Legend of the Female General

Chapter 177: The Beloved Concubine

For several days in a row, He Yan had not been able to see Li Kuang.

It seemed Li Kuang was deliberately avoiding her. He Yan could not find him, and his subordinates refused to tell her his whereabouts. She had intercepted Li Kuang a few times, but each time he appeared unwilling to engage in conversation with her. He Yan had no choice but to say, "Lord Li, before coming to Rundu, I had already sent someone to request reinforcements. Moreover, I have said before that Rundu’s current military forces are not without the possibility of fighting the Wutuo People. Why must you cling to a dead end, blocking your own path?"

"This is Rundu, not Liang Province," Li Kuang’s attitude remained firm, unmoved by He Yan’s words. "Although you are the Wu Anlang personally appointed by His Majesty, your authority is not great enough to command me. Regarding the night raid on the enemy camp, I am grateful for your assistance, but let it end here. How I proceed from now on is none of your concern."

He Yan observed him carefully. When she first arrived in Rundu, although Li Kuang’s brow was furrowed with worry, there was still some vitality in him. Now, however, his expression was off—his eyes were heavy and gloomy, as if he had made a resolute decision, unwavering in his stubbornness.

His mood was clearly poor, and not solely because of the Wutuo People—He Yan could sense it.

"Lord Li... how do you plan to deal with the famine in the city?" He Yan asked, watching his back.

Li Kuang stiffened and replied, "I’ve already said, I have my own methods. This is none of your business!"

He Yan moved around to face Li Kuang, looking directly into his eyes. "Lord Li, it’s true that I am not from Rundu, but I am well aware of the current situation. Things have not yet reached the worst point. We burned the Wutuo People’s provisions once; next time, we can cut down their troops. If Lord Li continues to cling to a scorched-earth mentality, this battle cannot be fought. This city simply cannot be defended."

Her words were indeed severe. Anger surfaced on Li Kuang’s face. "What do you know!"

"I know that if Lord Li misjudges the current situation, he will make the wrong decision."

A hint of anxiety appeared in Li Kuang’s eyes. He restrained himself again and again but finally could not hold back, pushing He Yan aside. "How to proceed is my decision. There is no need for you to instruct me!"

He strode out without giving He Yan a chance to speak.

He Yan frowned, staring at his retreating figure, her unease growing stronger.

She was not new to dealing with Li Kuang, and his reaction clearly indicated the frustration of someone at the end of their rope. He refused to believe in He Yan’s alternative plan, and without convincing him, He Yan could not command Rundu’s troops. Even if she knocked Li Kuang unconscious, Rundu’s soldiers would not obey her orders—Li Kuang had led these troops for far too long.

Perhaps it was precisely because of this that he was even less likely to choose the "risky" decision He Yan had proposed.

She slowly walked out of the room, her mind heavy with worry. Over the past few days, even Zhao Shiming had rarely appeared. Food was becoming scarcer. Staying still while hungry was bearable, but once one moved, the hunger became even more unbearable, making one wish everything could turn into food to be stuffed into their mouth.Huyate had not yet launched an attack on Rundu. After the night raid when their provisions were burned, it was likely that the Wutuo People were not as calm on the surface as they appeared these past few days. Huyate surely wished to storm the city immediately, but the existence of the "Flying Goose General" made them somewhat wary.

However, this wariness would eventually fade. Huyate would inevitably discover the truth—all it would take was sending someone to the Huayuan area to learn that the one currently in Rundu was an imposter. The moment Huyate realized the "Flying Goose General" was fake, they would immediately launch an assault on Rundu. Thus, these few days were actually the time He Yan had fought to win for the people of Rundu.

Yet Li Kuang remained stubborn and conservative.

As she walked, she ran into Qiluo. Compared to when He Yan first arrived in Rundu, this girl also looked thinner. Her once oval face had sharpened into a pointed chin from hunger, losing some of its sweetness and gaining a touch of allure. But as soon as she saw He Yan, her eyes curved into a smile, revealing a familiar expression: "Little He Lady."

"Miss Qiluo."

