The General Says She Won't Marry - Chapter 50 Part 2

Earlier, they had supported Guo Wencheng because they saw Beichen Long’s actions as selfish and overbearing—defying the emperor’s decree and even placing Guo Wencheng under house arrest. So, within the limits of their influence, they had extended their support. But in the end, all they had accomplished was deepening Beichen Long’s suspicion and anger, until he finally resolved to eliminate Guo Wencheng completely.

When faced with the test of life and death, loyalty and righteousness ultimately gave way to self-preservation.

If someone had stepped forward to take on the mission, perhaps Guo Wencheng’s fate could have been delayed. But no one was willing to sacrifice themselves for another.

The logic was simple.

Yang Jin understood it—but he refused to accept it.

Among the voices agreeing with Beichen Long, Yang Jin suddenly raised his voice, “Sir! I believe this course of action is unwise!”

His words immediately caught Beichen Long’s attention.

Beichen Long’s eyes darkened with an unfathomable gleam, a subtle and unreadable depth swirling beneath the surface.

Yang Jin, consumed by his own fury, saw it but had no interest in deciphering its meaning.

“I believe that since General Guo has already been promoted to the temporary commander of the three armies, he should remain at the rear to direct the battle rather than plunging into the battlefield and becoming trapped among enemy forces.”

Beichen Long’s smile remained unchanged, but a cold, calculating glint surfaced in the depths of his eyes. His lips curled slightly, yet the smile did not reach his eyes. Appearing relaxed, he asked casually, “Oh? Then, Field Marshal Yang, who do you think would be more suitable to lead the attack?”

At this point, Yang Jin knew that the moment he spoke, he would be drawing disaster upon himself. Yet, instead of choosing to protect his own safety, he closed his eyes, took a deep breath of Xingbei Pass’ thick air, and then, without hesitation, declared, “I request to lead the troops beyond the pass and fight the barbarians.”

Beichen Long’s pupils contracted sharply, then again, until finally, he burst into an unrestrained laugh. His laughter was loud and hearty, but the smirk lingering at the corner of his lips became increasingly mocking. His gaze swept over Guo Wencheng’s suddenly pale face with disdain, finding the situation all the more amusing.

Yang Jin had stepped forward to protect Guo Wencheng, willingly offering himself instead. Naturally, Beichen Long would not refuse. After all, Yang Jin’s rank was now lower than Guo Wencheng’s. Moreover, as Yang Jin had pointed out, with Guo Wencheng’s promotion by the emperor, it would indeed be inappropriate for him to personally venture beyond the pass when other capable generals were available.

To Yang Jin and Guo Wencheng, this might have been an act of brotherhood. But in Beichen Long’s eyes, it was nothing more than a desperate alliance—two men foolishly resisting him despite their obvious weakness. The moment Yang Jin had spoken in favor of releasing Guo Wencheng from house arrest, Beichen Long had already decided that Yang Jin, too, had betrayed him. And now, Yang Jin’s open defiance, his willingness to sacrifice himself for Guo Wencheng, only deepened Beichen Long’s suspicions.

However, Yang Jin’s request had also robbed him of a direct excuse to eliminate Guo Wencheng. Though this was somewhat disappointing, Beichen Long found a new source of enjoyment—watching as Guo Wencheng was forced to stand by, powerless, while his most loyal ally walked into danger in his place.

Beichen Long wanted to push Guo Wencheng into a corner, to drive him mad, to force him into rebellion—just as the emperor had done to Beichen Long himself. By using the same methods, he aimed to break Guo Wencheng’s will, to make him act recklessly and expose a flaw. Then, when the time came, Beichen Long would finally have a justifiable reason to eliminate him.

Even though Beichen Long was stationed far away at the frontier, he saw through the emperor’s intentions with absolute clarity. But he had long accepted the truth—he was not a magnanimous man. He was suspicious, selfish, and calculating. That was why he had resigned himself to his fate.

Yet, at the same time, he was proud. After ruling the northern frontier for so many years, even if the emperor stripped him of Guo Wencheng, he would not be shaken. He still held command over an army of 300,000 soldiers. He still posed a threat to the emperor. And so, his choice was clear—he would eliminate both Yang Jin and Guo Wencheng.

The moment Yang Jin spoke, all eyes in the tent turned toward him. But no one expressed an opinion. They glanced at Yang Jin, then at Guo Wencheng, realizing that this situation had spiraled beyond their control. None of them wanted to get involved in this mess.

So, while everyone else remained silent, only Guo Wencheng’s expression changed drastically. Panic and helplessness flickered in his eyes.

