PART II: CHILDREN OF THE MOUNTAINS

Chapter 16: The Ritual

Joseon 1622,

In the main street in downtown Chungcheong¹, people of all ages gather on both sides of the street waiting for the imminent visit from the Royal Family. Everyone looks more than excited to see the King and the Queen, as well as to have them perform a sacred ritual right here in Chungcheong to put a stop to the recent drought. Chungcheong has been caught in the worst drought in years, which has lasted for more than six months, so the Royal Family have decided to organise a trip to the remote province and perform a rain-calling ritual.

At a corner, two simple-looking farmers look more than relieved at the news. One of them keeps bowing up and down to the sky, repeatedly mumbling something like a prayer:

- Thank the gods, the King is coming to save us all. I don't know how long we can go on in this drought.

The other farmer also looks just as excited, but he knows to control his enthusiasm, so he teases the bowing and praying farmer:

- Yaya, control yourself, will you? I didn't even see you this happy when you had your firstborn!

- Of course I'm more happy now than when my son was born. If it does not rain soon, my whole family will starve to death!

On the other side of the street, three housewives are gathered around a silk shop, chitchatting about the fancy clothes and the expensive makeup that the Queen and the concubines get to wear. 

- Ya, guess what kind of silk that the Queen will be wearing. I heard that Guang Zhou silk is trendy these days, and very expensive. 

One housewife shows off her knowledge. But another quickly picks up the conversation.

- I bet you Park Bin² mama could afford 100 pieces of Guang Zhou silk, and more! And I heard that her makeup has to be custom-made from rose petals and cherry blossoms. How luxurious!

- Yes! No wonder Park Bin mama is one of the most favoured concubines! No one can compare with her beauty!

- Speaking of being favoured, do you all know who else is coming? - One of the housewives asks rhetorically, just waiting for the others to return the question to her.

- Yes! - to her disappointment, a housewife answers confidently - Jang Sugui mama will also be coming. Ever since she gave birth to the Second Princess, she has been advancing fast in her ranks! From Sugwon to Sugui in three years!

- You are right! The King does not yet have many children, only the Crown Prince, First Princess and Second Princess, so Jang Sugui mama has really been favoured by the King since she gave him the Second Princess.

As the conversation digressses from her question, the first housewife keeps pouting and takes back control of the conversation from her friends.

- No, that's not who I'm talking about! I'm talking about Lee Soui mama, one of the few male concubines. He is also coming to Chungcheong. 

The rest of the housewives gasp in surprise as she drops the news, even more surprised than when they heard the news that the King and the Queen themselves were coming to their little town.

- Lee Soui mama? Really?

- Yes!

- Does anyone ever hear anything about Lee Soui mama?

- I only heard that he comes from the prestigious Lee clan, that he was born with a silver spoon in his mouth!

- Jeez, he must be a spoiled brat!

- But the King really favours him. He went from Sugyeong to Soui in less than four years. He must not be too bad.

- Yeah, and you know what, I also heard he is really good-looking, too. If only he was not the King's concubine, haha.

- What are you thinking!? He would not even look at you even if he was not the King's concubine!

While the housewives' gossips of the Royal Family goes on without a seeming end, at another corner, a few guards gather around to discuss the recent security issues around Hanyang and Chungcheong.

- Hey, do you know which route the Royal Family will be taking from the Palace?

The older guard asks concerningly. 

- From Hanyang to Chungcheong, they must pass Yangjae forest, there is no way around it.

The other answers him.

- Have you heard of the recent robberies and murders on the outskirts of Hanyang? They all happened around Yangjae forest.

- Really?

- Yeah, and people are starting to think that there is a gang of bandits with a lair somewhere in the forest. But they still haven't been able to find any of them yet.

The younger guard seems to have been quite shaken up at the information just given to him by his colleague, so the other guard takes this opportunity to further terrorise him.

- And I heard all of his victims died horrible deaths! With their tongues all stuck out, eyes as white as snow, popped out of their sockets, mouths full of blood...

- Ahhhhh!!!

The guard is not even half finished with his description when the younger guard could not listen to any more of the gruesome detail. His legs cannot stop shaking, and his face turns white in only just a second.

- Hahaha. I was just messing with you! What a wimp!

- So, it's not true?

- The last part about the victims' deaths is not true, but the gang of bandits is real, and they are in Yangjae forest.

- ...

- But I'm sure the royal guards are trained to deal with these kinds of bandits. Who would be idiotic enough to rob the Royal Family! 

The chatter continues between the guards when they hear a loud and clear announcement from afar:

- The Royal Family is approaching!

The head eunuch leading the group of royal palanquins loudly announces. At the same time, groups of royal guards are dispersed to both sides of the street, inspecting suspicious places and groups of commoners for any weapon. Only when they have thoroughly completed the inspection do the palanquins proceed to move through the streets. On the sides of the streets, commoners kneel down and bow before the palanquins. The endless chatter between the farmers, housewives and guards just a few seconds ago is now completely replaced by respectful greetings towards the King and the Queen. The previously busy and crowded streets are completely turned into a solemn scene by the presence of the Royal Family.

Sitting inside his palanquin, Sungmin fights his urge to take a peek through the window to look at the streets and people of Chungcheong. It has been years since he had the opportunity to get out of the Palace, so he is more than excited to be out on the streets just like a commoner again. Unfortunately, as a member of the Royal Family, he has to be protected by troops of guards all the time everywhere he goes, despite the hundreds of times that he has begged the King to let him take a trip to the market alone.

