Legend of the Female General Episode 32 Recap
> Legend of the Female General Recap
At the conclusion of the Winter Sacrifice, Emperor Chengping hosted a night banquet with his officials at Tianxing Terrace. Wutuo Chancellor Maningbu congratulated Wei on its prosperity and reiterated the proposal for joint markets between the two nations. Emperor Chengping, aiming to maintain outward peace, stated that the matter of establishing markets was still under consideration and undecided. Maningbu's demeanor immediately shifted, and Emperor Chengping's expression also grew cold, creating a tense atmosphere.
In this charged moment, He Yan boldly retorted to Maningbu. He Rufei, observing the scene, sarcastically chimed in, which prompted He Yan to accuse him of defection. Sensing danger, He Rufei quickly pledged his loyalty to Emperor Chengping. He Yan, however, pressed on, directly questioning if He Rufei was truly General Feihong. He Rufei feigned ignorance, refusing to respond. He Yan then proceeded to level three major accusations against him. Firstly, she accused He Rufei of impersonating General Feihong.
Li Kuang, a former subordinate of General Feihong, was summoned. He identified He Yan as the true General Feihong, recognizing her from a letter she had left, featuring a jujube and a turtle. Li Kuang's testimony confirmed He Yan's identity on the spot. He Rufei vehemently denied this, slandering Li Kuang as having been bribed by He Yan to fabricate charges.
He Yan then presented her second accusation: to conceal his identity, He Rufei had murdered and harmed his colleagues, and she held a letter from the He Mansion's butler to a distant relative who was a hitman, proving this. Finally, He Yan dropped her third, most damning accusation: He Rufei's collusion with Wutuo and treason. The revelation sent shockwaves through the officials, as treason was a capital offense punishable by extermination of the entire clan.
Led by He Yan and Yan He, military officials implored Emperor Chengping to severely punish He Rufei and avenge the innocent soldiers who perished in the Huayuan battle. He Rufei, banking on He Yan's lack of immediate further evidence, continued to argue. At this critical juncture, Mrs. He entered the hall, clutching a stack of letters.
She revealed that prior to the banquet, she had sought Xiao Jue's assistance to enter the palace and personally present these documents to Emperor Chengping. Mrs. He then exposed the He family's shocking secret: they had replaced their daughter with a son, and He Rufei and his father had murdered He Yan to usurp her identity. The real General Feihong, she declared, was He Yan herself.
After delivering this bombshell, Mrs. He suddenly vomited blood, revealing she had been poisoned, the venom having ravaged her vital organs. The imperial physician confirmed that her condition was beyond cure. With no room left for denial, He Rufei cast a desperate glance at Xu Jingfu for help. Xu Jingfu attempted to defend He Rufei, but He Yan's sharp gaze immediately turned to him.
She declared that the true mastermind behind He Rufei's collusion with Wutuo was none other than the Grand Chancellor of Wei, Xu Jingfu. Emperor Chengping demanded a witness, and Chu Zhao stepped forward. Chu Zhao exposed Xu Jingfu's crimes, revealing that the Ganming Pavilion owner, whom he had ordered arrested, was a Wutuo spy. This spy had handed over all correspondence between Xu Jingfu and Maningbu. Upon reading the letters, Emperor Chengping was consumed with rage.
Seeing his schemes exposed, Xu Jingfu threw caution to the wind and openly rebelled, proclaiming his intent to "cleanse the court" and "restore the nation." However, he was unaware that the troops entering the hall were not his expected Fuyue Army, but rather Xiao Jue's Jiuqi Camp, who, with Emperor Chengping's prior consent, had disguised themselves as Fuyue Army. Xiao Jue's forces swiftly subdued the rebel soldiers.
Xu Jingfu, convinced of his victory, freely confessed to all his crimes, perfectly fulfilling Xiao Jue's strategic objective in feigning alliance. Chu Zhao implored Xu Jingfu to stop his errors, but Xu Jingfu ignored him, instead railing at Chu Zhao as an ungrateful traitor. Unrepentant, Xu Jingfu continued to claim his actions were for the long-term benefit of Wei, yet his deeds were despicable acts that plunged Wei's populace into the chaos of war.
As a scholar-official, Xu Jingfu harbored a deep-seated contempt for military generals. Emperor Chengping, seeing through his facade, ordered He Rufei and Xu Jingfu imprisoned, to be executed after a joint trial by the three judicial departments. Emperor Chengping also adopted Xiao Jue's suggestion to detain Maningbu at the imperial guesthouse.
As for He Yan, her past as a member of the He family and the deception of a daughter posing as a son was considered a crime against the Emperor and could not be overlooked. Her subsequent fate remained to be determined.
