Three Days with the Great Tiger
...It was already June. Since this was the Joseon dynasty, it was naturally the lunar calendar. This meant the "time" was fast approaching.
I couldn't even begin to count how much preparation I had done. Just because you sow seeds doesn't mean everything grows on its own. And I don't mean that metaphorically—I mean the literal seeds.
During the winter, the ground froze and thawed, churning up daily. If the seeds were exposed to the elements during that process, they would freeze to death. So, under the guise of guarding the graves every single day, I packed the soil down tight. Otherwise, we would all die. And by "we," I didn't mean the seeds—I meant us.
After that, I quietly weeded the area, made sure the melting snow didn't pool, and did various other chores just as I had learned in school. After what felt like an eternity, June had finally arrived.
The Gyeyu Reconstruction was still seventeen years away. Fortunately, our village had been incredibly quiet and peaceful in the meantime. Once the misunderstandings with the locals were cleared up, life became much easier.
In fact, it was almost too peaceful, which was a problem in itself. Over the past few months, only one or two low-ranking officials had barely shown their faces. Hamgil Province was vast and overflowing with issues, but severely lacking in manpower.
...This isn't good. At this rate, will I just fade into obscurity, and my grand plan to become a "renowned filial son" end up shipwrecked? As I fretted over these worries, evening rolled around once again.
I slowly picked myself up to carry out my daily routine. Jageun-i had briefly headed down to the village, and Geobi was out gathering firewood. Even with no one watching, I had grown thoroughly accustomed to this routine over the past few months.
My clothes... were still bundled up as if it were the dead of winter. It was already June by the lunar calendar, which meant summer, but I had no choice. It wasn't by my own will.
If I loosened even a single layer, everyone would rush over screaming, "Young Master, you'll catch a cold!" and pile on several more layers. I couldn't even complain. A few months ago, I had foolishly thought, It's spring now, so it should be fine! and slept without my layers, only to catch a miserable cold and suffer for it.
Still, thankfully, it wasn't hot. Actually, "thankfully" wasn't the right word. It was only because this place was a frozen hellscape where heavy snow fell in April and frost coated the ground by October.
And so, I was spending a surprisingly chilly midsummer evening. In the midst of a landscape that my past self would never have associated with summer, I knelt. As I mentioned, I had come out to fulfill my scheduled duty.
It was time to wail. Modern people usually think of ritual wailing as simply crying out of sorrow. But in this era, family customs and rites carry the heavy weight of religious and political ceremonies.
Naturally, ritual wailing in this day and age wasn't just about sobbing hysterically. It was a formal ceremony conducted with proper etiquette according to a set time and procedure. There was a reason professional wailers existed to cry on behalf of the chief mourner.
I had no one to wail in my stead. I could have ordered a servant or a hired hand to do it, but I needed time to myself, so I did it alone. Typically, one wailed at dawn, during breakfast and dinner, and at sunset. Right now, it was dinner time. It was time to wail before the graves of my grandfather and parents, as if paying my daily respects.
"..."
My feelings were incredibly complicated. One might ask how I could feel so conflicted before the graves of people I didn't even know, but that wasn't the case at all. I had actually spent the last few years with them. In the first place, it didn't feel like I had simply possessed this body.
My memories as the twenty-one-century An Heon and the fifteenth-century An Heon were seamlessly overlaid. It wasn't that my twenty-nine-year-old self had possessed the body of a "pitiful child" like some ghost. It was much closer to the truth to say that my five-year-old self had suddenly recalled the memories of his past life.
And so, as a five-year-old child, I wailed before my family's graves. Over the past few months, I had also mastered the art of wailing without damaging my throat or body. After letting out a few cries of aigo, I stood up, only to see a blue tiger bounding toward me from the distance. I had finally decided on a name for it.
"Dolbi!"
The inspiration, of course, came from that anime where shaman idols exorcise spirits. You shouldn't overthink names. But today, Dolbi's behavior was unusually frantic compared to its normal self.
Wondering what was wrong, I watched as Dolbi hopped up and down before opening its mouth. Gag.
KIM JONG-SEO IS COMING HURRY
...What? Kim Jong-seo is coming?
...Why? Why on earth is he coming in person?
Did he find it so fascinating that a five-year-old child was observing a three-year mourning period that he wanted to see it for himself? Or was he coming to bestow an award? Well, that would be great. I had always known such a day would come eventually. It wasn't outside of my plans. But it felt like several intermediate steps had been completely skipped. Straight to a personal visit?
