The General Says She Won't Marry - Chapter 26 Part 2
On the last day of her confinement, Lin Aoxue followed her usual routine—reading while waiting for Yun Yan. But as the sun set, Yun Yan still hadn’t come.
Not only that, but no one had brought her any food either. She had gone an entire day without eating.
Lin Aoxue found it strange. She put down her book and paced back and forth inside the tent. Several times, she wanted to lift the curtain and step outside, but then she remembered she was still under house arrest. Even if she did go out, the guards stationed outside would only send her back.
She waited for another half an hour when she suddenly heard the voices of the guards outside. What they said made her frown.
“Baihu Lin, Baihu Beichen is here.”
Beichen Ji.
She would be released from house arrest tomorrow—why was Beichen Ji coming to see her now?
As soon as the guard finished speaking, Beichen Ji strode in hurriedly. His face was grim, his expression filled with urgency. But after seeing Lin Aoxue, he stood there silently for a long time, saying nothing. His unusual behavior only deepened Lin Aoxue’s suspicion.
She narrowed her eyes, her cold gaze fixed on Beichen Ji, her voice carrying a trace of hostility. “What are you doing here?”
Beichen Ji clenched his fists, his shoulders trembling slightly. After a month apart, his change surprised Lin Aoxue. The once spirited young man now had bulging veins on his forehead, his face dark with anger. The youthful energy he once had was gone, replaced by a sharp, ruthless edge.
It seemed as if he had struggled for a long time before finally grinding his teeth and glaring at her with burning resentment.
“Lin Aoxue, Yun Yan is gone.”
The words struck Lin Aoxue like a thunderclap. She stood frozen, her mind blank for a long time. A wave of dizziness and nausea surged through her, making her vision darken and a ringing noise buzz in her ears.
“What… did you say?” She couldn’t believe it—she was afraid she had misheard.
“Yun Yan is gone! My father expelled her from the camp!” Beichen Ji suddenly roared, his voice hoarse with fury. His eyes, bloodshot and wide like bronze bells, were filled with barely restrained rage.
Lin Aoxue was silent for a few moments before abruptly stepping forward and shoving Beichen Ji’s shoulder with all her strength. He stumbled back several steps, slamming hard against the wooden door.
“What did you do?! What the hell did you do?!” she roared.
A deep, gut-wrenching panic overtook her, fury surging to the forefront, nearly robbing her of reason. She knew Beichen Ji had always harbored feelings for Yun Yan. She also knew that Beichen Long had never allowed Beichen Ji to be involved with her. If Beichen Ji hadn’t done something outrageous, why would Beichen Long have driven Yun Yan away?
Beichen Ji, pushed back by Lin Aoxue, flared up in anger. He shook off her grip, pointed a trembling finger at her, and shouted furiously, “You have the nerve to ask me what I did?! Lin Aoxue! You told me you had no interest in Yun Yan, yet you took her out of the pass with you!”
The more he spoke, the angrier he became. His face turned red with rage, and suddenly, without warning, he swung a punch straight at Lin Aoxue’s face.
Lin Aoxue swiftly raised her hand and caught his fist, squeezing hard. Beichen Ji let out a pained cry as his arm dropped limply to his side. But he refused to back down, cursing through gritted teeth, “You hypocritical bastard! You put on an act, pretending to be weak just to trick her into coming to treat your wounds, didn’t you?! I never thought you’d be such a despicable piece of trash!!”
Beichen Ji had completely lost his senses, thrashing like a wild beast driven to madness by humiliation. As he struggled furiously in Lin Aoxue’s grip, she suddenly landed a punch squarely on his nose. With a dull thud, Beichen Ji crashed to the ground, blood streaming from his nostrils.
Lin Aoxue crouched in front of him, her fingers tightening around his throat. Her gaze was cold, as if she were looking at an insect seeking its own demise. Her voice was chilling as she demanded, “What exactly did you do to her?”
The suffocating pressure of death loomed over him. Lin Aoxue’s overwhelming presence and the bloodthirsty aura surrounding her snapped Beichen Ji out of his frenzy. His throat moved as he swallowed hard, momentarily at a loss for words.
For the first time, he truly felt that Lin Aoxue might kill him.
His legs trembled, and the jealousy and rage clouding his mind suddenly cleared. Staring at the ferocious mask of Lin Aoxue’s face, fear gripped him, making him shudder.
“Speak!” Lin Aoxue’s voice rose sharply. She wanted nothing more than to storm out and confront Beichen Long immediately, but there were things she needed to hear directly from Beichen Ji first.
