Your Excellency, I have met with the King of Korea today. His Majesty seemed very intent on learning about foreign cultures.
Victor put down his pen and went out to the courtyard of the legation. The face of the dark-eyed court lady on the Silk Stream bridge kept filling the blank space of the letter, and he had felt as if he were writing on her face.
Hearing his footsteps in the courtyard, a Jindo puppy, still awake, came up to Victor. Palace official Cho Byeongsik had given the dog to him as a gift. It was born in a southern region called Jindo, the namesake of their breed. The reason he brought it over at barely a month old was that the puppies had to be young enough to imprint themselves for life on their owner. It was the kind of dog that would spend days or even years searching and waiting for a lost owner. The little dog had fluffy white fur, which Victor patted before walking up to the phoenix tree. The puppy followed a step behind. The aristocrats of Plancy had many white dogs at their home in Plancy village. Whenever Victor went there to see Marie, the dogs would come running out to greet him first.
In the dark, Victor took out a cigarette and brought it to his lips. He exhaled long plumes of smoke into the air. It had rained the night before, but now the sky was filled with stars. The leaves of the phoenix tree swayed. From somewhere came the cry of a nightingale.
Sometimes a dog does not guard a house but a person’s solitude.
—I should’ve asked her for her name.
Victor addressed his remarks to the puppy underfoot.
—How can I see her again if I don’t even know her name?
He bent lower and stroked the puppy’s back. It had been only a moment, but the dark eyes of the court lady had already wrapped a vise around his heart. It was like looking down at a pocket watch he thought he had lost long ago.
She had clearly said, “Bonjour.” She said it so naturally. Her pronunciation and enunciation . . . She knew how to speak his language!
Victor stood up as if to shake off these meandering thoughts. He felt disgusted at himself for loitering around the courtyard. He dropped his cigarette and ground it out with his shoe. He wished to remain unmoved. He trod back to his quarters and sat down once more, taking out the governmental order he had received with the letter of credence.
Your duty is to carefully observe whether the agreement signed between France and Korea on June 4, 1886, is being carried out. Of specific interest, as important as our political issues with Korea, is the agreement concerning French missionaries in Korea. While Korea seems to unhesitatingly accept European culture, there remains a long history of prejudice against Christianity.
Victor folded the order again and put it back in its drawer.
The reason the King welcomed the French was that France’s influence was unthreatening. The King could not express his real intentions before the legates and consuls of Japan, England, America, Russia, or Qing Dynasty China. A single word from the King was enough to reconfigure the web of conflict between these powers.
France had signed its treaty with Korea only two years before.
In the meantime, France was more concerned with Vietnam, resulting in frequent clashes with China, which was also attempting to expand into Southeast Asia. France and Korea now had ties, but there was no real exchange between the two nations yet. France’s chief interest in Korea was not economic gains but the religious issue of the spread of Catholicism. Its missions based in Paris had secretly sent three priests into Korea during the Kingdom’s era of seclusion, and they had all been executed. This was followed by the martyrdom of eight thousand Korean Catholics and nine French priests.
That early summer night, listening to the sound of the young Jindo pup that softly whined as it tried to go to sleep, Victor lit the end of his cigarette, wedged it between two fingers, and began to write his letter.
2
The Dancer
Your Excellency,
Korea has requested that the American government send over American military officers to aid in the reorganization of their armed forces. They have also appointed emissaries to Paris, London, Berlin, Rome, and St. Petersburg.
Despite the treaty, there are situations in which our priests still face trouble doing their work.
I believe the Ministry of Foreign Affairs must take a special interest in this matter.
As Your Excellency has no doubt been informed, the garrison from the Aspic returned to Jaemulpo Harbor on June 23. The American garrison will remain until the end of this month, and the Russian military left a garrison of six when they left their legation. But I believe such measures are no longer necessary. All seems peaceful.
