Chapter 239: Twins
The dungeon was damp and musty, with traces of blood and grime staining the floor. He Xinying sat huddled in a corner, hugging her knees. Watching the black insects crawling through the dry straw beneath her, she couldn’t help but shiver.
It was too cold here, and no one paid her any attention. She had been raised in comfort and indulgence since childhood—when had she ever suffered such humiliation? Yet the jailers here ignored her. He Rufei and Xu Zhiheng were not imprisoned with her; she didn’t know where they were. At first, she hadn’t even understood what had happened.
It wasn’t until the jailers began chatting idly, mentioning the events at the Celestial Star Platform that day, that He Xinying slowly pieced things together, recalling what Liu’er had said to her before she was captured.
Her deceased elder sister was the true Flying Goose General. All these years, He Rufei and He Yan had been using each other’s identities. After He Yan entered the capital, He Rufei stole her achievements and, to eliminate any future threats, drowned He Yan in the Xu family’s pond.
No wonder she always felt a chill whenever she passed by the pond in the courtyard. No wonder Xu Zhiheng had been rummaging through He Yan’s former residence, searching for her belongings.
Xu Zhiheng… did he know about this too? Or was he also one of the executioners in this matter? He Xinying felt a cold dread seep through her entire body.
It was General Feng Yun, Xiao Huaijin, who had uncovered the truth. And earlier, at Jade Splendor Temple, her mother had approached Xiao Huaijin to speak with him. Thinking of Lady He the Second, He Xinying felt another pang of heartache.
Had Lady He the Second known about this from the beginning? When her uncle made such a demand, had her father not spoken up to stop it? When He Rufei ordered He Yan’s drowning, did her father know but remain silent, or was he completely unaware? He Xinying hoped it was the latter, but deep down, she feared it was the former.
Leaning weakly against the wall, she felt as though her entire life had been a joke. The father she thought doted on her had turned out to be someone who could ignore familial bonds for the sake of profit. The husband she thought was a perfect match had harbored sinister intentions. The elder brother she thought was majestic and brought protection to the family was nothing but an impostor who stole others’ achievements and wielded borrowed authority. In the end, her family had fallen apart, her mother was gone, her elder sister had long since departed, and she was left alone here, filled with desolation.
The crime of deceiving the emperor was punishable by death, a beheading. He Xinying sobbed quietly. So be it—if death came, then let it come. In this world, there was no one left for her to cling to. Perhaps reuniting with her family in the afterlife wouldn’t be such a bad thing.
Just as she was lost in these thoughts, footsteps suddenly echoed in the corridor. He Xinying looked up to see a jailer following a stranger as they approached.
The two stopped in front of her cell. The jailer opened the door and said to He Xinying, “Miss He, please come with us.”
He Xinying was taken aback. “Where to?”
“His Majesty is merciful. Moved by the Flying Goose General’s contributions in pacifying the Western Qiang and her wrongful death, and considering that you are the Flying Goose General’s own younger sister, His Majesty has shown leniency. From now on, you will be stripped of your status and reduced to a commoner, but your life will be spared. Starting today, you no longer need to remain here.”
It took He Xinying a moment to process the jailer’s words. Slowly, she rose to her feet and stepped out of the cell, following the two men as they led her out of the prison.Outside, the night was deep and heavy. Dressed in thin clothing, she stood alone, suddenly granted freedom yet unsure of where to go next. The He and Xu families were gone, and though the world was vast, there seemed to be no place left for her.
He Xinying lowered her head with a bitter smile and murmured to herself, "Where else can I go?"
"Miss He." A voice spoke from behind.
He Xinying turned to see the man who had come earlier with the prison guard. He appeared to be a guard from some household and addressed her directly: "If Miss He has nowhere to go, you may take temporary shelter at a certain place."
"Where?" He Xinying asked.
