Chapter 33: In the Human World, April's Fragrance Ends (4)
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 33: In the Human World, April's Fragrance Ends (4)
“My name is Jin Geol.”
The poor Confucian scholar, whose robes were patched in several places, introduced himself.
“What you said earlier was quite impressive. ‘There is no sin in self-interest. If there is no wickedness in one’s thoughts, then the accumulation of private deeds can form a great good.’ Hah… I believe those words are as valuable as the teachings of Confucius and Mencius.”
Worthy of being compared to the teachings of Confucius and Mencius.
It was an incredible compliment. To put it in 21st-century terms, it was no different from saying, “Wow, you’re on the same level as Jesus.”
But Yeon So-wol wasn’t particularly surprised.
Of course. It’s a quote from Adam Smith.
It was a legendary phrase, the very starting point of modern economics. In Yeon So-wol’s mind, it was only natural for it to be ranked alongside the Great Sages. If anything, it was even more significant.
“Hoh. To hear such praise and remain so composed…? I like you even more!”
Only after hearing the subsequent sound transmission did So-wol belatedly realize, Ah, was I thinking too much like a modern person? But there was no need to explain himself.
“This is the only way I can help,” Jin Geol whispered suddenly. He recited a line of poetry through sound transmission.
A Cup of Wine in the Spring Breeze (桃李春風一杯酒)
>
Ten Years of Night Rain in the Jianghu (江湖夜雨十年燈)
Amid the peach and plum blossoms in the spring breeze, we shared a cup of wine,
But in the night rain of the Jianghu, for ten long years, I’ve only faced a lamp.
Yeon So-wol blinked. What is this?
Jin Geol’s voice clung to his ear. “Remember it. It’s the Chief Daoist of Yanggwang’s favorite poem. It might be of some help.”
Yeon So-wol quickly analyzed the verses.
‘A Cup of Wine in the Spring Breeze’ and ‘Ten Years of Night Rain in the Jianghu.’ He’s contrasting the flower-filled spring breeze with the rainy nights of the Jianghu. In the spring, they were happy, sharing wine; but in the Jianghu, they were lonely, facing a single lamp for ten years. He also used the contrast of one and ten. So this is how classical Chinese poetry is structured.
With the skills he’d honed solving high-level literature problems, he finished his analysis in an instant and memorized the poem.
“Since you’re a man of the Jianghu, he won’t expect much,” Jin Geol added. “Just the fact that you know this poem should be enough to score some points. If you get the chance.”
Yeon So-wol gave a slight nod of gratitude. Jin Geol grinned and cut the transmission.
*
Seo Myeong-eum, the Chief Daoist of Yanggwang, finally spoke.
“Do you know why I am fond of bonsai?”
The small, potted trees nearly filled the entire pavilion. Seo Myeong-eum gazed at them with a pleased expression.
“It is because raising a person is just like tending to a bonsai. You must cut away the branches that grow wrongly, protect the ones that grow well, and ensure they do not overstep their bounds, moving them to a fitting pot at the proper time.”
He gestured behind him. The young attendants who had been waiting neatly stacked small, one-tael gold and silver ingots in front of him. The watching scholars swallowed hard.
“People are the same. One must constantly check their achievements, praising them when they do well and punishing them when they do poorly.”
Seo Myeong-eum’s gaze swept across the scholars.
“Today, I shall evaluate you all, praising what is good and rebuking what is not. Now, come forward one by one and receive a cup of wine from me.”
The first scholar stepped forward. As Seo Myeong-eum filled his cup to the brim, he recited a line of poetry.
“Peach Blossoms Flowing Away (桃花流水杳然去)”
It was a poem by Li Bai. The peach blossoms drift far away on the flowing water. The original line that followed was ‘There is another world, not of the human realm.’
But the scholar, upon receiving the cup, answered with a line of his own creation.
“A piece of my loyal heart remains certain (一片丹心確然存)”
My unwavering loyalty remains certain in my heart.
Seo Myeong-eum’s face twisted into a deep frown.
“Wrong!”
The booming voice was shocking, coming from such a frail, old body. Every scholar in the pavilion winced.
“You have completely ignored the sentiment contained within Peach Blossoms Flowing Away! To disregard the context and brazenly boast of your own loyalty—what is that if not the act of a sycophant! How pathetic must your training be for your reading of a poem to produce something so shallow!”
The scholar’s face turned deathly pale. His hand trembled violently, spilling wine onto the floor.
“Be gone!”
The scholar placed the cup on the table and fled down the stairs as if escaping for his life.
“Next.”
One by one, the exchanges continued. When a response pleased him, Seo Myeong-eum would say, “Correct!” and bestow a silver ingot on the spot.
But if the answer was wrong, he was merciless. “Wrong!”
Many scholars left the pavilion trembling. The pile of silver on the table dwindled, while the number of untouched wine cups grew. The gold, however, remained untouched.
Finally, it was the turn of Jin Geol, who sat beside Yeon So-wol. Seo Myeong-eum filled a cup and recited:
“A Single Falling Petal Diminishes the Spring (一片花飛減却春)”
A poem by Du Fu. As a single petal flies away, so the spring is diminished.
