Recently, a peculiar incident spread through Shuo Capital. Someone had set fire to the library pavilion at Xian Chang Academy. The arsonist perished in the flames, and an entire shelf of books was burned – coincidentally, the very shelf containing the study notes left behind by Flying Swan General He Rufei during his academy days.

In all its years, Xian Chang Academy was most famous for producing two great generals. Among them, while General Feng Yun was the genius whom young students admired, Flying Swan General He Rufei was often used by teachers as an exemplar to educate their students.

“You should know that when General He studied at Xian Chang Academy, his academic performance was poor, often ranking last in his class. Despite this, through diligence, he became a fierce general of Great Wei. This shows that not everyone needs to be a genius – through hard work, one can still achieve great things.”

Using General He as an example of “diligence compensating for weakness” couldn’t rely solely on the words of his former classmates and teachers – the notes in the library served as evidence. Now that this evidence had mysteriously burned away, while many teachers in Shuo Capital privately cursed the arsonist’s lack of virtue, the academy students unanimously rejoiced.

After all, being forced to “compensate for weakness through diligence” was no easy task.

At the He residence, He Rufei sat in his study, looking at his subordinate who had come to report.

“You’re saying the death soldier we sent to start the fire left no corpse behind?” he asked.

“That’s correct.”

“Rufei,” He Yuansheng narrowed his eyes, “do you find something amiss?”

“It seems suspicious that someone would die in the fire after burning just one shelf of books, with no corpse to be found.”

The subordinate respectfully replied, “Your servant has inquired around Xian Chang Academy. The library fire was real, and all students had been sent home. The academy director is currently arranging repairs for the burned shelves… They say not a single page of ‘General He’s’ notes remained.”

He Yuansheng pondered for a moment. “Rufei, if you’re worried, why don’t you go check personally?”

“No,” He Rufei firmly refused. “These are troubled times, and I must be especially cautious. With the academy just having suffered a fire, my visit would inevitably give others ammunition against me. The previous matter still hasn’t been resolved – we absolutely cannot let our guard down.” Thinking of the previous incident, He Rufei felt deeply frustrated. He had been determined to take He Yan’s life, or at least meant to test her. But he hadn’t expected that woman to be so skilled. Fortunately, he had only used death soldiers, so no secrets were leaked. In the end, he managed to push all evidence onto the Fan family, but the magistrate’s office refused to close the case. When He Rufei sent people to inquire, he learned that Xiao Jue had intervened.

Xiao Huaijin valued his fiancée highly, and now it seemed he wanted to stand up for her. He Rufei wouldn’t have cared about just a city gate lieutenant’s daughter, but he had heard of Xiao Jue’s methods before. Even Xu Jingfu couldn’t gain an advantage over this person, so he was certainly worth being wary of.

“Never mind, since the notes have been burned, let’s not speak of other matters,” He Rufei changed the subject. “The Wuto envoys will be entering the capital soon. At this juncture, it’s best not to cause trouble.”

He Yuansheng paused and looked at He Rufei. “Once the Wuto people enter the capital, His Majesty will surely discuss whether to fight or make peace. Rufei, our He family…”

“Father, our He family naturally supports peace,” He Rufei said with a cold smile. “Not to mention that after the Huayuan battle, we’re already tied to Minister Xu. Even for our own family’s sake now, we can only stand for peace. Xiao Huaijin has already become our enemy – helping Minister Xu is helping ourselves.”

“I understand that, but,” He Yuansheng’s eyes flashed with a cunning light, “my son, currently in court, the Fourth Prince has considerable support. What do you think…”

“No matter how much support the Fourth Prince has, it can’t surpass Minister Xu’s,” He Rufei frowned. “Moreover, Great Wei values rules and propriety above all. The Crown Prince is the legitimate heir, and the Fourth Prince lacks maternal family support. Father, at this point, our He family can no longer maintain a neutral stance. We must unreservedly stand with the Crown Prince.”

He Yuansheng sighed, “Your father is just worried.”

He Rufei’s gaze carried a hint of mockery as he looked at He Yuansheng: “Father, if you want to gain immense fortune, you can’t avoid taking risks. When sister reached the position of Great General, there was already no turning back.”

He Yuansheng was startled as if suddenly exposed to his hidden thoughts. His face showed a trace of embarrassment. After a pause, he stood up and said, “Since you’ve made up your mind, let’s do as you say. Your father has other matters to attend to, so I’ll take my leave.” He left in what seemed like an escape.

He Rufei watched He Yuansheng’s hurrying figure and smiled, then leaned back, his expression gradually turning grim.

At some point, the entire He family had begun to act according to his wishes. Even He Yuansheng and He Yuanliang had to be careful when speaking with him. He Rufei had heard more than once that servants in the mansion wondered why the eldest young master had become increasingly strange in recent years, quite different from before. After hearing this, He Rufei ordered those servants to be executed. After several such incidents, no one dared to gossip behind his back anymore.