Finally, Sungmin decides to lift the curtain on his window to look outside. If he does not get to go out to the streets, he will at least get a look at how Chungcheong looks like. The street that they are on is quite narrow, with houses on both sides. Houses here also seem to be shorter and smaller in size, compared with houses in Hanyang. When Sungmin's palanquin passes a few housewives kneeling on the side of the street, he suddenly meets the eyes of one of the housewives. She immediately looks down to the ground, as it is not appropriate for a commoner to look straight at a royalty. But Sungmin only gently smiles at her, and he swears he could see her face blushing like a young teenage girl. Sungmin wonders what that is about.

Although the Royal Family is here in Chungcheong to attend the rain-calling ritual, Sungmin does not have the chance to observe such sacred ritual. That night, as well as for the rest of the week that they spend in Chungcheong, Sungmin has to stay inside the local temple and make handwritten copies of the scripture. This was suggested by Jang Sugui, of course, as a way of "sending prayers to Heaven", in her own unctuous words. Yet, her suggestion was not for herself to make copies of the scripture, but for Sungmin to do it. Sungmin knows very well that this is just her way of creating trouble for him, so he only goes along with it so as to not get deeper into her drama.

Now that Sungmin is here, all alone in the temple, he finds that he does not mind spending time here that much. Here, he does not have to follow every single royal etiquette. He does not have to care about how he sits, how he speaks or how he eats. Here, he does not have to deal with the concubines' drama. He suddenly finds that he is enjoying the peace in the temple more and more every day.

Sungmin is still kneeling inside the temple, making one thousand handwritten copies of the scripture for the one thousand people in Chungcheong, when he hears a slow and steady footstep walking from outside the door towards him. The quiet walls of the temple echo every footstep, destroying the dead silence that has always been inside the temple.

- Any news?

Without looking up, Sungmin can be sure that it is Jongwoon, his loyal servant. Sungmin knows Jongwoon's footsteps like the palm of his hand, as he always hears Jongwoon's footsteps and voice before he can even see his face. 

- No, mama - then, as if afraid the guards can overhear their conversation, Jongwoon takes one step closer to Sungmin to whisper to him - there has been no news of Jo yeonggam mama in Chungcheong. Either he is not here, or he does not want to be found.

Sungmin lets out a deep sigh. Half of him had already expected this news, but half of him still holds onto the hope that he can find Kyuhyun here in Chungcheong, on his first trip outside the Palace in years, whether by coincidence or intention. But reality disappoints him yet another time, as for the past three years, every time Jongwoon goes outside the Palace, he comes back with no news of Kyuhyun as if he had disappeared from the surface of this earth by some mysterious means. Or, just like Jongwoon said, Kyuhyun does not want to be found.

Three years ago, Sungmin last saw Kyuhyun on the lonely bridge outside of his residence in the Palace. That day, Kyuhyun told him that he was going back to Hamheung for three months, but Sungmin felt that something was wrong with what Kyuhyun had said in his every bone. And he was right.

Kyuhyun never came back to Hanyang.

Three months after he left, Sungmin's father received a letter from Kyuhyun, saying that he was doing well. But that he would not come back to Hanyang. He would not come back to Seowangmyeong. He would not come back to them. Ever.

Sungmin regrets so many things about that day. He regrets not touching Kyuhyun one last time. He regrets not prolonging the kiss between them for as long as possible. He regrets not asking Kyuhyun what the kiss had meant. And he regrets not saying the words that he had always wanted to say.

But Sungmin knows that his million regrets would do him no good. So he continues to look for Kyuhyun everywhere possible with the help of Jongwoon. But by far, no good news has come to them yet.

- Mama, I've also prepared what you asked for.

Jongwoon's soft and warm voice pulls Sungmin out of his chains of thoughts.

- Oh. I will be right there.

Sungmin stands up and walks out to the yard of the temple. To the east of the temple, the sky is almost lit up with thousands of lanterns. Sungmin imagines that the royal rain-calling ritual, with its luxurious costumes and sacred music, dance, and food, has finally come to an end. In the final step of the ritual, people will light up lanterns and release them into the sky as a way of sending their prayers to the gods.

In the yard of the temple, three large lanterns are nicely prepared and erected by Jongwoon. Sungmin smiles at Jongwoon as a way of saying thank you and brings three copies of the scripture to the nearby fireplace to burn. Then Sungmin lights up the three lanterns and slowly releases them into the sky.

- One is for the people of Chungcheong. - Sungmin whispers so that only he can hear himself.

May they get through this drought soon without any further difficulties or casualties.

- One is for my father, my friends, and everyone at Seowangmyeong.

May they all forever be safe and well to have all their hopes and dreams come true soon.

- And one is for the person that will forever be in my heart.

May you finally find peace and happiness after all this time.

With Sungmin's prayers, the three lanterns fly high towards the sky, bringing what little light they can to the previously pitch-black sky, as well as to Sungmin's heart.

********

1. Chungcheong (now Chungcheongnam): a province in the Southwest of Korea, 118 km to the south of Seoul. Chungcheong has one of the dryest weather in South Korea, and so has very long and bad droughts.

2. Ranks of concubines: Sugwon lowest: junior 4, to Sowon, Sugyeong, Soyong, Sugui, Soui, Gwiin, Bin and Bi being the highest.