Imperial Palace, Khanbaliq, Soyoung

Servants quickly fell to their feet as Jang Soyoung swept past in a flurry of motion, Jinyoung and Hyojun following closely behind her. In one fluid motion, Soyoung reached up and pulled out the hairpin that held her hair up in a man’s topknot, letting her long strands of hair fall loosely down around her shoulders. The court ministers turned and bowed as she swept into Mentality Hall, her face cold and serious.

“Your Majesty.” They intoned. Soyoung walked up the short flight of stairs to her seat, then looked at Jinyoung, who stood near the foot of the stairs looking rather lost. Raising one finger, she pointed at the elaborate chair that had already been placed just one step lower than her throne. Jinyoung stared at her in surprise, but Soyoung nodded calmly. Jinyoung hesitated for another moment, then walked up the steps and took the seat next to her. Soyoung turned and looked solemnly down at her court ministers.

“Now tell me.” She stated, “What has happened to Minister Han, and why is my fiance being accused of his murder?” One of the court officials stepped forward and bowed before speaking.

“Your Majesty, Lord Han was found dead in his study this morning.” He said, “Upon examination by a coroner, it was found that he died of poisoning at some point last night. After a thorough examination of his home, the only thing found to have been poisoned was a box of pastries on Lord Han’s desk.” Soyoung turned over the new information in her mind for a few moments before speaking.

“And that box was given to him by Jinyoung?” She asked, guessing where the rest of the story was going. The minister nodded.

“Lady Han, as well as many servants can bear witness to it.” He replied, “They all saw His Highness personally give the box to Lord Han.” Soyoung looked over at Jinyoung, who had turned pale. It was well known that Lord Han liked to eat pastries from a well known store in the capital; it was nothing out of the ordinary that Jinyoung had chosen to buy one as a gift to Lord Han. But to say that Jinyoung had put poison in the pastries? It was absolutely ridiculous.

“I believe my fiance was framed.” She replied without asking Jinyoung a single word, drawing startled murmurs from the officials below. 

“Your Majesty!” One official boldly protested, “We are all aware that Prince Jinyoung is your fiance, but as the ruler of the country, you cannot just blindly protect him!” The court officials jumped as Soyoung slammed her hand against her desk.

“It is precisely because I rule a country that I will not make any rash decisions!” She snapped, “Or, what do you expect me to do? Throw my future husband into prison on mere speculative grounds, and insult the entire Goryeo in the process? Or, even if Goryeo is not insulted, make the royal family a laughingstock for rushing the investigations and throwing a scapegoat into prison?” The court officials bowed their heads, none daring to answer. Soyoung’s gaze narrowed.

“This is no small matter.” She stated, “I will personally conduct an investigation into Lord Han’s murder. Until then, Park Jinyoung is not guilty of anything. If I hear that anyone dares to touch him…” She let the threat hang in the air unfinished, then rose to her feet.

“You are all dismissed.” She said coldly, then swept out of the room. 

____________________________________________________________________________

Jinyoung

Jinyoung followed closely behind Soyoung as she left the palace, his head bowed. As if he had been summoned, Eun-song appeared before long and followed them to the Empress’s rooms. The Empress was silent until they reached her quarters, then she shut the doors and turned to stare at Jinyoung.

“Why are you looking like that?” She asked, crossing her arms. Jinyoung swallowed hard.

“I...I am sorry for bringing trouble already.” He said quietly, “But I really did not kill Lord Han.” He was surprised to hear the Empress scoff at his statement.

“Park Jinyoung, oh Park Jinyoung.” She said, then Jinyoung’s breath caught in his throat as she reached out and tilted his chin up.

“Don’t you think I know that?” She asked, “I did not defend you in court simply because you’re my future husband. If I had even an inkling of belief that you had done it, I would not have let you freely walk out of Mentality Hall, even if you are my man.” Jinyoung gazed silently at the woman who would be his wife for a long moment, taking in the expression on her face. Despite the fact that her fiance had just been accused of murdering a high ranking court official, Jang Soyoung’s expression was calm, her gaze never wavering for even a moment as she gazed at Jinyoung. It was clear that before he had even said a word to defend himself, Jang Soyoung had already known that he hadn’t done it. Jinyoung gulped and took a step back out of her grasp. 

“What made you so certain?” He asked. Soyoung scoffed softly at the question.

