Episode Summary

In this episode, He Yan's determination to join the elite Jiuqi Camp is highlighted. During a mountain competition, she is betrayed by a teammate, left to fight a wolf pack alone, and is subsequently rescued by Xiao Jue, who discovers she is a woman in the process. In the aftermath, Xiao Jue executes the traitor and, after overhearing He Yan's understanding of his harsh methods, grows more suspicious of her flawless, seemingly fabricated identity.

Legend of the Female General: Episode 4

Spoiler Alert

The episode opens with He Yan's unwavering ambition to join the Jiuqi Camp, the elite and notoriously dangerous unit led by the formidable Xiao Jue. Her friend, Cheng Lisu, can't understand why she would willingly seek such a perilous path. He also tells her that besides himself, an anonymous person placed a bet on her to win in a previous challenge, speculating it might be Xiao Mai or Huang Xiong.

Later, seeking to thank Xiao Jue for his guidance, He Yan brings him a cup of tea, which he refuses. Undeterred, she offers him a late-night snack from a basket, revealing it's full of dry biscuits. In that moment, He Yan has a revelation: Xiao Jue was the secret anonymous better. This quiet gesture shows her that he sees her potential and has faith in her abilities.

After a month of grueling training, Instructor Shen Han announces a major competition before the Mid-Autumn Festival: a flag hunt on Baiyue Mountain. The recruits are split into teams, and the team that collects the most of the fifteen hidden flags will win double pay and military points.

During a preliminary patrol of the mountain, two members of He Yan's team, Wang Ba and Zheng Xuan, grow tired of their bland rations. Ignoring He Yan's explicit warning not to cross the designated mountain boundary, they venture off in search of fruit and are ambushed by a pack of wolves.

Zheng Xuan cowardly flees back to the group to beg for help. He Yan immediately takes command, sending Xiao Mai and Jiang Jiao back to the main camp for reinforcements while she rides off alone to save Wang Ba. She successfully rescues him, putting him on her horse to ride back to safety. She, however, stays behind to fend off the wolves and tragically falls into a deep ravine during the struggle.

Wounded and alone, He Yan's left arm is severely bitten. In a moment of desperation, she tears off the cloth binding she uses to conceal her chest and uses it as a makeshift bandage. Back at the camp, the situation takes a darker turn. Zheng Xuan, having set the other horses loose, lies to the other recruits, claiming He Yan deserted her post and tries to incite a mass desertion. His deceit is cut short when Wang Ba, Xiao Mai, and Jiang Jiao return and expose his treachery.

With no one willing to venture into the dangerous mountain to find He Yan, the injured Wang Ba prepares to go himself but is stopped by Xiao Jue. Recognizing the complexity of the terrain, Xiao Jue decides to personally lead the rescue.

He finds He Yan on what happens to be the night of the Qixi Festival (a traditional festival of love). She is huddled against the body of a dead wolf for warmth, her hope fading. The cold and aloof Xiao Jue appears above her, lowering a vine to pull her to safety. Overcoming his usual fastidiousness, he allows the blood-soaked He Yan to ride back with him on his horse. Utterly exhausted from her ordeal, she loses consciousness and slumps against his back. It is in this moment of close contact that Xiao Jue is stunned to discover her secret: He Yan is a woman.

True to his reputation as a strict commander, Xiao Jue orders that the traitorous Zheng Xuan be executed by being cut in half at the waist. Cheng Lisu relays this news to He Yan, expecting her to be horrified by the brutality, but she expresses a surprising understanding of why Xiao Jue had to make such a harsh example. Xiao Jue overhears her defense of his actions. Without much reaction, he tosses her a jar of precious golden sore medicine for her wound and instructs Cheng Lisu not to force her to remove her clothes for treatment. Cheng Lisu notes that this is a rare honor, as Xiao Jue has only ever given this specific medicine to two people: a man named He Rufei, and now, He Yan.

The episode also touches on a few subplots. He Rufei pays a visit to Xu Jingfu but is met by Chu Zhao instead and leaves quickly. Afterwards, Xu Jingfu asks for Chu Zhao's opinion of He Rufei. Chu Zhao believes the man is overhyped but notes his bodyguard is exceptionally skilled. He proposes a plan to lure the guard into the Yezhou Garrison, a move that would solve two problems with one stroke, which Xu Jingfu approves. We also learn a secret about Chu Zhao's parentage: the man he calls his father, Chu Linfeng, is actually his uncle. Chu Zhao is the illegitimate son of the Chu family's eldest daughter, a fact that Chu Linfeng's wife uses to constantly mock him.

Finally, Xiao Jue reflects on He Yan's identity. His extensive investigation has failed to find a single flaw in her background story, leading him to conclude that the person who helped her create this disguise must be an incredibly powerful and extraordinary individual.