Chapter IV

Chapter IV In the Guise of a Priestess

YANG now made his way from Nakyang to

the western capital, found a lodging-house

and disposed of his baggage. Learning that

the day set for the examination was still distant, he

called the host and inquired of him about his mother's

cousin. He was told that she resided outside the

South Gate. So he prepared something in the way

of a present and went to find her. She was now a

little over sixty years of age, was held in great re-

spect, and was the head of the Taoist sect of women.

The master appeared before her with due cere-

mony and gave his mother's letter, while the priestess

inquired about his health, and with evident emotion

said : " It is twenty years and more since your mother

and I parted, and now here is a young man of the

second generation, so handsome and strong. Surely

time goes by like galloping horses or swift running

water. I am an old woman now and am tired of living

in the noise and confusion of the capital. I was just

on the point of going off to the hills, where I could

meet some sage and give my mind to non-earthly

things, but now I find in my sister's letter a com-

mission that she has for me, so I must stay and carry

it out on your behalf."

Yang's appearance was most attractive, and his

young countenance like that of the gods. The priest-

ess realised that it would be very difficult indeed to

find a fitting mate for^him from the homes of the

In the Guise of a Priestess

gentry. Still she would try. " Come and see me often

in your moments of leisure," said she,

Yang's answer was : " Your humble nephew be-

longs to a family that is poor and unknown, with

only his aged mother left to him. He is now nearing

twenty, and living in an unfrequented part of the

country had no chance to find a companion. In these

straits, and with the question of food and clothing

added, he had to remember first the law of faithful-

ness to his mother. Between fears and hopes he has

come to solicit help from his excellent aunt, and she

has so kindly consented to assist him that he is very

grateful indeed. There are no words by which he

can express this." He said good-bye and withdrew.

The time for the examination drew gradually

nearer, but now that a question of marriage had

arisen, his desire for fame and literary distinction

little by little declined. A few days later he went

again to see his aunt.

The priestess met him laughingly, and said :

" There is a maiden of whom I have thought whose

beauty and intelligence are a match indeed for the

young master ; but her family is terribly proud

and exclusive, with dukes and barons and ministers

of state and so forth in its train for generations. I

fear this family is quite unapproachable. If you could

but win the first place in the examination you might

think of this as a possibility. Otherwise I fear there is

no hope. My advice to you is not to come visiting

me so often, but to spend your efforts in the way of

preparation so as to win the first place of honour

when the examination takes place."

Yang asked : " To whose home do you refer ? "

The Cloud Dream of the Nine

" Just outside the Chong-5aing Gate," said she,

" is Justice Cheung's house. That is the one I refer

to. Before it is an approach-way ornamented with

red arrows. This Justice has a daughter who is a

veritable fairy, evidently some angelic visitor to the

earth."

Yang then thought of what Moonlight had told

him, and said to himself : " How is it that this girl

is praised so highly ? " Then he asked of the priestess,

" My honoured aunt, did you ever see this daughter

of Cheung ? "

" See her ? Of course I've seen her, and she is

indeed an angel from heaven. No words can express

how wonderful she is."

The young master then said : "I don't like to

boast, but I am sure I shall win first place in the ex-

amination as easily as drawing my hand from my

pocket. Don't be anxious on that score, please. But

I have had one foolish wish all my life, and that is

not to ask in marriage one vviiom I have never seen.

Please, excellent aunt, take pity on me and help me

to see what the lady is like ? "

The priestess replied : " How could you ever

hope to see this daughter of a high minister of

state ? [17] You do not trust what I say ? "

He replied : " How could I ever doubt your

words ? But still we each have our own likes and

dislikes. Your eyes could never be just the same as

mine."

" There is no such danger," said she. " Even

children know that the phoenix and the unicorn mean

good luck, and the lowest classes in the world under-

stand that the blue sky and the bright sun are

In the Guise of a Priestess

exalted and glorious. A man who has any eyes at

all would know that Cha-do was a beauty."

Yang returned home unsatisfied in heart, and

next day went once more, greatly desiring to obtain

his aunt's definite permission. The priestess mfet

him and laughingly said : " You have come early

to-day; you must have some special news to tell me."

