In old times (and sometimes today), because families had many children, uncles/aunts would be numbered by age (at least in China). Hence, Jimin is Chunghee's fourth uncle. But I'm not sure if this also applies to their degree of kinship since it is a little wider. I'll just use it like this.

Yamato/Wa = ancient Chinese and Korean names for Japan

Palkook/Palguk = literally "8 soups"

Jimin focus

Jimin knocked on the gate of minister Park's mansion. He was about to do something despicable for the sake of the palace's safety. He would spy on his own family. And although his uncle was on bad terms with his father, he had some inhibitions regarding advisor Min's order. But the safety of the princes demanded of him to take action. And it was not his close blood he was spying on, was what he kept telling himself to feel less guilty.

"How may I help young master?" the old servant who had opened the door asked him. "Oh, is that young master Park Jimin?" The door swung open completely.

"It is," Jimin confirmed with a warm smile. "Is my uncle or my cousin at home?" he asked.

"Both masters are present," the servant told him and gestured him to come inside. "Please follow this servant."

Jimin stepped over the threshold and the gate was closed behind him before the old man took the lead. The last time he had been here had been when his nephew Chunghee had his hundred days celebration. It was not a memory to hold dear.

"Minister Park is in his study and young master Park is playing in the west yard with his son," the servant informed him. "Which one does officer Park want to speak first?"

"My cousin," Jimin said, feeling a little relived that he would not be led to his uncle first. Minister Park was a cold and intimidating man which Jimin and his siblings had always feared when he had come to visit them in Busan. Fortunately, those visits had not been too numerous, and most of the time their aunt and the children had come alone because their uncle had been held up in the capital.

"Young master, officer Park is here to see you," the servant announced him once they had entered the inner side yard.

Bogum, even now clad in the blood red of the army, was crouching next to a small boy and showed him how to use a kid-sized bow. A small target on the other end of the yard was surrounded by arrows that had missed their destination.

"Jimin!" his cousin said delighted when he had sighted them and lowered the toy. "You are well. I am glad that you came back in good health." He took the small boy's hand, who looked at Jimin with curious eyes, and walked over to him.

"Cousin Bogum," Jimin greeted the older with a smile and a bow of his head. "And little Chunghee." He smiled even wider at the boy and crouched down to look at his nephew. The boy had grown tall in the years he had not seen him.

"Chunghee, greet uncle Jimin," Bogum told his son who was quick to bow and shyly mumble out an 'uncle four'. "What brings you here?" the older asked, his attentive eyes fixed on Jimin.

Even as children, those eyes had always made Jimin feel like his skin was stripped away to bare his soul, and his father's words echoed in his head. But that was for later. He had to take this step by step.

"I want to ask uncle for a favor," he explained, standing up again. "Since I will be staying at the capital for more than a few days, I find it uncomfortable to trouble the palace with my accommodation. I have family here, so why must I force my way into the palace just because of my father's title." Those words might come across as him not wanting to be overshadowed by his father, but they were a lie. Jimin regretted not being able to see Taehyung for the next time. Their days together seemed to be limited by misfortune this year, but the king's order came first, and at least they had been able to spend the last night together.

"Of course. This will be no problem," Bogum assured him without hesitation and one of his rare broad smiles formed on his lips. When he was smiling like this, he looked so much more approachable, Jimin thought. Many people made the mistake to judge his cousin by his distant behavior and trained expressions, but as family Jimin knew better. His cousin had a big heart for those he loved.

"I shall send someone to the palace to retrieve your belongings and allow you to settle into one of our guestrooms," the older continued and gestured the servant who had opened the door to take care of things.

"That is very kind of you," Jimin replied and smiled at Chunghee again. "Now I can finally spend some time with my nephew."

"Am I that uninteresting?" Bogum frowned playfully and Jimin could feel how the first awkwardness was slowly washed away by the brotherly mood they shared as soldiers.

"We have been talking every evening in Gimcheon. How much can you possibly mope about not seeing your son when you are finally reunited," he retorted with a grin.

"Yah, you ignorant unbound man!" his cousin cried and slung an arm around Jimin's shoulder to pull him into the direction of the southern buildings. "It is time that you get yourself a family as well, so that you will stop looking down on me."

Jimin chuckled and tried to make his cousin trip but failed. When Chunghee saw his father and uncle being so friendly, he awoke from his stupor of politeness and let go of his father's hand to take Jimin's. "Uncle four, uncle four! Will you play with me?" he asked of Jimin who was happy to agree.

"Let me show you to a guestroom, so that you can wash up before lunch," Bogum suggested. "Chunghee, tell lady Ahn to prepare the table for a guest and to bring water to the big guestroom. Uncle Jimin will play with you after lunch."