Beichen Long’s smile deepened, his gaze shining with undisguised amusement. Before Guo Wencheng could speak, Beichen Long chuckled and said, “Field Marshal Yang places the greater good above all else—not only does he show great concern for the people of the northern frontier, but his loyalty and brotherhood with General Guo are truly admirable. I am deeply impressed. Since that is the case, I hereby order Field Marshal Yang to lead 5,000 elite soldiers, take a detour behind enemy lines, and destroy their supply routes. Once reinforcements from Mingzheng and Poyan arrive, you will immediately march out to meet the enemy!”

The military order was given—there was no turning back.

Beichen Long waved his hand, signaling the generals to leave the command tent.

Yang Jin turned and left without hesitation. Guo Wencheng, his face dark with fury, flung his sleeves and stormed out as well. As the other generals departed, they stole one last glance at the two men walking away, then shook their heads and sighed in resignation.

***

That night, Guo Wencheng and Yang Jin had a heated argument, their relationship nearly breaking apart over the issue.

The reinforcements from Poyan and Mingzheng did not keep Beichen Long waiting long. By dusk the following day, a total of 40,000 soldiers arrived at Xingbei Pass. Beichen Long quietly arranged for them to rest for the night.

Then, in the early hours before dawn, Yang Jin led his 5,000 troops out of the city. They took a wide detour around the barbarian camps, carefully avoiding their stationed forces, and began their covert mission behind enemy lines.

Yang Jin led his troops to ambush the barbarians from the rear, hiding on both sides of a rugged road. After waiting patiently for half a day, they spotted a convoy of about five thousand barbarians transporting carts loaded with beef and mutton toward the barbarian camp.

As soon as the enemy drew close, Yang Jin immediately ordered a charge, leading his forces straight into the convoy and scattering the barbarians guarding the supplies. The enemy quickly regrouped and engaged in battle with Yang Jin’s troops while simultaneously sending out a message for reinforcements from the barbarian army stationed outside Xingbei Pass.

Upon receiving the distress signal, the barbarians dispatched a reinforcement force of twenty thousand soldiers. Inside Xingbei Pass, Beichen Long had been closely monitoring the situation beyond the pass. The moment he noticed chaos erupting in the barbarian camp, he issued the order for a full-scale attack. A total of 180,000 troops surged out in three divisions, advancing from three different directions to assault the barbarian camp.

The barbarians had already lost nearly 20,000 troops in previous battles. With another 20,000 lured away by Yang Jin, only 110,000 soldiers remained to defend their camp. They had not anticipated that Xingbei Pass had reinforced its forces, and when faced with an unexpectedly powerful assault, their ranks quickly fell into disarray, suffering heavy casualties. The troops of Xingbei Pass seized this opportunity, turning the tide against the barbarians and dealing them a severe blow.

Beichen Long personally commanded this battle, and Lin Aoxue rode alongside the army, fighting bravely on the battlefield. With every strike of her silver spear, she took the lives of one or two barbarian warriors. Even as soldiers around her fell from their horses, she continued to maneuver skillfully through the chaotic battlefield, displaying remarkable valor.

The barbarians quickly recognized Lin Aoxue’s exceptional combat prowess. Consequently, at least ten warriors surrounded her at all times, attempting to take her down. She had fought relentlessly in every battle, never once leaving the front lines. Though her physical stamina remained intact, the mental exhaustion was beginning to take its toll, slightly diminishing her combat efficiency.

Under the combined assault of multiple opponents, Lin Aoxue was eventually slashed on the arm by a barbarian’s blade. Her arm trembled from the impact, but she managed to maintain her grip on her silver spear. With a swift rotation of her weapon, she drove it straight through the barbarian who had injured her, killing him instantly.

A sharp glint shone in Lin Aoxue’s eyes. Even though she was wounded, her aura remained as fierce as ever. Ignoring the pain in her arm, she charged deeper into the enemy ranks, cutting through the barbarians with relentless ferocity. Within just a few moves, the ground around her was littered with fallen enemies. Among the forces of Beichen Long’s army, few warriors could match her in sheer bravery and combat skill.

From the very beginning, this counterattack had held the advantage. The troops of Xingbei Pass fought with soaring morale, their confidence bolstered by their early successes. Inspired by their momentum, they charged into the enemy formations with reckless abandon, wreaking havoc upon the battlefield.

Overwhelmed, the barbarian forces had no choice but to retreat another ten miles. However, what was happening in the rear of their camp remained unknown to Lin Aoxue and the others.

