Jiang Ming Yue, youngest princess of Jin, was dangerously on the edge.  On the edge of a rather tall building to be exact.  At least, it would have been dangerous had she not been particularly gifted in martial arts, although her brothers would never give her the pleasure of admitting that to her face.  At the moment, she was delicately balanced on one leg, reaching for a kite stuck in the upper branches of an inconveniently located tree.

Far below, the kite's owner, a small boy of seven, gazed up anxiously from one of the many pathways in the sprawling palace gardens.  Ming Yue gave a reassuring wave and, with the tips of her fingers, tugged the kite from the tree's grasp.  She swung down over the edge of the building roof with one hand to the wooden balcony below, then used her qinggong to descend gracefully, her feet lightly touching the ground below.  She paused to pluck an offending leaf from the wooden frame of the toy, then walked forward to meet the small crowd that had formed while she was performing her feat of acrobatics.

Ming Yue returned the kite to its grateful owner, then sent the boy on his way with a gentle pat on the head.  As the crowd dispersed, she turned away, and the smile on her full-lipped mouth faded quickly.  Instead, a worried frown drew her delicately arched brows downwards towards her hazel eyes, temporarily marring the features of her beautiful face.

Jing Yi, her personal maid and long-time friend, touched the princess's shoulder gently in understanding.

"Don't worry too much about His Majesty, Ming Yue," she said.  "He is used to dealing with these complicated political matters."

Ming Yue gave her friend a grateful look but, in her heart, she knew that this time was different.

Ming Yue's father, the king of Jin, had been troubled recently.  The tenuous peace between Jin and the neighbouring kingdom of Han was on the verge of collapse.  Jin spies outside the palace walls in Han were reporting distressing rumours that influential people in King Xuanming's inner circle were whispering in his ear, sowing seeds of distrust and suspicion between the two kingdoms.  Even now, King Huìwén was locked away with his advisers, trying to think of ways to maintain the fragile harmony that had been achieved at great cost on both sides.

"Our relationship with Han has never been good," acknowledged King Huìwén, "and I was aware of the small skirmishes at the borders every now and then.  But I had believed that, for now, it was stable.  Clearly the situation is much more sensitive than I had originally thought.  Does anyone have any recommendations?"

"Your Majesty", said a senior official, "if it is accurate that some of King Xuanming's own counsellors are responsible for this change of heart then it is difficult for us to confront the matter directly with the king.  Also, these rumours are unconfirmed.  If none of it is true, then we risk angering Han Kingdom over nothing."

King Huìwén nodded.

"I agree," he said.  "Our first priority should be establishing whether there is any truth to the stories.  Only then can we make a decision on the best course of action.  The question is, how do we do this without Han Kingdom's knowledge?  Our spies outside of the Han palace can only do so much without access to the Han royal court."

The king's most trusted confidante, Military Adviser Yu Long, stepped forward.

"I may have an idea," he said, slowly.  "There is a family in the Han capital who have been settled there for many years, since well before the war, but they remain loyal to Jin, the birthplace of the family patriarch."  He continued.

"The second daughter of the family is currently a maidservant in the inner palace.  However, she has recently been struck down by an illness which my spies tell me has affected a number of young people throughout the capital, meaning that there is a shortage of palace staff and replacements are urgently needed.  The family matriarch, whilst not of noble blood, is respected and known to the most senior palace housekeepers.  If she suggests that another daughter of the family who is trained in etiquette enters the palace in the second daughter's stead, it is likely that this would be agreed to."

The king was an intelligent man, and Military Adviser Yu had been with him for many years.  Consequently, he knew exactly what his friend was hinting at.

"You are suggesting that we replace this other daughter with one of our own people as a spy."

"Your Majesty is quick to grasp the situation."

"But who?  You say that the situation there is urgent, but where could we find a suitable young woman at such short notice to enter the palace and not be discovered?  She must have knowledge of palace etiquette, be able to speak the Han dialect, and still have sufficient martial arts skills that will both protect her and let her be an effective spy for Jin.  It cannot be anyone who is already placed in Han.  Their identities are established."

These were all good points, but Yu Long was well prepared.  Still, what he had to say was sensitive, and so once again he relied on his relationship with the king to get his message across.

"Perhaps Your Majesty and I could..." he tailed off, and King Huìwén immediately took his meaning.

"Yes, it requires further consideration.  Everyone may leave.  Military Adviser Yu, join me for a walk in the gardens."

Away from curious eyes and ears, Yu Long continued.

