A Tale Of A Scribe Who Retires To The Countryside [EN]: Chapter 164

164. Twelve Flowers of Yewon

Namgungcheon’s face was stiff as he looked at Sasooyeon. His eyes, which had always been gentle, were now filled with a mix of emotions.

“You too.”

Namgungcheon, the former Thunder Sword, spoke in a rigid voice.

“Are you with Bin’s group?”

It was obvious, but Namgungcheon wanted an answer.

“Of course.”

Sasooyeon’s voice was also a bit stiff. She was slightly annoyed by Namgungcheon’s hostile attitude.

“Sooyeon Sojeo [Young Lady Sooyeon],” Dang Wora spoke, calmly sipping her tea as if it were someone else’s business.

“She came to see Daehyeop [Great Hero, referring to Son Bin] before you did.”

“Is that so?”

Namgungcheon seemed to be thinking hard. Sasooyeon looked at him warily, and Namgungcheon asked in a low voice.

“Could you be Bin’s… teacher or something…?”

“Pfft.”

Nogun, who was listening beside them, spat out his tea without realizing it.

“What nonsense is this guy talking about!”

Nogun shouted, but Namgungcheon frowned.

“Can’t I ask if I’m curious? What’s with you?”

“No, I’m not.”

Sasooyeon smiled and replied. The unexpected conversation between the two eased the tense atmosphere.

“I’m just… a guest at the Seowon [private Confucian academy].”

Sasooyeon said, her face slightly flushed.

“A guest? That’s no different from me…”

Namgungcheon was interested again.

“There’s no separate residence for women at the Seowon, so do you live with that young lady?”

The young lady he was referring to was Dang Wora.

It used to be that way, but could it still be?

Sasooyeon looked back at Dang Wora. Dang Wora nodded slightly to Sasooyeon. Sasooyeon smiled.

“Yes, I think so.”

“Is that so? Then…”

Namgungcheon seemed to have many questions, and he was about to ask something else when-

Thump.

“Ah!”

At the sound of a slender woman’s voice, Namgungcheon quickly turned his head. Sasooyeon also followed Namgungcheon’s gaze.

“Young Master Son.”

The person who appeared was a graceful and delicate young lady. She looked younger than Sasooyeon, but her eyes showed intelligence as she walked straight towards them.

Thump, thump.

With gentle movements, she first bowed politely to Nogun.

“It’s been a while.”

“Yeah.”

Nogun’s reply was curt, but the young lady did not lose her smile.

“It’s been a while, Young Master Son.”

The elegant young lady was none other than Namgung Hyang.

Son Bin returned her greeting with a gentle smile.

“Have you been well, Sojeo [Young Lady] Namgung?”

“You look a little pale. Are you alright?”

Namgung Hyang’s eyes were filled with concern as she asked about his well-being.

“I’m fine. Thank you for your concern.”

As the warm conversation continued, Sasooyeon felt bewildered.

Dang Wora didn’t seem to care at all, so it seemed like they knew each other, but she couldn’t figure out what was going on.

Meanwhile, Namgung Hyang greeted Jeok Seohwa and Dang Wora, and then bowed politely to Sasooyeon.

“Nice to meet you. I’m Namgung Hyang.”

“Ah, yes. I’m Sasooyeon.”

Sasooyeon received the greeting in a daze.

Namgung Hyang also greeted Seorin. She bowed to the young Seorin politely and gently.

Namgungcheon watched the scene with a satisfied expression before suddenly asking Son Bin.

“But why didn’t you reply? Did something happen?”

“Pardon? Reply?”

Son Bin asked back at the sudden question, and Namgung Hyang’s cheeks turned red.

“Grandf…”

She clearly tried to stop him, but Namgungcheon didn’t stop.

“A few lines of writing may be insignificant, but what you want to convey is your heart. You may be busy, but you shouldn’t take it lightly.”

If he didn’t say it this bluntly, Son Bin wouldn’t understand. Besides, the Dangmun’s young lady, Jeok Seohwa, and even Sasooyeon were already at the Seowon. Namgungcheon was getting impatient.