Before even answering, Jin Geol drained the cup. He let out a satisfied breath and replied:
“Half a piece of my heart blushes red, daring to offer a cup to my lord (半片心丹敢醋君)”
“Well, look at this one.” The corners of Seo Myeong-eum’s wrinkled mouth twitched upward. “I just rebuked someone for their ‘single piece of loyal heart,’ and you bring me ‘half a piece of a blushing heart.’”
Jin Geol smiled calmly. Seo Myeong-eum smiled back.
“Very correct. To the sentiment of lamenting the fading spring, you respond by offering a drink as half your heart reddens. It can be interpreted as an offering to a friend or a lover, and at the same time, as an offering of loyalty to the sovereign. Very good indeed.”
“Thank you.”
“Using ‘half a piece’ instead of a ‘single piece’ was also appropriate. It reveals the heart of a practitioner who is not yet whole, and it reflects the heart of an old minister whose spring has all but passed. Exquisite.”
“I am humbled.”
“The rhyme, matching chun with gun, was also excellent. Take this.”
For the first time that day, Seo Myeong-eum offered a gold ingot. Jin Geol bowed deeply and returned to his seat. When his eyes met Yeon So-wol’s, he gave a quick wink.
Now it was Yeon So-wol’s turn. He was nervous, but he also felt a strange sense of exhilaration.
This kind of atmosphere… it’s familiar.
The cold life of a student preparing for exams, where right and wrong were clearly divided—Yeon So-wol had been a predator in that jungle of paper. Despite Jin Geol’s warnings about this being a sham, So-wol felt a surge of confidence.
If it’s like this, I can win.
“Next.”
Yeon So-wol strode forward confidently.
Trickle, trickle—
Seo Myeong-eum filled his cup to the brim.
“A Cup of Wine in the Spring Breeze (桃李春風一杯酒)”
Here it is!
The poem by Huang Tingjian. The peach blossoms are red, the plum blossoms white. Amid such a flower-filled spring breeze, you and I shared a cup of wine.
The original line that followed was about missing each other for ten years, unable to meet. The scholars, reading between the lines, held their breath.
Could a mere martial artist from the Jianghu possibly know that poem?
He bestowed a line about friendship and longing… The Master must have taken a liking to that man.
It’s more than just liking him. Isn’t that an invitation to take the imperial examination? He’s saying, ‘You will long for this day for the rest of your life, so leave the lonely Jianghu and come serve in office.’
But Yeon So-wol’s mind wasn’t filled with the complex calculations of the scholars. Replying to a poem by embedding subtle political feelings? There was no way a 21st-century person could immediately grasp something more difficult than Kyoto-style indirect speech.
Instead, he did what he was used to: he hunted for the ‘right answer’ as if he were solving a literature exam.
It’s the one. A question I knew in advance. No need to be scared.
He felt a sense of gratitude toward Jin Geol for the cheat sheet and reviewed the line he had prepared.
The parallel structure is perfect. It shows respect by alluding to the original. And the meaning is a perfect fit for the current situation!
Yeon So-wol replied:
“In the Jianghu’s night revelry, a hundred thousand lanterns rise (江湖夜遊十萬燈)”
“…”
“…”
“Gasp…”
One of the scholars audibly choked.
Is he insane? He completely flipped the original meaning! It’s a poem of loneliness, but he turned it into feasting and having fun!
No. This is a highly calculated move. He noticed that Master Seo Myeong-eum was subtly suggesting a government post.
‘A cup of wine in your flower-filled breeze? Well, the Jianghu has a hundred thousand lanterns.’ Is that what he just said to Master Seo Myeong-eum?
He challenged him head-on! What kind of nerve is that!
Amidst the collective shock, Seo Myeong-eum let out a dry laugh. “Heh. Heheh?”
Yeon So-wol was just confused. Why is the mood like this…?
Seo Myeong-eum narrowed his eyes at the young man. “First the father gets one over on me, and now the son does the same.”
Yeon So-wol’s eyes widened.
“Hah. To say such a thing and still meet my gaze directly. Your spirit is truly out of the ordinary.” Seo Myeong-eum chuckled. “Very well. Originally, I planned to give you a gold ingot and the promised treasured sword regardless of your answer, but since you’ve come at me like this, I must test you further.”
What… did I do?
To the bewildered Yeon So-wol, Seo Myeong-eum asked: “Your father told me he intends to subjugate the bandits of Mount Cheonro himself.”
“Yes.”
“However, it is said, ‘Let the ruler be a ruler, the minister a minister, the father a father, and the son a son.’ The people must be like the people. But the people’s duty is not to take up the sword. And yet your father, one of the people, comes to me and says he will take up the sword and asks for my help. How should I answer him? If the people take up the sword, are they truly any different from bandits?”
A cold sweat broke out on Yeon So-wol’s back.
This is… a question about vigilantism.
It was a problem that hadn’t been solved even in the 21st century. It was a noisy issue—constant debates about self-defense, weak laws, and whether one could live with injustice. Legally, private justice was forbidden, but human hearts didn’t work that way.
