Chapter 167: A Bitter Victory
The door was right before her. He Yan hesitated for a moment but ultimately did not head straight into her own room. Instead, she walked to Xiao Jue’s door and knocked lightly.
After a while, Xiao Jue’s voice came from inside: “Come in.”
The door was unlocked. He Yan pushed it open and peeked inside. There was no one else in the room, only Xiao Jue standing there. He had already changed into his inner garments, likely preparing to rest. He Yan hesitated for a moment. “Commander, are you about to retire for the night?”
“What is it?”
He Yan entered the room and closed the door behind her. She walked in but suddenly found herself at a loss for words. After a brief pause, she looked at Xiao Jue. “I’ve been promoted to Wu Anlang, Commander. What is going on?”
“What is going on?” Xiao Jue said coldly. “Didn’t Chu Zilan tell you?”
He actually guessed it. He Yan took a step forward. “Commander, you know it was Chu Fourth Young Master who petitioned for my promotion.”
Xiao Jue’s gaze fixed on her face, a faint, cold smile curling his lips. “You two seem to be on very good terms.”
“No, Commander, you’re wronging me,” He Yan protested. “I only found out today that Chu Fourth Young Master petitioned for my promotion. I’m puzzled myself—why would he do such a thing out of the blue?”
“Wasn’t it because he saw you stagnating under my command and felt indignant on your behalf, so he personally submitted a petition for your promotion?” Xiao Jue turned around, hanging Drink Autumn on the wall, his voice laced with sarcasm. “Miss He is quite popular, more so than one might expect.”
Why did his words sound so mocking? He Yan frowned. “I didn’t ask for this, Commander. You can’t just take your anger out on me.”
“I’ve said it before,” Xiao Jue’s expression turned stern. “Whether you like Chu Zilan is your business, but in Liangzhou Guard, getting close to a spy is my business.”
His words were harsh, as if she were a traitor colluding with outsiders. He Yan thought to herself that Xiao Jue’s temper was inexplicable, even worse than Shen Muxue’s. The frustration that had built up over the past two days surged within her, and she couldn’t help but retort, “Chu Fourth Young Master and I are just ordinary friends. We’re not particularly close. Commander, aren’t you close to Physician Shen? Don’t you have people you’re friendly with too?”
“Friendly?” Xiao Jue stared at her and slowly repeated the word. After a moment, he laughed, but there was no warmth in his eyes. “It seems Chu Zilan has managed to please you quite well.”
He Yan replied, “Whether he pleases me or not, I don’t know. But at least Chu Fourth Young Master isn’t as unreasonable as you, Commander.”
Xiao Jue said coldly, “Miss He is free to seek out someone who isn’t unreasonable.”
He Yan: “…”
She usually had a good temper and considered herself broad-minded. But over the past two days, she had already been unsettled by the matter with Shen Muxue. Now, seeing Xiao Jue’s aggressive attitude, her anger flared up. In that moment, she even forgot what she had originally wanted to ask Xiao Jue. Without another word, she turned and left. As she left, she nearly slammed the door but remembered that Xiao Jue was still her superior and restrained herself, closing the door properly before leaving with a defiant air.
The room fell silent once more.
After a while, Xiao Jue looked toward the door again. It was already closed. The visitor had arrived cautiously but left in a huff. The tense atmosphere from earlier seemed to linger in the air.
The young man’s expression turned cold. With a sudden wave of his hand, the oil lamp on the table extinguished, plunging everything into silence.
It was truly an unpleasant night.
…Ever since that unpleasant parting with Xiao Jue, He Yan had thrown herself into daily training with renewed determination. She no longer sneaked over to Xiao Jue’s quarters every night to chat as she used to. For one thing, Xiao Jue’s attitude that day had been too harsh. It was Chu Zhao who had recommended her for the promotion, not her own request. She was already wary of Chu Zhao herself, yet Xiao Jue had taken his anger out on her, making it sound as though she were a spy, which infuriated He Yan. For another, as if cursed by some strange twist of fate, she had been unaware of Shen Muxue’s identity before, but now that she knew, she kept running into Xiao Jue and Shen Muxue together every few days.
