Rebirth of a Star General Chapter 209

Chapter 209: Ambushed

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After leaving the Xu residence, He Yan went straight back to He family.

He Sui and He Yunsheng had not returned yet. He Yan retrieved a small box from under the table, which contained several silver ingots. Fuwang was greedy; if it weren’t for substantial benefits, he wouldn’t dare to take such a big risk on her behalf.

He Yan’s gaze gradually became solemn.

Xu Zhiheng was probably frightened out of his wits, rushing so quickly to find the whereabouts of Qin Momo. She had to find the person before Xu Zhiheng, and that undoubtedly required some arrangements.

Looking at the pitiful silver ingots, He Yan sighed.

Could it be true that she had to make another trip to Le Tong Manor?

…

A luxurious carriage stopped at the entrance of Shi Jinbo’s mansion, and maids surrounded a young lady as she walked in.

The servants of the Chu family came out respectfully to greet her, “Miss Xu has arrived.”

Xu Pingting raised her chin, lifted her skirt, and stepped into the Chu family’s gate.

When Xu Jingfu occasionally visited the Chu family to find Chu Zilan, Xu Pingting would often accompany him. Everyone in the Chu family knew that Xu Pingting was Xu Jingfu’s precious daughter and didn’t dare to neglect her in the slightest.

Madam Chu also came out and, upon seeing Xu Pingting, smiled, “Miss Xu is here. Zilan has not returned home yet. Please sit in the hall, have some hot tea, and wait for Zilan to return.”

Xu Pingting glanced at Madam Chu, hmphed in response, considering it as an acknowledgment.

Her behavior was already quite rude, but Madam Chu didn’t get angry. She still wore a smile and went out to instruct the maids to prepare some snacks. Watching her busy figure, Xu Pingting satisfactorily curled up the corners of her mouth.

This Madam of Shi Jinbo was rather plain-looking. Originally, that wasn’t a big deal; there were plenty of women without much charm in Shuojing City. However, fate had led her to marry Chu Linfeng, a handsome man who enjoyed the beauty of women. The stark contrast naturally became a topic of discussion and mockery. Chu Linfeng, being fond of beauty, brought in concubines one after another, a total of nineteen rooms, each with beautiful women. As a result, Madam Chu appeared even more pitiable.

Yet, no one dared to underestimate Madam Chu. Except for Chu Zhao, the b*stard, there was not a single concubine in this mansion who could bear Chu Linfeng’s child. Xu Pingting had heard Xu Jingfu say that Chu Zhao’s status in the mansion was awkward. She was devoted to Chu Zhao, and to show solidarity, she would trouble Madam Chu a bit whenever she came to the Chu family, venting her anger for Chu Zhao.

Today was no exception.

Madam Chu had a maid bring some refreshments and tea. At this moment, Chu Linfeng was not at home either. Madam Chu smiled and said, “It’s been a while since I last saw Miss Xu. Ever since His Majesty bestowed the marriage, and I heard that Miss Xu is to be united with our Zilan, I’ve been quite pleased. In Shuojing City, only Miss Xu is worthy of Zilan’s sincere attention.”

Who wouldn’t love to hear such kind words, especially when it came to praises about how much Chu Zilan loved her. Xu Pingting, upon hearing this, felt somewhat proud and responded, “Naturally, other women are not worthy of Brother Zilan.”

Madam Chu smiled, took a sip of tea, and her gaze fell on the maid, Motai, behind Xu Pingting.

Xu Pingting noticed her gaze and spoke displeasedly, “Why are you looking at my servant like that?”

“I was just looking. Miss Xu’s personal maid is truly exquisite.” Madam Chu lightly stroked her hair and casually said, “After you and Zilan are married, even Zilan’s servant, Ying Xiang, is not inferior in appearance. When they go out together, it will be a family of beauties.”

Bringing up Ying Xiang was a sore spot for Xu Pingting. Immediately, Ying Xiang’s enchanting face flashed in her mind.

Motai was indeed beautiful, but compared to Ying Xiang, she fell far short. Not to mention Motai, in Shuojing City, where numerous women were beautiful, it was rare to find someone who could compete with Ying Xiang.

