Chapter 226
The Youngest Son of the Eunhae Trading Company Chapter 226
Chapter 226. Jin-ho's Wedding Reception (1)
“Come in.”
“Long time no see, Jin-ho!”
When I arrived home, Jin-ho welcomed me warmly.
However, he looked different from usual, and I felt a little strange.
“What's up, bro? You don't usually even comb your hair.”
“Huh? When did I ever do that?”
Don't deny it...
If you asked ten people, all ten would agree with me, right?
I thought I knew why my brother was suddenly caring about his appearance. The power of love is so strong!
“Is Miss Ha-soo doing well?”
My question made Jin-ho look embarrassed.
“Of course.”
I was relieved. Miss Ha Soo-min had to be healthy.
Otherwise, Jin-ho would grow old as a broken-hearted bachelor.
I headed to my office.
“I'm back, Father.”
“I'm glad you came back safely.”
My father nodded and looked at me. It seemed as if he was checking to see if I was really okay.
I'm fine, really.
I'm not the type to go out and get hurt, am I?
“I guess your outing took longer than expected.”
“That's why I got in trouble for wanting to see my family.”
“Hahaha.”
My father laughed lightly.
“Gwak Head Escort told me everything. He told me why you went there. It's amazing that you were able to accomplish what you set out to do.”
My father's praise made me scratch my cheek.
“You saved many lives.”
“I'm not that big of a person. I was just doing my job for our Trading Company.”
“Well, if the Yangtze River had actually flooded, our Trading Company would have suffered great damage. Still, the fact that what you did saved countless lives remains unchanged.”
I smiled sheepishly.
“Yes. You must be tired. Go get some rest.”
“Father, I have something to tell you.”
“What is it?”
“I would like to arrange Jin-ho's marriage in April.”
“Is it because of the famine I mentioned last time?”
“Yes, that's right.”
“If the famine worsens, people will not be able to afford to visit, and a prohibition on alcohol may even be imposed.”
As expected, my father's insight was remarkable. That must be why he brought the Trading Company this far.
“I will discuss it with Miss Ha's father.”
“Yes.”
I remembered something I had forgotten to mention.
“And I purchased some cotton fields.”
“Cotton fields?”
“Yes. I also bought three shops.”
My father laughed at my words.
“You are really expanding the business. But since there was no report of spending the trading company's money, I assume you bought them with your own money?”
“That's right. However, I don't have enough time to manage them, so I'm thinking of entrusting them to the trading company.”
I told him about the cotton fields and shops, but I didn't mention anything else.
That was my secret.
After discussing various matters with my father, I headed to my private quarters, Moongokdang.
I felt I needed to wash up first.
Palgak had prepared a warm bath for me, and I was able to wash in warm water for the first time in a long time.
After changing into my formal attire, I visited the adults in order and finally headed for Hyung-nim's annex.
“Welcome.”
“Have you been well?”
“Yes, thank you.”
My sister-in-law greeted me with a smile.
“Where are Gun-hyeok and Bo-yeon?”
“I'll ask the nannies to bring them. They're walking well now and talking a lot.”
“Really?”
Soon, the two nannies brought the children and set them down on the floor.
“Hello. How have you been?”
“Um...”
“Uh...”
I wondered if Gun-hyeok and Bo-yeon had forgotten me and were acting shy.
But my worries were unfounded.
The two children laughed and ran toward me.
Seeing this, my sister-in-law nodded.
“I knew you were good-looking.”
“Hahaha.”
I smiled awkwardly. I must have imagined that Pal-gap was glaring at me from beside me.
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A few days passed.
During that time, I was busy catching up on my work.
My father and mother began preparing for Jin-ho's wedding.
The first step in preparing for a banquet is to send invitations to those who live far away.
This is so that the guests can depart on the appointed date.
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.
.
Almost half a month had passed since I returned from my mission to remove the ice from the upper reaches of the river.
