Rebirth of a Star General Chapter 265

Chapter 265 Conclusion (5)

<Previous Chapter<Table of Contents>Next Chapter>

On the first day of June, the tightly closed gates of Jijun finally opened.

Two thousand soldiers of Great Wei were the first to enter the city, along with the Wutuo soldiers surrendering.

After the death of General Yan He, the remaining Yan family soldiers became like scattered sand, unable to cope with the several attacks launched by the Wutuo people. Now, with the remnants of their forces and no external aid, surrendering was only a matter of time. The Wutuo people did not suspect anything; the Wutuo soldiers standing on both sides of the city gate were all mocking and ridiculing the weakness of the soldiers of Great Wei, holding their swords.

Among the ranks of the Great Wei soldiers, He Yan was hidden. Her face was covered in dust, concealing her appearance. She blended in with the troops as they advanced.

These two thousand soldiers were personally selected by He Yan, most of them being Fuyue soldiers, not for any other reason. The Yan family soldiers had not yet integrated with her forces. The Fuyue soldiers had fought alongside her for some time and had mutual understanding. This time, entering the city was extremely dangerous, and any mistake could be fatal.

After Yan He’s death, the only one in the Yan family army who could make decisions was his deputy, Chen Cheng. At the end of the road, Wutuo commander Shajit looked at Chen Cheng approaching and burst into laughter, saying, “The Great Wei cowards, this is all you’re capable of!”

Chen Cheng lowered his head and asked, “If our army surrenders to the Wutuo people, can you spare our soldiers?”

“Of course, of course,” Shajit, tall and robust, sneered, “Since you surrender to the Wutuo people, from now on, you are Wutuo people. We won’t harm our own people!”

“Then please, Lord Shajit, open the city gate and accept our surrendered troops from Great Wei,” Chen Cheng replied.

A gleam of suspicion flashed in Shajit’s eyes. “Opening the city gate is a small matter, but those surrendering troops must do as you do,” he pointed to the troops, “they must disarm and tie their hands before entering.”

He still didn’t trust Great Wei.

Chen Cheng said, “That’s not a problem.” He continued, “Allow me to send someone back to explain the situation.”

“Fine!” Shajit agreed.

Chen Cheng walked to the side of a soldier and whispered a few words in his ear. The soldier nodded, turned, and began walking towards the city gate. But halfway there, suddenly, one of the Wutuo people standing nearby drew his bow and shot an arrow, piercing the chest of the soldier who was returning to deliver the message.

The soldier didn’t even have time to cry out before falling to the ground, motionless. Chen Cheng was furious, “What’s going on? Wasn’t he supposed to go back with a message?”

“You’re already prisoners, how dare you negotiate with us?” The Wutuo person holding the bow and arrow spoke disdainfully, “Enough nonsense, I’ll kill you all!”

Shajit chuckled, “Why so angry? It’s just an ordinary soldier. Send another one back, that’s all.”

Their attitude was clearly deliberately provoking the soldiers of Great Wei. He Yan inwardly sighed with worry. Before she could speak up to remind them, a Yan family soldier suddenly rushed towards the Wutuo people in front of him, shouting, “We’d rather die than be humiliated! Fight them—”

He Yan sighed inwardly.

The demeanor of a commander would influence the actions of the entire army. Yan He was direct and bold, and his soldiers followed suit. Any provocation would be futile. Now, with this sudden action, all the preparations made earlier were rendered useless.

But so what?

The soldiers before her had already engaged with the Wutuo people. They had disarmed themselves before entering the city, and now they could only seize weapons from the enemy with their bare hands.

It was a brutal and perilous situation.

He Yan kicked away a Wutuo person who was attacking her, grabbed the long blade from his hand, and shouted loudly, “Follow me, men!”

…

On the battlefield outside Yunzi City, there were clashing swords and horses, and blood flowed like a river.

The Wutuo soldiers outside the city were beaten and scattered, in a sorry state. The reason why they called the “Killer General” the “Killer General,” the “Nine Banners Camp” the “Nine Banners Camp,” and the “Nanfu Soldiers” the “Nanfu Soldiers” was because most of those who fought them ended up dead on the battlefield. Others could only learn from the mouths of those who narrowly escaped how formidable these troops were. But only those who faced them head-on on the battlefield knew that the rumors fell far short of the truth.

