Rebirth of a Star General

by 千山茶客

The ancient saying goes: Most generals come from Guan Xi, while ministers come from Guan Dong.

He Yan was born to be a Star General.

She was merely a stepping stone for her family, and was used as her brother’s substitute. She had fought on the battlefields for years, bringing peace to Xi Qiang, stopping the barbarians… When her brother recovered, she gave up her position with great laurels brought to her name. Without further ado, she was married off.

During her married life, she was forsaken by her husband and even suffered from a strange illness, thereby losing her eyesight…

The young and pretty concubine stood in front of her, speaking softly: “The decoction you drank that made you blind was instructed by the elders of your family. As you know, the dead tell no tales. If you lived, you would be your family’s greatest threat!”

A great general of her time, the heroine of the country, died pitifully in the hands of those shameless women, who only knew to fight for a man’s favor… How absurd!

When she opened her eyes again, she had become the drill fields officer’s daughter, who was weak and arrogant, innocent and naive.

They had stolen her glory, taken her life, lead her army and betrayed her feelings! She had crawled back from the depths of hell and would take back everything she had lost, one by one.

Bring the world under her feet and with her beauty and nobility, overwhelm the nine prefectures!

But would she get out easily once she entered the barracks?

Hardly did she begin her adventures when He Yan met her arch-enemy of the previous lifetime, that young hunk whose “enemies would retreat as soon as he attacked”.

The chic and cool female general versus the handsome and ravenous young man. Two efficient generals team up to conquer the world!

Genres: Romance, China, Fantasy, Historical, Historical Fiction, Historical Romance, Adventure

4304 pages, ebook

Published January 1, 2019

About the author

Due to the duplication of this author's English name "Jiang Yu", the name needs to have two spaces between names: Jiang^^Yu

Associated Names:
* 千山茶客 / 姜钰 (Chinese)
* Qian Shan Cha Ke / Jiang Yu (English)
* เชียนซานฉาเค่อ (Thai)

Reviews

[Seraphyna˚₊‧ʚ♡ɞ‎‧₊˚ (college hiatus)]

Back to reading chinese novels, missed these so much 😌
A reborn female general out for revenge? Sign me up.

[siu · Rating 5 out of 5]

"She was the moon's worry. She was the moon's lover. She was the beginning of his heart and also the end of his love. This was the moon's secret."

they are destined for each other, your honor. firstly, i wanna say i've never been happier with a girl-disguises-as-a-boy-to-join-the-army trope work. the slow burn, the reveals, their history, DONE SO RIGHT. (can't forget the revenge plot too)

p l o t
after waking up in her second life (in the body of a pampered 16 year old, who also has the same name), she voluntarily signs up for the army with a plan to work her way up so she could take back everything she had lost as well as take down those who were instrumental in her death.

and guess who is in charge at the training camp heehee. Xiao Jue, aka:
— General Fengyun
— her rival
— her old academy classmate (their past stories were interwoven in the present so well. there were so many parallels!)

it was very fun to read our FMC train and work her way up. since she was a General in her past life, she definitely has the skills but not the strength in her new body. i love a great training montage.

r e l a t i o n s h i p
after Xiao Jue falls in love with He Yan, he is so DOTING I COULD SCREAMMM. i love it when the guy loves the girl more. drives my heart further from reality😍

"She is the scene in my eyes, the person in my heart."

i am so grateful that Xiao Jue found out He Yan was a girl pretty early on (for a book that's 1632 pages though lol). it's so much more delicious reading scenes where HE JUST KNOWS. therefore all the future missions they went on he was able to take care of her here and there. (it's still very much a slow burn though)

he also gets jealous so easily istg. General Fengyun, BE CALM. HAVE PEACE LOL. but it is definitely fun to read. he does not look at other girls AT ALL so everyone was so surprised to hear abt him and He Yan. he acts cold and can look ruthless but not to his He Yan (at least after he finds out lol)

they go on lots of undercover expeditions together and one of my favorites is when they disguised as husband and wife. this was way before any feelings developed (and Xiao Jue was still very sus of He Yan bc what do you mean a 16 year old weak girl is the best archer, best fighter, best literally everything? literally bested all the instructors in a competition)

Xiao Jue: we need to find someone who knows martial arts and can disguise as a girl asap
Lin Shuanghe (doctor/bestie): wow. how unfortunate that your best soldier isn't a girl... a shame...
Xiao Jue: ...
Xiao Jue: no
Lin Shuanghe: YES

s i d e c h a r a c t e r s
Lin Shuanghe is the man FOR REAL! (i face casted him as Zhang LingHe for fun) pls his character is so sweet and he looks out for He Yan so much. i love how he pesters Xiao Jue

"isn't she yours?" "GO COMFORT HER!" he is the ultimate wingman for both of them

o v e r a l l
i won't say much in the non-spoiler section but obviously, this trope is bound to have some characters find out she's actually a girl. and the reveals were so GOOD let me tell you.

watching her family, her in-laws, and her ex-husband descend into madness once they noticed a rising female soldier in the ranks, named He Yan of all things, WORTH ALL THE PAGES. i've very happy with the ending.

though, to the author, you didn't have to kill my favorite character >:(

i'm super excited to watch the cdrama when it comes out! i had lots of fun using the official cast list when reading and i can't wait to see it all in action. the stills and video clips look amazing <3

HIGHLY RECOMMEND! you can read on novelupdates.


spoiler section below
i've watched too many cdramas where only the MMC and some friends (maybe) find out but it's kept hidden. i'm glad it was revealed to everyone that (present) He Yan is actually a girl so she can live her best life as a female General. as well as revealed that General Feihong was actually a girl, aka (past) He Yan. JUSTICEEEE YALL

He Yan's Instructors: *finds out she's a girl AND that she's with their General*
Instructors: :o
Instructors: no wonder she never took a lake bath ever!
Instructors: ...
Instructors: oh my god I threw her in the water to have a bath with us
Instructors: GENERAL'S GONNA KILL US

i'm happy Xiao Jue found out the connection between her death and her reincarnation and realize that they had been through so much more together. so everything was cleared up between them! if he never found out that was her in the past life, maybe i would chuck my kindle across the room in tears

[Rebecca · Rating 4 out of 5]

I recently binged the cdrama, The Double (2024) and liked the engrossing plot, the green flag romance, and that the female villains were well written. Picked up this author's other book and am pleasantly surprised to find this just as bingeable. Mo Shu Bai still sets the standard for a good romance for me but the love story between the main leads was very sweet and wholesome. I also liked the constant plot twists and numerous plot developments. I've read a lot of cnovels and it's been a while since family politicking and political intrigue captures my attention (I did skim the first 20 chapters of this LOL). I read her malicious empress rebirth novel (read about 50 chapters or so?) and didn't like it but this is good.

This follows the story of a girl who secretly takes on the identity of her brother, realizes she excels at the military, and becomes a renowned general. Due to circumstances, she is killed by her husband due to political scheming. She's reborn in the body of a young lady who has the same name as her. With this do-over, she gets revenge. She joins the army in disguise as a boy again (Mulan vibes) and catches the eye of the commander. She levels up in military prowess and proves herself.

Pretty similar premise as The Double, and it's full of my favorite tropes like hidden identity, secret past, fake marriage, etc. I really like that this author's heroines don't revolve around their relationships; in fact, they're constantly hustling for their careers and there are arcs where the heroines handle trouble by themselves with their formidable talents.

On to this author's other novels. Her revenge rebirth stories are really good.

[Delirious Disquisitions · Rating 4 out of 5]

That epilogue punched a hole straight through my heart. 3.75 stars.

[a. · Rating 5 out of 5]

”now the moon is yours.”

I ADORE THIS NOVEL! he yan and xiao jue, i will be talking about you for decades. such beautiful characters, arcs, and a relationship.

