Yuan Dynasty, Year 1300

On a well trodden forest road, a large caravan of horses, men, and carriages moved swiftly along the dirt path, the steady sound of rolling wheels and horse hooves heralding their approach to anyone who was up ahead. A tall white and blue flag waved in the air from where it was attached to the front of the first carriage, leaving little question about who the large traveling group belonged to. Commoners on the road scattered to make room for the travelers, their gazes barely daring to look up even briefly at the elaborately decorated caravan. Still, the same words echoed silently from their closed lips and carefully averted gazes.

Travelers from Yuan.

It was a time in China when the Mongols ruled the empire, the continent having been taken under their control for many years. And, as of a few decades ago, their control had spread beyond China and into nearby Korea. On paper, Korea was ruled by the Goryeo empire, but everyone knew who the real people in control were. And right now, the sole person sitting at the top of that vast territory was currently sitting in the midst of the caravan, hidden in a carriage behind a cloth screen. 

Up ahead, a young child holding a basket of flowers bravely dashed up to the caravan and held up a flower. 

“Lady, would you like to buy a flower?” She called, dashing alongside the moving carriage. Before the person sitting in the carriage could speak, two guards grabbed the child and pulled her away.

“Move aside, you brat.” The guards snapped, “This is no place for you.”

“I only wanted to sell flowers!” The girl protested persistently, “Please, I need the money!” The struggle continued for a few moments longer before a voice interrupted from inside the carriage.

“What’s going on?” The voice was crystal clear, and held an aura of authority even from inside the carriage. The entire caravan came to a stop, and one of the guards came over to the window cut into the edge of the front carriage.

“I apologize, Your Majesty. This child was creating trouble.” He replied. 

“I only wanted to sell flowers!” The little girl insisted again. The commoners who had been on the road stopped to watch what was going on, fearful looks in their eyes. The Mongols had a reputation for being a warrior tribe; this child was certainly finished. There was a long moment of silence, and then the curtain covering the front of the carriage was pulled aside. A lithe figure leapt easily from inside, landing with a soft thump onto the dirt road. It was a tall young woman, dressed in elaborate sky blue and grey robes that went down past her knees and was belted at the waist to show off her slender figure. Her long hair was intertwined with delicate braids, and a simply beaded headdress swayed and clinked in the wind from where it sat on her head. Her eyes, sharp and steady, looked from the guard over to where the child was being held, still holding her little basket of flowers. Walking over, the young woman looked at the flowers in the girl’s basket, then at the guard’s hands gripping the child.

“Let her go.” She said firmly.

“But Your Majesty!” The guard protested, but the woman’s sharp gaze cut off any other protests that had risen to his lips, and he did as he was told. The young woman looked from one guard to the other, and then without another word, she reached out and slapped both guards each on both sides of their faces. The resounding smack echoed loudly in the clearing where they stood, and even the commoners gasped in surprise at what had just happened. 

“Who taught you to treat a child this way?” The young woman growled, “Certainly I never gave such orders. Or did you think that my thoughts did not matter simply because she’s just a child?” The men gasped and fell to their knees.

“We would never dare to think that way, Your Majesty!” They exclaimed, “Please spare our lives!” The young women glared at them both, making the men squirm uncomfortably.

“You are both demoted to manual labor for the rest of our trip to and at Goryeo.” She declared, “Now get lost!” The men scrambled away, and the young woman knelt down to look at the little girl at eye level.

“Child, why are you out here selling flowers by yourself?” She asked softly, gently checking the girl’s arms for injuries. 

“My mama has to take care of my siblings.” The little girl replied tearfully, “I’m the oldest, so I have to help make money!” The young woman’s gaze grew warm as she heard the girl’s answer and she carefully fished out some coins from the sachet at her waist.

“Take this.” She said, handing the money to the child and taking the flowers out of the basket, “I will buy all your flowers today. Go home now, it’s not safe outside by yourself.” The little girl’s eyes lit up in delight and she bowed happily at the young woman.

“Thank you, Lady!” She cried, “Thank you!” The young woman smiled and rose to her feet, staying in place until the little girl disappeared into the distance. Another soldier appeared behind the young woman.

