Chương 37: Yeong’s anger

"I have read all the essays and now I should tell who has passed and who has failed," Chief Instructor, Hyun Ki Hwan proclaimed. The students started whispering among each other when Hyun Ki Hwan told them to keep quiet.

"Chan Sul," Hyun Ki Hwan called out the first name and he stood up.

"Fail." He lowered his eyes and sat on down on the mattress.

"Choi Shi Won- Fail." Hyun Ki Hwan pronounced. He kept on announcing fails which made wonder students to think if there was any 'Pass' or not.

"Sung Tae- Fail." Sung Tae got disappointed hearing that.

"Park Do Yeong" the instructor called out the name.

"He will get a Pass," Sunwo murmured.

The Chief Instructor looked at Do Yeong and declared him a Pass. Do Yeong smiled and sat down. Lee Eunshi glanced at him when his name was called out. He was also given a Pass. Sunwo looked at him with suspicious eyes. "Who is he?" Sunwo asked himself.

"Kim Yoon Shik." As soon as this name was called out, everyone became attentive as they wanted to see Yoon Shik's result more than their own results.

"A low class will obviously get a fail as he is not aware of Confucian teachings," Ro Sang Pil said which was audible to the students only not the Chief Instructor.

Yoon Shik glanced at him when Chief Instructor Hyun again called out his name. Yoon Shik looked at him when Hyun Ki Hwan said, "You were going right in the beginning till the middle but then you put the words which seem contradictory to Confucian teachings."

"Yoon Shik always does things which I always wanted to," Sunwo whispered against Do Yeong's ear.

"You said what if one walks against the flow of water? For most of the people it means losing their lives but there might be the chance of survival for that one person. Not only this you have put the former Great King of Joseon's example to prove this point. Because of this it was difficult for me to decide whether to give you a Pass or a Fail," Chief Instructor Hyun asserted.

Lee Eunshi intervened between them. "Master Hyun, I think Yoon Shik's statement is somewhat right. Going against the flow is not wrong every time. You might achieve great results because of this," Lee Eunshi asserted.

"Indeed but if he has written words like this then it might mean that he wants to call for a rebellion. He just used the name of Former's great King of Joseon's name to escape this," Chan Sul stated.

"Master Hyun, the answer I have written has numerous meanings. It depends on person to person and their intellectual level how they interpret this," Yoon Shik proclaimed. Sunwo and Do Yeong smiles as Yoon Shik threw a sarcasm at Wang Wook through his words.

"Why would I think of a rebellion when I was provided every single thing equally as my fellow disciples by this Kingdom's great King? I understand that I diverted my answer slightly from the Confucian basic teachings but it is because of a reason.

The answer can mean many things at once. For example, if there is illegal activity going on in any area then there is always one person who brings that out… thus, goes against the flow of water and protects our Great Joseon from the heavy loss." Yoon Shik put forwarded his point.

Hyun Ki Hwan looked at Yoon Shik's face. "This man is really something. He knows the ways to mend a topic beautifully," thought Hyun Ki Hwan.

"Kim Yoon Shik, you have a received a Fail," announced Chief Instructor Hyun. The students laughed slightly upon hearing the decision. Yoon Shik gave a nod and sat at his place.

"There is a reason you have received a fail. After class you can ask me," Hyun Ki Hwan asserted. Yoon Shik nodded. The class was resumed as Chief Instructor Hyun started teaching them about the rules of Joseon on which it gave rulings and judgements.

~~~~~~~

After the class was over, everyone waited for the next instructor to come. "Hey, Yoon Shik," Chan Sul called out his name. Yoon Shik did not give a response to him and continued writing the points which Instructor Hyun told them earlier about new rules.

Ro Sang Pil threw a crumbled paper towards Yoon Shik and it hit his back head. "When an upper-class man calls for you then you should answer," Ro Sang Pil asserted and laughed with his other fellows.

Still Yoon Shik did not give any response to them. "Ji Hoon, so his sister twisted your hand. How does dare a woman do that- that too a lower-class woman. You should have punished her that day. We have an image in the society which shall never be destroyed by such petty people," Sung Tae asserted.

"Sung Tae, I was there too. Ji Hoon got angry with no reason." Sunwo defended Yoon Shik's sister.

"Sunwo, how many times I had told you not to drag yourself in this matter. I know you always defend him no matter what," Sung Tae stated and then glanced at Ji Hoon.

"You should have reported the incident to Police Bureau then they would have handled the matter in a better way," stated Sung Tae.

"Why drag the matter to Police Bureau when you could have punished her easily? I heard that she looks beautiful," Chan Sul said with a smirk. Hearing this Yoon Shik put down the brush and turned to look at him.

"Indeed she is! I have seen her many a times in Baek Chun's restaurant. She is quite witty and a smooth talker," Ro Sang Pil asserted. "Perfect for Kisaeng House!" He then remarked.

This angered Yoon Shik. "How dare you to say such words about my sister?" Yoon Shik shouted at him.

Lee Eunshi shook his head in disbelief. "He is again loosing his temper," he murmured when he heard Chan Sul saying, "isn't she once thrown to the Kisaeng House? Am I right, Wang Wook?" Chan Sul looked at him.

Yoon Shik got up from the mattress and stepped towards them when Lee Eunshi grabbed his hand to stop him. Yoon Shik looked down at Eunshi who gestured him not to do anything.

Chan Sul thought to provoke Yoon Shik more so he further said, "If I would be in your place, Ji Hoon, I would have thrown her in that Kisaeng House right at that moment and then would be her first customer whom he had.. "

"Stop now," Sung Tae told Chan Sul as he found that he was crossing the line. But Chan Sul did not listen to him. He ignored Sung Tae's advise and said, "Let me say it completely. I would have made her pleasure me." Chan Sul completed his words with a smirk and glared into Yoon Shik's eyes.

Yoon Shik let go off Lee Eunshi's grip from his hand and stepped ahead to beat him but to his surprise, Park Do Yeong punched him hard thus, creating a chaos in Myeongnyundang (the Hall of Enlightenment ). Do Yeong grabbed his robes from near the chest and pulled him up.

Blood was oozing out from Chan Sul's lips after he got the punch from Do Yeong. All the students stood up. "Yeong-aa," whispered Yoon Shik.

"Calm Down, Do Yeong," Sung Tae said.

"You are turning just like them. You have a sister as well," Yeong shouted at him and then turned to Chan Sul.

"Now, what will you do? Complain about me that I hit you? Go, do that, but let me warn you, you will get punished. Why? Because you have lower status than me," Park Do Yeong declared. "Don't glare at me," he further added. "Now apologize."

Chan Sul looked at Yoon Shik. "Forgive me," he said in a low voice.

"Loudly," Yeong shouted at him.

"Forgive me, Yoon Shik. I should not have said such words to your sister." Chan Sul apologized to him. Do Yeong pushed him off and he fell on the floor.