Ask the mountains and rivers

Chapter 85 Shocking Change
As the population of Pei Family Village grew, feeding everyone became no easy task. Pei Qinghe readily accepted all the grain sent by the young master of the Shi family. He also gladly accepted the weapons secretly delivered by the Beiping army. Daily drills continued without fail, and every few days a hunting party would be dispatched into the mountains. The wild animals in the nearby forests were almost entirely wiped out.

The bandits, now aware of the danger, dared not approach Peijia Village; the outlaws avoided the area altogether. The county government turned a blind eye to the rapid expansion of Peijia Village.

Life in Peijia Village seemed to be isolated from the outside world, busy, fulfilling, and peaceful.

Unfortunately, this world cannot accommodate a paradise on earth.

The upheaval in the palace, thousands of miles away, struck like thunder, shocking the court and the public.

The news reached Peijia Village in August.

The weather was exceptionally hot that day. The people practicing their formations on the training ground were drenched in sweat, but under Pei Qinghe's piercing gaze, no one dared to slack off.

"Cousin Qinghe!" Pei Yan rushed over like the wind: "General Meng has sent someone with an urgent message, asking Cousin Qinghe to go to the Beiping military camp immediately."

Pei Qinghe's brow twitched.

What a big deal!

General Meng couldn't even wait for messengers to relay the message; he ordered her to go to the military camp immediately for a discussion. Something must have happened at the Crown Prince's Palace!
Pei Qinghe immediately said, "Go prepare the horses!"

Then, Pei Yan, Mao Hongling, and others were chosen to accompany them. The meticulous and composed Pei Yun stayed behind to guard Pei Family Village.

More than thirty fine horses galloped vigorously, heading towards the Beiping military camp.

The Beiping military camp was 400 li away. The official roads in the north were not very smooth; a fast horse could travel during the day, but at night one had to camp in the open.

Thirty-odd women traveling at high speed were extremely rare in the north. Some foolish bandits followed them, but Pei Qinghe fired three arrows, killing all three. The bandits, terrified, fled in panic and disappeared without a trace.

Two days later, Pei Qinghe and his party arrived at the Beiping military camp.

The Beiping Army was renowned as the elite of the north, and this reputation was well-deserved; they were heavily guarded. Their presence was detected as soon as they approached the camp, within ten miles.

General Meng issued the military order two days ago, and after Pei Qinghe revealed his identity, he was able to proceed without any obstacles.

Pei Yan secretly counted them and couldn't help but gasp: "There's a sentry post every mile, they're so well guarded. Compared to our Pei Family Village, they're far inferior."

The main force of Peijia Village consisted of women from the Pei family, followed by Pei Jia and others. A group of loyal and obedient refugees were also selected and trained. Several sentry posts were now set up outside the village. Of course, they couldn't compare to the Beiping army.

Pei Qinghe had no intention of joking. She glanced over and said, "After entering the military camp, don't look around or say anything carelessly. Just follow my instructions."

Pei Qinghe's face darkened, and no one dared to say a word.

At the entrance of the Beiping Army camp, the brothers Meng Dalang and Meng Liulang greeted each other together.

They were already acquainted, so there was no need for formalities. Pei Qinghe dismounted, bowed, and asked directly, "Where is General Meng?"

Meng Dalang said in a deep voice, "Father has summoned a group of military officers to discuss matters in the military tent. Sixth Miss, please come with me."

After the incident at Wolf Fang Village, Meng Liulang had become much more composed. He managed to refrain from saying anything, only glancing at Pei Qinghe.

Over the past year, Pei Qinghe has grown much taller, and her delicate features shone brightly.

Some of the soldiers in the camp had been to Pei Family Village before, while others had long heard of it and peered out from afar. Pei Qinghe remained calm and waited outside the military tent for about half an hour.

The military officers emerged from their tents and were somewhat surprised to see Pei Qinghe and his entourage.

The military camp was full of soldiers; there had never been any women there before. Why did this strikingly beautiful young woman catch General Meng's eye and break the convention that women were not allowed in the military?

