Legend of the Female General

Chapter 143: Young Hero Liu and Miss Mu

Mu Hongjin finished speaking, her expression showing no ripple of emotion, as if she were recounting someone else’s story.

He Yan, however, felt uneasy hearing it. After a moment of thought, she said, “Perhaps… Yunlin Recluse had urgent matters that day and couldn’t come. I’ve also made appointments with people before but missed them due to unforeseen circumstances.”

“There were no urgent matters, no misunderstandings,” Mu Hongjin smiled. “He told me this himself.”

He Yan could say no more, yet she felt that Mu Hongjin’s words did not tell the whole story. If Liu Buwang truly had someone else in his heart, all these years—since He Yan had known him—she had never seen any other woman by his side, nor had she ever heard him mention another’s name. If anything, Mu Xiaolou was the one he treated most differently, and Mu Xiaolou was Mu Hongjin’s granddaughter.

“Young people always believe they are the unique one,” Mu Hongjin chuckled. “I was the same in my youth, unaware that uniqueness or lack thereof depends on whose eyes one is seen through. In his eyes, I was merely one among thousands, unworthy of his notice.”

“Is the person Your Highness speaks of my master?” Xiao Jue asked.

“As Xiaolou said, I can think of no one else,” Mu Hongjin replied. “But I never expected he would come to Jiyang again…”

He Yan thought to herself that Princess Meng Ji had guessed wrong. According to the teahouse proprietress, Liu Buwang had not only come to Jiyang this year but had never missed a visit in previous years… However, could it be that Liu Buwang came to Jiyang for Mu Hongjin?

What kind of situation was this? Was it better not to meet at all?

Mu Xiaolou pouted, “That man truly has no taste. Grandmother is the most beautiful, capable, and wonderful person in the world. How could he bear to betray her? Is he blind? I say we shouldn’t call him Yunlin Recluse anymore—call him ‘No-Taste Recluse’!”

“You,” Mu Hongjin tapped Mu Xiaolou’s head lightly, scolding with a smile, “What do you know about betrayal at such a young age?”

“He received Grandmother’s favor, yet not only did he fail to be grateful, he didn’t even take it seriously. Isn’t that betrayal? Serves him right for not marrying Grandmother. I wouldn’t want someone like that as my grandfather,” Mu Xiaolou huffed angrily. Her words were innocent and unfiltered, likely because she was born after Mu Hongjin’s royal consort had passed away. Having never met him and lacking any emotional attachment, she spoke without restraint.

“Very well,” Mu Hongjin laughed, hugging Mu Xiaolou. “Then the husband our Xiaolou finds in the future must cherish her and never betray her.”

“Of course!”

The joyful scene between grandmother and granddaughter left He Yan feeling unsettled. Among the myriad people in the world, those who are fated but not destined are as countless as the sands of the Ganges. Yet, perhaps the most regrettable of all is to be misunderstood without the chance to explain.

Even the exquisite delicacies could not lift her spirits. After a meal weighed down by troubled thoughts, Xiao Jue and He Yan rose to take their leave from Mu Hongjin.

Mu Hongjin nodded.

As they turned to leave, He Yan finally couldn’t hold back. She looked at Mu Hongjin and asked, “Since Your Highness already knows that your old acquaintance is now staying at the Cui residence, even if you don’t wish to meet, why not ask about his current situation or his experiences over the years?”

From beginning to end, ever since learning that Liu Buwang was the one who saved Mu Xiaolou, Mu Hongjin had glossed over the past with a light touch and never mentioned him again, as if Liu Buwang had nothing to do with her at all.Mu Hongjin was slightly taken aback, then looked at He Yan and said calmly, "That was all in the past."

"As for now, he and I are no longer connected."

...

After the meal, He Yan and Xiao Jue bid farewell to Mu Hongjin.

Once outside the palace, He Yan couldn't help but glance back at the vermilion gates of the palace and hesitantly asked, "Does Princess Mu truly regard my master as a stranger now?"

Xiao Jue replied, "The depth of love is matched by the intensity of hatred. Those who have truly let go do not deliberately forget certain things."

"What do you mean?"

"It means," he said with a faint smile, "that Miss He is truly unobservant when it comes to matters of the heart."

Was he mocking her? He Yan thought to herself. Besides, how could this be her fault? In her previous life, she had never been in situations where she needed to carefully decipher others' feelings, except for enemy generals. Moreover, women's hearts were inherently intricate. If a woman truly wished to conceal her feelings, she would never let anyone see through them.

