The Untamed Princess

Chapter Fourteen: The Important Project

"Her explanation for the martial arts was plausible," he said, quietly.  "But I'm not so sure.  Why would someone with Ming Yue's disposition give up all that freedom to enter the palace as a maid?  She may be many things, but a timid, tamed wallflower is not one of them.  I think she would rather die than allow herself to be restricted in this way."

Luo Jian grunted in agreement, unable to think of a response that would satisfy the prince.  Realising he would get no help from his friend, Weisheng sighed, and turned his attention back to the road ahead of them.

***

It was well past midday when they returned to the palace, and the staff at the prince's mansion were scurrying around preparing his lunchtime meal.  The prince having no further need of her for the moment, Ming Yue took advantage of the bustle of activity to slip away to the orchard behind the main buildings.  Reaching into her robes, she took out a tiny scroll.  The message to her father was brief – "Second prince pro-peace," it said.  "He will speak to his father. Qian Jin."  She used her father's term of endearment for her.  Anything else would only increase the risk to all involved.

Ming Yue stretched out her mind and silently called out to the falcon that was lazily circling above. I t slowly descended and rested on a sturdy branch not far from where she stood.  This was Zhenli, Ming Yue's partner in the palace, and she was comforted to see him as she lightly stroked his soft feathers.  She had seen him flying far above her from time to time, silently accompanying her on her various travels, but this was the first time she'd had need of his assistance.

She tied the small scroll to Zhenli's thin leg and pushed an image of her father in the gardens at the Jin palace towards him.  "Home," she thought.  "Then come back to me."

After one last look at her with his head cocked, Zhenli spread his impressive wingspan and took off in the direction of the border.  Ming Yue smiled sadly.  Whilst she was pleased to have some positive news to report back to her father, she would miss the bird's reassuring presence, and it would be several days before he was able to return, needing to rest for a while before the long flight back.

Turning around, Ming Yue made her way back to her room.  She was so deep in thought that it never occurred to her that she not yet eaten lunch, or even breakfast.  In fact, she had been so preoccupied with reading the prince's report on their visit to the northern provinces the evening before that she had not eaten then either.  If she had even spared a thought for the matter, she would have realised that her last meal was well over twenty-four hours previously and, unfortunately, forgetting to eat was a rather bad habit of hers.

Ming Yue was not a weakling, and there had been many times training with Master Zhong when she had gotten by on a diet of little to no food for a period of time, but today the sun was hot, and she had exerted a lot of energy sparring with the prince that morning.  Experiencing a slight spell of dizziness when she reached her room, she put it down to the hot weather and drank a few glasses of water.  Feeling immediately better, she headed off to the prince's study to be assigned her tasks for that afternoon.

The prince looked up when Ming Yue entered.  She looked a little paler than usual, he thought, and her step was not quite as light.  He motioned her towards him.

"Did you read the report on our trip?" he asked.

"Yes, Your Highness," she said.  "It was very comprehensive.  I had nothing further to add."

This was the truth.  The document had struck a fine balance between accurately recording matters of relevance to the kingdom and glossing over the more sensitive details of their trip.  It was a masterclass in drafting.

"Fine then," Weisheng said.  "You can take it to the Hall of Records tomorrow morning.  Ask them to show you around while you are there.  You should be familiar with the place."

Ming Yue nodded.

"Also," the prince continued, "I have had new clothes made for you.  Now that you are my secretary it is not appropriate for you dress like that.  I may send you on errands to other parts of the palace, and I cannot have people mistaking you for another maid and ordering you off on some menial task.  A different outfit will get you greater respect so that you can fulfil your duties more effectively."

Weisheng gestured to his side, where a pile of material sat on the table next to him.

Ming Yue moved forward to look more closely.  The outfit that had been prepared for her was similar to those of the palace eunuchs in terms of colour, but it had been tailored for a woman's shape.  The material was darker and heavier than the flimsier palace maid outfits, and it suited Ming Yue's style much more.  She ran her hands lightly over the soft fabric and beamed at the prince.

"Thank you, Your Highness," she said.  "It's perfect."

"Really??"  Weisheng asked a little too eagerly, losing his composure for a moment.  He recovered quickly.

"It's nothing," he said.  "It is appropriate for my secretary to wear this."

"Now, moving on to other matters," he hastily changed the subject, "the queen's birthday feast is approaching.  Father always expects my brothers and I to have some hand in organising the festivities.  He feels it makes the occasion more personal, and it's another way of showing our respect for Mother."

Ming Yue nodded.  They did something similar for her father's birthday in Jin also.

"This year," Weisheng continued, "I am responsible for the entertainment, so we will need to start vetting musicians and dancers.  I don't want it to be the same old thing we had last year or the year before, so make some enquiries and find out who the most exciting new talents in this area are."

Clearing his throat, Weisheng got to the crux of the matter.

"Obviously," he said, "I want to keep this a secret from Mother for as long as possible, so we cannot bring the entertainers into the palace to audition them here.  Consequently, we may have to make several trips outside of the palace to watch them perform in their own environment before deciding which of them is best."

Ming Yue suppressed a small smile.

"Of course, Your Highness," she said.  "That seems like the most sensible way of keeping the matter under wraps.  I will support Your Highness with whatever he needs."

"Excellent," said Weisheng.  "Start preparing a list of possible candidates.  Perhaps ask some of the other staff as well.  I am sure every dancer in the capital would declare themselves to be the best in the kingdom so, on this occasion, the local gossip is likely to be more reliable."

Ming Yue nodded vigorously in agreement, but the sudden movement sent a wave of dizziness washing over her.  She swayed on her feet and, before she could even process what was happening, her legs gave way beneath her.