How long did she have until the Song ambushes Shang ye? How long does she have before it's too late to stop them?

Jin qing urged her horse to go faster, fearing for how little time she has left.  She has been riding the entire night as the sun began to prepare to rise. She can tell her horse was getting tired from a whole night of hard riding, and the exhaustion was taking its toll on her.

As she rode, she thought about what she was going to say to Shang ye. She knew that he was determined to finish this campaign, but Jin qing didn't want him to be captured or killed during the ambush.

Jin qing soon stopped by a river to rest and to feed her tired horse.
Judging from the second map that she had brought along, she had just a little further to go from the camp they were supposed to be stationed in.

Her ride had so far been oddly peaceful. She can already imagine that Huan le already told the Song about her departure. If she wishes to make it there on time...

Jin qing splashed a handful of cold, stream water on her face and wiped it away with her sleeve.

"There is no time to waste." She said aloud to herself. "No time to stand and rest and watch the grass grow. Shang ye could be only a few miles away from the first ambush point... wherever that is."

Swinging herself back on her horse, she urged her horse to go as fast as it could after a long night's journey.

<>

Jin qing could see the camp in the light of the sunrise.

A wide circle of white tents and horses tied to poles so they can eat the grass without getting lost. She can see a few of the men that were just starting to get up and pack up so they can move along the trail. From what Jin qing can tell, the men were still cheerful and seemingly uninjured which must mean that the Song hasn't attacked yet.

Jin qing breathed a sigh of relief both when she noticed the state of the men and the positioning of the camp.
At long last, she didn't need to worry about if the person leading is ready or not. The camp was placed on a slightly higher hill so they would be on the high ground so the Song army would have a harder time scaling and trying to attack without running the risk of losing men to archers.
If Shang ye had known about the ambush already, Jin qing is glad that he had taken the thought seriously and taken steps to prevent it. If Shang ye hadn't known, then Jin qing was very impressed to take such careful precautions to a threat he didn't even know about.

Perhaps this was the reason why the Song hasn't attacked yet.

A group of soldiers looked up when they heard the soft pounding of her horse's hooves.

"Xue xian!" One called out, recognizing her face as he had fought by her side before. "What brings you here? It's dangerous! You shouldn't be here!"

Jin qing was tired of being told what she could and couldn't do. She was the Xue xian, capable of anything. "I need to see his highness Shang ye. Can anyone lead me to his tent?"

"Of course!" The same man answered her, standing up straight. "But why? Why are you here?"

Jin qing looked down at the young man who could have been no more than twenty-five years old. "I'm sure Shang ye would explain after I talk to him." She answered, choosing not to tell him to the camp doesn't panic and start fleeing. "Take me to him. We don't have any time to waste."

The soldier nodded and took the reins of her horse and lead her to a much larger tent that was right in front of the main campfire.

"Jin qing?" Shang ye looked up in surprise. "I- what- did something happen? Why are you here?"

"Before I start, I'm going to say how well you chose the spot to camp." Jin qing said first "Second, you need to retreat immediately."

Shang ye's expression hardened immediately, clipping his sword onto the lop on his belt. "Before I agree, why? Did something happen?"

"Xi jian, your incompetent brother, spoke of one too many secrets to the wrong people." Jin qing looked around, making sure that they were alone. "It's too much for me to explain now, but my point is that you need to withdraw your troops and return. Xi jian had told a Song spy our plans and now they know that you're planning on invasions on certain trade routes and important ports."

"You sound like as if you know who the spy is."

"I do. And you're never going to believe me-"

"No," Shang ye interrupted her, shaking his head. "Go on. I trust that whomever you're speaking of if the Song spy. I know you won't lie."

"Huan le."

"Her?" Shang ye rose his eyebrows. "That is a little difficult to believe, but it makes sense. Xi jian trusts her as they had known each other since they were children. It would be quite easy for her to convince him to give her some information."

Jin qing wanted to cheer. Finally! Someone believes her! "Exactly. I'm sure she had already told the Song that I had left to come and warn you, so I suggest sending the troops back immediately."

Shang ye walked back to a map on his table, looking through it and tracing his finger along a path. "It would be too suspicious if the entire army moved back in retreat. The Song would just attack us. It would also be too risky to split the camp apart as they might get ambushed on the way back..."

Jin qing stood next to him and looked closely at the map. Her mind tinkered to calculate the safest path for the army to take. "I agree for not moving the army as a whole. It would give the Song even more of a reason to attack because they know that we are retreating."

