Ask the mountains and rivers

Chapter 488 Side Story: Preparations for War (Part Two)
The Ministry of War urgently issued a document, which was delivered by fast horse to each garrison.

The entire northern region was abuzz with excitement because of this military order.

Three years ago we fought the Imperial Guards, and two years ago we fought the Jiangnan Army. In the past two years, there have been no major battles in the north, but the various armies have not been idle; they have all been training with all their might. Cavalry, in particular, has been of paramount importance.

The horse farms in Quanzhou expanded more than three times their original size, and the entire population of the county was relocated to other counties, producing tens of thousands of warhorses annually. With a steady stream of fine horses from the Xianbei, the northern army no longer lacked warhorses.

The Beiping Army had 8,000 cavalry, the Liaoxi Army had 6,000 cavalry, and the Guangning and Fanyang Armies each had 5,000 cavalry. The Pei family army had 20,000 cavalry. The number of cavalry under Gu Lian, Sun Cheng, Pei Feng, and others varied, and the total number of cavalry exceeded 60,000.

Such a large cavalry force quickly converged on Yan County in Youzhou.

While waiting for the generals to arrive, Pei Qinghe urgently formulated a battle strategy. To fight a war, the supply of provisions and logistics must be guaranteed first. Shi Yan was so busy that he didn't even have time to go home.

The little monkey felt a little wronged and said to Madam Feng, "Grandmother, Mother is busy every day, and Father is busy too. They don't have time to pay attention to me."

Suppressing her worries, Madam Feng said softly to the little monkey, "Your mother is leading troops to fight the Xiongnu barbarians, and your father is the Minister of Revenue, preparing provisions for 60,000 cavalry. They are both very busy. Don't make a fuss, stay with your grandmother obediently."

The little monkey was too young to understand what war was all about, and innocently asked, "Can my mother win the war?"

Madam Feng laughed: "Your mother led troops into battle when she was thirteen years old, and she won every battle without ever losing a single one."

The little monkey's eyes lit up: "Mom is so amazing! Grandma, please tell me about it!"

With nothing else to do, Madam Feng actually recounted all the battles Pei Qinghe had fought over the years to the little monkey. The little monkey listened with rapt attention, marveling at the story.

After finishing the military meeting, Pei Qinghe returned to her room, somewhat exhausted, only to see her daughter rushing towards her with bright, sparkling eyes: "Mother! I want to go to war with you!"

Pei Qinghe chuckled, pulled the little monkey into her arms, and pinched her daughter's soft little face: "You're still too young. You can't ride a horse or carry a sword. What kind of battle can you fight?"

"Your mother has an even more important task for you."

"Your mother is leading the troops to fight, and you will take her place to govern Yan County. Prime Minister Pang and Minister Qin will handle the political affairs, and you should make an appearance at the Golden Palace every day to reassure the people."

"This matter cannot be done without you!"

The little monkey was filled with excitement and nodded vigorously: "Don't worry, Mother, I will definitely guard Yan County for you."

Pei Qinghe wasn't just making empty promises to her daughter. The next day, she summoned Prime Minister Pang, Minister Qin, and other important officials, announcing her intention to establish a crown prince: "I am going to lead troops to fight the Xiongnu cavalry. If we succeed in this battle, the border will be peaceful for several years. In war, we cannot only consider the outcome of victory, but also the retreat. I want to establish Pei Yuan as the crown prince. If I am defeated, or if I die on the battlefield, I ask that you all support Pei Yuan's ascension to the throne and assist him in governing the country."

Upon hearing this, all the ministers were astonished.

Prime Minister Pang abruptly stood up: "His Majesty is in the prime of his life, why establish a crown prince so early? And you shouldn't say such ominous things as losing ground on the battlefield."

Minister Qin also stood up: "Your Majesty, please rescind your decree!"

The ministers all rose and begged the emperor to rescind his decree.

Pei Qinghe's gaze swept across the faces of the officials, and he said gently, "I know your intentions. You should also understand and support me."

"As long as the Xiongnu are not destroyed, the border will never be peaceful."

