Legend of the Female General

Chapter 145: The Chaste Woman

Fei Nu behind him: "..."

Xiao Jue felt a faint throbbing at his temples. He had just returned to the Cui residence and hadn't even had time to change his clothes when Cui Jiao told him that He Yan had been dragged off to the small garden by Ling Xiu. A woman like Ling Xiu—he could guess her intentions at a glance. Yet He Yan was utterly clueless about the affairs of the women's quarters. After some thought, he decided to come over first to put out the fire, fearing she might suffer a loss.

Who would have thought that as soon as he arrived, he would see her so smugly boasting like a melon seller? It didn’t seem like she had suffered any loss; instead, she had left those women green with anger.

Not too foolish after all. Xiao Jue felt both annoyed and amused. He simply didn’t step forward, choosing instead to stand at the corner of the garden, watching her coldly and listening to what other outrageous nonsense this person could spout.

On the other side, Second Aunt revealed a knowing smile and gestured with her chin toward the figure at the garden corner. "Look, the protective one is here."

"Really!" Fourth Concubine clenched her fists. "Second Sister, you really have a sharp eye. I admire you!"

"Who he’ll side with is still uncertain," Third Aunt, unwilling to admit her misjudgment, said, "What if Young Master Qiao sees how beautiful Ling Xiu is and switches sides on the spot?"

Aunt Wei frowned. "If you don’t know how to speak, then don’t speak!"

Second Aunt laughed gleefully.

Over there, He Yan was still talking eloquently: "So I say, dear sisters, it’s natural to learn music, chess, calligraphy, and painting, but you should learn them for your own enjoyment. If it’s just to make men like you, you might as well learn some husband-taming techniques. Before I got married, I also enjoyed romantic pursuits, but after marriage, I realized it was all just fleeting clouds in the valley. Only the secrets of husband-taming are truly powerful."

"Really?" These young ladies weren’t very old. Though sometimes annoying, they weren’t particularly scheming either. Those who wore their intentions on their sleeves naturally lacked cunning. One of them asked, "Then tell us, what are your husband-taming secrets?"

He Yan cleared her throat twice and answered seriously, "I’m ashamed to say, I don’t even know what my husband-taming techniques are. My husband and I only met once during the Lantern Festival. I didn’t even know him, but the very next day, he came to my home to propose, insisting he wouldn’t marry anyone but me. I actually didn’t want to marry so early, but he was so infatuated, telling me he wouldn’t marry anyone else and that if I didn’t agree to marry him, he would jump into the river and drown himself. I thought, after all, it was a human life, so I might as well do a good deed. Besides, you all know the saying: 'A chaste woman fears a persistent suitor.' He was so relentless in his pursuit, so I married him."

"I’ve thought about it, and the secret to husband-taming boils down to just one thing. First, you must have a face that makes someone fall in love at first sight and vow to marry no one but you." She smoothed the hair hanging over her chest and said somewhat sheepishly, "Of course, not everyone can achieve this."

"Secondly, your affection for him must be less than his affection for you. In relationships between men and women, things are generally balanced, but in small matters, someone always has the upper hand while someone else is at a disadvantage. It’s like fighting a war. If you constantly see your lover as too important, it’s not a good thing. Treat yourself well, and naturally, someone will love you." He Yan fabricated wildly, almost convincing herself. "I never flatter or fawn over my husband, yet he treasures me like a pearl. That’s the result.""Third," He Yan thought to herself, I can't make up a third one. She smiled slightly, "Good men are rare, so you all need to keep your eyes wide open and look carefully. Instead of eyeing someone else's, why not sharpen your vision now and nurture a new one yourself."

Fei Nu stole a glance at his master. Second Young Master Xiao stood leaning against the wall, his smile cold, his gaze mocking. Fei Nu thought to himself, what was this Miss He saying about how even chaste women fear persistent suitors? Was their young master a persistent suitor? And had he been pestering her relentlessly? She really knew how to flatter herself!

Second Aunt stopped cracking melon seeds and stared at He Yan in surprise. "So I misjudged her? I thought she was clueless about the affairs of the inner household, but it turns out she's an expert. How clever!"

"Although I don't quite understand what she's saying," Fourth Concubine scratched her head, "it sounds impressive."

