Legend of the Female General

Chapter 123: Good News

This winter in Liangzhou Guard was bitterly cold. For half of each month, heavy snow fell, and even when it wasn't snowing, sunny days were rare.

Firewood and charcoal were in short supply. Fortunately, after the new Liangzhou magistrate took office, he proactively allocated some charcoal from the county office's storeroom to the guard post as a gesture of goodwill toward the Right Army Commander. The newly appointed magistrate was still young, with no family backing. Though he appeared scholarly and frail, he handled matters with seasoned thoroughness.

Lin Shuanghe was quite satisfied with this new magistrate.

In the blink of an eye, two months had passed. The year was nearing its end, and soon it would be the New Year. Once the New Year passed, another spring would arrive. The recruits of Liangzhou Guard would completely shed the label of "recruits" and spend the new year here.

Inside the room, Xiao Jue was speaking with Chi Wu and Fei Nu.

"Another letter has arrived from the vassal king's territory," Chi Wu said, pulling a letter from his chest and handing it to Xiao Jue. "One per month—this is the second."

Apart from the instructors, Chi Wu, and a few others, only He Yan knew that Lei Hou had been captured and imprisoned in the dungeon. The recruits of Liangzhou Guard were unaware, believing Lei Hou had deserted. Xiao Jue had ordered Lei Hou to continue corresponding with the contact hidden in Jiyang, falsely claiming he had escaped from Liangzhou Guard and was evading pursuing soldiers while asking what to do next.

The contact in Jiyang was also very cunning, never directly instructing Lei Hou in the letters but only telling him to hide well and that his master would send someone to fetch him.

Xiao Jue pulled out the letter, skimmed it in a glance, and handed it to Fei Nu. After reading it, both Fei Nu and Chi Wu wore grim expressions.

The contact wrote that since Rida Muzi had been exposed, the chess piece in Liangzhou Guard was already useless. He instructed Lei Hou to find a way to hide and wait for the people from Shuojing to fetch him once the situation calmed down. After this letter, they were to cease correspondence. In these troubled times, if they alarmed the enemy and ruined the higher-ups' grand plans, it would be more than two minor figures like them could bear.

"What do we do?" Chi Wu asked. "Does this person mean they won't send any more letters in the future?"

Xiao Jue replied, "Lei Hou is already a discarded piece."

"But Jiyang..." Fei Nu hesitated. "Commander, are you planning to go to Jiyang?"

"Even without the contact, the fact that Chai Anxi is in Jiyang means I must go there," Xiao Jue said, placing the letter on the burning candle on the table. The flame licked the paper, reducing it to ashes in moments.

Chai Anxi was once Xiao Zhongwu's adjutant.

In the Battle of Ming River, Xiao Zhongwu and the tens of thousands of troops he led all perished, including his adjutants. At the time, Chai Anxi's body was never found, and though his corpse wasn't discovered on the battlefield, everyone assumed he had likely died. Over the years, Xiao Jue had secretly been investigating Chai Anxi's whereabouts. Now, his efforts had paid off—Chai Anxi was indeed alive and had even gone into hiding in Jiyang under an assumed name.

Jiyang was the territory of the Mengji King. Commoners from outside the Great Wei's territories needed an official pass approved by the authorities to enter the city. Even with a pass, outsiders were not allowed to reside there long-term. Chai Anxi had been living there long-term, which explained why others couldn't find his whereabouts.

"But how do we get to Jiyang? If we request a pass from the authorities, Xu Jingfu's people will find out as soon as they investigate. Wouldn't that mean every move we make is under their control?" Fei Nu asked.

Xiao Jue turned around, pondered for a moment, and said, "Use another method?"Chi Wu asked, "What method?"

"Find someone with a travel permit to Jiyang and swap identities."

"This..." Fei Nu hesitated. When the Mengji King was alive, he strictly controlled the passage of travelers. Even those with travel permits were recorded in ledgers and had portraits on file. Moreover, precisely because entering a vassal king's territory was so troublesome, the common people of Great Wei had adopted the approach: if they could avoid going, they wouldn't. Throughout the year, those who obtained travel permits to go to Jiyang were truly few and far between.

With so few people to begin with, strict controls in place, and the need for someone willing to risk being discovered and permanently barred from the territory by swapping identities with Xiao Jue—it was truly not an easy task.

