196 SOCIAL REFORMment of nobles and commoners was abandoned; close relatives of the emperor
were honored with salaries in this period but they were not appointed to offi-
cial posts, the effect of which was to create a class division between the impe-
rial relatives and the scholar-official class (sadaebu). The establishment of Peers'
Schools in later dynasties was thus an accommodation to this custom. Yu argued
that his own provision for a separate Peer's School was nothing more than acqui-
escence to current conditions - another of his concessions to discriminatory
practice.^90
The Functional Definition of StatusDespite Yu's willingness to adopt modifications in his system to mollify the objec-
tions of the yangban, he refused to modify his insistence that all students in school
be ranked by age no matter what their status. Since he was unwilling to call for
the removal of existing marks of status distinction in society outside the school
system, however, he had to work out a resolution of conflict that would emerge
when diametrically opposed rules came into conflict.
Yu had his imaginary interlocutor assert that "Since it is the custom of our
country that the yangban are a different class [p'umnyu 1 than nothoi lsor'll] and
commoners [sojokJ and cannot be mixed together in terms of age," Yu should
modify his position to make some accommodation with that custom.^91 If Yu
insisted on mixing yangban students with nothoi and commoners and seating
them by age, he should at least be willing to seat the yangban students sepa-
rately ahead ofthe others. And at subdistrict convocations (hyanghoe), the nothoi
and commoners should also be seated separately, allowing only selected schol-
ars (Sonsa) and court officials to sit with the yangban. Only then would it be
permissible to allow promotion to higher schools or admittance to the National
Academy without reference to pedigree (munji) and to establish seating rank in
the National Academy on the basis of age alone.^92
Yu rejected this compromise. What was true for ancient times was still true
for the present. Only if the selection and dismissal of students were based solely
on talent or performance, "would every man rouse himself to virtuous behav-
ior so that the custom of respecting and yielding to others will be practiced
throughout the local villages and districts, and even chronic evil practices trans-
formed."Yu could not allow things to be done halfway because a true king could
succeed in transforming mores only if he had the proper resolve not to com-
promise with his duty.93
Yu's antagonist then proposed that even if commoner selected scholars were
ranked with yangban students because of their outstanding academic accom-
plishment, at least this practice should be restricted only to the regular quota
student population in the Inner Hall. Extra-quota students on probation in the
Outer Hall need not qualify for this privilege since they had not yet demonstrated
their scholarly abilities.
Yu responded by appealing to an undisputed higher authority to justify his rule,