When Xiao Jue carried He Yan back to the He residence, He Yunsheng and He Sui were absent, with only Qing Mei present. Upon seeing He Yan’s pale face in Xiao Jue’s arms, Qing Mei was startled, “Heavens! What happened to Young Miss?”

“It’s nothing serious,” Lin Shuanghe said to calm her, “She had a sword match at Tianxing Platform today and became physically exhausted.”

“And you are…?”

“I’m a physician,” Lin Shuanghe smiled, “Here to treat your Young Miss.”

Xiao Jue carried He Yan inside and laid her on the couch. Lin Shuanghe, not wanting to waste time, immediately checked He Yan’s pulse. After a while, he said, “Sister He’s condition stems from emotional distress attacking her heart, causing her to cough blood in a moment of intense agitation. I’ll write two prescriptions for you to have prepared. However…”

“However what?”

Lin Shuanghe sighed, “This is a matter of the heart. Medicine can only treat the symptoms, not the root cause. I don’t understand what’s troubling Sister He so deeply – she’s usually not one to dwell on matters, so what could have affected her to the point of coughing blood?”

Xiao Jue remained silent.

“You frightened me today,” Lin Shuanghe glanced at the two swords Xiao Jue had placed on the table. “Why resort to violence so suddenly? I haven’t fully grasped the situation with He Rufei yet – I’ll ask you about that once I understand it better. As for Minister Xu… are you confident?”

After waiting so many years, Xiao Jue had always remained patient. Now that he had moved against Minister Xu, he was prepared to go all the way. Like a centipede that writhes even after death, if they didn’t seize this opportunity to completely overthrow Minister Xu, there wouldn’t be another chance.

“Don’t worry,” Xiao Jue’s gaze turned cold. “Once I send him in, I never intended to let him out.”

“So what now?” Lin Shuanghe asked, “The palace must be in chaos right now. The loyalty between the Emperor and Minister Xu goes beyond what you and I can comprehend. Should you go to the palace now? What if the Xu faction seizes an opportunity and the Emperor shows mercy?”

“Let’s wait,” said Xiao Jue.

“Wait for what?”

Xiao Jue’s gaze fell on He Yan lying on the couch as he sat down beside her, “Wait for He Yan to wake up.”

—

At the He family residence in the capital, imperial guards had surrounded the premises. He Yuansheng’s face turned ashen as he tried to maintain composure, “How dare you! My son is the Flying Phoenix General appointed by His Majesty himself. How dare you cause such disorder here!”

“Flying Phoenix General?” The lead guard sneered, “Nothing but an impostor! You dare speak so boldly! Want to be a general? You can do that in prison! Seize them!”

Madam He struggled desperately, crying out, “What are you doing? Stop! Let me go!”

He Yuansheng felt his blood run cold as a terrifying thought crossed his mind. Still clinging to his last shred of hope, he looked at the guard, “What is the meaning of this…”

“Today at Tianxing Platform, your eldest young master’s sword match exposed everything,” a guard who was smashing the He family’s nameplate kindly informed him. “With both witness testimony and physical evidence, His Majesty already knows about your family’s deception and impersonation. Master He, you can stop dreaming about being the father of a general!”

The guard kicked open the main door and discovered He Yuanliang, who was trying to hide under a bed, desperately squeezing himself further in, though his rotund figure left half his body exposed. When dragged out, He Yuanliang begged frantically, “Officer, please spare me! They forced me into it!” He pointed at He Yuansheng, “How could I harm my daughter? My daughter He Yan served on the battlefield and protected the common people. For my daughter’s sake, please spare me!”

The guards found this man quite amusing. They had expected someone extraordinary to have raised He Yan, such a remarkable woman who disguised herself as a man to fight on the battlefield. Earlier, when they saw the Second Madam He proved her integrity through death at Tianxing Platform, and she showed true character. How could this father be so pathetic? It was disappointing. They say tigers don’t father dogs, but this father and daughter share no similarities.

