Legend of the Female General

Chapter 121 Reward

“I’ve memorized it, Father.”

Xiao Jue stared at her in disbelief. “What did you call me?”

He Yan gazed at him, her eyes clear and earnest as she recited seriously, “The way of great learning lies in illuminating virtue, in renewing the people, and in resting in the highest good. Knowing where to rest leads to stability; with stability comes peace; with peace comes reflection; with reflection comes attainment… All things have their roots and branches; all affairs have their beginnings and ends… The extension of knowledge lies in the investigation of things… Cultivating the self is the foundation… To treat the important lightly and the unimportant heavily—such a thing has never been!”

Lin Shuanghe was first stunned, then gradually came to his senses. Pointing at He Yan, he asked Xiao Jue, “Is my Sister He… drunk?”

As soon as he finished speaking, He Yan suddenly rushed over, threw herself into Xiao Jue’s arms, and wrapped her arms around his waist, nearly causing him to stumble backward. She buried her face in his chest, rubbing against it, and said pitifully, “Father, I’ve memorized it. I’ve improved!”

The room fell into a deathly silence.

A few words alone could hardly describe the grim expression on Xiao Jue’s face at that moment.

Lin Shuanghe covered his face, his shoulders shaking as he laughed uncontrollably.

“Oh, Huaijin, I’ve seen people mistake you for their husband, but this is the first time I’ve seen someone mistake you for their father. How does it feel to be a father? This little daughter of yours is so well-behaved! She recites so well—quite talented!”

Seemingly encouraged by Lin Shuanghe’s praise of her “talent,” He Yan lifted her head from Xiao Jue’s chest and stared at him with sparkling eyes. “Father, I’m now number one in Liangzhou Guard.”

Xiao Jue grabbed her arm, trying to pry her hands from his waist. “Let go.”

“No!” He Yan’s grip was incredibly strong—perhaps from tossing stone locks all day—and Xiao Jue couldn’t break free. She looked up at him and said, “Test me. I can answer anything.”

She was like a child who had won first place, wagging her tail and showing off at home.

Xiao Jue rubbed his forehead. “Let go first.”

“No.” She hugged Xiao Jue’s waist even tighter, pressing herself against him as if trying to merge with him. Xiao Jue desperately leaned back, trying to put distance between them and avoid physical contact, but it was futile.

As Xiao Jue tried to pry He Yan’s hands away, Lin Shuanghe interjected, “Ah, let me remind you, Sister He is still injured. If you force her, you might aggravate her wounds. It’ll take another half a year to heal—not ideal.”

Xiao Jue shot him a sharp glare. “Think of a way to get her off me.”

“Just let her hug you for a while,” Lin Shuanghe said, thoroughly enjoying the spectacle. “Maybe you look a lot like Sister He’s father, and she mistook you for him when she got drunk. She’s just a young girl who traveled all the way to Liang Province and hasn’t been home for so long. She must miss her father. Can’t you give her a little,” he mimicked a hug, “warmth of home? Don’t be so stingy—it’s not like you’re losing anything.”

Before Xiao Jue could respond, the person in his arms buried her face in his chest again and began reciting in a muffled voice."The commander who combines both civil and martial virtues is the general of the army; the one who balances firmness and flexibility handles military affairs. When ordinary people evaluate a general, they often focus on courage, yet courage is but one fraction of what makes a general. A courageous person is prone to rash engagements; rash engagements without understanding the benefits are unacceptable. Therefore, a general must be cautious in five aspects: first, organization; second, preparedness; third, decisiveness; fourth, vigilance; fifth, simplicity. Organization means managing many as if managing few; preparedness means stepping out as if facing the enemy; decisiveness means facing the enemy without clinging to life; vigilance means even after victory, treating it as the first battle; simplicity means laws and orders are concise and not burdensome. Accepting orders without refusal, speaking of return only after the enemy is defeated—this is the etiquette of a general. Thus, from the day the army sets out, there is the glory of death, not the shame of life."

Lin Shuanghe was stunned. He had known the previous passage, but this one was unfamiliar to him. He asked Xiao Jue, "What is my sister He reciting?"

"On Generals, from The Art of War by Wu Qi," Xiao Jue replied, feeling a slight surprise himself. How did she know this?

"My sister He truly has a wide range of knowledge and excels in everything," Lin Shuanghe praised. "She can even recite this."