It was only then that He Yan realized the exquisite pastries and meals in the food basket delivered to Xiao Jue’s room every day were all prepared by Shen Muxue. This young woman was not only skilled in poetry but also capable of following Xiao Jue to the distant frontier. Even in matters of daily life, she was meticulous and attentive. Seeing her display such virtuous qualities day after day, He Yan asked herself: if she were Xiao Jue, she would surely be moved.
The more she thought about it, the more disheartened she felt. She decided it was better to avoid seeing them altogether. By exhausting all her energy on the Martial Arts Field every day and collapsing into sleep as soon as she returned to her room, the days became much more bearable.
However, her strained relationship with Xiao Jue did not go unnoticed. One day, as He Yan was leaving the Martial Arts Field and heading back after dinner with Hong Shan and the others, Lin Shuanghe caught up with her.
“Brother He!” he greeted her naturally, waving as he approached. “Lately, I’ve been thinking how vast the Liangzhou Guard is—even more so than the capital. Otherwise, how could I go days without catching a glimpse of you? If I hadn’t run into you today, I’d have wondered if you’d returned to the capital.”
He Yan fell silent for a moment before replying, “I’ve been busy with daily training lately and haven’t had the chance to speak with you, Brother Lin. Please don’t take it to heart.”
Lin Shuanghe fanned himself lightly, studying her with a knowing smile. “I’m not that petty. But, Sister He,” he lowered his voice, “you and Huaijin had a fight, didn’t you? Usually, whenever I visited him, you were there half the time. These past few days when I went to see him, tsk tsk, the lock on the middle gate was practically rusted shut. How long has it been since you last sat in his room?”
He Yan glared coldly. “Sit? What’s there to sit for? I’m not even that close to him!”
“So you really did quarrel?” Lin Shuanghe looked surprised. “You’ve always had such a good temper. How did you end up in a real argument with Xiao Huaijin?”
He Yan had been bottling up her frustration for days, and his question unleashed it. “How should I know what I did to offend him this time? Brother Lin, do you men also have those days every month where you find everyone irritating and just lash out for no reason, making a fuss over nothing?”
Lin Shuanghe stroked his chin thoughtfully. “I only know that women tend to be irritable and short-tempered during their monthly cycles. I wasn’t aware men experienced something similar. What kind of new ailment is this?” He then glanced sideways at He Yan. “Come, tell me, how exactly did Xiao Huaijin make a fuss over nothing?”
He Yan thought to herself that since Lin Shuanghe was Xiao Jue’s close friend, he must understand Xiao Jue better than she did. So she recounted the entire incident from beginning to end, concluding, “Brother Lin, don’t you agree that this matter really isn’t my fault? The Commander only said those things because he already suspected me, not knowing how deeply it hurt me to hear such words when my loyalty lies entirely with the Liangzhou Guard.”Lin Shuanghe closed his fan, staring at He Yan without speaking, his gaze unusually strange. He Yan felt unnerved by his stare and frowned, asking, "Brother Lin?"
"Sister He," Lin Shuanghe lowered his voice, "Do you think Huaijin suspects you because you've been too close to Chu Zilan, and Chu Zilan might be a spy for the Liangzhou Guard, which is why he's acting this way?"
He Yan replied, "Exactly."
"Then have you considered any other reasons?" Lin Shuanghe coaxed gently.
He Yan asked, "What reasons?"
"For example... don't view this matter from the perspective of a superior and subordinate, but rather from the relationship between a man and a woman. Then..." Lin Shuanghe lowered his voice even further, sounding particularly mysterious, "Could it be that Xiao Huaijin saw you getting too close to Chu Zilan and, as a man, felt jealous?"
The surroundings fell silent.
Lin Shuanghe observed He Yan's expression.
After a long while, He Yan reached out to touch Lin Shuanghe's forehead. "Brother Lin, are you ill? I think you shouldn't stand here catching the wind but should go find Physician Shen for a check-up."
Lin Shuanghe: "?"
"Look at me," He Yan pointed at herself, "and then look at Physician Shen. Do you think the Commander would be jealous because of me?" He Yan continued, "I'm afraid that in the Commander's eyes, there's no difference between me, you, and Instructor Shen. Perhaps he is jealous, but it's like a friend being taken away by someone else—it has nothing to do with romantic feelings."
