All trusted generals annihilated?

He Yan’s mind went blank for a moment, immediately followed by intense grief and anger.

This was no accident – it was murder! He Rufei had done this deliberately. Most likely during the battle at Huayuan, he had already shown his hand. Perhaps even before anyone discovered anything, he had already decided to eliminate all loose ends. If the He family could ruthlessly murder someone of their blood like herself, He Rufei could certainly use the same methods against his “trusted generals” who had no blood ties to him.

Anger made her entire body cold, her frame trembling slightly, her eyes instantly reddening. Her hand gripping the tree branch squeezed involuntarily, breaking it into two pieces. The sound startled those speaking nearby. Lin Shuanghe and Shen Han turned to look, and upon seeing He Yan, Lin Shuanghe asked curiously, “Brother He, why are you here?” He was about to walk forward, but He Yan stepped back, knowing she couldn’t properly converse with Lin Shuanghe at this moment without revealing something was wrong. She hurriedly said, “I have matters to attend to, I’ll take my leave first,” and turned to leave.

Lin Shuanghe stood rooted to the spot. After a while, he turned to look at Shen Han: “…Did you just hear a hint of tears in Brother He’s voice?”

Shen Han: “…Perhaps Master Lin misheard.”

Did he mishear? Lin Shuanghe carefully recalled, feeling that He Yan’s voice had indeed carried something strange as if she were about to cry.

Just then, Xiao Jue and Fei Nu walked in from outside. Seeing Shen Han and Lin Shuanghe standing in the courtyard, they slightly furrowed their brows: “What are you doing standing here?”

“Came to discuss something with you,” Lin Shuanghe asked, “Didn’t you see my Brother He when you came in just now?”

“He Yan?” Xiao Jue said indifferently, “No,” while walking into the room.

Shen Han cupped his hands toward Lin Shuanghe – he still needed to visit the training grounds. Lin Shuanghe followed Xiao Jue into the room, with Fei Nu standing to one side. He closed the door and turned to look at Xiao Jue, who was removing his cloak, saying, “Huai Jin, are you still giving my little sister He the cold shoulder?”

Xiao Jue glanced at him: “I’m not as childish as you.”

“Then why did my little sister He look like she was about to cry just now?” Lin Shuanghe muttered to himself, then looked at him: “Please be kinder to my little sister He these few days. I don’t know what happened between her and Chu Zilan, but I’ve noticed she’s been quite downcast lately. My little sister He, deep down, is particularly insecure. She already has unrequited feelings for Chu Zilan, and if you keep being cold to her – she is still a young lady after all, she’s bound to be hurt.” Lin Shuanghe winked at Fei Nu, gesturing for him to add a few words of support: “Isn’t that right, Fei Nu?”

Fei Nu stood ramrod straight, pretending not to hear his words. In his heart, he thought: He Yan, insecure? In all of the Liangzhou Guard, there wasn’t anyone more arrogant than He Yan. The word ‘insecure’ couldn’t be further from He Yan’s character – he wondered how Lin Shuanghe had come to such a conclusion.

Hearing this, Xiao Jue’s expression grew even colder, a hint of mockery appearing at the corner of his mouth: “That’s Chu Zilan’s business.”

Lin Shuanghe thought to himself, why are they both so stubborn? Thinking carefully, he couldn’t blame He Yan for not believing Xiao Jue had feelings for her. With Xiao Jue’s cold and heartless attitude, if it were Lin Shuanghe, he would have doubts too. This didn’t look like affection at all – it looked more like they were archenemies.

“If you have nothing else to discuss, please leave,” Xiao Jue said, “I have something to discuss with Fei Nu.”

He was ready to attend to serious matters now. Lin Shuanghe didn’t dare disturb them, so he said, “Alright then, you two talk. I’ll head out first and come find you again later.”

After Lin Shuanghe left, Fei Nu locked the door and walked to Xiao Jue’s side, “Governor, about the battle at Huayuan…”

“A replay of the Battle of Mingshui,” Xiao Jue interrupted him.

Fei Nu was silent for a moment: “It appears flawless on the surface, but it doesn’t hold up to scrutiny. General Flying Phoenix led one hundred and fifty thousand troops – given his past military achievements, the victory shouldn’t have been this devastating.”