"Of course," He Yan poked her head out from Xiao Jue's embrace. "A military general should be like this."

"My sister He has great ambitions," Lin Shuanghe laughed. "You even want to be a general."

"I am originally a female general star!"

"Alright, alright," Lin Shuanghe laughed, covering his face with a fan. "Look at how capable you are."

He Yan looked up again, gazing at Xiao Jue, and asked happily, "Father, did I recite it well?"

"Father" again. Xiao Jue's feelings at this moment were indescribable.

Outside the door, Shen Han had just approached when he saw through the open window two people embracing. Upon closer look, it was actually Xiao Jue holding He Yan, with He Yan clinging to Xiao Jue's waist, murmuring something softly. Shen Han was taken aback, his face flushing red instantly, finding it utterly unbelievable.

Good heavens, although he had long known that these two had an unusual relationship, witnessing such an intimate scene with his own eyes was still shocking. Shen Han pondered whether Xiao Jue's actions meant that his old feelings for He Yan were not yet extinguished, or perhaps they had already rekindled their romance and reconciled?

And there was still Lin Shuanghe in the room, standing there watching. Didn't he feel like an extra person? Weren't Xiao Jue and He Yan embarrassed to be so intimate in front of Lin Shuanghe?

These important figures from Shuojing were truly hard to understand. For a moment, Shen Han also felt a wave of weariness. He turned around and tiptoed away.

Forget it, let's just pretend I saw nothing!

Inside the room, Lin Shuanghe was nearly dying of laughter. Xiao Jue's face was ashen, having tried several times to pull He Yan away without success. He Yan clung tightly to his waist as if holding onto some family heirloom.

"Father, I've improved. I'm number one now. Why aren't you saying anything?" she said sadly. "Can you praise me?"

Xiao Jue replied, "I am not your father."

If he hadn't said this, it might have been fine. But as soon as he did, tears welled up in He Yan's eyes, and she looked at him tearfully as if he had committed some unforgivable crime. She asked, "Do you not acknowledge me either?"

Xiao Jue froze, an inexplicable irritation rising in his heart.

He feared a woman's tears the most, especially in a situation like this, where it seemed as though he had made He Yan cry.Sure enough, the ever-chivalrous White-robed Divine Hand immediately stood up for his newly recognized little sister. He said, "It's just a few words—look, you've made the poor girl cry. Such a sensible and clever child, and you still won't acknowledge her? Others would be fighting to claim her! Xiao Huaijin, hurry up and praise her, right now, immediately!"

Xiao Jue: "..."

Suppressing his anger, he looked down at her. She was still dressed in her usual boyish attire, but with that frowning, pitiful expression, she truly looked like a little girl. Perhaps she had mistaken him for He Sui. Hmm, but was He Sui usually so strict with her? Even when drunk, she still sought her father's approval.

For a moment, Xiao Jue saw a reflection of himself in this girl.

Suddenly deflated, he gave up trying to pull his hand away and said resignedly, "You did very well."

"Really?" He Yan immediately looked up at him with sparkling eyes.

"Really," Xiao Jue lied against his conscience.

"Thank you," she said, somewhat embarrassed. "I'll do even better next time and make Father prouder."

Xiao Jue felt a splitting headache and could only reply, "Then let go of me first. You're holding me too tightly."

"But I really like hugging Father," He Yan said with a contented smile, greedily clinging to him, unwilling to let go. "I've wanted to hug Father like this for a long time. Why can my younger brothers and sisters do it, but I can't?"

Lin Shuanghe, who had been laughing earlier, nearly shed tears of sympathy upon hearing this. "Does little sister He suffer a lot at home? Doesn't her father ever hug her?"

Xiao Jue also found it strange. According to the secret letters from Shuojing, He Sui only had one son and one daughter. He Yan had a younger brother, but where did the younger sisters come from?

"I'm number one now," He Yan stared at Xiao Jue and said, "Father, aren't you happy?"

Xiao Jue: "..."

He replied expressionlessly, "I'm very happy."

"Then what's my reward?"

"Reward?" Xiao Jue frowned. "What reward do you want?"

He Yan rubbed her face against the button on his chest. Her face was hot, and the coolness felt refreshing, but it made Xiao Jue stiffen.

"You... stop touching me!" As soon as he said this, He Yan let go of him and reached for something at his waist, triumphantly holding it up for Xiao Jue to see.

"I want this!"

