CHAPTER 1

The Lives Of Sungkyunkwan Confucius Scholars

The Lives Of Sungkyunkwan Confucius Scholars

TRANSLATED BY JESSMIE 1

The Lives Of Sungkyunkwan Confucius Scholars

CHAPTER 1 (The first encounter of the Sun Joon and Yoon Hee. At the preliminary examination hall entrance.) The Woman Scholar The pretty student, she seems to have a hard time carrying a bundle of books. She entered the book store with a bundle of books in her hands, and look for the Book store’s owner. “Is there anyone here?” She tried to hide her thin voice and try hard to sound like a man. The Book Store owner comes out, then she asks him. “Ah, little brother.” “Is there no particular work recently?” The student asked while smiling, she has a gentle brow like a streamer. She really is pretty, then the owner says. “How could there be no job? Little brother, don’t you know it’s so difficult to find you?” “Is it a big deal?” The pretty face of the student becomes frightened. “Exactly, it’s a big deal, a big deal.” The student seems frightened than the shop owner who seems relaxed. “Before that, I’ll put this first, then let’s talk.” She took the bundle and place at the side of the table, then the owner walked so relaxed. “You don’t have to rush to give me this early.” After saying that, he counts the items. Then the student asked about the payment of it. “Please check it before you take it, clear the total amount of payment.” “No, little brother, you always scribing, right? And don’t ….” “Ah! How could you be like that? If people heard you, what will you do then?” 2

The Lives Of Sungkyunkwan Confucius Scholars The student was so anxious to look at the people around, she’s a little furious with the owner. The owner restrains his voice and say. “Little brother, have you heard about the preliminary exam will be starting soon?” She went to that publishing house because of that matter. She really wanted to take the preliminary exam, but even though how hard she tried she can’t. Because she’s a woman. Even if it’s wrong, she keeps on helping others to scribe for them and she couldn’t take an exam. But because of this work she could earn money for her family. This time a very beautiful woman has come over, but who is she? “She’s so beautiful a Gisaeng from Johyeon.” A man from the corner said. Because nobody notice of her arrival, the student don’t notice too that this Gisaeng was looking at her. Maybe because her look stands out that she caught her attention. The student saw that all was busy preparing for the exam, she just heaves a sigh and leave the Book Store and return home. Yoon Hee’s family’s financial situation is not so good. At that time the Namin and Noron factions were the two political parties. Because the Namin’s cabinet minister has been identified guilty of the crime toward the King. Therefore, all Namin’s offspring is forbidden to participate in the exam and enter the Sungkyunkwan. Yoon Hee’s father belongs to Namin faction, her mother is in Noron faction. At that time in spite the two parties are fighting, they united after her father died. But before he died, he taught Yoon Hee everything. Her father died wrongly, he feels sorry for his children that they cannot take an exam, and let Yoon Hee to suffer and even more live in despair. Her younger brother was sickly that recently even going out of the house is hard for him. Yoon Hee used her brother’s name plate and disguise herself as a man, and be a substitute to take the exam to support her family. But this time Yoon Hee and her mother decide to use her brother’s identity to take the exam. And if she passed, she could get an official post, then she’ll handed it to her brother, then they can improve their family status then she can marry to a right person. Everything was planned. Yoon Hee went to the examination hall. Today, the weather is really hot, the examinees bring mats. Yoon Hee already knew the examination hall will be in the public square, so she expects it will be really hot. She didn’t buy a mat because it’s really expensive and didn’t have the money for it to buy. 3

The Lives Of Sungkyunkwan Confucius Scholars It seems she doesn’t care about this, but she’s really nervous. It seems like she can’t write even a one character. Actually Yoon Hee was an easy learner, it’s all thanks to her father. At that time his father was reading book and she’s not aware she has been influenced. Now Yoon Hee was really nervous. She doesn’t go there to substitute nor to be a scriber, rather to truly participate in the exam. Yoon Hee suddenly recalls the time when she was studying, it seems the more we study the more we understand less, But the more we don’t understand the more we eager for knowledge. When she was a scriber she learned so much, but now seems everything has gone. Yoon Hee’s arrive at the examination hall at Sungkyunkwan’s Bicheondang. When she arrives there it seems like she saw her Mother and brother, she encourage herself. She walked so relaxed. She saw all the examinees all bring a mat, but she doesn’t have one. The sky becomes more and more bright, it’s already crowded at the gate of the examination hall. She has seen there some scriber, and some noble man’s servants, that when the gate’s open those servants will storm into it and will occupy a seat for their young masters. Yoon Hee seen many servants and scriber, they’re all tall. “How come you don’t need a scriber?” “I heard that the King will come to be a proctor.” “You talk nonsense.” “Aiya!, seems you don’t know anything. Last year it’s really crowded, and that time they discover many examinees used scribers.” “In short, we need to be careful. Everyone knows the disposition of the King, he’s more terrible than the previous, Yong Jong” “The present King is highly intelligent, he can’t be easily fooled.” “That’s right! I heard that the Left State Minister’s son will take the preliminary exam.” “What? It’s really difficult to disobey the King. This year the small branch should recognize him, right?” “What do you mean? What’s with the King?” “You don’t know? This noble man’s son is known for being so intelligent, but he refused to be a scholar and still shallow. He didn’t want to take the Imperial examination and continue to immerse himself in books. The Left State Minister considered as the central power of Norons. And according to them, he may have a position in the Imperial court, but he refused, so the Left State Minister is so worried. But he later gave an order from the Emperor that he’ll be participating in the Imperial Examination. What method did the King used? The King came down, it’s wrong to not take that exam.” “Maybe it’s the rumors whose difficult to deal with, I’m hungry, I’m afraid to reveal this secret until now, and to take the Imperial Exam. Ha ha ha this time I’ll throw my shame.”