[Nomuka · Rating 5 out of 5]

No one in the world understands how much I need the C drama to come out. I love Heyan so much. She’s literally the funniest (unintentionally), smartest (intetionally) and just so so so well written character. I’ve had so much fun with this novel, and I imagined her as Zhouye. XiaoJue’s character is also so beautiful. I love his family, and how his brother and sister in law are. I love how he was when he was a teenager. I love how he acted as an adult. But for most, I love how he always loved her. BUT BUT BUT the most important character was my Yan He. He did not deserve that ending. He deserves the whole world. He’s the perfect husband and even better father. But he didnt even see his long waited son’s birth 😭 I literally cried my eyes out. How can I not love him. I’m never gonna read again now I have beef w the author like wdym wdym????? That epilogue broke me. What do you mean, he kept and cherished her book for years.

[yasna · Rating 5 out of 5]

5 stars

i honestly could not have chosen a better chinese webnovel as my introduction to the genre. it has everything i like in a story and more: strong female character, war & military strategising, revenge, slow burn romance (and a very well written one at that), and a fun plot to go along with it all! if anyone is on the fence about reading this novel, i highly recommend that you do, you will definitely not regret it.

[aneles · Rating 5 out of 5]

one of my favs still

[Khushi · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.75 stars

She loves moon. He is her moon. That is her secret. His heart, begins and ends with her. That's his secret.
I love them so much. Also I cried for General Yanhe and Xia Chengxiu.

[kammie!!? · Rating 3 out of 5]

This sort of betrayal... I can't handle it. The author will pay for my broken heart! I must say the only reason the main character didn't die was because of her plot armour... otherwise how could my sweet general die but not her??

[Dianna · Rating 4 out of 5]

My third book by this author (the other two are The Rebirth of the Malicious Empress of Military Lineage and Princess Shengshi). I gave the other two books 4-5 stars, so I had high expectations for this one as well. It didn't disappoint, though I some had issues with the pacing of the story.

As with the other two books, Rebirth of a Star General follows along in similar veins with a female centric rebirth + revenge theme, though here the revenge plays a much smaller part and a lot of the story is just about character growth and the FL rebuilding her reputation again from scratch.

The main character is called He Yan. In her previous life, she pretended to be a boy and joined the army, eventually becoming the popular and renowned Flying Phoenix General using her male cousin He Rufei's name. However, when she returns from the battles, her family quickly makes her marry a scholar called Xu Zhifeng, while her cousin comes back to reap the rewards of being the Flying Phoenix General. Not satisfied with this, the He family and especially He Rufei are terrified that the FL will let the truth of the identity swap slip, so they first blind her eyes 3 months into the marriage and then force her to drown 9 month later, right as she becomes pregnant. Such a ruthless family. Her husband knows the truth of everything, and even though he doesn't actually help in any of these acts, his silence is implicit support.

After He Yan's death, she's reborn into the body of a different girl with the same name after her original body's death. This girl is the pampered and spoiled daughter of a small military official in the capital. Determined to get back at both the He and Xu families for screwing her over in her previous life, she realizes that she first needs to train herself to become stronger physically and also gain power before she has any chance of doing so. And this is how the book starts.

The ML is Xiao Jue, the other renowned general in the Great Wei, also known as the General of the Right Army and General Feng Yun. He and the FL were briefly classmates at the academy, when they were all teenagers, before they each went off to join their respective armies. He's the general of the Liangzhou army that the FL enlists in, and while initially he takes an interest in her because her skills are so outstanding that she comes off as suspicious, eventually he realizes she harbors no evil intentions and starts trusting her.

The romance moves pretty slowly. Most of the story focuses on He Yan as she builds her reputation in the army from scratch again, as she did in her previous life. The revenge and romance almost seem like an after thought and don't really come into play until the last third of the story. Because of the slow ramp up on both fronts, I was a bit bored halfway into the book. Don't get me wrong, I did enjoy reading about her military exploits, but that wasn't enough to fully capture my interest. I need something spicier, like more romance or revenge, to really pique my interest. When the romance and revenge plotlines finally picked up, it was quite sudden and completely took me by surprise. So I don't think the pacing of the story is that great.

I really liked all the characters, main and side alike. He Yan is a genuinely good person who cares about the fate of the unfortunate women she comes across, while her male compatriots gloss over these things and she has to step in to help the women. Xiao Jue is initially a cold and distant person with a reputation for indifferent cruelty, but you come to understand that underneath his tough exterior, he has a soft heart. He just can't be bothered getting close to most people, since so many people approach him with ulterior motives. He's also pretty sharp and is able to piece together many things on his own. Always a pleasure to read about a smart ML.

The cast of side characters was also solid. From the ML's subordinates in the army who overheard bits and pieces of his conversation with the FL and thought the ML was gay and interested in the pretending-to-be-a-male-FL, to Cheng Lisu and his fiancé Song Taotao who cracked me up with their antics, especially later on when the FL's identity as a female is revealed and Song Taotao bemoans the fact that she had such a big crush on a fellow female, I loved all of the side characters. Another classmate from their academy days called Yan He was also hilarious with his constant comparisons between him and the ML (he even claimed winning because he got married and had kids first XP). And in this life, I'm glad He Yan was reborn into a loving family, so she can finally experience what familial love means. Her dad really dotes on her, despite their family's impoverished state, and her younger brother is overprotective of her in a cute way as well.

**Warning: Spoilers Ahead**

The story can be roughly into 3 sections: He Yan's initial rebirth and entry into the army, the latter part of her time in the army where she does special missions with Xiao Jue and defends the Liangzhou garrison against invaders, and finally their return to the capital where all the revenge and romance finally start and there is a bunch of political upheaval.

My favorite was probably the middle section, where she does special missions with the ML and has to play different roles to support the ML's goals. I enjoyed seeing them work together, especially Jiyang where they fought together to ward off the invaders. I found the first part a bit slow as it follows her day to day training in the army which wasn't the most interesting. And in the last part, as I mention earlier in my review, I thought the revenge and romance both came on too suddenly and wasn't as satisfying to read. Plus there's more warfare as both the FL and ML have to separately lead their respective armies against the Wutou invaders.

I generally don't like reading stories with too much warfare, but surprisingly I wasn't bored here as the FL's tactics are refreshing to read. In the battle of Jiyang, the FL absolutely slayed when she capsized a whole large boat by herself. I also really enjoyed reading about how she and Xiao Jue cooperated flawlessly in their first fight together, since they're both exceptional fighters. And for the battle of Rundu, it was such a brilliant idea to harvest arrows from the enemy by lowering straw men at night, and then take advantage of the enemy's lack of vigilance after a couple days to lower real soldiers and launch a sneak attack. She has a brilliant mind when it comes to military tactics.

Because He Yan and Xiao Jue had some interactions in their previous life, there are some flashbacks strewn throughout the story. There were many instances where someone unknown helped the FL in her previous life during her moments of difficulty, and they all turned out to be the ML. It was heartwarming to see that they unknowingly had so many connections. For example, the ML was the one who left her anonymous notes to help improve her swordsmanship at the academy when she was struggling. He was also the one to leave her two apricots in her bag during a hunting competition when she didn't catch any animals and was punished to go hungry. And after the FL became blind, she felt really depressed and was about to commit suicide at a temple when the ML runs into her and gives her hope to live on.

As He Yan herself says, there weren't many people who treated her kindly in her previous life, so she treasures each and every one of those people. This is partially why she ends up falling for Xiao Jue, after she learns some of the truths of how he helped her previously. I would say more so than their interactions in the present day, I found their past interactions, even if they were mostly unknown to the FL, more endearing. It really shows off the ML's soft side that we normally don't see.