“There are some things that don’t have to be expressly stated to be known, Park Jinyoung.” She replied, turning away and walking to her elaborate seat located at the center of the room. She dropped gracefully into the chair, one leg crossing over the other as she gazed across the room at Jinyoung. The way she was sitting caused the edge of the men’s clothing she was still wearing to ride up slightly at the slit cut into the side, and Jinyoung turned his head away slightly to avoid staring at the uncovered skin showing through the slight opening, his cheeks turning slightly red. A woman in Goryeo would have never been allowed to show her legs like that, not if she wanted to avoid being flogged on the legs by her parents! As if she noticed what his eyes were trying to avoid, Jang Soyoung sighed and uncrossed her legs.

“It is simple.” She said, “There is no way you could have known that Lord Han was one of the most outspoken against you in court on the day you arrived. Even if you did, your purpose in coming here is to marry me and maintain good relations between our countries. No matter how much you didn’t want to come here, you would not be so foolish as to risk inciting war between our countries. In short, there is no reason for you to murder a court official.” Jinyoung sighed in relief at her statement.

True to her long term experience in court, Jang Soyoung was not someone to be easily led into believing something. Before the court officials had even said a word, she had already analyzed the situation and come to her own conclusion. What mattered more now was to convince the rest of the court, and find out who had killed Lord Han and made Jinyoung the scapegoat. 

“I thank Your Majesty for your trust.” He said, bowing politely. One corner of Soyoung’s lips turned up into an amused smile.

“You are the man who will be my husband.” She stated, “If it was so easy to turn me against my own man, what sort of wife and ruler would I be?” Jinyoung gazed at her for a long moment, then shook his head with a soft chuckle.

“Even though a tiger is biting you, if you gain consciousness, you can live.” He said softly, the saying suddenly coming to mind. Soyoung raised an eyebrow.

“What?” She asked, looking for once, rather confused. Jinyoung bit back a soft laugh despite the circumstances.

“Keeping calm even in the face of despair.” He explained, “It is an old Korean proverb. The way Your Majesty is acting now, even when I have been accused of murder, just reminded me of that saying.” Soyoung gazed at him for a long moment before turning her head and laughing softly in amusement.

“You really are my little poet.” She said teasingly, her eyes twinkling in amusement. Jinyoung’s cheeks flushed red.

“I wish you’d stop calling me that.” He grumbled. Soyoung laughed again, but before she could say anything else, Jinyoung heard a soft cough from behind him and turned to see Eun-seong looking at the two of them with an amused smile on his boyish face.

“Royal Sister, if you and my future brother-in-law are done flirting, perhaps we should begin discussing a plan to deal with this matter.” He suggested. Jinyoung’s cheeks flushed hot again, and Soyoung almost choked on the tea she was drinking. 

“Eun-seong!” She scolded, “I am not flirting. Please!” Eun-seong laughed softly. 

“If you say so, Sister.” He replied, “But I can assure you I’m not the only one who thinks that way.” The prince nodded towards Hyojun, who was standing near Soyoung as always. The young guard turned his head away slightly as the attention was shifted towards him, and he coughed softly in an awkward attempt to hide a laugh. Soyoung cleared and shook her head. Jinyoung peered curiously at the Empress.

Are her cheeks pink?

“In any event.” Soyoung said quickly, changing the topic, “Park Jinyoung, tell me what happened on the day you went to visit Lord Han. Did the box of pastries ever leave your hands?” Jinyoung thought for a moment, then shook his head.

“It is more sincere if I handed the box to him directly.” He said, “I never let the box out of my sight, from the moment I bought it from the store until I handed the gift to Lord Han.” 

“Your Majesty, I can go and investigate the pastry shop if you’d like.” Hyojun offered. Soyoung raised a hand and shook her head.

“No.” She replied, “I do not want this to spread throughout the city. The last thing I need are rumors that my future husband is a murderer just weeks before the royal wedding. The pastry shop is an old staple in the city; I highly doubt they would take such a risk as going through all the effort to put poison in a pastry box and frame a foreign prince. No amount of money could buy that.” 

“Which means…” Jinyoung thought for a moment, “The poison must have been put in there after I gave the gift to Lord Han.” A serious expression took over Soyoung’s face.

“An insider from the Han family dares to kill off their patriarch and frame the future prince consort?” She said softly, “This matter is more complicated than I imagined.”

“Sister, could it have been Royal Uncle behind all of this?” Eun-seong asked, “It would be the perfect opportunity to get rid of your marriage prospects.” Soyoung shook her head.