"Leave this matter to Luan Ying to arrange," Xiao Jue said to Chi Wu. "Write to Luan Ying immediately and have her prepare as soon as possible."

Chi Wu replied, "...Yes."

Just as they were speaking, someone pushed the door open and entered—it was Lin Shuanghe. Chi Wu stepped aside and nodded to him, "Young Master Lin."

Lin Shuanghe smiled back at him.

Fei Nu also tactfully withdrew.

"Huai Jin, what have you been busy with these past few days?" Lin Shuanghe fanned himself with his fan. "Winter is almost turning into spring—count how many times I've seen you in total?"

"Feeling bored?" Xiao Jue said. "You can leave together when Cheng Li Su returns to the capital."

"Forget it, since I'm already here, why go back?" he replied. "When are they setting off?"

"In the next couple of days."

After the incident with Rida Muzi, Liangzhou Guard was no longer safe, and there were fears of future changes. Cheng Li Su and Song Taotao were truly unsuitable to remain here any longer. Xiao Jue had already arranged for personnel, and in a few days, they would set off together back to Shuojing.

Naturally, the two youngsters were unwilling and made a fuss for quite a while. But when Xiao Jue stepped in, there was no chance of failure. No matter how dissatisfied they were, they could only accept Xiao Jue's arrangements.

"I won't say much about Cheng Li Su, but that little girl Song Taotao—she's actually willing to part with He Yan?" Lin Shuanghe said incredulously. "She practically clung to He Yan day and night. Is she really going back so obediently?"

"You might as well go ask her yourself," Xiao Jue said, sitting down in a chair and pouring himself a cup of tea, lazily sipping it.

He had been busy for a long stretch of days and only had a brief moment of rest.

Cheng Li Su sat on his soft couch, looking at him: "It's fine if you ignore me—after all, we've known each other for so many years, I won't hold it against you. But why are you ignoring my sister He Yan too? Military affairs are important, but my sister He Yan is also important. Don't blame me for not warning you—if you keep this up, when He Yan gets snatched away by Chu Zilan, you'll have nowhere to cry."

"What does she have to do with me?" Xiao Jue frowned impatiently, then added, "What about Chu Zilan?"

Lin Shuanghe rested his chin on the handle of his fan and said unhurriedly, "I don't know if it's a coincidence or what, but this past month, I've often seen Sister He Yan talking with Chu Zilan."

"She's a girl, injured and unable to train daily, so she's bored staying idle all day. Who knows what Chu Zilan is really doing in Liang Province—it's been two months, and he hasn't mentioned when he plans to leave. He's bored, Sister He Yan is bored—when two bored people get together, even strangers become familiar."

"Anyway, before, Sister He Yan still called him Chu Fourth Young Master, but two days ago, I already heard her call Chu Zilan 'Brother Chu.' If this continues, aren't you worried?"

Xiao Jue asked, baffled, "Why should I be worried?""You don't consider that if Sister He Yan gets lured away by Chu Zilan and used by him, Liangzhou Guard would lose such a uniquely talented genius in both civil and military arts. You're pushing a capable officer right out the door."

Xiao Jue scoffed, "Do you think Liangzhou Guard has no one else?"

"Anyway, I've never seen a girl like her before," Lin Shuanghe said. "Chu Zilan has always been good at pleasing young ladies. Originally, you're better-looking than him and more capable, but in temperament, he's gentler and more approachable. What girl wouldn't like a handsome, wealthy young master who accompanies her gently every day?"

"Like?" Xiao Jue narrowed his beautiful eyes, his voice tinged with mockery. "A sixteen-year-old girl, what does she know about liking someone?"

"What's wrong with sixteen?" Lin Shuanghe retorted. "In Shuojing City, how many girls are already married at sixteen!"

"So what?" Xiao Jue took a sip of tea, his tone indifferent. "At sixteen, aside from fathers, brothers, and elders, how many men has she met? If she hasn't met many, how can she know what liking someone means? Saying you like peonies after only seeing peonies is different from liking peonies after seeing all kinds of flowers."

"There's a difference between liking when you have choices and liking when you don't."

"You're being unreasonable," Lin Shuanghe rolled his eyes. "Most people are ordinary, so of course they follow ordinary rules. Ordinary people are like this—they get engaged at sixteen and live their whole lives that way. It's not like there aren't those who live happily and harmoniously for a lifetime."

"More are unhappy," Xiao Jue said. "Ordinary people have no choice, but I can."

