Ceremony for One

The first illustration depicts the start of the procession from the Royal Palace, with Crown Prince Hyomyeong leaving Changdeokgung to travel to Sungkyunkwan University.

The procession is quite large even at a glance, from the presider at the front to the royal escorts surrounding the Crown Prince.

Although a palanquin for Crown Prince Hyomyeong is depicted near the top of the image, the Crown Prince himself is not actually visible.This is because Joseon-era depictions of royal processions did not actually depict certain royalty. Instead, objects symbolizing royalty were depicted, or their presence was insinuated through the overall situation. Following this practice, the Crown Prince was not illustrated in these images.

Upon acceptance, Crown Prince Hyomyeong enters Myeongnyundang Lecture Hall and presents an offering to his mentor in appreciation.

This illustration shows the Crown Prince politely exercising due courtesy towards his mentor as a student seeking instruction.

The fifth image depicts a scene in which Crown Prince Hyomyeong is receiving tutelage from his mentor.

Confucian scholars of Sungkyunkwan University are depicted in the courtyard,

and administrators in charge of educating the Crown Prince can be seen bowing inside the building.

The figure sitting in front of the desk near the administrators is the Crown Prince's mentor. A book can be seen spread out on the teacher's desk, while another book is spread out on the floor.

Although the Crown Prince of dignified status to someday become the King, at the admission ceremony, he abided by the due courtesy of a student to his mentor and received tutelage on the floor without a desk.

As dozens of officials and Confucian scholars looked on, the first lesson for the Crown Prince began. In this day's lesson, the young Crown Prince is said to have inquired about the ways in which he would become a sage.

After the lesson, Crown Prince Hyomyeong returns to the Royal Palace and receives congratulations from various officials, thus concluding the admission ceremonies.

The depictions of the Crown Prince - a young boy destined to lead the nation - observing proprieties as a student in front his mentor encapsulated the hopes of the people who expected he to become a benevolent king thoroughly versed in academics and virtue.

The admission ceremony of Crown Prince Hyomyeong, who asked his mentor about the ways to become a sage at the tender age of nine, was not a ceremony for one, but a ceremony for the entire nation and its citizens.