“Soyoung, was it really necessary to give that much money to that child?” He asked. The young woman, Soyoung, smiled as she looked back at the soldier.

“She is a brave child, and a responsible one.” She responded, “She reminds me of myself, when I was younger. I couldn’t just let her go empty handed.” 

“And if she was lying to you?” The guard asked. Soyoung grinned and patted the guard on the shoulder.

“Hyojun, don’t you trust your ruler’s eye by now?” She asked, “That child was nothing more than a pure eldest sister. There wasn’t a shred of intention to defraud me.” The guard, Hyojun, smiled and bowed his head.

“Yes, Your Majesty.” He replied, “Let me help you back into the carriage.” Soyoung smiled and nodded.

“How much longer until we reach Goryeo?” She asked as Hyojun gave her a hand to get back into the carriage.

“Perhaps half a day, Your Majesty.” Hyojun replied, “We are getting close.” The young woman nodded and waved her hand.

“Let’s get going then.” She ordered. Hyojun bowed in acquiescence and returned to his place at the front of the carriage.

“Set off!” He declared. As the large group off, the commoners on the road behind them chattered away at the scene that had just unfolded. 

“Who was that?” 

“I’ve rarely seen a woman with so much authority before!” 

“Didn’t you hear what the guards said? They called her ‘Majesty’!” 

“Then...you’re not saying that was…!” The peoples’ words trailed off, none daring to finish the sentence. Still, all of them knew who they had just come across.

Jang Soyoung, Empress of Mongolia and sole ruler of the Mongol Empire.

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Kaesong, Goryeo

The capital city of Kaesong was a busy place, filled with everything from bustling markets, children running up and down the streets, restaurants with delicious smells wafting from their open doors, and houses of all shapes and sizes lined up next to each other. On one corner of the city sat a building completely different from the rest. The royal palace glimmered in the sunlight, it’s tall walls blocking outsiders from viewing an entirely different world inside, save for the tops of green-grey rooftops peeking out from within.

The royal library sat near the middle of the palace, placed strategically for ease of access by members of the royal family and ministers alike. The library was an impressive sprawling structure, filled from end to end with all sorts of texts, some of which couldn’t be found outside the palace walls. In one corner of the library there currently sat a young man curled up comfortably on one of the plush sofas, both hands holding a book that he was reading in delight. He was so fascinated in the text he was reading, he completely failed to notice a set of approaching footsteps and the voice calling his name until the speaker was right in front of him.

“...young. Yah, Jinyoung!” Park Jinyoung, the fifth prince of Goryeo, looked up with a start as the sound of his name broke through the text he was reading. A scowl graced his lips at being interrupted, but it broke into a grin as he realized who was standing in front of him.

“Hyung-nim!” He exclaimed, “What brings you here?” Jaebeom, the Crown Prince of the Goryeo empire, smiled and ruffled his younger brother’s hair. 

“I’ve been looking for you.” He replied, “You were so engrossed in reading as always that you didn’t even hear me approach!” Jinyoung grinned sheepishly and closed the book he was holding.

“My apologies, brother.” He said, “This book is far too interesting!” Jaebeom chuckled.

“That’s what you say about everything you read.” He teased, “Have you read the entire royal library yet?” Jinyoung shook his head.

“No, but one day I will!” He replied with a grin. Jaebeom chuckled and pulled Jinyoung to his feet.

“Come with me.” He said, “Father has asked to gather all the princes in his study.” Jinyoung tilted his head curiously, then frowned.

“Is this about the Mongol empress visiting?” He asked. Jaebeom nodded and Jinyoung sighed deeply.

“Hyung, I don’t know why we all have to attend this lavish banquet that Father is holding for the empress.” He complained, “Is she really going to pick a husband out of all of us, like the rumors say? Whoever she picks has to go to Mongolia with her, don’t they? That’s ridiculous!” Jaebeom stopped as they neared the library entrance, nearly causing Jinyoung to crash into him.

“Jinyoung.” He said sternly, “Don’t ever let Father or anyone else hear you say that.” 

