Chapter 12
Jin qing was supposed to be at her first meeting today.
A long carriage ride and many bodyguards went with her to the city that has been recently been held under siege.
The siege was still early, and they were able to smuggle Jin qing in, though she ended up walking in herself with her maids waiting outside.
In her simpler version of her white cape, she walked into the commander's tent, only to be stopped.
"Stop!" A solider said "You are on a military field! Leave now!"
"I have every authority to be here." Jin qing said, "Allow me to go in."
"No miss! I must not!"
Jin qing stared him down. Though she was shorter and much more petite, she spoke with such authority the solider got a little nervous. "Why not?"
"You are a lady, and ladies aren't supposed to be here."
Jin qing sighed "Has the emperor not told you I was going to come?"
"No, who are you?"
"Let me in, and you will find out."
"No miss, I-"
He never got to finish his sentence, because Jin qing already went in.
The young generals hunched around a map arguing about the best way to break the siege. None of them noticed Jin qing until she cleared her throat.
"Who are you!" One exclaimed.
I should have worn my ultimate one. Oh well, that doesn't matter now. Jin qing sighed.
Out of her pockets, she took out a jade disk the emperor had ordered for her.
The general gasped and knelt. "Greetings to the Xue xian!"
"Rise." She said softly and stepped up to the table. "What's the situation?"
"They outnumber us and has us surrounded except for that one section." One said "Their leader, General Qi Yong is commanding the fight."
The name shook the two other commanders, but Jin qing remained calm. "What do we know about them?"
"We don't know much, but we know it's big."
Jin qing mentally laughed
This wasn't the first time she had to deal with situations like this.
"Tomorrow, since it is late already, we use fire as a friend." Jin qing said. "It hasn't rained in this area for a few weeks, which gives us an advantage. How are our supplies looking?"
"Low, but enough to last this seige for another week."
"Then we burn their armies. We send prisoners to run among their ranks, spreading oil and such, and we light them ablaze. As they burn and are disorganized, we charge out. The seige weapons are our priority, then the general." Jin qing said, moving little pieces that represent soldiers.
"But that is such a big risk! This is a massacre, bloodshed to the highest amounts, this is impossible!" He shouted. He shook an angry finger at Jin qing "I don't know why the emperor sent you here, but this is madness! We are not sending our troops to death!"
"All battles and all war needs bloodshed to proceed." Jin qing forced herself to remain calm "then what do you propose?"
He swiftly picked up the troops and passed them through a tunnel. "We send them there as a diversion. Then, we do a frontal charge."
Jin qing couldn't believe how stupid this man is.
"Call me insane if I'm wrong, but their general is not an idiot. Look at the positions of their troops. That tunnel is theirs now. We try and use it, more will die."
"A better chance than your foolish idea." He said. "You know nothing of war and fighting. Go sit back down."
Jin qing narrowed her eyes "I have been in wars longer than you think."
He shook his head "We are going to use the tunnels. End of story. This is the smartest way to ensure not too many people die." He left without another word.
Jin qing sighed and sat down as the commanders watched.
Why is this child of a man in charge?
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Jin qing refused to leave the city that night.
She knew things will go wrong, and she will stay here and fix it and make it right.
The night was quiet.
Her maids weren't allowed in her room because of "safety reasons"
She grew anxious about the situation outside.
It was because of her so many men were dying.
The thought of that sent her steady breathing into a flurry.
She took a deep breath and drummed her fingers on her bed.
She knew the chaos is really happening outside the walls.
She wanted her maids to be here. They calm her is some strange way.
She closed her eyes but sat up straight. She was too worried to sleep.
Her maids were outside this protected circle, she hoped they are alright.
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Jin qing slammed the paper down on the table the next morning. "So?" She said, her voice calm. "How many did we lose?"
"A little less than a thousand..." The young general said, hanging his head.
"How many are lost or captured?"
"We don't know..."
Jin qing looked up, her eyes lit with fire "and what went wrong?"
"They attacked us at the mouth of the tunnel."
Jin qing sighed "And what did I tell you not to do?"
"Use the tunnel."
Jin qing bit her lip, the situation was bad.
"Then we use my plan then." Jin qing said.
"At this number?" The general said, astounded.
"Are you still questioning what I do?"
He shook his head, trying to be as polite as possible "No, but I say we evacuate the entire city."
"Out where? We are completely surrounded thanks to your foolish actions." Jin qing asked, surprised how anyone can be so stupid. "We'll use my plan, though we'll have to alter it quite a bit to suit our current situation. It'll work much better than your idea of an evacuation-"
"Then if you are so confident about your plan, then why don't you go with the soldiers?" He said, his short temper arising.
"And so I will!" Jin qing said, standing up. "Fetch my horse and call my maids. We leave as soon as we can."
The general looked at her like she was crazy "no- I didn't mean literally-"
But it was too late, for Jin qing's robes fluttered out of sight.
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Bai yan and Ye bing are terrified.
Their miss was visibly fuming.
She threw on her simple hunting armor and donned a white cape, and saddled on.
Themselves have light armor and two swords, ready to accompany their miss to battle.
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The hooves of Jin qing's horse clopped around.
"Men!" She shouted.
It was a strange sight. A high standing lady raising her voice and dressed in armor, but Jin qing didn't care.
