Legend of the Female General Episode 33 Recap
> Legend of the Female General Recap
In the throne room, Xiao Jue advises the Emperor on how to handle the captured Wutuo envoy, Maningbu. He suggests detaining him and informing the Wutuo King of his crimes, making any further action dependent on the king's sincerity. The Emperor, pleased with this counsel, then turns his attention to the He family.
He furiously strips them of their noble titles and orders He Yuansheng to be exiled to the border for the crime of passing his daughter off as a son. The Emperor then confronts He Yan, who is also guilty of deceiving the throne. Both Xiao Jue and Chu Zhao immediately speak in her defense, arguing that she had no choice in the matter and that her immense contributions to the Wei state should be considered.
The Emperor questions He Yan's motives for enlisting a second time, suspecting she sought revenge. He Yan confesses that she initially ran away from home to escape an arranged marriage and to pursue her lifelong dream of becoming a great general. She admits she resented her family's cruelty but considered her near-death experience as repayment for their upbringing, and she never intended to seek revenge.
Her only goal upon returning was to reclaim her own identity and to seek justice for the soldiers who died because of He Rufei's treason. Hearing this, Xiao Jue and Chu Zhao kneel, begging the Emperor to let her merits offset her crimes. Other court officials join the plea, also requesting that the Xiao family finally be exonerated. The Emperor relents, promising to issue an edict to clear the Xiao family's name.
He restores He Yan to her position as General Feihong of the Fuyue Army and promotes Chu Zhao to Vice Director of the Secretariat for his role in uncovering the conspiracy. Following the court's judgment, both the He and Xu family mansions are seized by imperial guards.
At the Xu residence, a defiant Xu Pingting is brought crashing down to reality when the guards mock her fallen status, revealing that she was only spared from a worse fate by Chu Zhao's plea on her behalf. Chu Zhao arrives just as the situation turns ugly and calms the hysterical Xu Pingting by promising to help her father. He convinces her to come with him to his residence, where she will be safe.
He later explains to his attendant that keeping her close serves a dual purpose: it might placate her father's still-powerful allies and could be used to persuade Xu Jingfu to confess and cooperate, thus stabilizing the court. He Yan is overwhelmed with grief for her mother, who sacrificed her life to expose the truth. Xiao Jue finds her weeping before her mother's memorial and comforts her.
He Yan mourns that her mother, who had named her "Yan" in the hopes she would have a peaceful life, had to endure a lifetime of hiding her love for her own daughter. Xiao Jue holds her close, reminding her that her mother’s final act was a testament to her deep love and her wish for He Yan to live on freely.
Soon after, He Yan has a joyful reunion with her old comrades from Rundu, including Jiang Jiao and Wang Ba. They are shocked but thrilled to learn that she is the legendary General Feihong. They reveal that Xiao Jue had recruited them into his elite Jiuqi Camp after the battle at Rundu, and they eagerly offer to join her Fuyue Army. Their reunion is interrupted by the arrival of an official imperial edict.
The decree officially exonerates the Xiao family and the Xiao Army, posthumously honoring Xiao Zhongwu as a Loyal and Valiant General. Furthermore, it formally appoints Xiao Jue as the new commander of the reformed Xiao Army. The official who delivers the edict, Mr. Yang, humbly apologizes to Xiao Jue for having been deceived by Xu Jingfu in the past.
At the Xiao family's ancestral hall, Xiao Jue and his brother Xiao Jing kneel before their parents' memorial tablets, informing their spirits that their names have been cleared. Xiao Jue then brings He Yan forward, formally introducing her to his parents as the brave and kind woman he loves and intends to protect for the rest of his life. He Yan speaks to the spirits as well, recalling General Xiao's past encouragement and promising to take care of his son.
While public notices detailing their crimes are posted, inciting the citizens' fury, He Yan and Xiao Jue visit He Rufei in prison. He Rufei is unrepentant, venomously accusing He Yan of stealing the life and glory that was rightfully his. Xiao Jue coolly refutes him, stating that He Yan earned her honor through skill and sacrifice on the battlefield, while He Rufei merely coasted on her reputation.
He Yan adds the final blow, telling him that she proved her worth by starting over from nothing—something he was too cowardly to do—and that regardless of her name or gender, she was always destined to be General Feihong. They leave him screaming in delusional rage. Outside the prison, Xiao Jue takes He Yan's hand just as Chu Zhao arrives to visit his own former master.
Later, inside Xu Jingfu's cell, Chu Zhao faces a barrage of insults from the disgraced chancellor, who calls him an ungrateful traitor. Chu Zhao calmly replies that when faced with the choice between his mentor's grace and the nation's well-being, he chose the latter. Xu Jingfu's rage turns to pleading as he begs Chu Zhao to care for his daughter, Pingting. Chu Zhao's response is cold and final: he has never had romantic feelings for her.
Consumed by fury, Xu Jingfu lunges at him, only to slam his head against the cell door. The truth reaches Xu Pingting, who confronts Chu Zhao in his study. He confirms that he was the one who exposed her father. Devastated, her eyes fall upon a portrait of He Yan, and she finally understands that he had been using her all along.
She calls him a heartless, ungrateful villain, but he remains impassive, simply ordering his attendant to escort her back to her room. Before the next court assembly, a minister, Mr. Wei, snidely remarks on He Yan's rapid rise from a common soldier, but Chu Zhao quickly defends her, stating that her brilliance was merely hidden before, not created.
After the meeting, He Yan offers to treat Chu Zhao to a meal to celebrate his promotion, but Xiao Jue pointedly inserts himself, turning it into a group dinner. The Emperor announces that the Wutuo King has agreed to major concessions in exchange for Maningbu's release. A trade agreement will be established, with Wei taking a favorable seventy percent of the profits, securing peace and prosperity for the realm. As she and Xiao Jue walk together, He Yan reaffirms her ambition to be a great general, and he lovingly jokes that he will support her with his salary.
