"Shen feng was the one who told you that, wasn't he."

"of course he was. My father took him in when you exiled him after you took back the crown when you were ten."

"Your father was a fool to trust him and his mother."

"Yet because of him, the Song grew to what it is today." The song Emperor spread his arms "Before they arrived, the Song was just another country overshadowed by the Liang and the Wei. But now..."

"They will turn on you."

"Or will they?"

"Shen Feng and his mother are more desperate for power than you think. They are willing to do absolutely anything-"

"I know. I've heard. But they have both pledged their alliance to me-"

"And do you really think they are going to stay faithful to their promise? That woman murdered her own husband and his other wives, my father, my mother."

"She has been loyal to us for many years. If she wanted to try anything she would have-"

"And how do you know that swine isn't planning anything behind you-"

Behind her, a man grabbed a fistful of her hair and pulled her backward and placed a sword at her throat. "Disrespect my mother one more time and the carpets here will be painted red with your blood."

"I'll disrespect her all I want. If there is any woman in this world that deserves the slowest and the most painful death-"

The man, Shen Feng, interrupted her by kicking her back as her body fell forward onto the floor. "Hold your tongue.  You will show some respect to my mother or may everyone help you as I'll-"

"Shen Feng." The emperor warned. "That would be enough."

Shen Feng released her from his grasp and returned his place to the right of the emperor.

"See how quickly he resorts to violence! Clearly he got that trait from his mother."

Shen Feng drew out his sword and stepped toward her. "Say the word and I'll have her head placed on the city walls for everyone to see." He said to the emperor.

The Song emperor glared at Shen Feng, raising a hand to tell him to put his sword away. "There is no need for that, yet. We only go to such measures if she refuses to cooperate."

"Me? Cooperate? I'm not sure what type of alcohol you have been drinking but what makes you think I'll-"

Shen Feng grabbed a fistful of her hair and lifted her up, digging his fists upwards into her stomach. He watched as she struggled to breathe, coughing and gasping as she fell back onto the floor.

"I see after ten years Wu Xin has not changed." An elderly women emerged from the side, staring at the girl she had just spoken of. "Her tongue is still as sharp as ever."

"Mother." Shen Feng nodded respectively at the elderly woman.

"You-"

"Me." The woman agreed, nodding. "You haven't changed, Wu Xin. You still have the same sense of anger and determination you possessed when you were ten years old."

"And that would never change for as long as you and your blasted son is alive I will-"

Shen feng advanced again but his mother held out her hand, telling her son to relax. "That is no way to talk to your superior."

"Her? My superior? Both of you can stop spouting lies. My mother was the emperor's first wife, so I can command both of you to help me to my feet and kneel before me."

The woman shook her head. "Tsk tsk... you are still as prideful as ever. You still forget that we were the ones that saved you-"

"You? Saved me?! You purposely told me that for years so I would believe I was indebted to you, all until I found out that was a lie, and I would not be lied to again."

"And what happened after you lost our protection?" The woman asked "The entire country of Liang fell because you were too young and too ambitious to rule. In a way, I protected you from all that."

"The country was going alright when my father was ruling and it would have stayed that way before you decided to become a murderer."

"Your father and your mother were blind to the things in the country that they thought was too small and unimportant." the elderly woman contradicted, stepping closer to the girl at her feet. "I alone saw it. But no, your father and your mother's arrogance stopped them."

"I've looked into it. You were the one who caused the problems to start in the first place so you would know how to fix it so the people would crown you as their savior after what seemed like a rebellion and a handful of assassinations."

"It was all lead out country toward a better future... and you, Wu Xin, would have been part of it if you weren't so disobedient..." The elderly woman leaned down, lightly pressing her hand on the girl at her feet's face and-

Struck her across the cheek, purposely scraping the rings on her hand across her face so the damage would increase.

"That is for the time you drove us out of our own country." The woman's voice shook. "A country we helped to build but received no credit for. When the Liang fell, you fled. You abandoned the duty you took. You were never ready for it, and I was the only one who can see it. Your own pride caused the death of thousands and the fall of a country... but no matter. Once you are dead and this blasted war with the Wei is done, the Liang would be ours once more..." Her voice turned sweet as she turned to the emperor. "And all thanks to the father of this brave emperor. We are forever in your debt."

Perhaps... perhaps this is the reason why Jin qing hated Huan le and her mother so much. Huan le reminded her too much of this woman. Always scheming, always looking to higher themselves in whatever means possible. To her, they are the same two people.

