Legend of the Female General

Chapter 118: Chu Zilan

After the incident with Rida Muzi, Liangzhou Guard remained quite busy for a period of time.

Following the burial and erection of tombstones for the fallen recruits, their names had to be recorded in the military registry. Later, when they returned to Shuojing, bereavement allowances and compensation silver would be distributed to the families of the recruits. The fallen recruits were all scouts, mostly still very young. Having come to Liangzhou Guard less than a year ago, their deaths left the comrades who had lived and trained with them daily feeling despondent for quite some time.

However, despite the gloom, life had to go on. Especially after this incident, Liangzhou Guard was no longer as safe as before. Xiao Jue ordered Chief Instructor Shen to begin drilling new formation exercises—if they truly encountered the enemy, the recruits could only achieve victory by mastering military formations.

The Southern Garrison Troops had not all arrived in Liang Province. When Xiao Jue rushed back from Qingnan, he brought ten thousand Southern Garrison Troops with him, while the Nine Banners Battalion remained stationed in Qingnan and did not follow. Now that Liangzhou City had become a target of attention, it was truly unsuitable to draw further notice.

The daily training of the Southern Garrison Troops differed from that of Liangzhou Guard. As Xiao Jue had said, the duration and intensity of their daily drills were three times that of Liangzhou Guard. Whenever the recruits of Liangzhou Guard witnessed the vigor of the Southern Garrison Troops during training, they couldn’t help but sigh in admiration.

For a time, the previously spacious Martial Arts Field became bustling. At the foot of White Moon Mountain and along the banks of Five Deer River, soldiers could be seen everywhere.

He Yan’s injuries were also gradually healing day by day.

Lin Shuanghe’s medical skills were far more refined than Shen Muxue’s. Initially, it was thought that such injuries would take at least a year or more to recover from, but at this rate, in another two months, He Yan felt she could even bounce around energetically on the Martial Arts Field again.

Song Taotao placed a bowl of soup in front of He Yan and, after watching her finish it, took the bowl and left. The young lady couldn’t cook herself, so she relied on her status as a young mistress to “raid” the kitchen soldiers for food to feed He Yan. Sometimes, He Yan couldn’t help but feel as if she were freeloading, but after the initial awkwardness, she grew accustomed to it.

After all, the soup was delicious. It would have been even better if the young lady didn’t look at her with the kind of gaze one reserves for a treasure.

From the other end of the room, faint voices could be heard, seemingly Liang Ping’s, and he sounded somewhat agitated.

He Yan thought for a moment on the bed, then got up, leaning on a stick as she stepped down.

She took out the silver wire from her sleeve and inserted it into the lock. Having picked locks many times, she was now quite adept at it. Fortunately, Xiao Jue turned a blind eye to such behavior and hadn’t replaced the lock with a more complex “士”-shaped one. Presumably, Xiao Jue’s important documents weren’t kept in this room, which explained the lax security.

He Yan pushed the middle door open a crack and saw someone kneeling before Xiao Jue—it was Du Mao, whom she hadn’t seen in a long time. Since the incident with Rida Muzi, Lei Hou’s identity as a spy had been exposed. As Lei Hou’s relative and the one who had recommended him, Du Mao had disappeared without a trace. According to Cheng Li Su, Du Mao seemed to have been imprisoned. He Yan could understand this—since Lei Hou was a traitor, no one could guarantee Du Mao’s innocence.

Now that Du Mao appeared here, it was likely his innocence had been proven.

In the room, besides the kneeling Du Mao, stood a group of instructors. He Yan saw Liang Ping step forward and plead, “Commander, Instructor Du hadn’t seen Lei Hou for many years. He truly had no knowledge of Lei Hou being a spy. Please show mercy, Commander.”"Yes, Commander," Ma Damei couldn't help but speak up, "Instructor Du has been at Liangzhou Guard for ten years and has never made a single mistake. If Lei Hou hadn't deliberately concealed the truth, things wouldn't have come to this. Please, Commander, consider Instructor Du's years of hard work and show leniency in his punishment."

The other instructors all echoed her plea, interceding on Du Mao's behalf.

Du Mao had come to Liangzhou Guard in his twenties, enduring the harsh, cold land for a full decade. Day after day at the garrison offered little amusement—at most, the instructors would gather to drink during festivals. His daily routine consisted of either training soldiers or guarding the territory.

