The Court Dancer by Kyung-Sook Shin
—I want to live somewhere far away from here.
Yeon looked down at Jin, who had just contradicted herself after saying that she wanted to go back to Banchon. Jin always reminded him of the woman Suh’s old house in Banchon. He could recall young Jin’s voice saying, “Live here with us,” as he had tried to follow Blanc. Back then, when he wandered from house to house, eating and sleeping where he could before he met Blanc, the only people who had asked him to live with them were Suh and Jin.
Where does she mean by . . . far away from here?
Yeon gazed up at the moon. If she had not become a court lady, what would she be like now? Yeon often wondered this when he was alone.
—Say something.
Jin hadn’t said that to him in a long time.
—You can speak. You shouted Silverbell today.
It wasn’t just that day. That dawn when the Queen’s Chambers burned and she walked out of the palace alone, Yeon had shouted, “Silverbell!” as he came running toward her. And when Jin was surrounded by rioting soldiers as she escorted the Queen to safety during the Year of the Blue Monkey, Yeon had clearly shouted, “Silverbell!”
The door to one of the buildings slid open, and a child walked unsteadily out of it, rubbing his eyes as he made his way to the outhouse.
You know how to speak. Yeon hadn’t taken her words seriously when she first said them, but he had at one time wondered whether she was right and opened his mouth to try to say something. But he couldn’t hear the voice that Jin had said she’d heard.
If he could speak, what would he say to this woman? Whenever Yeon thought this, he played his daegeum instead or plucked at the yangeum or ajaeng or blew the hyangpiri. He used musical instruments instead of his voice. Sometimes all day, or all night. When he played music, he would think of Jin dancing, graceful as a butterfly in the wind, or a crane.
As the two sat on the edge of the porch and looked up at the moon, the woman Suh began to stir. Surprised that Jin wasn’t lying where she was supposed to be, Suh quickly sat upright. She was beginning to get up when she saw the shadows of the two against the paper-screen door. She leaned back again.
—I want to dance.
Suh felt her heart break.
—Underneath this moonlight. To the music of your daegeum . . .
Yeon lowered his shoulder so Jin could more easily lean against him. His heart felt so full he could hardly breathe. He thought he would never get to play the daegeum for Jin in a place for just the two of them and not at some court banquet. If it weren’t for her injury, he would have loved to see her dancing like flowing water in the moonlight.
—No one in the world plays the daegeum as well as you.
Yeon wanted to say the same thing to her. That there was no woman in the world who could dance as beautifully as she. When Jin danced, she didn’t seem of this world. She was as light as air, smooth as silk, and fresh as newly sprouted grass. The silhouettes of the two trembled in the room. Suh gazed at Jin’s shadow leaning against the shoulder of Yeon’s shadow. Not for the first time, she regretted with all her heart that she had ever allowed the girl to enter court.
5
Confession
Your Excellency,
Before I came to Korea, you decided on our budget, promising an increase in my salary, which is as yet only temporarily set.
With this in mind, I hereby submit to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs our planned budget for this legation. The budget takes into account the fact that other foreign diplomats receive twice the amount in wages than French representatives, and I receive far less than my counterparts in Tientsin, Guangdong, and Yokohama. I wish to emphasize that expenses here are greater than anywhere else. Not only do Korean officials visit foreign diplomats frequently, but they also tend to stay longer than those of other countries. It is essential we provide them meals and wine. In addition, we need to invite them to dinners on occasion if we are to cultivate a closer relationship with them. In truth, the successes of the American and Russian legations in obtaining greater influence is due to their active courting of Korea’s higher officials. This proves difficult on our part due to our limited funds. Please bear in mind that our treaty with Korea does not guarantee tolerance for Christians, and there are many occasions in which we are unable to meet with officials regarding our many religious disputes. I have done my best to meet with highly placed officials, not to mention continuously maintaining contact with those who say they disapprove of France because of Catholic missionary efforts. Should Your Excellency approve of such measures on my part, I respectfully request an increase in funds from twenty thousand francs to twenty-five thousand francs toward these endeavors.
August 10, 1888
Victor Collin de Plancy
Victor stood up from his chair in the waiting room for the King’s audience. He was too nervous to remain seated comfortably. His mind was also on the letter in his pocket, the one Jin had given him before he set off this morning, to give to the Queen. What could she have written? His curiosity grew until it turned into nervousness.
It was fall. The summer days in which cicada song and the humid heat seemed to stop time itself had disappeared with the first cool breezes. It was Victor’s first Korean autumn. The white clothes that the Koreans wore were in harmony with the deep blue of the sky. The autumn descended on the palace and made the trees look lusher than before. The pine trees, having shaken off the strong sunlight, looked greener than ever, and a few leaves on some of the other trees had already begun to turn. The colorfully painted rafters of the pagoda-tile roofs seemed more vibrant having overcome the heat of the summer.
Victor began to pace in the waiting room.
