Legend of the Female General

Chapter 173: Night Raid on the Enemy Camp

Inside Rundu City, cheers erupted everywhere. Beneath the city tower, soldiers looked at the countless arrows scattered on the ground—so many that carts could hardly carry them all—and beamed with joy.

The arrows of the Wutuo People were sharper and sturdier than those of Great Wei. Now, they had effortlessly obtained tens of thousands of them. No one had ever imagined such a windfall falling from the sky. Borrowing arrows was secondary; the most important thing was that the frustration of being helplessly beaten to their doorstep by the Wutuo People over the past days had been swept away. The Wutuo People had set traps for them, but this time, they had made the Wutuo People suffer a great loss, leaving them speechless.

"They’re nothing but a bunch of brute laborers!" Zhao Shiming stroked his beard and chuckled. "They know nothing of the art of strategy."

He looked at the young man walking at the front, jogged to catch up, and said, "This time, it’s all thanks to Little He Lady!"

So quickly, it was "Little He Lady" now? He Yan smiled. "If not for everyone in the city working together day and night to make so many straw men, I alone could never have achieved this."

Zhao Shiming’s impression of this young man improved even more. No wonder he had been appointed an official at such a young age—neither claiming credit nor acting arrogantly, far better than that ill-tempered Li Kuang. He asked, "So, what do we do next?"

He Yan glanced at the old man, then at the people around them. The surrounding soldiers were also staring at her with burning eyes. When she first arrived in Rundu, she felt the city was lifeless, with everyone devoid of spirit, merely guarding the gates and waiting for death. Now, after just one night, their eyes held something called "hope."

Hope was always particularly precious.

"I will discuss the next plan with Lord Li," He Yan said. "However, there is one more thing I’d like to ask Lord Zhao for help with."

Zhao Shiming quickly agreed with a smile. "Of course, of course. Little He Lady, please speak freely."

"This matter will require all the craftsmen in the city to help once more," she lowered her eyes. "To make masks for me, as quickly as possible."

…

In the main hall, Li Kuang turned around to face the two people before him. Qiluo stood behind Li Kuang, glaring fiercely at the beautiful woman in the room.

Ying Xiang presented the token and scroll. Li Kuang took them, examined them, and then addressed Chu Zhao, "So it’s Chu Fourth Young Master."

The name Chu Fourth Young Master was far more renowned than that of the Wu Anlang who had come the other day. After all, he had a father known throughout the land for his romantic escapades, a mentor who wielded immense power at court, and he himself was handsome and gentle. Such a person, thrown into a crowd, was impossible to ignore.

"Lord Li, my young master was trapped in Rundu on his way back to Shuojing. Given the current situation in Rundu… the Prime Minister has ordered: Could Lord Li escort the young master out of the city?"

Upon hearing this, Qiluo quietly let out a sigh of relief. This woman was so stunningly beautiful; if she stayed in Rundu, it would truly be unsettling. What if Li Kuang took a liking to her and made her a concubine too? She couldn’t just hand over her position as the most favored concubine to someone else.

Li Kuang looked at Chu Zhao and said, "It shouldn’t be too difficult."

No matter how displeased he felt inside, he couldn’t disregard Xu Jingfu’s influence. Li Kuang couldn’t help but think of He Yan. In this world, people were especially different. Someone like He Yan, far away in Liang Province, had traveled thousands of miles out of concern for Rundu, determined to live or die with the city. Yet Chu Zilan, right here in Rundu, only thought of retreating unscathed and leaving as soon as possible.However, he himself had no power to forcibly keep anyone there. The tunnels dug by the Flying Goose General back then were meant to relocate the common people, but now they had become passages to send out these helpless young masters and nobles.

Suppressing his resentment and unwillingness deep in his heart, Li Kuang forced a smile onto his face—a smile that could even be described as somewhat ingratiating. "After Fourth Young Master Chu leaves the city, whether passing through Jinling or other towns, could you request reinforcements for Rundu on our behalf?" He rubbed his hands nervously. "Rundu is now in imminent danger. If the Prime Minister is willing to lend a hand..."

