Ming Yue instantly froze.  She said nothing.  Weisheng was relieved that she did not do him the disservice of trying to deny it.  She knew him well enough to know that he would never have said it so confidently if he was not absolutely sure.

"I suspected it for a while," he said.  "Even though your behaviour in the palace was impeccable, you never really fit in as a maidservant.  Your martial arts ability alone gave me reason to believe you were more than what you claimed to be."

Weisheng watched her warily, but she did not move or make any attempt to speak, so he continued.

"When we were organising the summit, you knew exactly what gifts to buy to please the Jin delegation.  Then, at the summit camp, your reaction towards the Jin princes was strange.  Not at all what I expected."  Weisheng's mind briefly drifted to the way the Jin crown prince and his brother had looked at Ming Yue, but he pushed the thought quickly to the back of his mind.

"Then, there was your winged friend, the falcon.  Whenever I saw him leaving the skies above the palace, it was always to fly east, in the direction of the border with Jin, and usually after some major announcement had been made in the court.  I still couldn't be certain though.  One piece of the puzzle was still missing.  It was as if I knew it, in the back of my mind, but I just couldn't put my finger on it."

"It wasn't until I thought back to the first time I saw you. How you stood out from everyone else. The way you moved, your confidence, and," he paused for a moment. "The way you spoke. Your accent. It was the same as the Jin princes'. Of course, it has faded now after so many months. But I remember it."

Studying her face carefully, Weisheng saw one of Ming Yue's eyebrows raise ever so slightly, and he took the opportunity to hazard a guess at what was going through her mind.

"You are probably wondering why you are not rotting in the palace dungeons right now."

Again, she said nothing.  Weisheng's tone softened.

"I know you are a spy, but I don't believe that you have any ill-intentions towards Han.  If anything, your actions suggest the opposite.  There have been any number of occasions where you could have sabotaged us from within, but you have saved my life several times now, and even trusted me and Luo Jian with your biggest secret.   It is impossible for me to believe you are a threat."  Now finished, he waited, challenging her to contradict his words.

Ming Yue had expected to feel fear at being exposed, but instead she only felt a crashing wave of relief.  She had not realised until this moment how truly exhausting it had been trying to fulfil her duty as a daughter of Jin whilst at the same time trying to avoid lying directly to Weisheng.

She moved over to the table and sat down, aware that this was likely to be a very long conversation.

"You are correct," she began.

Weisheng had been expecting the answer, but it still came as a shock to hear her say it.  Still, he tried his utmost to maintain a neutral expression.

"I am from Jin kingdom," she continued, "but my mission in coming here was only ever a peaceful one.  You are aware that we have spies in Han, just as you have spies in Jin.  This was the case since well before the war even."

Weisheng nodded.  It was common for neighbouring kingdoms to keep an eye on each other in this way.  He nodded again, signalling for her to go on.

"Our spies reported that there were rumours of certain Han palace officials who were against Han forging better relations with Jin, perhaps even encouraging a resurgence of hostilities.  But these were only rumours, so the king did not want to raise the matter with your father directly and risk offending him, in case there was no truth to any of it."

Weisheng understood the Jin king's concern.  For the ruler of one kingdom to suggest that the ruler of another was being unduly influenced by his own advisers could be interpreted as accusing him of being a weak leader.  Without knowing his father's temperament, it would have been a risky step for King Huìwén to take.

Seeing that Weisheng was sympathetic to the king's dilemma, Ming Yue kept going.

"I was sent here to investigate whether the king was right to be concerned and, if possible, do what little I could to encourage Han to see the truth - that Jin had nothing but a favourable attitude towards the peace accords."

"Please believe me," she implored Weisheng, "Jin had only the best intentions in my coming here.  Once my mission was fulfilled, I was going to leave the palace and return to Jin.  It would have been as if I was never here, and Jin and Han would be even more strongly united in their goal for lasting peace."

She saw Weisheng tense, and immediately misunderstood his reaction to be one of incredulity.

"I swear to you, Weisheng," she said.  "It was never my goal to lie to you.  I never even imagined meeting you, let alone..." She stopped and looked down.

Weisheng's heart was in turmoil.  She was telling the truth, he was certain.  Much of her words had simply been confirming what he already suspected.  What he hadn't fully appreciated until Ming Yue said it was that, eventually, she would go back to where she belonged.

"Do you still intend to leave?" he asked, quietly.

Ming Yue had been pondering this very question for some time now, ever since they returned from the peace summit with Jin and she had started questioning the real reason why she had insisted on staying with the prince.

"I don't know," she answered honestly.  "I have...commitments back in Jin.  People are counting on me."

Finally losing his composure, Weisheng strode over to where she was sitting and pulled her up to face him.

"So that's why you defended the Jin princess," he said, staring at her in disbelief.  "You want the two kingdoms to unite in marriage."  He ran his fingers through his hair in frustration.

"I've been such a fool.  Why didn't I see it earlier?  I know now you are devoted to your country, and just as committed to the cause of peace between Han and Jin as I am, but I never thought that you would actually push me into the arms of a woman I've never met just to achieve your goal."

Ming Yue knew that Weisheng was prone to speaking first and thinking later whenever his temper got the better of him, but this wasn't enough to stop her raising her voice in anger for the first time since she had arrived in Han.

"How dare you!" she shouted, tears forming in the corners of her eyes as she pulled free from his grasp.  "How many times have I risked death in order to stay by your side?  How many times have I stared into the mirror at injury scars I thought would mark me forever?  How many times have I put my life in your hands when I showed you my abilities?"

