Soyoung

 

Soyoung swallowed hard as she clenched her hand tightly on her desk, slowly blowing out her breath as she took in what the letter to Bambam meant. 

 

“That bastard.” She growled under her breath, “Even after a full year of peace, he still hasn’t given up on rebelling, has he?” Bambam looked down at the ground miserably.

 

“I’m sorry.” He mumbled, “My brother has always been like this, wanting to resolve every issue with fists rather than good sense.” Soyoung sighed and shook her head.

 

“There’s no need for you to apologize for him.” She said firmly, “A man must bear the consequences of his own actions. You are you, and he is he. Go back for now, and do not tell anyone about this letter.” Bambam nodded, but hesitated before he left. 

 

“Your Majesty, if I may…” He said quietly, “Can I request something?” Soyoung looked at him curiously before nodding.

 

“Go ahead.” She answered. Bambam swallowed hard.

 

“If war really does break out between the two sides,” He said quietly, “Can you spare my brother’s life? It’s fine if you have to imprison him for life, just...I hope that you can spare his life.” Soyoung sighed as she looked down at Bambam’s earnest expression. The young boy was usually playful and cheerful, wilder than even Wang Jia’er could be. But today, there was no mistaking the look on his face. This wasn’t the playful mischievous Bambam; this was a younger brother simply hoping that his older brother could survive. At last, Soyoung blew out her breath before answering. 

 

“Weapons have neither eyes nor ears.” She said, “In the heat of battle, no one is guaranteed survival, and that includes me. But if I happen to capture your brother alive...then I will fulfill your wish. You speak out of good will, and I respect the affection you have for your family.” Bambam’s eyes lit up in relief, and he quickly bowed to Soyoung.

 

“Then, I will take my leave.” He said. Soyoung waved him off, then sighed again as she stared at the letter on the table. The past year had been one of rare peace and prosperity for Yuan, with barely a single soldier needing to be deployed to fight even a small battle. Soyoung had savored every minute of it, and had found herself hoping for more. 

 

But now, it seemed like the heavens were reminding her not to be too greedy. 

 

Soyoung felt a light tug on her clothes, and she looked down to see Jinwoo’s large wide eyed gaze looking up at her, his tiny hand clenched around her clothes. In the midst of her thoughts, Soyoung had almost forgotten that her son had been sitting in her lap the entire time. Swallowing hard, Soyoung reached down and hugged Jinwoo tightly. 

 

If I go to war, then it is the people who will suffer as a result, especially those who live by the border. 

 

Not only that, but I will also have to spend a long period of time away from Jinwoo.

 

Just the thought was enough to make her heart squeeze painfully, but Soyoung had a sinking feeling that she had been left with no choice. 

 

“Mama sad?” Jinwoo asked curiously, putting his tiny hand on Soyoung’s face. Soyoung felt her heart melt as she pressed a soft kiss to her son’s palm. 

 

“Mama is okay.” She assured him softly, patting him lightly on the head, “I just have things to think about.” Soyoung doubted her son would understand what she was saying, but she simply couldn’t ignore the curious look on his little face. Jinwoo blinked and tilted his head, an innocent smile on his face.

 

“Jinwoo help Mama?” He asked, holding out his hand. Soyoung laughed softly despite the tense atmosphere in the room and the thoughts rushing through her mind.

 

“Thank you Jinwoo.” She answered, taking his little hand in hers, “Having you here is already helpful enough.” The little boy snuggled to her chest, and Soyoung closed her eyes for a brief moment as she let herself relax just for a moment, savoring the simple warmth of having her child in her embrace. Then, she pulled away and turned her head towards the door.

 

“Is anyone there?” She called. A servant came in and bowed.

 

“Go and summon all of the military generals here.” Soyoung ordered, “I have something urgent to discuss with them.”

_________________________________________________________________________

When Yeojin and the other generals arrived, the young general was already holding a stack of papers in her hand, a grave look on her face.

 

“I’m assuming this is what you called us here for.” Yeojin said, placing the stack of papers on Soyoung’s desk. Soyoung’s eyes narrowed as she flipped through the papers, which turned out to be an emergency military report from the border near Jin. She grit her teeth in irritation as she looked over one paper after the other and covered Jinwoo’s ears before she muttered a curse under her breath.

 

“Your Majesty, these rebels have become far too bold!” One of the generals declared angrily, “We must get back the land that belongs to the great Yuan and restore peace to the country!”

 

“I would second that!” Another general said, “Your Majesty showed them great grace last time and even allowed their people to study in the capital! And yet, they have taken all of those benefits and thrown it back into our faces. It is time to teach them a lesson and remind them who is the true ruler of Yuan!” Although Soyoung was calmer than the older battle-worn generals standing in front of her, she too was feeling her fair share of irritation over this rebellion that was rapidly spiraling out of the realm of a mere border skirmish. 

 

“This Yongson is far more proactive than his father ever was.” She mused, “He managed to rile up other nearby small territories to rebel with him, and their forces have already overcome several small towns and military fortresses already. It will take quite the effort to get all of that back.” 

 

 “Is it really not possible to negotiate another peace agreement?” Yeojin suggested. Soyoung sighed and shook her head. As much as she preferred to do that again, it was clear that a truce was no longer an option.

 

“No.” She answered, “If a peace agreement was a viable option this time, Yongson wouldn’t have bothered totally with other smaller colonies, much less attack any towns. This time, the rebels have made it clear that they won’t give up until they’re either completely defeated or they have regained their freedom. The only way to end their attempts to rebel is to completely defeat them with military power.” Soyoung and her predecessors had been lenient with the Jin people for years, but now it was apparent that their leniency had put the wrong idea in those people’s minds. It was time for the imperial family to tighten their control over their vassal state once more. Yeojin took in Soyoung’s expression with a knowing smile.

 

“Your Majesty, I suppose you intend to lead the soldiers yourself?” She asked knowingly. Soyoung scoffed softly, knowing that the answer was already clear on her face.

 

“They’ve pushed beyond my bottom line.” She replied simply, “If they had only gathered soldiers and perhaps attacked a military station, then I could have sent ambassadors to have peace talks, but that’s not the case this time. They already gained so many advantages last time, but those rebels still aren’t satisfied. This time, I won’t go easy on them again.” Soyoung looked over at her generals one by one with a serious look on her face. 

 

“Each of you must contact the spies you have set in the Jin territory.” She said, “We will plan to set off in a week’s time. For now, let us begin discussing battle tactics.” 

 

“Your Majesty.” One general said hesitantly, “I hate to interrupt, but are you sure the little prince should be listening to all of this?” Soyoung looked down at Jinwoo, who was fiddling with a little ball while sitting obediently on her lap. He looked up as he sensed her gaze on him, and offered his mother a bright smile in response. 

 

“Mama play?” He asked, holding out the ball to Soyoung. Soyoung sighed softly and gently closed the boy’s hands around his ball before pushing it away. In her haste, she had almost forgotten that Jinwoo had been sitting there. The general was right; Jinwoo was the future ruler of  Yuan, but a military strategy meeting was no place for a toddler to be. Instead, Soyoung called out for one of her trusted maids to take Jinwoo out of the room. The little boy clung to her dress, his large eyes filled with unwillingness to part with his mother as his little lips pouted in a mirror image of his father’s pouting face. Despite the seriousness of the situation, Soyoung smiled faintly and lightly patted her son’s cheek.