Lin Shuanghe was completely speechless. He said, "Fine, fine, you can, you can, you can. But according to what you're saying, the only girl who can see all kinds of flowers is Sister He Yan."

"Sister He Yan is in Liangzhou Guard—she hasn't just seen all kinds of flowers; among the tens of thousands of men in Liangzhou Guard, she's practically seen ten thousand blossoms. If after seeing ten thousand blossoms she likes you, that's great. But if after seeing ten thousand blossoms she falls for Chu Zilan," Lin Shuanghe said gleefully, "wouldn't that be quite a blow to you?"

"You're overthinking it," Xiao Jue sneered. "Who she likes has nothing to do with me. However, Chu Zilan is Xu Jingfu's chosen son-in-law."

"She's welcome to like Chu Zilan," Xiao Jue's lips curved slightly. "As long as she isn't afraid of dying."

Lin Shuanghe was stunned.

"Oh right. I almost forgot—Chu Zilan belongs to Xu Pingting."

...

While Lin Shuanghe and Xiao Jue were discussing Chu Zilan, He Yan had just arrived at Chu Zilan's door.

Ying Xiang welcomed her in with a smile, saying, "Young Master He is here." She glanced behind He Yan and joked, "Miss Song isn't following today, thank goodness."

Song Taotao kept a strict watch on Ying Xiang. Whenever He Yan went to find Chu Zhao, Song Taotao would vigilantly follow. After all, Ying Xiang was beautiful and charming, with a witty and coquettish personality, unlike Shen Muxue's cold and aloof demeanor. To men, she was probably more attractive.

"She's packing," He Yan laughed. "She'll be leaving Liangzhou Guard in a few days, so she can't follow me around every day."

Speaking of this matter gave He Yan a headache. When Song Taotao learned she had to return to Shuojing, she initially cried, made a scene, and threatened to hang herself, refusing to leave no matter what. She and Cheng Li Su reached an unprecedented agreement, nearly tearing the roof off Liangzhou Guard. In the end, it was Xiao Jue who personally stepped in to calm the two children down, and they finally agreed to return to the capital with Xiao Jue's troops.That aside, Song Taotao even attempted to take He Yan away with her.

“Whatever conditions Second Young Master Xiao promised you, my Song family will triple them. Don’t stay in Liangzhou Guard anymore,” the young girl said disdainfully. “Liangzhou Guard is such a harsh and bitter place, where you could easily lose your life. I heard from Cheng Li Su that you want to achieve great deeds and build a career. Why take such a difficult path? Even if you risk your life here, you won’t get promoted half a rank. It’s too pitiful!”

He Yan thought to herself, yes, it’s too pitiful.

“But my Song family is different,” Song Taotao said with great seriousness. “Although my father isn’t all-powerful in the capital, he can still lend you a hand. Staying with my Song family will give you far more prospects than remaining in Liang Province. As for the military registry, you don’t need to worry. Once I tell my father, he’ll find a way to grant you your freedom.”

He Yan: “...No, no, I’m quite fine in Liang Province.”

Song Taotao’s gaze sharpened like a knife: “Could it be that you’re reluctant to part with that maid named Ying Xiang?”

This little girl was young, but she had quite a few tricks up her sleeve. He Yan was both amused and exasperated: “It’s not that. It’s just that my status in Liangzhou Guard is special. If Ms. Song wants me, you can go directly to Commander Xiao. If Commander Xiao is willing to let me go, of course I’ll follow you back to the capital.”

Would Xiao Jue easily let her go? Of course not. Liangzhou Guard wasn’t a reserve army for sons-in-law of capital officials. If they started with her, what would the other new recruits in Liangzhou Guard think? That risking their lives and working hard was less effective than currying favor with a young lady from a wealthy family? If things continued like this, Liangzhou Guard wouldn’t even need the enemy to attack—once morale collapsed, it would fall apart on its own in a couple of years.

Xiao Jue would never allow such a thing to happen.

Invoking Xiao Jue’s name had a powerful effect on the young girl. Song Taotao immediately backed down and no longer mentioned taking He Yan back to the capital with her.

She walked into the room, where Chu Zhao was feeding birds.

He Yan felt that Chu Zilan was a very interesting person. He spent his days either gardening, writing, or feeding birds—living a life akin to that of a sixty- or seventy-year-old elder in the capital. Yet he had stayed in Liangzhou Guard for two months. If he wanted such a leisurely life, wouldn’t it be better to stay in the capital? Why come here to suffer, where even charcoal rations were scarce?

