YI HWON (Kim Soo Hyun/Yeo Jin Goo) is the young, 23 year old king.

He has a queen (hand-selected by his grandmother), but they have not yet consummated their marriage. His royal power is always at the constant threat from his powerful father-in-law. Hwon ascended to the throne at the age of 19 by outsmarting his grandmother. HEO YEONWOO/WOL (Han Ga In/Kim Yoo Jung) is the daughter of a nobleman. Although women were discouraged from receiving education, no one could stop her love for learning growing up and she was encouraged by her loving brother who doted on her. And thus, she became more well-read than any Sungkyunkwan scholar. She is two years younger than Hwon, and is currently 21 years old. HEO YEOM (the adult role has yet to be cast, although Kim Jung Hoon is rumored to have received an offer; the younger version will be played by Siwan, a member of the idol group Ze:A) is Yeonwoos older brother. He is a genius who passed the state civil exam (ranking first, of course) at the young age of 16, and at 17, he was assigned to be the teacher to the crown prince (Hwon), who is just a year younger than himself. His beauty is described to make even grown men speechless. PRINCE YANGMYEONG (The latest report is that Jung Il Woo is likely to be cast, but not yet confirmed; Lee Min Ho, not to be confused with the same-name actor of Boys Over Flowers and City Hunters fame, will play the younger version) is Yi Hwons older brother, born of a different mother. PRINCESS MINHWA (Jin Ji Hee) is the spoiled younger sister of Hwon. She falls in love with Yeom at first sight, and she eventually ends up marrying him. WOON is Hwons trusted personal guard, whose swordsmanship is second to none. Among the swordsmen in all of Joseon, there is no one who does not know of Woon. His full name is actually Kim Jewoon, but due to his name and as the kings personal guards are called a woon-geom, Hwon simply calls him Woon. Twenty-three years old, over 180 cm tall, and oh yes, did I mention he is beautiful? And not only is he an excellent swordsman but he also possesses the high intellect capable of passing the state civil exam if only it is not for his one flaw that he was born to a concubine woman of a nobleman. SEOL is Yeonwoo/Wols maidservant. Chapter 1.

One autumn evening, Yi Hwon, and his personal guard, Woon, find refuge from the rain under a tall tree. Hwon is dressed in disguise wearing a yangbans (nobleman) attire. Woon looks undeniably like a warrior, his long hair tied in a braid and two large swords fastened to his back and to his side. The two men are at a distant from the nearest village, and the rain does not look like it will stop anytime soon. Suddenly, Hwon spots a little cottage at the foot of the mountain and announces that they should seek refuge there until the rain passes. Without waiting for Woon to answer, Hwon quickly walks towards the house as if under a spell and Woon has no choice but to follow. Once they arrive at the entrance, Woon pauses at seeing a pole protruding high above the gate and advises Hwon against going inside the house belongs to a shamans. Just then, a woman (who we later learn to be named Seol) opens the door. Reveal yourself! Im speechless. In what kind of a situation does a guest ask the homeowner to reveal herself? Isnt that for me to ask? For what reason does a woman possess a sword? Its amazing. How did you know I possessed a sword? As expected Ah! Thats not what I meant to say. Ahem! Milady asks me to invite you inside. I said why do you have a sword in your possession! Woon remains persistent. In this secluded place, just two women live alone. So shouldnt we at least have a sword on us? What foolish question. Anyway, will you not come inside? Although Hwon wants to go in, he can not insist on it because of Woon. But as if Seol expected the guests to be hesitant, she continues: Milady said that the guests wouldnt enter this lowly place, and asked what difference is there between standing underneath the eaves of the entrance of a lowly persons house and that of being inside her warm, heated room?

This gives Hwon the perfect excuse to impose himself and quickly enter inside. Seol leads the guests to an empty room. The room is filled with the scent of an orchid, and on the floor lies a small table with some liquor and appetizers. And next to it is a brazier warmly greeting the guests, as if they were expected. But otherwise, the room is no different from any ordinary room and does not have any characteristic to indicate that it belongs to a shaman. In fact, the room looks to belong to a man- a scholar for the bookshelf is stacked with classics like Reflections on the Five Classics and Queries on the Great Learning. Upon hearing this woman whom Seol call Milady enter the adjoining room, Hwon returns to his seat on the floor. The adjoining room is separated by a divider, and Hwon can only make out the form of a graceful woman on the other side. Her hair is braided and tied with a daengi (ribbon), indicating that she is still unmarried. From the other room, the lady does a deep bow to Hwon, and then follows it with another. As you traditionally bow twice to the dead, Hwon and Woon frown at the womans insolent action. But the lady bows yet again, confusing the two men. (Three deep bows is for Buddha.) And then to both Hwon and Woons great surprise, the lady bows the fourth time, the bow reserved for a king. After completing her fourth bow, the lady presses her forehead on the floor and lowers her body as low as possible. Lift your face. The woman slowly raises up her body, and gently places her two hands on her left knee. Hwon still can not make out the face of the woman. He asks her why she bowed to him four times. Can you not count? I am only showing my proper respect to the sun. Upon hearing her beautiful voice, Hwon is at a loss of words. What do you mean by the sun? To a woman, the sun refers to her husband. A woman is also the citizen of Joseon. Hwon can not say any more. This woman surely knows that he is the king. This time the lady speaks to ask Hwon to have at least a sip of this liquor that she has prepared for him.