I wish that He Yan had told the truth of her rebirth to Xiao Jue herself, instead of him piecing it together and confronting her with the truth. Like I said, the romance is very slow and for the longest time, they operate separately for their own goals even after returning to the capital. She's doing what she can to find evidence for the He and Xu family's actions against her past self, while Xiao Jue is looking for evidence that his father was betrayed in battle by the prime minister. It's not until Xiao Jue learns the truth of the FL's rebirth that they start working together a little bit, and even then, they're both still operating mostly on their own.

There isn't a lot of sweetness in the story until near the very end. I was frustrated that the ML's confession was publicly done in front of the emperor and other officials and came on the heels of the truth about the Flying Phoenix General being revealed. It felt like everything was happening at the same time super suddenly. It would've been nice if the ML and FL had confirmed their feelings privately first before announcing it in the most public way possible.

I understand why, but it was frustrating that He Yan had very little confidence in herself to win over the ML even though she's such a special and exceptional woman. She's smart when it comes to other things, but why is she so slow when it comes to herself?? Because of her upbringing, she's never experienced what it means to be cared about by other people and doesn't think she's worthy of the ML. To her, he's just the distant moon in the sky who she can look at from afar but not touch. Even when other friends hint to her that the ML cares about her, she brushes them off and doesn't believe them. It's sad how easily Chu Zhao was able to create friction between them by whispering a couple words in her ear about how good the ML and Shen Muxue look together. It's finally thanks to the ML that she slowly gains some confidence in herself.

There were two characters that I liked and felt bad for - Chu Zhao and his maid Ying Xiang. Even though Chu Zhao was the treasured disciple of the ML's enemy in court and technically one of the "bad guys", but after you read his back story, you can't help but empathize with him. He had a difficult upbringing and managed to catch the attention of the prime minister Xu Xiang, which ensured his survival in the Chu household, but at the same time, he's forced to do many things he doesn't want to do by his mentor.

Chu Zhao is even forced to give up his maid Ying Xiang, who has been with him since childhood, to the licentious and stupidly arrogant crown prince, all because his fiance, the prime minister's daughter, doesn't want another beautiful woman around him competing for his attentions. Both of them ended up having a pretty tragic ending, especially Ying Xiang having her beauty ruined and getting poisoned to death by the crown prince. But despite all that, I actually thought it was sweet he was touched by He Yan's kind words and actions towards him and fell in love with her despite all of his schemes and his attempt to use her against Xiao Jue.

Here are some scenes from the novel that touched me:

one of their first interactions had me laughing

Xiao Jue sneered, “Last place in every weighted run, unable to draw a bow or a crossbow.” He looked down at the top of He Yan’s head and casually added, “And so short. In the military camp, I can’t think of anyone else like you.”

He Yan: “…”

So… short…

In an instant, she seemed to have returned to the first time she met Xiao Jue at Xianchang Academy. Back then, he described her with the words: stupid and short.

Unexpectedly, even after changing bodies, when Xiao Jue saw her, he still had the same impression? He really remained consistent, with such arrogance and aloofness.

-----------------------

Awwwwww poor He Yan suffered a lot in her previous life

She couldn’t cry, couldn’t show weakness, couldn’t complain, couldn’t get angry. It had been so long that these emotions had wrapped around her like silkworms, layer by layer, forming a strong cocoon. She sat alone in that cocoon, cut off from the outside world.

He Yan outside the cocoon was gentle, optimistic, and always smiling while considering others. Inside the cocoon, she was in pain, aggrieved, and had suppressed all her calls for help.

For so many years, from “He Rufei” to “He Yan,” she had never taken off her mask.

Until tonight, when a passing stranger saw through everything, lifted her mask, and found her tears.

All her defenses and vigilance crumbled, and she slowly lowered her head, tears streaming down her face.

-----------------------

The forest glowed with tiny lights, sparkling and rising in the evening. Perhaps the night was exceptionally beautiful, and she wanted to say a few more words.

She continued, “Commander, have you noticed that since I’ve been with you, I’m always someone else’s substitute. Sometimes I’m Cheng Lisu, sometimes I’m Wen Yuyan, and the next time, I don’t know what identity I’ll have.”

“Feeling wronged?” Xiao Jue asked.

“Not really, just… ” She looked into the distance with a somewhat melancholic expression. “Sometimes, when you’re someone’s substitute for a long time, you can’t help but forget who you are.”

“Commander, you must remember my name.”

“I’m called…”

“He Yan.”

-----------------------

The FL spends a lot of time thinking about how differently men and women are treated given that she has very unique insight into both. I found these introspective thoughts very interesting

It was only because she later became “Madam Xu” and had experiences as both a man and a woman that she understood how differently men and women were treated in the world. Men weren’t free from hardship, but their hardships could become the foundation for self-improvement. Women’s hardships, on the other hand, were all about waiting for the approval of men throughout their lives.

Both were human beings; who was nobler than the other? It was ridiculous that some men looked down on women from the bottom of their hearts, leaving people speechless.

-----------------------

He Yan is so cool when she's standing up for the poor women who can't stand up for themselves

“You! Be careful with your words!” Li Kuang restrained his anger. 

“I won’t!” He Yan stared at him, with a fiery gaze as if wanting to burn everything around him to ashes. “You are a man, their leader. You point your sword at your woman and your people! What is this? If today you were to go out with me to kill some Wutuo people, drink their blood and eat their flesh, I would respect you as a man. But there is no such logic in the world where men who can’t win a battle send innocent and weak women to sacrifice! That’s being a coward!”

-----------------------

When the ML finally pieced together all the clues and realized that FL was the reborn female general who died from drowning, it was a really touching moment. I actually teared up a bit

“I’m sorry.”

“For what?”

The young man’s voice was restrained, husky, and low. “For not recognizing you immediately.”

In an instant, He Yan’s eyes moistened.

For a long time, it felt like she had been walking alone in the dark night, unnoticed and uncared for. No one discovered her existence, and no one cared about her joys and sorrows. There were no apologies, no cheers, and the beginning or end, joy or sorrow, were all part of her solitary story.

Until one day, someone discovered her.

This person in the world, the only one, was her light, the source of all her brilliance.

“Hey,” she wanted to lighten the atmosphere, “Xiao Huaijin, if you continue like this, I won’t be able to bear it.”

But he hugged He Yan even tighter and whispered in her ear, “I missed you twice.”

“This time, I won’t miss it again.”

-----------------------

He Yan on why she likes the ML

She had never considered that liking someone required a reason. Liking was simply liking; there didn’t need to be a specific why. If she had to say something, it was probably because Xiao Jue was just too good. He noticed when she wanted to eat loquats and secretly put them in her bag, he changed the strong wine to sweet rose dew for her, and when he knew she couldn’t lift a knife in the academy, he deliberately chose a teacher who omitted knife techniques. Seeing her seasick, he gave her seasickness medicine, pretending it was poison… and so on. Strangely, he seemed to have never been treated gently by anyone, yet he knew how to take care of others tenderly.

After some thought, she smiled and said, “I didn’t have a good reputation in the past, and there weren’t many people who treated me well. So, I remember every person who treated me well. Later, I found out that all those who treated me well were the same person. How could I not like him?”

[richa ⋆.˚★ · Rating 4 out of 5]

Rebirth of a Star General is one of my favourite from the author, close to TRMEML.

rtc

[Sunny Butterfly · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5 stars! I recommend “The Rebirth of the Malicious Empress of Military Lineage” before this novel because it is better written and both are by the same author.

This could have been a lot better because the scenarios were good, but, poorly executed. There were 272 chapters and it was too long. There were too many fillers to extend the storyline including the ending that tried and failed to be an exciting finish.

The characters had depth and their personalities offered variety. The main character fit well with the storyline most of the time. Sometimes she displayed the cliche’ strong female who singularly takes action, gets into trouble and the main lead miraculously comes to rescue her. That was too repetitive.