“Master He, save those words for the Flying Phoenix General. Besides, the crimes of your family’s eldest young master don’t stop there.”

“Don’t stop there?” Madam He was stunned, “What else?”

“Treason and collusion with the enemy,” the guard’s eyes showed contempt. “To hide his true identity, your eldest young master secretly conspired with the Wutuo people. The tens of thousands of soldiers at the Huayuan battle became nothing but human shields to protect him. With such a grave crime, do you still hope for mercy? Dream on! Take them away!”

Madam He cried out, “Impossible, impossible… this absolutely cannot be…”

He Yuansheng stood in a daze, speechless. The crime of treason, once exposed, would condemn nine generations of the family. Even if Emperor Wenxuan was merciful, he couldn’t possibly forgive this. And now, He Yan… was already dead.

After the truth came to light, even in death, He Yan could maintain a clean reputation, but the He family would be forever disgraced!

In the courtyard, only He Yuanliang’s pleas for mercy rang out loudly, but it was all futile. The polished He family nameplate was trampled to pieces by the guards. Neighbors across the street pointed and whispered, their discussions carried away by the wind into dust.

The He family… had fallen.

—

He Xinying sat in her room embroidering a handkerchief. Xu Zhiheng had gone to Tianxing Platform early in the morning. For some reason, since early morning, He Xinying’s eyelid had been twitching non-stop, as if something was about to happen. Even sitting there, her heart was pounding rapidly. In a moment of distraction, she pricked her finger and saw blood welling up.

The blood stained the handkerchief, and as she stared at it, the ominous feeling in her heart grew stronger. Just as she was about to stand, Liu’er ran in from outside, tears in her eyes, crying out in fear, “First Young Madam, something terrible has happened!”

“What happened?” He Xinying asked.

“Second Madam… Second Madam she…”

“What happened to my mother?” He Xinying asked urgently.

“Second Madam is gone!”

The handkerchief fell to the ground. He Xinying froze for a moment, then grabbed Liu’er’s arm, her voice trembling, “What do you mean my mother is gone? How could she be gone? Explain clearly!”

“This servant heard that Madam went to Tianxing Platform today. The First Master poisoned her, and Madam revealed before His Majesty that Second Young Miss is the real Flying Phoenix General… The imperial guards, they’re already coming! First Young Madam, what should we do?”

He Xinying’s mind went blank. She recognized every word Liu’er said but strung together, they made no sense.

“Why would Uncle… why would Uncle poison Mother and my sister… how could she be the Flying Phoenix General? Isn’t that my elder brother? What is going on?”

No one could answer He Xinying.

As Liu’er’s words faded, chaotic sounds erupted outside. Old Madam Xu’s angry shouts echoed throughout the courtyard. He Xinying watched as guards surrounded the courtyard, truly at a loss for what to do.

“First Young Madam…” Liu’er grabbed her hand in fear, “What should we do…”

Indeed, what could they do?

—

The events at Tianxing Platform spread throughout the entire Shuo capital within half a day.

It couldn’t be concealed, not something this significant. The revelation that the fierce Flying Phoenix General from the battlefield was a woman, and the person who later appeared before everyone unmasked was her brother – this sibling identity swap was already incredible. When it came to light that the He family had turned against He Yan and caused her death, that incredulity transformed into contempt for He Rufei’s shamelessness and sympathy for He Yan.

While the common people were more interested in the legendary tales of the Flying Phoenix General, the court was in real turmoil over Xu Jingfu’s imprisonment.

Xu Jingfu had dominated the court, and over the years, many officials had become his disciples. With Xu Jingfu’s fall, many would fall with him. Thus, the moment Xu Jingfu was imprisoned, his faction gathered to discuss how to rescue him.

“Why haven’t we seen Fourth Young Master Chu?” an official looked around, not seeing Chu Zhao.