Hwon becomes curious of the ladys appearance, and asks her to reveal her face. But when she merely responds by requesting him to have a drink, Hwon orders Woon to remove the divider. In one swoop of Woons blade, the divider that separates the two rooms falls to the floor. And as if Woons sharp blade has also cut across the rain clouds in the sky, the moonlight pours into the room and fills it. Hwon once again gets taken by surprise by the womans extreme beauty, but he masks his surprise with anger. No matter how lowly the guest may be, it is the homeowners duty to show himself and greet the guest when he enters his home. Why do you not heed my command? Though my social status is of the lowest of lows, I am also a woman as determined by the heavens. Thus, I failed to think of my duty as a homeowner and only thought of my duty as a woman (to keep her distance from men). You follow those rules though you are not of the nobility? But I have never heard of a law that forbids a lowly person from following the rules of a lady. Hwon laughs as he grabs the bottle of alcohol. He has never encountered a woman like her before who did not shirk back from expressing her thoughts so respectfully but so confidently to the king. Hwon pours a drink for Woon, but Woon does not look at the glass and only looks to the floor to indicate that he cannot drink while on duty to guard the king. Seeing this, the lady speaks: How very undutiful. You do not know who I am or what is in this drink, and yet you refuse the drink? Will you guard His Majesty with your sword alone? At her words, Woon has no choice but to have a drink. He turns his head away from Hwon as he drinks (as is the custom in Korea), and in the process, Woons eyes meet the womans.

Hwon asks the woman how she knew that he was the king. I humbly ask Your Majesty. If a sun shines in the night sky, is it a sun or a moon? Hwon does not answer, and the woman continues. Just as the sun is the sun no matter where it may be, the same is for Your Majesty. But not a single person in the village recognized me. So how did you? When the woman does not answer, Hwon mutters to himself, The table and the brazier that have been prepared in advance Am I being haunted by a spirit? After a deep thought, the woman answers that she recognized him from the sword carried by Woon, as Seol is pretty knowledgeable about swords. She really has amazing eye. From that distance, in this dark, to be able to closely observe the sword sheath of a kings guard. No, to know about it even before seeing it. Am I truly being lured in by a ghost? Hwon continues to stare at the woman and then says, Come closer. Sitting in the adjoining room, I cannot see whether youre hiding nine tails under your skirt. After some hesitation, the woman walks to the room where Hwon and Woon sit and she too takes a seat. Are you a ghost or a human? Many people say I am not human. Then are you truly a ghost? Perhaps I may be. I am a soul with deep sorrow. Are you toying with me? Where in this world exists a ghost with a shadow? I do not lie. Who calls a shaman more lowly than a slave a human being? And thus, I do not dare answer that I am a human. A shaman You were a shaman. And so you knew of my coming. No, Your Majesty. Though I am a shaman, I do not have the ability to foresee the future or to read a persons mind. I am a shaman with no such abilities. There is such a shaman? I am ashamed to admit there is. To live like this at this place is the extent of my ability. You speak and yet I do not understand. Woon, have you heard of such a thing?

Woon takes a glance at the woman and lowers his head to indicate that he too has never heard of such a thing. Puzzled, Hwon asks again, Are you truly a shaman? Unable to end my life, I live as a shaman. As I cannot live but as a shaman, I live. Seeing the woman speaks so calmly, Hwon feels great sadness. He asks again. What is your name? I call myself anyone. I asked for your name. There is a strict law. Before the king, everyone is just a trivial being. Please permit me to introduce myself only as anyone. In frustration, Hwon raises his voice. How insolent! How dare you make me repeat. I shall ask again. What is your name? If you are a human, you should have a family name and a given name. If you are truly not a spirit, tell me your name. A family name is given to those who have a father, and a given name to those who have a mother. But as I have neither a father nor a mother, I did not receive either. You mean you have no name? I have lived without a name. How frustrating. Are you toying with me again? I have told you that I do not lie. Ive heard that all shamans must have a godmother. What name does your godmother call you? My godmother has never called me by a name. How is that possible? Afraid of the fate that will tie us by such a thing as a name, she has not named me. What is your age? As I have not counted the years, I do not know the answer. Have you lived here for long? For a long time, I lived entrapped here. For a very long time

