Chapter 167: Miserable Victory
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The door was right in front of her, and He Yan hesitated for a moment. In the end, she didn’t go into her own room first but walked to Xiao Jue’s door and gently knocked.
After a while, she heard Xiao Jue’s voice, “Come in.”
The door was not locked, and He Yan opened it, poking her head in. There was no one else in the room, only Xiao Jue standing there. He had changed into casual clothes, probably preparing to rest. He Yan hesitated for a moment, “Commander, are you going to rest?”
“What’s the matter?”
He Yan entered the room and closed the door behind her. As she walked in, for a moment, she didn’t know what to say. After a pause, she looked at Xiao Jue, “I have been granted the title of Wuan Lang. Commander, what’s going on?”
“What’s going on?” Xiao Jue said coldly, “Didn’t Chu Zilan tell you?”
He actually guessed it. He Yan took a step forward, “Commander, you knew that Fourth Young Master Chu requested the title for me.”
Xiao Jue’s gaze focused on her face, and he smirked slightly, “You have a good relationship with him.”
“No, Commander, you’re misunderstanding me.” He Yan said, “Fourth Young Master Chu requested the title for me, and I only learned about it today. I’m also puzzled. Why would he request the title for me out of the blue?”
“Isn’t it because he saw that you weren’t being promoted under my command, so Chu Zilan personally appealed to the Emperor on your behalf?” Xiao Jue turned around, hung up Drinking Autumn on the wall, and spoke with a hint of mockery, “Miss He has good social connections, unexpectedly beyond expectations.”
Why did this sound so sarcastic? He Yan frowned, “This is not what I asked for, Commander. You can’t arbitrarily shift blame.”
“I’ve said it before,” Xiao Jue’s eyes were cold, “whether you like Chu Zilan is your business. Getting close to a spy in Liangzhou Garrison is my business.”
These words were harsh, as if she were a spy conspiring with outsiders. He Yan thought, Xiao Jue’s temper was inexplicable, even worse than Shen Muxue. The accumulated frustration from the past two days made her unable to help but say, “I and Fourth Young Master Chu are just ordinary friends. There’s no talk of getting close. Commander, you also have good relations with Doctor Shen. Didn’t you also make friends?”
“Friends?” Xiao Jue stared at her and asked slowly. After a while, he smiled, with a hint of warmth in his eyes, “It seems that Chu Zilan has pleased you a lot.”
He Yan: “Whether he pleased me or not, I don’t know. In any case, Fourth Young Master Chu is not as unreasonably difficult as the Commander.”
Xiao Jue said coldly, “Miss He, feel free to find not unreasonable people.”
He Yan: “…”
She was usually very easygoing, considering herself a broad-minded person. But in the past two days, she had been troubled by Shen Muxue’s matter, and now, seeing Xiao Jue being so aggressive, she couldn’t help feeling angry. For a moment, she forgot even to ask Xiao Jue about the matter she intended to inquire about. Without saying a word, she turned and left. Before leaving, she almost slammed the door but restrained herself, closed the door properly, and left with dignity.
The room fell silent again.
After a while, Xiao Jue looked again in the direction of the door. The door had been closed. The visitor was cautious when entering and left in a hurry. The air still seemed to carry the tense atmosphere from the confrontation.
The young man’s face was slightly cold. He suddenly waved his hand, and the oil lamp on the table went out with a sound, everything returning to silence.
It was truly an unpleasant evening.
…
Since the day they parted ways on bad terms with Xiao Jue, He Yan had also intensified her training. She didn’t sneak into Xiao Jue’s room every night as before to talk. Firstly, Xiao Jue’s attitude that day was too terrible, and secondly, Chu Zhao helped her get the title, not something she actively sought. She was still wary of Chu Zhao, but Xiao Jue took the anger out on her, speaking as if she were a spy. It made He Yan angry. Secondly, she didn’t know what was wrong with her recently. It was fine if she didn’t know Shen Muxue’s identity, once she knew it, she could often see Xiao Jue and Shen Muxue together every few days.