The King, without any consultation with China, sent out Ministry of Internal Affairs official Cho Shinhee to Russia, France, England, Germany, and Italy as adjunct legate. At the same time, Park Jungyang was sent to Washington as the Korean legate to the United States. According to the treaty signed with China, “Korea must request permission before sending Korean representatives to Western countries,” and to follow these terms meant the King needed to have China’s consent before sending out legations, a measure stipulated in executive guidelines. Korean representatives must be accompanied by Chinese representatives when visiting the foreign service headquarters of their posted countries. Chinese representatives were to speak for Korea in official meetings. In other words, the only thing Korean emissaries could do was stand in silence behind Chinese representatives as the latter conducted Korea’s business.
—An article in the treaty states that orders shall change with the times.
Jin said this upon hearing Victor’s explanation. But the article about changing orders was probably added as a measure for China to pressure Korea under whatever timely pretenses it saw fit, not to enable Korea’s eventual self-determination.
—The Korean legate to Japan has already submitted his letters of credence to the Japanese emperor without consulting China.
Victor looked Jin in the eye. Jin looked back at him, her gaze clearly stating that the Korean legate to France should be able to do so as well. It was apparent to him that she was more than just a beautiful woman. Each day his love for her deepened, rendering him restless in his sleep. It surprised Victor that Jin would state her opinion so boldly on the matter of Korea’s uncomfortable positioning between world powers. He remembered the time when Lucien Liouville, who taught at the divinity school built in the capital, took his Korean students on a walk along the fortress and unknowingly jumped over the palace walls. Even when Blanc told him they were in danger of being unduly punished, Victor thought the matter could be cleared up easily, until Jin had given him some calm words of warning.
—To unlawfully enter the palace where the King resides is grounds for beheading or banishment. You must meet with an official and negotiate a release before that happens.
She also suggested that there was a way to resolve the situation amicably, by meeting with the American O. N. Denny of th
Jin had been staying at the French legation since the past summer following the Queen’s orders. The French physician affiliated with the legation treated her in the Western way, and her wounds were almost healed, but as autumn approached without word from the Queen, she retreated into silence. There were days when she did not speak a single word, where she shut herself in Victor’s study instead. In contrast to Jin’s wishes, Victor, whose infatuation for her grew with each passing day, found himself from time to time wondering if there was a way not to send her back to the palace.
Victor was lost in thought when a palace official came up to him and said the King was waiting for him.
The King sat alongside the Queen when Victor entered his presence at the Hall of Diligent Governance. With the interpreter official between them and himself, Victor stood on the flower-pattern mat before the King and bowed deeply.
—We have called you here to request your help. As you know, the Ministry of Internal Affairs official Cho Shinhee has left Korea under the title of adjunct legate. He was given the positions of Korean legate to not only Russia but England, Germany, and France. It is our wish to engage in more active exchanges with the West. Help Cho Shinhee to do his work as legate when he arrives in France.
The Queen stared at Victor. China’s power had virtually subsumed the King’s ever since the military rebellion. In the Year of the Black Horse, it was the Queen who made the King bring in the Chinese army to banish the Regent, who was unaware the Queen had been hiding in Janghowon. The Queen managed to return to the palace with the help of the Chinese, and the Regent was taken against his will to China. In the Year of the Blue Monkey, threatened by the rise of the Enlightenment Party reformists Kim Okgyun, Park Youngho, and Hong Youngsik, the Queen was forced to bring in the Chinese army again. The Chinese drove out the Japanese military, upon whom the reformists had depended, and the Gapsin Coup was over in a mere three days, but the Chinese interfered with every aspect of Korea’s domestic politics as a result.
—Korea is not a vassal state of China.
The King seemed to think that Victor could influence whether France would treat Korea as a vassal state or an independent one.
The Queen, who sat perfectly still despite the guilt she felt in her heart, began to speak.
—Does the French legate think that it is appropriate for the Korean legate to be accompanied by the Chinese legate when he visits France’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs, and for our representative to stand behind him at all times?
Victor answered this question indirectly by using America as an example.
—I have heard that the Chinese legate attempted to accompany the Korean emissaries in America but was thwarted and that the official meeting with the president happened without Chinese presence.
The touch of fierceness in the Queen’s eyes softened. The King also managed a slight smile.
—We hope that France may also treat Korea’s legate as the representative of an independent nation.
This would be no easy thing. For France to do what the Korean King asked was to ignore China’s wishes. France had already fought China for control of Vietnam. France did not consider their national interests to lie in Korea. This was why they were later than America, England, or Germany in engaging in Korean politics. Victor’s main priority when he was sent to Korea from China as legate was not politics but to prevent the oppression of the Catholic missionaries. Having just won the war for Indochina, France would not want to disturb China again if there was nothing to be gained from Korea.
—Allow the Korean legate to reside in the French capital, just as you live here in ours.
In politics, each action underscores at least five motives. Victor refused to say he would try and could only bow his head politely.
—There are many things we will need to discuss with France.
