Rebirth of a Star General Chapter 221

Chapter 221: A Friend’s Visit

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In the city of Shuojing, a recent rumor has been circulating. Someone set fire to the book depository at Xianchang Academy, and the arsonist was found engulfed in the flames, burying themselves in the inferno. The entire book depository was burned, and quite coincidentally, the destroyed books included the notes left by Flying Phoenix General, He Rufei, when he was studying at the academy.

Over the years, Xianchang Academy gained its fame primarily for producing two renowned generals. Among these two, if General Fengyun was the young talent admired by the youth, then Flying Phoenix General, He Rufei, was often held up as an exemplary figure by educators teaching at the academy.

“It’s worth noting that when General He was at Xianchang Academy, his academic performance was not outstanding, often ranking last. Nevertheless, through diligence to overcome deficiencies, he has now become a formidable general in Great Wei. Therefore, not everyone is a genius, but through persistent effort, one can achieve great success.”

As an example of someone who “diligently made up for deficiencies,” General He’s success was not only mentioned by his contemporaries and teachers but was also documented in the notes stored in the book depository. Now, for some inexplicable reason, this evidence had been burned in a fire. While many scholars secretly cursed the arsonist for their despicable act, the students in the academy couldn’t help but cheer spontaneously.

After all, being forced to “compensate for deficiencies through diligence” was not an easy task.

In the He Mansion, General He Rufei sat in his study, looking at the subordinate who brought him the report.

“You mean to say that the assassin sent to set the fire had no body left behind?” he asked.

“Exactly.”

“Rufei,” He Yuansheng squinted his eyes, “do you sense anything amiss?”

“Just burning a stack of books and then dying in the fire without leaving a trace of the body seems somewhat suspicious.”

The subordinate respectfully replied, “I inquired around the vicinity of Xianchang Academy. The fire in the book depository is confirmed. All the students from the academy have returned home now. The headmaster is arranging for repairs to the burned bookshelves. It is said that not a single page of ‘General He’s’ notes was left behind.”

After contemplating for a moment, He Yuansheng said, “Rufei, if you’re uneasy about it, do you want to personally investigate?”

“No,” He Rufei flatly refused, “It is a busy and sensitive time, and I must be cautious with my words and actions. The recent fire at the Xianchang Academy is still fresh, and if I go there again, I risk providing someone with leverage against me. The last incident has yet to be resolved, and I absolutely cannot afford to be careless.” He Rufei felt irritated at the thought of the previous matter. He had initially decided to target He Yan’s life, at least as a test. However, he didn’t expect the woman to be so skilled. Luckily, all the individuals he sent were loyal and did not reveal any secrets. In the end, he pinned all the evidence on the Fan family, but the government on that side was hesitant to close the case, and He Rufei’s inquiries revealed that it was due to Xiao Jue’s interference.

Xiao Huaijin held his fiancée in high regard, and now it seemed he was trying to defend her. Just the daughter of a city gate military official, He Rufei didn’t care much, but he had heard of Xiao Jue’s methods before. Even Xu Jingfu couldn’t gain an advantage dealing with him, so it was worth being wary of.

“Forget it. Since the notes have been burned, let’s not dwell on it,” He Rufei changed the subject, “In a short while, the Wutuo envoy will arrive in the capital. At this juncture, it’s best not to stir up trouble.”

He Yuansheng paused and looked at He Rufei, “Once the Wutuo envoy arrives, the Emperor will undoubtedly discuss whether to pursue war or peace. Rufei, our He family…”

“Dad, our He family will naturally advocate for peace. Not to mention the Battle of Huayuan, we are already tied to Xu Jingfu. Even if it’s for our own sake, we can only stand for peace. Xiao Huaijin has already become our enemy, helping Xu Jingfu means helping ourselves.”

