The Princess Weiyoung: Out of The Darkness

Thin Edge of the Wedge

There was a discreet knock at the open door to his room.

I missed my chance.

He thought bitterly as Weiyoung stood and walked towards the open door. Tuoba Yu turned to look at who had arrived. Jun Tao stood there with his nephew and manservant. Weiyoung's face was wreathed in smiles again as she looked at Tuoba Jun. He entered the room, and greeted his uncle and Weiyoung warmly.

"Enter!" Tuoba Yu snarled in a tone that indicated that he wished he could say the opposite.

Jun Tao and Cheng De turned to stand at the doorway. Cheng De smiled at Jun Tao and stepped closer to her. She rolled her eyes at him, and turned her attention back to her mistress, and the two princes.

Cheng De doesn't seem to take no for an answer from Jun Tao, even though she gives him less than no hope. He must either be made of sturdy stuff to bounce back from his daily rejection, or he must be a fool to continue to moon over her. Even I would not show Weiyoung how much I cared for her after all of the rejections I have received. I would not want to make her feel as uncomfortable as Jun Tao seems to be now.

"How are you today, uncle? Jun Tao has told me how serious your wounds are. If I had known, then I would not have kept you up so late last night. I am sure that my selfishness in wanting to talk to you has exacerbated your injuries. If you had rested instead, then I am sure that you would not be here today."

There was a hint of jealousy in Tuoba Jun's voice as he looked at his uncle. Tuoba Yu bit back a smug smile, and replied as lightly as he could.

"Nephew, there is no need to blame yourself for the state I find myself in today. Had it not been for a rogue arrow in the street, a lack of light to guide me back, and my own foolishness, then I would have made it safely back to my own residence last night. As it is," he shrugged and spread his hands wide in a show of embarrassment that he did not feel, "I have had to impose shamefully on the Li household. The Li family doctor has insisted that I do not leave this bed for at least a week if I do not want to risk permanent injury from my wounds."

Weiyoung sensed some tension rising between the two men, and spoke rapidly as she rose.

"Prince Gaoyang, it is as Prince Nan'an has said: it was the state of the street after the battle and not your Highness's wishes to spend more time with his uncle that caused him to get injured. I assure you that it is an honour for the Li household to host an Imperial family member, and to aid in his recovery."

Her eyes met Tuoba Jun's and silently entreated him not to be jealous of his uncle for having a reason to spend more time in the Li household at Huatai while she was there. Tuoba Yu clenched the fist furthest from both of them, pained by the fact that though Weiyoung spoke politely of honour, and doing her duty to the Tuoba Dynasty that she secretly wished that it was his nephew who were here instead.

The silence stretched out between the three of them. Tuoba Jun and Weiyoung seemed to be having an entire unspoken conversation just by staring at one another. This frustrated Tuoba Yu, who wanted both Weiyoung's attention, and for his nephew to leave. He lay back against his pillows as Cheng An rushed in bearing a cup of medicine set upon a beautiful tray.

"I wish that I were in the general's tent in the city centre instead of in a bed convalescing like an old man. You know that I have always preferred to be in the thick of the action instead of hiding behind others.

"Come nephew, sit down. I was explaining to Princess Anping about the particularities of the Liu Song army's retreat from Huatai. With your experience of leading small scouting parties in the northern territories, my small knowledge of Prince Dongping's temperament, and Princess Anping's ability to come up with a comprehensive plan at a moment's notice, I think that we will be able to figure out the next steps that we will have to take to secure the southern region of the Northern Wei Empire."

Weiyoung nodded encouragingly at Tuoba Jun until he sighed and took a seat closer to Tuoba Yu's bed. Then she turned back to Tuoba Yu who had gulped down his medicine with a grimace. Cheng An backed away from the three seated figures, and swiftly left again. Tuoba Yu sank deeper into the pillows with a sigh as the medicine started to ease some of the worst pains away. His nephew leaned towards him and looked him in the eye.

"As we were coming over here, Cheng De told me some of what your discussed with Jun Tao and the others in the mountain cave, but I did not catch all of what was said. Do you believe that Prince Dongping will ally himself with the Liu Song? What will he achieve? And how does General Chiyun Nan come into this? Surely his hatred of the Liu Song would prevent him from even thinking of joining forces with them?"

Tuoba Yu shook his head slightly, and forced himself to sit back up. Now wasn't the time to recover in peace. Instead it was the time to focus on the plan ahead of him. If he could keep the pair of lovers on his side, while sowing the seeds of discord between them then he would be on his way to achieving all of his goals very soon.

"I believe that General Chiyun Nan has decided to support Prince Dongping in becoming the next Emperor. If his vendetta against myself and Princess Anping had been personal, then he would have sent his family's suicide warriors to destroy us."

Tuoba Jun nodded, "But why would he choose to support Prince Dongping instead of you? You have always treated him with respect for all he has achieved in battle."

Bai Zhi and Cheng An re-entered the room at the same time. Cheng An moved a small table from the front of the room to where his master and guests sat. Then he made his way to the head of the bed where his master lay. His eyes followed Bai Zhi as she set down a small tray with fine jade cups, a tea pot, extra jug of hot water, and several plates of cakes and sweets. Tuoba Yu played for time by offering the others tea, and accepting Weiyoung's offer of a cup. After several small cakes, and refreshing cups of tea he was ready with an answer to his nephew's question.

"Prince Gaoyang, you asked me why General Chiyun Nan would choose to support Prince Dongping over me."

Tuoba Yu clicked his neck nervously, and looked his nephew in the eye.

"Before I left the capital, I met with General Chiyun Nan. He and I had a conversation that I had not expected. He came to me on behalf of his sister, Li Changle. She had found out something about Princess Anping's upbringing that I found somewhat hard to believe. Nevertheless the evidence that he showed me was... let us say compelling. I was left in no doubt of the veracity of what he said because of the proof he brought with him."

He broke off and looked between Weiyoung and Prince Gaoyang. Weiyoung's face was ashen, her breathing caught in her throat. Tuoba Jun reached out without taking his eyes off his uncle, and grasped her hand tightly. She clung to his hand with both of hers as though it was a lifeline.

Tuoba Yu's voice dropped to a whisper as he addressed Weiyoung.

"The crime of deceiving the Emperor is death. You know this as well as I. I have seen many killed in the past for lying to him over far smaller matters than concealing their identity. King Hexi's daughter would be executed by sundown, and the family that sheltered her would die beside them."

Weiyoung's face was so still and pale that she looked drained of life. Tuoba Yu leaned towards her and said coldly, 

"I could be granted the Emperor's favour for a lifetime if I told him that you lived, Xin'er. This is the glory that Chiyun Nan and Chang Le asked me to share in."