Standing blankly for a while looking at the miscellaneous books stacked high in front of him, Un Hyeon turned his steps vaguely.
"So that was it..."
Thud.
Walking down the stone steps after leaving the Hall of Literary Profundity, Un Hyeon muttered weakly.
"Hah, so that was it."
He had long since given up the thought that he was someone who received tremendous privileges.
From the moment he saw the residence specially prepared for him by the Crown Prince, he felt something was wrong.
The building called Blue Dragon Hall, which the Crown Prince supposedly named himself, was the same.
Unlike the Outer Court (外朝), the official palaces of the Forbidden City, the Blue Dragon Hall was located in a corner of the Inner Court (內庭), and the only scholars belonging to the Blue Dragon Hall working in that pavilion were himself and the cold-faced Sa Il-cheon.
As days passed, he felt something wasn't right.
Perhaps that was why he became even more enthusiastic about that 'research and investigation on Murim stories'. To find something to have his ability recognized by the Crown Prince.
However, here in the Hall of Literary Profundity, Un Hyeon had to face the identity of that feeling that 'something is not right'. It was his true position here in the Forbidden City.
"So in the end, my real position is the scholar solely in charge of the Crown Prince's hobby. Hahaha."
Laughter came out without him realizing it.
"A thousand sacks of rice, a house of gold, a beautiful woman..."
Suddenly, a verse from the Exhortation to Learning brushed past his ears.
―In books, there are a thousand sacks of rice; in books, there is a house of gold; and in books, there is a beautiful woman.
"There certainly was a house of gold in the books, but..."
Un Hyeon sighed as if the ground were sinking.
"To think it would be someone else's house."
The center of his chest felt hollow as if a hole had been punched through it. But there was nothing he could do.
Sighing endlessly, Un Hyeon headed towards the Blue Dragon Hall with long strides.
Even if he went, there would only be miscellaneous books about the Murim, but still, the only place he could go in this vast Forbidden City was the Blue Dragon Hall.
Plod, plod.
Un Hyeon moved his steps precariously. Behind his back, the setting sun cast a long shadow.
Eunuch Park Gyu of the Forbidden City was in a good mood.
The time was still early summer, the best weather to spend time in the Forbidden City.
When the sweltering summer comes, sweat flows down one's back with just a little movement. For eunuchs who always have to move quickly, summer was a series of days soaked in sweat.
Winter is similarly hard to endure. Because the Outer Court of the Forbidden City, where official events take place, is not heated separately.
On a cold winter day, standing motionless in one spot to attend to official events was practically no different from being on the verge of freezing to death.
On the other hand, days like now, warm and good for moving, are not that many in a year, so it almost felt wasteful to let each day pass.
"Ho, hoho..."
Eunuch Park Gyu, moving with hurried steps with his hands gathered, was humming a small tune before he knew it.
Coming out of the Gate of Heavenly Purity, passing through the Hall of Preserving Harmony and the Hall of Central Harmony, his steps passing by the Hall of Supreme Harmony were as light as if flying.
Tap, tap, tap.
Before he knew it, a pavilion with a black roof revealed itself in front of him.
In this Forbidden City entirely dominated by golden roofs, the only place with a black roof, containing the wish that the black color symbolizing water would prevent fire—this was the Hall of Literary Profundity (Munyeon-gak).
Rustle, rustle.
Eunuch Park Gyu climbed the stairs of the Hall of Literary Profundity with light steps.
Click.
As soon as he entered, Park Gyu bowed deeply to greet the official of the Hall of Literary Profundity.
Recognizing his face, the official of the Hall of Literary Profundity nodded arrogantly. However, he did not demand Eunuch Park Gyu reveal his affiliation.
No matter how powerful an official might be, to the imperial family, they are less than insect lives.
And eunuchs are the people who serve those imperial family members from the closest distance.
So even an official of the Hall of Literary Profundity could not openly ignore or look down on Eunuch Park Gyu.
Of course, he didn't offer friendly words either. To him, an official of the Forbidden City, the existence of a eunuch would be nothing more and nothing less than an uncomfortable presence.
