Chapter Fifteen: Drills (Part Two)

“From tomorrow onward, your four squads will march on my command.”

Pei Qinghe disliked unnecessary chatter and announced the training orders succinctly, “We must enforce strict discipline.”

The Pei family was a long line of military commanders, with ancestral war manuals passed down through generations. The principles of military training were simple and well known.

As the commander, one must lead by example, aligning words and actions, balancing rewards and punishments, and establishing authority.

Most importantly, the soldiers under command must be well fed and clothed, and receive their full pay. Only then would they follow their leader loyally. Providing clothing and food was the highest art of training soldiers.

But that was for later.

The Pei women before her mostly had some martial foundation and were physically healthy. With a little training, they already showed promise.

At the current pace, the long exile journey of over a thousand miles would take about two months. In these two months, she would have the Pei women build physical strength, endurance, and practice formations and drills, embedding military discipline and orders deeply in their minds.

Once the words “military order” were engraved in their consciousness and blood, the Pei army would begin to take shape.

“Yes, sir!” Pei Yan responded loudly, the first to answer.

Pei Yun nodded steadily in agreement.

Mao Hongling hesitated briefly before quietly asking, “Isn’t this kind of training too conspicuous? We’re on an exile journey, and if the wrong eyes notice, it could bring disaster.”

Pei Qinghe’s eyes gleamed with approval. “Second sister-in-law, your caution is wise. Such training does attract attention. That’s why I’ve been feeding the chief guards with silver and meat, and silenced Captain Sun.”

With the Eastern Palace guards protecting them all the way and the escorting officers silent, who else would dare stir trouble?

Indeed, on the official road, they occasionally encountered passersby. Ordinary folk would avoid the big-headed soldiers on horseback from afar. Merchants dared not cause trouble. Even if someone noticed the strange behavior of the exiled women, they wouldn’t know where to report it.

Mao Hongling admired her, “You’ve thought of everything.”

Aunt Wu Xiuniang took up the conversation, “Whatever training method you choose, we’ll follow your lead.”

Pei Qinghe was well prepared and whispered a few instructions. The squad leaders quietly took notes, then gathered their teams to relay the simple military orders.

During the day, passing through a bamboo grove, Pei Qinghe cut a section of bamboo. She carefully crafted a bamboo whistle with a small dagger.

The dagger, about three inches long, gleamed sharp and cold. Pei Qinghe had traded five taels of silver for it from a square-faced big-headed soldier.

The soldier happily pocketed the silver, thinking how this unexpected windfall would help him find a wife.

Captain Sun, seeing the soldier’s glee, smirked and turned a blind eye.

---

The dagger was exquisite and compact, easily concealed in her coat pocket, a lifesaver in critical moments.

Pei Qinghe held the dagger, swiftly carving the bamboo. The whistle soon took shape.

Feng Shi, sewing cotton clothes nearby, glanced up occasionally, admiring, “Qinghe, you handle that dagger so skillfully!”

The small dagger danced in Pei Qinghe’s hands, more agile than a sewing needle.

Pei Qinghe casually replied, “After killing so many, it just comes naturally.”

Feng Shi laughed, “You’re talking nonsense.”

Pei Qinghe smiled and focused back on the bamboo whistle.

After arriving in Youzhou in her previous life, she had been clawed on the face, disfigured. She paid it no mind.

Her half-grim, terrifying face added to her aura of intimidation. Leading the Pei army to hunt bandits and rob rich households, countless had died by her blade. The phrase “killing like cutting grass” applied perfectly.

Years of brutal combat had honed her deadly skills.

No matter the weapon, in her hands it became a killing tool.

---

The next day, before dawn.

As the sky lightened, the warm aroma of food floated on the breeze.

The square-faced big-headed soldier checked the silver in his pocket, then grinned, “This smells amazing.”

The black-mole big-headed soldier drooled in anticipation.

Usually, when marching, the soldiers ate dry biscuits to fill their stomachs. A bunch of crude men, even if they wanted a better meal, had no culinary skill.

But now it was different. The Pei women were robust and quick-footed, matching men on the march. At night, half made cotton-padded clothes for the harsh northern climate, while the others kneaded dough and chopped filling for steamed buns, ready by the fourth watch.

A pot of hot soup accompanied the meat buns—a heavenly treat.

“Sixth Miss is truly generous.”

With greasy mouths, the big-headed soldiers called affectionately, “We bought two pigs yesterday; the buns are all meat.”

“And this meat soup smells divine.”

“Sixth Miss spends silver without blinking.” The black-mole soldier nudged the square-faced one, “You traded that lousy dagger for five taels of silver!”

---

The square-faced soldier boasted, “That’s a treasure I found two years ago raiding a family with our boss. Not a lousy dagger—it cuts through iron like butter! Sixth Miss knows her stuff! You’ve wasted your eyes!”

The others envied him greatly.

They received only two taels of pay monthly, often delayed or docked. They spent their silver on drinking, gambling, and women, always empty-handed.

The square-faced soldier was lucky that Sixth Miss coveted his dagger and paid well.

“I’ve got an old bow,” a round-faced big-headed soldier whispered slyly, “captured from the battlefield. It’s a bit broken but still usable. Wonder if Sixth Miss would buy it.”

The black-mole soldier, more sensible, warned sharply, “The dagger’s discreet; no one knows. But selling bows and arrows is risky. If anyone found out you were selling weapons to exiled criminals, you’d lose your head.”

The round-faced soldier promised compliance but secretly went to spread gossip about Sixth Miss.

When they set off, the middle grain cart held a bulging gray cloth bundle, hidden among the sacks, completely unnoticeable.

The round-faced soldier pocketed ten taels of silver.

Captain Sun, furious, summoned the square-faced and round-faced soldiers for a scolding. They were reprimanded severely and hurriedly gave half of their silver to Captain Sun.

Only then did his anger subside.

The chief guard twitched his mouth silently, whispering to the Eastern Palace guards, “These big-headed soldiers are desperate and blinded by silver. They even dare sell weapons to the Pei family.”

“Everyone be sharp. Don’t do such foolish things.”

The Eastern Palace guards nodded in unison.

They earned silver by running errands and conveying messages for Sixth Miss, and wouldn’t stoop to such taboo acts.

Suddenly, a clear, sharp bamboo whistle sounded.

The chief guard was startled.

Captain Sun froze and quickly turned his head.

Around Pei Sixth Miss’s neck hung a red cord, from which the bamboo whistle was tied and blown once more.