“But it’s true!” Jinyoung protested, “I don’t like it when I hear people calling our royal sons designated ‘son in laws’ of the Mongol royal family!” Jaebeom turned and fixed a stern gaze on his younger brother.

“Like it or not, that is the way things are now.” He said firmly, “And I do not see things changing for a while to come. It is one of the ways we maintain a peaceful relationship with the Yuan royal family, and as future ruler, I will not see things come crashing down because rumors get around that my baby brother is displeased with the matter. Do you understand?” Jinyoung huffed and nodded.

“Yes, hyung-nim.” He said obediently. Jaebeom reached out and poked him on the face.

“Wipe that pout off your face, little brother.” He said, “People are watching.” Jinyoung sighed and nodded again.

“Yes hyung.” He grumbled. Jaebeom opened the library doors and let sunlight flood into the darkened room, illuminating the rows upon rows of books. Jinyoung straightened his back and brushed off his robes before following his brother out, making sure to look every inch the prince he was. He was only the fifth prince, with little wishes in life besides living peacefully while reading and learning all he wanted. But in the end, he was still a member of the royal family, and some things, like maintaining an authoritative image, were things he couldn’t avoid. 

That, and meeting with potential foreign brides.

Fortunately for Jinyoung, he was certainly far from what a Mongol empress wanted in a husband. They were known as a warrior tribe, famed far and wide for their ability to strike quickly and deadly. That was how they had conquered large swaths of the continent, resulting in their large empire today. Certainly, the husband that their ruler would want was someone just like them, right?

____________________________________________________________________________

Imperial Study, a little while later

“Father.” Jinyoung’s voice cut through the hushed whispers that had immediately begun filling the king’s study as soon as the king finished his most recent announcement. Namely, that the princes, save for the crown prince, were all required to participate in a multi-round competition to show off their abilities in front of the Mongol empress in order to see who could win her hand. In theory, it was a glorious thing to win; whoever married the empress would help maintain the country’s peace for years to come, and live in the pure luxury provided by the Yuan dynasty. But at the same time, whoever won would have to leave Goryeo, go to a completely foreign country they knew little about, and marry into another royal family completely alien to them. Foreign princesses had married into other countries before, but princes marrying into other countries were almost unheard of. 

“Yes Jinyoung?” The king looked over at his fifth son as the young man rose to his feet. 

“Father, I’d like to be excused from the competition.” Jinyoung said with a bow.

“Jinyoung!” Jaebeom hissed under his breath, but Jinyoung promptly ignored his brother’s warning whisper. 

“I am merely a scholar, the complete opposite of a warrior.” Jinyoung said, “I know little about the politics of the Mongol court, nor do I have any interest in it. I have no desire to marry the Yuan ruler.” 

“Do you think your brothers are particularly willing?” The king replied, his eyes narrowing, “Jinyoung, all the princes who are of age to be married, including you, are required to participate in the competition in three days. No one will be excused.”

“But Father-!” Jinyoung began to protest, but the king cut him off.

“That’s enough Jinyoung, and that will be the last I will be hearing of that request from you.” The king said firmly, “You may not like it, but as a son of the royal family, this is one of the things you must do. Perhaps the empress will like you, you who are the complete opposite of her.” Jinyoung opened his mouth to protest again, but a sharp tug on his sleeve from Jaebeom cut him off again. Swallowing down a deep sigh, Jinyoung bit his lip and bowed obediently.

“Yes, Father.” As the princes rose and filed out of the imperial library, Jinyoung felt a sharp squeeze on his shoulder and turned to see Jaebeom.

“Hyung…” He said quietly, knowing he was in for a lecture.

“Jinyoung, what were you thinking?” The Crown Prince scolded, “There was no way Father was going to say yes.” Jinyoung dipped his head, knowing he had overstepped his boundaries with his request.

“I know...but...I thought it wouldn’t hurt to just ask.” He said quietly. Jaebeom sighed and patted Jinyoung gently on the shoulder.

“The sons of Goryeo have married Yuan princesses for generations.” He said, “Our generation will be no different.” 

