Shen Feng leaned on the table, staring at the girl at his feet who was struggling to breathe. "Has years of peace erased how things work from your mind?"

"No, it has not. But clearly, after ten years your mind has been addled with age because you failed to surprise me with anything new-"

Shen Feng interrupted her by slamming the heel of his boot into her back, right into the wound he had inflicted the day before.

She let out a loud yelp as she was taken by surprise, and regretted it immediately.

"Oh, I have." Shen feng smiled. "But unfortunately, the Song emperor insists on Keeping you alive. I don't see why. You are a threat, and every threat should be eliminated."

"Then why don't you and your mother go ahead and fall on your swords-"

Shen Feng lifted her up by her hair, paying no attention to how painful it might be to have her entire weight dangling just from her hair. "You will show some respect for my mother. Have ten years of peace dulled your mind on how to talk to your elders?"

Wu Xin spat on his face. "That was when I didn't know any better. I talk about her however I want to. I show respect to whoever I want to. You can't make me do anything-"

Shen Feng dropped her on the stone floor with a solid thud. "Yes, we can. You don't want the prince of the Wei dying by our hands, do you?"

Jin qing was silent.
No. She did not.
And she immediately regretted staying silent as Shen Feng had begun to laugh.

"I see." He roared with laughter. "You show such a strong exterior, but inside you are crumbling. You showed no sign of weakness for the last week, always answering my threats with a snarky remark. But I see..."

"Hand me a knife and I'll make it so that you don't see."

"Don't try to cover it up, dear sister." He lifted her chin up with his foot. "I know affection when I see it. You may be a master at reading other people, but you cannot read yourself. The small moment of panic and fear that was reflected in your eyes... Well, I now have a reason for you to cooperate with us, yes?"

"And betray the country in which I have called home for the past ten years?" Jin qing asked, looking up in defiance. "And help you reclaim Liang? I would rather die."

"I know you would." Sheng Feng answered. "But I have hostages. I have more than just the prisoners we took from the Wei to kill."

Jin qing knew who he was talking about, and this relieved her in a strange way. The fact that he was still talking about Yu Qi's identity in an ambiguous way told her that he hadn't found out about Yu Qi and her meeting on her first day here.

"Hah. Like I care much."

"Oh no, you care very much." Shen Feng answered. "When trying to get information out of you... creative measures will be used. But I suggest you hurry and make your choice. Time for you... is running out."

<><><>

So desperately alone.

Visited by the people she didn't want to see.

<><><>

Later that night, Jin qing lifted her head from her hands when she heard footsteps coming down the stairs.

It was far too early in the night for Yu Qi to come back. Shen Feng had just seen her this morning. There was no way that the old lady herself would come down at this hour, and the footsteps seemed too light for an elderly lady.

"Wu Xin."

"Your majesty," she answered bitterly. "What could I have done for you to come and visit me?"

"Absolutely nothing."

"Then what do you want?"

"I just wanted to see how you were doing, and to chat."

"Chat? Chat?" Jin qing asked in disbelief. "What could you possibly want to talk to me about?"

"The first thing- I would like to hear your side of the story."

"My side of the story?!"

"Yes. Are you deaf?"

Jin qing stared at the Song emperor in bewilderment. "Why?!"

"Shen Feng and his mother told me and my father their tale on why they had to flee to this country. They made you sound like a raving and insane lunatic, but I disagree." He peered down at her from between the bars. "May I come in?"

"You ask as if I have a choice."

"But you do. You can choose if I can come in or not."

"Do you trust to be in a cell, alone with the land's most famous assassin?"

"You're too injured from Shen Feng's tactics. I'm sure you can't even move properly."

Jin qing had to admit he was right. "Alright then. Come to my home."

The Emperor gestured for his guards to stay outside the cell and stay by the metal color at the end of the corridor.
He turned back to look at the girl in front of him. "You may start."

"What do you want to know?"

"Everything."

"I'm not telling you everything. That would take too long."

"How about Everything I believe Shen Feng and his mother didn't tell me? I am aware that they might be plotting against me at the moment, but I would like to know about the deeds they did back in the Liang. I would like to know your story."

"Deeds? You claim that you wish to know about the things and parts they did not tell you of, yet you call what they did a deed. What they did are treasonous crimes. Your very words are betraying what you think."

"Then allow me to correct myself." He sighed "Tell me about the crimes Shen Feng and his mother committed so I can work towards preventing them from happening again."

"And why should I help you?" Jin qing asked. "I'll be more than happy to watch you and your country fall."

"And if I fall, what makes you think that the mother and son wouldn't sweep in and take my place?"

Jin qing was silent.