Don't people usually send subordinates to verify things first? How did the most important figure in Hamgil Province end up coming all this way in person... Ah, no. That wasn't the point. Was I... was I ready right now? Ready to initiate the plan I had spent months drafting?
In the distance, the faint sound of horse hooves began to echo. I hurriedly gathered the humble wine and food laid out before the graves and dashed back to my mourning hut. Even after shutting the door, my heart hammered so violently that my entire body trembled.
Beside me, Dolbi was spinning in circles, trying to catch its own tail. After a moment of anxious hesitation, I whispered, "C-can you go take a quick peek outside and see if it's really Kim Jong-seo?"
At my request, Dolbi poked its head outside, then whipped it back toward me. It flicked its tail, drawing a shape in the air.
A circle. Meaning yes.
Holy crap.
The Kim Jong-seo. The current Army Commander of Hamgil Province, a man far more influential than even the Provincial Governor. After all, the King himself had dispatched him to oversee the entire northern frontier.
Prompted by Dolbi's confirmation, I peeked outside. There, I saw the real Kim Jong-seo. It wasn't his fine attire or the quality of his horse that gave him away...
He possessed a fierce, tiger-like countenance that looked as if it had leaped straight out of a historical drama. He had the kind of terrifying eyes that suggested he would draw his sword the instant someone uttered a word of nonsense. There was absolutely no doubt that this man was Kim Jong-seo.
I retreated deep into the hut once more. My body shivered from the chill. The villagers had definitely been right to bundle me up. Waiting for the sound of the hooves to draw closer, I frantically organized my thoughts.
Slowly... let's review my situation. What is my ultimate objective? There was no need to even think about it. Survival.
The Gyeyu Reconstruction was still far in the future. Danjong, Yi Hongwi, hadn't even been born yet. Yet here I was, dropped into this freezing hell of Aoji as a helpless orphan. I had to survive first. Unless I wanted everyone in this village, including myself, to end up as nothing but skeletons.
To do that, I had to stand out. Surviving the past winter was entirely thanks to the rations provided by the local government. But I couldn't overdo it. As an orphan from a fallen local gentry family, I lacked any foundation to easily win someone's trust.
In any case, I had to win Kim Jong-seo's favor as much as possible while accomplishing "something far more important." Just as my thoughts reached that point, I sensed people approaching. This time, the sound of footsteps and voices was much louder and more numerous than before.
"A-are the villagers and Kim Jong-seo's entourage all here?" I whispered.
Dolbi drew another circle with its tail. I swallowed hard. Just then, a commanding voice that could belong to none other than Kim Jong-seo boomed from outside.
"Is the chief mourner within?"
I immediately stepped out of the hut. And there, I came face-to-face with the Tiger of Hamgil. Honestly... I nearly wet myself. I tried to hide my nervousness, but then realized it would look far more natural for a young child to be terrified, so I let my shoulders drop.
"T-those graves over there belong to my grandfather and my parents... Thank you for c-coming all the way to such a humble place..."
I made sure to act utterly astonished when Kim Jong-seo introduced himself, spoke with the utmost care to avoid offending him, and ensured the villagers didn't say anything suspicious. After exerting every ounce of my energy, we soon returned to the mourning hut.
After exchanging a few more formal pleasantries, Kim Jong-seo cut straight to the heart of the matter.
"...And how have you been faring in this place?"
Kim Jong-seo's eyes swept quickly over the interior of the hut. He seemed to be assessing the books I had been reading. A rapid exchange of questions and answers immediately followed.
"'Jin and Chu competed for hegemony.' Do you know what followed?"
"'Zhao and Wei were trapped by the Horizontal Alliance.'"
A six-year-old had already mastered the Thousand Character Classic. It wasn't as if the book had Korean Hangul translations for the meanings and pronunciations—Hangul didn't even exist yet. If I knew how to read, I must have learned it before my parents passed away and left me alone. That would make me a child prodigy who began reading characters at the age of five at the latest. Would he be... surprised?
"Indeed. Then you must have been reading the Thousand Character Classic over and over. Was it not terribly tedious? Of course it was. Holding onto a book you have long since finished until its pages are worn thin—how could it not be tedious?"
...It worked.
"I... must provide you with assistance."