“I know.” Jinyoung replied quietly, “But that was when they married here. This time, it will be an entirely different situation.” Jaebeom nodded in agreement.

“No matter what happens, there is little choice.” He said softly, “We are all sons of the royal family.” Jinyoung sighed and nodded, quietly falling in step behind his brother as they left the courtyard. 

I hope the queen doesn’t pick me.

____________________________________________________________________________

The next day, Jinyoung left the palace as usual and headed for the teahouse where he liked to spend the hours discussing poetry and literature with some young noblemen in the capital. He knew the king expected him to attend the banquet that night, but there was plenty of time between then and now. Besides, today was one of the few days he did not want to miss the chance to speak with his fellow scholars. Once every six months, he and all the other scholars in the capital would gather at the largest teahouse in the middle of the capital and have a friendly competition in poetry and the classics. They would each take turns posing a topic, and then each scholar would come up with a poem to match the topic. It was a well received event, and people often came for the rare chance to watch the young noblemen compete. Jinyoung had even heard of a few couples that were matched in the course of the event. 

That of course, was not why he made every effort to attend.

It was one of the few ways he could escape the strictures and formalities of the royal palace, where he could simply focus on the words flowing across the pages of poetry. For just a few hours, he could forget his status, the power play that went on in court on a daily basis which he inevitably got drawn into one way or another, and just delve deeply into what he loved most.

As Jinyoung lifted up the hem of his robes and tread carefully up the steps to the open pavilion where the young scholars sat, his gaze lit up as he spotted a familiar figure.

“Youngjae!” He called, waving his hand happily. The person he called out to turned around at the sound, a smile filling his handsome boyish face as he quickly hurried over to Jinyoung.

“Your Highness.” He said with a polite bow, both hands folded in front of him, “Have you been well?” Jinyoung laughed and quickly lifted his friend up from his bow.

“Youngjae, Youngjae.” He said with a teasing smile, “How many times do I have to tell you? Out here, you can do away with the formalities.” Choi Youngjae was the son of the Crown Prince’s tutor, and had spent many years growing up in the palace together with the royal princes. Closer in age to Jinyoung than the other princes, the two had bonded quickly over their mutual interests in literature and poetry and been close friends ever since childhood. A talented and gentle young man, Youngjae had also been gifted with a beautiful voice that made ladies blush when he sang, leading to the nickname he had been given throughout the capital city, “little skylark.” Youngjae smiled shyly and gave Jinyoung a light shove.

“And how many times have I told you that some formalities must be kept?” He replied, “At least let me bow properly, Fifth Prince.” Before Jinyoung could respond, he heard someone laugh from behind him, and a friendly arm looped around Jinyoung’s shoulders.

“Leave him be, Highness.” The newcomer teased, “Youngjae has always been such a stickler for formalities.” Jinyoung chuckled and turned to give the newcomer a playful smack.

“Just as you’ve always ignored formalities, Yugyeom.” He replied with an amused smile. Kim Yugyeom grinned and bowed mischievously. The third son of one of the most successful merchants in the capital, he had been raised with the best education the city had to offer. As the youngest though, he was also the most coddled out of the family’s children, culminating in a playful personality and the ability to get away with just about whatever he wanted.

“On the contrary, I simply honor Your Highness’s wishes.” He replied cheerfully, “I am an obedient citizen, Fifth Prince.” Jinyoung chuckled and gave his two friends a light shove towards their designated chairs.

“Come, let’s go and sit down. The event will begin soon.” The trio of friends took their seats with a few polite bows to the other men around them, and soon the poetry competition began. As usual, citizens of all ages came to watch the event, their excited cries filling the air as the young men showed off their best skills. The hours flew by, and soon the scholars were posing their final topics. One of the young men rose to his feet, flipping open a delicate fan with a sharp thwack.