But your speech is not of a native here. Your speech is that of a person from Hanyang (the capital of Joseon, present-day Seoul), so youre surely not from this area. Before arriving at this place, what was your identity? The womans eyes betray great sadness. But her voice remains calm. That is a story from long ago that I no longer remember. In anger, Hwon slams his shotglass back on the table. Ive asked you so many questions, and yet you have answered none! Ive answered many questions, but Your Majesty has acknowledged none. Exactly what have you answered?! Your name, your age? You have not even answered what kind of a shaman you are! Are you really even a shaman? If you insist my answer is not satisfactory, shall I lie to you? If I lie, will you find that answer satisfactory? Hwon continues to drink without a word and silence fills the room. He opens his mouth once again. Where you sit is still too far. Come closer. The woman walks two steps closer to Hwon, and sits again. Where you sit is still too far. Come even closer. The woman eventually comes an arm-length distance from Hwon and sits again. Although that is still too far for Hwon, as there is no space to come even closer, he relents. In front of Hwon is the womans face, whiter than a white jade. She has long eyelashes, and under them are her dark eyes. And in front of Woon is the womans side profile. Although a persons face can lie, her side profile cannot. And to Woon, her sadness is apparent. In order to not look at the woman, Woon puts his head down and closes his eyes. With a deep sigh, Hwon speaks. Do you see my heart flowing towards you? Due to the ripples created by the moonlight, I do not see. Do you not see, or will you not see? Can I not embrace you? [Note: The word "embrace" as used here can have a sexual connotation.] Afraid that your heart will be heavy as you leave, I will keep fastened the ribbon (of my shirt).

I will not leave it behind. Cause I will take you back with me. Then will you permit me to hold you? I cannot leave. I am tied to this place. I, your King, have said I will take you with me. Even if you cant leave, follow me. Under the heavens, there are things that can be together and there are things that can never be together. A king and a shaman are too far apart and can never be together. At being rejected, Hwon raises his voice. Give me the reason that we cant be together! The woman quotes an excerpt from Zhouyi (Book of Changes) on how a heaven and the earth must be apart to uphold peace. I too have read Zhouyi but thats not how Ive understood it. He explains that the earth is not lowly because it is near us, but to be treated with familiarity for its closeness. Quoting from the book of Zhuangzi, the woman explains, The heaven being noble and the earth being lowly is the law of nature. Just as fall and winter following spring and summer is the nature of the four seasons, heaven and earth have their ranks. What more can be said of a human. Thats not how my teacher taught me Zhuangzi. Although the sovereign leads and the people follow, the sovereign must be exemplary for the people who follow to be righteous. If I become righteous, my people become righteous. If I become noble, my people too become noble. I was taught that was the rank of nature. I will not become lowly from embracing you, but instead you will be noble. Speaking of duty without speaking of order is no duty at all. Not embracing me brings order to your position and is exemplary for the people I am a lowly one without even a name. I too have no name. As soon as I was born, I was proclaimed the crown prince-select and could not have a name. And when I became the crown prince, I was given the name Hwon but concurrently no one could call me by that name. No one called me Hwon or Grand Prince Ilsung, but merely Crown Prince. And now as a king, my name Hwon cannot be even written on paper. Thus, isnt it the same that both you and I have no name? It is not the same. Its the difference between the heaven and the earth. She remains steadfast like a rock. Hwon stays quiet while deep in thought. Then of a sudden realization, he proclaims:

Thats right! As your godmother did not call you by a name afraid of being tied to you by fate, then if I give you a name, then you and I will be bound by destiny. I shall give you a name. This time, even the woman reacts with surprise. There is not only good fate in this world. You should not give name to just a mere momentary fate. Please reconsider. Hwon ignores the womans protest and looks out to the moon outside the window. Do you resemble the moon, or does the moon resemble you? I shall name you Wol (Hanja for moon). And from that moment, that woman becomes Wol. Hwon feels reassured as if by giving her a name, their fate will continue. Hwon wishes to reach out his hand and touch Wols face, but he does not, afraid that as soon as his hand touches her, she will turn into ashes. And so, he continues to drink. Today is not the only day. I know your name, and I know that you cant leave this place. There will be a next time. Hwon pours a drink for Wol and recites a poem. All creations come and come again, but cannot come all. I look to see if it has come all, but it comes again. The things that come again and again come from where there is no beginning. And so I ask thee from where do you first come? (-Excerpt from the first verse of Hwadam Seo Kyung-deoks Relic) Although the poem seems to ask Wol where she came from, this question was not for Wol alone. It is Hwons question to himself at this undeniable feeling emerging from within him. Wol closes her eyes, not even giving a glance at the shotglass Hwon poured her. All creations return and return again, but cannot return all. I look to see if it has returned all, but it has not. They return and return again until the end, but there is no end to the return. And so I ask thee to where you return? (-Excerpt from the second verse of Hwadam Seo Kyung-deoks Relic) Hwon does not understand. Although he understands the meaning of the poem, he does not understand what Wol means by reciting him the poem. What did you mean to tell me?