 

“Go and play with Papa for now.” She said, “Mama will come find you later, okay? Don’t you want to eat some rice cakes?” Jinwoo’s eyes lit up at the sound of rice cakes, and he nodded eagerly in response. 

 

“Take the prince to the kitchen to eat rice cakes.” Soyoung told the maid. The young woman gently picked up the prince in her arms and Jinwoo left the room with her, his mind completely distracted by the thought of a snack within moments. Soyoung couldn’t help but chuckle softly as the doors closed behind them. Sometimes, she wished she could be as easily placated as her son was, completely distracted from his original thought by the mere mention of his favorite food. Then, she took a deep breath and returned to the task at hand.

 

“Alright.” She declared, “Let us begin.”

___________________________________________________________________________

Soyoung returned to her rooms late that night, tired and worn out from a full day of work. After mapping out various routes of attack with her generals, she had made a trip to the military barracks during the lunch hour and personally announced to the soldiers that they were going to war before overseeing their training session. With the war set to begin in a week, Soyoung’s army had to be in top shape, ready for anything that could come their way. After that, she had returned to her library to read through the petitions that she had skipped over during the earlier hours, and before she knew it, it was already late night. At that moment, all she wanted to do was fall into Jinyoung’s warm embrace and listen to his soft singing voice as she drifted off to sleep. 

 

Her husband though, apparently had other ideas. 

 

Soyoung could feel the tense atmosphere in the room from the moment she opened the door, causing her steps to pause slightly before she entered their bedroom. Jinyoung stood silently in the middle of the room, his back to her and his arms folded behind his back. A few feet away, Jinwoo lay sleeping deeply in his own bed, his little lips parted slightly and his tiny hand clenching the plush toy Soyoung had given him. Usually, Jinyoung greeted Soyoung with a bright welcoming smile, but today, he barely moved from his position in the room, simply turning his head just enough to see that it was her before turning away again. Sighing softly, Soyoung went to change her clothes and returned to find her husband in the same position. Soyoung wanted nothing more but to curl up in bed at that moment, but it didn’t feel right to go to sleep when her husband was clearly bothered by something. So, she sat down on one of the stools placed beside their tea table and turned him to face her. 

 

“What’s wrong?” She asked wearily, “You don’t look very happy to see me today.” Jinyoung sighed and crossed his arms.

 

“Why didn’t you discuss this with me?” He asked. Soyoung frowned and wondered what her husband could be talking about before realizing what he was referring to.

 

“You mean the impending war?” She asked, “I didn’t think there was a need to. I don’t intend to send anyone to try for another round of peace talks.” Jinyoung sighed in frustration.

 

“I know I’m not skilled in military arts, but I am still your husband.” He said irritably, “War is not a child’s game! Don’t you think you should have at least discussed the matter with me first, especially when your life could be on the line?” Soyoung couldn’t help but laugh softly despite the serious look on Jinyoung’s face.

 

“Jinyoung, I think you are exaggerating.” She replied, “I have been in countless wars since my early adolescence. Why should I fear over my life?” Jinyoung frowned and put his hands on his hips. 

 

“So if I ask you not to participate in the war and instead leave the efforts to your generals, you won’t agree?” He asked. Soyoung scoffed softly. 

 

“I have personally led the military forces in every major battle since I took the throne.” She answered, “There is no reason why anything should be different this time around, particularly when the rebels have completely pushed beyond what I can tolerate. And besides, now that I have already announced that I would lead the soldiers to war, how am I supposed to back out of it again?” 

 

“I would have suggested it if you had just discussed the matter with me first!” Jinyoung insisted, “But instead, you went ahead and decided that you would go to war without even asking me!” 

 

“Park Jinyoung, I have always decided on my own whether or not to go to war!” Soyoung replied sharply, “You have your strengths and I have mine! Why is there a need to discuss something that I’ve done time and again in the past? Is the empress of this country not even allowed to decide when she’ll go to war?” Soyoung’s breath caught in as Jinyoung slammed his hands down onto the table, his arms locking down on either side of her. 

 

“Jang Soyoung!” He snapped, “I am your husband! I am not speaking to you as the Prince Consort, but as the man who is married to you!” Soyoung raised an eyebrow, holding out one hand to give her husband a slight push in vain.

 

“I am quite aware that you are my husband.” She answered, “And your point is?” Jinyoung huffed in irritation.

 

“My point is, you are no longer a woman who can rush headlong into battle without a second thought as to your health or safety!” He growled, “You have a young son here who still needs his mother by his side, and a husband who wishes every day for your safety! You cannot just decide things like this without telling any family members like before! Don’t you know that...” He fumbled for a long moment over what words to say next before finally blurting out. 

 

“Don’t you know that I’ll be worried if the woman I love goes to war with rebels who are hell bent on reestablishing their empire?” He demanded, “I’ll worry if even a single hair is harmed on your head! In situations like that, it’s not too much to ask for you to at least run the idea by me first, is it? What happens if you are seriously injured on the battlefield, or worse...” Jinyoung’s voice trailed off as he looked away, unable to finish his sentence.

 

“Jinyoung, won’t you calm down for a moment?” Soyoung asked, attempting to rise from her chair but finding herself pinned with her back to the table in the process.

 

“No! I’m trying to make a point!” Jinyoung growled sharply, his gaze firm.. Soyoung gazed at Jinyoung for a long moment, her lips parted slightly in surprise at the look in Jinyoung’s usually gentle gaze. His dark eyes were filled with concern and anger, mixed with barely suppressed fear.

 

Oh.

 

The point isn’t that I need his permission to go to war.

 

The point is...

 

Before Soyoung could finish her thought, she heard a little whimper near her feet, followed by a tug on her robes, and she looked down to see Jinwoo standing between his parents. At some point, Jinwoo had woken up during his parents’ argument and had wandered over to them without either parent noticing. The little prince’s eyes were wide and swimming with tears, his lower lip trembling slightly as he looked up at them.

 

“Mama, Papa, no no!” He hiccuped, tears rolling down his round cheeks. Their argument temporarily forgotten, Soyoung and Jinyoung knelt down so they were eye level to their son.

 

“Jinwoo-yah, what’s wrong?” Soyoung asked softly, wiping at the boy’s cheeks, “Did you have a nightmare?” Jinwoo shook his head and looked from his mother to his father and back again.

 

“Mama and Papa angry!” He hiccuped, “No no!” Soyoung’s lips parted slightly in surprise as she exchanged a glance with Jinyoung. She hadn’t expected that a young toddler could pick up on things like different emotions so easily, but it seemed like Jinwoo was more perceptive than she had imagined. Even without fully understanding what his parents were saying, he already understood based on their tone that both his parents were currently angry. Their sharp ever rising voices had certainly frightened him. She would have to watch what she said in the future when she was around Jinwoo. Sighing softly, Soyoung tugged Jinwoo lightly towards her and wiped the tears off his face again.

 

“I’m sorry, little one.” She said gently, “Did Mama and Papa scare you?” Jinwoo nodded and hiccuped again, looking heartbroken.