“I would like to pose a topic!” He declared, “In our world today, one of the greatest gifts for a poet is to have a place to enjoy peace and devote ourselves fully to our craft. Indeed, what can be more peaceful than the nature around us? And so, I would like to challenge everyone to create a poem about nature, that beautiful place which allowed the poets of old to be at peace and create so many pieces of art in the past.” The entire pavilion was silent for a few long moments as the young men pondered over the topic they had been given. Then, Jinyoung grinned and rose to his feet. He had often gone to travel with Jaebeom and the king to explore the world outside the walls of the palace and the capital city, and those trips had often included trips to the countryside where he saw everything from a babbling brook to drawing the grand mountains in the distance and catching fish in the rushing river. 

“I have an answer!” He declared with a grin. The young men around him turned in anticipation, wondering what the prince had in store. Jinyoung took a deep breath and began reciting the poem that had risen to his mind. 

“Walking alone on the left bank of the river

 I watched the heron seek her reedy nest. 

Watching white clouds, like feathered jackets fall 

Into the space between two mountain peaks,

 Even my soul found respite from her cares. 

Only the restless river hurried on, 

Sweeping from grottoes of the mountain gorge

 Down to the level rice fields of the plain, 

Hurrying, hurrying ever to the ocean.

 Why do you flow so swiftly, little river ? 

You will be lost in the blue space of the ocean 

And to your mountains there is no returning.”

There was a long moment of silence as Jinyoung’s words hung in the air, then the spectators and the young scholars in the pavilion burst into applause.

“Brilliant!” 

“Your Highness, that was beautiful!” Jinyoung bowed politely in acceptance of the praise.

“It was nothing.” He replied humbly, “I still have a lot of learning to do.” As the soft murmurs of praise from the young men under the pavilion died down, Jinyoung was startled to hear the sound of clapping rising above the soft din of the young men’s hushed discussions. Turning, his eyes widened as he saw a young woman walk up the steps and enter the pavilion. The scholars’ hushed whispers immediately rose in volume, startled at the sudden sight of the newcomer. 

Save for the rare occasions when they were given permission to join with them, women never entered the teahouse pavilion while the poets were there. 

Jinyoung carefully studied the young woman in front of him. She was dressed in a light yellow and seafoam green hanbok, decorated with elaborate patterns over the dress and at the sleeve cuff. It was an elegant dress, usually reserved for those of nobility, but something struck Jinyoung as different about this girl. On the outside, she looked like someone from Goryeo, but everything else about her said otherwise.

Unlike a young unmarried woman of Goryeo, she stood with her back straight and her chin tilted upward confidently, exuding an air of grace and refinement. Her long hair fell free down her back, held back by only a small hairpiece in the back. She reminded Jinyoung of a beautiful cat, calm, composed, and poised even as she stood in the midst of the young noblemen of Goryeo in front of the entire city to see. Her eyes, a rich dark brown, met Jinyoung’s unabashed, showing little care of the fact that he was a man and she, allegedly, an unmarried woman. 

As her gaze met Jinyoung’s, he felt his heart skip a beat and leap into his throat in a way that it had never done before when he had been around women.

Being a prince, there was no shortage of young noblewomen around him at all times. But the way this young woman looked, the way her sharp gaze seemed to draw anyone deep into their depths, made Jinyoung feel a rush of emotions he had never felt before. 

No,this was no young sheltered Goryeo noblewoman, hidden away from the eyes of outsiders by protective parents. 

This was a woman who had seen, and been through, more than Jinyoung could ever imagine.

Who is that?

_________________________________________________________________________

Jang Soyoung had promised Hyojun she would stay under the radar while she took a casual walk around the capital to see how life was going for the Goryeo people. She had even gone through the pains of dressing in a Goryeo hanbok, although it had been more than a simple annoyance to put on the multiple layers and portions the clothing required. When she saw a crowd gathered by the teahouse in the middle of the city, she had only intended to stand by quietly and see what the people were getting so excited about. 

For a little while, Soyoung had been bored by the event. It turned out to be little more than a group of Goryeo scholars joined together in a friendly competition. While the Emperor and Empress had made sure to give her the best education, Soyoung had been taught to be a warrior, not a scholar. Her mother had come from one of the top military clans in the country, and she had made sure that her daughter wouldn’t become a coddled flower, groomed to only marry and become a decoration in the corner of her husband’s home. 