She spoke with such certainty that even the usually eloquent Lin Shuanghe was left speechless for a moment. After a while, he said, "What you said isn't right. What do you mean by 'look at you and Physician Shen'? I think you're wonderful. I've seen my fair share of flowers, and my words carry weight even in Shuojing."
He Yan shook her head and smiled. "Am I prettier than Physician Shen?"
Lin Shuanghe: "Well..."
"Is my family background more distinguished than Physician Shen's?"
"Uh..."
"Do I treat Commander Xiao like a precious treasure, willing to travel thousands of miles just to fight alongside him?"
Lin Shuanghe: "..."
He struggled to refute, "You can't put it that way. You have your own strengths."
He Yan smiled. "Then tell me, Brother Lin, what are my strengths?"
Lin Shuanghe said, "You're generous! Loyal, righteous, and value friendship! You're skilled, straightforward, and bold, never coy. You're passionate, resilient, and can fight in battles. Aren't these strengths?"
He Yan looked at him. "Brother Lin, the strengths you mentioned—Instructor Shen has them, Chi Wu and Fei Nu have them, and most of the new recruits in the Liangzhou Guard are like this too. Does that mean the Commander admires and appreciates them all?"
Lin Shuanghe couldn't respond to that.
He suddenly felt a wave of exhaustion. Originally, he had wanted to help his friend test this girl's feelings, but now, forget testing—He Yan refused to believe that Xiao Jue had any special affection for her. How could he even continue? This girl seemed as bright and cheerful as a little sun, yet deep down, why was she so insecure? It was as if she had never been treated well, unwilling to believe even the slightest hint of being "favored."
Wasn't it said that her father, the military official, doted on He Yan? A girl raised with love and care would be confident and proud, never like this.Lin Shuanghe thought to himself that this matter couldn't be rushed. To change He Yan's stubborn mindset, he first needed to find the underlying cause. Worried that He Yan might remain fixated on it, he changed the subject: "Alright, let's not talk about this anymore. It's just that these past few days, I've noticed the tension between you and Huaijin, and I wanted to play peacemaker. You know, it won't be long before we leave Liangzhou Guard. If we remain this distant and cold on the road, it would be unbearable."
He Yan was taken aback. "Leave Liangzhou Guard?"
Lin Shuanghe sighed. "The Wutuo people have advanced to our doorstep. Huaijin will eventually lead the troops back to the capital. No matter how much Xu Xiang stirs trouble, His Majesty won't let Huaijin stay in Liangzhou Guard forever—the capital cannot be left undefended."
"What do you mean, 'the Wutuo people have advanced to our doorstep'?"
"Brother He, haven't you heard? I found out this afternoon. You were probably training then, but by tomorrow, the entire Liangzhou Guard will know. While we were dealing with the Wutuo people in Jiyang, another large Wutuo army launched an attack on Huayuan. His Majesty dispatched the Flying Goose General to confront them and ordered him to defend Huayuan."
The news was so shocking that He Yan didn't know which part to be more stunned by first. The Wutuo people attacking Huayuan? He Rufei leading the defense?
How dare He Rufei!
"When did this happen?" He Yan asked. "Has the... Flying Goose General already gone to Huayuan?"
Lin Shuanghe thought for a moment. "Even with non-stop travel and pushing horses to their limits, it takes over a month to travel from Huayuan to Liang Province. Since the news has already reached us, the Flying Goose General should have arrived in Huayuan by now and is likely engaged in fierce battle with the Wutuo people." Seeing He Yan's grim expression, he assumed she was worried about the situation in Huayuan and comforted her: "You don't need to worry. The Flying Goose General brought 150,000 troops from the Pacify Yue Army. No matter what, they won't lose. Besides, that's the Flying Goose General of our Great Wei, He Rufei, who is almost as renowned as Xiao Huaijin and has rarely suffered defeat. With just 20,000 men, we managed to handle 150,000 Wutuo people in Jiyang, let alone 150,000 Pacify Yue troops. You know the Flying Goose General excels at military strategy and winning against overwhelming odds."
He Yan remained silent.
Lin Shuanghe looked at her curiously. "Brother He? Brother He?"
He Yan snapped back to attention and looked at him, speaking slowly and deliberately. "Brother Lin, in the coming days, if there's any news from Huayuan, could you inform me as soon as possible?"
