Li Jun, eldest prince of Han, was dead.

The skirmishes to the south had been a little more serious than had first been thought.  None of this should have posed a significant threat to the prince's safety, however, if he had not gone off on an ill-advised pursuit of a retreating warlord without even stopping to consider whether it might have been a trap.  A well-aimed arrow and a heavy fall from his horse face-first onto rocky terrain had ended his life.

As well as the man himself, fifty good soldiers had died as a result of Li Jun's poor choice, and Chuanli had returned with the prince's almost unrecognisable body before being sent away in disgrace to guard a distant Han outpost, having failed to protect his master.  In fairness, it was perhaps better than the servant could have expected if King Xuanming had not been certain that the blame for Li Jun's demise lay squarely with the man himself.

As for Weisheng, his emotions were torn.  Whilst anything resembling true brotherly affection between him and Li Jun had died off a long time ago, they had still been siblings, and his parents were now grieving the loss of a child.

Ming Yue was less troubled.  In her view, even despite its brutality, it was still too good a death for someone so despicable, but she was relieved that any decision on how to deal with Li Jun's wickedness was now firmly out of Weisheng's hands.

At present, the hour was late, and she was trying to distract the prince from his melancholy thoughts.  The funeral rites and other burial formalities had all been concluded, and Li Jun had been laid to rest with more pomp and ceremony than he deserved, but the prince was still struggling with his conflicting emotions.

"Would it possible for you to accompany me out into the city tomorrow, Weisheng?" she asked, resting a hand lightly on his arm as she knelt on the floor beside him in his study.  He looked down at her, a question forming in his eyes.  Ming Yue went on.

"I would very much like to meet the young woman who made the cream that Luo Jian gave me.  She must be very talented indeed, and I would love to thank her in person."  She looked across at the young captain, willing him to support the suggestion.  He looked at her blankly for a moment, then cleared his throat.

"Erm, yes, Your Highness.  A change of scenery would be good.  For all of us."  He looked back at Ming Yue and she gave him a small smile.

Weisheng gazed intently at the young woman's face, and suddenly realised that it had not even crossed his mind to enquire after her injuries since they had returned to the capital.  Every day had been filled with plans for the new trade routes with Jin and, no sooner had these come to fruition, the news of Li Jun's death had hit, throwing the palace into disarray.

Throughout it all, Ming Yue had been unfalteringly by his side, giving him her support as his secretary and more, and he had not spared one moment to consider the condition of the wounds left on her as a result of her association with him, the sight of which had so affected them both in the past.  He now felt that he had taken her loyalty and steadfastness for granted, and he was bitterly sorry for it.

Sensing that the mood had changed, Luo Jian left the two of them alone.

"Ming Yue, please forgive me," Weisheng began.  "I have been so caught up in my own problems that I never even thought to ask."  He looked so dejected that the young woman immediately resolved to lighten the mood.

"To be honest," she said, her tone playful, "I am rather surprised that you did not insist on regularly inspecting the area yourself."

Weisheng's eyes snapped up.  It was so rare for Ming Yue to be the one initiating moments like this between them that all thoughts of self-pity quickly disappeared.

"You are right, of course!" he exclaimed.  "A truly unforgivable error on my part.  I will correct it right away."  He quickly reached down to wrap a hand around her waist, then pulled her up towards him until she was seated on his lap, facing him.

She did not resist, but just looked at him calmly.  He suddenly felt a bit nervous.  The last time they had been this close to each other was back at the border, several weeks ago, and he did not know how she would respond to the sudden intimacy.

She reached a hand up to his brow, stroking it gently.

"You must frown less, Weisheng.  Otherwise, you will start to look old."

He stretched out his arm, put his hand behind her neck and started pulling her in towards him.

His movements were so slow that the anticipation was almost painful for the both of them, but their eyes never left each other until the moment their lips finally touched.

To begin with, the kiss was slower, less insistent than their other encounters, but it was no less passionate, and they both melted into it, forgetting about the troubles of the past few weeks and focussing only on their need for each other in that moment.

It was not long before both their temperatures started to rise, and Weisheng's mouth began to roam.  Exercising a huge amount of self-control, Ming Yue pushed him back gently.

"Weisheng," she said, looking around.  "I am not sure that your study is an appropriate place for this."

He smiled, and brought his mouth to her ear to whisper.

"Are you saying that you would like to continue somewhere else?"

Ming Yue's face flushed immediately, but Weisheng was spared her indignant response when Eunuch Wang's voice resonated just outside of the study door.  She stood quickly, rearranging her dress.

"Your Highness, forgive my intrusion!" exclaimed the eunuch as he entered the room.

