Legend of the Female General

Chapter 171: Li Kuang of Rundu

Rundu was a small city.

To its north lay the prosperous and bustling Jinling, while to its south was the resource-rich Huayuan. Sandwiched between these two cities, Rundu was known for little more than its abundant grapes; many people had never even heard its name in their entire lives.

For twenty days, they traveled without rest, curling up under trees or in caves along the way to sleep for a few hours when exhausted, and hunting wild rabbits or gathering bird eggs with their bows and arrows when hungry. The group of seven finally neared Rundu City as evening fell on the twentieth day.

"What should we do now?" The group halted their horses, dismounted, and led their steeds to drink from a nearby river. They sat down to eat something while resting. He Yan looked ahead into the distance—a vast plain stretched before them. Having reached this point, she was now familiar with the way.

He Yan remained silent, climbing the tallest tree nearby. After a while, she descended.

Hong Shan handed her a few bird eggs roasted in the ashes. "Well? How do we get in?"

The eggs were scalding hot. He Yan juggled them in her hands a few times before peeling off the shells. The steaming food eased some of the fatigue from the days of travel. She said, "We can't enter directly from the front. The Wutuo People have set up camp outside the city gates. Even if we could avoid them, the guards at Rundu's gates wouldn't dare open them."

"Then what should we do?" Jiang Jiao looked at her. "Brother He, do you have any ideas?"

He Yan thought for a moment. "I asked the brothers from Liangzhou Guard earlier. There's a small path outside the city gates that requires crossing a mountain and then taking a water route. Horses can't make it, so we'll have to abandon them and proceed on foot. There's a shortcut along the way that leads into Rundu City."

"Really?" Xiao Mai asked. "Then let's finish eating quickly and continue on our way."

He Yan nodded, her gaze fixed in the direction of Rundu City, a flicker of worry crossing her mind.

This shortcut, of course, hadn't been told to her by the Liangzhou Guard soldiers. It was a tunnel she had dug years ago during the battle against the Western Qiang in Rundu, intended to bring civilians from outside the city inside. The tunnel connected to the riverbank, and crossing the river led to the mountains outside the city. Neither the Western Qiang nor the Wutuo People, with their large numbers of troops, could possibly take this route.

He Yan wasn't worried about Wutuo People lying in ambush there. What concerned her was whether Li Kuang had sealed off the tunnel after all these years. After all, Rundu had been peaceful for so long.

But regardless, they had to press on.

The group quickly finished their rations and paused briefly. He Yan removed the reins from the horses one by one, gave their hindquarters a pat, and watched as the animals galloped into the forest.

"Let's go," she said.

...

At the city gates, the guards kept a close watch on the distant plains, not missing a single suspicious detail.

Inside the room, Magistrate Zhao Shiming paced anxiously back and forth. He looked at the man sitting silently in the center and urged, "Commander, why hasn't General He arrived yet? Can't you think of something?"

Li Kuang—the city commander of Rundu, now just past forty, was tall and imposing, with a beard around his mouth that made him appear particularly resolute. He slammed the table, displeased. "Stop making such a fuss! I've already said that General He will surely come to aid our Rundu!"Zhao Shiming was startled by him, feeling displeased yet not daring to say anything. Whether Rundu City could hold out now depended entirely on this lord. But more than twenty days had already passed, and the distance from Huayuan to Rundu was only about four or five days. They couldn’t leave the city now, unable to find out what exactly was happening in Huayuan, and there was no news at all, which truly made it impossible to feel at ease.

The room was filled with people, all in a somber mood. At that moment, someone knocked on the door, the curtain was lifted, and a young woman walked in.

She was an undeniable beauty, with an oval face, skin as fair as jade, and a pair of eyes as bright and captivating as stars. Even in such tense times, she wore a light pink gauze dress embroidered with lotus flowers, and her face was beaming with a smile as she placed the crystal bowl in her hand beside Zhao Shiming. "Lord Zhao, don’t be angry. Have some grapes. This is all we have left, so you’ll have to savor them."