He Yan only knew at this moment that the exquisite meals and snacks in Xiao Jue’s room basket every day were meticulously prepared by Shen Muxue. This girl was not only skilled in poetry but also followed Xiao Jue to the border, taking care of every aspect of his life. Every day, she displayed such a virtuous appearance. He Yan couldn’t help but think, if she were Xiao Jue, she would definitely be moved.
The more she thought about it, the more frustrated she became. She decided to turn a blind eye to it. She spent all her energy training on the martial arts field every day, returning to her room and sleeping, making her days more bearable.
However, their interactions did not escape the eyes of others. One day, when He Yan came down from the martial arts field, had dinner with Hong Shan and the others, and was on her way back, she was caught by Lin Shuanghe.
“Brother He!” He waved to He Yan naturally, walking to her side. “I’ve been thinking recently. Why is Liangzhou Garrison so big? It’s even more extensive than the capital. Otherwise, why can’t I see your shadow every day? If I didn’t happen to meet you recently, I would have suspected that you had returned to the capital.”
He Yan was silent for a moment and said, “I’ve been busy with daily training recently, and I haven’t had a chance to talk to Brother Lin. Brother Lin, don’t take it to heart.”
Lin Shuanghe shook his fan and looked at her, showing a knowing smile. “I’m not so petty. But Little Sister He,” he said in a low voice, “did you have a quarrel with Huaijin? Usually when I went to see him every day, five out of ten times you were present. These days when I went to see him, tsk tsk, the lock on the door is getting rusty. How long has it been since you last visited his room?”
He Yan replied coldly, “Visit for what? I’m not that familiar with him!”
“Did you really have a quarrel?” Lin Shuanghe looked surprised. “You have always had a good temper. How could you have a real dispute with Xiao Huaijin?”
He Yan had been holding back her anger for the past few days. When she heard this, she said, “How do I know where I offended him again? Brother Lin, do you men have a certain period every month when you find someone annoying and want to vent your anger unreasonably, causing trouble without reason?”
Lin Shuanghe touched his chin. “I only know that women tend to be irritable and violent during their monthly periods. I don’t know if men are the same. Is this a new syndrome? Come, Little Sister He, tell me, how did Huaijin unreasonably cause trouble?”
He Yan thought that since Lin Shuanghe was a good friend of Xiao Jue, he must know Xiao Jue better than she did. So, she explained the whole matter as it was and ended by saying, “Brother Lin, do you think I deserve the blame for this? The Commander suspects me thats why he said those things, but he doesn’t know I lean towards the Liangzhou Garrison, he doesn’t know how heartbroken I am to hear such accusations.”
Lin Shuanghe closed his fan, staring at He Yan without saying a word, his gaze particularly mysterious. He Yan felt uneasy under his scrutiny and furrowed her brow, asking, “Brother Lin?”
“Little Sister He, do you think that Huaijin suspects you because you are getting too close to Chu Zilan, and Chu Zilan might be a spy for the Liangzhou Garrison, so he suspects you for that reason?”
He Yan replied, “Exactly.”
“Have you ever thought of other reasons?” Lin Shuanghe coaxed with a gentle tone.
He Yan asked, “What other reasons could there be?”
“Such as… perhaps you shouldn’t view this matter from the perspective of superiors and subordinates, but rather from the standpoint of a man and a woman. So…” Lin Shuanghe lowered his voice, speaking with an extra air of mystery, “Could it be that Xiao Huaijin finds your close relationship with Chu Zilan, as a man, somewhat unsettling?”
There was a moment of silence around them.
Lin Shuanghe observed He Yan’s expression. After a while, He Yan reached out and touched Lin Shuanghe’s forehead. “Brother Lin, are you unwell? I think you shouldn’t be standing here in the wind; you should go find Doctor Shen and get checked.”
Lin Shuanghe: ?
“Look at me,” He Yan pointed to herself, “and then look at Doctor Shen. Do you think the Commander would be jealous because of me? I’m afraid in the Commander’s eyes, there is no difference between you, Instructor Shen, and me. Perhaps there is a bit of jealousy, but it’s more like a friend being taken away by someone else, without any romantic involvement.”
