Ask the mountains and rivers

Chapter 464 Destiny (Part Two)

This challenge letter, though only a few words long, exudes a powerful sense of confidence.

Pei Yue stared intently at General Situ's face, awaiting his reply.

Situ Xi suddenly burst into laughter: "Good! What a fine Pei Qinghe! He has such heroic spirit! I, Situ Xi, have brought a large army here, what do I have to fear!"

"A single battle will decide the fate of the world! Excellent! Bring me pen and ink!"

In front of all the military officers, Situ Xi picked up his brush, wrote a reply, and handed it directly to Pei Yue: "Take this letter back with you. Tell Pei Qinghe that I, Situ Xi, have accepted this challenge!"

Pei Yue accepted the challenge, bowed with Pei Wan, and then walked out with his head held high.

The generals, who had been standing like stone statues, finally came to their senses: "General! Are we really going to send out a large army to fight the Pei family's army to the death? Wouldn't that be a bit impulsive?"

"Perhaps Pei Qinghe is plotting something. We mustn't fall into her trap!"

General Situ couldn't stand it any longer and looked over coldly: "You're underestimating Pei Qinghe too much! She's openly and honorably sent a challenge to decide the outcome in one battle! First, she's provoking me to accept the challenge, and second, she's demonstrating her strong confidence. If I don't accept the challenge, wouldn't that mean my Imperial Guard is afraid of the Pei family's army?"

"Furthermore, we are currently on a long and arduous expedition. We have already reached the northern territory. Some of our supplies have been burned, and even if we search for supplies everywhere, it may not be enough to sustain a prolonged war!"

“If Pei Qinghe wants to avoid battle and use delaying tactics against us, he doesn’t need to send out a large army at all. He can just stay in Yan County and keep sending troops to block us. We don’t know how much we will have to pay if we want to fight our way to Yan County.”

"But look, she didn't avoid war; instead, she launched a large-scale attack and took the initiative to meet us. She doesn't want a protracted war and wants to fight us to the death. Why shouldn't we respond?"

"I, Situ Xi, have come to the North to defeat the Pei family army honorably, take over the North, and unify the land. Her challenge is exactly what I wanted!"

The military officers looked at each other, and none of them dared to say another word.

General Situ coldly said, "Issue the order to the entire army: the army shall rest and clean their armor and weapons thoroughly. Two days later, follow me into a great battle!"

All the generals bowed and agreed.

After leaving the military tent, the generals gathered in twos and threes, sighing with admiration: "I've truly seen something amazing today! The sons and daughters of the Pei family are all so courageous! And the legendary female generals of the Pei family must be incredibly formidable!"

"That Emperor Zhaoyuan is even more formidable!"

"Is this the final battle? Why am I starting to panic?"

"Actually, I'm a little panicked too. I have a bad feeling. Will we lose this battle? If we lose, all our hard work over the years, driving away the rebels in Jiangnan, will have been for nothing?"

"Bah! What nonsense! We will definitely win the battle! Once the General sits firmly on the throne, we will all be great heroes, and we will be ennobled and riched."

For some reason, the more I blew, the more panicked I became!

Pei Yue and Pei Wan rode out of the Imperial Guard camp and, after galloping for several miles, made sure no one was following them, each let out a long sigh of relief.

Pei Yue slowed his horse down and sighed to Pei Wan, "You were too bold just now. I was afraid that General Situ would be so enraged by your mockery that he would order us both to be hacked to death."

Pei Wan grinned: "I wasn't scared at all then, but I'm still a little frightened now. My back is covered in cold sweat. Don't say anything about this when we get back, or Aunt Pei Yan and the others will laugh at us."

Pei Yue smiled and said, "Of course."

The uncle and nephew exchanged a smile, spurred their horses, and galloped back to Mo City, presenting Situ Xi's letter to Pei Qinghe. After reading Situ Xi's reply, Pei Qinghe smiled and ordered the entire army to prepare for battle. She didn't forget to praise Pei Yue and Pei Wan in front of everyone: "You two did a great job on this mission! You boosted morale and enhanced the prestige of the Pei family!"

Pei Yue, beaming with pride, straightened his chest and looked at Pei Feng: "Cousin, how am I now?"

Pei Feng said solemnly, "A scholar should be viewed with new eyes after three days of separation. My cousin Pei Yue is now a pillar of the Pei family army!"

Pei Yue grinned and kept smiling.

Pei Yu and the other young women of the Pei family surrounded Pei Wan, pressing her for details of the verbal sparring session between Pei Wan and General Situ.

Pei Qinghe saw this scene and couldn't help but laugh.

Pei Yun chuckled softly, "Looking at them, I suddenly feel old."

Pei Qinghe chuckled: "You're twenty-eight this year, not even thirty yet, and you're the true backbone of the Pei family army. How can you say you're old!"

“I’m really getting old,” sighed Mao Hongling, who was thirty-two. “In the blink of an eye, my little dog is almost old enough to take up arms.”

After a few jokes, Pei Yun suddenly whispered, "Actually, if we fight this battle slowly, the advantage is in our hands."

Pei Qinghe's eyes gleamed: "Yes, fight slowly, hold them off, and use the terrain and the people's support to wear down the strength and morale of the Imperial Guard. Victory will be ours sooner or later. But fighting like this will come at a great cost. The North has only been peaceful for a few years. I don't want to get bogged down in war, I don't want the people to suffer, and I don't want the North to be ravaged."

“Situ Xi is a man who served as the Grand General of the Imperial Guard for more than ten years and is somewhat arrogant. If we can win this battle, I can quickly take over the south and minimize the chaos caused by the war.”

"Therefore, it's worth taking the risk."

Pei Yun nodded.

Mao Hongling said softly, "Situ Xi has accepted the challenge. The battle will begin in two days. Don't think about anything else now. Let's all rest and prepare."

……

Two days passed in the blink of an eye.

On the sixth day of the sixth lunar month, at the fourth watch of the night, thick smoke rose above Mo City. This was the smoke from the cooking fires as the army prepared their breakfast.

The same was true of the Imperial Guard camp. After the fourth watch, the camp began to stir. The soldiers ate breakfast, put on their soft armor, and polished their long swords, spears, bows, and arrows. Those with warhorses also fed them water and fodder.

As soon as it was light, the army set out.

Long spears stood like a forest, armor gleamed, and warhorses neighed.

The entire elite Imperial Guard was mobilized, totaling 28,000 cavalry—most of those who died on the night of the raid were cavalry, a truly heartbreaking loss. In addition, there were over 50,000 infantry, and 30,000 auxiliary troops following closely behind.

The Pei family army also deployed its elite forces. Cavalry from various armies were drawn from their ranks, adding to the Pei family army's 10,000 cavalry, totaling 25,000 cavalry. The infantry numbered 70,000. Only 10,000 auxiliary troops were brought.

The armies clashed, and the battlefield stretched out across an extremely vast expanse of land.

In fact, before all the infantry of both armies had left their camps, the vanguard cavalry had already charged and engaged in battle.