Suddenly, Xu Pingting realized that she hadn’t seen Ying Xiang these days when she met Chu Zhao.

“Where is that girl now?” Xu Pingting asked.

“Zilan told her not to serve him. She usually does some light chores in the courtyard.” Madam Chu smiled and said, “Miss Xu also knows that Zilan has a gentle temperament and is kind-hearted. He treats women with great kindness. Ying Xiang, being his personal maid since childhood, is more special than other servants.”

Motai couldn’t help but speak, “Special or not, she’s just a servant!”

Xu Pingting clenched her fists tightly, her nails embedding into her palms, her expression extremely unpleasant.

Ying Xiang was like a thorn in her heart. How could she feel at ease with such a fox-like woman around Chu Zhao? If it weren’t for Chu Zhao’s protection, Ying Xiang would have died a thousand times over. There was a time when she casually mentioned selling Ying Xiang, and for the first time, Chu Zilan, who had always been obedient to her, ignored her for half a month.

At that moment, Xu Pingting understood that Chu Zhao wanted to protect Ying Xiang. If she used the same means against Ying Xiang as she did with those young ladies who had intentions towards Chu Zhao in the past, Chu Zhao would never forgive her.

Xu Pingting was not willing to create a rift between her and Chu Zhao, nor did she want Chu Zhao to think of her as a malicious woman. Thus, she endured for many years. But now that she and Chu Zhao were engaged, did she have to tolerate a fox spirit wandering around right under her nose?

Madam Chu saw Xu Pingting’s expression, sighed, and said, “Miss Xu is still young and has not yet managed a household in the mansion. But once you’re married, life will be completely different from when you were a girl. Look at the Chu mansion; we have a total of nineteen concubines, all showing great respect to me. It seems fine, but do you think I have no grievances?”

“As a woman, before marriage, it’s understandable to be jealous and show some temper. But if you continue this way after marriage, others will say you are envious and disrespectful, neglecting your responsibilities.”

Xu Pingting heard this and became extremely furious. “Who dares to say I’m jealous?”

“Even if it’s not said, it will be thought that way.” Madam Chu smiled and spoke, “So, Miss Xu, if there’s someone you particularly dislike, you must send them away before marriage. Otherwise, having too many people in the house can lead to small matters affecting the relationship between husband and wife. You are still young… if emotions are hurt, it’s not good.”

Her words were caring, her smile gentle. Xu Pingting naturally knew that Madam Chu was trying to sow discord. Unfortunately, she spoke about the one thing Xu Pingting cared about the most. Keeping Ying Xiang was like leaving a thorn in her heart. If this thorn wasn’t removed, she would never be happy in her lifetime.

“If I want to get rid of someone, but they are protected by someone else, what should I do?” Xu Pingting asked.

Chu Linfeng had found nineteen beautiful concubines, whether intelligent or not, but none could contend with the ordinary-looking woman before her. To be honest, aside from her status, Xu Pingting quite admired Madam Chu. Without some means, how could she control such a large Chu family?

“It’s simple.” Madam Chu said, “I heard that the Prime Minister was once a mentor to His Highness the Crown Prince. His Highness is currently lacking someone clever and considerate by his side. If His Highness demands it, who would dare not comply?”

Xu Pingting’s eyes brightened.

She had actually forgotten about this. She couldn’t do anything to Ying Xiang, but the Crown Prince could. Facing the Crown Prince, could Chu Zhao still refuse?

For a moment, Xu Pingting’s heart surged with excitement. Without waiting even for Chu Zhao, she stood up, she glanced at Madam Chu, revealing her first smile of the day. “Thank you, Madam Chu, for enlightening me. I have other matters today; I’ll come again another day.” With her maidservant, she hastily left.

After Xu Pingting left, the smile on Madam Chu’s face faded. The servant beside her asked in a low voice, “Madam, if the Crown Prince really wants to take Ying Xiang away, there’s not much the Fourth Young Master can do.”

“Chu Zilan is accustomed to being astute and self-preserving. Even if he loves that girl, he won’t ruin his future for a lowly servant. I never thought of having him deal with the Crown Prince in the first place.”