To achieve great things, one couldn’t be bothered with trivial matters. Of the He family brothers, He Yuanliang was timid and cowardly, smooth but cunning, and unreliable for important tasks. He Yuansheng, though ruthless, had too many concerns and never dared to take decisive action. Now, just because a woman with the same name appeared and they had become enemies with Xiao Huaijin, they acted with restraint, which was extremely annoying to him.

Little did they know that to accomplish great things, bloodied hands were most ordinary. Just like in the Battle of Huayuan, to eliminate future troubles, he had actively allied with Xu Jingfu beforehand. Xu Jingfu also had secret dealings with the Wuto people. With just a casual mention, all the trusted subordinates under the former He Yan were sacrificed in that battle which didn’t require such a heavy price.

Since then, few people truly understood the Flying Swan General, and he carried out his role as general with a clear conscience.

He Rufei felt no guilt for his actions, nor any sympathy for his deceased cousin. Before He Yan became the “Flying Swan General,” she had lived under his name for many years. If not for his identity as the “eldest young master,” how could a mere woman in this world, who should have followed rules and married, have achieved everything later? It could be said that all the military achievements He Yan had earned were obtained using his name. Now, everything was simply returning to its rightful owner.

Not to mention that the Martial Peace Marquis was an impostor playing tricks. Even if the real He Yan came back for revenge, he wouldn’t fear her at all.

Because… this was rightfully his.

…

That day, He Yan left home early in the morning and didn’t return until nearly dusk.

Madam Fan in prison remained mentally unstable and couldn’t provide any useful information. Although Maid Qin was hidden in the Xiao residence, her knowledge was also limited. Xu Zhiheng ultimately wouldn’t truly trust He Wanru, and Maid Qin had deliberately avoided the murder incident. Thus, besides witness testimony, other evidence was scarce for now. He Yan had to run around herself. Although she was now the Martial Peace Marquis, she hadn’t yet established her network in court. Her colleagues, seeing her as a woman, flattered her on the surface but despised her in their hearts. Besides classmates like Yan He and Lin Shuanghe, there were very few officials she could befriend at court.

Fortunately, while the title of Martial Peace Marquis wasn’t very useful, “Xiao Jue’s fiancée” proved more convenient than He Yan had imagined. As long as she mentioned Xiao Jue, most colleagues were willing to do her a favor. He Yan thus used Xiao Jue’s name to inquire about matters within the Pacification Army.

Through these inquiries, she indeed discovered some clues.

Since He Rufei received the title of Flying Swan after that time, Great Wei had been peaceful with few wars, and he had stayed in Shuo Capital without leaving the city. The Battle of Huayuan was He Rufei’s first time on the battlefield after several years. In this battle, the Pacification Army under He Rufei barely achieved a bitter victory, with all his confidants perishing. None of the deputy commanders and subordinates who were close to He Rufei survived.

And the common soldiers who survived that battle were mostly ordinary troops who couldn’t access military secrets.

However, even so, some secret rumors still spread.

“The general that day was very different from before. He seemed to have argued with the military advisor, but the advisor sacrificed himself in the Battle of Huayuan. However… when the Wuto people came that day, we originally had the advantage. But the general kept holding back, eventually giving the Wuto people an opportunity to exploit.”

“But, perhaps we’re overthinking it. The general is battle-hardened; naturally, we common soldiers can’t fathom his intentions,” the soldier added.

Because the Flying Swan General’s reputation was too prominent, no one would doubt his tactics, much less his loyalty. But He Yan knew well that He Rufei had deliberately sent those people to their deaths. Before this, He Rufei had never led troops, yet in the Battle of Huayuan, he managed to have his most valued subordinates completely wiped out while escaping unscathed himself. There was no logic to this unless… he had secretly colluded with the Wuto people beforehand.

Thinking this way, He Yan realized that during her previous impersonation of He Rufei in Rundou, when she raided the Wuto army camp at night and burned their provisions, the reaction of the Wuto general Hu Yate was also very intriguing.

If He Rufei truly betrayed his sovereign and conspired with the enemy to protect his identity from being exposed, this crime was unforgivable.

As she pondered these matters, she unconsciously arrived at her doorstep. Just as she entered, Qingmei saw her and hurriedly came forward, saying, “Miss, you’re finally back.”

“What’s wrong?” He Yan asked curiously. Since her identity was revealed, He Yan had asked Xiao Jue to withdraw Chiwu during the day and return at night. It wouldn’t do to have a guard doing anything all day, so after Chiwu left, Qingmei returned to her previous routine. It was rare to see her so flustered.