He Yan felt somewhat reassured, thinking that ever since her rebirth, she had seen much of the world alongside Xiao Jue and had learned quite a bit about saying the right things to the right people. Indeed, with this nonsense she had just spouted, she had managed to dazzle these young ladies.

However, in any group, there are always one or two who are not easily fooled. Yan Min'er looked at her and sneered, "Do you really think anyone would believe what you're saying? That Young Master Qiao is a doting lover? And that he's obsessed with you? Does Young Master Qiao look like that kind of person?"

Hearing this, the few young ladies who had been confused earlier suddenly became more alert as they thought of Qiao Huanqing's cool, moon-like demeanor. No matter how they looked at it, Qiao Huanqing didn't seem like someone who would pester Wen Yuyan relentlessly.

"You must be lying!" the loud-voiced girl exclaimed.

"I'm not," He Yan said with utmost sincerity. "Our marital relationship is excellent, better than you can imagine. Just the other day during the Water God Festival, we went to walk the Lovers' Bridge. I'm afraid of heights, so I didn't want to go, but when my husband heard that couples who cross the bridge together will never part in this lifetime, he insisted on carrying me across. If I hadn't firmly refused, he might have walked it three times to seal our fate for three lifetimes."

Xiao Jue: "..."

He could hardly bear to listen any longer, finding it utterly unbelievable. How could there be such a person in the world, telling such lies without blushing or panting, maintaining such a serious expression to a shocking degree.

"What's so special about that?" a girl nearby retorted. "So many people walk the Lovers' Bridge..."

"We also looked at pictures together," He Yan said.

Ling Xiu was puzzled. "What pictures?"

"Spring..."

Before she could finish, a light cough sounded. Everyone turned to see a young man approaching leisurely, his grace worthy of a painting, his handsomeness like fine jade. Though not the first time they had seen him, each time, others couldn't help but be captivated by his appearance, inwardly praising his exceptional elegance.

As he passed by He Yan, his beautiful eyes fell on her, carrying a hint of warning.

He Yan momentarily forgot what she had been saying. Just as she was about to speak, she heard Xiao Jue say calmly, "Yan Yan, what are you doing here?"

Yan Yan?

Ling Xiu was stunned. It wasn't unheard of for couples to use pet names for each other, but that was usually in private. To do so in front of everyone like this, unless their affection was so deep that they had no reservations at all...

He Yan felt a lump in her chest, unsure how to react. Although she knew Xiao Jue was calling Wen Yuyan's "Yan Yan," it was such a coincidence that she also had the character "Yan" in her name. Thinking of it this way, it felt as though he were calling her "Yan Yan."

In a daze, she replied, "Just... drinking tea and chatting."Xiao Jue nodded, his shimmering dark eyes fixed on her as he smiled gently, his tone so soft it made one’s heart tremble. “Would you accompany me back to my room for a while?”

“For what?” He Yan was utterly unaccustomed to him speaking this way, feeling as though the surrounding gazes were like knives, “whoosh, whoosh, whoosh” flying toward her. It was truly disheartening—she had just been boasting here about how favored she was, only to be met with a single “liar.” Meanwhile, Xiao Jue hadn’t said much at all, merely softened his gaze when looking at her, yet she received so many envious stares.

Who wouldn’t say Second Young Master Xiao was impressive?

“To practice the qin with me.” The young man’s face was like fine jade, his eyes bright as stars, his dark hair tied up with a jade crown, smooth and cool as it cascaded over his shoulders. He reached out and gently ruffled He Yan’s hair, the gesture overflowing with indulgence.

Those watching nearby nearly wished they could push He Yan aside and shove their own heads under the young man’s hand.

“Alright… alright.” He Yan steadied herself and stood up. When she looked up again, she wore an expression of bashfulness. “My apologies, sisters. My husband wants me to return and practice the qin with him.” She sighed, adding with feigned vexation, “It’s true what they say—even the most chaste woman fears a persistent suitor.”

He Yan turned and gracefully walked away, arm in arm with Xiao Jue. Behind them, the group exchanged bewildered glances. After a long pause, Ling Xiu flung her handkerchief, bit her pearly teeth, and wiped her face with her hand. Yan Min’er was taken aback. “What’s wrong?”

