Chapter 346
The Youngest Son of the Eunhae Trading Company Chapter 346
Chapter 346. Solution (1)
Several days passed.
After completing a brief investigation, the refugees headed for a village in Hunan Province.
According to Master Jin, the imperial court had purchased a large amount of farmland in Hunan Province during the recent famine.
“Farmland?”
“It was a pretty good deal for both sides. The owner of the farmland needed cash right away.”
“I see.”
“Actually, His Majesty was deeply impressed by what you did for the rebels before.”
That refers to when you appeased a group of rebels who were forming the Green Forest Bandits in the mountains between Songyang County and Yang'en County in Hubei Province and allowed them to farm the land.
Of course, because of their crimes, they had to farm without paying rent for several years.
Furthermore, the talented people he recruited at that time, including Kyung-in-juk, were now working hard for a bright future at Eunhae Trading Company.
Anyway, you were impressed by what you saw at that time?
“Who does the land of this empire belong to?”
“That's obvious...”
Huh? Come to think of it, what should I say?
In theory, all the land in the empire belongs to the emperor. But is that really the case?
No.
We pay taxes on the land in the sense that we are borrowing it from the emperor, but all land has owners who hold the title to it.
As if anticipating my perplexed expression, Master Jin smiled and continued.
“Food is the most important resource, so land can be considered Fist power. Honestly, isn't the person who owns the most land in a village the king of that village?”
“...”
“His Majesty sees this famine as an opportunity and has purchased a considerable amount of land. He is still buying more.”
I was secretly impressed by Master Jin-yeong's words.
He really is amazing.
He is using this famine as a stepping stone to strengthen his power.
To be honest, his drive is also impressive.
The famine is expected to last for about three years, and during that time, many landowners will sell their land.
This means that their income will decrease as the yield from their land decreases.
However, it is not easy to reduce spending.
With less income, they will have to reduce their spending to survive, but if they don't, they will eventually have no choice but to sell their land.
“But Your Majesty is not touching the land of the self-supporting farmers. Instead, you are lending them food. Why do you think that is?”
I smiled.
“Is it taxes?”
“You are very perceptive!”
The taxes paid by independent farmers are an important source of income for the empire. They are used to run the empire.
Landowners also pay taxes, but to be honest, there are very few who pay them honestly.
Our Eunhae Trading Company calculates and pays them accurately.
If problems arise later, it could destroy everything we have built up.
Protecting the imperial property while also protecting the self-supporting farmers who pay taxes.
It is no easy task to maintain a balance between those two things... He really is an amazing person.
The empire will be at peace if someone like him continues to rule for a long time.
I hope he lives a long life.
In any case, the refugees from Seounpa will become tenant farmers who cultivate the imperial lands in that village.
It's not a bad life for them.
As long as they work hard, they won't have to worry about starving to death.
The Sect Leader and other key figures of the Seo-un-pa who led the rebellion were taken to the imperial palace.
Thus, the matter concerning the Seo-un-pa was settled for the time being.
However, my work was not yet done.
It was time to return to Gyeongju.
I opened the window of my room and looked outside.
It had been summer when I arrived here, but now it was already autumn.
At that moment, Pal-gap entered my quarters and said,
“Young Master, the Minister of Justice is asking for you.”
“Really?”
“Yes. Young Master Dong is waiting for you.”
Ah... He wants me to go to him.
When I left my quarters, Young Master Dong was already waiting in the courtyard.
“Hurry up.”
“Yes.”
He said indifferently and turned away.
I practically solved this case, and a simple “thank you” is too much to ask?
Ugh.
We headed for the office of the Minister of Justice.
“Come in.”
We announced our arrival and entered.
“I heard you called for me.”
Master Donghangsu, who was bowing in respect, noticed someone else and tilted his head.
I already knew that there was someone else inside besides Pojeongsa.
It was none other than Master Jinyeong.
Master Donghangsu quickly bowed his head.
As a high-ranking official, he recognized the golden peony decoration on the fan held by Master Jin.
The Royal Guards revealed their identities with small shields used in battle, golden armor, swords bestowed by the emperor, and decorations on their fans.
“Greetings, Master Jin.”
Jin-yeong Dae-hyung responded to the greeting with a blank nod.
Donghangsu Gong looked nervous.
He had no choice, as the Royal Guards wielded enormous power relative to their rank.
As long as they had the emperor's authority, they could arrest and interrogate anyone.
That is why, during the reign of the previous emperor, they abused that authority to frame those they disliked for treason.
However, that does not happen under the current emperor.
If the Royal Guards did such a thing, the emperor would have them executed.
Well, I can't say that there aren't any who are corrupt, but I can't say that there aren't any.
Still, that perception did not change easily, and it is true that they are a terrifying presence to those who plot treason.
I asked Master Jin-yeong with a smile to lighten the mood.
“Aren't you leaving yet?”
“I still have work to do. I have something I need to do while I'm in Hunan Province.”
“You work so hard.”
“But you're the only one doing all the work, aren't you?”
As I chatted with him in a friendly manner, Donghangsu Mister looked at me with a puzzled expression.
In fact, Master Jinyeong is usually rather blunt.
When I first met him, even I, who am not sensitive to cold, felt a chill.
However, because of the time we had spent together and the trust we had built up, he treated me kindly.
I turned my head and looked at Po Jeong-sa.
He continued when he saw me looking at him.
“I have something to ask of you. When you return to Gyeongju, I would like to accompany you.”
“Are you serious, Po Jeong-sa?”
Donghangsu Mister nodded heavily in response to Donghangsu's question.
“Even though this was their plot, it was caused by someone who infiltrated my family. It is my fault for not managing my family properly.”
He sighed.
