Original subtitles

♪Shrugging off past burdens♪

♪Beneath the mask, who am I?♪

♪Release and find wider shores♪

♪Love's a riddle, and rain pours heavy♪

♪Crossed paths, now downward fall♪

♪From dust arises starlight's spark♪

♪Tearing through the night's dense blockade♪

♪Heart's flame illuminates all solitude♪

♪Let time's sails drift endlessly♪

♪Through wandering exile♪

♪Breaking free from the cocoon, I start anew♪

♪Moon as song, life as flame♪

♪Nameless heart clings fiercely♪

♪Let me♪

♪Charge toward the next raging river♪

♪Moon darts, snow falls♪

♪We tread rugged paths to reunite♪

♪Hands held tight♪

♪We forever live for love's sake♪

♪Shadow's spear burns fiercely♪

=Legend of The Female General=

=Episode 25=

(I will not let Li Kuang die.)

(Nor will I let Rundu fall.)

What are you doing here?

I told you she was suspicious.

You didn't believe me.

Looks like you're leaving.

Where are you going?

To Rundu.

It's not far from Huayuan,

serving as a stronghold.

The enemies

failed to take Huayuan,

so they might divert

to attack Rundu.

Even if what you said is true,

what can you do

alone?

An old friend of mine

is currently in Rundu.

I can't stand by while he's in danger.

If that's the case,

let's go together.

No.

Leaving without permission

will get you punished.

Moreover,

Rundu is extremely dangerous now.

If it's that dangerous,

we can't let a woman

face this peril alone.

Exactly!

Let's go together.

When

did you know this?

When you went to Jiyang with Commander.

That woman looks familiar.

Did we see her somewhere before?

Don't you think she looks like He Yan?

Well,

is that person

He's sister?

Not his sister.

That's He Yan herself.

I knew it!

He is fair-skinned.

Turns out to be a woman.

If He Yan is truly female,

that's a big surprise.

Wait,

but He dressed

in men's clothes

all the time.

But he's changed his clothes...

He's a she!

What should we call her now?

He, naturally.

Miss He?

Anyway,

let's keep her secret.

You knew my identity all along,

yet you kept it secret?

Of course.

Otherwise, you'll get expelled

for breaking rules.

Even knowing I hide stuff from you,

you still treat me the same.

I am

truly grateful.

Enough with the sentimental talk.

You're giving me goosebumps.

Alright.

However,

you can't go with me.

Why not?

If you can go,

why can't we?

Exactly! We're going together.

She's now a military attendant,

not a regional commander.

Yet it's an emergency.

I'll go with you all.

You don't have to.

As Director of the Ministry of War,

overseeing military affairs is my job.

How can I sit on this?

Well...

The more hands,

the better.

Isn't it good?

You're going

for official business,

while I'm going for personal reasons.

What makes you think so?

Why are you alone?

Where's Yingxiang?

It happened abruptly.

I sent her to handle something.

Enough.

Let's not dawdle any longer.

Come on.

Go.

(Battlefield in Rundu)

We'll arrive in Rundu soon.

I'm afraid

we can't enter through the city gates.

You were right.

Wutuo is attacking Rundu.

It seems

He Rufei hasn't come.

(He Rufei.)

(You knew I'd come, didn't you?)

(Planning to use Wutuo to eliminate me?)

(Guess what?)

(I won't let you succeed.)

Rundu is currently besieged.

How should we proceed?

Follow me.

I know of a secret tunnel into the city.

(Commander's Mansion)

Commander.

Reinforcements from Huayuan haven't come.

Our supplies are exhausted.

If we break through,

we might be able to turn the tide.

Stay calm.

Wutuo's soldiers aren't made of iron.

They need provisions too.

Moreover,

they've deployed larger forces.

They need more supply.

Without a quick victory,

their morale

will dwindle faster than ours.

But...

Unrest is spreading.

Some grow restless,

afraid of chaos.

