maybe it's more to adoration rather than love? I feel like he loves female lead since he does get very jealous when it comes to female lead and he also lusts for her. But since the author hinted in the story that the general still did not have a husband, I'm guessing he'll be the general's husband in the future
ngl i don't want her to end up with just one man. i want her to collect em all like pokemon
cockblock? she said its his betrothal gift, meaning for him to marry the female general. but i dont think she means it, she probably just said it jokingly
I think like you said it's more admiration/interest since in this world he's tomboyish and isn't really thinking about romance and crushes when he talks to the general, instead likes that she doesn't demean him and freely talks about martial arts...I think it's like finding a worthy sensei or shoot maybe a friendship of sorts...but he could have a little celebrity crush or something. I mean when Yin explained sex/sexual positions to him while using the third princess and him as reference he thought for a moment that maybe that strange/embarrassing stuff that he couldn't understand why Feng Yu, a person he respects, would allow such things to be done to him wasn't so bad. ⁄(⁄ ⁄·⁄ω⁄·⁄ ⁄)⁄
He obviously liked the general, why she gotta cock block him like that?? ;-;