Yang smiled and made reply : " Only by seeing

Justice Cheung's daughter can your humble servant

rid himself of his doubts and fears. Think once again,

please, of my mother's commission and my earnest

desire, and tell me some plan by which I can look

upon her face. If you will only do this I will thank

you for such kind favour by a never ending gratitude."

The priestess shook her head, saying : " That's

a very difficult thing indeed." She thought for a time

and then asked : " You are so highly accomplished

otherwise, have you ever had leisure in your studies

for music ? "

Yang replied : " Your humble nephew once met

a great teacher of the genii, and took from him a

special course, and so knows something of the Five

Notes and the Six Accords of the gamut."

The priestess then said to him : " Justice Cheung's

home is a very large one, and has five successive

gates of entrance. It is a long way into the inner

quarters, and the walls about are high and forbid-

ding. Without wings to fly, there is no possible way

of entrance. The Justice himself follows the Books

of Rites and Poetry carefully and conforms his house-

hold in every particular to their teachings, so that

members of the former never come here to offer

incense, nor do they seek sacrifice in the Buddhist

The Cloud Dream of the Nine

temples. The Feast of Lanterns [i8] of the first

moon, and the celebration on the Kok River [19] of

the third have no attractions for them. How could

an outsider ever expect to gain entrance to such a

family ? I have thought of a plan, however, but do

not know whether you would care to try it."

Yang replied : "If it be a matter of seeing the

maiden Cheung, I'll go up to heaven or down into

Hades ; I'll carry fire on my back or walk on the

water, if you just say the word."

The priestess made answer : " Justice Cheung

is now advanced in years, is in poor health, and has

little interest in the affairs of state. His chief delight

is in sight-seeing and in hearing music. His wife,

Choi See, is extravagantly fond of the harp, and the

daughter being so quick and intelligent and able to

grasp the thought of any and every question, has

acquired a thorough knowledge of the ancient

masters. A single hearing and she understands at

once a player's excellences or defects. The mother,

Choi See, likes to hear something new, and con-

stantly calls people to play for her, keeping her

daughter at hand to comment and to listen. Thus

she deUghts her old age with the charm of music. My

idea is this, that since you understand how to play,

you should practise some special selections and then

wait till the last day of the third moon, the birthday

of No-ja. They always send a servant on that day

from Cheung's house with candles to bum in the

temple here. You might take advantage of this oppor-

tunity to dress as a Taoist priestess and play so that

the servant could hear you, and the servant will

assuredly take the news of it to her mistress. The

In the Guise of a Priestess

lady, when she learns this, will unquestionably call

you. In this way you might gain admission. As for

seeing or not seeing the daughter, that depends on

the decrees of fate, of which I am not the master.

Apart from this I have no other suggestion to offer."

She added also : " Your face is quite like a girl's,

and you have no beard. Priestesses, too, do not do

up their hair as other girls do, or cover their ears

with it. I see nothing difficult in the matter of your

disguise."

Yang, greatly delighted, took his departure. He

counted over on his fingers the days that must elapse

before the end of the month.

Justice Cheung, it seems, had no other child but

this daughter. When she was born the mother, Choi

See, half unconscious, saw a fairy angel come down

from heaven and drop a sparkling gem into the

room before her. Then it was that the child was

bom. She was called Kyong-pai, Gem-Treasure,

and grew up little by little, more and more beautiful,

more and more graceful, more and more gifted, so

that none from ancient times was ever like her. Her

parents greatly loved her and sought someone to be

a fitting husband, but as yet none had been found

to suit them. She was sixteen now and yet no mar-

riage had been arranged.

On a certain day Choi See called her nurse,

old Chon, and said : " To-day is the anniversary

of the great teacher No-ja. Take four candles

and go to the Taoist temple and give them to the

priestess Too-ryon. Take these cloth gifts as well

and refreshments, and present them with my kindest

greetings."

The Cloud Dream of the Nine

Old Chon took her orders, entered a little palanquin

and went to the temple. The priestess received the

candles and lit them before No-ja's portrait. She

said a hundred thanks and made her bow for the

presents ; treated Chon royally and sent her on her

way rejoicing.

Meantime, in the guise of a young priestess. Master

Yang had come into the temple, tuned his harp and

had begun to play. Just as the old nurse had said

good-bye and was about to step into the chair, she

suddenly heard the sound of music from before the

portrait in the main hall. Lovely music it was, clear

and sweet, such as belongs beyond the clouds.

