Chapter 77: Judgment
By the Martial Arts Field of the Liangzhou Garrison, Zheng Xuan and two new recruits stood waiting. As Xiao Jue approached, Shen Han hurried forward and greeted, "Commander."
"Has the person been found?" Shen Han asked.
"Liang Ping is keeping an eye on him."
Shen Han let out a slight sigh of relief. Given that He Yan was currently under suspicion, if he had suddenly gone missing, it might not have been unintentional. Someone with questionable motives was always safer kept within sight.
But now that he had been found, another matter needed consideration.
"Zheng Xuan claims He Yan crossed the mountain on his own, while Shen Hong says He Yan did it to save Zheng Xuan. Commander, what do you think...?" Shen Han inquired.
Xiao Jue replied, "Zheng Xuan is lying."
Shen Han was taken aback.
"There were hoofprints along the mountain path, and I also found traces of a wolf cub that had been killed by a fall," Xiao Jue continued. "He Yan was indeed rescuing someone."
Shen Han's expression darkened. "In that case, Zheng Xuan and the others acted without honor." Such recruits, no matter how skilled, could not be trusted on the battlefield—who knew if they might turn against their own? A soldier could die by an enemy's blade, but never by a comrade's treachery.
"However," Shen Han thought of another matter, "if He Yan's words are true, does that clear him of suspicion?" If He Yan was someone who would risk his life for his comrades, perhaps he deserved a reassessment.
"No," came Xiao Jue's cold response. "In a pit on the mountain, he killed a wolf with his bare hands. This one is not to be underestimated." He raised an eyebrow. "He likely harbors secrets."
Shen Han dared not say more. Though the Liangzhou Garrison was far from the capital, the current situation was complex, and no one could afford to be careless.
Shen Han glanced at Zheng Xuan and the others. They sat far away, casting uneasy looks in their direction. Though Zheng Xuan tried to maintain composure, he didn’t realize his lie had already been exposed.
"How does the Commander intend to deal with them?" Shen Han asked.
"Disobeying orders, disrupting formation, wagging tongues, and sowing discord," Xiao Jue replied calmly, his expression unchanging. "The crime of defaming the army—execution."
Shen Han shuddered inwardly and bowed. "Understood!"
...
When He Yan woke the next day, the sun was already high in the sky, and the room was empty. She sat up, staring blankly at the sunlight streaming through the window.
Someone pushed the door open and entered. He Yan looked up to see the same medical attendant from yesterday—the ethereal Shen Muxue. He Yan asked in surprise, "Miss Shen?"
"This is today's medicinal brew. Drink it first," Shen Muxue said, placing the bowl on the small table in He Yan's room. "The Commander already gave you ointment for your wounds yesterday. Apply it every three hours."
He Yan picked up the bowl and downed the medicine in one gulp, then casually asked, "Miss Shen, where is everyone else? Why didn’t they wake me?"
"I told Instructor Liang that your body still needs rest. It’s best not to go to the Martial Arts Field for training today," Shen Muxue replied.
He Yan nodded, then studied Shen Muxue. The girl was only sixteen or seventeen, with skin like porcelain and striking beauty. More importantly, she exuded a serene and gentle aura that put others at ease. Perhaps feeling uncomfortable under He Yan's gaze, Shen Muxue frowned slightly. "Is there something wrong, young man?"
"Nothing," He Yan said. "I just feel like I’ve seen you somewhere before. You look familiar."Shen Muxue was stunned for a moment, then shook her head with a smile. "Young man, we've never met before. You must be mistaken."
"Alright." He Yan scratched her head. Seeing that He Yan had finished the medicine, Shen Muxue took the bowl and left the room.
Suddenly alone, He Yan wasn’t sure what to do, but her daze didn’t last long before another knock came at the door.
"Who is it?" He Yan asked.
A timid voice replied, "It's me."