Deploy patrols

to maintain order day and night.

As you command.

Mr. Wang.

Master.

Why are you here?

(Qi Luo, Li Kuang's concubine) You haven't eaten all day.

That's not good.

If Wutuo attacks again,

we need you to lead us.

You stay out

of military affairs.

I apologize.

Leave us now.

I have official matters.

Yes.

Why hasn't General Feihong

arrived yet?

Huayuan isn't far

from Rundu.

Rundu is tightly encircled.

Even General Feihong will

struggle to break through.

Commander!

- Commander! - What's it?

Intruders have infiltrated.

What?

Could they be

reinforcements?

General!

(Not him?)

(But he looks like...)

Well,

who are you?

I'm He Yan, a military attendant.

Nice to meet you.

He Yan?

Rundu is being besieged

by Wutuo.

How did you enter?

Commander Li.

This isn't the place

for discussions.

I'm Chu Zhao, Director of the Ministry of War.

You two, come with me.

The rest, wait outside.

What's wrong with him?

When General Feihong

garrisoned Rundu,

he ordered me to dig a tunnel

leading out of town.

Besides us two,

only trusted aides knew it.

No one else

could know about it.

How did you enter?

If I'm correct,

the letter for help was sent

through that tunnel, right?

How do you know General Feihong's grappling skills?

I served in the Fuyue Army

as a garrison officer in Huayuan

under General Wang Qi.

He taught me grappling skills.

He told me

about the secret tunnel.

But rest assured,

I haven't disclosed it to anyone.

What brings you here?

I hear Rundu is besieged

and you're in danger.

So, I rushed here.

Just for that?

If the city falls,

no one in this city will survive.

As a soldier sworn to protect the nation,

how could I stand by?

Moreover,

this is also to repay

General Wang Qi's trust in me.

I wish to help.

Master.

You're injured.

How are you doing?

Let me get medicine for you.

A woman like you

always makes a big fuss.

It's just a minor injury.

I apologize.

Madam, you're quite considerate.

You did nothing wrong.

Don't blame yourself.

Mr. He's grappling technique

is truly impressive.

Commander,

what do you think of

Mr. He's skill?

It's impressive.

Surprisingly, you already master Fuyue Army's footwork

and techniques.

I see Wang Qi has

taught you everything he knew.

By the way,

how is Wang Qi

doing lately?

I'll toast you with tea

to thank you

for helping settle my buddies.

Rundu has been besieged for days.

The secret tunnel is cramped,

and I fear the enemy will find it.

I can't use it frequently.

I am ill-informed right now.

I hope

you can update me.

The news that Rundu is being besieged

has been deliberately suppressed.

Yezhou Garrison hasn't heard.

Even nearby Huayuan

shows no signs of action.

Furthermore,

there's something else.

When we

used the secret tunnel,

Wutuo soldiers seemed to notice.

To prevent them

from using the tunnel to enter,

we sealed the tunnel.

It is now impassable.

Sorry, we did that

without your permission.

Never mind.

That tunnel

has limited use, anyway.

Rest assured, Commander Li,

I'll find solutions

to ensure our soldiers and citizens

aren't left helpless.

I've instructed Yingxiang

to spread the information

and written to Ministry of War.

I suppose

the capital must be informed.

So,

you had Yingxiang

handle that matter.

But distant help

can't quench present fires.

To be frank,

we're running out of food.

We won't last long.

Before supplies run out,

we can only hope General Feihong...

Mr. Li.

Have you considered

an attack instead of a defense?

Rather than await doom,

why not take initiative?

A desperate fight sounds good,

but how can I gamble

with tens of thousands of lives?

Moreover,

Rundu is just the first line.

Chonghuai will fall after it.

- Heading north... - Commander.

I...

Stop waiting for He Rufei.

Didn't you just ask me

about Wang Qi?

Let me tell you now.

He's dead.

He died in the recent Huayuan Battle.