In the midst of thousands of soldiers and horses, a young man in black armor with a longsword seemed like a reaper emerging from h*ll, harvesting lives. His sword edge was as calm and indifferent as his gaze, and his jade-like demeanor brought endless killing intent.

And he was not fighting alone.

The iron cavalry behind him, like his shield and spear, made this army look invincible, instilling fear in all who beheld them.

A single soldier, fierce as a wolf and tiger, swift as the wind and rain, thunderous as lightning, shocked the world.

This was a crucial battle, the final assault on the city. As long as this battle was won, Yunzi could be recaptured, and what remained would be just cleaning up the mess.

But for this battle, Xiao Jue and the Nanfu soldiers had been waiting for a long time.

The Wutuo people in Yunzi refused to open the city gates to face the Nanfu soldiers, fearing the reputation of the Nanfu soldiers and the Nine Banners Camp, and wanting to provoke internal strife in advance. They still had reserves in Yunzi, while the large Wei troops camped outside the city would eventually run out of supplies.

Day after day, Xiao Jue had people carry grain back and forth from outside the city, deliberately letting the Wutuo people who came to spy see. It was fine for one or two days, but over time, the Wutuo people would grow suspicious. Seeing that the large Wei army had sufficient supplies and high morale, they couldn’t help but feel uneasy, and their morale would decline.

But that wasn’t all.

Before coming to Yunzi, Xiao Jue had arranged for a few skilled craftsmen to accompany the Nanfu soldiers, secretly digging tunnels to connect to the inside of Yunzi City. He also had people shoot stone arrows at the city every day, harassing the Wutuo people. Over time, the Wutuo people became increasingly nervous, even though their leader ordered them not to leave the city, their morale was already shaken.

The competition between generals sometimes boiled down to who could remain the most composed, and who lost their composure first would lose.

The Wutuo people who occupied Yunzi had ultimately fallen for Xiao Jue’s psychological tactics. On this morning, they came out of the city to confront the Nanfu soldiers head-on.

After long preparation, victory in this battle was a matter of course.

Tens of thousands of enemy soldiers were captured, and countless war horses and weapons were seized. A small number of Wutuo people fled in panic, which was nothing to fear.

With this, the situation in Yunzi was decided.

The Nanfu soldiers rarely cheered and celebrated in the city. From spring to late summer, nearly half a year’s time, although it seemed easy, only they knew how difficult those days were. Near the sea, Yunzi was damp at night, and many soldiers developed red rashes on their bodies, which were particularly itchy at night. Also, the military supplies had long been insufficient. The white rice that the Wutuo people saw every day was actually from the same batch.

“Finally, we can go home!” a slightly younger Nanfu soldier grinned. “I’ve had enough of Yunzi. Let’s head back to the capital!”

Chiwu passed by him, intending to scold him, but in the end, he didn’t say anything. Instead, he smiled faintly along with the others.

Being able to return home alive was indeed a joyous occasion.

Inside the tent, the army doctor was treating the main general’s injuries.

The young general’s inner garment was pulled down to his shoulders, and thick strips of cloth were wrapped around his chest. As the Right Army Commander, he was naturally the main target of the Wutuo people, and he had indeed been wounded amidst the hidden attacks. However, the black armor covered his wound, and no one saw him bleeding, so others always assumed that General Fengyun would never get injured.

“Don’t make any strenuous movements for the next few days, Commander,” the old army doctor with a white beard reminded him. “Although the arrow didn’t hit any vital organs, the wound is deep. It’s best to rest for a few more days to avoid any future complications.”

Xiao Jue pulled his outer robe over, covering the wound, and nodded. “Thank you.”

Just as the old army doctor left, someone else came in. It was Fei Nu, holding a letter in his hand, walking quickly with an unusual look of urgency. “Young Master, a letter has arrived from Jijun.”

Jijun was far from Yunzi, and some time had passed since the letter was sent. The last time they received a letter from Jijun was to inform them of Yan He’s death. The news of the victory in Jiuchuan had been received, but with Jijun losing its main general, the military morale was unstable. He Yan led the Fuyue Army to assist.

This letter should be about what happened after He Yan arrived in Jijun.

Fei Nu handed the letter to Xiao Jue, his face looking grim. Although he hadn’t opened the letter, he had already learned the news from the messenger.

It couldn’t be considered good news.