 

“Mama and Papa not happy.” He whimpered, “Jinwoo not happy.” Jinyoung’s gaze softened as he pulled their son into his arms.

 

“It’s alright, Jinwoo.” He murmured softly, “Mama and Papa were just...having a little argument, that’s all.” Jinwoo sniffed and gazed at Jinyoung for a long moment, clearly not quite understanding what his father had said. Then, he looked over at Soyoung.

 

“Mama Papa kiss kiss?” He asked, his expression hopeful. If she hadn’t just been arguing with her husband a few moments earlier, Soyoung would have laughed at Jinwoo’s suggestion. It wasn’t hard to guess where his suggestion had come from; every time Soyoung was no longer angry at Jinwoo for the new fiasco he had created in his endless curiosity, she would always give him a loving kiss on the cheek, to which he would burst into a fit of giggles. To Jinwoo, kisses meant forgiveness and happiness, and that same principle applied to his parents. Jinyoung sighed softly.

 

“Later, son.” He said softly, “Why don’t you go and sleep in the side room for tonight? Mama and Papa will come and play with you in the morning.” Jinwoo hiccuped and rubbed a little fist over his eyes.

 

“Mama and Papa happy later?” He asked, his baby tongue still stumbling adorably over sentences longer than a few words. Jinyoung chuckled and nodded.

 

“Yes, we’ll be happy later.” He answered. 

 

“Papa promise?” Jinwoo asked, his eyes still looking rather mournful. Jinyoung nodded and linked his pinky with Jinwoo’s much smaller finger.

 

“Promise.” He answered. Soyoung remained silent as Jinyoung called one of their trusted maids to take their son into the adjoining room so the royal couple could speak freely. Before Jinyoung could say anything though, Soyoung pulled him to her the moment he turned around, her lips claiming his before he could even get a grasp on what was happening. Jinyoung reacted instinctively, a soft sigh wafting from his lips as he returned her kiss and his arms began traveling up her back. Before Soyoung could pull him closer though, Jinyoung seemed to remember that they had been arguing merely a few moments ago, and stepped back quickly before he could get carried away.

 

“You!” He spluttered, clearly flustered by the sudden kiss, “Don’t think a kiss can fix everything!” Soyoung crossed her arms and raised an eyebrow as she tilted her head slightly while leaning against the table.

 

“Are you sure about that?” She asked, tilting her chin up slightly confidently. Jinyoung stared at her for a long moment, his face making it obvious that he was wavering between rushing forward to kiss her and remaining angry with Soyoung. Looking at the conflicted expression on his face and the internal struggle written all over his expression, Soyoung couldn’t help but laugh softly before rising from her position and walking over to him.

 

“If it’s that hard to decide, I’ll decide for you.” She said smoothly, grabbing him by the collar and yanking him down to kiss him again. Jinyoung let out a low groan as Soyoung kissed him, his resolve weakening as he pulled her in closer. After a while, Soyoung pulled away from her husband, although the look on Jinyoung’s face told her he wasn’t ready to stop yet. Smiling faintly, Soyoung placed her hand on Jinyoung’s cheek.

 

“Mian.” She murmured softly, “I was wrong.” Jinyoung pouted slightly.

 

“Wrong about what?” He grumbled, “You are the esteemed Empress of Yuan. Nothing you do can be wrong, right?” Soyoung laughed softly and gave him a light peck before answering.

 

“Come on, stop being petty.” She murmured, “Let me finish speaking, alright?” Jinyoung huffed at the petty comment, but crossed his arms and waited for Soyoung to keep speaking. Soyoung sighed and took his hands in hers.

 

“For as long as I could remember, there was very little that I needed to think about whenever war broke out.” She said, “All I had to do was throw myself directly into the battle, and that was all that mattered. If I emerged victorious, I could earn merits and protection for my mother. If I died in battle, I would still be honored and so would my mother. After my mother died, there were even fewer reasons for me to think twice before I went into war. All that mattered then was stabilizing the country and solidifying my hold on the throne. The longer I sat on the throne, the more that habit has stuck with me.” Slowly, Soyoung moved forward and wrapped her arms around Jinyoung in a warm hug.

 

“You’re right though.” She said softly, “Although I didn’t think about it, things are different now. I have a husband who loves me and an adorable son who looks just like his father. I shouldn’t have just fallen back on my older habits and made decisions without asking you about it first.” Soyoung reached up and lightly cupped Jinyoung’s face in her hands.

 

“Not because I can’t decide things on my own,” She continued, “but because you are my partner for the rest of my life, and when it comes to matters that involve life and death, discussing it with you is showing respect for your position and the love you have showered me with all this time.” Soyoung caressed her husband’s cheek gently.

 

“I’ll learn, I promise.” She promised gently. Jinyoung’s eyes widened at her words, seeming to be surprised that she had caught on so quickly and had actually apologized first. Then, his gaze softened as he turned and kissed Soyoung’s palm. 

 

“I’m sorry too.” He murmured, “I shouldn’t have raised my voice at you. It’s just...the thought of you going off to drive back rebels just…” Soyoung leaned in and wrapped her arms around Jinyoung again, closing her eyes as she rested her head against his collar. 

 

“I understand.” She answered softly, “Let’s continue learning together, alright?” It was strange; in the past, if anyone had ever dared to challenge her like this, Soyoung would likely have either ignored them or punished them for speaking completely out of turn. After all, one of the main reasons why the Mongol armies were so successful was because the soldiers were trained to be absolutely obedient to their military leaders; in short, when it came to war, there was no room for questioning Soyoung’s decisions. But when it came to Jinyoung, everything was completely different. Soyoung was willing to take a step back, to consider her husband’s position, and compromise for him if that was necessary. 

 

I suppose that just shows how much I love this man.

 

Jinyoung chuckled softly and wrapped his arms around her waist before giving Soyoung a light tug that brought her lips to his. Soyoung sighed softly as the irritation from earlier faded away, replaced with the warmth that always filled her heart whenever she was in Jinyoung’s arms. 

 

“Park Jinyoung,” She murmured softly, “I love you.” Jinyoung chuckled between kisses and responded by deepening their kiss.

 

“I know.” He murmured against her lips, his voice coming out as a deep growl that made Soyoung’s heart flutter like a thousand butterflies were in her chest. Jinyoung leaned his forehead against Soyoung’s as they broke apart, their chests heaving as they caught their breath. 

 

“I don’t think we’ve had time to ourselves ever since Jinwoo was born, have we?” Jinyoung mused, a playful smile turning up one corner of his lips. Soyoung chuckled.

 

“No.” She agreed, “Our young son needs so many things, there cannot possibly be a moment to ourselves.” Jinyoung tilted his head slightly to look towards the door leaning to the adjoining room, his playful smile widening.

 

“Then, while he is in the other room tonight, I can have you all to myself, right?” He asked. Soyoung grinned as she poked a finger at Jinyoung’s cheek.

 

“Well, I suppose I could bring Jinwoo back here-” She began playfully, but her teasing was cut off as Jinyoung didn’t even bother waiting for her to finish before he claimed her lips once more.

 

“Don’t even think about it.” He growled against her lips, “You can only be mine tonight.” Soyoung chuckled as she wrapped her arms around her husband, and together, they fell onto the bed, the soft sound of their muffled laughter the only sound to be heard in the air.

