"He's... what?"

The woman briefly paused in her work and looked over at Jin qing, her eyes flashing with pride for her country. "The great General Shen Feng! Goodness, we most certainly are lucky to have someone like him, isn't it? He was due to come back in a week, but I think with his progress... maybe he can capture the Wei capital and end the war!" She lowered her voice "If you ask me, I don't think the Song can last much longer. I do hope the war can end quickly and send all our boys home."

Jin qing laughed nervously. "Right? I knew people who have gone missing in the war... I do hope they answer my letters soon or return home..."

"Right?" The woman nodded, looking back at her vegetables "Mei over there-" she nodded at the girl who was helping her "has both of her brothers fighting in the war. They have been replying to her letters, so at least they're still alive. But poor Nian Zhen and Xiao Wen..."

Jin qing only nodded. 
Her mind was racing. 

Shen Feng was that close? Why didn't I hear of this? He was only a few cities away, since when?

How long do I have until the Wei falls? It seems like I'll have to leave a lot earlier than I'd thought... I'll have to leave and carry out what I have, for now, I do hope it's enough... Ah, this wouldn't matter of the Wei falls! I need to get back-

"Are you okay?"

Jin qing looked up. She realized she has been standing frozen for a while, and managed another laugh. "Oh- I'm just really worried..." She said, drawing out a real worry she had in her to make it look convincing "My brothers in the countryside... I'm not sure if the draft has found them or not. I haven't been able to contact them since I left, and I'm very worried about them."
That was the way to lie. Drawing something similar to the lie you're about to say, mixing in the real emotions behind your words. 

"Oh poor you- I'm sure they'll be alright." The woman answered her "I'm sure the country isn't that desperate yet to recruit farmers. If they're gone, who is going to feed us?"

Jin qing noted her uncertain voice, and let out a heavy sigh "I don't think they will. They have to be able to feed us. The country will collapse if they don't-" She passed the woman the prepared vegetables as the woman stood up from lighting the fire under the pot. "-unless Shen Feng manages to win the war faster than any of us can think..."
It quickly dawned upon Jin qing that even if she does successfully managed to start a chain reaction to destroy the Song from the inside, it would all be rendered useless if the Song wins the war first. As she thought about it more and more, the more she realized the different holes she had in her plan. 

She can only hope for the best and do what she can before Shen Feng gets to the wei capital and besieges it. Her time limit wouldn't be until Shen Feng gets back into the Song like she originally worried about- she would be racing against his army. 

"Of course he will! This is the great general we are talking about. He's had a questionable name, but he's redeemed himself over and over, countless and countless of times." The woman smiled "He'll do the country a great service by wiping out the Wei from the land. The Wei is nothing without their Xue Xian, and they'll fall yet."

<>


"Nian Zhen, Xiao Wen, it's time to eat!" 

Nian Zhen, who was sitting in the shade looked up at Jin qing. "You weren't kidding when you said we'll be eating here..."

"Why would I be?"

"I don't know... you don't seem like the type of person who would be here just because you wanted to help. You are the Xue Xian. You must have something to hide."

Jin qing looked down at Nian Zhen with a smile "What does the Xue Xian do?"

"Help the Wei win their battles and make them what they are."

"What's the first word of your sentence?"

"Help..."

Jin qing pulled Nian Zhen up to her feet "Exactly. I help. I try not to be biased, but I help whoever needs it."
But Jin qing had no intention of helping the Song. She didn't mind helping the people there if they needed it, but the Song must fall to the Wei. 
"Go on. Go get everyone else. We'll be leaving after I help them clear the dishes and wash up after we eat."

Nian Zhen looked at her before running off. 

Jin qing put her hands on her waist, looking off at Xiao wen playing with the children his age. She couldn't help but wonder about all the little stories about the children.
Where did they come from? Where were their parents? Why are they here?
Jin qing wanted to end the war. Even the citizens of the Song are still humans living their lives, and they are no different from the people in the Wei. 
All of them would be waiting for people they knew to come back home. Jin qing would do them all a great favor by ending the war- even if it was for the Wei. 

Why?
Because she knew if the Song won, the loss of life in the Wei would be more than the stars in the sky.
If the Wei won... Jin qing promised herself that the consequences would not be as heavy as the process of victory itself. 

It is what needed to be done. 

"You look like you're thinking."

Jin qing's thoughts were interrupted by a familiar raspy voice, and she looked over to see the old man who had let her in earlier standing to her right. "Hm?"  

The old man shifted his gaze away from her and onto the kids, not moving his hunched body away from the support of his cane. "You look like you were thinking. What were you thinking about?"

"I'm always thinking."