"It sounds like the Commander understands such matters well," she retorted.

"A little better than you."

He strolled ahead leisurely, and He Yan hurried to catch up.

...

In the spacious hall, a woman in red robes and a Golden Coronet slowly ascended the steps and took her seat on the high throne.

Mu Xiaolou, having finished her meal, was taken by her maids back to her chamber to rest. She had suffered quite a fright the previous day, and as a child, exhaustion weighed heavily on her. Mu Hongjin had someone prepare a calming tonic for her to drink. In the midst of misfortune, it was perhaps a stroke of luck that Mu Xiaolou was only frightened and not injured.

Jiyang was beset by internal and external troubles, with Wutuo People mingling among them. The lives of hundreds of thousands of citizens within the city rested in her hands. The current situation was far from reassuring. It was a tangled mess, yet the name that surfaced in Mu Hongjin's mind was another.

Liu Buwang.

She truly hadn't expected to hear Liu Buwang's name from someone else after all these years. Even more unexpected was that Liu Buwang dared to enter Jiyang City again.

If it were the younger Mu Hongjin, she would have stood before him, looking down from a position of superiority, and ordered him to leave her territory. But now, she felt no such impulse, not even the desire to see him face-to-face.

On the small table beside the high throne lay an engraved bronze mirror. It had been procured for her by Cui Yuezhi from a merchant. The mirror was exceptionally thin, its engravings exquisitely beautiful, and the wooden handle at the bottom was inlaid with an emerald cat's eye stone. She had always favored intricate and opulent things, so she kept it by her side daily. Mu Xiaolou often remarked that the bronze mirror looked old-fashioned, but Mu Hongjin paid no heed. She picked up the mirror and gazed at the reflection within.

The woman in the mirror was extraordinarily beautiful. At some point, even her makeup had taken on an air of authority and refinement. A faint touch of red at the corners of her eyes lent her beauty a cold, striking allure. Her lips were also red, slightly pursed, appearing restrained and indifferent.

She reached up to touch her hair. The maids envied her for having such dark, long locks, seemingly untouched by age even at her current years. Yet they didn't know that every morning, she had her personal maid carefully comb through her hair under the sunlight, searching for any white strands and plucking them out one by one.

As long as she remained seated in the position of Princess Meng Ji, she had to remain eternally young and beautiful, noble and formidable, crushing all restlessness and disobedience beneath her feet, accepting the respectful and submissive gazes of the masses.

But...

She was growing old, after all.Mu Hongjin gazed at her reflection in the mirror. Once upon a time, her face had been clean and bare, never adorned with makeup. Her eyes had not held the domineering and fierce look they did now. Back then, the girl’s eyes would curve into crescents when she smiled, revealing pearly white teeth—bold, bright, and carefree.

Her thoughts drifted back many years, so long ago that she could no longer recall exactly which year it was. At that time, Mu Hongjin was not yet the "Princess" who now wore red robes and a Golden Coronet. She was the only daughter of the Mengji King, his cherished pearl, a seventeen-year-old girl.

A seventeen-year-old girl, full of imagination about love and the future, suddenly learned that her marriage had been arranged—she was to be wed to the son of a high-ranking court official. Her first reaction was fierce resistance.

The old Mengji King, her father, looked at her with some guilt, but his tone was unwavering: "You must marry him to secure your position as Princess."

"I never wanted to be Princess," Mu Hongjin scoffed. "I refuse to trade my marriage for this position. I’d rather be an ordinary person!"

Her resistance was not taken seriously. Perhaps it was dismissed as a child’s willful tantrum, or perhaps the Mengji King knew deep down that even if she resisted, it would change nothing. The status of a feudal lord was inherently unstable; one misstep, and no one could escape the consequences.

On a deep, dark night, Mu Hongjin slipped out of the royal palace.

Her temperament was quirky and clever, and she had long yearned for the life of an ordinary person. Carrying a horsewhip and disguising herself, she left Jiyang City that very night.

Back then, Mu Hongjin was older than Mu Xiaolou is now, and even more intelligent and spirited. Throughout her journey, she managed to avoid any trouble. She traveled all the way to the foot of Qiyun Mountain.

