Chapter 10: The Birth of a Divine Physician [1] I still can't get used to that damned bell.
It rang from the crack of dawn and immediately set his teeth on edge.
It felt exactly like the alarm that used to go off during military physician training.
What was remarkable was that right around the moment he opened his eyes, Dolseok would unfailingly be standing outside the door.
And always with warm washing water.
"Young master, are you awake?"
"Oh, right. Just leave the water there and go. I'll wash on my own."
"Yes. I'll bring your morning meal."
"Alright, alright."
Kanghyeok got up with a satisfied smile.
Then he rummaged through the pocket he had left aside the night before.
Just as I thought. It's gone.
The missing pills were all back inside the house-call bag.
How can something like this even happen?
Kanghyeok tilted his head for a moment, then stepped outside.
There were many things in the world that were pointless to think too hard about.
He hated wasting time.
—Splash, splash.
Even washing without soap did not feel bad.
They said I was twenty-four… my skin really is flawless.
It felt soft to the touch, just like his skin back when he was a student.
Back then, he had made quite a few older women cry.
"Young master, I'll bring your morning meal."
"No, never mind. Let's check on Okseok first before I eat."
"Ah, yes, young master. Thank you."
"You saw him this morning, didn't you? How does he look?"
Kanghyeok did not look like someone who particularly needed to ask.
It was only appendicitis, after all. No matter how poor the operating conditions had been, with Kanghyeok's skill, it was not the sort of case that would cause any real problem.
And the medicine had worked very well too.
"Ah, not even a hundred medicines had done any good before… but now he's doing very well. He keeps trying to get up and attend to Madam, and I've only just managed to keep him down."
"Really? It's still a bit early for him to be working."
"Oh, honestly, young master, please say something to him."
Dolseok made a great fuss as he pointed at Okseok, who was sweeping the yard.
He looked slightly pale, but otherwise fine.
The moment Okseok's eyes met Kanghyeok's, he hurriedly put the broom down.
"Y-young master."
"You really must be feeling better. Let me see your stomach."
"Yes, yes."
Kanghyeok lifted his upper garment slightly and examined the wound.
It's sealed nicely. It'll leave a scar, but there's nothing to be done about that.
Considering the operation had been done without proper lighting, it was acceptable.
"Very good. Well… you can slowly do light work, treat it as exercise. Ah, but take your medicine."
Kanghyeok placed today's pills in Okseok's palm.
"Two in the morning, two in the evening. Swallow them with water."
"Yes, young master. Thank you."
"Now please have your meal."
"Right. Thank you."
Leaving Dolseok and Okseok behind, Kanghyeok returned to his room.
As expected, there were still not many side dishes.
Compared to this, what he had eaten yesterday at the gisaeng house had been almost like a royal table.
At least the sungnyung is decent.
It seemed they had uncannily taken into account the fact that the master had come home drunk.
Thinking that was not bad at all, Kanghyeok began eating briskly.
The rest of the dishes were the same as yesterday. Marinated crab, yeolmu kimchi, soy sauce.
"Uh, is anyone there?"
Just as he was chewing the last bite, a loud male voice came from outside the main gate.
That voice sounds familiar…
Kanghyeok set down his spoon and tilted his head.
There were not many people he had met since coming here.
And even fewer whose voices he knew.
Ah, was it Makbong?
The stoutly built one with the nasty temper.
At the same time, he was also the sort who quickly laid his feelings bare.
He had seemed especially attached to the Pyeonsu, but apparently he was attached enough to come running here at dawn.
As Kanghyeok's personal servant, Dolseok held a fairly high place among the household servants.
That was inevitable, since he had originally been a commoner.
So it was another servant who ran to open the gate.
"Who is it?"
"Well… Baek— no, could you call Dolseok for me?"
"Brother Dolseok? What for? He's eating right now."
"Ah… just pass along the message. If you say it's Makbong, he'll know."
"Wait here for now."
"Well now…"
No matter how reckless the troupe might be, they could not just casually call for a yangban.
If they did, they could be rolled up in a straw mat on the spot and would have no grounds to complain.
What was more, the tall main gate and walls only made Makbong shrink in on himself.
They kept going on about the Suwon Baek clan, and it truly was an impressive household.
In truth, even Dolseok ranked high among the lowborn.
After all, he was still a servant from a proper family line.
While Makbong waited helplessly, Kanghyeok walked toward the main gate.
After all, when a guest came, was it not only proper for the master to open the door himself?
He had already prepared the medicine he meant to hand over.
He spoke to the servant standing by the handle.
"I know him too, so open the gate."
"What? Ah, young master. I failed to recognize your guest…"
The servant seemed to feel deeply apologetic that he had made his master come all the way here.
He bowed again and again in apology.
Kanghyeok still found such things uncomfortable, so he waved him off.
"That's enough. Just open the gate."
"Yes, yes."
The servant moved quickly.
The heavy gate swung open.
Outside stood not only Makbong, but Yeoni as well.
She had done her hair up in a fairly masculine style, but there was no hiding her pretty face.
"Oh, two of you came. So, is Pyeonsu alright?"
At Kanghyeok's question, Yeoni bowed first.
"Yes, my lord. Thanks to you, he is alright now."
"And the performance will not be a problem?"
This time Makbong hurriedly lowered his head.
Perhaps because he had offended Kanghyeok since yesterday, he was being extremely deferential.
"Yes, yes. I plan to assist him."
"Good. It is a relief to hear he is doing that well. Here is today's medicine."
Yeoni accepted the medicine with repeated bows.
"Thank you, my lord."
Makbong looked rather troubled.
