Ask the mountains and rivers

Chapter 283 Distributing Grain
Opening granaries and distributing grain is the best and fastest way to win over the hearts and minds of the people.

Pei Qinghe ordered the gates of the prefectural governor's mansion to be opened, and strong soldiers carried bags of grain out of the mansion.

"Line up, each household can receive five catties of grain." Pei Qinghe's voice clearly reached the ears of the people: "It can be received once every five days."

"Each household can only send one person to collect the grain. If anyone is found to have fraudulently collected double the amount, all the grain will be confiscated and the person will be given thirty strokes of the cane!"

The first group of people who mustered the courage to come and collect their grain were so moved they almost cried. After the Liaoxi army entered the city, they committed numerous atrocities, including conscripting men, robbing grain, and oppressing the people. General Pei's first act upon arrival was to distribute grain to them. General Li died at the perfect time, a very good death; he should have died long ago!

The three accountants in charge of distributing the grain used five-pound grain scoops to fill the scoops, filling them evenly, and some grain still spilled out when they were picked up.

Pei Qinghe's face turned cold: "You three step back. Pei Yan, Pei Xuan, Pei Feng, you three go and distribute the grain."

Pei Yan, Pei Xuan, and Pei Feng responded in unison, each stepping forward to rudely push away the ruthless and trembling accountant. Holding a grain scoop in his right hand, he forcefully scooped a large amount of grain from the grain bag, revealing a high pile of grain in the scoop. It was said to weigh five jin, but in reality, it was more than six jin.

If there are several people in the family, adding more water to the porridge will at least prevent anyone from starving to death.

With tears in their eyes, the people received the grain, knelt down before Pei Qinghe, and kowtowed three times: "General, you saved our whole family's lives, thank you so much, General!"

Pei Qinghe sighed softly, stepped forward, helped up an elderly woman with white hair, and said gently, "Now that I'm here, I will protect all the people in Liaoxi City and fight the Xiongnu barbarians to the end."

The old woman, tears streaming down her face, carried the grain sack home. Once home, she immediately started a fire and cooked porridge. The family, too weak to speak from hunger, drank two bowls of the hot porridge. Then, they knelt devoutly in the direction of the prefectural governor's residence, respectfully kowtowing and chanting, "Heaven has blessed us, allowing General Pei to come to Liaoxi City. We are saved!"

More and more people came to collect their food after hearing the news.

Inevitably, some people tried to cut in line and claim double the rations. These attempts were discovered by the observant and vigilant Pei family soldiers who patrolled back and forth. They were immediately dragged out and given a beating in public.

With food in one hand and a cane in the other, the Pei family army quickly established its prestige.

Pei Qinghe's reputation reached its peak within a single day.

Li Chi saw all of this and couldn't help but secretly admire him.

While the distribution of grain was bustling in Liaoxi City, the scene in Changli County was quite different.

The crushing defeat, with heavy losses of cavalry and horses, and the brutal death of his trusted generals, enraged General Punu. He vented his fury by slaughtering innocent civilians in the county town. Elderly people in their sixties and seventies, and even young children, all perished under his blade. Everywhere, the desperate cries of women being abused echoed.

It took Pu Nu a whole day of killing people to calm the raging anger in his heart.

Too many casualties and low morale mean we must rest and recuperate; we cannot easily launch another attack on the city. Pu Nu, barely suppressing his anger, issued a military order, commanding his warriors to recuperate and rest.

Pu Nu summoned his generals into the military tent to discuss the next tactics.

Some generals who had narrowly escaped death on the battlefield, now terrified, suggested retreating. Surprisingly, this suggestion was supported by most of the generals.

With anger burning in his eyes, Pu Nu slammed his scimitar on the table: "We still have more than 10,000 warriors. Let's rest for a few days before attacking the city again. We can't just retreat in such a humiliating way."

The general was Luan Ti, the leader of a large Xiongnu tribe. Facing Pu Nu's fierce challenge, Luan Ti was not afraid at all and replied with a calm face: "We have been here for more than a month and have already plundered a lot of money, grain and slaves. After we go back, it will be enough for us to get through the winter."

“That Pei Qinghe is in Liaoxi City. With her there, we don’t know how many people will die if we want to take Liaoxi City.” “General Pu Nu, you don’t cherish the lives of our brave warriors, but I can’t bear to see them die. I have decided to withdraw our troops.”

Punu suddenly stood up, his eyes flashing with a fierce light: "I am the general! How dare you disobey my orders! When we return, the Khan will surely punish you!"

Luan Ti also stood up and said coldly, "That's my business, General Punu doesn't need to worry about it. Of the three thousand warriors under my command, nearly half have died. I need to take the remaining warriors back to the grasslands."

“Luan Ti is right.” Another tribal chief stood up: “Our brave warriors cannot die in vain. I must retreat!”

The third and fourth, soon half of the military officers stood up.

Despite his fury, Pu Nu did not turn hostile. Instead, he softened his tone and said, "Everyone, please calm down and go back to your tents to rest. Even if we are to retreat, we need to rest for a few days before we leave. The Pei family army is not like those cowards in the Liaoxi army. If we retreat hastily, the Pei family army will definitely send troops to pursue us. We need to discuss and decide on a retreat route before we leave."

Luan Ti and the others exchanged glances, bowed, and took their leave.

The gentle demeanor that Pu Nu had been maintaining vanished after Luan Ti and the others left, leaving him with a terribly gloomy expression.

"General Punu, Luan Ti and the others are retreating. What should we do?" Punu's confidant asked in a low voice.

Pu Nu sneered repeatedly: "So many warriors have died under my command. I will storm Liaoxi City, kill Pei Qinghe with my own hands, and avenge my warriors. Luan Ti and the others want to retreat? Hmph!"

The final snort was filled with intense killing intent.

Several trusted confidants immediately understood. General Punu was merely offering temporary reassurance; he would surely strike hard next, taking over the cavalry under Luan Ti and his men.

Unfortunately, Luan Ti and his men were not fools at all; they were clearly aware of Pu Nu's ruthlessness. That night, a large number of warriors patrolled and kept watch outside Luan Ti's tent, making a clandestine assassination impossible. A direct confrontation would not only result in the deaths and injuries of many brave soldiers but would also cause the army's morale to collapse.

The atmosphere grew increasingly tense over the next two days.

On the morning of the third day, Luan Ti and his men led their cavalrymen away.

This departure involved more than 6,000 cavalrymen. In other words, the number of Xiongnu warriors still capable of fighting was reduced by 40%.

Pu Nu could certainly turn on them and kill them. But doing so would only result in heavy losses, giving Pei Qinghe in Liaoxi City a free advantage.

Pu Nu swallowed his anger in the end.

"General! The Xiongnu have retreated!" Sun Cheng, who was in charge of gathering information, came to report this in person with a beaming face.

Pei Qinghe's eyes flashed: "Should we retreat completely, or just send a portion of the troops?"

"About six or seven thousand have left," Sun Cheng said in a low voice. "There are still quite a few left in Changli County. It seems that the Xiongnu barbarians have started fighting amongst themselves."

"General, should we pursue them?"

Pei Qinghe glanced at the excited and agitated Sun Cheng: "What do we have to do to pursue them?"

The Pei family's cavalry, painstakingly trained for several years, was almost wiped out—a deeply agonizing blow for Pei Qinghe. It wasn't that they didn't want to pursue, but rather that pursuit was simply impossible!
(End of this chapter)