"You can't have this," Xiao Jue reached out to snatch it back, but she dodged him.

Though drunk and confused, her movements remained agile, and her steps were steady. Judging by her appearance alone, one would hardly guess she was intoxicated.

He Yan lowered her head to examine the object in her hand—a jade pendant carved with a serpent pattern, made of rare Black Jade. It felt warm and cool to the touch, clearly a treasure.

She adored it, unable to put it down, and said happily, "Thank you, Father!"

Xiao Jue laughed in exasperation. "I never said I was giving it to you."

Lin Shuanghe stopped him from trying to retrieve the jade. "Why bother arguing with someone who's drunk? Let her play with it for now. Tomorrow, when she's sober, you can ask for it back. Do you think she won't return it?" He stroked his chin thoughtfully. "But little sister He does have good taste. She picked the most valuable thing on you at a glance. Not bad."

Xiao Jue ignored him but didn't try to take the jade back from He Yan.

"Watch me," Lin Shuanghe walked up to He Yan and cleared his throat. "Brother He, let me ask you, do you like this jade?"

He Yan played with the pendant in her hand. "I like it.""Do you like Chu Zilan?"

"Chu Zilan..." He Yan asked in confusion, "Who is that?"

"Drunk and can't remember this person, it seems he's not with Chu Zhao." Lin Shuanghe said with a smile, "Then do you like Xiao Jue?"

Xiao Jue: "Are you done yet?"

Unexpectedly, He Yan's response came. She lifted her head, seeming to ponder the name, and after a while nodded: "I like him."

Lin Shuanghe's eyes lit up: "What do you like about him?"

"Medicine... gave me..." He Yan held her head: "So sleepy." After saying this, with a "thump," she collapsed onto the soft couch beside her and began snoring loudly.

Lin Shuanghe straightened up: "She said waist."

Xiao Jue hadn't heard clearly what He Yan said just now and was feeling somewhat irritable, "What?"

"She likes your waist," Lin Shuanghe fanned himself with his fan: "That's really direct."

Xiao Jue threw a teacup at him: "Get lost!"

...

On the other side, in the room, Ying Xiang collected the empty wine jug.

The courtyard still seemed to retain the lingering fragrance of Chang'an Spring.

Chu Zhao removed his outer robe, wearing only his undergarments, and sat down on the couch. The bed in Liangzhou Guard was not like in Shuojing; though not as hard as a common bunk, it was far from comfortable.

Ying Xiang walked over and knelt before the couch: "Young Master, this servant failed in her task and was unable to win over Young Master He."

That young man named He Yan, so young, had just finished a jug of wine and seemed drunk, yet insisted on discussing military strategy with Chu Zhao. Chu Zhao didn't understand military strategy, so he listened as the young man talked at length. In the end, probably tired, he left alone.

Ying Xiang was very confident in her appearance. Though she didn't dare claim everyone would be captivated by her beauty—like Xiao Huaijin and Chu Zilan—dealing with a new recruit from Liangzhou Guard, a greenhorn, should have been more than enough. Who would have thought that no matter how gentle, understanding, or charming she acted tonight, He Yan's gaze held only appreciation, without any improper thoughts.

The different way a man looks at a woman can be seen at a glance. That young man named He Yan, though astonished by her beauty, did not harbor any other intentions.

This left Ying Xiang feeling defeated.

Her master, Chu Zhao, upon hearing this, was first stunned for a moment, then shook his head and smiled, saying, "It's not your fault."

Ying Xiang looked up: "Fourth Young Master..."

Chu Zhao looked at the incense burning on the table in the room. This was calming incense brought from Shuojing; he had always been a light sleeper and carried it wherever he went.

Before his eyes appeared the fleeting glimpse of the woman's lively eyes beneath the white veil at the Shuojing horse track.

"Who would have thought that among the new recruits of Liangzhou Guard, there would be a woman?"

He slowly smiled.

...

When He Yan woke up, she was in her own room, sleeping in a tangled mess, half her leg hanging off the bed, without even a blanket covering her.

Outside, the sun was shining brightly, casting a sliver of light through the window. It stung her eyes, making it hard to tell for a moment whether it was day or night, or what day it was.

He Yan sat up, shaking her head. Surprisingly, there was no pain from the hangover; instead, she felt refreshed and clear-headed. She thought to herself that Chang'an Spring was indeed much better than the poor-quality yellow wine of Liangzhou Guard. Though it was strong, it didn't leave a headache afterward—there was a reason it was expensive.