“No.” She replied, “It’s still too early. He doesn’t have a good grasp on what Jinyoung is capable of yet, so he wouldn’t risk it so soon.” Soyoung looked over at Hyojun.

“Come with me to Han mansion.” She said, “I will interrogate each member of the household individually.” Jinyoung thought quickly as he heard the Empress’s order. As much as he didn’t like being here, this was where he would be for a long time to come. If he wanted to survive, he would have to establish himself. And to do that, he couldn’t hide behind the Empress’s power forever.

“Your Majesty.” He said, “If I may interrupt.” Soyoung looked over at him and motioned for him to continue. Jinyoung hesitated for a moment before charging ahead with his request.

“If I may...I would like to investigate this matter on my own.” He said, “If you appear, perhaps no one would dare to lie, and perhaps you will be able to find the true culprit. But what will people say about the royal family? They will only spread rumors that the future Prince Consort doesn’t know how to do anything but hide behind the Empress’s power and protection. I do not want to hide behind Your Majesty’s power forever, nor do I want the royal family to appear weak because of me.” Soyoung gazed at him for a long moment, a curious look on her face as she turned his words over in her mind. Then, a small smirk turned up the corner of her lips. 

“Very well.” She said, “I will grant your request. However, you should not do this entirely on your own.” Jinyoung frowned in confusion as she took out a sheet of paper and wrote out a couple lines of characters on the crisp cream surface. 

“Go to this address and ask for the owner of this business.” She said, holding it out to him, “This person should be of aid to you.” Jinyoung’s confusion deepened as he took the paper and looked at the sharp black ink sweeping across the sheet. 

“But...who is this?” He asked. Jang Soyoung smiled mysteriously.

“I’ve heard this man is known as a jack of all trades.” She replied, “He is not connected to the royal family, so his presence should not create any trouble. He should be helpful to you in your investigation.” 

“Isn’t there a risk that this person will tell others what happened?” Jinyoung asked, tilting his head curiously. 

“Perhaps others will.” The empress replied, “But this person will not.” Before Jinyoung could ask anything else, she picked up a gold plated petition from the stack on the table next to her and flipped it open.

“You should get going now.” Soyoung stated, signaling that this conversion was over. Jinyoung sighed and bowed politely.

“I will take my leave now.” He stated. Jinyoung sighed as he stepped outside of the empress’s quarters and looked down at the paper in his hand. Despite his best efforts, he hadn’t managed to get even an inkling of information about the person he was supposed to meet. The empress had a knowing look in her eye as she had spoken, but she hadn’t bothered to give him even a crumb of information on this person. Just who was it that she was so certain he could trust? And why wouldn’t she tell him anything?

What a mysterious woman.

Were all rulers like that? Jinyoung hadn’t gotten such an impression from his father. But then, he had never been one to talk politics with his father, nor had his life and reputation been on the line while he was in Goryeo. 

Still, Jinyoung was grateful she had given him the freedom to investigate the matter on his own. Sighing, he rolled up the paper in his hands and headed for the palace gates. There was no time to waste.

___________________________________________________________________________

Soyoung’s dark eyes flickered slightly away from her petition and towards the door as the paper and wood panels slipped shut behind the Goryeo prince. A soft smile turned up the corner of her lips as she thought back on the prince’s sudden request. It wasn’t what she had expected, that was for sure. A prince who was suddenly thrown into a new world and accused of murder would usually be afraid and cling onto the nearest source of protection like a drowning man to a plank of wood. But instead, Park Jinyoung had boldly asked to investigate the accusations on his own. 

I wasn’t wrong. He has an intelligent head on his shoulders. 

It was clear that he understood the possible consequences of this incident on the Goryeo royal family, his position in both countries, and on the Yuan royals as well. 

“My lady, who did you send him to?” Hyojun asked curiously, “It is rare to see you trust someone that much.” Soyoung smirked slightly.

“Are you referring to my trust to the prince or the person I sent him to?” She asked. 

“I would say both, My Lady.” Hyojun replied. Soyoung smiled faintly.

“The person I sent him to will not betray him.” She replied, “His background will prevent him from doing so. As for the prince...there is no reason to distrust his honesty at the moment.” 

“But, My Lady, who-” Hyojun started again, but Soyoung cut him off.

“Hyojun, you are oddly curious about the reasons behind my actions today.” She noted, “Is something wrong?” Hyojun’s eyes widened slightly, and he dipped his head quickly.

“My apologies, Your Majesty.” He replied, “I spoke too much.” Soyoung sighed and shook her head.