I wished to finish the second part (of the poem). And as tonight will be the end of our destiny, it was a request that you make no promise of a next time. To think that there is a shaman who knows Hwadams poetry And there is also a king who knows Hwadams poetry. (Note: As Hwadams writing was a sahak and not a jeonghak, his writing was one that a king should not study. I have no idea what the differences are, but Im guessing theyre two different schools of thoughts?) And Wol continues, saying Hwon should now return as the rain has stopped and his shotglass is now empty. But Hwon feels hurt as Wol tries to rush him out not so much at Wol herself but at the idea of the impending separation. Come with me. When the dawn breaks, come with me. Id like to ask what would be the consequence for your guard if you do not return now. Wol is right. As Hwon has secretly left the royal vacation estate to come to the village, if something goes wrong, it will not be Hwon, but his guard Woon, who will be held responsible. And as always, it will be Woons upbringing as the child of a concubine that will be attacked. Wol! I shall come find you again. Please wait for me. Ive said that tonight will be the end of our fate. And Ive said that tonight is the start of our fate. And so I cant just leave. I will bring with me a keepsake from you. At Hwons mention of a keepsake, Wol reopens her eyes and smiles a sad smile. At the first smile that Wol shows him, Hwon delights and sits closer to Wol. But in the same voice, Wol replies, I do not own anything. That moon in the night sky which Your Majesty has given me as my name is all I have. Hwon turns his face to look at the moon and smiles. Then Ill take that moon, which is your everything. You should not, Your Majesty. I beg you to reconsider. Theres nothing I cannot do! I will tie my feelings for you to that moon which you gave me. Then can I ask you for you to leave me a keepsake? Hwons face brightens as he quickly replies, Say whatever it may be. I will give you my everything.

I beg you to leave your memory of tonight, slain. If I leave it slain, do you mean to bury your memories of me? What a cruel woman you are! What a heartless woman you are! You invited me in, and so I entered. And now I say I wont leave, but you push me out. Though I leave tonight, this is not the end of our fate. It was a meaningless fate. Meeting of the bodies is not the only fate. Meeting of the hearts is also fate. You said with your own mouth that you do not lie. Then you wont be able to say that there was no meeting of our hearts tonight. The reason why I wont have you tonight is because I hold you dear, so do not speak of yourself as lowly ever again. Although the social standing of a person who knows literature can be lowly, his character cannot. And so I will just take your moon with me tonight. And like that, Hwon walks out with Woon, leaving Wol still sitting there. After walking some distance, Hwon tells Woon, My heart aches and I cant bear to look back. Please look for me. Is Wol by any chance watching me walk away? Woon looks back, although he himself is unsure whether it is because of His Majestys command or of his own will. But behind them, only Seol is looking toward their direction. Shes not watching. Yes, yes. And that makes my heart ache less. Woon, I never realized until now how blinding a moonlight can be. Back in the room, Wol still sits motionless as she asks Seol. Seol, can you see him leave? In tears, Seol replies, Yes, he left. He really left! Did he look back by any chance? No! He left without looking back even once! Wol softly mutters, Yes, yes. And that makes me less sad. Seol, I never realized until now how blinding a moonlight can be. Why did you not see him out?! Why did you just sit there?! Smiling gently, Wol replies, For the fine rain that led him here will rest on the grass, the earth, and in the breeze. And every time it falls on the skirt of his robe, it will permeate to his

inner clothes, his shoes, and his hat, carrying my heart with it and see him out all the way back to his royal vacation estate.

Book Club: The Moon That Embraces the Sun (Chapters 2-3)

Book Club December 14, 2011 by blue

Okay, and now we approach the aspect of this novel (and this story in general) that I dont feel as comfortable about the shaman part. Im naturally not a very superstitious person, and I initially felt cynical to learn that The Moon That Embraces the Sun features a mudang (Korean shaman). Fortunately (for me), Wol is not really a shaman nor is she gifted with any such powers, but she is simply living as one due to the circumstances. That makes it much easier for me to accept this story and take it seriously. Chapter 2. New facts: Although the men have to wear hats when entering the royal palace, an exception is made for Woon.
Woons nickname is Bingwoon, which means ice cloud.

 Hwon sleeps at different sleeping quarters every night for safety reasons and for

feng shui reasons. The only people who know where the king sleeps on any particular night are the three royal astrologers, a handful of eunuchs in attendance, a handful of the court ladies, and Woon. Woon goes to the location listed in the coded message indicating where Hwon is staying that night. But Woon ends up finding Hwon at a different location. What brings you here, Your Majesty. I am sitting here to see my moon. But no matter how much I insist that its mine, the heaven also insists that its his, so how can I win over the heaven. The heaven must hate to share the moon with me, and has gone to hide it from me like this. I trusted that you would be able to bring me back my moon, but Since that fateful night, Hwon has sent Woon to find Wol but she was nowhere to be found. Her house was completely empty and no one in the village had heard of a woman like Wol. In fact, there was no woman who could possibly be Wol in the shamans registry. Woon waited many night and days at Wols, but she did not appear. However, Woon did not tell Hwon of how the scent of the orchid remained in the room. Or that as he waited, how much he wished she would appear, even if as a ghost. Woon did not know whether this longing was for Hwons sake or whether it was his own. Nor could he tell Hwon how the scent of the orchid and the moonlight made his heart ache, but strangely also gave him a sense of relief. Meanwhile, in a small cottage, an older shaman woman known simply as Lady Jang is in an unusually sour mood as she orders her servant girl, Janshil, to prepare for guests. Janshil complains, wondering what guests could they possibility be expecting. But to her surprise, two guests indeed visit their small cottage. One is Hyegak Dosa, an older gentleman with long white hair and long white beard, and carrying a cane. The other younger gentleman is Sir Cheomjeong (4th junior rank official), the custodian of the Office of Astronomy. Hyegak Dosa starts to asks Lady Jang to return to the palace as the Head Royal Shaman, but growing impatient, Sir Cheomjeong cuts to the chase about the real reason for their visit. Cheomjeong asks to borrow Lady Jangs shaman daughter for one month for His Majestys health has been rapidly declining and the royal physicians do not know the cause. Lady Jang throws a fit, worried to send her shaman daughter to the palace at such a foreboding time when Star Sirius is covered in darkness, a sign that the fate of the nation will take a turn for the worse. But she also knows that she has no other choice.

