Yoon Shik was coming from the Central library holding a few books in his hand when he encountered Ji Hoon who stopped him.
"Hey, you should teach some manners to your sister. She is lucky that nothing happened thanks to Sunwo else I would have taught her how to respect us people," muttered Ji Hoon and looked at his hand which was still paining.
"Why are you saying so? How do you know I have a sister?" Yoon Shik questioned with a confused look.
Beom Hyeon was also there so he spoke, "She has got a sharp tongue and she does not respect people at all." He then turned his gaze towards Ji Hoon and told him to go infirmary with him. Ji Hoon nodded and the two left for the infirmary.
Yoon Shik got worried after hearing the two. "What did Hani do? I told her not to involve herself in such things," murmured Yoon Shik and walked towards his dormitory.
Getting in, he put the books over the table and sat on the wooden chair there. A servant named, Hong Shu came there and bowed before him. "Who are you?" Yoon Shik asked as he got up from the chair.
"I am your personal servant, Hong Shu. I will assist you from today onwards," he asserted, eyes still lowered.
"Servant?" Yoon Shik mumbled. "You can look into my eyes. You do not have to bow either," he said and patted on Hong Shu's shoulder.
"This lowly is not allowed to look into the eyes of his master," Hong Shu stated. Yoon Shik felt hearing somewhat sad those words, as people from low class were usually expected to converse like this.
Yoon Shik wanted to make Hong Shu comfortable around him. He told him to sit on the chair beside him. "Master, I cannot sit here. This place does not belong to me," Hong Shu nervously said. Yoon Shik told him to follow his orders and got seated on the other chair.
"You seem young, Hong Shu. You do not need to call master either. I am no one's master," asserted Yoon Shik.
"Yes, I am 16 years old. But I have to call you master. I cannot-"
Yoon Shik cut his words in the middle. "Hong Shu, call me Hyung (older brother). I will feel happy. I am a normal person like you. Okay, tell me about yourself. Who are you and the things you like?" Yoon Shik then asked.
"About me?" Hong Shu murmured, looking into Yoon Shik's eyes who gave a nod to him.
"I am a slave boy who was brought here for the work. I was recruited here at the age of 13. My father could not pay off the debt so I was sold off to work here," Hong Shu stated. "This lowly has no right to like anything—I have learnt this during the period I served here my earlier masters," he then declared with a sad tone.
Yoon Shik's heart ached upon hearing about Hong Shu. He recalled the time when he used to live with his birth father and mother in the village far from the city. How his father covered up in debts and he once decided to sell him off but his mother stopped that and sold her precious hairpin to pay off the debt. That time he was 8 years old.
"Life of a commoner like us is difficult," Yoon Shik with teary eyes.
"Like us?" mumbled Hong Shu.
"I am also like you. I am from Sangmin class but I never considered myself a low class. Thanks to my mother I am here. I will give you your freedom, Hong Shu. Wait for a year," Yoon Shik stated.
"So, you have started making these lowly sit on the chairs like us?!" voiced Sung Tae who just came to the room.
Hong Shu immediately got up from the chair and gave a 90° bow. "This lowly must be punished," Hong Shu said when Yoon Shik stood in front of him.
"Sung Tae, you should not have any problem with this. I told him to sit there," Yoon Shik stated.
Sung Tae chuckled and turned to his servant. "Put them over there," he ordered to the servant named Gwang Chu who put the books over the other table and left the room. Turning to Yoon Shik he said, "Yoon Shik, your these acts will put you in trouble someday. Well, we Yangbans do not like when slaves sit on the chairs. That's not there place. I hope you will keep it in mind."
"I do not want to know your likeness towards something. I can do whatever I want to and I do not follow orders," Yoon Shik pronounced. He then turned to Hong Shu and told him to leave.
Hong Shu again bowed before leaving from there.
Lee Eunshi came there and saw Sung Tae & Yoon Shik were glaring at each other. "Don't start arguing," Lee Eunshi stated and went towards his bed. He took off the Gat (Korean Hat) and put it on the tiny table which was placed beside his bed.
Yoon Shik walked out of the room while Sung Tae went towards his bed.
~~~~~~~~~
In the Palace King Taejon could be seen in a secret chamber with two other people- the two royal secret inspector. Both were in blue colored robes and had swords in their hands. The waistband had daggers hidden.
"Jeonha (Your majesty), the far south province of the kingdom is undergoing some changes in the administration. The governor of the province has also gathered huge sum of money from illegal activities going on in the province. But records are kept clear so that no one can raise questions on him," said one of the secret inspectors.
"Jeonha, I have been in his house for three days acted as a servant during the grand feast Governor Yong Pil had organized. I happened to hear there that a royal minister of court is also involved with him. He is the one who is protecting him and clearing those records," asserted the other secret inspector.
"A minister of my court?" mumbled King Taejon.
"Jeonha, a mistake was happened from our end when we two were returning," stated on of them.
"What mistake?" the King asked.
"Jeonha, Some masked men attacked us when we reached the city. Luckily they could not able to catch us. We happened to deceive them and later killed them but I think one had escaped among them but his leg was badly injured so I do not think he is able to leave this city," asserted the Royal secret inspector.
"Go undercover. Kill him if you see him or if you could bring him to the Central punishment House then that would be great but do not let this thing out," King Taejon commanded them.
"Jeonha, from tomorrow I have been asked to show my presence in the Sungkyunkwan to teach the new disciples," asserted the other.
"Women are not allowed in Sungkyunkwan. But because no one knows your identity so keep it a secret," pronounced the king. She bowed her head.
"Do not worry, Jeonha. We shall live now," said Noh Eunho and turned to look at her fellow secret inspector, Park Hye Jeon They both took the leave from there.
"Eunho, I will see you after a month," stated Hye Jeon with a smile.
"Find that man. I think he has seen my face," Noh Eunho asserted.
"I will find him in this one month period." Hye Jeon assured her. They both came out from the backyard of the Secret Hall. They both were wearing simple robes like noblemen with gats over their heads. Strings of beads were hanging on either side of the those gats.
"Why did you accept the request to go to Sungkyunkwan? No one knows your identity and going there could be dangerous," Hye Jeon expressed the concern.
"I could not refuse as head administrator of the academy asked about my appointment there for a year. He always wanted me to be there and for two years I am refusing him giving different kinds of excuses. Actually, I mistakenly once saved him from a bandit and he was impressed by my sword skills. I lied to him that I got trained for military but could not get there and got Department of Law and Justice," Noh Eunho told Hye Jeon.
"Well, you have the seal of that department and no one will be suspicious of you because your work is mostly outside. Brilliant!" stated Hye Jeon.
"That's because I am not a government official. I directly work for his majesty along with you. Well, see you after a month," Noh Eunho stated and waved at him. She turned the route and left for her house- the Song's house.