Last night, she had been pulled away by Chu Zhao and his maid to Chu Zhao's room for a few drinks. It seemed she had drunk too much; the alcohol hit her hard, making her extremely sleepy. She didn't even know when she had returned to her room and fallen asleep. But from the looks of it now, she probably hadn't caused any trouble like last time.He Yan intended to get out of bed to pour herself a cup of tea. After sleeping through the night, she was terribly thirsty. As soon as she moved her hand, she felt something clutched in her palm. Looking down, she saw she was tightly gripping something resembling a jade pendant in her right hand.

What was this thing? When had it ended up in her hand? He Yan was momentarily stunned. She opened her palm and examined it carefully.

The black jade pendant in her palm was not large but exquisitely carved, with intricate and ornate serpentine patterns. As she moved it, it emitted a gentle, warm glow, unlike an ordinary jade pendant.

Had she gotten drunk last night and gone robbing? He Yan stared at the pendant, and the pendant seemed to stare back at her. After a moment of mutual bewilderment, she was still utterly confused.

Forget it, she might as well go out and ask someone else. After some thought, He Yan placed the pendant on the table, then got up to wash and tidy herself. Once she was ready, she grabbed the pendant and headed out the door, planning to ask Song Taotao if she had any leftover steamed buns—she had woken up too late and missed breakfast altogether.

As soon as she stepped outside, she ran into Shen Muxue, who lived nearby. Shen Muxue was carrying a medicine tray on her way to the medical hall. When she saw He Yan, she stopped to greet her.

"Miss Shen," He Yan asked, "is Miss Song around? I need to speak with her."

Shen Muxue replied, "She’s not in her room. She went to the Martial Arts Field. Is it something important? If so, I can pass on the message when she returns later."

He Yan scratched her head. "It’s nothing urgent. Since she’s not here, never mind." With that, she turned to leave.

As she moved, the jade pendant in her hand became visible. Shen Muxue stared in surprise and asked hesitantly, "That jade..."

Hmm? It seemed she knew who the pendant belonged to.

"Miss Shen has seen this pendant before," He Yan remarked with a calm smile.

Shen Muxue still looked astonished. "The Commander’s personal jade pendant—why is it with you?"

Xiao Jue’s?

Why was Xiao Jue’s personal jade pendant with her? He Yan wanted to ask the same question—she had no idea! What had she done after drinking last night? Had she gone to fight Xiao Jue again and snatched his jade?

Facing Shen Muxue’s suspicious gaze, He Yan cleared her throat twice. "This is indeed the Commander’s pendant. Yesterday, when he was speaking with me, he found it inconvenient to wear, so he asked me to hold onto it for him temporarily. I... I was just about to return it to him."

"But..."

"Miss Shen, Brother He." Lin Shuanghe’s voice came from behind them. He must have overheard part of their conversation and approached, fanning himself with a smile. "Miss Shen, are you heading to the medical hall?"

Shen Muxue nodded gently.

"Then you should go quickly. The medicine will cool if you’re late." He then turned to He Yan. "Brother He, you haven’t eaten yet, have you? I still have some pastries left. Have a bite to fill your stomach."

He Yan replied, "Thank you, Young Master Lin."

Shen Muxue bid them farewell, and He Yan followed Lin Shuanghe to his room. She hesitated, wanting to ask questions but unsure where to begin.

Lin Shuanghe placed a few plates of savory pastries on the table and poured her a cup of hot tea. Seeing her hesitant expression, he smiled knowingly. "Still thinking about the jade?"

He Yan was startled. "You know?"

"Last night, Sister He, you were drunk and barged into Huaijin’s room. I was there the whole time." Lin Shuanghe rested his chin on the handle of his fan. "Sister He, you truly opened my eyes."He Yan grew increasingly uneasy at his words, but upon careful thought, she had always been a person of discretion. It was absolutely impossible for her to make a scene or act improperly after drinking. At most, she might have sparred with Xiao Jue, but could Xiao Jue really be so weak that not only did she beat him up, but she also snatched the jade from his person?

"Last night... I didn’t do anything outrageous, did I?" she ventured.