[rina &#x1fae7; · Rating 5 out of 5]

“i love the moon, the moon doesn’t know”
“do you like the moon? now the moon is yours”

he yan and xiao jue are THEE power couple of the century, the very definition of fated love.
this book had everything i love:
-well written strong, smart, charismatic, funny female lead
-revenge plot
-slow burn romance done RIGHT
-good male lead who is calm and mysterious but secretly has a big heart and doesn’t mess around about his girl
-world building and political intrigue
-good fight scenes
-loveable side characters

[juuree · Rating 5 out of 5]

another one finished of this author’s book!

and i loved it — i’m so ready for the drama adaptation to come out ahhhh

[Abbie · Rating 5 out of 5]

It is with a cautious heart that I write this review about the main characters. I treasure He Yan and Xiao Jue so much that I am afraid that my words will not be enough to describe their journey. But, here it goes.

Rebirth of A Star General is He Yan's journey of reliving one's life to make up for the past regrets and avenge her first life. In this journey, she got to meet the valiant general, Xiao Jue, again. They were both alone in their path until they encountered each other again. As they were the same kind of people, they continued their journey of revenge and justice together, not just for themselves, but also for the common people.

He Yan is our female main character. The story mainly focused on how she managed to redo everything from scratch. She was secretly a female general in her past life. Everyone knew of her reputation, but no one really knew who she was behind the mask. Due to her family's wishes, she was forced to be the substitute of her male cousin and thus lived the majority of her life as a boy. She joined the army to escape her family's ridiculous arrangement. She fought wars after wars bravely. Through her own efforts and hardwork, little by little, she got promoted and finally became the masked general, General Feihong, in the eyes of all. However, all the prestige and rewards that came with this title were not given to her. Instead, the one who received every fruit of her labor was her male cousin, He Rufei. The one who stood in front of everyone and shed the mask was not her. For He Family, she accepted everything as a matter of fact. She gave everything that she had, not once did she complain. But, despite her unwavering love and loyalty for her own family, they still failed her. She became a thorn in their eyes that they all couldn't wait to see her gone. Upon waking up as He Yan, daughter of a low-ranked soldier, she entered the army again. But this time around, she would use her own name, this time around, she would be doing it for herself, this time around, the world would know that her name was He Yan. Remember her name because she would be the first female general of the Great Wei Dynasty.

He Yan was funny, cheerful, bright, and friendly. She was a little ball of sunshine. She was able to immediately hit it off with her comrades and roommates. She was very amiable that even the people who didn't like her at first couldn't help, but admire and follow her lead. Despite the fact that she was easy to get along with, He Yan was no pushover. Having the lessons she learned from her past life, she never let herself feel wronged or bullied in this life. She stood up for herself many times. He Yan was also upright and loyal, even in her first life and more so in her second life. She would never betray anyone even if it meant putting herself at risk. She had a golden heart. She never hesitated when it came to helping people. She always saved anyone regardless of who they were. She was confident in her capabilities and was never hesitant to do what she could do. She also knew of her own weaknesses and worked hard to better herself. He Yan was the personification of “hardwork pays off.”I love this fact about her — she literally worked hard to be in her position. And never once did she complain about anything (well until Xiao Jue). He Yan was this type of person.

However, like what Xiao Jue said, He Yan was the most contradictory woman he had ever met. She appeared bubbly and friendly, but she only always treated people at arm's length. She never really let anyone else see her heart. This was also because of the things she experienced in her first life — the people who should have loved and protected her were the ones who harmed her in the end. She couldn't help, but remain vigilant against everyone (with the exception of Xiao Jue). She was confident when it came to fighting, but she was never confident when it came to more personal and intimate relationships. She never truly experienced being loved and taken care of in her past life. Where would she get the courage in something that she never once experienced first hand? He Yan gave things to people, but she didn't dare to take things for herself. It was up to the point that Xiao Jue had to remind her that it was okay to fight for things that she liked, that she could freely do anything she wanted, that if she didn't like something she could just refuse, and that she should never lie to herself. He Yan was a strong woman yet fragile when it came to her own heart.

Xiao Jue is our male main character. He was the cold and ruthless Jade Face General, General Fengjun. Xiao Jue was a natural talent and genius. At a very young age of 16, he led the army and won against the Southern Barbarians. At 18, he became the youngest general and received the title of General Fengyun, the Chief Commander of the Right Army. In the eyes of the world, he was ruthless and heartless. He was feared among his peers. Just hearing his name would make his enemies run for their lives. This was Xiao Jue in the eyes of the world. But, they never really bothered to know how he became such.

Xiao Jue chose to bear the responsibility of protecting the Xiao Family upon his parents' deaths. He had a gentle older brother, so he thought that since someone had to bear this burden, why not him instead? He didn't care he said. But, did he not really? Yes, Xiao Jue was a genius, but people never knew what he went through all these years. At a very young age, he was left alone in the mountains to be trained by different masters. And they were never lenient to him. The other children of the same age were probably playing with their toys or were pampered by their parents, but Xiao Jue was already trying to survive in the mountains. People forgot that he was just a child. He was just a child but he was all alone surviving. When he came back to his family, his temperament was already stable that his own family, especially his mother feared him and was scared to get close to him. Again, he was just a child. But, Xiao Jue still cared a lot for his family. It was his father's wishes for him to learn martial arts and so he complied. He was just a child who wanted to please his father. Xiao Jue didn't like sweets, but he silently ate the osmanthus candies that his mother made because he knew that it was his mother's way of loving him. Like He Yan mentioned, beyond the cold and indifferent temperament, Xiao Jue had the most gentle heart. Xiao Jue loved deeply and silently that if one would not bother to observe him, they wouldn't know. But, other people didn't matter to him, as long as He Yan knew, it was enough. And yes, He Yan knew about his heart.

“Do you like the moon?”

“I like it.”

“Now, the moon is yours.”

Xiao Jue was He Yan's moon. He was the one who gave her the moonlight in her most desperate and darkest times. Xiao Jue helped her time and time again, may it be in her past life and current life. In her past life, she never knew that it was him all along. Thankfully, fate had been fair to her now and made it possible to meet the person who treated her the best. What I love about Xiao Jue was that he completely understood He Yan that sometimes, even she got surprised. Xiao Jue also believed in what she could do. He also understood the things that she needed to do, he never once prevented her from doing so, and instead just silently protected her and became her pillar. Like what he always told her, she could do whatever she wanted. He would just be there to support and uplift her. Xiao Jue was truly the best. He filled He Yan up — he gave her the genuine love and care she never experienced before. Because of him, He Yan dared to love him with full courage.

He Yan was the “moon's worry. She was the moon's lover. She was the beginning of his heart and also the end of his love.”At first, Xiao Jue only found her suspicious and confusing. But, the more he observed her, the more he knew about her heart, the more he understood her mind — the more he felt for her. Xiao Jue didn't know how it started, but through He Yan, he felt new emotions he never expected to feel from another person — he felt jealous, he became angry for her, he ached for her pain. He Yan was the person who trusted him for who he was. He Yan was able to see beyond his indifference. Slowly but surely, He Yan began to fill up his heart, the same way he did for her. He Yan taught him that there were still things to look forward to in his life, that it didn't have to feel so cold and alone all the time, that he could actually experience that warmth and love he also longed to feel.

He Yan and Xiao Jue are truly the best kind of people who deserved each other. They filled one another. They became each other's source of strength and courage. Together, they fought for the people and made the world a much better place.

The two strongest and renowned generals in Great Wei found themselves falling in love with each other and it truly was the most beautiful of things.

[lina ! · Rating 4 out of 5]

4 ★

❗️Mild spoilers; major plot points are referenced.

I picked this up because I was getting really impatient with waiting for the adaptation, The Legend of the Female General. I love strong female characters who can fight, especially in c-dramas. Rebirth of a Star General delivered! We really get to see He Yan rise up again and take back everything that was hers from her previous life.

