Ask the mountains and rivers

Chapter 309 Shattered (Part 1)

With a heavy heart, Lü Feng gathered all the usable warhorses from the Fanyang army, exactly five hundred, and let Lü Erlang take them all away.

Before leaving, Lü Feng solemnly instructed: "When you arrive in Liaoxi, be sure to show respect to the general. Pei Yun, Pei Yan, and Pei Zhi in the Pei family army are all tough guys, so don't provoke them. The younger Pei Xuan and Pei Feng are also very formidable, so behave yourself."

"However, don't be too soft and easy to bully. Although they have all changed to the Pei banner, our Fanyang Army and the Guangning Army and Liaoxi Army still have to compete. In the past, the Fanyang Army had the lowest combat strength, but now the Liaoxi Army has been decimated, and the Guangning Army has also suffered heavy casualties in this battle. We have preserved our strength. We don't need to be afraid of them."

Lu Erlang pricked up his ears and nodded repeatedly.

Lu Feng thought for a moment, then whispered, "After you get there, you must quickly integrate into the Pei family army and carefully observe how General Pei leads and trains his troops."

"My older brother wants me to learn his skills... Ouch!"

"What stealing skills!" Lü Feng glared. "The Fanyang army has already surrendered and taken over the Pei family army's flag. It's only natural for them to ask General Pei for guidance. You better perk up, open your eyes wide, and learn diligently. If you don't learn it well, I'll beat you to death!"

Lu Erlang, who had been beaten since childhood, shrank his neck.

Lü Erlang led five hundred cavalrymen, setting off with great pride and high spirits, heading towards western Liaoning.

……

In Bohai County, Meng Liulang, upon receiving a letter from his elder brother Meng Bing, stared in shock, reading the lengthy letter over and over four or five times. Then, he summoned the messenger and questioned him carefully.

"How many injuries did my brother suffer? Did he damage his brain?"

Otherwise, why would she suddenly abandon him and stay with the Pei family army?
Knowing his sixth son's temperament, the guard suppressed a laugh and explained, "The eldest son is injured, but his mind is calm and clear; he's perfectly fine."

Meng Liulang snorted coldly: "What kind of good person would suddenly abandon their brothers and take their cavalry to marry into another family?"

This bodyguard had served Meng Bing for many years and had watched Meng Liulang grow up. He wasn't so respectful or polite in private and immediately replied, "Sixth Young Master is already an adult. He's not a child who hasn't been weaned and still needs his elder brother to take care of him."

Meng Liulang: "..."

Ignoring Meng Liulang's sour face, the guard continued, "The eldest son was seriously wounded on the battlefield and could no longer have children. Then he lost his wife and daughter, had to lead and train troops, deal with General Zhang, and worry about the sixth son. In just a few years, the eldest son has already turned white-haired."

"Now that the eldest son has decided to settle down and start a family, he will have someone by his side and will no longer be lonely. Shouldn't the sixth son be happy for the eldest son?"

Meng Liulang snapped out of his daze and twitched his lips: "If you put it that way, how could I dare to have any objections? I'm such a scoundrel!"

The guard coughed a few times and softened his tone: "The eldest son staying in the Pei family army is also to find a way out for the Beiping army. However, this matter has both advantages and disadvantages. The sixth son has to deal with the doubts and dissatisfaction of General Zhang and the emperor. The court will have to rely on the sixth son."

With his elder brother gone, the heavy burden of the Beiping army fell entirely on his shoulders.

Meng Liulang suddenly felt a great weight on his shoulders.

He opened the letter, read it twice more, and then said in a low voice, "Don't make a fuss about my elder brother's marriage into the Pei family for now. Use recuperation as an excuse to stay for a year or two. After a while, even if the Emperor is furious, he'll have to accept it."

"As for the Zhang family, we don't need to pay them any attention." Meng Liulang sneered, his murderous aura palpable. "Our Beiping army is loyal to the Emperor, not their lackeys. If they want to make a move, I'll handle it."

The guard breathed a sigh of relief and chuckled softly, "Please have the Sixth Young Master write a reply to the Eldest Young Master. The sooner the marriage is arranged, the more at ease the Eldest Young Master will feel in Liaoxi City."

"Did the old house catch fire?" Meng Liulang mocked mercilessly, quickly writing a reply. A woman of refined manners and beautiful appearance entered the study carrying a cup of tea. This woman was none other than his newlywed wife, Pang Wenniang, who had been married for two months.

Meng Liulang sent his personal guards to deliver the message, then smiled and accepted the tea, gulping it down in one go.

The young couple, in the throes of newlywed bliss, were deeply in love.

Pang Wenniang smiled slightly, took out a handkerchief, and wiped Meng Liulang's mouth. Meng Liulang took Pang Wenniang's hand in turn, his voice much gentler than usual: "I have time today, so I'll have dinner with you."

……

It is perfectly normal for the two brothers to communicate with each other.

The spy who had been keeping an eye on Meng Liulang reported the information to Zhang Yun, but Zhang Yun didn't take it seriously. A few days later, he mentioned it to General Zhang.

General Zhang was much more perceptive and immediately became alert: "What are the Meng brothers up to?"

Zhang Yun curled his lip in disdain: "The Meng brothers always boast about how powerful the Beiping army is. This time, Meng Bing led two thousand cavalry to reinforce them and fought against the Xiongnu cavalry, resulting in a crushing defeat. Meng Bing almost lost his life. He was already a cripple, and it's hard to say whether he'll be able to get out of bed or walk in the future."

"What kind of trouble can he possibly stir up?"

General Zhang's face darkened, and he gave the boastful Zhang Yun a cold glance: "Easy for you to say. Why don't you lead the cavalry to fight the Xiongnu barbarians and drive them back to the grasslands?"

Zhang Yun looked embarrassed and couldn't say a word.

"Meng Bing excels at training and leading troops, while Meng Ling is unparalleled in bravery. Both brothers are among the best military commanders in the North." General Zhang said coldly, "Especially Meng Bing, whose cunning and strategy are first-rate and should not be underestimated. If you were not the eldest son of the Zhang family, with your abilities, you wouldn't even be good enough to be Meng Bing's personal guard."

Zhang Yun was thoroughly humiliated by the scolding and shut up completely.

General Zhang gave his son a good scolding, which vented his anger a little. After thinking carefully for a moment, he ordered, "Send more men to Liaoxi City to gather information."

Zhang Yun nodded in agreement, then couldn't help but whisper, "Prime Minister Pang and Commander Gao have already traveled most of the way and will arrive in the capital in a few days. Should we give the Emperor a heads-up that Pei Qinghe has already taken in a son-in-law?"

News of Pei Qinghe's marriage had already reached the ears of the Zhang father and son. The puppet emperor in the palace, however, remained completely unaware, indulging in a ridiculous dream!

General Zhang sneered, "Such good news should of course be reported to the Emperor by Prime Minister Pang upon his return. Let's not get involved."

Six days later, Prime Minister Pang and his entourage returned to Bohai County.

Despite his advanced age and the bumpy ride in the carriage, Prime Minister Pang went straight to the palace to see the Emperor without even returning home.

Gao Yong was a man of great loyalty and accompanied Prime Minister Pang to see Emperor Jian'an.

Emperor Jian'an, who had been lost in his dream, could no longer sit on the dragon throne. He got up and quickly came over to personally help the elderly Prime Minister Pang to his feet.

Emperor Jian'an's eyes gleamed, and his voice trembled slightly with excitement: "Prime Minister, has General Pei received the imperial edict?"

(End of this chapter)