Chapter 326
The Youngest Son of the Eunhae Trading Company Chapter 326
Chapter 326. Settle the Accounts Neatly (4)
The court official continued.
“This is a gift from His Majesty the Emperor as a token of his gratitude.”
“His Majesty the Emperor is as generous as the sea.”
Although it was not really necessary, he decided to accept it gratefully since it had been given to him.
It might come in handy someday.
“Mister's decision impressed not only His Majesty the Emperor but also many of the Royal Guards. I believe the commander will come to greet you soon.”
Gah!
He felt like he was about to throw up the refreshments he had just eaten.
The commander the court official just mentioned must be the head of the Royal Guards.
It's a different kind of pressure from the Master I've met so far.
“No, please don't tell him. My heart races just thinking about facing His Majesty the Emperor.”
“I understand. I'll pass that on.”
“Thank you very much.”
I bowed my head with a sigh of relief, as if to say, “Really?”
“Oh, and the mastermind behind the attack on Mister Eun has been revealed.”
“Already? It was the Royal Guards, as I thought.”
This was important information, so I listened intently.
“Yes. One of their accomplices was someone who worked at the Royal Secretariat.”
The Jeokbang is where the emperor's orders are announced, so it is a place close to the emperor.
“Not only that, but we were able to find their accomplices in various places.”
“You found them quite quickly.”
“The new Minister of Justice, Bang, played a big role in this.”
It is said that Bang's specialty is to pressure his opponents exquisitely without being harsh and to find evidence quickly.
“According to their statements, they did it in exchange for bribes, but the group behind them was a black organization called Yeokcheon-do.”
Yeokcheon-do?
I've never heard of it before.
“But the name...”
“That's right. Just as the name suggests, they are people who want to change the emperor.”
.
.
.
That afternoon.
I went to see Master Jin-yeong.
I heard that Master Jin-yeong had received a month's leave from the emperor.
“I'm glad you're back safely.”
“I'm just a little talented.”
My natural words made Master Jin-yeong laugh loudly.
“Hahaha! Yes, that's true.”
“But is it okay to laugh like that? Won't your wound open?”
He shook his head at my words.
“Don't worry about that. Thanks to the medicine you gave me, I'm already healed.”
He continued.
“At the time, I agreed with you when you said it was Jeong-ansu, but to be honest, I didn't believe you.”
“What?”
“You're not the type of person who would leave Jeong-ansu behind and pray. You're the type of person who would think of a solution at a time like that. I'm sure you used the precious medicine for our sake.”
“...”
Master Jin-yeong understood me perfectly.
“This time, His Majesty sent a royal physician. He said that with a month of rest, you will be able to wield your sword again.”
“I am so glad.”
“It is all thanks to you. You used that precious medicine for us. I will never forget your kindness.”
I felt a little embarrassed.
But I had no intention of revealing that it was Geumryeong's poison.
“But what about Bang No-sa?”
“Hm? Ah! You mean the Minister of Justice.”
“Yes, that's right.”
“I see, you already heard. His Majesty summoned him personally and appointed him to an important position. And thanks to this incident, there were no objections.”
I thought I knew why the emperor had ordered the Minister of Justice to find Master Jin and his party.
“Actually, I wanted to visit him, but he seemed busy.”
“I'm sure he is. He's one of the five busiest people in Beijing right now.”
There was nothing I could do.
I would have to visit him later.
.
.
.
Time passed, and it had been almost a month since I had visited Gansu.
It was already May.
After finishing all my backlogged work, I felt like I could finally breathe again.
“Master Jin, the Master of the Imperial Guard is here.”
Hearing Pal-gap's words, I quickly headed to the reception room.
“Master!”
I was delighted to see his clothes. He was wearing the Royal Guards' uniform.
As expected, the Master looks best in the Royal Guards' uniform.
“Are you returning now?”
“Yes, I am. My month-long rest period is over. And I don't have time to linger.”
We enjoyed refreshments and talked about this and that.
“By the way... Is something wrong? You don't look well.”