"Your elder sister studied at the Virtuous Prosperity Academy in her youth. The academy's headmaster, Wei Xuanzhang, shared a teacher-student bond with her. Upon learning the truth, he deeply sympathized with her plight. If Miss He has nowhere to go for now, you may first stay at Mr. Wei's home. Mr. Wei resides at the academy year-round, and only his wife remains at home."
He Xinying was taken aback.
After a moment, she laughed self-mockingly. "So even in death, my elder sister is still protecting me..."
"Please lead the way, sir," she said. Now that the He and Xu families had fallen, it went without saying that former relatives and friends would avoid them like the plague, fearing to be implicated. Even if she went to them now, no one would dare take her in. She had yet to decide what to do next, but first, she needed a place to sit down and thoroughly unravel all the things she did not understand.
Indeed, she had nowhere else to go.
...
The fact that He Xinying had been taken away went unnoticed by Xu Zhiheng and He Rufei in their cells.
They were held separately to prevent them from colluding on their testimonies. He Rufei could not see Xu Zhiheng, nor could Xu Zhiheng see He Rufei. For the two of them, however, this was actually a good thing. If they were locked together, they would likely start fighting immediately.
Xu Zhiheng resented He Rufei for dragging him down, while He Rufei hated Xu Zhiheng for eagerly shifting all the blame onto him as soon as trouble arose at the Celestial Platform.
In the end, alliances forged for the sake of interests were as fragile as paper. With just a gust of wind or a drop of rain, they would fall apart without even needing to be torn apart.
He Rufei sat in a corner of his cell. Even at this point, he had not given up and was still scheming for a possible escape plan. Xu Xiang's people would surely not stand idly by. If they intended to rescue Xu Jingfu, perhaps they could pull him out as well. The worst-case scenario would be Xu Jingfu sacrificing him to save himself, but He Rufei still held evidence of Xu Jingfu's treason and collusion with the enemy. How could Xu Jingfu possibly abandon him and walk away unscathed?
The incident at the Celestial Platform had truly caught him off guard. He had not expected that woman named He Yan to be so formidable, nor had he anticipated that Xiao Jue already possessed so much evidence, pushing him step by step onto a path of no return.
He Yan... At the thought of that woman, a flicker of malice flashed in He Rufei's eyes.
What exactly was the relationship between that woman and his deceased cousin? He Rufei did not know. He had never witnessed He Yan's valor on the battlefield, as by the time he returned to Shuojing, she had already resumed her identity as a woman. Thus, all the legends about the "Flying Goose General" were merely hearsay to him, never seen with his own eyes. In his view, the deceased He Yan, his cousin, seemed nothing more than a woman slightly stronger than the average woman.People said the Flying Goose General possessed exceptional martial skills, but he didn't believe it. They said the Flying Goose General could take on ten enemies single-handedly on the battlefield, but he still didn't believe it. The reason for his disbelief was simple—because he couldn't do it himself, and if he couldn't, then He Yan, a woman, was even less likely to achieve such feats.
Until that sword duel on the Celestial Platform.
He Rufei closed his eyes, a surge of restless frustration rising within him.
If the real He Yan were still alive, would she wield a sword like this? But how could she possibly be alive? She absolutely could not be alive!
In the quiet prison, the sound of footsteps echoed. He Rufei, locked in the innermost cell, listened intently as the footsteps drew closer and closer, until they finally stopped right in front of him.
The jailer actually opened the cell door.
He Rufei raised his head and looked at the newcomer.
The young man dressed in black swept a cold glance over him, as if begrudging even a moment wasted on him. He stood while He Rufei sat, an invisible hierarchy that seemed to declare He Rufei inferior.
"What brings Commander Xiao here?" He Rufei sneered. "Surely not to silence me?"
Without waiting for Xiao Jue's reply, he continued, "Actually, I don't understand. How did you come to know about this?"
If Nanny Qin's side had been compromised by Xu Zhiheng's loose lips, how did Xiao Jue immediately deduce the truth and start gathering evidence long ago? Even now, He Rufei couldn't figure it out. After all, if nothing else, just telling someone that "the Flying Goose General was a woman" would make them think he was spouting nonsense.
