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 27=

By wearing that mask this time,

you've terrified the Wutuo forces.

He Rufei will certainly use this

to confirm your identity.

Since I've come to Rundu,

I'm not afraid of him knowing.

When I return,

I'll stand before him with my head held high.

I'll make sure he learns

who the real General Feihong is.

Speaking of which,

since He Rufei and Xu Jingfu

have been colluding for so long,

there must be evidence

of their collaboration.

And that evidence

is in the capital.

That's why I want to return sooner

to investigate potential leads.

Alright.

I'll go with you.

Young Master.

What happened to you?

I thought you sent Miss He medicine to restore her energy.

Yingxiang.

Tell me,

why do people yearn for light?

Because of its warmth.

But Young Master,

not everyone needs it.

Aren't you afraid

of fire anymore?

I received warmth.

So the fear vanished.

Is it because of Miss He?

Temporary gains and losses mean little.

I've been maneuvering against Master

for so long to gain power and strength

to protect what I value.

Even so,

you shouldn't have risked your life

and come to such a dangerous place.

You barely dispelled Chancellor Xu's suspicions.

Then you came here recklessly.

Chancellor Xu may hold it against you.

It is dangerous here,

but an official can't

prioritize personal safety.

I'm obligated to come here.

And my decision proves to be right.

I defended Rundu

and protected its people.

And after this battle,

His Majesty will trust me more.

Also, I came here

to verify something.

What is it?

Yingxiang.

How do you think

General Feihong before the Mingshui Battle

is different from

the current one?

The former General Feihong

was valiant and strategically brilliant.

The current one,

as seen in the recent Huayuan Battle,

won the battle

by sacrificing seven warriors at once.

This hardly matches

his reputation.

And in the Rundu Battle,

though General Feihong

is said to treat his troops like family,

he completely ignored

Li Kuang's pleas for reinforcement.

This is nothing like what we've heard.

On the contrary,

back in Jiyang,

He Yan reacted weirdly

when she heard that He Rufei

made Chai Anxi withhold

Xiao Zhongwu's plea for help.

And after she heard that seven out of

the Eight Warriors died,

she wielded her whip all night.

Only deep bonds could cause

such a reaction.

She then rushed to Rundu overnight to help Li Kuang

defend the city.

And Li Kuang

is one of He Rufei's Eight Warriors.

Connecting the dots,

the coincidences pile up.

Are you suggesting

the current General Feihong is an impostor

and Miss He is...?

That's right.

That's my second reason for coming here.

Only in Rundu

can I unravel these doubts.

And it's proven

that I'm right.

She knows about

the secret tunnel,

masters He Rufei's martial skills.

and even impersonates

General Feihong perfectly.

All these clues point to her,

proving

that she

is the true General Feihong.

Young Master.

You can report this

to Chancellor Xu once we return.

Tell him that you came

to investigate.

In that case,

he won't blame you

for coming here without permission.

From Chai Anxi's account,

Master had contacted the current He Rufei

even before the Mingshui Battle.

This isn't merely He Rufei's secret.

It's also Master's secret.

Given his trust issue,

I can't tell him that

I've learned his secrets.

So how will you

explain it to Chancellor Xu?

He Rufei has caused so much trouble.

Xiao Jue and He Yan

won't let this go easily.

He Rufei is in deep trouble.

Master lacks capable aides.

He'll need me.

And his past misdeeds

will inevitably surface.

He'll reap what he's sown.

Though a mentor is to be

revered as a father,

when it comes to Wei,

I have my principles.

I can't feign ignorance

of his treason

just because he's my master.

Yingxiang.

Make preparations.

We'll head back tomorrow.

Understood.

Mr. He, Commander Xiao.

Mr. Chu.

I'm heading back today

and came to say goodbye.

Today?

We will return soon.

Won't you join us to look after each other?

To be honest,

I came here

without Master's permission.

So I must return earlier

to ask for forgiveness.

Mr. Chu.

Take a seat.

Mr. Chu.

About what happened in Jiyang, Huayuan, and Rundu,

have you suspected

that these battles

weren't coincidental?

These battles were indeed suspicious.

Back in Jiyang,

we found Wutuo spies in the city.