____________________________________________________________________________

Elsewhere, in the Grand Preceptor’s manor, Jang Jaewon stood calmly outside his room, his eyes still as he gazed up at the moon. One of his servants approached and bowed before speaking.

 

“Master, a message has come from the lords of the court.” He said, “The Empress intends to go to war against the rebel forces and plans to lead the military herself. The court officials would like your opinion on the matter.” Jang Jaewon was silent for a long moment before he smirked.

 

“Knowing my little niece, she has likely already made up her mind.” He replied, “Why should I go and try to convince her otherwise?” The servant frowned in confusion.

 

“But Master, isn’t it better if the Empress does not go to war?” He asked, “Or at least, it would be better if she doesn’t lead the forces herself, is it not? That way, it would be far easier for the rebels to overwhelm the imperial forces.” Jang Jaewon chuckled and shook his head.

 

“Those are the soldiers trained by my little niece herself. Each of those men are completely loyal to her, and the imperial forces are the only area where I have failed to place any eyes and ears beyond Im Hyojun. Even without her direct presence, Soyoung would find a way to give them directions, and they would certainly follow her plans. On the contrary, it would be better if the Empress participated in the war herself.” His servant was silent for a long moment before he spoke hesitantly.

 

“My Lord, do you mean…?” He asked. Jang Jaewon smirked and nodded.

 

“I cannot control who participates in the war and who leads them.” He said, “But so many casualties occur during battles among the nobility and commoners alike. Countless young princes have died in battles during previous reigns and dynasties. Even if the Empress herself was killed during a war, no one would find it strange.” He looked over at his servant, an understanding look dawning in the younger man’s eyes.

 

“Do you understand what to do now?” He asked. The servant nodded and bowed. 

 

“I will go arrange for it immediately.” He answered. Jang Jaewon smiled in satisfaction as he returned to gazing at the moon.

 

Jang Soyoung, you cannot blame me for doing this. You were the one who chose to go to war, and therefore you are the one who chose to walk straight into the jaws of death.

 

You were the one who gave me this golden opportunity.

 

Soon, I will certainly regain everything that belongs to me!

 

__________________________________________________________________________

The next week passed in a blur for Soyoung and Jinyoung, and before long, Soyoung found herself standing at the front of the mirror as she dressed in her armor in preparation for setting off with her army. Jinyoung was quiet as he helped her dress, but his expression told Soyoung all she needed to know about what her husband was thinking. Sighing softly, Soyoung turned and gently pulled Jinyoung to her for a gentle kiss.

 

“Smile, husband.” She said softly, “Don’t you want me to remember your smiling face while I’m defeating our enemies?” Jinyoung sighed quietly and cupped her cheek in his hand.

 

“I cannot help but worry.” He murmured, “You’ve fought battles after we got married, but you’ve never been involved in something on such a large scale. Who knows what will happen?” Soyoung sighed and pulled Jinyoung into a hug.

 

“I’ll come back safe and sound, I promise.” She swore, “There are still so many things left for us to do. How could I bear to cut short our days together?” 

 

“But…” Jinyoung began, but Soyoung lightly pressed a finger to his lips.

 

“No buts.” She said firmly, “I promise I will come back in one piece, victorious and in one piece. So while I am gone, please do not worry about me, alright?” Jinyoung sighed again.

 

“I’ll try.” He answered reluctantly. Soyoung cast her gaze carefully around the room before speaking again.

 

“Jinyoung, do me a favor.” She said in a hushed voice, “While the war is going on, keep an eye on your students from Jin.” Jinyoung raised an eyebrow.

 

“You suspect they may be spies?” He asked. Soyoung nodded.

 

“I didn’t want to scare any of them into hiding or doing something unpredictable, so I didn’t touch them even when there were calls to throw them out from both the commoners and the court officials.” She said, “And besides, there’s the possibility that some of them truly are just innocent scholars looking to learn. But at the same time, I cannot completely rule out the possibility that some of them are Yongson’s spies. After all, the former rebel chief died so suddenly, and no news has arrived about how he precisely passed away.” Jinyoung thought for a moment, then nodded.

 

“I understand.” He said, “I’ll keep an eye on their motions while I am teaching them. If there is anything suspicious, I’ll send you a message.” Soyoung smiled and hugged Jinyoung again.

 

“I’ll have to trouble you while I’m gone.” She murmured softly, “I’ll make it up to you once I’m back.” Jinyoung’s soft chuckle vibrated in her ear.

 

“Anything I’ll be doing is for my dear wife.” He answered, “It’s not trouble.” Soyoung laughed softly, but the serenity of the moment was interrupted by a knock on the door.

 

“Soyoung.” Yeojin’s voice drifted in from outside the door, “The soldiers are ready to go.” Soyoung sighed and pulled away from Jinyoung.

 

“I understand.” She called, “I’ll be right there.” Reaching out to tuck back a loose strand of Jinyoung’s hair, Soyoung sighed as she drank in every inch of her husband’s features and etched them into her memory.

 

“Don’t go and see me off.” She said quietly, “It’ll be better if you don’t see me leaving. The next time you see me, it should be my victorious return, when the air is filled with cheers of happiness.” Jinyoung’s eyes widened slightly, and his hands lingered on Soyoung’s arms as his gaze filled with unwillingness to part. Then, he blew out his breath slowly and nodded reluctantly.

 

“I understand.” He answered at last. Soyoung smiled and gently cupped Jinyoung’s face in her palm. Once again, she thought that she had been so fortunate to marry a man like Park Jinyoung. Even without saying much, Jinyoung understood what had gone unsaid.

 

We won’t be able to bear parting, even temporarily, if you watch me leave.

 

Her chest tightening slightly, Soyoung tugged Jinyoung lower and gave him a deep kiss. Jinyoung’s hands trembled slightly as he hugged her tightly in his arms. At last, Soyoung forced herself to pull away and gazed deeply into her husband’s eyes.

 

“Wait for me.” She said softly, “I’ll be back before you know it.” Jinyoung smiled faintly.

 

“I’ll always wait for you.” He promised. Soyoung let her fingers linger slightly over Jinyoung’s face for another moment before she pulled away, picked up her helmet and headed for the door. 

 

“Soyoung.” Her footsteps paused as Jinyoung spoke again, and she turned her head slightly to look at him. The early morning sunlight drifting in through the window bathed him in golden light and dyed his dark hair a light brown, making him truly look like a young scholar who had walked off the pages of history books. Jinyoung’s gaze was warm and soft, mixed with yearning even though she hadn’t even walked out the door yet.

 

“I love you.” He said softly, “Now and forever.” Soyoung smiled warmly.

 

“As do I.” She answered. 

____________________________________________________________________________

When Soyoung reached the palace gates, she found her entire military waiting for her. Each soldier stood at attention as the empress appeared, their gazes sharp and ready for battle. Soyoung was silent for a long moment as she let her gaze run over each individual soldier’s faces, taking in each man who had decided to bravely put their life on the line for the safety of their country. 