Actually, no. He was far more shocked and excited than I had anticipated. It looked as if he might scoop me up and run all the way to Hanyang this very instant.
At this moment, I faced a final dilemma. What if I pushed myself as a genius who already knew the Reflections on Things at Hand and the Collected Commentaries on the Four Books? Word of my existence would undoubtedly be reported to the King and eventually recorded in the Annals. It was that monumental of a discovery. The entire nation would be turned upside down by the birth of a once-in-a-generation filial prodigy, and my future survival would be guaranteed on a paved road of gold.
And so, I made my choice.
"Master Yichuan also said... that one does not comprehend all things merely by investigating the principle of a single object."
"..."
"He said that by investigating one thing today and a-another tomorrow, and continuously accumulating knowledge, one will naturally come to comprehend them all."
Let's not overdo it. Going too far would only invite suspicion. Even if they didn't suspect me, it would be troublesome if their expectations grew too high. I drew the line at the Reflections on Things at Hand. The Collected Commentaries on the Four Books could wait. And yet, even with just this, I could see Kim Jong-seo trembling from head to toe with profound awe and emotion.
...Furthermore, he gripped my shoulders so tightly for so long that they began to ache. Yes, yes, I understand, Commander. Thank you. So if you could just let go... Ah, right.
I announced that it was time for me to wail and led Kim Jong-seo outside. Since he had come to offer his condolences, he had to bow before the graves as well.
"M-my grandfather and parents... could never have imagined that the Commander himself and the local officials would come all this way..."
As we bowed and paid our respects, I murmured, "O-our family is of no great standing, nor do we possess much wealth... How could we deserve such..."
"But they possessed virtue," Kim Jong-seo replied. "As the ancients said, 'Virtue is not lonely; it must have neighbors.'"
This time, it was my turn to tremble.
"Because your grandfather and parents possessed virtue, countless people have followed you, and their virtue has made you a virtuous person as well."
"..."
"Therefore, you shall not be lonely. Is it not because you possess virtue, and those who raised you did as well, that I have come all this way?"
I couldn't say a word. Something welled up from deep within my throat. It wasn't words, but raw emotion. In my mind, I saw my father carrying me on his shoulders, and my mother laughing as she pinched my nose when I complained about my side dishes. My memories of them were not fake. And now, they were truly resting beneath those mounds of earth.
"..."
"..."
My breath caught. I bowed my head deeply to Kim Jong-seo. After sending the villagers back down, I stepped past the protective ridge of the graves. I stood beside the swaying stalks of grass. Then, I turned back to face Kim Jong-seo, who was looking back and forth between me and those stalks.
Please, recognize it.
"A-at first, I thought they were merely weeds and tried to pull them out. But since they were outside the ridge anyway, I didn't want to waste my energy on useless tasks and make the villagers worry."
Please... notice it.
"But when spring arrived and the sprouts grew taller, forming stalks that swayed in the wind... it might sound like an excuse, but I simply didn't want to break them."
I threw out the bait.
"...First, let us summon all the villagers."
Kim Jong-seo took the bait. Finally. At long last.
Tears welled up in my eyes once more. Was it the twenty-nine-year-old An Heon crying, or the five-year-old An Heon? I didn't know. I couldn't tell at all.
Kim Jong-seo looked around, resting his hand on the hilt of his sword as he spoke. "Have you all brought your sickles and other tools as ordered?"
"Yes, we have followed your command."
"Then we shall harvest those stalks."
With a grim, resolute expression, Kim Jong-seo fixed the soldiers and villagers with the very same gaze he wore when facing matters of grave state importance.
"..."
"..."
It was a look that clearly promised to decapitate anyone who dared to fool around. The villagers, who had been excited by the arrival of such a high-ranking official, instantly fell silent. They suddenly wondered if they were about to be massacred en masse before the graves. Of course, that was not going to happen.
Kim Jong-seo spoke. "I have gathered you here for no other reason than to tend to this burial ground. Do you see those overgrown stalks over there?"
"Yes, the Young Master told us not to cut those wheat-like ears. He said they reminded him of his parents."
"But if they grow too thick, this young boy will not even be able to find his parents' graves in the future. We cannot simply leave them be." Kim Jong-seo nodded toward the child and continued, "Therefore, you shall cut those stalks."
"Understood."
"However, you must harvest them with the utmost care."
"Well, since it is a burial ground..."