The instructors shared a deep bond and naturally couldn't bear to see Du Mao lose his life because of Lei Hou's actions. Out of compassion, they had come to plead for mercy.

Shen Han moved his lips but ultimately said nothing. It wasn't that he lacked affection for Du Mao, but even after less than a year of interaction, Shen Han understood that the Second Young Master Xiao before them was not one to change his mind based on others' words.

Sure enough, Xiao Jue ignored the others' appeals and looked directly at Du Mao, asking, "What do you intend to do?"

He Yan still remembered when she first arrived at Liangzhou Guard. This instructor named Du Mao had been quite close to Liang Ping, often bickering with him. Among the instructors, he was relatively young. Yet now, after just a few short days, he seemed to have aged ten years, with scattered strands of white hair at his temples and a much wearier expression.

Du Mao spoke, his tone heavy with exhaustion: "Du Mao is willing to accept punishment."

"Du Mao!" Liang Ping cried out anxiously.

"It was my negligence not to verify Lei Hou's current status before rashly recommending him for the garrison. This is dereliction of duty," Du Mao said. "The Commander's punishment is justified."

"You were indeed derelict in your duty," Xiao Jue stated calmly. "Because of you, many new recruits at Liangzhou Guard lost their lives."

The instructors who had been about to continue pleading froze, not daring to speak further.

"The dead will not return to life," Xiao Jue said. "Do you understand?"

"Du Mao understands."

The room fell silent. Liang Ping looked at Du Mao with despair in his eyes.

"I will not take your life."

At these words, everyone in the room was stunned, including He Yan.

Xiao Jue said, "Leave."

"Commander..."

"From today onward, you are no longer an instructor at Liangzhou Guard." Xiao Jue stood up and walked toward the door. "Do not return in the future."

His figure disappeared outside. After a moment of silence in the room, Ma Damei snapped back to reality and went to pull Du Mao, who was still kneeling on the ground. "Alright, alright, the Commander has shown you mercy. Get up now."

Du Mao stood there dazed, then suddenly broke into loud sobs.

The comforting words of the others in the room, mingled with Du Mao's weeping, gave He Yan a headache. She grabbed her coat, draped it over her shoulders, and, leaning on her walking stick, followed them out the door. As soon as she stepped outside, the wind and snow made her shiver.

Where was Xiao Jue? He Yan looked around. The man had just left—how could he have vanished so quickly? Could he fly?

"Looking for me?" A voice came from behind her, startling He Yan so much she nearly dropped her walking stick.

She turned around to see Xiao Jue standing behind her, raising an eyebrow as he stared at her. "Something the matter?"

"N-no, nothing," He Yan replied, pretending to gaze at the sky. "The weather is nice. I just came out for a walk."

Xiao Jue glanced at the sand-like snowflakes outside and mocked, "I thought you hadn't eavesdropped enough earlier and wanted to ask me something yourself."He actually knew she was eavesdropping? This was awkward. He Yan scratched her head. "Your Excellency has sharp ears."

Xiao Jue curved his lips. "Not as sharp as yours."

"Speak," he asked. "What do you want from me?"

What did she want from him? He Yan didn't know either; she had just instinctively followed him out. She was at a loss for words for a moment, then thought about it and said, "Your Excellency, you still showed mercy toward Drillmaster Du."

The drillmasters' close personal relationship with Du Mao was one thing, but Du Mao's own mistakes were another. He Yan had thought that, given Xiao Jue's temperament, Du Mao would not escape death. Unexpectedly, in the end, he was only expelled from the Liangzhou Guard.

Xiao Jue smiled, as if finding her words amusing. "Showed mercy?"

"Yes, if it were me..."

"If it were you, what would you do?"

He Yan suddenly couldn't speak.

What would she do if it were her? From a common soldier to deputy general to general, she had encountered such situations before. In truth, the Flying Goose General's governance was not much more lenient than Xiao Jue's. However, most of the time, others instinctively overlooked this, simply because she usually mingled with her subordinates and did not have the same "remarkable achievements" of being aloof and unfeeling as Xiao Jue.

If it were her, would she order Du Mao's life to be taken?

"If it were me, I wouldn't either," He Yan said. "Taking Du Mao's life may seem like strict military discipline, but in reality, it wounds people's hearts. The Liangzhou Guard has just gone through the incident with Rida Muzi. If morale collapses, the Liangzhou Guard will be like scattered sand, difficult to hold together."