One doesn’t strike a smiling face, especially when it belongs to a beauty. Zhao Shiming had no choice but to suppress his displeasure and forced a smile. "Thank you, Miss Qiluo."

Qiluo was Li Kuang’s most favored concubine, and he took her with him wherever he went. Young, delicate, beautiful, and clever, such a charming and understanding flower was something anyone would wish to possess. However, in these times of war, even a beauty’s allure was not as captivating as before.

After delivering the grapes, Qiluo stood behind Li Kuang, extending her slender jade-like fingers to massage his shoulders. Her touch was just right, alleviating much of the fatigue Li Kuang had accumulated from running around and working hard every day these past days. Li Kuang picked up the teacup on the table and took a sip, saying, "Before General He arrives, continue guarding the city gates!"

Zhao Shiming didn’t speak; it was another man who spoke up. He was the head of the Rundu City Chamber of Commerce. "Lord Li, guarding the city must have a time limit. The food in the city is already scarce, and even our most abundant produce... now we can only offer such a small bowl. If we keep guarding like this, I’m afraid the people in the city will starve to death before General He even arrives!"

Once someone started, the others followed suit.

"Yes, if we aren’t killed by the Wutuo People but starve to death trapped in the city, what kind of situation is that?"

"How can Lord Li be sure General He will definitely come? What if General He doesn’t come?"

"It’s been over twenty days. Could it be that the Flying Goose General is in trouble himself, having met with an accident?"

A cacophony of voices flooded the room. Li Kuang slammed his fist on the table with a "thud," splashing half the tea from the cup on the table. The room gradually fell silent.

"Does Shopkeeper Wang have any brilliant ideas to say this?" He stared at the chamber of commerce head, his gaze as intimidating as a leopard’s.

Shopkeeper Wang shivered and fell silent.

They knew hiding in the city wasn’t ideal, but there was no better alternative. Could they charge out and fight the Wutuo People? With their forces alone, it likely wouldn’t be enough. Outside, the Wutuo People numbered a hundred thousand. Those who had been defeated earlier in Huayuan didn’t retreat but instead regrouped and joined forces with the other Wutuo People, heading straight for Rundu.

And all the troops in Rundu combined barely reached thirty thousand.

After all, Rundu was just a small city."But Lord Li, holding out like this is no solution. You've seen it yourself," an elderly man with white hair spoke up. "These past few days, the Wutuo people have been testing our defenses at night. It's likely they'll launch a full-scale assault on the city soon. We can withstand small skirmishes, but if the Wutuo's hundred-thousand-strong army truly charges in, how could we possibly hold?"

Li Kuang gritted his teeth.

As the city's commander, he understood these circumstances better than anyone. From the start, he knew that Rundu's only option was to delay the Wutuo and wait for reinforcements. He Rufei was an old acquaintance—though not exactly a close friend—but from their days fighting the Western Qiang together, Li Kuang knew He Rufei was a brave and selfless hero who cared for the world. Since Li Kuang had requested aid from He Rufei, he was certain He Rufei would come. If there had been no word for so long, it was almost certain that He Rufei himself had encountered trouble.

Yet Rundu had no one else to turn to for help. Jinling? Jinling had no general stationed with troops; only the city's own garrison, which could not leave for Rundu and leave Jinling vulnerable. Of Great Wei's two great generals, the other was Xiao Huaijin. Unfortunately, Xiao Huaijin was far away in Liang Province—distant water cannot quench a nearby fire.

For a moment, Li Kuang silently cursed the treacherous chancellor who had seized power. If not for that, Xiao Huaijin and his Southern Garrison Troops would surely have driven these Wutuo people back to their homeland, never daring to set foot on Great Wei's soil again.

In the midst of this silence, Zhao Shiming suddenly spoke: "Lord Li, do you recall that when the Flying Goose General was in the city, he once dug a secret tunnel leading outside the walls?"

Everyone turned to Zhao Shiming. This was no secret to them. Back then, the Western Qiang had slaughtered civilians outside Rundu's gates who couldn't enter the city. The Flying Goose General had ordered the tunnel dug to secretly gather the people outside and bring them into the city. Many lives were saved, and those civilians were eternally grateful to He Rufei—they had believed themselves abandoned.