After the two guests leave, Lady Jang starts drinking, insisting that shell drink herself to death. Then she speaks as she faces a dark room. Milady. Youve heard? It seems you would have to enter the palace. And from within the dark room, Wol reassures Lady Jang, Ill just have to be near His Majesty for one month. To be exact, its not near His Majesty, but its next to him as he sleeps. For that one month, His Majesty wont even know that youve visited. No, he must not know. Chapter 3. In fact, Wols duty at the palace is to absorb in Hwons place the bad energy that is negatively affecting his health. And when his health recovers, he is to consummate his marriage with his Queen and conceive a male heir to the throne on a propitious day as determined by the Office of Astronomy. Meanwhile, Hwons health shows no sign of recovery and he cant even sit upright long enough to govern without running out of breath. Hwon barely reviews one or two government documents a day, and feels anxious at the knowledge that his royal father-inlaw, Lord Papyeong, and his faction are overseeing the remaining hundreds. It signifies that Lord Papyeong is essentially ruling the kingdom. The purpose of Hwons trip to the royal vacation estate was in hopes that it would improve his health, but instead, his health deteriorated further. As even royal physicians are unable to identify the cause of Hwons poor health, some people speculate that the king is possessed by a bad spirit. It is indeed difficult to perceive of Hwon being normal seeing how he stares and sighs at the moon every night. A month has passed since his fateful meeting with Wol, and Hwon rejoices at seeing the full moon once again. Loud enough for Woon standing outside the window to hear, Hwon sighs, The moon wanes, disappears, and then returns to me thus, but the moon that must return to me shows no sign of its return. Seeing Woon still standing silently outside with no reply, Hwon reaches out his hand out the window and pulls on Woons cloak. Look at me. Dont stand there facing your back to me. You saw the moon with me too. Didnt you see the moon? Woon turns and gives a short reply. Yes, I saw, Your Majesty. How was it? How did the moon look to you? Was it just an illusion?

But Woon does not reply. This impudent fellow! Dont you know that during the ruling of King Sejong the Great, Cheomjeong Choi Howon was imprisoned for not speaking before the king? You should thank your lucky stars that Im a benevolent king. If it was any other king, you would be imprisoned for life! But despite Hwons threat, Woon continues to stand with his lips sealed shut. Just then, a eunuch enters the room bringing tea for the king from the royal physicians and the Office of Astronomy. The room fills with the aroma of chrysanthemum. Hwon, who is weary of taking medicine, starts to protest. Isnt the Office of Astronomy also preparing an amulet? Ive been diligently taking my tonic. Must I also drink this tea? You must, Your Majesty, for the amulet to be effective. The tea is not bitter like other tonics, but quite aromatic. At the suggestion that the tea is aromatic, Hwon takes the cup and drinks it. Woon, isnt it such a busy moon? Not even appearing in my dream once What a strange fellow I am. To be so taken in by someone I briefly met in the dark Im surely not normal. Thinking about it, I can understand her. How much could she possibly miss a wandering traveller to whom she briefly lent a shelter from the rain? It must have been hard for her not being able to drive me away as the king. For sure she must have a lover. And how difficult must it have been for her when a king asked her to come with him? And so she must have run away with her lover the very next day. Woon, do you think Im right? I do not know, Your Majesty. Hwon becomes convinced at his own words. I should give it up. Woon, before I give up, go over there just once more. Yes, Your Majesty. Ah, no. Forget it. I shouldnt, for repeatedly sending you far away will appear suspicious. Yes, Your Majesty. Woon, dont worry. Starting today, there will no longer be any moon talk The moon looks unusually big today. Upon finishing his tea, Hwon becomes sleepy. Not knowing that it is because of the tea, Hwon climbs under his blanket to quickly fall asleep without his usual tossing and turning in bed.

Suspecting that something is not right, Woon sniffs the empty teacup and asks the attending eunuch why the king was put to sleep. The eunuch explains that he was merely told by the Office of Astronomy that it is for the effectiveness of the amulet.