"Ten years ago, I swore to Heaven that I would lead my troops into the grasslands and destroy the Xiongnu."

"Over the years, I have been training cavalry and sharpening my sword in preparation for war."

"Entering the grasslands is no easy task; resupplying provisions is a major problem. Now that the Xiongnu have launched a massive attack, it's a golden opportunity. I will lead the army to meet them in battle, utterly crush the Xiongnu, and not return until victory is achieved!" "I entrust the empire and my beloved daughter to you all!"

After speaking, he rose and bowed to the assembled officials.

The officials had no choice but to accept the bow, as they could not dodge it in time.

Prime Minister Pang's eyes reddened, and he said in a hoarse voice, "Since Your Majesty has made up your mind, we will certainly do our utmost. We beseech Your Majesty to issue an imperial edict to appoint the Crown Prince and announce it to the world."

The ministers all shouted in unison, "We beg Your Majesty to issue a decree!"

Pei Qinghe said, "Very well, I will issue an edict immediately to appoint Pei Yuan as Crown Prince. The formal ceremony for the Crown Prince will be held after I return from my victory."

On that day, Emperor Zhaoyuan issued an edict to appoint the Crown Prince. The joyous news first spread in Yan County, and the people of Yan County were overjoyed.

Pei Qinghe was like the blazing sun in Yan County, a god in the hearts of the people.

Pei Yuan is Pei Qinghe's only beloved daughter. It is only natural that she should become the crown prince.

With a major battle imminent, preparations are the top priority. The appointment of the crown prince is a simple matter of an imperial edict; there's no time to even hold a family banquet.

Once Pei Feng, Gu Lian, Sun Cheng, and other military generals had gathered in Yan County, Pei Qinghe mustered the troops, and the army quickly set off.

The Xiongnu cavalry have already invaded the border, and the Beiping Army, Liaoxi Army, Guangning Army, and Fanyang Army have been frequently dispatched for half a month. The two sides have already begun fighting.

In recent years, the four garrison forces, including the Beiping Army, have been shouldering the heavy responsibility of resisting the Xiongnu cavalry. Through numerous bloody battles, they have honed a large number of elite cavalrymen.

The Xiongnu mobilized 80,000 cavalry, bringing all the elite troops they could muster from their tribes. The garrison, including the Beiping Army, totaled 50,000 troops, who, relying on the sturdy city walls, halted the Xiongnu army's advance.

The Xiongnu cavalry intended to continue their rampage, slaughtering and plundering as before. However, they hadn't anticipated that the villagers had already been relocated to the county towns, each garrisoned by elite troops. Upon the arrival of the Xiongnu cavalry, they would immediately light signal fires to warn of their approach. After a few days, a large influx of reinforcements would arrive.

This was also the result of several years of careful preparation by generals such as Meng Liulang, Li Chi, Yang Hu, and Pei Xuan.

The news that the emperor had personally led a large army quickly reached the ears of Meng Liulang and his men. The generals were all greatly encouraged.

Pei Xuan smiled at Lü Sheng and said, "The Emperor has led a large army here. This time, it is a true national war. If we win this battle, the North will truly be peaceful and tranquil."

Lü Sheng replied, "After the war, we still need to manage the grasslands. Otherwise, if the Xiongnu fall, other tribes will rise up. In a few years, they will become a major threat to our dynasty."

Pei Xuan looked at Lü Sheng with surprise: "Second Brother Lü, you even thought of these things. Such thoughtfulness is admirable."

Lü Sheng grinned from ear to ear at the praise.

The couple had been married for eight or nine years and had always been deeply in love. Three years ago, Pei Xuan became pregnant and gave birth to a son, named Pei Xu.

With the great battle imminent, Pei Xuan sent her son to Pei Family Village.

Even if we lose this battle, Pei Family Village will still exist. The Pei Family Army will still exist. The sons and descendants of the Pei family will still exist. The Pei family will surely rise again.

Lu Sheng said softly, "Xuanmei, we must win this battle."

Pei Xuan's eyes gleamed: "Victory will surely belong to us."

(End of this chapter)