Two weeks later

 

Soyoung sighed softly as she stood in front of the mirror, her robes half untied as she looked at her reflection after a long bath one night. It was incredible how quickly her body was changing; it had only been a few weeks since Eunseong had told her about her pregnancy, but already the child was beginning to make its presence much more obvious as Soyoung approached the third month. What had begun as a slight curve on her lower abdomen had swelled more with each passing week, to the point that Soyoung could now just see the soft edges of her stomach under her robes if she looked close enough at her abdomen. Eunseong came and checked on her frequently, and always told her that the child was growing strong and healthy. If all went well, the child would arrive right after the next winter hunt. Soyoung sighed softly and poked experimentally at her stomach. 

 

It just doesn’t...feel real yet. 

 

Even now, it was still hard to believe that she was with child, that a little life in the making was lying nestled within her body; the baby was still small, and Eunseong had told her she likely wouldn’t feel the baby’s movements for some weeks yet. Soyoung’s mind had always been so fixated on military and political matters, so other more feminine matters had always been pushed to the side. What it was like to carry a child to term and then give birth, how to care for a baby and raise a child, Soyoung didn’t know anything about that.

 

And now, in a mere seven months, Soyoung would have a child of her own to teach and protect, and raise to be the next ruler of the Yuan empire. 

 

Just the thought alone was enough to send a rare nervous flutter through Soyoung’s heart.

 

Mother...is this how you felt when you were carrying Eunseong and me? Were you just as nervous as I am feeling now? 

 

Mother...I wish you were here to guide me now. I’m so lost, and my husband is of no help right now either.

 

Although it had been weeks since their argument, Soyoung and Jinyoung still hadn’t spent much time interacting at all. Soyoung kept herself busy with work, and Jinyoung was often busy either reading something in the library or going outside to do who knew what. When night fell, Soyoung slept either in their chambers or her private library, and Jinyoung usually spent the night in a guest room. Oddly enough, he seemed to be staying away from Hyeyoung’s chambers, although he used to frequent her rooms to chat about books and poetry. For the moment though, that was fine; if Jinyoung stayed close to Soyoung, he would find out about the child sooner or later, and Soyoung wasn’t ready for him to know about it yet. And if Jinyoung stayed away from Hyeyoung, that would give her less of a chance to create more trouble. Hyeyoung, on the other hand, had been uncharacteristically quiet, opting to stay in her chambers rather than go out and about like she had before. While Soyoung had found it strange, all the guards and maids she had sent there had reported that nothing was amiss. Hyeyoung spent every day reading, writing, and painting, just like the demure noblewoman she was supposed to be. For now, as long as she wasn’t creating more issues for Soyoung, that was enough.

 

Still though, that didn’t mean that it was alright for Soyoung to let down her guard.

The more Soyoung’s child became more obvious,, the more Soyoung knew that she had to expose Hyeyoung’s true motives and remove her from the palace as soon as possible. For now, she could avoid the eyes and ears of the servants by ushering them out every time she had to dress or bathe, but that wouldn’t work for long. If she waited too long and someone noticed that Soyoung was pregnant, there was no telling what Hyeyoung would do to her child. 

 

Soyoung’s gaze flickered over to the table behind her, where a neat stack of paper lay. A few days ago, Jia’er had sent her a message disguised as a message to Jinyoung, which detailed the information that he had received from the various informants and connections around the city. Hyeyoung had mostly stayed within the bounds of acceptable behavior whenever she left the palace, but there were a few things in particular that caught Soyoung’s attention. First, shortly before Jinyoung had taken Hyeyoung out on a tour of the capitol, Hyeyoung’s maid Zhen Zhu had been seen wandering around the stands lining the main street. While one could brush it off as mere casual shopping, Zhen Zhu had stopped by one stand in particular for longer than normal, and had spoken to the shopowner in hushed tones before leaving without buying anything. After further prodding, it had become clear that that stand was where Hyeyoung had seemingly casually bought the dog figurine that had led to her slapping punishment. Second, just a month ago, Hyeyoung had suddenly set up an area in the middle of the city to distribute food for the refugees that had been flooding the capitol city. In fact, not only did she set up the area, but she also sent Zhen Zhu to inform all the nearby shop owners to advertise as well. But where had she gotten the money to buy all that food? The little stipend she received every month as a member of the imperial family was nowhere near enough to pay for the size of that event. And why make such a fuss to advertise the event? If it really was just for the refugees, word of mouth alone would be enough to draw their attention. Combined with the news that a mysterious man had appeared at the event and claimed to be Hyeyoung’s lover right after Jinyoung had arrived, Soyoung was sure that there was more to the distribution event than met the eye. Unfortunately, although Jia’er had tried to find that young man, no one seemed to know where he had been taken, because Jinyoung had ordered his personal imperial guards to take the man away and he hadn’t been seen since. Soyoung sighed deeply.

 

All in all, it made it more clear that Hyeyoung’s actions had followed a carefully planned course of action designed to buy Jinyoung’s goodwill and protection.

 

And, it also meant there was another event that Jinyoung hadn’t bothered to tell her about, for whatever reason.

 

 As soon as she received the information she wanted from Yeojin, Soyoung would take action to restore the peace of the imperial palace.

 

“Soyoung.” As if on cue, the sound of Yeojin’s soft voice came from outside the window nearest to her. 

 

Soyoung sighed again, patted her slightly rounded belly one more time, and quickly wrapped her robes properly around herself before answering.

 

“Come in.” She said. There was a flicker of movement by the window, and Han Yeojin leapt into the room a few moments later, her booted feet barely making a sound on the hard floor. 

 

“Did your men uncover something in Xanadu?” Soyoung asked. Yeojin nodded.

 

“But before I tell you what I found, there’s someone I think you need to see.” She said. Soyoung frowned in confusion. Judging from the serious expression on Yeojin’s face, she had a feeling that this person was important to what Hyeyoung had been doing in Xanadu. 

 

“You cannot bring him here, can you?” She guessed. Yeojin shook her head.

 

“For his safety and due to his current condition, I can’t move him.” She replied. Soyoung walked over to the cabinet and pulled out a cloak.

 

“Very well.” She said, “Bring me to this person.” Soyoung and Yeojin slipped secretly out of the main chambers, their footsteps barely making a sound as they moved under the camouflage of the night. Yeojin lead Soyoung to the military training grounds, barely pausing before skirting the main area where soldiers were still gathered and leading Soyoung to a storage facility. Soyoung raised an eyebrow at Yeojin, who only motioned for her to go inside. As Soyoung walked in, her gaze fell on a young man leaning against the back wall. From the look of the clothes draped over his body, he appeared to be a noble, but was far more worse for wear than any noble that Soyoung had laid her eyes on. His hair was a complete mess, and based on the condition of his clothing, it looked like he had been dragged through dust and dirt at some point. The front of his robes was pulled open slightly, revealing a long thick strip of bandage wrapped diagonally across his chest and neck. He opened his eyes slightly at the sound of Soyoung and Yeojin’s footsteps, then narrowed warily as he took in Soyoung.

 

“Have you come to kill me as well?” He asked. Soyoung frowned and looked to Yeojin for an explanation.

 

“Who is this?” She asked. 

 

“He claims to be Princess Hyeyoung’s lover.” Yeojin replied quietly, “Two weeks ago, someone shot an arrow into the side of my doorframe in the middle of the night with a note attached, instructing me to go to the forest outside the city if I wanted to find answers to what I was looking for. When I followed the note’s instructions, I found this man lying heavily injured in the middle of the forest and brought him back here. When he awoke, he told me about his background and why he decided to come to the capitol, which is how I know he is allegedly Princess Hyeyoung’s lover from Xanadu.” Soyoung nodded slowly, taking in the new information. Who had sent a note like that? If someone had gone after this man’s life, then he certainly had something to say that someone else, likely Hyeyoung, wanted to keep hidden. After all, only dead people were guaranteed to keep their mouths shut. 

 

“Very well.” She said, “Show me the note later.” Yeojin nodded, and Hyeyoung stepped closer to the man, sitting down carefully on the floor so that they were eye level. Then, she reached into her pocket and pulled out her personal imperial token.

 

“I am Empress Jang Soyoung of Yuan.” She said, meeting the man’s gaze directly, “Tell me what your relationship is with my younger sister.” The man’s eyes widened as Soyoung spoke, and he quickly scrambled to sit up more.

 

“Your Majesty!” He cried, “You must save me!” 

 

“You have my word.” Soyoung said, “Why did you come here, and who tried to kill you?” The man took a deep breath before speaking.

 

“My name is Borjigin Naidan.” He said, “My family runs a large chain of fabric stores in the major cities through the empire, and the flagship store is located in Xanadu. I met Princess Hyeyoung when she came to shop at our store once while I was on duty there, and I fell in love with her at first sight even though I knew that she was married. She was the picture of elegance and grace, always walking with a demure smile on her face. It was always a pleasure to talk with Hyeyoung, and we could talk for hours sometimes because we had similar interests. Over time, the more she visited our store, the more I fell in love with her. She told me that her husband was rich and powerful but didn’t love her or treat her well at all, and I decided I wanted to protect her. I swore that I would find a way to marry her, even if we had to run away to do so.” Soyoung sighed softly and nodded before continuing. 