“Fourth Young Master Chu is Minister Xu’s most trusted person. I suggest we all refrain from hasty action to avoid being caught in Xiao Huaixin’s trap. Let’s wait to hear what Fourth Young Master Chu says. As the Minister’s son-in-law, he’ll surely do everything in his power to save the Minister from this predicament.”

Everyone nodded in agreement. At this critical moment, no one knew if Xiao Huaixin had more tricks up his sleeve. Despite their urgency, no one wanted to be the first to stick their neck out.

It was at times like these that the selfish nature of alliances based on mutual benefit truly revealed itself.

As soon as Chu Zhao returned home, Madam Chu saw him and asked in surprise, “Why have you come back?”

Chu Zhao smiled mildly, “Why not?”

“Minister Xu has already…” Madam Chu paused, “Why are you home instead of handling matters?”

She knew about Minister Xu’s situation too. Although Madam Chu despised Chu Zhao, the entire Marquis of Shijin’s household had long been tied to Minister Xu because of Chu Zhao. If anything truly happened to the Xu family, how could the Marquis’s household escape unscathed? People saw Chu Zhao as Minister Xu Jingfu’s promising son-in-law and naturally regarded their entire Chu family as Xu Jingfu’s people.

“There’s nothing to handle,” Chu Zhao said calmly.

“Aren’t you worried about…”

“Madam,” Chu Zhao interrupted her, “The Marquis of Shijin’s household will be fine. You need not worry.”

Madam Chu looked at Chu Zhao, understanding him less and less. Setting aside everything else, Xu Jingfu was at least his teacher. Over the years, Xu Jingfu had repeatedly hinted to her, and the frequent gifts of scholarly supplies sent to their home for Chu Zhao – were they just simple gifts? They were merely shows of support for Chu Zhao, warnings to her not to move against him.

For Chu Zhao, Xu Jingfu had indeed provided protection. Yet now that Xu Jingfu was in trouble, Chu Zhao showed not a trace of concern, as if his teacher’s life and death meant nothing to him.

Madam Chu inexplicably felt a sense of fear.

Chu Zhao merely smiled at her before turning to walk away. Watching his retreating figure, Madam Chu couldn’t help but clench her teeth.

Whatever happened, she just hoped it wouldn’t implicate the Marquis of Shijin’s household.

Once in his room, a servant approached, “Fourth Young Master, there’s news from Miss Yingxiang – His Highness the Crown Prince still hasn’t made a move. Your thoughts…”

“No need to rush,” Chu Zhao said. “Xiao Huaixin still has evidence from the Mingshui battle. When that comes out, Minister Xu truly won’t be able to recover.”

“Then, about your engagement to Miss Xu…”

When a wall falls, everyone pushes it. Before Xu Jingfu’s troubles, the marriage arrangement with Xu Pingting was envied throughout Great Wei. But now, with Xu Jingfu’s downfall imminent, everyone wanted to distance themselves from this marriage, as the Emperor’s wrath would extend to all associated parties.

“Proceed as planned,” Chu Zhao said.

The servant carefully acknowledged and withdrew. Chu Zhao looked out the window. He wasn’t surprised that Xiao Jue had chosen this moment to strike. The matter of establishing trading posts was urgent – without sufficient leverage, Emperor Wenxuan would eventually agree to the Wutuo people’s conditions. Even if Xu Jingfu interfered, it was only to raise his price.

But now things were different. The Huayuan battle, Xu Jingfu’s Mingshui battle, He Rufei’s matter, Xu Zhiheng’s situation – each incident piling up would fuel the Emperor’s rage and destroy this trade deal.

However, He Rufei switching identities with his cousin was unexpected. Chu Zhao hadn’t anticipated the He family harboring such a secret. No wonder He Rufei later secretly aligned with Xu Jingfu – he must have known he could never achieve military success like his cousin.

He Yan… he recalled her in red attire, dueling He Rufei at Tianxing Platform. She must have known Xiao Jue’s plans, otherwise she wouldn’t have cooperated so perfectly. A subtle melancholy arose in his heart – He Yan certainly trusted Xiao Jue deeply.

