The Untamed Princess

Chapter Eighteen: The Enjoyable Evening

While King Huìwén worried in Jin, back at the Han palace, Zhao Weisheng and Li Ming Yue had made great progress with the plans for the queen's birthday.  After consulting various sources, they had now whittled down the potential performers to a manageable shortlist, and had set aside two evenings in the coming week to go and see the acts for themselves, with Luo Jian tagging along of course.

They had decided that it was best to go out in regular, nondescript clothing, to avoid unwanted attention.  Also, Weisheng wanted to observe the candidates in their usual surroundings, without the added pressure of a royal presence.

Ming Yue had chosen a dress of forest green for their first outing.  It was simple in design, but it suited her well.  Weisheng had opted for dark blue, and Luo Jian, well, it was impossible to get him to wear anything other than his customary black outfit.  Still, as it did not bear any of the usual royal insignia, it would not be a problem for the group.  Weisheng was just pleased that Luo Jian was on board with their foray into the city's bustling nightlife at all, given how cautiously he had been acting since the attack on their group back in the northern provinces.

The three of them met, as arranged, at the palace gates just after sunset.  In addition to themselves, only Eunuch Wang and a handful of the most trusted guards in the prince's mansion knew of their plan.  It was safer that way.

They were travelling on foot, as it allowed them to move more easily through the crowded streets.  The capital was a very different place at night, and Ming Yue was fascinated by the countless numbers of street vendors, artists, and entertainers, all competing with one another for the attention of the passers-by.

In Jin, the only time she went outside of the palace walls without covering her face was if she was visiting the mountains behind the city to train or meditate.  Consequently, she had little opportunity to enjoy her surroundings.  If they'd had time, she would have stopped to look at every stall but, unfortunately, they were operating on a tight schedule with a number of different performances to see that night, at several different venues.

Zhao Weisheng noticed the young woman's curiosity and excitement, and resolved to bring her into the city again once they had finished their current project, so that she could take her time exploring its many wonders, although it was unusual, he thought, that someone who seemed to have had a relatively carefree upbringing in the capital would be so entranced by just an average night within its walls.

Their first destination was a theatre located not too far from the palace.  The programme for that evening, Ming Yue had learned, consisted of a number of dance companies who had very quickly built up a reputation for their dynamic and thrilling routines, and Ming Yue was more than excited to see them perform in person.

When they arrived at the theatre, it was obvious to the owner that the young master was from a wealthy family.  His bearing alone made that clear, and it was further confirmed by the amount of silver that was pressed into his waiting palm.  Smiling at his good luck, the older man led the three young people through the already packed hall to a table at the front that he always kept free for this very purpose, gesturing to a nearby serving lad to bring wine.

Weisheng sat down at the empty table, with Ming Yue and Luo Jian settling down on either side of him, all of them ignoring the curious glances that were being thrown their way.  Luckily, they did not have to suffer under the unwanted scrutiny for long, as they had arrived only just in time.   The first performance was about to begin, and in no time at all the attention of everyone in the room was fixed on what was unfolding on the stage in front of them.

There were four different groups of dancers.  Each group had their own distinct style and energy, but each was no less talented than the other, and Ming Yue appreciated every one of them as she let herself get lost in the swirl of colour and movement.