I am the champion of palace intrigue, and even the proud prince bows his head in submission.

Chapter 587 Xie Yun's Storyline: The Female General

Xie Yun put away the whip and coldly swept his eyes over the group of people.

"Heroine, please spare us! We are truly not evil people. This is the first time we've ever done something like this!"

"Yes, yes, we just... we just had no food to eat, we really couldn't survive, that's why we had such evil intentions!"

Xie Yun snorted coldly, a sneer curling at the corner of her lips.

"First time? Your movements are so well coordinated, how could it be your first time?"

She was too lazy to listen to their explanations anymore. She took out a slender silver whistle from her bosom, raised her hand to her lips, and blew it gently.

A crisp whistle pierced the air, and soon after, several dark figures swiftly emerged from the forest, all dressed in black.

Xie Yun calmly ordered, "Take these people to the Prefectural Governor's residence in the north of the capital."

"Yes."

The man in black waved his hand, and his men immediately stepped forward and took the bandits off the ground.

Xiao Zhaoyuan stood there, silently gazing at Xie Yun's cold profile, without uttering a sound.

She turned to look at him and asked, "Are you hurt?"

"No." His voice wasn't loud, but it was steady.

Xie Yun then took a closer look at him and discovered that the young monk in front of her was actually quite handsome. His features were refined and elegant, exuding an undeniable air of otherworldly grace. His lips were slightly pursed, and he was composed without anger.

For a moment, she was lost in thought.

But she quickly came to her senses and smiled.

"It's alright, I'll be going now, goodbye."

Having said that, she mounted her horse, tightened the reins, and rode away.

Xiao Zhaoyuan stood there, staring at her departing figure for a moment, before finally letting out a soft laugh.

Three years later, at Wusong Mountain Villa.

Xie Yun, dressed in a tight-fitting outfit, held a soft-bone whip. The whip moved swiftly and gracefully. As she finished her move, there was a "snap" sound as the end of the whip precisely wrapped around a fallen branch on the side of the field and was steadily retrieved into her palm.

"Alright," Yan said gently. "You have mastered all the techniques I taught you and are ready to graduate."

Xie Yun put away his whip, cupped his hands in a salute, and said, "Disciple Xie Yun thanks Master for his three years of teaching."

As she walked down the mountain, she glanced back at the Wusong Villa standing atop the mountain.

Wangfu.

Qin Jiuwei personally ladled out a bowl of shredded chicken soup and gently handed it to Xie Yun, saying, "You've worked hard these past three years of martial arts training, and now it's finally over."

Xie Yun took the soup bowl and said gently, "Thank you, Mother."

She glanced at the table. "Hasn't my older brother returned from the Northwest yet?"

“In the past, when my elder brother went to war, he was always quick, taking a maximum of four months. This time, it has been five months already, hasn’t it?”

Xie Jing frowned and explained, "This battle is different from the past. The terrain at the front is complex, and the imperial court has not dispatched as many troops as before. The situation is tense, and it may take more time."

Upon hearing this, Xie Yun gently bit her lip, and began to feel worried.

Qin Jiuwei reached out and patted the back of her hand, comforting her, "Your older brother is a steady person, trust him, nothing will happen."

The night was deep, but the lights inside Tingxue Pavilion were still on.

Xie Yun sat alone at her desk, on which lay a thick stack of military reports, all of which she had obtained from Xie Jing that evening.

She read it very carefully, examining every page and marking every deployment of troops, but her brows furrowed more and more.

On the map of the northwest border, Chiling Pass, circled in red ink, has seen small-scale skirmishes almost daily for months, with recent military reports expressing particular urgency.

Gradually, a certain idea in her mind finally took shape.

The next day.

"I want to go to the Northwest," Xie Yun said bluntly.

Qin Jiu was startled and almost subconsciously looked at Xie Yanli.

Xie Yanli frowned and remained silent.