Nevertheless, He Yan was still willing to visit Chu Zilan’s room often, for no other reason than that Chu Zhao was an extremely patient person. Since He Yan couldn’t participate in daily training at the Martial Arts Field, listening to Chu Zhao talk about “interesting stories” from the capital wasn’t a bad alternative. In her previous life, she had been constantly away at war, and by the time she returned to Shuojing, He Rufei had already taken her place. As a result, she knew very little about the affairs of Shuojing’s official circles and was completely unfamiliar with her colleagues. This hadn’t been a problem before, but after handling a few matters with Xiao Jue, He Yan realized that if she truly wanted to start over, she needed to understand the power dynamics among the various factions.

At the very least, she needed a general understanding of the Crown Prince’s faction, Xu Xiang’s party, and Xiao Jue’s group.

He Yan learned a great deal from Chu Zhao, and in return, she felt it would be inappropriate to harbor too much hostility toward him. Besides, he had never really opposed her from the start.

Today, Chu Zhao had sent Ying Xiang to find He Yan to discuss something.

“Brother Chu,” she said.

Chu Zhao placed the last bit of birdseed into the feeding bowl. The bird flapped its wings and let out a crisp chirp. In such cold weather, it was truly unsuitable for keeping birds, so Chu Zhao had placed all his charcoal near the birdcage.

He was just as gentle and considerate toward birds.

“You’re here,” Chu Zhao said with a smile as he walked to the water basin to wash his hands."Brother Chu, you had Ying Xiang come find me today—is there something important?" He Yan probed. Generally, it was He Yan who took the initiative to speak with Chu Zhao. For Chu Zhao to take the initiative so rarely likely meant there was serious business at hand.

"Not really," Chu Zhao smiled as he invited He Yan to sit. "I may be returning to the capital in a few days. Before leaving, I wanted to bid farewell to Brother He."

He Yan was taken aback. "You're going back?"

"That's right," Chu Zhao chuckled. "I've already been in Liang Province for two months. The journey is long, and by the time I return, it will already be spring." He continued, "During these two months in Liang Province, I've been well taken care of by Brother He. It's been quite interesting, and I appreciate your thoughtfulness."

"Not at all, not at all," He Yan quickly replied. "It wasn't me taking care of you—if anything, it was you taking care of me."

"The people coming to fetch me will likely arrive in the next few days," Chu Zhao said with a smile. "I thought, since it hasn't snowed these past few days, why not set up a pavilion feast on White Moon Mountain and share a farewell drink with Brother He?"

"The commander doesn't allow us to go up the mountain privately," He Yan hesitated. "And Brother Chu knows my tolerance for alcohol is poor. If I get drunk, I might cause trouble again."

Hearing this, Chu Zhao shook his head with a laugh. "It's fine. We won't go up the mountain. There's a pavilion at the foot of White Moon Mountain, overlooking the Five Deer River. It's also the best spot to view the moonlight. We can stay at the foot of the mountain. As for wine, even if Brother He wanted to drink, I don't have any. We can just use tea in place of wine—the sentiment is what matters."

Since it had been put this way, He Yan had no reason to refuse and readily agreed, "Of course, that sounds good. Since Brother Chu is leaving, I should naturally accompany you. When is this pavilion feast you mentioned? I should prepare properly."

"Tonight would be fine," Chu Zhao smiled. "That way, if it snows at night, we won't miss the good moonlight tomorrow."

He Yan said, "Tonight it is, then! Tonight, I must talk with Brother Chu all night long!"

She thought to herself, Chu Zhao was leaving soon. Who would explain the intricate relationships among the capital's officials to her in the future? Better take advantage of tonight to extract as much information as possible, lest she miss such an opportunity later.

Chu Zhao laughed. "Brother He is straightforward."

"By the way," He Yan remembered something, "why are you suddenly returning, Brother Chu? Didn't you say before that you would stay until spring when the weather warms up? Setting out now, the journey will likely be cold."

"Circumstances force it," Chu Zhao replied with a helpless smile. "It's my colleague, Academician Xu, who is getting married. I must hurry back to Shuojing to attend the wedding banquet."

He Yan had been warming her hands on the teacup on the table. At these words, she froze, feeling her palms turn cold and her heart slowly sink. She nearly lost control of her expression.

