Legend of the Female General

“Your pains resonate within me... Because of you, I chose to believe.”

General Feihong and General Fengyun are the talented, loyal "Twin Stars" destined to protect the borders of the Wei Kingdom. But beneath the armour, they lead two different lives. He Yan is forced to put on the "cold mask" that "smothered" her identity and masquerade as the male heir in place of her ailing stepbrother to gain prestige for the He family, only to be betrayed and hunted mercilessly. On the other hand, Xiao Jue bears the weight of rebuilding his family's military reputation after being embroiled in palace politics and losing both of his parents. Yet it's their shared righteousness, unwavering trust and mutual respect for each other that allowed them to weather the storms and become an inseparable duo both on the battlefield and in life.

What drew me into this drama is the perfect balance between the female and male leads. He Yan is such a powerful female general that she not only wins people over with her phenomenal fighting skills and military tactics, but also with her wit and charm. She's ruthless on the battlefield, yet empathetic and devoted to those whom she vows to protect. Zhou Ye displayed a fantastic duality as He Yan that still amazes me with every rewatch. She can be lethal in one moment as the strong and confident General Feihong, then turn into the happy-go-lucky He Yan with her Dudu in the next moment. It's an unexpected, yet much-welcomed twist from her last role as the timid and sweetheart Sheng Sheng Man from Love Me, Love My Voice, whom I also adore. Xiao Jue is commanding and enigmatic, but he sometimes also looks as if he's about to buckle from carrying the weight of the world on his shoulders. He undoubtedly believes that He Yan can prevail against ten men and conquer the world, but still always has her back and will be her "moon" if she's in need. Ryan Cheng gives such a complex and fabulous portrayal of Xiao Jue. His captivating, piercing gaze and impressive presence serve as a stark contrast to when he actually softens for He Yan or shows vulnerability and grief. I first fell in love with Ryan Cheng's role as the sassy Gong Shang Jue in My Journey to You, so it's wonderful to see him with more screentime playing a more fleshed-out character. On-screen, Zhou Ye and Ryan Cheng show superb chemistry as the invincible general couple. Off-screen, they're a goofy pair that know each other's quirks inside out and are always up for a good laugh. Even when singing, they're equally matched in singing off-key on Hello Saturday!

The cinematography is absolutely stunning! From the beautifully choreographed fight sequences to the sheer intensity of the leads and massive scale of the battlefields, there isn't any action scene that's not iconic. Personally, I love He Yan's diverse range of weapons, including the fighting whip, archery, spear, sword and twin blades. This highlights how versatile and outstanding she is as a general. My all-time favourite scene got to be when He Yan and Xiao Jue fought side-by-side in the final battle with their majestic, complementary black and white armours and matching ferocity. I feel like this could be a crossover between The Long Ballad and Who Rules the World.

For soundtracks, I love it when Light Within The Heart (心海里的光) by Zhou Shen and Moon Like Song (月如歌) by Curley Gao are played during the intense battle scenes. But Embroidered Moon Verse (锦月书) by Zhang Zining and Long-Cherished Wish (夙愿) by Zhang Yuan definitely stole my heart as they perfectly encapsulate He Yan and Xiao Jue's lonely journeys before they found their reflection and soulmate in each other.

It's not to say there are no flaws in the drama. I find the villains of the drama a bit anti-climatic. The supposedly big villain He Rui Fei and his conspirator Xu Jing Fu are not as scheming as they're projected to be in the first half, with both having a rather quick downfall. Chu Zhao is perhaps one of the most pitiful SMLs who's got no place to jump in between the two inseperable leads. I feel like he could be a more calculative and interesting character rather than reduced to a crazed, obsessed SML. While not really a villain, I do think the emperor could be more discerning instead of being easily swayed by those around him just for the sake of maintaining the "balance" in palace politics. Although I haven't read the original novel, I believe that the fact that He Yan stays alive in the drama, rather than reincarnating into another body, after the assassination (possibly due to drama regulations), drastically limits the plot potential of the last few episodes. Nevertheless, this is still a drama with very high-quality production, which I enjoy watching immensely. This is not meant to be a historical drama full of political intrigue, but rather an awe-inspiring journey where two generals find their soulmate in each other, who could share their pain and happiness as they fight life-and-death battles to defend their beloved kingdom and its people.