Her words were firm, leaving Lin Shuanghe, who was usually eloquent, momentarily speechless. After a while, he said, “You’re not saying this right. What do you mean by looking at you and Doctor Shen? I think you are excellent. I’ve seen many people in the capital, and my words carry weight in Shuojing.”
He Yan shook her head and smiled. “Am I prettier than Doctor Shen?”
Lin Shuanghe: “Uh…”
“Is my family background more prestigious than Doctor Shen’s?”
“Uh…”
“Do I treat Commander Xiao as a precious gem, willing to go a thousand miles to fight alongside him?”
Lin Shuanghe: “…”
He struggled to retort, “You can’t put it this way; you also have your strengths.”
He Yan looked at him. “Brother Lin, what strengths do I have?”
Lin Shuanghe said, “You are generous, loyal, and value friendship. You are skilled in both combat and have a cheerful and bold nature. You are passionate and strong; isn’t that a strength?”
He Yan looked at him. “Brother Lin, what you said makes sense. Doctor Shen has those qualities, and so does Instructor Shen, Chiwu, and Fei Nu. Most of the new recruits in the Liangzhou Garrison are like this. Can we say that the Commander also admires and appreciates them?”
Lin Shuanghe had no response to that.
He suddenly felt a sense of exhaustion. Initially, he wanted to help He Yan and probe her feelings, but now she stubbornly refused to believe that Xiao Huaijin had any other sentiments towards her. How could this be explained? This seemingly sunny and cheerful girl, why did she harbor such deep-seated self-doubt? It’s as if she had never been treated well, not even willing to believe in the slightest hint of “favoritism.”
Wasn’t her martial arts general father supposed to dote on He Yan? A girl raised in favor, confident and proud, should not be like this.
Thinking about this, Lin Shuanghe realized this matter couldn’t be rushed. If he wanted to change He Yan’s rigid mindset, he first had to identify the root cause. He was afraid He Yan would continue to dwell on this, so he changed the topic, “Forget it, let’s not talk about this. Isn’t it because I noticed that the atmosphere between you and Huaijin has been off these days that I wanted to mediate? You know, we may leave the Liangzhou Garrison soon. If we are still distant and indifferent on the way, it will be uncomfortable.”
He Yan was surprised, “Leave the Liangzhou Garrison?”
Lin Shuanghe sighed, “The Wutuo people are approaching, and Huaijin will lead the troops back to the capital sooner or later. Even if Xu Xiang tries his best, the Emperor won’t let Huaijin stay in the Liangzhou Garrison forever—the capital cannot be left without a defender.”
“What does it mean that the Wutuo people are approaching…?”
“Brother He, you don’t know yet? I found out this afternoon. You were probably in daily training at that time. I guess the news will spread throughout the entire Liangzhou Garrison by tomorrow. When we were dealing with the Wutuo people in Jiyang, their other large army had already launched an attack on Huayuan. The Emperor sent Flying Phoenix General to confront them and ordered to defend Huayuan.”
This news was too shocking, and for a moment, He Yan didn’t know which aspect to be more shocked about. The Wutuo people attacking Huayuan? And He Rufei going to confront them?
How dare He Rufei!
“When did this happen?” He Yan asked, “He… Flying Phoenix General has already gone to Huayuan?”
Lin Shuanghe thought for a moment. “It takes more than a month for a fast horse to travel day and night from Huayuan to Liangzhou. Since the news has already reached us, Flying Phoenix General should have arrived in Huayuan by now and is currently in fierce battle with the Wutuo people.” Seeing He Yan’s grim expression, he thought she was worried about the situation in Huayuan and consoled her, “You don’t need to worry. Flying Phoenix General leads 150,000 Fuyue troops, and he won’t lose. Moreover, he is the Flying Phoenix General, comparable to Xiao Huaijin, almost undefeated. Our 20,000 troops could handle 150,000 Wutuo people in Jiyang, not to mention the addition of 150,000 Fuyue troops. You know, Flying Phoenix General excels at tactics and can win against a larger force with a smaller one.”
He Yan remained silent.
Lin Shuanghe looked at her strangely. “Brother He, Brother He?”
He Yan snapped back, looking at him and slowly saying, “Brother Lin, if there is news from Huayuan in the next few days, can you inform me as soon as possible?”