 

“Soldiers!” She called, her voice ringing out loudly through the wide courtyard, “Today, we set off to defend our empire against rebel forces who have dared to rise up against a country that has shown them mercy time and again! We have given them one chance after the other to live peacefully under the rule of Great Yuan, but they have decided that their greedy hearts wanted more! As the ruler of this great empire, I swear today that we will drive them back and restore peace to our country!” The soldiers roared in approval at Soyoung’s words, their loud cheers filling the air.

 

“In war, there is no guarantee of life or death.” Soyoung continued, “Even as the empress, I cannot guarantee that all of you will survive this war unscathed. However, I swear on my honor as empress that I will do everything in my ability to keep as many of you safe as possible, and send as many men home to their families as possible!”  Soyoung let the men’s cheers die down once more before speaking again.

 

“Let us set off now and end this war in record time!” She declared. The soldiers shouted in approval, and Soyoung smiled as she turned to mount her horse. Just as Soyoung grabbed onto the saddle though, a high pitched wail reached her ears and made her stop in her tracks.

 

“Mama!” Soyoung froze as she recognized the voice immediately. Her heart pounded in her chest as she turned, her eyes quickly scanning for the source of the voice. Then, her gaze fell on a tiny figure a few feet away, and felt her heart break into a million pieces. Little Jinwoo was tumbling down the stairs leading down to the courtyard, his little hands stretched out towards her. His large eyes were swimming with tears, his usually smiling lips turned downward in an upset frown. Jinwoo tripped as he ran towards her, then picked himself up a few seconds later and promptly continued running towards his mother. Soyoung knelt down on instinct as Jinwoo drew closer, and fat tears ran down the little boy’s face as he tumbled directly into Soyoung’s arms. The little prince’s whimpers twisted her chest as he clung to her, his loud cries filling the air.

 

“Mama!” Jinwoo wailed as he hugged his mother tightly, “Mama!” 

 

“What’s wrong, Jinwoo-yah?” Soyoung asked gently, rubbing her son’s back soothingly. Jinwoo hiccuped as he clung to Soyoung.

 

“Mama go go?” He whimpered. Soyoung frowned as she pulled away from Jinwoo and looked curiously at his mournful expression.

 

“What do you mean?” She asked. Jinwoo sobbed as he scrubbed at his eyes futilely. 

 

“Mama no go!” He sobbed, tugging on Soyoung’s hand, “Mama stay!” Soyoung frowned in confusion for a few more moments before she realized what had happened. Jinwoo had been sleeping when she had said her goodbyes to Jinyoung, but at some point he must have woken up and somehow picked up that Soyoung was going away for a while. Who knew what those maids had said to him? Jinwoo was a smart child; it wasn’t strange to think that he would have caught on quickly. Ever since he was born, Soyoung had been around him one way or another; it wasn’t out of the ordinary that he would cry if he realized his mother would be leaving him for some time.

 

“Don’t cry, Jinwoo.” Soyoung said gently, brushing at the boy’s tears, “Mama just has some things to do that will take some time.” Jinwoo sniffed as he took in Soyoung’s words, although the empress wasn’t sure if her young son completely understood her.

 

“Go with Mama?” He asked, tilting his head slightly between sniffles. Soyoung chuckled softly and patted her son on the head gently.

 

“No, little one.” She said, careful to keep her tone soft but firm, “It’s too dangerous for you to go with me. You have to stay with Papa.” Jinwoo’s face scrunched up like he was about to cry again, and Soyoung quickly spoke again.

 

“Mama will be back before your birthday.” She said, “Then we’ll celebrate your birthday together, alright?” Jinwoo’s birthday was over half a year away of course, but her son was too young to understand the concept of months and days. To him, his birthday could be merely days away. Just giving him a benchmark would be enough to keep him placated for now. Jinwoo gazed at her for a long moment, still sniffling.

 

“Mama promise?” He asked at last, holding out his pinky. Soyoung felt her heart melt as she took in her little son’s hopeful expression before reaching out and linking her finger with Jinwoo’s tiny finger. 

 

“I promise.” She answered. Pulling her son in carefully, Soyoung pressed a gentle kiss to his little head, letting her fingers linger slightly on the second most important man in her life before letting go. 

 

“Jinwoo, can you be a brave boy and keep Papa company while Mama is gone?” She asked gently. Jinwoo thought for a moment before nodding.

 

“Jinwoo brave!” He declared. Soyoung smiled and lightly brushed her hand over her son’s cheek one more time.

 

“Good boy.” She praised him gently, “Take care of Papa for me.” Jinwoo tilted his head curiously, not seeming to understand what she was saying, but grinned all the same and nodded. 

 

“Soyoung.” Yeojin’s voice came from behind her, “I hate to interrupt, but we really must get going.” Soyoung sighed and patted her son lightly one more time.

 

“Go back to your nanny now.” She said softly, “Mama has to go.” Jinwoo scrubbed at his eyes and nodded. 

 

“Bye bye Mama!” He said chirpily, his earlier bout of tears all but forgotten. Soyoung smiled and watched as her son ran back to his nanny and toddled off with the older woman in tow. Rising to her feet, Soyoung raised her eyes to the lookout point where guards usually kept watch over the front gates and saw a familiar figure standing there even though she had specifically told him not to see her off. Despite the unwillingness in her heart, Soyoung smiled and raised a hand to her husband to wave goodbye. Jinyoung’s gaze was warm as he gazed back down at her, and for a long moment, it felt like they were the only two people standing in the courtyard. Then, Soyoung forced herself to rip her gaze away and swept onto her horse.

 

“Set off!” She declared.

____________________________________________________________________________

For months on end, the imperial army engaged in battle upon battle with the rebel army led by the Jin people. While Soyoung had already predicted that Yongson’s daring move would motivate others who were dissatisfied with living under Mongol rule, it seemed that the flames of rebellion had spread further than even she had imagined. Long before she even engaged in battle directly with Yongson, the imperial military found themselves tied up with one clash after another with other groups that had risen up with Yongson’s urging and promises of independence. While some were willing to turn back with some convincing from Soyoung, others had been completely bought by the promises that Yongson gave them, and insisted on fighting until the end. Soyoung was well aware that she was spending both valuable time and energy fighting with the smaller groups of rebels rather than go directly for Yongson, but she couldn’t bring herself to ignore the effects that even the smaller rebellions were having on the local people. Yongson, on his part, seemed well aware that his army was Soyoung’s final goal, and seemed intent on baiting her on. The Jin rebel forces often stayed near a smaller group of rebels, but by the time Soyoung defeated that smaller group, they would already be gone, leading the imperial forces further away from Khanbaliq. While Soyoung was cautious about being led on, she knew better than to start the main battle with Yongson’s forces in areas that had just been freed from rebel control.

 

Still, even as the imperial forces were victorious, Soyoung had a sinking feeling that there was a bigger plot at play.

 

Having to fight smaller battles wasn’t anything out of the ordinary when it came to a larger scale war. At this point though, Soyoung had already spent almost half a year at war, and she hadn’t even reached the main enemy yet. Jinyoung had done a good job in the capital in making sure that the flow of food and supplies remained steady, but Soyoung was also well aware that with each battle, her soldiers grew more tired. The more exhausted they were, the more risks arose along with their deteriorating condition.