“Someone has come to visit,” Qingmei said softly. “They’re asking for you, Miss…”

Before she finished speaking, He Yan heard a familiar voice: “Big Brother!”

She turned around to see a fair-complexioned youth in yellow clothes running from the main hall, who circled around her excitedly, “Big Brother, I can’t believe you’re really a woman!”

Qingmei kindly reminded him: “Young Master, our Miss has always been a woman.”

He Yan hadn’t expected Cheng Lisu to visit her home. It seemed like ages since she last saw him. The youth had grown a bit taller, but the spirit in his eyes remained unchanged.

“Why are you here?” He Yan asked.

“I snuck out today while my family wasn’t paying attention,” Cheng Lisu said with a troubled expression. “After returning to the capital from Liangzhou, I was forced to attend school and had no freedom. When I first heard you were back in the capital, I wanted to come to see you, but the school was strict and I couldn’t leave. After I returned, I heard you were a woman and became my uncle’s fiancée. Big Brother! What’s going on? How did you become a woman?”

Even after all this time, someone was still fixated on this matter. He Yan could only helplessly explain, “I’ve always been a woman. At that time, circumstances forced me to disguise myself as a man to enter the military camp. After returning to the capital, my identity was naturally revealed. I’m sorry for misleading you before.”

Just as she finished speaking, another voice said: “So, you admit you deceived people?”

He Yan was startled to see Song Taotao walking out from behind. The young girl had become even more delicate and pretty since their time in Liangzhou. The Song family doted on their daughter – her clothes were made of expensive fabric, making her look like an otherworldly fairy. However, contrary to her doll-like face, her expression resembled that of a heartbroken maiden abandoned by her lover.

“Taotao?” He Yan looked at Cheng Lisu, “Did you come together?”

Cheng Lisu rolled his eyes, “Who would come with her? I just happened to meet this shrew at the door when I came to see Big Brother.”

Song Taotao walked up to He Yan, her expression complex as she looked He Yan up and down before speaking resentfully: “You are a woman.”

He Yan: “…”

It would have been impossible for He Yan to not notice the young girl’s feelings from beginning to end. After all, the child was pure and sincere, wearing all her thoughts on her face – her undisguised admiration and affection would have been obvious to anyone. However, while in Liangzhou, He Yan couldn’t reveal her identity, nor could she remind the child that she was a woman and could never take Song Taotao as a wife.

Now being confronted at her home, He Yan inexplicably felt guilty, as if she were a contemptible man who had deceived a young maiden’s pure feelings.

“I…” She carefully chose her words, not yet sure how to speak without hurting Song Taotao’s fragile young heart.

Song Taotao was also filled with grievance. She had known about He Yan being a woman for quite some time, but she couldn’t convince herself to believe it without seeing He Yan in person. Today she finally persuaded her parents to let her go out with servants, only to encounter that unlucky Cheng Lisu at the door. That was bearable, but now seeing the graceful and heroic beauty before her, Song Taotao had to accept a heavy reality.

He Yan was indeed a woman and even an attractive one.

How could she have ever thought such a woman was a man? And she had even wanted to break off her engagement with Cheng Lisu to marry her!

“It’s all your fault,” Song Taotao, pampered since childhood, felt stifled and vented all her anger at He Yan. “Why did you have to come to Liangzhou and deceive people?”

“I’m sorry, I’m sorry,” He Yan carefully apologized to the child, “I didn’t mean to.”

“How can you say you didn’t mean to?” Song Taotao grew angrier and more aggrieved as she thought about it, glaring at He Yan accusingly. “You just wanted to show off your heroic bearing, to outshine everyone else, so everyone would look at you, and you could hog all the glory!”

He Yan was at a loss for words: “I…”

“It’s all your fault!”

“Enough.” Another voice cut in. He Yan turned to see He Yunsheng walking in with a cloth bundle on his back, stepping in front of He Yan with a cold face as he addressed Song Taotao: “Who are you? Who permitted you to be so rude to my sister in our home?”

He Yan had a massive headache – great, now there were three troublesome children in the room beside her and Qingmei. The situation was truly awkward.

“Yunsheng, this is Second Miss Song, and this is Young Master Cheng. They’re friends I made in Liangzhou,” she then said to Song Taotao and the others, “This is my brother, He Yunsheng.”

“Friends?” He Yunsheng glanced at Song Taotao disapprovingly, “How can friends be so aggressive? He Yan, I’ve told you before, don’t make friends with just anyone.”

Song Taotao was stunned for a moment, He Yunsheng’s appearance was too sudden for her to react. Now hearing He Yan’s introduction, she finally focused her attention on He Yunsheng. He Yunsheng bore some resemblance to He Yan, though he lacked He Yan’s warmth and constant smile when meeting people. He was a head taller than He Yan, and the cold, handsome young man standing there was quite eye-catching.

