Although it was not the main reason for the agreement that had been concluded, the former Crown Prince Yi Ho took genuine pleasure in the body he had received. Over the course of a hundred years he had managed to forget how delightful it was to run one’s fingertips over skin, to take a sip of cold water, to breathe in the scent of smoldering incense, and to feel the body shiver from the morning chill.

  When he first opened his new eyes, he lay still for a while, simply rediscovering himself. He breathed, blinked, listened to the creak of floorboards. Life was vivid and sharp in its smallest manifestations, from a sunbeam slipping into his eyes to a piece of kimchi held between chopsticks.

  The young prince’s body suited his own habits remarkably well. It was tall, trained, resilient, with good eyesight and keen hearing. Yi Ho could once again be himself, almost without restraint and with little need to hide. Just as that official had said, Great Prince Seojin had no close friends, all his servants were new, and very few people knew the elder prince’s habits or preferences. Any missteps in current politics or names could be explained by the fact that Great Prince Seojin had only recently returned to court. He needed to remain cautious in the presence of the king and, perhaps, the chief eunuch, but no one else would be able to discern the difference between two educated princes devoted to their country.

  Yi Ho even felt a twinge of regret that he could not remain in this body longer. He might have gained a second chance to realize the reforms he had once nurtured so carefully and, who knew, help the people of Joseon achieve prosperity at least in this life.

  For now, however, that was not the point. His stay in the prince’s body was maintained by yellow paper stripes with vermilion characters painted in cinnabar, which the eunuch attached to the inside of his clothing. They had to be renewed twice a day to keep the bond firm, and there were not many of them.

  In twenty days, Yi Ho would have to leave this body or find a reason to obtain more of those talismans.

  As for the body’s rightful owner, his presence felt like a heaviness after a rich meal. Slightly uncomfortable, but not truly obstructive. It made itself known, pressed from within, but did not determine thoughts or actions.

  On the morning when Yi Ho first awoke in another’s body, he had to hurry to catch up with the embassy. He left the palace at dawn and spent the entire day in the saddle, nearly running the horse to exhaustion and thoroughly wearing out the poor eunuch. They spent the night in one of the towns on the northern road. Eunuch Mo groaned, clutched his backside, and could barely stand after the long ride. Yi Ho sent him to rest, then shut himself in a private room at the inn, sat down, and spoke, staring at the wall.

  “Great Prince Seojin, listen to me.”

  The presence within him seemed to stir, and he continued.

  “My name is Yi Ho. I am the spirit of your ancestor. I do not wish you harm, and I have taken your body only temporarily. Do not resist me. You cannot break the spell until the proper moment arrives. I know you are worried that this may be treason. Cast those fears aside. Everything I do, I do for the beloved Joseon. I know that you love it as well, but cannot express your feelings out of modesty, so I will help you obtain the title that will lead you to the throne. Do not resist and do not be troubled. When you awaken, you will be Crown Prince, just as I once was.”

  Deciding that his exhortation had achieved its purpose, Yi Ho rose, threw on a warm cloak, and went out into the city. He did not want to lose a single moment of this new life. To walk the streets, to look at the stars in the black sky through wind-stung eyes, to feel the ice crack in a puddle beneath his boot, was infinitely more wonderful than resting in a cramped room on the second floor of a wretched tavern.

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  On the third day, when they should already have caught up with the embassy, Yi Ho was forced to remember the shortcomings of a mortal body. Even if his own will did not wish to waste a moment, the body still required sleep. He and the accompanying eunuch stopped for a midday meal in some village, and the body refused to obey him. It had already felt sluggish lately, and now his legs would not move, his head grew heavy, and his eyes closed on their own. Yi Ho felt himself being drawn into the abyss of another’s sleep.

  It was dark there, oppressive. Blades flashed, and blood flowed. The night was filled with flickering torches and the cries of the dying. Great Prince Seojin dreamed of killing his younger brother in a bloody battle, driving arrow after arrow into him with his own hands. Yi Ho was even surprised by the intensity of that hatred. From the outside, when he had seen the prince at court, he had seemed far calmer. But the dream allowed him to look into the great prince Seojin’s heart, and he understood that the boy was not as naive as he had first appeared.

  Yi Ho himself had once failed to recognize the threat posed by his own younger brother and stepmother, while this one had already understood everything, only did not know how to rid himself of the serpent warming itself at his side. In this, Yi Ho was prepared to help his distant descendant.

  Unfortunately, the exhausted body of said descendant slept for nearly a full day. Yi Ho awoke only the next morning, when the sun was already high. Eunuch Mo, visibly anxious, sprang to his bedside, apparently having managed to move the sleeping prince to a more suitable place from the table.

  “Crown Prince!” he exclaimed.

  “Yes, it is I,” Yi Ho replied. “Did you manage to renew the talismans?”

  “Of course, of course. Oh, how worried I was,” the eunuch wailed.

  “I think I was wrong to neglect sleep for so long,” Yi Ho said, stifling a yawn. “I shall have to be more careful. Remind me of this.”

  “Certainly, Crown Prince,” the eunuch nodded rapidly.

  The embassy had again moved ahead, and this delay ultimately cost them two more days of travel. Before Anju, a snowfall began, the road was blocked, and they nearly lost their way. Yi Ho caught a distant scent of smoke by sheer luck. They turned their horses into the wind and eventually spotted lights above the city gates. The guards reported that the Qing carts had entered the city only an hour earlier, and despite the fallen night, Yi Ho decided to pay a visit to the envoy without delay.

  The envoy was no simple man. He was educated and pleasant in conversation.

  The younger brother of Great Prince Seojin, seen up close, turned out to be even more unpleasant than Yi Ho had imagined. He knew that type well, people with sweet smiles and soothing voices, always happy to plunge a dagger into your back. From the outset, he intended to make it clear that such deception would not work on him. Great Prince Dojun seemed to understand the hint, though not immediately.

  After supper, he waylaid Yi Ho on the gallery leading to the wing of the house assigned to them and whispered anxiously,

  “I did not expect to see you here, elder brother. What happened?”

  “As I told you, I am investigating a certain matter,” Yi Ho replied, using the prearranged excuse. The official who had summoned him had mentioned that the prince had business at the Inspectorate, which proved convenient. “Was I required to report to you in advance?”

  “No, of course not,” Great Prince Dojun faltered. “I simply thought… Do you think it wise to demonstrate our mutual hostility so openly to the envoy?”

  “Does something about that displease you?” Yi Ho raised an eyebrow. “You did not really think I would hand you this prize, younger brother?”

  Great Prince Dojun gave him a strange look, but quickly returned a courteous expression to his face. A cunning serpent.

  “You must be tired from the road, elder brother,” he said ingratiatingly. “Allow me to see you to your chambers.”

  “That is unnecessary,” Yi Ho replied coolly. “Go to your own quarters before you catch cold.”

  Large snowflakes whirled down from the sky. Great Prince Dojun bowed and finally departed. Yi Ho exhaled and extended his hand, catching the snowflakes in his palm. They pricked him with tiny icy needles and immediately dissolved into clear tears. Life was enchanting.