The dungeon was extremely damp, with bloodstains and grime remaining on the ground. He Xinying sat hugging her knees in the corner, looking at the black insects crawling out from under the hay, and couldn’t help but shiver from the cold.

It was too cold here, and no one paid any attention to her. She had grown up spoiled and pampered since childhood and had never suffered such grievances before. But the jailers here didn’t care about her. He Rufei and Xu Zhiheng were not locked up with her, and she didn’t know where they were. At first, she didn’t know what had happened.

It was only when the jailers here began to chat idly and mentioned what had happened on the Tianxing Platform today that He Xinying recalled what Liu’er had said to her before she was arrested, and slowly realized what had happened.

Her deceased elder sister was the real Flying Swan General. For so many years, He Rufei and He Yan had been using each other’s identities. After He Yan entered the capital, He Rufei falsely claimed merit and, in order to eliminate future troubles, actually drowned He Yan in the pond of the Xu family’s residence.

No wonder, no wonder every time she passed by the pond in the courtyard, she always felt a chill all over her body. No wonder Xu Zhiheng was searching everywhere for He Yan’s belongings in the courtyard where He Yan had lived before.

Xu Zhiheng… did he also know about this? Or was he also one of the executioners in this matter? He Xinying felt chilled to the bone.

The one who revealed the truth was General Feng Yun, Xiao Huaijin. When Mother saw Xiao Huaijin at Yuhua Temple before, she took the initiative to talk to him. Thinking of Madam He, He Xinying felt another pang of heartache.

Did Madam He also know about this from beginning to end? When Uncle He proposed this request, did Father not speak out to stop it? When He Rufei ordered He Yan to be drowned, did Father understand but not say anything, or was he completely unaware? He Xinying hoped it was the latter, but in her heart, she felt it was very likely the former.

She leaned weakly against the wall, feeling that looking back on half her life, it seemed like a joke. The father who she thought doted on her turned out to be someone who could ignore blood ties for the sake of benefit. The husband she thought she had married happily turned out to be harboring evil intentions. The impressive elder brother who she thought could bring protection to the family turned out to be a fake who would steal others’ merits and bully others with a tiger’s might. In the end, the family was scattered, Mother was gone, Elder Sister had long been gone, and she was all alone here, filled with desolation.

The crime of deceiving the emperor was a capital offense, punishable by beheading. He Xinying sobbed softly. Forget it, if she had to die, then so be it. Originally, she had nothing left in this world to linger for anyway. After death, she could reunite with her family in the underworld, which might not be a bad thing.

Just as she was thinking this, suddenly, the sound of someone’s footsteps came. He Xinying looked up and saw a jailer walking behind an unfamiliar man.

The two walked to the door of He Xinying’s cell, and the jailer opened the door and said to He Xinying, “Miss He, please come with us.”

He Xinying was stunned. “Where to?”

“His Majesty is benevolent and, in appreciation of Flying Swan General’s meritorious service in pacifying the Western Qiang despite being wrongfully killed, Miss He is Flying Swan General’s legitimate younger sister, so His Majesty has made an exception. However, from now on, Miss He will be demoted to a commoner, sparing Miss He’s life. Starting today, Miss He no longer needs to stay here.”

It took He Xinying a long time to understand what the jailer meant. She slowly stood up and walked out the door, following the two men out of the prison.

Outside, the night was deep. She was thinly dressed and stood alone. Having suddenly gained freedom, she didn’t know where to go next. The He family and Xu family were both gone. The world was so big, yet there was nowhere for her to stay.

He Xinying lowered her head and laughed bitterly, saying to herself, “Where can I go?”

“Miss He,” someone spoke from behind.

He Xinying turned to look and saw that it was the man who had just come with the jailer. He seemed to be a guard of some family and said to He Xinying, “If Miss He has nowhere to go, you can temporarily go to a place to hide.”

“Where?” He Xinying asked.

