Li Jin Qing: The one behind it all

Chapter 32

Jin qing could hear him before she saw him.

"Tell the Xue Xian to come out herself and face us! Or is she too scared? Is she a fake? I heard she's the illegitimate daughter of a family, brought up from the countryside! How good can she be?"

Goodness, his voice is loud. He has quite the set of lungs.

Yi ping's fingers closed into a fist. "He's been saying that for the past three days. If you aren't going to teach him a lesson, I-"

"Yi Ping."

"Ah... Sorry."

Jin qing approached the top wall and peered down at the man.
She couldn't see him too clearly, but he seemed to be standing at the Wei river bank, shouting up taunts and insults. Judging from the slight hoarseness in his voice, he's been trying his hardest. His hair was frizzed and gray in some spots, face wrought with wrinkles and scars she could see even from as high up as she was.

He looked oddly familiar as if Jin qing had seen him somewhere.

"You!" He pointed a finger at her, his voice rising. "Have you finally desires to show yourself? Coward! I was here for three days, and three days you made me wait!"

Jin qing stayed silent, watching him carefully. She held out an arm to stop Yi Ping from advancing, telling him silently that he shouldn't let the man's taunt aggravate him.

The man paced around, his head twitching a little, side to side. "So?! The pathetic Wei shall fall to the Song! If it doesn't collapse inwards first! Just like the once-great Liang!"

Jin qing took in a deep breath. She found it odd that the man was pacing around rather than staying in one spot.

"The Song will take all! And our general shall take your head!"

He is very welcome to try.

Jin qing didn't move her head and kept her gaze upon the man, her face expressionless. "Yi Ping. Tell men who are going guard duty on the bank to capture the man."

"Why?"

"The taunts are a distraction. He's actually scouting out positions."

"How can you be so sure?"

Because that's the style of the man leading them.
"A feeling, but better to be safe than sorry."

Yi Ping repeated what she said to some guard to his left, but Jin qing kept her eyes on the man.

The man looked up and suddenly began to run, running back to the Song.

"He's getting away!" Yi Ping looked up alarmed. "Guards! Make sure he-"

"No. Leave him be."

Yi Ping stared at Jin qing, confused. "But didn't you-"

"It's alright. Leave him be."

Yi Ping was so confused. But didn't Jin qing just tell him to capture him? Why was she letting him go now? "Why?"

"I have my reasons. Besides, even if you allowed the guards to act, they wouldn't have caught him anyway."

Yi Ping stared at his sister's face, her expression unreadable as it looked like all her emotions have disappeared. "Alright then."

Jin qing nodded and started to walk back, stepping down the stairs carefully.
Her head was filled with too many thoughts.

Yi Ping hurried after her and followed her closely, curiosity filling him as he watched his sister's mind tinker and zone out from the world.
It amazed him, how a woman with such a petite figure and such an ordinary face could be capable of things she had accomplished. In the past, you can pass Jin qing on the streets and not pay too much attention to her, but now... even if she was in regular civilian clothes, you couldn't help but look at her and admire her sense of elegance and hidden confidence.