“I know that, but…” He Yuansheng’s eyes flashed with a hint of cunning, “My son, the Fourth Prince has gained considerable support in the court. You see…”

“Even if the Fourth Prince has support, it’s still not enough compared to Xu Xiang. Besides, the Great Wei values rules and etiquette the most. The Crown Prince is the legitimate heir, and the Fourth Prince lacks maternal support. Dad, at this point, our He family cannot maintain a neutral position. We must stand unreservedly by the side of the Crown Prince.”

He Yuansheng sighed, “I’m just concerned.”

He Rufei glanced at He Yuansheng with a hint of sarcasm, “Dad, to achieve immense wealth, one cannot avoid taking risks. When my sister reached the stage of a Great General, there was no turning back.”

He Yuansheng was momentarily stunned, as if his inner secrets had been exposed. His face showed a trace of embarrassment. After a pause, he stood up and said, “Since you have made up your mind, do as you say. I have other matters to attend to; I’ll leave first.” He hurriedly left.

He Rufei watched He Yuansheng’s hasty departure and smiled. He leaned back, his face gradually darkening.

It seemed that at some point, the entire He family had started to act according to his preferences. Even when talking to He Yuansheng and He Yuanliang, they had to be cautious. He Rufei had heard more than once from the household servants that the young master’s temperament had become increasingly strange in recent years, different from the past. After hearing this, he directly ordered the servants who spoke to be executed. After a few times, no one dared to gossip behind his back.

Those who achieved great things were not bound by trivial matters. Among the two brothers of the He family, He Yuanliang was timid and cunning, unfit for significant tasks. He Yuansheng was ruthless, but unfortunately, he had too many scruples and dared not take risks. Now there was even a woman with the same name and surname, who had become an enemy with Xiao Huaijin, making actions restricted and annoyingly conspicuous.

They had no idea that to achieve great things, one must often get their hands dirty. Just like the Battle of Huayuan, to avoid future troubles, He Rufei had proactively joined hands with Xu Jingfu. Xu Jingfu had secretive dealings with the Wutuo people as well. With just a casual talk, all of He Yan’s trusted subordinates were buried in that battle, which didn’t require such a high cost.

From this point on, very few people truly understood Flying Phoenix General’s character. He himself was perfectly at ease with his actions.

He Rufei did not feel the slightest bit of guilt for what he had done, nor did he sympathize with his deceased cousin. Before He Yan became “Flying Phoenix General,” she had lived for many years under hks own name. If it weren’t for his identity as the “young master,” a woman living in the world should follow conventions, marry, and obey her husband. How could she have experienced all that later happened? It could be said that He Yan’s military achievements were all obtained using his name, and now, everything was simply returning to its rightful owner.

Not to mention that the Marquis Wuan clearly was just a puppet, even if the real He Yan came to seek revenge, he was not the least bit afraid.

Because… it was originally his.

…

On this day, He Yan left early in the morning and returned home only near evening.

Madam Fan in the prison was still incoherent, unable to reveal any useful information. Qin Momo was hidden in the Xiao family, but her knowledge was also limited. Whether Xu Zhiheng would truly trust He Wanru, and the intentional avoidance of the matter of killing, meant that, aside from eyewitnesses, there wasn’t much evidence. He Yan had to run errands herself. Although she was the Marquis Wuan, she had not yet established her own network of connections in the court. Colleagues, even though they pretended to flatter her on the surface, secretly held her in contempt because she was a woman. Among the officials she could build relationships with in the court, besides people like Yan He and Lin Shuanghe who were classmates, there were very few.

Fortunately, although the title of Marquis Wuan was not very effective, being the “fiancée of Xiao Jue” was even more convenient than He Yan had imagined. As long as she brought up Xiao Jue, most colleagues were willing to give her face. Taking advantage of Xiao Jue’s name, He Yan inquired about matters within the Fuyue Army.

Investigating here and there, she did manage to find some clues.