“Your elder sister once studied at Xianchang Academy when she was young. The headmaster of Xianchang Academy, Wei Xuanzhang, had a teacher-student relationship with your sister. Upon learning the truth, he sympathized deeply with your sister’s experience. If Miss He has nowhere to go, for now, you can first go to Sir Wei’s home. Sir Wei stays at the academy all year round, and only his wife is at home.”

He Xinying was stunned.

After a moment, she smiled self-deprecatingly and said, “It turns out that even after Elder Sister died, she is still protecting me…”

“Please lead the way, sir,” she said. Now that something had happened to the He and Xu families, she didn’t need to think to know that all those relatives and friends from before were afraid of getting into trouble and avoiding them like snakes and scorpions. If she went to them now, no one would dare to take her in. She hadn’t yet decided what to do next, but first, she needed to find a place to sit down and thoroughly understand all the things she didn’t understand.

She had nowhere else to go.

…

He Xinying being taken away was something that Xu Zhiheng and He Rufei in the prison were unaware of.

They were kept separately to prevent them from colluding on their testimonies. He Rufei couldn’t see Xu Zhiheng, and Xu Zhiheng couldn’t see He Rufei, but this was a good thing for the two of them. If they were locked up together, they would probably start fighting right away.

Xu Zhiheng hated He Rufei for implicating him, and He Rufei hated Xu Zhiheng for eagerly shifting all the blame onto him as soon as something happened on the Tianxing Platform.

In the end, a relationship formed out of mutual benefit was as fragile as paper. With just a gust of wind or a drizzle of rain, it would become unrecognizable on its own without any tearing.

He Rufei sat in the corner of the prison cell. Even at this time, he had not given up and was still calculating plans to possibly escape with his life. Minister Xu’s people certainly wouldn’t just sit by and watch. If they wanted to save Xu Jingfu, perhaps they could also pull him out. The worst possibility was that Xu Jingfu would abandon him to save himself, but he still had evidence of Xu Jingfu’s treason hidden, so how could Xu Jingfu leave him behind to fend for himself?

The Tianxing Platform incident was unexpected for him. He hadn’t thought that the woman named He Yan would be so formidable, and he hadn’t expected Xiao Jue to already have so much evidence, forcing him step by step onto a path of no return.

He Yan… thinking of that woman, a hint of gloom flashed in He Rufei’s eyes.

What was that woman’s relationship with his dead cousin? He Rufei didn’t know. He hadn’t been able to see He Yan’s heroic appearance on the battlefield because, by the time he returned to Shuojing, He Yan had quickly returned to being a woman. Therefore, he had only heard all the legends about “Flying Swan General” and had never witnessed them with his own eyes. In his view, the deceased He Yan, his cousin, just seemed to be a woman who looked a little stronger than ordinary women.

Others said that Flying Swan General had unparalleled martial arts, but he didn’t believe it. They said that Flying Swan General could fight against ten on the battlefield, but he also didn’t believe it. The reason for his disbelief was very simple: because he couldn’t do it, and if he couldn’t do it, then He Yan, a woman, definitely couldn’t do it either.

Until that sword fights on the Tianxing Platform.

He Rufei closed his eyes, and a feeling of irritation surged in his heart.

If the real He Yan was alive, would she be like this when using a sword? But how could she possibly still be alive? She absolutely could not still be alive!

In the quiet prison, the sound of footsteps came. He Rufei was locked in the innermost cell. He carefully listened to the footsteps getting closer and closer until they stopped in front of him.

The jailer opened the cell door.

He Rufei raised his head and looked at the visitor.

The youth in black clothes glanced at him indifferently, as if reluctant to waste a moment on him. He was standing while He Rufei was sitting, invisibly demonstrating his superiority.

“I don’t know why Commander Xiao has come here. What can I do for you?” He Rufei said with a cold smile. “Don’t tell me you’re here to kill me to silence me?”

Without waiting for Xiao Jue to answer, he spoke again, “Actually, I don’t understand. How did Commander Xiao find out about this matter?”

If Granny Qin had let something slip on Xu Zhiheng’s side, Xiao Jue had immediately guessed the reason and had long begun collecting evidence. Even now, He Rufei couldn’t figure it out no matter how much he thought about it. After all, let alone anything else, just telling others that “Flying Swan General was a woman” would only make them think he was talking nonsense.