So much so that they coordinated flawlessly, step by step, gradually uprooting the He family, the Xu family, and the future Xu family.

The room was still decorated with red celebratory fabric for his upcoming marriage to Xu Pingting. Chu Zhao casually picked up a red silk from the table. The silk was soft, smooth as a woman’s skin. After staring at it for a while, he let go. The silk floated down into the blazing brazier, instantly turning to ash, leaving nothing behind.

—

Night fell. When He Sui and He Yunsheng returned home, they were startled to see He Yan lying on the couch.

“What happened to Yan’er?” He Sui asked. “Did something happen?”

He had been working all day and hadn’t chatted with others, so he didn’t know about these events. He Yunsheng, being at the academy, hadn’t heard anything either. Seeing He Yan’s tightly closed eyes, they thought something serious had happened.

“It’s nothing, nothing,” Lin Shuanghe, who was brewing medicine in the courtyard, came out and said, “Today at Tianxing Platform, Sister He had a sword duel and got slightly injured. Huaixin brought her back and has been watching over her.”

He Sui asked, “And you are…?”

“Oh,” Lin Shuanghe wiped his hands, “I’m Huaixin’s friend, Lin Shuanghe. I met Sister He in Liangzhou. My father and grandfather were both imperial physicians, so I know some medicine.”

“Lin Shuanghe…” He Yunsheng was surprised. “Could you be the ‘White-Robed Miracle Worker’ who only treats women?”

“That’s right, that’s right,” Lin Shuanghe smiled.

Hearing he was a physician, He Sui felt somewhat relieved and asked Lin Shuanghe, “My daughter truly has no serious injuries?”

“It’s nothing,” Lin Shuanghe smiled. “She’s just physically exhausted, and these days are too cold. I’ve written some prescriptions for strengthening her body. She shouldn’t do any heavy work these days, just rest well.”

He Sui looked at He Yan on the couch, saw her breathing was steady and she didn’t appear to be in distress, then nodded, “Thank you for your care, Doctor Lin.”

Just then, Xiao Jue came in from outside. He Yunsheng was surprised: “Commissioner Xiao, you’re still here?”

“Huaixin hasn’t left,” Lin Shuanghe shrugged. “Says he’ll wait until Sister He wakes up.”

“Won’t this delay your affairs too much?” He Sui asked. “Huaixin, you’re very busy. Cloud and I can look after her here, you…”

“It’s fine,” Xiao Jue said. “I’ll wait until she wakes up before leaving.”

Given his response, He Sui and He Yunsheng couldn’t press further. Lin Shuanghe said, “The medicine is almost done brewing, it’s cooling now. Huaixin, remember to have Sister He drink it later.”

“Don’t we have Qing Mei?” He Sui said politely. “How can we trouble Doctor Lin to brew medicine personally?”

“Not everyone can brew medicine properly,” Lin Shuanghe smiled. “My prescriptions are special. Others might not bring out the full medicinal properties when brewing. It’s better if I do it myself. Besides, Sister He and I are friends – there’s no question of trouble. Back in Liangzhou, she helped me in many ways.”

“In that case, thank you very much, Doctor Lin,” He Sui was very grateful.

Not wanting to disturb He Yan’s rest, He Yunsheng and He Sui left the room. Just as they stepped out, Qing Mei ran over and said urgently in a low voice, “There’s a young master outside asking to see… Commissioner Xiao.”

Xiao Jue asked, “Who?”

“It’s me.” Before the words faded, someone’s voice rang out. Looking back, they saw Yan He striding in aggressively.

“Oh, Yan Nanguang, what brings you here?” Lin Shuanghe asked curiously.

“I’m here for him,” Yan He looked at Xiao Jue. “I have questions for you.”

“Ask.”

Yan He looked around. He Sui quickly said, “Cloud and I will go help in the kitchen with dinner. You all talk.” With that, he left with He Yunsheng, and Qing Mei hurriedly followed.