“As the saying goes, ‘To govern a country, one must first govern oneself. Only after governing oneself and one's family well can one govern the province of Hunan well...’”
I gently comforted him.
“Don't blame yourself too much. Honestly, who could have known of their evil plan? Fortunately, the worst has been avoided.”
“Yes, it was thanks to Your Majesty's benevolence and your help. In any case, I intend to apologize directly to the Minister of Justice in Gyeongju for this matter.”
He turned his head and said to Master Jin-yeong.
“After that, I will see His Majesty the Emperor and resign from my position as Minister of Justice.”
“...!”
He was even thinking of resigning!
He seemed quite shocked by this turn of events.
Master Jin-yeong smiled at his words.
“As expected of His Majesty.”
“...?”
At those words, the Master of the Hunan Province looked puzzled, and Master Jin-yeong took a letter wrapped in red silk from his robe and handed it to him.
“If you are considering resigning, His Majesty asked me to give you this.”
The Po-Jeong-Sa knelt down and respectfully accepted the letter, then opened it.
“...”
He bit his lip. His eyes were red, and it seemed that he was deeply moved by the letter.
What could it say to elicit such a reaction?
“Kyeok! The emperor is truly gracious.”
Master Jin-yeong signaled to us.
He wanted us to go outside.
We left the office, and Master Jin-yeong asked me, “When do you plan to return to Beijing?”
“I plan to return as soon as I finish this matter. It won't take long.”
“I plan to return as soon as I finish this matter. It won't take long.”
“It seems that His Majesty the Emperor has something important to discuss with you.”
“I understand. I will go to the capital as soon as possible.”
He nodded and bowed.
“I'll be going now. Don't be too disappointed that I'm not seeing you off.”
“I'm just happy that you came.”
“See you in Beijing.”
“Take care.”
Donghangsu Gongzi and I gave him a clasped hands greeting. When we looked up, he was already far away.
“You.”
Master Donghangsu called me.
“Yes?”
“Who are you? Who are you that the Master of the Ice Sword is smiling and talking to you?”
The Ice Sword is the title of the Master of the camp.
It means that he wields a sword like a flame with a face like ice, and it seems that he was given that name because of his unique coldness and extreme martial arts skills.
“Furthermore... His Majesty the Emperor wants to consult with you. Master Bing An Yan Jian is not the type of person who would joke about His Majesty...”
I just smiled without saying anything.
Oh, come on, Master Jin.
He noticed that Donghangsu Mister was treating me a little strangely and warned him.
He said that it wouldn't be fun if he treated me rudely.
Donghangsu Mister's legs began to tremble.
“You are more powerful than I thought...”
I'm not used to using honorifics.
“You can just speak normally. How can a young merchant like me use honorifics to a gentleman in a position of authority?”
However, he looked even more embarrassed.
Seeing his expression made me feel good, but I felt uncomfortable if he continued like this. This is enough.
“Then let's go back.”
“Yes.”
That evening.
The Po-Jeong-Sa informed his attendants of his schedule for traveling to Gyeongju.
He would be leaving the day after tomorrow.
There was much to prepare for the Po-Jeong-Sa's extended absence.
Furthermore, he needed to prepare an appropriate gift, as he was visiting to apologize.
After dinner, I took a walk in the garden to aid my digestion and clear my head.
Then I saw Po Jeong-sa ahead of me.
I bowed with my hands clasped in front of me.
“Have you had dinner?”
“Yes, I have. Have you eaten?”
“Yes, thank you. It was delicious.”
“Let's walk together for a while.”
“Yes.”
He seemed to have come out to walk in the garden, just like me.
It was September, so it should have been chilly in the morning and evening, but perhaps because it was Hunan Province, it was still hot.
Still, the flowers were beautiful, so it was worth walking in the garden.
“I heard from Master Jin-yeong that His Majesty the Emperor favors you.”
“His Majesty is just being kind to my humble talent.”
“His Majesty hates useless subjects.”
That was true.
“And this time, I was able to see clearly why His Majesty favors you.”
He stopped walking and looked me in the eyes.
“I heard that you met the fourth prince a few days ago.”
“Yes, I did.”
I wondered for a moment whether I should tell him the truth. Then the chief minister said,
“Is my guess correct?”
“What?”
“Is it true that the fourth prince is in love with Ja-ryeong?”
“...”
I didn't answer. There was no need to answer.
“Ha... I knew that he was interested in Ja-ryung, but I didn't know that his feelings were so strong.”
He continued with a complicated look on his face.
“As you can see, he doesn't express his feelings very well.”
“...”
“If he had told me that he had feelings for Ja-ryung, I would have let them get married. When we were discussing the marriage, my third son said he would follow my decision.”
Hearing this, I felt even more sorry for the fourth son of the Po-jeongsa.
“Did you tell your fourth son about the car?”
I shook my head at that question.
To be honest, I hadn't decided what to do yet.
“Then, can I ask you one favor?”
“What is it?”
“Please keep this a secret from my sons.”
“....”
“To be honest, as the governor of Hunan, it is not right for me to hide the truth, but this is a request from a poor father.”
If he finds out about this, the fourth son will blame himself.
He almost killed the woman he loved with his own hands.
In fact, in his previous life, Miss Yeon-ryung did die.
And the third son would blame the fourth son for nearly killing his fiancée.
The fourth son is already weak-minded.
If that happens, he may not be able to bear the guilt and take his own life.
They say ignorance is bliss, and this is exactly that situation.
“I will do as you say.”
“Thank you.”
“But someday, they will find out the truth. Moreover, they have been sent to Beijing, haven't they?”
“I plan to ask the Emperor through Master Jin.”
Ah... I see.
Then there should be no problem.
“By the way...”
He looked at me and continued.
“What do you think of the Martial Alliance?”