—Yes, Your Majesty.
—Are there any requests for us?
Victor bowed politely again, glancing at the Queen’s unreadable expression instead of the King’s innocent demeanor.
—I do have one request, Your Majesty.
—What is it?
—Before we speak of it, I would like to present you with the photograph I took of you. And I also have something for the Queen.
The Queen stared deeply into Victor’s nervous eyes.
—I have a letter for you from Lady Attendant Suh, who is staying at our legation.
Victor observed the Queen’s expression as an official came down to the flower-pattern mat and took the photograph and letter from him. She remained utterly calm. It made Victor nervous that she did not ask him a single question about Jin despite how curious she must have been about her.
The King could not take his eyes off the photograph. He always did seem interested in matters of culture over politics.
—How does it compare to the one Ji Wuyoung took?
The King handed over the photograph to the Queen. The Queen’s mind was preoccupied with the thought of Jin’s letter, but she nevertheless closely examined the photograph the King gave her.
—Is it not more detailed than any painting?
—It is fascinating.
—Would the Queen also sit for a photograph?
The Queen set down the photograph with a firm smile. The King turned to Victor.
—Did you not say you had a request?
Victor braced himself.
—What is it?
—I beseech you to grant an impossible wish.
The King and Queen both looked at Victor. The Queen’s lips were firmly shut.
—It concerns the court dancer staying with us at the legation.
The Queen, who had seemed imperturbable, showed a slight tremor in her eyes. The King glanced at her with a look that seemed to say, A dancer staying at the legation?
—Lady Attendant Suh, Your Majesty.
The one who performed the Dance of the Spring Oriole. The King sat up. He didn’t know exactly when that girl had first caught his eye during his visits to the Queen’s Chambers. Her face was of both an exquisite beauty and shining intelligence. Her eyes shone, and her skin was the color of apricots. The natural red of her cheeks had the vibrant glow of someone who had just returned from a quick errand. It was Lady Attendant Suh who had brought him the news, in the Year of the Black Horse, that the Queen was hiding in the village of Janghowon with Yu Taejun. And it was also Lady Attendant Suh who was unfailingly by the Queen’s side when the Queen fled to Gyeongungung Palace. The Queen depended on Jin more than ever when a close senior lady attendant named Ko Daesu, at the Enlightenment radical Kim Okgyun’s behest, carried out a bombing plot in the palace. Whenever the Queen found herself unable to remember something, all she needed was to glance at Jin, whereupon Jin coaxed the Queen’s memory on internal affairs as if she were an extension of the Queen herself. But one day, the girl vanished. And the King dared not ask the Queen about her, thinking it improper. He had wondered what had become of her until the evening he saw her perform the Dance of the Spring Oriole at the banquet for the French legate. Her beauty was breathtaking.
Just as Victor was about to speak, the Queen spoke up first.
—I’m afraid I’m in need of some air.
Her distraction made Victor hesitate. The King looked at the Queen again, wondering what was wrong. Her face had turned white.
—Why are you so pale?
—I only need a moment.
—Are you feeling poorly? Should we call the physician?
—No, Your Majesty. I only need a moment.
Lady Suh was dismayed by the Queen’s unscheduled movement. It was unheard of for the Queen to leave the King’s presence mid-conversation. When the entourage of junior lady attendants waiting outside began to follow the Queen, she gave a sharp command for only Lady Suh to accompany her.
—Lady Suh!
—Your Majesty.
—What request do you think the French legate will make?
—It is quite beyond me, Your Majesty.
The Queen frowned. Her face remained pale above the green silk of her royal tunic.
Even if there were another mountain after this mountain, there would still be a path. Thinking so was the only way to survive.
Unlike Lady Suh, the Queen could guess what request the French legate was about to make. She had no official channels into the French legation, but she received reports on their affairs from the cook who worked there. She knew of Victor’s astounding care toward the treatment of Jin’s wounds. Indeed, the Queen had obtained the appropriate medicine from the King’s physician himself, but she did not send them on.
Victor had apparently considered the legation physician inadequate and requested that Dr. Allen at Gwanghyewon bring new medicines and make house calls. When he learned at a diplomacy club event in Jeongdong that the Russians had an ointment that prevented scarring, he went to the Russian legation the next day to beg for some.
The Queen also learned that the French legate went running with a Jindo dog every morning. Afterward, he gathered flowers from around the legation and placed them on the floor near Jin’s head. These flowers filled one edge of the floor and were now being laid down in layers. He would also boil a clear soup himself and bring it into Jin’s room. It was almost saddening to see how much he was hoping she would enjoy the soup.
—Lady Suh.
—Yes, Your Majesty.
—Do you remember when Lady Attendant Suh lost her way in the palace and was crying?
—Do you mean that time when you scraped the pear and fed it to her?
—Yes. How old was she then?
—She was five, Your Majesty.
The Queen had thought back then, If I hadn’t lost a newborn princess to a mysterious illness, she would be as old as this crying girl is now.