Like Yin had already predicted, the girls that were already inside immediately begin whispering amongst each other when she enters. Probably things like: 'why is she wearing those clothes, she must be a peasant, look how ugly she is,' stuff like that. Without any form of shame she rolls her eyes and continues her was to a table set up with refreshments. Her eyes quickly take in all the different types of drinks, but when she found no alcoholic beverages, like her mother loved to say, she scrunched her nose.

'This is going to be one hell of a time,' she mutters to herself. The woman she knew was standing behind her gasped at her informal speech and her dialect that predominates her voice. For the second time within the mere stretch of a minute, Yin rolls her eyes.

'Is there a reason for you to stand so close behind me? Or am I in your way?' Yin asks the woman, letting her dialect predominate as much as possible, just to irritate her. As Yin turns, she sees it was working, the womans face was red in anger. 

'Ah, I-' she tries to say something, but Yin turns towards the drinks again, searching for something nice to drink. The woman raises her hand and touches Yin's shoulder. Yin's reflexes kick in and she quickly turns around, startling the woman. The corner of her lips rise only the slightest bit at the woman's frightened stance. All bark and no bite, so predictable!

Quickly, another woman comes their way, with a few others in her wake, like vultures being pulled to their next victim. This woman seems to be high-born, jewelry adorns her head and neck and pretty much any surface that could be covered by jewelry. She seems to know what she's doing and won't let herself be put in place so easily. Her face seemed to be twisted in an eternal smile, a smile as fake as the goody-goody look on her face. If only she wasn't so fake, she would be a very pretty woman...

'Jie-jie was wondering why you are wearing these clothes, just like all of us, actually,' the woman says with a venom-laced tongue, yet her voice was sweet and tranquil.

'Ah, well, as anyone with a head on their shoulders will know, these white clothes indicate that I am in mourning,' Yin says with a certain amount of sarcasm, 'but I'm sure you knew that.'

'You are indicating that I am dumb? I was simply wondering why you are wearing these rags instead of the hanfu the Emperor has so kindly had gifted us with. Mourning shouldn't be an excuse for you to deny his Majesties request! Wearing this special hanfu indicates your subservience and loyalty towards his Majesty,' she says with a haughty voice. Yin can see right through her facade, how hyporitical the woman really was. Yin knew the extent women would go through to get a high position in the palace. This woman might even be aiming for Empress, as the Emperor hasn't selected his Empress yet. So sweet and clever on the outside, so wicked and corrupt on the inside!  This time, Yin manages to restrain herself from rolling her eyes with great effort. Not even one day and they had already managed to drive her insane! 

'I believe I have already served his Majesty quite enough, not that you would know of it.'

'So you are saying you are a whore?' the woman sneers and laughs at her own clever retort.

'You know this means you're calling yourself a whore as well, right? I mean, saying I slept with his Majesty in order to get a higher position practically makes each and every one of you a whore!' Yin says with a smirk on her face that she is unable to remove for her own good. Quickly, she glances around, a part of the women were listening in on their friendly conversation. 

'Besides, why would I ever want to do that? I don't have such low morals unlike some women...'

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'How dare you!' the woman shrieks and raises her hand to slap Yin across the face. Yin, as an experienced warrior and tactician, could see it coming from miles away. With a vice-like grip she snatched hold of the woman's arm.

'Let me go, you peasant!' The woman shrieks, Yin frowns at the sharpness of her voice. That woman sure is good at hiding the underlying poison. The noblewoman had kept Yin busy, she hadn't heard someone approaching behind her. If the woman hadn't kept her busy, she would have recognised the footsteps immediately. But now, Yin sees the woman looking at something behind her and her hateful features smooth out to the most deceiving and sweet face Yin had ever seen. Someone is behind me, someone of importance, probably, Yin realises. Instead of turning around, she stays like that, not interested in the one behind her. Finally amused, Yin was planning on continuing the quarrel with the lady. She was having fun for the first time in forever.

'Do I need to remind you that you were the first to raise your hand? Please do not bore me with your empty headedness again,' she says at last and Yin releases her arm roughly.

The person behind her clears his throat, asking for her attention and she slowly turns around... to stare straight into the face of the Emperor himself! Shit, how long had he been there? If he has been here longer than that woman bored me, I'm in trouble!

'Your Majesty,' Yin says with a calm voice, not trying to cover up the slight trace of her accent in her voice, 'please forgive me-'

At the words Your Majesty all of the women's heads snapped towards the scene and everyone fell silent, everyone bowed. When he motioned them to rise, gasps of surprise are heard and he knew it was because of his youth and beauty (he is quite narcissistic), yet the woman in front of him did not seem surprised. Her unfazed face suprised him, he had never seen her around the palace ground. He studies her face for a while, until his eyes rest upon her jade green ones. 

Just like the Jade General! What a sight!

'You are not at fault...' he hesitates, he doesn't know her name.

'My name is Wei Yin, your Majesty,' she says and she bows before him reluctantly.

He swears he heard hate and sarcasm in her voice, but he shrugs it off and says: 'May I ask you why you are not wearing the designated clothing?'

'As you can see I am wearing mourn clothing, Your Majesty, I still am in mourning.' Somehow, her way of speech, her somewhat arrogant but humourus reply reminds him of one of his best warriors.

'I was not aware any close relatives to Wei Liang had died? What happened?' He asks with a confused frown that would have most women swooning over him, Yin on the other hand despised him for his ignorance. 

'You knew my grandfather? Not very surprising really... As lady... I'm sorry, I never got to know her name, pointed out, we are supposed to wear the hanfu as a sign of subservience towards Your Majesty. My brother and many of my friends died in the war, serving Your Majesty.' As soon as the sentence leaves her lips, she regrets saying it, she had slipped up! AND he could kill her for the snide remark!

'Your brother? I was not aware the grandson of the late General of the South died in the war...' 

Of course you bloody idiot, I took his place to save him! I only dissappear for a year or so and people think you're dead!  Complete and utter idiot!

'I am sorry, I made a mistake, Your Majesty, I was talking of one of my closest friends, he was like a brother to me,' Yin lies smoothly, not allowing him to see the anger that was boiling inside of her.

A guard appears beside the Emperor and whispers something in his ear, he nods. 'It seems we will have to talk another time, Yin.' And with that he takes his leave. The Emperor left Yin fuming, he dared saying her first name like they were well-acquainted or even lovers!

'So  you are a whore! How else would his Majesty know you?' the noble-woman says with a smirk on her face. Yin would love to slap it of her stupid face, but containes herself. How stupid can one get!

'You might want to check out your ears... His Majesty already mentioned me being from the Wei-household... I am the granddaughter of the late General of the West. They were friends, if you hadn't guessed that yet, of course we are acquainted!' Yin lied, because, to be honest, she never met the Emperor when he was visiting her grandfather. To avoid trouble in the future, she made up a lie... if they think the Emperor takes a liking to her, they would give her one hell of a time!