Black Corporation: Joseon [EN]: Chapter 674

674. Birds of a Feather (4)

Not long after the influx of students from Europe, a flood of petitions regarding them poured in to the Emperor.

The reason was their behavior and attire.

* * *

Though their countries of origin differed, this wasn’t a major issue for the students.

The universities they attended required them to converse, read, and write exclusively in Latin, regardless of nationality.

And so, several students who found common ground and bonded—ranging from four or five to as many as a dozen or twenty—began to gather, which led to problems.

The majority of these students were either the second or third sons of noble families, or the sons of successful merchants or wealthy landowners.

In short, they came from families who held some sway in their respective regions, and their actions were accordingly unrestrained.

The notoriety of these university students was so great that, before the Emperor’s intervention, 18th-century British nobles often preferred their children to travel Europe rather than attend university.

In fact, during this period, a British noblewoman wrote the following letter to her nephew:

-To my beloved nephew.

The time for you to graduate from Eton College is fast approaching.

I hear that you intend to enter Oxford after graduating from Eton.

If you enter that den of scoundrels, I will not provide a single penny of support.

However, if you choose to travel Europe instead of attending university, I will provide you with ample travel expenses and later share a portion of my inheritance with you.

Such was the poor reputation of university students.

* * *

Having arrived in the Empire and become enamored with Area 51 [referring to the advanced research facilities] and its high level of scholarship, the students devoted themselves to their studies.

They threw themselves into their classes and relentlessly peppered professors with questions.

So enthusiastic were they that the professors of the Engineering Institute, the Industry-Academy Institute, and the Medical Institute would say to their Imperial students:

“Look at the students from Europe! See how diligently they study!”

Though they were so diligent, they were still energetic young men in their twenties.

And their monarchs and nobles provided them with generous financial support.

“Do not worry about money! Your only task is to learn the Empire’s knowledge to the best of your ability and return!”

Thanks to their full pockets and youthful energy, the students flocked to the courtesan district of Seoul on their days off, causing trouble.

The trouble began when they were rejected by the courtesans.

“You are filthy and smell bad, so we cannot accept you!”

Upon hearing the interpreter’s words, the students angrily forced their way into the courtesan house, only to be beaten by the Geomgye (sword society) and male servants guarding the establishment.

Eventually, this incident reached the Emperor’s ears, and he warned the students.

“Even to my eyes, you are filthy and reek. Clean yourselves up properly. If you fail to do so, you will be immediately deported on the next merchant ship.”

The Emperor’s warning forced the students to bathe diligently and wear clean clothes.

-If we get deported before we even get started, we’ll have to pay everything back!

-No, putting the repayment aside, who knows what kind of punishment we’ll receive!

However, their overflowing energy continued to cause incidents.

They would get drunk and try to grope the courtesans, only to be beaten again. Feeling wronged, they would gather their friends and storm the place, leading to brawls and ending up dragged into jail by the constables.

“These guys are really… if you show them kindness, they think you’re a pushover….”

The Emperor, frowning deeply as he read the report, soon issued an order.

“Select the five students with the worst behavior among those who have caused trouble and deport them immediately! No matter how excellent their grades may be, if their behavior is poor, deport them without hesitation! If there is no merchant ship leaving right now, charter a special ship and send them away, charging the cost to the individuals involved!”

“Understood!”

“Ah! And inform the examiners in Europe of my order! If those who have been deported try to take the exam again, they will automatically fail, regardless of their scores!”

“Your words are wise!”

The officials bowed their heads in unison at the Emperor’s command.

Though their influence had waned, they were still Confucian scholars. One of the most important tenets of Confucianism was ‘moderation (中庸) [a state of equilibrium and harmony].’

-There is restraint even in enjoying drinking and music, and there is a line that must be kept.

To those with this mindset, the students’ behavior was worthy of all kinds of condemnation.

-How can those who are supposed to be studying fail to maintain moderation!

And so, the five most troublesome students had to pack their bags.

Fortunately, there was a merchant ship departing at the right time.

* * *

Only after this commotion did the students begin to behave themselves.

They still frequented the courtesan houses on their days off, but they limited themselves to drinking quietly and flirting moderately with the courtesans.

However, the number of petitions reaching the Emperor remained high. And the main topic of these petitions was the students’ clothing.

* * *

The attire of European men during this period consisted of shirts and braies [linen underpants] as underwear.

And over the braies, they wore something similar to modern-day stockings called hose, which were tied to the upper garment with strings.

These hose were not elastic, but they were close-fitting. Some were joined at the crotch, while others were separate for each leg.

Naturally, the braies in the crotch area were exposed, and the nobles and wealthy would attach a codpiece to the hose to cover this area.

But this codpiece was the problem. To exaggerate their masculinity, they made the codpieces quite large.

In addition, the daggers that were everyday items for European men were also a problem.

Instead of wearing them on the waist near the hand for easy access, they wore them at the navel or hung them dangling between their legs with a string.

Of course, the wearing of these daggers was prohibited upon entering the Empire. However, only the daggers were banned, so the students continued to wear the ornate dagger straps.

