A important little notice in the bottom!
Be sure not to skip it or you'll be verrryyy confuzzled~

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"Second sister, welcome back!" Xi Yan smiled, running for a hug.

Jin qing grinned and opened her arms and took in her sister's hug. She had just arrived back to her father's area in the palace after the meeting with the emperor and a few words of welcome from the other princes and princesses. "It's good to see you too! Where is everyone else?"

"They are with father. They are waiting!" Xi yan took Jin Qing's hand and dragged her to where everyone else was waiting.

The first thing Jin qing noticed was Yi ping sitting on a chair next to his mother. Aside from the bandage on his arm and his slouched posture- indicating that he has more wounds on his back- he looked fine.

"Second sister!" Yi ping smiled.

"Oh you're alright!" Jin qing smiled, overjoyed to see him back home safely.
She turned to her father and mother and dipped into a curtesy. "Excuse my rudeness. I am overwhelmed that Yi ping is back and well."

"Excused. You are in a higher standing than us, we should be the one who is paying out respects." He answered.

"You are my father, and this is my family. Nothing can come between that." Jin qing said simply.

She had a brilliant and shining smile on her face, but her eyes was just as alert.

She was aware of Huan Le's surprise and mild frustration based on the tightness of her smile and the relaxed yet satisfied grin of Kai feng.

Xue hua was staring at her, probably still mystified on how she is acting now.

The first wife's smile and eyes didn't change. Still happy, still full of joy, still full of hate so well hidden Jin qing had to look twice to make sure.
Clearly she hoped that Jin qing would be dead.

The first wife comes from a colorful background of scholars, generals, and court officials. Her family can easily replace her spot and overpower her anytime of the day.

After a few minutes of a tearful reunion, her father dismissed her back to her room in the palace, saying how she needed the rest after such a long journey.
Which, Jin qing silently cheered to. Finally! Some time alone!

Jin qing made her way back to her room with a smile. Her room was strangely quiet and empty, but she let out a laugh.
"Alright! You two have been hiding long enough. Come out!"

Another round of tears and laugher as her maids tackled her.

When Jin qing finally calmed her down, her maids quickly set her a cup of tea brewed with the freshest leaves in the back of the cabinet and some sweets that they have received from Xue hua.

Jin qing sipped on the tea her maids made and ate it with the sweets. "Ooo I've missed this place!"

"We thought you'll be gone when we heard you were captured!" Bai yan exclaimed.

"You always have a plan, dont you?" Ye being asked with a smile.

"Well, plans take time to form." Jin qing said between bites.

"Good to see our beloved miss hasn't changed!" Ye bing grinned.

"Of course." Jin qing smiled. She put down her cup, and just ate the sweets.

Footsteps.

Jin qin looked up.

Shang ye and Fu Chen walked into the room with smiles spread on their face.

"Xue Xian!" Fu chen smiled, "We have something for you!"

Jin qing stood up. "A surprise? What do you mean?"

"You'll see, quick! The soldiers are waiting for you!" Fu Chen said cheerfully and took Jin Qing's hand, helping her to her feet. "Quickly!"

Soldiers?

As they hurried out, Shang ye chuckled at the confusion on her face. "It's rare to see you so shocked like that."

"Well of course, I didn't expect this."

"I told him that this surprise can wait until after you have rested, but he just wouldn't."

"Again, what surprise are you talking about?"

"You'll see."

They led her out side to the archery range and training ground which was quite a walk from her room, where hundreds of soldiers stood in perfect lines, their armor glistening in the sun. They knelt all in unison, and greeted her. "Greetings to the Xue Xian!"

Jin qing was still so confused.

"These are the troops that were held hostage in the city before your sacrifice saved us." Fu chen explained.

"Many thanks to the Xue Xian! May the Xue Xian live hundreds and thousands of years!" They chanted in unison, the voices of men who are grateful to be spared from the cold grasp of death.

Jin qing held a hand across her mouth in shock.
Never in her life have she had a sign of gratitude like this.
Guilt settled in her heart, knowing that some of these men won't live in the war.
But as they chanted, new hope rose in her. She have saved their lives once, and she'll try her best to do it many times over.

Joy and surprise was evident on her face, and Shang ye chuckled. "They were attacked, but a good many of them still managed to survive and is grateful. It's nice to see the joy on your face."

Jin qing smiled coughing a little into her fist. "It's not everyday when you have this many people thanking you for something anyone else would have done in service to their country."

"Anyone else?" Fu chen grinned "No, what you did was a sacrifice."

"Thank you."

A lone man stepped up to her.

"On behalf of the army, I thank the Xue Xian for putting her own life on the line to keep our's safe! Our family thanks you, our next generation thanks you and so does the generation after that! As long as one of us still remains standing, as long as one of our children lives, your name will never be forgotten!"

Jin qing smiled, ignoring the headache she has.

"The war with the Song is imminent, will you stand with the Wei, stand by me, and fight for the second chance the gods have granted you?" She rose her voice, letting it travel to even the men in the back. "My name will not be important if the great Wei falls, would you take this chance?"

The men pounded their spears and swords against their shield and hollered back an agreements.

"Victory to the Wei!"

