After meeting Sejong, the head of the agency called the agents with a serious expression.
"What's the matter?"
"An imperial order has come down. We need to succeed faster than the other agencies."
The agents' eyes lit up at the head's words. After all, they had become the king's secret agents, so the opportunity to earn merit had arrived.
"What is the order?"
In response to the agents' question, the head wore a troubled expression and spoke about the command.
"The order is to find young ladies who meet the following criteria."
"Huh?"
"Really?"
The agents' faces were also filled with difficulty after hearing the head's explanation.
"So... we need to find young ladies who are known for their kind hearts among those who are beautiful, or beautiful young ladies among those who are known for their kind hearts? And they must be between twelve and fifteen years old?"
"If they are that beautiful, their figures must be delicate and well-formed..."
The head nodded silently in response to the agents' words.
"Are you looking for a concubine?"
"Not Gyeongnyeongjeon, but Donggungjeon. It's a direct request from Donggungjeon."
The agents shouted in unison at the head's answer.
"Oh! That gentleman knows how to enjoy life!"
In any case, with the imperial order, the agents soon began to come up with suitable candidates.
"Other criteria... from a noble family that has fallen on hard times, or a family that is just beginning to rise in status..."
"The second daughter of the Jo Jinsa family in Seochon is almost a match..."
"The first daughter of the Yi Jangnyeong family in Seongbuk-dong is also good..."
As suitable candidates were being discussed, another agent spoke urgently.
"The second daughter of the Jo Jinsa family is dangerous; she's already been targeted by the jappies!"
"The Yi Jangnyeong family is the same! Head!"
The head's face also turned serious at the agents' words.
"Do you mean the gajappies?"
"Yes!"
"Stop them immediately!"
"Yes!"
Following the head's order, the agents quickly left their seats and headed outside.
* * *
The 'jappies' mentioned by the agents were ruffians who targeted the daughters of middle-class families and wealthy merchants.
The term 'jappy' originated from the drum and janggu players in traditional Korean music. To perform well, skilled players needed to keep good rhythm and add appropriate interjections to enhance the performance.
However, when these drum and janggu players were in a bad mood, they often ruined the performance by playing their instruments poorly. As a result, performers, especially female performers, had to cater to their moods and do as they were told.
This is why the term 'jappy' came to be used for men who manipulated and toyed with women. In the 21st century, the term 'jappy' evolved into 'jebe' (a term for wealthy playboys), and it was one of the most feared terms in families with marriageable daughters. (Note 1)
The jappies primarily targeted women who met the criteria set by the agency.
Women from families with some wealth and reputation, and who were known for their beauty, were the prey of the gajappies.
Among these women, the first to be targeted were those whose marriages were almost decided, or women who had been chosen by influential men as concubines and then entrusted to the jappies.
If the jappies went too far and had sexual relations with the women, the situation would become too serious, so they only tempted the women up to a certain point. Once a woman fell for them, the jappies' accomplices would approach her parents.
"There are rumors about your daughter. I heard she is about to be married..."
At this point, the parents would have to either pay a large sum of money or send their daughter to the influential man who had requested her as a concubine.
* * *
"Phew, phew, phew!"
In the eastern part of Hanyang, a man was running through a maze of alleys, breathing heavily. His hat had fallen off somewhere, and his robe was covered in dirt.
The man, who had just turned a corner, sighed.
"Oh no!"
It was a dead-end alley.
Turning around in a panic, the man stopped before he could take a step. Three men in black robes were blocking the alley entrance.
"Where do you think you're running?"
"Ah! Gentlemen! Why are you doing this?"
"It's nothing much. You were getting in the way of a big job. We just want you to stay put for a few months."
"Damn! If that's the case, you could have just told us to stay home! Why are you trying to cripple us!"
"Would you have stayed home if we told you to? And cripple you? What harsh words! We're not that scary. We just want to break your legs. You'll be fine after a few months of lying down. What's the fuss about..."
"Damn! Help! Help!"
At the cry of "Help!" heads popped up over the nearby thatched roofs but quickly disappeared when they saw the fierce gazes of the agency's agents.
"Now... this will be over soon, so be quiet."
"If you keep this up, I'll break your legs completely. What do you want to do?"
"Damn it!"
In the end, the man, resigned to his fate, lay flat on the ground.
"Damn! I don't care! Roast me or boil me, do whatever you want!"
"You should have done that earlier. You're making things difficult for us."
One of the agency's agents walked over to the resigned man and handed him a wooden stick.
"Put this in your mouth. If you bite down, you'll bite your tongue."
"Damn! Last night, I had a bad feeling! Tch!"
The man, who spat, put the stick in his mouth and closed his eyes tightly.
"Ouch!"
A moment later, screams erupted from the alley as two of the agency's agents emerged with the man in question.
"We'll take you home. And we'll call a doctor while we're at it."
"That's right. If you had just stayed home, it would have been easier for everyone."
"Ow, ow, ow..."
"Hurry up. We still have more to deal with."
The agency's 'jappy hunt' was relentless and persistent. Many jappies who tried to escape ended up with broken legs, and countless others were caught in their sleep at home or in courtesan houses and had their legs broken.
Thanks to this, doctors had a steady income.
"Damn! I need to leave Hanyang for a while!"
In the end, the jappies who still had their legs intact gathered their belongings and crossed the Han River.
"For now, I'll have to stay in the south!"
The moment the jappies disappeared from Hanyang and its surrounding areas.