Not just Wang Qi,

but your six other buddies

are all dead.

Don't you understand yet?

He Rufei

won't come.

You stay defensive,

essentially surrendering without a fight.

This is truly gambling with the lives of the citizens.

There's no time left for grief now.

Commander Li,

we can't just wait for death.

We must take the initiative.

Tell me.

How has the enemy

been attacking recently?

In the last ten days,

there were five nights

when they attacked the city gates.

Though they withdrew each time,

it seemed like a test.

In the last three days,

they have gone silent.

Based on my experience

fighting them,

their silence

doesn't bode well.

I guess they are

planning a full-scale assault.

They've thoroughly assessed our defense

by now.

Our forces in Rundu

have been worn down after days of fighting.

Soldiers' morale and stamina

are getting worse.

If they launch an attack now,

the city gates

will surely fall.

Sounds like you know them pretty well.

Commander Li,

you're missing the point.

Look,

it's not that

we refuse to be proactive,

but our forces are already limited.

Right now, the enemies

are watching the gate.

I fear

our men will be shot with arrows

before going outside the city gate.

Arrows?

Initially,

when Wutuo troops arrived,

we could fight them on the city walls.

But later,

our arrows dwindled,

while theirs remained plentiful.

Earlier, some tried to infiltrate their ranks

to assassinate their commander.

But the moment they exited the gate,

they were pierced by countless arrows.

Do the enemies

have numerous arrows?

Yes.

I have a plan.

If executed properly,

it can achieve two goals at once.

We've waited here long enough.

He Rufei isn't coming.

(Nagur, Wutuo's Commander) The Chancellor was right.

Thankfully, we don't

fight against Xiao Jue.

Report!

Commander.

Someone is descending the city walls.

Let's go take a look.

Have they gone mad?

This is suicide!

In our homeland,

there are badgers,

which are quite timid.

I hear when hunted,

they don't flee

but panic

and run toward the arrows.

I think

they are the same.

Get archers ready.

Good target practice.

Yes!

Archers, take positions!

Shoot!

We have no arrows.

During daylight,

our soldiers don't dare come up the walls.

Those stationed

on the walls

get hit by arrows every day.

Yet we lack sufficient arrows to fight back.

Now, we finally have arrows.

This tactic feels familiar.

Maybe I've read it in some storybook.

But it works well.

Past lessons guide future actions.

The enemies

rely on their superior numbers.

They're too arrogant

to believe they could fail.

These straw dummies

won't draw their attention.

They think we have nothing,

no soldiers,

no provisions,

and no help.

So, we'll turn nothing

into something.

Catch them unprepared!

But

what if we fail?

Then we find another way.

In this world,

there's never just one way.

Report!

Commander.

They descend from the walls again.

Those reckless fools!

Commander.

What's wrong

with them?

Aren't they afraid?

We've rotated archers repeatedly.

When you fired arrows,

did you hear any screams?

Today,

I didn't.

Stop!

Stop shooting right now!

So many arrows.

Pull them out!

Come on.

General.

They are descending again.

Do they think we are

giving arrows to them again?

Pass the order.

Fire a few arrows.

Even if we break ours,

we won't let them

get our arrows again!

Understood.

(Three Days Earlier) Today,

we didn't scream.

Won't the enemies realize

our true purpose?

It's hard

to fool them again.

I made straw dummies

not just to get arrows.

After tonight,

the enemies

must sense something's wrong.

That's for sure.

Mr. Li,

if you were the enemy

and realized you'd been fooled all night,

then saw the same trick today

and again tomorrow,

what would you do?

Never fall for it.

Stop shooting at people descending the walls?

Exactly.

Perfect.

Next time,

our troops can exit the city directly.

The enemies will assume

anyone descending the walls

is just another straw dummy.

Mother,

I beg you

to protect He Yan

and let her return safely.

(Wutuo's Barracks)

Come.