"Of course," Chu Zhao replied with a smile. "Once I and my maidservant are safely out of the city, I will certainly do my best to seek reinforcements for Rundu from all sides."

"Thank you." Li Kuang felt deeply aggrieved. When had the fate of Great Wei fallen into the hands of a powerful minister to be manipulated at will? The Wutuo People had likely long seen the corruption of the imperial court and seized the opportunity to take advantage.

Just as they were speaking, someone else entered. The newcomer said, "Lord Li, after today, I plan to..."

He Yan's voice abruptly cut off as she looked at Chu Zhao in surprise. "Brother Chu?"

"Brother He?" Chu Zhao was also astonished. "What are you doing here?"

He Yan never expected to encounter Chu Zhao in Rundu and could only say, "I... came to provide reinforcements."

"What?" Li Kuang was also taken aback. "Do you two know each other?"

"Fourth Young Master Chu previously spent some time at the Liangzhou Guard," He Yan explained before asking, "Brother Chu, you still haven't told me—why are you here?"

"Ying Xiang and I were passing through Rundu on our way back to the capital when the Wutuo People attacked the city, trapping us here temporarily. I never imagined I would run into Brother He here," Chu Zhao said, then smiled. "I suppose it's fate."

Who could have imagined that she and Chu Zhao, having left one after the other with such a long gap in between, would meet again in Rundu? This truly fulfilled what Chu Zhao had once said about "traveling together." Although she had many questions, now was not the time to talk. He Yan said to Chu Zhao, "Brother Chu, I still have matters to discuss with Lord Li. If you're not in a hurry, could you wait until I finish speaking with Lord Li?"

"It's fine, I'm not in a hurry." Chu Zhao made a gesture of invitation.

He Yan then said to Li Kuang, "Lord Li, let's talk inside."

Li Kuang and He Yan went into the inner room. Qiluo glanced at the two of them, bowed slightly, and withdrew from the room. Ying Xiang hesitated before speaking. "Fourth Young Master..."

"We won't be leaving for now."

"But the Prime Minister..."

"I have my own plans."

After a moment, Ying Xiang said, "Is Fourth Young Master staying because he's worried about Miss He?"

Chu Zhao did not answer her question, his smile fading. "Ying Xiang, you've said too much."

Ying Xiang fell silent.

...

Inside the room, Li Kuang turned to look at He Yan. "Hang straw dummies again? The Wutuo People won't fall for the same trick twice."

"Those Wutuo People may be foolish, but they are also cunning. After being tricked once, they will only grow more suspicious in the future. In any case, hanging straw dummies at night won't cost us anything. Why not give it a try, Lord Li? If they are still willing to fall for it, collecting more arrows would be a good outcome."

"And if they don't fall for it?"

"That would be even better."

Li Kuang shook his head. "Brother He, I don't understand what you're trying to do."He Yan looked at Li Kuang. She had once fought side by side with him on the battlefield. Li Kuang was a stern and rigid man, who fought by the book. Though capable, he was not fond of using tactics. He Yan turned around and looked at the map hanging on the wall of the room, saying, "Lord Li, if you were a Wutuo person, and last night you realized you had been made a fool of, and today the same trick was repeated, and tomorrow it happened again, what would you do?"

"I would be furious and never fall for it again!"

"You wouldn’t shoot arrows at the people descending from the city wall anymore?"

"Of course not."

"That’s good," He Yan turned back, staring at him with a slight smile. "Then the third time, our people can simply leave the city. After all, they would think that the ones descending from the city wall are nothing but fake straw dummies."

Li Kuang was stunned.

Everyone had heard the story of the boy who cried wolf. If you were fooled once or twice, even a fool wouldn’t believe it the third time. The Wutuo people were no different. After wasting so many arrows, even if it happened a few more times, they wouldn’t shoot at the straw dummies. Little did they know that on the last attempt, those straw dummies would be quietly replaced with real Rundu soldiers, who would then infiltrate their camp under the cover of night.

