Black Corporation: Joseon - Chapter 237
Episode 237: School starts. (4)
Although some people showed a passion for education to the point of falsely moving in, there were also those who were not.
Joojuhyeon near Boryeong, Chungcheong-do.
Lee Chung-ho, a teacher who checked attendance every morning, tilted his head.
“I keep being absent…”
Lee Chung-ho, who was checking attendance through the student list created through Hojo, had a serious look on his face.
“It’s already been five days since school started, and he keeps missing school…”
Lee Chung-ho, who felt strange, opened his notebook, wrote something down, and led the children into the school.
Lee Chung-ho pointed out this problem at the teachers’ meeting that followed that evening’s class.
“…There are students who have not come to school for five days.”
“How many?”
“There are three. “We are brothers.”
The teachers looked serious at Lee Chung-ho’s answer. It was definitely strange that none of the brothers went to school.
“Is it a disease?”
“Those brothers are the only ones who got sick? “It is not appropriate.”
“That’s true, but…”
While everyone was speechless, Ahn Sook-hee, the eldest, opened her mouth.
“I guess the parents prevented it.”
“….”
The teachers were silent at Ahn Sook-hee’s words. The last thing I wanted to think about happened.
“Fortunately, tomorrow is a day off from classes, so Mr. Lee will visit the brother’s house with me tomorrow.”
“I understand, sir.”
An Sook-hee and Lee Chung-ho, who visited the home the next day, received the answer they expected.
“What can these people who eat up the land use by learning to read? “You just need to know how to read and write three letters of their names!”
“To do that, you have to go to school….”
“Why go to school when you can go to the local teacher and he will teach you everything? “It would be much better to feed the cows and work the fields during that time!”
“You don’t know, do you? The children may become successful….”
“Huh~. Do you think everything that comes out of your mouth is just words? “Don’t put pressure on me for no reason!”
In the end, persuasion failed.
On the way back to the academy, An Sook-hee let out a long sigh.
“I guess I’ll have to file an appeal.”
“Appeal?”
“Did you look into those children’s eyes earlier? “I want to learn, but I feel sad that I can’t.”
“Ah…”
Lee Chung-ho’s expression was full of regret at Ahn Sook-hee’s words. But Lee Chung-ho also knew the reality.
“Even if I file an appeal, will there be a bidap (the king’s answer to the appeal)? And even if a bidap comes, it will be easy to see. ‘I recommend it.’ “It may be a non-answer that ends with just that, but will people like that follow?”
Ahn Sook-hee’s voice rose in response to Lee Chung-ho’s words.
“So are you going to give up? Should we give up on those kids?”
“That’s not true…”
“In that case, the only option is an appeal.”
In this way, Sook-hee An, Chung-ho Lee, and the teachers they worked with survived and went up to Hanseong.
* * *
Ten days later, as the sun slowly set towards the west.
A group of cavalry came to the village where Ahn Sook-hee and Lee Chung-ho’s party’s socialist school was located.
When the cavalry entered the village, the destination they headed was the Social Democratic Institute.
‘The cavalry that entered the village headed towards the Social Democratic Institute!’ As soon as the word spread, the village residents flocked to the Social Democratic Institute.
“What’s happening all of a sudden?”
“That’s right.”
The village residents looked at the Social Democratic Institute with eyes filled with worry.
There were only two things that would cause the army to flock to the village.
Either there was an uproar or there was treason.
“But aren’t the people at the Social Democratic Institute chosen by the country?”
“Well…”
“Then there was an uproar?”
“Even if you say it!”
While the residents were whispering, teachers came out from the Social Democratic Institute.
“Where are you from?”
Ahn Sook-hee, the oldest among the teachers, stepped forward.
“The kids are in class. “Where are you from?”
In response to An Sook-hee’s question, one of those who got off the cavalry came forward and answered.
“I brought you, Crown Prince.”
“yes?”
The surprised teachers immediately knelt down on the ground and shouted loudly.
“See you, Crown Prince!”
“See you, Crown Prince!”