Eunuch Park Gyu lifted his deeply bowed head and headed towards the bookshelves.
Rustle, rustle.
'Let's see, what book should I give today?'
He passed by the Great Canon, displayed prominently at the very front, without even a glance.
The Great Canon, the compilation of all knowledge, alone exceeds ten thousand volumes.
It is certainly a masterpiece created by thousands of scholars over several years, but because of its immense volume, there are actually no readers.
Above all, obtaining the Emperor's permission is also a problem.
Therefore, the Great Canon proudly occupying the frontmost seat of the Hall of Literary Profundity was merely another ornament showing off the Emperor's authority, just like this Forbidden City.
"Ho, hoho..."
Following the melody still ringing in his ears, Eunuch Park Gyu hummed.
Stopping at one bookshelf, he lifted his finger and began to scan the densely stacked books up and down.
His finger, moving lightly as if dancing, stopped suddenly at some point. It wasn't because he found a suitable book.
'What is this sound?'
Eunuch Park Gyu pricked up his ears. The sound just heard was clearly someone's sigh.
"Ha, I thought so, but this..."
A small voice came from the other side of the bookshelf. A smile spread on the face of Eunuch Park Gyu, who was listening intently.
'Aha!'
Realizing who the owner of the voice was, he moved his steps lightly and approached the direction of the sound.
Turning around a few bookshelves, the person he thought of was standing there.
"Oh my, goodness. Isn't this the master?"
At Eunuch Park Gyu's greeting, the figure sighing while looking at the bookshelf turned his head.
He was the scholar belonging to the Blue Dragon Hall, Un Hyeon.
"Ah, it's you."
Un Hyeon's expression as he looked back was soft.
Eunuch Park Gyu was momentarily puzzled but soon smiled and bowed his head.
"Yeees. Jinsa Un, sir."
Eunuch Park Gyu raised his head and examined Un Hyeon's expression.
But Un Hyeon's complexion was brighter than expected.
'Hmm?'
Un Hyeon is a scholar of the Blue Dragon Hall.
A place solely to satisfy the Crown Prince's interest in the Murim, having nothing to do with national policies or the grand plans of the country.
That place is the Blue Dragon Hall.
Former scholars who realized the reality were all unable to escape from the shock without exception.
It was common for them to lock themselves in their rooms for days or wander around with absent-minded faces.
Those who lived like that eventually disappeared after a few days.
So Un Hyeon's expression, speaking so comfortably like this, was quite puzzling to Eunuch Park Gyu.
"Come to think of it, I don't even know your name yet."
Eunuch Park Gyu, examining Un Hyeon's appearance, bowed his head and answered.
"Yeees, this lowly one's name is 'Gyu'. I use the surname Park."
"Ah, so it was Eunuch Park."
Un Hyeon nodded.
"But Gyu? That's a unique name."
Eunuch Park Gyu smiled.
"Having brought shame to the family name and betrayed the grace of parents, how could I use the name I received? It is just a name attached as it came to be, yeees."
Un Hyeon's face hardened slightly.
Eunuch Park Gyu laughed as if it were nothing, but it couldn't be.
Eunuchs, having given up their manhood, are always objects of scorn and ridicule unlike court ladies.
Un Hyeon was ashamed and embarrassed for failing to consider such a position.
"Ah, I didn't..."
As Un Hyeon stuttered in embarrassment, Eunuch Park Gyu laughed covering his mouth with one hand. It was exactly the appearance of a court lady.
"Hoho, it is a natural thing for a lowly one, so you do not need to mind it, yeees. Hohoho."
Un Hyeon couldn't find words to answer.
After a while, when Eunuch Park Gyu stopped laughing, an awkward silence hovered briefly.
"Seeing you come to the Hall of Literary Profundity again today, sir, did you not find the book you wanted yesterday?"
Un Hyeon, who was awkwardly avoiding his gaze, raised his head at his words.
"Ah, that is..."
Un Hyeon's gaze naturally turned to the bookshelf.
While books on other bookshelves were placed preciously and carefully, in front of Un Hyeon were books filling the shelves without any classification.