"Of course," Lin Shuanghe twirled his fan. "It's not classified military information. Once news from Huayuan arrives, the entire Liangzhou Guard will know sooner or later. But why are you so tense? You're even sweating. Back in Jiyang City, when the situation was so dire, you remained calm and composed. Unless..." He leaned in and stared at He Yan. "You..."
He Yan's heart skipped a beat, but she maintained her composure. "What?"
"You don't trust the Flying Goose General?" Lin Shuanghe said seriously. "Although you're closer to Huaijin and it's natural to favor your own superior between the two, the Flying Goose General, aside from his previous habit of wearing a mask to seem mysterious, is truly a first-rate commander. There's no doubt about that. You don't need to worry so much. If he didn't have real skill, His Majesty wouldn't have appointed him as a general."He Yan had no mind to listen to Lin Shuanghe's comfort at this moment. After perfunctorily responding with a few words, she hurriedly left. Lin Shuanghe watched her retreating figure and muttered curiously, "If He Rufei were here, seeing his abilities doubted like this, he'd probably be so angry he'd vomit blood."
Whether He Rufei would actually vomit blood from anger, He Yan did not know. She hurried back to her room, looking at the tightly closed middle door. Several times, her hand reached for the lock, only to withdraw each time.
How could she tell Xiao Jue? That He Rufei was an imposter? Because the real Flying Goose General was right here in Liangzhou Guard? Huayuan was so far from Liangzhou Guard, and the Emperor had already dispatched the Pacify Yue Army. The Southern Garrison Troops of Liangzhou Guard could not leave the city without authorization. Moreover, how could she persuade Xiao Jue to lead the Southern Garrison Troops to Huayuan? By saying that the 150,000 Pacify Yue Army led by He Rufei could not defeat the Wutuo People? She feared that as soon as she uttered those words, she would be arrested as a spy.
He Yan grabbed the tea on the table and took a sip. The tea had already turned cold, calming her emotions somewhat.
She never expected that Emperor Wenxuan would send He Rufei to Huayuan. Ever since He Rufei replaced her as the "Flying Goose General," apart from occasionally appearing at military reviews on the Martial Arts Field in the capital, he had never truly led troops into battle. This was partly because, after the rebellions of the Western Qiang and Southern Barbarians were quelled, Great Wei enjoyed peace and prosperity, with no further need for military campaigns. But He Rufei himself had also petitioned Emperor Wenxuan, claiming to have suffered severe injuries in the final battle and requesting to remain in Shuojing to recuperate.
Military power, once relinquished, is difficult to reclaim. Since He Rufei voluntarily asked to stay in the capital, Emperor Wenxuan was naturally more than willing. Others believed He Rufei was wise to retreat at the height of his success, but He Yan knew the truth: Young Master He simply could not lead troops into battle. Over the years, He Rufei had been recuperating outside Shuojing. She knew he had decent martial skills and, perhaps to live up to the title of "Flying Goose General," had studied military texts extensively. But no two leaves in the world are exactly alike. Strategy, tactics, and habits cannot be changed; one might deceive for a while, but not forever. Her former close aides, if they went to the battlefield with He Rufei, would immediately notice the differences between him and her.
He Rufei must have worried about this very point, which was why he no longer led troops.
Now, the appearance of the Wutuo People had disrupted all peace. Forced to go to war, He Rufei... what would he do?
Thinking of this, for some reason, an ominous premonition rose in He Yan's heart. She knew He Rufei certainly could not afford to lose. With so many Pacify Yue Army troops, if they were defeated, it would tarnish the reputation of the Flying Goose General. Given the cunning of the He family, they would never let go of the benefits they had gained.
But if he were to win, he would still be suspected by the Flying Goose General's close aides.
If He Yan were near Huayuan at this moment, she would rush to the battlefield immediately. Unfortunately, she was now far away in Liang Province. He Rufei had likely already engaged the Wutuo People, and her worries here were powerless to help.
Stay calm, He Yan told herself. There must be a solution. The immediate priority was to gather news about Huayuan before making any plans.
…As Lin Shuanghe had predicted, news of the Wutuo people invading Huayuan spread throughout the entire Liangzhou Guard by the next day. The young men of Liangzhou Guard were all fired up, exclaiming, "Those Wutuo people came to Liangzhou Guard once before. At that time, we were all new recruits, yet we still managed to beat them badly. Now we’re far stronger than before. If the Wutuo people come again, we’ll wipe them out completely!"
