Yuan Dynasty

The news about Kim Ji Won, the goddess doctor's death spread like wildfire. Everyone are giving their speculations to the cause of death. On significant rumor is that, it is the newly ascended King Daeju who killed her after failing to cure his father's illness. Worst rumor is that, it is King Daeju who killed his father to get the throne and therefore he killed Ji Won to shut her up.

Rumors get worse and worse and the royal family image is slowly ruined. Kim Family are well respected and this tragedy that befell to them is truly unacceptable to all people. Kim Family are good people. Kind in heart and noble by blood.

Kim Min Seo is summoned by King Daeju to the palace. That day they both agreed to find out who killed Ji Won and in order to do that they have to work together. To start with, they have to stop the rumors. They come up with a plan and immediately implemented it.

Kim Min Seo has become the new Right Prime Minister. This is to show that he and King Daeju is in good terms and nothing about the rumor is true. Also, since Min Ji is the only witness, they have decided to send her to Yuan Dynasty for her safety. Min Joon and Min Ji is totally against this idea but their father Min Seo has made up his mind. Min Ji is sent to Yuan with a servant to take care of her. With the special request from King Daeju, Min Ji is sent to the palace of Yuan as a special exchange student who will be studying medicine and proper etiquette.

Yuan Dynasty.

Min Ji experienced a lot of bullying from Yuan noble ladies. In Yuan, no lady from Goryeo is noble, either they are slaves or they are prostitutes. Therefore they look down on her.

Min Ji has found a perfect place in the garden of the palace. It is secluded and away from all the people that might bully her. There is a spot where she can sit to read or practice what she learned in the medicine and etiquette class. It has roof and it is surrounded with roses. She believes it is her perfect sanctuary.

One afternoon, she was practicing her acupuncture skills. She has an ugly doll and a lot of needles. She recites every vital point and the effect of every needles to each point. A young boy approached her and silently watches her. He was stunned. This girl skill is beyond what expected to her age.

"I know for sure that that wasn't taught yet in your class, so how did you know about that?" said the boy.

Min Ji is shocked and accidentally pricked her finger and she started to bleed a little. She shakes her hand and blow her wound as if trying to ease the pain. She then decided to look at the person who caused her misfortune. Her eyes show deep anger and anxiousness at the same time. This place is supposed to her sanctuary but she was found! Does that mean that she can't come back this place anymore?

"I'm sorry! Did I surprise you? That is just a little wound. You should get used to that since you will be practicing acupuncture in the future. That will happen a lot.", the boy may have apologized but he feels that he has really nothing to apologize.

"Should I thank you then?" Min Ji asked sarcastically.

This remarks amused the boy. No one has ever talked to him this way. All people, young or adult, respected him. This is the first time and he doesn't know why it feels good in a different way.

The boy smiled, "I'm sorry again. You are good in what you're doing right now. Have you done that before?"

"No, but I saw my mother doing it." Min Ji eyes turned sad upon remembering her dear mother.

"Is she a doctor? What's her name? I never saw you before, what's your name? Wait, you look different...", the boy looks at her carefully and noticed that she's wearing a different attire from the other noble ladies. "Are you the girl from Goryeo?"

Min Ji eyes widened with fear. She picked up her things and was about to leave but the boy grab her wrist. "Please let me go! Please don't bully me! I just want to be alone". She struggles to break free but to no avail.

"Please calm down. I am not here to bully you. I am only wondering around the palace when I saw you.", the boy explained.

Min Ji stopped struggling but her eyes still shows anxiety.

"I will let you go but please promise that you won't run away", Min Ji just nodded and the boy let her go. The boy smiled and offer his hand to introduce himself.

"I'm Prince Han Ta Hwan."

"Prince?!" Min Ji blurted out in surprise.

Ta Hwan laughed. "Yes I am. I am the Crown Prince.", he said proudly.

"Nice to meet you, your highness. I am Kim Min Ji". Instead of accepting Ta Hwan's hand, she bows to greet him with respect.

This made Ta Hwan smile fades. He thought she's different but she treats him the same way. He didn't tell her that he is the crown prince to earn her respect but to let her know that he would not bully her and will help her in the future if she is in anyway get bullied again.

"Please treat me like I am just your friend. Don't be like them!" Ta Hwan is no longer happy. He thought he found a good friend and so he won't let her treat him this way. She should be different.

"Friend?" Min Ji laughed sarcastically. "Please don't get offended your highness but no one dared to ask me to become their friend because I am from Goryeo. Also, don't misunderstand the politeness I'm showing to you. I'm doing this as sign of courtesy because you are the Crown Prince but sorry I don't respect you like my uncle King in Goryeo. My mother told me that respect is earned not by position."

Ta Hwan was stunned for a moment but a smile broke on his face. He's right! She is different!

"Are you a niece of the King of Goryeo?" he asked to change the subject and become casual with her.

"No, we are not related by blood. The King is a dear childhood friend of my parents. I used to call him Uncle when he was a Crown Prince because he always visit us at home or we visit the palace."

"I see. Now I understand why the King of Goryeo himself made a special request for you. Tell me, how good is your mother with medicine?" He sits down and also urged Min Ji to sit beside him.