“Not just that,” the young man leaned against his chair, his eyes narrowing slightly, his extremely white hand touching the teacup before him, his voice soft: “All his trusted deputy generals died in battle. There are no such coincidences in this world.”

Flying Phoenix General’s trusted officers were all deputies who had fought bloody battles alongside him, emerging from mountains of corpses and seas of blood. They weren’t first-time soldiers on the battlefield. While there were rumors of traitors, that might fool others, it was barely convincing for them. Moreover, with the Battle of Mingshui as a precedent, looking at the Battle of Huayuan now, there were holes everywhere.

“Young Master, do you think…”

“Rather than an accident, it looks more like silencing witnesses,” Xiao Jue answered softly.

Fei Nu fell silent. If it was about silencing witnesses, what was the reason? Like in the Battle of Mingshui, where Xiao Zhongwu and his trusted officers all perished, but now He Rufei was still alive – He Rufei wasn’t among those being silenced. Then, did He Rufei want to hide some secret, which led him to kill all his trusted officers?

What secret did He Rufei want to keep hidden?

Xiao Jue lowered his eyes, and after a while, he looked up at Fei Nu: “Tell Luan Ying to find out everything about the Battle of Huayuan, from beginning to end. I want to know every detail.”

Fei Nu accepted the order and left.

Xiao Jue leaned against his chair, his gaze falling on the swaying tree branches outside the window. He had been classmates with He Rufei for a year. He Rufei was a… very stubborn, simple to the point of foolishness, yet persistent person. He wasn’t surprised that He Rufei later became the Flying Phoenix General – if a person is particularly persistent about something, they will succeed at whatever they do. But regarding He Rufei personally killing trusted officers who had followed him for years to keep a secret, Xiao Jue still had doubts.

This wasn’t like the He Rufei he knew.

But… nothing is absolute, people’s hearts change easily, perhaps… He Rufei had changed too.

…

He Yan sat by the Five Deer River.

Night had fallen deeply. Ever since hearing from Lin Shuanghe about the Battle of Huayuan and the death of all He Rufei’s trusted officers, she had left the crowd. The riverside was deserted; she could sit here and fully release her emotions.

The trusted officers from when she was “He Rufei” were brothers who had survived the battlefield with her step by step, sharing life and death, and having deeper bonds than with others. He Yan had originally thought that even if He Rufei feared his identity being exposed, at most he would stop leading troops into battle, or claim illness and rarely see old friends. But He Rufei was more ruthless than she had imagined – he went all out and eliminated all those deputy generals.

What were they thinking before they died? Perhaps some had discovered something wrong with He Rufei, perhaps none had noticed yet. Maybe when they died, they hadn’t expected to die at the hands of the general they trusted. Not dying under the enemy’s blade on the battlefield, but dying in the ugly scheming among their people – how absurd, how incomprehensible!

With a “crack,” the whip struck heavily against the huge rock before her, shattering one corner. He Yan violently lashed the whip in her hand, as if trying to release all the grief and anger in her heart. The sound carried far across the empty riverbank.

Time passed until the whip struck the boulder and the tassel hanging on the wooden handle flew off with the impact. He Yan stopped to catch her breath, looking at her hand. She hadn’t noticed while venting, but now she could see her hand was covered in red marks, and she finally felt the exhaustion.

She put away the whip at her waist and walked to where the tassel had been thrown. Half of it was soaked in river water, the other end fallen among rocks. He Yan bent down to pick it up and saw that the small pomegranate flower ornament had broken into two pieces.

He Yan stared fixedly at the split pomegranate flower, and in an instant, memories flooded her mind of past celebrations with her brothers in the military camp, their smiling faces during victory feasts. Grief welled up suddenly, and she sat down heavily, burying her head in her arms, unable to suppress her quiet sobs.

She rarely cried for herself, but now she couldn’t pretend nothing had happened. Though she hadn’t killed Bo Ren, Bo Ren had died because of her. For a moment, guilt, self-reproach, sorrow, and anger intertwined, and besides painful sobbing, she could hardly think of anything else.

In the wilderness, there was only the low sound of wind, and the wind was cold, colder than the snow of the great desert.

Someone’s footsteps approached.