Beichen Ji shivered, shame and guilt surging inside him. His eyes reddened, and his lips trembled as he spoke, his voice carrying a slight nasal tone due to his bleeding nose.
“I went to see her and confessed my feelings, told her I wanted to marry her. But she refused. I asked if she liked you, and we started arguing. Then my father walked in on us.”
Beichen Long had flown into a rage. Yet Beichen Ji, unrepentant, had brazenly declared his desire to marry Yun Yan right in front of him. Enraged, Beichen Long had expelled Yun Yan from the camp on the spot.
Lin Aoxue was both shocked and incredulous. It was clearly Beichen Ji’s fault—so why had Beichen Long punished Yun Yan instead?!
These two—father and son—were completely unreasonable!
She had once thought that, while Beichen Long might favor Beichen Ji, he was not the type to disregard right and wrong entirely. But reality had shattered that belief. Once again, she was forced to realize just how deceptive appearances could be.
“She could never like me, and I’ve only ever seen her as a younger sister. But now, let me tell you this—even if there was nothing between us, I would never allow you near her again. You’re not worthy of her.”
She released Beichen Ji, flung open the tent flap, and ran out.
The guards stationed outside immediately moved to block her path, urging her not to make things difficult for them. But Lin Aoxue was in no mood to listen. She was furious—whoever stood in her way would be knocked down.
With just two swift moves, she took down the guards and sprinted toward the general’s tent. She had to confront Beichen Long and demand an explanation. What right did he have to make such a decision?
She was fast. In just a short time, she reached the entrance of Beichen Long’s tent. No one was standing guard outside, but the lights inside were still burning. Lin Aoxue hurried forward, but before she could step closer, the sound of porcelain shattering rang out from within.
Beichen Long’s furious voice soon followed, erupting in rage. “Damn it! Beautiful women are nothing but trouble! That Yun Yan’s presence in camp has left my soldiers distracted. Not only did Lin Aoxue get into a private fight over her, but Beichen Ji even had the audacity to say he wanted to marry her! Absolutely outrageous!”
Not satisfied with just smashing things, Beichen Long slammed his palm against the table, his fury uncontained. Field Marshal Yang Jin tried to placate him, but his efforts were futile.
Lin Aoxue stopped in her tracks, no longer advancing.
She now understood that even if she barged in, it would be pointless. Beichen Long’s mind was made up. If even Yang Jin couldn’t calm him, how could she—someone who had already angered him before—possibly change anything?
Lin Aoxue no longer wanted to try persuading Beichen Long, but she was still furious. She was deeply disappointed in his actions, believing that his decision was unjust.
Regardless of Yun Yan’s background, she had made countless contributions in the military camp, saving the lives of many wounded soldiers. Beichen Long should not have treated her this way.
If Yun Yan hadn’t arrived in time to save him back then, Beichen Ji would have been long dead, his bones cold in the grave. Yet, just because she was a beautiful woman, Beichen Long assumed she was the source of all trouble. Beichen Ji had been utterly infatuated with her, and because of that, all of Yun Yan’s achievements had been dismissed. Instead of being recognized for her efforts, she had been expelled from the camp.
Such behavior was nothing short of ungrateful.
Whether Yun Yan wanted to stay in the camp or not was one thing, but being treated so unfairly was something Lin Aoxue simply could not tolerate.
Ignoring the guards’ attempts to stop her, she ran out of the camp in the dead of night—she had to find Yun Yan.
She wasn’t sure why she was doing this, but she knew she had to.
Like a madwoman, she sprinted out of the military camp, heading straight for Yanyu Tower at the fastest speed possible. If Yun Yan had left the camp, the most likely place for her to go was Yanyu Tower.
The courtesans at the entrance were as lively and dazzling as ever, laughing and flirting with their patrons.
Lin Aoxue came to a halt in front of the building, shedding her usual hesitation and embarrassment. Without thinking, she reached out and grabbed a courtesan’s arm, startling the young woman into a frightened scream. The woman yanked her arm free and stumbled backward several steps.
The sudden cry drew the attention of the passersby, their gazes landing on Lin Aoxue. With her aggressive stance and menacing aura, she looked like she had come to cause trouble. The commotion quickly alerted the stewards of Yanyu Tower. Recognizing Lin Aoxue, even the guards who had rushed over hesitated and stopped in their tracks.