"Did you quarrel with the master?" Qiluo pointed outside. "I just saw the master storming out in a rage. Little He Lady, please don’t hold it against him. The master’s temper may be rigid, but he is a good man. If he has offended you, I apologize on his behalf."

She was wholeheartedly devoted to her master. He Yan smiled bitterly and shook her head. "It’s nothing. We just had a disagreement."

Qiluo nodded, though she didn’t seem to fully understand.

He Yan noticed a flower crown-like object in her hand and found it strange. "There are still flowers now?"

In Rundu, anything edible had likely been dug up and eaten by the starving people. How could there still be flowers to weave into a crown? Qiluo giggled and handed the crown to He Yan. Taking it, He Yan saw it was delicately woven from some kind of grass, dotted with scattered purple flowers. As she leaned in to smell it, Qiluo hurriedly stopped her: "Don’t smell it, Little He Lady! These flowers are poisonous!"

"Poisonous?"

"It’s heartbreak grass. The prettier it blooms, the more poisonous it is. Everyone in Rundu knows this, so no matter how hungry they are, they won’t pick it to eat. Otherwise, why would I use it to weave a crown?" She sighed. "No matter when, poisonous weeds always grow exceptionally lush. If only the crops in the fields could do the same."

Seeing He Yan silent, Qiluo smiled again. "Are you interested in this flower crown, Little He Lady? I can teach you how to weave one. Perhaps if you give it to your sweetheart, they’d be very happy."

She was still fixated on He Yan’s nonexistent "sweetheart." He Yan found it both amusing and exasperating, thinking to herself that if she were to weave a flower crown for Xiao Jue, he would probably think she had lost her mind. If he didn’t beat her to death, it would be a mercy.

"Forget it," He Yan shook her head. "He doesn’t like flowers or plants like these. I appreciate your kindness, Miss Qiluo."

Qiluo looked disappointed as she took back the flower crown. "Alright then. But how could there be a girl who doesn’t like flowers or plants? When the master picked flowers for me, I was overjoyed for a long time."

"Master Li?" He Yan thought to herself, never imagining that Li Kuang, with his fierce temperament, would pick flowers for his beloved concubine.

"Yes," Qiluo nodded emphatically, as if afraid He Yan wouldn’t believe her. "He picked them for me just this morning. I casually wove them into a crown."He Yan's initial smile faltered. "Today?"

"That's right," Qiluo said with a laugh. "Recently, the master has been very good to me." She even forgot to say "this humble one," only focused on sharing her joy with He Yan. "He promised that once the battle in Rundu is over, he'll move me to a bigger room and let me plant plum trees in the courtyard. Yesterday, he even saved his own rations for me."

As she spoke, a look of confusion appeared on Qiluo's face. "Could it be that I've grown more beautiful lately? Or is my late mother watching over me from heaven? The master is so indulgent toward me now, I almost don't recognize him."

He Yan's heart sank, and that terrible suspicion resurfaced in her mind. She asked Qiluo, "Aside from this, has Lord Li been acting strangely in any other way recently?"

"No," Qiluo shook her head, then chided He Yan a little. "But Little He Lady, how can being good to me be considered strange? The master was always good to me before, he's just even better to me now. Perhaps it's 'adversity reveals true feelings.' Now that I'm staying by his side, he must be moved."

He Yan frowned and stepped forward. "Miss Qiluo, for the next few days, it would be best if you avoided Lord Li."

"Why?" Qiluo asked in surprise.

He Yan looked at her. The girl, as lovely as the moon and flowers, had grown up quite a bit. Her smile always carried a hint of fox-like cunning, making her appear clever and quick-witted, very endearing, yet her eyes still revealed innocence.

A charming and captivating beauty, a... woman with no strength to even tie up a chicken.

"Perhaps... Lord Li might harm you," He Yan said gravely.

Qiluo was stunned for a moment, then laughed. "Little He Lady, what do you mean by that? The master dotes on me too much, how could he ever harm me?"

He Yan knew she didn't believe it. In truth, women often imagine men to be exceptionally devoted, unaware... unaware that such devotion comes with conditions.