FAVOURITE QUOTES

“I like the moon, but the moon doesn’t know.” He Yan
“Now the moon belongs to you [He Yan]. The peerless moon is yours now.” Xiao Jue

“I’m afraid after pretending to be someone else for too long, I might forget who I really am. I hope there’s someone in this world who comes for me. Not for He Ruifei. Not for General Feihong. Just for me. Coming for me.” He Yan

“Women are never inferior to men. Through the ages, people have claimed women belong at embroidery frames and housewifery. But must we women be confined to domestic roles or limited to needlework? We can write and fight. We can write literary masterpieces. We can charge into battle and earn glory. We’re not just waiting to be saved. We can save ourselves.” He Yan

“Swords are for enemies. Never against the weak.” He Yan

“You [He Yan] and I always share similar experiences. Be it our pasts or present, your pains resonate within me. It was you… Because of you, I chose to believe.” Xiao Jue

"She [He Yan] graces my view, occupies my mind and claims my heart" Xiao Jue

“As the General Feihong, you must soar freely in the sky.” Xiao Jue

“Even against ten men, let alone women, she’d [He Yan'd] still prevail.” Xiao Jue

“Many people may show consideration for others, but those [He Yan] who would sacrifice themselves for other people at critical moments are exceedingly rare.” Xiao Jue

“I know you are worried about my safety. But you must realise that once I wear this amour, I become a soldier, fearless of death.” He Yan
“He Yan, receive orders! Come back alive.” Xiao Jue

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I like this better than its novel

Don’t get me wrong i like the novel, that’s the whole reason i am waiting desperately for this series, but i couldn’t help to feel that some scene feels unrealistic.

I don’t know about anyone else but i personally like this better than its novel, although a bit rushed and FL’s combat scene cut down to a minimum, ML’s dashing battle scene saves the whole Military General theme.

SML’s characteristics are much more pronounce that i hate him even more in this series.

I also like how they merged 2 certain characters in the novel into one. In the novel, one of them have little contributions to the story and the other have questionable life decisions that i must say it couldn’t relate to real life.

Ditching the rebirth genre is a great decision for this entire series, it makes every little twist and revelations that i find questionable in the novel much more believable in this series. But, although it serves the whole plot that sometimes questionable in the novel, FL frail figures could only justified by rebirth to another body, so ditching it would makes FL’s skinniness unjustified, not that i tried to body shame her, but i found it almost illogical.

The downside of ditching the rebirth story is also came by ditching few characters FL should have met, they are lovely characters, but i understand it would be illogical to include them without any red line to the plot.

Last but not least, their soundtracks are great and fit my preferences so well that i fell in love with them at first hear.

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Surprisingly Very Well Done

I like Zhou Ye (He Yan) and i haven’t seen many of Ryan Cheng dramas so i can’t really speak to his past work. I usually read bad reviews prior to watching a Drama that i typically like the leads to see what audiences are thinking and if it’s really that bad. I am here to tell you that this is top 10 of 2025, top 5 historical dramas this year. I have been trying to be organized when i write reviews that audiences might read. I generally grade based on the ratings criteria.

Story: The story is similar but different than Mulan. I actually liked it better than Mulan even though the actress that played the last Mulan is one of the top actresses in China. This story was much better and had more deaf/details to it which could be due to it being a series instead of a movie.

Acting/Cast: Excellent casting and everyone played their role well. The NEGATIVE her is the lead actress acting as a man. The Director didn’t really change He Yan’s look, like shorten her hair, harden her face or make her seem like a man so this may have thrown audiences off the first 10 episodes. Once they got past this part of the story and it wasn’t really about gender, but fighting, it was all top notch.

