Chapter 12 — Yulli Selection Exam (2)
In Joseon, sikri meant interest.
But in an era where many people couldn't even read, much less perform arithmetic, the applicants were startled by the difficulty of the question.
"W-What is this supposed to mean...?"
"We have to decide whether interest should be paid?"
"What's sikri?"
"Goodness! You don't even know what sikri is, and you want to assist the magistrate?"
Paper was precious in this era.
So only one copy of the question was distributed per row.
The person at the front would read it, then pass it backward.
But everyone who received the question let out a sigh.
"Haah...."
"Ugh...."
"How are we supposed to decide this...? I thought this would just involve simple physical work!"
Doyul calmly organized his thoughts while observing their reactions.
Is the question really that difficult? Or... perhaps there are many applicants, but not many actual competitors.
Most people simply stared at the question for a moment, groaned, and passed it behind them.
So Doyul wasn't worried by the crowd.
The number of people isn't the issue.
There's only one person worth watching.
Lee Isu.
Doyul didn't know exactly how capable Isu was.
But the moment Isu received the question, his face lit up with excitement.
Anyone could tell he knew how to answer it.
"As expected! The magistrate truly does need a talent like me...!"
"All candidates will remain silent!"
"...Yes! My apologies!"
...Hmm.
Doyul frowned while looking at Lee Isu.
If Isu had known ahead of time that this position would be created, Doyul couldn't rule out the possibility that he had also known the question.
Perhaps it went beyond merely knowing the question.
He might already have been chosen for the position, with this entire examination serving only as a formality.
Maybe the selection process exists merely to create justification.
Perhaps there was never any possibility that another applicant would become the yulli.
While Doyul was thinking, the applicant sitting in front of him groaned and handed over the question.
"Ugh. I don't think I have any chance, but surely the famous Red Fist will solve it easily. Here."
"Thank you. But seriously, what is this ridiculous title 'Red Fist' supposed to mean...?"
"Haha! No need to be modest! Other than young Isu, is there anyone in this county who doesn't know that your fists are as impressive as your wisdom? Haha. I heard Isu acted impudently toward you, but don't dislike him too much. He's not a bad boy by nature."
"What are you talking abou... Hm?"
Doyul turned his head.
Lee Isu was already fully focused on writing his answer.
His usual noisy, frivolous attitude had disappeared.
Now that he was concentrating, he looked surprisingly serious.
...He's difficult to understand.
Isu had loudly preached fairness and personal ability, yet apparently benefited from his father's position.
It was absurd.
But seeing him doing his absolute best somehow made it difficult to dislike him.
...Forget it.
Doyul pushed those unnecessary thoughts aside and focused on the present.
Let's concentrate on what I can control.
In the end, as always...
He could only do his best within the situation he had been given.
Right now, I read the question and answer it.
That's all.
"Anyway, good luck!"
"...Thank you."
Doyul took the paper.
If this were something modern legal knowledge could solve, that was one thing.
But if it required knowledge unique to Joseon's law, he might be unable to answer.
So he remained cautious.
Then...
Huh?
Fortunately, luck seemed to be on his side.
[Question. Read the following petition and present the correct judgment.]
[I entered into a transaction with a man named Lee Myeongsin and paid two thousand nyang in advance. Later, he told me that unavoidable circumstances had arisen and returned my money. At the time I thought it strange, but since I had received all of my money back, I trusted Lee Myeongsin when he apologized and thought nothing more of it. Then I heard a peculiar rumor.]
Doyul focused and continued reading.
[According to the rumor, Lee Myeongsin needed a large sum of money but did not want to pay interest. Therefore, despite never intending to complete the transaction, he deceived me in order to temporarily borrow my money. I am furious that I was tricked, so I demand that he at least pay me interest!]
The petitioner argued that the situation was effectively the same as a loan, so Lee Myeongsin should pay interest.
The defendant argued that he had never borrowed money, so why should he pay interest?
The other candidates all complained in similar ways.
"How are we supposed to judge when we don't know what Lee Myeongsin was actually thinking when he canceled the deal...?"
"Ugh.... Interest is normally paid only when money is borrowed.... But if he really deceived the man, maybe he should pay...."
Everyone else focused on Lee Myeongsin's intent.
Had he intentionally pretended to make a transaction in order to obtain an interest-free loan?
Or had he genuinely intended to complete the transaction but later canceled?
Doyul looked at it differently.
The question asks us to judge only the contents of the petition.
And the petition isn't demanding performance of the contract or damages.
It's asking solely for interest.
That means the petitioner accepted the cancellation and is demanding only compensation for the use of his money.
Doyul's eyes sharpened.
He quickly began writing.
The answer is simple.
But this is a little...
[Issue: Whether Lee Myeongsin must pay interest.]
[Conclusion: Lee Myeongsin should pay sikri as though he had borrowed the money.]
Even while writing, something bothered Doyul.
...Is that really the best judgment under Joseon's circumstances?
He could tolerate many things.
But distorted legal reasoning wasn't one of them.
Doyul debated whether to answer only what was being asked...
Or write what he truly believed.
Ah, forget it!
In the end, he couldn't restrain himself.
The Ibang was acting as the magistrate's representative.
So although his face remained expressionless, his eyes moved quickly.
An excellent opportunity has appeared. How could I possibly let it slip away?
He was proud that his son wanted to become a local clerk like him.
But...
