Rebirth of a Star General (Legend of the Female General)

Chapter 1: Female General

In the sixty-third year of the Da Wei Qing Yuan era, in the third month of spring, a light drizzle covered the city. The fresh greenery inside the city was enveloped in a layer of mist, and the gentle rain moistened the earth.

In the residence of the Xu family in the capital, the tiles on the roofs glistened with rainwater, emitting a uniform radiance. These were special half-moon tiles imported from Yunzhou. It was said that during moonlit nights, the moonlight would settle on the roofs like fireflies taking residence. The process of making these tiles was complex, and their price was far from ordinary. A roof filled with these tiles would represent the hard work of an average family for decades.

However, the Xu family of the capital was involved in the silk trade, spreading their business throughout the country. To them, the cost of a roof full of tiles was like a drop in the ocean. Lord Xu was the current Grand Tutor to the Crown Prince, and he had two sons. The elder son, Xu Zhiheng, was already a young and esteemed Hanlin scholar, a subject of admiration among the people of the capital. Xu Zhiheng was also married; at the age of eighteen, he married the legitimate daughter of the Second Master from the prominent He family, He Yan. The First Master of the He Family's eldest son, He Rufei, held the title of "Flying Phoenix General" bestowed by the current Emperor, making this marriage a perfect match in both literary and martial aspects.

"Madam, what do you need?" A delicate, flower-like maidservant in a thin dress brought a cup of hot tea and said crisply.

"I'll go for a walk outside," replied He Yan, as she finished the tea in one sip.

"But it's raining outside..."

"It's alright, I'll take an umbrella."

The maid looked at the young woman in front of her. The Xu family was known for its scholarly background, and their women always dressed elegantly and gracefully. Madam Xu was no exception, except that her emerald-green gauze dress made her seem somewhat out of place. In truth, Madam Xu was quite beautiful, with distinct and spirited features. Her eyes were as clear and distant as a freshly washed lake... unfortunately, she was blind.

Madam Xu hadn't been born blind; it happened three months after she married into the Xu family. She suddenly fell ill with a peculiar sickness, experiencing a high fever for two days and nights, and when she woke up, she could no longer see. The Xu family consulted various divine doctors, but all efforts were in vain. Since then, Madam Xu seldom ventured outside. After all, it was inconvenient for a blind person to go out.

He Yan walked to the pavilion in the courtyard by the pond.

It had been a year since she married into the Xu family, and she went blind after just three months. During the remaining nine months, she had learned to live without relying on her eyes, and she adapted quite well. However, there were moments when she missed being able to see, like now. She could hear the raindrops falling on the pond, creating ripples, and feel the red carp in the pond vying for food, but she couldn't see anything.

The unseen beauty of spring was the most beautiful, just like an unseen person.

Perhaps she had become blind too early, which resulted in her not having a clear memory of Xu Zhiheng's current appearance. She could only recall Xu Zhiheng when he was fourteen years old, a young boy in green robes, smiling warmly as he extended his hand to her. Xu Zhiheng wouldn't extend his hand to her now. Although he treated her with kindness and courtesy, there seemed to be an invisible barrier between them that He Yan could sense.

But she wouldn't speak about it.

In her youth, after years of life in the military, she learned to interact with men using a male identity, but she didn't know how to be a woman. So she could only watch Xu Zhiheng be affectionate and tender with her cousin Lady He, feeling both heartbroken and weary. It was better that she couldn't see, as it spared her from these hurtful scenes and granted her a sense of tranquility.