Why did Xiao Jue alone know?
The young man looked at him indifferently and said coldly, "How do you think I found out?"
"I don't know," He Rufei stared at the man before him and suddenly smiled. Leaning against the wall, he spoke unhurriedly, "I heard you attended the same school as my deceased sister. Let me think—perhaps you had a secret affair with her. Are you confronting me now to avenge my sister?" He chuckled, his expression twisting slightly. "Could it be that someone in this world truly liked my unconventional sister? What was so great about her? She wasn't even like a woman..."
Before he could finish, a sharp pain shot through his chest, and he was sent flying backward, crashing into the stone wall. The impact forced him to spit out a mouthful of blood.
Xiao Jue's kick had been delivered with full force, leaving He Rufei gasping for breath. The jailer, having received prior instructions, had already retreated outside, turning a blind eye to the situation within.
Indeed, if Xu Jingfu fell, no one in the court or the military would be able to stop Xiao Jue. At this critical juncture, no one dared to offend the Right Army Commander.
He Rufei wiped the blood from the corner of his mouth, looked at Xiao Jue, and slowly smiled.
General Feng Yun, the Jade-Faced Commander of Great Wei—so majestic and heroic. Just standing here, he commanded attention, and no one could overshadow his presence. If He Yan hadn't altered everyone's fate back then, perhaps he would never have crossed paths with Xiao Jue in his lifetime.
But fate had other plans."Why are you all so angry," He Rufei sneered. "Everyone is championing my sister's cause, but what about me?" His voice suddenly rose sharply. "What about me! My life! Doesn't it matter? Should I have to pay for her damned foolish decision for a lifetime! Why? I have things I want to do too. Do you think I really wanted to be this general?" His eyes reddened, like a frenzied beast ready to tear everything apart. "Who wants to be this general? Huh, who wants to be!"
From the time he could remember, He Rufei had no longer lived in the He family mansion. He resided on a distant estate. He knew his health was poor, and he knew about the identity swap with his cousin. He couldn't go to places too far away, and he could never be left alone. He Yuansheng and his wife would sometimes secretly visit him, but they always left in a hurry.
Doctors had declared he wouldn't live past a few years old, but perhaps because he was tenacious, he endured year after year. Later, when he turned sixteen, his health fully recovered. He thought he could finally leave the estate and return to the He family, resuming his place as the eldest young master. But then news came that He Yan had gone to the battlefield, so he couldn't return yet.
He Rufei was forced to remain on the estate.
He had secretly prayed in his heart that He Yan must not die on the battlefield—not out of deep sibling affection or kindness, but because He Yan was using his identity. If He Yan died on the battlefield, he, the eldest young master of the He family, could never return home.
Fortunately, He Yan returned.
For all those years, He Rufei hadn't felt much emotion toward He Yan—neither liking nor hatred. That was until the day he returned to the He family. He Yan had just come back to the mansion and hadn't seen him. Outside, soldiers and horses surrounded the young deputy general in their midst. She wore a mask, standing in the sunlight, open and forthright, her bearing bright and clear. Her sword was beautiful and sharp, her warhorse strong and gentle. Though her face couldn't be seen, her gaze was as bright as stars.
Suddenly, a trace of resentment sprouted in He Rufei's heart.
All these years, he had been living a hidden life on the estate. He thought He Yan was just like him, but upon seeing her, he realized it was completely different. She was using his identity, living so happily. Why? She had arbitrarily decided someone else's fate and then handed the already arranged destiny back to him.
Why?
He Rufei's feelings were complex. On one hand, he hated accepting the fate He Yan had chosen for him, such as becoming a military officer. But on the other hand, when he stood in the Golden Hall, receiving the emperor's rewards and the admiring or envious gazes of the court officials, a sense of satisfaction would arise in his heart.