 

“Then...did you ever sleep with my sister?” She asked. Borjigin’s eyes widened, startled by the sudden question. Then, he sighed and bowed his head. 

 

“Yes.” He said quietly, “Her husband didn’t care much about her, so he never really minded when she was out of the house for hours at a time, even if it was overnight. Sometimes, Hyeyoung would slip secretly into my mansion, and we would spend the night together, sometimes…” He swallowed hard.

 

“Sometimes engaging in intimate behavior.” He admitted quietly, “I’m sorry, Your Majesty. I know I shouldn’t have, but I truly loved her and desired for her too much, and I believed that she loved me as well. It was only a matter of time before we became truly husband and wife, and so…”

 

“And when was the last time she spent the night with you?” Soyoung asked. 

 

“About...a little over a month before she suddenly disappeared one day.” Borjigin replied, “We’d agreed to meet for a boating trip one day, but she never appeared. It was only later that I heard she had left Xanadu to go to the capitol. The mayor’s home was in absolute chaos shortly afterwards; the mayor fell ill, the brothers were suddenly fighting over the inheritance. I thought she would return soon, but she never did, and that’s when I decided to come to find her in the capitol.” He sighed and shook his head.

 

“Who knew I would attract this attack on my life instead. This entire situation has been so sudden and made no sense.” He said quietly, “But then...I heard rumors.” Soyoung raised an eyebrow.

 

“Rumors?” She repeated. Borjigin nodded.

 

“I wasn’t her only lover.” He said quietly, “Hyeyoung seduced her Brother-in-law, her husband’s younger brother too. The word going around the city shortly after she left was the brothers, who had each originally had different goals and motives that would never put them into conflict, began fighting because Hyeyoung influenced the younger brother to do so.” Soyoung sighed softly, a dry smile on her face as she shook her head.

 

So, this man is the father of the child in my sister’s womb. Not only has she tried to seduce my husband, but she has also been doing such thick skinned things in Xanadu as well, under the excuse that this husband isn’t one who loves her and not one who she loves either? She really has completely ruined the reputation of the imperial family!

 

“My sister really is keeping herself busy over there, isn’t she?” Soyoung mused softly. Then, she returned her gaze to the young man sitting in front of her.

 

“Did you bring any proof of your relationship with my sister?” She asked. Borjigin nodded and pulled two letters from his sleeve.

 

“These are love letters from Hyeyoung.” He said, “I’m sure Your Majesty can recognize the princess’ handwriting.” Soyoung took the letters and flipped one open curiously, her lip curling up in distaste as she read the contents. Indeed, it was clear from the light curly script and faintly scented paper that it was from Hyeyoung.

 

“To think that someone could write things like this while knowing they were complete lies.” She muttered, “How disgusting.” Folding the letters carefully and slipping them into her sleeve, Soyoung rose to her feet.

 

“Stay here and rest for a few more days.” She said, “It won’t be long before I uncover what Hyeyoung has done once and for all. I will certainly give you justice.” Borjigin nodded and bowed deeply.

 

“I thank Your Majesty for your grace.” He murmured. Then, as Soyoung turned to go, she heard Borjigin speak again.

 

“Your Majesty.” He said, “Do you know someone by the name of Hyojun?” Soyoung’s footsteps froze, and she turned back to the young man half crumpled on the floor.

 

“Why do you ask?” She asked.

 

“When I was trying to run away, there was a man who caught me from the other side and struck me down.” Borjigin replied, “It appeared that he was their leader. I fell unconscious rather quickly, but before I did, I heard the other assassins call the man ‘Lord Hyojun.’” Soyoung felt her heart almost stop for a moment, her breath catching in before she swallowed hard and placed a calm mask over her face. Her heart pounded in her chest, her mind whirling with different possibilities. 

 

In her entire life, she had only ever known one Hyojun who lived in the capitol city. 

 

“I...must think about it.” She said simply, then turned her heel and left the room with Yeojin.

 

Soyoung and Yeojin returned to Yeojin’s tent, where Soyoung felt her hands tremble ever so slightly as she sat down at the table. Yeojin poured a cup of tea and pushed it towards her.

 

“Are you alright?” She asked. Soyoung nodded as she sipped at the warm drink.

 

“Hyojun...there is only one Hyojun in this entire capitol that I know of.” She said quietly. 

 

“But he is the most loyal man in the entire city.” Yeojin reminded her, “You know that best out of all of us.” Soyoung nodded as she bit her lower lip.

 

“I know.” She replied, “That’s why I can’t believe it entirely yet, even though that man says he heard Hyojun’s name. But if it really was him...it’s not hard to guess who placed him by my side since our youth.” Soyoung sighed and rubbed the side of her face tiredly. After a few long moments, Soyoung held out her hand.

 

“Forget that for now, show me the note you received.” She said. Yeojin slipped the sheet of paper into her outstretched palm, and Soyoung frowned slightly as she read it over. Whoever sent it had taken great pains to hide their identity; the brush were heavy in some places and light in others, showing no particular pattern in handwriting that would help identify the sender. Just based on touch alone, the paper itself was also plain paper, the type that could be bought in any store in the capitol.

 

“Could it have been one of the assailants?” Yeojin wondered, “One who had a change of heart? Even if a commoner happened to see it all happen, I doubt they would be brave enough to send a letter about it. And how would they know to send it to me?” Soyoung tapped her chin lightly. 

 

“That would make complete no sense.” She said, “Those assailants were acting under orders. Unless they had a death wish, why would they risk sending a message about the location of where they had dumped Hyeyoung’s lover rather than just leave him to die?” 

 

But then, nothing about this entire situation was making much sense overall. 

 

Soyoung folded up the note again and handed it back to Yeojin.

 

“Hold onto this for now.” She said, “We’ll have to take one issue at a time. First, Hyeyoung will have to go. Then, I will find out whether Hyojun has been loyal this entire time to one or two masters.” As Soyoung rose to go, she felt her steps falter as the room suddenly spun around her, and Yeojin’s arms quickly caught her as she fell back into her chair.

 

“Soyoung!” She exclaimed, “What’s wrong?” Soyoung shook her head as she closed her eyes until the room stopped spinning.

 

‘I’m alright.” She replied, “I’m just tired.” Yeojin sighed.

 

“I’ve heard about the pressure the court officials have been putting on you about all the rumors and the unclear relationship between Prince Jinyoung and your sister.” She said, “Those wretched old fools! Can’t they see that you’re already worn out? You’re only human! You have to rest!” Soyoung laughed softly and shook her head.

 

“You’re sounding like a mother hen, Yeojin.” She teased. Yeojin sighed.

 

“I’m not joking, Soyoung.” She grumbled. Soyoung smiled and patted her friend’s hand lightly.

 

“I’ll be careful.” She said softly, “This will all end soon, I’ll make sure of it. Wait for my summons to bring that person with you.” Yeojin nodded.

 

“I’ll be on the lookout.” She promised.

____________________________________________________________________________

At the same time that Soyoung was with Yeojin in the military training grounds, Physician Yu had once again been summoned to Princess Hyeyoung’s quarters. Zhen Zhu hovered anxiously near her mistress as Physician Yu took the princess’ pulse.

 

“Physician Yu, why is my mistress still bleeding?” She asked, “It has been two weeks since she lost the baby. Shouldn’t it have stopped already?” Physician Yu sighed.

 

“Normally, it would have.” He replied, “But based on Her Highness’ pulse, it looks like she is experiencing what is known as an incomplete miscarriage.” Hyeyoung frowned.

 

“What does that mean?” She demanded.

 

“In short, it means that while the child was lost, there is still fetal tissue remaining in your womb.” Physician Yu replied, “For whatever reason, not all of it has been flushed from your body, which is why you are still bleeding like this.” 

 

“Then what should we do?” Zhen Zhu asked, “If this continues, sooner or later someone will notice that something is wrong.” 

 

“Do not panic.” Physician Yu replied, “There are some herbs that will help remedy this situation. Once Her Highness takes the medication and the miscarriage is rendered complete, then she will stop bleeding. However, because of the purpose of this medication, the herbs aren’t readily available in the imperial palace. Miss Zhen Zhu, you will have to go outside the palace and obtain it before bringing it to me to prepare.” Zhen Zhu nodded.

 

“I will do that quickly.” She replied. Physician Yu left the address for an apothecary with Zhen Zhu, and took his leave. Hyeyoung sank to her bed with a deep sigh after the older man left, one hand lightly lying across her stomach. It was still difficult for her to remember that her baby was now gone; sometimes, her hand still moved on instinct to her belly, only to remember that the child was no longer nestled within her womb. 

 

“The heavens must be playing a cruel joke on me.” She muttered, “Not only did I lose my child, now I must suffer more because it was an incomplete miscarriage? What have I done to deserve such a thing?” 

