Becoming the Protagonist's Short-Lived Fiancé (GL) - Chapter 1

“General, Tiger Leap Gorge is just ahead.” A rough voice suddenly rang out beside her, instantly startling the person whose eyes were unfocused, as if their mind was wandering elsewhere.

Wen Fei’s originally lackluster eyes were instantly filled with spirit. She blinked and looked ahead. What met her gaze was a stretch of lush green mountain ridges, and a dirt road leading straight into a canyon… A very ordinary sight, but utterly unfamiliar. So unfamiliar, in fact, that Wen Fei didn’t know where this was, or why she had appeared here.

She blinked again and then again, but nothing in front of her changed. Fortunately, in that short time, Wen Fei had already calmed down. Although her expression was somewhat tight, she managed not to let her confusion and panic show.

“What did you just say?” Wen Fei tilted her head slightly, looking in the direction the voice had come from, while her gaze subtly swept behind her.

The lieutenant beside her was somewhat puzzled but didn’t question anything, repeating his words once more. However, the honest lieutenant didn’t notice that his General’s body, sitting on the horseback, subtly stiffened. The General’s pupils widened in shock as she looked at the army behind her—of course, she would be shocked. As an ordinary modern person, who had ever seen a formation of thousands of troops and horses like this?!

After a long moment, Wen Fei finally withdrew her gaze. Her facial features were slightly tense as she struggled to maintain her composure, but her heart was pounding so fast it felt like it would burst out of her chest.

“General?” The lieutenant sensed the abnormality and called out instinctively.

Wen Fei suddenly tugged on the reins, turned her head, and instructed the lieutenant: “The army will halt their march and rest in place. Send scouts ahead to investigate thoroughly.” She paused, then added, “Send more men, and have them stay stationed on the cliffs above the gorge until the army has passed through.”

The lieutenant’s expression instantly became serious upon hearing this. Although he didn’t quite understand why their General was being so cautious during their triumphant return, his years of battlefield experience made him instinctively trust her. He solemnly accepted the order and immediately commanded men to relay the message. While not questioning the reason, the sense of complacency that had arisen due to their victory instantly disappeared from his heart.

It was fortunate that the lieutenant didn’t ask, otherwise, Wen Fei wouldn’t have known how to answer him. In truth, Wen Fei’s mind was still a mess right now. It was simply that upon hearing the name “Tiger Leap Gorge,” she subconsciously felt a sense of unease, as if something bad was about to happen there.

The messenger rode his horse back to relay the order, and the command was quickly passed down, stopping the column from advancing.

The scouts were quickly dispatched. Wen Fei watched the scouts ride away, then dismounted—she couldn’t ride a horse, but this body clearly could, and quite skillfully at that.

The season was likely early summer. The vegetation was lush, and the sun ruthlessly baked the earth. The glaring sunlight hit the black armor, reflecting a cold and sharp brilliance that made anyone who saw it feel awed by the army’s imposing presence. Combined with their neat formation, it left no doubt in the minds of observers that this was a force hardened by countless battles.

However, Wen Fei couldn’t pay attention to any of that right now. She walked to the side of the road, found a large tree, leaned against it, and sat down. Closing her eyes, she began to sort through her thoughts.

After the initial confusion, Wen Fei’s mind was quickly flooded with many disparate memories. It took her a quarter of an hour to organize them, and only then did she finally understand her current situation.

She had transmigrated. She had become a young general who had just won a war, and who conveniently shared her name. Fortunately, before she could panic about this identity, she discovered that the young general was a woman disguised as a man, so she hadn’t undergone a sex change due to the transmigration.

The young general was a formidable figure. She joined the battlefield at eighteen and spent three years winning six great victories, rising from a sixth-rank military commander to a second-rank general. This was partly due to her uncle being the Grand Commandant and her aunt being the Empress, but it also speaks to her genuine capability and skill in warfare. She had just crippled the Northern Barbarians and was now on her way back to the capital. Her official rank would likely be raised even further upon her return.

As for the young general’s background, it wasn’t particularly noble; her family wasn’t from aristocratic stock. Luckily, her aunt was beautiful enough to enter the palace first and gain favor, which led to her uncle, the Grand Commandant, rapidly advancing in his career, and consequently gave her a chance to rise as well.

As for the matter of the young general dressing as a man to join the army, there wasn’t much melodrama; it was simply one person’s refusal to be ordinary.

Rubbing her aching temples, Wen Fei gradually calmed down. Having a general understanding of her current situation, she wasn’t as panicked—the young general was truly impressive. The Northern Barbarians had been shattered by her forces. Even if not for the long term, they absolutely wouldn’t be able to cause trouble again for at least three to five years. With the war having reached a conclusion, she didn’t need to worry about fighting anymore.

Just as Wen Fei breathed a sigh of relief, a scout hurriedly rode back and reported to her: “General, it seems there is an ambush on the Tiger Leap Gorge ahead. Boulders are stacked on the cliffside and can be pushed down at any time to attack the army.”

As soon as the scout finished speaking, the lieutenant next to her immediately looked over, his fervent gaze seemingly filled with admiration.

This was the first time Wen Fei had been looked at in such a way by a burly man, and she felt awkward. She kept her face straight, turned her head away, and only looked at the scout, asking, “Were you able to capture anyone?”

The scout looked a little ashamed and said, “Forgive me, General. Perhaps we alerted them when we went up the mountain, but they have already fled.”

Wen Fei nodded and didn’t blame him, only instructing the scout to dispose of the boulders and ordered men to go up the mountain to guard the cliffs on both sides of the gorge, to prevent the enemy from returning and attacking the army again.

The scout took the order and left. After he was gone, the lieutenant excitedly asked, “General, how did you know there was an ambush at Tiger Leap Gorge ahead?”

Wen Fei was quite composed now. She lowered her eyes and said calmly, “I did not know. I merely looked at the gorge ahead and a warning suddenly arose in my heart.” Without waiting for the lieutenant to say anything more, she continued, “The army is currently returning in triumph, and everyone is naturally feeling relaxed because they are going home. While this is human nature, it is not good for an army. It is time to be more disciplined.”

The lieutenant’s expression became solemn once more upon hearing this. He hadn’t expected to encounter an ambush on the way back to the capital. He immediately gave a firm and resonant “Yes.” He then stopped pestering Wen Fei and decided right away to go and tighten the discipline of the complacent soldiers.

Only after the lieutenant left did Wen Fei raise her eyes and look far off in the direction of Tiger Leap Gorge.

Amidst the green mountain ridges, a troop of soldiers wearing black uniforms and black armor was moving up the mountainside. Their movements were swift, and they soon climbed the cliff. The huge rocks stacked on the cliff edge were being moved away. Occasionally, one or two would be accidentally nudged, rolling down into the gorge with a “boom” of sound. Fortunately, the gorge was empty at the moment, and the rolling boulders injured no one.

After about an hour, the scouts who had been sent up the mountain to clear the area sent word back that everything had been properly dealt with.

Wen Fei looked far ahead once more. Although she knew the danger was gone, a certain sense of apprehension inexplicably arose in her heart as she looked at Tiger Leap Gorge. Fortunately, she was rational enough not to show any strange reaction. She decisively mounted her horse and gave the order to proceed.

A quarter of an hour later, Wen Fei successfully rode through the long gorge with her army, encountering no ambush and suffering no attack. However, when she led the great army through Tiger Leap Gorge and saw the clear sky on the other side of the canyon, she felt a sudden rush of relief. Then she looked back at the gorge behind her, and inexplicably felt a sense of relief and joy, as if she had been reborn.

Indeed, for her, this transmigration was a new life!