‘See you, Crown Prince!’ As the teachers all bowed loudly along with the shout, the children who were chasing after the teachers and the residents gathered around them went crazy.
“Egg money!”
“Warmer!”
“Wow!”
All kinds of words were thrown out, and the children and villagers all bowed down on the ground.
“See you, Crown Prince!”
Among those who bowed like that was the county commander who had come out of Dongheon after hearing that a cavalry force had arrived.
After receiving the people’s bows, Hyang ordered the eunuch standing next to her.
“Tell them to stand up.”
“Yes sir. “Stand up!”
Those who were prostrate on the ground got up from their positions at the shout of the noble eunuch.
“Lowering. “The person is said to be Lim Jae-seok, the prefect of Joo Joo-hyeon.”
Hyang lightly nodded at the greeting from the wise man who hurriedly approached.
“is it? “Nice to meet you.”
“It is also an honor to meet you, Soin. But something happened here…”
“I came to meet someone. Who is Teacher Ahn Sook-hee?”
In response to Hyang’s question, Ahn Sook-hee came forward.
“Here I come.”
“I read carefully the appeal submitted by Teacher Ahn and other teachers. “I came because I was looking at the appeal and had some questions.”
“Is that so? “Sometimes, there are things that you
need to see in person rather than in writing.”
“But I didn’t know you would come in person.”
Hyang smiled and responded to An Sook-hee’s words.
“ha ha ha! “I came on behalf of Abama to inform her that she is coming in person.”
“This is such a shocking thing…”
While Ahn Sook-hee was making a bewildered expression, Lim Jae-seok was moving backwards, revealing the whites of his eyes.
‘His Majesty the Lord said he wanted to come in person!’
“It’s me!”
“Call the congressman!”
As the servants were shaking as they tried to support Lim Jae-seok, who had fallen backwards, Hyang, who saw them, gave an order.
“It looks like Hyeonryeong is sick. “Please take good care of him.”
“Yes sir!”
Amid all the commotion, An Sook-hee turned to Hyang with a still devastated look on her face.
“We are devastated and at a loss to hear that His Majesty the Lord wanted to come in person because of the appeal we filed. Please forgive us for our sins.”
“I did not come to blame the teachers. “I was just curious.”
“yes?”
The teachers looked puzzled at Hyang’s answer, which they could not understand. Hyang, seeing that expression, opened her mouth.
“Where is the house of the man who made you write the appeal? Please guide me.”
“yes?”
* * *
After a while, Hyang and his party arrived at a small thatched house located on the outskirts of Jooju County.
“Here it is.”
Hearing An Sook-hee’s words, Hyang looked back at the eunuch. At the glance of Hyang, the eunuch appeared and called someone.
“come here! come here!”
At the call of the eunuch, the woman came out from the kitchen, wiping her hands on her skirt.
“Who are you?”
The eunuch answered the woman’s question.
“Is this an additional house?”
“It is true that our nobleman’s last name is Chu, but what is it?”
Ahn Sook-hee stepped forward in response to the question of the woman, who was very wary as she saw the crowd of people coming in.
“Do you remember me?”
“Oh, aren’t you a teacher?”
“Where has Father Jang Soi gone?”
“It’s still in the field.”
“Tell them to come quickly because an important guest has arrived.”
“yes? Yes…. It’s so bad!”
Mr. Chu’s wife called the youngest child inside.
“Go to your father…”
“Huh? “Father!”
But before the wife even finished speaking, Maksoe called his father with a happy face.
“huh?”
Mr. Chu was running, panting, beyond the low wall of cypress trees.
Mr. Chu came running in a huff, and as soon as he saw the scent, he immediately fell down and shouted.
“Please meet the lowly Crown Prince!”
Hyang opened his mouth with an expression of surprise.
“How did you find out?”
“A neighbor told me…”
“Is that so? “Stand up.”
“yes.”
Mr. Chu stood up and looked at Hyang in a hesitant posture. When Hyang saw Mr. Chu like that, he smiled slightly and opened his mouth.
