Chapter 15:
Unjongga (1)
For a while, Ji-yeong’s mind was inevitably in turmoil.
A cascade of events, too overwhelming to process all at once, had come crashing down one after another.
Im Sung-jae, Jang Nok-su, Yeonsangun, the royal chef.
And now, the young girl trailing after her—Jang-geum.
“That girl… could she be the Dae Jang-geum from the future…?”
She had heard that the historical Jang-geum was a medical maid, hadn’t she…?
Every time she saw the girl following her with those bright, intelligent eyes, Ji-yeong’s thoughts grew more tangled.
But that wasn’t the only thing complicating matters.
What was truly, bizarrely convoluted was none other than Ji-yeong’s own status.
“How did everything get so twisted…?”
By the king’s decree, she had been tasked with the duties of the royal chef, but that was strictly in terms of her role.
In terms of status, Ji-yeong could only be considered a palace maid under the Naemyeongbu.
And a palace maid, by definition, was the king’s woman.
Which meant,
“…a palace maid can’t leave the palace!”
So, despite being entrusted with the role of royal chef, unlike the other chefs, Ji-yeong couldn’t commute to and from the palace.
“The only silver lining is that I’ve been permitted to present new dishes only for the evening royal meal.”
A compromise had been reached: the former royal chef, Chef Jeon, would handle the morning and midday meals, while Ji-yeong would take charge of the evening meal.
But the bizarrely twisted situation didn’t end there.
Yeonsangun had stubbornly insisted that the royal meal must be personally delivered by Ji-yeong, the royal chef.
He claimed that since she was to offer new dishes every day, she had a duty to explain them.
As a result, Ji-yeong found herself saddled with a peculiar dual identity.
She was the royal chef responsible for the king’s evening meal,
and also a palace maid tasked with personally delivering the meal to the king’s quarters, serving it, and attending to him.
“What kind of nonsense is this?!”
But feeling indignant on her own was pointless.
The absurdity had begun the moment she was appointed royal chef.
So now, Ji-yeong held the unprecedented title of both “palace maid” and “royal chef.”
Yet, the reason she hadn’t lost her grip on reality and was steadfastly enduring this bizarre situation
was because she had a single, unwavering goal.
“I will find that book, Mangunrok, and return to the present!”
That was why she had been cooperating with Doseungji Im Sung-jae’s schemes up until now.
But,
could she really trust and wait for the smooth-talking Im Sung-jae?
The thought of sitting idly made her uneasy.
“I need to find some clue about that book myself…”
As she mulled over this, a welcome sight caught her eye:
a group of musuri and naenobi, dressed in green cloaks, preparing to go out.
“Are you heading out of the palace right now?” Ji-yeong asked.
“Indeed. Every five days, we go to the market to procure ingredients or kitchen utensils,” replied Eunuch Yun, the doseolli leading the musuri, giving her a look as if wondering why she’d ask such a thing.
At that moment, Ji-yeong’s eyes lit up.
Unlike ordinary palace maids, musuri were women who could commute in and out of the palace.
It seemed that purchasing ingredients at the market was entirely entrusted to them.
“Yes, the market! If I go there, I might learn something!”
The market, or sijeon.
The largest marketplace in Joseon, lined along Unjongga—Cloud-Gathering Street—where people flocked like clouds.
Most of the country’s goods likely passed through that place.
Perhaps, just maybe, she could find a trace of Mangunrok there.
At the very least, it would be far better than waiting aimlessly inside the palace.
“Wait a moment! Can I come along?” Ji-yeong blurted out.
“You want to go to the market?” Eunuch Yun asked, surprised.
Ji-yeong nodded quickly. “I’ve been ordered by His Majesty to present new dishes every day. To do that, I need to see for myself what ingredients are available at the market.”
“But you’re a palace maid, are you not? As you know, palace maids are forbidden from leaving the palace.”
…Of course he’d say that.
But Ji-yeong had prepared for this response.
“Doseolli, sir!” she began, letting out a dramatic sigh of frustration. “If His Majesty finds the royal meal unsatisfactory, I’ll have no choice but to mention your name. I’ll have to report that there was an essential ingredient, but the doseolli failed to procure it…”
“W-What?! What outrageous nonsense!”
The effect was immediate!
Eunuch Yun shuddered as if the mere thought sent chills down his spine.
“What kind of monstrous talk is this?! Why drag an innocent man into this like some vengeful ghost?!”
“That’s exactly my point. To avoid such a tragic outcome… wouldn’t it be best if I went to the market with you?”
Ji-yeong tossed out the half-threat, half-plea with a sly flutter of her eyelids.
After staring at her for a moment, Eunuch Yun let out a deep, exasperated sigh and finally nodded.
“But this must never get out. Understood?”
“I swear I’ll keep quiet and just follow along. Really!” Ji-yeong promised, quickly grabbing a green cloak and throwing it over her head.
