Legend of the Female General Episode 25 Recap
> Legend of the Female General Recap
He Yan took a sword from the rack, determined not to let Li Kuang die or Rundu fall. Before leaving, she left a note for Xiao Jue. As she exited the Yezhou Garrison barracks, she found Wang Ba, Jiang Jiao, Huang Xiong, and Mai waiting for her. They revealed that they had witnessed her in women's clothing when she accompanied Xiao Jue to Jiyang, thus uncovering her secret of cross-dressing.
They had kept her identity hidden, and He Yan expressed deep gratitude for their silence. The four men were resolute, insisting on accompanying He Yan to Rundu, unwilling to let her face the danger alone. Chu Zhao, a Langzhong from the Ministry of War, also appeared with a horse, explaining that as he oversaw many military affairs, and with the current emergency, he had to join them.
Despite He Yan’s initial refusal, citing military law and the danger, her comrades insisted. Realizing they would not be swayed, He Yan accepted their help. They journeyed all night, finally arriving at the Rundu battlefield, where Wutuo forces were arrayed outside the city gates, a dense, dark cloud of soldiers pressing upon the city. Just as He Yan had anticipated, He Rufei had not come to their aid.
Instead, he intended to use Li Kuang as bait to lure He Yan there, hoping the Wutuo forces would eliminate her. With the city gates heavily besieged by Wutuo troops, He Yan knew of a secret tunnel into Rundu. Inside the city, Li Kuang’s concubine, Qi Luo, brought him food, but he was too preoccupied with military matters to eat. Soon, He Yan and her companions successfully entered the city through the secret passage.
Li Kuang, hearing the commotion, rushed out to investigate. From a distance, he recognized the valiant posture of General Feihong from his memories, but when the figure turned, it was an unfamiliar face. The secret tunnel had been dug at the former General Feihong’s command, which made Li Kuang suspicious of He Yan’s identity.
Chu Zhao stepped forward, revealing himself as a Langzhong from the Ministry of War, which prompted Li Kuang to allow him and He Yan inside, while the others waited in the courtyard. Upon entering, Li Kuang suddenly lunged at He Yan with his sword. He Yan reacted swiftly, easily deflecting the attack with a grappling move. Li Kuang was astonished, loudly questioning how He Yan knew General Feihong’s technique.
He Yan quickly fabricated a story, claiming she was a soldier under General Wang Qi, and that both the secret tunnel and the grappling skill were taught to her by General Wang Qi. When Li Kuang inquired about General Wang Qi’s current status, He Yan initially remained silent.
However, upon hearing Li Kuang’s intention to defend the city and await He Rufei’s reinforcements, He Yan revealed the grim truth: General Wang Qi and the other six tiger generals had all died in the recent Huayuan battle, and He Rufei would not come to their rescue. After a long silence, Li Kuang accepted He Yan’s words and decided to launch an offensive.
He Yan, learning that the Wutuo forces had abundant arrows while Rundu’s supplies were dwindling, devised a clever plan. Under the cover of darkness, she ordered her men to lower numerous straw dummies from the city walls. The Wutuo, overconfident and mistaking them for real soldiers, commanded their archers to fire volleys. Arrows accumulated on the straw figures, while the Wutuo’s supply steadily decreased. Soon, Nagur, the Wutuo commander, noticed the deception and immediately ordered a cease-fire.
The next day, when more figures were lowered, the Wutuo soldiers, believing them to be dummies again, fired only a few casual arrows before ignoring them. Unbeknownst to them, He Yan had led her team, dressed in black, to stealthily descend the city wall, infiltrate the Wutuo camp, locate their granary, and set it ablaze. Amid the chaos, He Yan and her group rescued many Wei women who had been captured by the Wutuo.
Afterward, He Yan donned a mask, deliberately making the Wutuo believe she was General Feihong. The Wutuo forces, including Nagur, were indeed wary. Nagur, seeing the mask and the familiar fighting style, believed General Feihong had appeared. The Wutuo soldiers behind him recoiled in fear. After a brief engagement, Nagur confirmed it was General Feihong, immediately concluding that He Rufei had broken his word, and was filled with resentment.
Meanwhile, Xiao Jue, learning of Rundu’s plight, immediately ordered Feinu to summon the Jiuqi Camp to march to Rundu’s aid. He Yan's note to Xiao Jue, stating that Rundu was in peril and she was borrowing the Qinglang Sword to help, confirmed she had not taken it without his knowledge. Soon after, He Yan and her companions returned safely to Rundu. They urged Li Kuang to prepare for an attack and asked him to properly resettle the rescued women.
However, Li Kuang held a deep disdain for these women, viewing them as a disgrace to Wei for having served the enemy, and even forbade Qi Luo from giving them food. Witnessing this, He Yan righteously rebuked Li Kuang, clarifying that these women were victims and should not be subjected to such discrimination.