Xiao Jue looked at her with a hint of surprise in his gaze. "Well said."

He Yan said proudly, "I told you before, I'm number one in the Liangzhou Guard. I'm very clever. So, Your Excellency, can you let me into the Nine Banners Battalion?"

Xiao Jue curved the corner of his mouth. "No."

This man was truly stubborn. He Yan was about to argue further on her own behalf when she saw him turn and continue walking forward. He Yan leaned on her crutch and followed, asking, "Where are you going, Your Excellency?"

"The Martial Arts Field."

"Going to watch the training?" He Yan said. "I'll go too!"

After being injured, she naturally couldn't participate in the daily training. Every day, aside from lying in bed, she would only hobble a few circles outside with her crutch. It was truly boring. Even though Song Taotao and Cheng Li Su would find opportunities to come and chat with her, these two—one only remembered trivial matters like which young lady in the capital was beautiful or which lady had just given birth to a son, and the other knew nothing besides eating, drinking, and having fun—made conversation with them exhausting. The only one she could still talk to, Lin Shuanghe, had been invited by Shen Muxue to help brew medicine for the injured soldiers at the medical clinic.

Therefore, when Xiao Jue mentioned going to the Martial Arts Field, He Yan felt a stirring of excitement.

The snow had lightened, and it wasn't as cold outside as before. He Yan couldn't walk fast with her crutch and complained, "Your Excellency, wait for me!"

Such a presumptuous tone made Xiao Jue's footsteps pause involuntarily. He retorted, "Am I your servant?"

"No," He Yan came to her senses and explained, "I mean, we could walk a bit slower and chat about something else. Ahem, did Lei Hou say anything about why Rida Muzi came to our guard station to cause trouble? Wasn't the Western Qiang rebellion already quelled by the Flying Goose General? Where did the Qiang Tribe get so many soldiers?"Tens of thousands of soldiers—did the Qiang Tribe truly have so many troops now? Having fought against Rida Muji before, He Yan was all too familiar with the Qiang Tribe's situation, and something felt off.

“It’s not the Qiang Tribe,” Xiao Jue answered He Yan’s question, a rare occurrence. “It’s the Wutuo People.”

“The Wutuo People?” This time, He Yan was genuinely taken aback.

Xiao Jue glanced at her, taking in her surprised expression, and said calmly, “What are your thoughts?”

Was he testing her? He Yan asked, “Is Rida Muzi a Wutuo person?”

Xiao Jue was silent for a moment before replying, “He is not a Wutuo person, but aside from Rida Muzi and a few of his close associates you’ve fought before, the rest of the soldiers are all Wutuo People.”

“Are you absolutely certain, Commander?”

Xiao Jue continued walking unhurriedly. “Certain.”

“If it truly is the Wutuo People,” He Yan’s voice grew serious, “then what they seek is not just the Liangzhou Guard.”

“What do you mean?”

“In recent years, the Wutu Kingdom has been raising armies, building formidable strength, and frequently harassing civilians at the border, clearly testing the waters. Now, coming to the Liangzhou Guard under the guise of the Qiang Tribe, they hide in the shadows, intending to wreak havoc in Great Wei under the Qiang Tribe’s name.”

“Consider this, Commander: if you had truly gone to Zhangtai and failed to provide timely aid, and the Wutuo People had seized the Liangzhou Guard, then taken the city, occupying Liang Province would be like tearing a breach in Great Wei’s border. They could march westward unimpeded, following the river all the way to the capital.”

Xiao Jue raised his eyes. “Is that all?”

“Great Wei likely has a traitor colluding with the enemy,” He Yan said. “This person has secret dealings with the Wutuo People and is an old acquaintance of yours, Commander.”

Xiao Jue said, “Go on.”

“To plant trusted agents in the Liangzhou Guard without detection and spread false information from Zhangtai, this person must hold a high position and have extensive connections. Knowing that the Liangzhou Guard is impregnable with you here, they first lured you away—this person must fear you greatly. Therefore,” He Yan looked at Xiao Jue, “there might be someone with high status in the court who has clashed with you in the past but gained no advantage. If such a person exists, it’s almost certainly them.”

Xiao Jue’s gaze fixed on her, and he said bluntly, “Then why don’t you tell me who this person is?”