“Do you know anything about Yeokcheon-do?”
I nodded in response to his question.
I had heard about it from the court official who had delivered His Majesty's gift to me earlier.
“Yes, I know.”
“The leader of Yeokcheon-do has been revealed.”
“Really?”
“And... that leader is King Se-gyeong.”
“...What?”
Hearing those words, I couldn't believe my ears.
“Who?”
“His Majesty King Se-gyeong.”
King Se-gyeong is the emperor's cousin.
But as far as I know, he is not the type of person who would do such a thing out of greed for the throne.
How do I know that?
I met him in my previous life.
“There is already a lot of evidence, and he is being transported to the imperial palace.”
“I see.”
However, Master Jin had a complicated expression.
He also knew.
That King Se-gyeong was not the type of person who would be involved in such a thing.
“It's hard to believe, but what can we do? All the evidence points to him.”
I thought for a moment and then cautiously opened my mouth.
“Would it be possible for me to participate in this investigation?”
“What? You?”
“Yes. I was the one who was attacked by them, and I was also the one who captured them. So, don't I have some right to investigate them?”
Besides, I was appointed as an imperial inspector by the emperor himself.
After thinking for a moment, Master Jin-yeong said.
“I suppose it can't hurt. Go see the Minister of Justice. He's in charge of this case.”
“Is he available right now?”
“I can't say he's available, but he's less busy than he was a month ago.”
In fact, even if I finish all my backlog, I still have more than enough work to do.
Nevertheless, there are several reasons why I am getting involved in this case.
First, since it is related to me, I want to get to the bottom of it.
Second, I have a strong hunch that this case has been fabricated.
And although it has not happened yet, I was once saved by King Seonggyeong.
King Se-gyeong was the lord of Jiangxi Province and had no interest in politics or power.
His only interest was flowers.
Therefore, his only pleasure in life was tending to his large garden.
In my previous life, when I was on a business trip to Jiangxi Province, the deputy who was assisting me suddenly fell ill.
I called several physicians to check his pulse, and they said it was a rare disease that only occurred in Jiangxi Province.
So I tried to find the medicine for that disease, but strangely, I couldn't find it anywhere.
Eunhaesangdan was a trading company specializing in medicinal herbs.
No matter how rare a medicinal herb was, there was nothing we couldn't find, so something was strange.
After inquiring around, I found out that a rival trading company had interfered.
I went to the rival trading company to explain the situation and even knelt down, but they were unyielding.
I needed the medicine as soon as possible, so I wanted to send someone to the main office to get the medicine, but it was already too late.
Just when I was feeling discouraged, someone sent by King Seong-gye came to see me.
He had the medicine I had been searching for.
I was so grateful at that moment...
So I vowed that I would repay his kindness.
Of course, I took care of that despicable Trading Company.
Later, I visited him to express my gratitude and asked him why he had given me the medicine when we had never even met before.
King Seokgyeong smiled gently and said,
“I simply heard that you cared deeply for your people, and that moved me. There is no other reason.”
Whatever the reason, a favor must be repaid.
* * *
A mansion in Beijing.
Bang Hyo-myeong sighed.
“Oh, Doo-ya...”
He had no idea what was going on.
He had been investigating those who had attacked Eunseoho to steal the emperor's letter, and Clan Seok came up.
“He's not the type to do that...”
But the evidence was clear.
That was why he was racking his brains.
“Ugh, I need some meat to clear my head. Seok-baek.”
“Yes, sir?”
“Light a charcoal fire in the courtyard. I need to grill some meat.”
“Yes, sir. What kind of meat would you like?”
“Today...”
After some deliberation, he made his decision.
“Yes! Beef.”
So, a charcoal fire was lit in one corner of the courtyard.
He loved meat so much that he had even built a small brick oven in one corner of the courtyard so that he could grill meat.
Some people said that it was unbecoming for a high-ranking official to grill meat himself, but he didn't care.
Meat was his strength and the driving force behind his sharp mind.
Sizzle!
