Jin Qing wasn't sure how scandalous it was for her to be wearing commoner's clothes to court, but this wouldn't have been the first time she's been before the emperor wearing such drab clothes. Then again-- the emperor didn't look in that great of a shape either. Dark circles and heavy eye bags haunted his dull eyes, and his slightly disheveled look suggested that he was likely throwing a fit of some sort before the news of her arrival was announced. Shang Ye was, of course, standing to the right of the emperor and looking like a puppy seeing his owner, but she paid him no attention. 

Instead, her energy was on maintaining the smug smile on her face and staring Xi Jian down. 

"You're lucky I didn't immediately arrest you as soon as you stepped into the palace," Xi Jian grumbled, still trying to maintain and hold onto the last slip of dignity he had between his fingers. 

"You're lucky that you didn't," Jin Qing smiled. This reminded her of the last conversation she had with the Song Emperor. It amused her that two powerful men both found her as valuable and as integral in their plans-- though she was coming to terms that the Song emperor was likely using her from the start. "You know I'm too valuable to be arrested."

"Then why are you here? Are you finally here to pledge your allegiance to us and win the war?"

And just like the last time she was talking to the Song Emperor, Jin Qing unsheathed a blade hidden in her dress and held it to her throat-- causing everyone in the room to shift in concern. She spoke before any of them could actually lay a hand on her. "Everyone stop," She warned them. "If I feel threatened at any time during this conversation, I'll simply remove myself from your arsenal of advantages. I want to make that clear-- do you understand?"

She didn't lower her blade even after Xi Jian flicked his wrist to put the guards into their normal positions. "Wow, you actually listened."

"What do you want."

Jin Qing's face brightened up like a kid during new year's. "I'm glad you asked. First, I want you to resign your ability to rule to me-- that means you are not allowed to make any meaningful decisions outside of your own meals until I say so."

Color shot back into Xi Jian's face. A color of anger and outrage. "WHAT?!"

"I'm not done." Jin Qing continued without missing a beat. "Second, I want absolute power. This means getting rid of the entire puppet council you've set up. I will be the only one giving orders and appointing people whom I see fit. No one will be allowed to contradict me until my rule unless they want to meet the lord of hell." 

Now, this sent a very uncomfortable mummer to the council member that somehow showed up to this meeting. A few of them voiced objections, but Jin Qing simply raised her voice and spoke over them. 

"Lastly-- this is the final time I am ever helping the Wei," She said, breathing out. "Everything will return to normal as soon as I deem that the war is basically won-- and that whatever happens to this country after I leave is no longer my responsibility."

The servants had learned and wised up about Xi Jian's temper tantrums, so there was nothing around him to throw. "You might as well be empress then!" He shouted. "Two months in the countryside and three months not being in the Wei, and you really think you're some savior, huh? This country is still named Wei."

"It won't be if you don't fulfill my terms." She answered calmly. "It'll be called the Song empire if you don't let me do what I want. You either let go of your pride and compromise your power for a little while, or you let it go forever."

"A man will die in glory rather than be a servant to a woman."

"Only a foolish man would let his family fall into ruin," she countered. "You are the emperor, you should be thinking about your country. This isn't a term, but a word of advice-- let your brother rule after this whole ordeal is over. He may not be the smartest bird in the flock, but at least he knows to run when the hunter shoots."

Even with that comment, she still refused to look at Shang Ye-- who had been staring at her and begging for her attention like a lost puppy since she entered the room. Her focus remained on the emperor, who had his head in his hands and struggling to make a decision. Normally, she would allow him to ponder over things for a little while, but her arm was getting sore from holding up the dagger. 

The guards shifted again when her grip tightened and pressed the danger closer to her throat. "Make up your mind, Xi Jian." She warned him. "You'll have to explain to the populace and the army why the Xue Xian isn't leaving the palace upright and leading them into battle as I promised-- but horizontally and in a coffin." She smirked. "Trust me, they won't be very happy about it."

And that was true. She made a big deal when she entered the gates and paraded through the city streets. Everyone in the Wei knew she was going to the palace, and she promised everyone who listened that she would personally lead them into the charge to victory-- or she will die trying. It put a lot of pressure onto her to succeed, but it also put an even greater pressure on Xi Jian to accept her offer. 

So time continue to pass on, and Jin Qing's arm continued to grow more and more tired by the second-- but still, she kept it up and in defiance. 