Now He Yan felt utterly baffled. Though she and Xiao Jue had been classmates, it was only for a year. After that, they hadn’t seen each other for many years—one in the south, the other in the north. Xiao Jue, embroiled in court intrigues due to Xiao Zhongwu’s affairs, was deeply involved, while she, innocent and relying solely on military merits for promotion, spent her days in border camps. Thus, she knew little about the messy affairs of the court. How could she guess who that person was?

Even if this was a test, it was too difficult. Not everyone was like him, able to sleep their way to the top of the Virtuous Prosperity Academy.

Recalling the incident with Yuan Baozhen, He Yan said casually, “Xu Jingfu?”

Xiao Jue was taken aback.

Seeing his expression, He Yan’s heart stirred. “Is it really him?”

Xiao Jue did not answer.

“Xu Jingfu is colluding with the enemy and betraying the country?” He Yan exclaimed in shock. “He’s gone mad! He’s the current prime minister—what benefit could he possibly gain from this?”

“You could speak a little louder,” Xiao Jue said indifferently. “Without evidence, you could be accused of slandering a court official at any moment.”He Yan thought to herself, who isn't a court official? In her past life as the Flying Goose General, she too had been on the imperial payroll.

"But, but..." she wanted to say more, but Xiao Jue had already stopped walking and looked ahead. Not far away, the low shouts of soldiers forming ranks could be heard.

Unconsciously, the two of them had arrived at the Martial Arts Field.

Originally, the Martial Arts Field was only used for daily training by the Liangzhou Guard recruits. Now, it was divided into eastern and western sections. The eastern side was where the Southern Garrison Troops were drilling, while the western side belonged to the Liangzhou Guard. At this moment, with both sides training simultaneously, the difference became apparent.

The deputy commander of the Southern Garrison Troops was drilling his soldiers in formation. No one needed to give orders; just watching them made one feel their fierce and invincible spirit. Meanwhile, the Liangzhou Guard recruits had only just begun learning how to form ranks, inevitably appearing somewhat flustered. Shen Han stood on the high platform, shouting at the top of his lungs.

He Yan watched for a while, then hesitantly said, "Are they practicing... the Fish Scale Formation?"

Xiao Jue glanced at her sideways and asked, "You know about it?"

Here we go again, he's testing people once more. Although He Yan was somewhat puzzled by Xiao Jue's occasional questions, she thought perhaps he was preparing to test her ability to join the Nine Banners Battalion. So she answered earnestly, "Distributed in tiers, slightly convex at the front, with the main force concentrated in the center, then divided into several small fish-scale-like formations. When facing the enemy, it can concentrate forces to launch a fierce attack on the enemy's center, but its weakness lies in the flanks. If the enemy breaks through from the flanks, they can break this formation. It is indeed the Fish Scale Formation, but..." she added, "They're too loose."

Too loose! If they took this long to form up properly, they would have been killed five times over.

Xiao Jue looked at her thoughtfully, then suddenly curled his lips into a smile. "Not bad."

He Yan felt proud. Hard work truly paid off. Who would have thought that the last-place student from the Virtuous Prosperity Academy back then would now have military tactics memorized by heart? Even when facing questions from the academy's top student, she could answer with ease. All those years of fighting and studying hadn't been in vain—it was enough.

"Studied military tactics?" Xiao Jue raised an eyebrow.

"I know a little."

"Know how to set up formations?"

"I wouldn't dare claim that."

"Alright," Xiao Jue looked down at the soldiers drilling below and said, "If Rida Muzi had come to the Liangzhou Guard that day, and you hadn't been locked in the dungeon, and Shen Han had handed command over to you, how would you have fought this battle?"

So soon with the test questions?

He Yan pondered for a moment, then slowly replied, "Those Wutuo people are strong, well-equipped, fierce, and brutal. The Liangzhou Guard recruits have never been on the battlefield before, their morale is low, and they can't withstand a direct confrontation. It's also not something that can be resolved in a short time. If it were me... I would use the Chariot Wheel Formation."

Xiao Jue watched her quietly. "Go on."

"As the commander, I would position myself in the center of the formation to hold the line, with outer forces deployed in layers. I would disperse the troops outward to form mobile formations. During battle, they would rotate in the same direction, taking turns attacking the enemy formation, like a turning wheel. This way, constant pressure would be applied to one part of the enemy forces. The Wutuo people would collapse from exhaustion, while our side would take turns attacking, allowing us to replenish, rest, and recover our combat strength."

