Chapter 245
The Youngest Son of the Eunhae Trading Company Chapter 245
Chapter 245. Beijing Branch (5)
Yoo Eung-am smiled at my words.
“It has been said that a stick is the best medicine for those who cannot be taught with words.”
Lee Pil nodded.
“I agree.”
“Then, may we go and teach them a lesson as their seniors?”
“Let's do that.”
At that moment, I had a good idea.
“Teaching them is good, but teaching them every time is a waste of time. So, since we're going to teach them, let's finish it in one go.”
“...?”
Instead of answering his question, I said to Pal-gap.
“Can you get me a ghost mask? Make it a really scary one.”
* * *
A bonfire was burning, and pieces of meat were cooking on top of it.
Watching this, they drank from bottles of alcohol.
They were famous vagabonds from Beijing.
Among them were the sons of corrupt officials who had fallen from power with the ascension of the new emperor, the sons of wealthy trading companies who were squandering their fortunes, and those who had drifted in one day and joined their ranks.
What they all had in common was that they were good-for-nothing scoundrels who would drink and harass people on the street, and they would often visit small shops and inns to cause trouble.
When they saw pretty women, they would drag them away and do terrible things to them.
Why?
Because it was fun.
Those who couldn't stand their behavior sometimes reported them to the authorities, but nothing changed.
This was because their families used money and Fist power to silence them. In particular, one of their parents held a high government position, so lower-ranking officials were powerless to do anything.
They found a playground for themselves in a long-abandoned site where a royal palace was supposed to be built.
Others didn't dare go near the site for fear of being taken to the imperial palace, so the young men had the place to themselves.
So it was the perfect place for them.
At first, they were a little wary, but soon they realized that the place was not well maintained and decided to make it their home.
“Hey, why isn't the meat cooked? The sake doesn't taste good without any snacks.”
“Just wait a little longer. Don't be so impatient.”
“Did you see the girl at the new tableware shop that just opened?”
“Huh huh huh, I did.”
“She was pretty.”
“Should we bring her here today?”
“Should we? The meat isn't done yet... Huh!”
At that moment, one of the vagrants fell backward.
“What's that?”
“What's wrong?”
“A ghost... a ghost...”
“Huh? A ghost? Where is the ghost... Guh!”
Those who turned around at the words of the parakho also fell backward in fright.
“How dare you do such a filthy thing on the land of our Liege! You will be punished by heaven!”
Then, the clubs they were holding flew toward the parakho.
Pah!
Puk!
“Ugh!”
As the bonfire went out, the area was instantly enveloped in pitch-black darkness.
The movements of those wearing ghost masks were so mysterious.
No matter how hard they ran, the ghosts clung to them relentlessly.
“Please spare our lives! We won't do it again!”
“We won't come back here again!”
They begged and begged the ghosts swinging clubs at them.
Pah!
“Guh!”
But the ghosts' blows were relentless. They focused on the painful areas, and he thought he was going to die.
He was eventually knocked unconscious.
The next day, they gradually regained consciousness.
“Ugh!”
Their whole bodies ached, and only then did they remember what had happened the night before.
“Last night, ghosts... Was it a dream?”
“It wasn't a dream. I remember it too.”
“We were beaten badly. But why are we fine?”
“...Huh?”
That's right.
They were clearly beaten to the point of passing out, but there wasn't a single mark on their bodies.
“Hee-hee!”
They jumped up from their seats.
“It was really ghosts!”
The beggars ran away in fear. However, the reactions of the people watching them were strange.
“Oh my god!”
“Tsk, tsk, they've finally lost their minds. They've gone mad.”
“Father, why are those people naked? Are they so poor that they can't afford clothes?”
“Shh! Don't look at them.”
Seeing the people's reactions, they finally realized that they were completely naked.
“...”
* *
I had a hard time holding back my laughter.
“Huh! Puhuhuh.”