“Naturally, I can.” Lin Shuanghe turned his fan, “it’s not a military secret. Once news from Huayuan arrives, the entire Liangzhou Garrison will know. But why are you so nervous? You’re sweating. When we were in Jiyang, facing such a disadvantage, you were calm and composed. Could it be…” He leaned closer and stared at He Yan, “You…”
He Yan’s heart skipped a beat, but she remained composed. “What?”
“Do you not trust Flying Phoenix General?” Lin Shuanghe said seriously, “You are closer to Huaijin, it’s normal for people to favor their superiors. But Flying Phoenix General, besides previously liking to wear masks and be mysterious, is undoubtedly an excellent military commander. You don’t need to worry like this. If he didn’t have some real skills, the Emperor wouldn’t have appointed him as a general.”
At this moment, He Yan, with her mind elsewhere, just casually responded and quickly left. Lin Shuanghe, looking at He Yan’s departing figure, muttered strangely, “If He Rufei were here and saw his abilities doubted like this, he would probably vomit blood.”
He Yan didn’t know whether He Rufei would vomit blood or not. She hurried back to her room, looking at the tightly closed central door. Several times, her hand reached for the lock, only to retract each time.
How could she tell Xiao Jue that He Rufei is fake? Because the real Flying Phoenix General is in Liangzhou Garrison? Huayuan is so far from Liangzhou Garrison, the Emperor has dispatched the Fuyue army, and the Nanfu troops of Liangzhou Garrison cannot leave the city without authorization. Moreover, how could she convince Xiao Jue to take the Nanfu troops to Huayuan? Say that the 150,000 Fuyue troops led by He Rufei can’t defeat the Wutuo people? If she said that, she might be taken as a spy as soon as those words came out.
He Yan picked up the cold tea on the table and took a sip. The tea was already cold, but it helped to calm her emotions a bit.
She never expected that Emperor Wenxuan would send He Rufei to Huayuan. Ever since He Rufei replaced her as the “Flying Phoenix General,” he had only occasionally appeared in the capital for military parades in the training ground. He Rufei had not truly led troops in battle since the suppression of the rebellion in the western frontier. This was partly because, after the pacification of the western chaos, Great Wei was prosperous and there was no need for military campaigns. But He Rufei also personally requested to stay in Shuojing, claiming to be seriously injured in the last battle and wishing to rest.
Military authority is easily given but hard to retrieve. He Rufei actively requested to stay in Shuojing, and Emperor Wenxuan naturally couldn’t refuse. Others might think that He Rufei was wise to retire at the peak of his career, but He Yan knew very well that He Rufei couldn’t lead troops in battle. Over the years, He Rufei had been recuperating outside Shuojing. She knew that He Rufei was proficient in martial arts, and perhaps, to live up to the title of “Flying Phoenix General,” he had also studied military strategies extensively. However, just like two identical leaves would never exist in nature, strategies, tactics, and habits couldn’t be changed. Deception might work for a while, but not for a lifetime. In the past, her trusted aides immediately noticed the differences between He Rufei and her whenever they fought together on the battlefield.
He Rufei probably worried about this as well, hence he no longer led troops into battle.
Now, the appearance of the Wutuo people disrupted all the calmness. He Rufei was forced to go to war, so… what would he do?
Thinking about this, He Yan, for some reason, felt an ominous premonition. She knew He Rufei definitely couldn’t afford to lose a battle. With so many Fuyue troops, if they lost, it would damage Flying Phoenix General’s reputation. Knowing the cunning nature of the He family, they wouldn’t easily let go of any advantages gained.
But if he won, he would likely be suspected by Flying Phoenix General’s confidants.
If He Yan were near Huayuan at this moment, she would immediately rush to the battlefield. Unfortunately, she was now far away in Liangzhou, feeling worried but powerless.
Stay calm, He Yan told herself. There must be a solution, and the first thing to do was to gather information about Huayuan and then make a plan.