As for Huayuan and Rundu,

Wutuo forces

couldn't have besieged them so effortlessly without informants.

Rundu especially.

Commander Li mentioned

that the city's defenses

were utterly useless during the siege.

It proves that

the enemies

obtained Rundu's defense layouts long beforehand.

Mr. Chu.

As smart as you are,

you must have realized

that all the traces

point to one person.

Yet even so,

won't you rein in your path?

Everything points

directly to my master.

But these are speculations.

Even with Chai Anxi's testimony,

there's no proof.

I owe everything to my master.

I can't sever my ties with him until I find

solid evidence.

Even if there is evidence,

you wouldn't

forsake your master, would you?

After all, you learned the way

of doing things from him.

Please elaborate.

After the Battle of Que City,

all sorts of rumors ran rampant.

Our investigation

suggested it was your doing.

In Yezhou,

Feinu fought a masked woman

while retrieving the tax ledgers.

Her physique

and mannerisms

closely resembled your maid.

Coincidentally,

that same maid was absent

from your side at the time.

Later, Sun Xiangfu was assassinated.

All these events

seem

connected to you.

Commander Xiao,

you yourself used the word "seem".

Baseless claims aren't worth mentioning.

However,

I've found something else

rather intriguing.

While investigating the assassins who killed Chai Anxi

in Jiyang,

someone secretly helped us,

making the inquiry remarkably smooth,

which saved us a lot of time.

You were the only other person aware

of Chancellor Xu's collusion with Wutuo.

Since the assassins were Wutuo agents,

naturally, we suspected Chancellor Xu.

In Jiyang and Rundu,

you defied Chancellor Xu's orders

and defended against Wutuo forces

with us.

As Chancellor Xu's disciple,

why did you

do that?

You know well, Commander Xiao,

officials often act against their will.

Different stances dictate different actions.

But everything I've done

follows the natural course.

I will never cross the ethical boundaries.

I believe that

you have principles.

But above those principles,

right and wrong exist.

I hope you won't

have to face so many helpless situations

or feel powerless.

Thank you for your kindness and blessings.

I'll take my leave now.

Farewell.

I hope you don't blame me

for not telling you those earlier.

Of course not.

But Commander,

Mr. Chu isn't truly evil.

Perhaps, we could work with him one day.

She's just a masked impostor,

hiding behind others' prestige.

Yet they praise her false heroism

for lifting Rundu's siege.

I am the true General Feihong.

That's me.

My dear sister.

The soul-calming lantern in Yuhua Temple couldn't suppress you.

The trap in Rundu couldn't kill you.

You are truly

relentless as a lingering ghost.

(General He.)

Mr. Maningbu sent you a message.

Wutuo sincerely seeks cooperation.

We agreed

to help you kill the seven warriors

in exchange for Rundu.

But

where did that fake General Feihong come from?

And why was General Fengyun in Rundu?

The Rundu battle

cost Wutuo significant forces.

And in Jiyang,

those two people ruined

Wutuo's plan.

Could it be

that Chancellor Xu changed strategies?

Have you reconciled and colluded with Xiao Jue

to fool Mr. Maningbu

and mock Wutuo?

This time,

I was truly outplayed.

However,

I genuinely wish

to cooperate with Mr. Maningbu.

Please convey

my deepest apologies to Mr. Maningbu.

Since you put it this way,

we naturally believe you.

But Wutuo has suffered huge losses.

General He.

When you meet Chancellor Xu,

please tell him

that Wutuo won't accept such humiliation.

We expect Chancellor Xu to provide a reasonable explanation.

Chancellor.

His Majesty has allowed Xiao Jue to return and report

on the Rundu Battle.

He knew I wanted to kill him in Rundu.

Now he's coming back for revenge.

And the Mingshui Battle, Chancellor.

They will never let this go.

Chancellor.

Please help me.

Were you trying

to kill Xiao Jue in the Rundu battle?

At this point,

are you still hiding the truth?

Who is that masked young general in Rundu?

Can anyone just

impersonate General Feihong at will?

He Rufei.

How dare you keep me in the dark

about this!

I apologize.

Please forgive me.

Chancellor.

I wasn't sure whether my sister was alive.