It's as if Ta Hwan has chosen a perfect topic for Min Ji. She told him everything about her mother greatness. Her eyes shone with admiration. Ta Hwan can't help but admire her small face. He thought how can a girl be so beautiful while she's speaking. His full attention is towards her. He maybe young but he knows what's going on to him and so he blushed with the realization. Is he really liking this girl that he just met?

He stood up abruptly. Min Ji stopped talking and just look at him.

"I need to go. I just escaped from my Eunuch so he must be having a heart attack now because I'm gone!"

"I understand. Will I see you again, Your Highness?" Kim Min Ji asked innocently. She just thought that maybe since his status is special and important, she might not be able to see him again.

Her question warms up his heart and made him blush even more. Afraid that she will notice him, he just bow to her and run away.

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On the next day, it is Min Ji's medicine class and as usual she excels more than anyone else in the class. This made all the yuan noble ladies envious of her. After the class, they bully her again.

"You filthy Goryeo girl, how dare you outsmart all of us in the class?! Who do you think you are?! Don't you really know your place?!" the girl who seemed to be the leader of the noble ladies pushed her to the ground.

Kim Min Ji palms are scraped because of her fall. She flinched because of the pain but she didn't cry. This made the noble ladies more angry with her. They want to make her beg them not act tough. They thought that Min Ji really doesn't know her place even in this situation.

"I don't intend to outsmart all of you. I am just really smart. I am my mother's daughter and she is a great doctor. I cannot let her down by being a failure or else she will rise to her grave and slap me!"

Min Ji words infuriated them more. How dare she tell them she is really just smarter than them?! The girl who pushed her, pulled her from the ground and slap her hard making her lips bleed. But then again, she didn't cry or beg them to stop. Min Ji would never give them what they want.

Prince Ta Hwan with his Eunuch and some guards passed by them and he saw how Min Ji was slapped hard. This made him mad. He forgot about his title and walk towards them with a dark look on his face. All the noble ladies that saw him bow down and act shy and flirtatious. Every chance to meet the prince is a chance to make him fall in love and marry him someday.

"How dare you slap her! Are you asking for death?!" Ta Hwan took Min Ji to his side and shouted angrily to the girl who hurt Min Ji. "Eunuch Jang, slap her! Slap her hard or I'll kill you!", Ta Hwan's command is irrevocable. He watched as Eunuch Jang slapped the girl. The girl's mouth bleed as she accidentally bit her tongue and lips from the hard slap.

Satisfied, Ta Hwan looks at Min Ji to ask if she's alright. However, he get mad again because he saw her wounds on her palms. Those palms are precious! He thought. He just saw her yesterday using her very own hands while practicing acupuncture but they hurt her! Unforgivable!

"Who among you have hurt her and cause her these wounds?!" He shouted angrily again. All the noble ladies are now afraid. They didn't expect that the Crown Prince and Min Ji, the Goryeo girl, would know each other. No one dared to face the Crown Prince's wrath so they all pointed their fingers to the same girl who was just slapped by Eunuch Jang.

"Eunuch Jang, you know what to do! Don't you dare hold back or you'll suffer the consequence!"

With this command, the girl trembled in fear, she kneeled in front of the Crown Prince and beg him but Eunuch Jang just slapped her again and much more brutal this time. With the slap, the girl turned in full circle before she quickly fell to the ground. Not only did she hurt her palms, her face and her knees are all wounded too and she lost consciousness.

"From now on, no one is allowed to hurt Min Ji. She is my... she is my... she is one of my people! You understand?!", Ta Hwan made it clear to them that they shouldn't touch Min Ji or they will suffer the same fate with the girl lying unconscious to the ground.

Ta Hwan pulled Min Ji away and commanded Eunuch Jang to bring him some medicine for wounds. He brought Min Ji to the garden where they met yesterday and treat her wounds personally. Eunuch Jang offered that he should do it but he refused. He cannot let any other man touch Min Ji. His young heart just can't let that happen. He can't even bare to see her hurt like this.

"Your Highness, thank you.." Min Ji said softly. Ta Hwan is so focus in treating her wounds that when she speaks for the first time after how he displayed his authority a while ago as a crown prince, he abruptly raised his head to meet her gaze. He is afraid that she might become afraid of him after what he did.

"I'm sorry you have to see that. I don't usually punish people because I don't like violence. However, my father, the Emperor, always remind me that sometimes I need to be brutal in order to protect what I own."

"You own?" Min Ji does not understand what he means.

"Yes, you know in the art of war. To protect your territory you need to be more brutal"

"But you are not in a war, your highness", Min Ji knows that he's trying to avoid admitting that he considers her one of his people.

"I know but what they did is unacceptable! and..and you are..." Ta Hwan can't continue his words.

"And I am what your highness?" Min smiles and continue what he's trying to say. "Your Highness, I am a girl from Goryeo and I am definitely not one of your people. But I do appreciate your protection. You didn't turn a blind eye for the people who needs help. You will be a great king someday."

Ta Hwan is surprised to what she said. Even Eunuch Jang is happy to what she said.

"As long as you are here in Yuan, you are one of my people." Ta Hwan thought that what he did was really not like what Min Ji thought it is but it's alright if she thinks this way. Well for now it is fine. He will definitely let her know someday that she is not just one of his people. She is special.