"He is not here. Now, it is confirmed he had not returned," Sunwo stated, looking all around the cafeteria.
"Where is Park Do Yeong?" asked the warden named Jung Jae Chan, looking at them.
"He is not feeling well. So, is in the room," Sung Tae replied. Jae Chan put the attendance notebook down at the table and whispered something in his assistant's ear. The assistant nodded and walked away. "Go and have your meals," Jae Chan pronounced.
Yoon Shik, Sung Tae and Sunwo looked at each other. They went to the far end of the cafeteria Hall and sat beside each other. "Will Lee Eunshi be able to handle? I think I shall go there," Sung Tae muttered.
"Jae Chan is quite sharp. Don't go there else it will be a problem. Look over there, he is still looking at us with his suspicious eyes," Park Sunwo proclaimed as dinner was served to them. He picked the chopsticks and started eating.
"Eat before Jae Chan gets more suspicious of us," Sunwo told Yoon Shik and Sung Tae who started eating. Once they were finished, they left for their room. As soon as they pushed the door to enter in, they saw Do Yeong there and was talking with Lee Eunshi.
"Where were you?" Sunwo asked Yeong in anger.
"I was stuck somewhere," Yeong replied. Yoon Shik closed the door. "We were going to break many rules of the academy if you had not returned." Yoon Shik told. Sung Tae got seated on his bed while Sunwo sat beside Yeong.
"Forgive me for making you all worry," Yeong humbly said.
Frowning Yoon Shik asked, "But where were you and how did you get inside?"
"Umm…it's private. I cannot tell," Yeong answered. Yoon Shik gave a nod and went to the other end of the room in front of his ground desk. Yeong looked at Sunwo and asked him if Yoon Shik was angry at him. Sunwo shrugged off his shoulder.
"Tell us. It is not like we are your enemies who will take advantage of your personal problems," Sung Tae proclaimed.
"It is not like that. It is just I have to explain the things to you all since the beginning." Yeong gave the reason. Lee Eunshi laid down on his bed, putting his hand under his head and a leg over the other. "Tell us. Maybe we can give solutions to your problem," Lee Eunshi said while gazing at the wooden ceiling.
Yeong looked at him. "My brother is something planning evil so, I ended up following him quite far," Yeong answered.
"Hyung-nim is planning something?" Sung Tae questioned.
"Yes. Hyung-nim wants to put a ban on early entitlements of posts by the King to rank holders. Not only that he and the other ministers are planning to introduce some new policies and amendments in the old ones which will limit the freedom of people," Yeong stated. Lee Eunshi sat up on the bed while Yoon Shik closed the book he was reading.
"Are you sure?" Lee Eunshi asked.
"What do you mean if I am sure? He is my elder step brother so, of course, I know this. Well, I hope I could stop this but I think it will be put forwarded in the court soon." The way Yeong was telling them clearly showed that his brother had got someone's back. Lee Eunshi turned curious so, he thought to ask more from Do Yeong.
"The King will not agree to any kind of amendments in the policies without special advisors consultation. But it seems your brother has someone behind his back. He seems quite powerful," asserted Lee Eunshi and tried to know the answers from Do Yeong.
"He has got Crown Prince's support," Do Yeong replied.
"Crown Prince?" mumbled Yoon Shik.
"What kind of amendments he wants to put forward? Do you know anything about that?" Sung Tae queried Do Yeong.
"The taxation amount for peasants; change in punishment for Sangmins, women and slaves; more labor hours and changes in wages," Do Yeong replied. "My brother is going extreme. I wish I could stop him as the rules they are going to forward ruin the people's lives."
Yoon Shik was listening to all this but did not speak anything.
"His majesty knows the best so, we shall not worry about these things. Although the bureaucracy is there, the King's rule is supreme. Do not try to involve yourself in such politics where you will end up hurting," Lee Eunshi gave an advice to Yeong.
"Lee Eunshi is saying right. Your brother does not favor you and if he will find out that you're checking onto him then it may create repercussions in the future. Moreover, we are not into government services yet so, it is of no use. This way you will catch attention of other ministers as well which will not do any good," asserted Sung Tae.