Pei Qinghe ignored the scrutinizing gazes and entered the military tent, where she greeted General Meng with the courtesy due to a junior.

General Meng's face was grim, his eyes filled with rage. Without a word, he handed Pei Qinghe the Crown Prince's handwritten letter: "Your Highness has been framed and plotted against by the Prince of Wei's faction. The Emperor is biased and will issue an edict to depose the Crown Prince."

Pei Qinghe remained expressionless as she took the letter and quickly scanned it.

In her previous life, the Crown Prince was implicated in a witchcraft case, stripped of his title, and imprisoned in the Imperial Clan Court. In this life, she has been secretly advising the Crown Prince, and apart from the Taoist priest Tianji, he has been suppressing the Prince of Wei's faction, so his position in the Eastern Palace is relatively stable.

However, even the most brilliant and capable crown prince could not defeat a muddle-headed old emperor. Emperor Xiaowen fell ill on his deathbed and, on his last breath, issued an edict to depose the crown prince.

The disaster began with floods in Jiangnan, prompting the Crown Prince to dispatch his trusted ministers to provide relief. However, these ministers embezzled government funds intended for disaster relief, colluding with other officials to deceive their superiors and subordinates. As a result, hundreds of thousands of people starved to death in seven or eight flood-stricken counties. Even more devastating was the outbreak of plague, leaving corpses strewn across the land.

In a fit of rage, Emperor Xiaowen executed more than a dozen officials who were part of the Crown Prince's faction, confiscated their property, and exterminated their entire families, with heads rolling in the streets. Immediately following this, he issued an edict to depose the Crown Prince.

Civil and military officials pleaded for the Crown Prince, and Emperor Xiaowen had all the officials kneeling outside the Golden Palace arrested and imprisoned.

This letter was hastily written by the Crown Prince and sent out before the Eastern Palace was sealed off. Gone was his usual elegant composure; the handwriting was messy and revealed his panic.

"...The King of Wei and his mother colluded with Situ Xi, and had people all over the palace. The Emperor had been taking medicine for many days and was not in his right mind, so he was controlled by the King of Wei and his mother."

"Upon receiving my letter, my dear minister, immediately dispatch troops to the capital to punish the treacherous officials and purge the emperor's inner circle."

"Let Pei Qinghe come to the capital as well."

"On the day I ascend the throne, you will be the Grand General of the Imperial Guard, and Pei Qinghe may enter the palace as the Crown Princess."

The Imperial Guard General, and the Crown Princess of the Eastern Palace.

This pancake is really big and round.

Pei Qinghe twitched the corner of her mouth and looked up at General Meng: "So, General Meng plans to send troops to the capital immediately?"

General Meng stared intently at Pei Qinghe: "I owe my current position to the great kindness of the Crown Prince. Now that His Highness is on the verge of death, shouldn't I repay him with my life?"

Pei Qinghe's voice was calm to the point of being cruel: "The Beiping Army is stationed in Youzhou, and guarding the border is the Beiping Army's duty. Leading troops into the capital without authorization is tantamount to rebellion."

“Youzhou is a thousand miles away from the capital. Not to mention how many obstacles we will encounter along the way, even if the journey is smooth, it will still take nearly a month to march.”

"The capital has twelve imperial guards, each an elite force, with a total strength of around 80,000. General Meng is leading a mere 5,000 men there; are you going to pile up those 5,000 heads into a mound of skulls outside the city gates?"

"General Meng is loyal and courageous, yet he sends his men to their deaths. In my opinion, that is utterly foolish."

These words were truly harsh.

General Meng's gaze turned cold: "It seems that Miss Pei has no intention of going to the capital. The Pei family is known for its loyalty and bravery, but Miss Pei is different from her father and uncles."

Pei Qinghe coldly replied, "My father, uncles, and brothers all died because of the Crown Prince. The entire family of loyal martyrs were beheaded, leaving only two hundred women, children, and the elderly."

"The deposition and establishment of the crown prince is a major event for the nation, and the women and children of the Pei family are neither capable nor willing to get involved."

(End of this chapter)