Before long, the barbarians regrouped. The reinforcements that had been dispatched to support the rear lines returned to the battlefield. The sudden turn of events brought the situation back under control for the enemy. In a desperate counterattack, the barbarians adopted an all-out, suicidal strategy—willing to lose a thousand of their own just to inflict eight hundred casualties on the opposing side. With this ruthless approach, they managed to suppress the Northern Army’s advance.

However, despite their efforts, the battle ended in a significant loss for the barbarians. They suffered over 30,000 casualties, while Beichen Long’s forces lost fewer than 20,000 soldiers, marking a decisive victory for the Northern Army.

The troops retreated back to Xingbei Pass, but none of the 5,000 soldiers under Yang Jin’s command returned—they had all perished in battle.

Upon returning to the fortress, Guo Wencheng was devastated. The light in his eyes had vanished, and the vigor he once possessed was completely gone. The barbarian forces had retreated, and the situation at the enemy’s rear was now clear.

Yang Jin was dead. Even his name tag had been lost on the battlefield, never to be recovered.

Guo Wencheng was overwhelmed with grief. He knelt beneath the city walls of Xingbei Pass, covering his face as he sobbed uncontrollably. Like a man gone mad, he pounded the ground in anguish, his knuckles breaking open and bleeding, yet the physical pain was nothing compared to the torment within his heart.

He was consumed by hatred—hatred for Beichen Long’s cunning and ruthless scheming, hatred for his own blind loyalty and foolishness, hatred for his own cowardice and incompetence. He cursed himself for not heeding his friend’s advice, for not taking a stand when he had the chance. And, above all, he hated himself for arguing with Yang Jin just before his departure beyond the pass.

He had personally sent his dearest friend of ten years to his death.

“I was a fool… I was such a fool!”

Yang Jin’s words from the day he had come to release him from confinement still echoed in his ears. Every syllable now struck him like a hammer against his chest, shattering his heart into pieces, leaving it raw and festering.

Guo Wencheng collapsed onto the ground, his tears mixing with the dust. A man of such stature, yet he wept without shame, his cries filled with agony and remorse. None dared to step forward to console him.

***

The next time Lin Aoxue saw Guo Wencheng was in the military medical camp. She had sustained a wound on her arm during the battle and had come to seek treatment from Yun Yan. Although Yun Yan was not an official military doctor, the camp was currently filled with wounded soldiers, so he had temporarily moved there to assist with their care.

Seeing Lin Aoxue enter, Yun Yan immediately put down what she was working on and quickly walked to the door. She was sharp-eyed, and the moment Lin Aoxue stepped into the room, her gaze locked onto the wound on her arm. Her brows furrowed as she scolded, “How did you get hurt?”

Lin Aoxue, unfazed, waved her hand dismissively and said, “Oh, come on, blades and swords have no eyes on the battlefield. A little cut like this is nothing, it’s no big deal.”

Yun Yan couldn’t stand how careless Lin Aoxue was with her own body. Before Lin Aoxue could even finish speaking, Yun Yan smacked her forehead, cutting off whatever else she was about to say. She then grabbed a bottle of medicine and clean bandages, her eyes widening with anger as she glared at Lin Aoxue.

Lin Aoxue belatedly realized that her words had upset Yun Yan. She immediately fell silent, looking somewhat bewildered.

“Stretch out your arm.” Yun Yan’s tone was harsh.

Lin Aoxue instinctively shrank her neck, not daring to disobey. She obediently extended her injured arm.

Without another word, Yun Yan swiftly took a pair of scissors and cut open Lin Aoxue’s sleeve to expose the wound. Lin Aoxue was instantly heartbroken. Her eyes turned red, and she almost burst into tears as she cried out in distress, “Ah! Yan’er! Why did you cut my sleeve?! The wound could’ve been patched up just fine! Now I can’t wear this anymore!”

That outfit had been made by Yun Yan for her.

The battle had erupted suddenly, and the recent string of conflicts had left Lin Aoxue’s military uniform tattered beyond use. With limited resources in the camp, no new uniforms had been issued, so she had worn the new clothes Yun Yan had made for her. She had barely had time to enjoy their warmth before she was sent to the battlefield, only to end up with a cut on her arm. She was already upset about that—now, to make matters worse, Yun Yan had simply cut off the sleeve!

Hearing her complaint, Yun Yan looked up and saw Lin Aoxue’s heartbroken expression. Any lingering anger she had instantly dissipated. She shot Lin Aoxue a glare and said in mock irritation, “I made this outfit, so why can’t I cut it? Sit still and behave. There’s another set in the cabinet over there—you can change into that later.”

