Who's the Target?

Bai Li went straight to the Emperor's tent to pass on the news of their return.

"Your majesty," he bowed. "I have good news. The young Miss Mei is fine. Her Third and Fourth Brothers and I were not far behind her when she was stung by a murder hornet. Her brothers were able to treat the hornet sting, but we couldn't move her last night."

They had decided not to share the details of the attack with anyone beyond the Mei's, Tan Bowen and the Second Prince at this time, given the likely involvement of the Prime Minister and his cronies.

"Good, good," said the Emperor, his suspicions immediately aroused.

The players were moving in interesting, though not entirely unexpected, directions.

His second son had shown serious interest in this young lady, and the Prime Minister's daughter, Li Fengfeng, had designs on the Second Prince. It was highly unlikely the two things were unrelated.