"And if they do, I'm sure you know quite well about the ruthless ways of Shen Feng and his mother. I and my authority is the only thing standing between you and your painful death."

Jin qing knew he was right. Shen Feng wanted her head after all the things she had done to him and his mother after she found out the truth. He would stop at nothing to get to her, and would only stop until either of them is dead. "Alright then. This is quite the story. Are you sure?"

"Yes."

Jin qing looked up at the ceiling and chuckled. "Never in my life would I have thought someone was going to ask me that question. But alright..."

"Shen Feng's mother, Gui Fei, married the emperor as his second wife as the people had thought my mother, the first wife, was incapable of producing an heir. My father never loved Gui Fei, and the only thing that tied them together was political pressures and the belief that she would produce him an heir." Jin qing closed her eyes, remembering the exact day when she found out about all this.

"That would explain why Shen Feng is ten years older than you..." The Song Emperor noted. "And since you're here, I assume your late mother ended up birthing?"

"Yes. My father had two more wives who all bore him children, but ten years after Shen Feng was born, I was unexpectedly followed into the world."

"And so?"

"And so?" Jin qing mimicked him but added a laugh in the end. "You're an emperor, you should know the rules of succession."

"The eldest male child of the first standing wife would be the next heir."

"But?"

The Song Emperor took in a deep breath, suddenly understanding. "Unless the only child of the eldest wife is a female."

"Correct. So in a losing battle in favor of the court of my father, Gui Fei turned to the only other option that was not admitting defeat. You should know the rest of the story from there."

He nodded. "I've heard the rest. Gui Fei took over the kingdom after murdering all of the royal family and their descendants, even the distant families of the emperor. Except for you..."

"And it puts ease on my mind to know that was the worst mistake of her life." Jin qing smiled. "it seemed like such a good idea then... she took note of the agile body I had even at a younger age and forced a training on me to become the most unsuspecting assassin in the world. She had other assassins kill under my name so the people in the land would fear me... Could you imagine? A child as young as eight years old. I was six when everyone died in a rebellion she had conjured up."

"Do you think she would do the same thing here?"

Jin qing opened her eyes and leaned forward, her eyes as hard as iron. "You're asking yourself the wrong question. She most definitely will repeat the same process here, that's the type of woman she is. The question is, what's stopping her?"

The emperor was silent.

Jin qing leaned back on the stone wall. "I finished my story. Everything else that happened in my life is irrelevant. I do hope you stay alive long enough to invite me to Shen Feng and his mother's execution."

"What do you suggest I do?"

Jin qing opened one eye and peered through that. "Execute them now. Call off the war."

"This war was my calling."

"Or is it?" Jin qing asked him. "Are you sure that Gui fei and her son didn't just continuously lie to you for several years? How can you be sure of what you are thinking are even your thoughts?"

"Because I'm with you."

Jin qing tilted her head and rose her eyebrow. "Oh?"

"I know you speak the truth and I know the thoughts I am thinking are mine." He continued "Your emperor is very fortunate to have you in his staff. You may not know it, but you have the calming presence the hectic court life needs."

"I'm flattered."

"You should be."

Jin qing closed her eyes again "Do yourself a favor. Don't make any sign that I told you all this."

"Of course. Shen Feng and his mother would probably start a lot faster than they'd originally intended."

Jin qing smiled, mostly from amusement. "It's good to know that someone is a lot smarter. I've heard stories of how cunning you are, and I look forward to seeing if you can outlive Shen Feng and his mother."

"That would be something I look forward to as well." He nodded and turned around. "I'll be going now before they wonder where I am so late at night."

"And you should know very well that I will not address you by your title." Jin qing pointed out. "Not until I find a reason to. Care to give me your actual name?"

A small pause, then a chuckle.

"Tian Xiang."

<><><>

Jin qing waited for a little while more after Tian Xiang had left to make sure she wasn't being watched.
She probably wasn't, but she was in enemy territory.

Tian Xiang seems to be uncomfortably friendly with her... and on the surface, he just seemed to be concerned for his seat on the throne.

But Jin qing knew better. She knew that the most threatening people would often make themselves more humble to appear weak. Who knows that this emperor really wanted? Who knows is the emperor would uphold his word and keep what she had said tonight a secret?

Shen Feng was right. The old ways are finally starting to crack her shell. She had spoken of too many things that should have stayed hidden.

Staring at the moon from the smallest window, Jin qing had a million things on her mind. Was the Wei doing well without her? Is Xi Jian finally becoming wiser and more careful of his actions after this tremendous sacrifice? What were Tian Xiang's true intentions?

Is Shang ye alright?