Before I knew it, it was early April.
I felt that my efforts to remove the ice from the upper reaches of the Yellow River and Yangtze River had been worthwhile.
During the floods in my previous life, I was unconsciously nervous, but everything went well.
Although the water level rose slightly for a short time, there was almost no flooding.
And since the season turned to spring, there has been almost no rain.
This is a clear sign of drought.
Still, thanks to the ice we sent to various places, we should be able to hold out a little longer.
“Young master! Young master!”
While I was working in Hyungpung, Pal-gap rushed over to me.
“What's the matter?”
“You need to go out quickly!”
“Huh?”
“Someone from the imperial palace is here!”
From the Imperial Palace?
I quickly got up from my seat and headed for the Trading Company's courtyard.
An official stood proudly in the courtyard.
Until now, most of the officials who came to see me were received in the reception room.
With people coming and going, the fact that he was waiting for me openly meant...
Could it be?
I approached him and greeted him politely.
“Are you looking for the young master?”
“Are you the young master of Eunseoho?”
“Yes, I am.”
“Receive His Majesty's decree.”
At his words, I quickly adjusted my clothes and knelt before him.
The official unfolded a golden scroll.
It was a commendation for my contribution to preventing a great flood by removing the ice from the upper reaches of the river.
“...Therefore, I hereby award Captain Eunseoho with 100 bags of rice.”
For some reason, it sounded to my ears like the emperor was saying, “I have saved your face, so continue to work hard.”
I don't really want to, but I can't refuse.
But I can't refuse 100 bags of rice.
“I am deeply honored.”
The official handed me the scroll, and I accepted it politely.
When I stood up, the official relaxed his expression and said,
“I've heard a lot about you from the Royal Guards. You are indeed a young man worthy of the name Seonhaengmi.”
“It's too much honor for me.”
“Actually, the Masters submitted a petition to His Majesty the Emperor. They said that you also made a significant contribution to this matter and should be rewarded.”
Ah...
You could have just kept it to yourself, but you're too kind.
Anyway, that means others were also rewarded.
“The ones who actually worked hard at the time were the laborers and workers. Did they also receive rewards?”
“Of course. They all received rewards of five to ten bags of rice.”
“I'm glad.”
“Hehe. Even in this situation, you are concerned about the rewards for the laborers and workers! You truly deserve the name Seonhaengmi-rang.”
“You flatter me.”
I smiled awkwardly and asked him to stay for a cup of tea, but he said he had a lot of work to do and left immediately.
“Huh…”
I let out a sigh.
The way people looked at me felt intense.
I felt a little embarrassed.
By the way, I wonder how much His Majesty the Emperor smiled when he gave out these rewards?
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The next day, I headed to the bookstore with the invitation.
I wanted to give the invitation to the old man at the general store.
The old man was sitting in front of the store, basking in the spring sunshine, and when he saw me, he stood up.
“I heard that His Majesty the Emperor painted gold on your face yesterday.”
As expected, he was very direct.
“Yes, that's right.”
“How does it feel?”
I smiled at his question and sat down.
“It feels great. I received a hundred bags of rice as a reward.”
“Huh? It seems like you like something else more.”
“Of course. I am a merchant. And for a merchant, money is honor.”
“That's true.”
I handed the invitation to the smiling old man.
“My second brother is getting married.”
“Is that the guy named Jin-ho who is good with a sword?”
“Yes.”
“They seem to be in quite a hurry. I thought you had only just started talking about it.”
“What's the point in postponing a wedding? We should get it over with quickly.”
The old man picked up the invitation and said.
“You're right. I understand. I'll attend.”
“Thank you.”
The old man looked at me intently, then stood up. He went into the general store and brought out a long box.
“Take this.”
“What is this?”
“Did you think His Majesty the Emperor would give you only a hundred bags of rice? He is not that stingy. Thanks to you, he saved tens of thousands of lives.”
