Chapter 31: Another Master Physician [1]
"Really?"
It was welcome news that instantly sobered him up.
There was a good chance the man would turn out to be a quack once they actually met him, but still, hadn't they said his skill was extraordinary?
After living in Joseon, he had learned that rumors like that were not easy to spread unless there was really something to them.
And if the man was at Gwanggyosan, that was practically right in front of them. There was no reason not to go meet him.
"Where is he right now?"
"I told him to wait in the clinic. You were sleeping so soundly."
"Huh."
When he lifted his head, the sun was already high in the sky.
I really slept like the dead.
It wasn't as if he could refuse the alcohol Yi Sun-sin offered him.
The man had poured it for him in such high spirits; he had to go along with it.
And so, drinking cup after cup like that, he had ended up in this state.
"Let's go after I wash up."
"I've already prepared the water."
As if he had expected this, Dolseok held out a basin filled with warm water.
Kanghyeok always felt this, but compared to how rough he looked, the fellow was remarkably attentive.
"Ah, right. Thanks."
"It's nothing, Young Master."
Kanghyeok quickly washed his face with the water.
He was just about to shake off the moisture and raise his head when Dolseok held something out to him.
It was a toothbrush made from willow wood and some salt.
"You should brush your teeth too."
"Oh. Right."
Calling it a toothbrush was generous; it was really just a willow branch pounded flat with a stone.
It was a terribly crude thing, but it cleaned his teeth well enough.
Being able to use precious salt as toothpaste was also one of his privileges.
Aside from Dolseok, the other servants all brushed their teeth with straw.
"Ugh, salty."
"Here's some water."
"You really are amazing."
"Heh heh."
With Dolseok attending to him, Kanghyeok was able to finish getting ready to go out.
His hair was neatly combed, and he had on a gat, a durumagi, and even a newly made pair of straw sandals.
"Then let's go."
"Yes, Young Master."
Holding his house-call bag against his chest, Kanghyeok climbed onto a pony.
They also had to pack supplies for several days. Even if it was only Suwon, without a car the area was still quite wide.
As a result, Dolseok had to carry a large bundle on his back.
Fortunately, he did not look strained.
That was only natural, since lately he had been eating meat every day—chicken, pheasant, and the like.
"There it is."
Kanghyeok pointed at the clinic set up in the marketplace.
He had been unable to come for a while because he had been caring for Seungmun, so the place felt strangely unfamiliar.
Makbong was standing there with the gate open.
"You've come, Young Master."
"I have. Looks like you've lost some weight?"
At Kanghyeok's words, Makbong scratched the back of his head hard.
Each time he did, lice the size of fingernails flew in every direction.
Even so, he did not look embarrassed in the slightest.
He said people believed having fewer lice meant death was drawing near.
It was a strange superstition, but it was not completely without basis.
Lice were parasites, after all.
When a host was nearing death, they would have to move on and find another host to feed on.
If he keeps not washing, then I guess it isn't exactly wrong.
By Joseon standards, Makbong was in the prime of life.
Though he had gotten a bit thinner.
"There haven't been many performances lately, so nights have been busier instead."
As always, Makbong flashed a lewd smile.
Kanghyeok shook his head and looked around the courtyard.
"But where did Yeoni go?"
"Ah. She's tying up her sangtu."
"So she's in her room. Let's go when she comes out."
"Yes. I'll bring her."
Before anyone could stop him, Makbong ran into the room.
Then he started shouting at the top of his lungs.
"Yeoni! Young Master's here!"
"Ah, yes!"
At the same time, the door flew open, and Yeoni came hurrying out with a flustered face.
She seemed quite startled.
Judging by the fact that she was using her real voice instead of the male voice, that was.
It seemed she had only just tied her sangtu, because it looked a little awkward.
"You've come, Young Master."
"I have. Well, shall we get going now?"
"Yes."
As Yeoni hurriedly put on her straw sandals, she suddenly seemed to remember something and cried out,
"Ah, um... Miss Jeong Yeoju sent a letter today."
"Today? Let me see."
"Here it is."
Yeoni handed over the letter tucked into the waistband of her trousers.
Mm. She really is poor.
At a glance, it was obviously not good hanji.
Sure enough, the ink had bled carelessly here and there.
If it had not been written in Hangul, it would have been impossible to read.
"Ah, so Elder Jeong Changgwon left today. Right, then..."
Kanghyeok lifted his face toward the sky and recalled Yeoju's drawings.
Their fine detail had been excellent.
If she could draw that well with tools she had barely managed to obtain in the middle of poverty, then she would certainly be able to make even better drawings with proper materials.
She might have something to learn from a physician.
He especially needed knowledge of medicinal herbs.
Just hearing their names was not much use.
He had to know what they looked like.
And for that, someone would have to draw each herb one by one. The only person he could think of was, once again, Jeong Yeoju.
Hmm.
Kanghyeok looked at Yeoni with a strange gaze.
He stared so intently that Yeoni was forced to lower her head.
If that woman dressed as a man too, she probably wouldn't get caught either.
And weren't they already on their way with an expert in cross-dressing?
"Good. Let's take Yeoju with us too."
"What?"
"Why, can't we?"
Kanghyeok asked back with a perfectly innocent face.
Now that Changgwon was gone, there was effectively no one who could oppose whatever Kanghyeok wanted to do.
"It's not that we can't, I guess."
From behind him, Dolseok answered while rubbing his backside.
If they were caught, he would never again get to keep a backside as firm as it was now.
He would obviously be beaten with a rod.
Still, I feel like it'll be fine.
For some reason, whatever Kanghyeok did inspired trust.
