Ask the mountains and rivers

Chapter 457 Facing the Battle (Part Two)

The three armies have not moved, and the food and grass go first.

Pei Qinghe set the date for the military expedition, and the Ministry of Revenue preemptively established supply routes. The northern regions were all under the new dynasty's control, making these actions within their own sphere of influence unimpeded and very convenient.

Pei's army mobilized all 10,000 elite cavalry, along with 50,000 infantry and 20,000 auxiliary troops, totaling 80,000 troops. At the same time, the Ministry of War swiftly issued an official document ordering eight garrison forces, including the Puyang Army and the Changshan Army, to send troops to provide support.

This is a war between the North and the South; the victor will unify the land, while the loser will face utter ruin. The Pei clan has deployed all its elite troops, and Emperor Pei Qinghe personally leads the army to meet the challenge.

As the Minister of Revenue, Shi Yan was responsible for procuring provisions and military supplies to maintain morale and could not accompany the army. With a major battle imminent, national affairs were of paramount importance. The couple parted without exchanging many words.

"You can lead the troops into battle with peace of mind. Don't worry about military supplies." Shi Yan gazed steadily at Pei Qinghe.

Pei Qinghe raised an eyebrow and smiled: "Alright! Watch me defeat the enemy!"

Confident and composed, majestic and imposing!
This is Emperor Zhaoyuan, the monarch he has followed for ten years! The woman he cherished from the very first moment he saw her! Her smile radiated brilliance.

Madam Feng stepped forward, holding the child, and pushed her son-in-law, who was completely absorbed in the moment, aside: "Qinghe, you go to war with your troops, don't worry about the child. I will take good care of her."

The chubby little baby girl opened her round eyes and grinned at Pei Qinghe.

Pei Qinghe was busy with government affairs or military training every day, and had very little time to spend with her daughter. There was a natural bond between mother and daughter, and the little monkey loved her mother the most.

Pei Qinghe's heart softened, and she reached out to touch the little monkey's face: "Little monkey, Mother is going to war. Mother will come back after we win the war."

The baby, only three months old, couldn't understand anything. He just giggled and tried to rub his chubby little face against his mother's palm.

Pei Qinghe hardened her heart, withdrew her hand, said goodbye to Madam Feng, and strode away.

……

The Imperial Guard set out from Luoyang, passing through Guancheng, Ji County, and Wei County, advancing in a mighty and fierce manner. Wherever the army went, the soldiers openly looted, burned, killed, and plundered—the acts were countless. They showed no regard whatsoever for whether it was their own territory or the northern forces.

Wealthy families with their own servants, those who were sensible enough to offer gold, silver, and beautiful women early on, could escape disaster. It was not uncommon for ordinary rich families to be ruined and their entire families wiped out, and ordinary people fared even worse, being treated like pigs and sheep in the eyes of these ruthless and cunning soldiers and bandits.

Countless seedlings were destroyed along the way.

Situ Xi's tolerance of his men's looting was also for the sake of the army's morale. What were these soldiers fighting so bravely for? They needed to be allowed to roam freely and enjoy themselves; otherwise, morale would naturally soar. As for how to win back the hearts of the soldiers after the battle, that depended on how well the battle went.

If he wins, he can unify the world and become the true founding emperor. The trivial details of military campaigns can be easily forgotten.

If they lose, he won't have to worry about cleaning up the mess. In short, the winner takes all, and the loser is condemned; the most important thing is to win.

This method of using plunder to nourish and boost morale was very effective. The soldiers, whose pockets were full of gold and silver and who had bullied women, did not complain about the hardships of long marches and continuous battles. In fact, some of them often kidnapped beauties to present to General Situ.

This method of marching also has a major problem: the marching speed is too slow.

At each stop, they would stay for two or three days. Later, the stays became longer and longer, and some soldiers couldn't return to their units on time. Situ Xi, in a fit of rage, beheaded a number of them. The dozens of bloody heads were quite intimidating. After that, the marching speed finally increased slightly.

The army encountered its first real battle in early June. The Puyang army sent 5,000 troops to attack the Imperial Guard. Although the Imperial Guard was a chaotic army, its fighting strength was by no means weak. They had been fighting against the rebel armies in Jiangnan for many years and could be called a battle-hardened army.

Situ Xi had more than ten renowned and fierce generals under his command. One of them received orders and led two battalions of six thousand men to meet the enemy with great momentum. After half a day of fighting, the Puyang army was defeated and forced to retreat.

Inside the Imperial Guard's main tent, the generals were all smug and self-satisfied, their words filled with pride: "What kind of elite troops from the north! The Puyang army is utterly useless!"

"They couldn't even hold out for half a day before retreating."

General Situ frowned: "The Puyang army was defeated but not in disarray, and retreated swiftly. Judging by casualties alone, we have indeed won today. However, we should not underestimate the Puyang army because of this!"

"Furthermore, what kind of elite troops are the Puyang Army? The real elite troops in the North are the Pei Family Army, the Beiping Army is also quite formidable, and there are also the armies of Pei Yun and Pei Xuan. These tough guys haven't even arrived yet! You must not be arrogant or careless!"

The generals agreed verbally, but in their hearts they all disagreed.

The army continued its northward march, only to be met with another large force. At this time, military commanders each had their own unique military flag. By sending out sentries to observe the flag's design, they could identify the approaching enemy.

"Reporting to the General, the enemy is flying the flag of the Changshan Army."

"The banners of the Puyang army are among them. It seems that the two armies have joined forces and come together."

The two armies joined forces, totaling nearly ten thousand elite soldiers. General Situ sat in his central command tent and appointed a trusted general: "Huo San, I'll give you three battalions. Go and defeat this allied army! Remember, don't be greedy for battle or personal glory; just defeat them."

"What I want is to head straight for Yan County, wipe out the Pei family army, kill Pei Qinghe, and take over the northern lands."

Huo San was a burly military general in his forties, a veteran of countless battles, and exceptionally brave. After receiving the military order, he immediately went to muster three battalions of troops to meet the enemy.

The battle was extremely fierce. In the end, it was Huo San's personal guards who broke through the enemy's infantry formation. Seeing the allied forces fleeing north, Huo San's bloodlust flared, and he led his bloodthirsty personal guards in relentless pursuit.

"General, we have completed our military orders." A personal guard reminded him, "We should go back and report."

Huo San grinned maliciously: "They can come and go as they please, and leave after they're defeated. There's no such thing as a free lunch. Come on, follow me and chase after them. We'll kill as many as we can. If the General blames us, I'll take full responsibility!"

Huo San was known for his bravery and fierceness, and his personal guards were mostly skilled in combat. Upon hearing this, he had no more reservations and spurred his horse forward to pursue the fleeing soldiers.

The road ahead suddenly narrowed. There were also trees on both sides, perfect for setting up an ambush.

Suddenly, a sharp whistle rang out.

Arrows flew in a flurry, and Huo San, chasing after the fleeing soldiers, couldn't dodge in time and was struck in the chest. Fortunately, his armor protected him, preventing a fatal wound. His personal guards, however, were not so lucky; they fell like dumplings into a pot.

Huo San was shocked, angry, and regretful. He shouted for everyone to ride away.

Pei Yun, who had been lying in ambush in the dense forest all day, drew her long sword and coldly swung it: "Kill!"

(End of this chapter)