Thud

Li Jin qing stretched out her feet from underneath her lavender-colored robes and pulled her left arm back, aiming the tip of another arrow notched on her bow toward the center of the board. 

Everything except for her target disappeared into the background. Not even the fragrance of the flowering tree she was firing under and the gentle wind that blew the thin fabric of her dress could take her attention away from the center of her focus.  

The arrow flew from her fingers like how water can stream from a jar. 

Thud

Another bulls-eye.


Jin qing smiled to herself, satisfied with the result. 

Bai yan, one of her maids, applauded while the other, Ye bing, took the arrow off the target in preparation for another. "Miss, that was wonderful! You looked so beautiful doing it too-- almost like a fairy from the fairy-tales!"

Jin qing was about to notch another arrow when she heard footsteps behind her. It was some servants holding brooms who had probably come to do some cleaning and sweep away the fallen petals of the cherry blossom trees flowering overhead. 

As to not disturb the servant who were just trying to do their job, Jin qing quickly set down her bow on the bench and gestured for her maids to pack up and head back to their room. 

Despite being a lady of high rank, Jin qing sometimes acts like a servant-- out of sight and out of mind. 

The maids who were sweeping the floors sighed. They've picked this dull job because they wanted to see the second lady up close. No one ever really sees her, she's often holed up in her room. Even if she did go outside, her simple robes often faded her into the background.

"What a pity she doesn't go out more often." The servant sighed. "She's such a beauty."

"If the second miss showed off her beauty and skills more, I doubt she'll be any less popular than the first miss." The other exclaimed softly. "Speaking of the first miss, did you hear how beautiful the guqin sounded when she was practicing?"

"Yes! I envy her servants too much. They're incredibly lucky to be able to serve under such a talented miss that can surely give them handsome rewards all the ti--" The servant looked back just in time to see Jin qing glance over at them. "shh!" 

Jin qing was well aware of the whispering, and she didn't mind it at all. Even though she was the second eldest daughter of the family, she often felt more invisible than the servants who prided in not being seen by anyone. She was an illegitimate daughter after all, so there wasn't a need for her to be seen.

After all-- if she was seen, she had to be extremely careful not to ruin her illustrious family's reputation...

As soon as she stepped into her room, her somber steps became more lively. When the last of her robes fluttered from the doorway, she began to skip toward the elevated platform where a cushioned seat was waiting for her by a table.

"Oh, finally! Back to the comforts of my room." Jin qing laughed, stretching out her stiff limbs. "I didn't know the servants would be cleaning that area today. Did they change the schedule again?"

"I think so-- The new servants is only just getting used to the rotations. It'll take them a little while." Ye bing answered, setting down a plate of crackers dusted with sugar-- which Jin qing happily took and bit into. 

Bai yan smiled, putting away the archery things. Who knew her miss, a person is known to be incredibly quiet outside, can be such a cheerful person when in private? 
"I feel bad for the newer servants. They were talking about how lucky the people serving the first miss is-- but they clearly have no idea what the first family is like."

"They'll find out eventually," Jin qing answered softly, brushing away the crumbs around her mouth with a handkerchief. "The first family does not have the habit of hiding who they are around their servants."

Ye bing looked around for something and looked up in alarm when she couldn't find them. "Miss! Your papers are missing!".

Despite the sharp tone, Jin qing didn't look surprised-- or even worried about it. 

"I threw them out before we left when you were getting the archery things. Don't worry about it." 

"Did you dispose of it properly? Someone might pick it up and read it!" Ye bing stressed. "No one can know about who you are--"

"Even if someone did take them, they won't be able to read it anyway. It was some scribbles that no one except for me will be able to read" Jin qing assured her, a sly smirk playing across her lips. "Why are you so worried? You shouldn't be feeling an ounce of stress if I'm not feeling any."

Ye bing and Bai yan looked at each other. They worry about their Miss sometimes, but they knew better not to. As long as their Miss isn't alarmed, they shouldn't either.

