Chapter 191
The Youngest Son of Eunhaesang Trading Company Chapter 191
Chapter 191. Competition to Deliver Silk to the Imperial Court (4)
At this point, I don't know the exact reason.
However, it would be beneficial for me and Eunhaesang Trading Company to stop his ambition.
Therefore, I must thoroughly interfere with him.
“Then, let's begin the competition to deliver silk to the royal family.”
The court official's words brought me back to my senses, and I looked ahead.
“This competition will consist of five stages, and the winner will be decided based on the final delivery. First, we reviewed the documents to determine eligibility.”
The reason why Ho-hyung worked so hard that he collapsed from overwork was because of the eligibility review based on the documents.
“The second stage was to bring silk that matched the theme presented by the imperial court.”
That was why we asked Changin Escort Agency to bring silk here.
However, we were not told to bring silk when we entered the imperial palace.
My eyes lit up.
This was the same as the competition I knew from my previous life.
“You will now have two hours. If you do not pass through the gates of the Imperial Palace with the silk by then, you will be disqualified.”
The court official turned his head and looked at the Empress.
The Empress nodded and said,
“A Trading Company that cannot even meet the delivery date is not qualified to do business with our Imperial Family. Begin.”
“Yes.”
Immediately, another court official lit a long incense stick.
The incense would burn for half an hour.
The time limit was the time it took for the four incense sticks to burn.
“I think we are at a disadvantage.”
Seok Dae-shu was right.
The Yeonjun Trading Company where we were staying was located some distance from the imperial palace.
However, I shook my head.
“That's not true. The key here is how quickly we can prepare and get there safely.”
I said to Seok Dae-shu.
“Dae-shu, please stay here.”
He was old and not fit for such urgent work.
There was no need for all of us to go.
“I think that's a good idea. I'm sorry I can't be of more help.”
“What do you mean? Your presence alone is enough to reassure us.”
Then I said to the two deputy commanders.
“Let's go.”
“Yes, sir.”
As we left the palace, Yeo Eung-am greeted me.
“Are you ready?”
“Yes. We must go to the Yeonjun Trading Company immediately.”
I asked Geum-ryeong for help.
“Geum-ryung, send a signal to Pal-gap.”
As soon as she heard my request, Geum-ryung flew toward Yeon-joon Trading Company in an instant.
There were no major changes in the royal palace, so it was likely that the same topics as in my previous life would come up.
Therefore, I had Pal-gap and the rest of the guards wait at Yeon-joon Trading Company.
Some might think it was unfair that I knew this information in advance because of my memories from my previous life.
But was I the only one who knew this information?
Seeing the smirks on their faces, it seemed that they already knew about this.
A powerful trading company would surely have connections in the imperial palace.
However, the imperial palace was not an easy place to get into.
Even if we had advance information, getting to the Imperial Palace would be a problem.
We would have to avoid or break through the obstacles rushing toward us and pass through the gates of the Imperial Palace.
We rode hard and arrived at the Trading Company.
Pal-gap was waiting for us with the silk.
“Young master! Everything is ready!”
I nodded and said to Song Head Escort.
“Let's move now.”
“Yes, sir.”
“Do you remember what I told you before?”
“Of course.”
With the silk, we headed for the imperial palace.
About a moment after we left for the imperial palace.
“Hahahaha! Stop!”
“Hand over the silk, or you'll die.”
“....”
Ten men dressed in royal guards' uniforms blocked our way.
However, the signs they carried, which read “bandits,” proved that they were disguised for this competition.
But since they were clearly royal guards, ordinary people would not know what to do and would hesitate.
However, I gave a firm order.
“These men are after the silk intended for the royal family. Take care of them.”
The escorts looked at Song Head Escort and hesitated.
They were probably afraid of repercussions.
However, that was not the right thing to do at that moment. As long as they were wearing signs that said “bandit,” they were bandits.