…
The news of the Wutuo people entering Huayuan spread as Lin Shuanghe had predicted, throughout the entire Liangzhou Garrison on the second day. The young soldiers of Liangzhou Garrison were all full of enthusiasm, saying, “When the Wutuo people came to Liangzhou Garrison before, we were still recruits, and we could already defeat them easily. Now that we’ve improved, if the Wutuo people come again, we can wipe them out!”
“Yeah, Instructor, can’t we go to the battlefield to fight the Wutuo people? We also want to fight them!”
Shen Han said coldly, “What are you clamoring about? There will be plenty of opportunities for you to fight in the future. Now, focus on training!”
He Yan stood among the Nanfu troops, watching the eager Liangzhou Garrison recruits. A hint of worry passed through her heart. Shen Han’s words made sense. The Wutuo people were not probing; they were launching a full-scale attack against Great Wei. Whether it was Huayuan or Liangzhou, Shuojing or Jiyang, anywhere within the borders of Great Wei, there was no reason to escape.
But she wondered about the situation on the Huayuan side.
Two more days passed like this. In the afternoon, everyone was training at the martial arts field. Just after the training session, as it was almost time for dinner, they saw horses approaching from the direction of White Moon Mountain. After a while, while everyone was having their meal, a new recruit emerged from the crowd and shouted, “Do you all know? In the battle at Huayuan, Flying Phoenix General won!”
“Won? Really! Flying Phoenix General deserves his reputation!”
“Those Wutuo people are just paper tigers, looking fierce only. They couldn’t defeat our Commander in Jiyang, and now they couldn’t defeat Flying Phoenix General in Huayuan. With these two, even if there were ten Wutuo countries, it would be useless!”
Laughter echoed among the crowd.
As sons of Great Wei, the good news brought joy to everyone. Wang Ba took a bite of his steamed bun and sneered, “With 150,000 Fuyue troops, even I could win.”
Hong Shan challenged him, “Then why didn’t you become a general?”
Wang Ba was about to retort when he saw He Yan place her rice bowl on the table and stand up.
“Brother Ah He?” Xiao Mai looked at her.
“I’ll be right back,” He Yan said, holding the steamed bun in her mouth. “Wait for me.” She crossed the crowd and quickly left.
“What’s wrong with Brother He?” Jiang Jiao asked.
Huang Xiong mumbled while eating his porridge, “Maybe he has some official duties.”
…
He Yan walked quickly, leaving behind the recruits holding their bowls, looking surprised. He Rufei actually won?
This seemed reasonable since he had already accepted the command, and He Rufei must have made thorough preparations. Although He Yan had spent limited time interacting with He Rufei, events like the Ding Yi incident showed that he was meticulous and good at planning ahead. To avoid exposing his identity, He Rufei would do everything possible not to be discovered. Perhaps, after He Yan returned to being Miss He, or even before that, He Rufei had tried to align himself more with the identity of “General.”
But why did she still feel so uneasy?
Lin Shuanghe and Xiao Jue were together every day, and he should be the first to know about this news. He must know the specific situation of this battle.
He Yan had only reached the courtyard when she saw Lin Shuanghe talking to Shen Han, holding a paper-like object in his hand. Lin Shuanghe sighed, “Speaking of it, the victory in the battle of Huayuan is a win, but it’s a miserable victory. Many people died, and this should be the first time Flying Phoenix General has experienced such a situation in his military career.”
“They say there was a traitor from the Wutuo people infiltrated into the army. During the battle, Flying Phoenix General was shot with a cold arrow. But in the end, he managed to turn the tide and defended Huayuan.”
He Yan’s footsteps paused. A traitor? The Fuyue army strictly adheres to military discipline; how could there be a traitor? Even if there was a traitor, how could He Rufei, a military commander, possibly emerge unscathed? Using the words “turn the tide” on He Rufei, He Yan couldn’t believe it no matter what.
Moreover, what did it mean that many people died?
At this moment, Lin Shuanghe continued, “Speaking of which, I have been classmates with General He for several years. Although he is sometimes a bit stubborn, he’s not a bad person. After suffering such a blow, his mood must be very heavy.”
Shen Han sighed, “After all, they were long-time confidants who followed him. The entire army was wiped out in one battle, and anyone would be deeply affected.”
He Yan felt like she had been struck by lightning.
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