"But if possible, we find the quickest and safest way for groups of men to retreat back into the cities. If not, we move as an entire army- that way we would be less suspectable to attack. We move them in a chain so if one group needs help the group behind them can simply catch up and assist them."

Jin qing was fascinated. How can someone that was related to someone as idiotic and dependent as Xi jian be like this?

"We have signal flares and fireworks previously intended for communicating in battle, but this would be more important." Shang ye suddenly looked up and stared at Jin qing. "Are you sure that the Song is coming to attack? What if Huan le just said that to scare you so you'll rush out here to stop me?"

As soon as Shang ye said that, the expression on Jin qing's face was wiped off into a state of doubt.

She had jumped into conclusions too fast. If she was wrong and brought the army back, Xi jian would ridicule her and the level of trust he had in her would fall at an alarming rate. If she was right but acted too late, the entire army would be in danger of being captured or killed.

Shang ye must have seen the doubt and desperation in the usually guarded expression on her face and sighed. "Jin qing, I know you well enough to know that you wouldn't lie. But if we head back on a flimsy claim that Huan le is against us, we will not only lose face but a chance to capture land and important trade routes."

Jin qing buried her face in the palm of her hands, taking in a shaky breath.

Now that he has pointed this out... Huan le could be wrong. She could have just said this so I would rush out. She knows about my past mistakes, she knows how reckless I can be. If she was trying to trick me and I went back without the army's conformation that they saw a threat, Xi jian would trust me less and less and will just put more faith in Huan le...

Look what you have done. If you had just thought this out before you acted. You have put yourself in an impossible position where you either wait for an attack to happen or you go back in shame.

Honnor, or the lives of many?

Jin qing didn't even notice that Shang ye was still talking. Lost in her own thoughts, Jin qing hadn't even noticed when he called her name.

"Jin qing? Hello?"

Jin qing looked up "Y-you're right. I acted... I acted far too recklessly. I'm not even sure if.. if Huan is just taunting me or not. I shouldn't have come here... now I'm trapped in this- this-"

"Jin qing, calm down." Shang ye sighed "I trust you. But we are going to need proof so we can show it to Xi jian otherwise he'll just demand me to come back here."

"But what? What can we show him? What if the Song really is going to attack but none of us will survive to tell him? By that time, it would all be too late-"

"No. We could head on and continue as planned but then head back after the first battle and say we were ambushed on the way there and made a wild grab at the trade route so we don't go empty-handed." Shang ye patted Jin qing's shoulder to reassure her "I'll take the blame and say I didn't believe you. Xi jian would have no choice but to-"

"You will not take the blame for something you didn't do." Jin qing shook her head "You can just tell your brother that I didn't arrive here until the night before the first assault. That way you won't take the brunt of the blame-"

"Jin qing, it will be alright if Xi jian mistrusts me a little bit. I'm not as capable as you. If he doubts you even just a little bit, he might not carry out the suggestions you give him and turn to Huan le for help."

Jin qing bit her lip.
She hated to be wrong... but Shang ye had a point. Xi jian needed to trust her so that he can carry out what she says.

What if... What id Jin qing took up his offer and became empress? That way she would have direct control without the fear of Xi jian demoting her or mistrusting her because she can just act without relying on him...

But the sheer thought of even marrying that idiotic man horrified her. 

Besides... You know what happened the last time you tried to lead like that...

"We'll continue onwards." Shang ye finally said, turning around to roll up the map. "I'd like you to stay, Jin qing. I would like the extra help you would provide. Besides, I don't think you can go back even if you wanted to-"

The sound of a horn being blown interrupted him, the sound coming from the east of the camp.

Shang ye looked up and Jin qing did so too, both of their expressions changing immediately.

"You don't think...?" Shang ye mumbled underneath his breath and rushed to the entrance of the tent to see what had caused the noise.

Jin qing was right behind him, knowing exactly what Shang ye was thinking.

What if...

What if the Song didn't attack until now because Huan le knew Jin qing would rush here to warn Shang ye?
Their target wasn't the army, and that was made clear to Jin qing.

That man wanted her.

Hello!
Me again.

Soo I have a friend on Wattpad who has written a book of her own!
If you guys like fantasy and magical powers stuff,
Go check out fatimahelsa77 's book Eloise Holle!
Thank you!