"Do you perhaps know... how many books are in this section in total?"
Un Hyeon asked with a 'surely not' feeling.
Eunuch Park Gyu tilted his head for a moment and said.
"Well? Since not much attention is paid to this side, who would know the exact number of volumes, but still, roughly thirty-seven thousand volumes or so..."
"Ha!"
A sigh came out of Un Hyeon's mouth automatically.
Thirty-seven thousand volumes.
It's easy to say thirty-seven thousand volumes, but it's a number that would take a hundred years even if one reads one book a day.
In a way, this could be said to be natural.
Just the books written by scholars of the Imperial Palace and the Hanlin Academy pour out in hundreds each year, and isn't this section 'miscellaneous books'?
"Thirty-seven thousand volumes, thirty-seven thousand volumes, you say..."
Un Hyeon muttered with a dejected expression.
It was a moment when he understood overwhelmingly why the Crown Prince needed a scholar.
No matter how interesting the story, if asked to find it in such a huge pile of miscellaneous books, it cannot help but be grim.
Furthermore, if the books found turn out to be stiff ones far from interesting, no matter how intriguing the task, one would lose all affection for it.
Perhaps noticing the heart of Un Hyeon sighing while looking at the bookshelf, Eunuch Park Gyu said from the side.
"This place is literally miscellaneous books, yeees. If you just pick out things about the Murim while scanning through, the number won't be that many."
That was true.
Even if it's thirty-seven thousand volumes, it doesn't mean he has to read all of them.
If he only picks out things about the Murim, the number won't be that large.
But doesn't he have to look through the titles of all thirty-seven thousand volumes first?
Even if he looks through the covers of a hundred books a day, just confirming the titles would take a whole year.
Un Hyeon's future became bleak.
It was just this dawn that he pledged he couldn't collapse like this, that retreating when meeting difficulties is not the attitude of a gentleman, and strengthened a new resolve.
Besides, no matter what anyone says, isn't he a scholar belonging to the future sky, the Crown Prince?
He even thought that if he did this job well, it might rather turn a misfortune into a blessing.
But the resolve of dawn, which he had solidified so firmly, was melting away like snow.
'If I knew it would be like this...'
He even thinks he shouldn't have made a resolve.
If a man's resolve cannot even last a single day, what a shameful thing is this!
"Haa..."
Un Hyeon let out a long sigh without realizing it. Then, noticing the worried gaze of Eunuch Park Gyu standing next to him, he quickly glossed over it.
"Ahem, hmm. Ah, thank you. Eunuch Park."
Eunuch Park Gyu noticed Un Hyeon's mind was uneasy and quickly bowed his head.
"Then this lowly one will take his leave now."
Eunuchs are quick-witted. Park Gyu was especially excellent at it.
When the other person's mind is uncomfortable, it is best to step out first.
"Ah, do so. Then see you again later..."
Leaving Un Hyeon's greeting behind, Eunuch Park Gyu turned his steps and returned to the bookshelf.
From behind his back, Un Hyeon's listless voice was heard faintly.
"In the end, am I destined to wrestle with books again..."
A slight smile hung on Eunuch Park Gyu's lips.
Indeed, being a top scorer in the examination, he must have seen books until he was sick of them.
Perhaps he was now dreaming of splendid days in the Forbidden City as an official.
But to end up facing miscellaneous books, not even the Four Books and Three Classics, and thirty-seven thousand volumes at that, he couldn't help but sigh.
'Still, seeing him not turning tail, it is commendable. But how long will that last...'
At first, everyone tries to find a way somehow.
But most realize there is only one path.
To not rot here like this, one must mobilize connections or bribes and get out to another place unconditionally.
Resigning from office and going down to the countryside to run a village school is also a way, but who could so easily throw away an exam passed barely after studying for over ten years?
'Indeed, if he had connections, he wouldn't have ended up in such a plight in the first place.'
So he has no choice but to sigh like that.
Before he knew it, Eunuch Park Gyu's finger was resting on the book he would borrow today.
Pulling out three or four carefully placed books, he left the bookshelf behind and moved with hurried steps.
read more on brightnovels.com