My favourite aspect of this was definitely the revenge plot. Seeing He Yan finally take down her brother and husband was so satisfying. The lead up to this climax point was mostly entertaining too (I did skim the chapters about the Youhua Fairy and a few other parts cause I just wanted to get to the exposé. 272 chapters is a lot); the story kept me hooked from the beginning.

I also really enjoyed the romance between He Yan and Xiao Jue. The slow burn was burning. Xiao Jue didn't even show up that much in the initial chapters. I was lowkey impatient for his appearance, and just wanted to see his interactions with He Yan already. Despite this, I still found the story interesting the beginning. The lead up to Xiao Jue discovering He Yan's identity and her rebirth was also one of my highlights of this story.

While I did enjoy this story for the most part, it went downhill around after He Rufei got exposed as being the fake Flying Phoenix General and He Yan's identity as a woman was revealed to everyone. My interest kinda wavered after this plot line concluded. Also I only read a little of the extra chapters, skimmed some, before giving up on them altogether. I think I was here for the plot and not so much for the characters, and that's probably why I didn't care what happens after the epilogue (I've recently come to the conclusion that I'm like this a lot with the books I read). I also didn't care much about the other side characters... I like Yan He though, just not enough to care about what happens to him.

[Miryam · Rating 5 out of 5]

"I like the moon.
The moon doesn't know."

***

"Now the moon belongs to you."

***

This book is about the growth of the female protagonist. It’s about overcoming character flaws stemming from her past life.
The relationship between the couple "He Yan" and "Xiao Jue" was portrayed very good. It was very slow burn.
They had such great love and respect for each other.

[Limecello · Rating 5 out of 5]

It's now 11/27 and I'm writing my "real review" ... ... I didn't think till too late to basically do "stream of consciousness" commentary. I REALLY hope The Female General drama does this justice. I really like both Zhou Ye and Cheng Lei. *whispers* TBH I didn't grok it was the same thing and still kept thinking/hoping ... well, I think Zhang YaQin would've been perfect for this because she's more bright and lively than ZY - and I know ZYQ can do those fight scenes 💯 ... but I like them both. (Cheng Lei is of course a great choice. Although not sure about his fighting/hope it's awesome and the drama doesn't WRTW us. It's not even that many scenes to MAKE THEM GOOD.)

... ANYWAY.

I wish I could do half stars - this would probably by 4.5? I didn't like it as much as Empress; but that's probably my favorite book of the year and has my most favorite hero ever now. I liked it more than Di Daughter (though I get in part that was due to translation). And ... <.< I like it so far a SMIDGE more than Noble Consort though I'm still reading that one.

ANYWAY. This ... didn't have as much "revenge" as I'd like... it kinda felt too "simple/easy" her dealing with the people but then again, they were super shitty and not that powerful - it's just her first life she ... I mean she wasn't even "too trusting" it was just everyone else was too evil.

So I loved that HY got a chance to "re do" her life this time a) WITH CREDIT 💪 b) with a worth man <3
... I can definitely see myself re-reading it. (T_T Ideally with a fully properly translated version though cuz I think this one at around like I dunno 113 or something like that I ran out of "good translation" and the other one kept mixing up pronouns which was super distracting ESPECIALLY when your FL is a cross dresser. :x

C159 made me cry, when HY says few people have been good to her, so few she can count them on one hand, and now there’s one less.
I had slightly gotten annoyed at all the LBW/Princess history but… Honestly okay he deserves it. (Stupid prices though.)

*screaming* chapter 200 - WHAT IS HAPPENING?!? 😭😭😭 I wish this was a better translation why did the good one end at 135 😭😭😭
OMGGGGGGGG XJ WHAT HAVE YOU DONE?! Eeee

C201 I am CACKLING at Shen MuXue’s distress. Bitch.
ML & FL just got engaged by imperial decree! 💯💯💯
Allllso FL is finally REALLY getting to make a move on her revenge ❤️❤️❤️
Ahhhh *screams* he gave her his precious jade! 201 has SO MUCH GOING ON 😻

C213… he found the momo - DOES HE KNOW?!
C214; yes. 😭 when he finds out she was drowned. This chapter made me teary. They have such a past too.

C216 more “ahhhhhhhh” ML is so reassuring and FL’s lack of confidence is so heartbreaking. LOVE HER EVEN MORE, XIAO JUE!!!!!

C249 ahaha their wedding night might before the NIGHT their nephew 😹😅
And XJ is SO SWEET ❤️ I wish there was a better translation cuz I’m confused/concerned about some of the stuff…

I am also ANXIOUS about Chu Zhilan 😬
(HY challenging HRF was SO GOOD though - can’t remember what chapter that was)

C259; I have to say the comic relief Yan He provides is nice - he’s so over the top but such a whipped husband ❤️ - and it seems to be all him not his wife suppressing him or anything he’s just literally stupid in love 😹💯

Lololol c270 HY’s subordinates/soldiers ~all in love with her, XJ being jealous and doctor Lin gleefully fanning the flames ☠️

A-

This had the best translations but it was only up to 130something when I read it - at the time of linking (12/4/23) 138 I think? https://lazygirltranslations.com/rebi...

[Black_White · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book was so good, I genuinely enjoyed every single chapter and storyline. I love that it did not focus solely on revenge. It focused more on He Yan joining the military again in her second life and becoming an extraordinary soldier everyone loves.

He Yan and Xiao Jue are not romantically interested in each other until much later in the book, more than half way through the story. It was an extremely SLOW BURN romance. Since the book mainly focused on He Yan gaining the strength and power to take down He Rufei, the He and Xu Families, it was very enjoyable reading such and extremely slow romance because you kind of forgot it is a romance. It focuses more on brotherhood for the majority of the novel, it is not until around the last 65 or so chapters, out of 272 chapters, that the romance actually starts. There is no drama in Xiao Jue and He Yan's romantic relationship, so even after they get together the story focuses more on the war and military aspects.

I loved He Yan's relationship with her new He family after being reborn. I don't think this family will be in the drama adaptation, but I loved the dynamic between He Yan and He Yunsheng. I was so scared something will happen to He Yunsheng, but he made it out safe at the end, and a very unexpected but good ship also came out of it.

Other than He Yan and Xiao Jue, my favourite character was Yan He. He starts off as a bully, then you get to see how hilarious he is. Then you see what a good husband he is. Yan He was such a good husband to his wife, he is honestly the dream man. He doesn't have a lot of parts in the novel at first but later on he plays a really big role. I loved Yan He and wanted nothing to happen to him, I cried so much for him at the end of the novel, he grew on me so much, especially after reading about how much he adores his wife and vice versa.

[Jenny Meike · Rating 5 out of 5]

I love the moon, (but) the moon doesn't know

[AKA · Rating 3 out of 5]

Another good book with a weak ending. I loved the FL, the ML grew on me and the side characters were all used to great effect. Unfortunately, in order to extend the story we got a bunch of new storylines at the end and it got tedious. I started another book before this was over. 😂





Safe Completely

[Sanja Peric · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wǒ xǐhuān yuèliàng, yuèliàng bù zhīdào. 🌙❤️



Strong FL✅
Reincarnation 🐦‍🔥 ✅
Revenge ✅
Friendship ✅
Romance ✅
Military ✅

Definitely gonna read it again!

Edit: this is my 3rd time rereading the novel in last 4 months.