The mountain path of Qiyun Mountain was steep, and everyone said the area above was nothing but barren hills. Yet, at the foot of the mountain, there was a dense peach grove. It was spring, and the peach blossoms were in full bloom, radiant and enchanting. Not far from the peach grove, Mu Hongjin encountered some villains.

It seemed that every lone girl, unless disguised, was particularly prone to encountering ill-intentioned scoundrels. And if the girl was beautiful, it was even harder to avoid. Countless tales of heroes rescuing beauties in operas and stories originated from such situations.

Mu Hongjin fled, running and stumbling until she reached a peach blossom tree, where she accidentally twisted her ankle and had nowhere left to hide.

The villains sneered as they approached, like catching a turtle in a jar. In a story, this would be the moment for the hero to appear and save the beauty.

And indeed, the hero arrived.

"Stop."

At the critical moment, a voice rang out—a clear, bright male voice. Mu Hongjin turned to see a young man in white robes walking slowly toward her. His long hair was tied up in a bun with a white silk ribbon, and he carried a qin on his back. With delicate features and an ethereal presence, he seemed like a Daoist monk detached from worldly affairs, stepping forward to shield her.

The villains were taken aback at first, then burst into laughter, dismissing the young man as frail and merely trying to act brave. They told him to scram. Mu Hongjin felt a wave of despair; he looked more like a musician than a hero.

Yet the young man stood calmly, unmoving.

Enraged, the villains decided to teach him a lesson. It wasn’t until the young man drew the long sword at his waist that Mu Hongjin realized—he actually carried a sword.The youth in white truly was a hero, and a rather kind-hearted one at that. His swordsmanship was exceptional, yet he did not take the lives of those men, merely stopping at the right moment and driving them off in a frantic escape.

Beneath the peach blossom tree, only the two of them remained. Amidst the scattered crimson petals, Mu Hongjin looked at the other. The youth’s gaze was calm and indifferent, his robes spotless and unstained, yet she knew—he was no qin master. He was a chivalrous swordsman. Leaping straight out of those thrilling tales, he had descended like a divine warrior, appearing before her and saving her—a young hero.

All the fear from moments ago faded away. She smiled, her eyes curving into crescents. "Thank you for saving me. My name is Mu Hongjin. What’s yours?"

Seemingly taken aback by her sudden cheerfulness, the young swordsman paused before replying, "Liu Buwang."

The girl from Jiyang was bright and bold, warm and forthright. Mu Hongjin looked at him, a troubled expression appearing on her face, though a flicker of mischief flashed in her eyes.

"Hero Liu, I’ve sprained my ankle and can’t walk. Since you’ve saved me, you might as well see it through to the end—carry me on your back!"

The person in the bronze mirror smiled faintly at the corners of her lips. Her gaze gradually grew distant, and whenever she recalled the peach blossoms of that year, she would unconsciously begin to smile.

The bronze mirror in her hand slipped, and in a moment of carelessness, it fell to the ground.

The sound startled the woman seated high above. She bent down to pick up the bronze mirror and was momentarily stunned. On the smooth surface of the mirror, a crack had appeared from the fall. It was faint, unnoticeable unless one looked closely.

The smile at the corners of her lips faded. After a moment, she set the mirror aside.

After all... a broken mirror is hard to mend.

...

By the time they returned to the Cui residence, it was already evening. Cui Yuezhi had not yet returned. Fearing that Liu Buwang might leave without a word, He Yan’s first task was to find him. When she did, she discovered Liu Buwang playing chess with Lin Shuanghe. Both of them favored wearing white robes. On Lin Shuanghe, it gave him the air of a refined gentleman in a troubled world; on Liu Buwang, it made him seem like a noble and transcendent swordsman and hero.

Seeing He Yan return, Lin Shuanghe exclaimed, "Young Master, Madam, you’re back! Master Liu’s chess skills are truly exceptional. Even with my own considerable talent, I can’t last ten moves against him. How many games has it been now? How about you play a round with Master Liu, Young Master, and help me win one back?"

He Yan rolled her eyes inwardly. It wasn’t that she was boasting about her own master, but there was nothing Liu Buwang wasn’t skilled at. He excelled in both literary and martial arts. Lin Shuanghe’s mediocre skills might be enough to impress girls in pleasure houses, but to compare them with Liu Buwang’s was almost an insult to Liu Buwang.

