Legend of the Female General

Chapter 207: Suspicion

On the way down the mountain, He Yan was noticeably more silent than when they had come up.

Xiao Jue asked, "Still thinking about what happened earlier?"

Afraid he might notice something amiss, He Yan casually lied, "I just feel a bit sad hearing what that young lady said."

Xiao Jue paused for a moment before replying calmly, "Don’t worry, you won’t end up like the former Madam Xu."

He Yan lowered her head and smiled faintly, her heart filled with an indescribable bitterness. After all, she had already died once before. Yet seeing Lady He the Second today, she realized her mother wasn’t entirely indifferent to her.

But if her mother truly cared for her, why had Lady He the Second been so distant when she was still "He Yan"? When the He and Xu families conspired to harm her eyes, and when she was "accidentally drowned," did Lady He the Second know the truth?

He Yan would rather she knew nothing—ignorance is innocence.

Even if she didn’t know about that incident, Lady He the Second must have been aware of the identity swap between her and He Rufei back then. What kind of mother would push her own daughter away, unable to call her "mother" even when she was right there?

He Yan lowered her gaze.

Counting the days, it was about time she visited the Xu family. She wondered what clues Fuwang had uncovered. After the palace banquet, He Rufei and Xu Zhiheng would surely grow suspicious of her.

She needed to act quickly.

…

He Xinying first escorted Lady He the Second back to the He residence with the guards and servants before returning to the Xu family. Xu Zhiheng was in his study. He hadn’t attended court today, and for some reason, since returning from the victory banquet, he had rarely gone out. People outside said he was ill, but He Xinying knew perfectly well that Xu Zhiheng was fine. It wasn’t so much an illness as a preoccupation. Sometimes when she spoke to him, she could sense his obvious distraction.

He Xinying pretended not to notice.

A clever woman knows when to feign foolishness—a rule she had learned in the He family’s inner courtyard. But no matter how foolish she pretended to be, she always kept a clear mind, careful not to let the act become reality.

Xu Zhiheng, rummaging through He Yan’s former room that night, had seemed entirely different from his usual self, deepening He Xinying’s suspicions. When she married into the Xu family, she had brought her own maidservants. Now, she dared not use the Xu family’s servants, relying only on her own people.

She wanted to investigate some things.

If these matters had nothing to do with her, He Xinying wouldn’t care. But everything indicated that He Yan’s death might not have been as simple as it seemed. Xu Zhiheng’s odd behavior aside, even her mother had lost her composure upon encountering the Marquis of Wu’an, who shared the same name, at the Jade Splendor Temple. If there was more to He Yan’s death, who was to say she wouldn’t become the next He Yan?

In the He family, women held no status. Even the legitimate daughter born to Lady He the First had her marriage arranged early on. A daughter’s marriage was merely a stepping stone for the men’s careers. Whether the groom was a decent person or not mattered little—profit always came first. This was why the He daughters had envied He Yan when she married Xu Zhiheng. After all, her marriage seemed like the best choice the He family could have made for her.But now it seems there may be hidden circumstances.

"Xiao Liu," she instructed her personal maid, "these next few days, quietly inquire around the mansion about what exactly happened between my sister He Yan and that concubine surnamed He back when my sister was still here. What exactly did Concubine He do wrong to be driven out?"

"Why is the young mistress asking about this?" Xiao Liu asked curiously.

"I have my reasons," He Xinying did not wish to elaborate. "Just remember, this matter must be kept secret and must not be known by outsiders. Offer generous silver, and it's best not to mention my sister—start from Concubine He's side."

This way, even if she was accidentally discovered by the Xu family, she could claim she was jealous and wanted to know how that concubine from the past had won Xu Zhiheng's favor. It wouldn't expose her secretly investigating the cause of He Yan's death.

The people of the Xu family never voluntarily brought up He Yan and avoided matters related to her at all costs—there must be a problem.

He Xinying looked out at the bright sunlight and suddenly felt that the spacious, bright courtyard of the Xu family had now become somewhat eerie and terrifying.

But even for her own sake, she couldn't live in such confusion.