“But how long are we going to leave it outside?”
“yes? ah! Come this way!”
Mr. Chu tried to take the incense into the master bedroom. But Hyang shook his head and walked to the bench in the yard.
“It’s still hot, so let’s talk here.”
“yes? yes.”
As Hyang sat down on the bench, Mr. Chu knelt on the ground next to the bench.
At that sight, the incense pointed to an empty space on the table.
“Come up.”
“oh my! “How can you do that?”
Hyang smiled at those words and accepted them.
“haha! “I came to see you today not as a crown prince, but as a guest who wanted to ask you something. Please come up.”
“Are you okay?”
As Mr. Chu continued to refuse, Hyang became a stern expression.
“Then it’s an order.”
At those words, Mr. Chu quickly climbed onto the bench and knelt down.
“Teacher Ahn, please come and sit here too.”
“Yes sir.”
Once the situation was somewhat settled. Hyang got to the point.
“I heard you said you wouldn’t send your children to a social democratic school?”
At Hyang’s words, Mr. Chu immediately hit his head on the floor.
“Send it right away! “Send it to me right away!”
“Oh, I’m not trying to accuse you of your sins. Of course, sending the children is something we have to do.”
Mr. Chu raised his head at Hyang’s words and quietly knelt down.
“First, sit down comfortably.”
“This is comfortable!”
Hyang continued speaking with an expression of helplessness at the sight of Mr. Chu, who was kneeling in an angled posture like a sword.
“But why did you say you wouldn’t send your children to school?”
“You ignorant bastard got it wrong! Send it to me! “Send it to me right away!”
“I’m curious about what you thought was wrong. To be honest, Abama was very upset. “He worked hard to prepare for the people, but the people said they didn’t like it.”
He said that the scent was nothing special, but that was not the case for Mr. Chu and An Sook-hee, who were listening. The two immediately turned pale and put their heads down on the floor.
“You are guilty of death!”
“I’m sorry! “We have troubled Your Majesty the Lord because our teachers are not very capable!”
“Again, I’m not here to accuse you, so don’t worry and sit back. hurry.”
At Hyang’s command, the two straightened their posture, but their faces were white and they were sweating coldly.
“okay. What was the reason? “There was something written in the appeal, but I want to hear it more clearly.”
“That… that…”
Seeing Mr. Chu unable to answer with a very frightened face, Hyang glanced at the sky and ordered the eunuch.
“Is it already evening? It’s a market. “Go and buy some food and drinks.”
“I will tell Dongheon and prepare it right away.”
“To the people who are going crazy just because we came? As I came, I saw that there was a Gyejak (鷄炸) house. “Bring me some chickens and some alcohol.”
“You mean alcohol?”
“Is there a place next to Gyejak’s house that doesn’t have a liquor store?”
“Is there a place like this that sells soju?”
“Takju is good too. “Please buy me a bucket of takju.”
“Oh yes….”
“You guys, please bring plenty of food.”
“yes.”
At Hyang’s order, the eunuch selected some of the soldiers who came with him and disappeared.
After giving the command, Hyang smiled brightly at Mr. Chu.
“I think the story will be long, so let’s talk over a drink.”
After the eunuch brought Gyejak and Takju, a small drinking table was set up on the table. Hyang and Mr. Chu sat across from each other across a drinking table with well-fried chicken and cucumbers that Mr. Chu’s wife had made.
“Now… since there are only two men left, let’s have a drink and talk.”
Since the place was a place, the Hyang who sent Ahn Sook-hee filled the bowls for Mr. Chu and himself by scooping takju out of a gourd.
“Then let’s go.”
“Yes yes!”
As they spoke, the two people received a bowl.
“Kya! omg!”
Mr. Chu, who turned his body and emptied the takju, let out an exclamation without realizing it and then was shocked. Hyang smiled at that and filled the glass.
“also! “It empties well and refreshingly!”
In this way, for the first time in Joseon history, a civil inspection was held where the crown prince and the people shared a drink.