Ask the mountains and rivers

Chapter 5 Clan Chief (Part 1)

Lu pointed her finger at Pei Qinghe's nose, about to unleash a torrent of abuse.

The last person to do this was a bandit leader who pointed at her from a distance and hurled insults at her. She drew her bow and shot an arrow, killing the bandit leader instantly from five hundred paces away.

The remaining bandits were terrified and fled like birds and beasts. She led her troops in pursuit, and in less than half a day, she had slaughtered the entire band of bandits.

Since then, no one has dared to point a finger at her anymore.

Pei Qinghe's face remained expressionless; she merely glanced at Madam Lu indifferently.

A chilling, invisible aura of malevolence swept over us.

Madam Lu felt a chill run down her spine. She smoothly shifted her finger from Pei Qinghe's direction: "Madam Feng, look at this! This is the daughter you raised. Sharp-tongued, disobedient, and disrespectful to her elders."

In the past, Madam Lu was a tyrant at home, and it was common for her to set rules for her daughter-in-law. Madam Feng had always been afraid of her mother-in-law, but now she mustered up the courage to retort: ​​"Qinghe is intelligent, decisive, and brave. She did the right thing."

“You…” Madam Lu was furious and glared at her fiercely.

"Grandmother!" Pei Qinghe called out in a light tone.

Lu's heart trembled violently once again.

Pei Qinghe studied military strategy books and was obsessed with martial arts from a young age. All the young men and women of the Pei family's grandchildren were beaten into submission by her.

Capable and competent people, regardless of gender, will receive the respect they deserve. The elders will automatically tone down their temper in her presence.

Even as a grandmother, she couldn't quite stand up straight in front of her strong and capable granddaughter.

Lu reluctantly replied, "What's wrong?"

Pei Qinghe said calmly, "All the male members of the Pei family are dead, and my twenty-four cousins ​​are all under eight years old. The Pei family needs someone to take charge, so I will be the clan head. Does Grandmother have any objections?"

Madam Lu gave birth to four sons: the eldest son, Pei Boren, had three sons and two daughters; the second son, Pei Zhongde, had five sons and one daughter; the third son, Pei Shuyi, had three sons; and the youngest son, Pei Jili, had two sons and one daughter.

All four sons and eleven adult grandsons were beheaded, with only Pei Feng, the youngest son of the third wife, and Pei Yue, the youngest son of the fourth wife, surviving.

Of the four granddaughters, two who were already married were not implicated, and the remaining ones were thirteen-year-old Pei Qinghe and twelve-year-old Pei Yan, the youngest daughter of the eldest son.

The daughters-in-law were all widows, immersed in grief over the loss of their husbands and sons. Several young granddaughters-in-law fainted from crying several times. They were incapable of taking charge, let alone uttering a complete sentence.

In terms of ability, Pei Qinghe should indeed be in charge. However, Madam Lu was unwilling from the bottom of her heart. Given Pei Qinghe's temperament, if she took the position of clan leader, would she be willing to give it up to her cousin later?

Madam Lu frowned and objected: "No way! How can a woman be the clan leader! Feng-ge'er is seven years old this year, and Yue-ge'er is five years old. They'll grow up in a few years."

What are we cooking?
How to make it last?
After Lady Lu passed away in his previous life, the young Pei Yue also fell seriously ill and died on the road. Pei Feng, on the other hand, survived and reached Youzhou. Several years later, while hunting in the mountains, he was torn apart by a wild beast and died a gruesome death.

They never grew up.

Long-forgotten painful memories flooded back. Pei Qinghe's heart, as hard as a rock, was pierced with pain. She suddenly turned her head and called out, "Pei Feng, Pei Yue, come here."

Two boys stumbled and ran over.

Seven-year-old Pei Feng was only up to Pei Qinghe's chest. He inherited the good looks of the Pei family's sons, fair-skinned and handsome, but missing two front teeth, causing him to slur his words: "Cousin Qinghe, what do you want from me?"

Five-year-old Pei Yue was even shorter, only reaching Pei Qinghe's waist when he looked up. His round, chubby face was flushed red by the wind, and he sniffled hard, his snot disappearing. The two of them were still too young to be beaten by their cousin Qinghe; they had always watched their older cousins ​​get beaten until they were bruised and swollen, howling in pain.

In their hearts, no matter how big the world is, their cousin Qinghe is the most important!
Pei Qinghe said, "I want to be the clan leader. From now on, you two will listen to me. Do you agree?"

Pei Feng nodded repeatedly and loudly replied, "Agreed."

Pei Yue puffed out her small chest and said in a louder voice than Pei Feng, "I will listen to my cousin in everything."

Pei Qinghe turned to look at Madam Lu.

Madam Lu was furious, her face turning dark: "They are both still young and don't understand anything."

Pei Qinghe nodded slightly: "Grandmother is right. Then I will ask the sensible elders."

Lu Shi: "..."

Pei Qinghe completely ignored her grandmother's unpleasant expression, turned around, and said loudly, "Please invite all the elders of the family to come forward. I have important matters to discuss with you."

The Pei family has five main branches and twelve other branches, both close and distant. Originally, each branch was headed by a man, but now that all the men are dead, women have to take their place.

Before long, a dozen or so elderly women, all over eighty years old, walked forward shakily. The oldest, Li, was eighty-one years old, with completely white hair, failing eyesight and hearing, and a hunched back. According to seniority, Lu should address her as "Auntie."

Pei Qinghe first bowed to the elders, then looked up and swept her bright, sharp eyes around: "The Pei family has suffered a calamity, and the remaining three hundred or so people must survive."

"The Pei family needs someone to step forward and uphold its reputation, so I've volunteered to be the head of the Pei family. Do any of the elders have any objections?"

“This old woman supports Qinghe.” Madam Li, no longer hard of hearing, reached out and grasped Pei Qinghe’s hand tightly: “Qinghe has been capable and strong since she was little. In this situation, it is up to Qinghe to support the family.”

Immediately, someone chimed in, "I agree too."

"Qinghe is skilled, brave and resourceful, and is the most suitable person to be the clan leader."

At the critical moment, Pei Qinghe stepped forward and negotiated with Prince Zhangwu and his entourage. Regardless of the methods used, they managed to obtain a large quantity of cotton clothing, money, food, and medicine. Furthermore, the Crown Prince's guards accompanied them on their journey. These were all tangible benefits.

The clansmen aren't stupid. If they don't support Pei Qinghe, are they going to support Pei Feng, who speaks with a lisp, or Pei Yue, who sniffles?
Despite her own granddaughter's competence, Madam Lu still wore a sour expression; her selfishness was practically written all over her face.

"What era are we living in? Why bother with such formalities about men and women? If it weren't for His Highness the Crown Prince's intercession, the men of the Pei family would all be dead. Now all that's left are these ignorant brats, who are utterly useless."

"Sister-in-law, you're over sixty years old, and your health isn't very good. You might not even make it to Youzhou; you'll die on the way. What else is there to be upset about?"

The speaker was Chen, from the second branch of the main line, who was Lu's sister-in-law.

Chen was two years younger than Lu and was also over sixty years old. She had a fiery temper and spoke directly.

Madam Lu was quite taken aback, and after a long while, she finally managed to say, "This girl is too wild and too daring. I'm afraid she'll get into trouble in the future."

Chen's face was numb: "The Pei family has already committed the heinous crime of treason, with 297 heads chopped off and their entire fortune confiscated. What other disaster could possibly occur?"

Lu Shi: "..."

(End of this chapter)