Ask the mountains and rivers

Chapter 462 Night Raid (Part Two)

The cavalry battalion that galloped back to Mo City suffered heavy losses. Four thousand went, but fewer than three thousand returned. Each rider had two horses when they left, but most returned with only one horse. Many of their precious warhorses were lost.

Those who returned alive were all covered in dust and dirt, some even in tattered clothes and covered in blood, looking quite pitiful.

Pei Qinghe quickly examined Pei Yan, and only breathed a sigh of relief after confirming that Pei Yan's limbs were intact except for a minor injury on her left leg. Then she quickly looked at Yang Huai, and her heart sank.

Yang Huai was seriously injured, with an arrow in his left shoulder and a knife wound in his right abdomen. He received quick treatment on the way and rode at full gallop, his wounds still bleeding.

"Quickly dismount and heal your wounds!" Pei Qinghe said in a deep voice, reaching out to help her brother-in-law, Yang Huai. Mao Hongling went to help Pei Yan, whose injuries were less severe.

The military doctors, who were already prepared, rushed forward and took the seriously wounded General Yang Huaiyang away.

During military campaigns, there is never a shortage of medics. In the past few years of preparation for war, Pei Qinghe has specifically expanded the military medical battalion. First, he recruited many doctors into the army, and then selected young and intelligent soldiers from the army to learn surgical skills such as bone setting, wound cleaning, and bandaging from the doctors. After three years, the results have been quite good.

After the expansion of the medical battalion, the number of military doctors increased several times over. These doctors were not skilled at pulse diagnosis and prescription, but they were very adept at treating external injuries. On the battlefield, having such a group of military doctors greatly ensured that wounded soldiers could receive medical treatment. Regardless of the treatment's effectiveness, the morale of the troops remained as stable as ever.

Yang Huai was a tough guy; when he pulled out the arrow and cleaned his wound, his face turned pale, and he didn't utter a sound.

Pei Yan's injuries were minor and were quickly treated. She sat on the edge of the bed, grimacing, watching Yang Huai. Seeing the cold sweat dripping from Yang Huai's forehead, Pei Yan felt a pang of heartache and reached out to wipe the sweat away: "If it hurts, just yell it out. Don't try to tough it out."

Yang Huai forced open his eyes and managed an awkward smile: "Pei Yan's husband must be a hero. How can he be all weeping and wailing?"

This was something Yang Huai said a few years ago when he was wounded fighting the Xiongnu barbarians. He cried out in pain because of his wound, and Pei Yan teased him about it.

Pei Yan rolled her eyes: "You still remember what we said so long ago? You're so petty. Alright, you've always been a hero, worthy of me, Pei Yan. Stop pretending, just yell if it hurts."

His words were rough, and his actions were hardly gentle either, as he vigorously rubbed Yang Huai's forehead.

Pei Qinghe couldn't stand it anymore: "Yang Huai is injured, so be careful."

Pei Yan responded with an "oh," and her movements indeed became gentler.

Yang Huai didn't mind Pei Yan's rudeness at all, and looked at Pei Yan tenderly.

Pei Qinghe had no choice but to get up and leave the military tent with Mao Hongling. Then they looked at each other and smiled.

"Although there were many casualties and a lot of warhorses lost, the night raid on the enemy camp was a success." Pei Qinghe smiled and said, "The Imperial Guards have suffered heavy losses and will not be able to send out troops for the next few days. It's a good time to pass down the order to let our soldiers rest and recuperate."

Mao Hongling gladly accepted the order and went to relay the military command.

When General Lu and General Ge heard that the night raid had succeeded, they were both excited and somewhat wistful.

"Our allied forces launched a night raid on the camp that day, but were caught red-handed by the imperial guards, suffering heavy casualties. How come Commander Pei and General Yang were able to achieve such a swift victory?"

"When I meet Commander Pei, I must ask him for his guidance."

At the military conference the following day, Commander Pei, whose left leg was bandaged and who had difficulty walking, had two guards carry him in. Everyone laughed.

Pei Yan showed no sign of guilt and said proudly, "The night before last, I led my troops in a night raid. When we went there, I wrapped the horses' hooves with cloth and stuffed wooden plugs in their mouths. When we were ten miles away from the military camp, I dismounted and led the horses slowly."

"When they were about five miles from the military camp, the warhorses were gathered together and tied with firewood. After the firewood was lit, the warhorses were driven to charge the guard camp. Every hundred horses formed a group, and after a short while, a second group was driven. After these warhorses carrying firewood had run for a while, the firewood would be completely ignited. The warhorses would also go berserk and be able to break through the fences. After rushing into the guard camp, they would set fires everywhere."

General Lu and General Ge gasped in shock upon hearing this.

"How many warhorses did Commander Pei release in total?" General Lu couldn't help but ask.

Pei Yan thought for a moment and replied, "There should be more than a thousand warhorses."

General Ge felt his heart bleed upon hearing this: "Warhorses are so precious, isn't it too extravagant to use them to set fire to and attack military camps?"

"This is the best way to launch a night raid on the enemy camp!" Pei Qinghe said in a deep voice, "Sacrificing warhorses is far better than sacrificing the lives of soldiers!"

General Lu and General Ge agreed verbally, but in their hearts they thought that if it were them, they would not be willing to let so many warhorses carry firewood to charge the enemy camp.

Their camp only had one or two thousand cavalrymen, and their total number of warhorses was less than two thousand. Warhorses were their lifeblood; how could they afford to squander them like that?
In fact, Pei Qinghe also felt sorry for the precious warhorse! However, as it turned out, this method was indeed the most effective.

Pei Yan chuckled twice: "The warhorses broke through the military camp and then ran amok in the guard camp, carrying firewood. We followed the warhorses and rushed in together."

"Guess what? The Imperial Guard soldiers rioted! Haha! We didn't even have to lift a finger; they started fighting amongst themselves with their swords and spears, hahahaha!"

Pei Yan laughed heartily, and all the generals followed suit. There was no more pleasing news than the enemy camp being thrown into chaos.

Pei Qinghe perked up upon hearing this and immediately pressed for details.

Pei Yan replied, "I knew the camp had rioted. The soldiers went berserk, hacking and slashing at each other. We rushed in, only to realize something was wrong and immediately retreated. It was only about half an hour in total. We also suffered quite a few casualties. I reckon the Imperial Guard camp must have suffered even more casualties than us!"

Pei Qinghe smiled and said, "That's for sure. No wonder the Imperial Guards have been unusually quiet these past two days. They must have suffered a major setback from the riot and need to be reassured."

"Pei Yan! You have made a great contribution in this battle!"

General Lu and General Ge immediately showered him with praise. Pei Yan beamed with delight at the compliments.

Pei Qinghe smiled and said, "Let's take advantage of these few days to settle down and rest, and wait for the main army to arrive and join us."

The generals responded in unison.

Four days later, the infantry army arrived at Mocheng. Following closely behind, other garrisons also arrived one after another. The flags of the Pingyang Army, Taiyuan Army, Changle Army, Runan Army, and the Fang Army were planted on the city walls of Mocheng.

Pei's army totaled 60,000 elite troops, while the garrison forces on various routes varied in strength, totaling over 40,000. In addition, the combined forces of the Bohai Navy and the other two allied armies brought the total strength to over 120,000.

With such a massive force gathered in Mo City, and just sixty miles outside the city, the Imperial Guard's camp housed over ten thousand troops. The two armies faced each other, a major battle was imminent, and the atmosphere suddenly became tense.