The Untamed Princess

Chapter Fifty: The Game Afoot

Ming Yue shifted uncomfortably in her carriage.  She would much rather be entering the Han capital on horseback, but it would not have made a great first impression.

However, for someone of royal status, she was still travelling relatively light, with only two guards and the carriage driver for company.  At Ming Yue's insistence, two other Jin soldiers had gone ahead to the palace with Jing Yi and another carriage full of gifts, supposedly to inspect the security arrangements for her arrival, but the reality was that if the traitors took the bait that had been dangled in front of them, she wanted as few people as possible put at risk.

Her brothers had wanted to accompany her, but relations between Han and Jin were still delicate, and she had managed to persuade her family that it was best that she enter the palace alone.  All being well, she and Weisheng would pay a visit to Jin in due course, so that he could meet her father and second brother and reconnect with her other two siblings without any secrets between them all.

She poked her head out of the window.  It was not far to the Han capital.  If the enemy was going to make a move, it would have to be now.  She sat back and told herself to be patient.  Luckily, she did not have to wait long as, after a couple of minutes, the carriage came to a sudden halt.  She leaned out of the window again and addressed the closest guard.

"What is it, Chen Lei?"

"A wagon ahead of us with a broken wheel, Your Highness."

Ming Yue suppressed a smile.  It was hardly original.

"Very well.  Go and see if you can do anything to help.  I will take a walk to stretch my legs while we wait."

She got down from the carriage and started to walk towards the nearest tree line, while the other guard dismounted and followed at a respectful distance.  She glanced back at him.  Her companions had been told to do whatever they had to in order to defend themselves, but that they were not to risk their lives to stop what she suspected was about to happen.  They merely had to make their resistance look realistic.

Sure enough, within moments of stepping off the road, she heard the thud of hooves.  Without warning, an arrow came flying out of the bushes and hit her protector.  He went down without a cry.  She glanced at the location of the wound.  He had moved at the last instant, and it was not life-threatening.  In normal circumstances, he would not have fallen, but he was well aware of his princess's instructions and was following them to the letter.

She could not see Chen Lei or the carriage driver, so she could only hope that they too had managed to remain relatively unscathed.  She started to run into the woods, but a horse was on top of her in seconds, and she was unceremoniously dragged into the saddle.  A blow to the back of the neck rendered her instantly unconscious.

***

The atmosphere in the prince's study was tense.  Zhao Weisheng paced back and forth, and Luo Jian and Minister Shen sat as still as statues, waiting for him to speak.

"What if they don't take the bait?"

The older man sighed.

"Your Highness, my spies are all extremely trustworthy and very good at what they do.  The rumours of Princess Ming Yue's strong opposition to the marriage arrangement and rebellious spirit have been widely circulated in all of the places and areas frequented by the ministers and their families.  There is no doubt that they would have heard them."

"But that doesn't necessarily mean they will act on them."

"True, but we have a secret weapon."

Weisheng opened his mouth to ask another question, but Minister Shen did not give him the chance.

"Do not worry, Your Highness.  I have every confidence that the plan will succeed."