Li Kuang understood He Yan’s meaning, but there were still things he didn’t grasp. "You mean to have people leave the city?"

"Lord Li, I’ve said it before—defense is not as good as offense. If we continue to defend like this, the Wutuo people will eventually storm the city. Yesterday’s arrow-borrowing scheme has already angered them. Now, while they are at their most agitated, we still have a chance. Once they have rested and recovered, they will attack the city, and Rundu’s limited troops won’t be able to stop them from breaking through the gates."

Li Kuang’s heart raced with fear, and he couldn’t help but say, "I know that, of course, but even if we launch a surprise attack at night, our forces are still insufficient!"

"It’s not about wiping out all the Wutuo soldiers—that’s simply impossible. What we need to do is burn their provisions and break their morale. Without provisions, the Wutuo people will panic, and their morale will waver. They will hesitate even more about attacking Rundu, buying us time," He Yan said. "Lord Li, send a plea for help to Jinling."

"Jinling?"

He Yan looked at him. "Lord Li, don’t place your hopes on someone who won’t come. The Flying Goose General won’t come. If he were going to, he would have already. If Rundu is to hold, we must seek another way to survive. No matter how much you trust He Rufei, the lives of tens of thousands of Rundu’s citizens are worth more than your trust."

The young man’s gaze was firm, his tone leaving no room for doubt. For a moment, even Li Kuang felt a flicker of doubt. After a pause, he looked at He Yan and said, "That’s easier said than done. Even if we launch a surprise attack at night, how can you guarantee that we’ll be able to burn the Wutuo people’s provisions? They have a large army guarding their supplies. I’m afraid we won’t even get close before the Wutuo soldiers spot us."

"Five hundred men."

"What?"

"I need five hundred elite soldiers," the young man said. "Lord Li, you understand better than I do what the Vanguard Battalion means. With me leading them, a five-hundred-strong Vanguard Battalion will definitely burn their provisions. Even if we die on the battlefield, even if we fall under the blades of the Wutuo soldiers, it doesn’t matter. Please, Lord Li, continue defending the city and don’t let our sacrifices be in vain."

"Of course," she added, "if we can bring back Huyate’s head, that would be even better."

…After the straw men borrowed arrows that day, for three consecutive days, as dusk fell each evening, dozens of ropes would slowly descend from the city walls of Rundu, with figures hanging from them landing on the ground. Before long, another batch of "people" would follow the same method.

At first, the Wutuo people would tentatively shoot dozens or even hundreds of arrows, but by the end, they grew tired of being fooled and only fired a few scattered shots before stopping.

All the craftsmen in the city were gathered to work day and night making masks. Wang Ba dragged a cart full of boxes over and, together with the others, unloaded them onto the ground. He said to He Yan, "Everything is here."

Under everyone's gaze, He Yan stepped forward, bent down, and lifted the lid of one of the boxes. Inside were densely packed masks. Zhao Shiming picked one up to examine it. The mask had a green face with fangs, eyes as large as bronze bells, and looked utterly terrifying. He couldn't help but exclaim, "Ah!" and let go, dropping the mask back into the box. He muttered, "It's really frightening."

"Brother He, are we really going to wear these masks to fight the Wutuo people?" Xiao Mai asked nervously. "These... are all masks of evil spirits! They're just too terrifying."

He Yan smiled. "Are they really that scary? I don't think so."

Back in Jiyang, a single "fox lie" mask had been enough to make Ling Xiu and the others avoid it at all costs. If they saw these masks now, they would likely be scared out of their wits. When Zhao Shiming gathered all the craftsmen in Rundu to make masks for her, He Yan had only one requirement: the more eerie and terrifying they looked, the better. Ideally, they should resemble the little demons from the eighteen layers of hell in Buddhist imagery—ferocious and ugly.

Looking at them herself, she thought they were indeed ugly, but not necessarily frightening. Perhaps it was because, in her life, people had been far more terrifying than ghosts. The truly horrifying and bizarre things she had witnessed far surpassed this.