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The Lives Of Sungkyunkwan Confucius Scholars Yoon Hee heard the people’s talking, then the Examination hall’s gate has open. When the gate opens up all at once the people desperately want to enter the gate and it’s now unable to stop the crowd. Not only the crowd makes her frightened, but also those who occupy a place in the examination hall for the others, they are all men compared to her. The crowd pushed her farther and farther away and this time she’s about to stumble to someone’s leg, she trembles. If you fall in this crowd expect you could crush to death. At that moment the sky turns gray and someone reaches a hand to grab Yoon Hee’s arm and pulls her toward him. With that sudden fall makes her frightened, although she didn’t know who helped her, but yet she finds comfort in him. Once the crowd calms down Yoon Hee looks at the man who grabbed her hand. Yoon Hee lifted her head to thanks to whom this hand belongs. But her eyes went to the man’s slender white neck, and to his prominent Adam’s apple, she thinks to herself that it’s normal for men to have an Adam’s apple. She then immediately lowers her head and cover up her neck. “Although we have never met before, but thanks for saving me, I’m really thankful” “You don’t need to thank for such a thing, it’s nothing.” Even as the man speaks, he didn’t let go of Yoon Hee’s hand. “I- I’m alright now, you can let go of my hand.” “Who could say that the crowd won’t stir up again? So it’s better if we stay like this until we could enter the examination hall.” “I- I don’t want to trouble you.” “If we stay like this I won’t be pushed away by the crowd either, so just let us help one another, okay…?” That man has an uncommon easiness and calmness than to the anxious and agitated crowd. As if he doesn’t come to take an examination rather he has come just to visit. Because of that Yoon Hee become worried and can’t wait to disappear. Because of her curiosity to his appearance, she raised her head, but can only see his Adams apple and shoulder. The crowd slowly calms and Yoon Hee now can move easily, she lifts her head higher to see his face. As soon she saw the man’s face, she’s surprised that she immediately lowers her head, because his face is so beautiful that she blushed the moment she saw his face. The Noble man is really handsome that she almost forgot that she’s a man. “You look so young, is this also your first time to take an exam?” Yoon Hee startled with that sudden question. She answered in a very refine voice. “Ye – yes.” “Nice to meet you, this is also my first time.” 5

The Lives Of Sungkyunkwan Confucius Scholars “Ni- nice to meet you too.” “I see you didn’t bring a mat, so I guess it’s your first time.” “It’s not because I don’t know that I forgot it, but because I can’t afford to buy it.” “How about we share in my mat, the other examinees all have a companion, and I’m worried to sit in this big mat alone.” “No, no need, I can’t trouble you.” “Don’t worry.” (Sun Joon’s servant is tall, in Yoon Hee’s guide she helped them to take a good seat. The test has begun Yoon Hee makes a draft and transfer to test paper, but Sun Joon writes directly on the test paper and it makes her worried when she saw it because she not confident in her answer but she still manage to be calm and answer the test paper. He had finished writing and he saw her style of calligraphy, she writes the characters in a fast and beautiful way, he waits for her to finish so that they could pass the test paper together) The Noble man not yet passed the test paper, rather, he’s sits straight and silently fanning, waiting for her to finish. Although she’s done, but she’s not satisfied with her answer, but still she finished. She stood up and looked at him. He closed the fan and ask her strongly, but in a gentle voice saying. “Are you done?” Yoon Hee’s very surprised, she says. “If you’re done already you should pass the test paper, don’t you know it’s better to pass the paper early?” “I want to wait for you so we can pass the paper together, if I have already passed it you’ll be anxious or maybe make an error. If you leave after you finished, I would feel the same way.” Indeed, he makes people puzzled. It’s only natural she’ll be anxious if he really passed the test paper and leaves. But even so, for the first time you met someone, can you be this so concern? Why does this man have so much easiness? These two pass the test paper. Yoon Hee hurriedly stand up and said… “I’m done so let’s pass the paper quickly.” “The ink hasn’t dried yet, analyze your writing carefully, then let’s pass it, it’s not yet late.” “It’s not necessary, analyzing will likely make mistakes so it’s better to pass it now.” (The examinees are all outside anywhere under the trees doing an exam and the weather is very hot. After the two have passed the test paper and get out they saw a worker going around carrying out water to drink for the examinees)