He did not want his son to remain merely a local clerk forever.
That was why the Ibang had constantly searched for opportunities to give Isu advantages.
He had even formed a long-term plan that might someday allow his son to achieve greatness.
And the first step is for him to realize for himself that he needs more.
The Ibang wanted Isu to work beside the magistrate and observe the affairs of government.
He wanted him to learn and experience.
His intelligent son would surely come to understand something through that process.
I had been waiting because the circumstances weren't right...
But thanks to some random commoner who suddenly caught the magistrate's eye, everything may work out naturally.
Once Kang Doyul appeared, creating a new government position under the pretext of helping him wasn't difficult at all.
Isu's fiery personality made the process somewhat troublesome because I knew he'd stubbornly insist on fairness.
But if everything goes as planned, there will be no problem.
The Ibang was corrupt.
But unlike his father, Lee Isu had a strong sense of justice.
If the Ibang had openly given him model answers, the scheme might have backfired badly.
So instead of directly revealing the question, he had merely encouraged Isu to read the book containing the question that was likely to appear.
"Oh! Isn't this question from something I studied recently...?!"
The innocent Lee Isu assumed that his hard work had simply paid off.
The Ibang regretted not being able to help more directly, but decided this was sufficient.
The question was difficult enough.
No matter how impressive Kang Doyul might be, he shouldn't be able to defeat Isu, who had already encountered the problem several times.
And even if Kang Doyul somehow gives a good answer, it doesn't matter.
During the next examination, the Ibang could simply give Isu even more precise help.
Hmph. Still, for the sake of appearances before the magistrate, it would be nice if Kang Doyul submitted something respectable.
The petition question had been selected by Kim Jiseok from a text containing difficult and unusual cases designed to train low-ranking legal officials who handled practical work.
Unsurprisingly, among more than a hundred applicants, very few produced usable answers.
"...Here."
"Thank you for your effort."
"Haah... The threshold of the government office truly is high!"
Most applicants already knew they had failed.
They quietly submitted their papers and left.
The magistrate said three candidates should advance.
I'll select one other person with a reasonably acceptable answer to fill the numbers, then send Kang Doyul and Isu.
Of course, that's assuming Kang Doyul writes something at least readable.
"Ugh, here."
"Thank you."
"Haah. This is my answer."
"...Well done."
One by one, the applicants left.
Eventually, only Doyul and Isu remained.
"Argh! Finished!"
Of the two, Isu completed his answer first.
"Well done."
"...Thank you!"
Neither Lee Isu nor the Ibang said anything unnecessary.
The moment Isu marched outside, the Ibang hurriedly checked his son's answer.
If the paper was a complete disaster, that would cause serious problems.
Fortunately...
Oh.
Very impressive.
Perhaps because the hints had helped, Isu's answer was excellent.
[Lee Myeongsin should pay interest. Although it is impossible to know why he suddenly canceled the agreement, if the actual circumstances are no different from borrowing money, then it is proper that he pay sikri.]
The Ibang smiled with satisfaction.
Hahaha. At this level, I won't lose face when reporting to the magistrate.
While he imagined the future happily...
"Ah... Did I get a little too excited and write too much?"
Doyul scratched his head and submitted his paper with an embarrassed expression.
The Ibang hid his thoughts behind a gentle smile.
"You worked hard until the very end. I hope you receive a good result."
"Thank you. I'll be going now."
The moment Doyul left the government office, the Ibang checked his answer out of curiosity.
"Why did that brat take so long? No matter how much he struggled, how good could his answer possibly... Gah!"
The Ibang stared at the paper in shock.
[Issue: Whether Lee Myeongsin must pay interest.]
[Conclusion: Lee Myeongsin should pay sikri as though he had borrowed the money. Given the contents of the petition, it is established that the transaction between the two parties has been canceled. Therefore, Lee Myeongsin's intent and other surrounding circumstances need not be considered. Both parties should naturally be restored to the state they were in before the transaction. However, considering the nature of money, the right to use money itself possesses value. Therefore, true restoration to the original state requires not merely the return of the principal, but compensation for the value of its use in the form of sikri.]
That alone was shocking.
The handwriting was worthy of a master calligrapher.
The sentences were clean, precise, and free of unnecessary language.
But the real shock remained below.
[Additional Opinion: Separate from the question of whether Lee Myeongsin naturally owes sikri once the transaction has been canceled, it is worth examining whether this outcome itself is just.]
"W-What in the world...?"
[A promise is important. Once one party has received advance payment and later returns that money while demanding cancellation, the petitioner has no obligation to accept. Yet because ordinary people may lack understanding of such principles and fail to protect their own interests, a magistrate should consider whether it is proper to advise the petitioner of alternative remedies on behalf of an uninformed citizen.]
The Ibang felt his mind going blank.
This was far too long and polished to have been written in such a short time.
[Of course, such an approach could itself damage the original value of litigation, which exists for citizens to seek relief from their own grievances....]
To be honest, from somewhere around the middle, the Ibang couldn't fully understand what Doyul was saying.
But one thing was clear.
[Therefore, despite these concerns, it is proper to respect the claim actually submitted by the petitioner. Nevertheless, one should cultivate the habit of continuing to question whether a better answer exists, even when no immediate answer can be found.]
"Th-This man is no ordinary talent...!"
For the first time, the Ibang felt a strong sense of crisis.
Perhaps things would not unfold according to his plan after all.