"There is no one suitable in our military.  There is only one person I can think of who is both loyal and qualified, but I am hesitant to suggest it."

The king closed his eyes and sighed heavily as the other man spoke.  He knew exactly who his friend was referring to.

"Your Majesty, she is highly intelligent and capable, and her martial arts skills are the equal of any man I have ever encountered.  She speaks all the dialects of Jin and Han fluently, and she grew up surrounded by palace staff, so she is best placed to imitate their behaviours."

Yu Long took the king's silence as a signal to carry on speaking.

"Moreover, she has never gone outside of the palace walls using her real identity, so no one in Han knows what she looks like.  Also..." he paused.  "There is the matter of her...special gift."

He stopped when the king looked at him sharply, but duty compelled him to continue.

"Your Majesty, you know me.  You know I would never suggest this if there was any other option," he finished.

The king sighed a second time, even more heavily than the first.

"I know my friend.  But you are talking about my only daughter.  How could I risk my own flesh and blood on this mission?"

"Your Majesty, you remember how the princess begged to learn martial arts from a young age.  How she devoted herself to learning military matters, politics, literature - not because she had to but because she wanted to.  I will admit that she has an adventurous spirit and can sometimes be a little impetuous, but her sense of justice and overall good judgment is unparalleled.  But, more than anything, you know her desire to serve Jin and you."

The king, however, was undeterred.

"I know all this.  Still, am I not allowed to be unreasonable when it comes to my own child?  No, I will not give the order to send her!"

Yu Long went to respond, but was stopped suddenly by the king's raised hand.

"Let me finish.  I will not order it.  I will ask her if she wishes to go.  The choice will be entirely hers.  And whatever her decision, that will be the end of it."

King Huìwén's tone was authoritative and his expression was set, but it could not hide the sadness in his eyes.  He knew his daughter like he knew himself, and he was already certain what she would choose to do.

Whatever his own views, he and his wife, whose presence he had sorely missed over the years since her passing, had agreed to raise their children to be independent and fully in control of their own destinies.  They had not wanted any resentment between parents and children, or brothers and sisters.

Luckily for the king and queen, their three sons and one daughter had grown into fine young adults, all equally capable, and the Jin royal family, whilst it had its problems from time to time, was a loving one.

As he made his way back along the meandering garden paths, he raised his voice to reach the ears of his long-serving attendant, who was hovering nearby.

"Eunuch Song, please send someone to ask my daughter to come and see me in my study."

As Eunuch Song scuttled off to carry out his king's order, King Huìwén started the slow walk back towards his study, his every step seeming heavier than the last.

***

Having received the summons, Ming Yue entered her father's study calmly, but her emotions were in turmoil.  She was well aware that the problems with Han were the court's top priority, and so it was only natural that she would be surprised that her father had asked for her at this time.

The king smiled at her, but it did not reach his eyes, and she noticed it immediately.  She looked at him expectantly.

He waited for a brief moment, then slowly began to speak.  He did not attempt to simplify the matter.  He knew that his daughter was more than capable of understanding.  Once he had finished talking, he paused again, gathering the courage to ask his question.  But, before he could do so, he heard Ming Yue's voice, clear and firm.

"Father, the solution is obvious.  You must send me to the Han palace.  I know the dialect and customs so I will fit in without being noticed, and Master Zhong says my martial arts are as good as anyone else he has taught, so I will be able to protect myself.  Please let me do this, Father.  For you and for Jin."

King Huìwén placed both hands on his daughter's shoulders.

"Child, you must think carefully.  Are you really willing to go into such a dangerous place?"

Ming Yue's tone was resolute, and her face was set in a stubborn expression the king knew only too well.

"Father, I am.  Believe me, if you did not let me go, I would find a way to go anyway.  We must do everything we possibly can to avoid war with Han.  Yes?"

"Yes."  There was little the king could do other than admit the truth of the situation.  That being the case, there was nothing left to discuss.

"Then it is done.  Military Adviser Yu will make the arrangements, although I do not know how I will be able to part with you."

"It will only be for a little while," Ming Yue reassured him.  "As soon as I have the information we need, I will find a way to come back to you.  Believe me."

King Huìwén smiled indulgently at his only daughter.

"I do, child.  Believing you has never been a problem."

"Then why do you still look so worried?"

"I am wondering how I explain this to your brothers.  You know how they dote on you.  Maybe I will tell them you have gone into a period of seclusion and self-reflection at the temple."

Ming Yue raised a sceptical eyebrow.

"Would they really believe such a thing about me?"

The king shook his head resignedly.

"Mm.  Decidedly not."