Legend of the Female General

Chapter 191: Doubt

Hua Youxian was taken aback. "Young Master He... isn't she a woman?"

"Not that," Xiao Jue frowned, his beautiful eyes suddenly sharpening. "You said 'that year's' 'young lady'?"

Hua Youxian nodded, somewhat confused. "That little girl wearing a mask... didn't Young Master Xiao know?"

Xiao Jue's gaze instantly turned incredulous. "A girl?"

"Could it be that Young Master Xiao still doesn't know?" Hua Youxian also became surprised. "That year, Young Master Xiao specifically ordered someone to replace the little girl's Bifang wine with rose dew. I thought you had known all along..." She seemed to recall something, her eyes curving into a smile. "Because of that, I deliberately teased her at the time, making her blush furiously. It was quite amusing."

Xiao Jue's expression was shaken as he murmured, "I didn't know."

Back then, he had smelled the rich and mellow fragrance of the Bifang wine, fearing it would be too intoxicating. And He Rufei had just been beaten up on the estate and had recently applied medicine. If she were to drink, something lighter would be better. So he had ordered Hua Youxian to replace it with sweet rose dew. But Xiao Jue never expected that Hua Youxian would now tell him that He Rufei was a girl?

"Are you certain," Xiao Jue looked at the woman before him, "that he is a woman?"

"I grew up in the Ruyun Pavilion. Occasionally, young ladies from wealthy families would play around, disguising themselves as men to come and have fun. The madam instructed us sisters that if we encountered such girls, we shouldn't expose them. Let them play around and protect them a little. So if it's truly a woman disguised as a man, I can tell at a glance."

"That little master wearing a mask actually played the part of a man very well. There were no traces of earrings or hairpins, and her behavior and mannerisms were no different from an ordinary man. But I always felt something was off, so I deliberately sat beside her..." She laughed. "She was clearly wearing a chest binder and was extremely nervous. When I teased her, she panicked terribly. However, that mask was quite intimidating. If it were anyone else, they probably wouldn't have been able to tell. And back then, young masters didn't have much contact with women, so it was natural they couldn't immediately recognize her as a girl."

Xiao Jue was speechless.

He and He Rufei hadn't been classmates for very long—just over a year. But all these years, he had never doubted that He Rufei wasn't a man. Hearing this from Hua Youxian so abruptly was truly hard to believe. Yet he also knew very well that Hua Youxian wasn't someone who spoke carelessly. Though she phrased it tactfully, she must have been certain to say it.

"It seems... the Miss He today is not the same person as that little master back then." Hua Youxian looked at Xiao Jue curiously. "I thought Young Master Xiao was taking such good care of that lady, just like back then, and assumed it was the same person."

Xiao Jue's mind was in turmoil at the moment. Hearing this, he shook his head and said, "She's not."

"Young Master Chu also seems to have feelings for Miss He," Hua Youxian rested her chin on her hand, a gesture that made her appear somewhat playful like a young girl. "But I can tell that lady likes you."

Xiao Jue looked up at her.

"Young Master probably doesn't know," Hua Youxian chuckled softly. "At the banquet today, she looked at you much more than she looked at Young Master Chu. And... when Cailian sent someone to urge drinking, Miss He was so nervous she almost dropped her cup.""If the young master likes Miss He, you must take the initiative. A flower beautiful enough will attract more than one who wishes to pluck it." After saying this, she straightened up, picked up the wine pot from the table in the pavilion, and said, "This humble woman is also drunk and will retire to rest first. Young master, stay here and think slowly. Once you understand, everything will be clear tomorrow." She gave Xiao Jue a charming bow. "Farewell."

Hua Youxian disappeared into the depths of the corridor. Xiao Jue sat in the pavilion, gazing at the lantern on the table.

After such a long conversation, what still shocked him was one thing: Could He Rufei actually be a woman?

No one had ever seen He Rufei’s face beneath the mask. Was He Rufei a woman from the very beginning, or was it only the "He Rufei" who had come with them to Jinling who was a woman? After pondering for a moment, Xiao Jue concluded that the He Rufei who had come to Jinling had not been replaced—it was the same He Rufei they had known at the Virtuous Prosperity Academy. In other words, the He Rufei from the academy, the one known to the world, was a woman.

Suddenly, all of He Rufei’s past peculiar behaviors found a reasonable explanation.

Why had he always worn a mask that covered his entire face, never removing it even while sleeping? Why were the He family’s close attendants unusually distant, never serving him personally? Why had no one ever bathed in the hot springs with He Rufei? Why was He Rufei so weak, short, and much thinner than ordinary young men?

Because "He Rufei" was a woman.

