Huan le's hand immediately flew to her cheek where Jin qing and struck her.

"Don't you dare finish that sentence." Jin qing warned Huan le, her voice shaking as much as her hand. "Don't you dare."

Huan le somehow still managed to keep the prideful smirk on her face when she returned her gaze to Jin qing. "Why? Too scared for your secret coming out? I wonder how the others will react when-" Huan le paused when she saw how red Jin qing's face had become. "I enjoy seeing you like this, I'll have you know. And go on, try to tell everyone about this. My great grandparents had already erased all records of my family coming from the Song, so go ahead and try to convict me without proof."

Jin qing already knew this when she had gone to search for Huan le's family records dating back to her mother's side. Everything about her mother's heritage was erased, only starting from three generations back.
This didn't stop the anger within her from rising.

"And even if you try to accuse me of treason, while you were being quiet and staying at home all those previous years, I have made more connections and alliances among the nobles than you'd think. Even Xi jian, the emperor himself, trusts me with important information." Huan le pointed out "I'll either have them defend me or I'll have them smuggle me out of the Wei and into the Song, where I'll be even more of a threat than I am now. It's your choice."

The anger blocked all thought coming from Jin qing's brain, and she struggled to respond. "How I wish the world knows the truth about you..."

"Oh! They will!" Huan le smiled, spreading her arms. "The world will know once the Wei falls and the Song remains victorious. I'll be the empress of two kingdoms combined, especially how that country is practically under the Song General's control."

Jin qing took in a deep breath "You know you can't trust that man, right? He betrayed his own country, killed its emperor and his wives and children-"

Huan le shook her head, her smile never falling from her face. "I trust him because he knows what he wants and how to get it- unlike Xi jian. Admit it, even you know that the only reason why he's functioning is because of you."

"He's more capable than you think."

"Or is he?" Huan le tilted her head. "If you'd ask me, his younger brother is the more suitable choice. Did you know that he was the one who made so many decisions concerning this country's welfare and food supply during your absences? But too bad he'll never live to see the day that he'll be crowned emperor... nor will he live to see the Wei again."

"What do you-"

"That military campaign he's going on?" Huan le smirked "Let us just say I've passed on enough information. Xi jian trusts me more than you'd think~"

Fear seized Jin qing's heart.
She needs to find a way to stop Shang ye from going. She needs to find a way to tell Xi jian not to trust Huan le with such information.
Whirling around on her feet, she ran for Xi Jian's room, ignoring the shrieks of laughter coming from Huan le's lips.

<> <> <>

"Xi Jian, where is your brother right now?" Jin qing demanded to know.

"Why do you ask? He left yesterday." Xi jian tilted his head. "A short while after he went to see you" He answered with a hint of bitterness, but Jin qing had no time to dwell on that.

"You need to withdraw him from his mission." Jin qing's voice was firm and her eyes unforgiving. She knew what she wanted and she wanted Shang ye safe.

"Why?"

"It's a trap."

Xi jian folded his arms across his chest and chuckled. "And now tell me, why do you think it's a trap?"

"I-" Jin qing caught herself before she mentioned Huan le. "I heard it from somewhere. Xi jian, you need to be careful about who you're trusting in the palace. There are spies. I heard them myself-"

"Jin qing," Xi jian interrupted her. "I trust the men my father and I selected with my life. They wouldn't betray be and follow the Song-"

"No, but please Xi jian- withdraw Shang ye from his mission. I overheard people talking about how he's walking right into a trap and how the Song has soldiers waiting to ambush and capture him."

"He wanted to go on this mission himself." Xi jian said firmly "it would be his fault of not being careful enough-"

"How can he be careful when there are people in this palace whom are conspiring against you and the Wei?!" Jin qing demanded "He's going to die out there, or worse, he might be captured by the Song and tortured for information-"

"Jin qing, I will not withdraw Shnag ye just from your demands-"

"Don't you trust me?"

Xi jian sighed "I do. But even if I tell him to come back, I know that he won't. He said it to me himself that he wanted to lead an army to victory from a successful mission."

"Then order him to come back."

"He's too far out. He left yesterday, his army should be near the border now."

"Send one person on the fastest horse you have-"

"Why do you care?" Xi jian frowned. "Why do you care if he goes on this mission or not? Do you not have faith in his abilities? Or is there some other reason to it?"