Meanwhile, the four bodyguards, including Seo Woo, who had received my order, immediately sprang into action.
They were indeed loyal men.
Swoosh
Swoosh
They drew their swords and stared at them with killing intent.
They were all warriors who were either at the peak of their powers or just reaching it.
This was not something that a mere imperial guard could handle.
“Hahaha, we mistook you for someone else.”
“You are the Imperial Silk Trading Company, aren't you?”
“Please, go ahead.”
However, I did not let them pass and gave the order again.
“Handcuff them.”
“Yes, sir.”
Song Head Escort asked worriedly.
“They have already surrendered. Isn't it excessive to handcuff them?”
“They have not yet agreed to surrender. That means they could attack us at any moment. I'm sure you know that well, Song Head Escort, having experienced bandits before.”
The imperial guards who were playing the role of bandits flinched at my words.
Seeing this, Captain Song stroked his chin and said.
"You are right, Captain. We must not let our guard down against bandits. The Imperial Palace is not easy to deal with.
This was one of the pieces of information I wanted to tell Hyung-nim.
Even if they let us go from here, they still have another role to play.
That is to secretly attack us from behind and destroy our carriages.
Several Trading Companies were eliminated in the process.
Song Hyo-du gave orders to his escorts.
“Handcuff them all!”
“Yes!”
As soon as Song Hyo-du gave the order, the escorts quickly handcuffed the ten imperial guards.
“Shall we continue on our way?”
“Yes, let's go.”
And so, we broke through the bandits' blockade and headed for the imperial palace.
There was less than an hour left until the deadline.
As we continued on our way, we encountered a group of people approaching us.
This time, they were carrying buckets filled with water.
This time, they were going to see how we would respond when it rained.
They were testing whether we could deliver the silk on time even when it rained heavily.
What an intuitive method.
They were going to pour water on us with buckets.
Then one of them unfolded a scroll.
“If you touch us directly, you will be disqualified.”
Well,
you can't stop the rain from falling.
But I wasn't worried. I had expected this kind of interference.
“Head Escort Song, are you ready?”
“Of course.”
Flutter
We took raincoats out of our bags, put them on, and calmly walked through the crowd of people pouring water with buckets.
“Now I understand why you told us to wrap everything carefully with oil-soaked paper and cloth.”
“Yes, because you never know what kind of situation you'll face on a mission.”
“Hahaha. I'm the head escort, but right now, you look more like the captain.”
Song Head Escort couldn't stop expressing his admiration.
“That's why I feel so secure.”
That way, we were able to protect the silk from getting wet even in the heavy rain.
In a way, this test could be seen as a test of the escort agency's capabilities rather than the trading company's.
However, this could also be a test of the Trading Company's abilities.
Choosing the right escort agency and escorts is also one of the necessary skills of a Trading Company.
Soon, we arrived in front of the Imperial Palace.
"Thank you for bringing the silk here!
Seok Dae-shu, who had been waiting anxiously in front of the Imperial Palace, ran toward us.
I looked at the ground and asked.
“Did anyone else enter the Imperial Palace before us?”
“Baek Cheon Trading Company entered first. Then Deunghaeng Trading Company entered as well.”
“I see.”
It was worth adjusting our speed to arrive at the right time.
We could have arrived first since we had the information, but we didn't.
We were already concerned about being accused of unfairness because we were often summoned by the emperor, and if we arrived first, we would be easy prey.
However, arriving too late would hurt our pride.
So, we decided to arrive around third or fourth, and it worked out perfectly.
By the way, Baekcheon Trading Company and Deunghaeng Trading Company...
They must have connections in the Imperial Palace.
Otherwise, they wouldn't have been able to arrive at the imperial palace so easily.
“Let's go in.”
“I hope you have good results.”
Song Head Escort and the other escorts saw us off. The escort agency's role ended there.
The imperial guards searched the carriages thoroughly. They were checking to see if anyone with treasonous intentions had hidden inside.
