Ask the mountains and rivers

Chapter 305 Fate of Marriage (Part 1)

General Lü was indeed too embarrassed to admit it.

General Yang of the Guangning Army died in battle, and Yang Huai and Yang Hu had long since joined the Pei family army. The Beiping Army had left a few years ago, handing over the vast Beiping Prefecture to Pei Qinghe. And then there was the Liaoxi Army; if General Li and his son hadn't both died, Li Chi wouldn't have had a chance to command the army. Their common characteristic was youth and passion; Pei Qinghe was brave and capable of fighting the Xiongnu barbarians, and they sincerely respected and followed him.

General Lü is forty-six years old this year, the prime of his life for a military commander, and has led the Fanyang army for nearly ten years. He is a prominent and well-known figure in Youzhou. How could he possibly swallow his pride and surrender to a female general who is not yet twenty?

General Lü, with a sour face, continued to hurl insults at his son.

Lü Feng dared to do something as daring as tying up his own father, so he was determined to go all the way down this path. He called over Lü Erlang: "Second brother, from now on, you will stay by Father's side. Take good care of his food, drink, and needs."

Lu Erlang was eight or nine years younger than his elder brother Lu Feng, and was also a strong and imposing young man. He readily agreed with a "yes".

General Lü was even more furious: "You two unfilial sons, are you trying to defy the heavens?!"

Lü Feng, annoyed by his father's nagging, winked at Lü Erlang. The quick-witted Lü Erlang immediately found a rag and stuffed it into General Lü's mouth.

General Lü was so angry that the veins on his forehead bulged.

The military tent was finally quiet.

Looking at General Lü, whose eyes were bloodshot, Lü Feng sighed and softened his tone: "Father, the world is constantly changing, with periods of division and reunion. When the capital was captured by King Qiao, the Great Jing Dynasty was already doomed."

"Everywhere are warlords who have carved out their own territories. Our Fanyang army is insignificant among them. The current emperor of the North is nothing but a wooden puppet put up by the Zhang family. Sooner or later, the Zhang family will usurp the throne. The only one who can compete with the Zhang father and son for the North is General Pei!"

“Father understands this very well. Surrendering is not a respectable thing to do. I will do it. Once General Pei accepts the Fanyang army, I will return the position of commander to Father.”

After saying this, he lifted the curtain and strode away.

His imposing and broad back conveyed a resolute determination to rush to the battlefield.

General Lü wanted to curse but couldn't, and could only watch helplessly as Lü Fengyuan left.

For the next few days, General Lü was kept confined in his military tent. Lü Erlang was quite a character; he served his father three meals a day, and after General Lü had eaten his fill, he would even allow him to vent his anger for a while.

"Untie me! I need to take a bath and change my clothes!" General Lü roared.

In military campaigns, it's common to go ten days or half a month without bathing. General Lü was simply looking for trouble.

Lu Erlang looked troubled: "My elder brother instructed that we should eat and drink as much as Father wants, but there is one condition: Father must not be untied. Please, Father, bear with it!"

His voice was gentle, but his hands moved swiftly, gagling General Lü's mouth again with a rag.

The rag hadn't been changed for days; it stank so badly that General Lü almost vomited.

The thoughtful Lü Erlang, seeing that his father's face was really ugly, specially went to find a new one. In the break between changing, General Lü squeezed out a question: "It's been five or six days, what exactly has that dog Lü Feng been busy with?"

Then his mouth was gagged again.

Lu Erlang thoughtfully cleared up General Lu's doubts: "My elder brother sent a trusted messenger on horseback to Liaoxi to deliver the Fanyang army's flag and surrender to General Pei. The messenger hasn't returned yet. There are some stubborn men in the camp who don't obey my brother's orders. My brother is busy reorganizing the camp and dealing with these people."

These stubborn and disobedient individuals were basically General Lü's most loyal confidants.

Lü Feng's "reorganization of the military camp" was actually a purge of General Lü's confidants, a complete takeover of the Fanyang army. Any talk of returning the commander's position later was utter nonsense!

This is a military mutiny! The son usurped his father's position and power!

General Lü was grinding his teeth so hard they were almost broken, his heart burning with rage.

It's unclear how many ruthless methods Lü Feng employed, but the military camp remained largely undisturbed. Occasionally, shouts of alarm and anger would rang out, but these would quickly subside. The stench of blood lingered persistently in General Lü's nostrils.

……

Lu Feng's confidant was kneeling respectfully before Pei Qinghe, presenting her with a neatly folded Fanyang army flag. Lu Feng's handwritten letter was in Pei Qinghe's hands.

After reading the letter, Pei Qinghe raised an eyebrow: "Accepting the Fanyang army is no small matter; this general needs to consider it for a few days."

This messenger was also one of the "reinforcements" that day. He had personally witnessed Pei Qinghe's heroic figure on the battlefield and greatly admired Pei Qinghe. He respectfully acknowledged the messenger's presence and withdrew.

Pei Yan leaned closer curiously: "What was written in the letter?"

Pei Yun and Mao Hongling looked over together.

Pei Qinghe raised the corners of her mouth and smiled: "Lu Feng kidnapped his own father, seized the position of commander-in-chief, and is now cleaning up the military camp. In order to show his sincerity and determination to surrender, the Pei-character flag will be hung in the Fanyang military camp from now on. Also, he wants to send his younger brother Lu Erlang to the Pei family army."

Lü Feng is already married and has children, while Lü Erlang is just over twenty years old and not yet married.

This is an attempt to emulate the Guangning Army by sending their brothers to the Pei family as sons-in-law.

Arranged marriages are the most common means of forming alliances. Lü Feng's decision to send his own younger brother for the Pei family's daughters to choose from certainly showed his sincerity.

"Lu Feng is indeed quite capable," Pei Yun praised with a smile. "He killed two imperial envoys, and now he's even captured General Lu. Congratulations, General, on gaining another fierce general under your command!"

The ability to capture the Fanyang army without bloodshed means that the entire Youzhou region has come under the complete control of the Pei family army.

Pei Qinghe was in a good mood and said with a smile, "The discipline of the Fanyang army is too poor, and their combat strength is also the lowest. We need to put a lot of effort into training them."

Mao Hongling smiled and continued, "Youzhou originally had four garrisoned armies, with the Beiping Army undoubtedly being the best. The Guangning Army and the Liaoxi Army were evenly matched, while the Fanyang Army was at the bottom. Now, the Guangning Army, the Liaoxi Army, and the Fanyang Army have all surrendered to the general. It's a pity that the Beiping Army is stationed in Bohai County."

Meng Dalang was skilled in training troops and managing military camps, while Meng Liulang was brave and invincible in battle. It's a real pity that we couldn't bring these two under our control.

Pei Qinghe's eyes flickered slightly, and she smiled meaningfully at Mao Hongling: "Second sister-in-law's words have struck a chord with me. I dare not even think about the elite Beiping troops in Bohai County, but these seven or eight hundred elite cavalrymen in Liaoxi City are really impressive. Our Pei family army's cavalry battalion doesn't have many men left. If we can keep all the Beiping cavalrymen, it will be a great achievement."

For some reason, Mao Hongling quickly looked away, avoiding eye contact with Pei Qinghe and remaining silent.

The perceptive Pei Yun chuckled softly.

The careless and impulsive Pei Yan, completely oblivious to the subtle commotion among the others, said nonchalantly, "That's easy. Once Meng Dalang is able to leave the military tent, I'll sneak over and give him a good whack. He won't be able to escape!"

Everyone: "..."

(End of this chapter)