Li Jin Qing: The one behind it all

Chapter 3

What her maids said in the library wasn't a lie-- the banquet was mandatory. You had to go if you and your family were invited. 
But Jin qing was an exception. She was an illegitimate daughter with no social status, barely recognized by law. There was no place for her to be there anyway, but that wasn't the only reason. 

She needed time to prepare. 
A lot of time to prepare. 

Dinner was eaten in a private room, dishes immediately cleared away. There was little time for Jin qing to truly relax, but she tried her hardest to enjoy it before what came next.  Bai yan massaged her shoulders as her hair was let down and combed through until it shone like silk. Ye bing will have to do the hair again later anyway-- but it wouldn't be using the same blue jewelry that Jin qing was wearing this morning. 

Instead, an array of fancy white and silver jewelry and headdresses lay across the dresser, waiting to be used. 

Carefully, Ye bing laid out a simple White robe decorated with black thread. It was like the ones her miss usually wore, folded around the upper body and expanded loosely from the waist down. But this is different. This was more elaborate and much more heavily decorated than what she usually wore. On top of that was an equally white cloak covered in embroidery and beads that made it shine in the light. Despite how heavy it looked with the decorations, it was surprisingly light and the train both the dress and the cloak left behind could be dragged around effortlessly. 

She wore this ensemble only when she had official things to tend to, as the purpose of this outfit wasn't to show status or to show wealth-- it was designed to make her like a pure, snow-white goddess.  There weren't too many people in the living world that knew who she was underneath the exterior of the shy second daughter of the most respected advisor in the kingdom. 

Jin qing pulled out a veil from her trunk and tucked it in her hair to cover her face. Keeping her secret identity from not only her family but the world meant everything to her. 

Tonight, Jin qing wasn't the illegitimate daughter and lady from a high-standing family. No, she was someone completely different. She is the strategist and advisor that helped the Emperor in his most difficult tasks, the most respected woman in the entire empire whose status is rivaled only by the emperor himself. 

The world knew this mysterious advisor as the 'Xue xian."

The name can be read as 'The immortal of snow'

or

'The goddess of blood'

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Everyone under the sun knows who the Xue xian is.

Many will say she is a gift from the gods themselves, a mortal blessed with heavenly knowledge and wisdom to aid the destined empire to greatness. Her grace and mercy were as pure as snow, but her wrath can be as thick as blood. 

It was a popular topic in teahouses and private chambers alike on whoever the legendary Xue Xian may be, but there wasn't a single person in the country who guessed that it was her. 
After all-- Jin qing was just an illegitimate child that no one ever paid any attention to. Why would they bother wasting their time on her when there was someone like Huan le who will steal the sun from the sky just because it was outshining her? 

Jin qing's cape and robes trailed behind her as she walked through the palace halls. A cool breeze made the beads and tassels dance against her cape and dress as the train made soft swishing sounds as she turned the many and complex corners of the palace.  

Even her maids were dressed impeccably, decked out with fine silk fabrics as white as the one Jin qing was wearing and jewelry fit for a servant of the highest-ranking lady in the land. both of them were smiling underneath the veils that were tucked in their hair-- their miss looked like a warrior goddess from the ancient stories!
 Neither of them knew what they had done in their past lives to work for her, but they were thankful.