Music: Excellent and not over the top like a lot of dramas.

Rewatch Value: Would absolutely rewatch to see some of the details I may have missed. Surprisedly there was a good ending and last 5 episodes.

Overall: IMO, outstanding series that kept me wanting the next episode. The fight scenes, especial with He Yan was some of the most beautiful scenes since Journey of Love and I would even say Crouching Tiger. They were not as physical looking as the two i mentioned above but the choreograph of the scenes were outstanding sticking to the same style for He Yan throughout the series. One thing I like is that they didn’t do to much poisoning the leads then have them fight while sick like a lot of historical dramas. If they got poisoned they recovered then had a big fight or war.

MUST SEE!!!

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A Romance Woven with Honor and Steel

The Legend of Female General is one of those dramas that wants to balance heart-stirring romance with the grandeur of historical warfare. Having read the novel by Qian Shan Cha Ke beforehand (which also gave us The Rebirth of the Malicious Empress of Military Lineage), I came in with high expectations—and I wasn’t that much disappointed. In fact, this adaptation captures much of what I loved in the novel while also delivering its own unique charm. It wasn’t a 100% adaptation, but I'm still impressed.

He Yan remains one of my most favorite female leads of all time. She’s unlike the usual cold-hearted revenge-driven heroines we often see in historical dramas. Instead, she carries her intelligence with warmth and kindness. Her sense of justice is sharp, but her humanity is even sharper, which makes her deeply compelling.

Xiao Jue, on the other hand, is the perfect counterpart to her. As a general, he embodies the phrase “actions speak louder than words”, but when he does speak—his words carry weight, wit, and tenderness. His lines are some of the best-written ones I’ve heard in a drama in a long time. And that confession scene? Absolutely unforgettable—subtle, heartfelt, and perfectly in character.

The story itself is not purely a revenge drama. Romance is undoubtedly at the forefront, with revenge acting more as a backdrop that adds tension rather than defining the entire plot. The pacing in the first few episodes might feel overwhelming as the editing tries to pack in world-building and backstory all at once, but once it settles, the narrative flows smoothly. The payoff is satisfying, and the ending leaves viewers with a sense of hope rather than lingering despair.

On the technical side, the action sequences stand out as some of the best I’ve seen in a Chinese historical drama. Each fight scene is not only choreographed with precision but also emotionally charged. I found myself replaying them multiple times—the sword fights, in particular, were breathtaking. It’s clear that the production team poured their heart into these moments, and it paid off brilliantly.

As for the performances, Zhou Ye and Ryan Cheng truly carried the heart of this drama. Zhou Ye brought a perfect balance of vulnerability and strength to He Yan, while Ryan Cheng’s restrained yet magnetic presence as Xiao Jue elevated their chemistry to another level. Their dynamic alone makes this drama worth watching. Bai Shu, as the villain, was a pleasant surprise. Having only seen him in supportive, “good guy” roles before, I was impressed by how convincingly he portrayed a villain who's somehow like a fool. ZKL admittedly felt off at times, but he managed to find his rhythm in the later episodes. Meanwhile, ZMY gave a solid performance as a side character.

Overall, The Legend of Female General is not perfect, but it is deeply rewarding. It gives us a romance that is steady yet unforgettable, and action scenes that set a new bar for the genre. Whether you’ve read the novel or are diving in for the first time, this drama will leave you with a lasting impression.