"If anyone works carelessly and leaves so much as a scratch on those stalks, I shall personally execute them on the spot."
"..."
"..."
Once again, visions of a mass execution danced in the villagers' heads. As Kim Jong-seo gestured with his chin, his fierce eyes flashing, both the soldiers and the villagers scrambled forward in a panic. Until the work was finished, Kim Jong-seo watched them constantly, barely even blinking.
Before long, the harvested ears of grain were gathered. Kim Jong-seo approached to inspect their condition. When he finally nodded, everyone let out a collective sigh of relief. He carefully picked up a handful or two as if cradling a newborn infant. After a moment of thought, he pulled a piece of fine silk from his robes and wrapped them securely inside.
They returned to the village, with Kim Jong-seo bringing An Heon along. This did not violate proper etiquette; after all, the chief mourner was expected to host his guests.
The villagers gradually grew anxious. Feeding dozens of grown men for even three days could easily bankrupt their small village. However, Kim Jong-seo had no intention of letting that happen either. He ordered his soldiers to hunt wild game.
With a massive pile of meat brought in, the village's food supply actually increased. They feasted on it for the day, and when the next morning came, they swarmed back to the burial ground to continue their work. Another day passed in the same manner, and on the following day, they once again "cleared" the area around the graves.
Normally, it was a task that would have ended quickly, but because Kim Jong-seo was obsessively focused on keeping the ears of grain completely intact, it took a considerable amount of time. On the final day, Kim Jong-seo laid out the meat they had gathered, along with wine he had ordered from the nearby local government office.
"Everyone in this village has admirably devoted themselves to the path of loyalty and filial piety. Not a single soul has strayed from the proper way, so how could I withhold my praise?"
The villagers, who had been tearing into the meat like wild beasts, instantly perked up their ears at the words "loyalty and filial piety."
"I shall not forget you. If any trouble arises in this village, you may go to the nearby government office at any time and seek aid. You may use my name."
"..."
"..."
"..."
The villagers, and An Heon, felt a sudden shiver run down their spines. The moment they had dreamed of was finally within reach. Just then, Kim Jong-seo spoke again.
"However, there must not be a single lapse in care when tending to those ears of grain."
"..."
"Do not simply leave them in the storehouse. Wrap them in paper, place them between ash and sand, and preserve them to the absolute best of your ability. To prevent insects from eating them, store them in earthenware jars instead of the straw sacks used for rice seeds."
"..."
"I shall either send someone or return in person. If those seeds remain intact until then, I shall bestow a grand reward upon you."
Leaving them with those final instructions, he departed with his soldiers shortly after.
The villagers rejoiced.
"W-well... he did say some terrifying things... but surely, a Gate of Filial Piety will be erected for us soon..."
"What did I tell you? I knew it was only a matter of time ever since the government officials came to distribute grain during the winter!"
"A Gate of Filial Piety... A village of filial piety..."
"Oh, Young Master! How can we ever repay your grace!"
The villagers gathered together, weeping tears of joy and celebrating in a festive mood. Before they knew it, they realized the Young Master had slipped away, wondering where he had gone. An Heon had returned to the graves, scanning the ground to gather the remaining seeds. He, too, was laughing and crying, just like the villagers. In any case, the small village of Aoji was buzzing with excitement following Kim Jong-seo's visit.
"Do you know what this is?"
"My... it is remarkably plump. Is it not wheat?"
"I know it is wheat. But have you ever seen this kind of wheat before?"
"Well..."
"Where have you seen it?"
"This is the first time I have ever laid eyes on such a thing in my entire life, sir."
"..."
But the reverse was also true. Because of that single village, the main headquarters in Gyeongseong, where the Army Commander resided, was thrown into an uproar. Kim Jong-seo immediately questioned the peddlers traveling through Hamgil Province and its surroundings about the ears of grain, and gathered the oldest farmers in the region to ask them. They all shook their heads in ignorance.
At that, Kim Jong-seo wrapped the grain with extreme care in paper and cloth and dispatched it to a friend in Hanyang. He instructed his friend to find anyone who might recognize it. But if no one could be found... he told him to present it, along with the accompanying letter, to "someone." The recipient easily read the hidden meaning in his friend's message. He had no choice but to. Soon, a secret letter was dispatched. "Someone" picked up that secret letter.
"Y-Your Majesty..."
"Chief Eunuch, dismiss the attendants."
"Someone" read the secret letter.