Li Jin Qing: The one behind it all

Chapter 40

How long did she have until the Song ambushes Shang ye? How long does she have before it's too late to stop them?

Jin qing urged her horse to go faster, fearing for how little time she has left.  She has been riding the entire night as the sun began to prepare to rise. She can tell her horse was getting tired from a whole night of hard riding, and the exhaustion was taking its toll on her.

As she rode, she thought about what she was going to say to Shang ye. She knew that he was determined to finish this campaign, but Jin qing didn't want him to be captured or killed during the ambush.

Jin qing soon stopped by a river to rest and to feed her tired horse.
Judging from the second map that she had brought along, she had just a little further to go from the camp they were supposed to be stationed in.

Her ride had so far been oddly peaceful. She can already imagine that Huan le already told the Song about her departure. If she wishes to make it there on time...

Jin qing splashed a handful of cold, stream water on her face and wiped it away with her sleeve.

"There is no time to waste." She said aloud to herself. "No time to stand and rest and watch the grass grow. Shang ye could be only a few miles away from the first ambush point... wherever that is."

Swinging herself back on her horse, she urged her horse to go as fast as it could after a long night's journey.

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Jin qing could see the camp in the light of the sunrise.

A wide circle of white tents and horses tied to poles so they can eat the grass without getting lost. She can see a few of the men that were just starting to get up and pack up so they can move along the trail. From what Jin qing can tell, the men were still cheerful and seemingly uninjured which must mean that the Song hasn't attacked yet.

Jin qing breathed a sigh of relief both when she noticed the state of the men and the positioning of the camp.
At long last, she didn't need to worry about if the person leading is ready or not. The camp was placed on a slightly higher hill so they would be on the high ground so the Song army would have a harder time scaling and trying to attack without running the risk of losing men to archers.
If Shang ye had known about the ambush already, Jin qing is glad that he had taken the thought seriously and taken steps to prevent it. If Shang ye hadn't known, then Jin qing was very impressed to take such careful precautions to a threat he didn't even know about.

Perhaps this was the reason why the Song hasn't attacked yet.

A group of soldiers looked up when they heard the soft pounding of her horse's hooves.

"Xue xian!" One called out, recognizing her face as he had fought by her side before. "What brings you here? It's dangerous! You shouldn't be here!"

Jin qing was tired of being told what she could and couldn't do. She was the Xue xian, capable of anything. "I need to see his highness Shang ye. Can anyone lead me to his tent?"

"Of course!" The same man answered her, standing up straight. "But why? Why are you here?"

Jin qing looked down at the young man who could have been no more than twenty-five years old. "I'm sure Shang ye would explain after I talk to him." She answered, choosing not to tell him to the camp doesn't panic and start fleeing. "Take me to him. We don't have any time to waste."

The soldier nodded and took the reins of her horse and lead her to a much larger tent that was right in front of the main campfire.

"Jin qing?" Shang ye looked up in surprise. "I- what- did something happen? Why are you here?"