Li Jin Qing: The one behind it all

Chapter 68

Thank you all for all the recent support! I can't believe we're at 97k-- it's such a big number that I can't get my head around. Thank you again!

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Jin qing may have sounded confident to the soldier who was technically leading her to her death, but she knew even she wouldn't be able to deal with all the elite guards who would be serving Xi jian.

Guss like he was more idiotic than she anticipated, but she was still willing to try.

The first thing she noticed was the lack of the usual ceremonial respect the court usually gave her. Not everyone in the imperial court was present-- just a handful of higher-ranking officials and retired old advisors who served the late emperor.

Just great. more witnesses who are most likely against me.

Kai Feng and Shang ye were both presents on the left side of the emperor, who was giving her a cold glare as she walked down to the center of the room. The silence was thick enough to be cut with a single slash using the dagger tucked away from sight in her belt.

Jin qing smirked, standing in the center of everyone's attention. "Hello," she finally said, after a long while of silence. "Long time no see, Xi jian. You've always told me I don't need to kowtow to you, so I'll take the liberty of once again not so this time."

"Wu Xin."

She sighed. "Straight to the topic?"

"You're lucky I didn't command the guards to execute you on sight."

"On the contrary, you're lucky you didn't." Jin qing fired back. "What, or rather, who stopped you? You're not intelligent enough to make that level of decisions on your own."

Xi jian was visibly furious at her, and the easy smirk on her face clearly wasn't doing anything to ease his anger. "You're an enemy of the Wei," he snapped "And you still dare to step back into this country."

Jin qing put a hand on her chest, pretending to be shocked. "Enemy of the Wei?" She rolled her eyes. "Do the basic math, Xi jian. Assuming you're talking about the atrocities I supposedly committed, think about how old I would be back then." she sighed. "I would have been eight or so. Do you really think an eight-year-old would have been able to do all those things?"

"You? We've seen you in battle. I don't doubt it."

"Eight." Jin qing repeated. "I learned how to fight later in my life after the Liang fell. You can ask advisor Li where he found me... if he hasn't said it already." she turned to the person who had 'saved' her all those years ago. "I doubt you even remember where it is anymore."

All eyes turned to Advisor Li, the person who had supposedly been Jin qing's father this entire time. No doubt he had been questioned thoroughly after Jin qing and Huan le's secret was released to the world. He looked worse than Jin qing remembered-- both in figure and status. He no longer donned the robe of a high official and was clearly demoted.
She hoped Kai Feng's prestige saved the Li family from falling into disgrace, as she still had two unmarried sisters back at home.

Speaking of which... she hoped her bad reputation didn't cost Xue hua or Xi yan's future. Even though they weren't related by blood in the slightest, she still felt bad for them as an older-sister figure.

Advisor Li bowed deeply, holding his hands out in front of him in absolute respect. "answering your majesty: I found Wu Xin in the home of a disgraced general named Jiang Lei years ago when my carriage was attacked by bandits. As she said, I don't remember where the home is anymore."

Kai Feng stepped out from where he was standing-- unprompted, of course. "I can confirm this." He answered. "And so can every member of our family. Though father didn't inform us about the many details, I can say with confidence that it's unlikely that Wu Xin would have been able to learn martial arts at the style of the Wei if she grew up in the Liang."