Among the masks in the box, the one on top stood out as particularly different. It didn't have any flashy patterns painted on it. The entire mask seemed to be cast from iron, completely sealed, with only openings for the eyes and chin. He Yan picked up this mask and gently placed it over her face.

Wang Ba complained, "Why does yours look so much better? Can't you treat everyone equally? Why do we have to wear these masks that even dogs would find ugly?"

Meanwhile, Li Kuang gasped and exclaimed, "General He!"

Everyone turned to look at Li Kuang. Jiang Jiao smiled and said, "Lord Li, Brother He is currently only a Wu Anlang and hasn't been promoted to general yet."

Li Kuang realized his words had been misunderstood and explained, "I meant that this mask is the mask of the Flying Goose General."

When he fought alongside He Rufei years ago, He Rufei wore a mask that looked very similar. He had tried several times, out of mischief, to remove it, but the mask seemed to be fused to He Rufei's face—it simply wouldn't come off. Later, his beloved concubine Qiluo told him that He Rufei was extremely sensitive about the scars on his face, and it was better not to expose his weaknesses. Li Kuang then gave up the idea.

A few years later, He Rufei returned to the capital. It was said that he removed his mask in front of the emperor, revealing a handsome and dignified face that stunned everyone. When Li Kuang heard this news, he was furious, thinking the man was insane. All the earlier talk about being "ugly and unsightly" had been nothing but lies. It was likely just a gimmick to create a dramatic contrast.Aside from that one time they saw He Rufei at court in the capital, the two of them hadn't met for several years. Yet now, in this young man before him, he saw traces of He Rufei from back then. Just as brave and generous as ever.

But he absolutely could not be He Rufei.

Li Kuang wondered to himself, could it be that He Rufei had a brother at home? This youth was still young, yet already possessed the bearing of a great general. And they both shared the surname He... Did He Yuansheng also have an illegitimate child outside, just like Chu Linfeng?

He Yan had no idea Li Kuang's thoughts had drifted so far. Jiang Jiao beside her asked, "The Flying Goose General's mask? Lord Li means this mask is very similar to the Flying Goose General's mask, right?"

It had been too long; he couldn't clearly remember the details of the mask He Rufei wore back then, but he felt it was about the same, so he nodded. "Very similar."

He Yan smiled slightly. Ever since He Rufei replaced her as the "Flying Swan," she never expected there would come a day when she would wear this familiar mask again.

"Brother He, what exactly are you planning?" Huang Xiong asked, puzzled.

"Truth mixed with falsehood, reality with illusion. Huyate has never seen the real Flying Goose General. But he must have heard the stories of the masked general's fierce battles against the Western Qiang back then. I'll charge into the enemy camp wearing this mask. They won't know who is beneath it. If they become wary and their morale wavers, that will be our opportunity."

"You..." Li Kuang suddenly understood.

"I'm going to impersonate the Flying Goose General," the youth said.

...

Night deepened, and a light drizzle began to fall.

The chirping of insects came from the wilderness. Inside the tents, the Wutuo soldiers were resting.

A few days ago, Li Kuang's "straw man arrow borrowing" trick in Rundu City had caused them to waste a hundred thousand fletched arrows for nothing. They were still cleaning up these past few days. A hundred thousand arrows were no small number, and their original plans had to be changed. In his fury, Huyate executed several archers.

And Li Kuang's "straw man arrow borrowing" continued. Every night, straw men would be lowered from the city walls. At first, the Wutuo soldiers remained vigilant and fired volleys of arrows. Later, they stopped falling for it, even feeling that Li Kuang's actions were mocking and insulting them. Huyate raged, "When we breach the city, I will bury all of Rundu's soldiers alive! I will dismember that bastard Li Kuang in front of the entire city of Rundu!"

After all, being played for a fool was far too humiliating. He had previously mocked Maka, never expecting it would be his turn so soon.

"General, what if Li Kuang sends out those straw men again tonight?" a subordinate asked.

"What if?" Huyate asked with a dark expression. "Do you want me to play the fool again? Idiot!"

The subordinate dared not reply, only murmuring in assent.