"What are you suggesting?" Li Kuang asked.

Zhao Shiming sighed, stood up, and bowed deeply to Li Kuang. "We have reached the end of our rope. I am old and the magistrate of Rundu. Naturally, I will not leave; I will live or die with the city's people. But... my grandson is only three years old."

"I beg Lord Li to allow my servants to take my grandson out through the tunnel."

Everyone was stunned.

Immediately, others followed Zhao Shiming's lead: "I beg Lord Li to permit my mother to take my wife and children away."

"I beg Lord Li..."

Everyone here had resolved to die if necessary; their only concern was the safety of their families. They all pleaded with Li Kuang to give their loved ones a chance at survival.

Qiluo pursed her lips and glanced furtively at Zhao Shiming.

Sure enough, the next moment, Zhao Shiming angrily declared, "Preposterous! If everyone takes their families and leaves, the commoners will follow suit. In the end, the Wutuo won't even need to attack—I daresay the city will be emptied!"

"You are undermining morale!His tone turned sharp and commanding by the end, filled with a killing intent that silenced everyone.

Qiluo retreated to the side, not daring to speak at such a critical moment.

In the ensuing quiet, someone suddenly rushed in from outside, reporting urgently: "My lord, my lord—"

"What is it? Why the panic?" Li Kuang frowned.

"That tunnel of ours... the tunnel... someone has come in!""What?" Li Kuang stood up abruptly, the first thought that flashed through his mind being: Had He Rufei arrived? After all, apart from the commoners who had crawled through the tunnel back then, He Rufei was the only one who had personally walked through it. He asked, "Is it the Flying Goose General?"

"No..." the guard replied, "They said... they said..."

"Wu Anlang He Yan." Before the words could fully settle, the door curtain lifted again, and a young man dressed in red walked in.

This was a face Li Kuang did not recognize. The youth was not old either, at most sixteen or seventeen. He had a delicate and bright appearance, but what was most captivating were his eyes—shining brilliantly like bright gemstones. A smile played at the corners of his lips, and even upon seeing a room full of people, he showed no trace of panic. Calm and composed, he cupped his hands in salute to Li Kuang. "Greetings, Lord Li."

Li Kuang frowned and demanded, "Who are you?"

He Yan pointed to his own attire, then shook out a seal from his sleeve and tossed it to Li Kuang. "I am He Yan."

The seal was genuine and could not be faked, and the official robes also appeared authentic. However, Li Kuang had been an official for quite some time, and this was the first he had heard the name He Yan. For a moment, he felt suspicious. Meanwhile, Qiluo beside him let out a soft gasp and whispered, "Wu Anlang? Could it be the Wu Anlang who, alongside Commander Xiao in Jiyang City, burned the canal, defeated the Wutuo People, and was personally ennobled by His Majesty?"

No one recognized the title "Wu Anlang," but everyone knew of the incident where the Jiyang Canal was burned and the Wutuo People were defeated. The crowd looked at He Yan in surprise. They remembered that there had been a trusted aide of Xiao Jue who fought alongside him and was subsequently promoted, but they never imagined it would be such a young man?

He seemed far too young.

Could he be an imposter?

The more suspicious the others became, the more reassured Li Kuang felt. If this were truly a Wutuo conspiracy, there would be no need to send a half-grown child to arouse suspicion. Still... he asked, "How do you know about the tunnel in Jiyang City?"

"I didn't know," He Yan replied. "The Commander told me."

Xiao Huaijin? Li Kuang thought to himself. With Xiao Huaijin's abilities, discovering this tunnel would not be difficult. But... a flicker of hope rose in his heart. "Did Commander Xiao send you? Is Commander Xiao planning to support Rundu? How many troops have you brought with you? Troops cannot enter the tunnel—are your men stationed outside the city?"

He Yan stared at Li Kuang. This man had been tirelessly defending the city for days, his eyes bloodshot and his appearance haggard. In just a few years, he seemed to have aged considerably. Faced with such hopeful eyes, He Yan slowly shook his head. "I came on my own. I did not bring any troops, and there are no Southern Garrison Troops stationed outside the city."