“Even so, it was too much to strip them naked.”
I shook my head at Pal-gap's words.
“You're saying that because you weren't there. I was furious when I heard what those bastards said.”
The bodyguards nodded in agreement.
“You seem quite embarrassed.”
In response to Lee Pil's words, Yeo Eung-am said, as if he still didn't like it.
“Embarrassed? If those guys knew what embarrassment was, they wouldn't have done such a thing.”
“I agree.”
“By the way, do you think they've learned their lesson?”
“No.”
I shook my head at Lee Pil's words.
“Even if they don't now, they'll do it again someday. That's why they say you can't teach an old dog new tricks.”
As I looked into the gang, I found out that one of them had used money and connections to silence his father.
But that wouldn't silence me.
I'll have to use my position as Imperial Inspector again.
“Pal-gap, send a letter to Master Jin-yeong.”
“Yes, sir.”
I wondered if Dong-chang and the Royal Guards knew about this, but I quickly shook my head.
Their raison d'être was to serve as the eyes, ears, hands, and feet of His Majesty the Emperor and prevent treason.
For them, these matters were outside their jurisdiction.
That's why there are inspectors, isn't it?
.
.
.
Several days passed.
Finally, construction of the Beijing branch of the Eunhae Trading Company began.
First, they hired a large number of workers to clear the weeds from the site. However, they decided to leave the trees alone as much as possible.
This was because they would serve as landscaping.
“Young master, did you hear that?”
Pal-gap approached me as I was looking at the Blade's flat side of the Beijing branch building and said.
“That? What is it?”
“I heard that the left assistant minister of the Dojosa slipped up.”
The left assistant minister of the Dojosa is the father of one of the parakho I teased earlier.
“Huh? Slipped up?”
“He became the governor of Tongjeongsa?”
“What? Is that possible?”
The left assistant minister of the Dojosa is a high-ranking official in the orthodox and unorthodox government. And the chief clerk of the Tongjeongsa is the lowest rank of the eighth rank.
In other words, he was demoted from the orthodox and unorthodox ranks to the eighth rank.
"I heard that His Majesty the Emperor reprimanded him, saying, 'How can someone in such an important position, evaluating the performance of inspectors and administrators, fail to properly manage his own son?
“Really?”
Wow, our emperor is so fierce.
Honestly, it's not easy for someone who rose to the rank of orthodox and unorthodox to work at the bottom.
And even if it's just the lowest rank of the eighth rank, people around him would treat him badly, but he was assigned to Tongjeongsa.
The Tongjeongsa is where petitions to the emperor and imperial decrees are managed.
In other words, it is a place close to the emperor.
It means that the emperor will keep a close eye on him, so it must be hell.
That's why it's important to educate your children well or scold them severely when they do something like that for the first time.
“Then what about his son and his accomplices?”
“They are currently in prison. They have quite a few charges against them, starting with trespassing on imperial property and raping a woman...”
“We will also press charges for trespassing on private property.”
“Yes, sir.”
Suddenly, I felt impressed by Pal-gap for knowing all these things.
“By the way, Pal-gap, where did you hear all this?”
“I became friends with some servants who work for a trading company that does business with the Imperial Palace, and they told me.”
“....”
Pal-gap's social skills are truly amazing.
“By the way, have you heard the strange rumors going around Beijing lately?”
“Strange rumors?”
“Rumors about you, young master.”
“Me?”
Rumors about me out of the blue? What is this?
I tilted my head, and Pal-gap chuckled and continued.
“Rumors that Seon-hyeonmi is summoning ghosts.”
“Huh? What are you talking about? I summon ghosts... Ah...”
I thought I knew where the rumor had spread from.
It was definitely when the Yeongam warrior changed his voice and said, “How dare you do such a filthy thing on the land of your Liege! You will be punished by heaven!”
Someone must have heard him and spread the rumor.
I didn't know the Yeongam warrior had such a talent.