 

“Don’t worry, My Lady.” Zhen Zhu said softly, “I’ll go and get the herbs quickly tomorrow, and we’ll deal with the problem then. The Prince Consort’s birthday is coming up soon, which will be a perfect chance for us to carry out the next step of your plan.” Hyeyoung sighed again.

 

“You’re right.” She said, “Now is not the time to dwell on these matters. First and foremost, I must look ahead and grasp my goal. Once the throne is mine, I can have as many children as I want.” She squeezed Zhen Zhu’s hand lightly.

 

“Make sure no one sees you.” She urged. Zhen Zhu nodded.

 

“I’ll certainly be careful, My Lady.” She replied. After Zhen Zhu returned to her own room, Hyeyoung lay in her bed, one hand over her empty stomach. Although it had already been two weeks, she was still having a hard time believing that everything she had felt that night wasn’t just a horrible nightmare.

 

Well, at least the baby’s father should be gone now.

 

Hyeyoung slipped out of her bed and opened her window, through which she could just see the tip of the glittering golden chambers where the empress slept. 

 

Jang Soyoung, even without my child, I will certainly beat you! What is yours now, I will certainly turn into mine!

 

___________________________________________________________________________

A few days later, Jinyoung

 

Jinyoung sighed as he sat and poked aimlessly at his cup of tea. His eyes flitted this way and that across the marketplace, taking in the different people going about their day as always. After a while, he sighed again and nibbled aimlessly on a sweet from the tea shop. Normally at this hour, he would be meeting with Jia’er, but his friend had become oddly busy recently, and wouldn’t tell him what he was doing no matter how many times Jinyoung asked. With his relationship with Soyoung still strained as ever, Jinyoung found that the only thing he could focus on was whether Hyeyoung had lied to him about the child. 

 

Despite his best efforts, Jinyoung had made little progress in finding out the answer to his question. He had attempted to locate the man who had created trouble while Hyeyoung was giving food to the refugees, but he was nowhere to be found. Physician Yu had insisted that he had made the correct diagnosis, but something told Jinyoung that the older man wasn’t telling him the truth. He had asked Eunseong to tell Soyoung to look into Physician Yu as well, but given how quiet it had been in the palace, it looked like the physician had lied to her as well. But surely, if Soyoung found the man suspicious, she would have done something, wouldn’t she? She wasn’t the type to just let the matter slide like that if she even had an inkling that something was going on. And yet, she hadn’t brought up the matter with him at all.

 

Of course she hasn’t, a little voice seemed to whisper to him, you’ve driven her walls back up again.

 

Jinyoung groaned and pushed himself to his feet, deciding that a walk would work better to clear up his mind. The more he thought about the two sisters, the more he found the matter hard to understand; who was telling the truth, and who was lying to him? Who was keeping secrets from him, and who held ulterior motives below a pretty face? Soon enough, Jinyoung found himself wandering back towards the imperial palace. Sighing softly, he stopped before he reached the front gates and looked up at the glittering imposing palace. 

 

For all its grandeur and splendor, this place is far more complicated than I thought.

 

Jang Soyoung, why did you have to pick me to marry?

 

“Step aside!” A loud voice broke into Jinyoung’s thoughts, and he looked towards the entrance to the palace and saw a young nobleman standing there. It looked like he was trying to get into the palace, and would have if not for the guards standing in front of him.

 

“Don’t you know who I am?” The man asked furiously, “I am the husband that Her Majesty personally chose for her sister, Princess Hyeyoung! Let me in, I have something urgent to report to the Empress!” One of the guards scoffed.

 

“The Empress isn’t someone that you can see that easily!” He snapped, “The Empress received no news that Princess Hyeyoung’s husband would be visiting! Now get lost, if you value your life!” Jinyoung stared at the man for a long moment as he continued arguing with the imperial guards. He hadn’t heard anything about Hyeyoung’s husband coming to the capitol either; besides, wasn’t he busy in Xanadu trying to figure out family affairs? What would he be doing here? It didn’t make any sense, but then...who would be foolish enough to claim to be the Empress’ brother in law like that if he wasn’t who he said he was? It would be courting death! But then, as the man tried to break through the barrier of imperial guards again, Jinyoung spotted a golden token dangling from the man’s waist, the character inscribed on it glittering in the sunlight.

 

Khaltar.

 

Which, as it so happened, was the family name of the mayor of Xanadu.

 

And, given the delicate design of the token the man wore that Jinyoung could see even from a distance, he was becoming more and more certain that this man really was Hyeyoung’s husband.

 

Jinyoung hesitated for another moment before stepping forward. 

 

“Stop!” He said, laying a hand on the soldier closest to the young nobleman. Irritation flashed across the soldier’s eyes, but then he quickly bowed as he recognized Jinyoung.

 

“Your Highness.” He greeted, “Our apologies for letting this person block the doorway. We will have him removed shortly.” The young nobleman turned in surprise as he heard what the guards say.

 

“You are...Prince Consort Jinyoung?” He asked.

 

“How rude!” The guard snapped, “How could you speak to His Highness so directly?” Jinyoung shook his head.

 

“It’s alright. Why don’t you allow me to speak with him?” He offered. The soldiers looked at each other hesitantly, unsure of whether they should be leaving an unknown man with the Prince Consort.

 

“We’ll be nearby.” Jinyoung continued, “I have guards I can summon if anything goes wrong.” Finally, the guards nodded.

 

“Be careful, Your Highness.” They said. Jinyoung nodded and ushered the man away to a nearby teashop, choosing to sit in a private room to ensure the man could say what he wanted without risking being overheard.

 

“Thank you for coming to my aid, Your Highness.” The young nobleman said. Jinyoung smiled and poured tea into two cups.

 

“You are too courteous.” He said, “You are my Sister-in-law’s husband, and that makes you my family as well. But what brings you all the way to the capitol? Aren’t you supposed to be very busy in Xanadu right now? I heard from Sister-in-law that you and your brother are currently fighting over the future inheritance.”

 

“You believe me?” The young man asked in surprise. Jinyoung chuckled.

 

“Your token has your family name on it, does it not?” He replied, “Given the design, I’m sure only the young master of the mayor’s family could afford to wear such an item everywhere.” Young Master Khaltar chuckled.

 

“You are very observant, Your Highness.” He noted. Jinyoung bowed his head humbly.

 

“You are too kind.” He replied. Young Master Khaltar smiled and raised his hands politely in front of him, giving Jinyoung a polite bow.

 

“Allow me to properly introduce myself.” He said, “My name is Chono Khaltar. I am the son of the mayor of Xanadu, and…” He hesitated before continuing.

 

“...the husband of Princess Hyeyoung of Yuan.” He finished. Jinyoung looked at the man curiously.

 

“Why do you hesitate?” He asked. Chono chuckled, rubbing the back of his neck as he seemed to flounder for something to say before answering.

 

“This is somewhat shameful to say.” He said, “But technically, I’m no longer the Empress’ Brother-in-law.” Jinyoung frowned.

 

“Why wouldn’t you be? The palace never received news about any changes between you and the princess.” He commented, “Do you mean that you…?” Chono nodded.

 

“I am technically no longer the princess’ husband,” He finished Jinyoung’s sentence for him, “Because she and I divorced a few months ago. To be exact, I divorced her.” Jinyoung’s eyes widened at the sudden revelation. 

 

“A divorce?” He spluttered in surprise, “But...why? I’d heard that the relationship between you and the princess was never good, but why did it get to the point of divorce?” In their society, there were two ways that a husband and wife separated; one, the couple agreed to separate amicably, allowing the wife to resume single status and marry someone else without making much of a fuss, or second, the husband wrote a letter declaring that he divorced his wife for some particular reason. And usually, if it got to a point that the husband declared he was divorcing his wife, something awful had happened. Chono chuckled dryly.

 

“It looks like my former wife has been telling you things.” He said, “Has she captured your attention as well?” Jinyoung’s brow furrowed in confusion.

 

“What are you talking about?” He demanded. Chono rested his elbows on the table and leaned closer to Jinyoung.

 

“Because,” He replied, “The reason I divorced her was because the red apricot flowers stretched over the garden wall.” Jinyoung thought for a long moment before he realized what Chono Khaltar was saying.

 

Red apricot flowers stretching over the garden wall....

 

That means...she cheated on him.

 

“Wait a moment.” Jinyoung said, “I know Sister-in-law has a lover in the capitol, but how did you know about him? You said that you divorced her a few months ago, so that timing wouldn’t make sense either.” Chono shook his head as Jinyoung tried to make sense of what was going on.

 

“You are too innocent, Your Highness.” He said, “I wouldn’t be surprised if she managed to seduce someone else in the capitol, but even if she did, that person wouldn’t be the one who caused our divorce.” Jinyoung stared at him.

 

“Then...she had a lover in Xanadu as well?” He guessed, his heart pounding as the words left his lips. Chono nodded.

