Rebirth of a Star General

CH13: HUMILIATION

He Yun Sheng's mind could not stop dwelling on the last words He Yan had told him.

"Yun Sheng, don't you want to go to school?"

Of course, he desperately wanted to attend school. The academy had scholars and martial arts instructors, and he could study together with his fellow students. You could rely on yourself to build a stable career through exams, scholarships and physical examinations. On the other hand, haphazardly trying your luck without any preparation could result in dreadful consequences.

In the past, his family had been poor and famished, but now they had money. The repressed aspirations buried at the bottom of Yun Sheng's heart gradually surfaced.

He glanced secretly at the young woman walking beside him. He Yan.... ever since He Yan had recovered, he felt as if many things had drastically improved within the family. He no longer felt as heavy as the treading deep, stagnant water. At some unknown time, a light breeze had swept over the water, creating ripples, such that the old-fashioned attitudes were cleared away, replaced by all the colors of spring.

It was spring time.

He Yan took notice of his penetrating gaze, and suddenly held her veil to her face. She warned once again, "We've already agreed to not expose anything until we meet father, understand?"

"...Fine." He Yun Sheng replied.

He Yan had never once visited the open fields at the military grounds' East End City Gate. Once she had left the military to return to the capital, He Ru Fei substituted her. Afterwards, she could never attend any 'General Fei Hong'-related activities. He Yan could only occasionally pass by when she accompanied Xu great-grandmother on her walks. At those times, she had felt so much yearning.

The capital's military grounds were still very large. The flag was waving in the wind, and sometimes a general officer would scold his soldiers. Since this year was peaceful and prosperous, the grounds had practically turned into an equestrian archery playground for the sons of rich nobles. There were arrows and weaponry scattered everywhere, blocking one's field of vision.

As soon as He Yan arrived there, she couldn't avert her eyes.

In the past, He Yan had a double-edged sword of white-green jade hue with an edge that cut through iron like butter. It was by her side throughout wars and battles for many years, but when she had married into the Xu family, she didn't bring it with her, and she deeply missed it immediately.

He Yuan Sheng (He Yan's adoptive father) had told her: "The Xu family has a scholarly reputation, if you bring your sword there, your husband and in-laws would not be pleased."

Her own father He Yuan Liang was concerned, and pointed out to her, "To do that is to invite misfortune."

So she had reluctantly left her jade sword at home, and asked her family to safeguard it well. But when she first returned home after her marriage, the jade sword was hanging from He Ru Fei's waist.

She questioned He Ru Fei, yet when He Ru Fei hadn't even spoken, He Yuan Sheng intervened, "Ru Fei is now General Fei Hong. If his sword isn't with him, others will doubt him!"

"That's right, that's right. At any rate, you won't be able to use it in the future," He Yuan Liang chimed in.

It was as if her cheerful mood was entirely washed over by cold water, from her head to her feet. At that time, she finally became aware of the significance of her marriage, of the significance of giving away the title of General Fei Hong. It meant that from here on out, she'd be like the great-grandmother of the Xu family and the first wife of the second branch of the He family⁠—she'd stay at home taking care of domestic duties, supporting her husband in a harmonious marriage. Those swords, warhorses, soldiers, and liberty, the blood-filled triumphs and accomplishments of war, all were subserviently forfeited to another person.