Why did Xiao Jue alone know?

The youth looked at him indifferently and said coldly, “How do you think I knew?”

“I don’t know,” He Rufei stared at the person in front of him and suddenly laughed. He leaned against the wall and said unhurriedly, “I heard that you and my dead sister once studied together. Let me think, perhaps you and she had a secret love affair early on. The way you’re treating me now, could it be that you’re standing up for my sister?” He chuckled and his face became a little distorted. “Could there be someone in this world who liked my sister who deviated from the norm? What was so good about her? She wasn’t like a woman at all…”

Before he could finish speaking, he felt a pain in his chest and was suddenly sent flying, his back hitting the stone wall, choking him until he spat out a mouthful of blood.

Xiao Jue had not held back with this kick, and He Rufei couldn’t catch his breath for a long time. The jailer had already received the news and retreated outside, turning a blind eye to what was happening inside.

Also, if Xu Jingfu fell, then there would be no one in the court who could stop Xiao Jue. At this juncture, no one dared to offend this Right Army Commander.

He Rufei wiped the blood from the corner of his mouth, looked at Xiao Jue, and slowly began to laugh.

General Feng Yun, the Jade-Faced Commander of Great Wei, was so mighty and heroic. Just standing here, he already made people unable to take their eyes off him. No one could steal his limelight. If He Yan hadn’t changed everyone’s destiny back then, he might never have had any interaction with Xiao Jue in his entire life.

But there just so happened to be.

“Why are you all so angry?” He Rufei sneered. “Everyone is defending my sister, but what about me?” His voice suddenly rose. “What about me? What about my life? Isn’t it important? Should I have to pay for her damn foolish decision for the rest of my life? Why? I also have things I want to do. Do you think I wanted to be this general?” His eyes turned red like a mad beast wanting to tear everything apart. “Who wants to be this general? Huh, who wants to?”

Since He Rufei could remember, he no longer lived in the He Residence. He lived in a distant village. He knew that his health was poor and that he had swapped identities with his cousin. He couldn’t go too far, and he couldn’t be away from people. He Yuansheng and his wife would sometimes secretly come to see him, but they always left in a hurry.

The doctor declared that he could not live past a few years old, but perhaps it was because he had a tough life that he endured year after year. Later, when he turned sixteen, his body fully recovered. He thought he could leave the village and return to the He family to be the eldest young master again. However, at that time, news came that He Yan had gone to the battlefield, so he couldn’t return temporarily.

He Rufei was forced to continue staying in the village.

He had also secretly prayed in his heart that He Yan must not die on the battlefield. It was not because of deep sibling affection or because he was kind-hearted, but because He Yan was assuming his identity. If He Yan died on the battlefield, he, as the He family’s eldest young master, would never be able to return to the He family.

Fortunately, He Yan came back.

Originally, during those many years, He Rufei did not have much feelings towards He Yan. It couldn’t be said that he liked her, nor could it be said that he hated her. Until the day he returned to the He residence, He Yan had just returned to the mansion and didn’t see him. Outside, the soldiers were surrounding the young deputy general in the middle. She was wearing a mask, standing in the sunlight, frank and bright. Her sword was beautiful and sharp, her warhorse was robust and obedient. Although her face couldn’t be seen, her eyes were as bright as stars.

In He Rufei’s heart, a trace of resentment suddenly arose.

For so many years, he had been living a life in the village that couldn’t be seen by others. He thought He Yan was the same as him, but when he truly saw her, he discovered they were completely different. She was using his identity and living so happily. Why? She arbitrarily decided the fate of others and then returned the arranged fate to her own hands.

Why?

He Rufei’s feelings were very complicated. On one hand, he disliked accepting the fate that had already been chosen by He Yan, such as being a martial general. But on the other hand, when he stood in the Hall of Golden Chariots, receiving the rewards from the emperor, with the envious or jealous gazes of the court officials, he would feel a sense of satisfaction in his heart.