It would have been better if she hadn’t said this. As soon as she did, Lin Shuanghe seemed to recall something amusing. He first stifled a laugh, then could no longer hold back, slapping the table and roaring with laughter. He Yan watched as this refined young man laughed so hard he swayed and stumbled, completely devoid of any decorum—nothing like the elegant young master from Shuojing City.

He Yan was so agitated she felt as if her heart were being clawed at. Finally, when Lin Shuanghe finished laughing, she asked, "Doctor Lin, what exactly did I do that made you laugh so hard?"

"Nothing, nothing," Lin Shuanghe waved his hand, still chuckling. "Actually, it wasn’t anything major. You just gave Xiao Huaijin a taste of what it feels like to become a father at a young age."

The scallion oil pastry in He Yan’s hand fell onto the table with a soft thud.

"I called him 'Dad'?"

"Ah," Lin Shuanghe said in surprise, "You actually remember that?"

He Yan covered her face. She truly didn’t remember. But she did recall an incident from her youth during a He family banquet. At the time, she had just improved her exam ranking from last place to third from last and hoped to receive praise from her father. Yet no one paid any attention. During the banquet, she accidentally took a sip of plum wine, mistaking it for osmanthus dew. Back then, He Yan had not yet joined the army and hadn’t developed a tolerance for alcohol. One cup was enough to knock her out. After passing out, she was told she had clung to He Yuanliang’s leg, calling him "Dad," and even asked He Yuanliang for a reward.

The next day, after sobering up, the He family members said it must have been because He Yuansheng was usually too strict with He Yan, which led her to mistake her second uncle for her father and act affectionately toward him. However, the eldest lady of the He family was deeply displeased and reprimanded her severely in private, warning her never to make such a mistake again.

But that incident remained an unresolved knot in her heart. Because she had never received affirmation, she yearned for it all the more. Because she saw other sisters acting spoiled with their fathers, she longed for her own father to pat her head and say, "You’ve done well."

Perhaps seeing Lin Shuanghe here in Liangzhou Guard often reminded her of those youthful memories. What one thinks about during the day, one dreams about at night. Even when drunk, she couldn’t escape it, and now she had become a laughingstock.

Well, what was done was done. Could time possibly reverse itself? He Yan placed the jade in her hand on the table. "And what about this?"

"This is Huaijin’s reward for you," Lin Shuanghe said, suppressing a laugh.

"Reward?"

"You recited texts very well. In front of Huaijin, you flawlessly recited 'The Great Learning' and 'The Art of War by Wu Zi.' Huaijin was so pleased that he gave you his jade as a reward."

He Yan: "...I snatched this, didn’t I?"

Lin Shuanghe failed to hold back his laughter and burst out laughing, slapping his fan as he did so. "Sister He, you didn’t see Huaijin’s expression at the time. I’ve known him for so long, and it was the first time I’ve ever seen him so flustered."

"Tell me, what woman in this world would dare cling to him without letting go, forcing him to retreat step by step, and even take his family heirloom jade without a word of protest? Only you, sister," he clasped his hands toward He Yan, "only you!"

He Yan felt dizzy from his rambling but caught the key phrase: "Family heirloom?" She looked at the jade on the table. "This?""The night before Madam Xiao gave birth to Xiao Rubi, she dreamed of a large black serpent carrying two pieces of jade coiling around the pillar at their mansion's entrance. After Xiao Jing was born, he was given the courtesy name Rubi. 'A noble gentleman, like gold, like tin, like a jade tablet, like a jade disc.'"

"When Xiao Jue was born, he was given the courtesy name Huaijin."

He Yan said, "'Holding jade and jade disc, yet unable to show them in poverty.'"

"Exactly, that's the meaning!" Lin Shuanghe closed his fan. "Both brothers' names are related to jade. Because of Madam Xiao's dream of the black serpent, the Empress Dowager bestowed a two-colored jade—half black, half white—which was made into two serpent-patterned jade pendants. The white one was given to Xiao Rubi, and the black one to Xiao Huaijin. Since I've known Xiao Huaijin, I've never seen him without this pendant."

He Yan looked at the pendant before her and suddenly felt it weighed more than a thousand gold pieces.

"So I say, Sister He, you have excellent taste." Lin Shuanghe praised sincerely, "Apart from Xiao Huaijin himself, this jade pendant is the most valuable thing he owns. You've managed to secure both, leaving nothing behind—truly brilliant, impressive, absolutely wonderful!"

Shen Han: I'm witnessing real love again.

(End of Chapter)