 

“Not one, but two.” He replied, “One was the heir to a fabric shop in the city. And the other...was my brother.” Jinyoung’s jaw dropped, his mind immediately going back to the young man who had approached that day in the marketplace. He swallowed hard before responding.

 

“What did the heir to the fabric shop look like?” He asked. As Chono described the man, Jinyoung quickly realized that he was giving a perfect description of the man who had loudly claimed to be Hyeyoung’s lover. Hyeyoung had sworn that she had nothing to do with the man, and yet…

 

“Perhaps...there was a misunderstanding?” He asked quietly, “Sister-in-law never seemed like such a person. She only told me that she had fallen in love with someone in the capitol and she wanted to find true love.” Chino laughed dryly. 

 

“Misunderstanding?” He scoffed, “Prince, the only misunderstanding I ever had with Jang Hyeyoung was thinking she and I could spend the rest of our lives together.” 

 

“What do you mean?” Jinyoung asked, feeling increasingly bewildered. 

 

“When I heard that I had been chosen to marry the Empress’ sister, I was beyond honored.” He Chono replied, “After all, it was the first marriage that Her Majesty had arranged rights after she took the throne. I knew the princess held no feelings for me then, but I thought for sure that if we both worked at it, then we could at least spend our lives peacefully together. She seemed like a kindhearted and well educated woman. Even if there wasn’t love, then we could at least hold affection for each other.” He sighed and shook his head.

 

“What a naive fool I was. From the day we married, the princess made it clear that she shunned me and everything that had to do with our union. I tried to get into her good graces, I really did. But no matter what I did, it seemed like she resented the fact that she had been married off to a man that the Empress had chosen.” He continued, “Everything that she put on the surface, the gentle demure side, was all for show. In the end, we became husband and wife in name only, putting on a good act to keep the Xanadu citizens quiet and the imperial family at ease. Eventually, Hyeyoung began taking lovers; she never stayed on one for too long, but it soon became clear that she had no intention of staying a loyal wife. It wasn’t difficult; with a flick of her large doe eyes and a faint curl of her lips, she could have any man she wanted falling at her feet. And then in the end…” Chono’s gaze darkened.

 

“She dared to even seduce my own brother.” He said, “I was furious, but I hesitated to kick her out for fear of offending the imperial family. I tried to convince my brother to see who she really was, but he wouldn’t believe me. In the end, I took my own lovers and concubines, so I thought I could spend my life turning a blind eye to what was going on. But then…” His hands clenched into fists.

 

“That woman conceived the child of one of her lovers, the heir to the fabric shop.” He growled, “And then she dared to tell me about her pregnancy! At that point, I decided that even taking into consideration the imperial family, I had had enough with her. Even if I could no longer claim ties to the Empress, I had to get away from her. I couldn’t possibly raise a child that wasn’t mine and let him take over the family business as if he was from the bloodline as me. And so, I wrote her a divorce letter and kicked her out of the house. The most I could do for her and save the Empress face was to not make the matter public.” Jinyoung swallowed hard.

 

“But how were you so sure that it wasn’t your child?” He asked. Chono scoffed.

 

“Let me tell you another little secret.” He replied, “The princess and I never consummated our marriage. She flat out refused even on our wedding day, and eventually I stopped asking. She never had any intention to truly become my wife.” His mind whirling, Jinyoung finally saw the pieces of the events in Xanadu and the capitol falling into place.

 

“Your brother must have been furious to see her driven out.” He finally commented. Chono laughed at his comment.

 

“Oh he was more than furious.” He replied, “He declared that he had been planning on marrying Hyeyoung, and if he had to become heir to the family to do it, then that’s what he would do. In fact, she was the one who had proposed that idea to him. So began a long fight between us brothers, who before had held a perfectly good relationship before this scheming woman had come into the scene.” He scoffed lightly.

 

“I was so busy trying to settle matters with my brother that I didn’t even realize Hyeyoung had left Xanadu and returned to the capitol. It was only until recently that I heard soldiers were investigating her that I heard of her whereabouts and began learning of the mess she had created here.” Jinyoung’s hands clenched against the table until his knuckles turned white, his heart pounding loudly in his chest as he took in what the man in front of him was saying.

 

A woman who shunned her husband and her marriage...a woman who was cold to her legal husband and ignored what a woman was expected to do, instead choosing to take lovers despite her status as a princess...a lover who was the heir to a fabric shop...and a child conceived out of that forbidden relationship…

 

Jang Hyeyoung, is this the real you behind that sweet gentle face?

 

It all seemed so unbelievable, and yet, if it was true then many other things would make sense. The swell of her stomach, the consistent failure to find the princess’ lover in the palace, Soyoung’s intolerance for her sister and the way she had never been able to accept the image that Hyeyoung portrayed of herself, her insistence that Jinyoung stay away from Hyeyoung…

 

Has Soyoung been right all along? So she saw through everything from the beginning?

 

Has Hyeyoung been lying to me all along? In everything? 

 

“Your Highness?” Chono laid his hand on Jinyoung’s shoulder, and he looked up to see a concerned look in the nobleman’s eyes.

 

“Are you alright?” He asked, “You’re as white as a sheet.” Jinyoung bit his lip and sipped aimlessly at his tea before nodding.

 

“I’m...alright.” He finally said, finding his voice again. Chono gazed at Jinyoung for a long moment.

 

“I take it...she attempted to seduce you as well?” He asked. Jinyoung’s eyes widened at the question, denial springing to his lips but falling flat before he could voice it.

 

“I...wouldn’t call it seducing.” He finally said, “But from the beginning, I thought she was very easy to get along with. She liked the same writers and poets as I did, enjoyed the same hobbies as I did. We could talk for hours without even noticing. Before I realized it, I started…” His voice trailed off as he thought back to what he had done every time Soyoung and Hyeyoung had come into conflict recently.

 

I would choose Hyeyoung’s side, because I thought she needed protecting. Soyoung was always the more aggressive one next to Hyeyoung who looked like a lost lamb. It was easy for me to feel that way and justify my actions.

 

“What have I done…?” He whispered. Chono sighed.

 

“That is the method she uses to reach her goals.” He said, “Particularly when there’s a man she has set her eyes on. First, she will find out what that person likes and what they don’t like, and then pretend like they have the same interests to spark conversation. Then, once they become more friendly with each other, that is when she makes her next move. She is a smart woman who knows many things, but...it’s all been used in the wrong way.” 

 

“Park Jinyoung, have you fallen in love with her?”

 

No wonder Soyoung asked me that question.

 

Jinyoung let out a shaking breath as he looked over at Chono Khaltar.

 

“Young Master Khaltar...you couldn’t possibly be lying to me out of spite for your wife, are you?” He asked, grimacing at the direct way he had to frame the question. It was borderline rude, and one who didn’t know better would think Jinyoung was accusing him, but...at this point, beating around the bush would do him no good. Chono laughed dryly at his question.

 

“Your Highness, that woman has ruined my family’s reputation beyond repair.” He said, “Everyone in Xanadu knows of what she’s been doing. Pick anyone on the street and they will tell you the same thing; it’s just that no one dared to speak openly about it because of our status. There’s no need for me to say anything besides the truth at this point. If I had wanted to lie, it would be to save our family’s good name by keeping everything a secret and saying she was a kind and respectable woman rather than speak of her outrageous behavior. And besides, I still value my life. Why would I lie about a member of the imperial family, in front of the Empress’ husband no less?” Realizing that he had a point, Jinyoung took a deep breath and nodded.

 

Hyeyoung has been using me this entire time.

 

But, if she was lying about the child in her belly, then that also means Physician Yu....

 

“Young Master Khaltar, thank you for telling me the truth today.” He said, “I will forever be grateful. Here.” He took off his pendant and gave it to Chono.

 

“Take my pendant and enter the palace. No one will stop you if you have this with you.” He said, “Go straight to Soyoung and tell her exactly what you told me. Sister-in-law has been staying in her chambers recently, so the chances of you coming across her are very low.” 

 

“Then what about you?” Chono asked, “Where are you going?” Jinyoung bit his lip.

 

“I have some investigating to do.” He replied. After parting from Chono Khaltar, Jinyoung headed for the main marketplace, Soyoung’s web of informants coming to mind. 

 

Give them a little money, and there’s nothing they won’t tell you.

 

That’s what his wife had said, and he had seen it happen for himself. If Physician Yu had been bribed to lie that Hyeyoung was only one month pregnant, then he certainly would have left behind tracks of where the money had gone. After all, if he just kept the money in his home or in the palace, someone was bound to notice sooner or later. If he had put it into the local bank then, someone was bound to have seen him going in and out of that area. 

 

I must find out the truth.

 

As Jinyoung rushed towards the marketplace though, his mind was so occupied by the task at hand that he failed to notice Zhen Zhu, who hurried down the other side of the street with a cloak wrapped around her to hide her face. She held a basket in one hand, and her gaze darted back and forth cautiously before she ducked into an apothecary. A short while passed before she exited again, this time with multiple packets of herbs tucked into her basket. 

 

Although Jinyoung didn’t notice though, someone else did.