"Perhaps Wu Xin had forgotten how talking back to her superiors was looked upon back then..." The woman smiled, turning around and stepping away. "Perhaps... Shen Feng, can you remind her?"

"If the emperor doesn't object, then I will gladly do so."

All three pairs of eyes fell on the emperor, who ignore them and walked side by side with the elderly woman, leaving the room.

Shen feng's eyes turned back eagerly on the shaking girl beneath him. "Mother is right... perhaps you do need to be reminded."

<><><>

Wu Xin... Jin qing...

Who was she?

The Child assassin or the goddess of blood?

The Child empress of the Liang or the immortal of snow?

Whoever she was, she wasn't even sure.

For years she had denied her identity as Wu Xin, determined to start new when Advisor Li of the Wei stumbled on the elderly couple's cottage after his carriage was destroyed by bandits. She had tried so hard to leave her life of killing and fame behind her so she can lead a much quieter life.

She never wanted to draw any attention. Attention means responsibility, and responsibility means pride and pressure... two things she never handled too well.

Wu Xin had always been more reckless and much more violent. Back then, she was just the one kid who needed to survive in the cold stone prison she called home. Strategy, patience, and wisdom was never something she was good at.

And so she had taken on a new identity, Li Jin qing, to start fresh and anew. She wanted to be someone else, calmer, more mature, more noble than what she had previously been.

The two sides of the same dull coin.

<><><>

Oh, how Jin qing missed her old prison... Clearly the room she was thrown into after the painful reminders of speaking out of turn were lashed onto her skin was made to replicate the prison she stayed in for most of her childhood.

The underground chamber only consisted of one room. The spiral staircase up could only be reached after turning a corner and opening another heavy metal door.

Her "room" was quite small and made of stone with an iron door to keep her locked inside. The only window to the outside world was smaller than her head and all the way up near the ceiling, and even that was covered thinly with paper.

A wooden board covered with hay and a blanket served as her bed, in which Jin qing sat down on with a heavy sigh.

You being here near Shen Feng and his mother doesn't mean you have to be Wu Xin again. You can figure a way out of this... but first, I need to figure out how to get Shang ye and the other men out of here...

Settling herself on the hay carefully fo the sharp ends wouldn't poke her, Jin qing absent-mindedly began braiding the hay together in a long strip. She let her mind wander around, mainly thinking of what she was going to do.

She was obviously going to escape somehow... but then she would be risking her entire identity being leaked to the world.

Letting out a heavy sigh, Jin qing tried to reason with herself.

One of the main reasons why you bothered to hide your identity was to hide from Shen Feng and his mother... Now that you know that they know who you are and where you are, would there really be a necessity to go to such extreme measures again?

I wonder how the Great Wei would react once they find out who you really are... Hah. Their legendary and holy Xue Xian isn't even from their own country.

She looked up at the low stone ceiling, the dim light of night outside barely bright enough for her to be able to see properly.

How would my family... Jin qing's family react?

Jin qing has always considered her family in the Wei as a part of her. They were Jin qing's family and her's only. Wu Xin had her own family, who was all dead except for Shen Feng and his mother.

Xin er... She was something that became a part of her when she was in the countryside... She has considered the family there to be her family too. They had taken her in when she was running away from the Liang after it collapsed, taking care of her fragile body after years of mistreatment and abuse-

Jin qing shuddered.
She should stop thinking about topics like this. Thinking too much on this subject especially would give her a headache.

Who was she?

Jin qing leaned on the cold stone walls, deciding that the cold wouldn't really matter as it was still summer and she still had her clothes from the Wei on her- which provided her some level of warmth in the night air.

Normally, Wu Xin would be woken up by one of the guards to report for whatever duty Shen Feng's mother wanted her to do. But this is different. She would have to be constantly locked up or under supervision unless they want her to waltz out and escape.

She was sure there was going to be some interrogation, but when? How?

Was she ever going to see Shang ye and help him out?

Alone.

Last time she was in the Song, she had Xue hua to worry and keep busy over so she can keep herself motivated.
Now she was alone and with Shang ye nowhere to be seen.

Jin qing rested her head back against the wall, closing her eyes.
This won't be the end.
But the situation seemed hopeless.

Jin qing can feel the first tear slowly slide down her cheek.

This... Isn't the time to be feeling sorry for yourself. It's just so much more difficult...

A world of uncertainty. Who knows what would happen next?

<>

The sound of hurried footsteps descended the stairs.