“But you…”

Madam Chu picked up the teacup in front of her, took a sip, and after a while, said, “If Ying Xiang is taken away by the Crown Prince, it’s Miss Xu Pingting’s intention. I will naturally let Chu Zilan know about this. That b*stard is hard to read on his face, but who knows how much anger he harbors inside. I want him to clash with the Xu family.”

“You also know,” Madam Chu sneered, “the result of clashing with the Xu family is just one word: death.”

“I’m waiting for the day he dies.”

…

He Yan knew nothing about what was happening in the Chu family. Since the victory celebration, she hadn’t seen Chu Zhao again. Presumably, he was busy with the marriage arrangements with Xu Pingting. After all, the Xu family valued this daughter of theirs.

One evening, as the early winter in Shuojing City darkened the sky early, fewer people were on the streets than usual. Apart from street vendors carrying hot soup, most preferred to stay in warm homes.

A group of young men walked out of the Crane Foothill Academy, with He Yunsheng surrounded in the center. It was a far cry from the situation He Yan encountered the last time she came.

“Yunsheng, in the future, your brother-in-law will be the famous General Fengyun. You’re amazing!”

“How can you call Yunsheng amazing? It’s your sister, Yunsheng’s sister, who’s amazing! Can your sister do this? I don’t think so!”

He Yan stood by the wall, listening and feeling something was off. It sounded like they were insulting her?

He Yunsheng, who used to be ignored by everyone in the academy, had now become the center of attention. It was all because of his elder sister becoming a noble and having a brother-in-law who was a general. There were shameless people who even approached him, claiming they wanted to visit his home. Bah! He didn’t even know those people.

Finally getting rid of this group of flatterers, He Yunsheng walked back home with a bag on his back. Unintentionally, someone patted his back. When he turned around, He Yan reached up to ruffle his hair. “You’re walking so fast, racing, huh?”

He Yunsheng was taken aback, looking around. “Why did you come here?”

“I dealt with some official matters today,” He Yan said seriously, “and happened to pass by your academy on the way home. So, I waited for you to go back together.”

“Don’t come to the academy to find me in the future,” He Yunsheng said, walking ahead with a gloomy expression. “These lunatics, when they see you, who knows what crazy things they might do.”

He Yan smiled and guessed what the young man had gone through. She said, “Alright, our Yunsheng doesn’t like to attract attention. I won’t come to find you next time. Hey, I guess Dad will be going home soon. How about we buy some lamb buns on the way back and have them with the porridge Qingmei is making tonight?”

“Always thinking about eating,” He Yunsheng complained, but obediently followed He Yan to buy the buns.

The lamb buns on the streets of Shuojing were thin-skinned, large, and not expensive. The hot buns were packed in oiled paper bags, held warm in their arms. He Yan held the bag and walked with He Yunsheng, turning into a small alley. She took out a bun for He Yunsheng, “Are you hungry? Want to eat one to fill your stomach?”

He Yunsheng refused, “No, do you want to grow up into a Tangyuan like the Wang family next door?”

Wang’s family had a pig named Tangyuan. It was the fattest pig on this street, and when it walked, you could only see a round and white lump. Despite being a huge creature, it had the cute name “Tangyuan.”

He Yan looked him up and down, took a bite herself, and said, “At such a young age, you already care about being handsome. I’ve told you, you’re at the age to grow taller now. You should eat more. It’s okay to get fat; you can lose weight later. With your appearance, you won’t be bad in the future.”

She spoke in a jumbled manner, and He Yunsheng was annoyed. Just as he was about to tell her to speak more carefully in the future, he saw He Yan suddenly frown. She swiftly pulled him behind her, and before he could ask what happened, half of He Yan’s bun had already hit a certain shadow on the wall accurately. The next moment, several shadows emerged from the walls, brandishing knives, rushing towards the siblings.

“Yunsheng, be careful!” He Yan pushed He Yunsheng into a corner of the alley, leaving him stunned by the sudden attack. When he sat up, he saw He Yan fighting with the group of black-clad assailants. Their target wasn’t him. He Yunsheng shouted, “Help, there’s a killer!”

However, the street was already sparsely populated, and at this hour, even fewer people were around. Even if there were people, the timid ones wouldn’t dare approach. He Yunsheng didn’t have any weapons himself, and even if he wanted to help with his bare hands, he was quickly halted by one of the assailants, who struck him down with a knife before he could reach the fight.