“You may pass!”
At that, we bowed our heads and drove the carriage into the Imperial Palace.
At the same time, the court official waiting by the gate wrote something in a book and said,
“Eunhaesangdan, you may pass. Take the silk to the courtyard of the building you were directed to earlier.”
“Yes.”
When we arrived at the courtyard indicated by the court official, the Baekcheon Trading Company and Deunghaeng Trading Company had already arrived.
“Congratulations on your safe arrival.”
Was he the fifth son of Deunghaeng Trading Company?
He congratulated me.
“Thank you.”
However, there was no need to exchange many words among competitors. I replied with a polite thank you and stood next to him.
Looking ahead, I saw that one of the incense sticks was almost burned out.
There was less than a minute left.
Meanwhile, the members of the trading companies began to arrive one by one.
The Sichuan trading company arrived after us, followed by the Zhejiang trading company.
Then the court official said,
“The Empress, the Consort, and the Princess are ready.”
We immediately prostrated ourselves in respect.
“Everyone, rise.”
“We are deeply honored.”
The Empress asked the court official,
“Is the time up?”
“Yes, the time is up.”
Only seven caravans, including the Eunhae Trading Company, arrived on time.
After all, the various “trials” prepared by the imperial palace were unexpected, so they must have been caught off guard.
Come to think of it, the Jinka Trading Company, which had interfered with our Eunhae Trading Company on our way from Hubei to Beijing, was nowhere to be seen.
It seems they were eliminated.
As expected, those who resort to dirty tricks never get good results.
The Empress looked at us and said,
“You must have had a hard time passing this test. I don't know if you liked the test I prepared for you.”
Ah...
So this test was the Empress's doing.
“However, there were some who bribed their way through the gate I prepared.”
The Empress's gaze turned to the Baekcheon Trading Company and the Deunghaeng Trading Company.
“To be honest, I don't like this method, but I didn't forbid it, so there's nothing I can do.”
Her words made it clear how those two trading companies had arrived so early.
They had bribed their way through.
“But I warn you. Honestly, spending money is also a skill, but that is not the skill I want to see. So keep that in mind.”
The people from the two trading companies bowed their heads, and the empress turned her head and continued.
“The theme set by the royal family this time was to bring the most useful silk in the royal family. Each of you explain why the silk you brought fits the theme. The order will be in the order you arrived.”
Baek Cheon Trading Company and Deunghaeng Trading Company explained the silk they brought.
“Next is Eunhae Trading Company.”
“Yes.”
Na and Seo Hyung-soo took out the silk they had brought and placed it on the table.
“We, Eunhae Trading Company, have prepared this silk.”
The empress looked curious.
“It looks plain compared to the other trading companies.”
That was because the silk I had brought was white and had not been dyed.
“Yes, Your Majesty. But there is no silk in the royal court that is used as much as this.”
“How can you be so sure?”
“This silk is used to make undergarments.”
The empress touched the silk we had presented and smiled.
“It's very soft, so it won't be uncomfortable to wear.”
“Yes, Your Majesty.”
I replied confidently.
“Even though it is undergarments that cannot be seen because they are covered by colorful silk, they are in direct contact with the body. How can we be careless?”
“Not because they are to be delivered to the royal family, but for that reason?”
“Yes. Our Eunhae Trading Company always handles the best products that are worth their price.”
The Empress nodded with a smile, seeming pleased with my answer.
With that, the explanations from the other four trading companies were complete.
The Empress looked at us and said,
“I hear you well. Let's move on to the next step.”
The Empress looked at the court official, who said to us,
“Please follow me one by one. We will proceed in the order you arrived.”
Each trading company followed the court official, and soon it was the turn of the Eunhae Trading Company.
The three head clerks and I followed the court official to the building next door.
Huh?
There were dozens of tables with a piece of silk on each one.
Could this be...