Jijun was easy to defend but difficult to attack. With the Yan family army losing its main general, their military morale was unstable. If the war dragged on, it would only be detrimental to Great Wei. He Yan led two thousand soldiers to pretend to surrender into the city, attempting to break through the Wutuo people’s defense from inside the city. When chaos erupted in the city, they would seize the opportunity to open the city gates and coordinate with the remaining Yan family soldiers to catch the Wutuo people off guard.

The plan had no major issues, but unfortunately, during the execution of the plan, one of the Yan family soldiers couldn’t contain his anger and impulsively acted, disrupting the plan. Although they eventually won the battle and opened the city gates, He Yan suffered serious injuries, and the situation was dire.

Xiao Jue stared at the letter in front of him.

The letter was written by Lin Shuanghe, and the handwriting was sloppy, indicating the urgency of the situation when he wrote it. Although the letter didn’t explicitly state how “not good” the situation was, Xiao Jue could imagine.

Two thousand people entering the city, once they acted prematurely, it was like walking into a trap. Without weapons, they were already at a disadvantage, and with one person’s fists unable to match four hands…

What was even more serious was that although they won the battle, once the Wutuo people learned that their main general was injured, they would inevitably counterattack. Lin Shuanghe didn’t understand the situation, and the letter was vague, not knowing how bad things had become.

Fei Nu assessed Xiao Jue’s expression.

To be honest, this letter came at a bad time. The battlefield in Yunzi only needed to be wrapped up, and this letter at this time would undoubtedly throw Xiao Jue’s mind into chaos. However, Yunzi and Jijun were not in the same direction at all. Even if they turned around now to assist Jijun, it would be too late.

All they could do was watch, how difficult it was to endure.

“Young Master, should we set out for Jijun…”

“No need.” Xiao Jue interrupted him.

Fei Nu dared not speak any further.

Xiao Jue stood up and walked out of the tent.

Outside, the west wind blew against his face. It was almost late summer, and all the heat had dissipated at night, leaving only a chilling breeze.

In the distance, the vast long ocean with the sound of waves surging, the clear moon reflected in the clouds, dyeing the sea into white ribbons.

The nights on the border were always like this, cold days and short grass, bitter frosty nights. But what was the difference between the moonlight in the desert and by the sea?

A faint pain welled up in his chest, whether from the wound or something else, he couldn’t tell. He lifted his gaze and silently watched the cold moon in the sky, while a hearty female voice floated into his ears.

“I need you to promise me that if there’s any news, no matter what it is, you’ll do what needs to be done without hesitating, without affecting the overall situation, without lingering, just keep moving forward.”

Keep moving forward.

After a moment, he withdrew his gaze and turned to walk towards the direction of the tent.

The deputy approached, hesitantly asking, “Commander, what’s next…”

“After daybreak, gather the remaining troops to the north,” he replied.

…

The summer heat in Jiyang was finally dispelled by the autumn wind and rain overnight.

In the early morning, under the wutong tree outside the palace, a thick layer of golden leaves had accumulated. Three or four leaves occasionally fell into the pond, where fish would lightly brush against them and swiftly swim away, leaving only a ripple of water.

Mu Hongjin walked into the courtyard.

A servant said, “Your Highness, Lord Cui is here.”

Cui Yuezhi walked in from outside. Over these days, he had lost quite a bit of weight, but he looked slightly more spirited than before. With the Wutuo invasion of Great Wei’s territory, the defense of Jiyang City was already weak. Previously, because of Xiao Jue and He Yan, the few had defeated the many, turning defeat into victory. Now, Xiao Jue and He Yan had each gone to the frontlines. Although Jiyang was currently peaceful, the previous incident served as a lesson. After the New Year, Cui Yuezhi stayed in the martial arts field every day, training the Jiyang City soldiers. The purpose was to ensure they had the confidence to confront the enemy if thieves ever came, and to have a firm backbone when facing the enemy.

He bowed to Mu Hongjin and handed over a scroll. “Your Highness, this is the battle report from Jijun and Yunzi.”

Mu Hongjin reached out and took it.

She had aged a bit too, but now she no longer had her maids pluck out the new white hairs on her head every day. Therefore, among the combed hair, there were some scattered white strands visible. However, she didn’t mind. Mu Xiaolou was gradually growing up, and sooner or later, Jiyang City would be handed over to the new princess.