Weisheng just looked at her, his eyes wide.  She continued, her voice now quietening to almost a whisper.

"After everything I have done for you, how can you still believe that I would do anything to hurt you?"

Struggling to hold back her tears, she turned on her heel and walked quickly from the room, leaving a stunned crown prince in her wake.

***

When Weisheng finally pulled himself together, the sky outside was dark.  As he focussed on his surroundings, he noticed that he was not alone.  However, instead of Luo Jian, it was, surprisingly, Eunuch Wang who stood in front of him.  The old servant was looking at him with an expression of disappointment.  It was a look he had seen directed at others, but never, even after many years together, towards himself.

"I think that you have done that young lady a great disservice."

Weisheng sighed heavily and rubbed his hand over his face.

"Eunuch Wang, it is all incredibly complicated.  I can't expect you to understand."

His chief eunuch gave him an indulgent smile.

"How long have I been by your side?   At this point I have forgotten more than you have learned.  Did you really think that I rose to this position without having my wits about me?  I may not speak of it, but don't make the mistake of thinking that I do not know everything that goes on in this mansion."

Weisheng's eyes widened as he listened to the old man's words.

"I repeat," said the chief eunuch.  "You have wronged her greatly.  And if you do not put it right this instant, you will regret it for the rest of your life."

Needing no further encouragement, Weisheng ran from the room.

***

Meanwhile, across the capital, in the upstairs room of a quiet inn, the reaction to King Xuanming's marriage suggestion had led to consequences very different, but no less significant, than those affecting Weisheng and Ming Yue.

Having previously been content to bide their time, the conspirators, led by Minister Guo, had been forced into action.  If the crown prince married King Huìwén's beloved daughter, the Han royal family would gain a significant political ally, and Prince Weisheng would become even more popular with the masses.  Engineering a transfer of power to the youngest, more malleable prince would be virtually impossible without risking an all-out rebellion.  They had to act now.

Minister Guo looked around at the men deep in discussion.  In his mind, he had already formed a plan, albeit that it was a huge gamble.  It was just that he had not thought he would have to put it into play quite so soon.  He raised his hand and the room quickly fell silent.  After a brief pause, he began to speak.

"The eldest prince may be dead and buried, but there are still a few who are fiercely loyal to his memory as well as harbouring ambitions of their own.  One such person was resourceful enough to find a way to approach me, and shrewd enough to have noticed that the eldest prince and I were somewhat...aligned in our thinking."  He chose his words carefully.

"This person can move relatively freely around the palace without suspicion.  I suggest we make use of them."

With his audience's full attention, Minister Guo started to explain the risky plan.

***

Weisheng entered Ming Yue's room without knocking, not wanting to give her a chance to deny him access.  She was standing near the window, looking out at the night sky, but she turned to face him when she heard the doors open and close.  Her face was slightly flushed, and Weisheng noticed a jug of wine on a small table in the corner.

"I am so sorry," he said.  "I can't think straight when it comes to you.   I have never been able to.  That's not an excuse. I just..." He bit his lower lip and closed his eyes.  "Please say you forgive me.  Please."

Seeing him so vulnerable, Ming Yue could not hold on to her anger any longer.

"You were wrong to say what you did," she began.  "But you were not wrong to be upset.  After all, I deceived you.  As much as I hated doing it, I still kept things from you.  Perhaps I should have trusted you sooner.  We were both at fault.  Let us say no more about it."

She smiled at him, and Weisheng needed no more encouragement.  He took a few steps across the room and threw his arms around her, pulling her in close until his sense of relief faded, and he broached the difficult subject once more.

"Please tell me, Ming Yue," he said gently, leaning back so that she was forced to look up at him.  "Who are you really?"

She disentangled herself, and took several steps back, away from him.

"Does it matter?" she asked.  "Here in Han, my identity is a Jin spy and a commoner.  No matter how often you say you will never let me go, what can truly come of it?  However much you resist marrying another, you cannot marry me.  We both know this," she finished, sadly.

"No!"  Weisheng stepped forward and once again pulled her to him.  "I refuse to accept that.  I will think of a way.  You don't understand.  I can't live without you."

Ming Yue heard the prince's voice crack, and she immediately looked up at him in concern.  Before she knew it, his mouth had covered her own.

Weisheng kissed her desperately, as if he was afraid it was for the last time.  Sensing the strength of his emotion, Ming Yue responded in kind, reaching up to bury her hands in his hair.

When they finally stopped to breathe, Weisheng kept his arms wrapped tightly around her, and rested his head on her shoulder close to her neck, breathing in her scent.  They stayed like this for some time before one of them spoke, bringing the pair back to reality.

"Weisheng," said Ming Yue.  "We must find out who is trying to kill you."  He looked up at her serious tone.

"I am more convinced than ever that they are the same people who tried to sabotage the relationship between Han and Jin," she continued, "and I know you are too.  Don't you see?" she finished, "our problems are the same."

Weisheng walked over to the table to pour himself a cup of wine, then sat down.  He thought for a moment.

She was right, of course.  And no matter how strongly they felt about each other, none of it would be of any significance at all if one of them was dead at the behest of some traitorous scheme.

Ming Yue walked across and knelt down in front of him, placing her hand on his arm.

"Let's work together," she said.  "Han and Jin.  It can be our first collaboration.  For the good of both kingdoms.  Also," she continued, "now that you know what I am, it will be much easier for me to help you."

He looked up at her.

"Please, Weisheng," she finished.  "All the reasons you had to trust me before.  They are still there."