Jason Weiser

Given that the ox thing was mostly among the noble families, the young man in mourning clothes didn't seem to worry too much about it, weird though it was.

He wound his way through the streets of Seoul until he came to the palace.

A glut of scholars sat at the desks, and while no one ever looked happy at these things, their faces were particularly strained.

When a spot opened and the young man took it, he spread out his papers and looked at the topic for the essay.

And he smiled.

The prompt was just three sentences.

An old man weeps.

A mourner sings.

A nun dances.

Whoever heard of such a ridiculous prompt?

The scholar next to him hissed.

The young man paid no attention.

Writing out verse after beautiful verse, he quickly finished.

Before he had a chance to leave the city, proclamations came up from the palace that a winner in the contest of learning had been decided.

Daring to hope, the young man in mourning clothes turned back and walked toward the palace.

And it was when he arrived nearby that everyone looked to him.

The ministers waved him forward for a meeting with the king.

"'Do you not know me?'

the man asked.

The student, the young man in mourner's clothes, said that of course he knew the man.