Chon, ordering the chair to wait for a moment,

inclined her head and listened.

She turned to the priestess Too-ryon and said :

" While I have waited on the lady Cheung I have

heard sweet music, but never in my life have I

heard anything like this. It is wonderful. Who is

playing ? "

The priestess replied : " Recently a young acolyte

from Cho has come to visit me, desiring greatly to

see the capital. It is she who plays. Certainly her

powers of execution are wonderful, but I am not a

musician myself, and cannot well distinguish one

part from the other. Still I am sure after what you

say that she must be very gifted indeed."

Chon said : "If the lady Cheung knows of this

she will certainly invite her. Ask her to stay for a

little, please."

The priestess replied : " Very well, I'll do so."

So she sent her on her way and then she told

Master Yang what old Chon had said. Yang was

In the Guise of a Priestess

delighted, and awaited impatiently his summons to

the house of Cheung.

On her return the old nurse said to the lady

Cheung : " In the Taoist Temple there is a young

priestess who plays the harp as I have never heard

it played in my life ; it is the most wonderful play-

ing in the world."

The lady Cheung replied : " I wish I could hear

her." The following day she sent a closed chair and

a servant to the temple bearing a message to the

teacher Too-ryon, saying : " Even though the young

priestess should not wish to come, please use your

kind offices to have her visit me."

The priestess then said to Yang before the servant :

" This high and noble lady invites you ; you must

not refuse to go."

" It is not fitting," said Yang, " that one born of

the low classes in a distant part of the country should

go into the presence of nobility, and yet how can I

refuse to do what your ladyship commands ? "

So he donned the robe and hat of a priestess, took

his harp and went forth. Truly he was as startling

in appearance and as sweet as the ancient favourites

of China. The servant of the Cheungs was beside

herself with joy.

Master Yang, in the closed chair, safely reached

Cheung's. The servant then led the way into the

inner quarters. The lady Cheung, with dignified but

kindly countenance, was seated in the main hall.

The musician bowed twice before the step-way,

and then the lady ordered her to be seated, saying :

" My servant went yesterday to the temple and was

so fortunate as to hear the music of the gods. She

The Cloud Dream of the Nine

returned and expressed a wish that I might hear it

also. Now indeed I realise what the saying means

that the beautiful presence of the genii drives all

worldly thoughts from the soul."

The young priestess arose from her seat. " Your

humble servant," said she, " is from the land of

Cho, and is making a hasty journey like a passing

cloud. Because of my slight attainments in music

your ladyship has called me to play before you. How

could I ever have dreamed of such an honour ? "

The lady Cheung told the servant to place the

harp in order. She touched it lightly herself, saying :

" This is a beautiful instrument indeed."

The young priestess answered : " It is made of

o-dong wood that has dried for a hundred years on

the Yong-moon mountain. Its fibre is close knit and

hard like metal or marble. It was a gift to me that I

never could have purchased with money."

As they talked together the shades of the after-

noon began to fall upon the white stone entry, but

still there was no sign of the daughter.

The musician, in a state of great inward impatience

and doubt, said to the lady : " Though your servant

knows many ancient tunes and prefers them to the

modern, I play them only, but do not know their

names or history. I have heard the priestess in the

temple say that your excellent daughter's knowledge

of music is equal to that of the famous Sa-kwan. I

should like to have her hear and comment concern-

ing my poor efforts."

The lady then sent a servant to call the daughter.

In a little the embroidered door slid open and a

breath of sweet fragrance issued forth. The maiden

In the Guise of a Priestess

came sweetly out and sat down beside her mother.

The musician arose, made two bows and slightly

lifted his eyes to see, and lo, it was as when the first

rays of the morning bursts upon one, or as when

the fresh bloom of the lotus shows above the water.

His mind was all in a daze, his spirit intoxicated so

that he dared not look. He was sitting at a distance

where he had difficulty in seeing, so he said to the

lady : "I should like to hear more clearly what the

young mistress says. The hall is so large and her

voice so soft that I cannot catch the words."