But this satisfaction constantly humiliated him because He Rufei was very clear that the praise and good reputation belonged to He Yan, not himself. Every time he heard those people behind his back praising how invincibly heroic Flying Swan General was on the battlefield, his heart would feel particularly tortured. This bit of torment eventually turned into anxiety, and the anxiety made him uneasy. Even after He Yan married, he still had not resolved this mental affliction.

It was as if he had stolen a beautiful gem. He was pleased with himself for being able to possess this gem and also accepted people’s envious and longing gazes. But he was also worried that one day, people would discover that the owner of this gem was not him.

The evil thoughts grew more and more, until one day, he thought it would be good if He Yan died. When this thought appeared, He Rufei found that he had calmed down.

He had found a way to cure his mental affliction.

Breaking the wings could only make Flying Swan General unable to soar into the sky, but a swan was still a swan. It was better to pull the bird in the sky down, drown it in water, and bury it in the ground. In the future, no one will ever discover the traces of this bird.

He finally calmed down.

But why, before the peaceful days had lasted long, did someone have to impatiently interrupt them?

“Lies.” The youth’s voice was calm, his gaze cold as water. “You wanted to be Flying Swan General, you just don’t dare to admit it.”

As if the secrets deep in his heart had been seen through, He Rufei abruptly raised his head. “I didn’t!”

“You did.”

He Rufei gritted his teeth. The man’s gaze was clear and light, but it made his sorry state have nowhere to hide. He clenched his fists and tried to stand up. “You tell me, is she He Yan or not?”

“If I say yes,” the youth lowered his eyes, the silver crown casting a cold light under the dark flames of the prison, “what will you do?”

“I don’t believe it.” He Rufei couldn’t help but start to tremble, not knowing if it was from hate or fear. He said, “I don’t believe a single word you say.”

But actually, he somewhat believed it.

Those inexplicable coincidences, being familiar with the layout of the He residence, the secret compartment in the study, the secret of the delicate box… and that cry of “Big Brother” on the Tianxing Platform.

Many years ago, on a certain night, the two of them were born at the same time and place, so their fates were forcibly, coincidentally, and erroneously entangled together, like two intersecting vines, drawing nourishment from each other. If he wanted to survive, he had to pull out the vine beside him. The so-called twins brought not reliance and trust, but betrayal and enmity.

He Yan lived in the sunlight, so he had to be in the darkness. If he wanted to walk in front of people in an above-board manner, he had to uproot the one originally in the sunlight.

He did it very well… He Rufei smiled miserably.

At this moment, an inexplicable sense of liberation arose.

He didn’t know if he was jealous of or resented He Yan, but at this moment, he suddenly realized that what he despised was the feeling of being a substitute. Others looked at you, but they were looking at someone else. Others thought of you, but they were also thinking of someone else. How ridiculous, how pitiful.

The shadow killed the master, but the shadow was still a shadow. In his and He Yan’s lives, in the end, was he He Yan’s substitute, or was He Yan his substitute? No one could say for sure. Was he He Rufei or He Yan? No one could answer that for him either.

What if in the beginning, he and He Yan had not swapped identities?

What if in the beginning, he was the eldest young master of the He family, and each chose the path they wanted to take? What would it be like now?

He Rufei gradually began to laugh, laughing louder and louder, until in the end, he was actually laughing with tears. In his life, he was pushed and had no control as he moved forward. Perhaps only at the last moment of his life could he be free, but what was left for “He Rufei” was also an infamous reputation of fraud.

“Xiao Huaijin,” he looked up at the person in front of him, “I’ll consider her to be He Yan. You went to such lengths to find me, isn’t it just to stand up for her? You want my life, fine, take it.” He opened his arms in a surrendering posture. “In the end, this is just a grudge between her and me. What does it have to do with you?”

Xiao Jue walked up to him and quietly looked at him. Suddenly, he reached out and grabbed his neck. The youth’s fingers were slender and white, but they seemed to be able to crush his bones alive.

He Rufei was choked until he couldn’t breathe and stared at the other person, strenuously squeezing out a cold smile.