Weisheng rolled his eyes.  Things had been going so well.  Seemingly oblivious to the prince's frustration, Eunuch Wang continued.

"I would not have bothered you, but the hour is already late, and I needed to convey the message before you retire to your chamber.  His Majesty has requested your presence in his private study first thing tomorrow."

Weisheng nodded slowly.  He had a fair idea what it was about and, if he was correct, things were about to change significantly.

Ming Yue noticed the shift in the prince's mood and excused herself for the night after giving him a brief, reassuring smile.

***

The following day came all too soon.

Weisheng stood in front of his father, waiting patiently, even though he knew what he was about to hear.  Sure enough, it was as he had feared.

"I am going to name you crown prince."

Weisheng sank to his knees.

"Father, the honour is too great!  And all of Han is still grieving my brother's death.  I beg you to reconsider this."

King Xuanming regarded his son thoughtfully.

"Stand, Weisheng, and let us talk as father and son."

The prince rose, and went to sit next to the king, who wasted no time in explaining his decision.

"It is true.  Your brother is dead.  However, your brother was a fool and too many in the capital knew it.  Do not pretend that official mourning is the same as genuine grief.  You and I both know this is not the case."

If Weisheng was shocked at the harshness of his father's words, he did not show it.  Instead, he just listened carefully as the king continued.

"As the ruler of this nation, I sometimes have to make difficult decisions.  Naming you as crown prince is not one of them.  I have always known that you were the most suitable to take my place.  However, I also know that by taking this step I will place a target on your back."  He sighed heavily.

"Still, I have no other choice.  You and I both know that powerful forces in Han are pushing to be the power behind the throne.  Originally, they will have set their sights on Li Jun as the man to sit on that throne.  He was self-indulgent and easily controlled.  Now, they will look towards your youngest brother, counting on his youth to make him pliable to their wishes.  This cannot happen, so we have to act decisively now."

Weisheng gazed steadily at his father, revealing nothing.  Until now, the king had not always exerted his authority with perhaps as much force as he should have, which a more judgmental person would say had led to the current situation with the overly ambitious nobles.  This new, more commanding king was somewhat of a departure from the norm.  Ultimately, however, he knew that his father was right.

Still, installing Weisheng as crown prince now would not guarantee his position.  A successful assassination attempt would be all that was needed, then the traitors would be victorious.

Nevertheless, naming a crown prince would give a much-needed boost to the reputation of the Han royal family and the goodwill of the people.  Consequently, despite Weisheng's misgivings, at the present time it did seem like the best option.  Resigning himself to his fate, he sat back, ready to hear the rest of his father's proposal.

***

On leaving the king's private rooms, and with the rest of the day free before the bombshell was dropped on the royal court the following morning, Weisheng recalled Ming Yue's request to go out into the capital.  He smiled to himself.

At first, he had been reluctant, remembering how their last foray into the city had almost ended in tragedy.  However, this time, it might be just what the three of them needed.

He turned to his right when he felt a familiar presence at his side.

"Luo Jian, get a message to Ming Yue.  We're going out.  Dress to blend in.  I think leaving via the west gate will be less conspicuous."

Luo Jian suppressed a smile.  This was the most enthusiastic Weisheng had been in weeks, so he wasn't going to argue with the prince's last-minute decision.  Still, he resolved to make arrangements to have four of his best men tail the trio and stay out of sight unless absolutely necessary.

***

Just a short while later, the three friends found themselves caught up in the hustle and bustle of the capital's afternoon markets.

Unlike the evening merchants, who sold entertainment and indulgence, the daytime traders were all business, and Ming Yue was fascinated by the contrast.  Everywhere she looked, deals were being done, and there was a sense of urgency and professionalism in the air.

The city as it was now was much more similar to the Jin capital at all hours and, if she was honest with herself, she almost preferred the shift in dynamic between day and night in her current home, where the intense atmosphere of the daylight hours gave way to the more laid back, decadent ambiance of the evening.

Luo Jian walked ahead, confidently leading the way towards the clinic Ming Yue had wanted to visit, but the streets were crowded.  She felt Weisheng's hand wrap around her own, and she squeezed his fingers gratefully.  At any other time, she would have shied away from any showing of intimacy in a public setting, but this was only her second visit into the heart of the capital, and she had no desire to spend the afternoon wandering aimlessly about the streets without a clue as to where she was going if the two of them became separated.