“You can step outside now.” She said, “I will be reading these petitions for a while.” Hyojun bowed obediently at her order. 

“Yes, Your Majesty. I will take my leave.” He said. Soyoung watched as the young guard stepped outside of the room and shut the doors behind him. 

Park Jinyoung...I hope you can prove yourself.

Im Hyojun...please don’t ever give me a reason to lose my trust in you.

____________________________________________________________________________

Jinyoung

Jinyoung wandered slowly along the bustling streets of the Khanbaliq marketplace, his eyes scanning the buildings carefully for the address he had been sent to. 

Aha.

His footsteps slowed as his gaze fell on a simple wood and brick building near the end of the marketplace. It was a modest building, nothing particularly elaborate. Just who lived here that the empress herself would tell Jinyoung to go there? Jinyoung frowned in confusion as he neared the building. 

Why are there so many women milling around the entrance?

Noblewomen and commoners alike were gathered around the entrance, as if waiting for something to appear. Then, the doors opened, and Jinyoung realized they weren’t waiting for something.

Rather, they were waiting for a certain someone.

A group of young children appeared at the front door as it opened, all dressed in the same white and blue uniform. But from what Jinyoung could see, the children weren’t what the women were waiting for. 

Instead, it was the young man standing behind the excited group of children. He was a handsome slender man, with a slightly sloping nose and a dashing gently sculpted face. His hair was tied up into a simple topknot, a dark blue uniform emphasizing the well toned muscles beneath the surface of the simple cloth. He had dark golden brown eyes that sparkled as the sunlight caught onto them, and his lips turned up in a warm smile as he bid the children goodbye.

“Goodbye teacher!” The children chirped as they bowed to him. The young man grinned and waved cheerfully at the children.

“Hurry along home now!” He said, “I will see you all tomorrow.” The children dashed off happily, chattering as they went. The young man caught sight of the women waiting outside, and a charming but shy smile crossed his lips as he bowed politely.

“Ladies, you are waiting out here today as well?” He said, “You must not do this tomorrow. What if any of you faint? The sun is also so bad for your skin! My heart will ache if any of you are hurt because of me!” The young women swooned at his charming smile and sweet words. 

“Young Master Wang, we do not mind!” 

“Yes, Young Master Wang, we must see you at least once a day!” 

Their voices chorused happily in the air, delighted just to have the young man address them once. The young man, Young Master Wang, grinned and bowed.

“I thank you beautiful ladies for coming to see me every day!” He said, “I will certainly find a way to repay all of your affection!” Jinyoung shook his head as the women all blushed at his words. The people of Yuan were certainly very different from Goryeo. If any noblewomen were caught openly staring at a man like this, she could have her very reputation on the line! Was this the man that the empress had wanted him to see? 

Suddenly, Jinyoung found himself staring at a pair of golden brown eyes, and with a start he realized that the young man was staring at him. He frowned in confusion, unsure what was happening. Had he been recognized? Did this man know he was the future prince consort? 

Then, the young man’s face broke out into a friendly smile, and Jinyoung yelped in surprise as the man ran forward and enveloped him into a warm hug. 

“It’s been too long!” He exclaimed, “What took you so long to come see me?” Jinyoung spluttered in confusion as the man pulled away.

“Do I know you?” He asked, thoroughly perplexed. The young women chattered around them in hushed tones, wondering who this person was who had so easily received a hug from the young man they admired so much. The young man laughed.

“Come on, we’ll talk inside!” He grasped Jinyoung by the arm and pulled him into the building. As much as Jinyoung tried to refuse, Young Master Wang was stronger than he looked. 

Or perhaps I’m just too weak?

Before Jinyoung could wrap his head around what was happening, Young Master Wang called out a goodbye to the women outside, and flashed them another warm smile before shutting the front door behind him. 

“Come come.” He shoved Jinyoung towards the front room, quickly plunking him down into a chair. Jinyoung stared at the young man, feeling ridiculously flabbergasted. 

“Just who are you?” He demanded, “Why did you drag me in here?” The young man huffed as he sat down in another chair across from Jinyoung. 

“Park Jinyoung!” He barked, “You forgot me already? That’s so rude! I was so excited to hear that you were in the capital too!” Jinyoung’s jaw dropped at the casual way the  young man addressed him. No one except for his family had the nerve to call him by his full name; even Youngjae and Yugyeom made sure to call him by his formal title outside of the palace. The young man scoffed at what was surely Jinyoung’s deepening confusion spreading over his face. 