Yet this satisfaction constantly humiliated him, because He Rufei knew very well that the praise and glorious reputation belonged to He Yan, not to him. Whenever he heard people behind his back praising how brave and invincible the Flying Goose General was on the battlefield, his heart would ache with particular torment. This torment eventually bred anxiety, and the anxiety made him uneasy. Even after He Yan married, he hadn't resolved this inner turmoil.
It was as if he had stolen a beautiful gem. He was proud to possess it and accepted everyone's admiring and covetous glances, but he also feared that one day someone would discover the gem's true owner wasn't him.The wicked thought grew stronger and stronger until one day, he thought, if only He Yan were dead. Once this idea surfaced, He Rufei found himself surprisingly calm.
He had found the cure for his inner turmoil.
Breaking wings could only prevent the Flying Goose General from soaring into the vast sky, but the Flying Swan remained the Flying Swan. It would be better to drag the bird from the heavens, drown it in water, and bury it in the earth, so that no one would ever discover its traces again.
He finally found peace.
But why, before this peace could last long, was it so eagerly interrupted?
"You're lying." The young man's voice was calm, his gaze cold as water. "You desperately want to be the Flying Goose General, you just don’t dare admit it."
As if his deepest secret had been exposed, He Rufei abruptly looked up. "I don’t!"
"You do."
He Rufei gritted his teeth. The man’s gaze was light and indifferent, yet it left his wretchedness nowhere to hide. Clenching his fists, he tried to stand up. "Tell me, is she really He Yan?"
"If I say yes," the young man lowered his eyes, the silver crown casting a cold gleam under the dim prison lights, "what will you do?"
"I don’t believe it." He Rufei couldn’t help trembling, unsure whether from hatred or fear. "I don’t believe a single word you say."
But deep down, he did believe a little.
Those inexplicable coincidences, the familiarity with the He family’s layout, the secret compartment in the study, the mystery of the Linglong Box… and that call of "big brother" on the Celestial Platform.
They were born on the same night, in the same place, many years ago, and so their fates became entangled—forced, coincidental, and fatefully intertwined, like two entwined vines, drawing nourishment from each other. For him to survive, he had to uproot the vine beside him. So-called twins brought not dependence and trust, but betrayal and enmity.
If He Yan lived in the sunlight, he had to remain in the shadows. If he wanted to walk openly among others, he had to tear out the one who belonged in the light by the roots.
He had done well… He Rufei laughed bitterly.
In this moment, he felt an inexplicable sense of relief.
He didn’t know whether he envied or resented He Yan, but in this instant, he suddenly realized that what he truly despised was the feeling of being a substitute. Others looked at you but saw someone else. Others thought of you but remembered someone else. How laughable, how pitiful.
The shadow killed its master, but the shadow remained a shadow. In his life with He Yan, was he He Yan’s substitute, or was He Yan his? No one could say for sure. Was he truly He Rufei or He Yan? No one could answer that either.
What if, from the very beginning, he and He Yan had never swapped identities?
What if, from the very beginning, he had been the eldest son of the He family, each choosing their own path? What would things be like now?
He Rufei gradually began to laugh, louder and louder, until tears streamed from his eyes. His entire life had been pushed forward, helpless and unwilling. Perhaps only at the final moment of life could he find relief, yet what remained for "He Rufei" was a reputation of deceit and infamy."Xiao Huaijin," he looked up at the person before him, "I'll just consider her as He Yan. You went to such lengths to find me, all to avenge her, didn't you? You want my life? Fine, take it," he spread his arms, surrendering completely. "In the end, this is just a feud between her and me. What does it have to do with you?"
Xiao Jue walked up to him, gazing at him quietly, then suddenly reached out and seized his neck. The young man's fingers were slender and pale, yet they seemed capable of crushing his bones alive.
He Rufei choked, unable to breathe, glaring at the other man as he forced out a cold laugh.
"What does it have to do with me?" Xiao Jue slowly retorted.
His dark eyes fixed on He Rufei, as if swirling with a storm of shadows, he spoke word by word: "The first girl I ever coaxed and saved in my life was drowned to death by you all in the end. Tell me, what does it have to do with me?"