Stiffly forcing a smile, she asked, "Academician Xu? Which Academician Xu?"

"Xu Zhiheng, the eldest son of the Crown Prince's tutor," Chu Zhao said curiously. "Haven't I mentioned him to you? He is exceptionally talented, well-read, and outstanding."

The steaming tea seemed to freeze into ice in an instant.

He Yan's fingers curled slightly. "Xu Zhiheng..."

...

How He Yan returned to her room, she herself didn't know. What Chu Zhao said afterward, she couldn't remember either. She only recalled struggling to keep her emotions from leaking out in the slightest, lest anyone notice something amiss.

When she finally returned to her room, she nearly stumbled, steadying herself by holding onto the bedpost before slowly sitting down on the couch.

Chu Zhao's words echoed in her mind."Master Xu had previously been married once. His brother-in-law is the current Flying Goose General, He Rufei. He Rufei's cousin, the young lady of the He family, married Xu Zhiheng, but within half a year, she fell ill and lost her sight in both eyes. However, Master Xu did not look down on his wife because of this. He searched far and wide for renowned physicians and was extremely considerate."

He Yan asked, "Extremely considerate?"

"Indeed. At that time, Madam Xu hoped Master Xu would take a concubine or find him another wife of equal status, but Master Xu firmly refused. Unfortunately, Madam Xu was not blessed with good fortune. This spring, while alone in the mansion, the servants were negligent, and she accidentally fell into the pond and drowned."

"It has been almost a year since Madam Xu passed away. Master Xu originally told relatives and friends that he would not remarry in the future. But he is still young—how could the Xu family allow him to remain a widower for the rest of his life? He is so devoted that even his late wife's family felt it was too much. They selected another young lady from the He family to be betrothed to him, from the second branch, three years younger than the former Madam He, only seventeen this year."

From the second branch of the He family, only seventeen this year... He Yan closed her eyes. That was her own younger sister.

The He family had long made their plans, perhaps even in consultation with Xu Zhiheng. He Yan had to die, but once He Yan died, the marital alliance between the He and Xu families would dissolve, a result neither family wanted. It was better to exchange one person for another—use He Yan's death to bring in a new Madam He.

She held her head, feeling as if it were about to explode.

Suddenly, a voice rang out, "Brother? What's wrong with you?"

He Yan looked up and saw it was Cheng Li Su.

She asked, "Why are you here?"

The young boy replied, "I knocked on the door outside for a long time, but no one answered. I thought you weren't here. I brought you some snacks." He approached with concern. "Brother, you look very pale. Is your wound hurting? Should I call Uncle Lin for you?"

He Yan waved her hand, forcing a smile. "No need. I just didn't sleep well yesterday and feel a bit drowsy."

Cheng Li Su, being simple-minded, didn't suspect anything and nodded. "Alright." Then, remembering something, he pouted and said, "Brother, you seem to have been very busy these past few days. I'll be returning to Shuojing soon, and who knows when we'll meet again. I recently learned a rod puppet show from Instructor Ma. How about I perform it for you tonight?"

He Yan's mind was completely occupied with Chu Zhao's words just now and had no interest in entertaining Cheng Li Su's chatter. Besides, she remembered her prior arrangement with Chu Zhao, so she shook her head. "Not tonight. I've already made plans with Chu Fourth Young Master to watch the moon at the foot of White Moon Mountain."

"What's so interesting about two grown men watching the moon?" Cheng Li Su complained. "Besides, how can the moon compare to a puppet show? You can see the moon every day—what's so special about it?"

His clamor pulled He Yan's thoughts back a little. She patiently explained, "It's not entirely for the moon. Chu Fourth Young Master will be leaving Liangzhou Guard in a few days, so before his departure, he wanted to have a drink with me.""It's good that you're close with Chu Fourth Young Master, but don't forget about me." Cheng Li Su was unaware of the undercurrents between Xiao Jue and Chu Zhao. To him, Chu Zhao was just a good-looking, good-tempered uncle from Shuojing who had brought imperial rewards. He said, "After all, I've known you much longer than he has. By all accounts, you should be closer to me. Big Brother, you can't abandon me!"

Little brat, getting jealous over something like this. He Yan had no choice but to coax him, "Alright, I get it. I'll drink with him today, and tomorrow I'll watch your puppet show. How's that?"

Only then did Cheng Li Su look satisfied, grinning as he said, "That's more like it!"

(End of Chapter)