The sight of these students with their prominently bulging codpieces and ornate dagger straps dangling between their legs was met with a very negative reaction from the Imperial people.

“Tsk! What an indecent outfit! They might as well be naked!”

“Are they dressed or undressed?”

“Oh my! Oh my!”

The older officials and men clicked their tongues, while the women covered their eyes while peeking.

As a result, petitions flooded in, stating that ‘the Westerners’ indecent attire is harming the Empire’s morals and customs.’

* * *

After reading the petitions, the Emperor put his hand on his forehead and muttered to himself.

‘I was worried about the ‘kkokini’ [tight-fitting pants] when reforming the military uniforms, and now it’s ‘kkotukti’ [prominent codpieces]!’

When the new military uniforms were distributed to the soldiers, a trend arose among the soldiers and officers to narrow the width of their pants to look stylish.

During training or combat, they wore pants that were moderately narrowed for ease of movement, but when on leave, they wore tight pants with cavalry boots to show off their slender legs. Fortunately, the trend of tight pants had subsided to some extent, but cavalry boots, which made them look taller, were still a ‘must-have item.’

“Hoo~.”

Taking a long sigh, the Emperor organized the situation and ordered his officials.

“Inform the professors and students from Europe that their current attire is not in accordance with our customs and is prohibited.”

“Understood!”

* * *

However, the influence of the students was gradually spreading throughout the Empire.

‘Duke Eunpyeong’s attire is indecent!’

At some point, rumors like this began to circulate within Gyeongbok Palace [the main royal palace of Joseon dynasty], and they reached the Emperor’s ears.

“Seul is? Hmm….”

After thinking for a moment, the Emperor ordered the head eunuch.

“Summon Duke Eunpyeong. Tell him to meet me in the front courtyard of Geunjeongjeon [the throne hall of Gyeongbok Palace].”

“Yes, Your Majesty.”

Shortly after, Seul arrived in the front courtyard of Geunjeongjeon and gave a military salute to the Emperor.

“Loyalty! You summoned me?”

“Yes….”

Answering casually, the Emperor examined Seul’s attire and put his hand on his forehead.

‘A combination of ‘kkokini’ and ‘kkotukti’! What a terrible hybrid!’

“Hoo~.”

Taking a long sigh, the Emperor examined Seul’s attire once more.

“Why is a guy who sits in the Ministry of National Defense looking at numbers wearing cavalry boots?”

“I originally applied for the cavalry, and it’s also convenient to ride a horse when going to and from work.”

“Alright. Let’s leave that aside. What’s with those pants? Aren’t they uncomfortable?”

At the Emperor’s question, Seul blushed slightly and replied.

“They are a little uncomfortable.”

“Then why are you wearing them?”

“Aren’t they stylish?”

At Seul’s answer, the Emperor put his hand on his forehead.

‘Whether it’s the 15th century or the 21st century!’

Shouting inwardly, the Emperor asked Seul again.

“Didn’t your superiors say anything?”

“No, they didn’t.”

“Tsk!”

The Emperor clicked his tongue softly at Seul’s answer.

‘Of course, they wouldn’t! Because he’s my son!’

In the end, the Emperor said one thing to Seul.

“Style is good, but make them a little wider.”

“…Yes.”

“It’s not good for your virility.”

“I’ll widen them immediately!”

“If you make them too wide, it will be inconvenient to move, so make them moderately wide.”

“Yes!”

“Then go back and do your work.”

“Loyalty!”

Watching Seul’s retreating figure, the Emperor muttered to himself.

“Were the dress regulations too lax….”

* * *

The aftermath of the Emperor’s remarks to Seul was quite significant.

Those who had been wearing tight pants like Seul all began to switch to pants with a generous fit.

Interestingly, it wasn’t just soldiers who wore such tight pants.

Not only the young officials of the court but also the young men of ordinary scholar-official families wore tight pants.

The men who wore such tight pants would often tie the lower part of their dopo (outer robe) [a traditional Korean overcoat] behind them, exposing their waist area as they walked around.

The men who had been dressing like that all returned to their original wide-legged pants at once.

Thanks to this, the women who were skilled at sewing in Seoul began to earn unexpected income.

And here, an unexpected incident occurred.

Despite the Emperor’s orders, the European professors and students, who had been dragging their feet for various reasons, suddenly began to change their attire.

And among those who changed their attire were monks. And the professors and students all questioned the actions of these monks.

“Why are you doing that? You have no use for it, do you?”

“Our bodies must be healthy so that we can dedicate ourselves to research without getting tired, don’t you think?”

“…I suppose so.”

Later, after hearing the report, the Emperor smiled wryly.

“As soon as the word ‘virility’ comes out….”

And this aftermath spread to Europe.

Those who saw the letters sent by the professors and students began to demand new attire with a generous fit.

“Is there a definite basis for that statement?”

“The Emperor of the Empire said so?”

“Really? Then….”

The weight of the Emperor’s words was enormous not only to the people of the Empire but also to the Europeans at the time. As a result, European attire began to change in a different direction than in the history before the Emperor’s intervention.