 

A boy, barely into his teens, had been keeping an eye on the maid as she had entered and exited the apothecary. After Zhen Zhu left, he ducked into the shop, asked a few questions, then headed straight for Wang Jia’er’s self defense school.

____________________________________________________________________________

Nighttime

 

Soyoung sat unmoving in front of her mirror as the maids arranged her hair for the banquet that night. In the blink of an eye, Jinyoung’s birthday banquet had arrived. Normally, royal birthdays were a joyous occasion, and the day would have started with blessings from court officials and other nobles followed by an elaborate lunch and ending with the banquet that night. 

 

But today, the only word Soyoung could use to describe the atmosphere was “cold.” 

 

In the chaos of all that was going on, Soyoung had all but nearly forgotten about Jinyoung’s birthday. Jinyoung had gone out of the palace as he always did, and the court officials had smartly decided against giving their birthday blessings that morning, news of the strained relationship between the royal couple quickly spreading among their ranks. To Soyoung, the day had felt like any other, except for tonight. 

 

“What is taking so long?” The maid doing her hair snapped to another maid in the back, “Hurry and bring the hairpin here!” 

 

“I cannot find the hairpin that matches Her Majesty’s clothing for some reason!” The other maid responded in a panic, “I don’t know where it has gone! I swear I saw it here just a few days ago.” Soyoung sighed.

 

“It’s alright.” She interrupted as the first maid started speaking again, “Just use a different one. I have more than enough hairpieces that match my clothes.”

 

“Yes, Your Majesty.” The maid replied, and resumed brushing Soyoung’s long black hair. Soyoung sighed again as she looked at herself in the mirror. Normally, she would have sent someone to investigate her missing hairpin as soon as it was discovered missing; either it had been misplaced or someone had dared to take it for personal use while they were cleaning, and having imperial goods in the common marketplace was never a good thing. But today, Soyoung just felt tired. It was just a hairpin, she could always get another one.

 

After she was finished getting ready, Soyoung headed for the banquet hall, where she stood waiting for Jinyoung. She could hear the sound of cheerful chattering inside, but unlike the last time she stood like this waiting for Jinyoung, her heart just couldn’t get into the festive mood despite the warm lights inside the banquet hall. If she could choose, she would have just cancelled this event entirely, but that slight to the prince on his first birthday in Yuan would have been one too big to contain. She heard the sound of footsteps next to her, followed by a flicker of dark blue cloth as Jinyoung came to stand next to her. 

 

“Wife.” His voice, gentle and soft, was usually enough to make Soyoung’s heart flutter despite the simplicity of the word he had said. And yet, today, only a soft sigh escaped her lips before she spoke.

 

“Husband.” She replied.

 

“Did someone come to find you today?” Jinyoung asked quietly. Although he didn’t name anyone in particular, Soyoung knew who he was talking about. Hyeyoung’s husband, Chono Khaltar, had come into the palace earlier that day with Jinyoung’s token in his hand and explained to her everything that had happened in Xanadu. Away from Soyoung’s watchful eye, Hyeyoung had thrown aside all sense of decorum and self respect as a member of the imperial family, every act showing pure rebellion against what not only Soyoung had arranged for her, but also what fate had given her. And, Chono’s words had confirmed exactly what Soyoung had suspected all this time; the child couldn’t possibly be Jinyoung’s. It had all been part of a long term plan to sow seeds of distrust in Soyoung’s heart and draw Jinyoung from her side. 

 

“Indeed.” She replied simply.

 

“Then, what do you intend to do?” Jinyoung queried. 

 

“We will speak about that later.” Soyoung replied, “At this point, there isn’t much more that I need to do.” Jinyoung frowned in confusion, but before he could ask again, the sound of drumbeats began from inside, signaling the arrival of the auspicious hour to begin the banquet. 

 

“Come.” Soyoung said, stepping forward before Jinyoung could speak. Jinyoung attempted to reach for her hand, but she kept her hands neatly folded in front of her, clearly having no intention to touch him. A look of discomfort flickered across Jinyoung’s face as she refused to take his hand, but he sighed quietly and followed closely behind her. The court officials bowed politely as the Empress and her husband passed by, but the surprised glances they exchanged with each other didn’t escape Soyoung’s notice. She couldn’t blame them; the ruling sovereign and their spouse always held hands coming into events. To have them walking in separately, and seeing Soyoung’s gaze fixed pointedly forward, was a sure sign of discord between the Empress and her husband. 

 

For once, Jang Jaewon was also present, his cold domineering face visible at the front of the room. It had been a long time since Soyoung had seen her uncle attend anything in the palace. For whatever reason, he had been claiming for over a month that he was feeling unwell, and so was unable to attend court. Although she had been wary about whether he was truly ill, Soyoung didn’t mind seeing her uncle’s face less in court, and so had granted permission for leave of absence.

 

As Soyoung walked past Hyeyoung, who also sat near the front of the room, she couldn’t help but notice the brightly colored clothes her sister was wearing. Soyoung had chosen to wear dark blue robes that night, one that emphasized her elegance and elevated status, and Jinyoung’s clothes matched hers. There was an unspoken rule that no one would dress in a way that caused them to stand out more than the most powerful woman in the nation. Usually, that person was the Emperor’s main wife, and now, it was Soyoung. All the other noblewomen in attendance had clearly made efforts to get information about Soyoung’s clothing choice ahead of time, and none of them had chosen brightly colored clothing. On the other hand, Hyeyoung was dressed in a set of beautiful peach pink robes decorated with a peony pattern and made of the finest silk that swayed and fluttered in the breeze like a butterfly. Although it was small, the hidden message was clear; Hyeyoung thought of herself as the most important woman in the country, and had every intention of truly becoming that person. 

 

Stay haughty all you want, little sister, because everything will come crashing down before long.

 

The banquet soon began without much fanfare, the celebration beginning with well wishes from the court officials, followed by delicious dishes and performances. Then, as the dance performance ended, trouble began again.

 

The sound of a loud crash filled the air, followed by Zhen Zhu’s cry.

 

“My Lady!” She cried, “My Lady, what’s wrong?” Soyoung’s gaze was drawn to Hyeyoung’s seat, where the younger princess was currently slumped over, a bowl of soup knocked over and shattered on the ground. Hyeyoung’s body trembled as she grasped her stomach, pained cries escaping her lips.

 

“My baby…!” She cried, “Something is wrong with my child! My stomach hurts, it hurts so much!” One of the women sitting near Hyeyoung looked down for a moment before letting out a startled cry.

 

“Blood!” She cried, “The princess is bleeding!” Sure enough, blood was seeping out from under Hyeyoung’s dress. Hyeyoung let out a strangled cry, her eyes widening in horror.

 

“No!” She wailed, “My child!” Soyoung flicked her hand towards the maid standing near her.

 

“Go and fetch Physician Yu.” She said. The maid nodded and hurried off, returning before long with the physician in tow. He quickly went and examined the princess, and for a long moment, the room was silent except for Hyeyoung’s groans. At last, Physician Yu rose to his feet and bowed to Soyoung before speaking.

 

“Your Majesty.” He announced somberly, “The princess has miscarried.” Shocked whispers immediately filled the air, and Jinyoung’s face turned pale at the news. Hyeyoung let out an anguished wail, tears running down her face as she buried her face in Zhen Zhu’s arms.

 

“Everything had been fine, wasn’t it?” Soyoung demanded, “Why did she suddenly lose the child when she was just sitting there?” Physician Yu looked down at the table of food laid out in front of Hyeyoung, then picked up the fallen bowl of soup. He sniffed at it before picking through the ingredients still left in the bowl.

 

“Your Majesty, this bowl of soup was the cause.” He announced. Soyoung raised an eyebrow.

 

“Why do you say that?” She replied.

 

“You see, Your Majesty.” Physician Yu answered, “There are ingredients in this soup that a pregnant woman should never consume. Those ingredients are, in short, labor stimulants. If a woman was near her due date, the most that would happen would be an early birth, but for someone only in the first trimester…” He let the sentence hang into the air, but Soyoung knew what he would have said at the end.

 

It would cause a miscarriage.

 

“Men!” Soyoung ordered, “Bring the maid who served this soup to my sister!” The maid was immediately pulled from the royal kitchens, and soon she was shoved to her feet in front of Jinyoung and Soyoung.

 

“Speak!” Soyoung ordered, “Why did you serve this soup to Princess Hyeyoung?” The maid sobbed, her gaze desperate as she looked up at Soyoung.

 

“Your Majesty, you must spare my life!” She cried, “You were the one who told me to do this, how could you push the blame onto me now?” Startled whispers filled the air, and even Soyoung’s eyes widened in surprise at the maid’s words. Harming a member of the imperial family, even an unborn child, was a highly forbidden act. Back when Soyoung’s father was on the throne, she had heard of one consort plotting against another, causing her to miscarry, and was punished with death as a result. Even if Soyoung was the ruling sovereign, committing such an act against her own blood related sister was highly looked down on, and reflected terribly on her personality and reputation.