The lady then told one of the servants to bring

the priestess's cushion up closer. The servant did

so and arranged the seat just in front of the lady

Cheung and to the right of the young mistress, and

adjusted it so that they could not look straight at

each other. Yang was disturbed by this, but did not

dare to suggest a second change. The servant then

placed the incense table in front and brought in-

cense. Then Yang, the pretended priestess, touched

the strings of his harp and began with the tune,

" The Feathery Robes of the Fairy."

The young lady said : "Oh, how beautiful ! This

is proof indeed of the happy world of Tang Myong

days. The maiden's playing is beyond human

conception, but, alas, it is said of this tune that the

0-yang barbarian with the sound of the drum came

thundering in, shaking the earth and drowning out

the notes of the ' Feathery Robes.' This is a tune

associated with wild war, and though wonderful in

its power it has fearsome associations connected

with it ; try another, please."

Yang played again. Then the young mistress said :

The Cloud Dream of the Nine

" This is a beautiful tune too, but it suggests a wild,

reckless life that rushes to extremes. King Hoo-joo

of China enjoyed this tune to the undoing of his

kingdom, and its name to-day is famous, ' The

Garden of Green Gems and Trees.' The saying

runs : * Even though you were to meet Hoo-joo in

Hades it would be out of place to ask him about

' Green Gems and Trees.' This is a tune that caused

the loss of a kingdom, and is one not to be honoured.

Won't you play another ? "

Yang played another tune. Then the young lady

remarked : " This tune is sad, glad, sweet and

tender. It is the tune of Cha Moon-heui, who was

caught in a war and carried off by the barbarian,

Cho-cho gave a fabulous ransom for her and had

her brought home. When she bade good-bye to her

half -barbarian sons Cha Moon-heui wrote this tune.

It is said, ' The barbarians on hearing it dropped their

tears upon the grass, while the minister from Han was

melted by the strains of it.' It is a very beautiful

tune, and yet she is a woman who forsook her virtue.

Why should we talk of it ? Try another, please."

Then Yang played again. The young mistress said:

" This is ' The Distant Barbarian,' written by Wang

So-gun [20]. Wang So-gun thought of her former

king and longed for her native land. She put into

her song her lost country, and a wail of sorrow over

the portrait that was her undoing. She herself had

said : ' Who will write a tune that will move the

hearts of the people for a thousand years as they

think of me ? ' Still it is born of life with the bar-

barian and is a half -foreign tune, and not just what

we should call correct. Have you another ? "

In Guise of a Priestess

In the Guise of a Priestess

Yang then tried another. Then the young lady's

expression changed, and she said : " It is long

since I heard this tune. You are surely not an in-

habitant of the earth. This calls up the history of a

great and wonderful man who had fallen on evil

days and had given up all thought of worldly things.

His faithful heart was bewildered over the mystery

of life, and he wrote this tune called * The Hill of

the Wide Tomb.' As he was beheaded in the East

market he looked at the setting sun and sang it, add-

ing the words ' Alas, alas, will anyone ever desire

to learn it ? I have kept it to myself ; now I grieve

that there is no chance to pass it on.' You must indeed .

have met the spirit of the Buddha Sok-ya to have

learnt it."

Yang, kneeling as he was, replied : " The young

mistress's wisdom is unequalled by any other on

earth. I learned this from a great teacher, and his

words were indeed the very words of your ladyship."

He played still another. Then Cheung See said :

" Enough, enough, 'tis the sadness of the autumn.

The brown hills are bare and craggy, the waters of

the river wide and far across. The footprints of the

fairy are seen upon the dust of earth. This is the

tune of the * Water Fairy.' My priestess musician

has all the knowledge of a hundred generations."

The young master played again, while the lady

adjusted her dress and knelt circumspectly, saying :

" This is the supreme expression of all music. The

Sage alights on an evil world, travels through all

parts of it, desiring to help the distressed and the

needy. If not Confucius, who ever would have written

a song like this ? It is no other than ' The Fragrant

65 E

The Cloud Dream of the Nine

Orchid.' The thought runs : * He travelled through

all the nine provinces and found no place in which

to rest his heart.' Is this not so ? "

Yang, kneeling, cast more incense on the fire,

then played again, whereupon the young lady said :

" Refined and beautiful is ' The Fragrant Orchid ' as

it came from the mind of the great Sage, who

sorrowed over the world and desifed to save it ; but

there is a strain of hopelessness in it. In the song,

however, all is bright and happy like the opening

buds of May, free and gladsome ; there are no words

by which to tell it. This is the famous tune of the

' Nam-hoon Palace of King Soon.' Concerning it, it is

written : ' The south wind is warm and sweet and bears

away on its wings the sorrows of the world.' This is

lovely,and fills one's heart to overflowing. Even though

you know others I have no desire to hear them."