The joy in the room instantly faded with He Yan's words. Li Kuang asked, "Are you joking?"

He Yan retrieved his seal and tucked it away. "I am the Wu Anlang ennobled by His Majesty. In urgent military matters, I am not required to follow the Commander's orders."

Li Kuang looked at him, thinking this youth utterly baffling. He had initially assumed He Yan had come under Xiao Jue's orders, but now he was being told it was He Yan's own initiative? He asked, "Then, Wu Anlang, did you come to Rundu alone just for sightseeing? Forgive me, but I cannot understand."

He Yan smiled. "I came to help you."

"Just you?"

"Just us."

As soon as the words were spoken, voices rang out from outside. "That's right, and us! Why look down on people?"The curtain was lifted, and Qiluo covered her mouth as three or two people entered from outside. They were a motley crew of all shapes and sizes, six in total besides He Yan.

A man who looked rugged and fierce, with a scar across his face, stepped forward and said in a rough tone, "We’ve traveled over mountains and rivers, trekking thousands of miles to get here, not to listen to your nonsense! Here, the first, second, third, fourth, fifth, sixth, and seventh of Liangzhou Guard do nothing else but help you fight the Wutuo People! Don’t take advantage and act coy. If you keep spouting nonsense, I’ll beat you up along with the Wutuo People!"

Li Kuang’s face turned livid with anger. Where did these bandits come from, showing no respect for military discipline or anyone else!

A more handsome and amiable-looking man stepped forward, clasped his hands in greeting, and said with a smile, "We’ve been in Liangzhou Guard for too long, so our words might be a bit crude. We hope you gentlemen will forgive us. However, Lord Li truly need not worry. With the seven of us brothers here, we won’t hold Rundu back. In fact, we’ve already fought the Wutuo People twice in the past. We have the most experience in how to defeat them."

He Yan watched Jiang Jiao’s back and thought to herself, As expected of the young master of the Shuojing martial arts school, he doesn’t hold back when it’s time to put on a show.

Li Kuang remained silent, but Zhao Shiming immediately stepped forward, grasped Jiang Jiao’s hand, and said with tears streaming down his face, "That’s truly wonderful! Rundu is in desperate need of heroes like you!"

What a joke! Now, with one more person to fight the Wutuo People, Rundu could hold out a little longer. Perhaps that extra moment would be enough to wait for the Flying Goose General’s reinforcements. And what did they just say? They’ve already fought the Wutuo People twice in the past and won both times? Such military advisors were like sending charcoal in snowy weather!

For a moment, Zhao Shiming didn’t care about Li Kuang’s expression anymore. He warmly said, "For you heroes to come to our Rundu in such a critical moment, disregarding life and death, is truly noble! Unfortunately, Rundu is surrounded on all sides, and we have nothing to repay you with." He turned and saw the grapes on the table, offering them as a gesture of goodwill. "These are grapes, a specialty of Rundu. Please, have a taste!"

Jiang Jiao casually handed the grapes to Xiao Mai, who eagerly accepted them and happily ate from the bowl.

Now, not to mention grapes, even food was scarce. Everyone in the room watched Xiao Mai eat with delight, swallowing their saliva.

He Yan turned to Li Kuang and said, "I have a few words I’d like to say to Lord Li."

Li Kuang glared at He Yan. He didn’t dare say he fully trusted this young man, but for now, he couldn’t find any fault with him. Hearing this, he thought to himself, What is this kid scheming now? He then said, "Follow me."

He Yan followed Li Kuang into his study, leaving the others outside. Once inside the study, Li Kuang sat down and looked at him coldly. "There’s no one else here, Wu Anlang. Speak plainly."