 

What triggered even more alarms in her head was Yongson’s clear objective. The young man had made it clear that he was intent on raising a successful rebellion for the Jin people against Mongol rule, so much that he had even riled up the neighboring provinces to rise up in arms. Given that, there was no need for him to wait and consistently keep himself hidden behind smaller forces that were bound to lose against the much stronger and sophisticated imperial army. In fact, it would likely be more helpful for him to gather all the different groups of soldiers together and engage in direct battle with Soyoung instead. In the end, there was only one possible reason Soyoung could think of that would explain his strange behavior.

 

He intended to tire out the imperial forces with small skirmishes, so that by the time they reached the Jin rebels, the soldiers would be too worn out to crush the rebellion.

 

It was a petty trick, but the simple trick had caused multiple armies to be defeated in the past. To make it worse, Soyoung was known to be an empress who loved and protected her people, and Yongson had clearly seized on that part of her personality. There was no way she could simply let the rebels ravage the smaller provinces and only keep her eyes on the main prize. To keep the Yongson’s trick from wearing out her own forces, Soyoung began splitting her soldiers into groups to deal with the smaller skirmishes that came their way. Each group had just enough soldiers to defeat the rebels coming their way, and a different group would be well rested and ready to fight when the next skirmish began. Sometimes, Soyoung would lead the smaller group, and sometimes other generals would lead. Still, Soyoung knew that even this method wasn’t a long term plan. The best path forward was to reach the Jin army as soon as possible and defeat them before her soldiers were completely worn out or something more drastic happened.

 

When she grew particularly tired, Soyoung would stand outside in front of her tent in the military camp at night and gaze up at the dark evening sky while wondering what Jinyoung and Jinwoo were doing at home.

 

 It was strange; when she had fought wars in the past, Soyoung’s mind would only be focused on the battle at hand, her mind constantly spinning with thoughts about what tactic to use next. This time however, whenever she wasn’t deep in discussing with Yeojin about what to do next, the young empress often found her mind wandering to Khanbaliq. She wondered if her husband and son were eating and sleeping properly, if they were safe and sound within the golden walls of the imperial palace. She wondered if Jinyoung’s students were listening to him and avoiding creating trouble while she was gone. Soyoung and Jinyoung exchanged short messages by carrier pigeon while she was away, but tended to keep them short and infrequent for security reasons. Soyoung could only imagine the things that Jinwoo had learned in the months she had been away. The little boy was likely walking quite steadily on his little feet now, his tongue capable of pronouncing more words and putting them into sentences longer than a few words. Soyoung longed to hold her son in her arms and snuggle against Jinyoung’s chest, his gentle embrace warming her heart every time.

 

So this is what it feels like to know someone is waiting for you to come home from a long trip.

 

Wait for me. 

 

I will certainly be home soon.

 

____________________________________________________________________________

 

After two more months of small battles, Soyoung finally found herself approaching the main enemy. At last, Yongson no longer had any small rebellion forces to hide behind while he bided his time. Her soldiers were all eager to engage in battle with this new, younger rebel leader, their energy spurred by the desire to return home as Soyoung had promised. Soyoung still intended to bring as many of her men home alive as possible, of course, but she knew better than to rush directly into matters. Before she even fought directly with Yongson’s group, she discussed with her generals for days over what was the best strategy and formation that would ensure their victory. Soyoung checked repeatedly over her army’s explosive stores that were kept in a specially made tent inside their camp. The fine black powder, while looking innocuous enough, had been the key to her success for many battles, and Soyoung intended for it to help her achieve victory over the Jin rebels as well. Soyoung sent several groups of spies to scope out the rebellion army’s location and strategy, switching around her army’s formation whenever any new information came in from her spies.

 

As the two armies drew closer to each other, Soyoung halted her troops just as they reached a large open plain stretching as far as the eye could see and ordered the soldiers to begin setting up camp there.

 

“Why are you stopping here, Your Majesty?” Wang Jia’er asked from his palace in the line behind her. As soon as he heard about the war, the young nobleman had insisted on going with them regardless of how long it would take to suppress the rebels. Soyoung had refused to take him as a soldier because of his meager at best training, but the young man had insisted that he was capable of doing anything in the military camp. And so, Soyoung had decided to take him along as a military chef. The position wouldn’t require him to risk his life every day, but would still allow him to follow along. 

 

Of course, Soyoung knew better than to think that Jia’er merely wanted to serve the country in a time of crisis. All he really wanted was to stick by Yeojin’s side as long as possible. Despite his reputation, the young nobleman was surprisingly devoted to his never ending attempts to gain the affections of Soyoung’s cold second in command. Yeojin,  on the other hand, was more than intent on avoiding his pursuits. Jia’er though, was not to be deterred. He often turned the simplest ingredients in the military into delicate beautiful dishes for her to eat and midnight snacks appeared on Yeojin’s desk perfectly around the time she became hungry after a long night of discussions with Soyoung. Whenever Yeojin suffered the tiniest injury, Jia’er fussed over her for hours, quickly rushing to grab the first aid materials before the military physician had even been summoned. It hadn’t taken long before the entire army was aware that Yeojin was being pursued by Wang Jia’er. While Yeojin very obviously squirmed under the amount of attention Jia’er was showering on her, Soyoung couldn’t help but find it amusing. Like Soyoung, Yeojin had spent a majority of her life in the military, never even thinking of falling in love with someone. Perhaps this time, fate would change her mind, just like it had changed Soyoung.

 

Yeojin’s scoff drew Soyoung out of her thoughts, and she looked over at Yeojin to see the young general shaking her head at Jia’er’s question.

 

“Her Majesty is picking the best place for the final battle.” She answered coolly, “If we stop here, then the enemy will have to come to us while we’re located in the most strategic position. Can’t you see that?”

 

“Yeojin.” Soyoung interjected softly, “Don’t be so harsh on him. Young Master Wang isn’t well versed in the military arts.” Yeojin scoffed.

 

“Your Majesty, you are always softer on him because he is the Prince Consort’s friend.” She complained. Soyoung scoffed in response to her friend’s statement.

 

“I merely speak the truth.” She answered, “And besides, Wang Jia’er has been a great resource for our military. I am grateful for his help, however small it may be.” Yeojin grumbled and muttered something under her breath, but Soyoung didn’t bother figuring out what her friend was complaining about. Wang Jia’er, on his part, puffed up proudly at Soyoung’s praise, a cheeky grin lighting up his face. From behind them, the other generals chuckled in amusement at the irritated look on the usually unreadable younger general’s face. Soyoung merely shook her head and wondered if she should start talking with Yeojin about her friend’s thoughts on the young nobleman.

 

Jia’er’s question answered, Soyoung turned back to surveying the plain stretching out in front of her. If anyone continued walking forward and turned left, after some time, they would come across what was usually a rushing river. The river water had dried up during the summer season but the riverbed was deep, making it difficult for anyone who wanted to use it as an escape route, particularly on horseback. If someone kept going forward and turned right, they would eventually come across a large stretch of mountains that would soon be blanketed in white snow by the cold winter storms. There was little room to escape, but plenty of room for battle. In comparison, the place where Yongson had stopped was a heavily forested part of the territory, making it far too easy for archers to hide and horses to trip. Here, as long as Soyoung made the right moves, Yongson’s forces would be trapped between the two natural barriers, and victory would be hers.