"Are the reports I requested here yet?" Jin qing asked, breaking the silence that had formed. "They said it'll arrive soon, and it's been nearly a week." 

"Yes! They arrived this morning." Bai yan said, turning around. "I'll fetch them for you if you want to start looking through them now."

"It's already a week late-- better later than never."

A box was brought to the table, filled with thin sheets of cheap paper bound together by string and filled with hastily written words scribbled inside.
These collections of reports were designed to be a one-time use so it could be quickly delivered to her with the more official reports somewhere else. It was easy to burn and cheap to produce-- there was no better option if she wanted to keep the contents of the books a secret to the world.   
Jin qing rubbed her hands together, picking up a book and started flipping through them. She was ready to stay up late working again. People depended on the answers she would give them based on the issues addressed in the reports, and she would do them well to answer them as soon as possible.

<>

Ye bing was outside, fetching some more water and some food. It was past midday and her miss hasn't eaten yet because of how focused she was. As she took a little shortcut and carried the lunchbox back to their room, she spotted the third sister of the family walking in the path to her miss' room. She gasped and quicken her steps, walking toward the back.

"Miss! The third sister is coming!"

Jin qing's posture suddenly straightened and shoved the book she was holding underneath her seat. Bai yan scrambled to hide the books and the box that came with it and Ye bing began to set the table.

They didn't have very long to pretend as if everything was normal before the third miss walked into the room. 

"Second sister." She smiled, curtsying when Jin qing looked up. 

"Xue Hua." Jin qing nodded, her attitude suddenly changing into something more gentle and sisterly as her younger sister walked in. "Have you eaten yet? What brings you here?"

Xue Hua let out a small and lady-like smile, lowering her eyes. "I'd guessed that second-sister hasn't eaten yet, so I'd thought I'd come to see the only other sister who is kind to me."

Jin qing answered with a soft smile, gesturing at the seat opposite her own. 

Xue Hua smiled and sat down on the opposite side of the table. "Also, Father wanted me to tell you to go to his office again tonight." 

Jin qing looked up, her expression unreadable. "Oh?"

Xue Hua nodded "I saw him on my way here, and he told me to tell you since I was coming to your room anyway." Xue Hua's face suddenly lit up and she leaned a little closer, pressing against her beautiful jade-colored robes back so it won't get dirty. "I went to the market with Xi yan today. Look what I got something for you!"

Her maid took out a small wooden box and presented it to Xue Hua, who opened it. Inside was two identical hairpins made of pink stone and gold. It was like a shell that opened up to reveal a pearl and matched the pinkness of Jin Qing's face and lips.

"Sister is always dressed so plainly. I thought it would be nice to wear something in her hair."

Jin qing set down her chopsticks and leaned forward, inviting Xue Hua to place it in her hair. Xue Hua, with a smile on her face, carefully placed it between the braided bits of her sister's flowing black hair. Jin qing looked up and smiled. "Does it look good on me?"

"Yes! Oh, I'm so glad it looks good. Anything looks good on you."

"You flatter me. I'll be sure to get you something next time I go outside."

"And when will that be?" Xue hua asked, teasing. 

Jin qing laughed. "When I feel like it. I don't like going to such a busy place anyway."

Xue Hua sighed. "If only you went out a little more. You have such a beautiful voice and such an ethereal, fairy-like face. Im sure you can rival Huan le's popularity if you tried."

Instead of replying, Jin qing continued eating.

Xue Hua wasn't disappointed, she knew her sister wouldn't respond to such a comment, and joined her sister in her meal.

After the meal was finished and the table was cleared, they began to do things that a lady does. Xue Hua picked up a belt that she was embordering for someone she fancied, and Jin qing was drawing.

Jin qing secretly wished for her sister to leave. 
It's not like she didn't enjoy her sister's company-- in fact, she was one of the very few people she enjoyed being around-- but there were more urgent matters for her to attend to that can't be done with the presence of someone else. 
Clearly, her father wasn't aware of the fact that the books were just delivered to her rather than the agreed-upon date of last week. If Jin qing wanted to give something to her father to be presented to the emperor on time, she'd had to hurry. 