 

“You are quite a daring girl.” She said coldly as she rose to her feet and walked closer to the girl ,”You dare to frame the Empress of Yuan now?” 

 

“I would never dare!” The maid cried, shaking her head, “I speak only the truth!” She scrambled into her pockets before she pulled out a hairpin.

 

“Here, this is the token you gave me in payment for giving the soup to Princess Hyeyoung!” She exclaimed, “You said as long as I gave this soup to her, I could have all the money and jewels I wanted. You said you wanted the princess to pay back for what she had tried to do to you!” 

Hyeyoung let out a loud sob at the maid’s words.

 

“Sister, do you really hate me so much?” She cried, “There was never any hard evidence that I tried to harm you! Why did you have to plot against my child? My poor innocent child!” Soyoung scoffed.

 

“What nonsense!” She growled, “It looks like you do not value your life anymore.”  

 

“Wait.” Jinyoung’s voice drew Soyoung’s attention, and she looked up to see that her husband had come to join her. 

 

“Let her finish speaking first.” He urged. 

 

“Your Highness, please believe me!” The maid begged, looking at Jinyoung, “Surely anyone could tell you that this hairpin is so extravagant, it could only be used by the Empress! I would never be able to buy something like this, even if I saved for my entire life. The Empress asked Physician Yu about the princess’ condition just a few days ago! Think about it: Her Majesty and Her Highness have never been on good terms. Why would she just casually ask about that?” Soyoung sighed in exasperation.

 

“Besides this hairpin, you have no evidence of such a thing.” She growled, “That hairpin was discovered missing from my chambers just today! I should punish your entire family for daring to speak against me like this!” 

 

“Soyoung!” Jinyoung’s raised voice, the sound so unfamiliar and sharp, drew her attention back to her husband. His gaze wavered, uncertainty filling his eyes. 

 

“You cannot kill a witness.” He warned quietly. Soyoung’s lips parted slightly as she gazed at her husband and took in the implication behind his short sentence.

 

“Husband, are you saying that you believe this maid’s words?” She asked. Jinyoung hesitated as he seemed to fumble over what to say. As he hesitated, Soyoung’s voice rose again.

 

“Answer me, Park Jinyoung!”

____________________________________________________________________________

Jinyoung

 

“Answer me, Park Jinyoung!” Soyoung’s furious voice echoed through the room, her gaze fixated on Jinyoung. The look on Soyoung’s face was one that Jinyoung had never seen before, one that made it clear that she felt so wronged, mixed with anger and disbelief that Jinyoung was even contemplating believing that Soyoung had arranged for Hyeyoung to lose her baby. Truth be told, Jinyoung didn’t want to believe it either; and yet, the evidence that the maid had put forward all pointed to only that one conclusion. Hyeyoung couldn’t be trusted, and neither could Physician Yu, that much he knew; he had spent that afternoon searching around the capitol and gathered news that Physician Yu really had come into a sizable sum of money lately, and had scattered it among different banks in order to avoid drawing too much attention. Although no one knew where he had received the money from, it wasn’t that difficult to guess. But still, that was a different matter from what he was facing at the moment.

 

“I can’t ignore the evidence that’s been put forward.” He said at last. 

 

“Your Majesty, you only need to speak the truth.” One of the court officials said, “We are all loyal subjects who will believe what you say.” Soyoung looked over at her uncle, who until now had kept silent. 

 

“Royal Uncle?” She asked, “What do you think?” Jang Jaewon only smiled calmly and bowed. 

 

“Your Majesty is a wise ruler.” He replied, “As your subjects, we will trust whatever you have to say.” Soyoung straightened her back and gazed directly into Jinyoung’s eyes.

 

“I did not do anything to harm Hyeyoung.” She said firmly, “And I trust that you all are intelligent enough to see that there’s no need for me to do so.” Hyeyoung sobbed again.

 

“Sister, why must you still lie about this?” She whimpered, “Look around! I am the only person who received this bowl of soup, and everyone knows that you have the final say on what dishes are served. You are the Empress! Shouldn’t you always admit to what you’ve done? I know you don’t have a child yet, but mine was never going to be a threat to yours! Why did you have to destroy this innocent little life?” Jinyoung’s mind whirled with confusion as he looked between the sisters and the maid still kneeling on the ground. Who was telling the truth? He really couldn’t tell; there were so many things that he had been certain were true, and yet, most of them had recently turned out to be false. Hyeyoung was a liar, but Soyoung had more than enough motive to do what she had been accused of.

 

“If I wanted to kill my sister’s child, I would have done so on the day she announced she was pregnant.” Soyoung noted coldly, “Why would I need to wait until now, and do it through an underhanded tactic like soup? I am the Empress of Yuan; if I really wanted to destroy that child so badly, reputation be damned, I could have given a direct order for the child to be aborted. Why would I have to do it here in front of everyone, and then deny it? In fact, why would I have to bribe a maid to do it?” While Soyoung had a point, Jinyoung couldn’t help but remember something else she had said before.

 

“But weren’t you also the one who said that your ancestors taught you an eye for an eye?” He asked quietly. Soyoung laughed in disbelief as she heard his words.

 

“So, are you telling me that you believe that I was behind all of this?” She asked, “As retribution for what she tried to do to me?” 

 

“I cannot turn a blind eye to what I can see.” Jinyoung answered softly, “That is not only what the scholars have taught, but also what my father and brothers taught me. If you explain why you did it, then perhaps-”

 

“Park Jinyoung!” Before Jinyoung could blink twice, something hard slammed into his cheek, sending a bolt of pain up his face and cutting off his words. Before he could realize what had just happened, pain shot up his other cheek as well, the strength of the impact sending his head snapping to the left. The soft whispers that had been heard from the court officials discussing the current debacle fell silent, shushed by the shock of what they had just seen. His face growing numb, Jinyoung’s hand trembled as he lifted it to his cheek, which was rapidly growing hot. Soyoung’s eyes glittered under the candlelight, unshed tears welling up there. Her hand was still raised furiously, and then Jinyoung realized what had happened.

 

She slapped me.

 

Twice.

 

In the time that Jinyoung had been in the Yuan palace, he had never seen Soyoung raise a hand against anyone before. No matter how angry she got, she was always calm and dealt with each matter fairly and proportionately. And, judging by the shocked looks on the court officials’ faces, their sentiments were just about the same.

 

Soyoung’s voice trembled with barely suppressed anger as she spoke.

 

“The first slap is for your parents.” She stated, “For raising a son like you, who is too foolish to see what is beyond the surface and instead believe the lies of those with ulterior motives. And the second slap…” She took a deep breath before continuing, as if swallowing back tears.

 

“Is for me.” She continued, “For marrying a husband like you, a man who chooses to believe a known liar over his own wife, and for thinking that you could become a great helper by my side. I will admit when I have done something wrong, but I will not explain something that I have never done. Her glare switched over to Hyeyoung, who still lay weakly in Zhen Zhu’s arms.

 

“Before coming here, I thought once, just ever so briefly, that perhaps I could deal with your actions quietly.” She said coldly, “But it looks like even that thought itself was too kind on you. Since you chose to raise a fuss here today, then let’s carry this through to the end.” Soyoung turned and looked towards the curtains that sectioned off the private hallway where only the Empress was allowed to walk. 

 

“You can come out now.” She called. All eyes turned to look at who she was speaking to. First, Chono Khaltar appeared, followed by Jia’er, who had another young commoner with him. Then, Yeojin appeared, and leaning on her arm was another young man. The man on Yeojin’s arm looked in terrible condition; he looked like he could barely take a single step without being in terrible pain, and white bandages peeked out from every edge of his clothing, signaling worse injuries below his robes. Still, beaten up as he was, Jinyoung realized that he had seen the man before.

 

The person who approached Hyeyoung in the marketplace, and who seemed to have vanished into thin air not long afterwards.

 

But what is he doing here?

 

“You!” Hyeyoung’s eyes were wide as she stared at the injured man in shock, “Aren’t you supposed to be dead? What are you doing here?” Startled hushed whispers started again among the banquet attendees as they looked at Hyeyoung in surprise at the sound of her outburst, and she quickly clapped a hand over , realizing what she had blurted. 

 

“You know this man, little sister?” Soyoung asked, her tone making it clear that she already knew the answer. Hyeyoung gulped and shook her head. The injured man scoffed.

 

“You would certainly wish I was dead.” He said, “Because then no one would be around to tell about our relationship and the intimate nights that we spent together. But, the heavens do have eyes, and I was saved by Her Majesty.” His gaze narrowed.

 

“You are finished now, Jang Hyeyoung.” He snarled. Jinyoung stared in confusion. How long had Soyoung known of this man and his connection to Hyeyoung? And how long had she taken him into hiding? And if she had known for a while, why wait until now to bring him forward?

 

“Your Majesty, who is this person?” One court official asked. Soyoung smirked.