Everyone would grow old, and aging shouldn’t be something to fear.

She opened the scroll and looked at the characters inside for a long time. Then, she closed the scroll with a sigh.

“Jiuchuan and Yunzi have both been reclaimed, and everything in Bingjiang is fine. Good news has also come from Jijun. Your Highness, are you worried about Miss He?” Cui Yuezhi asked.

He Yan’s life or death was uncertain, which was indeed a worrying matter. Cui Yuezhi still remembered the last time he saw He Yan. When she wasn’t holding a weapon, she was like an ordinary girl, smiling brightly and particularly cheerful. When she picked up her weapon, she seemed to be born for the battlefield. Even though they already knew that He Yan wasn’t an ordinary woman at that time, they were still surprised to hear the news that she led the Fuyue army alone to Jiuchuan.

The young Flying Phoenix General from years ago was also a woman, but that once-in-a-lifetime extraordinary woman is no longer in this world. How fortunate they are to be able to witness another one in their lifetime.

But now, could this female general also meet the same fate as Flying Phoenix General, falling early?

The woman in the wide-sleeved red robe shook her head gently at the words, her gaze somewhat melancholic. “This Highness just doesn’t want…”

She didn’t want to see lovers suffer the same fate as herself, unable to have a good ending.

In this world, achieving perfect endings is too difficult. She had already experienced it, and she really didn’t want to see her loved one’s disciple to go down the same path of being separated by heaven and earth with their fated one.

…

Inside the temple in Rundu City, the golden Buddha had a kind face, overlooking all sentient beings. The women in the hall were all kneeling on straw mats, praying for the people in the distance with closed eyes.

These were all female captives rescued by He Yan from the Wutuo people during the Battle of Rundu. If it weren’t for He Yan’s intervention back then, they would probably have become a pile of bones by now, with no chance of being alive today. Since He Yan left Rundu, Zhao Shiming, the county magistrate of Rundu, was entrusted by He Yan to take care of these women. Most of them were not recognized by their families, and some of their families had already died at the hands of the Wutuo people. Zhao Shiming found them a place in the city to do embroidery work and make a living.

For these women, being able to do this was already a pleasant surprise. Although they hadn’t completely recovered from their feelings of inferiority, they had gained the courage to face the future again.

When the news of He Yan being seriously injured while leading troops to support Jijun reached Rundu, these women were all extremely anxious, wishing they could be men and fight alongside that female hero. But now, all they could do was pray earnestly for He Yan in the temple, hoping that the young and brave girl would recover soon and return safely.

Outside the hall, the county magistrate in a long robe sighed, “Look how devout they are. In their hearts, they truly respect Lord He.”

Beside him, Li Kuang looked at the women in the hall without speaking.

It had been almost a year since Qiluo passed away. Even so, sometimes he would subconsciously look for that delicate figure when speaking or acting. Countless nights, he woke up from dreams, always remembering that day when Qiluo looked at him.

There was no resentment, only confusion and incomprehension.

He Yan was right; he had indeed made a mistake. So, afterwards, until now, he spent more time training the Rundu City soldiers. The mistake he made couldn’t be rectified, but all he could do was prevent such mistakes from happening again.

“Lord Li, now you see, they have survived and are living well,” Zhao Shiming spoke up.

When He Yan saved these women initially, everyone thought it was a futile effort. They believed that women who had been insulted by enemy troops, even if they survived by luck, would ultimately succumb to the gaze of society. The behind-the-scenes pointing and mocking would become the final straw that crushed them, leading to their inevitable departure from this world. 

It was He Yan who, before leaving, told Zhao Shiming how to arrange these women, even leaving behind some money herself. She genuinely cared for those women. And now, those women have not disappointed her.

Li Kuang lowered his head and chuckled self-deprecatingly. “I’m not as good as her.”

“How many people in this world can compare to Lord He?” Zhao Shiming stroked his beard. “I hope Lord He can turn bad luck into good fortune in Jijun. With her presence, these women will have a sense of belonging.”

Zhao Shiming looked towards the distant sky where a flock of autumn geese flew by. After watching for a while, he muttered softly, “Let’s hope so.”

Want to show your support? Go donate at Paypal or Ko-fi to show your appreciation! Want to get early access to at least 5 chapters in advance? Go to my Patreon to join now! :)

<Previous Chapter<Table of Contents>Next Chapter>