“I’m sorry, but what are you talking about?”

Son Bin was bewildered. He couldn’t understand Namgungcheon’s words at all.

“What do you mean? You…”

“Excuse me for interrupting.”

Jeok Seohwa stood up gracefully and said.

It was a great discourtesy to interrupt Namgungcheon’s words. If Namgungcheon took issue with her rudeness, the repercussions would be unimaginable.

However, Jeok Seohwa’s expression was gentle.

“Young Master Son has not yet received the letter.”

“Hasn’t received it?”

Namgungcheon frowned and said.

“I clearly sent it through Soeun Trading Company.”

“The letter arrived safely.”

Jeok Seohwa said with a smile.

“But Young Master Son did not arrive.”

“What does that…”

“He hasn’t returned to the Seowon yet.”

Namgung Hyang’s voice flowed out at the same time as Namgungcheon’s words.

“Young Master Son came straight here from Bukhae [North Sea region].”

Namgungcheon tilted his head. He pointed to Jeok Seohwa with a look and said.

“But this child is here, so he must have stopped by the Seowon…”

“Perhaps they agreed to meet here in Hangzhou and came separately. If we count the dates when we received the letter from Bukhae, there wouldn’t be enough time to go to the Seowon and then come here.”

Namgung Hyang’s explanation was as if she had been watching the group from the side.

“That’s right. How did you know?”

Jeok Seohwa exclaimed in admiration. Namgung Hyang smiled.

“I just… thought about it a little.”

Namgung Hyang didn’t say that she had thought about countless scenarios for why there was no reply.

It was a shame that he hadn’t received her letter, but she was also relieved that he hadn’t seen it.

‘No, that’s not it.’

Suddenly, Namgung Hyang felt her face getting hot. The thought of Son Gongja [Young Master Son] returning and reading her letter made her unable to look him in the face properly.

∴

“Haa.”

Cheonghye Satae, who was watching, sighed. And she muttered to herself without realizing it.

“Men.”

“What’s wrong?”

Her teacher, Beopheo Sinni, who was next to her, asked. Cheonghye Satae quickly straightened her posture.

“Ah, no. It’s just…”

She glanced at Nogun’s side, and the sight of the young scholar surrounded by young ladies caught her eye.

Cheonghye Satae’s voice became prickly without her realizing it.

“I just think that men who toy with women’s hearts like that are really annoying.”

The young scholar’s smiling face had a certain charm. But that was all.

‘He’s called Son Gongja, and his name is Bin, so is he Son Bin?’

He wasn’t a spirited warrior. Since he was so young, he certainly wasn’t a respectable great scholar either.

And he wasn’t an outstandingly handsome man who could shake her composure.

All he had was a frail aura that stimulated the protective instinct and a gentle smile. In Cheonghye Satae’s eyes, he was just a pathetic man.

‘Like a good-for-nothing loafer.’

The funny thing was that there were many women who admired that kind of man. Because they grew up in strong martial families, they had a longing or admiration for sickly scholars.

The women surrounding the young scholar were probably the same.

Their eyes had been glued to that young scholar for a while now.

“Both men like that and the women who are swayed by them are just pathetic and foolish.”

That was Cheonghye Satae’s final assessment.

“Is that so?”

Beopheo Sinni said with a gentle smile. She could see what was in her beloved disciple’s heart. She had walked that path once too.

“But isn’t it nice to see?”

“Yes?”

Cheonghye Satae asked back without realizing it and looked at her teacher, Beopheo Sinni.

“It is the law of nature that there is a flowery time in life, so how can it be a fault unless it is excessively presumptuous? Of course, there were some ancestors of the Ami who hated men terribly, but that is not the complete way either.”

Beopheo Sinni said with a gentle smile.

“You are a practitioner. But that doesn’t mean you are superior to others. You should not take the lives of ordinary people lightly or try to judge them, but rather embrace them with a warm gaze. Do you understand?”

Cheonghye Satae’s eyes widened.

Click.