"Yes, father," Chunghee said and ran off to where Jimin assumed were the kitchens.

With the child gone, his cousin became more serious. "What took you so long?" he asked concerned. "Did they give you trouble?" The older was asking about his order of returning the ashes of the Hwon general.

It had been a difficult task since Jimin could not approach the Baekje camp as a Silla soldier. Thus, he had had to wait until the troops had reached a town and had disguised as a beggar to approach one of the officers. It had cost him some time. And on his way back, his father had asked him to stay for a day.

But he had not been troubled by the Baekje officers. If anything, the men had been truly grateful for prince Namjoon's gesture. Thus, Jimin shook his head. "They seemed to grief the loss of their general very much and were relieved to hear the truth and receive the ashes," he told his cousin.

Bogum nodded with a stern expression. "To kill a general like this," he sighed and shook his head. "Despicable."

Jimin agreed. If a man had done wrong, he must go through trial and receive a sentence. To judge a man without a trial was barbaric and showed a lack of respect before the law. Even a king should never be above the law. That was what emperor Kim and prince Namjoon lived by. And that was what Jimin's family protected with their sword and blood.

"Let us not talk about such a low man," he brushed off the topic. "I feel bad for never visiting Chunghee during my times in the capital. He is four now, or five?"

"Almost five, yes," Bogum answered softly with a hint of melancholy in his sharp eyes.

A father who could not watch his son grow up was truly unfortunate, Jimin thought. "Why do you not move your family to the border?" he asked.

Bogum shook his head. "How can I take a princess so far away from the palace?" he argued.

"How can you leave your wife alone for so long?" Jimin asked in return.

"Did your father not do the same?" his cousin asked with a side-glance and let go of Jimin's shoulders to open the door into the house.

"Yes, he did. And then he missed out on the last days of mother," Jimin pressed out. "It was Jiyeon and aunt Solmi who took care of her and us brothers. He only arrived in time for the funeral." A sudden bitterness filled Jimin's mouth at the memory. He knew that his father's task of guarding the border had been much more difficult back in those days when Goguryeo had not been bound to Silla by marriage of the oldest princess, but as a child you did not understand such things.

Bogum looked at him like he wanted to say something, but his lips did not move.

"I do not hold it against him anymore," Jimin told his cousin. "I just wish not to become the same." It was hypocritical of him to say that when his lover was a prince and he would most likely not have children unless his father found a woman for him to marry, but he would never want to make his loved ones feel abandoned and lonely.

"I will ask the princess for her thoughts on the matter," Bogum gave in and opened the first door in a long hallway on the first floor. "These are the guestrooms. Make yourself at home and then come to the main building for lunch. And... father does not like weapons at the table." With a small smile he gestured at the sword that dangled from Jimin's hips and left him in his room.

The room Jimin had been sent to was comfortably big. It held a broad bed with soft cushioning, a table with ink and brushes and a pillow for sitting, a commode with an empty sword holder, and a closet next to a long mirror and a bathtub. The decoration was subtle but of good taste and Jimin felt like he could spend quite some days here without getting sick of the surroundings.

He unfastened his sword and put in into the holder before taking off his second outer military robes. Now he looked much more like a civilian.

"Officer Park," the voice of an elderly lady startled him out of observing his new environment.

"Madam," he greeted her and gestured her to put down the bowl of water and the towel on the low stool next to the bathtub.

"If young master needs anything, just ask a servant," she said politely and vanished after a deep bow.

><

The atmosphere at the lunch table was anything but amenable. Minister Park and his daughter-in-law avoided looking at Jimin at all costs, faces cold and aloof, and Bogum gave Jimin glances that asked for forgiveness while his son seemed to feel the tension despite his age and kept stuffing his face with food quickly.

"I stayed with father for a day when I came back from mission," Jimin talked into the silence. "We had a long talk about the future of the army and my future, and I thought that uncle and cousin Bogum might be interested in what he had to say."

The muscles in his uncle's face tensed before the man looked at him for the first time and smiled coldly. "Since my nephew seems unable to hold back while we are enjoying our meal, he shall be allowed to speak."

Jimin was used to getting those comments from his uncle since the day he had joined the army, but that did not make it easier to calm his anger. Why must they punish him for who his father was? Just because minister Park was greedy for power and hated his brother, it did not justify his sharp tongue towards his nephew, even if their connection by blood was weak.

Jimin took a deep breath before speaking again. "Father wants cousin Bogum to become the successor to his title," he spat out the news in one go. His patience for using flowery words had come to an end.