Do Yeong gave a nod. Yoon Shik on the other hand stood up and came towards the bedroom side when Yeong asked him where he was going. "To the library," Yoon Shik replied and walked out of the room.
Actually, Yoon Shik got worried after hearing Yeong's brother's intention. He was wondering why the rules were changed only for lower sections. He realized even if he had entered the academy, he had no power. So, it is like he had achieved nothing. Thinking all this he reached the northern part of the academy and stopped near the pond. The bright moonlit had gleamed the water.
Yoon Shik went near the pond and looked at his own reflection. "What are you doing here?" voiced a man. Yoon Shik turned to look at saw the instructor of Governance, Hyun Ki Hwan. Yoon Shik quickly stepped back and bowed his head in respect for Master Hyun.
"What are you doing here in this late night?" Hyun Ki Hwan again questioned him.
"I could not get sleep so, thought to take a walk… did not realize when did I reach the northern region," Yoon Shik answered and looked into Hyun Ki Hwan's eyes.
Hyun Ki Hwan understood something was going on with Yoon Shik so, he did not consider to ask. "Did you find why I rejected your answer?" Hyun Ki Hwan asked with a tiny smile on his lips. Yoon Shik shook his head in refusal.
"Have a seat. I will tell you now," Hyun Ki Hwan pronounced as he got seated on the wooden bench there. "Sit," Hyun Ki Hwan told Yoon Shik and then gestured to him to sit beside him.
"How can I sit with the master?" Yoon Shik muttered.
"Why? Aren't students suppose to sit beside their masters?" Hyun Ki Hwan asked Yoon who understood and got seated on the bench.
"Yoon Shik how do you see this pond water?" Hyun Ki Hwan asked.
"Calm," Yoon Shik answered.
"And, what about a stream or a river?" Hyun Ki Hwan further questioned.
"Moving with a constant flow but not in rainy season," Yoon Shik replied.
"Our minds must like be a pond- calm and compose. Our body must move with a constant speed like a stream or a river in normal seasons. There are instances when we humans undergo emotional turmoil but then we should take decision not with heart but intellect. The answers which come from our intellectual benefit not only us but the society as well.
Your answer was from your heart. You are right what if someone goes against the flow of water! There are chances he will achieve great results but what are the situations which will aid him in getting those good results- that has to be kept in mind.
You are in Sungkyunkwan where as soon as a student enters, start thinking differently. So, your intellect must act first in every situation that will make you different from the rest of the people. You are no longer a simple man who will just listen and obey. You are one of the future scholars of Joseon.
An unbiased justice is given not from mind solely but from intellect. Intellect of a person never fails him. Keep this thing in mind," Hyun Ki Hwan stressed his words.
Yoon Shik understood the reason he got a fail. He expressed his gratitude towards Master Hyun to make him understand.
"Yoon Shik, your true journey towards a Scholar had not started when you entered this Sungkyunkwan instead, it started when you decided to become a Scholar. I want to tell you something which no one will ever tell you.
The path you have chosen is full of thorns, pebbles and many other dangerous obstacles which you will encounter in the near future. You might lose people close to you because your path is still developing. But never lose your true self. The spirit I saw in you nine years ago, the same spirit I want to see in you when you will go out of this academy and started working as an government officer."
Hyun Ki Hwan words blew up Yoon Shik's mind. They say teacher is the one who brings you out from the darkness. He shows you the right path and at the same time beware you from the obstacles. But Yoon Shik was confused how Master Hyun knows him. So, he asked about that from Master Hyun.
"Forgot? You served me the tea in Baek Chun's restaurant. I was with 2 more friends. The day you asked us whether a Sangmin can be a Scholar or not, we four saw something unique in you. When results were announced we were shocked to see your name. We are happy that you entered Sungkyunkwan and is working hard for your dream. Keep this spirit active in you in every situation," asserted Hyun Ki Hwan.
Yoon Shik gave a nod with a smile on his lips.