Yang bowed and said in reply : " Your humble

servant has heard that you must play nine before the

spirit of God comes down. I have already played

eight ; one still remains, which, with your kind per-

mission, I will play. He straightened the bridge of

the harp, tuned it once again, and began.

The music seemed far distant at first, miles away,-

awakening a sense of delight and calling the soul in

a fast and lively way. The flowers in the court opened

out at the sound of it ; the swallows in pairs swung

through their delightful dancings ; the orioles sang

in chorus to each other. The young mistress dropped

her head, closed her eyes, and sat silent for a moment

till the part was reached which tells how the phoenix

came back to his native land, gliding across the wide

expanse of sea looking fof" his mate.

In the Guise of a Priestess

The young mistress opened her eyes and looked

once straight at the priestess. Then she bent her head

as though to adjust her dress. The red blushes

mounted to her cheeks and drove even the paler

colour from her brow, until she looked like one who

was red with wine. She quietly arose and went into

her own room.

Yang gave a start of surprise, pushed away his

harp, got up, looked straight before him towards

the place where the young lady had gone. His spirit

seemed to leave him, and his soul to die away, so

that he stood like a porcelain image. Her ladyship

told him to be seated, asking : ** What was it that

you played just now ? "

Yang replied : " I got this tune from my teacher,

but do not know what its name is. I should like the

young lady kindly to tell me." But though they

waited long she did not reappear. The lady Cheung

then asked the cause from the servant, who returned

to say that her young mistress had been exposed to

the draught somewhat and was feeling unwell, so

that she would not be able to rejoin them.

In doubt whether he had been discovered or not

Yang felt uncomfortable, and did not dare to stay

longer. He arose and made a courteous bow to the

lady Cheung, saying : " I am so sorry to hear that

the young mistress is feeling unwell. I am afraid I

may have upset her by some lack of good form on

my part. Your ladyship will be anxious, too. May I

ask leave to go ? "

The lady gave money and silk by way of reward,

but the priestess refused it. " Though I know some-

thing of music I have studied it only as a pastime,"

The Cloud Dream of the Nine

said she, " and must not accept these rich presents."

She then bowed her thanks, went down the stone

steps and was gone.

The lady made anxious inquiry about her daughter

but found that there was nothing serious the matter.

Later Cheung See entered her mother's room

and asked of the servant there : " How is Cloudlet

feeling to-day ? "

The servant replied : " She is better. Finding

that your ladyship was enjoying the music, she got

up and made her toilet."

Now Cloudlet's family name was Ka and her

birthplace was So-ho. Her father had come up to

the capital, and was a secretary in one of the offices

of the ministry. He had proved himself a faithful

servant to Chief Justice Cheung, and shortly after

his death, when Cloudlet was about thirteen years

of age, the Justice and his wife took pity on the

orphan and made her a member of their family and

the playmate of their daughter. There was a differ-

ence of a month only between the ages of the two

girls.

Every line and feature of Cloudlet's face was a

model of comeliness. She was the equal of the young

mistress in literature, in penmanship, and in em-

broidery, and she was treated in every way like a

sister, and one whom the young lady would scarcely

let go out of her sight. Though there was the re-

lationship between the two of mistress and maid,

they loved each other as only bosom friends do.

Cloudlet's name originally was Cho-oon, a Cloud

from Cho, but her young mistress was so in love

with her beauty that she borrowed an expression

In the Guise of a Priestess

from the writings of Han Toi-jee which says,

" Beauty is Uke a cloud of springtime," and called

her instead Choon-oon, " Spring Cloud," and so

all the members of the family called her familiarly,

Cloudlet.

Cloudlet inquired of the young mistress, saying :

" The servants were all excited about the visitor,

telling me that the priestess who played the harp

was like a fairy and that her execution was most

wonderful. Your praising her so made me anxious

to forget my little ailments and get a glimpse too.