“What does it have to do with me?” Xiao Jue slowly asked in response.

His dark pupils stared at He Rufei as if there was a dark storm brewing in them. He said word by word, “The girl I coaxed and saved for the first time in my life was in the end drowned to death by you people. You say, what does it have to do with me?”

He Rufei struggled desperately, but that hand tightened more and more. His eyes rolled up, and he kicked his legs. An immense fear rose from his heart. He knew he was about to die at this person’s hands.

But the next moment, the hand clutching his throat suddenly loosened. He Rufei held his neck and began to cough violently.

“I won’t kill you.” Xiao Jue stood up, his back to him, and said coldly, “Because you’re not worthy.”

With that, he left He Rufei, who was still covering his throat and gasping for air, with big strides.

…

In the morning, when He Yan woke up, the snow outside had already stopped.

Qingmei was calling for Chiyu in the courtyard, “Guard Chiyu, don’t add more firewood. The fire is too big, and the medicine won’t boil well.”

Chiyu silently picked out a few pieces of firewood with the iron tongs.

After all, Lin Shuanghe was a man and couldn’t stay at the He residence all the time. Moreover, the He residence didn’t have an extra room for him to stay in. This morning’s medicine was boiled by Qingmei herself. He Yunsheng and He Sui had gone out early in the morning. Qingmei fanned the fire with a fan, and she, who was usually lively, was a bit depressed.

Back then, when He Yan fought with Fan Cheng that time, she also fell seriously ill after returning. Although He Sui also invited a doctor and the doctor prescribed medicine, He Yan drank it bowl after bowl, but her body did not improve and instead worsened. At that time, Qingmei once thought that He Yan might not survive, but later she miraculously recovered, and Qingmei still thought that perhaps it was because Madam’s spirit in heaven was efficacious. Now, He Yan had fallen ill again.

Although the white-clothed sage doctor Lin said there was no serious problem, Qingmei was always a little worried.

Seeing her absent-minded appearance, Chiyu thought for a moment and comforted, “Don’t worry. Since Doctor Lin said it’s fine, Miss He will be fine.”

“It’s not just that,” Qingmei sighed. “When I went to the room to change the water in the morning, I saw Miss crying in her dreams. Back then… it was also like this. If Miss hadn’t been heartbroken, how could she be like this? Yesterday on Tianxing Platform, Miss Just had a sword match with that Flying Swan General, how did it turn out like this? Guard Chiyu, do you know what happened?”

Chiyu shook his head. There were too many incomprehensible doubts about He Yan. But since Xiao Jue didn’t let them investigate, they naturally wouldn’t purposely investigate.

“Master and Young Master were also extremely worried yesterday. I hope Miss will recover soon.” Qingmei said.

The two of them did not deliberately lower their voices. He Yan had exceptional hearing and heard their conversation in her ears. She was stunned for a moment. The woman in her dream had completely disappeared from her sight. The room was heated vigorously by the warm stove. On the desk, there was a small white porcelain bowl filled with candied fruit.

The candied fruit was bright red and sweet. She slowly reached out, took one in her hand, and looked at it for a while before putting it in her mouth.

It was so sweet that it made one’s mouth bitter.

Qingmei came in with the medicine bowl and pushed the door open. Seeing that He Yan was awake, she was first stunned, then beamed with joy. “Miss is awake. Do you feel any discomfort?”

“I’m fine.”

“That’s good.” Qingmei put the medicine bowl on the desk and saw the small bowl of candied fruit beside it at a glance. She smiled and said, “Commander Xiao told this servant to put it here. He said the medicine Doctor Lin boiled was bitter. Miss, remember to hold two pieces in your mouth after drinking the medicine.”

He Yan lowered her head and smiled. “Alright.”

Qingmei felt that her miss was a bit strange but couldn’t say where she was strange. She could only bring a stool and sit in front of the bed, nagging He Yan not to catch a cold.

Sunlight shone in from outside the window. For some reason, the room felt a bit lively. He Yan looked out the window. As she looked, she lowered her head and covered the tears in her eyes.

Everything had ended.