I believe that Yuan Shikai’s intent upon realizing Qing’s decline in influence upon Korea was to bring about internal turmoil through spreading rumors and to consequently justify China’s military presence in Korea by making it seem that the latter’s government was incapable of maintaining the peace.
June 23, 1888
Victor Collin de Plancy
Was it her dark pupils? Her red lips? Her skin that was as bright as her eyes? Jin’s face was like a flower. Her eyebrows were as neat as lines, and the pupils nestled within her thick lashes were black and clear and deep. Her cheeks were pink, her fingers white and long, her breasts and hips full, her forehead flawless, her brow generous, and her wrists and ankles thin. What should be dark was dark, and what should be red was red. What should be slim was slim, and what should be bright was bright. Where she should have curves, she had curves.
Finally, Jin placed the dancer’s lotus crown on her head. She was ready for the banquet. The waiting room was busy with the dancers preparing for their performance. Her yellow robes, the color of the oriole, seemed a touch more brilliant in the glow of Jin’s white skin. The tight red belt accentuated her slender waist. She attached her seven-colored sleeve extensions and waved them about, checking their fit, before looking outside the pavilion.
The drizzling rain that had come down since the morning was not letting up.
The trees of the palace took on a refreshed sheen on rainy days, but the dirt paths unpaved with stepping stones became muddy underfoot. The strands of rain were thin but persistent, and the banquet attendees were sure to be annoyed by the mud on their shoes.
I’ll get to see Yeon again.
Thinking of Yeon, Jin gazed out at the drizzle outside. It must have been raining in Banchon as well. I wonder how Suh is doing.
They said that the evening’s banquet was to welcome the new French legate.
Jin had danced at many banquets for foreign legates, but this was the first time she was to perform for a French representative. France . . . She had never visited, but it was the closest foreign country to Jin’s heart, having learned French from Father Blanc when she was a child. Blanc was now Bishop of the Apostolic Vicariate of Korea.
The Queen had summoned her the night before when Jin was at work in the royal Embroidery Chamber. The Queen was in the habit of personally tasking Jin with a solo dance performance when there was an important event at the palace.
—I have heard that the French legate invited for tomorrow’s banquet is a sensitive and earnest man.
—Yes, Your Majesty.
—He lived for a long time in China and speaks their tongue well. He respects artisans and is no stranger to books. I think this gentleman is a good fit for Korea.
—I see.
—France’s attitude toward Korea is different from China’s or Japan’s. They are far from us, so they will keep neutral. Their presence will help our country.
Jin bowed her head low as she listened intently to the Queen’s words.
—Let your talent shine so that he may think well of Korea.
—I shall, Your Majesty.
As Jin was about to leave, the Queen stopped her by calling out, “Lady Attendant Suh!” Jin stopped in her tracks.
—I believe in you!
I believe in you. The Queen’s words weighed heavily on Jin’s shoulders as she left the Queen’
s Chambers. The once gentle Queen had become ruthless in the face of the many insurrections and political blows that threatened her life. The Queen, who once kept Jin so close that she had hardly even bothered to utter Jin’s name, had one day begun to address her as Lady Attendant Suh. She could not trust new people and surrounded herself only with family. Whenever the Queen suspected someone was against her interests, she cut them out without hesitation, even when she had no evidence of wrongdoing.
—What are you thinking of so intently?
A peony swayed before Jin’s eyes, bringing her out of her reverie, brought on by the patter of the rain.
There stood Soa, looking as crisp as a bloom that had stood in the light rain since morning.
What Soa had waved in front of Jin was the peony prop that ten court dancers used for the Dance of the Beauties Picking Peonies. Soa had also finished preparing. Her flower crown was in place, and she wore yellow and green ceremonial dancer’s robes over a dark blue skirt. Her green dancing shoes peeped out from under the hem.
—It won’t do for a dancer to look so glum before a banquet.