Gruffly he took his bowl of wine and emptied it before gesturing the servant next to him to fill it up again. Now it was their turn to say something and he would not help them to overcome the stupor they had fallen under. His uncle straight away stared at him, frozen in motion, princess Dahee was coughing from having swallowed something the wrong way, and Bogum looked at him with big astounded eyes and a small happy smile. Jimin just stared at his plate, for once satisfied with the behavior of his uncle and the princess.

Minister Park was the first to find words. "What changed the general's mind?" he asked and put down the chopsticks to give his full attention to his nephew.

"My father's mind has never been set to begin with," Jimin retorted and looked up to meet his uncle's dead eyes.

The older man seemed to contemplate something before he decided to stay quiet and resumed eating.

So, that was it? That was all the reaction Jimin received for such groundbreaking news? The princess and minister Park had never been subtle about their longing for Bogum to receive the title, and now those were all the words Jimin got to hear from them?

The princess had calmed down her coughing and drank a sip of her tea before she also added something to the conversation. "How does cousin-in-law feel? Has it not been your wish to succeed your father's position?"

Minster Park cleared his throat and reprimanded her with a stern look, but the princess only smiled aloofly and raised an eyebrow at Jimin.

Jimin smiled his best false smile. "Princess, a wise man knows his strengths and weaknesses," were his only words before he turned at Bogum and gave his cousin a true smile. He held no grudge against the other soldier. They had been brothers in arms and Jimin knew of his cousin's extraordinary talent in battle, so he had no regrets or concerns about Bogum becoming general.

His father had been sad to tell him the truth about his decision, but Jimin had been quick to assure him. If he was honest, he had been scared of the title he would receive. He was a soldier with body and soul, but he was not ready to lead and decide over the lives of a few thousand men. Also, his new position would cause him to see Taehyung even less than now, which was already far too little for his taste.

"Cousin Bogum?" he asked, and the older looked at him. "Once you take the title, allow me to leave the army and join the royal guard instead." He stood up to get on one knee and bow his head to his cousin.

"What are you doing? Get up!" the other said shocked and came over to guide him back into a standing position. The sharp eyes searched Jimin's face for something before another small smile grazed the face of his cousin. "It will be hard to replace an officer like you, but how can I deny the heartfelt wish of a brother in arms?"

Jimin smiled back at the older. "Thank you."

"I am the one who needs to thank you, Jimin," the other replied. They both knew that had Jimin insisted on becoming the successor, general Park would have decided in favor of his son. Thus, his father's decision was just as much Jimin's decision and approval.

"Move your family to the border," he told the older. "Do not live like my father."

Bogum nodded and let go of him to sit down again.

"How long will my nephew stay at the capital?" minister Park asked once the two soldiers were seated again. His voice had lost some of the venom it had held before and Jimin could only roll his eyes at such childish demeanor. How such a man had been able to produce such great sons was a miracle to him.

"At least one week. His majesty has not decided, yet," Jimin answered politely and dug into his food with more of an appetite than before.

><

Jimin had visited the market with Bogum and Chunghee, and now he was playing with the little boy and his new wooden sword while the father had been called to the palace. The boy was not bad at using the sword, something he probably was practicing a little longer than the bow his father had taught him this morning, and so Jimin could already show him some tricks and routines.

"Chunghee, come and drink some water," he called for the boy whose face was red from running around the whole afternoon.

With quick little steps the boy came over and almost dropped the bowl Jimin held out for him.

"Take it slow," Jimin told him and took the sword from the small hand to place it on the stairs he was sitting on. "Practice takes time. We should stop for today."

Chunghee shook his head viciously and put down the bowl to grab the little sword again. "Chunghee must become better," he announced.

Jimin chuckled. "Why? Does Chunghee have some enemy he has to defeat?" he asked jokingly but was met with stern eyes in a small face.

"Uncle four, you must not tell," the boy whispered and leaned closer. "Mommy met a bad man," he told Jimin with big eyes.

"A bad man?" Jimin asked concerned. "Did he do something to your mother?" If princess Dahee had been harassed that was not only a matter of the Park family but also of the palace.

But Chunghee shook his head. "But mommy does not like him," the boy said. "Mommy is always nice, but she does not allow him to eat with us." The big eyes looked as if they expected Jimin to evaluate such a situation.

But all Jimin could think of was, "He is living here as well?"

The boy nodded. "The other guest," he said.

"The other guest," Jimin echoed. So, there was a weird man at the mansion who treated princess Dahee strangely? He would have to verify this later. But for now, he had to take care of his nephew. "Do not worry, uncle four will protect your mommy," he assured the boy and took the sword back. "Let us find lady Ahn, so that you can take a bath before dinner."