Ling Xiu had actually been angered to tears.

A plate of melon seeds had been emptied. Fourth Concubine clapped her hands, looking rather unsatisfied. “Is that all?”

“If you want to watch a show, go find a playbook,” Aunt Wei chided. “Is Young Master Qiao here for your entertainment?”

“Don’t say that. This is much more entertaining than the Xiangsi Troupe’s performances,” Second Aunt said, resting her chin on her hand. “From afar, the moment Young Master Qiao shielded his wife just now was quite stirring. It made me want to…”

“What do you want?” Aunt Wei said. “Don’t cause trouble.”

“Good sister, I’m just talking,” Second Aunt smiled with alluring charm. “At our age, even if we wanted to stroll under the moonlight with someone, no one would dote on us.”

Third Concubine, unusually, refrained from making any sarcastic remarks and only muttered, “Lady Qiao is quite lucky to have found such a husband.”

“You and your narrow mind, only seeing that Young Master Qiao isn’t bad,” Fourth Concubine rolled her eyes. “I think Lady Qiao is quite an interesting person herself. If you had been surrounded like that just now, you’d have been weeping and ready to jump into the river. Look at her—that’s what you call using a light touch to move a heavy weight. The art of managing a husband isn’t simple. You should learn more, Third Sister.”

…

At that moment, He Yan, who possessed the enviable “art of managing a husband,” was walking back to the courtyard with Xiao Jue.

He Yan didn’t dare breathe heavily the entire way, nor did she look up at Xiao Jue, not uttering a single word. Without a doubt, since he had appeared at that moment, it was clear he hadn’t just arrived. He might have been standing there for quite some time, and all those words she had spoken to tarnish Xiao Jue’s image had likely been heard by him.

It was all because those girls were too talkative, chattering noisily and preventing her from hearing Xiao Jue’s footsteps. She had unwittingly become a spectacle, and she had no idea what Xiao Jue was thinking now. He must be very angry. How could she placate him once they returned? Should she apologize before he even got angry?As she was thinking, the courtyard was already right before her eyes. When He Yan and Xiao Jue returned, they saw Lin Shuanghe standing in the yard, chatting with a maid. This scoundrel Lin Shuanghe must have said something to his newly recognized "maid sister," making the young maid blush and giggle uncontrollably.

Looking up and seeing He Yan and Xiao Jue return, Lin Shuanghe greeted them, "Young Master, Young Madam, you're back? Where have you been?"

He Yan replied awkwardly, "We had some tea. I'll tell you later."

She followed Xiao Jue back to their room. As soon as she entered, she nearly bumped into him and almost fell into his arms. Xiao Jue glanced at her coolly, reached past her, and closed the door behind her.

He Yan: "..."

"Sit," he said, turning to sit at the table. His tone was calm, but He Yan sensed a hint of accusation in it.

He Yan quickly sat down opposite him.

"Why so quiet?" Xiao Jue raised an eyebrow, looking at her with a half-smile. "Weren't you quite talkative just now, my chaste lady?"

He Yan was startled—he had indeed heard her!

She said, "Commander, you know they come looking for trouble every now and then. I'm also fed up with it, so it was just a temporary measure. May I ask when you arrived and how much of what I said you heard?"

Xiao Jue sneered, "What difference does it make?"

"The difference lies in what I need to apologize for."

Xiao Jue turned his head and stared at her for a long moment before saying, "Miss He, do you not care about your own reputation, or do you not care about mine?"

"I'm sorry," He Yan apologized sincerely, "but I thought that since we are now Young Master Qiao and Miss Wen, it shouldn't matter if we make our relationship seem closer. After all, it's only natural for a married couple to be affectionate."

Xiao Jue couldn't hold back any longer. "Is that what you call affection?"

"Isn't it?"

"If I hadn't come over just now, what were you planning to say? What did you and I look at together?" His upbringing prevented him from uttering those two words.

But He Yan was clearly not as refined as he was. Hearing this, she replied straightforwardly, "Oh, you mean the erotic pictures!"

Xiao Jue pinched the bridge of his nose. "No need to say it so loudly."