Yet the He Rufei who had removed his mask before Emperor Wenxuan was unmistakably, undeniably a man.

Memories of the previous Battle of Huayuan resurfaced in his mind. As valiant and skilled as He Rufei was, he had suffered a crushing defeat at Huayuan, with all his trusted aides dying in battle. How similar this was to the Battle of Ming River. The reason for silencing witnesses at Ming River was because Xiao Zhongwu’s deputies knew the truth about their commander’s murder. What, then, was the reason for silencing witnesses at Huayuan?

What earth-shattering secret had those "fallen" trusted aides discovered? After much thought, the greatest secret was likely that the "Flying Goose General" who had fought alongside them back then and the "Flying Goose General" personally appointed by the emperor now were not the same person at all.

In fact, they were far from it.

"Fei Nu."

From the shadows, Fei Nu stepped forward, unable to conceal his astonishment. Fei Nu had been one of the guards accompanying Xiao Jue to Jinling back then. Naturally, he also knew that the masked youth was He Rufei. Now, after so much time had passed, to learn that the Flying Goose General, who struck fear into the hearts of many, was a woman—how could one not be shocked?

"Quickly inform Luan Ying to thoroughly investigate all matters related to the He family, starting from the time of He Rufei’s birth. Additionally, find out if there are any soldiers in the Pacify Yue Army who once fought alongside He Rufei and ensure their safety in secret."

He stood up. "I’m afraid someone will soon attempt to silence them."

...

The sunlight warmed her face, soft and fuzzy. He Yan raised a hand to shield her eyes from the glaring light outside and slowly opened them.

A young woman in the room was placing bowls of porridge from a basket onto the table, smiling as she asked, "Has the young master awakened?""Did I fall asleep?" He Yan asked. Last night, after drinking a few cups of rose dew, she had become unusually drowsy and didn’t know when she had drifted off. Her current tolerance for alcohol truly couldn’t compare to her past life. After all, even when she was younger, He Yan wouldn’t have been unable to handle a few cups.

"Young Master fell asleep early. It was Young Master Xiao who carried you back to your room," the girl replied with a faint smile. "Young Master Lin and Young Master Yan have already woken up and had their meal. They’re waiting downstairs. After you have breakfast and freshen up, you can go down."

She made no move to attend to He Yan. After setting out the food, she withdrew. This was likely Xiao Jue’s doing. Now that she was a woman, only Yan He and Yang Mingzhi among this group remained unaware. Still, for the time being, the fewer who knew, the better.

After eating and tidying herself up, He Yan went downstairs. As soon as she descended, she heard Yan He and Lin Shuanghe arguing heatedly. Yan He insisted, "Impossible! You were the first to get drunk yesterday."

"Nonsense, Yan Nanguang. I saw you drink too much. How could I have been the first to get drunk? Don’t you dare deny it. If you don’t believe me, ask Huaijin. Huaijin, who got drunk first, him or me?"

Before Xiao Jue could answer, Yan He hurriedly interjected, "Why ask him? He’s your friend, of course he’ll take your side! Anyway, you were the first to get drunk!"

"...Yan Nanguang, does your wife know you’re this shameless?"

He Yan went downstairs and greeted them, then glanced at Xiao Jue, who was sitting by the window. He was gazing outside, lost in thought, so absorbed that he hadn’t even noticed He Yan coming down. This was unusual. He Yan walked over to Lin Shuanghe and asked, "What’s wrong with the Commander? He looks preoccupied."

Lin Shuanghe shrugged. "Who knows? He’s been like this since morning. Maybe he’s thinking about what will happen after we return to Shuojing."

He said it lightly, but He Yan felt uneasy. Could it be that she had said something foolish while drunk last night? She truly had no recollection.

"But..." He Yan glanced around. "Where are Lord Yang and Chu Fourth Young Master?"

"It seems they didn’t stay at Ruyun Tower last night. Probably out of propriety. Yang Mingzhi never liked these kinds of places anyway. As for Chu Zilan," Lin Shuanghe deliberately looked at He Yan and said slowly, "if he had stayed at Ruyun Tower last night, once we return to Shuojing, Xu Pingting would skin him alive. And that’s not all—the entire Ruyun Tower would likely suffer too. So, in a way, he did a good deed."

Just as they were speaking, Yan He walked over to Xiao Jue and slapped the table loudly. "Snap out of it!"

Xiao Jue lifted his gaze.

"Didn’t you say we were going to find Yang Mingzhi this morning? Hurry up," Yan He urged impatiently. "Say whatever you need to say quickly. Don’t delay our return to the capital." He rubbed his hands together. "I promised Chengxiu the time we’d return. Even a day late won’t do."

