Ask the mountains and rivers

Chapter 439 Family Banquet (2)

Pei Feng had always been very self-disciplined and strong-willed since childhood, and rarely complained. But when Pei Qinghe asked him softly, a flood of grievances welled up in his heart.

"I led two thousand elite soldiers and traveled for more than half a month to reach the Daifang army camp." Pei Feng said in a low voice, "The Daifang army launched a surprise attack on Pei Family Village, but their commander was killed and the entire army was routed. Only a few hundred old and weak people remained to guard the Daifang army camp. After I arrived, they immediately surrendered the camp."

"I was momentarily soft-hearted and only imprisoned and guarded the leaders, while the rest of the surrendered soldiers were scattered and distributed into various units. I never expected that some of these surrendered soldiers harbored resentment and secretly conspired to avenge their general. In the middle of the night, they set fire to the camp and suddenly started killing people."

Thinking back to the chaos of that night, Pei Feng still remembered it vividly, feeling both ashamed and angry: "After I was awakened, I immediately took my personal guards to find the rebels. I killed all five of them, and then thoroughly investigated and killed all those who knew about it but did not report it. Only then was the military camp barely able to maintain order."

"It was because of dealing with these matters that I was a little late in setting off and almost missed the year-end family dinner."

“Cousin Qinghe, am I too useless? When Cousin Yun and Second Sister-in-law were in charge of the troops, there was never such a mess. And Pei Xuan, everything went smoothly when she went to Fanyang Army. Gu Lian and Sun Cheng are both doing well. I'm the only one who caused this kind of trouble…”

Pei Feng's eyes were red, clearly still harboring resentment.

Pei Qinghe comforted him gently: "You are still young and not ruthless enough. Remember this lesson: when you are recruiting surrendered soldiers, you must not be soft-hearted. Kill those who should be killed. First, make the surrendered soldiers fearful and strictly abide by the military regulations of the Pei family army. Then show them some kindness and make them want to join you."

"These things, you'll gradually learn as you gain more experience. No one is born knowing how to be a general; you have to learn slowly."

"You've done a great job. Much better than I expected."

The comforting words and reassurance from his cousin quickly soothed Pei Feng's confusion. He wiped his eyes with his sleeve: "I've remembered everything you said, cousin."

Pei Yan, Pei Zhi, Pei Xuan, and Pei Yue, who had gathered around, also offered words of comfort to Pei Feng.

Ultimately, Pei Feng was just a fifteen-year-old boy, not yet truly an adult. Suddenly leaving home, his familiar surroundings and family, to a strange place, and having to command troops alone—it was only natural that some trouble would arise. Even Pei Yan couldn't bring herself to ridicule or mock him.

Once Pei Feng had calmed down, Pei Qinghe turned to look at Pei Xuan and asked, "How is everything going for you in the Fanyang army?"

Pei Xuan said, "I'm going to Fanyang Army as the commander-in-chief, and Brother Lü will be my deputy. He doesn't mind, but some of the older soldiers in Fanyang Army are quite indignant on Brother Lü's behalf. They don't dare to say anything in front of me, but it's not nice to gossip behind my back."

This kind of thing is indeed difficult to handle. People just have foul mouths, saying things like, "The world has changed, and women can command troops now," "They're just showing off in our Fanyang army because they have General Pei backing them up," "The good Lu Erlang has become a dowry in the Fanyang army, a son-in-law of the Pei family," and "General Lu would be furious if he knew this in the afterlife."

These grumbling soldiers hadn't broken any military rules on the surface. They drilled during the day and studied at night. They did everything they could, even if they were a little off. You couldn't find anything wrong with them.

A bunch of military veterans and slackers—that's the hardest to manage.

Pei Qinghe understood and said in a low voice, "The Fanyang Army is the most undisciplined and least combat-effective of the four garrisons in Youzhou. When Lü Feng was alive, it took him nearly two years to completely turn things around. You've only been there for a few months, how can you possibly control them all at once? This matter cannot be rushed, we have to take it slowly."

Pei Xuan appears sweet and gentle, but she's actually ruthless and cunning, even more competitive and ambitious than Pei Feng. She's caused Pei Feng a lot of worry these past few months. Hearing this, she sighed, "When I lead a few thousand soldiers, I find the complexities of human nature, the myriad of thoughts, and the countless difficulties. My cousin Qinghe is leading tens of thousands of troops, with her generals each having their own agendas. Getting them all united and working towards a common goal is incredibly difficult!"

Pei Qinghe sighed, a rare occurrence for him: "Training troops and fighting battles are indeed not difficult for me. But I will be ascending the throne tomorrow, and from then on I will have to manage state affairs, worry about the entire northern lands, control the court, and manage all civil and military officials. I have never done these things before, and I feel a little uneasy." "I am afraid that I will not do well, that I will be deceived, that I will be held back by political affairs, and that I will no longer be able to personally lead troops into battle."

She preferred to lead troops into battle and fight on the battlefield, rather than be bound by the throne.

Having reached this point, we must consider the bigger picture and reassure the people. We cannot act recklessly based solely on our own desires.

Pei Yun approached unnoticed and whispered with a smile, "Don't be afraid. I believe in you, you can do it!"

Mao Hongling smiled and continued, "We are all your most loyal followers and supporters. No matter when, where, or what happens, we will follow you."

Pei Yan clenched her fist and shouted, "Tell me who doesn't listen to you, and I'll beat them up."

Pei Qinghe chuckled: "Don't be ridiculous. Governing the court isn't like fighting a war; it's not about who has the bigger fist. We need to show some respect to Prime Minister Pang and Vice Minister Qin, and not act unreasonably!"

Pei Yan touched her nose and smiled, putting down her fist: "I was just giving an example. I still have great respect for Prime Minister Pang and Vice Minister Qin."

Pei Qinghe was surrounded by her cousins, chatting and laughing, creating a lively atmosphere.

The Pei family's sons-in-law, who were also keeping vigil for the New Year, naturally gathered around Shi Yan.

In terms of age, Shi Yan wasn't old; Bao Hao, Tao Feng, and others were all older than him. Meng Bing and Yang Huai were also military generals who had led troops for many years. However, Shi Yan was Pei Qinghe's husband, and Pei Qinghe would ascend the throne as emperor tomorrow. As the emperor's consort, Shi Yan's status would naturally rise accordingly.

More importantly, Shi Yan was not just a pretty face; he was shrewd and capable, skilled in administrative affairs and internal management. Since he joined the Pei family army, the soldiers had never gone hungry. Their daily lives were well-organized, with everything from food and clothing to shelter and transportation running smoothly.

Shi Yan's position in the Pei family army was not given by Pei Qinghe; he established himself firmly on his own merits through his exceptional abilities.

"I heard you're going to be the Minister of Revenue?" Bao Hao asked curiously.

Shi Yan chuckled softly, “The general does have this plan. After he ascends the throne tomorrow, he will issue an edict to promote me to Minister of Revenue, making an exception for me.”

"The Minister of Revenue is in charge of collecting taxes and managing the treasury for the emperor." Bao Hao succinctly stated the truth: "Who else but you deserves such an important position?"

Meng Bing smiled and chimed in, "You're right. No one is more suitable than you."

As sons-in-law of the Pei family, they might not have high status in their own households, but they were all highly valued in the Pei family army. Bao Hao commanded all the military doctors, Tao Feng and Yang Huai were both qualified to lead a thousand soldiers, and Meng Bing and Mao Hongling stayed behind in Pei Family Village, holding equally high positions and great power.

They came together, led by Shi Yan, and formed a political force that should not be underestimated.

(End of this chapter)