Since He Rufei was appointed as Flying Phoenix General, the great Wei enjoyed a peaceful and prosperous era with rare military engagements. He had been staying in Shuojing and had not left the city. The Battle of Huayuan was the first time He Rufei led troops into battle after several years. In this battle, He Rufei’s Fuyue Army only won with difficulty, and all his trusted subordinates perished. The deputy generals who were a bit closer to He Rufei survived, not one came back alive.

And the common soldiers who survived that battle were mostly ordinary soldiers who were not involved in confidential military matters.

However, even so, there were still some secretive rumors circulating.

“That day, the general was different from before. It seemed that there had been a dispute with the military advisor, but the military advisor was sacrificed in the Battle of Huayuan. However… when those Wutuo people came that day, we were originally in an advantageous position. Still, the general remained motionless, eventually giving the Wutuo people an opportunity.”

“But maybe we overthought it. The general has been through many battles, and we small soldiers cannot fathom his intentions.” The soldier added.

Because the title of Flying Phoenix General was too illustrious, no one would suspect his tactics, let alone question his loyalty. However, He Yan was well aware that He Rufei had deliberately sent those people to their deaths. He Rufei had never led troops before this, and in the Battle of Huayuan, he managed to let his most valued subordinates perish while he himself emerged unscathed. Such a thing couldn’t happen unless… he had colluded with the Wutuo people long before.

With this in mind, He Yan realized that the reaction of Wutuo General Huyate when she, disguised as He Rufei, attacked the Wutuo camp and set fire to their provisions in Rundu was also intriguing.

If He Rufei truly conspired with the Wutuo people to protect his identity from being exposed, betraying the sovereign, this crime would be unforgivable.

Lost in her thoughts on this matter, she unknowingly arrived at her doorstep. Upon entering, Qingmei, who saw her, hurried over, saying, “Miss, you’re back.”

“What happened?” He Yan asked curiously. Since her identity was exposed, He Yan had instructed Xiao Jue to withdraw Chiwu during the day and return at night. A competent guard shouldn’t be idling around her without doing any meaningful tasks. So, after Chiwu left, Qingmei resumed her previous routine. It was unusual to see her so flustered.

“Someone has come to the house,” Qingmei said in a hushed tone, “They say they’re looking for Miss…”

Before she could finish her sentence, He Yan heard a familiar voice, “Big brother!”

She turned around and saw a young man in a yellow robe running towards her in the hall, his lips red and teeth white. With a joyful expression, he circled around her, saying, “Big brother, I didn’t expect you to be a girl for real!”

Qingmei kindly reminded, “Young master, our Miss has always been a lady.”

He Yan hadn’t expected Cheng Lisu to come to her house. It seemed like a long time since she had seen him last. The young man had grown a bit taller, but the spirited look in his eyes remained the same.

“Why did you come?” He Yan asked.

“I sneaked out today while no one at home was paying attention,” Cheng Lisu said with a bitter face. “After I returned to the capital from Liangzhou, I was sent to school. I had no freedom at all. When I heard that big brother, you returned to the capital, I wanted to come and see, but the school was strict, and I couldn’t get out. When I went back, I heard that you were a woman and had become my uncle’s fiancée. Big brother! What’s going on? How did you become a woman?”

It had been so long, and He Yan didn’t expect someone to still be entangled with this matter. Helplessly, she explained, “I was originally a woman. At that time, it was just a desperate situation, and I had to disguise myself as a man to join the army. After returning to the capital, my identity naturally came to light. I apologize for the misunderstanding.”

As soon as she finished speaking, she heard another voice say, “So, you admit that you lied?”

He Yan was taken aback, and she saw Song Taotao walking out from behind. The little girl now looked even more lovely and charming than when she was in Liangzhou. The Song family must have spoiled this daughter. The clothes and fabrics looked quite luxurious, making her look like an ethereal fairy. However, unlike her delicately carved face, her expression was like that of an infatuated girl abandoned by an unfaithful lover.

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

Cheng Lisu rolled his eyes. “Who wants to come with her? When I came to find big brother, I happened to meet this shrew at the door.”