Lin Aoxue was instantly silenced by the mention of a replacement set. She blinked at her freshly cut sleeve, still feeling a deep sense of loss, then simply turned her head away, refusing to look at it any longer.

Seeing her act this way, Yun Yan could no longer keep up her stern expression. Her lips curved into an involuntary smile. This was the same Lin Aoxue who used to wear a constant scowl, as if the world owed her a debt, completely impervious to others’ words. Yun Yan had spent so much effort trying to break through that shell. Now, at last, she was seeing glimpses of genuine emotions—joy, sorrow, frustration—all the feelings that made someone truly alive.

She liked this change in Lin Aoxue. Only like this could she feel that this person was truly a part of her life, filling more and more of her time, taking up every fleeting moment.

There was still a long road ahead for them, but when she looked at Lin Aoxue like this, she felt that everything was worth it.

“Alright, don’t let the wound get wet.”

Yun Yan’s hands moved skillfully, and before long, Lin Aoxue’s wound was neatly bandaged. Lin Aoxue withdrew her arm and gazed at the cut sleeve with a heartbroken expression. Then, hesitantly, she asked, “Yan’er… can this outfit still be patched up?”

At those words, Yun Yan let out a helpless yet amused sigh. Rolling her eyes dramatically, she responded in a half-exasperated, half-indulgent tone, “Fine, fine! I’ll patch it up!”

Replacing a sleeve was no big deal, but when had she ever noticed that Lin Aoxue could be this stingy?

Hearing the answer she wanted, Lin Aoxue instantly beamed with joy and cheerfully went off to change into the new outfit.

***

The battle had only just ended, and Beichen Long had not yet had the chance to deal with Guo Wencheng. With some free time, Guo Wencheng visited the military medical camp—just in time to run into Lin Aoxue as she was stepping out, her wound freshly bandaged.

Guo Wencheng stopped in front of her. After a long silence, he finally spoke.

“County Commandant Lin, Field Marshal Yang is dead.”

Lin Aoxue froze, momentarily unable to process the words.

Guo Wencheng let out a bitter smile, then shook his head. He didn’t say much more to Lin Aoxue, only adding, “I wronged you back in the capital.”

The guilt and torment in his heart were nearly enough to drive him mad. A person’s heart was as deep as the sea—he had been unwaveringly loyal to Beichen Long, yet this was the fate he had been dealt. Even Yang Jin was dead. What else was there that Beichen Long wouldn’t sacrifice?

The reason he sought out Lin Aoxue to apologize was because, back when they had traveled to the capital together, he had been wary of her closeness to the Prince of the First Rank’s residence. He had feared that she would be swayed, that she would stray from the right path and betray Beichen Long.

Looking back now, Guo Wencheng could only laugh bitterly at himself. It was one thing for him to be blindly loyal, but in doing so, he had dragged Yang Jin down with him—and even implicated Lin Aoxue. Perhaps, if she had been given the chance to remain in the capital back then, she wouldn’t have sunk so deep into this quagmire, trapped in a place she could never escape.

After saying his piece, Guo Wencheng turned and left, leaving behind a confused Lin Aoxue.

Bewildered, she returned to her tent. Even the joy from seeing Yun Yan earlier had faded. Closing her eyes, she reflected on Guo Wencheng’s words and the increasingly strange circumstances within Xingbei Pass.

As merely a county commandant, she had no right to participate in high-level military meetings and thus hadn’t received any notice of Yang Jin’s secret departure from the pass. She had assumed that Yang Jin, Guo Wencheng, and the other generals had gone into battle together and would return together. It had been a remarkably successful ambush—so why, upon their return, had she received the news that Yang Jin had died on the battlefield?

She had heard rumors about the imperial edict from some time ago. Now, piecing everything together, a vague suspicion began to form in her mind.

Yang Jin had shown her great kindness. When she first joined the military, it was Yang Jin who had looked after her and offered her help in many ways. She had fought alongside his forces more than once and knew well that he had a heart deeply devoted to the country and its people.

During the Yong’an Incident, when Yang Jin witnessed the devastation there, he had fallen to his knees and wept. At that moment, Lin Aoxue had realized that he was a good man.

He was kind—too kind. And precisely because of that, it was only a matter of time before he came into conflict with Beichen Long and met his end at Beichen Long’s hands.

Lin Aoxue had anticipated this outcome, but she never expected it to come so soon.

She let out a long sigh and, in the end, simply shook her head. A wave of regret surged in her heart, but there was nothing she could do about it.

Yang Jin was dead, and Xingbei Pass had lost yet another great general.