The beef on the grill was cooking deliciously.
At that moment, a servant approached him.
“Your guest has arrived.”
“Guest?”
Hearing that a guest had arrived just as he was about to eat, he frowned.
“Who is it?”
“He asked me to tell you that it is Captain Eun Seo-ho.”
“Huh? Eun Seo-ho?”
He quickly continued.
“Tell him to come this way.”
“Yes, sir.”
A moment later, a young man approached him.
He grumbled as he looked at the meat.
“This is too much. Were you going to eat all this delicious beef by yourself?”
“Stop talking and sit down.”
“Yes!”
Eun Seo-ho quickly sat down in front of him, and the well-grilled beef was placed in front of him.
“Let's eat.”
“Yes.”
They ate beef and talked.
“By the way, I heard you came to Beijing a month ago. If you came, you should report right away!”
“I've been busy too. I had a lot of work to do when I got back. I sent you a letter too.”
“Oh, really?”
“Did you read it?”
“Hmm.”
Bang Hyo-myung cleared his throat. In fact, he had been so busy that he hadn't had time to read any of the letters that had arrived.
Eun Seo-ho smiled and continued.
“By the way, you seem to be in good health. You look more energetic than when I last saw you.”
“Are you making fun of me?”
“Why would I make fun of you? When have I ever made fun of you?”
“Why would I argue with you? Eh, just eat your meat.”
Just as everyone had eaten their fill,
“I heard that the people behind the rebels are Clan Seok.”
“Huh, that's what I'm worried about.”
Bang Hyo-myeong shook his head.
“As far as I know, he's not the type to do that. And... he was the person His Majesty relied on the most.”
“His Majesty must be very troubled.”
“Yes.”
“Knowing His Majesty's concerns, I cannot just stand by and do nothing. So, may I participate in this investigation?”
“What? You?”
“I believe I am qualified.”
Those words made Bang Hyo-myung smile. He had already seen Eun Seo-ho's abilities during the previous incident.
Even though he knew the emperor's intentions, he honestly thought, “All I needed was him, so why did he bother calling me...”
Such a talented person volunteered to help with this matter.
He couldn't help but smile.
“You! You cute guy!”
“Huh?”
“So, when are you going to start? Right now? You've eaten, so you should get to work.”
* * *
I was speechless.
Did my offer to participate in the investigation really make him that happy?
More importantly... this meat... I guess it wasn't free after all?
Still, thanks to him, I had a delicious meal.
Seokbaek, the attendant, said that he grills meat really well.
Well, even if I hadn't eaten the meat, I was planning on participating in this task.
“Let's go to the imperial palace right now.”
“What? Now?”
But Minister Bang... No, I should just call him Bang-nim.
Bang-nim's drive was incredible.
“Let's go now! There's no time to lose.”
“Do you know what time it is?”
“I know it's midnight, but time is not important when it comes to clearing someone's name.”
I had no choice but to remain silent at Bang No-sa's words.
Every moment must be painful for someone who has been wrongfully accused and is suffering.
I felt embarrassed by his desire to clear the person's name as quickly as possible.
Bang No-sa is a good man.
I followed Bang No-sa to the Ministry of Justice.
An official on duty was startled to see us and asked, “Your Excellency! What are you doing here at this hour?”
"I have come to look into something.
“I have something to check on.”
“I see. But who is the gentleman with you?”
“He is my assistant.”
“I see.”
With that, I was able to enter the building where the documents were kept.
Someone in a position like the Minister of Justice does not need permission from anyone to bring an assistant.
Is this what power feels like?
The clerk brought a pile of documents from somewhere and placed them on the table in front of me.
Thud!
I could guess the weight from the sound.
“Take a look at these! And if you have any questions, don't hesitate to ask.”
“...Yes.”
Seeing the amount of documents I had to look through, I slightly regretted my decision to get involved in the investigation.
Still, I had to repay the favor.
Even if I was the only one who remembered the favor, it didn't mean that it didn't exist.
And it was only right to repay a debt of gratitude.