 

“Allow me to introduce this guest.” She said, holding out her hand towards the injured man, “This person’s name is Borjigin Naidan. He is the son of the owner of the biggest fabric store in Xanadu. And he is also one of my sister’s lovers. In fact, he is also…” Her smirk grew as she looked at Hyeyoung.

 

“The father of the child she had been carrying up until recently.” She stated. 

 

“Lies!” Hyeyoung wailed as everyone turned to stare at her, “It’s all a lie! I don’t know who this person is!” Borjigin scoffed.

 

“You still won’t admit it now, Jang Hyeyoung?” He asked, “If you didn’t have anything to hide, then why did you send men to kill me?” He took out a few sheets of paper and threw it to the ground.

 

“Have you already forgotten the letters filled with love that you sent to me almost once a week?” He demanded, “The flowery words that had been completely head over heels in love with you, so deeply that I could throw away all social norms and family expectations in order to be with you. And yet, this was how you repaid me.”

 

“You...you falsified all of these!” Hyeyoung wailed. Chono Khaltar scoffed at her theatrics.

 

“Princess, love letters could be a lie, but I’m certain that you recognize this, don’t you?” He held out a narrow envelope with one line of characters written over it, the letters clearly visible in the candlelight.

 

Divorce letter.

 

“This letter lists every wrong that you have committed since the day that you married me.” Chono said coldly, “Are you going to also claim that I falsified a divorce letter that would highly impact my family’s reputation?” Hyeyoung’s lips trembled as she searched for something to say, but for once, she seemed to have no woeful retort. One of the court officials picked up the letter and opened it, his eyes widening in shock at what was written there.

 

“This...this…” he spluttered, “These actions are a pure insult to the imperial family!” Soyoung nodded in agreement.

 

“Of course,” She continued, “My husband already knew most of this earlier today, right Jinyoung?” Jinyoung gulped as her gaze shifted over to him.

 

“I did.” He admitted quietly, “At least most of it. But what does that have to do with what just happened?” 

 

“That’s right!” Hyeyoung chimed in with a little wail, “Who fathered my child has nothing to do with who caused me to miscarry tonight!” Soyoung smirked.

 

“No rush.” She answered smoothly, “The best is yet to come.” She snapped her fingers lightly.

 

“Jia’er.” She called. Jinyoung stared in confusion as Jia’er led the boy by his side forward.

“Go on and tell everyone what you have seen.” He urged. The boy looked around at all the court officials staring at him, and bit his lip before speaking.

 

“I am one of Teacher Wang’s former students.” He said, “Recently, he told me and a few other friends to keep an eye on the apothecary shops in the capitol, because of something that had happened inside the palace. I wasn’t sure why he wanted me to do that, but Teacher Wang always has his reasons for his orders, so I went ahead and kept an eye on the one closest to the palace. And then, just today…” His eyes looked around the room before they settled on someone.

 

“I saw that young lady sneakily entering the shop.” He said, pointing a finger out in front of him. Jinyoung followed his line of sight, and realized that the boy was pointing at Zhen Zhu. The maid looked startled, but Soyoung spoke before she could make any protest.

 

“And?” She said, “What did she buy?” The boy reached behind his waistband and pulled out a sheet of paper.

 

“These herbs.” He said, “I asked the shopowner what they are used for, and he said…” He fumbled, seeming to find it difficult to keep talking. Eunseong stepped forward and took the sheet of paper from the boy’s hands, his eyes widening as he took in the writing on the crisp surface.

 

“This…!” He gasped, “These are herbs used to treat an incomplete miscarriage!” Startled whispers filled the air at Eunseong’s announcements, the banquet guests quickly picking up on the implications of the prince’s statement. Jinyoung felt his body grow numb as he staggered slightly in shock. Eunseong was arguably the most talented physician in the capitol, and Jia’er was well connected throughout the city; there was no way that either of them could be wrong about this. But...if Zhen Zhu had gone out to buy these herbs today, then that could only mean…

 

Soyoung raised an eyebrow.

 

“Oh?” She said as she stepped forward towards Hyeyoung, “Sister, I didn’t know you had powers of precognition. Did you perhaps foresee that you would miscarry, and suffer from an incomplete miscarriage as well? If not…” Hyeyoung jumped as Soyoung slammed her hand down on the table in front of Hyeyoung.

 

“Then you have dared to deceit the Empress and attempt to frame the ruling sovereign for committing horrible acts against her own family members.” She said coldly, “Tell me Sister, which one is it?” 

 

“You...you have no proof of anything you’ve said!” Hyeyoung stammered, clearly shaken by everything that had been put forward, “Everything could have been falsified!” Soyoung scoffed.

 

“That’s true, I could have made false copies of everything.” She admitted, “How about this? Zhen Zhu, come with me and we will visit the apothecary together. Since you were dressed so oddly, I’m sure the shopowner would recognize you and tell everyone whether you had been at the shop and bought these herbs today. While we’re at it, why don’t I call all of the imperial physicians here? My sister is not well versed in medicinal arts and neither are you, so I’m sure there was someone who told you how to treat this condition.” Her eyes narrowed as she fixated her gaze on the young maid.

 

“How about it?” She said, “Are you willing to come with me?” Although it had been casually described, what Soyoung offered was a dare, a great dare that was designed to push the real wrongdoer to the brink; if Zhen Zhu had really bought those herbs, she wouldn’t dare take the risk that Soyoung was dangling in front of her. No matter how you looked at it, it was clear that the risks far outweighed the benefits. Finally, Zhen Zhu broke away from Hyeyoung and fell to her knees in front of Soyoung. 

 

“Your Majesty!” She cried, “Your Majesty, please spare my life! I was only following my mistress’ orders, I have no other choice! The child...the princess lost the child over two weeks ago in the middle of the night. But even then, she said her miscarriage would be helpful in our overall plan!” 

 

“You traitor!” Hyeyoung cried, “How dare you betray me!” 

 

“Don’t blame the girl.” Soyoung said as she leaned down and tilted Zhen Zhu’s chin up lightly, “Like any human, Zhen Zhu only wishes to save her own life. And in any event, the things that you have done are not deserving of your subordinate’s loyalty.” Hyeyoung’s gaze flickered to the left towards Jang Jaewon.

 

“Uncle…” She whimpered, the expression on her face begging for help, but before she could say anything more, Jang Jaewon walked directly up to his younger niece and slapped the girl across the cheek. 

 

“You scheming woman!” He growled, “The Jang family doesn’t have a daughter like you! How dare you plot against your own sister, whoso graciously arranged everything for your own benefit?” Shock flickered through Hyeyoung’s eyes as she clapped a hand to her face, her wide eyes staring at Jang Jaewon. The interaction was short, but it didn’t escape Jinyoung’s notice.

 

Could it be…?

 

Then, Hyeyoung laughed. It was a sharp, barking sound, mixed with defeat and realization that she had lost. 

 

“When did you realize what I was doing?” She asked, directing her question at Soyoung. Soyoung smirked and crossed her arms.

 

“At first, I also wondered if you were speaking the truth.” She replied, “But then, the more you did, the more suspicious you became. You went after my husband, who was certainly the easiest target that you could make yours. But, you weren’t satisfied with just my husband’s sympathy and friendship.” She leaned in and shook her head.

 

“Instead, you sought to destroy me and my future as well.” She continued, “And that is when I became certain: you wanted my throne too, didn’t you? Destroying my relationship with Jinyoung was merely the first step.” Hyeyoung stared at Soyoung for a long moment and then laughed again.

 

“That’s right!” She said loudly, “From the moment I stepped into this palace, I only had one goal in mind: destroy you and take the throne for myself.” She rose to her feet, her body trembling with anger.

 

“I wasn’t satisfied with the life that you had arranged for me, because I know I deserved more!” She yelled, her voice rising with each sentence, “Why is it that you were given the throne merely because you were the eldest unmarried princess? You, who had spent years away from the palace, became the master of this entire empire? What a joke!” A crazed look entered her eyes as her hands clenched into fist. Jinyoung felt his heart grow cold as Hyeyoung completely threw aside the gentle kindhearted side she had always presented in front of him. Was this the real her? A greedy deceitful woman, driven to the edge of insanity because she lusted for something that wasn’t meant to be hers?

 

“I’ve always been known to be a perfect princess.” She growled, “Beauty and intelligence, grace and talent, I had it all! I should have been the one placed on the throne! Why should I be married off just like that? Why should I submit to the life you arranged for me? I refuse to submit to that life!” She pointed a finger directly at Soyoung.

 

“You’re not worthy of the throne!” She screamed, “I should have been chosen to be Empress, and my child made the heir! Everything could have gone smoothly. The Prince Consort was always on my side, and I was going to have a child of my own! But you! You ruined everything, Jang Soyoung!” As she screamed, Hyeyoung  leapt forward at Soyoung, her hands outstretched towards the Empress’ neck. Jinyoung let out a cry of alarm, but before Hyeyoung could so much as touch Soyoung, a figure darted forward and grabbed the crazed princess, pinning her to the ground in one swift motion.

 

Hyojun.

