Back at the prince's mansion, Ming Yue ate quickly, then made her way to the rear gate to wait for the deliverymen arriving with supplies, determined to quiz them on the latest entertainment in the capital.  She was aware that some of the more well-known performances would be well out of the price range of the people she intended to speak to, but that didn't mean they lacked good taste.  In any event, the people whose brains she wanted to pick made deliveries all across the city and, if something was worth seeing, she was sure they would have heard about it.

Luckily, Ming Yue's gamble paid off, and the men had been more than happy to take a few moments out of their busy schedules to speak with the beautiful and cheerful young woman.  Consequently, Ming Yue was soon in possession of copious amounts of notes to go over with the prince later that day.  Narrowing down their options to just a handful of performers was going to be a very difficult task indeed.

In the meantime, the prince had gone straight from the queen's mansion to see his father, hoping that he would give him an audience without a prior appointment.

Luckily the king was never too bothered about that sort of thing, and an impromptu visit from one of his sons was always welcome.

Weisheng's purpose in visiting was to discuss the peace accords with Jin.  His recent conversations with Ming Yue on the subject had prompted him to be more proactive when it came to the matter of harmony between the two kingdoms, and he was growing more and more convinced that maintaining the status quo was simply not an option.

"Father," he said, determined to be blunt in order to make sure he got his message across.  "I know that you are hearing different things from different people, and that it's causing you distress.  I confess that I am no great politician or strategist, but it seems to me that all of the actions of King Huìwén show that he is as devoted to peace between our two kingdoms as you.  I don't know much about him, but I know he's not an idiot, and he has never demonstrated a lust for power.  What could possibly be gained from reigniting the fires of war between us now?  Both kingdoms are equally suffering from the last conflict. Why would he risk such a desperate gamble?"

King Xuanming nodded slowly in agreement.

"Your words make sense," he said, "but my advisers are here for a reason.  No king should ignore another's point of view just because he personally disagrees with it.  My duty is to all of the citizens of Han."  

Weisheng understood his father's point but, nevertheless, pressed on.

"Father, your words are true but, forgive me, also idealistic.  You and I know full well that many of your advisers are drawn from the most wealthy families of Han as favours in return for supporting your reign, even though you had little choice but to do so at the time.  Wisdom and good judgment have nothing to do with it.  Also, many of them have their own agendas."

The king could not disagree, but knew it was necessary to stress to his son the precarious position he was still in.

"Enough, Weisheng!" he said.  "I know all of this.  But the fact remains, our kingdom is still rebuilding itself after the war, and I cannot afford to act directly against the most influential families in Han.  My only option is to counter their destructive opinions with evidence that is so irrefutable that they are left with no choice other than to let the matter go, or risk their bad intentions being brought into the open and, at the present time, I have nothing."

Weisheng thought for a moment.

"What about a summit?" he suggested.  "We could invite a representative from Jin to meet with us at the border on the anniversary of the ratification of the initial treaty.  We could exchange gifts and sign some sort of document that re-affirms the peace accords.  We could also commit to opening the borders in a limited way, for trading purposes.  Surely this would benefit both kingdoms?"

King Xuanming looked at his son in amazement.  The truth was, it was an inspired idea.  It was not without some risk but, with the proper precautions, it could be a significant step towards strengthening the relationship between the two nations and silencing the troublemakers within his own court.  He placed a hand on his son's shoulder.

"You say you are not a strategist, and yet here you are, providing me with insight and guidance at one of my most troubling times.  We'll do as you suggest.  The anniversary of the signing of the peace treaty is in three months.  I will send a message to King Huìwén of Jin within the week to propose the meeting.  My advisers will only be told of this once it's done.  We can't give someone the chance to quash the plan before it's put into action"

Weisheng smiled back at his father encouragingly.

***

Meanwhile, in a large mansion on the other side of the city, a small group of three senior court officials and their allies met in secrecy.  Their plans to stoke conflict between Han and Jin were moving slowly, and they had heard from their spies in the palace that the second prince was now taking an interest in the matter to their detriment.

They did not necessarily want an all-out war between Han and Jin.  They were astute enough to know that this would be of no benefit to anyone at the present time.  However, if they could provoke King Xuanming to the point that he made several rash moves against the neighbouring kingdom, they would be well-placed to sway public and military opinion against him to the extent that any step towards unseating the current monarch would be decidedly less risky, if not welcome.

Being as ruthless and egotistical as they were, they did not even spare a thought for the wider political turmoil they could unleash in furthering their own, selfish ends. In any event, under their control, they had decided that Han would rise up stronger than ever, and perhaps then they would be in a position to make a serious move into Jin territory.

In their minds, King Xuanming had brought this upon himself.  He was far too opinionated, and the whispers from the inner palace were that he was even considering changing the Imperial Examination so that those of lower birth could become court officials.  This could not be allowed to happen.  Such arrogance had to be taken in hand.