But Lin Aoxue paid no attention to their stares. She fixed her gaze on the terrified courtesan and urgently asked, “Is Yun Yan here?”
The young woman happened to be new and had never seen Lin Aoxue before. Faced with such a fearsome figure, she was scared out of her wits. Shaking her head frantically, she stammered, “I-I don’t know.”
Since Yun Yan had spent time in the military camp, the girl had only heard her name but had never actually seen her in person.
Lin Aoxue’s face paled. She turned to the other side, but the other courtesans also shrank back, trembling and unwilling to speak. She questioned several more people but still couldn’t get a clear answer on whether Yun Yan was inside.
Hearing that a masked soldier was downstairs looking for Yun Yan, Yueqin instinctively felt it must be Lin Aoxue. She hurried down the stairs, and sure enough, she found Lin Aoxue interrogating one of the courtesans at the entrance.
The sight of Lin Aoxue now was completely different from the cold and composed figure she remembered. Lin Aoxue had always been aloof, but never before had she appeared so flustered.
Frowning, Yueqin quickly approached and called out, “Young Master Lin.”
Lin Aoxue lifted her head at the sound. Seeing a young woman walking toward her, she furrowed her brows slightly. The woman looked somewhat familiar, but Lin Aoxue couldn’t immediately recall her name. It had been a long time since she had last visited Yanyu Tower. And even when she had come before, it had always been in haste—she hadn’t paid much attention to the people she encountered.
The fleeting look of confusion on Lin Aoxue’s face stung Yueqin, but she forced herself to suppress the bitterness in her heart and took the initiative to speak. “Young Master doesn’t remember me? I am Yueqin.”
At these words, Lin Aoxue suddenly understood—she remembered that Yueqin was the young girl who was particularly close to Yun Yan.
Without hesitation, Lin Aoxue stepped forward and, in her excitement, grabbed Yueqin by the shoulders. Her grip was strong, making Yueqin wince in pain, though the ache in her heart hurt even more than the pressure on her shoulders.
Lin Aoxue’s urgent voice rang out, “Have you seen Yun Yan? Has she returned to Yanyu Tower?”
Yueqin froze at the question. The information contained in Lin Aoxue’s words momentarily swept away the sour feeling in her heart, replacing it with confusion. She blinked in surprise and frowned. “Yun-jiejie hasn’t come back. Didn’t she go to the military camp?”
If Yun Yan hadn’t returned to Yanyu Tower, then where had she gone?
Lin Aoxue’s face turned pale as paper, her lips trembling.
Seeing this, Yueqin grew anxious and grabbed Lin Aoxue’s arm in return. “What happened to Yun-jiejie? What’s going on?”
Lin Aoxue didn’t know how to explain the situation to Yueqin. She lowered her head in frustration and despair, her heart sinking.
Suddenly, a thought flashed through her mind, making her whole body tremble. Without another word, she released Yueqin, hastily said, “We’ll talk later,” and rushed out of Yanyu Tower.
She sprinted toward the eastern city gate, but the guards stationed there stopped her. She urgently asked if they had seen Yun Yan leave the city. Though puzzled by Lin Aoxue’s desperation, the guards still answered truthfully.
“Yes, Military Doctor Yun had the general’s orders and indeed left the city, heading east.”
Yun Yan’s name was well-known throughout Xingbei Pass. Among the soldiers, many had visited Yanyu Tower during their time off, hoping to catch a glimpse of the legendary beauty. Ever since Yun Yan had joined the military camp as a doctor in the northern frontier, they had an even more legitimate reason to seek her out.
So, they all recognized her face.
Finally receiving news of Yun Yan, Lin Aoxue let out a small breath of relief and quickly asked again, “How long ago did she leave?”
“About two hours ago,” the guard answered once more.
Two hours… Lin Aoxue’s heart sank. She realized that when Beichen Ji had come looking for her, he must have already argued with Beichen Long, delaying precious time.
She wanted to leave the city to chase after Yun Yan. However, without the general’s orders, Xingbei Pass’s soldiers were not allowed to leave without permission—doing so would be considered desertion. She had already committed a serious offense by breaking out of the military camp. If she left the city unauthorized, all her previous efforts would be for nothing, and she would never be able to return.
Even in her desperation, Lin Aoxue still had some rationality left. She knew what she could and couldn’t do, where Beichen Long’s bottom line lay, and that she absolutely could not cross it.
No matter how much she despised Beichen Long’s character and actions, no matter how much she wanted to throw caution to the wind and pursue Yun Yan, she had no choice but to stop here, letting the biting cold wind howl around her, stirring the turmoil in her heart.