* * *
When the left and right Podocheong received the intelligence report about a series of mysterious assaults in the capital, they went into emergency mode.
"Find out what's going on and report back!"
Following the Podocheong commander's order, the Podocheong officers and their subordinates began investigating.
After investigating the victims, the Podocheong officers and their subordinates reported to the commander with puzzled faces.
"All the victims were jappies?"
"Yes. It seems someone who was harmed by the jappies' mischief has tipped off the agency."
"The victims are criminals, and the perpetrators are also criminals..."
As the Podocheong commander pondered, one of the officers suggested:
"Since there are no informants and no evidence, wouldn't it be better to just let it go?"
"Then why do we have national laws and the Podocheong? Think about it!"
"I apologize!"
After reprimanding the officer who made the problematic statement, the commander made a decision.
"We need to seek the king's answer... and also visit the right Podocheong... "
After reading the joint petition from the left and right Podocheong commanders, Sejong immediately summoned them.
"I have read your petition. However, I have one question. What is this 'jebe'?"
Since the word was created using Idu script, Sejong, who did not understand its meaning, asked the Podocheong commanders about 'jappy'.
"Hmm..."
After hearing the explanation of 'jappy' from the Podocheong commanders, Sejong stroked his beard and thought deeply.
'Hmm? Is this the answer from the agency to my command? They were surprisingly quick. The effect is good... but we can't use it too often. It could be useful occasionally... No, that would undermine the rule of law. The rule of law must be upheld.'
After much deliberation, Sejong made a decision.
"If the agency catches the jappies in the act, arrest them immediately. If not, continue the investigation until you have solid evidence. Even if the perpetrators are scoundrels who defile innocent women, the existence of national laws has a reason. Private sanctions are forbidden. Do you understand my will?"
"We will follow the imperial order!"
After receiving the answer from Sejong and leaving Geunjeongjeon, the commanders of the left and right Podocheong looked at each other.
"Do you understand the king's will?"
"It seems he wants us to catch them if we find them in the act, but to let it go if we don't. Isn't that right?"
"I think so too. Honestly... the jappy scoundrels with broken legs deserve it, don't they?"
"Yes."
Meanwhile, the agency's head, who had heard Sejong's order through connections planted in the Podocheong with bribes, gathered the agents.
"...This is the king's order. What does it mean?"
"Should we just leave the jappies alone?"
"No, that would cause problems for the selection of the crown prince's consort."
Amidst various discussions, one of the smarter agents spoke up.
"This seems to be the king's advice."
"Advice?"
"Don't make a big fuss. The last jappy hunt was quite noisy. Since they turned Hanyang upside down, he's telling us to be more discreet."
"Ah! As expected, Janggu!"
"Shh!"
The agent who disliked the nickname glared and explained to the head.
"If we make a big fuss like the last jappy hunt, the Podocheong will get involved. This will create friction between the palace and us. So, if we're going to act, we need to handle it quietly. The king is warning us discreetly and providing a strategy."
"I see."
The head nodded at Janggu's explanation, and the surrounding agents grumbled softly.
"Really... what kind of imperial order is this, just beating around the bush..."
"That's why I dislike the high-born gentlemen. Why do they have to act so superior..."
"Quiet!"
The head silenced the agents and summarized the situation.
"Have the jappies been dealt with?"
"Yes. None of the remaining jappies in Hanyang have intact legs."
"We've also heard that the jappies in Bukchon and Yunjongga have been cleaned up."
"Good. Then find as many young ladies who meet the king's criteria as possible! The more you find, the better the investigation will be!"
"Understood!"
As time passed, Hyang, who received the relevant report through a eunuch, tilted her head.
"'Jappy'? They act like jebe, but only their legs are broken? All the intact ones have crossed the river to the south?"
As Hyang tilted her head, a hypothesis formed in her mind.
"Could it be that the jebe from 'Heungbujeon' is this jebe?"
* * *
While the 'jappy hunt' was in full swing in Hanyang, a merchant ship arrived at Jemulpo.
At the dock, where ships traveling between Shandong and Jemulpo were common, the workers carrying cargo showed curiosity at the unfamiliar ship.
"What kind of ship is that?"
"It's not from Ming, is it?"
Amidst the workers' curiosity, the soldiers responsible for inspection approached the ship that had docked with an officer.
"Who are you and where are you from!"
In response to the officer's shout, a foreigner in official attire descended the gangway from the ship.
"Thank you for your hard work. I am Side Hamad Mohamed Al Otaibi, a hundu at the research institute. I have returned after completing a mission by the king's order. Here..."
Side searched his sleeve and pulled out a scroll.
"This is the document with the imperial order."
The officer, who untied the scroll and checked its contents, looked at Side after seeing the date at the end.
"Are you returning after almost two years?"
"Yes."
"I admire your hard work. You may disembark. Oh, don't forget to go through customs!"
"Yes. Thank you."
At Side's gesture, people began to disembark via the gangway.
"Wait!"
The officer, who was watching the people disembark, raised his hand to stop them and looked for Side.
"Hey! What are those prisoners over there!"
The officer pointed to two Westerners standing with handcuffs and leg irons.
"They are slaves. We restrained them in case they tried to escape."
"But they can't escape on the ship anyway?"
"Now that we're on land, right?"
"That's true, but slaves..."
"To be precise, they are glass artisans."
-----
Note 1: Korea University News, September 25, 2003.