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The princes only took her as far as her room door. They noticed how exhausted looking she was, as said they needed her rest.

"I'll come again Tomorrow if I can." Shang Ye nodded before he left. "We'll keep each other company, yes? Board game buddy."

Jin qing laughed at the little nickname, swallowing the cough building in her throat. "If we don't get dragged away by work. You're welcome to come."

"Then I'll leave you be. Your face color is a little off, you should get some rest."

"Of course. Thank you."

"No problem."

When Jin qing was back in her room, she immediately sat down on her bed, her face flushed a little pale.

"Miss, are you alright?"

"I..." She coughed, placing a hand to her mouth. "What tea did you give me?"

"Black... tea?" Ye bing asked, helping her miss stand back up.

Jin qing pulled her hand away, revealing a bit of blood.

"Miss!" They exclaimed at once.

Jin qing's face was starting to slowly burn with a fever. She looked at the blood on her hands and noticed the unusual darkness to the color. "Poison-"

"Miss! But we were here the entire time! No one had came in since you left!"

"Then before, before I left..." Jin qing's mind was a little fuzzy from the nausea. Who could have done this? Perhaps a servant sent by someone? An assassin? Perhaps the Song had already gotten their hands on Yu Qi and sent her to kill the Xue Xian? She knew the Song's emperor wasn't an idiot, how long has he been planning this war?

She was barely aware of Bai yan running to get a doctor.

How much does she not know?
How much poison was in her body?
How much and how far was the other emperor planning?
How much pain and poison can she take in her life before she finally dies?

She fell into Ye bing's arms, darkness washing over her.

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Huan le smiled, hearing and seeing the panic rise in the palace.
It's all coming to place.
The poison she had placed was one that will be difficult to treat, the antidote nonexistent. She knew how to cure it though, and that'll be her weapon in this fight.

She acted, she cried, she prayed along with her family for Jin qing's recovery.

All the doctors and physicians was summoned to try and identify the poison and how to cure it. They managed to identify the poison- incorrectly many times.

She knew Jin qing wouldn't die. She put just enough for her to feel the symptoms, but death? No, no, no, she needed her alive for her own plan to work.

Did everyone think Jin qing was the only one who has acted for her entire life?
No.
Huan le was too.

She visited her sister frequently, pretending to take care of her, feeding her medicine that would settle her fever and pressing wet towels on her head.

Huan le needed her alive. But that doesn't mean Jin qing couldn't suffer for a little longer till her plan was set.

Ingesting the poison was an almost guarantee lethal dose if taken in the correct amount, so she wasn't going to feed her the poison as she did with the tea, no. She had crushed up the poison before hand and spread it on a towel, wearing gloves so none of the poison would get on her. Huan le would then place the towel on her sister's face and wait for Jin qing's ragged breathing inhale it little by little.

After three days, her plan finally came into play.

Xi jian had come rushing in while she was at her sister's bedside. The earliest part of the war is just as important as the end, and he had been busy making the decisions Jin qing would have made if she was still awake.

"Is she alright?!" He asked, rushing to her bedside.

"Greetings to the emperor-" Huan le said quickly. "And I'm not too sure- she has been asleep for three days now. She hasn't woken up once!"

Xi Jian slid next to Jin Qing and held onto her hand, much to Huan Le's surprise. "You just came back- why must you leave again at such a crucial time..."

Huan le gripped a wet towel, the water in it dripping into the bucket of water. "Your majesty, she's in a fragile state..." She reminded him gently.

"Of course. Has her condition improved in anyway?" He asked, pressing his hand against Jin qing's forehead.

"No-" Huan le rubbed her eyes. "Her fever goes up and down, so it's difficult to say..."

"Has the doctors figured out what's been poisoning her?"

"No, unfortunately." Huan le leaned over and placed a fresh towel over Jin qing's head. She picked up the bowl of medicine and held the spoon over Jin qing's lips, slowly pouring the liquid in her mouth.

Xi jian took the bowl and spoon from her and began to feed Jin qing himself.

With a heavy sigh, Huan le stood by. "I've been trying to look into her poison myself."

"Oh? Did you have any luck?"

"I- I believe I have a lead. I'm using her symptoms as a guide."

"That's what the doctors and the physicians been doing."

"But I've sat next to my sister the most, I believe I have the upper hand in that. The doctors doesn't believe me."

"Well, make them listen."
The irony. Xi jian himself wasn't even paying too much attention.

Huan le nodded and watched the emperor feed her sister the medicine, her face neutral. She couldn't help but be jealous.
Xi Jian is only paying attention to Jin Qing because she was the Xue Xian, leaving the lady who had been with him since childhood alone.

How selfish.

Huan le still doubted her sister as the Xue Xian. No way someone like her was so respected in the land, not only in the great Wei.

But if Huan le was the one that saves her from the brink of death...

All of this, was part of her plan. It was going perfectly.

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Sooo!
Important thing!
I'm visiting my grandparents this summer and I don't want to be glued to my phone writing and typing chapters, so I'm going on a mini hiatus!
Besides... I don't know if I have WiFi in my grandparents country or even if Wattpad is allowed, so that's a little bit of a heads up!

But of course, if I CAN update, I will!

If not, I'll see you wonderful readers on the 18 of August!