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Fierce But Soft

I’ve seen a lot of complaints about the FL not meeting the idealized version of what a woman disguised as a man in the military would look like. So let me address that first. Have you all looked at some of the soldiers and other actors in this and other wuxia style dramas? Some of the men would be blown away by a soft breeze were it not for their costume and play swords. Her voice is feminine, but many male vocalists that sing tenor or even soprano have feminine voices. Si what’s your beef? Just because you had a preconceived idea of what a female general should look like, you have decided this young actress doesn’t match your imagination. Yoy claim you want a strong female lead, but cry because her strength came from an abusive family, war, a narcissistic violent brother and the plotting court politician that wanted her life snuffed out…and she survived? What else do you want? Did you expect a manly voice and physique? Seriously?

My Review:

Frankly, I enjoyed this drama a great deal. The story was good. Yes there were holes, yes some things weren’t plausible in real life. But again - it is a STORY, not reality.

The chemistry between the leads was palpable. The ML’s eyes could be cold as ice and incredibly attractive once he found out how much he cared. I love also that the FL embraced her femininity when she was able to finally show the world who she was. Their character development as individuals and then as couple was very good. And when the ML was forced to deliver the edict from the jerk of an emporer who was manipulated by the 2ML, one could feel the pain his character had.

The floofy spoiled Chancellors daughter was rather ignorantly naive and spoiled. She lived in a world she created in her own mind in regards to others and the 2ML’s affections.

The villains were portrayed well. Bith tried to justify their choices and actions by shifting the blame to others and when they were eventually caught, it was still their delusions that came from their corrupted minds that poured out of their mouth.

The 2nd male lead annoyed me. While he had a pretty face, you could see the corruption and desire to get what he wanted (the FL) regardless of the cost - even to the point of manipulating the emporer into breaking their engagement. I detest a character that doesn’t take no for an answer and tries to force his way in.

The choreography of the fight scenes was very good. I didn’t see any wobbly swords, or fake blood spurting from wounds that hadn’t been inflicted yet. Of course things were exaggerated, but again, it’s a STORY.

The music was good, scenes were shot well, and the extras did a great job in the background.

Overall, I scored this a 10, because it was a good visual story and every scene was shot well.

If you haven’t watched it, throw out your expectations and just enjoy the STORY!

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The lead character is a hot mess

At the end of episode 4 I was thinking that this was going to be a solid 10 and then it all went downhill.

Considering the premise was that the FL had huge success posing as male and becoming a general, after episode 4, either the writers, the actress, the director or all of the above - completely forgot about this and the FL went from a strong female posing as a male to the typical whining, childish, cutesy female character we see so often in c-dramas.

WHYYYY!!!! So frustrating.

However, Ryan Cheng was incredible. I have not seen him in any other roles but he was so enigmatic and had a quiet intensity that definitely drew me in

Sadly, you cant skip the bad bits when the whole story is centred around one particular character and the FL became unbearable for me.

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Turn your brain off and enjoy

I came into this drama with no expectations and without reading any spoilers (very rare these days. )That said... I.Love.This.Drama! Perfectly balanced- action with light humor, romance with the right amount of angst, great villains, greater but vulnerable heroes. No bloated episode count keeps the episodes tight. Action and times of tenderness and friendship keep the drama moving without unnecessary plot points. I will re-watch again and again. Was it perfectly perfect? No. But in the high 9 range. Were there some cringey effects? Yes, but not too many. Well done drama crew and actors! Thanks subbing team!!

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An impressive legend of a valiant female general!!

He Yan, takes the name of He Ru Fei, her elder brother, and becomes the valiant and extraordinary female general Feihong. Though forced to take upon her brother's identity for preserving the noble status of her family, she gets herself entangled in the conspiracy of Mingshui battle, that claimed the 30,000 lives of soldiers along with the general of Xiao army. Later she gets blinded, abandoned and killed by her brother, only to return back as He Yan and join Yezhou Garrison, to reclaim everything back and clear her name. Gradually, she earns the trust and support of Commander Xiao Jue, of Xiao army, who is investigating the conspiracy of Mingshui battle and thinks He Ru Fei has betrayed them. The latter part ends with investiigating criminals and bursting conspiracies.
Zhou Ye as He Yan is really tailor made for this role.
Her performance was fabulous👌
Cheng Lei is excellent as Xiao Jue. Their chemistry was very good.
All the actors delivered excellent performances and the action scenes were very good. All the war scenes were well choreographed and picturised.
The cinematography, costumes, music, plot, pace, everything were good.
Though the plot has some loopholes, it is still a worth watching drama that keeps you glued , imo.
On a final note, it is a very good drama 👍

