Chapter Seven, The Woman in the Stable

Suddenly, the woman thrust a dagger into Pei Gai's hand and whispered, "Your brother is going to Pengguan to persuade Chen Wu to assist in defending Luoyang. If Wen Yue can escape, he should come to meet you—make sure to persuade Dao Wen. The turmoil in the Central Plains continues unabated; it would be best to escape to Jiangdong."

... ...

The herdsman at the headquarters of Kuan'an is probably in his early forties, but his face resembles dried orange peel. Just by looking at his appearance, one might believe he is over sixty—of course, in this day and age, a person in their sixties would not possess his physique and strength. This herdsman does not speak Chinese at all, but perhaps he has received some care from Kuan'an, as he treats Pei Gai with a degree of courtesy. He first settled more than fifty warhorses and then came to fetch Pei Gai, leading him by a rope and securely tying him to a wooden post.

By the time they set up camp, the nomads were even more disorganized, with tents scattered haphazardly in the east and west, giving the impression of a lack of clear planning. However, Yuan An personally directed his elite troops to dig trenches outside the camp and set up chevaux-de-frise, demonstrating meticulous attention to defensive preparations. For ordinary soldiers attempting a surprise attack, the difficulty was undoubtedly quite significant

After finishing the meal and drink, I was untied under the watch of the old herdsman, and only after that was I tied up again. The old herdsman left for a while, and when he returned, his steps were somewhat unsteady, as if he had drunk a bit of alcohol. He even smiled at Pei and made a few gestures, which probably meant:

He had indeed considered fasting, but upon reflection, he realized that only when he was well-fed and hydrated could he have a chance to escape. If he were to starve to death, it would mean completely severing his own path to survival. Although the path to survival was certainly bleak, it should not be entirely abandoned.

They were also aware that Shi Le's army was in Xuchang, and they deliberately took a detour from the north of Xuchang. Along the way, they were filled with trepidation. After finally passing through Weicang, they turned south, believing they had shaken off Shi Le. Just as they began to relax, unexpectedly, the Hu army charged out from the southwest direction

Pei tightly gripped the dagger in his palm and asked, "Are you... going to escape with me?"

Two faces were mere inches apart, scrutinizing each other. Pei estimated that the other person was probably in her thirties, with red and swollen eyes, likely having just cried. The more he looked, the more he felt that the woman's appearance was quite familiar; theoretically, he should recognize her, but unfortunately, he just couldn't recall.

Typically, near dozens of tents, a temporary stable would be set up to take care of the mounts, with the herdsmen responsible for their feeding in the evening. In fact, most of these herdsmen are also veterans from the ranks of soldiers, but due to their advanced age, they are no longer able to charge into the front lines, which is why they have taken on the task of caring for the horses

He stood up cautiously, gently shaking his numb legs. Just as he was about to tiptoe out of the stable, the snoring sound beside him suddenly ceased. He hurriedly turned his head for a glance and saw two dim stars flickering not far away—those were the old herdsman's eyes, and that fellow had actually woken up!

That evening, the army camped south of Weicang, by the banks of the Weishui River. First, swift horses were sent to Xuchang to inform them of Shi Le's imminent return, urging the soldiers within the city to prepare their horses and weapons, and to organize supplies, in order to make early preparations for the northern expedition

He was observing the woman, and the woman was also looking at him. In just a moment, she suddenly opened her mouth, lowered her voice, and called out: "Wen Yue..."

After An Da inquired clearly, he immediately reported to Shi Le, stating that He Lun had already been killed in battle, and Li Yun had vanished without a trace. However, they had captured the son of Sima Yue, Sima Bi. He asked how they should be dealt with. Should they simply execute them all? Shi Le laughed and said, "Anyone with the surname Sima must not be spared; they should be beheaded. As for court officials with a rank of over a thousand stones who abandon their lord and flee, they too can be killed. As for the others... Although this place is not far from Xuchang, it is not advisable to temporarily store so much wealth here; we will need people to transport it." He ordered the captured Jin soldiers and common people to transport the goods, adding that anyone who dared to disobey would be dealt with by having their necks cut.

Today, having triumphed, I was rewarded with some fine wine, truly delightful

However, upon further reflection, the troops that Shi Le has brought out this time are all elite soldiers, each a veteran of a hundred battles. Such a core force is likely only around four to five thousand at most. He does not believe that the city of Xuchang is filled with such strong soldiers, let alone that their numbers exceed ten thousand. In this day and age, if there were ten thousand capable cavalry, they would surely dominate the world. Shi Le would not have to fight for a lifetime and still not be able to fully unify the North

The woman continued to speak: "I have heard that Wen Yue would rather die than submit to the bandits, truly worthy of being a descendant of the Pei family..." Pei Gai thought to himself, do you also share the Pei surname? Or did you marry into the Pei family? He was completely at a loss as to how to address her and did not know how to respond, so he could only stare blankly at her without saying a word

The old shepherd, feeling drowsy, lay down fully clothed in the stable, just over two meters away from Pei Gai. Before long, a heavy snoring sound filled the air. ... Pei Gai thought to himself that this was indeed a great opportunity, but unfortunately ... ? ... How can this rope be worn through or broken free? Would it kill you to tie it a little looser?

In deep thought, I suddenly felt a sharp pain in my hand, and only then did I realize that the woman had taken out a small dagger and was attempting to cut the rope binding her hand. I hurriedly gritted my teeth, endured the pain, and with a slight struggle, managed to break the binding rope.

