구운몽: 옥퉁소와 학의 춤

The emperor had a younger sister, Princess Nanyang, whose name was Yi Sohwa. As a child the princess had been given a jade flute by an immortal, and whenever she played it, cranes came down from the sky and danced. But apart from the princess, no one in the world could play that flute music.

One moonlit night, while reading near the palace, Soyu played on his flute a tune the sage in the mountains had taught him. At once two cranes flew over from the palace and danced gracefully in front of him. When the Empress Dowager heard about it, she became convinced that Soyu was fated to be the princess's husband.

The Empress Dowager wanted Soyu to marry Princess Nanyang, but Soyu politely refused. "I am already engaged to Minister Jeong's daughter. I cannot break my word." The angry Empress Dowager had Soyu thrown into prison, and ordered the Jeong family to break off the engagement.

Meanwhile, Jin Chaebong was living in the palace as a palace lady. After losing her father she had been brought to the palace, and now she served Princess Nanyang. One day Chaebong saw a poem Soyu had written on the palace ladies' fans, and in tears she wrote a poem of reply beneath it. The emperor found out, but when he heard Chaebong's sad story, he did not punish her.

Just then, news arrived that Tibet had invaded from the west with a great army. With the country in danger, the emperor brought Soyu out of prison and made him commander-in-chief. Soyu bowed to the emperor and led the army away to the far west.