The old man chuckled "I'm old, and I have seen many people. Your brows were furrowed together, which means you're worried and thinking about something that has been troubling you."

Jin qing smiled. This old man reminded of the retired general she had called father in the countryside. "Can you guess?"

"I don't think it's because of the food because it smells heavenly."

She couldn't help but laugh at his comment. 

"There's something on your mind."

"Well that's obvious."

"Is my daughter in law gossiping too much?"

Jin qing assumed the old man was talking about the woman who was talking with her while they prepared food. "Oh- no. She wasn't gossiping at all. She was talking about the war with me."

"Ah, the war." The old man's eyes grew distant as he looked at the young men who were walking over "The war has been rather short so far, hasn't it? It's been less than a year."

"Hopefully it'll end quickly."

"The wars against the now fallen Liang lasted much longer than anyone thought."

Jin qing winced. "Yes... it did. Let's hope it doesn't last this long again. No one needs another war like that so soon."

"I've fought in it."

Jin qing bowed to the old man. "You have my respects for defending the country." She said politely.

The old man looked up at her as she straightened again. His eyes shone with a pearl of hidden wisdom that all quiet people seem to possess and wheezed out a laugh. "You're a nice girl. You're a nice girl with so many secrets behind that pretty face."

Jin qing smiled slyly "Why would you say that?"

"You give off the feeling of someone who does. I've met many people in my life." He returned Jin qing's smile "Be careful with those basket of secrets, young lady" He warned her "If you're greedy and carry too much without sharing, the basket will break eventually... and you'll be in trouble then."

<><><>

Jin Qing thought about his words as Nian Zhen, Xiao Wen and herself walked back to the palace later that evening. 

What she had come to the place to do was easy and already done during the meal- talking to them about the fires and the politics, planting little seeds down on if the emperor can feed them or not. All that was easy, all it took was a few carefully planted words and word choices. 
It would be entirely up to them if they wanted the speed to sprout and spread or not, but Jin qing couldn't control their thoughts. 

Besides, the old man was staring at her almost the entire time she was talking with the young men and the woman's husband. The man gave her an eerie feeling she couldn't shake off, almost as if he knew something that she didn't. 

Jin qing absolutely hated the feeling that someone knew something important that she did know- and had no way of knowing. All she can do is hope the old man wouldn't use whatever he knew against her. 

well... at least Xiao Wen is happy that we visited and had lunch with them. 

The little boy was swinging is toy around in his hand, jumping and dancing around to a song that only he seemed to hear. Nian Zhen seemed to be a lot tamer, holding Jin qing's hand quietly and not making any fuss. 

"Did the two of you have fun?" Jin qing asked with a smile "The woman there said you two don't visit too often. Isn't it nice?"

"Yeah..." Nian Zhen mumbled under her breath. 

"Yes!!!" Xiao wen answered, his bright smile easily rivaling the cheeriness of the sun. "Can we go back tomorrow? Please, big sister Jin qing?"

Jin qing found it difficult to say no to such an adorable face, and couldn't help but wonder if she would have looked as cute as he was if she had gotten a regular childhood. "Mmmm..." She pretended to be thinking "Maybe if you behave we can go visit again sometime."
She knew that was a lie. She couldn't risk staying in the Song for much longer, much less go and visit again- unless she had a reason to go. 

Nian Zhen was right about her. 
She never did anything without a purpose. Jin qing didn't go there just because she wanted to help people in need... but because she had a motive. It wasn't anything she was proud of, but it was what she had to do in order to survive in this world. 

"Please?" Xiao Wen tried again. 

Before Jin qing can respond, Nian Zhen burst out. "Can you stop? All you ever do is ask and plead for things. Jin qing already gave you an answer, all the begging isn't going to change her mind."

As much as Jin qing agreed with her, a small mischievous side wanted to say yes to Xiao Wen just to spite her... but she decided against it. "Nian Zhen, don't talk that way to Xiao Wen. He's your brother."

"And you're not my mother so you can't tell me what to do."

Jin qing wondered what had happened today that had set Nian Zhen in a bad mood. "Well, I may not be your mother, but that doesn't change the fact that Xiao Wen is your brother."

"Doesn't change the fact that he's always whining about something."

"Doesn't change the fact that you should probably apologize before Xiao Wen starts crying."

Nian Zhen looked over at her little brother, her expression softening for just a second before looking away in a huff. 

Jin qing couldn't help but smile as she pushed open the doors back to her room. "Guess you aren't going to apologize at this second. That's all right-"
She stopped mid-sentence and dropped Xiao Wen's hand when she saw who was in her room against all odds. 

Guess Tian Xiang wasn't as good as keeping promises as he looked. 


"Gui Fei, what are you doing here?"