The next morning, Jin qing was on a horse, speeding to the city.
She had voted to go by herself without any escort slowing her down. Her maids followed behind with some belongings, but Jin qing was much too fast for her maids. Besides, her horse had no weight slowing it down.

Her thin, silk cape billowed in the wind as a sense of determination stayed fixed on her face.
She had put what happened yesterday hopefully as far as she could for the time being. Jin qing desperately needed something to distract her, preferably with work.
Besides, it's not like the emperor can follow her.

The city gates opened for her, and she rode in, looking for the government buildings inside where her brother would be stationed.
Jin qing slid off her horse, and it was led away by a servant. The guards at the door bowed for her, but she paid them no attention and hurried in.

"Greetings to the Xue Xian!" The people inside said in unison as she walked in. Her brother, handsomely dressed in a silver armor over dark blue robes. A red cape marked his status, and so did his jeweled sword.

"Jin qing." Kai feng nodded. "Glad you were able to hurry here."

Jin qing nodded but smiled on the inside. She knew out of all people Kai feng wouldn't bother to address her by her proper name. "I came as soon as I could. Now, can anyone tell me the details?"

"Of course." Kai feng nodded. "Did the emperor not tell you anything?"

"We were interrupted." Jin qing answered quickly, keeping her eyes on the map that was spread on the table. "Now, the details."

"The song has an extraordinary amount of men on the opposite side of the river. They had tried to siege us twice, and we defended and prevented them from doing so twice."

Jin qing looked at the approximate locations of the troops, then looked at what the Wei had. "Reinforcements are marching toward us as we speak." She assured Kai feng. "There's no use fighting by charging across the river, but it might be enough to overwhelm the Song."

"But then their archers-" Kai feng tapped on a blue block on the map "will eventually shoot us down. Though there is no hill, out men is almost undefended as they cross the river."

"From what I can see, the siege weapons are already in a line, ready to be put in position as soon as they grant access to this side of the river." Jin qing bit her lip. She was certain this was the work of that man. "Have you blockaded the bridges?"

"Blown them up on day one." Kai feng assured her. "What do you suggest we do?"

"Surround them. We need to do almost the impossible."

Kai feng locked eye contact with his sister as the people around them muttered. He knew his sister quite well, and if she even bothered to suggest this, it had a chance and way of success. "What do you suggest we do?"

"We tell the reinforcements to take the long way and skirt around the Song. They chose a clearing to camp, as it would be easier to set up and have the thick woods around them like a wall." Jin qing's brain tinkered furiously, searching for the best route through the woods.

"You're suggesting that we crush them inwards." Kai feng's eyes lit up a little, starting to understand his sister's plan. "We use the men already stationed in the city to act as a distraction. The main plan will be to surround them from the sides of the camp and overwhelm them in numbers. When they all charge out to defend the frontal assault that we will do from the city, the reinforcements can surround them again, but this time the men would go in the back so the Song cannot retreat."

Jin qing smiled. Her brother was a smart man, all he needed was a start to get his head running. "Exactly."

"As we always want the men alive, so we'll force them to surrender there." Kai feng nodded "we either capture or kill the General, preferably for information."

"If we can." Jin qing agreed.

Kai feng looked at the messenger to his left. "Send a horse to the reinforcements coming, alert them of Xue Xian's plan."

The messenger nodded and hurried off.

Jin qing tugged in Kai feng's armor. "Yi Ping is here too, right? As a commander."

"Of course. He should be outside. He'd want to see you."

Jin qing didn't need to be told twice and started to walk out, but then paused, and turned around. "What about the Song messenger? Did he say anything else?"

"Yes. He stood from the over the side of the bank and shouted out taunts, mostly directed at you, telling you to come out and fight. Are you?"

"Of course. I'm not just going to sit here and do nothing."

Kai feng didn't try to protest. "Now that's the Jin Qing we all know. Just be careful." He looked around and lowered his voice, stepping down to her level. "The emperor is incompetent without you."

Jin qing smiled. Her brother was never the type of person who would hide his words. "I know. But he can't be that bad."

"Jin qing?"

Jin qing looked up and turned around. Shang Ye was standing by the doorway.

"I didn't think you'd arrive so early!"

"I didn't know you came..." Jin qing trailed off, her voice becoming softer than what it was just a few seconds ago.

"I tried to tell you yesterday, but you rushed off."

"Oh... I'm sorry about yesterday."

"It's alright." Shang Ye nodded, but then looked up at Kai feng "you also asked that I come?"

"Yes. There is simply too many men to handle alone. With Jin qing here, the load would be lightened a little, but I wanted someone else with experience by my side."

Jin qing walked out the door without another word. Her job was done here, and all she needed to do was to find her maids.
Not soon after she left, Shang Ye caught up to her.

"Jin qing." He nodded.

"Good morning."

Shang Ye looked up at the sky and the sun, which was a long way before noon. "Were you alright yesterday? You seemed flustered."

"It's fine."