[Vilde]

Rebirth of a Star General (Legend of the Female General) 重生之女将星 (锦月如歌) by 千山茶客 Qian Shan Cha Ke (HE)

[Wanmata · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5/5 ดาว ช่วงแรกสนุก ช่วงหลังน่าเบื่อ

เป็นนิยายที่ช่วงแรกทำนองการเขียนการดำเนินเรื่องไม่เหมือนนิยายเดิมๆ ของผู้แต่งคนนี้เลย มีความตลก สนุก น่ารัก น่าติดตามเอาใจช่วย รู้สึกชื่นชมเลยว่านักเขียนเก่งจัง เปลี่ยนสไตล์ตัวเองได้ขนาดนี้เลย อ่านแล้วนึกไม่ถึงเลยว่าคือคนนี้แต่ง

แต่พอช่วงหลัง กลับมาเป็นการเขียนสไตล์เดิมของผู้แต่งเป๊ะ ค่อนข้างยืดเยื้อน่าเบื่อ จนแอบสงสัยว่าช่วงแรกแต่งเองจริงหรือเปล่าเนี่ย ทำไม tone ของเรื่องมันต่างกันมากขนาดนี้ เหมือนตอนแรกเป็นท้องฟ้าสีฟ้าสดใสมีเมฆขาวลอยไปลอยมา ช่วงหลังเป็นฟ้าหม่นอึมครึมพายุเข้าฝนจะตก มันไม่ใช่เป็นจากการดำเนินเรื่องที่พัฒนาจากเบาเป็นหนัก แต่เป็นจากลักษณะการเขียน การบรรยาย และ mood & tone ของเรื่อง

ช่วงแรกเป็นนิยายสดใส แนวนางเอกฝึกฝนตัวเองให้เก่งขึ้นเรื่อยๆ เจอเพื่อนร่วมรบที่ตลกๆ คอยปล่อยมุกโบ๊ะบ๊ะกันไปมา มีการประลองยุทธ์พลาง เก็บ follower ไปพลาง มีการย้อนไปเล่าเรื่องราวในอดีตของนางเอกบ้าง ว่าต้องอดทนเหนื่อยยากขนาดไหน กว่าจะเก่งได้ เขียนได้ดี น่าติดตาม

ส่วนตัวเริ่มไม่ชอบช่วงหลังจากเจออาจารย์ของนางเอก ความไม่สมเหตุสมผลมากขึ้นเรื่อยๆ อ่านไปอ่านมา ยังไม่ตอบคำถามว่านางเอกพัฒนาจากแย่ที่สุดมาเป็นเก่งที่สุดได้ยังไง เพราะความขยันอดทน บวกกับเจออาจารย์ดี แค่นี้เหรอ? รู้สึกมันง่ายไปหน่อย เหมือนปูเรื่องให้เราอยากรู้มาตั้งนาน แต่ดันเฉลยแบบไม่ชัดเจน คลุมเครือๆ ไป ว่าเจออาจารย์อัจฉริยะ เลยเก่งก็แล้วกันนะ แถมแทนที่จะเน้นเรื่องนางเอก กลับไปเน้นเรื่องความรักของอาจารย์อีก melodrama น้ำตาท่วมจอ ยืดเยื้อน่ารำคาญ (สารภาพว่าอ่านข้ามๆ เลย ช่วงความรักของสองคนนั้น)

ช่วงกลาง เป็นการวางแผนกลับไปแก้แค้นของนางเอก ซึ่งควรจะเป็นพล็อตหลักของนิยาย แต่กลายเป็นง่อยมาก บทสืบหาความจริง บทเปิดเผยความจริง จนตัวร้่ายได้รับผลกรรม timeline สั้นมาก สรุปรวบครบจบใน 2-3 ตอนเองมั้ง เกริ่นเรื่องความแค้น อยากแก้แค้นมาตั้งนาน เฉลยกันง่ายๆ กำจัดตัวร้ายได้ง่ายๆ อ่านแล้วรู้สึกว่า หลักฐานอ่อนขนาดนี้ เชื่อกันไปได้ยังไงทั้งราชสำนัก วางพล็อตให้ตัวร้ายเก่งมาก ฉลาดมาก ร้ายมาก เพราะอะไร? มายังไง? ฝึกตอนไหน? ตัวร้ายเก่งเพลงกระบี่เหมือนนางเอกได้ยังไง? แล้วคนฉลาดที่ไหนส่งนักฆ่าไปลอบสังหารกลางวันแสกๆ? เหมือนไม่มีความคิด ไม่มีการวางแผน ไม่มีความสมเหตุสมผลใดๆ ทั้งสิ้น

ช่วงหลัง กลายเป็นนิยายรักพื้นๆ บวกกับพล็อตชิงบัลลังก์ ซึ่งไม่เคยกล่าวถึงมาก่อนในช่วงต้นและกลาง เหมือนยัดพล็อตใส่เข้ามาให้นิยายยาวขึ้น เพราะแก้แค้นเสร็จแล้วนี่ หมดเรื่องของนางเอกแล้ว ไม่มีอะไรให้เล่นแล้ว แต่อ่านแล้วก็เป็นการชิงบัลลังก์แบบอ่อนด๋อยมาก ไม่มีการวางแผนแบบฉลาดๆ ไม่มีม้วนเดียวจบ มัวแต่ยืดเยื้อ ไม่มีการใช้กลยุทธเด็ดๆ อะไร เล่นกันแบบตรงไปตรงมา บ้านๆ เลย

ตอนจบ เพื่อปูทางไปสู่การแสดงความเก่งกาจของนางเอก เลยต้องมีฉากไปรบ และเพิ่มการตายของตัวละครหลายๆ ตัวเข้ามา เพื่อให้คนอ่านรู้สึกเศร้าตามไปด้วย มีความพยายามเขียนถึงภูมิหลังตัวละครแต่ละตัวเพื่อให้เราเห็นอกเห็นใจตาม แต่อ่านแล้วรู้สึกเหมือนยัดเยียดไปหน่อย ไม่ค่อยอินเท่าไหร่

จบแบบ Happy Ending ตามระเบียบ แต่ตอนจบรู้สึกไม่ยิ่งใหญ่ ไม่อิน ไม่รู้สึกชื่นชมตาม รู้สึกว่า อ้อ จบได้ซะทีนะ ...

สิ่งที่ไม่ชอบ
- ตัวละครพระรอง อุตส่าห์ใส่ภูมิหลังแสนรันทด ใส่ความฉลาดจอมวางแผน เหมือนจะเป็นตัวดำเนินเรื่องที่สำคัญ สุดท้าย ไม่มีบทบาทอะไรกับเนื้อเรื่องเท่าไหร่ มีไว้ให้พระเอกหึงหวงเฉยๆ บางฉากคืองงว่ามีไปทำไม เช่น ฉากไปกินน้ำชาแล้วบอกว่าชอบนางเอก ทำเพื่อ?? ถึงไม่มีตัวละครนี้ เนื้อเรื่องก็ไม่มีอะไรเปลี่ยนแปลง

- มีความพยายามปูพื้นเบื้องหลังตัวละครประกอบทุกตัว แต่ก็ปูทิ้งปูขว้างบ้าง สำคัญบ้างไม่สำคัญบ้าง เพื่��นสนิทพระเอกที่ทะเลาะกันคือใส่มาทำไม ไม่ต้องมีก็ได้ เป็นตัวประกอบไร้ที่มาที่ไปก็มีค่าเท่ากัน

- ความฉลาดที่ลดลงของตัวละครต่างๆ ทั้งตัวเอกตัวรองตัวประกอบ ในช่วงหลัง เหมือนเน้นดราม่า อารมณ์ความรู้สึก จนลืมเรื่องการคิดวางแผน ความฉลาดของตัวละครไป บางตัวละครก็ OOC ไปซะงั้น

สิ่งที่ชอบ
EQ ของนางเอก การมองโลกในแง่ดี การรู้จักตัวเอง รู้จักข้อดีข้อด้อยของตัวเอง ขยันอดทนในการแก้ไขจุดอ่อนของตัวเอง มั่นใจแต่ไม่ก้าวร้าว ตรงไปตรงมา มีความเห็นอกเห็นใจคนอื่น เอื้ออาทรและใส่ใจคนรอบข้าง