 

 Or at least, that would be the case if everything went according to plan.

 

Yongson seemed to quickly realize that Soyoung had no intention on moving any further on from her current location, and Soyoung’s spies quickly sent hews that the rebel leader was making plans to move forward and meet Soyoung head on. Things were going exactly as she had expected them to.

 

That was, until the day before the rebel army was expected to arrive.

 

“Your Majesty!” The sound of a soldier running drew Soyoung’s attention away from the conversation she was having with her generals in the early morning hours, and she turned her head to see a young soldier rush into the tent. 

 

“What are you panicking about?” She asked, narrowing her eyes at the soldier’s expression. The soldier fell to one knee and clasped his hands in front of him politely before speaking.

 

“The firepowder storage tent!” He gasped, “It has been flooded!” Soyoung’s eyes widened at the soldier’s announcement, and without another word, she put down the map she was holding and hurried towards the storage tent. It had been raining the night before, so she had made sure to remind the guards to keep a good eye on the storage tent and take the proper steps to seal it off to prevent rainwater from flooding in. And yet, as Soyoung arrived at the storage tent, it became clear that something had gone wrong. The tan fabric that made up the large storage tent was soaked through from the rain, and from the sounds of the footsteps of the soldiers inside, Soyoung could tell that the ground inside was soaked through as well. Soyoung steeled herself for a moment before stepping inside. The soldiers rushed to greet her as Soyoung appeared, their faces completely panicked.

 

“Your Majesty!” Soyoung felt her chest tighten as she took in the extent of the damage inside the tent.

 

“Can somebody tell me what happened here?” She growled. The soldiers exchanged nervous looks before one finally ventured to speak.

 

“We are not sure how this happened, Your Majesty.” The soldier said, “This tent was perfectly sealed last night, not even a fly would have been able to get inside. The guards on duty conducted multiple rounds of checks to make sure the firepowder would not get wet. And yet, when we returned after the rain had stopped, we found that everything was soaked through!” Soyoung swallowed hard as she slowly walked around the tent to look at the firepowder, forcing herself to stay calm as she ran her hand lightly through the top of one box of firepowder. As expected, the fine black powder was soaked through save for a little bit left at the top, rendering most of it useless. After all, firepowder was only useful if it was dry.

 

“Why are these boxes all pressed against the side of the tent?” She demanded, “Haven’t I told you all time and again that no matter what you did, leaving heavy items pressing against the sides of the tent would cause the tent to leak?” The soldiers immediately fell to their knees at the angry look on Soyoung’s face. 

 

“We made sure all of the boxes were placed near the center of the tent before we left!” They exclaimed in fear, “We swear on our lives, Your Majesty!” 

 

“Then how in the world did they all end up on the edge of the tent?” Soyoung demanded, “Can’t any of you tell me that?” The soldiers exchanged nervous looks with each other, none daring to say a word.

 

“I think I know.” A new voice broke in, and Soyoung turned to see Jia’er enter the tent, dragging a young man behind him. Both men looked rather beaten up, but the younger man was obviously worse for wear. Jia’er was sporting a new cut across his hand, a bleeding bottom lip, and a red mark across his cheek that would likely be turning into a bruise by tomorrow, but it looked like he had pummelled the younger man so hard he could barely stand. Soyoung raised an eyebrow as Jia’er threw the young man at Soyoung’s feet. 

 

“Wang Jia’er, this is…?” Soyoung asked, looking at Jia’er questioningly. 

 

“I happened to come across this man trying to sneak out of camp when I was going out to get fresh water.” Jia’er answered, “He seemed rather suspicious, so I tried to ask him a few questions. But the more I asked him, the more anxious he got, and then he even tried to attack me! I just knew he was up to no good, so I taught him a good lesson and then decided to bring him to Your Majesty for judgment!” Soyoung’s gaze narrowed, temporarily ignoring the look on Jia’er’s face that reminded her of a little puppy proud of the stick it had brought its master.

 

“Bring him forward for me to see.” She ordered. Two soldiers stepped forward to take the young man from Jia’er, and Soyoung carefully swept her gaze over the young man in front of her. 

 

“Who are you?” She asked coldly, “Were you the one who ruined the firepowder?” The man scoffed as he gazed boldly at her.

 

“Who am I?” He repeated, “I am one of your soldiers, of course. Are you going to suspect your own man?” Soyoung laughed dryly as she crossed her arms.

 

“Indeed, you are wearing the uniform of one of my men.” She answered, “But that doesn’t necessarily mean you are from my army. Anyone from my army would never dare to look straight into my eyes the way you did just now. And you see…” Soyoung’s eyes narrowed as she leaned closer to the man.

 

“I know the faces of every soldier in my military.” She said firmly, “Because I trained every one of them. As for you, I have never seen your face before.” Her tone turned steely as she grabbed the man by the chin tightly. 

 

“You are one of Yongson’s men, aren’t you?” She growled, “He sent you because he knows firepowder plays a major role in my battle strategy, is that right?” The man scoffed.

 

“You are very smart.” He growled, “But you will never get a word out of me! You might as well kill me now!” Soyoung smirked and then let out a short laugh as she let go of the man.

 

“Kill you?” She repeated, “Why would I do that? That would be such a waste.” Soyoung snapped her fingers.

 

“You two.” She ordered, pointing at the two soldiers holding the man down, “Set up a tent and tie this man to the wooden post holding up the tent. Give him good food and water until I tell you to stop.” The soldiers looked at each other in confusion.

 

“Good food, Your Majesty?” One repeated in confusion, “This man is a spy!” Soyoung smirked.

 

“I’m not done yet.” She answered, “Give him good food and water, but do not let him sleep. Every time he falls asleep, I do not care what methods you use to wake him up, as long as no one threatens his life. In fact, keep candles burning in that tent even after night falls. Let us see what resistance he can put up after he has been deprived of sleep for days.” The soldier’s confusion fell into satisfied smiles, realizing what the Empress was up to. Any spy could put up a resistance for however long they wanted, but there were still basic needs that humans needed, spy or not. Spies could resist through lack of food and lack of water, but lack of sleep was an entirely different type of physical torture that often worked to break down a man faster than food or water deprivation ever did. It wouldn’t be long before the spy broke down and Soyoung could use him for what she wanted. Soyoung wasn’t a cruel woman, but when it came to someone who threatened the safety of her own men and her country, she didn’t bother holding back. To her surprise, the man laughed loudly at Soyoung’s order.

 

“Do whatever you’d like, Empress of Yuan.” He sneered, “When tomorrow comes and you are crushed under the rebels’ feet, then you will know how it feels to suffer the pain of defeat!” Soyoung smirked.

 

“We will just have to see about that.” She answered. The two soldiers dragged the man away with a flick of the empress’ hand, and Soyoung then turned her attention to Wang Jia’er. She tsked slightly as she looked at the cut on the young nobleman’s hand.

 

“Go and see Yeojin.” She said, “You should get that treated before it gets infected.” Jia’er looked at her in surprise.

 

“See the General, Your Majesty?” He asked curiously, “It is only a small wound.” Soyoung laughed softly and crossed her arms.