We should

split up and locate the granaries first.

Listen,

stay cautious.

Got it?

Are the oil packets ready?

The oil.

Right here!

Move!

- Let's go! - Move!

- Go! - Go!

Help!

Stop right there.

Come here!

Come on.

Stop running.

Be good.

Help!

Don't run!

Go over.

Get over here!

Let go of me!

Let go of me!

Come on.

Let go of me!

He.

I know you pity them.

But now, burning granaries

is our mission.

If we save them now,

Mai and Wang Ba

will get trapped.

Our entire plan will fail.

More people will

end up suffering.

Come on.

Come here.

We'll save them

and burn granaries.

Set the fires first,

then rescue them.

Fire!

Fire!

Put it out!

Fire!

Hurry!

Don't be afraid.

Thank you.

Thank you, sir.

Please save us, sir.

- Please save us. - Please save us.

Huang.

The fire's already raging.

Take them away.

Remember, don't attempt to fight.

Make sure

that all of us

return safely.

- Yes. - Yes.

It's General Feihong!

Well...

Is it really him?

He Rufei can't be in Rundu.

This man is an imposter!

(He Rufei is indeed involved.)

Everyone, attack!

Kill them all!

Qinglang Sword?

The same skills.

Could he be General Feihong?

Move out!

After them!

Chase them down!

Kill!

Today,

I swear

I'll kill He Rufei, a faithless man.

(I demanded a squad from Li Kuang.)

I told him

that my team would

definitely burn the enemies' granaries.

When you see flames rise,

it means I succeed.

Okay.

I'll wait for the flames

(and for your return.)

They did it.

They succeeded!

♪Yet I yearn to stand opposed to you♪

♪Seeking fleeting clarity♪

(Zilan.)

There, there.

Mother.

(Don't cry, Zilan.)

I'm just tired.

My poor son.

When you study at night,

with Mother gone,

(how will you manage)

(since you fear fire?)

(I also want vengeance.)

(But I'm like a caged bird,)

(trapping myself)

(in schemes.)

(Yet you fear nothing,)

(shattering the cage)

(and charging forward.)

♪Why♪

(My name means light,)

(yet I fear fire.)

(I've been walking alone through endless nights.)

(You shine like wildfire,)

(repelling the darkness)

(and bringing me the light I've never seen.)

(You always gaze at the moon.)

(Yet you don't know)

(how radiant you are in my eyes.)

♪My heart feels adrift♪

(Xiao)

Commander.

On my way back, I hear

Rundu is besieged.

I'm already aware.

No time to lose.

You tell Shen Han

to gather Nine Banners

at the training field.

Get ready to reinforce Rundu.

Yes.

And tell He Yan

to go with me.

Commander.

He Yan is away.

She left with Mai and the others.

As expected, she went to Rundu.

Chu Zhao went with them too.

So,

given the information you got

and her current act of aiding Rundu,

what do you think of her now?

Go inform Shen Han.

We depart right now.

Yes.

She took Qinglang.

(Rundu is in peril.)

(I'm going to help.)

(I need your sword.)

Are you injured?

I'm fine.

General He.

Commander Li.

Why did you

address He like that?

He isn't a general yet.

This craftsman

has exceptional skills.

The mask he made

looks utterly realistic.

Last night, the enemies

were fooled by this disguise too.

They mistook me for General Feihong.

This is truly masterful work.

I also made a mistake.

It's all ready.

Well...

General Feihong?

Mr. Li.

He is just a military attendant,

not yet promoted to general.

I meant,

this mask

belonged to General Feihong.

What exactly will you do?

Make a mixture of illusions

and truths.

Even Nagur hasn't seen

the real General Feihong.

But he must have heard

about the masked general's fierce battle against Liehe.

I'll infiltrate the enemy camp wearing this mask.

They won't know

who's truly beneath the mask.

Their fear will

destroy their morale.

Then,

we'll seize the opportunity.