"You as the commander?" Xiao Jue mocked.

"What I mean is, I would temporarily act as the commander to hold the line. The one who really needs to fight is still you, Commander. The reason for choosing the Chariot Wheel Formation is also to buy time so that you, Commander, could return in time to provide support." He Yan spoke very earnestly.Xiao Jue turned around, slightly leaning down as he lowered his eyes to look at her, a faint smile curling his lips. "Miss He has studied military strategy quite well. It would be a pity if you didn't become a general."

No matter what else could be said about Xiao Jue, his judgment was quite sharp. He Yan nodded. "I think so too. I feel I was born to be a general. Sometimes I even think I was a female general in my past life."

Xiao Jue: "..."

"You don't believe me, Commander?" He Yan poked a hole in the snow with her stick. "Or do you think women cannot be generals?"

"I never thought that."

He Yan looked up at him. Most people believed women should stay in their chambers, embroidering or applying makeup, waiting for their husband's favor. Not to mention becoming a female general—even appearing in public as a shopkeeper, teacher, or doctor would draw many strange looks.

Very few dared to take that step, and even if they did, they rarely gained others' understanding.

"You can do whatever you want," the young man said lazily, a slight tug at the corner of his mouth. "As long as you can achieve it."

He Yan was taken aback, staring at him without a word.

His gaze drifted toward the distant Martial Arts Field, settling on the drilling recruits, unaware of He Yan's eyes fixed on his back.

"Thank you," He Yan whispered in her heart.

The snow gradually stopped. The recruits led by Shen Han had practiced several times and were growing more proficient, no longer as flustered as before. The formation was beginning to take shape, and Xiao Jue and He Yan had been standing there for quite some time.

A familiar voice sounded from behind. "Huai Jin! He... brother!"

He Yan turned to see Lin Shuanghe. He climbed up to the pavilion, brushing the snow off his boots. "No wonder I couldn't find you two anywhere. So you're here. What's going on?" He looked at Xiao Jue with a teasing smile. "Bringing our little sister He to watch the drills?"

He Yan: "...Doctor Lin, please don't call me 'little sister' in public."

"My apologies," Lin Shuanghe covered his mouth with his fan, looking regretful. "I forgot for a moment. But there are no outsiders here anyway." He glanced at the stick He Yan was leaning on and asked, "Can you walk this far from bed today? How is it? Does the wound still hurt?"

"Not too much," He Yan replied. "Doctor Lin's medical skills are exceptional. I'm feeling much better today."

"That's wonderful," Lin Shuanghe waved his fan. "If I couldn't heal you, I'd feel terribly guilty."

As the two exchanged compliments, Xiao Jue watched coldly from the side, seemingly unable to bear it any longer. Impatiently, he said, "If you have something to say, say it."

Lin Shuanghe paused. "Ah! I almost forgot the main thing. Someone just arrived from the Liangzhou Garrison. I wanted to find Instructor Shen, but he wasn't around. I searched for a long time before finding you here."

"Who is it?"

"Someone from the palace. They said His Majesty has sent rewards for the great victory of the Liangzhou Guard. Oh, and also... that..." He struggled to recall the name, pausing for a moment before remembering. "The Fourth Young Master from the Shi Jinbo residence, Chu Zilan! Yes, Chu Zilan is here too."

"Chu Zhao?" Xiao Jue frowned. "What is he doing here?"

Lin Shuanghe shrugged. "How should I know? They're all waiting at the garrison gate. Aren't you going to see them?"

Xiao Jue hesitated briefly before heading downstairs. "Let's go.""Hey, Commander, what about me?" He Yan hurriedly leaned on her stick, wanting to follow, but she wasn't sure if she was allowed to in such a situation. Judging by Xiao Jue's demeanor, it didn't seem like a casual reunion between old friends.

Xiao Jue glanced at her and said, "Go back. There's no need to follow."

"Oh." He Yan obediently agreed. Lin Shuanghe waved at her, and the two quickly descended the tower, their figures disappearing into the distance.

He Yan gazed at the vast snowy landscape, a hint of doubt stirring in her heart.

Who exactly is this person called Chu Zilan?

(End of Chapter)