Song Taotao walked up to He Yan, with a complex expression. She scrutinized He Yan from head to toe before speaking with resentment, “You really are a woman.”

He Yan: “…”

If one were to talk about the thoughts of the young girl, He Yan not noticing them from beginning to end was impossible. After all, this child was pure and sincere, with all her thoughts written on her face. The admiration and affection without any concealment were evident, even a fool could see. However, during their time in Liangzhou Garrison, He Yan couldn’t reveal her identity and had no way to remind this child that she was a woman, making it impossible for her to marry Song Taotao.

Now that she had come to the door, He Yan inexplicably felt a bit guilty, as if she were a stinky man deceiving the pure feelings of a young girl.

“I…” She carefully considered her words, still unsure of how to say it without hurting the delicate heart of Song Taotao.

Song Taotao was also feeling aggrieved. She had known about He Yan being a woman for a long time. However, Song Taotao couldn’t convince herself without personally seeing He Yan. After finally persuading her parents today and bringing her servants out, she unexpectedly encountered Cheng Lisu, a harbinger of bad luck. Now, seeing the graceful and beautiful appearance of the woman in front of her, Song Taotao finally had to accept the heavy reality.

Indeed, He Yan was a woman, and a fairly attractive one.

How had she thought He Yan was a man at that time? And why had she been so determined to annul her engagement to Cheng Lisu and marry He Yan?

“It’s all your fault,” Song Taotao, spoiled since childhood, felt stifled in her heart. She vented all her anger on He Yan, “Why did you go to Liangzhou Garrison and deceive people?”

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

“What ‘I didn’t mean to’?” Song Taotao became angrier as she thought more about it. Feeling more and more aggrieved, she stared at He Yan aggressively, “You just wanted to show off your talent, outshine everyone, and have all eyes on you, taking all the glory for yourself!” 

He Yan found it hard to explain, “I…” 

“It’s all your fault!”

“Enough.” Another voice interjected, and He Yan turned to see He Yunsheng walking in with a cloth bag on his back, standing in front of He Yan with a cold face. He faced Song Taotao and said, “Who are you? Who allowed you to be so presumptuous to my sister in my house?”

He Yan felt overwhelmed. Great, now there were three little troublemakers in the room besides her and Qingmei, making the situation quite awkward.

“Yunsheng, this is Second Young Miss Song, and this is Young Master Cheng, friends I met in Liangzhou Garrison.” She introduced them to Song Taotao, “This is my younger brother, He Yunsheng.”

“Friends?” He Yunsheng glanced at Song Taotao displeased, “How can friends be so aggressive? He Yan, I told you earlier, don’t treat everyone as friends.”

Song Taotao was stunned for a moment; He Yunsheng’s sudden appearance caught her off guard. Only when He Yan mentioned it did she refocus her attention on He Yunsheng. In fact, He Yunsheng shared some resemblance to He Yan, though not as warm and gentle. He had a cold and aloof demeanor. The young man, standing tall and attracting attention, was a bit taller than He Yan. 

It felt strange to see such a different personality in someone who looked somewhat similar to He Yan… a man?

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

He Yan fiercely pinched He Yunsheng’s arm and whispered in his ear, “This is a girl, can’t you be less aggressive?”

“I don’t care if it’s a girl or a boy,” He Yunsheng furrowed his brow. “Speaking to you like this, do they think I’m dead?”

Kids these days are getting more and more rebellious, thought He Yan. She estimated that Song Taotao might cry after being scolded like this. Before she could figure out how to comfort the crying girl, Cheng Lisu, filled with surprise, approached again and grabbed He Yunsheng’s hand, “You’re my big brother’s brother, so you’re my brother too! I’m Cheng Lisu. Brother He, did you just finish school?”

He Yunsheng, who had never encountered such a familiar person, took a step back, freed his hand from Cheng Lisu’s grasp, and frowned, “Who is your big brother?”