For his part, Weisheng noticed her unusual willingness to accept his attention, and his mind went back to their first excursion into the capital.  At that time, he had been puzzled by Ming Yue's reaction to the city nightlife.  After all, she was the daughter of a family who had been residing there for years, but she was acting as if it was a completely new experience.  However, now, things were starting to fall into place.  He couldn't quite put his finger on it yet, but he knew he was close to answering the question that had been on his mind for so many months.

Before he could give the matter any more thought, Luo Jian suddenly stopped.  Looking back at the two of them, he nodded to indicate that they had reached their destination.  Ming Yue immediately disentangled her hand from Weisheng's and he resignedly thought that it had been nice while it lasted.

They were about to enter the building in front of them when, without warning, the very person they had come to see walked out of the entrance, accompanied by a young man.

Lin Yang stopped instantly when she saw Luo Jian.

"Captain Luo!" she exclaimed.  "How lovely to see you.  You must tell me, how is your friend?"

Luo Jian was caught unawares by her forthrightness but, luckily, Ming Yue stepped forward, already charmed by the young woman's genuine nature.

"You must be Miss Lin," she said, enthusiastically.   "I have been wanting to meet you for so long.  My name is Li Ming Yue, and this is... Zhao gōng zǐ."  She motioned towards Weisheng and smiled.

Lin Yang's smile widened.

"Of course!  You two are promised to each other!  Captain Luo told me all about it."

Weisheng's eyes widened.  He looked immediately across at Luo Jian, who stubbornly refused to meet his gaze.  A slow smile spread across his features, and he stepped forward, taking Ming Yue's arm.

"Yes, we are.  Miss Lin, I owe you a debt of gratitude for helping my dearest one."  He grinned indulgently down at Ming Yue and was rewarded with a sharp elbow to the ribs.

Fortunately, Lin Yang did not notice, and immediately turned to the handsome young man at her right.

"It is a great pleasure to meet you all.  This is my brother, Lin Xing Fu.  Doctor Lin."

Whilst Lin Yang was attractive in a way that could be described as winsome and endearing, her brother was quite the opposite.  His features were delicate, almost ethereal, and he was clearly the more restrained of the two personalities.  Still, he smiled sincerely at the three friends, and Ming Yue found herself warming to the both of them very quickly.

Lin Yang spoke again.

"Xing Fu and I were just about to visit a nearby herb market.  Would you like to join us?

"Very much," said Ming Yue, enthusiastically.  Over the last few months, she had taken every opportunity to build on her knowledge of medicinal herbs, feeling that in some way it was paying tribute to her lost friend, Bai Mi, who had died so tragic a death on their visit to the northern provinces.

The two young women fell into step together and started to converse easily.  Weisheng asked Xing Fu about his medical practice and found that it was an easy way to engage the man in discussion.  Luo Jian followed behind, content to walk in silence.

***

"And so that is why I decided to enter the medical profession," finished Xing Fu.  "My parents no doubt had a different career path in mind, but I always wanted the skill to heal another person, as much as for my benefit as for theirs, I suppose."

Weisheng was impressed by the young man's honesty.

"And what about your sister?" he asked.

"I followed my dream," he answered.  "How could I deny my younger sister the same?"  He smiled as he looked fondly at the woman talking so animatedly to Ming Yue ahead of them.

"Lin Yang is very gifted with herbs and diagnosing poisons.  It was only logical that we open the clinic together.  Luckily, we have always had a strong bond."

As they reached the market, the group of young people dispersed, each drawn to different stalls and scents. Consequently, when the general hubbub of buyers and sellers negotiating over herbs escalated into the distressing sound of shouting and screaming, they all looked around anxiously, trying to locate each other amongst the sudden crush of people all running in different directions.

Weisheng stopped a young servant boy as he dashed past.

"What is going on?" he asked, firmly.  The young man straightened at the prince's authoritative tone.

"Some horses were spooked, gōng zǐ.  They are running wild down the street with a carriage attached.  I suggest you move out of the way quickly."  With that, he wriggled out of Weisheng's grip and ran off.

Weisheng barely had time to process the boy's words before the carriage was upon them.  He looked around quickly to see that Ming Yue had pulled Lin Yang to the shelter of a nearby alleyway, but that act had left her no time to use her powers.  Luo Jian was behind him, ready to yank him out of danger if necessary.  However, Xing Fu was nowhere to be seen.  Weisheng's eyes scanned the crowd frantically.  Eventually, he caught a glimpse of him, but what he saw did not put his mind at ease.

Xing Fu was ushering a group of small children out of the way of the runaway carriage, putting himself in the way of danger in the process.  Weisheng was too far away to reach him.  All he could do was watch helplessly as the horses came thundering through the centre of the market, heading straight towards the selfless young man.