A man who shared some facial features with He Yan but had a completely different temperament?

The feeling was peculiar. Song Taotao stared at him blankly, forgetting to retort.

He Yan pinched He Yunsheng’s arm hard and whispered in his ear: “She’s a young lady, can’t you be less fierce?”

“I don’t care if she’s a lady or a man,” He Yunsheng frowned, “speaking to you like that, do they think I’m dead?”

This child was getting more rebellious, He Yan thought. She figured Song Taotao would cry after being yelled at like this, and before she could think of how to comfort the crying young lady, Cheng Lisu had already excitedly surrounded them again, grabbing He Yunsheng’s hand: “You’re my Big Brother’s brother? That makes you my brother too! I’m Cheng Lisu. He Brother, did you just finish school?”

He Yunsheng had never met someone so familiar, immediately stepping back and pulling his hand away, frowning: “Who’s your Big Brother?”

“Your sister!” Cheng Lisu answered matter-of-factly, then seemed to realize something was wrong and quickly corrected himself: “I guess I shouldn’t call her Big Brother anymore, should I call her Sister? No, no, my Big Brother is my uncle’s fiancée, so I should call her Aunt!”

He looked up at He Yan and called out formally: “Aunt!”

He Yan: “…”

How did she suddenly gain such a big nephew?

That wasn’t all. Cheng Lisu looked at He Yunsheng again, “You’re my aunt’s brother, so I should call you… uncle? Uncle He!”

Both He siblings were shocked by Cheng Lisu’s natural way of claiming relations. Even Song Taotao couldn’t stand it anymore and scolded: “What nonsense are you calling people? Be careful if Commander Xiao hears about this.”

“I’m not speaking nonsense. She’ll be my aunt sooner or later anyway.” Cheng Lisu didn’t mind at all being of a lower generation, saying happily: “Now I have two more relatives. Aunt, Uncle, I haven’t eaten yet, shall we have dinner together?”

He Yunsheng couldn’t stand it anymore and said to He Yan: “What kind of people have you been making friends with?” Then he turned and left in a huff.

He Yan: “…”

She couldn’t be blamed; it was just that young Cheng Lisu never played by normal rules. She smiled at Song Taotao: “Taotao, have you eaten? Would you like to join us for dinner?”

She had thought the young lady had come just to confront her, and given that this meeting hadn’t been very pleasant, the pampered Second Miss Song might not be comfortable dining in such a humble house. Unexpectedly, Song Taotao paused before nodding casually: “Alright.”

He Yan was truly alarmed.

What was going on today, with everyone acting out of character?

Since everyone had stayed, a meal had to be provided. However, the He family’s food was simple, and might not suit the young master’s and miss’s tastes, so He Yan gave some silver to Qingmei to buy some side dishes from outside.

When He Sui returned, he was also quite startled by the roomful of people, but after hearing they were He Yan’s friends from Liangzhou, he immediately welcomed them warmly, treating them as familiar juniors. Everyone ate at one table, and except for Song Taotao’s silence and He Yunsheng’s constant scowling, the atmosphere was quite harmonious. He Sui had always wanted to know how He Yan had fared in Liangzhou but hadn’t felt comfortable constantly asking Xiao Jue. Now with ready sources of information, he naturally wouldn’t miss this great opportunity.

Cheng Lisu was quite talkative – whatever He Sui asked, he would answer thoroughly. He Yan suspected he could even remember exactly how many dry biscuits she ate at each meal in Liangzhou.

Thanks to these children, the gloomy mood from investigating the Pacification Army during the day was somewhat relieved.

After the meal, He Yan saw them at the door. Both Song Taotao and Cheng Lisu had brought their carriages and servants. In just a short time one meal, Cheng Lisu had already become good friends with He Sui and had even arranged the date for their next meal. He Yan finally managed to send them off before stepping outside.

Outside the door, Song Taotao got into her family’s carriage. The maid beside her carefully asked: “Miss, now that you’ve seen Miss He, you won’t keep insisting on breaking off the engagement with Young Master Cheng anymore, right?”

Since her love interest was a woman, it was naturally impossible. What reason would Song Taotao have to break off the engagement now?

Song Taotao said carelessly: “I greatly admire Commander Xiao. Being connected to him through marriage is my good fortune. However, I never thought about becoming his nephew’s wife.”

The maid was stunned, not quite understanding what Song Taotao meant.

Song Taotao lowered her head, thinking of the face of the young man in blue clothes she had seen earlier, and secretly pursed her lips.

She had originally thought about being Xiao Jue’s sister-in-law, but unfortunately, Xiao Jing was already married. However, thinking about it now, being Xiao Jue’s younger sister-in-law didn’t seem bad either.