Having worked with Li Kuang in the past, He Yan knew that Li Kuang still harbored doubts about her, which was understandable. If she were in his place, she would also be suspicious if a group of people suddenly showed up claiming to help. He Yan took out a scroll from her robe. "On the way from Liangzhou Guard to Rundu, during breaks, I carefully recalled the previous battles with the Wutuo People and noted down their combat characteristics and habits. We fought the Wutuo People twice—once in Liangzhou Guard and once in Jiyang—each with distinct features on land and water. This should be of use to Lord Li."Li Kuang took the scroll with a mix of skepticism and curiosity. As soon as he unrolled it, his expression shifted slightly, and a hint of excitement flickered in his eyes. He could naturally discern whether the contents were fabricated or genuine. At the very least, some of the details bore similarities to the experiences he had gained from his encounters with the Wutuo People.

He had also compiled his own notes, but they were not as clear and detailed as those on the scroll. This was partly because his engagements with the Wutuo People had not been as close or frequent as He Yan’s two encounters, and partly because his own abilities were not as exceptional as He Yan’s. For a moment, as he studied the scroll, the figure of another person surfaced in his mind—He Rufei.

He Rufei’s ability to summarize military affairs was equally precise.

Recognizing the value of the scroll, Li Kuang’s gaze toward He Yan softened slightly. He asked, “Did you write all of this?”

“My brothers and I wrote it together,” He Yan replied, not taking all the credit. “Each of us has our own strengths. What one person might overlook, another can catch, minimizing the chances of oversight.”

Li Kuang nodded. “Thank you.”

He Yan looked at him. “Lord Li, forgive my bluntness, but what are your plans moving forward? Will you continue guarding the city gates, waiting for the Flying Goose General to bring reinforcements? What if the Flying Goose General never arrives?”

He Yan was not the first to voice this concern, nor would she be the last. Li Kuang sighed. “What other choice do we have? The city’s troops are limited. A desperate last stand might be satisfying, but if the city falls, tens of thousands of civilians will perish under the blades of the Wutuo People. Rundu is only the first line of defense. Once Rundu falls, Jinling will be next, followed by the entire northern region…” He paused, then added, “His Majesty ordered us to defend Rundu to the death, so we cannot abandon it.”

Suddenly, he seemed to remember something and turned to He Yan. “Brother He, you entered the city from outside, didn’t you? Actually, there might still be one way.”

He Yan had already guessed what he was about to say and smiled. “Lord Li, you wouldn’t be thinking of sending me out of the city to Huayuan to seek help from the Flying Goose General, would you?”

“We’ve already dispatched three groups of messengers, and none have returned with any news. Since you and Commander Xiao managed to survive the battle at Jiyang unscathed, your skills must be extraordinary. If you could leave the city and find the Flying Goose General, perhaps Rundu still has a chance.”

“Do you believe the messengers you sent earlier were intercepted and met with misfortune on their way to the Flying Goose General?”

Li Kuang was taken aback. “What do you mean?”

“What I mean is, it’s highly unlikely that all three groups of messengers were completely wiped out before reaching Huayuan. The fact that there’s been no word at all suggests that the Flying Goose General himself might be facing trouble. Right now, we’re all trapped in Rundu, completely unaware of the situation outside. Blindly waiting could endanger the entire city’s population.”

He Yan did not spell it out explicitly, for she knew all too well that the messengers Li Kuang had sent were likely silenced by He Rufei after they reached him. Li Kuang had once served alongside the “Flying Goose General.” To avoid having his identity exposed, He Rufei would have preferred Li Kuang dead and buried rather than offering assistance, even if he were close by.

But based on Li Kuang’s past understanding of the “Flying Goose General,” he would cling to the belief that He Rufei would come to their aid and wait until the very end."On your way here, did you happen to hear any news about the Flying Goose General?" Li Kuang still refused to give up hope.

He Yan shook her head.

The man lowered his head and let out a long sigh, saying, "For now, we can only delay for as long as possible."

He Yan asked, "Did you only send a letter seeking help from the Flying Goose General?"

"There were others, but they are too far from Rundu. I'm afraid we won't last that long."

He Yan thought for a moment, then said, "Actually, have you considered, Lord Li, that instead of merely defending, it might be better to take the initiative? Rather than waiting passively, we could strike first."

Li Kuang: "Wishful thinking!"

The youth looked at him, his gaze resolute. "Not wishful thinking, but biding our time to turn defense into offense."

(End of Chapter)