Chapter 1: The Female General
In the sixty-third year of Qingyuan during the Great Wei dynasty, the third month of spring arrived with misty rain. The fresh greenery of the city was veiled in a haze, and the steady drizzle moistened the earth.
At the Xu family mansion in the capital, the rain had polished the rooftop tiles to a gleaming sheen, revealing an even, lustrous glow. These were Crescent Tiles transported from Yunzhou, said to shimmer like fireflies under moonlight when the moon cast its glow upon them. The tiles were intricately crafted and exorbitantly priced—a single roof’s worth could cost an ordinary family decades of hard labor.
But for the Xu family of the capital, whose silk trade spanned the nation, a roof of such tiles was but a drop in the bucket. Lord Xu served as the Grand Tutor to the Crown Prince and had two sons. The elder, Xu Zhiheng, stood out as a solitary figure of brilliance, already a Hanlin Academician at a young age, earning the admiration of the entire capital. Xu Zhiheng also had a wife—He Yan, the legitimate daughter of the second master of the martial He family, whom he had married at eighteen. The eldest son of the He family’s first master, He Rufei, had been personally titled the Flying Goose General by the Emperor. The union of a scholar and a warrior was considered a well-matched alliance.
“Madam, what would you like?” A delicate maid, as tender as a flower in her thin gown, offered a cup of hot tea in a crisp voice.
“I’ll take a walk outside,” He Yan replied, draining the tea in one gulp.
“But it’s raining outside…”
“It’s fine. I’ll take an umbrella.”
The maid gazed at the young woman before her. The Xu family was a household of scholarly refinement, where women dressed with elegant grace—Madam Xu was no exception. Yet the jade-green Feather Gauze Satin Shirt she wore seemed oddly ill-suited, lending her an air of awkwardness. In truth, Madam Xu was quite beautiful, with striking, heroic features and eyes like a clear lake, washed clean and infinitely deep… but alas, she was blind.
Madam Xu hadn’t been born blind. Three months after her marriage into the Xu family, she had suddenly fallen gravely ill, suffering a high fever for two days and nights. When she awoke, her sight was gone. The Xu family summoned renowned physicians, yet none could cure her. Since then, Madam Xu rarely ventured outside—after all, a blind woman’s outings were always inconvenient.
He Yan walked to the pavilion by the courtyard pond.
She had been married into the Xu family for a year—blind for nine months after losing her sight in the first three. In those nine months, she had learned to live without eyes, adapting well. Still, she sometimes missed the days when she could see. Like now, she could hear the rain rippling across the pond and sense the red carp competing for food, but she could see nothing.
Spring scenery unseen was the best scenery, just as a person unseen was the best person.
Perhaps she had gone blind too early, for she could no longer clearly recall what Xu Zhiheng looked like now. What she remembered was the Xu Zhiheng she had seen at fourteen—a youth in blue robes, smiling warmly as he reached out to her. The Xu Zhiheng of today would never extend his hand to her. Though he remained gentle and courteous, He Yan could sense an invisible barrier between them.
But she would never speak of it.
Years of military life in her youth had taught her how to interact with men as one of them, but not how to be a woman. So she could only watch as Xu Zhiheng lingered tenderly with his concubine, He Shi, feeling both heartbroken and weary. In the end, blindness spared her these painful sights, granting her a measure of peace.
Sitting quietly in the pavilion, she suddenly recalled those youthful years spent with the army. On spring days like this, under misty rain, she would sit among the soldiers, smiling as she downed a bowl of strong liquor, feeling warmth spread through her entire body.The heat surged through her body in an instant. He Yan gripped the railing, a sweet taste rising in her throat before she spat out a mouthful of blood with a "pfft."
Footsteps approached slowly.
He Yan called out, "Xiao Die?"
There was no answer. The footsteps halted. He Yan frowned slightly. "He Shi?"
After a moment, a woman's voice replied, "What sharp ears you have, Madam."
A strange sensation churned in her chest. Years of instinct made her subconsciously adopt a defensive stance. He Shi had always been gentle and demure, barely exchanging a few words with her in the manor. This sudden visit, coupled with the barely concealed smugness in her tone, filled He Yan with unease.
Yet she was also puzzled. She had never been a proper mistress of the household, more like a mere ornament. She couldn't stop He Shi from currying favor, and a blind woman posed no threat to her. He Shi had neither the need nor the reason to target her.
"What is it?"
He Wanru smoothed the hairpin at her temple—a gift from Xu Zhiheng the day before—then regretfully withdrew her hand upon remembering the woman before her couldn't see it. "Madam, you're with child."
He Yan froze.
"The physician who examined your eyes a few days ago took your pulse. You're pregnant."
Amidst her bewilderment, a flicker of joy sparked within He Yan. Just as she was about to speak, He Shi sighed. "What a pity."
A pity?
The smile vanished from He Yan's lips. "What do you mean?"
"It's a pity this child cannot be kept."
"He Shi, how dare you!" He Yan snapped.
Her willow-leaf brows arched sharply, her gaze like a blade. Though blind, her expression was formidable, sending a shiver down He Wanru's spine. After a moment, He Wanru steadied herself and said, "This isn't just my opinion, General He."
The title "General He" sent a chill down He Yan's scalp. "What do you know?"