At first, they were faint, then they stopped a few steps away from her. A cold voice almost merged with the night as he called He Yan’s name.

“He Yan.”

Before He Yan could wipe away her brilliant tears, she instinctively raised her head and turned to look. The young man wore fine clothes and blue boots, his bearing graceful and dignified. His gleaming black eyes fixed on her, his expression indifferent.

“…Governor.” He Yan reached out, hastily wiping the tears from her face, and said casually, “What brings you here?”

He didn’t speak, his gaze falling on He Yan’s palm, where she still clutched the tassel from before, half of it visible outside her hand.

After a moment, Xiao Jue moved his gaze away and asked, “What are you crying about?”

He Yan’s heart contracted. She had wanted to find a deserted place to vent, but unexpectedly Xiao Jue had come here. What was this about? She couldn’t tell him the real situation, but the tassel in her hand reminded her. He Yan thought for a moment and said, “I… my tassel broke, and I got upset for a moment.” Fearing Xiao Jue wouldn’t believe her, He Yan opened her palm to show him the jade pomegranate that had broken in two: “Look, it’s split in half, probably beyond repair.”

She was still dressed as a young man, her eyes red. The last time he had seen her like this was when Liu Buwang passed away. And He Yan was not someone who would cry over a broken tassel. At that moment, Lin Shuanghe’s earlier words echoed in his ears.

“My little sister He, deep down, is particularly insecure. She already has unrequited feelings for Chu Zilan, and if you keep being cold to her – she is still a young lady after all, she’s bound to be hurt.”

Unrequited love?

Yes, he had already seen He Yan’s dejected appearance the last time Chu Zilan failed to show up at White Moon Mountain.

He Yan watched as the young man before she stepped forward and bent down to look at her. His eyebrows and eyes were extremely beautiful, coming very close, yet somehow making He Yan inexplicably afraid. His voice was calm as he spoke: “Do you like them that much? If you like something, no matter how heartbroken you get, you still have to persist?”

He Yan’s eyes widened slightly.

What did he… mean by that?

He silently stared at her, his eyes like the city’s night, deep and shallow, clear and faint.

After who knows how long, Xiao Jue straightened up, turned his back to her, and said softly, “Your presence here will disturb the Southern Manor troops resting nearby.”

“Go back.”

After saying these words, he left without looking back. He Yan waited until he had gone, then wiped her face with her sleeve and stood up as well, looking back one last time at the distant river.

He Yan couldn’t let He Rufei continue like this. He Rufei had already lost his sanity and would only become more ruthless. She didn’t have much time, and staying in Liangzhou Guard might not be possible anymore. She had to return to Shuojing as soon as possible.

…

While He Yan was thinking this before she could figure out how to return to Shuojing, someone was about to leave before her – it was Chu Zhao.

That day, after training at the martial arts field ended and He Yan had finished her meal, she walked back to her quarters alone. These days, because of the Battle of Huayuan, she had been troubled, appearing preoccupied daily, and no one understood what was wrong with her. He Yan wanted to continue investigating news about He Rufei, but such news reached Xiao Jue first, then the instructors, and finally the recruits. Besides, Flying Phoenix General was far away in Huayuan, and with daily training being so rigorous, she couldn’t focus solely on distant matters.

She walked back to her courtyard and saw someone sitting at the stone table in front of her door. At first, He Yan thought it was Xiao Jue, but these days Xiao Jue left early and returned late – even catching a glimpse of him was difficult. Only when she got closer did she realize it wasn’t Xiao Jue, but Chu Zhao.

The weather was growing increasingly hot. His clothes were extremely light and thin, and due to his slender frame, the blue robes with wide sleeves gave even this simple courtyard a touch of otherworldliness as he sat there. He Yan approached and said, “Brother Chu.”

“Brother He,” Chu Zhao stood up, smiling, “I came looking for you, and since you weren’t here, I waited. I thought you might return late at night, but fortunately, you came back early.”

“Why wait outside?” He Yan sat down on the stone bench. “In summer, mosquitoes are everywhere here. You’re already so thin – if you feed the mosquitoes too, there’ll be nothing left of you.”