In any case, those rogues will not escape severe punishment. And the officials who turned a blind eye and kept their mouths shut even though those who were harmed by the rogues reported them will not escape punishment either.
Still, the officials will not be severely punished.
Even they could not punish someone who was responsible for their performance evaluations while their superiors were watching.
His Majesty the Emperor is a very understanding person.
The establishment of the Beijing branch proceeded step by step, and my work also proceeded step by step...
Ah... I can't see the end.
I clenched my fists and shouted to motivate myself.
The harder I work, the fewer sacrifices others will have to make, so I can't afford to be lazy.
As I was living my life diligently day after day, Master Jin came to visit me.
I've been seeing you a lot lately.
I'm starting to get attached to you.
“What are you doing in this shabby place?”
Master Jin smiled at my greeting.
“Shabby? You're too modest.”
“Hahaha.”
I laughed shyly.
“Would you like some tea?”
“I'd love to.”
So we drank tea and talked.
“His Majesty the Emperor is very pleased. He says you are doing better than expected.”
“It's because I'm fearless.”
“Huh? I'm sure I didn't say that before. You are timid...”
“Yes, I am timid.”
“Being fearless and timid are opposites…”
I quickly changed the subject.
“So, did you come to convey the emperor's message?”
“Ah, that too… I just thought you might have a solution.”
“Is there a problem?”
Jin-yeong Master nodded in response to my question.
“The person who was in the Left Chamberlain's Office has been demoted.”
“Is that so?”
I replied, pretending not to know.
If I let him know that I knew about this, it could cause trouble for me.
No matter how friendly Master Jin-yeong was toward me, I had to be careful when it came to matters concerning the imperial palace.
“Yes, that's right.”
Master Jin-yeong explained what had happened, and it was not much different from what Pal-gap had told me.
There were just a few additional details.
But then again, how could Pal-gap have known that much?
According to Master Jin-yeong, His Majesty the Emperor had warned the other ministers to educate their children properly.
This time, the prisoners in the royal prison were sentenced to hard labor in the mines.
Hard labor in the mines is said to be the hardest of all forms of labor... They will suffer greatly for all the time they spent doing nothing.
Those who suffered damage from the prisoners were compensated with an appropriate amount of money, but the families of those good-for-nothings had to sell their property to pay the compensation.
“So now the other ministers are keeping their children in line to avoid ending up like Jeon Jang-do, but who knows how long that will last.”
“That's true.”
“My superior is the same.”
“...”
I realized that raising children is a problem for everyone.
“To be honest, the reason that guy turned out the way he did is a bit complicated. He lost his mother when he was young, and his father was too busy with work, so he just gave him money and raised him without any discipline...”
I thought for a moment and said to Master Jin-yeong.
“To be honest...”
He nodded at my words.
“I'm sorry. I'm sure you didn't have a choice. I asked too much of you, especially since you're not even married yet.”
“No, there is a way.”
“What? There is?”
“Yes, it's a bit rough and difficult, but it's definitely effective.”
Master Jin-yeong's eyes lit up at my explanation.
“Is that true?”
“Yes. I have an academy that I personally support.”
“If you support it, then it's even more trustworthy. So where is this academy?”
“It's in Sansui. It's called an academy specializing in rehabilitation.”
There was one bad boy in Hubei.
He was the son of a martial arts academy master named Wei Shengzhe.
Following my suggestion, the principal sent his son to the academy specializing in rehabilitation that I recommended.
That was three years ago.
Since then, the principal's health has improved rapidly, and now he is completely recovered and full of energy.
And Master Wei Shengzhe has become a man of integrity and is now working as a teaching assistant at that academy.
It's a wonderful thing.
I heard that the academy is short on funds, so I've been supporting it privately.
Now that Young Master Wei Shengze has become a new man, it will have a positive effect on others as well.
Master Jin asked, “How can I enroll there?”