...

After paying respects at the temple, He Yan and Xiao Jue did not return directly to their respective residences but instead went to the Liangzhou Guard camp outside the city.

The Southern Garrison Troops were still relatively restrained, likely because Tian Lang forbade them from excessively discussing their superiors' private matters. On the Liangzhou Guard side, Shen Han couldn't control them as well. Back then, He Yan had eaten and lived alongside the soldiers, forging "deep bonds of friendship." Now, suddenly hearing that their brother had become a woman and was even their superior's fiancée... aside from training, it seemed the topic everyone was most enthusiastic about recently was discussing this matter.

When He Yan and Xiao Jue arrived, the soldiers were still training. After some thought, He Yan said to Xiao Jue, "Commander, perhaps you shouldn't come in with me. Just stay outside with Instructor Shen and the others. If you go in, even if they have questions they want to ask, they won't dare."

Xiao Jue raised an eyebrow. "Alright." He went to find Tian Lang on his own. Since returning to the capital, he had been busy with the Xu family's affairs, partly to let Xu Jingfu lower his guard. He had come here very little, each time staying only briefly before hurriedly leaving.

After Xiao Jue left, He Yan sat waiting for them in an open area far from the training grounds.

Before long, the training ended, and the soldiers, arm in arm, went to eat. Someone spotted He Yan sitting at the edge. He Yan was wearing women's clothing that day, so they didn't recognize her at first. A young soldier even warmly approached and asked with concern, "Miss, are you looking for someone?"

He Yan looked at him, stood up, brushed the dust off her clothes, and smiled. "It hasn't been that long, and you don't recognize me?"

Seeing the new soldier still staring blankly at her, seeming somewhat familiar but unable to place her, He Yan reminded him, "Me, number one in Liangzhou Guard."

At that, the soldier became excited, swallowed hard, and shouted at the top of his lungs, "Brothers, He Yan—He Yan is here—"

His voice was so loud that He Yan couldn't help but cover her ears. Immediately afterward, she saw a large group of people, like cats catching the scent of prey, swarm around her in an instant, muttering, "Where?" "Where is she?" "Let me see, let me see."

In an instant, He Yan was surrounded by the crowd.Now that she was dressed as a woman, it finally dawned on everyone that she truly was a woman. The new recruits of Liangzhou Guard no longer approached her as they used to, slinging an arm over her shoulder to show familiarity. Instead, they appeared somewhat awkward, even bashful. Some even blushed, not daring to look at He Yan, but instead staring down at their own shoes as they asked softly, "Um... Brother He... Miss He, how could you be a woman?"

He Yan clasped her hands in apology, her voice clear and bright, "At the time, I had no choice but to join the army by chance. I never intended to deceive any of you. Now that the truth is out, I felt I should come and apologize. I’ve been well taken care of by everyone all this time. Even though I’m a woman, we’re still brothers."

Her tone was just as it had been in the past, easing some of the tension in the air. Then, a voice rang out from the crowd, "Make way! Where is she?"

He Yan looked up to see Wang Ba and his group pushing through the crowd toward her.

At Liangzhou Guard, they had been the closest to He Yan, yet even with such a close relationship, they had never noticed anything unusual about her identity. Thus, the shock they felt was the greatest. Wang Ba was the most furious—had he been calling a girl "boss" for over a year? Because of this, he had nearly become the laughingstock of Liangzhou Guard these past few days, with everyone teasing him about it. Now that He Yan had come to them herself, he was determined to demand an explanation.

As he thought this, Wang Ba had already reached He Yan. But just as he was about to speak, he found himself at a loss for words.

Faced with a delicate, charming young girl smiling sweetly at him, even the most heartless of men would find it hard to scold her.

So He Yan watched as the burly man before her struggled to contain his anger, unable to utter a single word.

Xiao Mai squeezed forward instead. Young and enthusiastic, after the initial surprise, he was simply delighted. Seeing He Yan now, he was overjoyed. "Brother He, I never knew you were so beautiful! You’re amazing!"