That's why I used the Rundu Battle as bait.

I planned to kill her in Rundu even if she was alive.

But I didn't expect

that she would be so hard to kill.

Hard to kill?

Had you disclosed this earlier,

you wouldn't be kneeling before me in disgrace.

You barely won

the Huayuan Battle,

losing seven top warriors.

Someone disguised as General Feihong in Rundu

to intimidate the Wutuo Army,

while the real General Feihong

failed to provide timely reinforcement.

His Majesty has heard about all this.

Both Huayuan and Rundu battles

bear a striking resemblance to Mingshui Battle.

People will inevitably draw connections.

Xiao Jue and your sister will pursue this relentlessly.

His Majesty will also order a full investigation.

They might even reopen the Mingshui Battle investigation.

He Rufei.

Your concealment

has put us both in deep trouble.

The Wutuo people won't let us off, either.

That's right.

Chancellor.

You're right.

Rest assured, Chancellor.

I will never keep anything from you again.

Chancellor, please get me out of this.

Chancellor, please save me this time.

Please!

No more secrets ever again.

Good that you've come to this realization.

Absolute transparency is the key to our collaboration.

That's enough.

I will find a way

to pacify the Wutuo people.

And I will emphasize

your contributions

to His Majesty,

while shifting blame

onto the enemies.

As for Xiao Jue and your sister,

if my predictions hold,

they're planning to use the scandal

of your family swapping your identities

as leverage.

Now that they had finally found a chance,

they requested permission to return.

They'll use you to get what they want.

We can't

let them come back alive.

Commander Li.

Open this letter

after we leave.

General Fengyun, Attendant Wu'an, General Yan. Safe travels.

I'll drink with you

in the capital

after the Mid-Autumn Festival.

Wait.

Attendant Wu'an, a moment please.

Attendant Wu'an.

We will never

forget what you said to us.

We'll do our best to live on.

We've set up a textile workshop,

making a living on our own.

Though we can't fight enemies as you do,

we can make minor contributions.

We'll bring Rundu's brocade weaving to greater heights

across the entire Wei.

No job is superior or inferior.

Everything improves

through gradual efforts.

Change will come

as long as you take action.

Then I'll wait

to see Rundu's brocade

known throughout Wei.

Alright.

You are indeed popular.

But I don't envy you at all.

I'm leaving, He Yan.

My wife is waiting at home.

Got it.

Only you have a wife, huh?

Attendant Wu'an inspires people

with the resilience he possesses.

Many people may show consideration for others,

but

those who would

sacrifice themselves

for other people at critical moments

are exceedingly rare.

(He truly resembles)

(General Feihong back then.)

Your Majesty.

During the Rundu Battle,

He Yan led the locals in unwavering defense,

while Xiao Jue offered timely reinforcements.

Together, they defended Rundu

against the Wutuo army.

It was a great contribution.

I'm well aware of Xiao Jue's

military prowess.

But He Yan

used to be relatively unknown,

but recently he's been showing his talent.

He's a real talent.

Your Majesty.

In my humble opinion,

Attendant Wu'an

has the potential

to be a general.

Most remarkably,

his heart beats with patriotic bravery

and unyielding resolve.

On the contrary, He Rufei,

once considered capable,

has proven utterly incompetent.

He lost

seven of our top warriors in Huayuan.

Your Majesty.

The Huayuan Battle

was a costly victory.

But our enemies are well-equipped,

and they far outnumber us.

I believe

that General He

may have done his utmost.

"May have?"

Enough.

Forget about them.

Mr. Chu,

you put yourself at risk and defended Rundu.

It deserves recognition.

Why didn't you bring it up?

My minor contributions aren't worth mentioning.

Last time, you asked for rewards.

Why are you declining them now?

Your previous rewards

allowed me to take action in Rundu.

I merely wanted to serve Your Majesty.

Thus, I need no further rewards.

Xiao Jue and Chancellor Xu don't get along.

As Chancellor Xu's prized disciple,

it's commendable that you're speaking

in favor of Xiao Jue.

Ministers may differ politically,

but we stand united in loyalty

to Your Majesty.

Pass on my decree.

