

Lieutenant Sun led the able-bodied soldiers to dig a large pit in the open space behind the post station and carried his fallen men into it one by one.

With red eyes, the guard buried two of the Crown Prince's guards who had died in battle.

Nine members of the Pei family also died.

Li, who was over eighty years old, found a knife and began digging a pit with trembling hands. Grandmother Lu wailed loudly over Chen's corpse.

Pei Qinghe felt heavy-hearted and silently joined in digging.

In her previous life, Chen lived a long life and died peacefully in her sleep. Her rebirth allowed Lu and Mao Hongling, who had died young, to survive. Chen, however, passed away much earlier.

Life is unpredictable, and fate is fickle.

The clattering of hooves approached from afar, heading towards the post station.

"Sixth Miss!" A soldier rushed over and reported to Pei Qinghe, "Magistrate Song has arrived with the yamen runners."

Pei Qinghe hummed in agreement, then turned and said, "Commander Sun, Guard Gao, you go see Magistrate Song. I won't show myself. And in the memorial to the court, there's no need to mention the Pei woman."

This was all part of a pre-existing agreement. The military merits went to Colonel Sun and Imperial Guard Gao, while Pei Qinghe, the true hero, wanted weapons and warhorses.

Commandant Sun and Guard Gao nodded to each other and got up to go out to greet Magistrate Song.

"Ten members of our Pei family have died." Pei Qinghe's voice reached Captain Sun's ears.

Commander Sun thought to himself, "This guy who left is truly foolish. He didn't follow a leader like Miss Pei, but instead insisted on running away alone. In this cannibalistic world, what chance does a weak woman have to survive?"
"Qinghe!" Madam Lu snapped out of her grief: "Who left?"

Pei Qinghe glanced at her angry grandmother: "She is the fourth branch's cousin-in-law, Xiaoyu'er's mother."

Before Lu Shi could unleash her furious curses, Pei Qinghe added, "A person who is determined to leave cannot be kept. If she wants to leave, then let her go. From now on, Xiao Yu'er will be raised by the Pei family."

Everyone turned to look at Xiaoyuer.

Two-year-old Xiaoyuer, with fair skin and delicate features, nestled obediently beside her grandmother.

Little Yu'er couldn't understand what the adults were saying. Everyone was looking at her, and she gave them a sweet smile.

……

Three chapters released today! ^_^ Thank you all for your continued support and subscriptions!
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(End of this chapter)