Jin qing was taken aback, the pounding in her chest blocking out all thought.

"I will not pull him back from a mission he wants to go on. It would be his fault-"

"How, how would it be his fault if he doesn't know about the situation here?" Jin qing asked him, her usual soft voice rising in frustration. "There are spies here. Someone here told the Song that he'll be going to try and capture territory. The Song will try to capture him and they will succeed. Xi jian, if you know what's good for the country and for your brother you have to withdraw-"

"I remind you that I am an emperor." Xi jian stepped up to her, staring down at their obvious height difference. "Obey. I will not send a messenger out to withdraw him and that is final."

"And I remind you that I am the Xue xian." Jin qing answered "I am on the same level as you. we talk as equals. Isn't that what you have said to me countless times?"

Xi jian sighed "Jin qing, you need to understand how to respect my brother's wishes."

"Or is it because you don't want him to come back?" Jin qing asked. "I've looked through the maps and the routes hes taking. You had to agree to them before he can set off, you must have known how dangerous those routes are."

"Why do you want him to come back so much?"

"Because if he continues on this fool's errand, not only is ther a chance of him dying but also the lives of so many soldiers!" Jin qing answered, her voice steadily rising.

"Do you not trust in my brother's ability?" Xi jian asked.

"I do but-"

"Then let him do what he wants."

Jin qing took in a deep breath, trying to compose herself. "Do you trust in my abilities?"

"Of course."

"Then I hope you understand that I have the ability to go after Shang ye myself because clearly you don't know how to listen."

"No." Xi jian shook his head. "It's much too dangerous for you-"

"And so all of a sudden it's too dangerous?" Jin qing snapped, "What about your brother? Wouldn't he be in the same situation?"

"No, because he has an army around to protect him and you'll be all alone! Jin qing, you are the Xue xian, your life matters more-"

"Then go and send a messenger if you don't want me going. And don't tell me that same old excuse. You told me that the last time I volunteered, yet here I am."

"You got captured and was held prisoner the last time you decided to go on that fool's errand."

"Yet here I am, alive and well. So if you'd just let me go and warn him-"

Xi jian held onto Jin Qing's shoulders, shaking her "You are not going anywhere and neither are my messengers. Shang ye would be fine-"

Jin qing pushed his hand away, stepping back "You'd rather see your brother die out there in the battlefield? You'd rather see him tortured and interrogated by the Song?"

"Or perhaps you've taken a fancy to my brother?" Xi jian asked. "Someone who only started talking to you because he found out you're the Xue Xian?"

A knife seemed to have gone through her chest, and she knew it wasn't because of her anger.

"My feelings don't matter." Jin qing managed to say after a few seconds of silence. "What matters is that you are putting hundreds and thousands of lives at risk. I'm going whether you'd like it or not."

"I forbid you to go." Xi jian ordered her "You are not allowed to step outside your room unless I summon you to. Jin qing, I want you to be safe-"

"And I want Shang ye to be safe." Jin qing answered, turning around and began to walk out the door.

Xi jian walked after her, reaching over to grab onto her wrist only for her to slap it away and walked out on a faster pace.
He watched her leave, and a sense of jealousy flashed through him.

Jin qing, a woman he had been fascinated with before he had found out who she really was, is risking her life for his brother, a man that seemingly never cared about her until it was revealed on who she was.

"Double the guards around her room." Xi jian finally said after a moment of silence. "Block all exits and entrances. No one leaves her room without the guards outside knowing. If she leaves the room, the guards stationed around her will be executed. She will not leave on her fools quest that will get her killed."

The messenger nearby who had just witnessed the argument between the emperor and the Xue xian, bowed and hurried off to relay the message.

Xi jian sat down on a seat, rubbing his eyes with a heavy sigh. He knew that the Xue xian would not be so easily contained. All he can do is make sure that she's safe within the palace walls.

We hit 20k!!!
I think we hit 20k last week but I didn't notice until two days ago, but still oH MY GOD-

THANK YOU ALL SO MUCH-

And we're so close to 21k it makes me so happy-

I remember when I first hit 1k and thought 'Ahahaha there we go thats the peak of this book'

And now 19k more reads later...

And so I've decided to start on the action again, prepare yourselves...