The night bell rings and Woon notices the royal astrologer and a woman covered in white sseugae chima approaching. Woons hand reaches his sword. But as the woman arrives closer, Woon feels a strange feeling upon him. And then it is the Royal Guard Commander who eventually stops the two. Who dares wear a sseugae chima in the royal palace! The royal astrologer quietly answers, There is no other choice because this is a special case. This is not a person, but merely an amulet. An amulet? In my eyes, I definitely see a person. Not all amulets are paper with writing on them In this situation where we do not know the exact cause, the best amulet is a human one. Then perchance is she the shaman Woon approaches the two and uses his sword to lift the sseugae chima from the womans face. And then his entire body stiffens as he finds Wols face staring back at him. Taking back her sseugae chima still hanging on Woons sword, Wol speaks as she eyes the moon. The sight of the cloud covering the moon is truly beautiful.

Just as before, her voice shakes Woons heart and his grasp on his sword tightens. Woon understands that those words are directed at him as her request to keep this a secret from the king. As Wol walks past him, he smells the scent of orchid from her. Wol is led away by two court ladies and inspected to ensure she is not carrying anything harmful to the king. And then the eunuch leads Wol to the kings chamber. Once in the chamber, she places her head down so as to not look directly at the king (it is a crime to look at a kings face without his prior permission) and walks to where Hwon is sleeping. And then she sits a short distance from him. Once Wol takes her place, the eunuch and the court ladies head to the adjacent room, leaving the connecting door open. And then Woon enters the kings chamber and sits at a far distance from Hwon and Wol. With the eyes of everyone no longer on Wol, she now secretly glances towards Hwon. She takes in the sight of his gentle hands, the silk blanket that moves up and down with his every breath, his white sleep robe, and his sleeping visage. And to Woon sitting afar, he takes in the sight of Wol. Her white mourning clothes, her tender hands gently laid on top of her knees, her thin, long white neck, and past her lips and her nose, he takes in the sight of her eyes looking only towards the king.

Book Club: The Moon That Embraces the Sun (Chapter 4)

Book Club January 8, 2012 by blue

Welcome back! The Book Club is now back in session for the new year! The novel starts from the present and flashes back to the past. If youre watching the tv drama that is airing right now, you may have noticed that it starts from their childhood. So expect the next two chapters to be spoilers for what comes ahead. Approach with caution if you wish to avoid potential spoilers! (Im not sure how closely the drama will follow the book.) Chapter 4. With the sound of the drum alerting of dawn, Wol quietly takes her leave. And not long after, Hwon wakes from his sleep. After drinking some water, Hwon immediately asks the court lady, Did someone visit me during the night? Everyone reacts with surprise, but the eunuch calmly answers that an astrologer from the Office of Astronomy stopped by last night to bring an amulet. Hwon moves his body around and asks with wonder, What kind of amulet did he use? I feel much better. The royal physician is called in and his face brightens after taking the kings pulse. Everyone rejoices at Hwons quick improvement of health, but the astrologers tremble with fear at the realization that Hwons health problems were indeed not due to any illness and they still do not know the cause. An even greater surprise is that Wol is perfectly fine as well. It was expected that the health of the shaman who receives the bad energy in kings place would decline to a certain extent, but it did not in this case.

With his health doing much better, Hwon insists on returning to work that he had abandoned due to his illness. He sends his morning greetings to Royal Queen Dowager (his grandmother) and Queen Dowager (his mother) through a eunuch. And to his Queen whom he feels no affection towards and often forgets of her existence, he merely sends a message that she need not come visit him. The only times Hwon remembers that he indeed has a wife is when he sees his powerhungry royal father-in-law, Lord Papyeong. Even now, Hwon wishes to banish Lord Papyeong and send him into exile, but he cannot because that would mean an all-out war against his own grandmother who protects the man.

Meanwhile, Woon feels conflicted as he follows Hwon around. He cant tell Hwon about Wol. But then again, he cant hide it from him as well, when he knows how earnestly Hwon is looking for her. Although Woon is always quiet, Hwon feels that that silence is unusual today. He sends Woon away to get some rest, and Woon leaves quietly. As the guards outside see Woon leave, they become tense. Woon not being by Hwons side means that the guards must be on special alert to protect the king. But as Woon passes by the guards with his sharp eyes and his pointed nose, even the male guards feel their hearts flutter at his beauty. Woon runs into the royal astrologer at the palace. After much hesitation, Woon asks, Where is she? The royal astrologer is confused at the question thrown by the always quiet Woon, but quickly catches on that he is asking the whereabouts of the shaman from earlier. He tells Woon not to worry for the shaman will be staying for one month at a secluded area near the royal shaman quarter. Since when was she a shaman of the royal shaman quarter? Shes been listed on the shaman registry for a long time. And with that, the royal astrologer quickly hurries away to meet Hwon, leaving Woon with many unanswered questions. What was a royal shaman doing in the countryside outside of

