The Playful Little Girl

The next day, he met with Physician Go, who gave him twelve books to read and a small human statue. "Your Highness, before I can teach you the art of healing, you must learn about the human body and its functions, and how our energy flows throughout the body. Those books will help you. Now let us begin" They started by studying the human anatomy and its different parts and functions.

"This is perfect," he thought "These lessons will help me improve my body strength" he studied diligently that day, immersed in the human anatomy. When the sun was at its highest instead of eating, he used the time to practice lifting the sword. When it was time to take philosophy and politics, he was able to lift the sword by six minutes.

Before his studies started, Minister Im asked him, "Why did you decide to learn about politics?"

"Master Im only asked about politics, he knows that I must learn about philosophy, that is why he was only asking about politics, but why did I decide to learn politics" Young-Sik pondered for a while before he answered "I need to learn politics, to ensure that the King will always have an ally in me as long as what he proposes is beneficial to our nation and it's people"

Master Im, smiles and nods at the prince's answer. "Politics is a game, like any game you must convince powerful people to align with you so that you can move your thoughts into actions and into edicts that will be part of the law" Master Im took out a scroll and opened it "read and understand it Your Highness, afterward I will ask you questions about how you understood these writings"

A week has passed since their training began, and Young-Sik has gradually and steadily started to develop. He prioritized knowledge of the human body, particularly on muscle and bones. He learned the best nutrients and exercises and developed his body. This in turn helped him greatly in developing his strength, by the end of seven days, he could hold the heavy sword for ten minutes with both hands and two minutes with either of his hands. In philosophy and politics, he excelled in areas that focused on benefiting the public.

In Mt. Yangge, Jin-Ri was less than enthusiastic about what she needed to learn. "Hong Jin-Ri!" Ms. So shouted one can see her trembling in frustration with the young girl as she once again failed to walk without spilling the cups on her shoulder and head.

"Even I know how to lose my temper, and let me tell you…I am losing my temper with you" Miss So pointed out "Again from the top, we will not proceed to the next lesson until everyone has mastered this basic step"

Everyone grumbled and glared at Jin-Ri, who smiled nervously at the other girls. Yeng placed her arms on her hips and shook her head at her friend "What are you looking at?" Jin-Ri scoffed at Yeng.

For the next three weeks, both youngsters continued with their training. By the end of thirty days, thanks to his knowledge of the human body and diligence, Young-Sik could show General Shin that he could hold the heavy sword with one hand. General Shin was amazed at the prince's determination. The truth is he never expected the prince to succeed in his challenge, and yet here he was, an eight-year-old boy, able to carry a sword three times the average weight.

The General, had the soldiers brought in a training dummy, he then explained "There are nine angles of attack with a sword - straight down, straight up, diagonally down to the right, diagonally down to the left, diagonally up to the right, diagonally up to the left, left and right horizontal strikes, and a straight strike at the center of the body" He demonstrated on the training dummy "For now my prince we start with an overhead sword strike"

"Pick up your sword and face your opponent" The prince did as instructed, and he positioned himself in front of the training dummy "Facing your opponent, the feet are shoulder length apart, with your knees slightly bent. Remember what you learned when griping a sword, but as you raise your sword, only your thumb and index fingers will grip your sword. Make sure your left hand is at your center line. As you swing down, you will grip the sword, starting with your little finger until your left hand has completely gripped it, and do the same with the right. As you swing, make one step forward with your left foot, followed by the right. When you raise your sword, step back with the right foot first followed by the left. Practice that strike continuously, until I say so".

Young-Sik attempted his first swing, but the moment he attempted the swing, his sword flew from his grip, missing a eunuch by mere inches. "Remember the sequence of the grip Your Highness" General Shin reminded him.

Young-Sik nodded and quickly retrieved his weapon. Positioning himself in front of the dummy, he tried again. This time he exerted a conscious effort to follow his master's instructions, and he executed the technique correctly.

"Now continue repeating that swing, until you can do that strike without conscious effort" General Shin then left the prince again. Young-Sik started to repeat the sequence over and over with a smile on his face.

Jin-Ri however, still lagged behind Yeng, not because of a lack of skills but rather a lack of concentration. "I'm telling you chief, this girl is utterly hopeless," Ms. So said, "She won't even listen to any of my instructions, she is so far behind, that she is dragging Yeng and the other girls down with her," she said explaining the negative impact of Jin-Ri's lack of dedication.

"Aigoo you little brat, making trouble wherever you go. What will I ever do with you?" Jin-Ri's mother said, slapping her hand over her forehead expressing concern for her daughter's inability to perform well in her training.