Why has she left so suddenly ? "

The young lady blushed, and said hesitatingly in

reply : " Cloudlet, my dear, you know how I have

been as careful of my behaviour as the Book of Rites

requires ; and how I have guarded my thoughts as

the pearls and jewels of my life ; that my feet have

never ventured outside the middle gates ; and that

in conversation I have not even met my friends.

Would you believe it, I have been deceived and have

had put upon me a disgrace that will never be wiped

out. How shall I bear it or lift up my face again to

the light of day ? "

Cloudlet was greatly alarmed and asked : " What

do you mean ? "

The young lady replied : " I did really say of the

priestess who came just now that she was very, very

beautiful, and her playing simply marvellous." Then

she hesitated and did not finish what she was about

to say.

Cloudlet made answer : " But what of that ? "

The young lady replied : " The priestess began

by playing the ' Feathery Mantle,' and then went

The Cloud Dream of the Nine

on playing one by one, till she came to ' King Soon's

Palace.' They were all in keeping, each selection

following the other, so I asked her to stop there.

She said, however, that she had one more that she

would like to play. It was none other than the tune

by which General Sa-ma fascinated the heart of

Princess Tak-moon, the song of the phoenix seeking

his mate. I was in doubt the minute I heard this,

and so looked closely at her face, and assuredly it

was not a girl's face at all. Some cunning fellow,

wanting to see me, has pushed his way in here in

disguise. I am so sorry for one thing ; if only you,

Cloudlet, had been well enough to have shared in

this, and had seen him, you would have detected

the disguise at once. I, an unmarried girl qf the

inner quarters, have sat for two full hours face to

face with a strange man unblushingly talking to

him. Did anyone ever hear of such a thing in the

world before ? I cannot tell this even to my mother.

If I hadn't you to whom I could unburden my heart,

what should I do ? "

Cloudlet laughed and said in reply : " Even

though you are an unmarried girl why shouldn't

you hear the tune of General Sa-ma looking for his

mate ? The young mistress is mistaken and has seen

a snake's shadow in her glass of wine."

The young lady replied : " Not so, there is a law

that governs the selection of tunes. If there was no

meaning in the search of the phoenix for his mate,

why should it have been played last of all ? While

there are those among women who are delicate and

refined, there are also those who are coarse and ugly,

but I never saw anyone just like this person before,

In the Guise of a Priestess

so beautiful and yet so commanding. I have a con-

viction now that the examination is close at hand and

candidates are gathering, that some one among them

has heard a false rumour of me, and has taken this

way to spy out and see my face."

Cloudlet said : " If this priestess be really a man,

and her face so beautiful, her manner so free and

fresh, and her knowledge of music so astounding,

one can only conclude that she is a most wonderfully

gifted person. How do you know that it may not be

General Sa-ma himself ? "

The lady replied : " Even though it be Sa-ma

Sang-yo I certainly am not Princess Tak-moon."

" But," said Cloudlet, " your ladyship must not

talk nonsense. Princess Tak-moon was a widow

and you are an unmarried girl. Princess Tak-moon

followed her lord intentionally. You have heard it

without being responsible in any way, or being

influenced. How can you compare yourself with

Tak-moon Koon ? "

So the two laughed and talked together for the

rest of the day.

Some time later, when the young lady was seated

with her mother, Justice Cheung came into the room

with the announcement of the successful candidates.

He gave it to his wife, saying : " We have not yet

made arrangements for the marriage of our daughter,

and I had intended to make a selection from this

company of successful scholars. However, I find

that the winner is not of the capital, but is a certain

Yang So-yoo from Hoi-nam. His age is eighteen,

and every one is loud in his praises, saying that he

has ability of the first order. I hear also that he is

The Cloud Dream of the Nine

remarkably handsome, with commanding presence

for so young a man, altogether a person who has

before him a great career. They say he is not yet

married. I should think he would be a very suitable

person for a son-in-law."

The lady replied : " To hear of him is one thing ;

to see him may be quite another. Even though others

praise him you cannot trust to that. After you have

seen and met him, let us talk the matter over."

The Justice replied : " That's a very easy thing."