Yun Yan had left Xingbei Pass and headed east. Lin Aoxue guessed she was going to Yong’an.
A tangle of emotions swelled in her chest, nearly spilling out as a furious roar, but in the end, she remained silent. She only stood there, gazing at the darkening night beyond the city gate.
Yong’an was not far from Xingbei Pass—she could find another opportunity to go there later.
Lin Aoxue lowered her head, clenched her fists, unwilling but powerless to do anything.
She wasn’t even sure how she made her way back to the military camp. When Beichen Long found out that not only had Lin Aoxue disobeyed his order to remain confined, but she had also rushed out of the camp to search for Yun Yan, he was so furious that he smashed a table and raged at her, cursing her out with the harshest insults.
Lin Aoxue remained numb, paying no heed to Beichen Long’s tirade. Enraged, he lashed out, saying she was completely blinded by foolishness, and struck her hard across the face.
The slap left her ears ringing. By the time she walked out of Beichen Long’s tent, the sky had darkened. Not far away, Beichen Ji stood hesitantly, as if he wanted to say something. But the moment her gaze swept toward him, he seemed to flinch, hesitated for a second, then turned and left.
Lin Aoxue wiped the metallic taste of blood from the corner of her lips, cast a cold glance at Beichen Ji’s retreating figure, and returned to her tent without a word.
She had once thought Beichen Ji wasn’t a bad person—how blind she had been.
***
For three consecutive days, Lin Aoxue trained like a madwoman. Before dawn, she would arrive at the drill grounds, channeling all her anger and frustration onto the wooden training dummies. The wooden figures used for combat practice were reduced to splinters under her relentless assault, collapsing in a chaotic heap across the field.
The soldiers training alongside her kept their distance, afraid of getting caught in the storm of her fury. Other than this, she showed no other extreme reactions, and Beichen Long did not trouble her further.
But everyone in the camp knew that Lin Aoxue had thoroughly offended the great general. Not only had she struck County Commandant Li, but she had also beaten Beichen Ji. The soldiers she had disciplined before now reveled in her misfortune, feeling as though their long-standing grievances had finally been avenged. Whenever they saw her from afar, they would sneer and walk away.
What did it matter if she had earned military merits? If she didn’t learn to behave, Beichen Long could very well cast her out, just like Yun Yan—banished from the camp for good.
Lin Aoxue ignored the murmurs around her.
Shang Wu tried to console her several times, but Lin Aoxue seemed possessed—she wouldn’t listen to anyone. Helpless, he could only watch from the sidelines as she trained obsessively, wielding her spear and blade with single-minded focus. Sighing, he eventually gave up, deciding to let her cool down on her own.
A few more days passed. As Lin Aoxue gradually calmed down, the heat of her resentment began to fade, and she started reflecting on her own actions.
She had indeed been too arrogant lately.
She was furious at Beichen Long’s injustice toward Yun Yan, but looking at the situation as a whole, Beichen Long had still shown her leniency.
His prejudice against Yun Yan had led him to expel her from the camp, but his anger toward Lin Aoxue and Beichen Ji’s reckless defiance had not been absolute—he had, in the end, given them a chance to correct their mistakes.
Lin Aoxue let out a cold laugh and slammed the tip of her spear into the ground.
She had made up her mind.
From now on, she would no longer openly defy Beichen Long. She would do her best to become the sharp blade in his hands, feigning submission.
Until she had grown strong enough, there was no other path but patience and retreat.
***
That day, after an intense training session at the drill grounds, she returned to her tent, intending to clean up and rest. However, just as she was about to step inside, Lu Sheng, who should have been in the training fields for recovery exercises, came running toward her.
“Baihu!” he called out from a distance, urgency written all over his sweat-drenched face as he panted heavily.
Lin Aoxue turned back, frowning in confusion. “What is it?”
After experiencing the treachery of Beichen Long and Beichen Ji, Lin Aoxue had become even more wary of those around her. Even though she had personally promoted Lu Sheng, she couldn’t afford to lower her guard.
After all, people’s hearts were unpredictable.
If even the father-and-son could be so selfish, then why should she show any loyalty?
“Baihu.” Lu Sheng took a few deep breaths to steady himself before speaking. “Urgent news just arrived from Poyan—barbarian forces launched another surprise attack… Yong’an has been wiped out!”
Yong’an had fallen.
Storyteller Yoji's Words
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