She immediately stood up from her seat. And she respectfully put her palms together to her teacher, Beopheo Sinni.

“The foolish disciple has been greatly enlightened by the words of the teacher.”

“No, no.”

Beopheo Sinni waved her hand.

“This was also what Hwanggak Jinjin always said, so I have only passed on to you what I have heard. Please sit down.”

“Yes, Teacher.”

Cheonghye Satae sat down politely. And she felt a renewed sense of respect for Hwanggak Jinjin.

‘Hwanggak Jinjin.’

He was known throughout the world for his noble character, and surprisingly, he was a member of the Heavenly Outlier Four Stars. She felt proud to think that she was included in the same outlier.

‘Then.’

Suddenly, a thought occurred to Cheonghye Satae. She turned her head and looked at the beautiful boy named Seorin.

“Is that boy the one who inherited Hwanggak Jinjin’s legacy?”

“Looking at the Buljin [Buddhist relic], I think that’s probably the case.”

Beopheo Sinni looked at Seorin’s Buljin, Hongjinmanri, with a complicated look. It was because the fact that Hwanggak Jinjin had passed away came to her mind again.

“But where is Baekro…”

Beopheo Sinni’s voice stopped abruptly. And her eyes widened greatly.

“W, what is this…”

Beopheo Sinni’s voice was trembling. It was because an unbelievable sight was revealed before her eyes.

How could she not see that? Why hadn’t she noticed it until now?

The young scholar, whose presence was faint among Nogun’s group. The sword casually hanging on his waist was none other than the Seon Sword Baekro.

Thud.

Beopheo Sinni stood up without realizing it.

It was then.

Ting.

With the sound of a small bell, everyone’s attention was focused on one place. And a soft fragrance began to flow on the wind.

“The head and deputy heads of Yewon pay their respects.”

With the maid’s small voice, someone began to climb the stairs.

Thump, thump.

In the silence, the sound of footsteps and silk rustling echoed.

And Hwawol appeared in an elegant figure. Her appearance, which was gorgeous but not ostentatious, was as beautiful as a flower.

Two deputy heads followed her.

One was wearing a deep blue silk embroidered with gold and silver threads, and her hands and hair were adorned with sparkling ornaments. With a slightly haughty impression, she looked like she could only be seen in the depths of the palace.

On the other hand, the other person was wearing several layers of light-colored silk clothes, but her unconventional attire exposed her neck and shoulders as if she had only put them on halfway.

Her hair was decorated with only one large hairpin with a red gem sparkling impressively at the end. Her makeup was also unusually dark.

“What kind of outrageous… no, strange attire is that?”

Cheonghye Satae frowned. Even though she had just been advised not to judge rashly, she couldn’t help but find the first impression outrageous.

“Teacher?”

When there was no answer, Cheonghye Satae turned to look at Beopheo Sinni.

Beopheo Sinni quietly shook her head and chanted a Buddhist invocation in a low voice. After calming her mind, Beopheo Sinni sat down and finally looked at Cheonghye Satae.

“No. What did you say?”

“I said that the attire of the women called deputy heads… is a little strange.”

Beopheo Sinni turned her head and looked at the head, Hwawol, and the two deputy heads.

“That child over there is Biyeon. She was originally the most likely candidate for the head… but her personality is calm and her demeanor is thorough, so she never does anything that violates etiquette.”

Beopheo Sinni continued, looking at Biyeon.

“She is probably in charge of Cheongmyeongwon, which is related to the imperial family. The different colors must be because of that.”

Beopheo Sinni’s gaze turned to another deputy head. It was the woman with the unconventional attire that exposed her neck and shoulders.

“That child is Hyoseol. It may be unfamiliar, but that child’s attire was also an old palace attire. I know that originally it was supposed to expose the entire upper part of the chest, but it seems she has restrained herself a bit.”

‘C, chest?’

Her face turned red just from hearing it. Cheonghye Satae couldn’t understand how that outfit, which exposed her shoulders and neck, was restrained.