The next threat to be removed had to be Prince Weisheng, and all the better if it could be done publicly.  He was far too close to the king, and his views were diametrically opposed to their own.  However, it could not be traced back to them, or the consequences would be dire.  The target now agreed upon, slowly and deliberately they began to draw their plans against the Han royal family.

***

At the same time, across the border, Zhenli had completed his long flight back to the Jin capital and was now enjoying a well-earned break.  King Huìwén had read Ming Yue's brief message and was considering what it meant for the two kingdoms.

Having the second prince on-side was certainly good news, but it was only one step in the right direction when, really, they needed the equivalent of a large shove.  Still, he had no doubt that Ming Yue would continue her work from within.  Once again, he pushed to the back of his mind his concerns about how to get Ming Yue out of Han when her mission was complete.  He would think about that when the time came.  She was a resourceful young woman, after all.  It was entirely possible she would come up with a solution herself, and that his meddling would only make matters worse.

Not for the first time, the king wondered if he had done the right thing in letting his only daughter walk right into the lion's den.  However, displaying a character trait that Ming Yue had most definitely inherited from him, he decided that there was little point in dwelling on it now.  What was done, was done, and what would be, would be.

King Huìwén made his way out of his study to where his three sons were bickering good-naturedly in one of the adjoining courtyards.  He painted a large smile on his face.

"What on earth is going on?" he asked.  "Can a father get no peace in his own study?"

The youngest man smiled widely at his father, the oldest looked a little sheepish to be caught acting less than princely, and the last of the three men shot an indignant look at each of the other two.

"It's about Ming Yue, Father," the youngest prince, Jiang Zhixing, said.  You said she had gone into the mountains to train in martial arts, but it has been so long.  She would usually have sent us a message by now telling us how she was going to beat us all to a pulp in a challenge when she got home.  Also, we haven't even been able to visit her.  We need to train occasionally too!"

The king had absolutely no intention of disclosing Ming Yue's real location to his three sons.  They were all sensible, intelligent young men, but they did have the tendency to behave a little irrationally where she was concerned.  Goodness knows why, as Ming Yue was just as capable of looking after herself as any of her siblings.  But, he supposed, it was in the nature of brothers to worry about their younger sister, and he could not fault them for their concern, even if it put him in a difficult position when he was forced to lie.  This time, he thought, he would have to guilt trip them into accepting his explanation, even though it pained him to do so.

"I have told you where she is," he said.  "And I have also told you that this training will include long periods of meditation where contact with the outside world would be detrimental to her progress."  Then, he laid it on thick.

"Are you saying that you do not believe me, your own father?"  He forced a disappointed look onto his face.

"Do you really think I would lie to you about something like this?"  King Huìwén lowered his head sadly.

Jiang Wang Wei, the eldest prince, immediately rushed to his father's side.

"Of course not, Father," he said.  "We would never doubt you.  We know you only have our best interests at heart.  Please don't feel bad."  The other two young men nodded vigorously in support of their brother's words.

The king suppressed a small smile.

"But," Jiang Zhixing, the youngest, began, "with things the way they are with Han at the moment, you must see that we are naturally worried about Sister.  We just want to know..."  He tailed off quickly as his older brothers simultaneously looked daggers in his direction.  He swallowed the rest of his words immediately, but his eyes narrowed suspiciously as he looked at his father.

King Huìwén inwardly smiled and decided to hammer the final nail into the coffin.

"I am always so thankful of your support.  I am a very lucky father indeed!"

With that, he turned away and started to walk back towards his private chambers.  In spite of everything, he allowed himself a small chuckle.  He was fortunate to have such a family, he thought.  The pressures of ruling a kingdom were heavy enough.  Was it wrong that he took some pleasure in the fact that he could still tease his children from time to time?

Having indulged himself in some merriment, King Huìwén turned his mind to Han.  He thought about the merits of sending Zhenli back with a response to Ming Yue, then thought better of it.  The risk was too high, and there was nothing he could say that would realistically change anything.  Zhenli returning to the Han palace would be enough to let Ming Yue know that her message had been received.

As he walked back towards his private chambers, King Huìwén could still hear his three sons bickering in the background.  He rolled his eyes with exasperation, but privately acknowledged that he would not have it any other way.  The family bond meant everything to him, and he was secretly delighted that his children were all on the best of terms, even though they didn't always show it.

King Huìwén's main regret was that his own father had craved ambition over anything else, to the extent that it had led to the war with Han, which was a war that King Huìwén had tried so hard to end with the least loss of life.  The monarch took a deep breath, and prayed hard for his daughter Ming Yue's success, and for her safety.  After all, king or no king, Ming Yue's brothers wouldn't let even their own father off if anything happened to their beloved younger sister.