Seeing this, Jang-geum hurriedly donned her own cloak and scurried after Ji-yeong.
…
Yukjo Street.
The grand avenue in front of Gwanghwamun, where the six central ministries were located.
As soon as they reached the end of the street stretching toward Namdaemun, the first thing that hit them was the pungent stench of the open sewers.
Yet, that smell carried the vibrant energy of the marketplace.
Another street intersected Yukjo Street, stretching out horizontally.
The moment they stepped into the space lined with all sorts of goods, Ji-yeong’s eyes widened in awe.
“So this is… Unjongga.”
Errand-running slaves from noble households, inn servants, and peddlers from the provinces swarmed the narrow street, bustling back and forth like clouds.
From street vendors spreading out their wares to steaming cauldrons at noodle shops luring passersby with their aroma, the scene was a dazzling spectacle.
Jang-geum, who had followed Ji-yeong, seemed equally enthralled, craning her neck to take in the sights of Unjongga for the first time.
But the palace servants, their heads covered deep in green cloaks, didn’t spare a glance at their surroundings, hurrying through with brisk steps.
“In a place where so many people gather, there’s bound to be some clue about that book…”
Whether or not they sensed Ji-yeong’s lingering disappointment, the palace servants didn’t pause for even a moment.
And for good reason.
Their destination was the Yukui-jeon, the officially designated shops that supplied goods to the government, so there was no need to stop at other stalls.
Moreover, during official duties, it was practically an unwritten rule not to mingle casually with commoners.
Especially now, when resentment toward the king was spreading through the capital.
“Don’t look around and keep moving,” Eunuch Yun whispered sharply to Ji-yeong, who kept glancing about nervously.
At that moment,
“Hoi~!”
A strange, theatrical shout rang out from somewhere.
Simultaneously, several figures wearing masks used in traditional masked dances flipped through the air and landed in front of them.
As Ji-yeong, Eunuch Yun, and their group turned around in alarm, more masked figures began gathering behind them, blocking the path.
“How dare you! This is the procession of palace servants!” Eunuch Yun shouted with authority, but his words fell on deaf ears.
Ji-yeong instinctively sensed it.
These masked clowns were surrounding them.
“You scoundrels!” Eunuch Yun raised his voice again. “Can’t you see this is a procession of palace servants?!”
But the masked figures paid no heed, only swaying mockingly as if to taunt them.
Choraengi masks, Imae masks, Chwibari masks, Gaksi masks…
Before long, a dozen or so of these grotesque, exaggeratedly grinning masks had chaotically encircled Eunuch Yun’s group.
The eerie feeling they exuded was intensified by the fact that their faces were hidden, making it impossible to discern who they were or what their intentions might be.
“Jalssu!”
One masked clown let out a theatrical cry, and another flipped through the air in time with the rhythm.
“Waaah~!”
Cheers erupted from all directions at the nimble display.
Before they knew it, a crowd of onlookers had gathered like clouds.
Ji-yeong vaguely realized the situation they were in.
“These clowns are making a mockery of the palace servants!”
The laughter of the onlookers only confirmed it further.
“Stop this at once!” Eunuch Yun bellowed sternly at the clowns, but the more he shouted, the louder the crowd’s laughter grew.
“Hahaha!”
As the crowd’s laughter swelled, the clowns, now even more energized, began beating drums and gongs, keeping rhythm.
– Doong, doong, doong, doong
In time with the beat, the masked clowns started to dance slowly.
As the rhythm quickened, so did the acrobatic movements of the clowns.
– Doongdoongdoongdoongdoong
Watching their dazzling motions, Ji-yeong began to feel a growing sense of dizziness.
How should she interpret this behavior?
Clowns publicly mocking palace workers.
A crowd reveling in the spectacle.
Didn’t this signify the extent of the people’s jeers and scorn toward the court?
As she pondered this, a dark figure suddenly loomed before her.
A clown in a Choraengi mask thrust his face toward Ji-yeong.
“Eek!”
Startled, Ji-yeong instinctively stepped back, but at that moment, a flutter of navy-blue robes flashed before her eyes.
“…?”
In her bewildered gaze appeared an unfamiliar man’s face.
Thick sideburns, piercing eyes, a square jaw.
The man in the navy-blue robe stepped forward and pushed the Choraengi-masked clown back with a palm strike to his chest.
It wasn’t a forceful move, but the clown, already off-balance, flew back several feet and crashed onto a market stall.
– Crash
The sound of the stall collapsing mingled with the sight of the Choraengi mask tumbling across the dirt.
Without pausing, the man in the navy-blue robe swiftly kicked the back of another clown’s knee.
That clown, too, lost balance and fell spectacularly.
His movements were lightning-fast.
Before long, the masked clowns, who’d been encircling Ji-yeong’s group, broke their formation and began facing the stranger warily.
And Ji-yeong could only stand there, utterly dumbfounded by the situation.
“…Who on earth is this man?”