the palace? How is her heath now? What effect does this have on her? Where will she be heading once the one month period ends? Before long, the sun rises from the east and brightens the entire world. Woon looks to the blinding sun. This distance within the palace seems so much farther than the 10,000 ri (approximately 3,927 km) Ive travelled in search of you. Perchance are you also looking at the blinding sun right now? If so, please dont. Better to keep your eyes closed than to look at that sun. You probably dont know how heavy my heart is that I cant be the cloud that covers your brightness. Dont you think that the sun that did not see the moon is happier than the the cloud that must see the moon and then the sun? Meanwhile, the royal astrologer presents to the king a document wrapped in red silk listing the favorable date for Hwon and his queen to consummate their marriage. But Hwon barely even glances at the document. Your Majesty Im still not feeling well! Its not immediate, Your Majesty. Please start preparing your body now to conceive a heir to the throne and bring stability to the Court. A king and a queen could not sleep together as they wished. In order to prevent the birth of a tyrant, favorable dates for conception were preselected by the Office of Astronomy. But with all the excluded dates, including the day of full moon, the last day of the month, the first day of the month, a very windy day, a very rainy day, a stormy day, or one in which either the king or the queens health was not optimal, the actual approved day occurred perhaps once a month. And so on this day, the king had to exert [the author's word, not mine!], whether or not he wished. But Hwon had yet to even consummate his marriage with the queen. For no specific reason, he hated the queen from the start. And whenever a date was chosen, something always happened to prevent their chance. And so frequent fights occurred in court between those who insisted that a king should get a concubine and the queens people who argued against it. With a frown on his face, Hwon carelessly opens the red silk wrapping the document. The selected D-day is just one day before the upcoming full moon- the last day that Wol will be spending at the palace. But of course, Hwon does not know this.

See, Wol. I too am not human. How am I any different from the cows and the pigs chosen to breed? Even if you said you did not want to, I should have embraced you that day. I really wanted to. Not my body, but my soul. Returning to his chamber that night, Hwon no longer brings up Wol. In fact, he no longer even looks at the moon. Instead, he gladly accepts the chrysanthemum tea and falls into a deep sleep not knowing that Wol whom he so dearly misses is right next to him. **********

Minhwa sighs in the middle of cross-stitching a peacock. It is definitely intended to be a peacock, but what she sees is a fat chicken. She cannot use this on the government robe of her beloved husband, Yeom. She hugs Yeoms jeogori (upper garment of a hanbok). My lord, I miss you. Its already been Ah, its only been a month since you left on your trip. And yet it feels longer than a year to me. I wanted to show off my embroidery work upon your return, but I ruined it. Although theres nothing to show off now, please hurry home. Yeoms scent no longer lingers on the jeogori, and only Minhwas own scent remains. All month long, she held on to this jeogori. At the sudden rush of longing for her husband, tears start to well in Minhwas eyes. Tears, go back in. Tears, go back in. When a wife cries, bad things happen to her husband. As Minhwa struggles to have her tears return back into her eyes, she hears a female servant shouting from outside. Your Highness! Your Highness! Hes here. The royal son-in-law has returned! At hearing those words, Lady Min opens the room door in surprise.

Is it true? Is he here, or do you mean he will be here? He has entered the front gate. In joy, Minhwa shoots up and in her impatience, almost trips over her own skirt. She fixes her clothes and gets ready to head out, but stops herself to first powder her face. And then she turns to ask Lady Min how she looks. Satisfied to hear Lady Min tell her that she looks pretty, Minhwa holds up her skirt and starts running outside. Startled, Lady Min chases after her. Your Highness! Your dignity, your dignity! But Minhwa does not hear anything and runs out in her beoseon (socks worn with hanbok). Behind her is Lady Min calling for dignity, and still behind her is the servant girl chasing after them carrying Minhwas shoes. Upon seeing Yeom enter being greeted by the servants, Princess Minhwa stops in her tracks and turns around in embarrassment. Expecting him to come to her after greeting the servants, she just repeatedly touches her jacket ribbon. She feels like her heart is going to burst as she waits. And now she feels his presence right behind her. But instead of addressing her, Yeom heads to his mothers room. Although upset, she comforts and reminds herself that it is only proper for him to first greet his mother as a filial son. Minhwa waits outside the room of her mother-in-law, barely able to control herself from running in. Yeom bows to his mother, Lady Shin, and then sits kneeling on his knees in front of her. Is your heart now more at ease since returning from the trip? Yes. Yeom smiles quietly. Lady Shin sighs as she speaks. The officials from the palace visited several times during your absence. The royal family and the royal son-in-law are not supposed to leave Hanyang (capital of Joseon, modern-day Seoul) I was granted permission. But I cant face Her Highness. Do you know how earnestly she waited for you? Did you greet her first before coming to see me? No. You come first, Mother. You shouldnt. Hurry on out and comfort her. She must be impatiently waiting outside. I will go see her after I wash up. Do not worry. Seeing Yeom come out, Minhwa turns around and starts fidgeting with her clothes once again. But again, he walks past her to his own room. Minhwa hesitantly follows him, but

upon seeing his door close, tears well up in her eyes. As servants are in the area, she quickly hides her tears and returns back to her room. Only when she is back in her room does she let out the tears that she has been holding back. After crying for a long time, Minhwa misses Yeom again. With tear-stained face, she tells her servant girl waiting outside to check to see what Yeom is doing. The servant girl rushes back and quietly whispers, He has just gone to take a bath. Seeing Minhwa getting up, Lady Min quickly grabs her arm. What are you going to do, Your Highness? You do not mean to? No, you must not! I know what Your Highness plans to do. The royal son-in-law is a dignified man. You must absolutely not. Your dignity I will behave with dignity in front of others, but I have no use for that in front of my husband. I feel like I will die if I dont see him right now. Do not follow me, Lady Min!