“Yunsheng!” He Yan was anxious. Bending to dodge the blade of an approaching attacker, she elbowed him in the abdomen, making him stagger back. Seizing the opportunity, He Yan disarmed several attackers.

She was skilled with a blade, and although the assailants outnumbered her, their skills were lacking. In a short time, they fell under He Yan’s blade. He Yan didn’t take their lives; she kicked the last one down. He Yunsheng rushed over, panic in his eyes. “He Yan!”

“Don’t be so nervous,” He Yan wanted to lighten the mood, teasing him, “I told you to call me sister.”

Ignoring her comment, He Yunsheng grabbed He Yan’s hand, checking her for injuries. “Are you okay? What happened just now? Why did you push me out?”

“Your small frame wouldn’t be enough to block a knife,” He Yan explained. “Go get the torches from the wall; I need to ask a few questions.”

Still a bit nervous, He Yunsheng hesitated before fetching the torches from the wall. He Yan, holding a torch, approached the closest assailant, squatting down. At first glance, she was stunned. She hadn’t aimed for the vital points, yet this person’s mouth was oozing blood, motionless – clearly dead.

Taking the torch to examine the others, she found the same result – all dead.

“What’s going on?” He Yunsheng, sensitive to killing due to the Fan Cheng incident, was now alarmed. “Why are all these robbers dead? You clearly…”

“Poison in their mouths. If caught, they bite down on the poison to commit suicide,” He Yan stood up, her eyes shining brightly in the torchlight. “They aren’t robbers; they’re assassins.”

“Assassins?” He Yunsheng was puzzled. “Assassins… How could they come to kill us… No, to kill you?”

When He Yan pushed him out earlier, those people didn’t take advantage to attack him. Instead, they kept entangling He Yan. However, He Yan had been in Liangzhou all this time and only recently returned to Shuojing. She didn’t have any enemies, so why would someone go to great lengths to take her life?

At this moment, the sounds of people and hoofbeats approached from outside. Accompanied by torchlight, a large group of people came running. He Yan looked up and saw it was the city guards. Apparently, He Yunsheng’s loud shout had alerted those nearby, and someone smartly sought out the nearby city guards.

“What’s going on?” The leader of the soldiers dismounted, and at the sight of the corpses, his expression became serious.

He Yunsheng, fearing they might suspect He Yan and himself, hurriedly explained, “Sir, we just arrived here when these people jumped out to take our lives. My sister fought with them. Seeing they couldn’t defeat my sister, they swallowed poison to commit suicide.”

The leader, still somewhat skeptical, looked at He Yan. A woman dealing with so many men, and the men losing? It sounded unbelievable.

He Yan, with an unperturbed expression, took out a seal from her bosom. “Wuan Marquis He Yan.”

Upon hearing this, the leader was taken aback, and He Yunsheng’s words gained seventy percent credibility. Who didn’t know about Wuan Marquis? The recently enthroned marquis, the extraordinary woman associated with the ‘liked person’ of the Right Commander – it was a well-known story throughout Shuojing.

“It’s Wuan Marquis.” Confirming the authenticity of the seal, the leader’s attitude became much more respectful. He then looked at the corpses scattered around, still somewhat puzzled. “You say these people were ambushing you here, intending to take your life?”

He Yan nodded.

“Do you know who these people are, Wuan Marquis?”

He Yan shook her head. “Since they’re assassins, they must be someone determined to take my life. But I have no enemies in Shuojing, so I’m also puzzled.”

“Report this to the officials.” She said.

He Yunsheng raised his head.

“This matter is beyond my ability to resolve alone. Someone dares to attack a court official under the Emperor’s rule. If it wasn’t me but an ordinary powerless civilian ambushed tonight, what would have happened? Perhaps the city guards in Shuojing are short-staffed, leading to such negligence.” Despite being usually gentle and friendly, her smile gone, He Yan now exuded a touch of cold sternness. “In my opinion, this matter should be handed over to the government for investigation. What do you think, sir?”

The officer wiped the sweat from his forehead, smiling, “Certainly, certainly.”

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