Li Jin Qing: The one behind it all

Chapter 61

Much to Jin qing's surprise (and relief), she didn't even need to do anything for Tian Xiang to come and find her. 

Less than twenty minutes after Huan le and Gui Fei left, she heard the guards in front of her door speak their greetings to the emperor of the song, and she rushed out of her room to greet... a door that was still closed. 

"Tian Xiang, we had an agreement!" Jin qing shouted, her voice carrying over the walls to reach Tian Xiang's ears "You said Gui Fei wouldn't bother me as long as I did my own thing- what do you have to say for yourself?"
Staring at the door, Jin qing expected it to open so she can confront the emperor himself, but it remained stubbornly closed. 

"What do you have to say for yourself?" Tian Xiang asked. 

Jin qing's eyes widened a little when she detected the slight bit of anger in his voice. He sounded much like when she first met him when she was captured- formal, serious, and very angry at someone and something. She didn't want to admit it, but it sent shivers down her spine from the contrast to the voice she had been used to hearing him speak. "Huh?"

"I didn't think I'd have to remind you of this, but Wu Xin, you are in the Song,"

"And so?"

"Don't you underestimate how many eyes and how many ears work underneath us," Tian Xiang answered, "Did you really think someone wasn't going to notice how you snuck out a few nights ago to set fire to the fields?"

Panic quickly took over Jin qing's rational line of thought as she listened to him speak. Only dignity was holding her back from pounding on the door at that point. "How-"

"It took a while, but Huan le managed to track down strange movements in the palace around the days where the fields were being burned." Tian Xiang shouted from the other side of the door "Wouldn't you know? There was a horse missing on the day of the fire, taken around the time period of when the fire started and returned around the time it would have taken to travel from here to the site." 

A piece of paper slipped between the door, which Jin qing looked down at in confusion as it fluttered to the ground.  

"The stable from where the horse came from is the closest to your residence, and Gui Fei knows you well enough to say that you're the one who burned the fields- you have the motives too." Tian Xiang continued "Liang Wu Xin, I remind you once again that you are not in the Wei anymore. You are being watched."

Jin qing knelt down by the door and picked up the piece of paper. "What's the paper for?"

"A list of your crimes," Tian Xian answered her- much to her surprise "You aren't as sneaky as you thought."

As the sound of footsteps drifted away, Jin qing stared at the note that was left on the paper. 

what crimes???

She knelt down and picked the single sheet of paper and opened it. 

I'm sorry for sounding angry at you, I had to sound convincing or Gui Fei would think that something was wrong with the lie I told her to explain why you were out of your cell. 

Jin qing burst out laughing, but quickly stifled it when she realized that she was outside and that people would hear her. Folding the paper, she rushed back into her room and shut the door behind her. 

So Tian Xiang was going along to Gui Fei's request? It was smart of him to do so, but she doubted it would fool Gui Fei for very long. She reopened the letter and continued reading. 

Gui Fei's claim that you're the one burning the fields paired with the evidence she gave... were you really the one that burned them? I'm sure you have your reasons, though I'm sure that they won't agree with my ideas, I'll let it slide.