He Yan was surprised to see Shen Hong peeking in. He looked pale, his lips almost blue, a far cry from his usual liveliness. Limping inside, he avoided her gaze and muttered awkwardly by her bedside, "I'm sorry."
Having already learned the details from Hong Shan, He Yan said, "It’s fine. Didn’t you tell them the truth in the end?"
"But I... almost..." Shen Hong’s face was full of guilt.
He Yan understood. Someone like Shen Hong, inexperienced and timid, must have panicked under Zheng Xuan’s threats. "I’m fine now, aren’t I?" she reassured him.
Shen Hong nodded silently.
"You were limping when you came in," He Yan noticed. "What happened?"
"I... violated military orders and was punished with forty lashes," Shen Hong admitted. "From now on, I’ll be a cook, no longer allowed on the front lines."
He Yan fell silent. Forty lashes—no wonder Shen Hong looked so terrible. Surviving that was no small feat.
"What about the others?"
"Zheng Xuan and the other two... were executed... in front of all the new recruits..." Shen Hong’s face turned even paler.
He Yan wasn’t surprised. Back when she was the Flying Goose General, she’d heard of General Feng Yun’s notorious strictness. Once, the son of a high-ranking official had joined the Southern Garrison Troops for fame, only to be executed for breaking military discipline under Xiao Jue’s orders. Despite the official’s relentless protests to the Emperor, nothing came of it.
Some might call Xiao Jue cruel, but without such severity, he could never have commanded the Southern Garrison Troops or risen to where he was today.
"Being a cook isn’t so bad," He Yan patted his shoulder. "You’re kind-hearted—fighting on the front lines might be too much for you."
Shen Hong forced a weak smile. He pulled a handful of something from his pocket and pressed it into He Yan’s hand—pine nuts.
"You’re a good person," he stammered. "I was too cowardly before, and I nearly got you killed. These pine nuts are for you... take your time eating them."
He stood up and limped toward the door, only to bump into Hong Shan and the others as they entered. Blushing, Shen Hong hurried away. After he left, Hong Shan asked, "What did that kid want?"
"Probably came to apologize," Xiao Mai remarked. "Hey, Brother He, where’d you get those pine nuts?"
He Yan tossed them onto the table. "Help yourselves if you want. Why are you back so early?"
"The drill instructor had an announcement today," Shitou explained. "No weighted runs for the next few days."
"What announcement?" He Yan asked curiously."We've been in Liang Province Garrison for a whole summer now," Hong Shan grabbed a few pine nuts, shelling them as he spoke. "The head trainer said they'll select promising recruits for the Vanguard Battalion."
He Yan raised an eyebrow. Timing-wise, it was indeed about right for this.
"He said in about ten days, we'll go up the mountain to compete for... what was it? First place?"
"Banner competition," Shitou finished for him.
"Oh right, right, banner competition. Whoever gets the most banners wins and might get chosen for the Vanguard Battalion," Hong Shan said while chewing pine nuts.
"Brother He will definitely make it," Xiao Mai propped his chin in his hands. "Brother He is so skilled, he'll surely get in."
He Yan shook her head with a smile. The Vanguard Battalion was nothing special, but to enter Xiao Jue's Nine Banners Battalion would require more effort.
This was truly setting up a competition arena - the capable would rise to the top.
Announcement:
"Female General Star" will be updated and officially released tomorrow at noon. There will be special 10k-word updates in the first few days after release (^o^)/
Although this is also a rebirth story, its style differs somewhat from previous works - leaning more towards lighthearted sweetness (?) with minimal inner-household conflicts and more focus on romance (probably). Yan Yan is an adorable badass, and as for Uncle (Xiao Jue), he's not actually cold - he's just lazy, too lazy to talk to people he's not familiar with. Once his "seal" is lifted later, he'll become very [beep—
This year I want to experiment with new storytelling styles. Friends who don't like this style can bow out now to save money. Those who think it might work, I hope you'll enjoy it!
(End of chapter)
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