“It’s your sister!” Cheng Lisu answered matter-of-factly. As soon as the words left his mouth, he seemed to realize something was wrong and quickly corrected himself, “Well, maybe I shouldn’t call him big brother now. Let’s go with sister? No, that’s not right either. My big brother is my uncle’s fiancée, so I should call you aunt!”

He looked up at He Yan and called out confidently, “Aunt!”

He Yan: “…”

How unexpectedly, she had gained such a big nephew.

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

He Yan, brother and sister, were shocked by Cheng Lisu’s casual way of addressing relatives. Even Song Taotao couldn’t stand it and scolded, “What nonsense is this? If Commander Xiao hears about this, he’ll come looking for you.”

“I’m not talking nonsense. Anyway, sooner or later, she’ll be an aunt,” Cheng Lisu felt no harm in lowering his status, happily saying, “In the future, I have two more relatives. Aunt, Uncle, I haven’t had dinner yet. How about having dinner together?”

He Yunsheng couldn’t bear it any longer and turned to He Yan, “What kind of people are you making friends with?” He then left with a wave of his sleeves.

He Yan: “…”

It couldn’t be helped; it was Cheng Lisu, this boy, who always played by his own rules. She smiled and looked at Song Taotao, “Have you eaten yet? Would you like to have dinner together?”

She thought that the young lady had come to question her, and this meeting wasn’t too pleasant. The pampered Miss Song might not be accustomed to having a meal in this simple house. Unexpectedly, after a moment’s hesitation, Song Taotao nodded as if nothing had happened, “Sure.”

He Yan was truly amazed.

What was going on today? Everyone was behaving so unexpectedly?

However, since they had already stayed, a meal had to be served. However, the meals in the He family were simple, and she was afraid they wouldn’t suit the tastes of the young masters and young ladies. He Yan gave some money and asked Qingmei to buy some side dishes from outside.

When He Sui returned, he was also surprised by the group of people. Upon hearing that they were He Yan’s friends from Liangzhou Garrison, he immediately greeted them with a smiling face, treating them as familiar juniors. The group had dinner together at the same table. Except for Song Taotao, who remained silent, and He Yunsheng, who kept a sour face, the interaction was still quite harmonious. He Sui had always wanted to know how He Yan had been in Liangzhou Garrison but had refrained from asking Xiao Jue. Now, with readily available candidates, he naturally wouldn’t miss the opportunity.

Cheng Lisu was a talkative person. Whatever He Sui asked, he answered unreservedly, leaving no detail unspoken. He Yan suspected that he could even remember how many dry cakes she ate in Liangzhou Garrison.

Thanks to these kids, her gloomy mood from inquiring about the affairs of the Fuyue Army was alleviated.

After the meal, He Yan sent them off. Both Song Taotao and Cheng Lisu had their own carriages and attendants. Cheng Lisu, in just the short time of a meal, had become quite close to He Sui, and they had already agreed on the date for the next meal. He Yan finally managed to send them away, and only then did she leave the house.

Outside the door, Song Taotao got into her carriage. The maid beside her cautiously asked, “Miss, you met Miss He today. In the future, you won’t insist on breaking the engagement with Young Master Cheng, right?”

Her beloved was a woman, so it was impossible. After all, what reason would Song Taotao have to breaking off the engagement? 

Song Taotao didn’t care, saying, “I admire Commander Xiao very much. It’s my good fortune to be related to him. But, I never thought about becoming his niece-in-law.”

The maid was a little confused. She didn’t quite understand what Song Taotao meant by saying this.

Song Taotao lowered her head, thinking of the face of the young man she had seen just now, and pursed her lips quietly.

Originally, she had thought about becoming the big sister-in-law to Commander Xiao, but unfortunately, Xiao Jing was already married. Now, thinking about it, being Commander Xiao’s younger sister didn’t seem bad either.

—Side Note—

A question: Yun Tao or Li Tao or ALL Tao, which side are you on?

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