"Well… but could we possibly receive several of these at once?"
It was exactly the sort of question Kanghyeok had expected, and he had already prepared his answer.
Without changing expression in the slightest, he replied,
"That would be difficult. I can only make this much in a day."
"Ah, is that so…"
"Yes. It is quite a precious medicine. There is only this one in the entire world."
In truth, it was common enough to be found in a house-call bag.
But here, it was not exactly a lie.
At those words, Yeoni and Makbong looked even more overwhelmed.
They bent at the waist and repeatedly expressed their thanks.
"Yes, yes, thank you very much."
"Well… if you are not busy, how would you feel about coming to today's performance as well?"
Yeoni carefully extended the invitation.
Kanghyeok stroked under his chin as he answered.
The rough stubble catching at his fingertips still felt unfamiliar.
"Isn't it the Busa who gives the invitation?"
"That is true, but… surely no one would dare stop you from coming, my lord."
Yeoni said this while looking around at the spacious yard and the dozens of servants.
"Then again, Father is going too…"
Since ancient times, it had never hurt to have connections with powerful people.
"Fine. Then I'll see you again later."
"Yes, my lord. Then we will take our leave. Thank you."
The two backed away with their heads bowed.
Kanghyeok turned away before they had even fully left his sight.
Seungmun had called out to him from behind.
"Who were those two just now? They did not look like respectable sorts."
Their clothes and appearance certainly were ragged enough.
Naturally, Kanghyeok gave the answer he had already prepared.
He was glib by nature and had lectured often, so the words flowed smoothly.
"They are the family of the patient I treated at the market yesterday."
"Yesterday?"
"Yes. More importantly… are you going to the Busa's residence today?"
"I am. Since you kept insisting you would not go, I'm going alone."
"I'll go with you."
"You will too? Hm."
Seungmun had already tied his gat strings.
The gat was made of horsehair, and the strings were jade, making it very luxurious.
Since it had been bestowed on Seungmun by the king when he served as Daesaheon, he treasured it more than his own body.
"Then finish getting ready quickly. Not only the Busa, but also the Gyeonggi Gwanchalsa will be there. Your hair is a mess. Make yourself neat."
"Yes."
"Since Kanghyeok is going too, we'll need one more horse. Bring it out."
"Yes, Master."
Kanghyeok went straight back to his room.
Looking in the mirror, he saw that his hair had indeed come loose overnight.
Hm… do I just comb it up roughly?
He recalled Seungmun's neat hairstyle.
Not a single stray hair was sticking out.
Kanghyeok had always had an excellent eye for detail.
He finished arranging his hair in a similar style and put on a gat.
He was still unmarried, but since he was of age, he had to appear as a proper adult.
Even to Seungmun's eyes, Kanghyeok's much neater appearance seemed fairly acceptable.
"That is better than before. Come, then. The Gwanchalsa must be waiting."
"Yes, Father."
By then the servants had already led out the horses.
Seungmun mounted with practiced ease, and now it was Kanghyeok's turn.
Naturally, he had never truly ridden one before.
Ah, no, I have. In Jeju.
The horse was about the same size as the pony he had ridden then.
Dolseok hurried over and helped Kanghyeok mount more easily.
"Thank you."
"It is nothing, young master."
"Now then, let's go."
At Seungmun's words, Dolseok and another servant took the lead.
"Out of the way! Move aside!"
It was early morning, and Seungmun's house stood in a rather remote area, so the alley was empty.
Even so, the servants continued shouting, "Move aside!" as they led the horses.
All the while riding, Kanghyeok kept turning his head this way and that, looking for something.
He had already known long ago that this was Suwon, thanks to the way Dolseok never stopped talking about the Suwon Baek clan.
It's not here. The Hwaseong Fortress isn't here… which means…
No matter where he looked, Suwon Hwaseong was nowhere to be seen.
That meant King Jeongjo had not yet taken power.
So it really is around the sixteenth or seventeenth century?
While Kanghyeok was lost in thought, Dolseok busily kept pulling on the reins.
"We have arrived."
In the yard of the Busa's residence, a tightrope and swings had already been set up.
Seungmun headed toward the seats beside the Busa and the Gwanchalsa, while Kanghyeok went to a seat much farther below.
Even the lower seats were occupied by at least hyeongams or yangban of similar standing.
It was a much larger event than he had expected.
Gisaeng stood among the guests one by one, attending to them.
Kanghyeok quietly sat in his place and looked down toward the troupe.
Soon the Pyeonsu appeared, and just as Yeoni had said, he looked healthy.
"My lord, this humble one offers his respects."
"Yes."
"I shall perform in high spirits."
With the Pyeonsu's greeting as the signal, the performance began in full.
The performance itself was not much different from yesterday's.
If anything, it was less entertaining because the curses they had mixed in throughout were fewer.
Still, Seungmun and the other officials seemed to be enjoying themselves.
That was only natural, seeing a performance from the seat of honor with a cup of wine in hand.
Is it over now?
As they had discussed beforehand, the Pyeonsu barely showed his face during the performance and only appeared again at the very end.
As the man bowed respectfully, the Suwon Busa asked,
"I heard you nearly died yesterday and then came back to life. Are you well now?"
It seemed one of the attending gisaeng had been loose-tongued.
Judging by how well he knew the details.
"Yes, I have completely recovered."
"And who was it that managed to heal you? That person must have extraordinary skill."
The Pyeonsu swallowed hard and looked toward Kanghyeok.
"It is presumptuous for me to say, but it was that Scholar Baek over there who healed me."
It was the moment the notorious good-for-nothing Baek Kanghyeok revealed a new side of himself.
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