He Yan lowered her voice a little and asked in confusion, "Looking at erotic pictures together means we have an excellent relationship. What's wrong with that?"

Back in the military camp, when soldiers wanted to show a life-and-death bond, they would share their treasured pictures with their brothers. If the relationship wasn't that close, they wouldn't even lend them out. For a married couple, it was even more so. Looking at pictures together—what could be more intimate and harmonious?

Xiao Jue's face darkened as if it could drip water. He slowly retorted, "Who told you that looking at pictures together means a good relationship?" What kind of person was she? How could she say such things so matter-of-factly? Was this how He Sui raised his daughter, not even teaching her what should and shouldn't be said? Did she even realize that if he hadn't stopped her from saying what she was about to say earlier, her words would have been enough to shock the entire city of Jiyang?

"I..." He Yan suddenly stopped herself. "That's just what I think. Besides, after you saw them back then, our relationship was still good. It didn't create any rift between us, did it?"

"When did I ever see them?" Xiao Jue's face turned ashen."You were looking at it then," He Yan insisted. "Even a glance counts as looking. We've already looked at it together."

He was slightly annoyed. "I wasn't looking."

"You were."

"I wasn't."

"Forget it," He Yan said. "If you say you weren't, then you weren't."

Xiao Jue felt a headache coming on. Clearly, she was the one talking nonsense, yet somehow it felt like he was the one being unreasonable.

"You spouting such nonsense—never mind that you disregard our own reputations, but you'll ruin Qiao Huanqing and Wen Yuyan's reputations along with them," he said with a faint, cold smile.

He Yan thought for a moment. "I understand. I won't mention that we looked at those spring pictures together in front of outsiders from now on."

"I did not look at them with you," Xiao Jue emphasized again.

"Then can I look at them by myself?" He Yan was puzzled. Why was Xiao Jue so fixated on this matter?

"You're not allowed to look at them by yourself either," he raised an eyebrow and warned coldly. "Do you even know what kind of outrageous words you were just saying? Chaste lady."

He Yan choked on her own breath, coughing repeatedly. She pleaded softly, "Commander, please don't call me 'chaste lady' anymore. It sounds like you're insulting me."

"Oh?" Xiao Jue spoke with a half-smile. "But it seemed to me you were quite pleased with what you said. 'I will marry no one but you, and if I can't marry you, I'll jump into the river.' Who would have thought that Miss He, despite her short stature, has such a vivid imagination."

"That was just to prove your unwavering devotion to me," He Yan sighed helplessly. "I just wanted them to give up, otherwise they'd come picking fights with me every few days. Who could stand that? Naturally, you can rely on your beauty to get away with anything, but I'm the one who suffers, Commander. You should have a little sympathy."

"I lack sympathy?" Xiao Jue laughed in anger. If he hadn't just helped her out of that situation, to make Ling Xiu and the others stop their pointless schemes, he wouldn't have had to put on such an overly affectionate act in front of others. He still felt uncomfortable all over.

"Why should I have sympathy?" he said indifferently. "Aren't you skilled at taming your husband? Just crook a finger and your husband will dote on you alone. From the sound of it, it's your husband who deserves more sympathy."

He Yan: "..."

"With a face that makes people want to marry you at first sight," Xiao Jue's lips curved slightly, his smile playful as he stared into her eyes and spoke deliberately, "He treasures you like a jewel, yet you don't love him as much as he loves you. Still, the infatuated man remains devoted, insisting on being bound to you for three lifetimes. Chaste lady, aren't you being a bit too heartless?"

Hearing "chaste lady" over and over made He Yan's skin crawl. She quickly moved her stool closer to Xiao Jue, grabbed his arm, and earnestly flattered him, "Exactly! How could someone as handsome and graceful as our Commander ever be the clingy one? No one but the Commander deserves to be called 'chaste lady.' If the Commander wanted to be bound to someone for three lifetimes, I'd cross not just bridges but mountains of blades for you! No one could be heartless to the Commander, no one!"

"That's not what you said earlier," he remarked leisurely.

"What I said earlier was a lie. This is the truth," He Yan declared. "You must believe me!"