On the city tower, He Yan, dressed in black, was fastening ropes to herself. Behind her were the five hundred elite soldiers Li Kuang had selected for her from Rundu's troops, each one exceptionally skilled.

Xiao Mai and Hong Shan weren't originally from the Liangzhou Guard's Vanguard Battalion, and their skills were average. Watching the brothers preparing, Xiao Mai said worriedly, "Brother He, are you sure those Wutuo people really won't fire arrows here? If they shoot arrows this way, everyone won't even have time to turn back."He Yan stood on tiptoe and patted his head. Although Xiao Mai had already grown taller than her, he often seemed more like a child, always reminding He Yan of He Yun Sheng. She patiently explained, "All things in the world are born from existence, and existence arises from nothingness. On the first day, we used straw men to borrow arrows, creating an illusion, and deliberately let the Wutuo People see through it. They believed they had uncovered our plan and let down their guard. After that, we transformed nothingness into existence, falsehood into truth, and illusion into reality. When our men truly launch a night raid, Huyate will surely think it's another trick and remain unprepared. Seizing this opportunity, they won't know what hit them."

"But how can you be so sure?" Xiao Mai pressed stubbornly.

He Yan replied, "Nothing in this world can be confirmed with absolute certainty. I can only make the most educated guess about Huyate's thoughts."

This was a battle of wits, and also a high-stakes gamble.

He Yan turned and looked at the men behind her. These carefully selected Rundu soldiers, worn down by prolonged conflict with the Wutuo People, appeared thin and haggard, yet their eyes burned with fire. Having been pushed to their doorstep, they finally had a chance to strike back. Even at the cost of their lives, the men of Great Wei would not hesitate.

"When we descend, the Wutuo People may not shoot arrows, but they might also shoot. Those who are hit must not make a sound or move." He Yan paused before continuing, "Only by treating ourselves as 'straw men' will the Wutuo People believe we truly are 'straw men.'"

Li Kuang's expression turned grave. He understood exactly what He Yan meant. In war, sacrifices were inevitable, especially for the five hundred elite soldiers tonight. If any of them cried out or moved after being struck by an arrow, the Wutuo People might detect the ruse, and all their efforts would be in vain.

But enduring the pain of an arrow wound was incredibly difficult, almost unbearable.

"This arrow might wound us, or it might kill us." He Yan looked at each person, her voice calm. "But we must all remember our purpose. Even if we die, it will be to defend Rundu. The Wutuo People's fletched arrows have no specific target—they could strike anyone, including me. I need you to understand the possible outcomes. If anyone cannot accept this, step forward now and leave. Otherwise, if one person jeopardizes the entire night raid, I will show no mercy!"

The youth's eyes were cold and sharp, his gaze piercing. Though usually mild-tempered and approachable, when he turned stern, no one dared to oppose him. Not a single person stepped forward.

Li Kuang realized with surprise that, without even noticing, he had handed over command of Rundu to this youth. He was still young, and before this, Li Kuang hadn't even known this Wu Anlang named He Yan.

Yet, he possessed an undeniable ability to inspire trust, much like the Flying Goose General back in the days when he was still a deputy general.

"Are you all ready?"

"Yes!"

"Good." He Yan curled her lips slightly and placed the mask over her face.

The mask concealed the youth's features, and with it, any trace of youthful innocence vanished. Only a pair of beautiful, sharp eyes remained, like blades, concealing all their sharpness.

She walked up to Li Kuang and, before he could react, snatched the sword from his hand."Lord Li, lend me your sword."

"Hey..." Li Kuang was slightly annoyed. This person acted too naturally.

Li Kuang's sword was a fine blade, though not as good as Qinglang, it was sharper and lighter than ordinary swords. He Yan weighed the sword in his hand, and for a moment, it felt as if he had returned to the battlefields of the past—he was still that general leading the Pacify Yue Army into battle, his blood still burning with fervor.

"The Flying Goose General must not be without his sword." She turned her head, her voice icy, "Men, put on your masks and follow me!"

(End of Chapter)