"In times of peace and prosperity, a young lady like you is naturally worthy of affection," He Yan's voice lowered, so low that the pain in it was almost inaudible. "But in times of chaos, human life is as cheap as grass. To Lord Li, no matter how important you are, you cannot outweigh the entire city of Rundu."

Qiluo: "I still don't understand."

"It's alright if you don't understand," He Yan looked up at her. "Lord Li is busy all day. For the next few days, don't be alone with him. During the day when you have nothing to do, go somewhere else, visit Lord Zhao or someone else. In short, avoid seeing Lord Li as much as possible."

Qiluo looked at her strangely. This young Wu Anlang's words were utterly baffling. How could someone advise her to distance herself from her own master? If it weren't for the fact that she knew He Yan had led elite troops to raid the enemy camp and rescue the captured women a few days ago, Qiluo would have suspected this person of being a villain.

She said, "Little He Lady, I... I am the master's concubine. It's impossible for me not to see him."

"Once the battle in Rundu is over, you can see him as much as you want. But for now, stay away from him!"

The young man's eyes were clear and dark, and when they fixed on someone, they held immense power. Qiluo instinctively nodded, then shook her head.He Yan was also hesitant. Now that she was "Wu Anlang," no matter how suspicious or worried she was about Qiluo, she couldn’t keep someone else’s concubine by her side and give others a reason to gossip. If she really did that, Li Kuang might think he had become the second Jiang Jiao and might actually kill Qiluo. She said, "Go find Magistrate Zhao’s wife and stay with her during the day. If Magistrate Li suddenly looks for you, have someone inform me, and I’ll go with you."

Qiluo was somewhat doubtful, but He Yan was very insistent, so she finally agreed. After repeatedly urging her, He Yan went to find Wang Ba and the others.

On the night of the raid, Wang Ba and the others had followed her and were also injured. Shitou and Jiang Jiao were fine, but Wang Ba had injured his leg, though not seriously. Huang Xiong’s wound was deeper, on his left hand, with a deep knife mark. Fortunately, it wasn’t his right hand; otherwise, he might never be able to wield a sword again.

In any case, they were all recovering. When she arrived at the room, Hong Shan and Huang Xiong were sleeping, while Shitou and Xiao Mai had gone to help repair weapons and shields. Only Jiang Jiao and Wang Ba were sitting by the threshold.

Seeing He Yan, the two looked up. Jiang Jiao asked, "Brother He, how did it go?"

He Yan shook her head.

Wang Ba was furious. "What’s wrong with that Li guy? He looks tall and strong, but why is he so cowardly? Just staying holed up in the city like a turtle? I’ve lost weight these past few days. If this goes on, we’ll all starve to death, and we’ll still be hungry ghosts in the afterlife. Might as well have died fighting the Wutuo People!"

Jiang Jiao said, "Magistrate Li is also afraid that if the city falls, all the civilians will be massacred. But..." He looked at He Yan. "I asked the soldiers here, and they’ve run out of food. These past few days, we’ve been relying on the rations we brought from Liang Province, and even those were finished yesterday. From yesterday until now, we haven’t eaten anything. This can’t go on."

"Exactly! In this Rundu city, even the rats have been dug up and eaten, and you can’t even find a single insect. Are we supposed to chew on tables? What is Li Kuang thinking? If only we had grabbed a handful of grain when we burned the supplies that day, even if we couldn’t take much, it would’ve lasted us half a day."

Jiang Jiao was both amused and exasperated. "At that time, who could think of that? Brother He," he looked at He Yan, "don’t you have any other ideas?"

"The Wutuo People’s supplies were burned, but they’re outside the city and can still hunt. They won’t starve to death," He Yan said worriedly. "If we’re just comparing who can hold out longer, the people of Rundu definitely can’t outlast the Wutuo People. So, Li Kuang’s plan is absolutely impossible. And since he refuses to leave the city and confront the Wutuo People head-on, I can’t command Rundu’s troops. We can only seek outside help, but..."