Chu Zhao was stunned for a moment, then laughed at her words, shaking his head as he pulled out a small sachet from his sleeve: “Thank you for your concern, Brother He, but I have mosquito-repelling herbs in this. When carried, mosquitoes stay away.”

True to his noble upbringing, he was indeed a young master, so particular about everything – no wonder he never had an undignified moment.

Chu Zhao placed the sachet on the table and said, “Brother He, I’ve come to bid you farewell again. Last time I left in a hurry without saying goodbye. This time, I’ll observe proper etiquette.”

“Farewell?” He Yan wasn’t too surprised. Chu Zhao’s stay in the Liangzhou Guard was never meant to be permanent. Whether he was a spy or looking for faults, watching the daily harsh training in the Liangzhou Guard yielded no results. This place was bitter and cold – there was no reason for a pampered young master to suffer here. He would return to Shuojing sooner or later.

Chu Zhao nodded, “You must already know about the Battle of Huayuan, Brother He?”

Surprised that he would mention Huayuan, He Yan paused before answering, “Yes.”

“The Wutu people are already planning to move against Great Wei, and the capital can’t be left undefended. Not just me – I expect Governor Xiao will also return to Shuojing soon. The Wutu people are still in Huayuan and haven’t moved north of it yet. I should leave first – once they move north, the roads won’t be easy. Returning to Shuojing then might be quite difficult.” Chu Zhao smiled, “Besides, I had planned to leave the Liangzhou Guard after the Jiyang matter was settled. Now that you’ve been appointed as Wuan Lang, I have nothing more to worry about.”

His words were cleverly phrased, making it seem as if he had stayed in Liangzhou Guard specifically for He Yan’s sake. He Yan said, “I’m deeply grateful for Brother Chu’s kindness. I wish you a smooth journey back to the capital.”

The graceful young man smiled gently, his gaze fixed deeply on her, saying nothing.

He Yan touched her face: “…Is there something on my face?”

Chu Zhao lowered his head and smiled, then looked up after a moment and said, “Actually, besides bidding farewell, there’s something else I wanted to discuss with Brother He.”

He Yan asked, “What is it?”

“Brother He…” he began slowly, “would you be willing to return to Shuojing with me?”

Silence fell around them.

After a while, He Yan said, “Brother Chu, don’t joke like that. How could I leave with you?”

“Though Brother He is still part of Liangzhou Guard, you’re ultimately the Imperial-appointed Wuan Lang. You can be commanded by Governor Xiao, but you’re not one of his soldiers. I have His Majesty’s edict allowing me to select recruits from the Liangzhou Guard as escorts. If Brother He is willing, you could come with me – there’s no need to worry about His Majesty’s displeasure.”

Before He Yan could speak, he continued, “I understand your concerns, and your fear of displeasing Governor Xiao. But Brother He, Liangzhou is harsh and cold. For a… young man like you, such a harsh place is unnecessarily difficult. Sooner or later, you’ll return to Shuojing anyway. Since your heart is set on achieving merit and fame, come back to Shuojing with me. I’ll arrange for you to meet His Majesty. There’s more than one path to merit and fame, and frankly, the path you’ve chosen is very slow.”

Chu Zhao had always been good with words, targeting people’s vulnerabilities. Since everyone knew He Yan wanted to achieve merit and fame, he offered particularly tempting conditions.

But He Yan didn’t want to go with Chu Zhao – she didn’t trust him.

“I have no plans to leave Liangzhou Guard,” He Yan smiled in refusal. “I also don’t believe I can achieve merit and fame yet.”

Chu Zhao stared into her eyes, speaking slowly, “That’s not the real reason you don’t want to leave Liangzhou Guard, is it?”

He Yan was startled. His eyes held a knowing smile as if seeing through everything. Having her thoughts exposed didn’t cause the embarrassment she felt when Lin Shuanghe discovered them, but rather discomfort.

Chu Zhao’s sense of boundaries was too poor.

He Yan’s thought was a bit harsh. Chu Zhao had always been refined and elegant, making people feel like they were basking in spring sunshine. If an ordinary young woman were pursued by him like this, if not falling deeply in love, she would at least gradually lower her guard. Unfortunately, Chu Zhao first encountered He Yan, who appeared straightforward and loyal on the surface but deep down wasn’t someone who easily trusted others. Especially with He Rufei’s recent matters making her more sensitive. Thus, whenever Chu Zhao tried to get closer, she became completely alert.