Soa smiled brightly as she said this and jiggled the peony flower again in front of Jin’s face. Jin moved her head back to avoid it, causing the peony and glittering adornments on her own seven-colored lotus crown to sparkle from the sudden motion.
—I hope there are no mistakes.
—You’re changing the subject!
—I’m fine . . . I’m just thinking about a special request the Queen made yesterday.
—What was it?
—She wants the French legate to have a good impression of our country.
—But Her Majesty always says that.
—Yesterday was different. Anyway, you had better dance your best today and receive a gift from the Queen.
—Not while you’re dancing as well. And I’m only in the group dance.
Soa made a thoughtful face and looked at Jin sideways.
—Seeing how she asked you to do the Dance of the Spring Oriole, tonight’s banquet must be quite important for her.
The Queen’s animosity toward the King’s father, the Regent who lived in Unhyeongung Palace, was enough to halt a running horse. At the same time, the Queen’s concern for the sickly Crown Prince was delicate enough to surprise a blade of grass. Afraid for her life, the Queen often changed where she would sleep from day to day, and sometimes she even changed sleeping quarters in the middle of the night. She was ready with an icy reprimand for anyone who dared to show the slightest sympathy for the Regent. And any official voicing even light criticism against the Crown Prince would find himself dismissed from his position.
The Queen’s anxiety had a way of infecting Jin and occupying her thoughts. Sometimes, the Queen burst forth with the accusation that none of the foreign powers in Korea cared about them. She accused these so-called modern civilizations of secretly caring only for their own interests. She lamented that they smiled to her face during the day and bowed their heads to the Regent at night. She could trust no one. Was that why she became so dependent on the words of the palace shaman woman?
A deep sigh issued forth from Jin’s lips.
The usual protocol was for the shaman to be present at court only when there were ceremonies or rites to be held, but the anxious Queen had requested her to stay permanently. The Queen was especially dependent on the shaman regarding the Crown Prince. This was why there were always many rituals, both small and large, being held in the palace. Jin thought that at least the Queen, whose heart seemed as if it were turning into ice, had the shaman woman to lean on. But it is the way of the human heart to wish for the stream when given a puddle, the river when given a stream, and the ocean when given a river. It is most human to stand before an ocean and still think it is not enough water. While Jin was glad for the Queen, the shaman woman was jealous of how much the Queen favored Jin. One spring morning, as the Queen took a rare walk in the garden where the hydrangeas bloomed after the spring rain, the shaman pointed to Jin and said accusingly to the Queen, “That child is like a musk-scented deer.”
She said this in Jin’s presence.
When the Queen demanded an explanation, the shaman said, “Jin is so striking that she is fated to unknowingly steal the hearts of others.” It sounded like a compliment at first.
—She is so exceptional that if she does not die young, she should be exiled to a faraway land.
The shaman went on.
—If you keep her close, she will steal the King’s heart.
The shaman’s words unsettled the Queen. Surely it was only a jealous scheme to throw Jin into disfavor with the Queen? Jin was about to ask Soa, If the Queen had been herself, don’t you think she would’ve seen through the shaman’s intent?
—Ten thousand blossoms bloom and turn the palace red . . .
Soa, who had been murmuring the lyrics to the music of the Dance of the Beauties Picking Peonies, suddenly turned toward Jin.
—What is it, Soa?
—I found a book to read at night. Will you read it aloud to me like you do for the Queen?
—If you like.
Soa smiled wide, flashing her white teeth. Jin smiled as well and swallowed her question. No one could resist Soa’s smile, especially the smile in her eyes that reached all the way to her cheeks.
Not even a day had passed after the shaman woman had spoken when Jin was transferred from the Queen’s Chambers to the Embroidery Chamber. The meaning was clear. The Queen’s Chambers’ ladies were closer to the attentions of the King, and Jin was to be kept out of his sight.
On the day Jin moved chambers, the Queen gave Jin a long look.
—Do you remember what happened in the Year of the Black Horse?