She walked over to Liu Buwang and said to Lin Shuanghe, "Since you’ve lost so many rounds, Brother Lin should go back and practice properly before trying again. I have something to discuss with my master, so we’ll talk later!" With that, she pulled Liu Buwang to his feet and led him into the room.

Lin Shuanghe watched He Yan’s retreating figure and leaned closer to Xiao Jue, asking curiously, "In such a hurry—what’s going on with my sister He Yan?"

Xiao Jue replied, "She went to listen to a story."

"What story?" Lin Shuanghe was baffled. "Did you meet the Princess at the Prince’s residence? How did it go? Did she give you any trouble?"

Xiao Jue chuckled softly but did not answer. Trouble? There was no trouble. It was just... His gaze fell on the door He Yan had closed. For Mu Hongjin, for Liu Buwang, and even for He Yan, this trip had likely been an unexpected twist of fate.Cui Jiao was about to enter with tea when Xiao Jue stopped her. His gaze fell on the teapot beside the tea tray, and he said, "Bring a bowl of hot brown sugar water instead."

Cui Jiao nodded in acknowledgment. As Xiao Jue turned around, he saw Lin Shuanghe staring at him with a strange expression and frowned. "What are you looking at?"

"Xiao Huaijin," Lin Shuanghe said seriously, fanning himself as he uttered three words: "You're done for."

"You're insane," Xiao Jue replied indifferently.

...

Inside the room, He Yan guided Liu Buwang to sit at the table before taking a seat herself.

There were many things she wanted to ask—about Liu Buwang’s earlier mention of pursuing the Wutuo People and the current situation in Jiyang. Yet, the first thing that came out of her mouth was: "Master, I just returned from the palace and met with Princess Meng Ji."

Liu Buwang looked at her.

"Princess Meng Ji seems to be an old acquaintance of yours," He Yan said hesitantly.

Liu Buwang replied, "That’s right."

He admitted it so quickly? She was momentarily stunned. Such frankness—did it mean there was nothing more to it? For the first time, He Yan realized how gossipy she could be, even prying into others’ private affairs. But when it came to Liu Buwang, she couldn’t help wanting to know what kind of past her ethereal, seemingly emotionless master had experienced.

Perhaps it was this very past that could make him seem a bit more human, more like an ordinary person.

"Princess Meng Ji said she once admired you, but your heart belonged to someone else," He Yan blurted out in one breath. "Back then, Princess Meng Ji wanted to escape her marriage and made a promise with you, but you never showed up. So, she returned to Jiyang and married."

Upon hearing this, Liu Buwang remained expressionless, revealing nothing of his thoughts.

He Yan pressed on, "Master, is this true?"

She always felt that, given Liu Buwang’s chivalrous and righteous nature—the kind of person who would bury corpses even when passing by a pile of the dead—if Mu Hongjin had sincerely pleaded with him, he would have taken her away. If he had never intended to take her away in the first place, why would he have made that promise with Mu Hongjin?

Why go through the trouble?

"It’s true," Liu Buwang replied calmly.

He Yan was surprised. "Why?"

"It was the best choice for her," Liu Buwang said. "As Princess Meng Ji, she had to bear the responsibilities that came with her position. Jiyang was her responsibility."

"But..." He Yan persisted, unwilling to let it go. "Did you not take her away for that reason, or was there another cause? Master, did your heart truly belong to someone else?"

All these years, she had never heard Liu Buwang mention any woman or speak of loving anyone. To put it bluntly, even if that "beloved" were no longer in this world, he would at least pay respects during Qingming or the Ghost Festival. But there was nothing—absolutely nothing.

Liu Buwang did not answer her question. Instead, he smiled gently at He Yan and asked, "Is she... doing well?"

Doing well? He Yan couldn’t answer that. Given the current situation in Jiyang, it could hardly be considered good. Yet, in some ways, Mu Hongjin had married, had children, and now had a granddaughter to bring her joy—at least she wasn’t as lonely as Liu Buwang.

She could only say, "Xiao Lou is her granddaughter."

Liu Buwang smiled faintly but said nothing more.

The atmosphere in the room suddenly grew heavy and silent.

Outside, Cui Jiao knocked on the door and said, "Madam, the sweet brown sugar dumpling soup is here.""Why do you still have such a sweet tooth?" Liu Buwang snapped back to reality and chuckled. "Go out and have some sweet soup. Your master wants to be alone for a while."

