Choyo-gaeng's Enchanting Dance in Hirado

It was a month ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠ago at the Western Japan Trading Company's meeting hall in Hirado. Tatami mats had been laid out in the courtyard. In one corner of the yard stood a ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠wooden platform about three feet high, draped with a white curtain. Matsuura Genmon and his twenty-six retainers took their seats. Originally, Deokyangjeong Yi U-ryang had offered chairs, but Genmon refused, saying he could not dare sit in a high seat in a meeting hall built by order of the Joseon king. That was why the tatami mats had been spread instead. At the edge of the mats sat envoys from Satsuma and Osumi. They had heard rumors while en route to Joseon as envoys and come to investigate.

"Genmon-dono, today there is a gift from the Joseon king in the form of silk cloth."

When the interpreter translated this, Genmon thought to himself,

'It would be better if they sent more Hongsam or Biru...'

Yi U-ryang raised his hand, and all the lights in the meeting hall went out. In the darkened hall, the only illuminated spot was around the platform in the corner of the courtyard. Those lights cast the shadow of a single figure behind the curtain. It was a graceful, flowing silhouette. Matsuura's retainers began to murmur, and some even reached for their swords.

"That is called a mude, and it too is from Joseon."

Deokyangjeong added the explanation. It had been installed here just before King Munjong's wedding, on Do-yun's advice. When Deokyangjeong raised his hand again, the sound of drums echoed. Then, the two musicians whom Choyo-gaeng had personally selected from the Office of Music began playing the geomungo and daegeum. It was a slightly faster tempo than the courtly jeongjae performances of music, song, and dance.

The curtain parted. A single woman stood on the stage. It was Choyo-gaeng, Joseon's top ilpae gisaeng, who performed only before the king. Had the king not sent her, these Japanese men would never meet such an artist in their lifetimes. Her attire resembled that of the lowly sampa gisaengs who sold their bodies, but she possessed the unique dignity of an ilpae.

A single-layered jeogori so short it barely reached seven inches. It failed to fully cover Choyo-gaeng's breasts, creating a stark contrast with her slender choyo waist. Flesh peeked through the thin white fabric. One of Matsuura's retainers unconsciously swallowed hard.

"We offer the dance of Joseon to Genmon-dono. We shall show you the waist of Joseon."

She began to move slowly to the accompaniment that had already started. Her body undulated like waves as she twisted her waist. Each time she bent forward, the jeogori couldn't ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠defy gravity and began inching upward. As the rhythm of the geomungo and daegeum quickened, she gazed at Genmon and loosened her skirt ties by a handspan. The pale skin of her inner thigh flashed into view and vanished. As the tempo accelerated further, sweat trickled down her nape and into the gap of her jeogori. Wiping it away with her fingers, Choyo-gaeng descended the stage and drew close to Genmon.

No one on the tatami mats was breathing properly. Choyo-gaeng whispered into Genmon's ear.

"This choyo waist of Joseon... once you touch it, you can never let go."

Though he couldn't understand her words, Genmon's mind reeled. Choyo-gaeng gently placed his hand on her breast. Then, swaying left and right to the rhythm, he could feel her hot body heat through the single layer of jeogori. Soon, she returned to the stage and unfurled a fan. She folded and unfolded it, spun it, tossed it, and caught it. The geomungo sped up, and the daegeum rose in pitch. At that moment, Choyo-gaeng hurled the fan skyward. She did not catch it. Before the fan, which had paused at its peak, could fall to the ground, the curtain closed.

The meeting hall fell utterly silent. No one clapped. Even Deokyangjeong Yi U-ryang, who had not yet turned twenty, had flushed cheeks. One retainer muttered,

"Yuki Onna..."

The Snow Woman—a yokai from Japanese lore ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠who appeared in a white kimono, seduced men with her beauty, then stole their life force with her icy breath and killed them. The only difference was that Choyo-gaeng brimmed with heat.

Only after a long while did Genmon speak in a trembling voice.

"May we see it again?"

Yi U-ryang nodded and whispered to the interpreter.

"Just shout jaemu."