While she was drawing, Jin qing took a deep breath, drawing some of the scents off of her sister's robes. The perfume on her robes smelled too rich for a lady of her age-- where would she have been to get that kind of scent?

"It's getting late-- I should be going now." Xue Hua suddenly stood up, giving the embroidery to a maid next to her.

"Why the rush?" Jin qing asked.

"Mother wants me to accompany her for the evening and I should go and get ready." She answered. "I'll see you tomorrow!"

Jin qing nodded, and Xue Hua swiftly left. 

As soon as her robes fluttered out of sight, Jin qing's posture relaxed and she pushed her drawing out of the way. She didn't have the time to be pondering about where her sister might have been-- she wasn't about to be nosying about in her sisters affairs. Noticing this, her maids took out the books that were hidden previously and readied a scroll with a brush and ink.

Jin qing's mind tinkered furiously as she was finally able to use all her brainpower, trying to figure out the best solution for the massive fires and subsequent famine in the south. The immediate solution was to open the storages and pass out food, but that would hurt the country long term-- especially with the growing tensions with the neighboring country. 

Rubbing her forehead, she tried to think of a solution, using some of the past records she had asked for as a guide. For the next few hours, Jin qing would scribble something on the scroll of paper, read it over, only to cross it out and start over.

However impossible the problem may seem, she was entrusted with a task-- and she must complete it with perfect results. 

<><><>

The lights in the manor were dim and the moon was already high in the sky. Everyone in the manor should be asleep or at least keeping to themselves in their room, and yet Bai yan and Ye bing were standing outside of the master's hall. 

Inside the hall, Jin qing passed her father the scroll she had been toiling over the entire afternoon and watched anxiously as he read it over. 

Her father set the scroll down. "You surprise me every time," Her father said "Over twenty of the best advisors, the emperor himself, can not think of a better solution than opening the grain storages over a week. And yet you somehow did-- all in the span of one afternoon."

Jin qing smiled gently and wished that he'll quickly dismiss her. "Thank you"

He noticed the little change in her tone and waved his hand. "You can leave now," he said. "I'll make sure the next time the reports aren't delivered late."

Curtsying a little bit, Jin qing left, her light coat fluttering behind her. She hoped that once her father had presented this solution to the emperor, he and his advisors can correct any other mistake that might have escaped her eye. 

As she was hurrying back to her room, she was stopped by her eldest sister, who just so happened to be taking a late-night walk. As if there was a switch in her mind, Jin qing stood a tiny bit straighter, her expression serious and a little more confident. She knew she had to be more careful around someone like her.

"Taking a stroll this late at night, Jin qing?" Huan le asked. 

"Yes, sister." Jin qing replied, making direct eye contact. "How about you? Staying up late can affect the beauty you're so proud of."

"Sister dearest, shouldn't you worry about that too?" She asked, her words sweet but her tone suggesting otherwise. "You are a lady of high rank, even if you are a fake."

"No, Huan le. I'm not as worried about how I look."

"Why not? Your disgrace will reflect on the family's reputation."

Jin qing smirked. "Why do I need to worry about the family's reputation when there is someone as famous as you holding us up?" she asked, sarcasm clear in her voice. "If you don't mind, sister dearest, I'll be heading back to my room." And with that, she walked past her eldest sister with no intention of furthering the conversation. 

"When we go to the palace tomorrow with father, be a good girl and stay out of the way, won't you?" Huan le asked, hostility laced within her slightly raised voice as Jin qing walked away. "Be quiet as you always have done. After all, isn't that all you know how to do?"

Jin qing's lavender robes fluttered out of sight.

Author's note:
Hello! My name is Kiri and this is my first book that took place in ancient China!
I hope you like it, and I'm the process of editing this book so there might be some inconsistencies, so please leave feedback if there are any mistakes. Thank you!