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

Chapter 90: My Uncle

The horse galloped through the silent night, and after an unknown amount of time, He Yan pulled the reins, bringing the horse to a halt.

This was an empty market square, with all the vendors having gone home for the night. The fierce-tempered young woman who had been trembling since she got on the carriage seemed to have regained a bit of her strength and could speak now. She was weak and feeble, saying, "Let go of me."

He Yan helped her down from the horse and sat her down in front of a tofu shop.

Rushing earlier, He Yan hadn't really had the chance to closely observe the girl's appearance. But now, in the dim light of the lantern hanging from the eaves of the tofu shop, she could clearly see that the girl was indeed beautiful. Delicate and fair, with exquisite features, her cheeks were a bit chubby, giving her a somewhat childish appearance. She seemed quite young, probably around the same age as Cheng Lisu.

But this young girl had been dressed up by the people at the Myriad Blossom Pavilion to be quite flashy. She was dressed in inappropriate thin silks, heavily made up, and was shivering from the cold.

As they sat down, the girl shrank back, looking at He Yan warily. "Who are you?"

He Yan paused for a moment, then remembered that the girl might have mistaken her for a thief. So, she removed her mask and smiled, "Don't be afraid. I'm the one who came to rescue you. I covered my face earlier because I didn't want to reveal myself. Did I startle you?"

Under the moonlight, the young boy who had removed his mask had delicate brows and eyes, speaking softly and gently, gradually causing the girl to lower her guard.

"How did you know..." She still spoke with some difficulty. He Yan took out a crumpled piece of paper from her sleeve. "I found this that you threw out. Someone told me about the Myriad Blossom Pavilion's forced prostitution business, and I followed the carriage that took you away from beside the Myriad Blossom Pavilion to here."

He Yan looked at the girl. "Are you alright? Did they hurt you?"

As soon as she mentioned it, the girl's eyes began to well up with tears. She trembled and held out her hand, revealing ten fingers that were swollen and bruised, as if they had been clamped by something.

For courtesans in the brothel, especially newcomers, even if they didn't understand the rules, they wouldn't be treated with methods that left visible marks. After all, the girls still had to entertain guests, and if they had bruises all over their bodies, it would ruin the guests' appetite, causing more harm than good. So, they came up with torturous methods like this.

Seeing her condition, He Yan felt a pang of sympathy. If someone's daughter were treated like this, her parents would be heartbroken. She lowered her voice even softer and asked, "Miss, where is your home? Let me take you back."

"Home?" The girl was taken aback for a moment, then looked at He Yan and answered after a while, "My home is in Shuo Jing..."

"Shuo Jing?" Now it was He Yan's turn to be surprised. "Were you kidnapped?"

"Sort of," the girl replied. "I ran away from a forced marriage. I originally wanted to go to Yangzhou, but I got lost on the way and ended up in Liangzhou. I just wanted to stay in Liangzhou for a few days and leave, but then I was seen by Sun Ling." She continued with a hateful tone, "If I return to Shuo Jing, I'll make them pay!" Towards the end, it was almost through gritted teeth.

He Yan: "..."

This young girl appeared delicate and timid, but her courage was quite something. She dared to run from Shuo Jing to Liangzhou by herself? Could it be that running away from marriage was a trend among young people in the capital? First Cheng Lisu and now this girl.