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The Confession Scene Really Stole My Heart

I just finished watching Legend of Female General, and I’m still not over it! I absolutely love everything about Xiao Jue and He Yan—their healthy relationship, their longing for each other, their fights, their love… everything. Their confession scene? Still gives me butterflies. Honestly, it’s one of the best confessions ever.

One of my favorite episodes is when Xu Jingfu and He Rufei are exposed. That moment when He Rufei summoned the Fuyue Army, but it turns out the Emperor had already ordered the Nine Banner Battalion to be on standby? Absolute genius. Another favorite is, of course, the iconic confession:

“I love the moon, but the moon doesn’t know.”
“Do you still like the moon?”
“Yes.”
“Now, the moon is yours.”

I will engrave this line in my heart forever, haha.

And then there’s the scene where Xiao Jue is about to propose to He Yan—it was so sweet, I felt like I was the one being proposed to! That sweetness didn’t last long though because Chu Zhao had to show up right after 😌.

Actually, the BEST scene might just be when He Yan came to help Xiao Jue at Mingshui, fighting the Wutuo Army. I love how this scene really reinforced the “Female General” title. The action sequences, especially Xiao Jue and He Yan fighting together, were top-tier. Another heartbreaking moment was when Xiao Jue had to deliver the imperial decree for He Yan to marry Chu Zhao. Ugh, my heart.

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Shortcomings

As much as I love this drama, there are a few things that drove me crazy:
1. He Rufei’s Confidence – Where on earth did this man get his confidence from? 😂 He really thought he was better than He Yan just because she used his name and earned the title of General Feihong. At least He Yan worked her way up from zero, despite him trying to kill her.
2. Chu Zhao’s Character – I was so frustrated with him! Why did he even get promoted? Give me three good reasons why he should rise in rank—especially to military supervisor! He can’t even fight a basic battle. He just simply being there, and there you go, a promotion for you.
3. The Emperor’s Weakness – The Emperor started off fine, but once he got brainwashed by Chu Zhao, I just wanted to punch the screen. Honestly, if they had skipped the whole arranged marriage between He Yan and Chu Zhao, the story would have been so much better. And come on, Xiao Jue and He Yan were loyal to a fault—if they wanted the throne, they could’ve taken it ages ago. I wish this Emperor was written more like the one in Love Like the Galaxy. That Emperor remains the best.
4. Character Deaths – Why did they kill off Yan He? 😭😭 That broke me. And Chu Zhao’s attendant too? She knew martial arts—she could’ve easily dodged that knife! Sure, her death made Chu Zhao realize things, but still… On the bright side, I’m relieved Feinu survived—usually writers love killing off the male lead’s right-hand man.

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Other Thoughts
• The marriage between Cheng Lisu and Song Taotao? Extra, but I loved it 🤣.
• Xiao Jue’s brother and his wife? Adorable.
• He Yan’s teammates? Love them all.
• The fight scenes? Incredible!
• He Yan being “too small” to be a general? Doesn’t bother me at all. Don’t judge a book by its cover.

Despite all its flaws, this drama is now one of my favorites. Xiao Jue and He Yan really carried this story. I love Cheng Lei from My Journey to You and Zhou Ye from Back From the Brink. They truly have amazing chemistry, and I’d love to see them together again. Their acting was outstanding.