 

“Let go of me!” Hyeyoung screamed as she struggled in vain against Hyojun’s tight grasp, “Unhand me!” Her gaze was fixated on Hyojun, her eyes filled with despair, and...Jinyoung frowned slightly.

 

Is that betrayal in her eyes?

 

Am I seeing things?

 

“How ridiculous!” A court official exclaimed, “This crazy woman dares to speak such words against the daughter of the heavens and attack the Empress!” Still, despite the barrage of words thrown at her, Soyoung was calm. 

 

“I don’t know where you got those ideas from.” She said calmly, “But the throne isn’t as easy to control as you seem to think. It isn’t just the power and the beautiful rich lifestyle that comes with the position. Every day, I live on the edge of my seat because I want my people to live their days in peace, and I alone hold the power to change the fate of their lives. You make it sound so simple, but you don’t even know one fraction of the effort and suffering that I’ve gone through since taking the throne in order to stabilize this country and let it grow.” She sighed softly and crossed her arms.

 

“But how would you, who has been coddled since birth, understand anything like that?”  She added, “Jang Hyeyoung, I wasn’t the cause of your downfall. It was you.” She reached out and grasped Hyeyoung’s chin in one hand, forcing the younger girl to look at her.

 

“You have only your own greed to blame for what is happening today.” Soyoung stated, “Your greed ruined what could have been a peaceful life, and it ruined the lives of countless other people around you. And in the end...even the heavens couldn’t turn a blind eye to your evil deeds, and your child paid the price. I can only hope that the baby finds a better family in its next life.” Hyeyoung yelped as Soyoung threw her to the ground. 

 

“Of course, if you tell me who controlled everything from behind you, perhaps I could lighten your punishment.” She offered. Hyeyoung gazed up at her sister for a long moment, then scoffed.

 

“Nobody.” She replied simply, “Those were my ideas alone.” Soyoung sighed softly. 

 

“Very well.” She said, “In that case, you shall bear the punishment for all of your crimes.” Her voice raised as she looked out the door of the banquet hall.

 

“Guards!” She called, and imperial guards immediately rushed in. Soyoung’s gaze was cold as she looked down at her sister.

 

“From this day on, Jang Hyeyoung is stripped of her status as a princess and demoted to commoner status.” She ordered, “For the crimes of deceiving the Empress, scheming to harm the Empress’ body, and plotting to steal the throne, she is to be exiled to the farthest corners of the empire, where she will do hard manual labor for the rest of her days. She will never be allowed back into the capitol, even in death.” Jinyoung gulped as he heard Soyoung’s sentence.

 

Exiled for the rest of her life!

 

Although it meant that Hyeyoung could stay alive, the sentence was little better than an execution, and in some ways, it was arguably worse. The far corners of the empire were made up of dry expansive deserts mixed with mines scattered across its surface, and that was where only the worst criminals were ever exiled. Hard manual labor consisted of working in the mines and raising animals that would one day be shipped to the capitol for consumption. As someone who had been coddled her entire life, it amounted to unbearable suffering for Hyeyoung. 

 

And that, was likely why Soyoung had chosen that punishment.

 

Soyoung’s gaze shifted over to Zhen Zhu huddled on the ground along with the maid who had first claimed Soyoung had bribed her.

 

“As for these maids, they are both driven from the palace and forbidden from serving in the imperial palace or any nobleman’s household for the rest of their lives.” She added. Finished with delivering her sentence, she flicked a hand, and the guards dragged the two women up from the floor.

 

“Jang Soyoung, you will regret this!” Hyeyoung screamed as she was dragged out, “I am your own blood related sister! You cannot do this to me!” Soyoung scoffed as her screams faded into the distance.

 

“If we didn’t have the same father, I would have given her poisoned wine immediately.” She noted coolly. Jinyoung was silent as he gazed at Soyoung. Despite all that had just happened, her gaze was calm, her chin raised confidently and her back straight. The candlelight glimmered off the silver threads woven into her clothes and off the pins in her hair. Everything about her in that moment screamed of grace and elegance, at the same time giving off a domineering aura that warned others that she wasn’t to be messed with. Jinyoung swallowed hard.

This wasn’t Soyoung, the woman who slept in his arms and who offered him soft smiles as he rambled on about poets and scholars. 

 

This was Empress Jang Soyoung of Yuan, the ruler of the powerful Mongolian empire who the entire empire and its inhabitants admired and willfully submitted to, the one who tolerated no nonsense in her court and doled out punishments and praises as they were due. In that moment, she seemed so unapproachable that Jinyoung was afraid he’d be knocked back by an invisible force if he tried to touch her.

 

Even now, Jinyoung marveled to himself at how everything had played out. He wasn’t sure when it had begun, but slowly, Soyoung had been gathering evidence of her sister’s acts, holding each item or person silently in the shadows while making it look like Hyeyoung had gained the upper hand. Slowly, she had bided her time patiently, like a cat waiting for the curious mouse to be tempted to move out for the delicious piece of cheese. And, when the mouse had finally been overcome by temptation, everything had been in place to capture it. 

 

And yet, despite the fact that she had been victorious, Soyoung’s expression was clearly exhausted. Despite the authoritative posture that she held herself in, her lips were drawn tightly into a thin line, and the hands held behind her back were clenched tightly together. There was a heavy look in her eyes, as if she was holding the weight of the world on her shoulders. Jinyoung wanted to step forward and pull her into an embrace, but he knew that it wasn’t the right place to do that now. And besides, given all that he had done lately, he doubted she would even accept his hug right now. 

 

Soyoung blew out her breath slowly before speaking.

 

“My beloved subjects, it is getting late.” She said, “The banquet tonight will end here. I am not in the mood to be celebrating anymore. I’m sure you will all understand.” There was a shuffling of movement as the court officials and their wives bowed to Soyoung.

 

“Good night, Your Majesty.” They said. Soyoung looked over at Jinyoung.

 

“Come with me.” She said. Biting his lip, Jinyoung quickly followed behind his wife. Jia’er shot him a look as Jinyoung passed, the warning in his eyes as clear as day.

 

Be careful with your words.

 

Soyoung was silent the entire time they went back to their joint chambers, her dark eyes barely flickering even once towards Jinyoung. When they finally arrived, she sent all the servants away and shut the doors behind them before turning to Jinyoung.

 

“So.” She said, “Do you have anything to say to me?” Jinyoung hesitated as he thought over how to respond. A thousand different words flew through his mind in those few long moments, but none seemed particularly proper to say under the current circumstances, not if he didn’t want to make things worse than they already were.

 

“I’m sorry.” He said quietly, “I was wrong.” Soyoung sighed deeply at his words.

 

“How many times am I going to have to hear you say that, Park Jinyoung?” She asked, “Every time something goes wrong, that’s all you have to say, and yet, time and time again, nothing in your behavior has changed.”

 

“What else can I say?” Jinyoung replied, “Any attempts to justify my actions would only make things worse. I know I was wrong, and so I apologized. Apologies are the most direct way to rectify matters, is it not?”

 

“And then what?” Soyoung asked softly, “Am I going to forgive you again, only to see you choose to believe others over me again? Today, it was Hyeyoung. How about tomorrow? What if another sister of mine appears again with a pitiful story? What if another relative of mine seeks to steal the throne? Then what?” Jinyoung sighed and took her hands.

 

“Trust me, it won’t happen again.” He promised, “It really won’t.” Soyoung yanked her hands away from his, and with a start, Jinyoung realized that tears were glimmering in her eyes again, and this time, they really did spill over, leaving two trails of moisture running down her face.

 

“Trust?” She scoffed, “Time and again I’ve asked you to trust me, and yet time and again, you choose not to. How many more times must I face mistrust from my own husband?” Jinyoung sighed and pulled her into his arms, but Soyoung shoved him away.

 

“I’m tired, Jinyoung.” She said softly, “I really am. I may be the most powerful person in this country, but I’m only human. There’s a limit to how much I can take.” 

 

“What will it take for us to move on from this?” Jinyoung asked, his heart squeezing tightly at the look on Soyoung’s tearful face. Swallowing hard, Soyoung turned and rubbed at her eyes.

 

“I don’t know.” She replied, “Go and sleep in the guest room tonight. I must think carefully over how our relationship should continue from here on out.”

 

“Soyoung-” Jinyoung began protesting, but Soyoung shoved a finger behind her to point at the door.

 

“Get out!” She ordered sharply, “That is an order!” Swallowing hard, Jinyoung bit his lip before doing as she said.

 

“Yes, Your Majesty.”

__________________________________________________________________________

As the doors closed behind her and Jinyoung’s footsteps faded into the distance, Soyoung sighed deeply and collapsed into a chair. Frustrated tears bubbled up in her eyes, faster than her hands could wipe them away. Finally giving up, Soyoung closed her eyes and lowered her head.

 

What should I do?

_________________________________________________________________________________

Author's note: Finally, Hyeyoung's part of the plot has come to an end. Please let me know what you all think! Just a little more sadness/angst, and then there will be happiness and romance, I promise!