บทที่ชอบที่สุด คือตอนที่่พระรองชมนางเอกว่าเก่งกล้าไม่เหมือนผู้หญิงทั่วๆ ไป แล้วนางเอกตอบว่า ไม่ใช่เพราะเธอพิเศษกว่าผู้หญิงคนอื่น แต่เพราะผู้หญิงคนอื่นไม่ได้มีโอกาสมาทำอะไรแบบนี้เหมือนเธอ ถ้าเปิดโอกาสให้ผู้หญิงทุกๆ คนเหมือนผู้ชาย ก็จะมีผู้หญิงที่เก่งในด้านต่างๆ เหนือผู้ชายเกิดขึ้นเช่นกัน

สรุปว่าเป็นนิยายที่มีศักยภาพจะเป็นนิยายสนุกระดับขึ้นหิ้ง แต่ดันเป๋ในช่วงหลังๆ กลับกลายเป็นนิยายดาษๆ ไปอย่างน่าเสียดาย

[R1vana · Rating 5 out of 5]

"She is the scene in my eyes,
the person in my heart."
When I first heard of the drama:
Legend of the Female General
I was really excited. But even better, when I heard that there is a novel. I need that ASAP. Here I am binge reading this for over a week.
This novel is like a warm blanket in a rainy day. Chinese novel are always beautifully written and this one was not a miss.
Not only there are many captivating plots, but I loved every single characters, whether their are good or bad. Let’s start with the leads.
Our FMC, He Yue. She is an extremely strong warrior and brave. She was forced to become a steppingstone for her family and became a replacement for her male cousin. He’s been using his name and create an identity as a general. She was forced to wear a mask the whole time. So no one can ever know her real face. Why? To not only bring shame to the family because she was a woman but also to put her cousin back to it. All the talents, praises that she had created, all were taken from her.
After through all that, she was pretty much sold to get married. And then she was fed poison to make her blind. And then her husband mistress made her drown while pregnant.
The present plot? She was reincarnated or transmigrated into another girl body who is the daughter of a war general. Who has the same name as her previous “body” (her soul & memory all of that transfer to another body).
While using that new body, she will go into military all over again, and seek revenge on her family who betrayed her. That was her main goal, but she decided to follow her old path by disguising as man to become a soldier which she almost die many times without even touching a hair of the enemy.
She will get into few dramas that the old frail “He Yan” was getting into. And that body is weak but with a lot of practise, she became stronger after hard training. Where she will meet many people from her past life. Including MMC, Xiao Jue.
He isn’t present as much as I expected. Which is understandable because the main goal for the story was He Yan to disguise as a man and go to the military. Xiao Jue doesn’t suspect her to be a man until much later in the story. Pretty much like Mulan.
He doesn’t have a lot of personality but, he has been a huge impact and a great inspiration for He Yan for both of her lives(previous and now). There is another character that stood out so much; Lin Shuanghe. The man that he is. The best wingman ever. He is pretty much saying things that all readers were thinking; whether it is pushing Xiao Jue to “claim” He Yue as his person.
The ending was HEA, but I am thankful to see other characters life as a young age. Yan He’s love story was so sad to read. The author pulled my heartstrings out…

She did not know that the moon also had its own
secret.
She is the moon's heart, the moon's lover, the beginning of his heart, and the end of it.
This is the secret of the Moon.
-Xiao Jue

Overall, I read this for a drama, and it made me have a higher expectations for the show. Hopefully it didn’t ruin the whole genre and also ruin theses three iconic and memorable characters…

[Cora · Rating 5 out of 5]

The novel is many things - it's a tale of second chances and reclaiming your identity, a tragedy, an action novel with fantastic war/battle scenes, a bit of a romance, and it's a brilliant deconstruction of the "not like other girls" trope.
Our protagonist, He Yan, is so endearing and beautifully righteous in everything she does. Her internal monologue is so light-hearted and wry that you can almost forget the quiet tragedy of the injustice and sufferings she's been through, that follow like a shadow in her every step. The novel rarely explicitly acknowledges it, but as a reader, it's heartwrenching to recognize that her past life was almost "squandered" - she spent her life living as someone's else's shadow, an imitation; no one ever knew the true He Yan - the legendary Feihuang general - and there was no one left to mourn her in life or death. And despite it all, she never fails to be good, and kind.

I really love how the novel handled her struggles with her identity - as a person, He Yan, who spent her entire (first life) as a substitute for her cousin - and as a girl, who never had the chance to be a girl. Despite not fitting into the traditional role of a girl in Imperial China, she never once puts down other women; to the contrary, she is constantly aware of and reminds others of how society boxes women in with trivial standards and requirements, suppressing their potential. And what I found really compelling is how much she yearns to be like the "other girls", the intensity of her desire to connect to her feminine side that she never had a chance to explore.
And the romance - wow, I absolutely love the author's interpretation of the fated lovers trope. He Yan and Xiao Jue were just meant to be, and the story demonstrates that over and over again - they're two sides of the same blade, two peas in a pod, two binary stars always meant to come together. They complement each other as generals, peers, and companions. Although their relationship isn't at the forefront of the plot, in many ways, it's central to the core of this novel. He Yan and Xiao Jue revolve around each other, in so many ways that aren't immediately obvious to them, nor to us as the readers. The novel is almost cheeky with how it gives the readers little scraps of their relationship - past and present - as the story goes on, how their present relationship ties into their history, the way their paths crossed and how their fates were entwined from the very beginning.
Not a lot of books take full advantage of the reincarnation trope, but Rebirth of a Star General delves deep into her past life and ramifications of her actions before, exploring the extent of her reincarnation practically and in a way that's emotionally satisfying. I'm so glad this novel chose to have He Yan reincarnate after her death in the timeline, instead of the usual regression-back-in-time rebirth, because this way, we get to explore the full emotional aftermath and implications of her past: the previous life ties into the present meaningfully and no past relationships or character arcs get "overwritten".

[Curio Pun · Rating 4 out of 5]

Rebirth of a Star General
重生之女将星 - Qian Shan Cha Ke

อ่านไปแล้วรอบหนึ่ง แต่เหมือนจะไม่ได้เขียนบันทึกการอ่านไว้
แวะกลับมาอ่านรอบสอง ก็เลยได้โอกาสรีวิวสักหน่อย
นับเป็นงานของ เชียนซานฉาเค่อ เรื่องที่สี่ที่เราได้อ่าน
รอบนี้เราอ่าน eng ไปร้อยกว่าตอน แล้วก็ค่อยไป mtl
รอบแรกที่อ่านคือดำน้ำล้วนๆ รอบนั้นก็ชอบ อ่านซ้ำอีกก็ชอบขึ้นอีก น่าจะเพราะเว็บแปลมันฉลาดขึ้นทำให้เข้าใจมากขึ้นด้วยมั้ง

นางเอกชาติก่อนถูกที่บ้านบังคับให้สวมรอยใช้สถานะของพี่ชาย เพราะพี่ชายร่างกายอ่อนแอ จะตายแหล่มิตายแหล่ แต่สถานะของตัวที่ชายนี่สำคัญมาก ถ้าตายไปเดี๋ยวตระกูลไม่มีคนสืบทอด
ก็เลยให้นางเอกใช้ชื่อพี่ ใส่หน้ากากปิดบังรูปลักษณ์ ไปเข้าโรงเรียนแทน
ต้องทำตัวเป็นเด็กผู้ชาย สนิทกับใครมากก็ไม่ได้กลัวจะความแตกแล้วทำให้ทางบ้านเดือดร้อน

จนเข้าช่วงวัยรุ่น จะถูกบังคับแต่งงานก็เลยหนีออกจากบ้านไปเป็นทหาร ไต่เต้าจนได้เป็นแม่ทัพ มีชื่อเสียงโด่งดังคู่มากับพระเอก(ที่เป็นแม่ทัพเหมือนกันแต่ประจำอยู่คนละเมือง)
พอนางเอกได้ดี จะกลับมารับตำแหน่ง ปรากฏว่าพี่ชายที่ว่าอ่อนแอจะตาย ดันไม่ตาย
ก็เลยสลับสถานะคืนกัน พี่ชายไปรับยศตำแหน่งเป็นแม่ทัพแทน
นางเอกถูกให้แต่งงาน แต่แต่งไปไม่นานก็ถูกทำให้ตาบอดแล้วฆ่าปิดปาก เพราะที่บ้านไม่อยากให้ความลับเรื่องแม่ทัพสลับตัวรั่วไหล