The girl's gaze was clear and determined, like the stray cat he had encountered in the courtyard—it would bristle if its tail was stepped on, but when it jumped up to be petted, it became exceptionally docile.A flicker of amusement passed swiftly through his eyes, vanishing in an instant as he said indifferently, "Cut down on reading all that nonsense in the future." After a pause, he added, "Let's consider this matter closed."

He Yan breathed a huge sigh of relief in her heart. This man truly wasn't easy to fool. She had only slightly... toned down his cold and aloof demeanor a bit, and he got so angry. It seemed Second Young Master Xiao really cared about how others perceived him.

Thinking this, He Yan leaned closer to him and said, "Commander, don't just focus on that. Before all this, I also said many good things about you. For example... I said you were proficient in music, chess, calligraphy, and painting—capable of anything in this world. Next time, you must show off your skills in front of them to prove what I said wasn't false."

Xiao Jue sneered, "Am I a street performer?"

"...Well, not exactly." He Yan scratched her head. After thinking for a moment, she said to Xiao Jue, "But if something like this happens again, and there are still such tactless people coming to cause trouble, Commander, you must cooperate with me. We should act deeply in love, like an affectionate couple. That way, they might back off and stop looking for trouble."

Xiao Jue raised an eyebrow. "Cooperate?"

He Yan nodded.

He glanced at her. "If you beg me, I might consider it."

He Yan: "I beg you, Commander."

Xiao Jue: "..."

He actually said it so easily? He frowned slightly, a mocking smile curling at the corner of his lips. "So spineless, and yet you call yourself a 'chaste woman.'"

"I told you not to call me that," He Yan fumed. "Commander, you're really being childish."

"Oh." He raised an eyebrow, enunciating each word slowly. "Chaste. Woman."

"Childish!"

...

However, after the incident in the garden, whether it was due to He Yan's words or the impact of Xiao Jue's calm and composed display of affection for his beloved wife, the Cui residence remained unusually quiet for two consecutive days. None of the young ladies from Jiyang City came to have tea or chat with Lady Qiao anymore.

Hong Qiao took out the "Tear Silk" from the chest and said, "For Madam's visit to the royal residence today, wear this."

He Yan nodded. "Alright."

Princess Meng Ji was hosting a banquet at the royal residence today and had invited He Yan and Xiao Jue to attend, saying there were guests coming. No one knew who they were. Cui Yuezhi was still puzzled. "Why did Her Highness invite you two but not me?"

He Yan, however, understood clearly. In Mu Hongjin's mind, her and Xiao Jue's identities had already been exposed. If Cui Yuezhi were also present, it would be inconvenient to speak freely. But with distinguished guests arriving, why invite her and Xiao Jue to accompany them? Could it be that the guests were people they knew?

Yet, no matter how much she thought about it, she couldn't figure it out. She would know once they arrived at the royal residence. After Hong Qiao finished dressing He Yan, she stepped out. Xiao Jue was already waiting outside, speaking with Liu Buwang. These past few days, Liu Buwang had been absent during the day, only returning late at night. By the time he came back, He Yan was already asleep, leaving no opportunity to speak with him. Now that she finally saw Liu Buwang, she had to leave again.

"Master," she said.

In truth, He Yan had wanted to ask Liu Buwang several times if he wished to see Mu Hongjin, but this was someone else's affair, and it wasn't right to interfere too much. Besides, only they themselves knew what had truly happened between them.

Liu Buwang smiled and nodded at her. "Ah He, be careful."He Yan nodded. There might be Wutuo People mixed in Jiyang City now, and it was possible that some of them had seen Xiao Jue before. Being cautious in all matters was never a bad thing.

Fei Nu and Chi Wu followed as coachmen, while Lin Shuanghe remained at the Cui residence and did not need to accompany them. He Yan and Xiao Jue boarded the carriage, and He Yan asked, "Commander, today Princess Meng Ji specifically invited the two of us to the palace for a banquet but did not include Cui Zhongqi. That means she is wary of our identities. Yet there are also distinguished guests coming. Could it be... that the distinguished guests know our identities? Who exactly are they?"

Xiao Jue lowered his eyes, his emotions unclear, his voice extremely calm.

"Someone from Shuojing."

A day of exchanging cheesy sweet talk.

Yan Yan: Do I look like a drama queen today?

(End of Chapter)