Peaceful Days – Spring Picnic (1)
The peaceful days continued for a time.
There can be foolish and incompetent officials.
An idealist who has done nothing but study may find himself entrusted with the world.
An incompetent emperor who does nothing can, paradoxically, preserve peace.
Few things are more dangerous than rash action.
An incompetent official can be endured.
Nothing happens.
But the moment such a man tries to act, catastrophe follows close behind.
If one does not know, it is better to leave things alone.
Then the people buy and sell.
They increase value through exchange.
They discover new markets.
Production grows.
Wealth spreads quietly.
The times were like that.
Even the northern provinces of the continent, once ravaged by barbarians, began to revive.
Goods from the south—untouched by war—flowed northward.
As the weather warmed, the southern economy stirred with fresh vitality.
Though there was the shadow of another grim winter war ahead, an unseen sense of peace endured.
So-un's study deepened.
The space encompassed by his inner energy widened markedly.
When Lee Hui departed, he had told him to protect the Grand General's family.
He had said So-un must remain here.
Perhaps it had been consideration for a young boy, placing him in a place of calm.
So-un believed those words completely.
He steadily extended the reach of his ability.
At first his perception of qi had been confined within the small pavilion.
It spread across the entire estate.
It reached the vast farmland surrounding it.
He recalled the phrase: to sit still and see a thousand li.
Now he felt its meaning.
He sensed the movements of people.
The noise of quarrels reached him as though nearby.
Even the leisurely steps of a former White Dragon warrior walking the outer boundary with a spear were perceptible.
When he closed his eyes, the range expanded further.
At first he had worried—What is this?
With time he understood it as a natural continuation.
As his qi-perception activated to an extreme degree, it broadened further.
He no longer needed to circle the estate constantly to fulfill the duty Lee Hui had entrusted to him.
If he opened his senses and listened inwardly, the world's currents flowed to him.
It was not that he heard voices.
It was the feeling of presence—of being beside them.
One tranquil spring day, Lady So-gun came to find him.
"So-un, shall we go on a picnic? The weather is beautiful."
"A picnic? That would be wonderful, Aunt."
So-un recalled climbing a hillside near the Yu estate with his father long ago.
In the north, spring came late.
He had packed thick padded clothing, just in case.
His mother had gone with only a maid or two.
They rode donkeys slowly up the mountain.
It had been early spring.
Blossoms were bursting open across the hills.
Though the wind still held chill, sunlight lay soft and golden over the slopes.
A stream ran clear with meltwater.
They ate the snacks and side dishes they had brought.
Sleep pressed upon him, and his mother draped the padded coat over his shoulders.
His father had smiled quietly as he watched.
It had been the first gentle luxury of their life after returning home.
This time he expected a larger party.
Instead, So-gun set out with only Mirang.
She carried a small lacquered food box.
They rode donkeys through the estate's main gate.
At the gate stood Jin Musik.
As head of the Jin household, he attended closely to the daily life of every member.
He appeared already waiting, as though he had known of their departure.
"Off somewhere pleasant, it seems."
"So-un has been shut away in the pavilion. I thought I would let him take some air on the back hill."
Jin Musik glanced at the sky and the distant ridges.
Spring had come, yet the wind from the hills still held a trace of cold.
He stepped closer to So-un.
"Do not go too far. The mountain wind is still sharp."
There was unmistakable concern in his tone.
After losing the Grand General, every member of the household had grown more precious.
"Thank you for your concern."
He patted So-un lightly on the shoulder.
"Travel carefully. And attend well to your aunt."
"Yes, Uncle."
So-gun and Mirang rode their donkeys.
So-un mounted his usual horse.
Beyond the gate, spring revealed itself more fully.
Tender green shoots spread across the fields.
Peach blossoms and plum petals drifted in the breeze.
Mirang led confidently, as if she knew the way well.
The difference in height between horse and donkey made conversation awkward.
So-un guided his horse closer to So-gun's side.
"Have you walked this road often?"
"Yes. When I felt confined or burdened, I would come here."
"And today—why bring me?"
"As I said. You seem shut inside that pavilion too often."
He laughed softly.
"Then I should have come out more."
He did not mention that he already roamed widely each dawn.
So-gun paused before asking,
"It is because of your martial study."
"Yes. Time passes endlessly. I do not know how far this path goes. A single day feels like ten. One thought consumes an entire month."
"And even now?"
"Yes. Something is different. There is something that feels close at hand, yet I cannot name it. It seems to be this—yet I cannot say with certainty that it is."
So-gun studied his face.
Spring light rested gently upon it.
"I am proud of you."
"It is all because of your care, Aunt."