Also, the OSTs are beautiful—I’ve been replaying them nonstop. I’d rewatch this drama, though I’d probably just skip to Xiao Jue and He Yan’s scenes. 😍

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A drama for our inner Mulan

Let me start by saying I nearly skipped this drama because I read one review that said it was bad and many comments calling it a temu production. Still, I had waited like most fans for years for this drama to air so it was only fair to judge it after watching it.
I'm so glad I did!
This drama was really well cast and paced, but it's not flawless. There were things that didn't make sense and plot holes, but nothing that would ruin the drama in my opinion.
I think Zhou Ye did a great job portraying He Yan. I greatly sympathised with her hidden identity and felt that her mother should have done more to protect her. Of course I was unaware of the real story behind her mother's situation until the last few episodes (this was a wasted opportunity as a bit of time spent here in flashbacks would have been nice). He Yan's commitment to herself was amazing - there is nothing I love seeing more than a woman who can kick butt and take down men. I also appreciated her feminist speeches which were many and as often as she could deliver them. Her points were always valid and encouraging, never judgemental or patronising. Her entire arc of restarting her life with her own identity (although she had to hide her gender for a while) was inspiring. She picked herself up and worked harder to regain her achievements and find out the truth behind the battle that cost Xiao Jue his father. She was smart, courageous and cutesy (only to irritate and distract her beloved Commander).
Cheng Lei was born for the role of Huai Jin. He mastered glowering and continually glared for the entire drama. I loved it! Not many actors can pull off this expression and make us believe it (my favourites are still Wang Yi Bo in The Untamed and Zhang Ling He in The Story of Kunning Palace). Xiao Jue's pain was so apparent from the first episode and his devastation when he finds out about He Yan was heartbreaking. He clearly was in love with her, but could not be certain if she was his enemy. Also a shout out to him getting ahead of the whole He Yan is a woman drama with the emperor. Well done!
Now let's talk about the most important thing: the fight scenes. This is where the budget went. As a fan of The Long Ballad, I felt so cheated that almost all the fight scenes were drawings with background sounds. This drama though knew we wanted to see our female general fight and they delivered. He Yan is gifted and skilled - I thoroughly enjoyed her taking down He Rufei's right hand man and when she blinded him and told him she was a ghost who came back for revenge, I cheered. It was so satisfying. All her fight scenes were really done well, but putting her and Xiao Jue on the same battlefield and watching them fight side by side was just a masterpiece in how it should be done. That final battle with him in black and her in white fighting in tandem was epic and I loved the details in that fight where we saw them work like yin and yang. Did anyone else love that sword switch? Details make the scene.
My gripe with all costume C-dramas is why is the emperor always a moron? Like how do you rule an entire kingdom but you can't think for yourself and always let someone whisper poison in your ear? Chu Zhao was pathetic when he first came on screen and it didn't surprise me when he devolved into delusion and schemes. Him coming between He Yan and Xiao Jue's marriage was expected, but the moronic emperor making poor Xiao Jue go deliver the decree to He Yan was pure evil. I felt that the emperor was the true baddie because he was just an idiot who couldn't apply logic and took great joy is bringing misery. I would have been find if He Yan and Xiao Jue had killed him instead, but oh well we need to support the loyalty to the throne rubbish. It was so satisfying when the emperor realised he had done wrong when both Xiao Jue and He Yan declared that they'll remain alone for life if they couldn't marry each other. I also loved when she shut down Chu Zhao so fast when he was trying to claim that over time she would be happy being married to him. I absolutely despise characters that force their unrequited affections onto the person they supposedly love and think it's fine to do that. If she doesn't love you, SHE DOES NOT LOVE YOU. End of story.
Overall I felt that the drama lived up to its name because it showed us how He Yan worked from joining the Yezhou garrison to finally became a female general who was openly acknowledged. She reclaimed her title of General Feihong on her own terms and she earned everything rightfully. That ending with her and Xiao Jue ditching their wedding banquet to just go hang out and gaze at their moon was perfect.
My lesson from all this: Don't rely on reviews and comments before watching a drama. Watch it and then make your own decision.

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