"What 'Brother He'?" Hong Shan smacked him on the head. "Call her Miss He." He, too, was at a loss—after all, they had once shared a bed...

"Brother He, how could you be a woman?" Jiang Jiao also found it hard to accept. He had always admired He Yan, as they were around the same age, yet she had often given him careful guidance in martial matters. Having such a close friend had been invaluable to him. Now that his friend had become a "young lady," Jiang Jiao didn’t know what to feel. He had initially thought it must be a misunderstanding, that the gossip had gotten something wrong. But seeing He Yan standing gracefully among the crowd, he knew he could no longer deceive himself.

She really was a woman.

Among them, Huang Xiong and Shitou remained the calmest. Shitou had never been one to show his emotions openly, while Huang Xiong, being older and well-traveled, had seen it all. A woman disguising herself as a man might be shocking, but it wasn’t unheard of. Still, some things that had puzzled him before now made sense—like why He Yan had her own room and why she was placed so close to Xiao Jue. It was because it was inconvenient otherwise; Xiao Jue had been looking out for his fiancée.But this handsome-faced commander truly lived up to his reputation for being ruthless and merciless. Even though she was his beloved, when He Yan first arrived in Liang Province, she hadn’t been spared any training. She had slept in the common barracks and dutifully followed the ranks during the morning weighted runs. If it were any other man, he would likely have shown some tenderness and consideration.

"Are you really going to marry the commander?" Xiao Mai asked curiously. "Will we have to call you Madam Xiao the Second from now on?"

Xiao Mai was straightforward and spoke his mind, but He Yan’s face flushed bright red at the mention of "Madam Xiao the Second." Hearing it from someone else’s lips felt incredibly awkward. Her embarrassment was noticed by the new recruits of the Liangzhou Guard, who began teasing her: "Ah, Brother He is blushing!"

"I never thought I’d live to see the day Brother He blushed! Heaven above, my life is complete!"

He Yan: "..."

As they chattered on, the men reverted to calling her "Brother He," likely finding it more natural. Hong Shan scolded Xiao Mai: "Watch your words! Don’t speak carelessly. She’s a young lady—would you like to be talked about like that?"

Xiao Mai rubbed his head, grumbling, "What’s there to be embarrassed about?"

The men around them laughed heartily: "Exactly! Brother He declared herself the best in the Liangzhou Guard in front of everyone without even blushing!"

"Aren’t you ashamed? The title of Liangzhou Guard’s best went to a girl, and you can’t even match up to her despite your size!"

"Is she an ordinary girl? Is she? The kind of girl Commander Xiao invites home as his wife—is she ordinary? If you think you can fight, go ahead!"

"I won’t. You go instead."

The noisy chatter from the training grounds drifted into the small room. Shen Han wiped the sweat from his forehead, while Liang Ping, Ma Damei, and the other instructors stood stiffly in the room, not daring to move. Who knew if Xiao Jue’s sudden visit was to settle scores later? After all, every instructor here had been "strict" with He Yan at some point. Especially Liang Ping.

But it was hard to say. For instance, during the hot spring incident at White Moon Mountain, everyone present had played a part.

For now, however, their commander seemed to be in a good mood, with no intention of punishing anyone. He simply sat in the room, reviewing the recent training progress of the new recruits in the guard.

"Have the condolence payments been delivered to the families?"

Shen Han replied, "They have all been delivered, and we personally visited each household."

Some of the new recruits who had fallen in Liangzhou Guard hadn’t returned to Shuojing with the others, so their families needed to be comforted one by one.

"Don’t slack off on training these days," Xiao Jue said.

The instructors nodded repeatedly.

Another half-hour passed, and it was about time for them to leave. Xiao Jue stood up and headed out. Shen Han called out, "Commander."

Xiao Jue turned to look at him.

Shen Han smiled awkwardly. "That... congratulations."

...

After visiting the new recruits, evening was approaching. He Yan and Xiao Jue returned to the city, with Xiao Jue first escorting He Yan back to the He residence before returning to his own manor.

"I’ll be very busy these next few days," He Yan said before Xiao Jue could speak. "There are still many formalities left for the Marquis of Wu’an’s conferment. Commander, you don’t need to worry about me these days."