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The Lives Of Sungkyunkwan Confucius Scholars The noble man orders a cup of water, he drinks a half of a cup and gave the remaining half of cup to her. In a moment she hesitates to drink, will she drink the water that he put his lips on? She thinks to herself, there’s nothing weird about it, since both of them are supposed to be men. Will she endure all day not drinking a water in this very hot day? She can’t ask him to give her a new bowl, and she’s thirsty, so it’s not like she can refuse it so she take the bowl and drink it. That water is sweet as a sugar. She doesn’t know is it because she’s so thirsty or it is because the touch of his lips. As they leave Yoon Hee say. “Thank you, we had finished the exam smoothly. I don’t know what I would have done if I didn’t meet you.” “We just helped each other… That’s all, will you take the second exam the day after tomorrow?” “Yes, whether I become Jinsa or Saeng-won, at least I could pass the entrance exam then it’s enough.” “Where’s the test area?” “I was told it was at Yehjo” “I’ll be there, so we can meet the day after tomorrow.” (Jinsa & Saeng-won are the two admission exams, if students pass either exam, they would given an opportunity to be accepted at the Sungkyunkwan.) Yoon Hee looks excited, but she can’t show her smile to him so she turns toward the other way to hide her smile, Sun Joon laughed and say. “Why are you like that? I’m very happy, but you seem not happy about it.” “No, no it isn’t, of course I’m happy.” “Although I really want to talk with you a little more, but it’s already sunset and maybe you’re already tired, I’m sorry for the trouble and goodbye.” “You don’t need to be so polite.” Although Yoon Hee wants to stay with him a little more, but she bows and give her regards to him. “Then take care.” He earnestly bows and give his regards. “So the day after tomorrow, let’s meet in front of Yehjo.” She once again bows and leave. Soondol saw her shadow along the road gradually fading and said.. “That scholar well finished his writings didn’t he? He’s so young, how can he write so many characters? And if you look at him it seems like he’s weak and can’t hold the brush so well.” 7

The Lives Of Sungkyunkwan Confucius Scholars The noble man didn’t say anything, he just silently watches her shadow to fade away. “Somewhat I’ve seen something, but I can’t describe it. My eyes see it, but I can’t believe it.” Soondol don’t understand what these means, Sun Joon smiles slightly and say. “Soondol, can you describe that good-looking man just a moment ago?” “What? How could I? aiyo…” “I can’t describe it, that man’s test paper and his appearance as if are the same, I can’t describe it. Soondol, I participate in the examination it’s not because I’m afraid of the King. But because I want to read many books, but it’s seems it’s not like that. Maybe I want to go there because I want to see that friend that have the same goal as mine. So I’ll go there.” “But Young Master, I know you’re really kind, even to a servant just like me. But why you seem so concerned with someone that you’ve just met?” “I’m concerned?” “Yes, it seems a little bit strange.” “Really? Do I look like that?” “Yes!” The man starts running towards where Yoon Hee disappeared. Soondol surprised, he follows. The two find Yoon Hee, trekking not too far away. He reaches out for her arm and turns her around, that makes Yoon Hee almost scream. “I’ve forgotten something.” “What?” “We’ve almost forgotten to introduce ourselves.” Yoon Hee had realized this earlier, but she had kept quiet, as to be not found out that she’s a woman. Soondol grins and mutters. “I believe it’s something important, just say you’re concerned.” The nobleman gave him a ‘don’t-talk-non-sense’ expression. He earnestly says to Yoon Hee. “I’m Lee Sun Joon, my hometown is in Chen Sheng, I’m 20 year old.” Yoon Hee hesitates first. She’s 19 years old, but she used the age of her younger brother. “I’m Kim Yoon Shik, I have a younger brother, I’m 18 years old, my hometown is in Andong.”

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The Lives Of Sungkyunkwan Confucius Scholars After smiling widely he bow and leave. Yoon He stares at his rear view, although he looks small next with Soondol but he’s a tall man, with his broad shoulder, slender waist and leg, he’s perfect. “Lee Sun Joon…” Yoon Hee remember Sun Joon’s name and his breath smell nice.

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