Then, one of the young scholars in the shaded pavilion caught her eye as he rose from his seat and posited a poem in response to the topic that had just been posed. He was a slender young man, dressed in a hanbok made of the finest material. He had a handsome face, with soft gently curved cheeks, bow-shaped lips, and warm dark brown eyes. Those warm eyes sparkled as he bowed politely to the other scholars around him before speaking. Oddly enough, Soyoung found herself listening closely as the young man recited a poem about nature, the short verses speaking of flowing rivers and herons. While far from a scholar herself, Soyoung found the verses both meaningful and evoking beautiful images of the wild nature that she personally loved. The way the young man spoke, so excited about a mere poem, drew her in and made her want to know more. 

“Hyojun.” She said softly to her personal guard, who was standing closely behind her.

“Yes, My Lady?” He asked. Soyoung tilted her head towards the young man, who was currently receiving praise from the other scholars on the pavilion.

“Do you know who that is?” She asked. It wasn’t like she expected an affirmative answer; there were thousands of citizens in the Goryeo territory. While she knew  Hyojun kept tabs on the situation in Goryeo for her, the chance that he would know any individual citizen was rather low. Still, it didn’t hurt to ask. And so, she was surprised when Hyojun chuckled softly behind her and replied.

“That, My Lady, is the Fifth Prince. His name is Park Jinyoung.” Soyoung turned in surprise.

“The king of Goryeo lets his son wander about outside the palace as he wishes, competing with other poets in public like this?” She asked incredulously. It was completely unheard of in Yuan; growing up, Soyoung’s brothers had been tucked away carefully in the inner harem with their mothers, and when they grew old enough, only then were they allowed to begin wandering among the limited confines of court and palace life. To wander so freely among the people was almost unheard of. Hyojun chuckled softly. 

“My Lady, the Fifth Prince is the second son born of the late Goryeo queen.” He replied, “The king dotes on his two sons with the late queen the most. The other is the Crown Prince. The Fifth Prince has always shown an aptitude for scholarly works since childhood, and so the king has let him do as he wishes as long as he keeps up with his studies. You can see it as a good thing; it keeps the royal family closer to the people, rather than a higher power separated from them and giving orders. Don’t you like to do that too, My Lady?” Soyoung nodded thoughtfully.

“What an interesting man.” She said, “Then does that mean he will be at the banquet tonight?” 

“He should be.” Hyojun replied, “He is of age to be married, and has been pushing it off for a while already.” Soyoung smirked slightly at the new piece of information.

“In that case, I shall take it upon myself to see what this beloved Fifth Prince is like outside the palace.” She declared. Before Hyojun could stop her, Soyoung stepped through the crowd and headed up the set of stairs leading up to the pavilion. Normally, she took great steps to stay unnoticed, even when she dressed down and went for walks in the Yuan capital. And yet, something made her want to know more about this young man, the one who spoke so deeply and excitedly of the wild nature. The fact that he was the Fifth Prince only piqued her interest even more. How a member of the royal family acted inside the palace could differ greatly from the way they acted outside of the palace, free from the strictures of propriety and the scrutinizing gaze of the king and the court officials. How this prince, who was so well regarded by everyone in the royal family, acted outside the palace could say a lot about him.

“My Lady!” Hyojun hissed, but Soyoung promptly ignored him. The soft startled murmurs of the scholars in the pavilion filled Soyoung’s ears as she stepped boldly onto the pavilion, but she ignored them all. It wasn’t the most conventional thing for a Goryeo woman to be doing, she knew. But at that moment, all her eyes could see was the Fifth Prince, Park Jinyoung. The young prince looked startled at her appearance, and for a moment, the two of them gazed at each other silently, each taking in the other person in front of them. 

Then, Soyoung smiled ever so slightly.

Park Jinyoung, let’s see what you have in store.

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Author's note: No, I didn't make up Jinyoung's poems on my own (haha). All of the poems Jinyoung recites are/will be found online. The one here and the one in the next chapter can be found at: http://anthony.sogang.ac.kr/GrigsbyOrchidDoorPoems.pdf