The boy seemed satisfied and took Jimin's hand without a doubt in his uncle's ability. But Jimin's mind was already far gone. Who was the man the princess was accommodating and why did it seem like his cousin and uncle were not aware of this situation?

><

It was the middle of the night, and Jimin was spying out the other guestrooms on his hallway. Since his nephew had told him about that strange man, he had not been able to think about anything else and had excused himself early after dinner.

Now he was giving all the guestrooms a thorough search for anything out of the ordinary. But so far, he had only found neatly cleaned rooms which looked like no one had lived here for quite some time. With a sigh, he left the fourth room to check the fifth.

The fifth and last room on the hallway was the smallest and least comfortable, a servant's room perhaps. It barely managed to fit a bed and a closet; the coffee table already caused it to be too stuffy. Even the window led out onto the street instead of showing the flower-decorated yard you could look at from all the other guestrooms.

It looked as unused as the rest of the rooms, but still, something felt off about this one. At a closer look, he found the blankets to be less neat and the teacups on the table used. His body tensed. Chunghee had been right. Someone had been here. And that the room had not been cleaned by servants showed that the princess must have kept it a secret.

Without much thinking Jimin made the bed his first target and pulled back the blanket, then the pillow and last the thin mattress. And there it was. The hint he had been sent out to find. Cautious he took the dagger that had been hidden under the mattress and pulled it out of its sheath. He almost dropped it.

A crescent blade with nasty ridges on the bottom half. This was the blade he had fought against when he had waited in the crown prince's bed. But that was impossible. This blade had been dropped by the assassin when Jimin had pierced his arm that night; he had delivered it to advisor Min who had determined it to be a black market good shipped in from Yamato. This blade should be at the palace right now!

But then another encounter flashed through his mind. The forest on their first night of heading out to Gimcheon. He had thrown the assassin's blade after him without taking a good look at the weapon. So, maybe these were twin blades.

Whatever was the truth, this blade showed that princess Dahee had gotten her hands into something she should not have meddled with. Jimin had to report to advisor Min.

><

The strange shorthaired man had told him that he would wait at the corner of Palkook restaurant every day for an hour in case Jimin had found something he wanted to report. Thus, Jimin had went out this morning to find the palace employee and hand over the dagger. But there was no face that had the cat eyes and gruff expression of the man, so Jimin concluded the other had been held up in the palace and decided to wait for him.

To pass the time, he sat down in the shadow of the restaurant and watched the vendors praising their goods. The mornings were lively on the streets. Housekeepers sent their kitchen servants to buy food for the day, mothers and children of rich families strolled the market for toys and jewelry, and the night guard filled the food vendor tables to get a good breakfast. It was a colorful mix of people of all kinds.

"You have something for me?" a voice rasped next to Jimin and almost made him jump out of his skin.

"For Buddha's sake!" he shouted but a hand was quick to clasp over his mouth and cut off his sentence.

"Could you be less showy," the man hissed and sat down next to him, a hood pulled over his short hair and a beard covering his features that Jimin had never seen on him before.

"Advisor Min?" he asked confused. "Is that really you?"

Two annoyed black eyes looked at him. "I can't be seen outside the palace," the man explained flatly. "Now, what do you have?"

Jimin pulled the dagger from his lapels and handed it over. The other pulled out the blade and sucked in a breath at the sight of the ridges. "It's the same."

Jimin nodded. "It must be twin blades," he told the other of his suspicion. "I found it in one of the guestrooms at the Park mansion."

The advisor was quiet, so Jimin decided to utter some of his other thoughts.

"I know that cousin Bogum would never do something like this, and my uncle has better things to do than to kill the crown prince, so please do not make things difficult for them," he asked of the shorthaired.

"Who does officer Park think I am?" the reply was. And before Jimin could make a snappy remark, "Don't answer that."

Jimin snorted.

"It would be good if officer Park found evidence for the poisoning as well," the man continued. "So that we can completely cross out Hwon as a suspect."

Jimin nodded. Advisor Min had explained the situation to him and had made his cousin-in-law out to be the main suspect in the whole ordeal. And since Jimin had no special feelings for the princess, he had agreed to spy on her. "I will try my best," he promised.

"Then I'll leave first," advisor Min said and stood up to leave. "Officer Park."

Jimin stood up as well. "Advisor Min should keep the beard. It makes him look more important," he teased the other but was ignored. All he could do was watching the cloak vanish behind the next corner with a pout. This man was hard to understand and much harder to rile up.

>><<