นางเอกพอตายก็มาเข้าร่างเด็กสาวบอบบางที่ชื่อเดียวกับตัวเอง บ้านฐานะไม่ค่อยดี แต่มีพ่อที่รักเอาอกเอาใจ มีน้องชายคนนึง กับสาวใช้คนนึง
พอมาเกิดใหม่ก็คิดหาทางอยากจะเปิดโปงแม่ทัพว่าเป็นตัวปลอม แต่ร่างใหม่ก็อ่อนแอเหลือเกิน ชาตตระกูลอะไรก็ไม่ค่อยดี หนทางยาวไกล

นางเอกถูกผู้ชายที่มาติดพันวางแผนจับตัวไป น้องชายมาช่วยแต่ตอนจะหนีก็พลั้งมือฆ่าคน
นางก็เลยถือโอกาสนี้บอกน้องว่าจะแกล้งตาย อาจจะไม่ได้เจอกันอีกพักใหญ่ ให้น้องทำตัวเนียนๆไว้ สักวันจะได้กลับมาเจอกันแน่นอน
พอดีกับที่ว่า พระเอกมาเมืองนี้แล้วรับสมัครทหารใหม่ นางก็สมัครเข้าไป กะจะไปไต่เต้าสร้างผลงาน เพื่อที่จะมีโอกาสเข้าไปเปิดโปงครอบครัวเก่า
เรื่องก็ประมาณนี้

ด้วยความที่นางเอกปลอมเป็นผู้ชายมาตลอด อ่านๆไปจะไม่ค่อยรู้สึกว่านางเป็นผู้หญฺิงเท่าไหร่
เหมือนหนุ่มน้อยกะล่อนๆ นี่ถ้าชาติก่อนไม่เป็นผู้หญิงจะรู้สึกเหมือนอ่านน���ยายวาย

นางเอกบอกว่าพระเอกคือดวงจันทร์ เราก็เห็นด้วย ดูคล้ายเย็นชาห่างเหิน แต่จริงๆ แล้วอ่อนโยน วนเวียนอยู่ใกล้นางเอกมาโดยตลอด ตั้งแต่สมัยที่ยังเป็นเพื่อนกันในชาติก่อน จนมาถึงตอนที่ตกหลุมรักกันในชาตินี้

เนื้อเรื่อง 80% เป็นเส้นทางอาชีพสู้การแก้แค้นของนางสลับกับแฟลชแบคเนื้อเรื่องจากชาติก่อน
10% เป็นเรื่องการเมืองในวัง
เรื่องความรักมีอยู่สัก 10% แต่เป็นสิบเปอร์เซนต์มันแทรกอยู่ทุกที่ ก็เลยไม่เบื่อ ไม่เอียน
มัน slow burn แต่พอเริ่มเบิร์นปุ๊บก็โรแมนติกมาก ทั้งส่วนของคู่หลัก และส่วนของตัวละครรองๆ
เราร้องไห้ไปหลายที ยิ่งช่วงเนื้อเรื่องของอาจารย์นางเอกนี่น้ำตานอง
ตัวร้ายก็มีเสน่ห์แพรวพราวมาก เป็นคนที่ทำให้รู้สึกทั้งชอบทั้งชัง ไม่เชียร์นะ แต่ก็ไม่อยากให้ตาย สงสารแต่ก็สมน้ำหน้า อ่านไปก็ย้อนแย้งในใจไป

ช่วงใกล้จบมีสงครามใหญ่ คนตายเป็นเบือ
นักเขียนก็คงรู้แหละว่าคนอ่านเดาได้ พวกตัวเอกยังไงก็ไม่ตาย จบแฮ้ปปี้แน่
ก็เลยฆ่าตัวอื่นแทน แต่มันดันเป็นตัวที่โผล่มาทำให้คนผูกพันไปแล้ว เรียกน้ำตากันไปอีกรอบ
ยิ่งตอนพิเศษนี่จุกแบบ หึมมมม จุกอกกกก โอ๊ยยย ทำไมหนอทำไม

[Kara-karina · Rating 5 out of 5]

Aah, what a gorgeous read!
An epic story of rebirth, revenge, finding justice and unlimited self-growth.
There is a cdrama based on this book (Legend of a Female General), currently airing but it's an extremely disappointing imitation of the novel which I had to rant about online. Don't waste you time on it, read this instead.
He Yan starts the book having to give up hard earned glory as a formidable general to her cousin under whose name she spent first twenty something years of her life building her achievements and career becoming a very successful military official from the ground up. She is quickly forced to marry and her ruthless family also decides to silence her first by blinding her, and then finally drowning her in a pool.
And then she wakes up reborn into a new body of a 16 year old weak pretty girl who just passed away, full of old memories and resentment and a need for vengeance.
She joins the army all over again and rebuilds her formidable strength bit by bit holding onto the memories of her previous skills.
Along the way she teams up with Xiao Jue, another general and her previous body's classmate to defeat shared enemies and inevitably fall for each other.
He Yan is an epic heroine, cunning, cocky and very level-headed. Xiao Jue is also very stone cold looking guy, dead gorgeous but giving an unapproachable feeling to everyone around. I'd say He Yan is the only one around who dares to tease him and ruffles his feathers. In that way, their strength and characters are truly matched.
The fights and big scale battles in this book are EPIC. So well detailed that they stand vivid in your mind, and I loved it. Both He Yan and Xiao Jue fight with a flair and have a good sense of drama about them which is pretty cinematic.
There are plenty of other side characters which are endearing or interesting and do not feel one dimensional when their own life stories cross paths with the ML and FL.
The plot is fast paced and the stories all end in a satisfying way, with a few subplots having cameos at the end which make you say goodbye to the characters gently and in a bittersweet manner.
Both main characters have utter respect for each others' abilities and personality, and it was just such a pleasure to read a book truly uplifting female characters who stayed true to themselves and their ambitions till the end.
Loved it, very much recommended.

[Megan Collins · Rating 2 out of 5]

Historical drama with a strong premise and slow burn execution. It’s part reincarnated revenge tale and part Mulan war fantasy romance. It focuses on characters, relationships, and the cyclical life of our main characters. To its credit, it’s more than face slapping moments and aphrodisiac pills. It has battle sequences and slice of life mischief. Still, it doesn’t stray far from expected sequences like drunk confessions, crossdressing shenanigans, rescuing damsels from brothels, dates at a night market, and palace soirees. While I don’t love the genre, beautiful segments where someone gets a different perspective to their own history are studded throughout. Unfortunately, the chronic flashbacks start to take away from story flow by the third arc. There are long chapters and rich details. Regardless, personal enjoyment is a bit low. Beyond the contradictory attributes needed for the plot (i.e. strong but weak), there are cultural barriers and failed expectations. Our heroine often seems no better off in this reality than her last life. Readers are introduced to her friends and then they disappear. Injuries break her training team for months on end. Her titles hold no power or responsibilities. She spends most of her time pretending to be someone else. No one listens and some actively block her goals but she never walks away or makes stronger demands. They plan her wedding for her, take away her efforts at revenge, and still judge her not being a good female. While the theming of catching her moon is great the onscreen romance is not that strong. Starts compelling, features some intense action sequences and laughs, but struggles to the finish. The focus shifts from her finding herself (building relationships with her new family, traveling, gaining new hobbies) to feature on imperial rule. We aren’t privy to anyone’s internal thoughts. Good intent, not for me.