"Ladies are often underestimated because we are small, but do I let that hold me down?" Jin qing asked, "That army looks down at us because we look inferior, but does that hold us down?"
"No!" The soldiers roar.
"Behind these walls are your beloved wives and children, mothers and fathers, brothers and sisters. If we leave and give up, who will be there to defend them?"
"NO ONE!" They replied.
"Behind this city is the great country of Wei! Will we let the dirty hooves of the song horses and the filthy blood of their soldiers tarnish our land?"
"NO!"
Jin qing turned her horse around "Then can we fail?"
"NO!"
"Then let us show them the fury of the great Wei!"
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Jin qing watched the prisoners spread oil all around the army.
She rallied as much as she can, and she hoped it was enough.
She closed her eyes and felt the hot wind of noon on her skin.
She opened her eyes, and hurried down to her horse.
"Shoot!" She shouted.
The stretching of the bowstrings filled the air, and fire flew.
"Open the gates!"
the gates creaked open and the remaining soldiers charged out, with Jin qing and her maids beside her.
Jin qing rose her sword, and they bellowed for the thirst of revenge.
Then the first enemy soldier came at her, Jin qing hesitated, but pushed it aside.
The soldier fell dead.
Flames wreathed around her, her white cape billowing. Her helmet covered her face, but she saw everything.
When she got close enough, she drew her bow and aimed for the heart of the general in the back of the army.
Her arrow hit its mark, and the general fell down, dead.
Noticing that their general has died, the army retreated, only to be intercepted by a hail of arrows and stones from the civilians that have camped outside.
The enemy soldiers attacked at a frenzy, killing whomever they can as the last of their energy poured out of them.
Jin qing has long gotten off her horse, but her faithful steed stayed by her side. She swung her sword and used her bow, no matter what the range was.
She felt like she was unstoppable.
Her white cap dotted and soaked with blood, her eyes emotionless.
Out of the corner of her eye, she saw a fellow soldier fall.
She rushed over and helped the man onto her horse, and urged her horseback.
She knew she was letting her guard down, but a life is a life.
Even the enemies she faced was only knocked out. They will probably die later due to their injuries, but she didn't kill them.
Pain erupted from her upper back, close to her heart, missing it only by a little bit.
Jin qing stumbled and managed to deflect a strike from another solider, but this time, she moved in a hazy and struck the person with a killing move.
A cheer roared from her side as the last of the mighty army was driven back.
Jin qing raised her sword silently, watching and listening with satisfaction.
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The surviving soldiers and volunteers were greeted by civilians like heroes.
Jin qing, still having her face covered by her helmet, looked down at her horse.
Bai yan rode up to her miss and swiftly took her helmet off, and the crowd roared with approval when they saw the woman behind their success.
Jin qing plastered a smile on her face.
When she got back to the office, the young general who had opposed her knelt. He didn't say anything, but Jin qing knew what he was too shy to say.
"I hope you have learned your lesson on not being too brash on your actions." Jin qing said softly.
"Yes."
Jin qing laid her hand on his shoulder "let this be a lesson to you. You are a general, you should be open to all suggestions, especially from the ones above you." Jin qing retracted her hand "I will let this one go, but consider this your last warning. Others will not be as forgiving as I am."
"Thanks for the warning, Xue xian."
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Jin qing's maids followed her into her room to help her pack for her return trip.
Ye bing carried a big medicine box to treat any wounds, which Jin qing took from them.
"Is any of you two hurt?" Jin qing asked.
Ye bing shook her head. "Miss, what about you?"
Instead of responding, Jin qing seized Ye bing's left arm, who yelped.
"And you?" Jin qing asked Bai yan.
Bai yan shook her head, but Jin qing's keen eyes caught some movement. Jin qing sharply jabbed at her maid's chest, who winced.
"You two girls can't lie to me." Jin qing said, lifting up Ye bing's sleeves. "This isn't a injury? I am sure there is more, my the way you are limping, Ye bing, your leg is also wounded, if not, twisted by the ankle."
Ye bing and Bai yan looked down sheepishly.
"What about you, miss?" Bai yan asked.
"I'm fine, I don't get hurt too easily." Jin qing replied.
Jing qing unwrapped the bandages and wrapped it around the injuries of her maids, applying salves and ointments to ease any pain.
When she was done, she stretched her back. "There, now let time do its work."
"Are you sure you are alright, miss?" Ye bing asked.
"Yes, I'm fine. I will want some time alone, thank you. I'll pack myself, and don't bother with any meals. If anyone comes looking for me, tell them I am resting." Jin qing ordered.
Her maids bowed, and retreated.
Jin qing waited a few minutes, making sure her maids was gone.
When she was sure, she suddenly hunched over and let out a deep breath.
She stretched her arms to reach for the wound on her back, reaching beneath her robes.
Her hand came out, wet.
She slowly treated her own wounds, wincing every so often due to the pain.
She didn't want her maids to worry about her, so she treated her wounds herself.
When she accidentally poked the wound while trying to clean it, she sharply inhaled and stopped herself from a yelp.
Jin qing looked up, she wanted to go home.
A/N
Oof that was a long chapter XD
Are you all enjoying the story? Let me know if you have any feedback ^-^
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