1882. Jin bit down on her lip. How could she ever forget the grievous events of that year?
—When it comes to you . . .
The Queen, who usually spoke so determinedly and with flashing eyes, trailed off into a brief silence before speaking again.
—When it comes to you, I do not wish to have a man come between us.
Jin felt her heart drop to the floor.
—Your Majesty!
—These are the ways of the court.
The Queen spoke these words sharply, then fell silent. Jin was also silent. Yes. These are the ways of the court. Jin wanted to look into the Queen’s eyes, into the very words she was hiding. Had the Queen wanted to say that there was no telling what might happen between a man and a woman? Whether a court lady caught the eye of the King or not, all ladies of the court belonged to the King. Didn’t the Queen’s words mean that at court, only the heart of the King may prevail?
But even so . . . Jin could not help the tears that welled in her eyes. It wasn’t because she was sorry to move chambers. Even in the Embroidery Chamber, Jin could be called by the Queen at any time to read for her or take down her dictation in neat court calligraphy. Jin would dance for her on days the Queen felt low. As a Queen’s Chambers attendant as well as court dancer, Jin helped the Queen with her correspondence or passed on letters to courtiers on days when there were no performances. Such duties would not change much after her move. But still, her heart felt as empty as a small leaf fallen from a great tree.
—Oh, the banquet must be about to start.
Soa gave a last wriggle of the peony in her hand at Jin and walked to where the dancers in the group dance stood waiting. The pavilion, briefly peaceful as the dancers rested after having finished their preparations, was again awash in a murmuring hubbub.
Victor had learned that the banquet changed locations from the King’s reception hall to the Pavilion of Festivities only after he had arrived at the palace. The change was because of the rain. The Queen had judged that the overcast drizzle would darken the interior of the Hall of Diligent Governance while the pavilion’s open interior would afford an arresting view of the pond as raindrops fell on the water.
Victor had requested a private audience with the King before moving on to t
he banquet where diplomats from other nations would be present. He wished to present his appointment gift of Sèvres porcelain from the French Ministry of Foreign Affairs, as the package had finally arrived in Korea. The palace guard had asked Victor what his silk-wrapped package contained, and when Victor said it was a gift for the King from the French government, the guard had Victor enter through the middle gate of the palace’s main entrance. Victor’s interpreter explained that the middle gate was used only by the King himself, and Victor was being afforded this privilege as he was carrying a gift for the King. Korean protocol made Victor nervous. In his previous post in China, a Qing official had assured him upon hearing of Victor’s new posting that Korea’s customs were similar to China’s, and there would be few difficulties adjusting. But Victor was finding that Korea had its own way of doing things, and despite its larger similarities, there were important differences in the details.
Victor understood why the banquet had been moved when he saw the Pavilion of Festivities. The scene was one of unearthly beauty. The sight of the lotus pads and the light rain that fell on the water of the pond would have a soothing effect on any troubled soul. Upon the square pond stood an island, and the breathtaking pavilion standing upon that island made even Victor stand taller. Three bridges on the eastern side led to the island. The western side had steps descending into the water, presumably for boats. Tiny concentric circles from the raindrops rippled outward across the surface of the pond before dispersing.
The King gave a warm greeting as Victor arrived at the banquet.
—Welcome!
Next to the King sat the Queen, and next to the Queen sat the Crown Prince. The Queen, who had been caring for the Crown Prince, turned her gaze to Victor. Victor bowed deeply. He had repeatedly heard of how the Queen was wise in the ways of the world, that she was a voracious reader familiar with many disciplines, and that she exercised a decisive influence upon the King. But no one had told him that she was also beautiful. Her dark eyes shone with sharp intelligence, and her translucent skin sparkled like a pearl, so clear he thought he might see his reflection on it. From her emerald tunic, designed to demurely conceal the body, rose the delicate lines of her long and poised neck.
The Court Dancer Page 8