He Rufei struggled desperately, but the hand tightened its grip. His eyes rolled back, legs kicking, as immense fear surged within him. He knew he was about to die at this man's hands.
Yet the next moment, the hand strangling his throat suddenly released him. He Rufei clutched his neck, coughing violently.
"I won't kill you," Xiao Jue stood up, turning his back to him, and said coldly, "Because you're not worthy."
With that, he left He Rufei, still gasping for breath and clutching his throat, and strode away.
...
In the early morning, when He Yan woke, the snow outside had already stopped.
Qingmei called out to Chi Wu in the courtyard: "Guard Chi Wu, don't add more firewood. The fire is too strong; it'll ruin the medicine."
Chi Wu silently used iron tongs to remove a few pieces of wood.
After all, Lin Shuanghe was a man and couldn't stay at the He residence indefinitely. Besides, the He family truly had no extra rooms for him. This morning, Qingmei prepared the medicine herself. He Yun Sheng and He Sui had gone out early. Qingmei fanned the fire with a fan, unusually subdued for her normally lively self.
Back when He Yan had that incident with Fan Cheng, it was the same—she fell seriously ill upon returning. Although He Sui had called a doctor and medicine was prescribed, He Yan drank bowl after bowl, yet her condition didn't improve. Instead, it grew worse. At that time, Qingmei had almost believed He Yan might not survive, but miraculously, she recovered. Qingmei had thought perhaps it was the late mistress watching over her from heaven. Now, He Yan had fallen ill again.
Although the White-robed Divine Hand, Doctor Lin, said it was nothing serious, Qingmei couldn't help but worry.
Seeing her distracted expression, Chi Wu thought for a moment and comforted her: "Don't worry. If Young Master Lin says it's fine, then Miss He will surely be all right."
"It's not just that," Qingmei sighed. "When I went to change the water in her room this morning, I saw her crying even in her dreams. Back then... it was the same. If she hadn't been heartbroken, how could she be like this? Yesterday, at the Celestial Platform, she just sparred with that Flying Goose General. How did it come to this? Guard Chi Wu, do you actually know what happened?"
Chi Wu shook his head. There were too many inexplicable mysteries surrounding He Yan. However, since Xiao Jue had forbidden them from investigating, they naturally wouldn't pry deliberately.
"Master and Young Master were extremely worried yesterday. I truly hope the young lady recovers soon," Qingmei said.The two of them did not deliberately lower their voices, and with He Yan's exceptional hearing, she caught every word of their conversation clearly. She was stunned for a moment, but the woman from her dream had already completely vanished from her sight. The room was warmed by a blazing stove, and on the desk sat a small white porcelain bowl filled to the brim with candied fruit.
The candied fruit was bright red and sweet. Slowly, she reached out, picked one up, and held it in her hand, gazing at it for a long while before finally placing it in her mouth.
It was so sweet it left a bitter taste in her mouth.
Qingmei pushed the door open, carrying a bowl of medicine. Seeing He Yan awake, she was momentarily taken aback before breaking into a joyful smile. "You're awake, miss. Are you feeling unwell?"
"I'm fine."
"That's good." Qingmei placed the medicine bowl on the desk and, noticing the small bowl of candied fruit beside it, smiled. "Commander Xiao asked me to leave this here. He said Dr. Lin's medicine is bitter, so after you finish drinking it, remember to have a couple of these in your mouth."
He Yan lowered her head and smiled faintly. "Alright."
Qingmei felt that her young lady was acting a bit strange, but couldn’t quite put her finger on what exactly was off. She could only pull up a stool and sit by the bed, chattering away as she reminded He Yan not to catch a chill.
Sunlight filtered in through the window, filling the room with an inexplicable sense of liveliness. He Yan gazed outside, but after a while, she lowered her head, hiding the tears welling in her eyes.
Everything was over.
(End of Chapter)
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