Camellia

Chapter 05

 

Geum Danyo

She was born as the daughter of a concubine from a fairly good family. Geum Danyo’s beautiful and elegant appearance, which resembled her mother’s, became famous throughout Luoyang even before she reached womanhood.

However, Geum Danyo was not arrogant. No matter how beautiful she was, she was still an illegitimate daughter. From early on, she understood that given her status and her father’s ambitions, it wouldn’t be strange if she ended up becoming a concubine to someone of high status.

So, when her father informed her that she would be serving Zhang Rang, one of the Ten Attendants (中常侍), Geum Danyo accepted it calmly, as though she had been expecting it all along.

Zhang Rang was one of the ten infamous eunuchs who dominated the imperial court, wielding power and manipulating the Han dynasty at will. He was so influential that even Emperor Ling called him “Father.”

Although Zhang Rang was a eunuch, that didn’t mean he couldn’t engage with women. In fact, it seemed he indulged in such pleasures even more after becoming a eunuch.

Geum Danyo was different from Zhang Rang’s other concubines. She was seductive without being vulgar, and refined without being haughty. Being clever, she read Zhang Rang’s moods well and knew how to soothe his anger, so it was only a matter of time before she became his favorite concubine.

Geum Danyo’s father was pleased. He rejoiced at his rising position. Since her father was happy, Geum Danyo was happy too.

Twenty years passed after she entered Zhang Rang’s household as his concubine. Geum Danyo had aged too. Though she still retained her beauty, it was becoming harder to compete with the physical charms of youth.

Zhang Rang gradually stopped visiting her. Perhaps due to lingering affection for his once-favorite concubine, he gave her a magnificent mansion.

Then he cut off contact. He merely fulfilled his responsibility by having someone deliver money at regular intervals. Thus, the mansion where Geum Danyo lived on the outskirts of Luoyang became increasingly lonely.

But Geum Danyo was satisfied with her quiet life. She never wanted much to begin with. The only one who was anxious was her father, who still had more to gain from Zhang Rang’s favor.

What Geum Danyo loved most about the mansion was its simple but well-maintained pond. Her happiest moments were spent either gazing at the goldfish leisurely swimming there from the nearby pavilion or playing the zither.

After Dongbaek fell into that pond, Geum Danyo’s daily routine changed. She looked forward to having tea with Dongbaek, and when alone, she would find herself imagining how the child would grow up.

Geum Danyo’s life had become colored by Dongbaek.

If life was meaningless anyway, it wouldn’t be bad to pour it all into Dongbaek.

A smile spread across Geum Danyo’s face. It was a smile full of joy and anticipation, as if all the previous tedium had been cast aside.

-ˋˏ ༻❁✿❀༺ ˎˊ-

Raising a crow was nothing compared to transforming a girl into a boy. Geum Danyo gladly gave permission, and Dongbaek could now stay with the crow inside the house without worrying about others’ reactions.

Now that Dongbaek had become Geum Danyo’s son, he couldn’t just stay around like a guest doing nothing anymore.

The first thing Geum Danyo did was create an education curriculum for Dongbaek. Come to think of it, the story of Mencius’s mother moving three times for her son’s education was originally a Chinese tale. It wasn’t so strange that Geum Danyo would be passionate about education.

Geum Danyo sat Dongbaek down and asked.

“The Dao is always nameless (道常無名), even though an uncarved block is small, nothing in the world can subdue it (樸雖小 天下莫能臣也). These words from the Dàodé jīng. Do you know what it means?”

“Pardon?”

“….Then how about this from the Analects, ‘To know what you know, and to know what you do not know (知之爲知之 不知爲不知)—this is true knowledge.’?

“Excuse me?”

Dongbaek, of course, had no idea what any of it meant.

While Dongbaek was fluent in English, good at solving math problems, and confident in their major, none of that was useful for succeeding in the Han Dynasty. The university knowledge Dongbaek had accumulated over three years was useless in the Three Kingdoms period.

‘If I’d known this would happen, I would’ve gone to a traditional medicine school instead of pharmacy…’

It was too late for such regrets, as both the college entrance exam and dimensional transfer were already over.

But Dongbaek, too, had grown up in an environment where educational fever was prevalent. They were familiar with the concept that exams were the fastest path to success.

‘The tests here are different in that they’re subjective… but I did prepare for essay writing too. If I just cram enough knowledge, I can manage somehow.’

The mindset that “I can do it” was the only useful thing Dongbaek had brought from her original world.

Thankfully, due to the dimensional transfer buff, she could not only hear and speak ancient Chinese but also read and write Chinese characters. If not, she might have had to start from the Thousand Character Classic.

Dongbaek humbly accepted her ignorance. Of course. How could an ordinary modern college student possibly know the contents of the Four Books and Five Classics or what subjects the Five Classics discussed?

But just because she didn’t know then didn’t mean she could remain ignorant.

The teachings of ancient sages were the most effective tools for winning over people in this era. Actions might be carried out with swords, but the justifications always stemmed from the pen and the tongue.

Among the three rulers of Wei, Shu, and Wu, Liu Bei had the best bloodline but the hardest circumstances in his youth.

Unlike Sun Quan, the young master of Jiangdong, or Cao Cao, grandson of the Zhong Changshi Cao Teng whom even the Ten Attendants feared, Liu Bei was of imperial descent but lost his father early and sold straw mats for a living. Even Liu Bei spent his youth studying under Lu Zhi.