Shang Ye turned his head to look at her. "My older brother seemed awfully happy about something when I went to see him."

Jin qing's hands tightened underneath her sleeves. "Well, I wouldn't know why."

In response, he let out a long sigh. "Well, clearly something is up and bothering my board game buddy. And I'd wish she'd tell me."

The sides of her lips tugged in a grin. "What is there to say?"

"Is the poison bothering you? If it is, you shouldn't ride out to battle."

"No, I'm fine. It hasn't been bothering me lately."

"Have you been taking your medicine?"

"Yes."

Shang Ye walked in front of her, walking backward as he stared into her eyes.

Jin qing looked up, holding eye contact. "What?"

"There's something you're not telling me. My best guess is something happened between you and my brother."

"Why, What do you think happened?"

"An argument? I know he doesn't want you going out into battle."

She laughed a little. "Well, that's one thing that came up, yes."

Shang Ye didn't smile, however. "I wish my board game buddy would tell me what's wrong so I can help."

"Too many things are swirling in my head. It's going to take too long for me to explain it all."

"Well, take your time. Who knows? Perhaps by speaking it out loud you'll be able to figure some of it out."

"It's alright."

"Keeping things to yourself is unhealthy. Are you sure?"

"I'll be fine."

Shang Ye let out a long sigh. "Alright then. But I want you to know that if you want to talk about anything, your board game buddy is here."

"I'll keep that in mind."
Jin qing was surprised at herself when she realized what she said wasn't a lie.

"Alright then. You said you wanted to go and see your brother?"

"Yes. What about you?"

"I'll go and see the soldiers. I'll go and brief them on the plan, try and boost morale."

"Go do whatever you need to do. I'll go and find my brother now."

Shang Ye watched her for a little bit before turning around to do what he told her he'll do. He knew about the kiss, and he wanted to know if Jin qing would tell him herself.
Guess not.
Unlike his brother, Shang Ye was pretty patient. He knew that Jin qing knows he likes her, and he's just waiting to see if she has any feelings for him.

Yi Ping looked up when he heard the tent flap open, his face lighting up with surprise and joy when he saw his sister "Jin qing!"

"Yi Ping." Jin qing smiled "how have you been? I haven't seen you in a while."

"I've been doing fine! How about you, Jin qing? I heard you were poisoned but Kai feng And I couldn't abandon our posts."

A"Just like you, I'm doing alright." Jin qing patted his shoulder. "Look at you! A commander under Kai feng! I'm so proud!"

"Promotion happens during wartime, and I guess I was just lucky." He said with a bright smile. "So I assume sister came because of Kai feng's request?"

"That's one reason. Another reason was-"

"The messenger..." they said at the same time.

"Speaking of which, he's been taunting you and speaking bad things about you." Yi Ping frowned, his face turning a little serious "disgracing your name is something I won't let pass!"

Jin qing shook her head "my name has and is going to go through a lot. This is nothing to fret over."

"But-"

"It's alright. Thank you for the concern though."
Jin qing can still see the determination in her brother's eyes, his once childish face now sharper and his expression harder as he has now seen and survived through a few battles.
She patted his cheek lightly and smiled "now, no need to be so serious. I'm sure Xue hua And Xi yan miss you back at home. Come back after this, would you?"

Yi Ping held onto his sister's hand and grinned. "If Kai feng would allow me to, I will. But we all know Kai feng's personality."

She laughed "of course. But perhaps I can pull a few strings."

"A few?"

"How about a lot?"

Yi Ping nodded.
He remembered what Xue hua had said long ago about Jin qing would need the people she is close to alive. The Xue Xian is often regarded as a goddess, and Xue hua often stays her family is the only thing keeping her human.
"I'll be okay. But will you? I assume that you won't sit in the city walls like a lady and wait out the battle."

"I'm not." Jin qing confirmed. "It wouldn't do for me to be here, doing nothing."

"You be careful too, Alright?" Yi Ping pleaded "if they knew the Xue Xian was out fighting too, they would target you."

Jin qing was pretty sure she was going to get targeted even if they didn't. "Of course I will be careful. I've been involved in more battles than they give me credit for."

"Alright then. I'll believe you."

"We'll go out for some tea and sweets when this battle is done, okay?" Jin qing pushed his shoulder lightly "You'll play the flute and I'll... sing."

He grinned. He knew what his sister meant, but this was just her way of telling him that she wanted to spend some time with him. "Alright, we will."

Someone lifted up the tent flap and poked their head in. "Lady Xue Xian! Commander Yi Ping!"

"Yes? What is it?" Jin qing asked.

"The messenger at the Song is at the bank again... and he requests to see you."

I rushed a little to get this chapter ready for publish so I wouldn't be late and neglected editing a little, especially during when Jin qing was making plans with Kai feng.
feel free to ask me for clarification if her plan was confusing! I don't think I did a good job explaining it, so please do ask me if you're confused.
Hope you all enjoyed that! :D