Minhwa runs to the bathhouse, and without anyone noticing, she quietly sneaks inside. Even for married couples, it was against proper manners to see each other bathe. And even when bathing alone, it was proper to be fully dressed in a bathrobe. Yeom was a well-mannered man who always followed the rules. And so even now, he is inside the tub in his bathrobe. He must have just finished washing his hair, for his long hair fell across his neck down to the water. And though dressed in a bathrobe, it was completely soaked and see-through, revealing his skin inside. The water dripping down his nose and his jaw looked so beautiful to Minhwa. His dark eyebrows, his long eyelashes, and his black pupils seem to be in deep thought, not realizing that Minhwa had come inside. Mesmerized by her husband, Minhwa too was lost in her own world. Finally, Yeom feels the presence of another person in the bathhouse and look on with surprise. He becomes even more shocked to find that it is his wife, Minhwa. But the shock

turns to awkwardness seeing Minhwa still standing around. Yeom speaks softly to her so that the others outside wont hear them. I was startled. What brings you here, my lady? I I wanted to say my greetings Then just a little later. No. Now I missed you and cant wait any longer. I miss you even as Im looking at you like this. Minhwa bursts into tears. Yeom does not know how to greet her dressed (or undressed) like his. After feeling uneasy for a long time, he finally lifts his arm and reaches out his hand to her. With tears still streaming down her face, Minhwa walks towards Yeom and places her hand on top of his. Yeoms warm hand tightly holds Minhwas. Did I upset you by any chance? Minhwa does not answer. Yeom gently wipes the tears from Minhwas eyes. I planned to go greet you after my bath. But You could have looked toward me just once. That would have been enough for me. There were servants around. And so Your Highness, no matter now urgent it is, you should wear your shoes. Minhwa looks with surprise at Yeom and finds him smiling warmly at her. The fact that he knew that she wasnt wearing her shoes earlier meant that he looked towards her without her noticing, and for that alone, Minhwa was happy. But even that happiness is short-lived and Minhwa starts getting greedy for more as she stares at Yeoms lips. Yeoms expression seems to ask her to leave now that they said their greetings, but Minhwas face turns red as her eyes look towards his lips alone. Yeom doesnt understand what Minhwa wants and Minhwa knows that Yeom would never guess. The fact that she came in here was already beyond Yeoms understanding. Minhwa knows that she should now leave the bathhouse, but her eyes would not move from the water dripping down his lips. And so she ends up blurting it out. I want a kiss! This time, Yeom looks even more startled. Minhwa puts her head down. But even after waiting for a response, Yeom does not make a move. Instead, she hears his voice. Ahem! Your Highness must be plotting all the time on the different ways to startle me. I I dont want a deep kiss. A dignified one would be fine too

Suddenly Minhwa starts to get worried that Yeom would think of her as a lustful woman, and feels herself getting miserable. Im undressed in the water like this, and the sun is still out. This is not proper manners. Minhwa cant lift her head. Embarrassed, she feels her tears ready to fall but as that would make Yeom feel even more uneasy, she tries her best to hold her tears back. But just then, she feels Yeoms lips on her forehead. That was enough for Minhwa. Satisfied, Minhwa lifts up her head to get up, only to find Yeoms lips upon her own. As always, Yeoms lips are moist and fragrant. As their lips part, Minhwa smiles and wraps her arms around Yeoms neck. Your Highness, your clothes will get wet. I need to first finish my bath. But Minhwa refuses to let go. The scent of Yeoms jeogori she held on to this past month does not compare to the scent coming from his body right now. From a distance, one lone person lookes sadly towards the closed door of the bathhouse. It is Seol, dressed in a mans attire. Upon hearing a servant coming, she quickly jumps over the wall. But even outside, she finds herself unable to walk away as she turns back to look at Yeoms estate over and over again. Only when she senses someone coming in her direction does she lower her head and hurry away. That person is Woon, being sent by the king on an errand upon hearing the news of Yeoms return. As Woon and Seol walk past each other, they both pause. Seol sees the sword of a kings guard on Woon. And Woon wonders why a woman is cross-dressed as a man. Moreover, the sword hidden on her back and her walk catch his eyes. It was not common to find women carrying swords. And so he knows right away that that woman is Wols servant girl. Woon looks at Yeoms estate. He is sure that Seol was looking at this house earlier. But when he turns back around, Seol is already gone and nowhere to be found.