"Exactly! Instructor, can we go to the battlefield to fight the Wutuo people? We want to fight them too!"
Shen Han said coldly, "Stop making noise! There will be plenty of opportunities for you to fight in the future. For now, focus on training seriously!"
He Yan stood among the Southern Garrison Troops, watching the eager new recruits of Liangzhou Guard on the other side, a trace of worry flickering in her heart. Shen Han’s words were not unreasonable. The Wutuo people were not merely probing—they were launching a full-scale attack against Great Wei. Since war was inevitable, whether it was Huayuan or Liang Province, Shuojing or Jiyang, no part of Great Wei’s territory would be spared.
She just didn’t know how the Wutuo people in Huayuan were faring.
Two more days passed like this. In the afternoon, everyone was undergoing daily training on the Martial Arts Field. Just as the training ended and it was almost time for the evening meal, they saw horses galloping from the edge of White Moon Mountain in the distance. A while later, while everyone was eating, a new recruit emerged from the crowd and shouted, "Did you all hear? In the Battle of Huayuan, the Flying Goose General has won!"
"Won? Really! As expected of the Flying Goose General!"
"Those Wutuo people are nothing but paper tigers, all bark and no bite. They couldn’t defeat our Commander in Jiyang, and now they couldn’t defeat the Flying Goose General in Huayuan. As long as Great Wei has these two, even if ten more Wutu Kingdoms came, it wouldn’t matter!"
Everyone burst into laughter.
As sons of Great Wei, they all shared in the glory of the victory, and excited cheers filled the air. Wang Ba took a bite of his steamed bun and snorted, "With 150,000 Pacify Yue Army troops, even I could win."
Hong Shan teased him, "Then why haven’t you become a general?"
Just as Wang Ba was about to retort, he saw He Yan set down her bowl of porridge and stand up.
"Brother He?" Xiao Mai looked at her.
"I’m going out for a moment," He Yan said, holding the steamed bun in her mouth. "I’ll be back later." She quickly made her way through the crowd and left.
"What’s wrong with Brother He?" Jiang Jiao asked.
Huang Xiong, head down as he drank his porridge, muttered, "Probably going to relieve himself."
...
He Yan walked quickly, leaving the new recruits holding their bowls behind her. She couldn’t hide the surprise in her heart. He Rufei had actually won?
This seemed reasonable. Since he had accepted the military order, He Rufei must have made thorough preparations. Although she hadn’t spent much time with He Rufei, various incidents, such as the matter with Ding Yi, clearly showed that he was meticulous and always planned ahead. To avoid having his identity exposed, He Rufei would undoubtedly do everything possible to avoid detection. Perhaps even before He Yan returned to being the young lady of the He family, or even earlier, he had already begun aligning himself as closely as possible with the identity of a "general."
But why did she still feel so uneasy?
Lin Shuanghe spent every day with Xiao Jue, so he was likely the first to know this news. He must have some details about the specifics of this battle.He Yan had just reached the front of the courtyard and was about to step inside when he saw Lin Shuanghe speaking with Shen Han, holding what looked like a letter in his hand. Lin Shuanghe sighed, "So it seems the battle of Huayuan was won, but it was a costly victory, with many lives lost. This should be the first time in the Flying Goose General's military career."
"It's said that there were Wutuo spies who had infiltrated the army. The Flying Goose General was struck by a hidden arrow during the battle, but in the end, he managed to turn the tide and hold Huayuan."
He Yan paused in his steps. Spies? The Pacify Yue Army was known for its strict discipline—how could there be spies? Even if there were spies, how could He Rufei, as the commander, remain unscathed? The phrase "turned the tide" applied to He Rufei was something He Yan simply couldn't believe.
And what did "many lives lost" mean?
At that moment, Lin Shuanghe spoke again, "Speaking of which, I studied with General He for several years. Though he could be stubborn at times, he wasn't a bad person. After suffering such a blow, he must be deeply distressed."
Shen Han sighed, "After all, they were trusted aides who had been by my side for many years. To have them all wiped out in a single battle—no one could remain unmoved."
He Yan felt as if struck by lightning.
The plot continues.
(End of chapter)
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