"Do you need help?"

He Yan waved her hands repeatedly. "No need, I can manage on my own."

Only after Xiao Jue left did she let out a sigh of relief.The days of ease were about to come to an end.

He Yan tidied herself up, careful not to let He Sui and He Yun Sheng notice anything amiss. She pinched her own cheek until she managed to squeeze out a smile, then stepped through the gate.

...

On the other side, Xiao Jue returned to his residence.

Xiao Jing and Bai Rongwei were not home. Bai Guo was watering flowers in the courtyard and, upon seeing Xiao Jue, called out crisply, "Second Young Master."

The young maid had been specially assigned to serve in the courtyard earlier for He Yan's convenience. After He Yan left, Xiao Jue had been preoccupied with matters concerning Xu Jingfu and had forgotten about Bai Guo. He hadn't expected her to still be in the courtyard. It was already late today, so he decided to have Bai Rongwei arrange for her to move to another courtyard tomorrow morning.

He did not like having outsiders in his courtyard.

Xiao Jue entered his room. Fei Nu had gone to tend to the carriage. He had only been seated in the room for a short while when someone knocked on the door. Xiao Jue said, "Enter."

Luan Ying walked in from outside.

"How are the two people from the estate?" Xiao Jue asked.

"The physician has already examined them. Their lives are not in immediate danger for now. Chi Wu is still interrogating them. The two are holding back due to their concerns, and their words are guarded. Please give us a few more days, Young Master. Once these two are willing to talk and present evidence... Xu Xiang will surely be unable to recover."

"Three days," Xiao Jue said. "At most three days."

"If there are no results in three days, I will interrogate them myself."

Luan Ying nodded. After a moment, she added, "Young Master, besides this, while investigating the matter today, I discovered something else."

"Speak."

"The He family of military officials is investigating us."

Xiao Jue paused slightly and looked up at her. "He Rufei?"

Luan Ying nodded. "It should be him. He Yuansheng and He Yuanliang lack his connections and methods in court. His actions are very discreet and cautious, but perhaps due to some impatience, he has left a trace."

"Did he uncover anything about the rumors previously spread in the market?"

"No, Young Master," Luan Ying replied with a serious expression. "Moreover, if it were only about the rumors, he wouldn't need to investigate Miss He's background."

Xiao Jue's gaze sharpened abruptly. "He Yan?"

"That's right," Luan Ying said. "He is not only investigating you, Young Master, but also Miss He."

Xiao Jue's expression darkened.

Because of his relationship with Xu Jingfu, Xu Jingfu's men, in their efforts to deal with him, would likely target He Yan. After all, He Yan had no family background or connections. Even with the title of Marquis of Wu'an, she had yet to establish her own network in court. Her foundation was too shallow, making her an easy target to uproot.

But if He Rufei intended to target He Yan, he was making a grave mistake.

"Young Master, there is one more thing..." Luan Ying hesitated, as if unsure whether to speak.

She rarely acted this way. Xiao Jue asked, "What is it?"

Luan Ying thought for a moment before finally making up her mind. "The Xu family of the Hanlin Academy is also investigating Miss He."

"The Xu family?" Xiao Jue frowned. If He Rufei was investigating Xiao Jue because of Xu Jingfu or because of the rumors Xiao Jue had previously spread in the market, and He Yan was inadvertently implicated, the Xu family was not involved in this situation. Their sudden interference at this time was quite intriguing.

"Only investigating He Yan?"

"Only investigating He Yan."Since the investigation only concerns He Yan, it has nothing to do with the Xiao family. The question then arises: what past entanglement between He Yan and the Xu family would prompt the Xu family to act so rashly?

After a long silence, Xiao Jue said, "Continue with your tasks, but from today onward, investigate the Xu family as well."

There were indeed some unusual aspects that had been overlooked, much like Lady He the Second encountered today at Jade Splendor Temple—her behavior and demeanor also seemed peculiar.

There must be something suspicious between the Xu family and the He family.

There will be a second watch.

(End of Chapter)