Xie Yun continued, "For the past three years, I have practiced martial arts every day for this purpose. I don't want to wait idly at home; I also want to go and help my elder brother and contribute to the Great Jin Dynasty."

Qin Jiuwei was worried and couldn't help but speak up: "But that's a battlefield, not like martial arts training, where life and death hang by a thread..."

“Mother,” Xie Yun interrupted softly, “I am no longer a child. You taught me kindness, and the Xie family children are born to protect the country. If I am merely confined to the palace, what is the point of all my skills?”

Xie Yanli remained silent for a moment, then finally sighed.

"If your mind is made up, we can't stop you."

He looked at Xie Yun with a deep gaze, "Go. You are a daughter of the Xie family, not a caged bird. But remember, do not act rashly, and always prioritize your life."

Xie Yun solemnly accepted and bowed respectfully.

"Yes, my child understands."

The desert winds are cold, and yellow sand swirls everywhere.

Outside the Northwest Army camp, Xie Jingchun had just returned from discussing matters with several generals. Before he could even step into the tent, he heard the sound of horses' hooves approaching rapidly in the distance.

He looked up and saw a white horse galloping towards him, with a slender yet upright figure on its back.

Xie Yun!

Xie Jingchun was startled.

"How did you come?"

She blinked. "The imperial military reports are too slow. I can't understand them. I might as well come and see for myself."

Xie Jingchun frowned, his tone unusually stern.

"Little sister, you shouldn't have come. The situation in the Northwest is critical; it's not a place for you to stay."

Xie Yun, however, was not afraid of him and instead said seriously, "Brother, I decided to come after careful consideration."

She took a map from her horse, unfolded it on the makeshift desk in front of her, and pointed to several mountain paths in the Xiling area.

"These past few months you have been deploying troops to garrison the North Ridge, but you have overlooked several old post roads on the West Ridge. All three roads here are passable, and they are not particularly dangerous. If the enemy were to divide their forces and launch a surprise attack from here, our soldiers would be caught off guard."

Xie Jingchun looked down and examined it closely.

The place she pointed to was precisely the area that had been making him uneasy lately. Yet, no one in his unit could describe the terrain so clearly and thoroughly, while Xie Yun had managed to pinpoint the crux of the matter immediately.

He looked up at him suspiciously: "When did you start learning these things?"

He had always known that Xie Yun liked martial arts, but he didn't expect that she also knew about military strategy.

Xie Yun smiled and said, "I'm just reading books by myself, learning for fun."

"Brother, if you're willing to trust me, I can help you."

From that day on, Xie Yun remained in the army.

She was slender, but once on the battlefield, she could unleash a torrent of wind and thunder with her whip, and was decisive and ruthless in battle.

The battle entered a critical phase, with the enemy's commander personally overseeing the fighting, and the two sides engaged in fierce combat.

On that day, the northwest wind was fierce and yellow sand swirled. Xie Jingchun led the main force to engage in a frontal battle, while Xie Yun rode his horse and led light cavalry to flank the enemy from the rear. With a single whip, he knocked the enemy general's horse off, and then, amidst the chaos of battle, he lashed out with his whip like lightning, beheading the enemy's head.

With the enemy's head hanging high on their spears, the remaining soldiers scattered, and the battle situation was completely reversed.

As the sun set, the sky was tinged with a blood-red hue.

Xie Yun, clad in blood-stained silver armor, stood atop her horse, whip in hand, the wind whipping around her as her black horse trod through the snow, her eyes sparkling like stars.

At that moment, every soldier on the battlefield remembered her name.

Xie Jingchun rode forward, his tone filled with undisguised admiration.

"You made the greatest contribution in this battle."

Xie Yun turned to look at him, her lips still bearing traces of blood and dust. "It's because of your excellent teaching, elder brother."

Xie Jingchun shook his head, "Little sister, you weren't taught by anyone, you made your way in the world on your own."

"You will be the first female general of the Great Jin Dynasty."