Director Chu Zhao

of the Ministry of War

is a true pillar of Wei, having shouldered my burdens repeatedly.

I hereby

appoint Chu Zhao

as Fourth-Rank Vice Minister of War.

Yes, Your Majesty.

I humbly thank Your Majesty.

Master, I went to Rundu on my own

against your instructions. Please forgive me.

His Majesty thinks highly of you and has given you

another promotion.

You don't need to apologize.

You flatter me.

I'm ashamed.

You've risen in such a short time,

soon to become His Majesty's right-hand man

and a pillar of Wei.

You are truly

my most accomplished disciple.

I had no choice.

The circumstances forced my hand.

Xiao Jue and He Yan

are about to return for rewards.

Is this what you mean by "no choice"?

They kept distinguishing themselves.

I grew anxious, thinking

that I couldn't just let them be.

So I rushed to Rundu without seeking permission.

The entire court knows

that I'm your disciple.

His Majesty may have promoted me,

but in reality,

he was honoring you.

Moreover,

the higher I climb,

the more useful I can be to you.

Since you wish to share my burdens,

you should know

my greatest concern at hand

is He Rufei.

You just returned from court.

What is His Majesty

thinking about him?

His Majesty is indeed displeased

with He Rufei's performance at Huayuan.

But I've pleaded his case

by explaining that

our enemies outnumbered us,

and He Rufei may have done his best.

Do you truly believe that?

In my opinion,

it's fishy that the seven warriors

died in an ambush.

But after the Rundu Battle,

I figured it all out.

The Rundu Battle was a trap He Rufei set for Xiao Jue.

He Rufei needed

huge losses in Huayuan to avoid reinforcing Rundu.

That's how the trap

would work.

However,

Xiao Jue summoned Yan He

and defended Rundu.

He Rufei

miscalculated and lost.

Alright.

It seems

that you have indeed

exerted great effort.

I heard Zilan came.

I knew he'd be here.

Why haven't you come to see me?

Alright.

My business here concludes.

Pingting keeps mentioning you.

Keep her company.

You must be busy, Master. Don't let me disrupt you.

Sorry.

I have things

to attend to today.

What about tomorrow?

I have other jobs.

The day after?

And beyond?

(Chu Mansion)

- Is the banquet ready? - All set.

Don't make any mistakes.

Rest assured.

It's an important day.

- We must please him. - Mr. Chu.

Rest assured.

Zilan.

You're finally back.

We've been waiting

to welcome you with a feast.

That's right.

Sorry I've kept you waiting.

I went to report

to His Majesty first

and paid respects to my master.

That's why I'm late.

It's alright.

No problem.

His Majesty thinks highly of you.

Official duties take precedence.

Yeah.

Focus on your work.

Leave trivial matters to your uncle and me.

Let me know

if you need anything.

We'll arrange everything.

Actually, there is

nothing

I need.

But one thing has weighed on me

for years.

What's troubling you?

Tell us.

Don't you want your

scandalous mother,

who gave birth unwed,

to enter the Chu ancestral hall?

Then rise

to prominence quickly.

My deepest wish

is only for my mother

to find eternal peace.

So, you still don't think

my mother...

You got us wrong.

You got us wrong.

My sister was virtuous and dignified.

She deserves to be enshrined

in the ancestral hall.

Zilan,

your mother...

Your aunt was

not good with words.

Please don't take

her gibberish to heart.

I was stupid and often misspoke.

P-Please forgive me.

In that case,

I truly appreciate it.

Our pleasure.

Our pleasure.

(Late Mother, Chu Mingfang)

Mother,

I'm bringing you home.

From now on,

no one will speak ill of you

ever again.

My dear, poor sister.

I've wronged you.

But rest assured.

From now on,

I won't let you

suffer any humiliation again.

You have acknowledged your mistakes.

Mother's spirit must find this

comforting.

All these years,

only I've been coming

to visit my mother.

In fact, she always enjoyed company.

If you don't mind it,

please come more often

and offer my mother some incense.

Should we come often?

Silence.

Absolutely.

Absolutely.

We will.

(Late Mother, Chu Mingfang) (I'll bring her to meet you.)

(Mother.)

(I have found that 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♪

♪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♪