Commander Li.

With their provisions burned

and their fear of General Feihong's presence in Rundu,

I think

they'll observe the situation.

An immediate attack seems unlikely.

This is our opportunity.

Deploy

a preemptive strike

to resolve this swiftly

and solve the food crisis.

Commander Li.

Our provisions are insufficient.

We can't afford delays.

If reinforcements don't come,

people will die.

You're versed in military tactics.

You must know

that defending a city

is doomed if people starve.

Public unrest

breeds chaos.

Commander Li.

With the enemy at our gate,

opportunities vanish quickly.

Alright.

I'll adjust the city's defenses,

take inventory of weapons,

and figure out a solution.

By the way,

one more thing.

Regarding the women I rescued,

I need

to trouble you to check

if they have relatives in the city.

If they do,

have their relatives take them home.

If not,

please

properly settle them for me.

Commander Li.

I don't care what you think.

These women

are all citizens of Wei.

They're people of Rundu.

As the city's commander,

you can't ignore them.

A soldier's duty

is to protect the people,

rich or poor,

without considering

what they've experienced.

Fine.

I understand.

You have enough medicine?

Sure.

Let me help.

I'll help you.

How's your leg injury?

If you need more ointment,

I'll have them fetch it.

Thank you.

It hurts.

Don't worry, everyone,

Master and Mr. He

are good people.

From now on,

they won't let you suffer anymore.

Master.

Did you make the congee?

Yes.

They haven't eaten for days.

They have lost their virginity.

Letting them live is merciful.

They're Rundu's shame!

They don't deserve to eat the food.

But

they had no choice!

Master, please calm down.

Move away!

Madam.

Stop feeding them!

Stop it, you hear me!

Throwing your weight around?

Qi Luo is my concubine.

She is shortsighted.

I have the right

to handle my woman.

True, she's your concubine,

but she's not a cargo

or some object

to discard at will.

She's a human being.

And these women

are all Rundu's citizens.

Food belongs to all.

Why can't they eat?

Li Kuang.

If you

yell at the enemies

or kill a few enemies,

I'll respect your courage.

But you're now

yelling at helpless women.

That's cowardice!

You...

Careful.

Qi Luo.

Are you okay?

Thank you.

Thank you.

Thank you.

(This is)

(tragic reality in this city.)

Thank you.

(We must strategize quickly)

(to repel the enemies.)

♪Light shines upon my heart♪

♪Unveiling scars, I choose to swim upstream♪

♪The resonance of courage rings loud and clear♪

♪It's the boldness that defines existence♪

♪I've seen the mountains♪

♪And trodden through ice♪

♪Day after day, I venture alone♪

♪Destiny is my creed♪

♪Ideals surge beneath the surface♪

♪Igniting the flame against the winds♪

♪A restless yearning in my soul♪

♪Gazing through the mire♪

♪Who cares about this boundless void♪

♪Charge ahead with blazing fervor♪

♪Stubbornly fighting with my life♪

♪Soaring across the world's expanse♪

♪There must always be a longing♪

♪Disregard the wounds to seek the light♪

♪Light shines upon my heart♪

♪Unveiling scars, I choose to swim upstream♪

♪The resonance of courage rings loud and clear♪

♪It's the boldness that defines existence♪

♪Chasing the light within my heart♪

♪Burying frailty, embracing life through death♪

♪You'll meet gazes where storms brew♪

♪With our unwavering true love, brave the world with me♪

♪Soaring across the world's expanse♪

♪There must always be a longing♪

♪Disregard the wounds to seek the light♪

♪Light shines upon my heart♪

♪Unveiling scars, I choose to swim upstream♪

♪The resonance of courage rings loud and clear♪

♪It's the boldness that defines existence♪

♪Chasing the light within my heart♪

♪Burying frailty, embracing life through death♪

♪You'll meet gazes where storms brew♪

♪With our unwavering true love, brave the world with me♪