The chief took Jin-Ri's hand and led her to the village's infirmary. "Take a look at our villagers" he ordered the girl.

Jin-Ri shook her head, unable to look at the villager's pitiful condition, suffering from various ailments and sickness. The chief then held the girl by her chin and made her look. "Look at them, they are all at the brink of death. We can barely feed them, let alone help them get well" The chief said "This village and its people rely on the young and the strong to support us to help us with what we need"

Jin-Ri started to tear up, remembering how Yeng lost her brother under the same circumstances. "Would you let this continue? Would you let another friend lose a loved one? Can you tolerate the pain if say your father was lost because of something like this?"

"No!" Jin-Ri shouted, "I will never let that happen to my parents!"

"Then work your best, it is only through our network can we survive, if that network fails, then the village, the people we love, and the peaceful life we have will all surely die" The chief then walked to one of the patients, and wiped the sweat from the patient' brow with a washcloth "Do you know, why I founded this village? It so that people like me, people whose loved ones have died of hunger, people who were cheated from a good and honest life can have a home" he then walked back to Jin-Ri and knelt in front of the girl "Is not that worth a bit of hard work and some sacrifice?"

Jin-Ri did not reply but kept on crying. "We are a peaceful people and not bandits who indiscriminately steal or kill, we are just trying to make a living, we are only striving for better leadership"

Without a word, Jin-Ri heads back to Ms. So, demonstrating, everything that was taught and performing them flawlessly. Ms. So was surprised, from posture to walking, to performing tasks to proper decorum and attitude. Jin-Ri did them all. The chief nods his head and smiles as he lets the girls continue with their training.

Another month quickly passed by General Shin, Physician Go, and Master Im, were all impressed by how fast Prince Young-Sik learned the ideals, principles, and skills they were teaching him.

"To learn our fighting and sword techniques, will take the prince maybe three years, but to master it will take a lifetime," General Shin said as he drank his liquor

"It is amazing how he, incorporates the knowledge that he learned from me into his sword training, making his body stronger and faster" Physician Go added, he then turned to Master Im "It is then up to you master Im, to mold his heart and mind, into a person that will love not just Chiongsun, but it's people as well"

Master Im, sighed deeply "I am trying my best, but the prince is caught between a gray area, he thinks that it is a necessity to mix the light and the dark so he can protect what is dear to him" he drank his liquor as well "What scares me, is that the prince may grow up, thinking that the process can justify the result"

"Then are we on our way to creating a beast rather than a savior?" Physician Go asked his contemporaries

General Shin chimed "Who says, that a beast cannot be a savior? The three of us must make sure that he is always facing the light and that he must never set foot in darkness" The three teachers raised their glasses "May the prince never set foot in darkness" they said in Unison.

Eight years have come and gone, Jin-Ri now fifteen has mastered the skills of cooking, housekeeping, etiquette, royal protocols, and customs. Though advancing in her training she still did not lose her mischievous and carefree spirit. "Jin-Ri wake up…we're going to be late again! Ms. So will be furious with us" Yeng shouted as she rocked the sleeping Jin-Ri

"Aish…" Jin-Ri finally woke up and gave Yeng the stink eye "You little, why did you wake me up?"

"What do you mean why did I wake you up? We are going to be late, you know how Ms. So hates tardiness" Yeng reminded her friend

"I already know what we're going to do today, and I've already done it. So let me sleep" Jin-Ri said, going back to bed

Confused Yeng asked "What do you mean you already know? I mean how did you even know about it?"

"I heard them talking about an easter egg hunt, write your name on the egg once you find it and place it back. I already wrote my name on the egg. So I'm done for the day" She said then covered herself with her sheets. "But you should go there now, otherwise you might be the last one to the egg"

Yeng, quickly got up but before she ran out "Where is it hidden?"

"Really? Look at this punk, like I will tell something like that. You'll never hear me say the chief went to the third water well last night. Just go you're wasting your time" Jin-Ri said under her sheets

Yeng smiled at her friend "Thank you, you're the best" and she quickly ran to Ms. So and the other girls.

In Pyeongcheok within the palace grounds, Young-Sik was busy practicing the fighting and sword skills he learned when General Shin approached him. The prince stopped what he was doing and bowed in respect "Your Highness…you are well on your way to mastering what you learned, but I want you to do so with this"

Young-Sik looked at what General Shin brought "Master but wouldn't that"

"Think of it as the very first exercise that you did. You will be surprised by the results" General Shin assured the prince

Trusting his master's wisdom, the prince continued practicing using the objects his master told him to use.