The twenty-seven Matsuura men bellowed jaemu several times. The curtain parted once more. Choyo-gaeng descended the stage holding an upturned hat. At first, no one understood. Deokyangjeong was the first to drop a single myeongjeon coin into the hat. Only then did Genmon comprehend; he emptied all the coins from his sash into it. His retainers lined up and followed suit. Soon, it was too heavy for Choyo-gaeng to hold with both hands.

Choyo-gaeng performed the courtly crane dance alone. She spread her sleeves like white wings and spun on one foot. The jeogori rode up again, but no one noticed. It was the first time any had seen a person become a crane. Even after the curtain closed before the finishing jaemu, no one stirred.

At that point, as Yi U-ryang tidied up, he said,

"We have prepared a meal. Today, you need not pay for the performance or the food."

Serving women circulated with food menus. They too wore the extreme short jeogori. Orders flew for Joseon Jeongpum abyeong jeongol, bancheoljeok, sanjakgye, and myeongran baekyu jang. In the corner of the hall, stalls sold Biru and toothpaste. Customers could even try samples before buying.

"Is there no ginseng?"

Genmon asked, and Deokyangjeong replied,

"Joseon Jeongpum Hongsam and Joseon Jeongpum Eojeonghwan will be available for sale starting next month."

Having emptied their pouches into Choyo-gaeng's hat, Deokyangjeong allowed credit just for today. The next morning, the Satsuma and Osumi envoys visited Deokyangjeong.

"Can we buy Joseon Jeongpum in Satsuma and Osumi too? Will Joseon ships come to us as well?"

Deokyangjeong gave no answer. Choyo-gaeng spoke instead.

"That is for our king to decide. What I can say is that our king is merciful."

The Satsuma envoys stayed at the meeting hall three more days before heading to Joseon. Here, money was power. The more you paid, the closer you got, the longer you stayed. Joseon wasn't just selling goods—they were capturing hearts. The Satsuma and Osumi envoys reached the same conclusion.

'He who captures Joseon's heart will grasp Kyushu.'

Two days before them, a court slave bearing Choyo-gaeng's secret letter set off for Joseon.

The day after confirming that Hong Yun-seong had vanished from history and Yu Eung-bu remained in it was a Monday. Unusually, a Gatong message arrived from Munjong at dawn.

Hanseong is filled with Japanese. Five envoys from Japan have come: the shogunate, Ouchi, Tsushima, Satsuma, and Osumi.

Not yet at work, I checked the original annals.

In the original history, the swarm of Japanese envoys at this time was largely due to Munjong's death, but a closer look revealed otherwise. The shogunate sought the Tripitaka Koreana; Tsushima aimed to secure Joseon's support after Jong Jeong-seong's death. No record existed of Ouchi in the original history, so they must have heard rumors of the Western Japan Trading meeting hall Munjong established in Hirado.

Your Highness, doesn't this mean Joseon is growing mighty?

We have yet to build the turtle ships. The Samcheok Ironworks accident will delay it further.

Munjong was right. Fixing the blast furnace accident caused by Hong Yun-seong would take at least two months to restart operations.

May I inquire how many blast furnaces are at Samcheok?

Five. But Yu Eung-bu says he needs a month's grace period.

I was startled. Munjong was preparing thoroughly. I shifted the topic to the Japanese envoys.

Just build meeting halls for them all, no?

Munjong fell silent. He seemed lost in thought.

Regulate trade goods through the meeting halls to keep them in check against each other?

Classic Munjong—grasping the concept of balance of power in an instant.

Yes. However, we must gather intelligence on Japan swiftly.

Suitable agents have been dispatched. News from Kyushu will reach Gyeongbok Palace first.

'He sent spies?'

It couldn't be the ailing Deokyangjeong Yi U-ryang or the gisaeng Choyo-gaeng. I was curious who he had sent.

We should summon all the Japanese and hold a banquet.

They must have tasted bancheoljeok and abyeong at the meeting hall.

I hoped Do-yun would help. No need to think—it was simple. Combine pork belly, one of K-Food's vanguard dishes and the Japanese second-favorite, with their top pick, sushi, which was still tricky.

Your Highness, there is a dish called bancheolsamcheung bokyuk (three-layered belly meat: pork belly) and ramyeon.