Ever since learning that Yan He was the "model husband," he had stopped hiding it, with eight out of ten sentences mentioning his wife. Xiao Jue couldn’t be bothered with his seemingly casual bragging. He stood up and said to everyone, "Let’s go."

Once they were in the carriage, He Yan finally found a chance to ask the question that had been on her mind. "Commander, General Yan, why are we going to see Lord Yang?"After drinking together last night, Yan He seemed to have counted He Yan among his own people and did not hide anything. "I don't know," he said. "They only said it was related to the Wutuo People. We'll find out when we get there." When mentioning the Wutuo People, his expression turned serious. "I wonder how things are in Shuojing."

Yang Mingzhi's residence was neither too close nor too far from Ruyun Tower. After about the time it takes for a few incense sticks to burn, the carriage stopped at the gate of the Yang residence.

As the governor of Jinling, Yang Mingzhi's residence was surprisingly simple. At first glance, it looked no different from an ordinary household. He Yan still remembered when Liu Rui served as the governor of Jinling. According to what her companions had said, his mansion was lavishly decorated, so much so that the youths who went to steal the deeds nearly got lost in the garden.

Yang Mingzhi... did not crave wealth, at least his original intentions remained unchanged. So why had he spoken such hurtful words to his friend back then?

Lost in thought, He Yan followed the others through the main gate.

There were not many servants in Yang Mingzhi's residence either, making it resemble the home of an ordinary scholar in Jinling. The garden was barely tended, with bamboo planted haphazardly. When they reached the main hall, the furnishings were sparse. What caught the eye were the various landscape paintings and calligraphy hanging on the walls.

He Yan stepped closer to look. They were not the works of famous artists but all written by Yang Mingzhi himself. On the table lay a freshly written piece of paper, not yet framed:

"Ten years of study, youth still fair and bright. Not chasing worldly affairs, nor cockfighting on the eastern outskirts. Wealth is like floating clouds, gold and jade are not treasures. Once the cuckoo cries, harsh frost covers the sturdy grass. Ambition often fades with sorrow, tears staining the embrace."

He Yan was taken aback. Why was Yang Mingzhi writing this? Who was he mocking? And for whom was he weeping?

Before she could figure it out, someone walked out from inside and said, "You've arrived." It was Yang Mingzhi.

Today, he was not wearing his official robes but his everyday clothes, making it even harder to associate him with the governor of Jinling.

Everyone found seats, and Yang Mingzhi ordered a servant to serve tea. The fragrance of tea wafted through the air. Yan He held his teacup, looked up at Yang Mingzhi, and asked, "Speak plainly. There are no outsiders here. You sent word that you had something important to tell us. What is it?"

Yang Mingzhi paused before replying, "I heard you came from Rundu?"

"What? Has my reputation reached your ears?" Yan He said proudly. "Indeed, we came from Rundu. If I hadn't arrived with reinforcements, everyone in Rundu would have been slaughtered by the Wutuo People. You have no idea how dire the situation was. When we arrived, the city's commander had even resorted to cannibalism." At this, a flicker of disgust crossed Yan He's eyes. "How could he do such a thing!"

Once Yan He started boasting about his achievements, he couldn't stop. Yang Mingzhi clearly had no interest in listening to him show off and cut him off directly. "Commander Xiao, you were at the Jiyang naval battle and the Rundu city battle. You’ve dealt with those Wutuo People. What do you think of them?"

Xiao Jue replied, "Nothing special."

His expression was indifferent. He Yan quickly explained, "I happened to be at both the Jiyang naval battle and the Rundu city battle, Lord Yang. Those Wutuo People are extremely brutal and well-prepared. They are cunning in their methods and slaughtered countless civilians of Great Wei outside Rundu. They are truly despicable."

Yang Mingzhi looked at her and asked, "Do they have designs on Great Wei's territory?"He Yan: "It's obvious."

Yang Mingzhi nodded: "That's what I think too."

"Everyone in the world thinks so," Lin Shuanghe said. "Isn't that right?"

"The court doesn't think so."

Everyone was taken aback and looked at Yang Mingzhi.

Yang Mingzhi frowned deeply, his expression equally grave. "I've received news that the Wutuo envoy is on his way to Shuojing. The factions in the court advocating for war and peace are locked in endless disputes, and His Majesty is inclined toward peace."

"Are they insane?" Yan He exclaimed before Yang Mingzhi could finish. "The enemy is already at our doorstep, and they still want peace? Do they think the Buddha has descended to save all beings?"

Yang Mingzhi shook his head. "Not only that, they propose establishing a market within Great Wei's territory to facilitate trade between the two nations."

Once this side quest is finished, we'll enter the main storyline. There won't be many more side quests after this.

(End of Chapter)