 

“Don’t you want to tell her about how you captured a spy among our men?” She asked, giving him a knowing look. Jia’er’s eyes lit up a few moments later as he realized what Soyoung was doing, and he beamed happily as he bowed quickly.

 

“Yes, I will go see her right away!” He declared, then rushed out of the tent. Soyoung chuckled softly and shook her head at Jia’er’s haste. Wang Jia’er was the complete opposite of Han Yeojin in every way possible, but perhaps that would be what made them a good match for each other.

 

“Your Majesty, what should we do about the firepowder?” One soldier ventured to ask, and Soyoung’s smile faded as she sighed and turned back to the bigger issue at hand.

 

“Scoop up the remaining portions that are still dry and shift them to my personal tent.” She ordered, “We won’t be using it in the battle against the main rebels.” 

 

“But Your Majesty, if we don’t do that, won’t our chance of victory be much less?” Another soldier protested quietly. Soyoung’s gaze narrowed as she scoffed lightly at the comment.

 

“There are many ways to win a battle.” She answered, “Firepowder is only one of them. Rest assured, even without sufficient firepowder, I will make sure our side emerges victorious.” Soyoung quickly called all of her generals together again, and within hours, they had devised a new strategy. Instead of facing the enemy head on and beating them back with explosives, Soyoung decided to use a mix of an arrow storm and a shifting hit and run technique, combined with a flanking tactic reminiscent of the method used to hunt wild animals. Not having sufficient firepowder for use was a hindrance, but as long as she took the enemy off guard, she would be able to win nonetheless. After all, while she didn’t have enough firepowder for use during battle, Yongson never had any to start with. As long as she managed to catch the enemy off guard, victory would still be hers without too many casualties.

 

At least, that was what she thought.

____________________________________________________________________________

The next day

 

The sound of loud shouting mixed with the screams of horses being kicked into motion filled Soyoung’s ears as she spun and slashed at any rebel soldier who dared to come her way. Her long black ponytail flicked in the wind along with her movements, her helmet long discarded somewhere on the large battlefield. The rusty scent of blood permeated the air along with the thick smell of wet dirt, and the sharp taste of blood filled Soyoung’s mouth with every breath she took from the cut on her lip. None of that though, could distract her from the battle at hand. 

 

So far, her revised battle tactics had been working perfectly. The enemy soldiers had been taken aback by the shifting movement of Soyoung’s archers, and it hadn’t taken long before an opening had appeared that allowed the rest of the imperial military to close in on the rebel army. From then on, it was only a matter of picking off enough enemy soldiers to force the rest into surrender.

 

And then, just when events seemed to be completely in the imperial forces’ favor, everything was its head again.

 

As Soyoung shoved another enemy soldier away from her, she heard a loud explosion from the other side of the battlefield. The force of the explosion shook the ground beneath her feet and nearly sent Soyoung falling off balance. Soyoung froze for a moment as she tried to place what the sound had been. In all her years as a soldier, she had only heard that sound under one particular set of circumstances.

 

Explosives.

 

Another explosion shook the ground again, this time landing closer than the first one had and filling the air with the screams of injured men. Soyoung’s mind raced as she fought through growing disbelief to figure out what to do. She hadn’t ordered any of her soldiers to use the remaining firepowder, so the explosives couldn’t be from her side of the battle. In that case, that meant…

 

“Your Majesty!” A soldier ran over to her, clutching at a gaping wound in his side. Soyoung grasped onto him tightly as he tumbled to the ground.

 

“What is going on?” She demanded, “What was that noise?” 

 

“The enemy!” The soldier gasped, “The enemy soldiers have large amounts of firepowder! Our military has already suffered several casualties from their explosives!” Soyoung’s eyes widened, and her grip loosened on the soldier as she realized her growing fear had come true.

 

The enemy has firepowder.

 

But how? There is no way they could have the funds to buy enough to use in battle, much less store it secretly enough to escape the eyes of my spies.

 

It was a trap all along, and I walked directly into it, thinking there was no way the rebels could have something that powerful.

 

“Get out of here.” Soyoung growled, shoving the soldier away from her, “Get out of the battlefield, right now!” Soyoung cast her gaze around the battlefield as her mind raced to come up with a last minute plan. If she continued forcing her soldiers to fight in the face of this massive disadvantage, they would be completely destroyed. As Soyoung struggled to collect her thoughts, she heard the familiar whistle of concentrated firepowder flying through the air.

 

“Soyoung!” Something hard suddenly collided into the young empress, sending her body slamming against the ground and knocking the air out of her lungs. A few moments later, the ground shook with the force of yet another explosion, this time right next to where Soyoung lay. The force of the blast knocked Soyoung into the air before she could even catch her breath, a cry escaping her lips as she was slammed against a tree and felt her ribs crack from the force of the blow. The salty taste of blood filled as she coughed, red fluid splattering the ground in front of her.

 

“Soyoung!” A familiar voice reached her ears as someone pulled Soyoung up from the ground, and the empress realized that it was Yeojin who had knocked her out of the way of the most recent explosion. 

 

“I’m fine.” Soyoung gasped although every inch of her body ached at that moment, her hand gripping her friend’s arm tightly, “What is the status of our forces?” Yeojin shook her head.

 

“Not good.” She said, “It looks like the rebels have more than enough firepowder to flatten our entire military if they want to. We’ve already suffered severe casualties.” Soyoung swallowed down another mouthful of blood rising in before speaking, her mind made up.

 

“Call a retreat.” She growled, “I will not have all of my men dying here!”

 

“Soyoung…” Yeojin began, her face telling Soyoung all she needed to know, but the empress shook her head.

 

“It’s a strategic retreat.” She insisted, “I’m not giving up yet. If we don’t pull back now, there will be no turning things around!” After another second of hesitation, Yeojin nodded and pulled a signal flare out of her robes. The bright red flare exploded into the air a few seconds later, telling all the imperial soldiers on the battlefield to pull back. Soyoung put two fingers to her lips and whistled for her personal horse, which appeared by her side a few moments later. As Soyoung and Yeojin swung onto the horse and headed away from the battlefield, Soyoung turned her head back slightly. For a moment, the young empress’ gaze was caught by a young man standing among the enemy soldiers, dressed in an elaborate set of blue and gold colored armor. The young man had a proud sneer on his face, his gaze arrogant as he dared to meet Soyoung’s gaze directly. It was obvious who that young man was.

 

Yongson.

 

It’s not over yet.

 

I swear, I will crush all of your men, and then drag you back to the capital to face the utmost humiliation that is even worse than death itself!

 

As Soyoung turned back to face the path in front of her, she felt something rise in again, and blood splattered over her palm as she coughed. Her head spun as her breathing grew labored, her body still reeling from the explosion earlier. Her body began slumping of its own accord as Soyoung felt her remaining energy drain from her limbs. 

 

“Soyoung!” Yeojin’s arms wrapped tightly around her to keep the empress from falling off the horse, her friend’s hands taking the reins slipping from her fingers. 

 

“Soyoung, don’t you dare fall asleep on me!” Yeojin growled, but Soyoung felt her eyes slipping close nevertheless as they left the broken battlefield behind them.

 

“Soyoung!” Yeojin’s frantic voice was the last thing that Soyoung heard before she slipped into unconsciousness.

 

I’m so tired...