“I’m so hurt.” He said with a pout, “We were so close as children too! We used to sneak into the royal infirmary together!” Jinyoung frowned deeply as he thought over what the other young man was saying.

Wait...the royal infirmary?

Jinyoung closed his eyes and thought back carefully on his childhood memories. They had grown faint over the years as he grew up, but if he thought about it carefully...he could just barely remember a young child about his age who often appeared in the palace to play with him. Or rather, they would run around creating havoc, mostly instigated by the other young boy’s mischievous ideas. If Jinyoung remembered correctly, that boy’s name had been…

“Wang Jia’er!” He exclaimed, his eyes snapping open as the name finally floated up in his memories. The young man beamed as Jinyoung finally voiced the name.

“You finally remember!” He said in delight, “I was about to be so sad if you forgot!” Jinyoung scoffed.

“It’s been years since I saw you!” He protested, “It’s only natural if I forgot, right?” As a young child, Wang Jia’er had been one of his closest friends. Although his family hailed from Yuan rather than Goryeo, Wang Jia’er’s grandfather had been one of the most skilled royal doctors in Goryeo history. It was only natural that his grandson, who was about the same age as Jinyoung, would be introduced to Jinyoung as a childhood playmate. Until the day when Jia’er’s grandfather retired from his post at the royal infirmary, the two boys had been the closest of friends. After his grandfather’s retirement, however, the entire family had moved back to Yuan, and Jinyoung hadn’t seen Jia’er again. Jia’er reached over and punched him lightly on the arm.

“Yes yes, whatever the future Prince Consort says is always right.” He said, a teasing grin on his face. Jinyoung scoffed.

“Don’t be ridiculous.” He said, “I didn’t ask for this.” Jia’er chuckled.

“Whatever you say.” He replied, “But what brings you all the way here to my humble academy?” Jinyoung sighed.

“It’s a long story.” He replied. Jia’er smiled and leaned back in his chair, crossing his arms.

“I’ve got time.” He answered. And so, Jinyoung found himself telling Jia’er about everything that had happened, from the time the empress had arrived in Goryeo up through Lord Han’s death. Jia’er’s handsome face fell into a frown as he listened to Jinyoung, a perplexed look crossing his face. 

“That’s ridiculous.” He said, “Anyone who believes it’s you who killed him would be an absolute fool. It’s political suicide if you actually did it.” Jinyoung laughed softly.

“If only everyone thought the way you did.” He replied, “I’m the easy target in this situation. Whoever did it can easily escape without anyone noticing. In the end, I’m just a foreign prince from a vassal empire.” Jia’er chuckled.

“And yet, the empress seems intent on protecting this little prince from a vassal state. The people pointing fingers at you seem to have undermined that fact.” He noted, “She even sent you all the way to me on purpose.” Jinyoung scoffed.

“It’s just probably because she wants to keep relations good with Goryeo for now.” He noted, “It wouldn’t be good for the prince she personally chose to run into trouble already.”And yet, Jia’er’s words reminded Jinyoung of something. Before Jinyoung had been dismissed, Jang Soyoung had made it clear that she was certain the owner of this business, Wang Jia’er would help him without causing trouble. She had been so certain then, yet Jinyoung hadn’t understood why. 

And now, it suddenly made sense.

Wang Jia’er was not simply a former resident of Goryeo. His family had faithfully served the royal family for years, and Jia’er himself had been a frequent visitor of the royal palace throughout his childhood years. In other words, the Wang family had long ago staked their loyalty to the Goryeo royal family. There was no way a child of the Wang family would betray a prince of Goryeo. Jia’er was the best help that Jinyoung could hope for in the sudden crisis he had been thrown into. 

Jinyoung chuckled softly as his thoughts lined up.

Jang Soyoung...no wonder you were so certain. 

What a mysterious woman.

“Jinyoung?” Jia’er’s voice drew the prince’s attention out of his thoughts, and he smiled as he looked up at his longtime friend.

“What are you thinking about?” Jia’er asked. Jinyoung smiled and shook his head. 

“Nothing.” He replied, “So, do you have any ideas about how to investigate Lord Han’s death? I cannot just walk up to the front door and ask to investigate the poisoned box of sweets.” A playful twinkle entered Jia’er’s eyes, a cheeky smile crossing his face.

“Of course not.” He replied, “I am Wang Jia’er. There’s a far better way to investigate than that.”