If the “Alice” fate foretold by the crow was true, Dongbaek would inevitably cross paths with them. And among those three heroes, she would end up making one her lifelong rival.

Thus, Dongbaek had no choice but to set them as rivals and aim to surpass their level.

‘The only one I might be able to compete with right now in terms of credentials is Liu Bei. So I need to at least achieve capabilities beyond Liu Bei’s level…’

Moreover, Dongbaek’s path was even harder since she not only lacked imperial blood but had appearances that could easily be mistaken for a foreigner.

‘Either way, knowledge is power. It can’t hurt to know more.’

Even in chaotic times, where the world sought revolutionary ideas, merely spouting new philosophies without any foundation was nothing more than empty bravado. To avoid becoming a fraud, she needed to read and re-read those tiresome books.

“I’ll have to memorize them just like I used to memorize English vocabulary with daily quotas… what else can I do…”

Dongbaek sighed looking at the pile of books. These were the essential readings given by  Geum Danyo. Even though Dongbaek was clever, with no basic knowledge, it was enough material to require at least a year of solid study.

She had such a long way to go.

-ˋˏ ༻❁✿❀༺ ˎˊ-

“What? You’ve already memorized everything?”

Geum Danyo was shocked. Dongbaek had completely memorized all the books she had given them in less than a month.

Of course, Dongbaek was surprised too.

“There’s no way I could be this smart…”

Only the crow responded indifferently, as if it was natural.

“It’s because you’re Alice. Alice always experiences enhanced abilities when returning to their original world. More precisely, these are your original stats, and they were lowered on Earth. You were already smart on Earth, weren’t you? This is just a step up from that.”

“If I had been the top student at Seoul National University in my original world, then here…”

“Well, you might have something like perfect memory.”

“…Isn’t that a superpower?”

Though Dongbaek responded dismissively at the time, even she was somewhat frightened by the speed at which she memorized books.

Whatever book it was, she understood it after one reading, memorized half after two readings, and memorized everything after three readings.

Since books weren’t cheap, Dongbaek felt guilty every time she told Geum Danyo she’d finished another. Her rapid pace even drew suspicion from Housekeeper Wang.

“She’s lying about reading them all and secretly stealing books, isn’t she? Who reads books as if slurping noodles?”

“How dare you say such nonsense when you saw that child’s achievements yourself!”

Geum Danyo’s rebuke left Housekeeper Wang mumbling with a flushed face. Dongbaek chuckled and tried to soothe Geum Danyo.

“Housekeeper Wang is just worried about Mother, so please don’t be too angry. I would have been suspicious too.”

“Doesn’t it dampen your motivation to face such accusations when you’re focused on learning?”

“My determination isn’t so easily swayed.”

Dongbaek shook her head firmly, and Geum Danyo’s expression softened with a smile.

“By the way, though I’m fairly well-read, it’s only within the scope of a woman’s education. Now that your learning has surpassed mine, how about going to the bookstore to choose books yourself? I’ll have Housekeeper Wang notify the bookstore in advance.”

“No need. I’ll focus on mastering the books you’ve given me thoroughly.”

While surprised by Geum Danyo’s offer, Dongbaek was also worried about being too much of a burden. Reading these concerns clearly, Geum Danyo laughed loudly.

“I see. Are you worried about the cost of books? Don’t worry too much, I can afford it. Besides, you memorize books without reading them many times and keep them clean, so we could sell them later. Books can be bought with money, but the knowledge in your head cannot be bought even with a thousand gold pieces. What mother would skimp on books for her child?”

“Then I’ll gratefully accept your generosity.”

“Good.”

Geum Danyo smiled contentedly. And so, visiting the bookstore was added to Dongbaek’s daily routine.

-ˋˏ ༻❁✿❀༺ ˎˊ-

-ˋˏ ༻ 𝚃𝚛𝚊𝚗𝚜𝚕𝚊𝚝𝚘𝚛 𝙽𝚘𝚝𝚎 ༺ ˎˊ-

1. 道常無名 – “The Dao is always nameless.”
▸The Dao (or the Way) is a fundamental principle of the universe that transcends language and categorization. It exists beyond human constructs like names and definitions.

2. 樸雖小 天下莫能臣也 – “Even though an uncarved block is small, nothing in the world can subdue it.”
▸The “uncarved block” (樸, pǔ) symbolizes simplicity, purity, and potential, a key Daoist metaphor. Despite appearing insignificant or unrefined, it embodies an intrinsic power that cannot be dominated or controlled by the world.

-ˋˏ ༻❁✿❀༺ ˎˊ-

In Daoism, this idea contrasts with striving and complexity, advocating instead for living in harmony with the Dao by embracing simplicity, humility, and non-contention. The passage suggests that even the seemingly insignificant can hold immense, undefeatable strength when aligned with the natural order of the universe.

It encourages one to recognize the power in the unassuming and avoid becoming entangled in the superficial or overly complex pursuits of the material world.

-ˋˏ ༻❁✿❀༺ ˎˊ-

3. 知之爲知之 不知爲不知 – “To know what you know, and to know what you do not know.”
▸This teaching is a timeless reminder that wisdom begins with the courage to say, “I don’t know.”

-ˋˏ ༻❁✿❀༺ ˎˊ-

Thank you for reading! ♡