The woman extended a finger and placed it on her lips: "Shh... How could I, as a woman, escape? You must be extremely careful; if you die here, how will I have the face to meet Duke Cheng of Julu in the afterlife?" She then straightened her back, cast a glance at the old herdsman lying beside her, and retreated step by step, disappearing into the darkness.

After trying hard for a while, he found it to be completely futile. In his disheartened state, he felt drowsiness wash over him. Just as he was about to lean against the wooden post and doze off as usual, he suddenly heard a faint sound of footsteps nearby. Pei forced himself to open his eyes, and by the dim starlight and the distant campfire, he saw a shadow stealthily creeping out from behind the stable.

The memories of Pei should be hidden deep within the mind, and must be carefully contemplated in order to gradually uncover them. However, for the past two days, he has only been thinking about how to escape or how to die, leaving him little time to reflect on the past—after all, death is inevitable; what significance is there in understanding the matters of the Pei family?

Pei observed these Hu cavalrymen with a cold gaze and noted that their marching was very loose, with little formation. However, once they transitioned to combat mode, their coordination was remarkably seamless—put simply, while their discipline was not very strict, their organizational ability was still quite commendable. Of course, compared to the modern armies of later generations, their organizational ability was still lacking, but in comparison to the Jin army of this era, they undoubtedly resembled divine soldiers.

Pei sat there in a daze, his mind swirling with thoughts, trying to understand the meaning behind the woman's words. "To go to Jianye..." Jianye, which is known as Nanjing in later times, ah, there would be "wildflowers by the Zhuque Bridge, the sunset slanting at the mouth of Wuyi Lane," with the scenery of the southern crossing and the mist of the Six Dynasties... Shouldn't he have gone to Jianye with some "descendants of Wang Xuantong"? Wouldn't that allow him to temporarily escape the ravages of war, perhaps living through this meaningless life without disaster or difficulty? Why not go, why not go?! "But your brother refuses to go," that guy named Pei Song or Pei Chong, why is he so shortsighted? And why does the original owner of this body listen to his brother so obediently?

In the past, in Ningping City, before the Le Shu troops could be restrained, all the Jin people were killed, leaving only a few female entertainers, and the generals did not have enough to distribute. Now, what has been obtained includes many members of the royal family and servants, regardless of gender, and can be rewarded to the meritorious soldiers... One pointed at Yan An: "Your contributions are the greatest, you may choose first"

All the officials were overjoyed and expressed their gratitude with clasped hands

Pei probably did not know which army of the Jin was ultimately defeated, but judging by the situation—mainly the spoils taken by the Hu soldiers—there should be quite a bit of wealth within the army. Could it be that they were marching with fine wine? If it were the Hu people's own liquor, it is unlikely that the old herdsman would be so excited.

Not long after leaving, the shepherd returned from the main camp, placing a bowl of clear water and two pieces of coarse bread in front of Pei Gai. He then untied one of Pei Gai's hands and stood nearby, holding a long knife, keeping watch. Pei Gai thought to himself, given your physique, even without a knife in hand, I would not be able to defeat you at all, so why be so vigilant? Is it because I managed to escape once during the day? He smiled wryly and then took the bread to eat and the water to drink.

After inquiring, it was discovered that General He Lun of the Right Guard and General Li Yun of the Dragon Cavalry, upon hearing the news of Sima Yue's death, realized that the army was on the verge of destruction—although it had not yet been defeated by Shi Le, military power had fallen into the hands of Wang Yan, which could not bode well. Luoyang was also indefensible, so they decided to protect the entire family of Sima Yue, loaded with the wealth of the Wang family, and quietly left Luoyang, intending to escape back to the Eastern Sea Kingdom. Many court officials and common people also requested to follow with their families in order to quickly flee from the dead land of Luoyang. It could not bode well—Luoyang was also indefensible, so they decided to protect the entire family of Sima Yue, loaded with the wealth of the Wang family, and quietly left Luoyang, intending to escape back to the Eastern Sea Kingdom. Many court officials and common people also requested to follow with their families in order to quickly flee from the dead land of Luoyang

Pei was momentarily stunned, hardly able to believe his predicament—was this a dream? Could it be that he had a chance to escape from the tiger's den? ... No, no, this is still the camp of the Hu-Han army; how could it be so easy to escape? ... Then should he escape? Of course he should escape; even if there is only a one in ten thousand chance, he must seize it firmly!

He was filled with doubt in his heart, staring wide-eyed as he tried to see clearly. After much effort, he finally discerned that it was a woman approaching him. This woman was clearly coming towards him. Upon closer inspection, he noticed that she was of medium build, with her hair styled in a high bun, dressed in a coarse cloth outfit, resembling a servant from some household. Eventually, the woman came before him, first glancing at the old herdsman who was snoring loudly, and then she knelt down.

Near Weicang, hundreds of Hu cavalry under the command of Zhu An confronted thousands of Jin soldiers. After just one charge, the Jin army was completely shattered, and along with the cart drivers, the nobles in the carts and their servants, as well as the common people who followed them, nearly ten thousand individuals quickly became captives

Pei Gaixin said that we indeed know each other, but who exactly are you? Staring at this woman, I still cannot recall.

Fortunately, that woman did not inquire about his intentions; she merely sighed softly and said, "In the past, I advised your brother to accompany the descendants of Wang Xuantong to Jianye, but your brother refused to go. Do you now regret it?" As she spoke, it seemed that tears welled up in her eyes again.