"I know everything I should—and everything I shouldn't. General He, such a colossal secret... Do you really think the He and Xu families could ever allow you to keep it?"
He Yan was speechless.
Before the emergence of the Flying Goose General, the He family had been like all other noble houses of Great Wei—on the brink of decline. Nineteen years ago, the two wives of the He household gave birth simultaneously: the elder lady bore He Rufei, while the younger lady bore He Yan.
The family title should have gone to He Rufei, but he was born frail, with physicians predicting he wouldn't live past three. If He Rufei died, the family's title would be revoked, leaving them with nothing.
After deliberation, the He family made an audacious decision: He Yan would take He Rufei's place, while He Rufei would be passed off as He Yan, sent to a temple to "recuperate" due to his frail health.
Thus, He Yan grew up as He Rufei. Though born to the second branch, she was raised by the first. She grew up believing herself a boy, fond of martial arts. At fourteen, she secretly enlisted in the Pacify Yue Army, gradually rising to fame in battles. She even earned the emperor's personal commendation, bestowed the title of Flying Goose General, and was granted an audience with the emperor.
It was then that He Rufei, who had been "recuperating" at the temple, returned.
He Rufei hadn't died. He had lived healthily to eighteen, appearing agile and handsome. And so, everything was set back to its rightful place.He Rufei met the emperor and became the Flying Goose General, while He Yan remained He Yan. Everything was not as difficult as imagined. To prevent today's situation, the He family had long stipulated that He Yan would wear a mask in the past, so no one had seen He Rufei's face. As for He Yan, the He family arranged for her to marry the current Hanlin scholar, the talented and handsome Xu Zhiheng.
Xu Zhiheng was handsome, gentle, considerate, and courteous, and her mother-in-law was also kind, never harsh. For a woman, it should have been the best possible marriage. He Yan had once thought so too—until today. The warm facade was torn away, revealing a bloody truth colder than the hardest battle she had ever faced on the battlefield.
"That bowl of medicine that blinded you was personally ordered by your clan elders. Only the dead can keep secrets. Your very existence—is the greatest threat to them!"
"When you drank the medicine, the young master was watching from the next room."
"Your death will only bring relief to the He and Xu families. You have no one to blame but yourself."
He Yan burst into laughter.
Blame her?
For what?
For taking He Rufei's place for the sake of the family's interests? For being obsessed with martial arts and joining the army? For risking her life on the battlefield, slaying enemies and achieving glory? Or for earning the emperor's personal title of Flying Goose General, only for He Rufei to claim her merits?
Blame her—for being a woman. Because she was a woman, she could not openly achieve greatness under her own name. Because she was a woman, she was destined to pave the way and sacrifice for the He family, for its men. In the end, she had overestimated the humanity of the He family and underestimated their selfishness.
And Xu Zhiheng... She must have been blind long ago to ever think he was good.
"What are you laughing at?" He Wanru frowned.
"I'm laughing at you," He Yan said, turning in her direction, enunciating each word. "I'm laughing at how ridiculous you are. I die because of this secret—do you think you can live after learning it?"
He Wanru sneered. "Still defiant even at death's door. Guards—"
Swiftly, guards surrounded He Yan.
"Kill her!"
A willow branch could be a weapon—soft yet resilient, like a woman's hand. Though seemingly weightless, its tender buds adorned it like an embroidered sword, capable of deflecting an opponent's blade.
He Wanru had heard of the Flying Goose General's reputation. She knew the woman was fierce and skilled in battle, unlike ordinary girls, but only by witnessing it firsthand did she realize the rumors were true.
He Yan was already blind, yet she could still fight one against ten. She kicked away the guards before her, as if she would break through the siege of this sinister mansion, ride away, and no one could stop her.
But suddenly, she was like a goose struck by an arrow, falling from midair. The blood she spat splattered on the grass like scattered wildflowers.
That cup of tea... the one Xiao Die had handed her.
She had lost her sight, and now she lost even her senses, becoming a true blind beast in a desperate fight.
They had truly prepared flawlessly to kill her.
"Fools, now!" He Wanru urged.
He Yan tried to lift her head— crack —a sharp pain shot through her knee. Someone behind her struck her leg hard, and her legs buckled, nearly making her kneel. But the next moment, a fist landed on her back.
Blows rained down like a storm, striking her body one after another. Every organ inside her ached.They wouldn't wound her with blades, wouldn't leave any trace of evidence on her body.
Someone yanked her hair, dragging her toward the pond, then violently shoved her head underwater. The icy water submerged her eyes, nose, mouth, and neck—He Yan could no longer speak. Her body sank heavily, yet she struggled to look upward. The water's surface grew ever more distant; the light above resembled sunlight, and for a moment, it felt like returning to her hometown. Faintly, she heard marching songs, comrades reciting letters from home in their native dialect, mingled with He Shi's panicked sobs.
"Help! The lady is drowning—"
She wanted to go home.
Yet she had no home to return to.
Long time no see, my darlings! Just posting this opening to stake a claim, will start serializing once I've built up some drafts. Rubbing hands in anticipation~ (Our Yan Yan is such a tragic heroine, hope everyone will cherish her /(ㄒoㄒ)/~~)
(End of Chapter)
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