“But I didn't do it all by myself. I just threw out the idea, and it was others who actually wrote the letter.”
The old man smiled and said.
“Let me be honest. What do you think His Majesty the Emperor is most concerned about right now?”
“....”
“It's those wolves who are always trying to seize his power.”
Ah...
With those words, everything suddenly became clear.
The emperor's greatest enemies were his own ministers, who sought to weaken his power and seize it for themselves.
Come to think of it, during the five years of floods and droughts in his previous life, it was the high-ranking officials and local administrators who made life even more difficult for the people.
That meant that the emperor's power had weakened.
No matter how great an emperor's authority is, he needs money to exercise his power.
With droughts and floods continuing, the amount of money that needs to be spent is increasing, but the amount of taxes collected is decreasing, so the emperor's authority is bound to weaken.
In any case, my suggestion helped prevent that from happening, so the emperor is personally grateful to me.
Then there is no need to refuse.
“May I open it?”
The old man nodded, and I opened the box.
Inside was a piece of white cloth, which looked to be about five or six feet long.
But...
When I picked up the cloth, my inner arts began to stir.
I knew what this meant.
It was the cloth of the thousand silkworms.
The arm guards I was wearing on both arms contained silk made from cheonjamsa.
“Do you know what that is?”
A playful smile appeared on the old man's lips.
“Are you really giving this to me?”
“Yes, it is a real reward.”
But... why silk made from cheonjamsa?
I had that question in my mind, but I quickly frowned.
Damn, the emperor already knows that my inner arts are yin.
Silk made from cheonjamsa is tougher than iron and is considered the best armor.
However, not just anyone can use it because cheonjamsa is an artifact that contains yin energy.
It is okay if you add leather so that it does not touch the skin directly, like the armguard I am wearing now, but normally it is not good to let it touch the skin directly.
If you have mastered the art of fire control, its power is reduced by half, and most martial artists cannot overcome the yin energy, which causes problems.
Even ordinary people who are not martial artists may die prematurely due to that energy.
However, there are cases where the Cheonjamsa is helpful, such as when one has been injured by a heat-based technique or when one's inner arts are yin in nature.
By the way, how did you know?
I asked the old man.
“Elder, did you tell His Majesty that my inner arts are yin in nature?”
“I did not. You fool.”
“Then...”
“Are you asking how His Majesty knew that you learned Bing Gong and gave it to you?”
I nodded in response to his question.
“That's...”
The old man hesitated for a moment and then smiled.
“Find out for yourself.”
“What?”
“It will cost you dearly to hear it from my lips.”
"...
I thought about it carefully and sighed. To be honest, there were too many things that bothered me.
Master Jin-yeong might have noticed, or there might be someone working for the emperor among my acquaintances.
As expected, the emperor is not to be underestimated.
“But there won't be a price to pay for this reward, right?”
In response to my question, the old man raised his pipe and said.
“Would you refuse it if there was a price to pay?”
“Of course not.”
“Honestly, the imperial palace is full of treasures, so why would they give you silk woven from thousand-year-old silk worms?”
“....”
“It means that you should not die young. It means that His Majesty the Emperor cares for you.”
But why does it sound like, “If you die young, it will be difficult to find a replacement, so it is better for me if you live a long life.”?
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I returned to the Eunhae Trading Company.
After dinner, while I was resting for a moment, Pal-gap approached me.
“Young master. Someone would like to see you.”
“?”
When I came out of my room, I saw unexpected figures standing in the courtyard.
They were Bae Cheol, a warrior of the Eunpungdae, and Go Ju-sang, a warrior of the Goju-sang.
They were my bodyguards in my past life... and they were the ones who betrayed me.
“What is going on?”
In response to my question, they knelt down in front of me.
“We beg your forgiveness, Captain.”
“What?”
Hearing those unexpected words, my bodyguards and Pal-gap looked confused.
I was just as confused as they were.
Why did they suddenly do this?