No matter how slapdash or dangerous it looked.
Neither Yeoni nor Makbong had any particular objection either.
If it was illegal, they had done worse things than Kanghyeok already.
"Right. Then we're taking her."
Yeoju's house was on the way, after all.
Yeoni delivered the message separately, and Yeoju readily came along.
Dressed in a male disguise that looked genuinely awkward.
"Uh... your dopo is dragging on the ground."
"It's my father's."
Wearing the wide skirts of the oversized dopo, Yeoju moved her feet busily.
As a result, she was sweeping up the entire ground as she walked, and the sight reminded Kanghyeok of the hip-hop pants that had been popular when he was young.
If he left it as it was, even the few dapos she had would all soon be ruined.
If she's going to keep going around like this, I'll have to get clothes made for her separately.
She said she could not ride a horse, so there was nothing to be done about that.
He had been unconsciously watching her from behind when Yeoju suddenly turned around.
"Young Master?"
"Huh? Ah, yes, what is it?"
"You asked me to draw medicinal herbs, didn't you?"
"I did."
Kanghyeok hid his fluster and answered calmly.
Fortunately, he was on horseback, so the others could not clearly see his face.
"If I'm to do that, I'll need paints. I'll also need some smaller brushes... and paper."
"I brought some paper, but I'll have to get the rest separately."
Kanghyeok looked back toward the marketplace with a displeased expression.
If he had to go all the way back there, it would be a serious waste of time.
"A close friend of mine lives nearby. She'll be awake, and she'll lend them to us."
"Ah, really?"
That was good news.
"Where?"
"Lord Heo Yeop's house is right there."
"Heo Yeop?"
That was someone even Kanghyeok knew.
He did not seem like the sort who would have painting materials, though.
"Yes. Among his children is someone called Heo Nanseolheon. She is my dearest friend."
"Hah."
A hollow laugh escaped him.
Of all people, it was the father of Heo Nanseolheon.
Kanghyeok resented his younger self for not studying Korean history harder.
Wasn't he about to drag along some nobody while leaving the finest painter in all Joseon right nearby?
Jeong Yeoju.
A name he had never once seen in any history book.
Well... it's not as if I'm trying to leave behind works of art.
And it was not as though her drawing skill was poor.
She should at least be able to draw medicinal herbs and the steps of treatment.
At Kanghyeok's intense reaction, Yeoju tilted her head.
"Is that a name you know?"
"Huh? No, no. I know Heo Yeop."
"Ah, yes. Then I'll send word."
In that outfit? he wanted to ask, but he held it in.
Yeoju soon picked up a stone with practiced ease and threw it over the wall.
The house of a yangban without official rank was far larger and finer than Changgwon's house.
-Tok.
After several more throws, someone opened the gate.
It was a woman with a neat, refined face, and the moment he saw her, he knew.
So this is Heo Nanseolheon.
"Yeoju... what kind of prank is this?"
"I had my reasons for dressing as a man."
"And who is this gentleman?"
"Baek Kanghyeok. You know him, right?"
"Ah."
Baek Kanghyeok was one of the most famous people in Suwon these days.
What was more, he had treated her father, Heo Yeop, with uncanny precision, so there was no way she would not know him.
She greeted him politely.
"How do you do. I am Heo Nanseolheon."
"I'm Kanghyeok."
After they introduced themselves, she turned her eyes back to Yeoju.
"But what brings you here?"
"I agreed to help this gentleman a little this time. Could I borrow some painting tools?"
"Help?"
"Yes. I'm going to draw his treatments and some medicinal herbs for him."
"Ah. That sounds fun. Did your father permit it?"
"No. I'm sneaking off."
"That makes it even more fun. All right, I'll lend them to you."
Such a rebellious streak on a face that looked like a noble young lady's.
So Joseon had girl crushes too.
Perhaps she had already been painting, because Heo Nanseolheon quickly came back carrying painting tools.
As expected, they were entirely different in both variety and quality from what Yeoju had owned.
"Then go carefully. That way, I can learn painting from you again too."
"All right. I'll contact you. Thank you."
He had not known this.
So Heo Nanseolheon had had a separate teacher in painting.
And that teacher had been Jeong Yeoju.
Then she must be trustworthy.
That meant the preparations were complete.
"Good. Yeoni, where do we need to go?"
"I heard it's near Gwanggyosan. It'll take at least half a day to walk there."
"Gwanggyo, huh. We're going quite far. All right, let's hurry."
In Joseon, once the sun went down, there really was no way around it.
And if it was a mountain, the difficulty doubled.
I can't let my life end as tiger feed after coming this far.
The others did not seem to think much differently.
Everyone quickened their pace. Even Yeoju, whom he had worried might fall behind, walked fairly well.
And who treated her, huh? Me, of course.
Kanghyeok rode on with a satisfied expression.
Just then, Yeoni pointed ahead.
"That is Gwanggyosan."
"We're almost there. There are houses too... good. He must be there, right?"
"Yes, without a doubt."
"Good."
Now that the destination was drawing near, he finally had the leisure to look around.
It was an ordinary field one could have seen anywhere.
Except that one of the oxen plowing the field looked rather sick.
That's oozing badly.
Scabs had formed here and there, so it seemed its care had been terrible.
Other than that, nothing caught his eye.
As they entered the edge of the village, they saw a crowd of people gathered together.
"Is there some kind of feast?"
At Kanghyeok's words, Dolseok shook his head.
"I think they're there to be seen by a physician. The one up ahead looks like that clinic."
"Oh."
[1] The chapter title uses myeong-ui (명의), meaning a highly skilled or renowned physician.
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