“Hyoseol is originally uninhibited in everything. But she is also bright and intelligent, so she is now in charge of Yewon’s Pungwolru [a high-end courtesan house].”

“What is Pungwolru?”

“It’s a kind of courtesan house. Only large merchant groups, sects, and high-ranking officials can go there. I know they have quite a few courtesans.”

Cheonghye Satae frowned. If her teacher’s words were true, it was nothing more than a high-class courtesan house. Noticing her feelings, Beopheo Sinni smiled.

“Refrain from hasty judgments and watch a little more. That is humility, and also compassion.”

Beopheo Sinni’s words seemed to penetrate Cheonghye Satae’s heart. Cheonghye Satae immediately lowered her head.

“Yes, I will keep that in mind. Teacher.”

Beopheo Sinni’s gaze towards her disciple was warm. Cheonghye Satae thought that her teacher had never seemed so wise as she did today.

∴

“Is it pretty?”

Suddenly, Son Bin feigned a cough at the playful voice he heard in his ear. Jeok Seohwa was looking at him with sparkling eyes.

“Ahem. It’s not that, it’s just that it seems to be a reproduction of the attire of a former dynasty, so I was just looking at it a little…”

“Oh my, I wasn’t asking about that. So, is it pretty?”

Jeok Seohwa asked again. Only then did Son Bin realize that other people, including Sasooyeon and Dang Wora, as well as Seorin, Nogun, Namgungcheon, and Namgung Hyang, were all looking at him.

“No, that’s…”

Son Bin, embarrassed by their gazes, couldn’t find the words to stammer.

“It is pretty.”

“Right?”

Jeok Seohwa said with a smile. She looked at the deputy head.

“I think so too. It’s just bare skin, but I didn’t know that a person’s body could be so pretty.”

Jeok Seohwa’s admiration was sincere. It was just slightly exposed, but Hyoseol’s neck and shoulder line captivated people’s attention more than any fancy decoration. Even the same women couldn’t take their eyes off her beauty.

‘Bare skin…’

Sasooyeon suddenly imagined herself wearing such clothes. At that moment, her face turned red without her realizing it.

Shaking her head so hard that it made a sound, Sasooyeon quickly shook off the thought. She probably wouldn’t be able to wear such clothes. Even if Son Bin thought it was pretty.

Afraid that her embarrassing imagination would be discovered, Sasooyeon quickly lowered her head. Thanks to that, she didn’t see that Namgung Hyang’s cheeks were also blushing red.

Thump, thump.

Meanwhile, Hwawol and the two deputy heads crossed the banquet hall and approached the front table. And there, they turned to face the people.

“We pay our respects to the honored guests.”

Hwawol’s clear voice echoed. And the three of them knelt down and bowed their heads.

Rustle.

Biyeon’s hair ornaments sparkled ostentatiously, and Hyoseol’s shoulder line captivated people’s eyes. As the greeting ended, Hwawol, Biyeon, and Hyoseol each took their places in the center of the front table.

“These are the Sojus [esteemed owners] of Yewon.”

Hwawol said. And she gestured lightly towards the stairs. At the same time, several people began to come up to the banquet hall.

Rustle, rustle.

The sound of silk rustling and a fragrant scent. Twelve beautiful young ladies began to enter the banquet hall, showing off their flowery appearances.

The attire was also diverse. Some young ladies were dressed gorgeously like in the depths of the palace, while others were dressed elegantly. Some, like Hyoseol, showed off their shoulder lines.

‘Ah!’

Son Bin’s eyes sparkled as he looked at the Sojus of Yewon. It was because he had found a familiar face among them.

The woman he had seen in Seoan with Saja Hyuk. The woman who had comforted Saja Hyuk and Son Bin with her beautiful Chilhyunkeum [seven-stringed zither], and who had offered Son Bin a glass of wine.

Her voice, saying Ilgi Ilhoe (一期一會) [treasure every meeting, for it will never recur], and her smiling face were still vivid.

‘Nanghyang.’

A woman whose beauty stood out among the twelve flowers showing off their charms. She was none other than Nanghyang of Swaeokjeong.