The wind blew, making the branches above sway slightly. A leaf fell, floating down to land in He Yan’s hair.

“Have you really,” Chu Zhao’s lips still held a gentle smile as he reached out, seemingly to brush away the leaf from He Yan’s head, his voice equally enticing, “decided whether you want to leave Liangzhou Guard?”

He Yan: “I…”

Before she could finish, a cold voice cut in: “Didn’t you hear her say she doesn’t want to?”

He Yan turned to look and saw Xiao Jue walking over from the back of the courtyard. No one knew how long he had been standing there or how much he had heard. In the night-filled courtyard, his figure was tall and handsome, carrying the night’s chill as he walked to He Yan’s side.

Was this… being caught red-handed trying to poach someone? He Yan inwardly groaned – why did all these awkward situations lately happen in front of Xiao Jue? The misunderstandings would only deepen. She stepped behind Xiao Jue, coughing lightly: “Governor, Fourth Young Master Chu came to bid farewell. As for traveling together, it was just a joke. How could I leave the Liangzhou Guard? Impossible.”

Xiao Jue looked at her expressionlessly, suddenly reaching out as if to hit her head. He Yan startled, but the next moment, his fingertips touched the leaf on top of her head, lightly flicking it to the ground.

He Yan stared at the fallen leaf, thinking to herself – so he was just removing the leaf? Even brushing off a leaf carried such murderous intent. It seemed Xiao Jue became especially angry whenever he saw her with Chu Zhao.

Fortunately, Chu Zhao was about to leave the Liangzhou Guard. He Yan felt relieved that there wouldn’t be such misunderstandings in the future.

“Go inside,” Xiao Jue said, “I have words for Fourth Young Master Chu.”

He Yan was stunned for a moment, looking at Xiao Jue’s expression. Though angry, his demeanor remained calm. This man was always cool-headed; even when angry, he wouldn’t resort to beating Chu Zhao. He Yan wasn’t trying to speak up for Chu Zhao, but according to her teachings, it would be bullying the weak if someone like her or Xiao Jue were to beat Chu Zhao.

Bullying the weak was always wrong.

He Yan carefully said, “Is there something that can’t be said in front of me? I promise not to tell anyone.”

If Xiao Jue couldn’t control his violent impulses, she could help hold him back.

Xiao Jue turned his head, giving her a light glance. Just that one look was enough to silence any of He Yan’s persuasion. She coughed lightly: “Then I’ll go in first. Take your time talking, and stay calm. Fourth Young Master Chu, I’m leaving.”

Chu Zhao wasn’t angry, just smiled and picked up the sachet from the table, handing it to He Yan: “Please take this, Brother He. I have many more. With this, you won’t need to worry about mosquitoes at night.”

It’s hard to refuse someone who’s smiling – He Yan didn’t know what courage possessed her to accept it under Xiao Jue’s knife-like gaze. She thought to herself, well, just this once, since there wouldn’t be such opportunities in the future anyway.

After He Yan left, Xiao Jue sat down on the stone bench where she had been sitting.

He didn’t speak, just looked coolly at Chu Zhao.

Chu Zhao’s gentle smile gradually faded. After a while, he slowly said: “Governor Xiao is quite possessive.”

Hearing this, Xiao Jue smiled. His expression was lazy, but his dark pupils held a sharp gaze like lightning as he spoke carelessly: “Is Fourth Young Master Chu admitting his intention to steal?”

“Why use the word ‘steal’?” For the first time, Chu Zhao’s gaze lost its gentleness, like a beast showing its claws and fangs, cold and fierce. “She’s your subordinate, not your woman.”

“At least,” the young man curved his lips, “she is ‘mine’.”

Chu Zhao was noncommittal: “She’s only ‘yours’ for now. How can Governor Xiao guarantee that ‘yours’ won’t become ‘mine’ in the future?”

“If you don’t value your life,” in the night, the young governor’s profile was exquisite, a hint of mockery appearing at his mouth as he taunted, “You’re welcome to try.”

[Bystanders: Fight! Fight!]

Please cherish their time together in the same frame…