In short, it was a trap. Even a top-tier university student would find it hard to answer according to the common sense and scholarly principles of this world.
Yeon So-wol made a decision. Okay. Let’s just admit I don’t know.
He knew how teachers worked. They hated it when you pretended to know something you didn’t, but they also hated it if you just gave up.
First, I’ll admit I don’t know, and then I’ll ask a follow-up question. That’s the right move.
The picture-perfect posture of a model student.
Yeon So-wol took a deep breath. “I am too foolish to find the answer. To reply, I must first know what Sage Learning says of the people. However, my learning is still shallow, and I have not yet had the chance to learn about the people.”
The scholars frowned.
He doesn’t know about the people?
But the people are the foundation.
His true colors are finally showing.
Small murmurs of ridicule spread. But Yeon So-wol continued.
“I have read various classics under my father, but they were all about the Way and Principle. In the books I have read, I have never seen a detailed discussion of the People and their Livelihood. But since the people are called the foundation, there must surely be detailed research and teachings on them. After all, the branches can only stand straight if the roots are strong.”
Suddenly, the air in the pavilion shifted.
“Uh…?” one of the scholars let out a deflated sound.
The same question bloomed in everyone’s mind. Come to think of it, a book that deals with the People and their Livelihood in detail… have I read one?
No. This book is about the Way. That one is about Principle. The People and their Livelihood are…
In that strange silence, Yeon So-wol’s voice rang out.
“All this foolish one knows is that the people grieve, they rage, they beat their own chests, and sometimes, they take up swords. What my father intends to do is a part of that. I am sure that Sage Learning has already conducted detailed research on this matter. For if the great teachings merely tell the weeping, sword-wielding people to simply endure, it could not be called a great teaching.”
“…”
The silence in the pavilion was now terrifyingly heavy.
“Why do the people act this way? How can their hearts be comforted? How should one govern the people who weep and take up swords so that there is no injustice? No, in the first place, what are the measures to prevent such a situation? Even if not put into practice, the research must have been done. If you would teach me that, I will engrave it upon my heart.”
Seo Myeong-eum couldn’t say a word.
He was different from the scholars whose learning was shallow. His mind was filled with administrative records, laws, and the harsh reality of the economy. He had agonized over the people starving to death.
But he could not open his mouth.
In the end, didn’t we just fret over it among ourselves, failing to implement anything? Did we truly treat the People and their Livelihood as the foundation? Is it not because we failed that men like Lee Yu-baek and Yeon So-wol must exist?
While Seo Myeong-eum remained silent, the scholars lamented.
What a scathing critique.
He knows everything and is saying this to our faces.
The words are so sharp, yet they do not deviate from reason.
After a long silence, Seo Myeong-eum finally spoke.
“I… am ashamed.”
Not “correct.” Not “wrong.” But “ashamed.”
He looked between Lee Yu-baek and Yeon So-wol, then muttered bitterly, “You two are truly people of the Jianghu.”
He glanced at the bonsai filling the pavilion. “Some trees are straight on their own, and on their own, they are green.” He turned to the attendants. “Bring what was prepared.”
Soon, a box was placed before Lee Yu-baek. Inside was a heaping pile of one-tael gold ingots. It was an immense amount of wealth.
“As we are not in a position to directly mobilize troops, I will assist by emptying my private coffers. If you spread that gold, it should be easier to gather righteous knight-errants of the Jianghu.”
“Thank you, Master Wang.” Lee Yu-baek bowed deeply.
“And this is a military tally.” Seo Myeong-eum held out a pouch containing a wooden token split in half. “This is the temporary military authority that I, the Chief Daoist of Yanggwang, bestow upon Lee Yu-baek of Xinxing County. Your strike against Mount Cheonro is no longer a private matter, but an affair of the state—and my responsibility.”
“Th-thank you.” Lee Yu-baek’s lips trembled. He had never expected this much support.
Seo Myeong-eum turned to Yeon So-wol. An attendant presented a treasured sword—the one promised upon arrival.
“Take it away!” Seo Myeong-eum waved his hand. “Bring me my Demon-Slaying Sword.”
An attendant came running, cradling a large sword in his arms.
“Though I am no martial artist, I receive fine swords as gifts. This is the most outstanding among them.”
It had a pure white scabbard and a jet-black hilt. Seo Myeong-eum offered it to Yeon So-wol.
“With your talent and wisdom, you will surely encounter a true demon one day. That sword will be of help to you then.”
Yeon So-wol accepted the sword, bewildered. He vaguely sensed that he had struck a nerve. Don’t tell me. Did they really not do much research on the people’s livelihood?
If that was the case, it wasn’t just the Jianghu that was crazy. The government was, too.
“Farewell, and live well in the Jianghu where a hundred thousand lanterns are lit. Still, if the chance arises, I would like to see you again. Thanks to you, I have learned a great deal. Thank you, young man of the Jianghu.”
At those final words—‘Man of the Jianghu’—Yeon So-wol felt an inexplicable sense of pride.