But I’m afraid Rundu will fall into chaos before that day comes. Li Kuang’s attitude these past few days has been very strange.

She sighed and fell silent.

...

Meanwhile, Qiluo went to find Magistrate Zhao’s wife.

Although He Yan’s behavior was odd, strangely, Qiluo felt an indescribable sense of closeness toward her. So, even though she didn’t believe a word He Yan said, she was still willing to do as He Yan suggested. Nowadays, Li Kuang was busy every day and didn’t have time for her. She could go wherever she wanted during the day, which actually gave her more freedom than before.Lady Zhao was holding her little grandson with a face full of sorrow. Her daughter-in-law was seriously ill in bed, and the doctors had come several times to no avail. Everyone knew perfectly well that this illness was essentially caused by starvation. Without food, of course, the body could not recover. Lady Zhao herself had also grown gaunt from hunger. Once the proper wife of a county magistrate, her clothes now hung loosely on her, and her exposed arms were so thin and frail they looked as if they could snap with a little force.

Qiluo thought to herself that in the past, the delicate young ladies of the city would clamor every day to eat less, appearing slender and delicate to evoke pity. But once the war was over, she feared no one would ever think that way again. The taste of hunger was truly unbearable. A flower must first drink its fill of dew before it can bloom for others to see.

Lady Zhao only exchanged a few words with Qiluo before falling silent, her expression listless. In times like these, when hunger was severe, one didn’t even feel like speaking.

Qiluo sat with her for a while until a young soldier came in from outside and said to Qiluo, "Miss Qiluo, the lord is looking for you."

"Looking for me?" Qiluo was somewhat surprised. Li Kuang was busy all day with the war in Rundu. Unless she took the initiative to seek him out, he would never come looking for her on his own. However, recalling the extra affection Li Kuang had shown her these past few days, Qiluo felt a surge of joy. Perhaps the only benefit of the Rundu conflict was that it had allowed Li Kuang to see her loyalty. Maybe this affection wouldn’t last just three years—it could very well endure for ten.

At that moment, her mind was filled with imagined joy, and she had long forgotten He Yan’s warnings. Happily lifting the hem of her skirt, she smiled and said, "Alright, I’ll go see the lord right away."

Qiluo followed the young soldier to a room. Inside, it wasn’t just Li Kuang alone; his deputy soldiers were also seated, along with several officials from Rundu city and a few of Li Kuang’s trusted aides. Qiluo found it strange. She had originally thought Li Kuang missed her and wanted to be intimate with her, but with so many people present, it didn’t seem like that kind of occasion. Perhaps some important person was coming? Was she, as the most beautiful woman in Rundu, meant to help Li Kuang save face? But that didn’t seem right either. If there were an important guest, why wasn’t County Magistrate Zhao Shiming present?

She walked forward and said, "Lord."

Li Kuang had his back to her and turned around upon hearing her voice. These days, he had grown much more haggard and aged. Standing next to Qiluo, he truly looked like her father. The famous Great Wei general, Flying Goose General, had once teased them about this, but Qiluo hadn’t minded. Her own father had passed away early, and Li Kuang had given her food, shelter, and protection. Many biological fathers in this world couldn’t even do as much for their daughters. Moreover, Li Kuang was a hero who protected the people. She admired him and never saw anything wrong with him.

Now, her "husband" looked up at Qiluo. His eyes held a depth she couldn’t understand—seemingly pained, yet mixed with a coldness. He gazed at her for a long time before asking in a hoarse voice, "Qiluo, how long have you been with me?"

Qiluo tilted her head and thought for a moment. "My lord, I have been with you for over three years. Once this summer passes, it will be four."

Li Kuang doted on her greatly, so he took her with him wherever he went. His own wife and son were in Shuojing, and he also had to support his parents, so it was impossible for them to follow him to the harsh and bitter borderlands. Yet Qiluo, a young and beautiful woman, had followed him for many years without complaint.He had always been straightforward and rough-hewn, disliking the scheming and intrigue among women. Qiluo had some harmless little tricks, but more than that, she possessed a simple kind of passion. She was easily satisfied, always wearing her desire to "win favor" openly on her face. She was polite in her interactions with others, and his colleagues envied him for having such an understanding companion. In truth, Qiluo had never truly enjoyed much.