After a while of silence, Xi Jian let out a heavy sigh. 

"Fine. Do what you want."

Jin Qing held out her free hand. "The Jade seal, please."

Xi Jian reluctantly waved his hand, where a guard that stood next to him hurried over and took the seal from a box to his right and handed it to Jin Qing. As soon as it touched her hand, the court dropped to their knees-- facing her-- and chanted: "Long Live the empress of the Wei! Long Live the Xue Xian!"

It was a taunt. It was a clear insult thrown at her face. Only fear was holding them back from calling her an emperor. There had never been an emperor who was a woman, but she alone dared to grasp at that title. Everyone kneeling on that floor hated her-- and she knew it. But there was nothing they could do about it if they wanted the Wei to survive this war. 

Her fingers closed around the seal and turned around, her back turned to the court and the emperor of the Wei. She had once told him that if he couldn't manage an empire without her, then he would have to call her an empress. 
And that day has finally arrived. 

<>

The first thing Jin qing did once she officially had the power she had been holding behind it all in her hands was find her room and dress in the robes of the Immortal of snow. The same snowy-white dress that twinkled when all the beads and the little bells were kept safe like a relic in her old room. The fearsome white cloak that marked her status was right next to the dress, but she left it alone. She wasn't the emperor's loyal advisor anymore, so she wasn't going to wear the one garment that bound her loyalty to him. 

Next, she began to head towards the barracks. She needed to inform the soldiers that all was well now that she has returned, and bring their loyalty back to the Wei. After all-- she would be gone after this, and they need to learn to return their trust back to the emperor. Also... she had a brother to save. 

The soldiers that saw her approach lit up with joy and fell to their knees. "We welcome the Xue Xian back home!" 

Jin Qing smiled. If anything, she knew she would always have their support behind her. "It's good to be back. I hope you boys haven't caused any trouble while I was gone?" she asked playfully, knowing full well what they have done. 

They exchanged glances sheepishly. "Perhaps some mischief has been done, Xue Xian," one answered her. "But we promise never to do it again."

"I'll have to give out some punishments to the genius who thought of revolting against the Wei to gain my attention, but I'll administer that some other day," she said with no intention of actually carrying those punishments out. "But you all are still Wei soldiers. I expect from this day onwards, you'll be loyal to the Wei?"

They nodded. 

"Tell your fellow soldiers what I said. I don't want to be disappointed." 

The soldiers at the gate rose to their feet and bowed in respect. 

Jin Qing waved at the door. "What's the wait? I want to see the men I would lead to battle."

Without another word, the doors to the barracks were opened. Jin Qing took her time to walk through as a soldier rushed ahead to inform everyone of her return-- as well as to look for a man named Jiang Hai Lin and bring him to her and general Li Kai Feng. Each and every single one of them greeted her with a casual shout or a cheer that she had returned, and each time she returned it with a smile.

Walking through the lines was something she did occasionally when she was still in her official position, but this was the first time the people around her were so cheerful. Had she underestimated her own worth in the Wei? Now that she had seen how serious the army can be about revolting if she wasn't at the head, she was starting to grow more and more hesitant about her plan--

"Jin Qing--"

She stopped in her tracks and stared at Shang ye. "Prince of Wei," she said flatly. "I didn't expect to see you here."

"I did. That's why I came here--"

"Your highness, I'm flattered that you went out of your way to see me. But I only temporarily took away your brother's powers, not yours. You can still summon me if you wished to talk." 

Shang ye recoiled, noticing how cold her attitude was. He was also aware that the soldiers around them were peering over what they were doing to see the two of them interact. The soldiers didn't know how badly their relationship had soured since the last time they had seen the two of them together so he knew this wasn't the time to look shaky. "Then I summon you to the side hall in an hour. I want to talk to you."

Jin Qing didn't give him the eye contact he wanted from her and looked straight ahead. "Your highness, I'm afraid I'll have to reject. Matters of war of are utmost emergency-- I don't think I'll be able to finish up within the hour. I'll go and find you whenever I find the spare time."

Though she didn't say it, she made herself clear-- she didn't want to see him, and she won't try and make time for him. She walked past him easily, and he didn't try and stop her as she walked by. The soldiers were staring at him too, wondering what was going on. 

"Get back to training!" He barked at them, and they scurried away like mice. Shang ye was annoyed now. He needed to clear his name from Jin Qing's list of people that she disliked, and he needed to do it before it's etched there forever.