He Yan hesitated for a moment before standing up and saying, "Then, Master, I'll take my leave."

She stepped out of the room, and the door closed behind her.

The nights in Jiyang were warm and gentle, unlike the biting cold of the north. A breeze drifted in through the window, rustling the shadows of the trees, much like the mist on Qiyun Mountain.

Liu Buwang had no parents. He was the youngest disciple of Yunji Daoren on Qiyun Mountain. Yunji Daoren, a transcendent figure who had retreated from the world, had taken in a group of orphans as his disciples. Liu Buwang was the seventh among them and was called Little Seven.

The young men practiced martial arts and cultivated their skills on the mountain. Once they turned eighteen, they would all descend to gain worldly experience. When Liu Buwang was about to leave, his senior brothers came to see him off. Proud yet simple, pure and honest by nature, they feared he would be deceived in the world below. Their endless advice felt like an earful of clichés, and he grew impatient.

Every young man believed his future was bright and limitless, that he could vanquish evil, uphold justice, and right all wrongs in the world. Nothing could tarnish their spirit, nor could anything break their resolve.

Liu Buwang was no exception.

Little did he know that as soon as he descended the mountain, he would encounter ruffians bullying a helpless woman in the peach blossom grove at the foot of the mountain. Liu Buwang stepped forward, drove the villains away, and was about to leave when the woman clung to him like a stubborn patch, impossible to shake off.

He still remembered the first time he met Mu Hongjin. The girl was stunningly beautiful and charming, with a glance that could make one blush. Two braids hung over her chest as she blinked at him, her voice utterly innocent: "Young Hero Liu, I've sprained my ankle and can't walk. Since you've saved me, you might as well finish the job—carry me on your back!"

He was stunned by her boldness and took a step back. "No."

"Why not?" Mu Hongjin said. "Aren't you a young hero? Young heroes are supposed to do this."

Are young heroes supposed to do this? The young Liu Buwang didn't understand. He had always lived on the mountain and had never dealt with worldly affairs, so he couldn't tell if she was telling the truth. But seeing her speak with such conviction, Liu Buwang thought, perhaps... people in the world below were like this, and he was overreacting?

As he pondered, he heard Mu Hongjin groan pitifully, "Ouch, ouch, it hurts so much. Even moving a little is painful."

So delicate, he thought with displeasure. Even Yunji Daoren's daughter, his junior sister, wasn't this delicate. Reluctantly, he crouched down. "Get on."

Mu Hongjin happily climbed onto his back.

The girl's hands wrapped tightly around his neck, her warm body pressed against him, and he could smell the faint fragrance of her hair. Liu Buwang felt extremely uncomfortable and wanted to refuse, but it was too late. Resigned, he asked, "Miss, where do you live? I'll take you home."

"I have no home," the girl said pitifully. "I was kidnapped. My home is very, very far away. From now on, I'll follow you. Wherever you go, I'll go."

Liu Buwang was so shocked he nearly dropped her from his back. "What do you mean, 'wherever you go, I'll go'? Why would you follow me?"

"Since you saved me, of course you have to take full responsibility," Mu Hongjin declared boldly. "Otherwise, take me back to my home. My home is in Shuojing, very, very far from here. Can you take me there?"Liu Buwang: "..."

He truly hadn't expected that saving someone would lead to such a huge trouble. Were all people down the mountain like this, or were all women down the mountain like this? No wonder his senior brother had told him before leaving: "Women down the mountain are tigers." Tigers could at least be scared away with a firecracker, but this woman—why couldn't he shake her off no matter what?

As if reading his thoughts, the girl whispered close to his ear, "Don't be afraid. I don't eat much, and I won't cost you much money. Taking me along won't be a burden."

"Please, young master."

Seeing everyone in the comments discussing how Yan Yan doesn't seem very clever, I'll quietly add a few words. In terms of natural talent, Yan Yan can't compare to A Li, and her past experiences and age are also less than Ruan Mei and Jiao Jiao. Yan Yan's character is essentially an ordinary person just like us. However! Yan Yan's professional skills are top-notch! Her golden finger is in her career line, so please be more tolerant of her. After all, no one is perfect. As long as she loves her job, is dedicated, reliable in her work, doesn't hold the organization back, and is an outstanding class leader, that's enough!

Just treat this as an ancient workplace Mary Sue wish-fulfillment novel! No need to take it too seriously~

(End of Chapter)