As his beloved concubine, Qiluo lived a life that couldn't compare to those women in the capital.

Li Kuang murmured, "Four years have passed..."

His tone was heavy, and Qiluo felt inexplicably afraid. She turned to look at the people around her, but the soldiers who had been familiar with her in the past averted their gazes, avoiding her eyes.

Why was this happening?

No matter how clever she usually was, she couldn't understand the reason. She fixed her grape-like, moist eyes on Li Kuang, filled with confusion.

A flicker of pain also passed through Li Kuang's eyes. After a moment, he said, "Come here."

Qiluo obediently stepped forward.

...

He Yan spoke with Jiang Jiao and the others for a while, and Shitou and Hong Shan also woke up. Xiao Mai and Shitou finished repairing the weapons and returned to the room, where they saw He Yan. They asked, "Brother He, aren't you going to find Lord Li today?"

"I already did," He Yan shrugged.

Jiang Jiao thought for a moment. "How about we accompany you to see Lord Li? We can try to persuade him together?"

He Yan actually felt that Jiang Jiao's suggestion wouldn't be of much use—Li Kuang's attitude was too firm. But since things had come to this point, they might as well try everything. He stood up and said, "Alright, we can give it another shot."

Back then, even Liu Buwang had taken her as a disciple because she annoyed him to death. Li Kuang's patience was even less than Liu Buwang's, so perhaps it could work the same way, though the result would likely be Li Kuang drawing his sword against her.

He Yan led the group to find Li Kuang again. Halfway there, they passed by Zhao Shiming's courtyard and saw Zhao Shiming's wife sitting at the door, holding her little grandson in a daze. He Yan paused and stepped forward to ask, "Madam Zhao, haven't you seen Miss Qiluo?"

Before she left, she had clearly arranged with Qiluo to go find Madam Zhao. Why did it seem now that only Madam Zhao was here?

Madam Zhao seemed not to fully understand He Yan's words. After a moment, she replied, "She was called away by the Commander."

He Yan's heart sank. Without another word, she immediately ran toward Li Kuang's courtyard. Wang Ba and the others behind her were confused. Wang Ba asked, "Why is he so nervous? Does he have something going on with that woman?"

Hong Shan: "Don't talk nonsense! He Yan just arrived in Rundu not long ago."

"But he can still attract attention," Wang Ba muttered.

He Yan ran all the way to Li Kuang's courtyard. Today, there were actually soldiers guarding the front of Li Kuang's room. Her heart tightened, and she tried to rush inside but was stopped by the soldiers at the door: "What are you doing? The Lord's orders—no one else is allowed to enter!"

He Yan stared fiercely into his eyes: "What is he doing inside?"

Her gaze was as cold as an icy blade, startling the soldier. Before he could speak, Zhao Shiming also arrived and, seeing the scene, frowned. "What's all this commotion again? This is Little He Lady. Step aside."

The two soldiers seemed to snap back to reality and looked at He Yan again, their tone firm. "The Lord's orders—no one else is allowed to enter, not even Wu Anlang."

He Yan: "Get out of the way!"She casually snatched the sword from the waist of one of the men. The two reached out to stop her, but how could they possibly hold her back? He Yan struck them both with a single palm, sending them tumbling to the ground, then kicked the door open and strode inside. As soon as she entered, she froze.

Inside the room, aside from Li Kuang, there were many deputy soldiers and regular troops. Beside the chairs, a group of women knelt. These women were neatly dressed, some with tear-stained faces, others with calm expressions. Yet He Yan still recognized one or two of their faces—they were the Great Wei captives she had rescued from the Wutuo People during the night raid on the enemy camp.

In the very center of the ground lay a woman, her body covered with a white cloth, making it impossible to see who she was. Yet in her hand, she tightly clutched a small, delicate wreath adorned with scattered purple flowers.

He Yan's eyes instantly reddened.

(End of Chapter)