Lin Shuanghe looked at Yan He, “What? Do I need to leave too?”

“You want to ask about He Rufei?” Xiao Jue said calmly.

“That’s right,” Yan He raised an eyebrow. “I came to ask if you knew early on that the original ‘He Rufei’ was a woman. Is that why you showed her such special care at Xianchang Academy? Secretly teaching her swordsmanship?”

“Wait, wait,” Lin Shuanghe listened in confusion. “We all learned today at Tianxing Platform that He Rufei was a woman, but what’s this about teaching swordsmanship? Did I miss something?”

Xiao Jue ignored Lin Shuanghe’s words and simply said, “No.”

“You expect me to believe that?” Yan He said angrily. “Since you knew she was a woman then, why didn’t you tell me? I’m a grown man – thinking back now, how can I justify bullying a woman? If I had known she was female, how could I have caused her trouble all the time!”

After learning He Rufei was a woman, Yan He returned home feeling increasingly uncomfortable. He prided himself on being an upright man. In the past, he disliked He Rufei simply because he thought this fellow had little ability yet received Xiao Jue’s special guidance. But now, knowing the truth, he felt more and more like an unreasonable bully who picked on the weak.

And this Xiao Jue was truly detestable – if he wanted to play the hero saving a damsel, that was fine, but why make others look especially vicious and evil?

“I said no,” Xiao Jue frowned. “I only learned recently.”

“How recently?”

“Jinling, Hua Yourong.”

Yan He was startled: “The Flower Fairy?”

Lin Shuanghe also caught on: “Huaixin, you mean when we passed through Jinling on our way back last time, Hua Yourong told you?”

“She only said the masked person back then was a woman. I became suspicious and began investigating,” Xiao Jue omitted part of the truth, mixing fact and fiction: “I didn’t expect this outcome.”

“Her name is He Yan?” Yan He asked. “We were classmates for years, she always used He Rufei’s name. Later when Xu Zhiheng married, I didn’t remember his wife’s name. If her mother hadn’t revealed it today, no one would have known.”

Lin Shuanghe also asked: “Yes, I almost forgot, Huaixin… isn’t that the same name as Sister He?”

“My goodness,” Lin Shuanghe gasped. “Look, Sister He also knows swordsmanship, also dressed as a man, could also go to battle – could she be the reincarnation of our classmate He Yan?”

“What reincarnation?” Yan He impatiently cut off his fantasy. “The ages don’t even match!”

“If not reincarnation, then perhaps her spirit appeared? Or asked for help through dreams to seek revenge? Isn’t that how legendary stories are written? Otherwise, how do you explain this coincidence, and why would you suddenly investigate the He family, Huaixin, if not to avenge her?”

“I suspect it’s not just about revenge,” Yan He said.

He looked at Xiao Jue, his gaze sharp, “He Rufei was just a catalyst – your real target was probably Minister Xu. But I’m curious, since you’re targeting Minister Xu, why not present all your evidence at once? Aren’t you afraid his people will completely derail your plans?”

“You can wait and see,” Xiao Jue replied expressionlessly.

Yan He snorted, “I have no interest in your grudges, nor do I care to watch how you bring down Minister Xu’s faction. But you know Minister Xu is the Crown Prince’s man. Now that you’ve moved against Minister Xu, the Crown Prince must hate you deeply. When he ascends the throne, he probably won’t tolerate you. Unless… you’re planning…”

“Yan Nanguang!” Before he could finish, Lin Shuanghe interrupted him, “Watch your words!”

Yan He fell silent, looking at Xiao Jue, who showed no emotional reaction to his words. After a moment, he said, “Lin Shuanghe, you think burying your head in the sand means you can’t see anything? I’m telling you, what’s meant to come will come eventually. Xiao Huaixin, since you’ve made this move, from today onwards, there won’t be any more peaceful days in the Shuo capital.”

“Take care of yourselves first!” he said.